My lovely wife and I recently decided to get a bite to eat before entering the Toronto Reference Library for some intense work and sunshine deprivation. We happened upon Crepes a GoGo at 18 Yorkville Avenue and could not have been more pleased. The food really hit the spot - delicious crepes steaming with fresh ingredients. On top of it, the restaurant had a musical guest in the form of an accordion player, who played such pieces as Stairway to Heaven and The Hokey Pokey. All this was in the background, though, as we chatted and enjoyed the expert sounds of such a wonderful musician.

This wasn’t any sort of polka accordion player, mind you, but someone who could tickle the ivories in the traditional French style I learned to recognize from a childhood filled with the sounds of Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel. Despite the nontraditional performance choices, the sound was very reminiscent of that time gone by, punctuated with the music of my father’s years as a soldier in France. If you go on Saturdays or holidays you can hear some very nice music. Alas, the lad has his plate full with other vocations during other times.

Happy Crepe Eater
by Carl Weaver

Veronique, the owner/manager, came to our table to make sure we enjoyed our meal and were completely satisfied. I immediately felt at home in her presence, as if I had known her before and was visiting from afar and getting to know her again. Watching her work was a real treat as well, as her joy showed in what she did and the interactions with the customers and staff.

Crepes a GoGo does more than sell delicious, fresh food. They have an entire mood and feel to the restaurant experience that is worth every penny for the crepes you are sure to enjoy. Go see Veronique; she will take care of you. Tell her Carl the photographer sent you.

As I was having my own pizza woes in Bethesda, MD, a local pizza lover discovered new toppings from Pizza Pizza. From his Flickr post:

Yes, this is how the slice came: a used and soiled “Convenience Size” bottle of Vaseline moisturizer, as found in a Pizza Pizza, bagged slice of pizza; purchased in-store at 8:30PM (EST) 23 February 2008, Yonge St near Bloor St (Toronto, Canada).

I give Pizza Pizza a seven for creativity, as they were clearly thinking outside the box on this one, although they obviously went for something close at hand rather than making a concerted effort to try more inventive toppings. For delivery and visual appeal, I would have to give them a two. I can imagine worse pizza toppings, but I don’t think I care to.

The real question - and one I hope our pizza-loving friend can inform us of - how tasty was it? Did it live up to the high standards we have come to know Pizza Pizza embraces?

I found this shoe at the Tim Horton’s parking lot near Pearson Airport on Airport Road. What was curious to me is that it was not covered in snow, leading me to wonder how fast you have to try to run in the snow for a shoe to fly off and for you to not notice or care. I suppose after enough time in the snow, you may not have a need for it anymore.

Hey, Toronto - tell me the truth. What’s with abandoned shoes we see all over the place? I even once saw an abandoned roller blade in San Francisco once. You’d think someone would notice that. How do shoes come to be in this condition?

Have you seen the Google Maps satellite view of Toronto? Check out the picture to the right. You can see the north side of the CN Tower and the south side of those buildings along the Gardiner Expressway.

It all makes me wonder - did M.C. Escher design this city? Or maybe Picasso?

My wife and I were walking with some friends down at the Leslie Spit and came across this sign. Why were we there? Simply because we had heard of it and knew nothing about it. Take my word on this - no need to go exploring down there.

It’s a post-industrial wasteland. It’s what Taylor would have seen around the bend at the end of “Planet of the Apes,” had the cameras bothered to follow him there. And if it were a true story. As it is, the movie is only a prophecy. Granted, the Spit is being overgrown by trees and brush, which will make it a much nicer place, but it still has that wasteland look to it.

What does this sign mean? It is a relatively flat section of land until you get to the shore, where there is a drop off. Even more curious is that we found the sign coming back toward our car after walking a bit, so it wasn’t a warning for the drop-off into the lake.

Have you seen this before? Come on, Toronto - help me out here!

Well, open your eyes, Toronto, and feast them on Ying Ying Soy Foods! I saw Ying Ying at the St. Lawrence Market and was immediately drawn to the many flavors of soy in the cooler case. From burgers to sausage to turkey, chicken and even steak, you can find deliciously prepared soy foods right there in the heart of Toronto.

For those of you who are sitting back and saying to yourselves that you would never try such vegetarian fare, I dare you to try it. I double dog dare you. When you think about what some meat tastes like, it doesn’t really taste like meat, does it? Sure, maybe a steak does, a little bit. But burgers? They taste like the stuff you put on them. Chili? Sloppy Joes? Similar deal - they taste like what’s in the sauce. Sausage? Tastes like spices.

Go give it a shot. Ying Ying has the taste you want. And if you don’t want to go to the Market, you can find their products in many health food stores in Toronto as well.

My newest experience is a Sri Lankan place called Hopper Hut at 880 Ellesmere Road (at Kennedy) in Scarborough. If you like spicy food you will love this place. My wife thought I was crazy for eating something that she says tastes like fire laced with cumin but I loved it.

One of the best parts was a banana leaf all wrapped up with different curries and coconut rice inside. I wish I could remember what it was called. My friends and I shared three dishes and have enough left for another three meals. All this cost only $20. I can’t believe how affordable it was for the quality and quantity.

My wife didn’t want any part of it but fire was exactly what I wanted, to settle my stomach after the bland foods I have eaten recently.

For about $7 you can get enough delicious food to eat off of for a couple full meals. My friends and I typically start with a giant hot and sour soup, some imitation duck and soya bean rolls as appetizers and then have one or two main dishes to share. This, for four people, is way more than you can finish in one sitting and makes for jealous coworkers if you bring it to work for lunch the next day.

The Buddha’s has pretty Spartan features - plain white walls, little artwork, and you are offered only chopsticks and a soup spoon to eat with, although I have seen them produce a fork on request.

This is the real deal. You won’t find General Tso’s anything or mee-yu fried rice, as you might see in the more westernized places. What you will find is fresh vegetables, delicious cooking and a desire to return soon. Best of all, it’s a bargain.

Tell them Carl sent you. That won’t get you a discount or anything and they won’t know what you are talking about but I know they will like that someone is spreading the Buddha’s gospel.

Examples:
“Hell of a cavalcade this morning but it backed up the Danforth so bad I was late to work again.”
“I haven’t seen a cavalcade this crazy since the one back in 2003.”
“That meeting was as confusing as a cavalcade of monkeys and goats.”

Let’s do the world a favor and bring cavalcade back into common usage.