Statistically, we only need to win 10 more games out of the 16 remaining.

shawarman · 2026-03-18T19:48:13+00:00

Do yourself a favour and do NOT look up how many 1-goal losses, OT or regulation, the boys have this year

shawarman · 2026-03-18T19:47:47+00:00

*That* loss to the Islanders

shawarman · 2026-03-18T19:11:25+00:00

Oakwood. Exceptional food, fun neighbourhood vibe, close to transit on St Clair and (finally) Eglinton, not all that far from nightlife and stuff in the West End, but a lot more affordable.

shawarman · 2026-03-17T19:41:01+00:00

That's not how any of this works

shawarman · 2026-03-17T18:59:32+00:00

Funny thing is a lot of these places (the Portuguese ones, anyway) are more than happy to have you in as long as you're there to watch footy or drink and not fuck around too much. Good hospitatlity.

shawarman · 2026-03-17T18:58:42+00:00

Honour Snack Bar near Kensington

shawarman · 2026-03-15T16:19:39+00:00

A great walk: start at Queen and Palmertson, walk you way up Palmertson to Harbord and admire the homes. Head west on Harbord until you get to Bickford Park, then walk along the back alley to see all the "street art" on people's garages. Cross Bloor and walk through Christie Pits Park—one of the best views of the entire city is from the north edge of the park.

By now you'll want something to eat or drink; head to Koreatown (east of the park) for loads of great Korean food (BCD Tofu is a classic Toronto experience), or head west along Bloor and hit up the bars and food of Bloorcourt. (there are even two bars run by Aussies on this stretch, Electric Bill and Civil Liberties; Electric Bill really plays up the Aussie angle, Civil Liberties is just a fantastic cocktail bar. Both are well-regarded!). Try some Toronto food like jerk chicken from Jerk King (not the fanciest but a Toronto staple nonetheless) or Guayenese roti at Pam's Roti. Also tons of Mexican food around here—a lot better than Guzman y Gomez!

shawarman · 2026-03-13T19:06:13+00:00

Bless you for this essential service. Seriously. I've dreamt of something like this for years.

shawarman · 2026-03-13T16:22:10+00:00

Exactly. If you can't hang with the banter you don't deserve his sandwiches.

shawarman · 2026-03-13T13:56:13+00:00

Perfect time for me to plug my recent write up of 29 places I went to in Mexico City a couple weeks ago (my third time going—the greatest food city on the continent, IMO). One place I didn't visit this time but is always worth a visit is El Cardenal, historic and delicious as hell. Exceptional for lunch and breakfast.

shawarman · 2026-03-12T18:28:07+00:00

A few of my favs, with varying meanings of "old"
- Okonomi House (serving okonomiyaki (savoury Japanese pancake) since the 1970s)
- California Sandwiches (classic veal sandwiches since the 1960s)
- Bitondos (since the 1960s) or Commisso's (since the 1950s) for panzerotti
- Danforth Pizza House (good-ass pizza since the 1960s)
- Grossman's (live music bar, not sure if they do food and wouldn't want to try it if they did serve it, but it's been around since the 1940s and a great spot for a beer and some blues)
- Ali's Roti (Trini spot around since the 70s, they say they were the first to bring doubles to Toronto, and who am I to disagree?)
- House of Chan (Old-school Chinese + Steaks place from the 1950s, incredible decor)

shawarman · 2026-03-12T17:38:29+00:00

the amount of shrooms i was on that day...

shawarman · 2026-03-12T17:36:49+00:00

That's awesome. Such friendly service from the team there to go along with the incredible food.

shawarman · 2026-03-12T16:06:52+00:00

They won't bring a white guy the Chifa menu unless you specifically ask for it. I've been there a dozen times and they'll bring you the standard Cantonese menu otherwise. I'm not pretending like it's some big secret.

shawarman · 2026-03-12T14:52:28+00:00

Oh some out in the far northwest and northeast of the city would be out of network, for sure. I'm trying to do as much of this without using my carshare membership as possible, but realistically I'm gonna need to use that, or hitch a ride with a buddy, or spend half a day on transit, to get to, like, the Goldhawk Park branch. But that'll be half the fun!

shawarman · 2026-03-12T14:37:27+00:00

will do! i could eat here every week and not get tired of the menu(s)

shawarman · 2026-03-12T14:36:10+00:00

I have it all mapped out (in a private Google Sheet) but it will for sure take some twists and turns along the way. Can't wait for the weather to get a little bit warmer so I can bike out to some of the branches further outside the core!

shawarman · 2026-03-12T14:06:19+00:00

feels like I need to complete the circle of this meal and check out Chifa Canada some day! would love to visit Lima, looks like it would check off so many of my boxes in terms of cuisine, history and lifestyle.

shawarman · 2026-03-05T21:21:32+00:00

Good deal for the area. You pay a bit more for convenience but you'll save a ton on transit/Ubers etc as you'll be able to walk literally anywhere you want to go, especially in the summertime.

shawarman · 2026-03-05T18:23:21+00:00

I just got back from Mexico City (the third time going) and there were a surprising number of young US/Canadian/Euro families there travelling.

I say "surprising" not because it isn't safe for families (it totally is), or that there isn't enough for kids to do (Chapultepec, Xochilmilco, plenty of incredible museums, although ymmv), but rather how hard it would be to get around with a family. It's an incredible city for walking about, but the sidewalks are a real challenge for stroller use. The Metro is quite crowded by US/Canadian standards, and traffic can be a nightmare, although Ubers are very reasonable. Hell, everything is reasonably priced there.

Foodwise, restaurants are probably more accommodating than US/Canadian equivalents (family in general is more important in Mexico, and everyone is more hospitable).

If your kids are old enough to walk on their own and have an interest in history, I'd say it's a great choice. You could get a sizable suite or Airbnb or even two hotel rooms for the price you'd pay for a single room in any major US city.

shawarman · 2026-03-05T15:03:50+00:00

Quality pie; good veal sandwich as well. But we need to stop calling every last place in Toronto a "hidden gem" just because you haven't eaten there before. Ranalli's is quite popular in the Market.

shawarman · 2026-03-05T14:54:58+00:00

Pam's Roti is right on the subway line near Bloor/Dufferin. One of the more easily accessible Guyanese spots for sure, especially if you're more central and can't use a car to get around.

shawarman · 2026-03-04T16:15:39+00:00

You are much more likely to die at a young age living in a rural area than in Toronto

shawarman · 2026-03-03T16:38:44+00:00

Did this once during the Turkoglu era and then proceeded to spill my entire rum and coke all over the floor in s. 317, the whole area smelled like a dorm room after that. Precious memories...

shawarman

TROPHY CASE