Yesterday afternoon I met an old friend, whom I haven’t seen in 15 years, for a late lunch at the Pickle Barrel.

I spent far too much money, but don’t begrudge it, as the entire experience was top notch. Of course, it might have been a tad cheaper had I not consumed several eight-ounce glasses of house wine, at $9 a pop. However, libations were necessary, since we had a lot of reminiscing to do.

Deciding what to order was no easy feat. The menu’s huge and the food photography impressive! After much pondering (our attentive server checked on us about six times before we were ready), we finally settled on the Bruschetta with Feta Starter, followed by their Famous Deli Sandwich ($8.99, plus an extra buck to make it big!) served with French Fries and coleslaw, for my friend, and the Mushroom and Swiss Burger ($8.99) topped with grilled onions, with sides of Fries and Citrus and Mixed Nut Couscous, for me. The portions were generous, elegantly presented, and flavourful.

On our way out, we moseyed up to the cosy bar for yet another glass of wine and soon gave in to temptation. Within minutes we’d inhaled the Chocolate Molten Lava Cake and Super Caramel Crunch Torte, which promptly moved from our lips to our hips. But, hey, sometimes resistance is futile!

The Pickle Barrel’s been in business for 30 years. They’re obviously doing something right!

For a list of locations and a full menu, click here.

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I just arrived home from a delectable brunch at Boo Radley’s Junction Bar and Grill.

Newly owned by ex-bank-robber-ex-heroin-addict-turned-upstanding-citizen, Michael Flaxman, and his delightful wife Shelley Ashburn, my partner and I were instantly taken with the joint.

We were equally charmed by the quality and presentation of the food. Chef, Trish Koughan, certainly knows her way around a kitchen. My Smoked Salmon Benny with capers, red onion, dill and real hollandaise sauce, served with a generous helping of home fries and fruit - was exceptional. And my partner thoroughly enjoyed his Breakfast Burrito stuffed with veggies, olives, and feta cheese.

All day meals include: Burgers; Wings; Sandwiches like the Grilled Cheese with tomato and pesto mayo; Steak on a Bun; the Cubano - roast pork, bacon, and guacamole; as well as a Steak Dinner with mushrooms, potato, Caesar salad and veggies; and more!

Twelve years ago, Michael Flaxman was dubbed the “Bicycle Bandit” for robbing over 30 banks and fleeing the scene on a stolen bike. He was caught and did his time. Now, clean and sober - in addition to running his bar - Michael volunteers as an addiction counselor and was honored with the June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Volunteerism in the summer of this year.

For those of you who don’t know the name, Boo Radley is a character from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird and the 1962, Academy Award-winning film of the same name.

For a 10%-off Food Coupon and one for an hour of Free Pool click here.

Located at 1482 Dupont Street near Lansdowne and Dupont, in Toronto’s west end, Boo Radley’s is open Monday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. ’til 2:00 a.m. and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Weekend Brunch is served from 11 ’til 3.

See you there!

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If you love Halloween as much as I do, you won’t want to miss out on a full week of Halloween fun!

Beginning on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 and running until All Hallows Eve on October 31^st - head on down to Church Street for one helluva scary celebration! With lots of grownup activities, and even some for kids… you certainly won’t run out of ghoulish things to do!

All Week
The following restaurants will be offering Halloween-inspired cocktails and cuisine: Byzantium, Cafe California, ChurchMouse and Firkin, Church St. Diner, Fuzion, Hair of the Dog, Il Fernello, and Just Thai.

Wednesday, October 24
Don’t have a costume? Local Drag Queens will be swapping clothes, cosmetics, wigs, and heels at Crews and Tangos, 508 Church Street from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. You’re bound to find something fabulous! And, all proceeds go to local charities.

Saturday, October 27
Fly Nightclub and Buddies in Bad Times will be hosting to-die-for Costume Parties. Be there or be square!

Sunday, October 28
Dress up your kids - or someone else’s - and take them to Cawthra Park on Church Street from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Check out the haunted house, the haunted forest, the costume contest, and more!

You can watch the Pumpkin Carving Competitions too! Local groups and artists will be designing Jack ‘o Lanterns on the patios at Baskin Robbins, Cafe California, O’Gradys, Reithers, and Zelda’s.

Wednesday, October 31
The Boo! Block Party Show runs from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. Hosted by Deb Pearce and featuring DJ Matt C, enjoy performances by Chicago’s Gay Idol winner, Dan Kerry, The Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps, Glitterati, Viva*Van*De*Kampe, and more!

Enter the Costume Contest at 10:00 p.m. and compete for cool prizes!

And, of course, you absolutely have to stay ’til the wee hours for the largest Church Street Masquerade and Dance Party ever!

For more info click here.

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Here’s a last minute date idea! If you’re up bright and early and reading this post, it’s not too late to wake up your partner, or your favourite pal, and head on over to Casa Loma for their “Royal Thanksgiving Brunch.”

Served in the Conservatory and Library, you’ll certainly feel like royalty as you savour your meal in the most elegant of surroundings. And, when you’re done, you can walk it off with a tour of this magnificent castle and a stroll through its fabulous gardens!

Seating times are Sunday, October 7, 2007 at: 10:30 am, 11:00 am, 12:30 pm, and 1:00 pm. Cost is $41.50 for adults; $20.75 for children between the ages of 4 and 12; and $11.00 for kids ages 1 to 3. Gratuities (but not taxes) are included.

For more information call: 416-923-117.

Casa Loma is located at 1 Austin Terrace, at Davenport Road and Spadina Avenue, in Toronto.

Visit their website at: www.casaloma.org.

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Can’t afford a trip to Cuba? Then the hot! hot! hot! Lula Lounge at Dundas and Dufferin is the next best thing! This exotic Toronto dance hall features live music, salsa lessons, and the most delicious Mojitos in town!

You’ll love their weekend packages which include a three-course dinner, a salsa lesson, and a live band. Salsa packages are $49 on Fridays and $54 on Saturdays. To be sure you get a seat for dinner, reservations are recommended.

Alternately, if you’d rather just come by for a dance lesson and/or the show, the cover is $10 on Fridays and $15 on Saturdays.

The Lula Lounge is located at 1585 Dundas Street West. For more information and a calendar of special events, check out their website at http://www.lulalounge.ca/.

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If you’re wandering around Queen Street West after the bars close, and you’re feeling a bit peckish, why not skip the street meat stand and pop into the Ackee Tree for a scrumptious Caribbean snack?

Located at Queen and Spadina, next to the McDonalds, it’s open Fridays and Saturdays ’til 4 a.m.

The Ackee tree was “the official Jamaican restaurant of Caribana 2006,” and with good reason. Who can resist their jerk chicken sandwich served with sweet potato frites? Or how about a curried goat roti? Not a meat eater? Then try one of their delicious vegetarian dishes instead.

As many can attest, it’s traditional Jamaican cuisine at its best!

“If you really want a taste of the islands, come to the Ackee Tree.”

Ackee Tree
170 Spadina at Queen
Toronto, ON
416-866-8730
http://www.ackeetree.com/

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Literally translated, it means “White Night,” which describes the natural phenomenon of dusk meeting dawn at high latitudes. So don’t arrive tired! You’ll want to be wide awake, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in order to experience all 195 art and performance pieces, to be showcased in three zones across the city.

Zone A: Bloor/Yorkville - between Davenport and College and between Yonge and Spadina.

Curator, Rhonda Corvese, writes this about Zone A: The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

Those who venture into Zone A will encounter a world turned upside-down, where the only certainty is to expect the unexpected. Nothing is as it seems. The individual works examine an urban civilization of alienation, fear and potential danger, mass communication and (dis)orientation. This tension is balanced by the alien and the fantastic, where humour is staged in strange situations and suspensions. Zone A promises to transfix and unsettle the psyche of the individual and the masses. Enter at your own risk. Go on, I dare you.

Zone B: The Grange/Chinatown - between College and Queen West and between University and Spadina

Curator, Michelle Jacques, writes this about Zone B: At The Corner of Time And Place

Presently dominated by Chinatown and first settled by British gentry in the nineteenth century, the area surrounding Dundas and McCaul has developed, over the years, through the ongoing arrivals of diverse inhabitants from around the world. The varied cultures represented in the local citizenry – and the multiple histories and geographies that they embody – define the area’s true character. From day to day, how much attention do we pay to the value that this heterogeneity brings to this neighbourhood? For Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, its sites have been enlivened by ten artists whose work is built on some combination of invoking history, suspending time or traversing geographies. As such, we are invited to come together to share experiences, not only with the works of art, but also with our neighbours who inhabit our local, global, virtual and imagined spaces.

Zone C: West Queen West/Liberty Village - between Dundas West and The Gardiner Expressway and between Strachan and Cowen

Curator, Camilla Singh, writes this about Zone C: Supernatural City

Supernatural City enters into the time for sleep, the realm of dreams. It pushes past usual bedtimes, engaging imaginations, and exploring relationships with the city and fellow city dwellers during the course of one highly anticipated, insomniac night. I am drawn towards the idea of crossing a threshold, exploring the unseen, the unknown, that which comes to us in dreams, in altered states, and in the exceptional moments that constitute an ordinary day.

To make the most of your nocturnal wanders, be sure to check out the Nuit Blanche Survival Guide.

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Yesterday, I was feeling rather generous, so I invited my partner to lunch at El Rincón Mexicano.  I’d walked by it a couple of days earlier, and, because we both love all things Mexican, I was very eager to check it out.

If you’re into real Mexican cuisine (and I don’t mean Taco Bell, or even California Tex Mex), you’ll appreciate the authenticity of El Rincón’s deliciously diverse menu.

When we arrived, we were greeting by a friendly woman with a Spanish accent, who later confirmed she was, in fact, born in Mexico. Ambience and decor were what you’d expect from a traditional Mexican eatery: brightly coloured table cloths, folk art on the walls, and Spanish music to serenade us.

We decided to eat on the cozy, and pleasantly private, back patio.

Although we would have loved to have tried a little bit of everything, we skipped the tempting appetizers, such as the Queso Fundido, Frijoles Refritos Con Queso, or Nachos Norteños, to ensure we had plenty of room for an entrée and dessert.

My partner selected the Tortilla Azteca (Mexican Lasagna), and I ordered the Tortillas Morelianas: deep fried open-faced tortillas, topped with chorizo, refried beans, pico de gallo, lettuce, sour cream and a jalapeno pepper, accompanied by a side of Spanish rice, which was served in a glazed terracotta clay dish. We each had a choice of either chicken, beef, chorizo, or vegetarian.

“Pico de Gallo,” by the way, actually means “Rooster’s Beak,” but is a condiment made of fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and lime juice.

Both of our selections were scrumptious, but not as spicy as we had hoped. However, portions were just right - not too much, not too little - which made ordering dessert totally guilt-free! We shared a mouth-watering Flan, which is the Mexican version of Crème Caramel. It even had a wee Mexican flag poking up from its center. My only regret is that I didn’t order my own; it was just too yummy to share!

The spotless washrooms are located in the basement, where I discovered yet another dining area, likely used for private functions or large groups.

Lunch for two, including two glasses of red wine for me (I was particularly taken with the heavy, thick-stemmed wine glass) and two bottles of Sol for my partner, plus taxes and a $6 gratuity, came to just under $53. Much cheaper than a trip to Mexico!

And, to make things even sweeter (well, at least for my partner), that lucky bastard found 30 bucks on the street on our way home!

Next time… he’s treating!

El Rincón Mexicano
653 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario
Phone: 416-656-1059
Website: http://www.elrinconmexicano.ca/

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Here’s a date idea to shed some light on your relationship.

Why not mosey on down to Ontario Place and witness the splendor of 40 massive, brightly lit Chinese lanterns? The lanterns, created by Chinese master craftsmen, depict Chinese landmarks and mythology, focusing on the Qin, Tang, and Song Dynasties.

While there, take in the sights and aromas of an authentic Chinese Marketplace, along with food demonstrations performed by chefs from The Mandarin restaurant. Enjoy the entertainment, such as Chinese dance ensembles and acrobats, or watch an IMAX movie at the Cinesphere. If you’d rather try something hands on, visit the craft market and learn how to make lanterns and candy, or how to weave palm leaves.

Last year the Rogers Chinese Lantern Festival attracted over 200,000 visitors from around the world.

The Festival, runs until October 7. For more information visit chineselanternfestival.ca.

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Going to the movies is always a fun thing to do on a date, but how often do you get to see other people’s home movies on the big screen?

Well, today you can - and it’s free!

The 5th annual International Home Movie Day is hosted by Cinematheque Ontario and The Film Reference Library  (divisions of the Toronto International Film Festival Group). This worldwide celebration of amateur films will allow you to watch (previously approved and selected) home movies provided by local residents, as well as meet film archivists and learn something about film preservation.

As Martin Scorsese said, “Saving our film heritage should not be limited only to commercially produced films. Home movies do not just capture the important private moments of our family’s lives, but they are historical and cultural documents as well. … Home Movie Day is a celebration of these films and the people who shot them. I urge anyone with an interest in learning more about how to care for and preserve their own personal memories to join in the festivities being offered in their community on August 11th.”

And, according to writer/director/actor John Waters (Pink Flamingos, Hairspray, Cecil B. DeMented): “There’s no such thing as a bad home movie. These mini-underground opuses are revealing, scary, joyous, always flawed, filled with accidental art and shout out from attics and closets all over the world to be seen again. Home Movie Day is an orgy of self-discovery, a chance for family memories to suddenly become show business.”

You can see these awesome films today, between 12 and 5, at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), 317 Dundas Street W., Toronto.

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