May Long

HAPPY VICTORIA DAY, Canadian friends!!!  I'm still reeling from a fabulous long weekend in Victoria's name, and would like to share the details.


Before I get to the main event, I want to start by sharing that I spent the first chunk of the weekend (Friday afternoon - Monday morning) at my best friend's place in Mississauga.  His condo is known to be the place of ultimate relaxation - a weekend there means food, television, movies, sleep, and so much down time you could stockpile it up for months.  This weekend was no exception and here are some highlights:

1. Our first order of business upon arriving in Mississauga on Friday was heading to our favourite (Asian) grocer, T & T Supermarket for some provisions.  I warn you: this place is overwhelming.  It's hard to walk around and not want to buy everything.  I settled for a huge bottle of sriracha sauce personally, but we also got tonnes of dumplings, some pork buns, snacks, and other items.  Always a good way to start the weekend.
2. After a solid 18 hours of lounging, a fourth friend arrived and we figured we ought to get out and enjoy some of the amazing weather the day was offering, so we took a drive to Port Credit where we found Roc'n Doc's, a random little pub on the Lakeshore that had a great rooftop patio.  It was hot, sunny, and we enjoyed a few beers and some appetizers.  Great way to get out and enjoy the day while still keeping it low-key.
3. Another highlight of the weekend for me was spending time with a straight man who joined us in watching countless hours of both RuPaul's Drag Race as well as the documentary, Paris is Burning.  That's a lot of men dressing as women for one afternoon for anyone, but he was engaged, intrigued, and loved it!
4. Sunday was more of the same, but once again the weather was so beautiful we figured we had to get out there and enjoy it!  Our first stop was a grocery store / butcher / Indian food take-out.  We were there for one thing: biryani.  Unfortunately that one thing wasn't ready yet so we took some side trips to kill time - first we went to Canadian Tire to buy a kite!  Then we went to Tim Horton's for Iced Capps (so Canadian).  Finally the biryani was ready, so we took all our goods with us to the Brueckner Rhododendron Garden on the Lakeshore.  At the garden we lay out a blanket and enjoyed our biryani in the sun.  Once we'd had enough of that, we went down to the lake (at least I think it was Lake Ontario) to be very wholesome - flying a kite and skipping stones in the water.  It was a great way to pass the time!
5. Finally, on Sunday night we went to Udupi Madras Cafe for a late dinner where I enjoyed a delicious dosa - the second I've ever had, and absolutely incredible (though I can't pretend it's better than the GTA'S best dosas at Guru Lukshmi, also in Mississauga).  It was a delicious meal with the best company a girl could ask for.

Overall -- the perfect weekend, but that's not all...

The biggest adventure of the weekend was going to Niagara Falls with my girlfriend, which was a perfect 24 hour mini-break.  We arrived there Monday around noon after a quick trip on the QEW from Mississauga, and checked into our room at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel.  This trip was planned thanks to a great Groupon - 1 night's stay at the Marriott, $20 off dinner at T.G.I. Friday's, free breakfast for 2 at the hotel, and shuttle passes for 2 from the hotel to all the major sights around town.  Approximately $115 or so in total, so a great deal!!!


After dropping off our bags, we searched for somewhere nearby that wasn't a chain to have some lunch.  We found Yukiguni off the beaten path as we were both craving some sushi.  For a random Niagara Falls joint, it was a really great meal of soup, salad, tempura, and some cucumber/avocado rolls.  Pretty reasonable, too, but not a place I would recommend you going out of your way for.


After another quick stop at the hotel, we took the shuttle bus down to "The Falls" where we strolled along the rail (navigating through the huge crowds of people), taking photos at random intervals along the way.  The last time I was at the falls it was pouring freezing rain and not pleasant at all.  This time it was hot and sunny, made bearable by the occasional mist flying at our faces.


I took a few moments to really take in the falls and think about how large, powerful, natural, and amazing they are.  My mom commented tonight about how she always thinks about what it would be like to be the first humans in Canada coming across these falls.  It's true... imagine hearing the roaring and then just seeing this massive rush of water coming over the edge... incredible.


From the falls we headed to Casino Niagara where my GF wanted to have her first casino experience.  I've had mine before (brought in $40 and lost it all), so I came in for support.  She brought in $20 and left with $5, so I consider that a real accomplishment.


After the casino we walked up Clifton Hill where all the silly sights are - Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum, fun houses, and the like.  We popped our heads in different places, but didn't really go in anywhere.  We did, however, go up in the Niagara SkyWheel where we got a stunning view of the falls.  I'll be honest with you - I was terrified to go, but I powered through it (despite some tears), and it was worth it for the fun of being up there and seeing the incredible view.


From there we walked back to our hotel to relax for a bit before dinner.  T.G.I. Friday's wouldn't be our usual choice for dinner, but with the $20 voucher of course we had to go.  It was totally fine for a chain restaurant/sports bar.  I had a great chicken salad and she had a veggie burger.  The food was good enough and our server was really great and friendly!  It was a nice dinner.


After a good night's sleep at the hotel, we woke up early to take advantage of our free breakfast - it was in The Keg, which was attached to the hotel, but it was the Marriott's breakfast, not The Keg's.  As a result, it was a typical hotel breakfast buffet... except not a very good one.  The fruit was gross, the pastries still frozen, the bacon too burnt, and... yeah, not good.  Oh well!  At least we didn't pay for it.  After breakfast, we checked out, packed the car, and then took the shuttle again down to the falls, except this time...


...to ride The Maid of the Mist!!!  My girlfriend had been on the Maid of the Mist before, but I never have and have always wanted to, so off we went!  Thanks to our brilliant plan of waiting until the day after the holiday Monday, we sailed through the line to get on the world-famous boat, donned our classic blue rain ponchos, and rode past the American falls to see the real deal Canadian Horseshoe Falls.  It was incredible sitting surrounded by the falls, with the mist pouring all over us to the point where I thought it was raining.  It was so so so cool!  I'm really glad we did it.


Back to the hotel from there to hop in the car and head back home.  Rather than take the QEW the whole way, we took the Niagara Parkway part-way which travels through the scenic area where all the vineyards and beautiful houses are on the way to Niagara-on-the-Lake.  It was a beautiful route to take with so much to look at along the way.  We ended up stopping in Niagara-on-the-Lake for lunch at an absolutely PERFECT restaurant -  The Pie Plate Bakery & Cafe.  It was full of mismatched cutlery and mismatched chairs -- exactly what we were looking for.  We enjoyed delicious thin-crust pizzas that tasted so fresh and delicious, followed by a nice little lemon square to share.  My GF also bought a strawberry-rhubarb pie to take home that looked delicious.  It was a great way to finish off the trip.


Back on the QEW and back to Toronto and back to the grind... it's tough to dive back into work after such a wonderful holiday, but it's great to know that you took some time away from the glow of the computer to enjoy the great outdoors and the loves of your life.

Discovering T.O. #6

I just had a GREAT weekend!  Beyond having sorted out my computer situation (which only got better, by the way, when I figured out how to update my iPhone via a different computer than the one I originally installed it on), I also discovered a new spot in Toronto and revisited some old ones.  Would you like to hear about it?

Friday night I reunited with an old friend and a new friend at 416 Snack Bar (Queen & Bathurst).  I had heard some buzz about this place and was really keen to go.  I was blown away!  I love the vibe of the place -- it's small and cozy and BUSY!  We were lucky enough to get a table for the 3 of us and started off the evening with some glasses of prosecco, which was delicious and made me feel like a classy lady.  416 Snack Bar's thing is that it's cutlery-free -- all the food you can order is bite-sized, finger-friendly, and snack-like... but not popcorn-type snacks, classy snacks.  We had lobster rolls, wild mushroom toasts, and I think a sushi side salad and Korean fried chicken.  Everything we ate was delicious, the company was top-notch, and when the bill came I couldn't believe how reasonable!  All in all, the perfect "dining" experience and you can be sure I'll be back there soon.

On Saturday, as part of some Mother's Day treats, my sister and I went out for a bite and a movie with our Mom.  My Mom actually treated us to brunch/lunch to start with at Lola's Kitchen (Bloor & Church).  I'd been to Lola's before back when it was called Lola's Commisserie (maybe they changed the name because people I didn't know how to pronounce it).  It was as delicious the second time around - the first time I'd had the eggs rancheros, which appealed to me again, but I branched out and tried their 'shroom benny with some Lola's potatoes on the side.  I'll be honest -- as delicious as it is, it's not in my top 5 brunches in the city (I'll try to officially list them sometime, but #1 may very well be Hotel Gelato's brunch), but I still highly recommend it if you're in the area.

From Lola's we went to the Varsity to see "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", which I thought was really great!  It was nice to see a movie about seniors.  Seriously.  It's not often they're the stars of the show, and it was refreshing to see that, never mind the fact that it was a SOLID crew of actors - Dame Maggie, Dame Judi, Tom Wilkinson... STELLAR.  I liked it!

From there I headed north to Eglinton West and a great Vietnamese resto I've been to before -- Ha Long Bay.  My GF and I went together (she was my date the first time, too) and we both went with the prix fixe... although since she's a vegetarian, she created her own veggie prix fixe which turned out to be less than the ones they offered.  ANYWAY, I got the $25 prix fixe with mixed spring rolls to start, followed by a crab and asparagus soup, and then finished off with some delicious shrimp curry (if I get a prix fixe, I always get the seafood or steak options when they're there.  When else are you going to get them so cheap?).  It was a delicious meal, and then we walked across the street to Hotel Gelato to finish things off.  YUM!!!

After dinner and dessert we went home and watched the rest of series 2 + Christmas special of "Downton Abbey".  This is a hard show to write about in its own post... it's almost too special, if that makes any sense.  I don't want to analyze it and offer my own opinions because I just love it and don't want to go into it more than that.  Not my usual approach, but that's how I feel.  I will say this - I can't wait for series 3.

And that, my friends, was my weekend.

Say no to procrastination

It happened to me again.  I had a task on my to do list that I kept putting off and putting off and putting it off made me anxious but I still wasn't getting it done which made me more anxious and then finally... I got it done.  Today.  And, as always, it was much easier - and as it turned out, cheaper - than I thought it would be.  Once again the lesson is that procrastinating does nobody any good.

What was the task, you ask?  Well, as you might remember, my laptop died last summer.  It fully kicked the bucket, though thankfully the hard drive was saved.  My friend W told me that I could go and get the hard drive cased and it could act as an external hard drive.  I kept meaning to go and get it cased but, as I said, kept putting it off.  FINALLY today I dragged myself to Canada Computers in an ungodly area (north of Finch) and told the employee who greeted me at the door what I needed done.  I thought I'd have to hand over my hard drive and leave it with them for a few weeks and then pay $100 to get it back.  As it turned out, it cost $14 and involved nothing more than opening the box, casing it, screwing in some screws, and handing it back to me.  AMAZING.  Short, sweet, and now I have the luxury of enjoying all the music, movies, and TV shows I thought I lost forever last summer.

I love when that happens.....


Currently reading: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Next post: Discovering T.O. #5 - 416 Snack Bar, Lola's Kitchen, and Ha Long Bay

rc-4: Commercial Fiction

Time for a quick & dirty Reading Challenge IV update.


rc-4 so far...

1. What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
2. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
3. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
4. Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Quite the mix so far, I would say.  Non-fiction, memoir-ish in the form of short stories, full-blown memoir, psychological thriller, and... commercial fiction, for lack of a better genre.

Speaking of The Hunger Games, I'd like to make a few brief comments about it.  I'm about 20 pages away from finishing the second book, Catching Fire, and plan on starting Mockingjay right after.  What do I think of it?  I love it.  Completely engaging and a real page-turner... almost to the point of being a bit manipulative.  As my friend said to me, it feels like a book meant to be made into a movie, which would be a bit off-putting if it wasn't so engaging.  I can only compare it to The Da Vinci Code in that regard.  I'm loving it though.  Will it be one to re-read?  Maybe, maybe not, but this is one series I'm willing to read to find out what all the buzz is about... unlike Twilight which I've never read, seen, and will never read or see.

Another update to come soon!

How Oprah helped me "get" Lady Gaga

I can't believe how rarely I've been posting on Sugar & Gravy.  I don't have an excuse or explanation.  I try to pause at moments like this and think, "Has S & G run its course?"  The answer for now is, "Not yet".  So here is a long overdue entry.  I'll try to update more frequently moving forward.


~~~


I have tried to write this post in particular a number of times but keep getting distracted, writer's block, or just forget.  No more.  I will write this post... today.

As I've said before, I wasn't a big fan of Lady Gaga.  I probably said on occasion, "I hate Lady Gaga".  I realize now that "hate" was too strong a word, and furthermore, I didn't hate Lady Gaga, I hated the hype.  I hated hearing about her latest dramatic, artsy, controversial, or one-of-a-kind performance.  I hated hearing people talk about how unique she is, how crazy her style is, and how great her music is.  What's so special about Lady Gaga?  I mean, I find her songs pretty catchy and her style can be pretty fierce, but... why the hype?  I guess more than hating Gaga or hating the hype or hating the fans, I just didn't get Lady Gaga.


When I saw that Oprah was doing an episode of her show "Oprah's Next Chapter" with Lady Gaga, I realized this is it.  If I'm ever going to *get*, appreciate, and/or like Lady Gaga, this is how it's going to happen.  Oprah has an uncanny ability to open my eyes and heart to someone/something, and so if she can't do it for Lady Gaga and I then no one can.


Turns out - unsurprisingly - she could.


If I remember correctly, the episode started with footage of the launch of Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, which was held at Harvard University with Oprah co-hosting.  I'm often skeptical of celebrities and their causes; I can't always tell what's genuine and what's just for publicity.  However, with Oprah on board, I knew it was legit.  Also, hearing Lady Gaga speak about her cause, her mission, and how strongly she cared about it... well let's just say my heart was opening up to her.


After that, Oprah visited Gaga and her mother at their NYC apartment, where Gaga still lives. Lady Gaga seemed herself - no crazy outfit, no crazy make-up, no crazy wig.  She looked beautiful: clean, simple, and comfortable.  As always, Oprah and her interviewee spoke candidly; you got a real sense of who Lady Gaga is.  I was reminded that she's close to my age - just a year and two months (exactly) older.  She was very smart and confident, thoughtful and well-spoken.  It was a great interview, about the fame and how her life has changed, how she grew up and who she is now.  Oprah also spoke at length with her mother, and they both just seemed so down-to-earth, and... real.  Authentic.  Genuine.


The biggest moment came when Oprah made a comment along the lines of her passing the torch to Lady Gaga.  This is extremely significant, I thought, because Oprah is saying that Lady Gaga is more than a singer/songwriter/performer.  She's a world figure, a leader, capable of real change and impact.  That's what really opened my eyes.


Finally, when Oprah asked Lady Gaga's mother what she wanted the world to take out of this interview, Mrs. Germanotta said: "I want people to get my daughter."  When I heard her say it, I knew I did in fact now get Lady Gaga.

Discovering T.O. #5

I'm ashamed to say that it's been over 2 weeks since I last posted on here.  Oh well, no better time than now to update and get on with it...


I think now is a good time for another installment of "Discovering T.O."


This past Saturday, we celebrated my sister's bachelorette with a very classy day of enjoying some treats the city has to offer.  My sister is a very low-key kind of girl, and her bachelorette reflected that.  Guests were invited to attend one or both parts of the day.  The first was...


High Tea @ MoRoCo Chocolat:


My sister (the engaged one) loves tea and baking, so my other sister (the organizer) suggested high tea at MoRoCo in Yorkville.  She had been before and loved it so we all took her word for it and went there Saturday afternoon.  


It was a very classy affair, to begin with.  Beautiful decor and atmosphere, great service, and a really delicious menu.  We began with a glass of champagne, followed by having our orders for tea taken (they provide loose-leaf tea selection; you choose yours and they bring you your own full tea-pot of it, with a beautiful tea-cup and a strainer).  When your tea arrives, so does all the food (see photo below).  The bottom tier of the tower has finger sandwiches, second tier has the most delicious scones you've ever tasted (complete with cream & custard), and the third tier has a variety of chocolate-coated and other sweets (strawberry dipped in chocolate, macarons, etc.).  There was no rush to enjoy all of this and, as I said, the service was fantastic!




Next on the menu...


Dinner @ Gio Rana's Really Really Nice Restaurant (a.k.a. "The Nose"):


We took the TTC from Yorkville to Leslieville for dinner at Gio Rana's.  Some of the guests just went to the tea, but 6 of us made the trip together from one hip neighbourhood to another and had 2 more join us.  My sister (the organizer) booked us in their private room/vault/wine room, which provided an extremely cozy, cool, and intimate eating experience.  We all kicked off the night with dirty martinis and then a couple of bottles of red wine to go with the delicious Italian food we were served.  I chose the Involtini as my main: stuffed pork wrapped in a rib-eye, topped with goat cheese.  As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't get any better.  I had the salad special of the night as a side, which was also delicious.  A very perfect dining experience, with an Irish coffee to cap the night off.




Currently reading -- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain


Posts to come -- the long-awaited (I'm sure) Lady Gaga post, my thoughts on "Downton Abbey", and my feelings on The Hunger Games

Weekend Mish-Mash

It's been nearly two weeks now since my last post.  I used to post more frequently maybe, but I'm trying to write in a more thematic way than before, as you may have noticed.  That being said, I don't want that to keep me from posting, so here's something new - unplanned & random.


I'm now over three months into rc-4 and 4 books down.  Not exactly the right rate of reading (alliteration!) if I want to get to 20, but I'm not concerned.  The fourth book I read was Thomas Harris' Silence of the Lambs.  I was assigned this book in one of my English courses in university and read a fair bit of it but wasn't able to finish it before the end of the course, so I finally got down to getting through the whole thing... and it was GREAT!

The book appeals to me in the same way the movie does - a unique story, a fantastic protagonist (Clarice Starling), and the best elements of a psychological thriller without being downright gratuitous.  There are moments in the book - again, just like the movie - that are downright gross, upsetting, and creepy.  That being said, it all fits, and none of it seems gross just for the sake of it, so I let myself get creeped out by those moments and that's part of the fun.  The important thing was that it was a great read, I was engaged start to finish, and I'm glad I made it to the end this time around.

Having finished the book I figured it was high-time I re-watch the movie "Silence of the Lambs" with Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.  Luckily it was on Rogers on Demand, so I watched it on Good Friday (how appropriate).  It was just as good as I remembered.  Jodie Foster is the PERFECT Clarice Starling, and the movie does a good job of taking liberties on additions and making smart decisions on subtractions so that at the end of the day, you've still got the same great story.  That said, there's nothing quite as good as the book.


In other news, I had a bit of a "Discovering TO" moment yesterday when I finally got my chance to have fish & chips at Penrose Fish & Chips on Mt. Pleasant.  I had heard this place raved about a number of times and so how appropriate (actually this time) that I got my first taste on Good Friday?!?  Let me tell you... it was worth the rave reviews I had heard.  The atmosphere was simple and classic, unpretentious and family-oriented.  The take-out line-up was literally down the street.  The main event - the fish & chips - were perfect.  Crispy, crunchy batter wrapped around light, fresh halibut & home-made fat fries with lots of vinegar, salt, and ketchup at the table to enjoy them with.  YUM!!!  We finished it off with one piece of lemon meringue pie and four forks.  It was PERFECTION.  I left feeling full but not bloated, which to me is the sign of a good meal.  On top of that the company was the best you can have, so that didn't hurt.  Oh, and this place is literally newsworthy - a cameraman from CityTV was there to film the Good Friday tradition there and my friend ended up on the news that night reporting that Penrose is worth the wait!  Yours truly snuck in there, too, don't you know...  So glad to have had my Penrose experience!  More to come, to be sure.


And finally, I haven't yet reported that I'm now a "Downton Abbey" lover, but I am and I'm proud of it!  I was introduced to it last weekend and wrapped up season 1 last night.  I had heard a lot of hype, but I knew that it would be something I'd enjoy, so I fought my aversion to hype and dove in.  OMG it is good.  It has all the elements I like in a television show - good writing, good acting, good cinematography, tasteful drama, and exposure to a world you've never seen before (I hope I don't sound pretentious as I think I might, having just said cinematography is an element I like in TV).  Anyway, I love the show and highly recommend it.

Now - back to my Easter weekend..... pajamas, guilt-free TV and movie-watching, my new book (The Hunger Games... speaking of hype), and good old-fashioned chillin'.