Ai Wei Wei's "Unbroken" Exhibit

Hi, it's your art-gallery and museum-obsessed gal here, back with an exhibit that you seriously can't miss while it's here in Toronto. Evidenced by the onslaught of people who showed up for it, I'd say that most of the city knows about it by now. But hey – in case you didn't, or in case you don't want to wait 2+ hours in line, here's the low down.

Ai Wei Wei was born in China in 1957, and has since become one of the world's most relevant artists and renowned activists. His art has become a platform for criticizing human rights injustices, both in his home country of China and around the world. He skyrocketed to fame when he photographed himself dropping a 2000-year-old Han Dynasty Urn. Created quite the stir with that one.

The Gardiner Museum is focused on ceramics and pottery, which is why this exhibit, "Unbroken", features this particular medium from the body of Ai Wei Wei's work. The other exhibits in the museum are worth checking out, too, especially when you're waiting in line to get into the Ai Wei Wei exhibit.

Leslieville, Revisited 3 Years Later

Toronto is changing. Growing. Sleepy streets are becoming bustling thoroughfares. Coffee shops, boutiques, and condos are popping up at impressive rates. There's arguments on both sides as to whether this is a good or bad thing (not getting into that here). But one thing we can all agree on – additional foot/car/bus traffic is a big boost to local businesses.

Three years ago, I wrote about my first impressions of Leslieville. It hasn't changed dramatically since then, but it's changed (for the better, in my opinion). It's becoming more noticed. "Cooler". Toronto's hype train isn't just riding in the west end anymore. And I, for one, am thankful that this strip of Queen East is finally getting more traction. 

What brought me to Leslieville this time around was a casual Polish restaurant run by a mother daughter duo called Hastings Snack Bar. So, who better to bring along than my own Polish mother for a sweet little lunch date.

Creemore, a Day Trip from Toronto

This headline is a little misleading, because Mom and I didn't technically come from Toronto to visit Creemore (we drove from Barrie, which was a pleasant 30 minutes). However, you can get to Creemore from Toronto in a brisk hour and a half, which still makes it a great day trip from the city. 

The time between Christmas and New Year's can turn into a vacuum of blank, dead space where time is just slipping through your fingers and you start getting a little stir crazy. Cue blogTO's article (read here) which inspired Mom and I to get our butts off the couch and enjoy some of Ontario's natural beauty and one of its cozy towns. 

Let's Go to The Ex

Traditions. They give you something to look forward to, a constant yearly or monthly celebration that you can mark on the calendar and count down to. 

My family and I have lots of traditions —Kempenfest, Christmas tree shopping at Drysedale's tree farm, getting our easter basket blessed — but one of my favourite ones is going to the CNE every summer with my mom. 

The crowds! The food! The energy! The colour! The shopping! The shows! And yes, it all has an exclamation mark because the CNE is a big! freaking! deal! I think over a million people visit every year, and this past week, it was so rowdy on one of the days (youth day) that they had to close down the whole shebang early. 

Luckily, Momma and I went on a rather tame day — still insanely busy, but no fights breaking out. 

Here are our favourite things to do at The Ex (in no particular order):

Eat at the Food Building

I've been trying my best to stay healthy this month, but the CNE is a place where all those health dreams go to die. 

Deep fried everything, salty mixed with sweet, cases of food poisoning, calories, calories, calories. I thought "Farm to Fryer" might have had some healthy options... but alas, I wasn't in the mood for a fried pig ear sandwich. 

Luckily, I found my staple "healthy" food, vermicelli with chicken and spring rolls, at a nearby booth. The portion was ginormous, so Mom and I shared it. 

Treat yourself to something unhealthy

Key word here — treat. I know I just went on a huge rant up above on how it's hard to find healthy food at the CNE, but it's also nice to treat yourself to something delicious and indulgent. It is The Ex, after all. 

The treat of my choice (split with my Mom again for optimal healthiness, ha ha) was a hot waffle ice cream sandwich. 

Look how happy this little treat made me!

Watch a show

There's a show for everyone — concerts, buskers, parkour, kids shows like Barney and Bob the Builder, and the iconic Air Show. Year after year, my favourite show is the Super Dogs. With multiple shows per day, and a packed audience, it's definitely a lot of people's favourites. Dogs are just so fun to watch, and after the show, you can pet and take photos with them!

My mom's favourite show is probably the skating show. This year, Olympic Bronze Medalist Joannie Rochette was in the show, along with many other skilled ice skaters as well as acrobats. 

Shop at the International Pavilion

This is one of my favourite shopping experiences of the year, because it feels like a huge market with stalls from every corner of the world. 

Even though I didn't buy anything this time around, I still enjoyed meandering through the aisles and getting a small cultural experience by peeking into the booths.

Take a ride  

The sky ride has been around since 2012, but for some reason, it wasn't until this year that I finally decided to go on it! 

Mom was terrified the whole entire ride (which was really long!) but the views were spectacular and it was totally worth the $6.50.

Take it easy

Even though I live a 10-minute drive away from the grounds, it took 1 hour for us to get there by public transit. That's how bad the traffic is. The lines and the crowds are insane, and to get a seat at any show, you gotta show up 30 minutes early (seriously). 

But, it's all part of the experience. Give yourself plenty of time to explore, and don't get frustrated. Everyone wants to be at The Ex, which is why they're there. So just take it easy, and enjoy every moment!

Street Food at Taste of the Danforth

Despite the crowds, the lineups, the insane heat — year after year, I still come back to Taste of the Danforth. I just can't resist all that delicious Greek Food at ridiculously cheap prices. 

The Danforth has a long history of being a Greek community, but in recent years, the yearly street festival has featured cuisines from all over the world. My mom ordered a spring roll and said it was her favourite thing!

Not to worry, there was authentic Greek food on every corner, too, with those iconic stacks of meat roasting on spits. 

I have one place and one place only that I eat gyros (Greek version of a burrito) from — Messini's. For only $5, you get a gigantic lamb or pork or chicken gyros stuffed with tzatziki, tomatoes, onions, and if you want, french fries. I usually opt out of the fries because the gyros itself is like an entire's day meal in one. 

From corn to kebabs to gyros to whatever those things up there are, there's an endless amount of food to try on the Danforth. 

Since Mom was still hungry after her spring roll and piece of lamb, I convinced her to get a slice of pizza from Pizzeria Libretto, hands down my favourite pizza in the city. They're certified by Naples for making real Neapolitan pizza, chewy and crispy and fresh. 

For dessert, Mom and I shared loukoumades from Athen's Bakery. They're these delicious fried honey pastries and they're oh so good! 

Zoey was super interested in all the food we were eating, too. She was like a little vacuum strolling down the street with her nose to the pavement eating up any crumbs she could find.

This year, they had peformers dress up as Grecian statues posing in the middle of the street for photos. The line up to get a photo with these faux-Greek-gods was insane!

If you didn't get a chance to go to Taste of the Danforth this year... you can still eat all this delicious food year-round. Messini's and Athens Pastries are long-time staples of the community. The crowds won't be there, the lines won't be there, but you'll still have an amazing meal. Promise.

New Filipino Restaurant in Toronto

"It's not my first time eating Filipino food," I told my waiter when he asked me if I was familiar with the cuisine. It wasn't technically my first time, but it might as well have been. 

I volunteered in the Filipino community for 4 years, and was blessed to eat the food of many Tiya's (aunts) at potlucks and get-togethers. There was always pork, chicken, rice, and noodles, and although it was delicious, it doesn't come anywhere near to how good La Mesa was. 

During Summerlicious, La Mesa had a condensed menu where you could choose an appetizer, a main, and a dessert for a total of $28. For the quality and quantity of the food, the girls and I thought it was a very reasonable price. 

Of  course, we couldn't not order some cocktails. On the right, Anna got the "Lolo Cool J" which had bourbon, ginger, pineapple syrup, and lemon. It was refreshing, crisp, and the ginger flavour wasn't too spicy or overwhelming. On the left, I got the "Tita Baby", which had mango juice, malibu, and baileys. Although I really enjoyed it, I struggled to taste the mango flavour. I wish there had been more, mango because it ended up tasting just like a baileys/malibu mix (which wasn't bad, but where was the mango I was promised?!).

Once I saw "crispy pork belly" on the menu, there was no deliberation on what I should order as an appetizer. Topped with pickled papaya, cucumber, aioli, and mint, it was the perfect combination of juicy and crispy pork along with the refreshing and sweet taste of the toppings. I probably could have eaten 20 of these lettuce wraps. Kaylin and Anna got "Pancit Canton" which were egg noodles doused in a super flavourful and slightly spicy sauce. Also an exceptional choice. 

The chicken adobo piqued all of our interests, so the 4 of us ordered it as our main. Served with a glaze as well as a chimichurri sauce, it was a startling bouquet of flavours. The chimichurri sauce simultaneously tasted foreign and familiar, and I couldn't decided whether I loved or hated the strong parsley taste. On its own, it would have been too much, but paired with everything else on the plate, it worked magic to my taste buds.

Dessert time! Not gonna lie, I was pretty full at this point. I had the banana con yelo, and almost every bite included a taste of delicious caramelized bananas. The server warned us that Filipino desserts are sweeter than normal. Anna had the full experience of the sweetness with her purple yam custard, but we had a hint of it as well in our ice cream. 

Although this photo was technically taken before our dinner, it's representative of exactly how we walked off all those calories - playing Pokemon Go. 

I can't wait to come back to La Mesa when Summerlicious is over and order a bunch of different plates to the table so I can try as much as possible everything. They also have a special Hand to Mouth menu where you can order a set meal for $40 every Sunday evening that's served on banana leaves and eaten without cutlery. Sounds like an experience I'd definitely like to try!

How to Spend a Day in Parkdale

I love Toronto, and not too long ago, I realized that the basis for that love is rooted in the immense variety of neighbourhoods the city has to offer. I have a restless heart, feet that constantly want to explore, and eyes that want to see something new and different every day (but I'll settle for every week...). 

Well, guess what? Toronto fulfills all those desires. Every neighbourhood adventure feels like a mini trip of its own. Perfect for my wanderlusty ways. 

Where to shop

It's not technically in Parkdale, but a few minutes east of there is BYOB, a Cocktail Emporium. M spotted this cute pink building as we were biking by, and motioned for us to stop in. 

Whether you're a drink connoisseur (like him) or lover of all things cute (like me), this is the perfect place to stock your bar cart. 

There's also a monstrous wall of bitters. If you don't know what bitters are, they're the spice rack of the cocktail world. Made from plant/seed/fruit/flower/etc extracts, a dash of bitters is often added to cocktails for a unique taste. They're a fun and cheap way to liven up your alcohol collection.

Parkdale has the second location of one of my favourite stores, Kid Icarus. The original location in Kensington features a print shop as well, but this location still sells adorable handmade cards, stationery, and goodies. I love to splurge on cards here, so I bought a Mother's Day card for my momma. 

If you're a lover of Canadiana, North Standard Trading Post is definitely somewhere you'll want to peek your head into. Stocked with clothes, candles, backpacks, and wilderness inspired accessories, you'll want to buy everything in sight. 

Need furniture? Art? Home goods? Jewelry? Parkdale is home to many vintage, antique, and design stores. My personal fave was the Toronto Designers Market, where various vendors have bought out booths to showcase their wares. You can find things from succulents to beard combs, and feel good about shopping local and handmade!

This is a pretty famous flower shop. I don't know why, but it's cute and sweet, and if you've got $50, you can buy yourself a plant. Damn their stuff is pretty. If I had money to drop, they would be my first choice for my imaginary wedding bouquet and centrepieces. Check them out. Coriander Girl. 

Where to drink

Located on the corner of Queen and Dunn, Capital Espresso is a chill and creative space to grab a coffee and a quick bite to eat. If caffeine won't do it for you and you're looking for something a bit stronger (ahem, alcohol), I've heard Parts & Labour is the place to be. M and I desperately wanted to check it out, but they don't open for drinks until 11 pm. :(  They're open for dinner at 6 pm, but we had different dinner plans in mind... 

Where to eat

I've had Grand Electric on my "to-eat" list forever. Four years ago, when I lived with a wonderful roommate, she told me to come here and check out their infamous tacos. "But Dufferin is so faaaaaar," I naively said. Good thing I've wisened up since then. 

It's far, but it's worth it. M and I got the nachos and guacamole to start, although if I come back here, I'll splurge for the nachos, guacamole, and salsa combo platter. We got two drinks to enjoy with our meal. I ordered a "G.E. Sour", which is a whiskey sour, but made with vanilla bourboun. So. good. M got the Ginger Mojito.

Collectively, we ordered (2) Baja Fish, (1) Pork Belly, (1) Beef Cheek, (1) Pork Tinga, and (1) Spicy Arbol Chicken. Rumours float around that the best of the tacos is the Baja Fish, but Pork Belly won all my love.

They do not hold back on the cilantro, which is a good thing for me since I'm not part of the population who thinks cilantro tastes like soap. The tacos also have a healthy sampling of onions, or pineapple, or radish. All the flavours work perfectly to create a delicious heavenly sampling in your mouth. 

One of the manager's of Grand Electric has a dog. The husky chills outside waiting for his owner to finish up, and he's quite the star of the neighbourhood. 

After dinner, you're gonna need dessert. Thankfully, Glory Hole Doughnuts is in the hood. As far as doughnuts go, these are fresh, handmade, and have been voted "the best doughnut in Toronto." As if you needed an excuse for something sweet. But in case you did, there you have it. 

Save some room for another sweet dessert - a cupcake at Yummy Stuff. They also make custom cakes and various other desserts, but we settled for two mini cupcakes which were the perfect size.

From Roncesvalles to Dufferin, there's tons of cute stores, delicious treats, and must-try restaurants. One day is a great start, but it's definitely not enough to see all that Parkdale has to offer.