Ourfaves.com faves feed: Pipesdreams's latest faves

Pipesdreams's fave computer store is at Canada Computers

Pipesdreams — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 07:59:23 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave computer store is at Canada Computers because Whether you're hunting for parts to build your ultimate Alex Murphy-style cyberman, or just looking for a cheap flash drive, digital camera, USB headet or external hard drive, these guys have the best prices and great selection. So much better than Best Buy or Future Shop, it's not even funny. The College Street location is just north of Kensington, so you can get juice at Rice Bar on your way home with your new toys.

Pipesdreams's fave Outdoor Water Sporting Event is at Viking Boat Races & Festival

Pipesdreams — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:15:10 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Outdoor Water Sporting Event is at Viking Boat Races & Festival because Fun and laid-back; you pull one big oar in a wide, stable boat with 18 rowers and a coxie to call the strokes. I did it last year, it's all-ages and easy. Rowing costs $130 for the full season of training 2 nights a week on the water down by Cherry Bridge. Sign up online; registration week is April 21-24. The awesome end-of-season Viking Festival happens June 12-15 on Toronto Island. Proceeds support inner-city kids programs. Dom, the head coach, is a BIG personality and always makes me laugh.

Pipesdreams's fave Sci-fi and Fantasy Bookstore is at Bakka-Phoenix Science Fiction and Fantasy Bookstore

Pipesdreams — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:41:42 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Sci-fi and Fantasy Bookstore is at Bakka-Phoenix Science Fiction and Fantasy Bookstore because Nerd alert! I read a lot of fantasy and a bit of sci-fi as a teenager, and even way back then, Bakka was feeding my overactive imagination with Spider Robinson, Charles DeLint, Anne McCaffrey and Orson Scott Card. Staff are warm and cuddly and give great recommendations. Also, I have to love any store named after Fremen legend. In Frank Herbert's novel Dune, Bakka was "the weeper who mourns for all mankind." I just wish they’d stop moving around: Queen, Yonge, Queen again? Stay put!

Pipesdreams's fave Knitting Goods Shop is at Knit-O-Matic

Pipesdreams — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:38:24 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Knitting Goods Shop is at Knit-O-Matic because I like the nice, cozy, almost untidy atmosphere of this store. Everything is in its proper place - a wide selection of needles and a fantastic stash of yarn - but there's no sense of teutonic order. Discoveries and magic still lurk in the bottom of the sale bin. Speaking of which, prices are good and the staff are friendly, willing to help you meet your gauge requirements, give pattern advice, talk shop about new brands or just shoot the breeze about coffee and cats. http://www.knitomatic.com/

Pipesdreams's fave Chocolate is at J.S. Bonbons

Pipesdreams — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:38:05 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Chocolate is at J.S. Bonbons because This store does not screw around about innovation in sweet delights. Pushing the envelope of what you can acceptably bathe in chocolate, proprietress Jenn Stone lovingly handcrafts each truffle, filling them with bizarre but mouthwatering items like tarragon and black pepper, cinnamon marshmallows, rosemary, cardamom caramel, and chipotle sesame with lime. Her bravery is breathtaking. You can also educate yourself with chocolate making classes at this chic boutique. http://www.jsbonbons.com/

Pipesdreams's fave Garden Centre is at Plant World

Pipesdreams — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:27:37 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Garden Centre is at Plant World because Plant World has been owned by the Reeves family for over 100 years. With 5 acres of shopping, a huge parking lot and massive greenhouses, it’s a year-round gardener’s haven. Buy a ton of mulch, rocks for your hard landscaping, perennials, annuals, Japanese maples, roses, hostas - if you can plant it, they have it. They also do stunning floral arrangements and custom container plantings. Be sure to meet Manager Paul Zammit, a gifted agriculturist and one of the nicest people on planet Earth.

Pipesdreams's fave Place to Shop for Science Nerds is at Science City

Pipesdreams — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:25:28 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Place to Shop for Science Nerds is at Science City because Got beakers? These guys do. And telescopes and magnets and prisms and skeletons and all sorts of other cool science toys for kids and grown-ups. Board games and books galore for puzzle lovers, budding biologists, future chemists, young geologists, aspiring zoologists... Located under Holt Renfrew its hard to find, but worth it for the antique science kits in the window display alone! Good selection of cards and calendars, hours are 10-8, M-F, 10-7 Sat, 12-6 Sun.

Pipesdreams's fave Ice Cream Parlour is at Dutch Dreams Ltd

Pipesdreams — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:06:17 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Ice Cream Parlour is at Dutch Dreams Ltd because If Terry Gilliam owned an ice cream parlour, it would look like Dutch Dreams. The surreal interior is cluttered with tchotchkas: clogs hang next to hockey skates, not an inch of wall left unadorned. The Monty-Pythonesque décor carries on outside, with cows floating in midair, anchored to the brick exterior. In business for 20 years, they serve 50 flavours of ice cream and 3-scoop Dutch pancakes. Milkshakes are a full litre in size. No dieters, please. Open noon–midnight in summer.

Pipesdreams's fave Current Opera Performance is at Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

Pipesdreams — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:00:23 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Current Opera Performance is at Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts because Coming in April, Toronto baritone Brett Polegato will be singing the title role in Eugene Onegin - a Russian tragedy scored by Tchaikovsky - at the shiny new Four Seasons Opera House. We're lucky to have him home for the season: Brett is usually stolen away to perform in foreign lands. His charisma, sense of humour and passion for his craft always show in his roles. Listening to him sing as Valentin in last year's 'Faust' was glorious. He's also ridiculously good looking. ;)

Pipesdreams's fave Cheap Falafel is at Sarah's Shawarma & Falafel

Pipesdreams — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:00:01 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Cheap Falafel is at Sarah's Shawarma & Falafel because Sarah's has long been my Annex staple for low-budget, high-flavour grilled falafels; be sure to ask for spicy sauce and extra tahini. They carry my own personal crack (Peach Snapple Iced Tea) as well as guava, papaya & mango juices in cans. For dessert, there's baklava dripping with honey and pistachio bits. Bonus points if you try "halvah". It looks like a brick of beige cement but it tastes divine - like sesame snacks but with nicer texture. Great meal for under $10.

Pipesdreams's fave Comic and Toy Collector's Paradise is at Silver Snail Comics

Pipesdreams — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:32:02 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Comic and Toy Collector's Paradise is at Silver Snail Comics because Caveat! Not only did I work at the Snail, I dated the manager for several years. Overtime and heartache aside, the Snail is a landmark and a paradise for comic & toy lovers. It's Nerdvana. Want to buy Iron Man's helmet? A CGC copy of Spider Man #1? The Knives of Legolas? A lightsaber? JTHM? Muppet toys? Ugly dolls? The Snail provides. Canadian to the bone, run by the Van Leeuwens for over 30 years, it's a Queen Street legend. The staff and managers know comics. Essential pilgrimage for geeks

Pipesdreams's fave Comic book store is at The Beguiling

Pipesdreams — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:02:06 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Comic book store is at The Beguiling because This was my first comic shop, where I nervously developed my snooty taste for obscure graphic novels. While technically Birkemoe and Butcher do sell Marvel and DC titles, Spidey and the Hulk are tucked away on the 2nd floor, next to the nasty hentai. They specialize in Seth, Chris Ware, Joe Sacco, Daniel Clowes, Julie Doucet... not so much caped crusaders. Proud creators of the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, they are popular with local comic creators and sell original art. A great place to shop.

Pipesdreams's fave Place to Shop When I Marry Rich is at Want Boutique

Pipesdreams — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:07:26 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Place to Shop When I Marry Rich is at Want Boutique because Holy dresses, Batman! Everything at Want looks not just pret-a-porter but pret-a-manger (French for "good enough to eat"). These are clothes season 7 Rory or season 4 Willow would wear. Fresh, funky, unconventional. Satin and cashmere and silk, oh my! If only I could afford a $300 princess-sleeved v-neck babydoll dress to wear over my $180 jeans. Rich potential husbands who want to buy me these things, please apply here (with credit report, natch).

Pipesdreams's fave Local Waterfall is at Webster's Falls and Tew's Falls

Pipesdreams — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:24:30 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Local Waterfall is at Webster's Falls and Tew's Falls because Some days Toronto's hectic pace gets to be too much, and you need some love from Mother Nature. High Park is great, but it doesn't have waterfalls. Less than an hour west of the city lies Spencer Gorge, just off Highway 5. Bring hiking boots, a picnic, and $5 for parking. Enjoy walking behind the cascade of Webster's, or keep going to see the 41 meter drop of water at Tew's -- nearly as high as Niagara, but fewer tourists and less fudge. Don't litter, and remember, the park closes at sunset.

Pipesdreams's fave Tiny Korean Pastry Snack is at Hodo Kwaja

Pipesdreams — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:24:33 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Tiny Korean Pastry Snack is at Hodo Kwaja because Hodo Kwaja, aside from sounding like food Yoda would eat, are walnut-shaped baked snacks made in a crazy Korean waffle iron that is the size of a small car. They are served up hot and fresh until 11pm daily in the bakery of the same name, at Bloor & Christie. The pastries are full of tasty walnut, almond or red bean paste filling and at $1 for 6, they make Timbits look expensive. Man, are they ever good. Buttery and delectable, blow $3 and buy the 18-pack to share with friends.

Pipesdreams's fave Cozy Irish Bar is at The Cloak and Dagger

Pipesdreams — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:24:21 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Cozy Irish Bar is at The Cloak and Dagger because When Kevin Smith came to town, I partied with his film crew at this dark, snug old bar on College Street. We laughed, we danced on the tiny dance floor, we drank many a beer (and a few shots of Jager for good measure) and had a rockin' good time. The bartender was laughing right along with us, not at us, and ponied up a free round in honour of our raucous shenanigans. Plus, it's named after an Atari video game and they serve deep fried Mars Bars. What's not to love?

Pipesdreams's fave Farmer's Market for Local Produce is at Riverdale Farm

Pipesdreams — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:48:46 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Farmer's Market for Local Produce is at Riverdale Farm because One day I'd like to own my own sheep, that I could shear and milk and love (not in the nasty way). Until then, there's Riverdale Farm. The farm's market runs from 3 PM to 7 PM each Tuesday, early May to end of October. All vendors are certified organic, and carry fresh local seasonal food. From fiddleheads to fresh baked sourdough bread, lamb, yogurt, fish from Georgian Bay, bison... it's a cornucopia of Edenic fruits, veg, dairy and meat.

Pipesdreams's fave Place to Drink and Play PacMan Simultaneously is at The Tap

Pipesdreams — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:34:43 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Place to Drink and Play PacMan Simultaneously is at The Tap because This pub was built with Annex student slackers in mind. They have table hockey at the back. They have a PacMan table you can play for a quarter. They have 4 busts of Elvis painted to look like KISS. They have chili dogs and poutine and nachos and many other things to help clog your arteries. Nearly everything served in the bar has bacon on it. There's beer galore and frozen Jager and big screen TVs and gruff yet lovable bartenders. The Tap: for all your slackin' needs.

Pipesdreams's fave sashimi is at Mount Fuji Restaurant

Pipesdreams — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:04:05 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave sashimi is at Mount Fuji Restaurant because I’m not usually an absolutist, but anyone who says raw fish is gross is just plain wrong. Well prepared sashimi, especially ruby-red maguro (tuna) and fatty sake (salmon) are the jewels of the sea. At Fuji (Yonge & Gerrard), sashimi combo #11 comes with salad, miso soup, steamed white rice, and a filling selection of fresh fish for just $13. The dining area is small and being one door south of the Attorney General’s office means it’s bustling with lawyers at lunch: take-out is recommended.

Pipesdreams's fave Brunch (or Cocktails) is at Insomnia Restaurant Bar Lounge

Pipesdreams — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:40:01 GMT

Pipesdreams's fave Brunch (or Cocktails) is at Insomnia Restaurant Bar Lounge because Only open until 2am, Insomnia is a misnomer – folks with sleep disorders should go to 7West at 4am for snacks. But the morning after a wide-awake night, do head to Bloor & Bathurst for the comfort of perfectly poached eggs nestled in hot toasted English muffins, with fruit salad and the most incredibly addictive sauce-slathered potatoes anywhere. They also have great coffee, amazing waffles, dreamy cream-cheese filled French toast and a fully stocked bar, as well as local art on display.