It’s a tough weekend for turkeys in Cabbagetown! But it’s a great time for the rest of us. Pick your favourite restaurant and enjoy the comfort of a Thanksgiving meal with all the work done for you. Turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, fall veggies and pumpkin pies are being featured on menus everywhere.
So far, we’ve heard from Brass Taps (221 Carlton), House on Parliament (456 Parliament), Ben Wicks (424 Parliament), Peartree (507 Parliament), Cranberries (601 Parliament) and Big Mamma’s Boy (554 Parliament). Each has Thanksgiving dinners with all the trimmings. Pick your favourite.
Take your turkey home…
St Jamestown Steak & Chops (516 Parliament) is a beehive of activity every year on Thanksgiving and this year, they’re ready to roll again – the freezer is full of turkey, hams, and a raft of other Thanksgiving goodies to make your meal a feast. Mark is open on Saturday from 8 am to 7 pm and on Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm. Closed on Monday.Thanksgiving at Epicure Shop
Thanksgiving weekend is full of pleasant offerings from the Epicure Shop (473 Parliament). For your desserts, Patty has homemade pumpkin pies, tarts and fruit pies. Cheese fans will love her three new Quebec brands – the famous 1608, non-pasteurized Le Buxton and Chenal de Moin. Ontario is well represented by Niagara Gold and Comfort Cream, both from Niagara’s Upper Canada Cheese company. Epicure will be open from 9 am to 6 pm on Sunday and will close on Monday.Number 9 Studio films Van Morrison
When Van Morrison visited Massey Hall on October 2 for the “Astral Weeks & Classic Songs” tour, the band needed someone to film the concert. Number 9 Studios did the job – recording the concert and creating DVDs for Van’s personal use, all within a one-day deadline. Number 9 has both outstanding audio facilities and now, also, a client list for their video work that includes legendary performer Van Morrison. (222 Gerrard St East)Back again at The Deal Zone
CFL Eco Bulbs were a big hit last year during Deal Zone’s (480 Parliament) special promotions. They’re back again. They’re on sale until October 31 starting at only $1 (after the coupon). CFL bulbs are energy savers that last for up to seven years. They’re coated to add extra protection and to make them even more attractive in your lamp. The OPA has sponsored this initiative to encourage you to convert your home to environmentally friendly lighting.Want a spider for Hallowe’en?
Rama Carity has a great idea – to place big, scary illuminated spiders on your outside wall for Hallowe’en. Rama wants to do this on Parliament. Several spiders are already assembled and available for inspection at the Fair Trade Jewellery Company (523 Parliament). They were built during Nuit Blanche. He has a permit from the City of Toronto and he knows skilled people who can put them up. Anyone who has a suitable wall and a great sense of humour should call Doug at the BIA (416-921-0857) and we’ll make the introductions.JAMCafe’s second wine tasting
We told you last week that JAM (195 Carlton) has a tasting scheduled for October 24 – well, it’s already sold out. We warned you then that these events are growing in popularity. To make sure that nobody goes away heartbroken and frustrated, Av has scheduled another date, October 26, for a second tasting with the same wines.Six wines from two boutique California wineries will be the centre of attention: Trefethen Family Vineyards and Terra Valentine. Av will be preparing his hors d’oeuvres to match the wines and emphasize their special character.
Tickets are $35 and advance reservations are obviously needed. Call (416) 921-1255.
Two more quick notes – Sundays are still a free corkage day. Bring your own bottle to match your meal and the staff will open and serve it without charge. While you’re there, try the elk burgers. Av says they rock.
Johnny G’s new hours
Winter hours have arrived at Johnny G’s (478 Parliament), one of our most popular brunch and lunch locations. They’ll be open from 7:30 am to 7 pm daily after Tuesday. On Thanksgiving Monday, they’re open from 8:30 am to 5 pm to satisfy your brunch cravings.Google Streets
Have you heard about it? The views are amazing. Google has assembled a photo montage of Toronto (among other cities) that gives us a street-level view of our neighbourhood that we’ve never before seen on the internet. Try it out – click here:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=603+Parliament+St,+Toronto,+ON&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=20.355045,52.470703&ie=UTF8&layer=c&cbll=43.664204,-79.36831&panoid=OCzHOXmtlYfhV5sfwx-oSw&cbp=12,214.92,,0,12.78&hq=&hnear=603+Parliament+St,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontario&ll=43.664177,-79.368426&spn=0.001733,0.003412&z=19&iwloc=r1
Thanks to James Woollatt at Blink Blink (603 Parliament) for guiding us to this site.
