Destination Delicious (On The Danforth)

STUCK IN A RUT? What better way to escape the everyday than with some GASTRONOMIC GLOBETROTTING? Best part is there’s no need for any trains, planes, or automobiles. No lost luggage either. Simply walk down DANFORTH AVENUE, and in a single evening, even a single meal, you can take your taste buds for a trip.

The Auld Spot Pub, 347 Danforth Avenue

With tartan on the booths and twinkle lights on the ceiling, The Auld Spot Pub is a fusion of Scottish tradition and urban cool. Twelve beers on tap, a well-endowed wine list, and a surprising selection of scotches also make the pub an inviting venue for pre-dinner drinks. Enjoy an ample glass of sav blanc, or an Australian shiraz for red drinkers. If beer is your tipple of choice, try a pint of Murphy’s Irish Stout. As you drink, take in the décor: a map of “Scotland of Old”, a set of bagpipes on the wall, pictures of rugged looking Scotsman in quilts. And of course there’s the pig. The Auld Spot gets its name from a peculiar looking spotted swine (Auld Spot) whose picture is proudly mounted near the bar. For the Toronto Life review and a handy map, click here.

Here’s a picture of the interior of The Auld Spot

Mambo Lounge, 120 Danforth Avenue

Named the Best Latin American Restaurant by the Dine.TO awards, Mambo Lounge is the perfect locale from which to feel (and taste) some Cuban heat. Chef M.V. Theepan has crafted a tapas menu that provides spicy, spunky, sometimes saucy appetizer options. The coconut shrimp have a crunchy coating packed with fragrant coconut pieces. The Bon Bon de Pollo consists of chicken drumsticks in a mildly spiced sauce that has the distinct flavour of cumin. Or sample the Frituras de Cangrejo—a delicate crabcake with a crunchy, golden brown crust and a moist, meaty filling. For more information, click here.

Pan on the Danforth, 516 Danforth Avenue

It’s fitting to arrive in Greece just in time for the main event; this is Greektown after all. Pan on the Danforth serves up a selection of Greek entrees that will inspire visions of the Mediterranean’s azure skies and sparkling waters. The restaurant’s interior also evokes the comfort and relaxation of a good vacation, with cozy oranges and yellows further mellowed by the glow of candlelight. When it comes to making a dinner selection, the obvious (if somewhat cliché) choice is the chicken souvlaki. Sizable chunks of chicken are grilled and spiced to delicious consequence and paired with tzatziki, rice, potatoes, grilled veg, and mixed greens, though you won’t have much room left for salad. Portions are generous. For something a little special, try the stuffed Atlantic salmon. A delicate layer of phyllo pasty hides a rich filling of salmon, baby spinach, and mushrooms. For a review, click here.

Martinis to wash down all that good Greek food

Café Frappe, 519 Danforth Avenue

While Café Frappe isn’t exclusively French cuisine—the generic “European” is a more accurate descriptor—the right menu choices will have you saying “bonjour” to France. Modern, clean, and chic, the café does a splendid job at sumptuous desserts. Indeed, you don’t need to speak French to know that “crepe” and “parfait” spell delicious. Try a crepe filled with Nutella and bananas and drizzled with chocolate sauce. It’s comfort food with a sexy French accent. For those craving something really naughty, a parfait of walnuts, hot fudge, chocolate ice cream, and a pillow of whipped cream (with a cherry on top) is a simply seductive selection. No reviews, but here’s a map.

Embrujo Flamenco, 97 Danforth Avenue

Featuring the regional cuisines of Spain, Embrujo Flamenco will cap off your tasty travels with an enthusiastic “ole”! Wednesday through Sunday live flamenco music and dancing turn this tapas restaurant into a feast for the eyes and ears, in addition to the stomach. Chef and owner Jose Salgado hails from Andalucia, which also happens to be Spain’s flamenco epicenter. As a result, the entertainment and food are in perfect rhythm. The Paella Andaluza is a hearty dish of saffron infused rice with chicken, chorizo, shrimp, clams and mussels. Or tuck into the Queso de Cabra Con Miel, which is a savory and sweet combination of baked goat cheese and honey. For a review, click here.

FEEDBACK:

• Is there a Danforth destination that you think I’ve overlooked? Tell me about YOUR tasty travels on the Danforth.
• Been to one of these restaurants before? Let me know how you enjoyed (or did not enjoy) your experience.
• Stuck in a rut? Tell me how you escape the everyday. POST YOUR COMMENTS!

My favourite books

Not that my opinion counts for much, but I thought I would talk about some of my favourite books. In no particular order:

•  The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy: Roy’s writing is simply gorgeous. The language she uses (like poetry) is enough to make this a great book, but the story is also very compelling. Funny and often quite sad. I read The God of Small Things a few summers ago, but it really stuck with me. 

• Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen: I know, I know. It’s terribly cliche for a female English major like myself to include this on her list, but frankly I don’t care. I can’t even count the number of times of read P&P–and it gets better with every pass. Full of humour, romance, and that famous Austen wit. And who doesn’t love Mr. Darcy? I’ve read all of Austen’s books, and P&P always brings me the most pleasure. 
• Vernon God Little, DBC Pierre: Dark, twisted, and very funny. Not to mention loaded with profanities. Vernon Little is an unlikely hero, but you can’t help liking him. Pierre’s book isn’t for everyone (my mom hated it), but those with an off-beat sense of humour will appreciate this novel. 
• The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls: I read this memoir very recently, and couldn’t put it down. You cannot believe the things that happened to Walls growing up. Walls is a good writer with a good story, and you really root for her and her siblings. Good subway reading too.
• The Romantic + Helpless, Barbara Gowdy: Gowdy is my favourite author. She’s from Toronto, so her fiction has a real local flare. Her characters are always so well-drawn, and you tend to like even the bizarre ones. The Romantic is a love story, but not the feel-good kind. Helpless is probably the most reader-friendly of Gowdy’s books–reads a bit like a subdued thriller. Gowdy’s great. Go get her books.