One of Canada’s best and coolest restaurants. And a sleek boutique hotel with a fabulous rooftop bar. I got to spend a night last week checking out two super-fun spots on Queen St. West in my hometown of Toronto and came away quite impressed. The Good Son began serving diners on Queen west of Dovercourt Rd. three years ago and has earned plaudits from many a food critic. I’m hardly a dining connossieur, but I eat at a lot of nice places around the world and think I know good food from mediocre, and I was won over big time Read more

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Now here’s a great contest: $100,000 in prizes from the folks at Rogers as part of their Spin to Win program. Rogers is giving away prizes this summer to customers who log in to the MyRogers app and play the spin to win game between June 28 and September 2017. How it works: Customers log on to their account in the MyRogers app. You then click the Spin to Win banner to enter the game, and can spin the wheel daily to earn entries for a chance to win great prizes including: gift cards to Canadian retailers (Roots, Boston Pizza, Read more

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NOTE: THIS ITEM FIRST APPEARED EARLIER TODAY IN POSTMEDIA NEWSPAPER WEBSITES ACROSS CANADA: LAC BROME, QUEBEC – “I don’t want something that starts big and then goes ‘pfffffttt’ after two seconds. I call that a quickie.” Leon Courville is pouring some of his wines for me at his pretty, barn-like winery in Quebec’s Eastern Townships and explaining how he emphasizes making wine with structure. His St.-Pepin, a white wine made with a grape that does well in cold climates, starts a bit thin to my taste but finishes with a nice, lingering, chardonnay-like finish I quite like. “I think people Read more

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WestJet is doubling down on Toronto and adding more flights from Calgary and Kelowna, too. The moves will give Canadians lots more options for getting around Canada and escaping for some winter sun. WestJet today announced an additional 55 weekly non-stop flights this winter from Toronto Pearson International Airport to key domestic business destinations as well as popular sun spots in the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean. The service is part of the airline’s seasonal schedule for the winter of 2017-18. “This additional service means business travellers will be able to take advantage of increased frequencies and more convenient schedules Read more

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An item on the Newsday website says that Toronto’s own CN Tower is the 11th most photographed landmark (or at least the 11th most hashtagged landmark) on the planet. That’s a bit surprising in some ways, as it puts what was once the world’s tallest freestanding structure higher on the list than such notable places as The Taj Mahal and even Buckingham Palace. Then again, it IS a very large tower and it’s in a huge city that’s very close to not only millions of Canadians but tens of millions of Americans who want to come up and take advantage Read more

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Advanced reservations at one of Canada’s best restaurants. And at a bargain price. Aeroplan this year is a key partner in Toronto’s Summerlicious restaurant program, which allows folks to book outstanding city dining spots at substantial discounts. More than 200 restaurants are taking part in the program, which this year began on July 11 and runs through Monday, July 23. Diners are offered three-course dinners at a fixed price at restaurants across the city, with just about every style of cuisine you can think of. I was able to get advance reservations at Nota Bene, a hot restaurant that’s often Read more

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TORONTO – Bisha Hotel Toronto designer Alessandro Munge of Toronto’s highly successful Studio Munge is talking about his relationship with Bisha owner and developer Charles Khabouth. Munge has been friends with the Toronto nightclub and entertainment impresario for two dozen years and knows what he likes and what pushes his buttons. “It’s a constant push for quality, quality, quality,” Munge told a group of journalists on a preview tour Wednesday afternoon. “If it’s exciting, he’s okay with it. But if not, well, ….” I’m no designer, but I’ve seen a lot of hotels in my day and I can safely Read more

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