Move over, Ossington. East-end Toronto is coming on strong. For years, the trendy sorts in this city have been flocking to West Queen West and Ossington Avenue. And for good reason. Places such as Boralia and The Black Hoof on Dundas and Rhum Bar have been knocking people’s socks off. I think, though, that things might start shifting east. There are fantastic places in Riverdale and Leslieville. And now there’s a great food and drink outpost in a part of the East End you might not have expected a couple years ago. I was lucky enough to have drinks and Read more
cocktails
ORLANDO – Just east of The Mouse, there’s an entire city waiting to be discovered. This city has long been known for its theme parks and shopping malls, but there’s a cool, new vibe in the city’s growing downtown. Which makes it attractive for not just family trips but also hipsters looking for a fun (and reasonably priced) alternative in the Florida sun. Here are some suggestions. DRINKING Most folks don’t conjure up images of Orlando when you mention great bar towns, but the cocktail scene has kicked things up a notch or three the past few years and you’ll Read more
I was one very lucky guy in 2015, checking out magical places all around the world from Easter Island to the beaches of Lake Huron and tea plantations in The Azores. It takes a lot of work to travel this much, and there are a lot of people in the business who make it all happen for me; tourism boards and airlines and hotels and tour guides and more. So thank you to those folks. I’ve been compiling some of my favourite travel moments for year, and here’s another version of the annual Jimmys; awards for just about anything from Read more
NEW ORLEANS – What a way to start a visit. We pulled up in a taxi and checked into our hotel, the Dauphine Orleans on Dauphine St. in the French Quarter (see photo). After unloading our gear in a nice room across the street in their courtyard building, we checked out the hotel bar, called May Baily’s Place. Like a lot of spots in this town, it was once a “sporting house” with lots of fun things for men to do. In the old days it was one of the better known bordellos in what the hotel brochure calls “the Read more
