Tennis, Pickleball, Pizza, Red Wine and friends these are a few of my favourite things. Welcome to my small space on the internet. Come stay a while.
If you read my previous blog post (which was way too long ago), you would know that I’ve taken up the game of pickleball. Like many things I do, I have probably gone a little bit overboard as I find myself trying to find ways to get exercise post shoulder surgery. I may have said this previously but its a bit of the wild west out there in terms of finding actual places to play.
Yep….I’m now a pickler. I know…I know. Don’t hate me. If you recall and it’s okay if you don’t, I’ve been sitting on the sidelines for a long, long time. I underwent major shoulder surgery last fall and have not hit a tennis ball since then. It’s been a long, painful recovery and I’m still suffering.
If you are a FACEBOOK user you may be aware of a ‘feature” that is available called memories. If you have posted something previously on that day from another year it be available as a “memory” of that time and you can re-share if you like. The picture above was from 4 years ago and it has been that long since I left my previous career. Time flies….
Seriously, who doesn’t like chocolate? This cake is pretty impressive isn’t it?
And no, I didn’t eat the whole thing.
We recently ended up at one of our now go-to joints called J Steak Frites.
I’ve written about it in the past. It has a prix fixe menu with only one thing on the list. All you have to do is select how you want your steak cooked. Not that complicated. Medium rare for me.
What continues to draw me to the streetlife of NYC? I have lost count of the number of times that I’ve been there and each time uncovers a part of the city that I have yet to experience while still managing time to go back to places that I enjoy. The frenzy and movement is always with you when your out on the streets. From the cab window you pass places of interest - restaurants or unusual shops that you know you can’t find back home.
Well, you might wonder where this blog post is going, and frankly, I wouldn’t blame you. Trust me it’s all good. I recently found myself in NYC one weekend when a well known “influencer” was introducing new products for her brand dairy boy.
And you ask why would this be the lead? So, I have made the decision to go ahead and have shoulder surgery on October 4th. As a life long tennis player and active in other sports, I have suffered from the chronic injuries that many tennis players have. The shoulder has been a problem for well over 20 years and my ability to function at a high level (as if I ever did) has been curtailed because of the challenge within the shoulder.
I need a vacation…..yep, don’t we all need one. Now, some might say - “you need a vacation - seriously?” You’ve been on vacation the last 3 years? I guess that is likely true in many ways. I guess what I really want is to possibly lie on a beach for a few days. My tastes in vacations have changed because sitting on a beach for hours on end won’t work for me - one from boredom and two from getting completely fried.
It got me thinking about who makes the best steak/frites in Toronto.
For some those would be considered fighting words while for others it’s simply a great opportunity to clog your arteries with red wine and delicious steak and frites.
As a bit of historical reference my baseline or comparison is the chain of restaurants in Paris called “ Le Relais de l’Entrecote.” A legendary stopping point for both locals and tourists while visiting Paris. I was taken there over 25 years ago by some colleagues at Wilson to the location just off the Champs Élysées. For whatever reason, I still remember the street name - 15 Rue Marbeuf, How could you go wrong - steak and frites. What a simple but wonderful combination.
This headline caught my attention recently. The thesis of the article is centered around a lawsuit that recently concluded in British Columbia. There has been some suggestion that the outcome of the case is alarming for a number of potential reasons. With the increase in remote work and the ability for employers to tracking software its possible we may see more of these types of cases. I would assume that the general expectation of any employer is you put in your 8 hour day (or whatever).
Okay…..what gives? Why have a part 2? As you probably can tell, I’m not a professional writer. Not even close. I tend to write quickly, make a lot of mistakes (grammer you say?) and then think about what I left out. So….I guess that means, I should have a part two. First of all - lets be clear - 2022 wasn’t all bad. In fact it was pretty good.
I’ve written in previous posts about the wonderful meals we had in 2022 and some of the best are a local place called Le Paradis. Dollar to dollar it is one of the best values out there. As in many places prices have gone up but at Le Paradis they are still lower than most restaurants and the service, atmosphere and quality is continues to be excellent. And best of all….it’s a stumple home without having to drive.
What I have not told you that near the end of August I was stil playing - remember I had not had the shots. I had my usual game with JB and I remember hitting a serve and I felt this terrible pain in my elbow. I finished the game and it got worse….and worse. Over the next few days, I was not feeling so great.
I guess it’s fair to say, I may have veered off the wagon. No….nothing to do with drinking too much - lets save that for another day. I am talking about staying current with blog posts. Can’t give you any good reasons, so I won’t try. But, I’m back.
With the afternoon open we grabbed a train and headed towards Harvard. There was a tour starting at 2 pm and signed up when we go there. We waited….and we waited and unfortunately we were told that the tour guide (who is a student) was going to make it due to mid-term exams. But, the good news is another guide would be there for a 3 pm tour and we were welcome to take that one. I would say that the Harvard Tour for me was the highlight of the trip.
Coffee shops have long been an integral component of coffee culture as they bring a social aspect to the consumption of coffee. Included in this have been an increase of wider choices of types of coffee, micro types of beans, espresso, latte’s, teas and assortment of foods. Things that I look for are free WIFI, comfortable chairs and or tables to work from and as a bonus - the ability to plug in for power.
If you do an internet search for the best pizza in Toronto, one place that is appearing on almost recent lists is - Pizzeria Badiali. I had first read about this place over a year ago and it has been on my list to get there, but alas had never found the right opportunity to make a pilgrimage to it - till recently. As the cool weather has come on too quickly, my opportunities to get out on my e-bicycle are becoming less and less. So, I try to make the most of them when the sun is out. Recently, I was riding out in the west-end of Toronto and I thought I was fairly close. I did a quick check on my phone and I could see it wasn’t very far away.
I have a couple of go-to websites that I look at daily and they are BLOG TO and the other is TORONTO LIFE. Like all forms of social media you have to make your own judgments, however what I look for is articles on new types of food/restaurants, real estate and events happening in the city. I recently read one about a new restaurant on College Street called “Danny’s Pizza Kitchen.
