Weekend Getaway to Toronto

For Andrew's birthday this year, I booked a weekend trip to Toronto, Canada. We've heard great things about it, and have been itching to get some stamps in our new passports. It's been a while since we traveled for fun, and we were both feeling the need to get away.

The quick flight from O'Hare into Toronto's Pearson Airport was relaxed and smooth, notable only because of Pearson's emptiness. Pearson is one of the busiest airports in Canada, but you wouldn't guess it based on our flight - we arrived to what felt like an abandoned airport. We hopped in a taxi for about 35 minutes and arrived at our hotel (the Marriott Bloor Yorkville) around lunch, famished and eager to start exploring.

When traveling we rarely make reservations or schedule out our whole trip, because we love spontaneous exploration, but we like to have ideas for sightseeing and restaurants (especially since I've been known to get hangry!). A personal recommendation, and research on Beer Advocate, led us to barVolo for lunch, and for the beer selection, we could not have done better.

Only one other customer graced the dark, heavy wood tables; the richly aged banisters and bar accents were reminiscent of an old English pub. We chose a corner table with a booth and mismatched chairs, and were promptly greeted by the bartender, who explained that we order food and drinks at the bar. I love knowing what to expect! From our table, I glimpsed an ice cream shop style counter refrigerator which serves as their cooler for rarer bottled beers. Atop the cooler was a case of (empty) Westvleteren bottles. Whether or not the bottles had ever been full, I was impressed by the display.

barVolo's beer list

BarVolo is known for its large selection of Canadian beers, and their chalk menu clearly lists the style next to the beer name for all 32 beers on tap. When the bartender (alas, I forget his name - he was so friendly and knowledgeable!) discovered we are beer geeks, he wrote a list of bars and restaurants for us to check out. He also spent quite a bit of time explaining the Canadian beer system to us. Canada's beer laws are very strict, and it's difficult to import beers even from another Canadian province. That barVolo has so many beers on tap is a testament to their continued hard work, and their passion for beer.

For much of the rest of our day we wandered about the city, exploring different neighborhoods and scoping out interesting buildings and houses. The Frank Gehry-designed Art Gallery of Ontario offered an amazing model ship exhibit, and an incredible winding, whimsical staircase.

the Gehry spiral staircase

Then, between the Blue Jays stadium and the CN Tower, we spied Steam Whistle Brewing Company. Instantly I fell in love with the venue. Built at an old roundhouse, and complete with a retired steam engine, most of the bay doors were still intact, arcing around the engine. To the left of the steam engine is the entrance to the brew pub, where several of the bay doors open to a large patio. The setting was so beautiful and nostalgic I was sad that the beer was a relatively generic pilsner, and not a tasty craft brew.

Steam Whistle's roundhouse

On Day 2 we started off with a morning run; while it was cloudy, the temperature was perfect for a short two-miler followed by coffee. We planned ahead: run two miles out, find coffee and take the subway back (for all its other benefits, the Toronto subway system still uses tokens!). The latte at Fahrenheit Coffee was amazing! What a great little shop - friendly faces, yummy chocolate chip muffins and cool chalk drawings of their baristas. If we lived nearby it would definitely be our go-to.

Caffeinated and showered, we jumped back into tourism: Kensington Market, Koreatown and the Distillery District. It got chilly as the day went on, so I was glad to purchase a knit Blue Jays hat at Kensington. The highlight of the afternoon was lunch at the Korean Village (preceded by a beer at Pour Boy Pub - a gem of a pub). The bi bim bap was so tasty and filling we had to push back our dinner reservations!

The rest of the afternoon, we made stops at the Mill Street Beer Hall in the Distillery District, and at Beer Bistro in the Financial District. Mill Street had a fun ambiance and lackluster beer, while Beer Bistro had amazing beer and a generic Cheesecake Factory vibe. Too bad we couldn't switch beer lists for a perfect experience!

On our last day in Toronto I was determined to get brunch - Andrew has an aversion to waiting in line for brunch, so I have to be selective about when and where I suggest it. Fortunately I'd made a great choice: Wallace & Co. in the Junction Triangle was outstanding! A tiny little diner that seats only about 20, they created the most amazing French toast I've ever had. Fresh fruit, caramel and creme fraiche adorned slices of banana bread French toast - to die for!!

Wallace & Co's French toast

No trip of ours would be complete without a glimpse of the local fire department. Andrew knows to pause the conversation when a shiny engine or ladder truck drives by, and lucky for me, he also humors my desire to visit a station house.  This weekend though, we even got to see the Firefighters' Memorial!

in memory if their fallen brothers

We had a fantastic time in Toronto and can't wait to go back. Next time though we'll make sure it's a little warmer so we can take in a Blue Jays game!


Toronto Travel Resources
beeradvocate.com
blogto.com
ago.net
bluejays.com
cfff.ca