Taste of the Danforth - A Celebration of Toronto's Greek Community

As Canada’s largest city, Toronto is a melting pot of different cultures and nationalities from around the world.  One of the largest ethnic communities that you cannot miss here is Greektown, which is located just East of the Don Valley Parkway along Danforth Avenue.  Every year in early August, Greektown celebrates its heritage by shutting down the avenue for three days to host one of Toronto’s largest street festivals – the Taste of the Danforth.

Welcome to Toronto's Greektown!

The Taste of the Danforth originated in 1994 when a number of Greek businesses pooled their resources together to offer tasting tables outside their restaurants.  They thought that this would be more effective than advertising to draw more business to their restaurants.  During that first year, about 23 restaurants participated in the event while about 5,000 attendees showed up.  Today, over 1.5 million people attend the annual 3 day/2-night event.

Chicken souvlaki being prepared at the Taste of the Danforth

As one of Toronto’s largest annual street festivals, the Taste of the Danforth offers a little bit of everything for everyone – from a Midway for families to a “Greek Zone” where anyone can learn how to Zorba or smash plates while shouting out “Opa.”  There is even a beer garden for adults to take in some suds – albeit of the non-Greek variety – while listening to musical acts on stage.

Midway games at the Taste of the Danforth

Kooks and I have only been to the Taste of the Danforth once before, which was on a Saturday.  For the 23rd Annual event, we opted to go right after work on Opening Night.  What a difference did that make as it was far less crowded and we were able to see and do more this second time around.

Ortikia - BBQ Quail

We started off grabbing some Turkish pizza at Mr. Pide.  Yes, I know we were at a Greek Festival, and I really encouraged Kooks to stick to just Greek food here as some of the vendors were offering BBQ corn or Jerk pierogies, but this Turkish pizza was too good to pass up.  It’s basically a reverse pizza – dough on the outside with the toppings inside.

Turkish Pide - a reverse style pizza with the toppings in the middle

My pide – or Turkish pizza – of choice was the Sucuklu Kasarli, which included Turkish sausage and mozzarella cheese.  Kooks opted for the Ispanakli Kiymali, which included spinach and ground beef.  Because we bought outside at Mr. Pide’s street booth, it cost us $5 CDN each.  Turkey is on our bucket list of countries that we want to visit together, so I am really looking forward to eating more Turkish food in the food after this experience.

Enjoying our spinach swirl and baklava with pistachios

Next on the Taste of the Danforth list was Akropolis Pastries.  The baklava with pistachio caught my eye while Kooks opted for the spinach swirl.  Baklava is a pastry dessert made with layers of filo filled with chopped nuts – pistachio in this case – and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey.  Mine tasted like it had syrup.  We paid $3 CDN each this time for our food.

Krinos Taste of the Danforth 2016

Following our baklava and spinach swirl, we spent some time in the Beer Garden near the Celebrity Stage where we caught the tail end of the Opening Ceremonies.  My only complaint here is that the beer choices are limited – Stella Artois, Corona, and Shock Top.  You would think that a Greek street festival would allow for Greek beers to be sold at their official Beer Garden, but I digress.

Greek Poutine - Fries served with Gravy & Feta

For our final tasting of the night, Kooks saw Greek poutine for sale at the Pantheon Restaurant.  It cost $5 CDN a serving.  For those not familiar with poutine, it is a Canadian delicacy originating from Quebec where you are served a side of fries with gravy and cheese curds.  The only thing “Greek” about this poutine was the Feta cheese curds that replaced the traditional mozzarella.  Still good, nevertheless!

Taste of the Danforth as seen from the Ferris Wheel

By this point of the night, our stomachs were full as we headed back towards our car.  Before we left, I wanted to go on the Ferris Wheel to get a great vantage point of the entire Taste of the Danforth festival.  Rides cost about $3.50 CDN and last for up to two minutes.  It was a gorgeous night and a great way to cap off our visit to the latest Taste of the Danforth event.

Taste of the Danforth

Dates:  First weekend of August following Civic Day/Simcoe Day

Where:  Danforth Avenue – between Broadview Avenue & Jones Avenue

What:  A street festival showcasing Hellenic food and drinks by the Danforth BIA

Admission:  Free – Cash only for the Midway, Beer Garden or Food Tents

Official Website:  www.tasteofthedanforth.com

Airport Eats – Twist by Roger Mooking

I’ve lost count of the number of times that I have flown through the years.  But, there have been some good pubs and restaurants along the way where I have been able to get a quick bite to eat or have a pint to bide my team waiting for my plane to begin boarding.  Even though I haven’t kept track of the numerous restaurants that I have eaten or drank at, I wanted to start keeping track now with this blog moving forward.

Twist by Roger Mooking

With my recent trip to Alberta, I was scheduled to fly out of Pearson International Airport on Monday, April 18 at 7am EST.  Domestic flights require you to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours in advance, which I did.  However, with limited options open around 5am in Terminal 1, I had to really look for a restaurant or bar that was both open and appealing.  Enter Twist by Roger Mooking.

First patron at the bar shortly after 5am

The first thing that really caught my attention with Twist was the entrance to the restaurant, especially the lettering font used for the name “Twist.”  As soon as I walked in, I was impressed by how pristine and clean the restaurant was.  Of course, all restaurants should be clean first thing in the morning, but there was something about Twist that gave it more of an upscale vibe to it – something that basically said that this restaurant caters to the frequent business traveler and not just your casual tourist or vacationer.

Watching the news at Twist by Roger Mooking

When travelling solo, I usually prefer sitting at the bar because there are usually several televisions on displaying sports or news coverage to help kill time.  And most importantly, sitting solo at the bar also results in quicker service as the bartender must now take on a dual role.  Being the only patron at Twist on this particular morning, my bartender presented me with a menu while she headed back to the kitchen to get prepared for the morning breakfast rush.

Steak & eggs omelette with a side of frites

I ended up selecting the steak and eggs omelette with a side of frites.  The omelette came with three eggs, sirloin strips, crème fraiche, broccoli, and herbs for just under $13 CDN.  This protein overload hit the spot as I was barely able to make a dent into my side of fries.  Although my breakfast was excellent, the only downside was the slow service that I experienced here.  What probably should have taken 10 – 15 minutes to make seemed more like 20 – 25 minutes instead.  Regardless, I was able to make my flight on time with a full stomach.  Since Pearson Airport is my local airport, there is a good chance that I will eat here again.

Stomach full and ready for my flight to Calgary!

Twist by Roger Mooking

Pearson International Airport

Terminal 1 – After-Security (Canada), Level 2 Gates, Near Gate D32

Hours of Operation:  7 days/week from 5am EST – Last Flight

Phone: (416) 776-3100, ext. 1

Thirsty Tales – Block Kitchen & Bar

With only 48 hours in Banff for a Sales retreat, I had very limited time to explore what Banff had to offer.  I would have to save the tourist attractions for a future visit, but damn if I didn’t get to at least explore Banff’s nightlife.  On a recommendation from a friend, I decided to check out Block Kitchen & Bar on my last night in this town.

Block Kitchen & Bar

One of the newest tapas bars to open up in Banff, the Block Kitchen & Bar is located at the corner of Banff Avenue and Caribou Street right next to Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon.  The first thing you will notice as you walk into Block is how small it is.  It’s so small that you could swear you were about to walk into a Man Cave than a trendy new bar.

Midnight Sun Stout - Yukon Brewing

After plopping myself up at the bar to watch some hockey playoffs on the television, I browsed through the beer menu in search of some interesting craft beers that I wouldn’t be able to get back home in Toronto.  The first one that piqued my interest was Midnight Sun Stout from Yukon Brewing.  I normally enjoy stouts, but this one fell flat big time for my tastes.  It was definitely the worst craft beer I have ever tasted, which is a shame as I had high expectations for a stout that was brewed from the Yukon Territory.

Aprikat - Alley Kat Brewing

My final beer for the night was Aprikat.  This Apricot wheat ale is brewed by Alley Kat Brewing, an Edmonton-based craft brewery.  While the thought of mixing apricot flavour with wheat ale seemed repulsive to me, I was astonished by how smooth tasting this wheat ale was.  Yes, the apricot flavour is over powering, but you hardly notice the alcohol content at all.  The Aprikat had definitely raised the bar for wheat ales in my book!

Full Moon over Banff on my final night

Since I had already eaten dinner at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, I was not interested in the food menu at all.  I stayed until last call before moving onto Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon.  However, Block Kitchen & Bar will always be remembered as my first real bar experience in Banff.

Block Kitchen & Bar

201 Banff Avenue

Banff, AB T1L 1H8

Phone:  (403) 985-2887

Hours:  7 days/week from 11:30am - 2am

Tasty Travels – Dinner at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

It was either in my Grade 7 or Grade 8 History book when I first saw the iconic photo of the Banff Springs Hotel.  The picture was both enchanting, yet odd to me at the same time.  Why exactly was there this gorgeous turn-of-the-Century European chateau built in the middle of the Canadian Rocky Mountains?  As I learned through my history class, the Banff Springs Hotel opened in 1885 as part of the Canadian National Pacific Railway route that connects Eastern Canada with Western Canada.  It was one of several luxury hotels built along the Canadian National Railway to entice tourism and immigration towards Western Canada during the Expansion era of the late 19th/early 20th Centuries.

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

A National Historic Site of Canada, the Banff Springs Hotel is now owned by the Fairmont hotel chain and priced for those seeking luxury in the Canadian Rockies.  Needless to say, the Banff Springs Hotel is far too rich for my budget.  But as chance would have it, my employer decided to treat our team to dinner on our last night in Banff.

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

After our walk along the Bow River Trail, my appetite was a bit more worked up than I had anticipated.  For my appetizer, I chose some fresh Prince Edward Island oysters.  Yes, the menu said fresh Prince Edward Island oysters.  Although I finished them, I did question how “fresh” these oysters were given that Prince Edward Island is about a two-day drive East of Banff – or about a 5-hour flight out of Calgary.  Factor that in with the time it would also take to harvest oysters off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and package them for shipping across Canada, and you will start to understand my cynicism here.

View of the Rockies from the Banff Springs Hotel

My entrée was a lot more local as I went for the Alberta bison tenderloin paired with a Bloody Caesar.  My word did this dinner ever hit the spot!  So tender and juicy – just how I like it with medium rare steak.  The bison tenderloin also came with a side of seasonal vegetables.  While I am not a huge Brussels sprouts fan, I had no complaints here with the Banff Springs Hotel as they added some excellent flavour with the seasonal vegetables making the sprouts less bland.

The train lines that came to Banff in 1885

As for the Bloody Caesar, you couldn’t have asked for a spicier drink to pair nicely with the tenderloin.  The Bloody Caesar is Canada’s take on the Bloody Mary, but we substitute Mott’s Clamato for the tomato juice.  The Caesar was invented in Calgary back in the late 1960s, so I have not been disappointed with any of my Bloody Caesar drinks in Alberta thus far.

My "fresh" Prince Edward Island oysters

Although I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner and appetizer, it was a shame that I had no room for dessert as I knew I would never personally eat here again.  My dinner alone was already worth more than $100 – the Alberta bison tenderloin was one of the “cheaper” entrées at around $65 CDN.  Ouch!  After 2 hours of dining and conversing, we headed back to our hotel.  It was a pleasure to have finally seen the Banff Springs Hotel in person, and it was an experience that I won’t soon forget.

Alberta Bison tenderloin with seasonal vegetables

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

405 Spray Avenue

Banff, AB (Canada)

T1L 1J4

Phone: (403) 762-2211

Fax: (403) 762-5755

Website:  http://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/

Backpacking Banff – The Bow River Trail

My 48 hours in Banff were going to be jam packed with business meetings and dinners.  The opportunities to explore and visit Banff’s main attractions were going to be non-existent on this trip – at least the attractions that cost money.

Backpacking Banff – Bow River Trail

On our way to dinner to the Banff Springs Hotel on our second night, we decided to walk along the Bow River Trail.  The walk between Banff Park Lodge Resort Hotel to the Banff Springs Hotel would take us about 30 minutes at a leisurely pace.  And boy, was it worth it!

Walking along the Bow River Trail

At an elevation of 4,537 feet (or 1,383 metres), Banff is the highest town in Canada.  It is weird to think that Banff sits at that high of an elevation as the drive from Calgary is a gradual, two-hour uphill climb through the Rockies.  Walking along the Bow River Trail you can actually stop by the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies to learn more about the history and culture of this part of Canada.

The view from Banff Pedestrian Bridge

Although, we did not have time to stop in at the Whyte Museum, here are some interesting facts about Banff:

·       Banff National Park was established in 1885 as Canada’s first National Park

·       Banff National Park covers 6,641 km² (2,564 miles)

·       The Town of Banff has a population of 7,500

·       Banff residents lease the land their homes sit on through Parks Canada

·       The tree line lies around 7,500 feet (2,300 metres) on average in the Canadian Rockies

·       Open all year round, Banff National Park’s peak season is July & August

Bow Falls

·         Banff National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984

·         Banff National Park is managed by Parks Canada & visitor permits are required

·         Banff receives 4 million visitors annually & skiing was introduced in 1909

·         Banff is named after Banffshire, Scotland – the birthplace of two of the original directors of the   Canadian Pacific Railway

·         Banff National Park is home to seven National Historic sites

My first glimpse of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

Once we passed Banff Avenue, we crossed over the Bow River using the Banff Pedestrian Bridge.  As we got closer to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, the trail became more isolated as it steered further away from the main road of Banff in a narrow, tree lined pathway.  The detour was worth it as we spent a few minutes admiring Bow Falls.  

Beautiful Banff & the Bow River

Shortly after the walk past Bow Falls, I caught my first glimpse of the legendary Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.  In only a few minutes, we would have dinner here in this National Historic Site of Canada.  But for now, I made sure to savour every moment that I could on the journey to the hotel.  It would be worth it to “work up an appetite” in this case.