Artist’s Vacation at The Drake Hotel

Oct 04, 14 Artist’s Vacation at The Drake Hotel

Posted by in Branding, Family, Featured, Leisure, Restaurant Reviews, Travel

I had the opportunity this week to stay at Toronto’s Drake Hotel and we had a fantastic time.  I had never heard of the Drake Hotel although it has the sort of name that sounds familiar to me.  I found it on Trip Advisor and every other hotel in Toronto was full.  I never did figure out why everything was booked, but the Drake Hotel seemed like a good fit for us.  I picked up my chef daughter from her job in Muskoka and we spent 2 nights and 3 days together in Toronto. We checked in on Sunday afternoon.  The hotel is small, charming, and has multiple restaurants and bars full of trendy, interesting people.  We were given a room on the 3rd floor.  We were surprised to find out there is no elevator so we trekked up the stairs and found a lovely but small, very cool guest room.  We were greeted with complimentary sparkling wine on ice and the room was full of interesting items for purchase as well as a fun “mini-bar” area full of tasty beverages and snacks. The design concept really stood out and we felt like we were not quite cool enough for our hip accommodations.  That said, Jonathan the manager greeted us warmly every time he saw us and made us feel incredibly welcome.   He hugged us when we left–we felt loved and cared for in this fun hipster hotel.  I am not sure we were cool enough for our surroundings, but we felt welcome and enjoyed its charm. We ate breakfast twice in their cafe and the food was fantastic.  I only wish we had the energy to explore more of what was going on.  There is a roof-top bar that looked very fun.  We heard happy people partying late into the night.  This didn’t bother us, it was kind of fun–like falling asleep on the couch during a really great party.  During our stay, there was an open mike and a pickle contest...

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Day Trip to China-Town and the Art Gallery of Ontario

Jun 01, 13 Day Trip to China-Town and the Art Gallery of Ontario

Posted by in Family, Foodie, Restaurant Reviews

Mel’s dad was in town and we were looking for something to do.  He had heard about an amazing exhibit of Florentine Art at the Art Gallery of Ontario and he took us out for the day.  We had a great time!  It was also a fun day for 8-year-old boys which was unexpected. I will try to share what made it great for them, too. We drove into Toronto, exited the Gardiner Expressway at Spadina, turned right on Dundas and parked in a parking garage.  This allowed us to explore China Town and walk to the AGO a block away.  We went to a Dim Sum restaurant that seemed to be for a Chinese clientele rather than a tourist crowd.  They had a big sign out front that said “All Day Dim Sum.”  It is 2 doors down from Rol Jui right next to a bank.  I can see it on Google street view but it doesn’t seem to have an English sign. We sat down and food started arriving.  This was one of the parts that made this day great for my 8-year-olds.  They got to pick food off the carts and they loved it.  They got to eat a lot of shrimp.  We had dumplings and fried sashimi and a dish with duck and vegetables.  We got a giant bowl of wonton soup to share and it was lovely.  The dumplings were very tasty.  The Sticky Rice was good.  I loved eating family style and sharing all the bits.  We finished off with sesame balls for dessert. The atmosphere was vibrant and alive.  I have ordered Dim Sum before in restaurants but this was my first time in a Dim Sum restaurant.  It was fantastic. Next we walked through Chinatown and looked at the many curios and foods on display as we made our way to the museum.  We were on an adventure.  The boys enjoyed the walking.  The only glitch was the boys had tea at lunch and ended up a bit jacked...

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