Toronto Coffee Shop Roundup: West End

Raise your hand if you’re a self-admitted caffeine freak like myself. As someone who’s always on the lookout for a new, rich-tasting cup of joe, I took a stroll through some better known neighbourhoods in the west end of the city and here’s what I found:

Hula Girl
2473 Dundas St. West

New to Dundas West, Hula Girl is the only place in the city creating their own blend of “extra fancy” Hawaiian Kona coffee in-house. Grown in specific regions in the mineral-rich soils of Hawaii, coffee connoisseur and owner Elias creates unique flavour profiles for each of his brews.

Collaborating with Canadian street artist Denial to create the logo, Elias designed the small shop with exposed brick, a hundred year old tin ceiling and wood beams from old bars in Orangeville to create an almost bar-like atmosphere. 

Café Novo
1986 Bloor St. West

Just off the Bloor West beaten path, newly opened Café Novo has a sizable wrap-around patio for the sunny months. Their yummy pastries (often vegan) are made in-house and with organic ingredients right from the café garden outside. Proactive against bottled water, Café Novo uses a self-serve, counter-top cooler with sprigs of homegrown mint for flavour.

Toronto Fashion Week - RAD Hourani 2012

We were invited to the RAD by Rad Hourani fashion show – listed as one of the Top 5 Must See Shows by the Globe & Mail. The designer, Rad Hourani, has created big buzz with his genderless and seasonless designs. I was psyched to get a sneak peek into the line that was ruffling feathers at TFW.

Smart, corporate and polished. This piece screamed, “Don’t mess with me, minions!”

I loved the blend of forest green and jet black in these pieces

HUG and The City

Each week we filter through many events to bring you a shortlist of unique things to do in and around the city. So check back each Monday and we'll make sure you always have something to look forward to throughout the week!

Macaron Day Toronto
> Coinciding with Macaron Day taking place in Paris, NYC and other international cities, Macaron Day in Toronto celebrates these delicate confections in support of Red Door Family Shelter.
Date: Tues, Mar 20
Venue: Various

Barley's Angels
> Join a group of women who love great beer and food! Explore beers from Belgium, Germany and Austria with beer knight, Guy McClelland.
Date: Sun, Mar 25
Venue: The Town Crier (115 John St)

Iron Cupcake
> Similar to the concept of the Iron Chef, a “secret ingredient” is announced and competitors must incorporate it into their cupcakes. Registration required.
Date: Sun, Mar 25
Venue: For The Love of Cake (171 East Liberty St, Unit 117)

My Spring Detox Juice Cleanse

After a winter of indulging in baked goods and comfort foods, I could tell my body was being weighed down with toxins. Luckily Claudia came to my rescue with this perfect spring cleaning solution - for the body and mind. She is the owner of Cruda Café and offers an easy 2 day cleanse ($160) for people interested in a quick and healthy detox.

The day before my cleanse...

I prepped my body by eating a plant-based diet. My menu included sprouted cereals and blueberries in the morning, a kale salad with cucumbers and cliantro-lemon dressing in the afternoon and clear broth soup with steamed veggies in the evening. Throughout the day I snacked on fruit and drank herbal teas and apple juice (which helps to open the gallbladder to release extra toxins).

Day One: Spring Cleaning!

These colourful bottles of juice contained my breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next 2 days. I would consume one at approximately 1.5 hours apart while drinking plenty of water in between. I found each juice uniquely different from the next but they were all equally tasty.

1. The spring water with lemon, cayenne and maple syrup was what I drank first thing each morning.
2. The alkaline green juice with cucumber, green apple, lemon, kale and drops of phytoplankton was tart and refreshing.
3. My favourite was this liver loving juice because it was such a unique and delicious blend of beets, carrots, parsley, ginger, cayenne and aloe vera.
4. For an afternoon sweet treat, I had the very berry smoothie with blackberries, blueberries, spirulina, spinach, banana and sunflower sprouts.
5. The mega cleansing had carrots, lemon, apple and ginger to give my kidney a kick of goodness.
6. And my last juice of the day was this skin-loving super smoothie made with kale, banana, apple, sunflower sprouts and E3 Live.

Hip Hotel - The Gansevoort, New York City

When it comes to booking a hotel in New York City, there are not a lack of choices that will leave your head spinning. The one thing I learned, is that it's ALL about location. I've stayed  in hotels all over Manhattan - in Midtown, on the Upper West Side and near Times Square. On my latest trip to NYC, I had a chance to check-in to the ultra sleek, Gansevoort Hotel in the Meatpacking District. If you're looking to be efficient during a fun weekend of shopping and partying with the girls, you'll want to be exactly where the action is and the Gansevoort Hotel is the bullseye.

Whether it's taking a dip in the heated rooftop pool, grabbing a late dinner across the street at Pastis, walking along The High Line, eating breakfast at Chelsea Market or heading out to a club - you'll be an easy five-minute walk away from all of it. Just watch those high heels along the cobblestoned streets! Since the location is amazing, I don't mind splurging a bit extra for a room here since you save a lot of time and money on cabs.

The Gansevoort boasts 187 rooms over 14 floors and was built in 2004. My room was pretty soundproof, but I could imagine there is a bit of street noise on the weekend. WiFi is complimentary and the gym is open 24 hours. An Exhale Spa occupies the basement next to the gym.

Large living area (above). You'll never argue about what to watch with two flat-screen TVs, one in the bedroom and one in the living area. The suite felt like our own little condo in the city and the perfect place to unwind after a long busy day of shopping.

Urban Eats @ Grand Electric, Toronto

Would you wait two or more hours to eat at one of the hottest new restaurants in the city?
That’s the question you’ll have to ask if you're considering dining at Grand Electric, the Mexican restaurant in Parkdale that has seen a line-up out the door every night since opening last November. 

Grand Electric doesn’t take reservations, and by 7 pm it has a clipboard full of names of those who are waiting to taste why their tacos and guacamole have been called the best in Toronto. 

Once you’re in you’ll get the buzz. The lights are low and the stereo blasts hip-hop music in a small room of red picnic tables. More than two-dozen kinds of beer and bourbon choices are lined up on wooden shelves, and the menu is scrawled on blackboards.

Toronto Fashion Week - Soia & Kyo Fall/Winter 2012

Soia and Kyo’s new Fall/Winter collection almost made me crave the return of cool weather. Don't panic - I said almost.  I would love to strut down King Street West in a few of Soia & Kyo's pieces.

No, this isn’t Moscow.  But these S&K Ushanka hats are all the rage on the runway.

Look bad-ass and stay warm in this leather jacket with a fur-trimmed hood  

Activity-A-Week: Go Dance!

I once thought I wanted to pursue a career in musical theatre (huh?). I still kind of do, but that ship has long sailed. But I did finally get to dance on-broadway...well a little off broadway anyway, but who's looking at details? The latest stop in our Activity-A-Week series takes us to The Broadway Dance Center in New York City where I was able to drop-in on a 90-minute Broadway Jazz Class ($18).

The funny thing about dance is that you never really forget how to move your body in a class, but you might just be a bit slower at it. The class starts with a series of foot and leg exercises for warm-up and then moves into longer stretches and floor work. After about an hour, the instructor starts teaching a fairly basic routine - which we put to music at the end of our class.

Werk! We Go To Toronto Fashion Week

We sent Lisa J to her very first Toronto Fashion Week to cover the Soia & Kyo show for us. So how do you do it right? What's it like to go to a runway show? We tag along to find out...

I arrived an hour before the Soia and Kyo show and boy, did I need it. Ladies, show up early to catch the “pre-show” of makeovers, wine, photoshoots and schmoozing.

Strike a pose! Toronto Fashion Week staffers will snap your picture on the red carpet and send it to you via email.

Hit the Maybelline counter to get a free touch up from a Makeup Artists. I loved the pink lipstick she applied.

Undies That Love Curves by Duchess & Duchess

Finding undies that fit like a glove can be a challenge. Especially if you fall outside of the standard small, medium, or large sizing found in most lingerie stores. Am I right, hip urban girls? 

Good News! Toronto sisters, Nina and Ines Popovic, hear you. They were fed up with plus-size panties that were either too small, too tight, too big or too high and with this problem in mind, the pair founded  Duchess & Duchess in 2011. 

Based in Toronto and designed specifically for curvy girls everywhere, the new line features comfortable but cute cotton spandex hipsters and thongs with sweet lace trim. Sizes are offered 1X - 3X and are priced affordably at $12.50 for thongs and $14.50 for hipsters. Purchase yours in basic Black Pearl or liven up your boudoir with undies in Cat in a Hot Pink Tin Roof and Turquoise Waves.