Culinary adventures in Toronto

One of the good things about moving to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is its proximity to (you guessed it) Toronto. I've always loved, loved, loved the city, but living anywhere from 2-5 hours away from it always meant I needed a special occasion to visit. Downtown hotel rooms in a metropolis don't come for free, after all.

So, to take advantage of my good fortune, the boyfriend is coming for a visit this weekend, and we're going into the city via subway. I'm really excited but ready to burst because I just can't seem to figure out where I'd like to go.

Actually, let me rephrase: I can't figure out how many places I can go before my boyfriend dumps me out of frustration. There, that sounds better.

In a city so big, I could spend the whole day visiting different culinary attractions and still have a million other places on my to-do list. Kensington Market, St. Lawrence Market, the million amazing bakeries that seem to populate the city... I'm salivating (but exhausted) just thinking about it. And the boyfriend? Well, he's so afraid that I'm going to go overboard this Saturday that he's actually decided to turn down Future Bakery cheesecake, on me. Free cheesecake!

For now, here is my list of where we are definitely going this weekend:

• Steamwhistle Brewery Tour - We scored free tour passes at the London Food and Wine Festival this year.
• Whole Foods Market - You're probably confused, but until this week I didn't know that Whole Foods had expanded into Canada, and I've always wanted to shop at one.
• Williams-Sonoma - Because nothing makes me feel better than being scoffed at by sales clerks who can't believe I think $30 for a muddler is too much.
  
• Spring Rolls - Well, maybe, depending on when we get hungry. If our hunger flares up around the Eaton Centre, Thai food it is.
• BMV - Used (and some new) books, movies, music. I'm all about the cookbooks at this place.
  
• Smokeless Joe's - The last time we went to this amazing specialty beer shop, we fell in love with the mussels.
  

And where I'd like to go in the future:

• Dish Cooking Studio (Trish Magwood of Party Dish's shop)
  
• Future Bakery (best cheesecake you'll find in Toronto, in my opinion)
• Johny Banana
• Kensington Market food shops
• St. Lawrence Market

So, that's it, so far. Of course, one of the best things about such a big city is that you never know where you'll end up.

Have you been to any of these businesses before, or would you like to recommend other great places to shop and eat in Toronto? Let me know in the comments!

Photo credit: Canada25Toronto