In Toronto, even the milk is gay.
But there are numerous other great homo tastes, as well.
On the outskirts of the Gay Village is a charming little restaurant called Wish. While it wasn’t our absolute favorite place for food, it was one of the top places we found for a killer cocktail. So start the evening here before downgrading to pitchers of Molson Blue on draft. (Trust us, it always ends up there).
Almost anywhere in the city, and all over Canada for that matter, Poutine is a beloved dish. Think of it as crazy cheese fries. It all starts with a pile of French fries. Traditional Poutine gets the addition of cheese curds and a hearty gravy. But dozens of places all over town, like Smoke’s Poutinerie and Poutini’s (left) have taken Poutine to new levels of insanity with choices like curried chicken, Philly cheesesteak poutine, and Hogtown poutine with bacon, sausage, mushrooms and caramelized onions. It’s easy to make an entire meal out of poutine, so if you see a shop, stop in for a true taste of Canada.
We were told that some of the best sushi in the city was at the dining room at the Drake Hotel. There, you can sit in the regular seating area or opt to order from the full menu at one of the cozy cocktail tables by the front windows. We ordered nothing but sushi and were impressed with each offering, but particularly innovative options like striploin nigiri, porkloin nigiri and sushi pizza. Oh yeah, this place is fantastic. Classic craft cocktails are also a must, whether you order them in the dining room or enjoy them upstairs in the Sky Yard.
Got a sweet tooth? Hit Nadège Patisserie on Queen Street West. They’ve got some of the best macarons ever. And the sandwiches are pretty darn tasty, too.
Back in the Gay Village, one of the most unique restaurants is Fabarnak. Situated inside the 519 Church Street Community Centre, it’s a training restaurant that helps people with employment barriers gain work experience under the guidance of a professional team of chefs and restaurant staff. It’s incredible to interact with the trainees, each of whom is trying to make a better life. And best of all, the food is absolutely incredible.
Yet there’s one restaurant in town that might be the most fun you’ll ever have with your clothes on (and upstairs, they might even come off).
It’s time for a little trashy U.S. food. It’s trashy Texas trailer parks meets campy Canadian drag at Zelda’s.
Again, Toronto takes something that normally doesn’t interest us (drag restaurants in general) and makes it something uniquely entertaining. As far as food, you haven’t lived (and may not live much longer) until you’ve tried the Grilled Cheese Bacon Cheeseburger, an artery-clogging concoction feature two grilled cheese sandwiches acting as the “bun” for a fully loaded bacon cheeseburger. Wash it all down with a Bitch Slap, Zelda’s signature martini.
Make sure to have dinner at Zelda’s on Monday night so you can head upstairs for the 9:00 p.m. Dirty Bingo show (reservations strongly recommended) where you can win fabulous prizes like vibrators. And penis-shaped pasta.
Milk, poutine and Nadege photos courtesy Rodrigo Orta
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