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I know I know...hard to judge a whole country from 1 city..but just understand my frame of reference.

1: super nice people, Torontoans seem to go out of their way to be helpful. Not sure if this was because they could tell I'm 'Merican and were trying to be helpful to the visitor from down south. Regardless it was very refreshing change from the way I have seen Americans treat other Americans in big cities down here.

2: Beautiful country. The city is nice, but the area surrounding the city is beautiful.

3: what's up with all the smoking? I haven't seen this many smokers since 1976.

4: no air conditioning? What's up with that? It's the middle of the summer!

5: Where are your restaurants? Swiss chalet is no Outback Steakhouse.

6: Bacon...awesome need I say more?

7: Traffic...I thought US traffic was bad.

no wonder why you guys are so skinny..lack of decent restaurant chains, no air conditioning, and you smoke a lot !

Anyway you know I kid, but I was very impressed with Toronto, would have been nice to see a hockey game, but it's not in season. Next trip we plan on visiting Tobermory.

GG

Depends on where you were.

I lived in the GTA for most of my life, and there are plenty of chain restaurants. They may not be quite as prevalent as they are down south, but they're still there.

I don't know what to say about the A/C thing. Everywhere I've been has been A/C. Must have been a localized thing, or just saving money.

As for the traffic, the 401/DVP/Gardiner is the busiest roadway in the world. Toronto is pretty notoriously bad, though the rest of the country is a lot better. Thankfully, we have the 407 ETR which is a godsend for commuters.

Smoking, well, free healthcare and all that.

I love Toronto, always have and always will. I love Victoria and Halifax more, but Toronto's up there for me. Sure as hell beats Winnipeg. NEVER go to Winnipeg.

Glad you had a good time!

Where were you in particular and what brought you to our fine nation?

Wife's family in the North York area.

GG

 generalgrog wrote:

2: Beautiful country. The city is nice, but the area surrounding the city is beautiful.

If/when you get back up to the GTA area, you should try and make some time to head north up to the Barrie area, or west to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington/Hamilton.
The Toronto Zoo is also a great place to visit, though they charge an arm and a leg for admission nowadays.

 generalgrog wrote:
3: what's up with all the smoking? I haven't seen this many smokers since 1976.

Ontario by-laws prohibit indoor smoking in pretty much all public buildings, so all the smokers have to keep outdoors whenever they need a smoke.
IIRC, our actual smoking rates have been going down a bit. It just seems heinous because of the above!

 generalgrog wrote:
4: no air conditioning? What's up with that? It's the middle of the summer!

Cost-cutting maybe? Our rates are about to jump massively, and we already pay among the highest electricity prices in the country... I've noticed locally too that malls & stores in general the past week or so have been cutting back on the AC.
Still, it's only 30'ish or so degrees. We don't cry until it hits the high 30's and into the 40's!

 generalgrog wrote:
5: Where are your restaurants? Swiss chalet is no Outback Steakhouse.

IIRC, Outback went belly-up across most of the country years ago.
Red Lobster, The Keg & Milestones are pretty well everywhere. Canyon Creek, Baton Rouge are rarer. The Blue Goose in the Mimico neighbourhood is famous as far a sports bars go!

 generalgrog wrote:
7: Traffic...I thought US traffic was bad.

You think Toronto traffic sucks, come to Burlington. We make LA look efficient!

 generalgrog wrote:
no wonder why you guys are so skinny..lack of decent restaurant chains, no air conditioning, and you smoke a lot !

Anyway you know I kid, but I was very impressed with Toronto, would have been nice to see a hockey game, but it's not in season. Next trip we plan on visiting Tobermory.

GG

If you're ever back in town during the hockey season and want to see a real hockey game, go to a Toronto Marlies game - the Make-ya-Laughs aren't worth the massive cost... Highest average ticket prices in the NHL, concession prices that make GW look cheap by comparison, and all for a gak product.
Maybe if say the Senators or another original 6 team is in town the cost might be worth from a tourist perspective, but overall, you'd have a much more enjoyable time going to watch the AHL team rather than the big club.

Just a hint for when you're touring anywhere, but especially metropolitan areas, avoid chain restaurants in general. Most of the time you'd be missing out on some really great, local stuff.

And Swiss Outhouse is garbage.

Chain restaurants generally are pretty poor. Ask around for a recommendation next time; the hotel staff, your taxi driver, a happy couple on the street. People love to spread good food around.

Any crappy hole-in-the-wall restaurnat stuffed full of locals is the place to be!

He went looking for an outback steakhouse on vacation...

I live about an hour outside of Toronto and the observations are valid when you have limited time.

Take a walk down Queen Street West or so and some more interesting stuff may be there.

The Gardener has ALWAYS had issues, no-one seems quite sure on what to do with it.

Oddly, yes, free healthcare does allow smokers to be rather carefree about their health. One bout of cancer treatment you have to pay for would make one destitute.

Wait, how recently for a week? WorldPride 2014 was being held from June 20-29. Hehe how "cute" do you look? That may be why people were so polite! Got a couple friends that swing that way so have been out in it. Very happy and polite crowd I do agree!

Everyone! have some mercy on the fast food chain comments, he was probably just looking for a decent amount of meat with his meal, they are hard to find.

 Chongara wrote:
He went looking for an outback steakhouse on vacation...

After reading his entire post, that was my first thought too. Seriously, I've never been to Canada proper, but I would have gone asking for some magical place that sells nothing but slabs of back bacon and Maudite.

 daedalus wrote:

 Chongara wrote:
He went looking for an outback steakhouse on vacation...

After reading his entire post, that was my first thought too. Seriously, I've never been to Canada proper, but I would have gone asking for some magical place that sells nothing but slabs of back bacon and Maudite.

Actually it was just a general observation. I'm used to seeing a plethora of restaurant chain choices, with big signs and so forth. I think the big signs are illegal in Toronto as you don't see them at all. And I generally agree with avoiding the chains to try new things, and we did that a few times...swiss chalet, East side Marios(about as good as swiss chalet..I.E. not good) in Mississuaga.There was one breakfast restaurant downtown across from the Royal Ontario Museum which had great pancakes and delicious bacon..called Overeasy or something like that. We ate there before going to that most excellent Museum.

GG

 generalgrog wrote:

3: what's up with all the smoking? I haven't seen this many smokers since 1976.
4: no air conditioning? What's up with that? It's the middle of the summer!

Funnily enough, the reverse of these two are what struck me as strange when I travelled the states. In the UK smoking is quite common and air conditioning is not especially so.

Come to the West Coast sometime, we have good food, are more polite than Torontonians, and the weather is much nicer!

SBG wrote:
Come to the West Coast sometime, we have good food, are more polite than Torontonians, and the weather is much nicer!

Your weather is just plain boring... Always just sunny or rainy and sometimes very windy. Never really cold, occasionally really hot...

Real Canadians relish going from raging blizzards with -40+ windchills, to savage spring/fall storms with the occasional tornado or hurricane thrown in for laughs. Alongside the month or two of sweltering 36-40+ humidexes & heat warnings!

Personally, I hate going there. Only to club/party/buy telescope parts. I get in, and gtfo. LOL.

Respect to Toronto, I just can't stand driving in that city. You really need to know the streets to navigate properly. This street is only one way after 7pm, everywhere is paid parking, closed one day, open the next, etc. etc. Exhausting.

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:
Personally, I hate going there. Only to club/party/buy telescope parts. I get in, and gtfo. LOL.

Respect to Toronto, I just can't stand driving in that city. You really need to know the streets to navigate properly. This street is only one way after 7pm, everywhere is paid parking, closed one day, open the next, etc. etc. Exhausting.

Just wait until after next year's PanAm games when they'll have no choice but to tear down the Gardner!

Burlington might finally not be the worst city to ever drive in for once!

 Chongara wrote:
He went looking for an outback steakhouse on vacation...

A family member of mine went to NYC and thought that Olive Garden was the best choice for authentic Italian cuisine

You couldn't find a restaurant?

There is practically a spring rolls, pickle barrel, jack astors or milestones on every block lol.

 Chongara wrote:
He went looking for an outback steakhouse on vacation...

OMG, doesn't everyone?

I mean, I went to NYC and had to go to Times Square to find a good chain restaurant! What is it with these big cities?

Next time be sure to walk Yonge street. Take it as a personal challenge to walk all of it. You don't need comfortable shoes, its not a very long walk.

Yea their food is nothing to write home about. Canadians are extremely polite, but outside of the ocassional Thai or other place, their food is boring. Blame the British.
But like the British they have some awesome beer.

 Frazzled wrote:

Yea their food is nothing to write home about. Canadians are extremely polite, but outside of the ocassional Thai or other place, their food is boring. Blame the British.
But like the British they have some awesome beer.

Examples of "Canadian food" please.

 Frazzled wrote:
Next time be sure to walk Yonge street. Take it as a personal challenge to walk all of it. You don't need comfortable shoes, its not a very long walk.

For those not aware or who can't be bothered to wiki it, Yonge street is one of the longest streets in the world, at nearly 1,900 km (just under 1,200 miles).

As for the OP, if you're willing to drop some cash, Hy's steak house downtown has a peppercorn steak that is simply incredible.

feeder wrote:


Examples of "Canadian food" please.

I want poutine now.

 Forar wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:
Next time be sure to walk Yonge street. Take it as a personal challenge to walk all of it. You don't need comfortable shoes, its not a very long walk.

For those not aware or who can't be bothered to wiki it, Yonge street is one of the longest streets in the world, at nearly 1,900 km (just under 1,200 miles).

As for the OP, if you're willing to drop some cash, Hy's steak house downtown has a peppercorn steak that is simply incredible.

Shhh! don't tell 'em. they should find out for themselves.

I was sent off walking by some Canadians I worked with once. For payback when they came to Houston I took them on a tour of a steel mill. In July.

 Frazzled wrote:

 Forar wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:
Next time be sure to walk Yonge street. Take it as a personal challenge to walk all of it. You don't need comfortable shoes, its not a very long walk.

For those not aware or who can't be bothered to wiki it, Yonge street is one of the longest streets in the world, at nearly 1,900 km (just under 1,200 miles).

As for the OP, if you're willing to drop some cash, Hy's steak house downtown has a peppercorn steak that is simply incredible.

Shhh! don't tell 'em. they should find out for themselves.

I was sent off walking by some Canadians I worked with once. For payback when they came to Houston I took them on a tour of a steel mill. In July.

In other words, Frazzled doesn't just get even, he makes sure it doesn't happen again.

 gorgon wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:

 Forar wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:
Next time be sure to walk Yonge street. Take it as a personal challenge to walk all of it. You don't need comfortable shoes, its not a very long walk.

For those not aware or who can't be bothered to wiki it, Yonge street is one of the longest streets in the world, at nearly 1,900 km (just under 1,200 miles).

As for the OP, if you're willing to drop some cash, Hy's steak house downtown has a peppercorn steak that is simply incredible.

Shhh! don't tell 'em. they should find out for themselves.

I was sent off walking by some Canadians I worked with once. For payback when they came to Houston I took them on a tour of a steel mill. In July.

In other words, Frazzled doesn't just get even, he makes sure it doesn't happen again.

Oh yea, watching your Canadians in suits standing fifty feet over a 5 ton semi molten steel in an un airconditioned steel plant in July...priceless.

feeder wrote:

Examples of "Canadian food" please.

Let's see here.... Maple Syrup. Labatt Blue, Molson, Canadian Bacon.....

Yep, I'm about out now.

tourtiere pie, sugar pie, Nanaimo bars, Montreal-style smoked meat, BeaverTails, smoked salmon, cedar-plank salmon, Bannock, Scrunchions, Pemmican, yeah that's about as much as I can add.

 generalgrog wrote:

5: Where are your restaurants? Swiss chalet is no Outback Steakhouse.

There was an Outback Steakhouse... it got replaced with a Swiss Chalet.

In other news, Applebee's is no TGI Fridays.