La Merceria is a delightful cafe and housewares shop. Its elegance and coziness is like no other. I had a fantastic lunch on my visit the other day: black bean soup, a veggie and cheese pastry, and an americano to finish it off.

They carry only the most beautiful housewares for an international household – great for gifts.

La Merceria is on Adelaide east of Bathurst.

Technorati Tags: brunch, Cafe, coffee, delicious, espresso, latte, sandwiches, Toronto

I received this wall of photos of Canadian children that will be projected on a wall in Ottawa on Stephen Harper’s way to work and in Copenhagen during the un-Climate Change Summit in December. The purpose is to remind Prime Minister Harper who’s future’s he is affecting with his policies on climate change and who will bare the brunt of today’s inaction. It is a very moving project that is a good opportunity to communicate our concerns.
Upload a picture of your child or niece, nephew to include it in the project.

*Note: once you have found an image through browsing your files, wait a moment to see the image before pressing the button that says ‘upload’. If you don’t pause and wait it won’t work. I messed that up a few times before seeing the little spinner indicating it was pulling up the file.

5 Blocks Out and mukodu launched a fun local e-newsletter this week called the Bird Nest Press (www.birdnestpress.com). Hurray!
It’s geared at parents with young kids. The newsletter will explore local places, resources and tips to make parenting even more enjoyable.
Check out the first issue here. And subscribe here. The Bird Nest Press publishes every 3 – 4 weeks.
The first issue has a very useful presentation on H1N1 vaccinations.

Forwarding it to new moms will be appreciated…believe you me.

Technorati Tags: Toronto

Holy Oak is a welcome edition to the Bloordale Village neighbourhood, on Bloor just east of Lansdowne Ave. As a cafe by day and a bar with live music at night, Holy Oak is a truly local hangout. When I visited last I had delicious chicken curry naan and an americano that hit the spot. On a weekday morning the cafe was almost full with people reading, working on their laptops and enjoying lunch. The spot has a relaxed vibe, not unlike the feeling you might get visiting your cool aunt’s house.

This is one of my favourite grafitti walls in Toronto. It is done by none other than Elicser. I could spend days looking at all the intricate details and forming a storyline around these images. You can see them live in the alley south of Queen Street West, West of Bathurst Street.

Check it out when you’re in the area.

name that movie

A group of our top local barristas have congregated at yet another new coffee bar. The Sam James Coffee Bar focuses on espresso in the true sense of an espresso bar: standing room only, except for a few stools. The drinks are, as expected, fantastic. The snacks, also yummy, are made by a local chef. If you’re a coffee connoisseur you’ll have to check this one out on Harbord just west of Bathurst.

Technorati Tags: delicious, espresso, latte, Little Italy, take out

The clothing show is coming soon… September 25th -27th at the Exhibition.
It’s a great place to catch some of our new local designers as well as established canadian fashion houses.
The show runs Friday 3pm-9 and Sat & Sun 11am-7.

Technorati Tags: clothing

If you haven’t checked out Wychwood Barns yet it’s well worth the visit. The architecture is beautiful. It’s located on Christie Street just south of St. Clair Avenue. The space houses 13 not-for-profit organizations, 15 professional artists, 26 artists in live/work spaces with their families, a cafe, and some office and rehearsal spaces. Outside the building is a park space, a garden, beach volleyball courts and a playground. On Saturday mornings they have a farmers market and soon a community pizza oven like the one in Dufferin Grove Park.

What I find most striking about this property is the brilliant repurposing of the original building. Originally the barns were TTC car barns dating back to 1913. Now they provide a little oasis in the city.

Technorati Tags: Artist, Farmer’s Market, park, Toronto

If you love cheese, then Chabichou is for you. These photos are not up to standard, but don’t let that reflect badly upon this fantastic cheese shop. The owner is very friendly and brings in a lovely selection of cheeses. I tasted a few outstanding samples from France and Quebec. So if you are out standing with nothing to do, I suggest you put one foot in front of the other and walk on over to Chabichou at Harbord and Borden. They also make baguettes on the premises. Yummmmmmm.

Technorati Tags: Annex, Artisan, cheese, harbord