Toronto, Ont.

ERIE TO TORONTO

Although Toronto is only 200 miles from Erie there is no easy, inexpensive way to get there. If you fly you have to connect through one of the airlines' hub cities (unless of course you've got a private jet). But my name is Johnny Jet, not Johnny Rockefeller, so I looked for the quickest, most economical way. There is no train, and renting a car one way is not cheap. A bus was the cheapest alternative ($32), but with a lengthy layover and change in Buffalo would add 1 to 3 hours to the trip. Fortunately, a friend in Toronto was willing to pick me up halfway, so I took the Greyhound to Buffalo ($13). The quick 2-hour trip included a stop in Fredonia, NY to pick up some passengers. (A nonstop bus is also available at an earlier time; it saves another 15 minutes.) I would not recommend the bus to everyone, because every time I go Greyhound there's at least one sketchy person on board. TIP: The best and safest place to sit to avoid "crazies" is up front, near the driver. Of course, when I boarded the bus the only open seat was way in the back -- the second to last row. Everyone back there was twice my size, and they were talking about how they had just gotten out of jail. No lie! To avoid making any unintentionally provoking facial expressions I quickly donned earphones, sunglasses and a baseball cap (it makes me look tougher), and kept to myself. But the ex-cons turned out to be cool - and they were Yankee fans! Link to Greyhound website; 800-231-2222.

BUFFALO TO TORONTO

The drive from Buffalo to Toronto was easy. I'm glad I did it, because I learned so much. For example, the bus station is only 5 minutes from the border. Crossing the border requires everyone to show a valid ID (passports are not necessary until December 31, 2007). After the Canadian agent approves (he asks some personal questions like when and where you were born, where you're going and what you'll do), the next hurdle looms 100 yard away. But it's only a toll booth at the Peace Bridge. The charge is $2.50 per car. There was no traffic the day I went, and the entire process took less than 3 minutes. The 95-mile drive to Toronto took an hour and a half, and took us by cool vineyards and near Niagara Falls (here's a link to my Niagara Falls Trip). Both would make good stopovers for lunch.

TORONTO DISTILLERY

My first stop in downtown Toronto was the distillery district. Founded in 1832, the 13-acre site with over 40 buildings includes the largest and best preserved collection of Victorian industrial architecture in North America. The area has been renovated into a pedestrian-only village dedicated to the arts, culture and entertainment. There are internationally acclaimed galleries, great restaurants, bars, cafes and shops. One of the most popular attractions is Lileo. This not-inexpensive store is a cross between Fred Segal of Los Angeles and Barney's New York, though much smaller than either. Customers can shop for the hottest items in the fashion industry. Interestingly, every tag has its very own description of the company. There are also some incredible art pieces in the store. The owners are health nuts, so they opened a little café in the corner. Livia Juice Bar and Eatery serves delicious smoothies, and healthy organic snacks and meals. Another bonus: The store (though not the café) is dog-friendly. Lileo, 55 Mill Street, Distillery District, Toronto; tel.: 416-413-1410.

RUSHTON

I tried a couple of new (for me) restaurants. The first -- The Rushton -- is located on St. Clair West, in the Little Italy district. This cozy, dark, reasonably priced restaurant is more like a French bistro that serves large portions. I had a half order of the warm potato and spinach salad ($8 CAD), a burger ($15) with caramelized shallots and Roquefort cheese ($3 extra), and a side of mac 'n' cheese ($4).. It was all good, but left no room for dessert. The Rushton, 740 St Clair Ave. W., Toronto; tel.: 416-658-7874.

AUTOGRILL

The following night I got my Italian fill. My friend Danielle Iversen (the best PR agent in Toronto), her friend David Blackstone and I went to a modern Italian restaurant called Autogrill. It's been around for 10 years - though not in Little Italy -- and my friends said the food has always been consistent and reasonably priced. We started by sharing a 10" thin "Calabrese" whole wheat pizza ($14.45 CAD) and a tomato and bocconcini salad ($7.25). For my main course I chose the Autogrill Spinello stone oven-baked gourmet pizza wrap. I asked them if they could customize one with the ingredients I liked. They kindly obliged, and it was tasty! No wonder this was voted the best sandwich by Canada's The Globe & Mail. For dessert I couldn't pass up the home-made tiramisu ($6.25). I don't really like tiramisu, but after hearing how good it was, I had to find out for myself. It was outrageous! Autogrill, 345 Adelaide Street W., Toronto; tel.: 416-599-0961.

7 Mar 2006

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