Baby Gap

You know, I've gotten most of Giulia's baby clothes as gifts and have bought some myself at various stores, but the one store I keep going back to is Gap Kids or Baby Gap.  I find the clothes there most durable, yet soft, and extremely cute and stylish.  I bought her a down-filled ski jumper for the winter, months in advance knowing it would sell out the minute snow hit the ground, and boy am I glad I did!  I regularly take a quick stroll up to the Gap Kids on Yonge St., north of Eglinton.  The selection is pretty good there and they always have a sale rack.

Phipps Bakery

For the best chocolate chip cookies in town, I go to Phipps.  I've tried many a cookie from everywhere I go, but Phipps is my favorite.  It has perfected the balance of crispy and soft at the same time.  And another thing, there are no nuts.  Sometimes, I just don't feel like a nut.  Sometimes I do.  Yeah, that's an Almond Joy commercial for you.  Seriously, though, go to Phipps.  Their other baked goods look good, but don't taste as well balanced as their chocolate chip cookies.  For pete's sakes, they even sell the dough in their refrigerated display it is THAT good.  Phipps is on Eglinton Ave., west of Avenue Road.  It is a cute and quaint little bakery and food store---they have a little cafe in the back of the store where you can get expensive yet tasty sandwiches and other hot foods for over $10/person.

Pusateri's

Ahhhh...Pusateri's...

When I feel rich in my pocketbook and generous in my heart, I go to Pusateri's for my grocery shopping.  I haven't felt rich in a long time, but boy do I love that store.  They basically have compiled all of the best foods from all the best vendors in Toronto and put it under 1 roof.  The produce section is always fresh.  The meat counter is the best I've ever seen.  The baked goodies are mouth watering.  And the prepared food...when I was pregnant, I had such a hunkering for potato salad, and Pusateri's homemade style potato salad always hit the spot.  Located on Avenue Road, just barely north of Lawrence Avenue, they have a very congested parking lot and it is gosh awful trying to make a left heading south out of their store unless they have a rent-a-cop on duty to help guide traffic. 

Gucci Loblaw's

This title says it all---Gucci Loblaw's, located on St. Clair Avenue just west of Spadina.  Props go to Janice and her friend from her Boot Camp class who dubbed this typical Loblaw's grocery store for the yuppies in their Gucci clad handbags and Bugaboo strollers.  With a nearly 1 year old daughter, I have found the diaper selection (Pampers 3) bountiful and the organic section sells the Organic Meadow brand whole milk for $6.99 a 1/2 gallon carton.  It sure beats the little half quart sized milk they sell at my nearby Metro (formerly known as Dominion grocery chain) at Yonge and Eg for $3.99!  I appreciate that I don't have to go all the way to Whole Foods in Hazelton Lanes to pick up this milk.  Or for my kid's organic apple cinnamon cookies from Earth's Best.

Balzac Coffeehouse

You'd think since I'm writing about a coffeehouse that I'd be rating their coffee.  Nope.  I'm here to write about Balzac Coffee's peanut butter squares that are killer.  I don't even enjoy peanut butter all that much, but these chewy squares of goodness are unbelievable.  They have the right amount of chewiness, crunchiness, and flavor balance.  If you'd like to add a cup of coffee or a chai latte to accompany that, then head on upstairs to the lounge where art work hang and there are an abundance of comfy places to sit and enjoy the offerings.  Balzac's is located in the Distillery District on Mill Street downtown.

Caffe Doria

South of Summerhill, on Yonge Street is a little cafe called Caffe Doria. Inside you will find not so amazing food or service for that matter. However, if you are a red velvet cupcake fan (something in that red dye is made of crack), they have them most of the time every week---but sometimes they don't. Like the time I went with my friend, Sydney a few weeks ago, mainly for those little red cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, they were not in the display. In any case, these red velvet cupcakes are out-sourced by some other bakery in town. At $3/cupcake, they are stiff, but they are worth it. The panini's and other food items leave something to be desired, but go over there and get a cupcake to go. You won't regret it.

Corean Chille

Imagine my surprise as a Korean, to find a little gem among many in Koreatown, aka: K-Town to us from SoCal otherwise known as Bloor Street between Bathurst and Christie. Last night, we had a feast for a mere $13/person. Started off with a hot soup, that was accompanied by toasted rice that was inserted into the soup at the table. It was a nice broth that had veggies and seafood. The next dish is a personal favorite---a sweet and sour deep fried coated chicken. I usually get it in pork, which is more traditional, but I was pleasantly suprised by the chicken being extremely tender with no gelatinous bits or tendons. Last but not least was a big bowl of black bean paste noodles that had veggies and seafood which was also good to the last bite. Highly recommend this place---it was awesome! Located at 681 Bloor Street West. If you see a lot of the Korean peeps sitting in there, you know it's good.