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Letters from Oli: The Maritimes and Quebec

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My friend, Oli

When my friend Oli set out to travel with his human companions across Canada to Vancouver on the west coast, I wanted to share his wonderful letters with you. Oli started his journey from his home in Mahone Bay on the coast of Nova Scotia, where I had met him a while ago. After a dubious start in our relationship, involving a damaged nose, sliced paw, surgery, and a cone, we became great friends. Oli is a cheerful, funny, optimistic soul, who likes to make people happy and holds no grudges: my kind of guy. 

Here’s his first letter to me:

Hi Toulouse! We left my house and are off to the other side of the world! I’m so excited I could pee! Well, I DID pee… :-3 … But my bestest friend Saskia made sure I did it outside! Shahar—Saskia’s bestest friend—has gone ahead of us and will meet us in Montreal. That’s somewhere in Quebec, where everyone speaks

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Village of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

 French (like YOU) and where cats are sophisticated, very friendly and chatty (that’s why they’re called “chats”. Millie, our old neighbor’s cat, told me.)  

I got the whole back seat of the car, Toulouse! Luggage and camping supplies filled the back seat, but I got my place to stretch out like a little prince. I’m so spoiled! WOOF! :-3

We stopped at a large lake. Saskia kept saying it was “grand”. Then camped

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Oli explores Grand Lake, NB

at a place called Perth and Over—funny name, I thought. A little like that place that was named after a good laugh! “Saint Louis of Ha Ha!” I guess Saint Louis was a funny guy as well as a saint.

We’d been driving for a long time and my tummy was grumbling for food as we drove along that big river—I forgot the name Saskia called it. “Sent Low-rents”…something like that. But then I saw the coolest thing, Toulouse! I looked up at the blue sky and I saw—arranged row upon row—puffy clouds that looked just like Krispy Creams! Really! They were round with soft smooth bottoms and rough tops that I could imagine were full of candied

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Oli gazes at the moon

 toppings. I pointed and pointed to Saskia, but she thought I was doing the hand-shake trick and laughed. “Oh, Oli! Not now! I’m driving!” But she got the idea. Within minutes she stopped the car at an outlook by the river and gave me some food-treats and water. They weren’t Krispy Creams but they filled my tummy. YAY!

Then we went for a nice walk through the grass and I ran to the river and found some cool sticks to chew and birds to chase. The river was so big, Toulouse! You could look across it and not see the other side even! But it

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Oli camps at Perth-Andover, NB

didn’t scare Saskia. She made sure I got wet fetching sticks in the river and it was fun because I trusted her. I knew she wouldn’t put me in any danger. So I got wet and muddy too. And did you know that the water tasted a little salty? You could add noodles and—presto—soup du jour, as you would say!   

Ok. Talk to you later, dude!

Your pal,

Oli

p.s. Can you tell that Saskia has been correcting my spelling so you can read this letter?

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The Saint Lawrence Estuary

p.p.s. When will you send me those Pampered Pet treats Saskia told me about?

Well, it sure looks like Oli started off with a bang on the first leg of his journey across Canada. Just to clarify a few things for you, Grand Lake is located in central New Brunswick about midway between Fredericton and Moncton, and is that province’s largest freshwater lake. It’s a popular place for recreation, with several beaches and cottages on its shores. Perth-Andover is a village in New Brunswick, divided by the Saint John River. Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! (yes! It really exists!) is a small town in Quebec near the south

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Oli finds the way to the river

shore of the Saint Lawrence River. The Commission de Toponymie asserts that the parish’s name refers to nearby Lake Témiscouata. The “haha” is “an archaic French word for an unexpected obstacle or abruptly ending path.” Well, Oli and Saskia did stop there…Hehe… The village of La Pocatière, where Oli and Saskia camped, is located about a kilometer from the south shore tidal flats of the Saint Lawrence Estuary in Quebec. A Bombardier plant which manufactures subway and railway cars is located there too. They also make those cool “Skidoos” (the cool word for snowmobile).

Anyway, Oli’s next letter will be from somewhere in Ontario… See you then!

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The mighty Saint Lawrence River

I’m Toulouse LeTrek, the COOL Travel Cat!

Photos by Saskia Tait

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Pampered Pet Treats

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Toulouse's Friend, Oli

When I first met Oli, my rather energetic cockapoo puppy friend in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, I had no idea that it would lead me to Alpine, California, where I met Nancy Anne of Pampered Pets USA.

It was partly because of my friendship with Oli that I came to Maverick Ranch in Alpine to help film Rachel Amado (accomplished dog trainer and breeder) and her whippets for some videos that will help my dog friends enjoy a better life and not end up in dog shelters. Through her, I met Nancy, who was visiting with her dog. I noticed that, among Rachel’s arsenal of training tools, she kept bringing out these rather delicious looking treats for the dogs.

Seeing my interest, Nancy informed me that treats from Pampered Pets USA are made with 100% natural products and none of those extra unknown things we animals don’t appreciate in our food. We like good things too, after all!

“Our dog cookies were developed with the combined knowledge of

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Low fat Pampered Pets treats

 veterinarians, nutritionists and bakers to create wholesome, healthy, tasty  treats,” said Nancy. She then reached into her pocket and let me see one up close. I thought, that was a dog treat? It was soft but not crumbly and gave off the enticing aroma of a freshly baked oatmeal cookie!

I tried one -

Now, I know what you’re thinking, you cool cats out there. I can see you cringing at the thought of a cat eating a dog treat. We cats are, after all, used to the delicate gourmet food that befits our elevated stature on the dining food chain. I have news for you. It tasted great! (Besides, they also make cat treats… Bonus!)

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Hypoallergenic tasty treats

Rachel Amado has been using these tasty treats with her dog clients for years with great success. I watched them. I know. I thought of my friend Oli and how he would relish them. As if reading my mind, Nancy handed me a small pack of peanut butter & honey treats to take home.

Okay, Oli… I have something wonderful for you… And I promise not to eat any on the way…  :-3

I’m Toulouse LeTrek, the COOL Travel Cat…meow!

This site is powered by donations. For your reading pleasure I do not clutter it with advertizing; nor do I charge any of these fine establishments, events or places for my reviews. If you are a patron who enjoys my articles or at the receiving end of one of my reviews you can show your appreciation with a donation (see right top sidebar). 

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Toronto Adventures: The Old Country Inn in Unionville

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Winter garden of the Old Country Inn

Eager for more adventures further afield, I jumped on a Go Bus at the Front Street Station that took me right to the heart of the charming historic village of Unionville, about 33 km northeast of Downtown Toronto and west of Markham proper.

Developed in the early 1840s when Ira White built Union Mills, historic Main Street Unionville attracts thousands of visitors each year who enjoy the al fresco dining of over nine restaurants and pubs, interesting gift shops and “century homes” dating back to the 1800s. The Unionville Festival, which happens in early June, attracts thousands of visitors for live music, fun and games like treasure hunts, pet contests and

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The "Doctor's House", the Old Country Inn

karaoke sing-offs to the spectacular colorful parade of the Governor Generals Horse Guards.

I got there in time to catch the beginning of the jazz festival that featured local jazz talent in the various outdoor venues along Main Street. One local, tapping his feet to a tune, let me know that Main Street Unionville had been used as a stand-in for a fictional Connecticut town in CW’s Gilmore Girls as well as other television shows and movie backdrops.

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Old Country Inn Stubbe

After a stroll along Unionville’s picturesque Main Street, I chose The Old Country Inn for its historic “Old World” charm and flavor. The restaurant is part of a 140 year old house built in 1872 by Dr. R.P. Eckardt, the grandson of the original settlers of Unionville. Known as “the Doctor’s House”, Old Country Inn has been serving elegant Viennese food and drink since opening its doors more than thirty years ago.

I made my way past the cozy European stube (parlor) of the original house (complete with stained glass windows featuring

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Toulouse savors schnitzel on the terrace

Austrian heraldic shields and emblems) and through the bright and elegant “winter garden” room, with French windows, palm trees and ceiling fans—it was like something out of Casablanca or some exotic jungle hotel. I furtively looked for the proverbial stuffed “roaring” jaguar and sighed when I didn’t see one.  From there I stepped onto the terrace, shaded beneath trellised grape vines.

I perused the menu of fine Viennese cuisine that featured schnitzels, würste (sausages), bratwurst, rostbraten and schweinelende bakony,  accompanied by wines, spirits and beers and specialty coffees and deserts.

Sabrina came to take my order. I chose the breaded chicken cutlet, which was served on its own with a side of lemon and accompanied with a side gourmet mixed salad that included cucumbers in vinaigrette, pickled beets, vinegar carrot salad with herbs, vinaigrette potato salad and house salad. I paired the simple elegance of the schnitzel and diverse salad with a Chilean Santa Alicia Merlot, which satisfied me to the depths

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Sacher torte for Toulouse

of my soul and stuffed my tiny already “stuffed” tummy. :-3

As I lingered on the terrace beneath the grapevine trellis, listening to the classic carillon of Straus, Vivaldi and Mozart, the ladies at the next table cooed distractedly over their desert.

My tummy was stuffed—at least I thought it was—but the ladies, noticing my interest, leaned over and whispered enticements to me for the Double Chocolate Fudge Torte (a very chocolaty messy, gooy stick-in-your-teeth cake that they were enjoying a little too much, I thought). Tempted, I glanced at the menu and noticed my personal favorite: the Sacher Torte, a famous Viennese-style chocolate cake, known for its not-so-sweet but rich dark chocolate flavor. This viennesse chocolate

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Main Street Unionville

cake was invented by Franz Sacher in 1832, and is considered a Viennese delicatessen.

I saw that my Merlot was not finished and decided to compliment this elixir with some chocolate ambrosia. Ah… you didn’t know that chocolate and red wine go beautifully together? They’re natural companions. They both have complex flavors and share similar components and nuances. And, of course, like red wine, chocolate is full of health and promotes anti-oxidants. For more wonderful qualities of chocolate see my comments in a previous post.

There is even a science to this exquisite combination: the fat in chocolate cuts the sharpness of the wine, not unlike cheese. Generally, lighter, more elegant flavored chocolates match best with lighter-bodied wines. The stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine should be. A bittersweet chocolate will pair well with an intense California Zinfandel, for instance. There’s nothing quite like a dark chocolate—my favorite—paired with a rich mellow and flavorful Pinot Noir or Merlot. Mmmmmm! And when they marry in your mouth, what a celebration!

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Al Fresco dining on Main Street Unionville

Ah…. The life of the COOL Travel Cat!

Contact information: The Old Country Inn, 198 Main Street, Unionville, Ontario L34 2G9; www.oldcountryinn.ca.

This site is powered by donations. For your reading pleasure I do not clutter it with advertizing; nor do I charge any of these fine establishments, events or places for my reviews. If you are a patron who enjoys my articles or at the receiving end of one of my reviews you can show your appreciation with a donation (see right top sidebar).

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Toronto Adventures: The McMichael Art Gallery and the Group of Seven in Kleinburg

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Main Street Kleinburg

Are these new Canadian painters crazy?—Bridle, Canadian Courier 1920

I was looking for adventure away from the typical tourist route and borrowed a ride north on Islington Avenue all the way to the village of Kleinburg, about 50 km northwest of Toronto. This charming tourist destination forms a pleasant lacework of outdoor cafés, bistros, and ice cream parlors guaranteed to taunt, titillate and treat. I decided to taste my way along Main Street, ambling from café to gift shop and café again.

The village nestles amid rolling hills between two branches of the Humber River and is surrounded by agricultural land. John Kline, a German/Canadian settler, founded Kleinburg, which translates to “small town.” In truth, Kleinburg could equally be named after its landscape (in which case it would have to be spelled “Kleinberg” for “small mountain”). Kleinburg’s annual fall festival called Binder Twine has its roots in the town’s agricultural history and draws 25,000 people each year. The village has attracted many affluent visitors and residents, including Canadian author Pierre Burton and Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. Kleinburg is also the home of Toronto International Film Studios and a popular locationAugustus

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A.Y. Jackson's Red Maple

for shooting films and TV shows.

On the south end of town I steered off Main Street along a winding road through lush forest to the cloistered McMichael Art Gallery. The gallery is devoted to Canadian art and is the spiritual home of the Group of Seven. It was founded by Robert and Signe McMichael, who began collecting paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries in 1955.

I entered the high-ceilinged lobby where master native carver Don Yeomans had created an eclectic totem pole entitled “Where Cultures Meet”. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that he’d carved a laptop as the “foundation” of the totem.

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White Pine by Tom Thomson

Whiskers tingling, I passed the glass doors into the Group of Seven exhibit and stilled my breaths: I was in the presence of magnificence. There they were: the sweeping, bold strokes of Lawren S. Harris, J.E.H. MacDonald, Arthur Lismer, Frederick Varley, Frank Johnston, Franklin Carmichael and A.Y. Jackson.

The Group of Seven contributed significantly to the identity of “Canadian Art” during the early 20th Century. They clearly helped define the Canadian “persona” and its rugged landscape when their “exotic” art exploded to equal applause and condemnation in a May 1920 exhibit in Toronto—not unlike the reception received by the French Impressionists in the late 19th Century when their art first appeared in Paris. The Group was initially drawn together by a common sense of frustration with the conservative and imitative quality of most Canadian art at the time. As with the European fin de siècle symbolists and post-impressionists, the Group rebelled against the constraints of 19th-century naturalism in Canada.

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Mountain by Lawren Harris

Just as with the Impressionists before them, The Group shifted their emphasis from the conservative imitation of the natural towards the expression of their feelings for the natural.

The Group of Seven blended the palettes of Art Nouveau, Neo-Impressionism, and Fauvism into a genuine celebration of the unique Canadian wilderness. It was a kind of “primitive” style that matched the equally primitive landscape they had chosen to capture. They used broad brush strokes with liberal application of paint to portray the wild beauty and vibrant color of the Ontario landscape. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the art of Tom Thomson, who died in 1917 (before the inaugural Group of Seven exhibit) but who has remained synonymous with the Group of Seven. An avid outdoorsman, Thompson incited A.Y. Jackson, Frederick Varley and Arthur Lismer, to paint the unkempt and unruly part of Canada with bold displays of feeling.

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A hard choice for Toulouse!

With time, Harris, MacDonald, Carmichael and even Varley simplified their colors and layouts, using thin pigment and stylized designs. By the mid-1920s Harris had simplified his paintings into monochromatic forms and ventured into abstraction soon after.

Viewing art always makes me hungry. I celebrated my tour of the Group of Seven with a fine lunch on the patio of the Gallery Café, where waiter Sayima Kaya served me a tender and flavorful maple-pommery glazed Atlantic salmon, served on buttery mashed potatoes and garnished with roasted green beans. I selected a Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, whose intense aroma and sparkling taste of Golden Delicious apples danced a wonderful tango with the wild salmon dish.

From the gallery, I strolled along Main Street and something made me stop at Desserts of Distinction. Of course, my superior nose and whiskers had steered me right. Maria Montinaro, the owner of the café, served me a decent Americano and a raspberry and chocolate mousse tart with

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Toulouse emerges with his Prize

cassis (black currant) nappage gélatine. The Black currant glaze topping was drizzled with white chocolate drops and fresh berries. I sipped my Americano and savored the cassis tart, which had my whiskers stand on end. The tart was not overly sweet, which allowed the vivacious notes of black currant and fresh raspberry to emerge through the creamy chocolate. The chocolate mousse tart was only one of many delectable pastries, tarts and pies offered at Desserts of Distinction.

The quaint village of Kleinburg provides a full day of Canadian fine art and culture, augmented with a pleasant stroll through history and a fine dining experience.  Don’t miss the dessert!

See, taste and linger. And tell Maria that Toulouse sent you!

Contact Information: Desserts of Distinction is located on 10462 Islington Avenue, #3, Kleinburg, Ontario; www.dolcini.ca

This site is powered by donations. For your reading pleasure I do not clutter it with advertizing; nor do I charge any of these fine establishments, events or places for my reviews. If you are a patron who enjoys my articles or at the receiving end of one of my reviews you can show your appreciation with a donation (see right top sidebar).

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Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café

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The Hot House Cafe with view of Flatiron Building

Shortly after I reached Toronto, I looked up an old British friend of mine, Pigcat—now residing near High Park in West Toronto. She invited me to the Hothouse Café next to the St. Lawrence market in downtown Toronto for lunch and to reminisce over a classy “hot” meal; she knew my tastes in food!

Pigcat isn’t her real name. Her human companion, Vanessa, calls her “Cat Teddy”. But Vanessa doesn’t know about Pigcat’s old friendship with me, and the endearing nickname she’d come by in her community due to the obvious…(little cat grin). I’d met Pigcat during my travels, when she was still in the UK, living in Brighton, West Sussex, where our mutual passion for travel, fine dining and dark chocolate cemented a long-lasting friendship. I was overjoyed to see her again here in Toronto.

Elinor, the smartly-dressed and graceful Maitre-d and general manager, welcomed us with a warm smile and took us to

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Toulouse meets an old friend

 our seats in the enclosed patio beneath one of the colorful umbrellas with a view of the historic Saint Lawrence neighborhood. After a lively discussion about cats, loyal companions and Stonehenge, Elinor left us to make our choices.

As Pigcat peered intensely at her menu, I gazed past the diaphanous fan of black locust trees to the rust-colored four and a half-storey Gooderham Building (Flatiron building), a wedge-shaped work of art that stands at the apex of Front, Wellington and Church Streets like the bow of a great ship. Designed by architect David Roberts Jr., the building was erected in 1892 to house the headquarters of George Gooderham’s large industrial and commercial empire. This Victorian building reflects a gothic revival and Romanesque style and predates the iconic Flatiron Building in New York by a decade. It is arguably the most photographed building in Toronto. Prominent features include the copper roof, decorative dormers, tower with ogee arch windows, textured façade and zig-zag fire escape stairway, which reminded me of the Chelsea district of New York City.  My eyes were drawn to the contrasting but pleasing backdrop of the modern Toronto skyscraper skyline with the trendy retro funk of Old Town, one of the best-preserved 19th century commercial blocks in the city. What an ideal place to dine, I thought, and was reminded of a café’ I used to frequent at Place Saint-Michel in Paris with a view past plane trees to the fountain of Saint-Michel slaying the devil.

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Toulouse savors his delicious meal

Krystel, our waitress, took our order. I chose the Sicilian Gnocchi, elegant hand-made potato dumplings with cremini mushrooms and pancetta bacon, swimming in a gorgonzola cream sauce that married elegant flavors with the zest of garlic and basil. The gnocchi came with a colorful mixed vegetable dish, cooked to perfect texture. I selected a 2008 Fontamara Pinot Griggio (Abruzzo, Italy) from their eclectic wine list. The Fontamara, with its sweet aroma and notes of peach and apple on a fresh acidic backbone, was ideal for the warm sunny day.  Pigcat ordered the Black Aberdeen Angus Rib Eye steak, grilled to her exact specification and topped with a slab of porcini butter. She wisely chose a Guinness with it.  I had fun watching her meow little sighing breaths with each juicy bite she took. It was the best steak she’d had in years—possibly ever! declared Pigcat.  The café staff pride themselves on the consistent excellence of its signature soups, salads, entrés, pastas, gourmet pizettes, sandwiches and burgers and vegetarian dishes. Oh, and exquisite deserts and coffees!

Five minutes later, the suave and charming owner of the cafe, Andrew Laffey—a young Cary Grant look-a-like —arrived with a beaming smile.

“I just had to meet Toulouse!” he said, extending his hand in greeting.

Between the main course and dessert, he and wife, Elinor, the general manager of the café, treated me to a tour of their cool—well, hot!— restaurant. 

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Owners Andrew, hostess Aaron and Elinor enjoy lively discussion with Toulouse

They had commissioned architect Dermet Sweeny to create the Hot House Café with a spacious art-nouveau European look, including multi-levels and high ceilings with drop lights and hardwood floors. The café was brightly elegant, from the stylized “clean”art of Russian artist Leon Belsky on the walls to the avant-garde interior design of Mary Winefield that included displays of vintage wines and spices, rich furniture and colours with clean lines.  The place blended nicely into the “persona” of the trendy Old Town/art-nouveau look of the St Lawrence Market neighborhood.

During my tour, Elinor took me round to the back of the restaurant, which housed several elegant rooms used for lunch meetings , workshops and mini-conferences. We then sidled past the bar run by the indominable Kevin, who can serve up practically anything from a Taylor Fladgate 20 year old Tawny Port to a HotHouse Martini, which consists of pomegranate and green tea liqueurs, pomegranate blueberry juice and fresh lemonade. Now, that’s HOT!

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Elinor gives Toulouse the special tour

Returned to the patio, I rejoined the patient Pigcat and we rounded out our culinary experience with a coffee and dessert. I ordered an espresso with the dessert we decided to share. It was a toss up between the tiramisu and the molten chocolate cake and guess which won out. Yup. Drizzled with fresh raspberries and a fudge sauce, Pigcat and I proceeded to dig into our delicious chocolate “volcano”.  The inside scintillated with a molten chocolate lava that flowed over dark cake into a sea of fudge. OMG! … Meow… :-3

Now I know why it’s called the Hot House Café!  The Hot House Café is open for lunch, dinner and late nights, serving up consistently wonderful food and an eclectic choice of wines and beers by friendly and efficient staff. Known particularly for their awesome Sunday brunches and pasta dishes and desserts, their clientele ranges from the Bay Street set to Leafs fans, area residents & theatre patrons. What’s there not to like! Go check it out and agree… meow… Oh, and say hi to Andrew, Elinor, Aaron and Krystel for me!

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Toulouse enjoys a "molten" experience

I’m Toulouse LeTrek, the COOL Travel Cat!

 

 

Contact Information: The Hot House Café is located on the corner of Church and Front Street in Market Square (35 Church Street) Toronto, Ontario; 416-366-7800; www.hothousecafe.com. The Hot House Café is open from 11 am

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Toulouse shares molten ambrosia with Pigcat

until 11 pm on weekdays and 1:00 am on weekends, including from brunch (9:30 am) to 11 pm on Sundays.

This site is powered by donations. For your reading pleasure I do not clutter it with advertizing; nor do I charge any of these fine establishments, events or places for my reviews. If you are a patron who enjoys my articles or at the receiving end of one of my reviews you can show your appreciation with a donation (see right top sidebar). 

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  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café
  • services sprite Toronto Adventures: Get Sizzling at the Hot House Café