We make our way back to the Coach House on Yonge Street, where we start the day with pancakes, waffles, breakfast meats, homestyle potatoes, and good coffee. (Not exactly the food we’d be having if we were on the Atkins at Home program! Introduced in today’s USA TODAY, it sounds like a dieter’s dream come true.)
Afterward, we make our way to the ROM — or the Royal Ontario Museum. While in ROM, we do as the ROMans do and wander wide-eyed from gallery to gallery. There’s just one problem: the ROM, though open, is undergoing a multi-million dollar expansion and upgrade. The result? Many halls are dead-ends, and many galleries are stripped of exhibits. (We saw room and after room and case after case containing nothing more than apologetic signs explaining, “These items have been removed for their protection during our expansion.”
Word to the wise: until the expansion is over, skip the ROM.
Chris and Tony must have been our lucky travel charms — without them, we strike out again at Honest Ed’s. Billed in the Frommer’s Guide as a Toronto Institution for Bargain Hunters, Ed’s has seen its better days: think dirty floors, broken display cases, and bad drugstore inventory.
The morning’s looking grim. Quite by accident, though, we discover we’re only a subway stop and a street car ride away from Kensington Market, a much-touted ethnic shopping district. The streets are mostly deserted on this bright, icy morning, but we enjoy walking past the quirky stores and stalls.
Even more interesting: Chinatown, which turns out to be the perfect place to pick up some dried squid or crocodile extract. We even stumble on a pretty good dim sum spot — the Bright Pearl — for lunch. This is how dim sum was meant to be, from the bright red interior to the chatty women pushing stainless steel carts of goodies from table to table. We chow down on the shrimp dumplings and steamed “bou” before heading back out into the cold.
We take the rest of the afternoon to hit stores we’ve skipped on Church and Yonge streets, winding up back at the hotel for a quick rest before heading out to catch a screening of Station Agent at the local art cinemas.
Dinner tonight is scheduled to be a return to Frankie Tomato’s — I promise pictures this time, as Frankie’s must be seen to be believed.
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