@kir

Weekend in Toronto, one of my favorite easy getaways from NYC…

Stay: Thompson Toronto. Three restaurants, including a 24-hr diner and rooftop bar with stunning views of the city. Ridiculously comfortable beds and reasonably sound-proofed rooms (we stayed right by the elevator, and slept soundly). Our rate from tablethotels.com > $169/nt.

Eat: I’m lucky enough to have a close friend in TO who always chooses the best places to eat. This trip, we tried out Parts and Labour, a communal seating restaurant in the Parkdale neighborhood. Hipster-chic, with good drinks, rockin soundtrack, and a menu for meat lovers - though, vegetarians do very well on the variety of delicious sides. 

and Toca, an upscale but-not-stuffy restaurant in the new Ritz Carlton. The food is fantastic, but the “cheese cave” was what put it over the top. A glass enclosed, refrigerated room where a cheese maitre fromager (specialist) creates daily tasting plates. We were able to sample some cheeses and create a plate of our own. That, and some port = a pretty nice way to end an evening.

Do: The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), a stunning structure worth seeing in person. We caught David Hockney’s fresh flowers exhibit this weekend - a collection of beautiful drawings that he’s created on both iPad and iPhone. It’s a totally new way to view, and think about, art.