Cork & Bean Oshawa chose to call the police on a peaceful, paying customer for wearing pro-Israel…read moresymbols and having a calm conversation. Let that sink in. My friend -- a Christian, not even Jewish -- was meeting with a pastor for coffee. He was wearing an IDF jacket and a Star of David necklace while discussing a recent trip to Israel. No shouting. No confrontation. No disruption. Just coffee and conversation. An employee called Durham Regional Police. Officers showed up and told him his conversation was "offensive." When asked what was said that violated policy, no one could answer. No rule cited. No clear complaint identified. Just vague discomfort -- and removal. So what exactly triggered this escalation? Not behavior. Not threats. Not harassment. Symbols. And Israel. Calling the police on someone because others don't like what he's wearing or the country he's discussing is cowardly and discriminatory. Businesses don't get to selectively silence viewpoints they don't agree with. And weaponizing law enforcement to remove someone over perceived "offense" is an outrageous abuse of discretion. If Cork & Bean believes visible support for Israel warrants police involvement, they should say that publicly. If they don't, then they owe an immediate explanation and apology. Until management addresses this directly and transparently, this establishment does not deserve community support. Do better.

In late July, my best friend and I met up for some shopping and dinner in Oshawa. We also wanted to…read moreexchange birthday gifts. The place where we had dinner had tiny tables. We decided to find a cafe and casually open our presents there. We both yanked out Google Maps on our phones. She had mentioned that she had been to a Cork & Bean in Peterborough and and liked it. I trusted her judgment and said yes. I indicated that we needed to go up and hang a left. She felt that it was the other way around -- down and hang a right. When it comes to directions, she has the better track record since we've known each other. However, she realized that she had read the map wrong and I was correct. It felt like a small triumph, but I'm not the type to rub it in. I'm not horrible at directions. She is better at it. We walked over to this cafe. It may have taken three minutes. We had to wait for the light to change, so we could have done it in two minutes. This cafe had all the windows and doors wide open. We walked in and found a table to plop our stuff down. We then headed over to the counter to check out what we'd like to drink. My friend ordered an iced coffee with oat beverage. We both liked that there were dairy alternatives. She's vegan. I'd prefer to go lactose-free. I saw a sign that said that there were seasonal flavours. I asked the helpful man at the counter if it applied to iced coffee. Yes, it did. He could make any drink seasonal. Nice! I got a large iced peppermint latte with oat beverage. I paid with a credit card. I tapped and tipped. All was great. My friend got her drink first. Moments later, mine was ready. I thanked the man and headed back to our table to join my friend. There was live music at this cafe. We were here on a Saturday evening. Jordins ID (no apostrophe to indicate possession, which seemed odd) was playing. She was great. It was nice to have her in the background as we chatted. My drink was awesome. It was cold. I liked the peppermint with the coffee. It worked out nicely. A customer had brought his dog in. This cafe is obviously pet-friendly. It was nice seeing other customers ask if they could pet the dog. The owner was nice and said yes. The dog seemed to enjoy the affection and attention. We had a nice time chatting a bunch more and opening our presents. It was the perfect place for what we wanted to do. The menu also has beer, cocktails, and more. I saw a bunch of desserts in the display case. Since we had already had dessert with our dinner, we skipped getting any food. This cafe is in downtown Oshawa. It's free street parking on weekends. I enjoyed hanging out at this cafe. It's a nice place to grab a drink and chat, while taking in some local, live music. It was perfect. (341)

When my wife and I were going to be making a random stop in Belleville for a couple nights, I did…read moremy thing and looked up what to do and eat while in town. I'm from an even smaller town, so I'm used to short lists for those things, but I was glad when I randomly came across The Lark. It wasn't on one of the review sites or a travel blog, but just simply perusing the downtown landscape on Google Maps. Their space on Bridge Street is airy and spacious, but the small footprint keeps things intimate, with a stunning bar that beckons to slake your thirst. Although the restaurant's name isn't on-the-nose Italian, the menu is very much so. With a handful each of primi, secondi and dolci, chances are that you won't suffer from choice paralysis while ordering, but what they have is nonetheless quite enticing. Burrata is always an easy choice, especially at a restaurant like The Lark where you know you're going to get good quality cheese and accoutrements. They didn't disappoint! The milky, semi-solid cheese paired well with tender hunks of sweet butternut squash and the crisp savouriness of fried sage. Pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts brought some sweetness and crunch, while house-made sourdough was good enough to be eaten on its own. For my main, I went with the beef cheek pappardelle. The succulent shreds of cheek took the place of ground beef in the rich Bolognese, and my taste buds were all the better for it. The fresh pappardelle was luxuriously tender, with its delicate folds sopping up all that delicious sauce. Rounded out with parm and basil, it shows that you don't have to recreate the wheel to make an excellent dish. My wife's brown butter gnocchi was no slouch either, with a decadent cream sauce, and nice hint of char to the lovely and light pasta pillows. Not to be beaten, the apple cobbler was absolutely amazing. Definitely sized for two, but no judgment if you solo it, every part was fall dessert perfection. Service was wonderfully knowledgeable on the food and drink side, as well as friendly and easygoing. I was getting strong owner-vibes, but I'm too lazy to do the amount of Googling required for a confirm. The Lark is getting done dirty by the algorithm on the major review sites and if they won't loudly announce their possession of the title as "best restaurant in Belleville", I sure will.

My favourite place in all of Belleville! The food is amazing as are the cocktails. There's a good…read morevariety to choose from for different tastes. I've gone back again since my first time visiting to try a few more things. The Beef Cheek Pappardelle was my overall favourite, but the Beef short rib was a close second. It's a cute little spot in downtown Belleville with a nice ambience. There's lots of street parking available nearby or there's a big lot that's very walkable. Service was great, we even got the bartenders choice for the drinks and it was really well done. If you're ever in the Belleville area and are looking for a spot to have dinner, this is definitely the place.

My favourite local spot on Main Street to hangout. This gem is truly one of a kind - I love the…read moreself serve wine concept. It gives you the opportunity to be introduced to new, different wines. They have happy hour menu during the week - their charcuterie boards are phenomenal. I'll try their sandwiches next! Owners are welcoming and friendly.

Not so much a wine bar as basecamp for a journey…read more The highlight of this hidden gem is its unique self-serve system, where you can try a variety of wines by the glass, portion or sip. This allows you to experiment and discover new favourites without committing to a full bottle. You may not like everything you try, but it's always INTERESTING. The selection of wines at Wine on Main is always rotating and expertly curated, offering a range of styles and regions that wonderfully move you out of your comfort zone. The owners, a knowledgeable and curious couple, are passionate about exploring different wines and sharing their discoveries with their guests. Their passion is contagious and you can't help but be swept up in their excitement. The best shop of it's kind in York Region.

This must be the place!…read more Our first trip to Toronto and boy did we have fun. From delicious food to sipping wine, and everything in between, Toronto was a city to explore. Ladybug Wine Bar is a cute but also sophisticated wine bar located on King Street, steps away from shopping and restaurants. We stopped in here on a snowy Sunday before our flight home. They also serve Sunday Brunch. We grabbed a few open seats at the comfy bar. They do not offer wine flights, which made this experience pretty darn expensive but SOOOO worth it. We had such a fun time and the people working were so nice, we honeslty did not want to leave. They were willing to help with our selections. We actually ordered all their Reds by the glass. I know, but there were only about 6 and we had to try them all. I like to say "go big or go home" LOL! We loved almost all except for maybe a few. We ended up also ordering a charcuterie while we sip. And of course I brought a bottle home with me. If you are ever in Toronto, please check out Ladybug wine bar, it is fantastic, you won't want to leave. Cheers!

A Hidden Gem for Brunch!!…read more I came here with 3 of my girlies that love brunch. Everything we ordered was fresh, light, and absolutely delicious. We started with some drinks which were super affordable compared to other brunch places. The espresso martinis weren't too sweet and had the perfect balance. As for the dishes the standout for me was the smoked salmon toast. The combination of the eggs, fresh dill, and sliced salmon on top of toast was so yummy. Service was nice and the place was cozy/bright. Highly recommend this spot for a girls' brunch or casual date.

Great farm to table restaurant still offering great service and food. We came on a Sunday for a…read more"date night", we ended up sitting at the bar but moved to a table when one opened up. The bartender was friendly and knowledgeable, and when we moved to our table our server was also great. Cocktails were fabulous and the ambiance of the place is very nice. My wife ordered this vegetarian squash dish and she loved it. I ordered the steak and the cook was perfect but I found the sauce overpowering. It's personal preference, I like my steak with just salt and pepper without sauce. My fault for not reading the menu correctly. The sides of purée and veggies were great. Overall KB hits it out of the ballpark and is so much better than the chain upscale eateries.

Been here a few times with my friends who live in the east end. This time was for a friend's big…read morebday. The menu changes all the time and menu gets released the day off. Every dish I had was very good. For this meal I ordered something different, the shrimp stuffed catfish. Never had catfish so this dish was calling me. The sauce was very tasty and had a nice kick of heat to finish. Catfish was good and the shrimp stuffing was more like a meat ball texture and not really whole shrimp like I thought. Service was very good. Our waitress was chatty and was joking around with us which was fun. Ambiance is more on the rustic side almost had a saloon feel, partly because of the old building but it was quaint. There was plenty of free parking in the rear which was convenient. All in KB is a good option if you are looking for an above average restaurant in the east end.

Grape Witches located inside the Waterworks Food Hall is their second location in the city (their…read morefirst location is located along Dundas St. W.!). This bottle shop has a unique variety of natural, organic, and biodynamic wines that may rotate depending on the season. The space also has a wine bar where you can try different wines by the glass or treat yourself in a wine flight or a whole bottle. The by the glass menu changes weekly where you get to have a chance to try new and exciting wines from different regions. I've been to Grape Witches several times but I was able to sit down at their wine bar this time and enjoy a wine flight (three 1oz pours featuring wines from Germany) and a glass of wine. Having the wine flight, I was able to find a new rose that I really enjoyed that I ended up getting a glass of it afterwards. Staff are extremely friendly, personable, and knowledgeable about wine where they can give you suggestions based on your preferences without being pretentious. You are also able to taste any wines you're interested in on the menu to see if you like them as well. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Grape Witches enjoying the delicious selections where I even found new favourites. Overall, a great new wine shop and bar at Waterworks Food Hall. If you love all things wine this is the place to go. They have unique bottles you can purchase and friendly staff to help you with selecting your wines. Will definitely be back to try other glasses of wine in the future!

I just can't get 1 good meal here since new owners 2022. It's worse than a truck stop for quality…read moreof food. Chicken wings were tasteless for chicken but had a weird soapy taste that not even the sauce could cover up. Wings were reheated at least 2 times come frozen and to save money they only get the 1 kind. .....breaded. Fries are old limp with no taste. Breakfast sausage were cheapest you can imagine.... extra msg and salt So mushy. spring rolls were all batter there were no Vietnamese rice wrapped ones. Bread is that Texas thick cheap stuff. Absolutely no quality what so ever.......none. I gave 1 star because coffee was good. Just a dive eatery.

Everytime i come here i get treated like family they gave me candy and invited me into a special…read moreroom they gave me free drinks and drove me home and made me snacks.

Killer wine and beer bar, with a great full bar on the back if you need a lil sumthin extra. The…read morevibe is elegant but casual, with great, personable service. I had a blast here - the music was great, the people were fun, and the owner was super cool. Can't wait to hear back next time I'm in town!

Because we enjoyed Sara, we decided to try Rasa next. The vibes are definitely similar with the…read moretasting menu of small bites. The food had some tasty components and interesting combinations, but when comparing directly to Sara, I think Sara still wins for me. A couple plates here landed slightly salty for my taste. The cocktail menu is also very creative. The service was amazing. Everything came out quick, the team was friendly, and the pacing was great. Overall still a lovely evening. However, Sara is still my favourite of the two.

Cute little spot on Harbord. We got a spot at the bar cause it's usually more interactive, but it…read morewasn't here. Next time we might just do a table. But if you want to see how the kitchen works and drool over dishes comes out, this is the perfect spot. The service was ok. We did the classic tasting menu with wine pairing and our wine pairings kept coming later and later, which was also disappointing. I also got their award winning cocktail, down by the bay. It was fantastic! But the food was great. As part of the classic tasting menu you get 6 savory dishes and a dessert (to share). They start you off with an amuse bouche of bread with tomato cream. I could eat a whole basket of those. The courses are broken up into 3 pairs, so for the first we got the chopped salad and spicy ceviche. These are two of their best dishes and I wouldn't miss getting them. For the next course we got the chickpea fritters and country style ribs. These dishes were ok. The chickpea fritter was good but the ribs were overcooked, dry, and didn't have the greatest flavor. It would've been more flavorful with a good glaze. I would skip these dishes next time. And for the third course we got the rasa burger and truffle gnudi. The burger was good, but it was just a burger. The gnudi would be something I get again. For the final course we got the sticky bun. These bun was a very dry at the bottom, but otherwise good. I might try the ice cream sandwich next time. Cause it looked amazing too. Overall, great experience and a place I'd come back to. I'm glad I did the tasting menu, but if you're coming with a larger group, just order the whole dishes a la carte.