Fionn MacCool's Pub in Vancouver As part of a…read morecross-country train trip that took me from Washington, D.C. through Chicago and Seattle, I was scheduled to board VIA Rail Canada's train from Seattle to Vancouver and on to Jasper and Banff. While awaiting my train to Jasper I stopped at Fionn MacCool's Pub in Vancouver, B.C. The pub is a six-minute walk from the railway station and offers a selection of menu items that would work for a light mid-day meal. It was clean, uncrowded, and service was helpful and attentive. Hayden presented me with water and a menu, and I settled in for what turned out to be a great light lunch. I ordered the crispy Wagyu Gyoza dumplings (fried Wagyu Gyoza dumplings tossed in a Korean ginger BBQ sauce, topped with hot honey, sesame seeds, and gremolata, an Italian condiment made from chopped parsley, lemon zest, and garlic; $16CAD). With a Long Island ice tea and a side shot of Olmeca Gold, the bill came to $38.94CAD, reflecting a goods and services tax of 5% and a BC provincial sales tax on the liquor of 10%, so the total tab of $47.41 CAD when converted to US dollars the meal, including my tip, came to a very reasonable US$33.54.

When I first arrived at Four Points by Sheraton in Etobicoke, the signage that you see first is…read moreFionn, followed by Welcome. The latter is the hotel entrance. Fionn intrigued me. I don't think that I had ever dined at a Fionn McCool in my life before this visit. Yes, I lead a sheltered life. After spending a day getting my CPR certification at work (I passed with flying colours and I miss my mannequin... haha!), I needed dinner. I decided to head back to the hotel and give Fionn McCool's a try. I hauled my stuff back to my room and simply headed over to this restaurant with my purse. I was immediately greeted at the host area. The woman seated me in a quaint corner. The padded bench seats were high, even for someone like me who is fairly tall. I was comfy. My server came over roughly seven minutes later. I didn't mind. It was enough time for me to review the beverages and food menus. I wanted wings. I ordered 1.5 pounds of wings in the buff (that is, they don't have any flour coating on the wings). I went with salt and pepper. The wings come with veggies. I chose ranch dip. I also ordered a Diet Pepsi. The raspberry blood orange cosmo intrigued me. I went for it. It came out first. It was delicious. The fruit flavours worked well together. There were crushed raspberries at the bottom of my glass. I didn't waste anything. I highly recommend this drink. My wings came next. Another server brought them out and indicated that I be careful. They were hot out of the fryer. I got two drumsticks out of the batch of wings. They were yummy! I was so happy. I liked dipping my celery and carrot sticks into the ranch dressing. Wings are in the appetizer section of the menu. It can completely serve as dinner. I felt like dessert. I asked my server for a dessert menu. She seemed so happy that I wanted more. I ordered the brownies and vanilla ice cream. I was so happy when my dessert came to my table. The presentation was cheerful and nice. I dug in. The brownies were moist, fudgy, and scrumptious. Vanilla ice cream balanced out and complemented the brownies nicely. My server came over and asked what I thought. I was in heaven eating everything. This eatery surprised me. I sat there and realized that there was live music. An older man was playing his guitar and singing during my entire time there. He played a bunch of classic rock songs. He had a great voice. I appreciated his talent and I dined, clapping after each of his songs without flinging my wings across the restaurant. I didn't realize that Fionn McCool's accepts Scene points. It's known as the Pubs on the app. I managed to get 20x the points my loading an offer on my app. Nice! My server was friendly and helpful. She got my bill and asked whether I wanted to charge my meal to my room. I paid with a credit card instead. Easy peasy. There is plenty of parking in front of the restaurant. Many folks drop by to watch the game (Leafs were playing when I was here), have a drink or meal, and leave. I had a great experience. The manager came over to ask how I was. He also said goodbye to me when I left. I haven't seen that in a while. I hope to eat here more often. (449)

Tips: - Wednesday ribs have decent deals…read more - The ribs and wings are excellent. - The pavement in the parking lot is uneven, which caused me to land funny and I ended up straining my hip. During a one-on-one meeting with my documentation manager on Tuesday (I am graced with two managers these days), he let me know about this newly opened Chuck's eatery. I was game to try it out. Of note, there are three Chuck's near my workplace. This one is the third-closest one to the office. I came here after work, which is on one of my regular routes getting home, which avoids highway 401. This Chuck's takes over from Mr Greek that was there for eons. I remember going there at least a decade ago. The hotel next door is now Spark by Hilton. It used to be Hotel Carlingview, so both buildings have got facelifts. I had no problem heading northbound on Carlingview and hanging a right into the parking lot. I pulled into a parking spot. When I got out of my car, there was a drop. I realized that the pavement was uneven. I ended up straining my left hip. Luckily, it's a mild strain, but it's such an annoying ailment to have. There should be a sign saying that the pavement is uneven. There wasn't. I can see someone twisting an ankle from it. It's not safe. I walked in. There was a man in front of the Harley. He was about to head out for a smoke, but he was busy talking to the greeter. Once he left, this cheerful woman said hi and led me to a booth in the dining room. It's spacious. I forgot how large this place is. My server was Ananya. She was friendly and competent. I'd say that she's curious about the world, but is a diamond in the rough that will become that shiny gem in due time. I am such a regular that I knew that it was Wednesday ribs day with specials. My manager asked if I was going to dine here. I said yes and I was getting the ribs and wings combo. Ananya let me know about the wing specials. I went with my combo. I was trying to locate the wing sauces on the menu. My server ended up going into the kitchen to fetch a tablet with the sauces. She was quite the tour de force, which I appreciated! I eventually found it on the menu and went with honey garlic. I upgraded my fries to mashed potatoes with gravy for $3. I wanted something comforting. Some folks may have found my server too chatty. I didn't mind it, likely because I find folks interesting. She asked me where I "was from." If you know me fairly well, I don't do well with vagueness. Where I'm from as in where I live? My heritage? My planet's homebase? I asked her to clarify. She thought that I was Filipino. It wasn't a horrible guess, but I let her know that I was Chinese. She then asked about foods that I liked. She was curious about food from various cultures and was interested in trying some out. I suggested hot pot with friends. She had mentioned trying food out with friends and hot pot would be great, especially with all the proteins, veggies, desserts, soup bases, and sauces available. She was super attentive. I ordered a Diet Coke and she made sure that I never ran out of it. My drink was fizzy, cold, and hit the spot. She did ask me whether I wanted ice. I sure did! She let me know that my food was coming out soon. Moments later, I got one plate with my ribs, wings, and mashed potatoes. A separate bowl with my gravy accompanied it. I asked for extra napkins. I got lots! It turns out that I only needed two napkins to get through this meal. The ribs were fall-of-the-bone delicious. I love Chuck's barbeque sauce. It's smokey, flavourful, and yummy. I loved the honey garlic wings. Each wing had the perfect crunch and was coated with honey garlic goodness. Each wing was meaty and enjoyable to eat. The mashed potatoes and gravy were excellent. The gravy was generous that I drenched my mashed potatoes with it. So good! Another female staffer came over to clear my plate and bowl away. Staff are extremely attentive here. Sam, the manager, came over to ask how things were going. I let him know that the food was great and I loved watching the Pirates baseball game on one of the screens. I asked him how long this eatery has been open for. He let me know that it has been a month now. Nice! Aranya brought me the payment machine. I let her know that she was great, which made her smile. I tipped and tapped. Done! I headed to the women's washroom, which was in the corner by the bar. It had a few stalls. The one that I used was clean, but the shell that would have protected the massive roll of toilet paper came undone. The shell looked like a shelf! It's a decent Chuck's. The property owners (not sure if it's the hotel or Chuck's) does need to look into the uneven pavement. It's so difficult to notice until you trip or you come down on it awkwardly. (351)

Had a great meal with coworkers. Food was excellent. Our server, Seema was fantastic. Plenty of…read moretables and seats by the bar. TVs everywhere you look. The bathrooms were upkept decently too! No pics bec I was too hungry! Next time I'll get a pic for sure!

real good place to chill dood was good hookah was nice music was good…read more marie was our server very attentive really nice ‍

This place blew me away, the atmosphere the service and the vibes are immaculate. diverse staff…read morefriendly and welcoming owner. bring a date throw a party or just kick back and smoke for a little and enjoy. I came on new years and it was clearly the most jumping place in Mississauga. cant believe it looks this legit from day one! cheap drinks and quality food options. This will be first on my list for a night out for a long time!

We visited here for drinks and a few appetizers, and it was a nice place to spend the evening. The…read morepatio was fully booked, so we sat inside the lounge instead, which had a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. We ordered an "Old Fashioned", the "Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wrap", and theSweet Potato Fries". The food was fresh and tasty; garlic dip and chipotle aioli were great additions to the meal. The service was welcoming and quick.

We were at a work meeting all day in Toronto and we were treated to dinner at Moxies…read more I was impressed with the menu. Really diverse options and specifically, they had great vegetarian options. Since I was traveling, it was awesome to have a healthy meal with lots of tasty ingredients, especially vegan protein with tofu and edamame. Plus lots of veggies. The World Cup game was on, so it was pretty busy. There were many large groups. The service was fantastic. The staff were friendly and helpful. I would recommend this place if you are in the area.

I had a few meals at Lot 41 while staying at the Delta Hotel. Their menu has a number of good…read moreoptions, from the Prime Rib Burger, the Chicken Parmesan, and the Lot 41 Nachos. I particularly enjoyed the Street Tacos and the Thai Spicy Bowl. It had the tendency to get pretty busy around the dinner hour, but was a great spot for a late lunch.

Food is bland and drinks are underwhelming, both are way over priced.ood is bland and drinks are…read moreunderwhelming, both are way over priced.

A classic Punk / Rock n Roll Bar in Toronto CA. Basically the CBGB's of that scene…read more It's been around since the early 1990's and is exactly what a spot like this should be. Very nondescript outside facade - no sign telling you what it is other than a small "BSC" (for Bovine Sex Club) painted near the door. Hard to miss though as the exterior is made up a punk rock style sculpture of rusted bikes & other assorted ephemera. The interior is similar, visually. Great sound system & chill vibes pervade throughout. Weirdly the stage is right in the entrance of the club, on your left, with a long bar along the right side, heading back. Great, crowd, great location in cool area with lots of restaurants & plenty of parking - both on the street up to 2 hours & extended parking for a flat-rate of CA$20 (~$14 USD) from 6:00pm until the next morning, just 2 blacks away.

The Bovine is a fantastic place that is the same today as it was decades ago. not only that, but it…read moreis also one of the cheapest pints that you can find. Now, are the taps dry? Maybe. Are the beer cans running out? It's possible. But, it's a dive in the way of the old dives. And the acoustics for bands are... not great. But they are a sign of what once was. Without attempting to try to present a front of a time long gone, The Bovine simply exists today as it once did in that time long ago, before Smokes stickers, before iPhones, back when people would just go to a bar to talk with those they didn't know the morning prior. Bring cash though, unless you're looking to make some big orders, because credit card is a minimum fifty-dollar spend.

On Friday August 14, 2020, my girls & I went to Leng Keng to have a girls night!…read more Prior to our reservation: I stubbled upon this place while being on Instagram 'Toronto' stories and I saw a video story of this place, it was breath taking! Watching it, it reminded me of Shanghai and their clubs with all the lights, and electric music. Immediately I was excited! So I called them and made a reservation on Monday for Friday for 5 people. I got in contact with Alex, the manager, he set us up for Friday and answered any question I had. As this place is very new, there weren't many images or a website set up when I found them, and I was still unsure if they were open due to COVID. But they are open! I informed my girls of this place, they were thrilled and our group quickly turned from 5 to 7. Luckily, I called Leng Keng back asking if I could increase the size of my party & they were able to accommodate me! During our reservation: Coming to the place, the exterior isn't the most attractive setting. But as we looked past it, inside was just like the video that I had seen. It took me back to the time I was out with my expat friends in Shanghai club hopping. Covid protocols: Since we're still in a pandemic, Leng Keng had great protocols emplaced. As we showed our IDs to security, we signed in with our name and phone numbers. Once inside, there were masks & hand sanitizer available at the door. The tables were well distanced and people would stay within their allocated booths. The atmosphere of Leng Keng is extremely beautiful, nothing like I've ever seen in other Toronto bars/lounges/clubs. The lights are constantly moving & changing colours very beautifully as electric music plays in the background. We were greeted by very nice servers that showed us to our table. Once seated, we were able to take in the place more, & my friends were truly impressed by the place. For food we ordered Calamari and French Fries to share. For drinks we ordered Cosmos, Rum & Coke, Margaritas & a couple shots of Vodka. Everything tasted well, besides the Calamari that was slightly too fishy, the Margaritas didn't come with limes or salt on the rim of the cup. Other than that, this place was magnificent & we do believe Leng Keng has great potential in being the next trending spot in Toronto. We will be back soon! Thank you!

Im so glad this bar is still open during covid. They have very nice atmosphere, great music!! The…read morelychee mojito is the best!! Love the chickeck cartilages! Best place to hangout with friends get drunk. They even have fresh oysters!!

Tiffany was great and went out of her way to make everyone happy! It was a particularly busy period…read morefor the restaurant but we still had great service. Meal was great and would definitely come back!

Came here with friends after a convention in Brampton to have some lunch. It wasn't too busy inside…read moreand we were able to get a booth table for the four of us. Had a lot of delicious food and the waitress was super chill. We sat there for 3 hours overall and were not kicked out. It was nice to be able to just chat and not be rushed out the door.