Attended 3 concerts (Baby Monster, Dua Lipa, Demi Lovato)…read more The arena was pretty easy to get to. Seating was pretty good. Food (naturally expensive) and merch was pretty easy get and find. Downside is the water fountains. I feel like there won't many (at least ones with water bottle refill stations).

This was honestly such a fun place to catch a game. I went on a Thursday night to watch the Toronto…read moreRaptors and the whole experience was just amazing from start to finish, especially because they got the win! The arena itself is right in the heart of downtown, so the whole area around it already feels super alive before you even walk in. There's people everywhere, jerseys, food spots nearby, and just that pre-game energy that makes it so fun. Inside, it was packed but in a good way, like full energy, loud, exciting, everyone already hyped before tip-off. I had seats in the 300 level and honestly I don't even think that's a bad thing at all. The view from up there is actually really solid, you can see the whole court properly and the energy from the crowd feels even more spread out and intense. Service-wise, everything was pretty organized. It was busy, so lines and movement around the concourse can get a bit crowded at times, but nothing unexpected for a Raptors game night. Once you're settled in your seat though, it's smooth and you can just focus on the game. Overall, I'd 100% recommend going at least once if you're in Toronto. It's not just about basketball, it's the full experience: the crowd, the energy, the location, and just being part of that atmosphere. Even from the 300s, it still feels like a really good seat. Definitely one of those experiences that's way more fun in person than on TV.

Steak, hockey, steak, playoffs. Steak, Leafs lose again…read more The steak won't heal the playoff woes but it tries and hits the stomach right. Get the fries and rapini as sides to make this a full meal.

Came here for a work-related engagement and had a 12oz sirloin steak with a caesar salad, desserts,…read moreand lots of drinks (open bar lol). The food and service was fantastic, but part of it might be because we were such a big party that it was impossible to miss us. The caesar salad I found to be on the sour side until I bit into the bacon bits that came with it - then it became an unexpectedly good salad. The steak was seasoned very well and the quality of meat undoubtedly top-notch. There was enough flavour without masking the flavour of the meat itself, which is what I was looking for with a steak of this quality. Side mashed potatoes and asparagus were done well too. For dessert, I only had a macaron but it had a light texture and rich flavour. All the drinks I had came very quickly and were fantastic in both flavour and presentation. The signature cocktail is fruity and light, good for even light drinkers. The red and white wines were both smooth and easy to drink. I liked the white a bit better because it felt lighter and fruitier. None of the drinks I had were bad, I just liked some more than others. The service was stellar the entire meal. My table's server, Trevor, did a fantastic job hearing and remembering everyone's order, even if they were slid in haphazardly while he was serving us food or other drinks. The timing that the appetizers, food, and dessert came in was perfect. There was enough time to eat, enough time to talk, and enough time to go see the game. It can get pretty messy with big parties but I felt that everything went smoothly. The red/white wines kept coming, the cocktails orders weren't missed, and our server was very attentive to us whether it was to get more bread, desserts, or black pepper. I definitely enjoyed my experience here, it was probably one of the best meals I've had in my life, but I'd say personally the steak and drinks are worth the price, the salad not so much. I'd like to come back again since it was such good food, but maybe only after applying for a new credit card lol.

I've been to a few games at the Air Canada Centre over the years including their championship…read morevictory this last Sunday, May 15, 2011. That makes the Rock's 6th championship in its 13 season history. It's always a fast and exciting game with an extremely enthusiastic crowd. And tickets are a bargain. It's great value!

one of the cheerleaders said i was weird looking, really? is this how you promote your brand, a…read moreteam that no one cares about! the cheerleaders were handing out some sort of coupon thing and as i walked by she had this look of regret and couldn't look at me. wow very classy!

Stopped by Rogers Centre for a Toronto Blue Jays game and wow what a fun baseball experience. My…read morepartner and I have a goal of visiting every MLB stadium. When you arrive parking appears to be pretty difficult. We ended up staying downtown and just walking over to the baseball stadium. When we walked in we watched the national anthem from the lower level and sat in different sections/walked around throughout the game. We started on the upper level which is really pretty with the roof open and seeing all of the surrounding buildings with the CN tower overhead. We then migrated around the outfield which had more of a party vibe with a section with a dj, a bar, and just a fun crowd. On the lower level you could definitely see the game much better. The CN tower would also change colors throughout the game which was fun to watch. This is definitely a one of a kind baseball game experience and we had a blast. Definitely a must stop if you are Toronto while a Blue Jays game is going on.

Take me out to the ballgame…read more Rogers Centre is an iconic part of the Toronto skyline beside the CN Tower. Better known as SkyDome, this retractable roof stadium plays host to many sporting, music and public events. It is still primarily home to Toronto Blue Jays baseball. While built over 30 years ago, it's still impressive to see the retractable roof in action providing for outdoor games during pleasant weather. The cavernous stadium has had a few refreshes over the years. It is a short walk from Union Station. Ticket prices have steadily increased in recent years with the team's success, stadium investment and fair weather fans. In recent years, they have renovated the outfield district including bars on every level, and a flight deck open to everyone (outside of reserved functions). The outfield configuration now features uneven walls for a unique home feel. The seats behind the dugout has the best premium experience including bars beneath the playing surface in the TD Lounge. The festivities at Jr Jays Sundays are always well put-together including batting & pitching, arcades, face painting, balloons, mini-golf, sports cards, caricature and even running the bases post game. There's even inflatables outside before the game to start the festivities. Skip it or hit it? It's a place we'd still go catch a game but fewer occasions now as ticket prices aren't always commensurate with the on field product.

I recently attended The Gentleman's Expo at the Metro Convention Centre on a recent Saturday night…read morefor the first time with a few friends. The Gentleman's Expo is essentially a show that focuses on the interests of a gentleman that encompass alcohol, sex, technology, cars, food, sports, fashion and grooming amongst other things. Tickets were a little steep ranging from $35 - $50. The basic $35 ticket included 5 tokens which could be used for food and alcoholic beverages. There was no lineup and as a result it was pretty quick to get through security. When we got in, it was fairly busy but definitely not packed and ample room to move around. Mostly males in attendance since it was a Gentleman's Expo but there were some females in attendance also. Venue: The Metro Toronto Convention Centre was a pretty cool venue since it was downtown and right on the subway line which was convenient since most people were consuming alcohol beverages to different degrees and an option to get home if people weren't taking a taxi. The conference room booked for the show was a fair size. Alcohol/Food/Retail Vendors: There weren't a whole lot of food or alcohol vendors and the prices ranged somewhere from 2 - 6 tokens from what I remember and tried. Tokens were essentially $1 per token. If the initial 5 tokens given as part of admission weren't enough, there were booths selling additional tokens. They also had retail vendors selling menswear clothing and accessories and places were you could you a good old fashioned shave on a barbershop chair. Entertainment: Not much in terms of real entertainment, some small music acts and special guest speakers varied on the day. Former UFC champion George St.Pierre was speaking on Friday and Toronto Blue Jays reliever Jason Grilli was a guest speaker on Saturday. They also had ping pong tables, foozeball tables, pool tables and sports games for attendees to play. Overall, it's a decent option to hang out with a few buddies on a Friday or Saturday night, have a few drinks and check out the newest trends. The admission imo is a little bit on the high side for the event but an event definitely geared for a guys night out.

An annual convention that happens at the MTCC. It's my first year attending and I thought the…read morebooths offered were of great selection. Super friendly faces all-around. As for the atmosphere, it was quite crowded, and a huge line-up for certain booths, but was ultimately worth it to try out different gadgets. I hope to keep seeing ProFusion Expo being free and better discounts for next time as opposed to having it only last ~2 days or so.

This is an annual event held downtown at the MTCC (Metro Toronto Convention Center). It was on…read morehiatus for a few years due to COVID but 202 was the first year it returned. The best part about this show: tickets are 100% free! Vistek is the main sponsor/host, however you'll find all the major camera brands here; Sony, Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Fuji etc. They all allow you to test their newest and greatest cameras and lenses and tech. DJI for example had their latest drones including the FPV drove available to test (in a controlled zone) as well as gimbals and tripods galore. Throughout the multi-day event, some very famous content creators tend to show up (Peter McKinnon in previous years, Chris Hau) as well as award winning photographers giving their insight into major accomplishments. If you've ever thought about buying or upgrading your camera gear this is also a great time to go since you can not only test out the lens or body you're thinking of buying, but during the actual show they tend to have ridiculous sales on stuff (but only for the ~2 days the show is on)!

Free, massive food festival with plenty of cheap eats and free samples…read more Booths can range from healthy superfoods to junk food pop-ups, to vegan clothes & accessories, to the few who have nothing to do with veganism. Sample everything, grab something to eat, sit on the grass, and listen to the live indie bands. Like what you sampled? Well many booths are selling their products tax free and at discounted prices. I strongly recommend that you bring cash and a sturdy shopping bag, or two. Plenty of different panels and cooking shows. For full schedule, visit: vegfoodfest.com/schedule Parking is a headache. I strongly recommend that you take the TTC to Union station then the streetcar should drop you right infront of Harbourfront centre.

The Annual Toronto Vegetarian Food Festival is easily my favourite event of the year. It's in its…read more27th year, after starting as a small fair at George Brown College in the '80s. It draws 20,000+ people to the Harbourfront Centre over the course of the weekend and exposes people to the fact that cruelty-free, plant-based diets are not just healthy but also delicious and easy! There's loads of free speakers on a wide range of subjects from weight-loss and nutrition to the sociological aspects of meat-consumption, which is my area of interest. Last year I took in two talks by Carol J. Adams, noted professor and author of 'The Sexual Politics of Meat', on feminism and how marketing of meat for consumption intermingles with the subjugation of women's bodies as 'meat' in advertising. It was very stimulating and thought-provoking and I didn't have to pay American university tuition just to hear it. The cooking demos are all free as well. I've enjoyed the 'Vegan Iron Chef' competition two years in a row but this year I'm planning to see some 'educational' one's like how to make 5-step vegan fudge and how to properly cook leafy greens like kale and swiss-chard (I haven't a clue on the latter). Of course, the best part of a Vegetarian Food Festival is the food. They have everything from cupcakes and ice-cream to raw food, dim sum, Jamaican, Indian, and so much more. There's also loads of free sample to be had like kiwis, milk alternatives, granola bars, protein powder just off the top of my head. I'll probably take in 1.5x the caloric intake I usually eat but I won't gain a pound because nearly everything at the festival is vegan. Whether you're a vegan, vegetarian or just a veg-curious omnivore, you should pay the Food Fest a visit this weekend. If you're thinking 'this isn't my bag, I eat meat and I don't like vegetables.' Think again, the Food Fest is for everyone and can help you reduce your meat intake and up your vegetable count for improved health. Everyone knows eating lots of vegetables is good for your health and heart but a lot of people don't even know how to cook them. This is the place to find out so you can have a longer, healthier life and reduce your impact on the environment! If Bill Clinton can do it, you can too: http://sanjayguptamd.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/29/sanjay-gupta-reports-the-last-heart-attack/ You can also check out and support all the great community vendors, like the animal rescue groups such as Toronto Cat Rescue, Annex Cat Rescue, North Toronto Cat Rescue, Ferret Rescue, and Rabbit Rescue. There's also activists groups like Sea Shepherd, Farm Sanctuary and others. And of course, there's Yelp. This is where I got my first introduction to Yelp and my very own Yelp re-useable swag bag from Kat F. Hope to see you there! Val G.

This year's auto show is better than the experience 2 years ago. There are more cars on display and…read morea couple of brands my husband was eyeing on made a more prominent appearance like Cadillac and BMW. It felt like more car brands made an appearance this year. Swag is decent. We got to build our mini Lego cars to take home if we subscribe and join the Lego community. There's also Subaru standing out giving complimentary car pins, patch hats and custom dog tags, which was a nice touch. We also learned about a new meal kit delivery company, Fresh Prep. Sign up for 50% off but on the spot they gave some cool ceramic cup swag and gold cutlery sets on sign up. Overall for around $25 (discounts if you're a Toronto Star subscriber) for entry it is well worth a visit even if you're not in the market for a car but browsing. It really took us a few hours to go through the whole show. My husband was really tempted to upgrade his car after the visit. 5-stars because it's a show that we're likely to revisit again. The only thing is don't expect much food at the show... There's Pizza Pizza and Mediterranean food. Options are limited.

I look forward to this show every year but this year was a massive disappointment. Many brands were…read moreabsent this year which means less to see. It's still something to do and there was still a lot of people. It did take us about 3 hours to walk the entire convention centre. The biggest time sink was the line up at Jeep because they were giving everyone test ride on their vehicles. Can you believe it? The food truck in front of the convention center sells sausages for $9 now

We T.O. Food & Drink Fest at Toronto Metro Convention Centre, and the overall experience was very…read moresmooth from the start. Check-in and badge pickup were easy, and everything was clearly organized with signs showing where the lines began and how to move through ticket scanning and up the escalators. The event map helped a lot, and vendors were easy to find. There was a great mix of food, drinks, desserts, chocolates, warm meals, and even merchandise, plus short chef demos and fun bartending classes happening throughout the festival. The venue itself handled the crowd well, and the aisles were clearly marked, which made walking around comfortable. It was nice to see live chef presentations where they explained dishes step by step. Parking is available in both the North Building and South Building garages, which is convenient, but it is on the expensive side.

This is an annual event at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre, running Fri to Sun. In 2023, it run…read more2023-03-31 to 2023-04-02. Tickets cost $20/person. You must be 19+ since there is alcohol samples served. It occupies a huge area. There are lots of interesting food and drinks. The nice thing is there are samples at 30% of the vendors. I enjoyed myself on a Sat aft. There was so much to see and consume that we spent 3.5 hours there. Got in lots of steps, including 25 mins walk each way to and from the venue; a good way to work off 5% of the calories I consumed! Near the centre of the hall, there are a few stand-up tables and a DJ. Near the front of the hall, there are many tables. There are cooking demonstrations by renowned chefs. I will write a more comprehensive review later. There is no free WiFi. Review 2023-063