Foot-Long

Before going to the Canada-Puerto Rico soccer game, I dropped by Island Foods, a place that I have passed by numerous times. This nondescript diner offers no-frills dining options: formica tables, plastic trays with a take-out counter. The roti was different than other places, having a slight sweetness. The chicken and potatoes interior was quite tasty, but not quite as stuffed as other places. The jerk chicken dinner had a good bite and had several pieces of lean chicken. But ironically,  jerk chicken is one dish where I do enjoy some crispy, oily skin. All in all, this is a good choice if you find yourself in the wasteland around King and Dufferin.

The BMO soccer stadium on the grounds of Exhibition Place was only half-full for this FIFA match-up between two (much) lesser soccer powers. But the people there were raucous: singing, chanting, waving flags. It was too bad that heavily favoured Canada had so few chances on goal despite dominating both halves. In fact, the best scoring chance was from Puerto Rico on a counter-attack. Unlike the ACC which is comprised of mostly Caucasians, well-off or middle-class, this wallet-friendly venue (except for the prices on the food and beer) had a sizeable visible minority cohort: blacks, south andians, hispanics, and asians abound.

It was a great fall night to be sitting outdoors as the rain came pouring down the rest of the week.