Dina Pretty

Given so many Latin-American restaurants in the Bloorcourt and Bloordale area, it was a shame that my only outing since my sublet was the disappointing San Wich. So on Wednesday, I headed over to Pastorcito to rectify this. Whenever I passed by when I was visiting Toronto, the place was always packed. But it wasn't as busy during the day, which might explain the 2 for 1 special until 5 pm.

No matter, because that deal allowed me to get 4 tacos for $12. As opined in my Pho Linh post, the cheaper price actually encouraged me to order more: a horchata for $4. I didn't love the drink because it was too sweet. But the pastor and chorizo tacos, along with the various sauces, onions, and pineapple slices were wonderful. I didn't quite get meat sweats but I was happy that it was a 20-minute stroll back to my rental. Though a constitutional walk didn't always work out for me.

In the early evening, I went to Dina's Tavern at College and Spadina. They had completely torn down The Silver Dollar to make way for a Fitzrovia luxury rental. Because of its historical status, the developers not only kept the old marquee but rebuilt the inside. So it was odd to walk into the ground-level bar and "saw the Dollar interior" which used to be up a flight of stairs. There was the tiny stage, directly across from the bar top. On either side and up two steps were platforms with tables on stage right and a long banquette on stage left. The duplication wasn't "exact" only because the Silver Dollar never looked this good. Opposite the banquette was a wall decorated with tchotchkes and beer signs from the old days.

The sound system was slightly better, somehow both under-powered and yet too loud just like the old days. Luckily, they didn't keep the laxed set times of Dan Burke nor the grumpy attitude of the former sound guys. This atmosphere was so notorious that Michelle Zauner (Japanese Breakfast) griped about it for years (I was there for that fiasco). But tonight, all 3 bands played on time and early too. So I was home before 11 pm.

The Magnets was a new band, made even "newer" with replacements because some members had relocated to other cities. They had a typical indie sound with the lead singer in his shouty phase. Dolly Sods from Buffalo played shoe-gaze adjacent music. They should lean more into their instrumental breaks because one, the vocals were forgettable; and two, new drummer Monika Lux was a beast behind the kit. Velvet Beach had a wistful air due to the sweet arpeggiated guitar and synth riffs. Meagan Aversa, who was the go-to singer on the newer songs, reminded me of Molly Rankin (Alvvays). Though usually in the mid-tempo pop groove, Velvet Beach was surprisingly muscular on a few numbers like Daylight.

Simmer Down

For dinner on Monday, I ordered an even more iconic Chinese-Canadian combo from South Pacific because this one included Sweet and Sour chicken balls. The old lady has started to recognize me as regular because she waved and then made mysterious hand signals. I don't recall the last time I've had these staples, but my memory hinted that they were tough and mostly batter. But these ones were tender and had plenty of stuffing.

I was at The Horseshoe Tavern for their Uncovered night. 3 new-ish bands from Niagara Falls, Hamilton, and Burlington played to a crowd of friends and family. Sunshine Express was a bit all over the place: pop, noise, a touch of dance or funk. Their set-up was also eclectic including pedal guitar and sampler. The vocals sounded auto-tuned but that was likely for effect. Sunshine needed a bit more seasoning though.

Rexford Drive also needed more time to cook though they do have a coherent sound: the sort that involved sing-along and shout-and-response choruses. The lead singer gave a shout-out that they were "honoured to play at the legendary Horseshoe". This was par for the course but given the hundreds of free shows over the years, it wasn't that hard to play here.

I left before Maria Gabriella took the stage. Maybe I should have stayed because with a more mature sound she could become the Canadian Laufey. In general, all these young kids have a tough road. Maybe 1 in a 100 band in Toronto achieved some success. It would be even harder if you were based in a smaller city. But it wasn't impossible to find success

Word To Yamas

After doing my laundry early Sunday morning, I called up my mom. We actually talk more when I was in Toronto since we have a whole week to catch up on. She was at my uncle's on Monday since this was the first Tet without my grandma. Unfortunately, she still did not wear a mask when taking transit. So my mom caught something and spent all week convalescing at home.

In other news, the duds my cousin were saddled with turned out to be even more so. One was wrapping up their trial for assaulting another parent at the school drop-off. Then they will be leaving for their childhood home in the Maritimes. Will there be child support? They haven't worked in a few years. Another was of the "if you tell me, I'll do it" ilk. Considering they were in a go-nowhere job at Walmart and now have 2 children, a government job with a pension, and a house all thanks to my cousin, they could be more active in their own life. The third surprised me because they seemed responsible. But they have been siphoning money from the joint account to cover their mom's "financial gap". Since the latter had a house, a condo in development, and investments from her late husband, I don't sympathize. My mom has only about $20K in government aid (CPP, OAS, and GIS) annually if it wasn't for my help. In any case, using money from your spouse without telling them, that was a red flag. Choosing a different path than their parents' less-than-storybook life haven't turn out great for my cousins. I'm almost glad that there have been no one to disappoint me in my life.

After lunch, I headed down to College and Dovercourt. I was curious to see how Society Clubhouse made use of the old yoga studio space. It just so happened that The AMBiENT PiNG was showcasing some ambient music producers in the afternoon. But seeing all the parents with small children, it might be more for kids. So I left for some croissants ($4.25) from Barbershop and to check out the No Frills at the Carvalo Condos. This was the smallest chain supermarket location I've been to. It would have made better sense if the original tenant Pusateri had moved in. This grocery store needed "curation" instead of stocking per corporate policy. For example, all the De Cecco pasta were gone, but the (limited) shelves were still full of Italpasta and other brands.

San Diss

I haven't gone to Gus Taco since it moved onto Bloor St., though I was a frequent visitor during the pandemic to their Gladstone and Shanly location. From hidden gem to a main thoroughfare, they have expanded their customer base. But with the white-tile counter, narrow bar-top, and high metal stools, it didn't feel inviting. Passing by their old spot, I noticed that it was still selling Mexican food (tortas and breakfast burritos) as San Wich.

They have expanded the counter space with red brick layout that gave a sun-baked vibe. That didn't leave much room except for two park benches to wait for your order. To be fair, this has always been a take-out, except for a few tables on the small patio in the summer. Since I had skipped breakfast on Saturday to clean my kitchen and bathroom, I ordered a larger lunch. At first, I debated if I should get the Milenesa (to compare with Masa's). I settled on an adobo pork torta ($13) and some fries ($7). It was a disappointing lunch.

First, the fries were your average thick-cut pub fries. They were crispier than some places, but overall I would rather have masala fries. When I unwrapped the sandwich, it was already messy. There's a laziness in that kind of attitude (after we wrap it, we don't care if you struggle to eat it), but it did explain the pile of paper napkins in my to-go bag. The messiness reminded of California Sandwiches but was it worth the hassle? No because despite the avocado, the onions, adobo sauce, it was a rather bland affair. Mostly it was the lack of flavour from the pork slices. I was expecting juicy and soft (like pulled pork or filipino adobo chicken) but it was dry. With $26 (tax and tip), I should have gone with my first choice: a full thali platter ($17.99) from Banjara. It's crazy that San Wich was also owned by the Gus Tacos folks because of the quality difference.