We So Fancy

Some street festivals fizzle out after a few years, but some pretty much die on the vine. The Bloorcourt Festival is the latter. Renamed the Bloorcourt Arts and Craft Fair, Bloor St. is still closed between Dufferin and Christie. There are vendors and some local restaurants do set up a patio, but in general only a trickle of visitors come by.

It was no different on Saturday, exarcerbated by cool weather and an overcast sky. But I did stop by to try the 2nd location of Fancy Franks at Delaware. It was located next to an immensely popular Portuguese chicken rotisserie, recently renamed to a more English-friendly The Rooster. This time, I wanted to stick to a classic set-up and not their various concoctions. Along with a spicy sausage ($5.25), I got for a dessert a half-dozen mini doughnuts ($2.50). I garnished the dog with basic condiments, hot peppers, and a pickle. The toasted bun held nicely the juicy sausage and its add-ons. The only downer was that it didn't pack much of a kick. The doughnuts came fresh out of the fryer, coated with cinnamon sugar. It was a great hit of greasy dough and sweetness.

There wasn't much entertainment except various patios blasting music. There was a Jazz trio playing next to Long and McQuade. Appropriate to the neighbourhood, they played a version of Manhã de Carnaval. There was a band line-up at Saving Gigi, the defacto hub for hipster/indie events (such as the upcoming Bloor Ossington Folk Festival). But there was lots going-on at Christie Pits Park. This year, an Ethiopian festival was taking place at the same time. Unlike the moribund Fair, this gathering was hopping: packed with people, music, and mouth-watering BBQ smoke.