The Walking To Pelham One Two Three Steps

Before I forget to visit the Dupont and Symington area again, I decided on Friday to give it another look but coming from the East side via The Toronto Rail Path. This paved trail, running alongside the train tracks, will eventually be extended farther north and south. Currently, it runs parallel to Dundas St. W starting from Sterling Rd and finishing at Cariboo Ave.

This was my first time on this path and it was a pleasant walking experience. With the mid-morning sun at an angle, the trees along both sides of the trail gave cooling shade. There was a good number of walkers and cyclists especially south of Bloor St. Along with the greenery, I got a glimpsed of the various neighbourhoods next to the trail. The view tended to be the back of old brick buildings and factories since being next to the tracks wasn't desirable back then. Nowadays, a good number of them have been converted to fancy lofts or workspace. Exits off the Rail Path usually spilled onto one end of a cul-de-sac but there were some prominent destinations including The Drake Commissary, MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), and the Wallace Pedestrian Bridge.

I was surprised there was direct access to the UP Express and Go train platforms at Bloor St. If I lived in that area and worked downtown, this would be a good alternative to the subway. It was an anti-climatic exit at Cariboo with its auto body shops and sheet metal businesses. The end to the trail was marked with a metal "hashtag", the remnants of two rail tracks crossing (hence, The Junction) that have been moved here.

Making my way down Osler to Dupont, I found the small and aptly named TuckShop Kitchen around the corner at Edwin. I opted for the Sweet Mama's Chicken Sandwich ($11.95) and had lunch just up the same street at Carlton Park. It resembled more burger than sandwich with the sesame buns stuffed with ingredients. There was plenty of texture from the apple and cabbage slaw, kale, and onion. But overall it was a bit bland despite the smoked butternut squash "bacon" and honey garlic aioli.

I think TuckShop should take a page from Gus Taco (now a regular haunt) with its excellent torta. Toasted portuguese bread (which could be sourced from Caldense Bakery nearby on Symington) would add flavour and make for easier bites. I would also add a hint of heat to the sauce.

I continued south to the Wallace-Emerson neighbourhood along Edwin and found some interesting buildings such as the George Chuvalo Community Centre, Soho VFX, Casper Café and several retail businesses. This whole area of Toronto seemed to be something of a hidden gem.