Fear of Frying

With restaurants being allowed to open "outdoor spaces", I have noticed not just a re-opening of patios, but businesses putting out tables and chairs wherever they can. In The Annex, I even saw that a franchise of the fast-food chicken chain Popeye's had laid out outdoor seating on the sidewalk. This has given Toronto streets a bit of European feel but I wonder how people with mobility issues feel about it. Also, some of them were paying mere lip-service to social distancing rules on their patios.

On Saturday, I visited Little Italy again for another meal that does not lend itself to take-out: quality ramen. I settled in at Tondou Ramen's patio for a bowl of vegetarian ramen ($13.50) with some fish cake ($2). It felt safe as I was the only customer. Predictably, everyone has congregated across the way at Café Diplomatico; there was even a line-up. I never got the love since my one visit there decades ago was a disaster. Even as a new transplant whose experience of Italian cuisine was The Olive Garden and Eastside Mario's, I thought the food was sub-par. In addition, I was hosting friends from Ottawa and wanted to show them a lively Toronto spot. Between the lengthy wait for our food and their expressions when they finally had a bite, I was roundly embarrassed.

I was also in the neighbourhood for some chewy snacks. So after lunch, it was to get some gummies down the street. Then I backtracked to the Come See Me bar. But I wasn't there for boozy drinks from this recent (2018) replacement of long-time club Li'Ly (2002). I had seen a sandwich board for mochi doughnuts from pop-up Hachi Mochi. I was intrigued enough to get a Blueberry Pie one ($3.50).

At least for my pick, it looked like a common doughnut base and they simply dipped it into a particular coating given the order. Its metallic purple sheen was a bit disconcerting and didn't add much: messy and artificial tasting. The dough itself was interesting; it really was a cross between the two desserts. It had the chew of mochi, dialed down about 50%, but the fried flavour and texture of a doughnut. I would go back for more but stick to the simpler toppings like chocolate or cinnamon sugar.

On my way home, I saw a mama bird trying to guide a baby bird back into the trees. The latter was chirping and hiding behind electrical boxes and concrete steps at College and Dovercourt. It could only sustain short, ground-level flights. A frantic effort got it half-way across Dovercourt Road, barely missed by a car. But the fledgling was now in the relative safety of the greener patches of grass and trees on the West side of Dovercourt. Those branches looked awfully high, though I hope this situation was probably normal avian development.