Heaven Is A Place In Berth

On Wednesday, I settled in at Tremblay Station waiting for my 3 pm train back to Toronto. It was a nice month-long stay with family but I was excited to get back for patio season in The Big Smoke. With arrival time just before 8 pm, I decided that I'll grab a pizza slice when I get there. Then we heard that the trip will be delayed due to a railway crossing accident. Some people re-scheduled their travel but most of us hung in there hoping for good news. Finally, it was announced that our train will depart at 6:15 pm.

I didn't want to buy an over-priced dinner onboard. With the new LRT, I thought that I could do a quick hop downtown and find better options. In fact, I remembered a sign for a new Poke place a few years back somewhere on Bank St. I found the website for Paradise Poke and ordered a Sweet Heat ($14.85). After a round-trip to pick up my dinner, I was back at the station.

This was an enjoyable rice bowl due to the combination of sweet mango, crunchy cucumber, earthy edamame, and spicy tofu. The fried scallions added some fragrance. I would have replaced the beet with something soft like zucchini or bean sprouts. That sated feeling gave me equanimity when the time was pushed back again to 8.

I wasn't the only one to get take-out. Others had similar thought but they used food delivery services instead. Ultimately, none of us needed those meals. We were mollified that Via Rail was giving us a 100% credit for the next booking due to the delay. But once aboard they also gave us free snacks, drinks, and eventually huge pizza slices. It was perhaps the second-worst pizza I've had; the worst was a cardboard mess from Amato's (pandemic RIP). Something about its mildly warm doughiness was less appetizing than good cold pizza. But folks weren't complaining and some even accepted seconds. Given the goodwill people have for free stuff, I don't know why Via doesn't simply offer complimentary meals for all riders, not just those in business class.