Playing For Time

The weather turned nippy on Thursday, but it was still pleasant enough with periods of sunshine and blue sky. So I was out and about several times. I walked down the street to get a blueberry muffin ($3) and a croissant ($3.75) from Blue Collar Bakery. Perhaps the name was a nod to the previous tenant called That Dog Next Door. I had purchased some Christmas gifts from that pet store. Otherwise referencing a working-class label while selling bread for $8-12 is funny. Still, like ibet Sushi, Blue Collar is the first of its kind in Bloordale. My breakfast items were tasty but not a destination visit. I also finished off my momos because I was planning to have a late lunch.

After another half-day of work, I went to Little Italy for a 1:30 pm community class at Yogaspace. With classes now topping $30+ at most studios, an $8 practice was more affordable. The potential downside was that community classes are led by recent graduates. I've had some poor instructors, but only because there isn't much time in a 200-hour training session to become comfortable at teaching. But the one today must have had experience with public speaking because they were clear and at ease.

Lunch was a rewarding vegetarian plate ($14.99) from Laziza. I've long extolled the food-cost ratio from here but I have never actually snapped a photo of the meal. Amazing that this large portion used to be $8.99. With the late lunch, two small potato curry roti ($3.70) from Dosa Mahal was enough for dinner.

Then it was off to The Burdock for a concert. The small venue was sold-out but it was all friends and family. I never liked such a show because you can't gauge a performer's true stage presence. Would they be equally effective in the presence of an indifferent crowd? The audience skewed much older tonight but it wasn't in support of a talented child. Both bands were comprised of older musicians as well.

Mature songwriters are interesting in that they can be dated musically but their songs cover a larger slice of life. Even better if their oeuvre remained vital and dynamic. But I wasn't moved emotionally at tonight's show. During sets by Andie Loren and Set Feux (Diana Planche), as I listened to their rhymes and topics (typical love songs), I kept getting flashback to Top 40 90s radio with Paula Cole and Amanda Marshall. The backing bands were proficient but also had a dad-jammin-with-his-buddies vibe.

On my way back to the rental, I realized that the Bloordale might be more happening than Bloorcourt. The bars and restaurants were still going strong whereas by this time, the stretch from Dufferin to Ossington would be mostly empty. With trash pickup on Friday, the businesses have put out their garbage. When I saw what was on the sidewalk, I laughed in delight.

I'm constantly flabbergasted that the mediocre Italian diner Sugo was so popular going on a decade. There were better options in the area. My only time there, I stated that it was about the same as supermarket pasta. So I felt vindicated tonight when I saw large bags filled with empty De Cecco boxes outside their door. Sure, I use De Cecco at home and maybe so do Italian nonnas (Sugo's inspiration). But as a restaurant, if you don't make pasta in-house, at least source it from a local producer even if it's not a high-end one.