No One Is Watching

On Saturday, I headed back to Geary for Gaucho Pies as it has been awhile. One problem was that the store was opened only 3 days a week for retail, the rest of the time they made empanadas to sell wholesale. They now have a store-front so I no longer had to walk down an industrial hallway. I selected spinach/ricotta ($4) and roasted mushroom ($4). There was no place to eat outside because the planters and benches near Knockout Ice Cream were gone and apparently, so has Knockout. It was now Good Behaviour, a custard ice cream and submarine sandwich shop. But it was less than 5 minutes back to my sublet. The empanadas were still warm and packed with flavour. The only downside: they were on the small side which wasn't so bad when they only cost $2.75.

I spent the afternoon watching shows on Amazon Prime. Though I leave the apartment more than back in Ottawa, after the last few days of cloudy skies, you don't want to go anywhere. Since I couldn't get my thali dinner on Friday, I walked to Lansdowne to get some from Dosa Mahal. As I approached the intersection, I noticed a long line across the street. Was it Record Store Day and people were waiting to get in Dead Dog Records? Nope, they were putting their names on a waitlist for either Sugo or its offshoot "Bar Sugo" (once The Emerson and Caribbean Queen's original spot). At a corner, two young women expressed dismay that people from other parts of Toronto were ruining their local spot because of trendiness. I chuckled to myself that gentrifiers were complaining about other gentrifiers, especially over such a mediocre joint. But Sugo has been here for almost 10 years now, in another decade it will be considered an OG.

The vegan thali ($14.99) was essentially Mahal's tiffin box (2 curries + rice) with an additional curry, 2 soups (daal and sambar), a small naan, and a few sides (papadam, pickles, chutney or yogurt). Was it worth the extra $4? Sort of. The soups were the best upgrade: rich and flavourful. The curries here have always been good but not great. The naan was tasty enough but lacked the fragrance and chew of a tandoori-baked one. It was a good, filling meal (with masala chai for $2.50) but a couple of bucks off would be ideal.

After walking for about a block, I decided to take transit ($3.20) back home. It was only 2 subway stops and a quick ride by bus. But I felt that given the longer walking distance and my intestinal sensations, it wasn't a leisurely stroll kind of evening. I was probably right as I felt gassy all night and the next morning's bathroom visit was fuller than usual.

This bloating also prevented my first ever visit to Dovercourt House. With two left feet, I never went inside this venerable building bustling with dance classes and late-night dancing. But there was a special event on Saturday: a showing of Tango Malhar. This new South Asian film a la Shall We Dance? starred a poor rickshaw driver instead of an older Japanese salaryman. Then after a professional demonstration, there would follow several hours of milonga or impromptu partner dances. The film and showcase seemed up my alley and maybe I would even watch the dancing for a bit. But it wasn't just about my questionable innards tonight; I was afraid that I might need nice clothes and dress shoes. And the more I dug into the sponsor of the event, the more it seemed like a vanity show.