West Side Story

My last trip to Toronto was a mixed bag. I was starting to think that the fun of Toronto was living there, not just short visits. Otherwise, there were a dozen other places to travel to. But as my bus was pulling into the city on Monday, I felt my old excitement returned.

So it seems my ennui was partly due to illness and the cool weather. This time round, with a final gasp of summer weather in the air and no hacking cough, arriving in Toronto felt great. Before I headed to my short-term rental on St. Helens, I sat basking in the sun people-watching. Despite the rising rents, there seemed to be more young people than ever enjoying big-city living in Bloordale. Speaking of increasing costs, my desire for fresh juice from Galaxy T&T was doused when I saw the average drink was now more than $10.

During my first visit here, I had sneaked into all the other rental units so I already knew I was in a charming one-bedroom. But there were two minor faults. First, I'm still not loving the landlord keeping all these units for travellers instead of being for locals. Some of those youngsters would be thrilled to have this place (at a reasonable rent). Two, from dirty shower curtains to stained fridge, I'm also still flabbergasted that these places weren't cleaner considering how much money they generate.

I did a quick run to Dufferin Mall to buy several items. The condos at the intersection were going up at a mad pace. Even though unfinished, they were already dominating the neighbourhood. Dinner was a visit back to 9 Mile for some Jerk Chicken ($13.99). Their sauce and slaw were too sweet the first time round but it was a better balance now. As I savoured the smoky chicken with the tender rice, I realized that despite my praise of Royal Prince a few weeks back, it doesn't compare to the quality in Toronto. The crazy thing was that 9 Mile still didn't have many customers.

In the evening, I walked along Little Portugal to get to The Garrison. Bleary-Eyed, the opener band from Philadelphia, played a fuzzy indie sound that combined computer samples and sludgy guitars. This wasn't a sound that translated well at this venue, known (in my opinion) for a poor live mix. But headliner Hello Mary was outstanding. This 3-piece all-women outfit from NYC played complex but fun music. They kept my interest by layering pure harmonies, intricate chords, and polyrhythmic drumming. But Hello Mary didn't sacrificed melody and song-craft for experimentation, the tunes were tight and pulsating. Most people paid attention to the playing of Wave (drums, vocals) and Straight (guitar, vocals). But behind Oppenheimer's dreamy gaze and dimpled smile, a slithering bass provided a driving pulse that pushed the songs forward.

Next time round, Hello Mary is playing at a bigger venue. So I got my souvenir band t-shirt even though $40 was a bit steep (blame the Canadian-US exchange rate). I won't have a chance to see them up-close and personal again.

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

As an exercise, I filled out my October calendar as if I was still in Toronto. From Marie Goudy's album release with new band Paloma Sky on the 2nd to The Warning (Mexican hard-rock) show at The Danforth on the 30th, my month would be chock-a-block with events. But in Ottawa, I only had a choice of 2 concerts on Thursday, both at the NAC. Although I appreciated Begonia's big voice, it has been a long time since I saw Kelly McMichael with a full band. Since she moved to the East Coast more than a decade ago, McMichael usually does solo shows in Ontario.

The first 4 numbers highlighted that she was fine on her own. With a deft hand on guitar and piano and an assured voice, McMichael delighted with songs about college crush (She Makes Men), connections (Good Friends), the typically male fantasy of "leaving it all" (Nature Man), and delusional thinking (You Got It Wrong). That last tune was a preview that, on the new album After The Sting Of It, she was revisiting her pop and indie-rock days.

Her band consisted of fellow East Coaster John Moran but also locals including Geordie Gordon (The Magic). The reality of touring as a small artist meant you need a Newfoundland band and an Ontario band. McMichael promised a "rock-and-roll" portion and they delivered with Bomb, Dreamer, Montreal and Tour From Hell.

Her last album was long-listed for the Polaris Prize and Bomb made it to number 6 on the indie charts. But it was still a small audience for the show: a respectable crowd at a small venue like The Dakota or Burdock in Toronto but seemed tiny inside the larger Fourth Stage studio at the NAC. On the other hand, McMichael got to encore on a baby grand ("I'm obsessed with this piano") with a wonderful cover of Bonnie Raitt's Nick Of Time.

Royal Walkabout

A while back I wandered through a bit of Vanier for a smoked meat sandwich. On Saturday, I decided that the sunny but mild September day merited a second visit to the area. This time, I headed West along Côté while staying off McArthur and Montreal to avoid traffic noise. The older, modest homes along small streets like Richelieu and Lajoie reminded me of some Toronto neighbourhoods. Gentrification was creeping in here and there in the form of new houses that were typically boxy, square builds with large windows. It was amusing to run across Jean Talon and Dundas which were nothing like their counterpart elsewhere. The worst part of the walk was when I was briefly on McArthur and crossing the highway-in-all-but-name Vanier Parkway. I'm not sure who would buy a new condo at this busy intersection.

I quickly ducked into a side street on the other side. This block all the way to Montreal road was undergoing major intensification. Perhaps this primed my bias but the folks dropping off or picking up their kids at the Mauril Belanger school on Montgomery didn't feel like the old working-class Vanier. Whatever Saturday program was offered here seem geared to a different social strata.

I wanted some Ethiopian from Habesha but the restaurant wasn't open. So I stepped inside Royal Prince just a block away. Since Ottawa has a large French-speaking minority, most Caribbean restaurants here were Haitian instead of Jamaican. Nevertheless, Prince also offered some Jamaican dishes like Jerk Chicken. I don't know if these were any good because they weren't yet ready for lunch. On the recommendation of the owner/chef, I opted for a curry goat entrée ($15.99).

This was a tasty and reasonably substantial meal. The meat was very tender (I barely had to chew) with just a hint of spiciness. The rice and peas were slightly dry but a sprinkling of the curry sauce made all the difference. The mac and cheese was an odd side but still good. They forgot the plaintain and pikliz (pickle vegetable) for my order though. Overall, Royal Prince is the best Caribbean joint I've visited in Ottawa.

Mo Lesser Blues

A friend reached out to see if I wanted to get dinner on Friday. Since I hadn't seen their family since last November, I accepted. I didn't bother suggesting Idriss for Algerian food or the newly revamped Coconut Lagoon for Indian. Though they always offer delicious home-made meals when I visit, having a picky teenager meant that eating out for them was usually a blander affair.

So we ended up at Moxie's close to the Gloucester Centre. This stretch of Ogilvie was all suburban businesses: Chapters, Cineplex Odeon, and various chain restaurants including Montana's and State and Main. They all offer the same ersatz "fine dining" experience with an extensive menu to cover all bases: a downtown restaurant vibe without the commute and plenty of parking. So despite having passed by Moxie's many times, I wasn't surprised when I finally stepped inside for the first time.

There was something for everyone so my friend and his spouse settled on a large plate of nachos and their teenager picked chicken tenders and fries. Since I eat a mostly plant-based diet, I picked a sirloin steak ($37) as I don't cook like that at home. The grilled veggies and the mashed potato sides were all right, but the beef was terrible. It was tough to cut through and tougher to chew. I miss the Argentinian and Portuguese steaks of Toronto even though I was never a big meat-lover.

They were planning a 3-week family vacation in Japan for November. Since they all liked Japanese food it should be a fun trip. I suggested that in addition to ramen and sushi, they should try local dishes that haven't made it to North America like Nagashi Somen. When I mentioned that my financial plan included early retirement in a few years (at least in theory), they told me some acquaintances were also doing that even if they won't receive the maximum amount for their government pension. I opined that, as someone who works in the private sector and has crunched the numbers (or at least watched some videos), any pension was better than none.