5 Things to Do in Toronto this Weekend by Ali de Bold

Since I will be in Toronto this weekend to visit the IDS, I asked two popular Torontonians, which happen to my friends, for advices on what to do this weekend.

I started with Ali de Bold, co-founder of Chick Advisor. Ali answered with a fun tour of the city.

1. Start Saturday morning with Brunch at School
School Bakery & Cafe is a new hot spot in up and coming neighborhood, Liberty Village.  French Toast fans might want to try their Nirvana French Toast with strawberries, pistachos and chocolate drizzle.  After breakfast, walk it off by heading over to West Elm for design inspiration from this chic yet affordable furniture and design store or get a latte to go from Balzacs.

2. Consider a 1 hour road trip to Niagara on the Lake to indulge in the Niagara Ice Wine Festival.  Ontario Ice Wine is a Canadian specialty, and $30 gets you a pass to 6 local wineries that will treat you to complimentary ice wine samples with food pairings.

3. Head over to the historic Distillery District to indulge in a collection of great restaurants, cafes and boutiques in a cobblestone setting.  This weekend, there is a Chip & Pepper pop up shop happening at Lileo.

4. A romantic dinner at Nota Bene or molecular cocktails at Barchef are a great way to spend Saturday evening.  At Barchef, I highly recommend the Sour Sake: igori sake, cardamom cumin syrup, fresh lime, egg white, apricot bitters and coconut rum, served with a Thai basil sugar rim.  The top is a sugary crust like creme brulée and it tastes like roasted marshmallows. If you are feeling more adventurous, try the Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan that is served in a cloud of smoke under a glass dome.

5. Sunday afternoon, check out the King Tut exhibition at the AGO.  Adult tickets are $32.50, or if you got a sparkling engagement ring for Christmas you might want to visit the National Bridal Show for inspiration!

By the way, I had brunch at School last year. It was awesome! I was impressed by the food and the decor. And a drink topped with creme brulée is certainly an experience that I would like to try.

Thanks a lot, Ali. Your photo collage looks great and your plan sounds great.

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