Storybook Vacations

I love Top Chef New York.  As an amateur chef and foodie, it’s enjoyable to watch these culinary kings battle it out each week.  The food, the drama, the Padma.  Each moment is exciting to watch.

This week on Top Chef New York, Fabio said arivadeci to the show effectively destroying “Team Europe” as Tom Colicchio put it, in part I of the season finae.  But that’s ok, because as much as I liked Fabio, he didn’t rise to the occasion and was often not in the top three.

Top Chef has been a refreshing break from other reality shows as it has a soul and keeps you glued to your seat.

As for next week?  I predict that Stefan or Hosea will win.  Carla is a great chef, but she’s unlikely to overpower her male counterparts.  She needs more time to develop as a chef.

Catch Top Chef New York every Wednesday at 10pm EST on Bravo. Watch what happens!

Brian Bravo, Cooking, Dining, Top Chef, Top Chef New York

It’s been several years since my last trip to Toronto, Canada, the New York of Canada.  But I remember enjoying my trip and wanted to share some travel advice about Toronto with you, the readers.

Toronto is located in the province of Ontario and has over 2.5 million residents.  An noteworthy fact is that almost 50% of Toronto residents were born outside of Canada making Toronto a truly international city.

So what can you do in Toronto, you wonder?  Here are some sights you may want to visit:

-Niagara Falls (it will require a short day trip, but is a breath-taking waterfall which offers a water-soaking boat ride)

-CN Tower (the former, world’s tallest building which towers at over 1,800 ft high)

-Royal Ontario Museum (world culture and history of Ontario)

-Yorkville neighborhood (one of the most elegant shopping/dining districts in Toronto)

Toronto is very similar to New York or Chicago (if they were in Canada, ay) due to the large, metropolitan area, bountiful attractions, culture, and fine dining.

What about the exchange rate? One USD is worth about $1.24 CAD.  So everything is effectively cheaper.  That means that you may even be able to save some of your hard-earned cash.

If you do travel to Toronto, airfare and accommodations are another consideration.  A good time to travel is in the summer as it may be cold other times of the year.  Also, if you live in the Northeastern US, there are many inexpensive flights you can choose from.  Hotels are also well-priced at as little as $84 per night.  I didn’t check hotel-flight packages, but you can almost always find a better rate that way.

Finally, here are a few restaurants that sparked my interest:

-Embrujo Flamenco tapas restaurant (pricey, Danforth/Greektown area, food sounds interesting and there is live flamenco)

-Ten-Ichi Japanese (inexpenive, Scarborough area, has all-u-cant-eat dinner menu and cheap lunch specials)

-Dos Amigos (moderate, Downtown area, has nice-sounding, authentic Mexican food)

Here’s a good restaurant review site you may want to consult.

If you have a chance, check out Toronto, Canada on your next vacation.

Brian airfare, Chicago, cn tower, Dining, new york, niagara falls, toronto