Category Archives: Travel

5 Must-Taste Regional Foods

Travel, ,

tarte au sucre

There’s just something special about digging in to a dish you know you can’t get anywhere else.

These are 5 of my favourite regional foods. Share yours in the comment below!

1. Tarte au sucre. Also known as sugar pie (pictured), this Quebecois dessert is a single crust pie with a filling of maple syrup, butter and cream. It is very sweet and unbelievably rich!

2. Garlic fingers. Atlantic Canada’s ultimate comfort food. Garlic fingers start out pizza-shaped and are sliced into ‘fingers’; rectangles of garlicky, cheese-covered goodness. Apparently these are also popular in Wisconsin!

3. New York cheesecake. Sure, you can get New York-style cheesecake is “pure, unadulterated cheesecake with no fancy ingredients added either to the cheesecake or placed on top of it”. But who needs fancy when pure tastes this good?! The cake practically melts in your mouth. Bet you’ll ask for seconds!

4. Butter tarts. You can’t visit Ontario, Canada without tasting a butter tart (or two, or three…). Similar to pecan pie, but with a runnier consistency and a hint of maple, butter tarts sometimes contain pecans, walnuts or raisins, but they’re amazing au naturel, too. This dessert was common in pioneer cooking and has definitely stood the test of time. Now you can find butter tarts in packs of 6 at national grocery chains like Metro, but the best ones are found at local bakeries in Ontario.

5. Fried chicken. The American deep south’s gift to the world. No description needed!

What’s your favourite regional dish?

Toronto’s West Queen West: Second-Coolest Neighbourhood In the World

Travel, , ,

I’m proud to be from Toronto, ON, Canada. There are more reasons than I could possibly count (the food, the multiculturalism, the arts…). But here’s one more:

Vogue Magazine ranked Toronto’s West Queen West the second coolest neighbourhood in the world.

On days when I was too anxious (thanks, Panic Disorder!) to get to high school, I’d often take the Bathurst bus and streetcar all the way down to Queen (I lived and went to school in North York) and then the Queen Streetcar across to West Queen West, where I’d people watch, drink lots of coffee and work on my writing or schoolwork.

So I’ve known the neighbourhood’s charm for years, and so have many locals. It’s about time it’s getting worldwide recognition, and from Vogue, no less.

I have to agree with Post City Toronto: “Ultimately, Vogue’s call is another feather in the cap for a city that, for all the incredible things we pump into the world ranging from art to music to fashion to commerce, tends to underestimate itself. Yes, Toronto, we’re the world’s barometer of everything from big ideas to high-end fashion, and now Vogue knows it, too”.

What’s your favourite Toronto neighbourhood?

Image Source

5 Southern Towns to Get Excited About This Summer

Travel,

The only thing hotter than a southern summer is this list of must-visit cities and towns below the Mason-Dixon Line. Chosen for attractions like museums and shops, natural beauty, and proximity to bustling big cities, you’ll be tempted to add these destinations to your summer road trip itinerary.

1. Natchitoches, LA. Louisiana’s oldest town is the perfect blend of old South, Creole and Cajun. Shop at Kaffie-Frederick, Inc. (the oldest general store in Louisiana), feed alligators at Bayou Pierre Alligator Park and visit three historic plantation sites in the Cane River Heritage Area. Also be sure to try Natchitoches meat pie, a regional dish from northern Louisiana.

2. St. Michaels, MD. Southern Living’s description of this seaside town is what sold me: St. Michaels “contains one of the largest collections of restored 18th-century buildings in Maryland. Elegant and earthy, St. Michaels knows how to party like a gentleman and a sailor—all at the same time”. Visit the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, take part in the town’s culture of boating and fishing, and top off your visit with a seafood dinner and drinks at one of many local restaurants and bars.

3. Oxford, MS. Named after the British university city of the same name, Oxford, MS is home to University of Mississippi (“Ole Miss”). As one of USA Today’s top 6 American college towns, there’s lots to do and see: Tour historic Rowan Oak, home of William Faulkner, shop at indie favourite Square Books or stroll through Confederate Cemetery. Finish your visit with a delicious dinner at one of many locally owned restaurants in “The Square”.

4. Tybee Island, GA. Renowned for its gorgeous beaches and its proximity to sweet Savannah, Georgia, Tybee Island is a destination in its own right. Swim, sunbathe or picnic on 5 miles of uninterrupted public beach, see dolphins in their natural habitat and peruse local galleries and shops. Also be sure to check out the picturesque Tybee Island Light Station. First used (in its current black and white striped incarnation) in 1916, it is one of just a handful of 18th-century lighthouses still in operation in North America.

5. Tupelo, MS isn’t just Elvis Presley’s birthplace; it’s also home to live music events, over 100 restaurants from down home cookin’ to fine dining, and the Tupelo Auto Museum. Kids and adults alike will love coming face to face with exotic animals from around the world at Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo.

What southern towns are on your must-see list?

Image Source