You’re a guy. Let’s assume you have friends and that your friends like you enough that they are willing to be seen in public with you.
Let’s also assume that for legal reasons one of your friends can’t leave Canada and that you really want to go somewhere and do guy stuff together. Been to Vancouver too many times — maybe you got caught up in a riot last time you were there and don’t want to go back. Saskatoon isn’t big enough, Winnipeg is too cold/has too many mosquitoes and you’re also allergic to poutine.
That leaves Toronto doesn’t it?
What to do in the Big Smoke aside from stand outside Air Canada Centre, smoke and complain about the fact that there’s no National Hockey League games to watch.
You can drink a lot of beer. Toronto has a couple of cool breweries to tour, including Steam Whistle, which is starting to gain a following in the West. Worried about what you’re putting into your body? No, not really? Well, Mill Street Beer Company produces an organic beer and is based in Toronto and it’s pretty tasty.
There’s a guy named Chris in Toronto who wears lederhosen who will drive you around to a whole bunch of places so you can drink beer all day (beerloverstour.com).
A restaurant aptly called BierMarkt (thebiermarkt.com) has a fabulous pork sandwich and they have more than 150 different beers from 30 countries.
You can also combine food and beer at Real Sports Bar, which was recently dubbed the top sports bar in North America by ESPN Mobile. Right next door to Air Canada Centre (home of the Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs) it has 199 TVs, including one of the largest high definition screens in the country.
An obvious choice is Wayne Gretzky’s , where you can peruse the former Great One’s memorabilia while you wait for the recommended meatloaf or perogies. Gretzky’s is attached to Second City, which is well worth a night of your trip if you are OK with humour that is way far from politically correct.
Woodbine Racetrack has the thoroughbreds in the afternoon and harness racing at night.
There’s the Hockey Hall of Fame. They will actually let you kiss the Stanley Cup. Don’t know why you’d want to, but they will let you. Fantastic artifacts and interactive displays.
Toronto’s got four major sports teams to see live, if you include the Leafs. Torontonians also enjoy bemoaning the fact that the Raptors are brutal. The Toronto FC is in Major League Soccer and the Argonauts are the new Canadian Football League champions. And the Blue Jays appear to be trying to be competitive next summer.
So, Toronto, eh? Yes, you hate everything about Toronto, but there’s plenty of guy things to see and do there and harmless trouble to get yourself into.
