Toronto Meetup December 3, 2004 7:00 PM   Subscribe

BaaFilter: Okay, I'll be a sheep. TorontoMefites, let's get together and drink Too Much Beer(tm).
posted by dirtynumbangelboy to MetaFilter Gatherings at 7:00 PM (48 comments total)

Oh come on, at least wait till after exams...
posted by maledictory at 7:29 PM on December 3, 2004


Damn, sorry. Keep forgetting that.

Okay, let's have a post-exam booze-up.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:53 PM on December 3, 2004


It is physically impossible for Canucks to drink too much beer. Haven't you ever seen Strange Brew?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:53 PM on December 3, 2004


I'd be willing to make an attempt!
posted by joelf at 8:20 PM on December 3, 2004


BTW: Strange Brew = 100% true to life.


I have a dog that flies
posted by joelf at 8:30 PM on December 3, 2004


Howsabout the weekend of December 18th? Is that after-exams yet before-Christmas enough for everybody?

And with that lead-in, wherever we go has to have a pretty damn good selection on tap.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 9:17 PM on December 3, 2004


How about the Esplanade Biermarkt?
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 3:52 AM on December 4, 2004


Damn it. Won't be in town at the time. Doing too much of that now, and it is exams!
posted by Gnatcho at 7:20 AM on December 4, 2004


Biermarkt would be good. Or Granite Brewery.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 9:26 AM on December 4, 2004


I'm up for Biermarkt, but their food is a scam.
posted by krunk at 9:33 AM on December 4, 2004


I'm new in town so I'm up for whatever. Anything that actually has beer + market in the name has to get my vote!
posted by joelf at 10:05 AM on December 4, 2004


The only food we're going for is barley sandwiches, I suspect ;)
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 10:28 AM on December 4, 2004


I'm going Home for the Holidays on the 18th, but you boys have fun. (Are there not girls from Toronto on MeFi?)
posted by SoftRain at 11:24 AM on December 4, 2004


Any excuse to get outta the States/hang in Toronto for me. I just might drive up (um, if you'll have me, heh). I ♥ TO (am I an honorary Canuck yet?).

posted by Shane at 11:31 AM on December 4, 2004


I can make up for missing ya last time, DrJohn.
posted by Shane at 11:33 AM on December 4, 2004


I nominate the Victory Cafe near Bloor and Bathurst, since it has good, cheap beer and food, and it's a block from my house :^)
posted by krunk at 11:39 AM on December 4, 2004


Go the fourteenth to the Victory and catch some Canadian poets reading poems written by an admired dead poet - a true Dead Poets Society.
posted by Gnatcho at 12:33 PM on December 4, 2004


I've been to the victory cafe, I didn't think it was too good. However it IS a block from my place too. My vote is still for beermarket. Is it accessable by the subway?
posted by joelf at 12:55 PM on December 4, 2004


ah, shit -- 18th is a no-go. Stars concert that night.

Biermarkt is about 2-3 blocks east of Union Station.
posted by krunk at 2:49 PM on December 4, 2004


Wow... who knew there were so many T.O. MeFites.

I had some of the worst brunch food ever at Victory some months ago...

How about meeting at the Ubercool Green Room just blocks away. They have better food and lots of different kinds of tea! (yes, I said tea)

How's 'bout Sunday the 19th during the day... we could do brunch. Toronto's all about brunch.

Did I mention I'm obsessed with finding the ultimate brunch spot in T.O.?
posted by Ms Snit at 5:20 PM on December 4, 2004


Ms Snit, try Insomnia for brunch. Order the Heaven on Earth. The atmosphere (and art) are awful, though. (Not suggesting it for your meetup, but I do like the brunch.)

I'm no fan of the Victory but the Green Room has, without doubt, the worst service in the city.
posted by dobbs at 5:39 PM on December 4, 2004


Smokeless Joe's has tons of different beer, but is rather small. The Green Room is close to the James Joyce and other options... Of course there are plenty of places along Queen West as well.
posted by juiceCake at 6:32 PM on December 4, 2004


hmm, now that you mention it, the service at the Victory isn't all that good. I once waited an hour for 2 stellas, but they were free when they finally arrived. Only one guy was working though; doing kitchen, bar, inside and patio.

Grapefruit Moon on Bathurst has great brunch; albeit a bit pricey, and again, the service is shit (what's with Toronto brunch places?). And it's be re-painted all posh recently.

Fuck it, let's go to Vesta Lunch at 3am!
posted by krunk at 6:35 PM on December 4, 2004


dobbs - I enjoy that your latest entry in The Cripple has an Insomnia reference.
posted by krunk at 6:36 PM on December 4, 2004


Brunch on the 19th sounds awesome.

The Green Room has an 11am-7pm breakfast. That's my kind of timing. I've never had a problem with the service during the day. (They're a bit numerically limited on tap, though: Upper Canada Lager/Dark/Anniversary, Creemore, and (I think) Steam Whistle.) Also, with its decor as the backdrop, we'd run away with the 2004 Best Meetup Pictures Award.

While we're throwing out suggestions, The Duke chain is a little cheesy, but the Duke of York has a good selection on tap, and good eats.

I think somebody also mentioned the Granite Brewery. (Guess I'm just in the mood for fresh beer.)
posted by DrJohnEvans at 6:59 PM on December 4, 2004


Krunk, I like the Sonny's Grilled Cheese at Grapefruit Moon. I don't find the service bad (they're attentive) but the cooking is pretty slow going.

I love the Vesta about as much as one can love a place like that. I pretty much go there after any concert.

And yeah, I've mentioned Insomnia many times in past pieces. I used to go there a lot. Not as much these days, though.

Azul used to have my favorite brunch in the city but I understand they're not doing it anymore or changing names/owners/something.
posted by dobbs at 9:03 PM on December 4, 2004


I like the Only's breakfast - the banana bread with walnuts French toast with fresh fruit is the grooviest breakfast I've had. Danforth and Donlands, north side. (Impressive beer selection, too, and neat photos on the walls.) The best buffet brunch I've had has been the Hot House at Church and Front.

I'm working the Saturday and the Sunday. I might be able to step out for a couple of pints on the Saturday evening.
Metafilter had previous success meeting at Dora Keogh along The Danny. No cover, no queues, nice selection of beer. They've got a snug. And no televisions.
posted by philfromhavelock at 10:07 PM on December 4, 2004


Can I completely derail this thread and ask where I can get a poutine in the Annex? And don't say Burger King! I've been here 6 months and have yet to have one -- what am I supposed to eat after a night of drinking? Pizza Pizza? Blech. Ghazale's is good, but not so easy on the stomach.
posted by krunk at 8:28 AM on December 5, 2004


Be wary of the Green Room. A friend ordered a grilled eggplant sandwich there that came with a free roach (not the fun kind) sitting, nay lurking, under the bread. I scrambled out just as he was going to take his first bite.

I like the hole-in-the-wall atmosphere there, but sometimes the atmosphere crawls just a bit too realistically.

The beer can be a bit warm sometimes, but otherwise, I'm in. Last exam is on the 20th, but don't change times to fit around me. I'll try and make it whenever.

It's also just a few blocks from my house.
posted by dazed_one at 9:36 AM on December 5, 2004


krunk;

I really dislike the restaurant, but my roommate tells me Mel's (bloor, east of bathurst) has good poutine (they put montreal smoked meat on top of it).

Are noob's allowed coming =) ? The Green Room is okay, the service is god-awful, but it is oh so close to home. What about the Joyce or Sneaky Dee's? Or if you want the worst draught of your life - Bistro 422?
posted by helvetica at 11:33 AM on December 5, 2004


Mel's is great, but it can get really, really busy.

The Red Room is also good. Same genre and proprietorship as the Green Room, but a little less roachy. Also a lot easier to find for anyone who hasn't been.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 12:34 PM on December 5, 2004


apparently all Toronto mefites live within a block of each other, somewhere in the Annex.

I don't think I can make it after the 18th, so have fun, kids.

ps. red room rulez.
posted by krunk at 1:08 PM on December 5, 2004


Hey, that proximity got this question answered for me.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 1:26 PM on December 5, 2004


So, for those at U of T, have you checked out utoronto.thefacebook.com?

I think (considering we all live a block from each other) that we should start using AskMe as a resource for learning about all the great Torontonian stuff that goes on outside our respective windows.
posted by Gnatcho at 1:54 PM on December 5, 2004


ask.toronto.people.to.look.out.their.windows.metafilter.com
posted by DrJohnEvans at 2:13 PM on December 5, 2004


.... except when I look out the windows of my apartment in the bowels of North York I don't see anything worth looking at.....

I'm going to plan on going. Can't be much help in terms of deciding on a gathering place, but I'm definitely up for meeting you all. All I ask is that it's someplace relatively quiet so we can actually hear one another when we talk.
posted by orange swan at 3:44 PM on December 5, 2004


is it raining right now?

And how are we going to do this? I have a pretty good list of toronto mefites in my userprofile, listed as neighbors. That's a pretty good email list. Let me know what's going on!
posted by joelf at 4:53 PM on December 5, 2004


I won't be able to make it. Was just throwing out location suggestions.
posted by dobbs at 6:41 PM on December 5, 2004


Red room has crappy brunch, but it's around the corner from me, so I can't really complain if it gets the go-ahead.

Maybe someone should set up an online questionnaire. Location, date and time with most votes is the winner...

Insomnia has great chocolate/banana pancakes, but it will take you an hour to get your cheque at the end of the meal.. I don't go there anymore because the service is so slow I feel myself aging as I wait.
posted by Ms Snit at 8:13 PM on December 5, 2004


Hmm. Weird. Never had to wait for a bill at in Insomnia. I find the service excellent all around. The pancakes take a LONNNG time to come though as they're baked (as opposed to fried). Worth the wait though... if you don't want the Heaven on Earth.
posted by dobbs at 8:36 PM on December 5, 2004


The last time people were talking about meeting up in Toronto/Montreal, I set up a mailing list. It doesn't get used much, but it's there, if you'd like to use it.
posted by mcwetboy at 6:57 AM on December 6, 2004


I'd like someplace with Guinness on draught cheap. Second option: someplace with Guinness on draught, cheap or no.
posted by Shane at 4:40 PM on December 6, 2004


Ok my user page has an extensive list of toronto mefits all marked as neighbor. That would make a decent start for a mailing list. Would anyone like me to arrange this?

Why do I get the feeling we Canadians can't even organize a pissup in a brewery?
posted by joelf at 10:59 PM on December 6, 2004


Heh.

I'm entirely occupied all day on the 19th, so I definitely vote for the evening of the 18th.

It seems that our requirements are:

1) BEER, a good selection of, and better be on tap.
2) Decent food.
3) BEER.
4) Nice atmos.
5) BEER.

I'd like to add, preferably not terribly expensive.

My vote would be for The Bishop & Belcher, on Queen West. It's easy as pie to get to (10 mins walk from Osgoode station, or Queen car, or parking right across the street at Queen & John), there's a pretty decent beer selection, food's not overly expensive (and is bloody good).

Also, they have Scrabble. And Trivial Pursuit cardsets on every table.

I'll copy this to the email list.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 5:07 AM on December 7, 2004


Add me, joelf? I'm just on the other side of Lake Erie, but you won't find me listed as a neighbor in your profile. argybarple@gmail.com

Thanks!
posted by Shane at 6:41 AM on December 7, 2004


I would love to go but I won't around except between the 20th and Jan 1.
posted by srboisvert at 12:04 PM on December 7, 2004


Ha. I am not a Torontonian but will be there the weekend of the 18th so I might be able to drop by.
posted by zadcat at 4:17 PM on December 7, 2004


Apparently we're meeting at three different times in seven different places. Good luck!
posted by DrJohnEvans at 7:39 PM on December 7, 2004


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