An Inaugural Post.

from the brain of someone who definitely doesn’t have a content plan (yet)

May 08, 2025

Hey, hi. Welcome to my Substack!

I figured I’d kick things off with a post about Toronto—my hometown. Some of you (or none of you) might be asking yourselves - what is your Substack going to be about? Great question. Your guess is honestly as good as mine.

I’m fully flying by the seat of my pants here—but I can tell you a few things I’m obsessed with (in no particular order):

Food (especially of the Gluten Free variety)
Travel (read: city guides)
Clothes (mainly dupes - I like what I like!)
Music (I will be sharing some playlists because I work hard on these, and I’m not open to feedback!)
TV and Movies that critics hated but I consider ~flawless~

Think of this newsletter as the group chat where you drop unhinged thoughts, unfiltered recs, and strong opinions on pop culture no one asked for—but you share anyway.

So more on Toronto….

People (under 5 people) kept asking me for recommendations when they would come to town, and I would continuously find myself stumped like I hadn’t lived there for literally 35 years. So I started an Apple Maps List (yes, I use this). I will not subject you to the 133 places I’ve listed (but I’ll send it to you if you ask me for it), so for now - let’s just hit my food/drink highlights. Keep in mind, I haven’t lived in Toronto for 1.5 years, but to me — these spots are timeless.

Manita A Toronto staple that is pretty perfect in every day for breakfast, lunch & dinner. They also opened a 2nd location uptown last year that is equally perfect. No notes.

Taverne Bernhardt’s This is, hands down, my favorite restaurant in Toronto. No contest. If you’re Canadian, you’ll get it when I say Bernhardt’s is like Swiss Chalet after a glow-up. But listen—it’s not just the food (which speaks for itself). It’s the whole scene: this hunky, low-key little spot plopped in the middle of a sleepy residential neighborhood. Cozy, confident, an 11/10 vibe overall.

Bar Bowie As far as cocktail bars go, also zero notes here. It’s slightly hidden — in a way that makes it feel more exclusive than it is — under a Laundromat at Dundas and Ossington. Flawless cocktails, flawless vibe. Whatever, it’s great!

The Little Jerry I do believe that, somehow, not everyone knows about Little Jerry. I’ll be honest - the food is objectively NOT for me, cause I’m a picky woman, but that’s not what you’re here for. Very, incredibly, undeniably cool vibe, records playing, great drinks. Overall, it’s a yes.

Dotty’s Another one that, without sounding like a broken record, is pretty close to perfect. Coming from a GF girlie, the fact that this place has an outstanding burger with a GF option for a bun - too much for my heart! Go here.

Le Swan #1 place is suggest to anyone going to Toronto, full stop. And that’s saying a lot because their gluten free options are few and far between, but I don’t even care. I make it work because you’ve never been to a cuter restaurant with a more thoughtful menu with no skips.