We asked eight creative Torontonians to invite Mom to their side of the city and give her a tour of the best cafés, boutiques and restaurants that their neighbourhoods have to offer.
Sangita Patel: Brunch in high park
Brunch at the Grenadier Cafe in High Park has become a Mother’s Day tradition for our family. We’ll follow that up with a visit to the Adventure Park and maybe a walk through the gorgeous trails in the area. Now that Mom lives closer to St. Clair, we tend to eat a lot more gelato. We’ll head up to her neighbourhood for Dutch Dreams. Then we’ll pop over to the original California Sandwiches on Claremont Street. We went there as kids, and I still go back for the veal sandwich. Mom is a vegetarian and loves the eggplant one.
Sangita Patel is a reporter for ET Canada and host of HGTV Canada’s Home To Win.
Charles Vandervaart: Biking by the lake
Mom and I call the Distillery District home when I’m shooting The Stanley Dynamic. For a Mother’s Day treat, I would take her to her favourite spots. Breakfast would have to be at Le Petit Déjeuner on King Street, followed by a cup of coffee at Balzac’s. Then we could work off the calories with a bike ride along Lakes-hore starting at Sugar Beach or maybe even a kayak on Lake Ontario. I’d also love to take my mom to a play at Soulpepper. To finish off the day, we would get a meal at Lil’ Baci on Queen Street East.
Charles Vandervaart is the star of YTV’s The Stanley Dynamic.
Jessica Holmes: High tea at the Old Mill
I live in the west end and my dream Mother’s Day with my mom would start with a walk in High Park. The trees are just starting to bud this time of year. Then we’d go up to Bloor Street for a pedicure at one of the 20 places there, totally cheap and campy. And finally we’d go to the Old Mill spa and restaurant for high tea. You drink a bottomless pot of herbal tea and have finger sandwiches and the best scones in the world with thick cream. It’s pricey, so you have to really love your mom before you make a reservation.
Jessica Holmes is a wellness coach and comedian known for The Royal Canadian Air Farce.
Ted Dykstra: A day on the Danforth
My family would take my mom, Oma as we call her, to Grumbels Deli & Baked Goods at Main and Danforth. They serve authentic Austrian fare, and the place is loaded with European knick-knacks that my mom would love. We would then head over to Evergreen Brick Works for a good long walk, maybe stopping at the Red Rocket for some coffees. Dinner would be at the Magic Oven where our friends Tony and Abby would make sure we had everything we wanted. Then off to the Coal Mine Theatre next door to see what’s on!
Actor, writer and director Ted Dykstra is the founding artistic curator of the Coal Mine Theatre.
Annie Murphy: A Junction jaunt
My Mother’s Day agenda in the Junction would start at Full Stop for coffee and people-watching. We’ll likely spot many aspiring screenwriters killing it on Facebook and many mothers with yogurt-faced babies. Then we’ll head to the Beau and Bauble to shop for some cute things like jewellery, weird gifts and fun clothes. Next up, the Hole in the Wall for some very, very delicious cocktails and a piece of the most insane key lime pie you’ll ever eat. Honest Weight for an after-pie dinner of incredible seafood. The menu changes almost daily depending on what they have in.
Annie Murphy stars in CBC’s Schiit’s Creek.
Chloe Charles: Strolling in Bellwoods
My mom lives in Lindsay, Ont. It’s a small town, so whenever she comes to visit me, we go for long walks in Trinity Bellwoods Park by my place. She has this huge dog, it’s a Belgian shepherd mix and looks like a wolf, so hanging out in the park is ideal. For a Mother’s Day breakfast, I would take her to Saving Grace on Dundas West. She would definitely enjoy that place. Then we’d finish off the day strolling in and out of all the unique places in Kensington Market. We like hanging out there when she’s in town.
‘With Blindfolds On’, the new album from Chloe Charles is available for pre-order on iTunes.
Randal Edwards: Dining in the Distillery
We would start by grabbing a delicious almond croissant from Brick Street Bakery and a coffee from Balzac’s and sit out in the sun people-watching in the Distillery. We’d pop into the Thompson Landry Gallery to check out the latest exhibit, then snag a seat on the El Catrin patio for a margarita and some fresh guacamole. We’d finish up there just in time to sneak into whatever incredible show is on at Soulpepper Theatre. Post-show we’d end our day with a late dinner at Pure Spirits Oyster House. Nothing says Mother’s Day like oysters on the half shell.
Actor Randal Edwards is known for Package Deal.
Kate Drummond: Best bites in the Beach
I live in the Beach, so the number one place I would take my mom is for a walk along the boardwalk with my dog Jackson. We would then make our way to the Remarkable Bean on Queen Street. It’s got the best gluten-free pastries ever. There we could get a coffee and maybe a sandwich, and we would end off at Ed’s Real Scoop. My favourite scoops are the raspberry and lemon sorbet in a waffle cone, but Mom does more of a pralines and cream or a heavenly hash combination.
Kate Drummond stars in the Flower Shop Mystery movie series on the W Network.
