JEWISH CONNECTION: The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has a vibrant and growing Jewish community of over 180,000 people. At last count, there were some 118 synagogues. In the downtown area you will find the First Narayever Congregation (http://www.narayever.com) at 187 Brunswick Ave, just a few steps north of Harbord Street. This is described as a warm and welcoming traditional-egalitarian synagogue. Rabbi Ed Elkin has been the spiritual leader since 2000. “I was drawn by the Narayever’s combination of traditional davening and observance, and a strong commitment to egalitarianism and tikkun olam,” he says. “It feels hard to believe that I am now entering my third decade as the rabbi of this wonderful community. This period has seen much growth and change.”
The Annex Shul (https://www.annexshul.com/about), based at the Wolfond Centre on Harbord Street, is another congregation serving the downtown area. Its motto is “Come as you are, make it yours,” exemplifying an approach to building community. They have a musical, feminist, queer-inclusive, multi-denominational minyan, and they encourage everyone in the community to play an active role in their davening. Patrons come from diverse backgrounds, so while services are based on a traditional framework and use traditional liturgy, they encourage conversation and questions, and often pause to reflect on the meaning of a particular phrase or idea incorporated into the prayers.
Rabbi Mendel and Chanie Chaikin opened Chabad of Downtown (https://jewishdt.com), at 15A Clarence Square, in 2006 to recharge and energize the Downtown Jewish community and infuse it with the warmth of Judaism and the Torah. Chabad of Downtown hosts over 200 visitors each year. Whether you are visiting Toronto for work or on vacation, they would love to have you
City Shul (https://www.cityshul.com/), located at 30 Stephanie Street. represents a group of downtown Jews who have created a welcoming, inclusive, innovative, spiritual congregation whose goal is to enrich the downtown Toronto Jewish community and to enliven downtown Jewish life both personally and communally. This is a reform synagogue.
Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza in Toronto. It forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street. Nathan Phillips QC (November 7, 1892 – January 7, 1976) was a Canadian politician who served as the 53rd mayor of Toronto from 1955 to 1962. A lawyer by training, he was first elected to Toronto City Council in 1926. He was the city’s first Jewish mayor, ending an unbroken string of Protestant mayors.
LOTS TO DO: It is almost impossible to be bored in Toronto. With its array of permanent and temporary attractions, live performances, major league sports, and the fantastic food scene, you will never run out of things to do.
This summer, I spent a month in downtown Toronto, which was chock-full of entertainment, including a visit to an outdoor pool, some excellent dinners, a concert at Rogers Centre, a play at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, a trip to Toronto Island, and much more.
THE RADISSON BLU: While I did not stay at a hotel while visiting Toronto, I did have the chance to visit the Radisson Blu. With the weather being so warm during my stay, I looked into the options for swimming in the city, and came across the Radisson Blu’s rooftop pool, which allows visitors to the city to purchase day passes.
The Radisson Blu Toronto Downtown is conveniently located at 249 Queens Quay West, which is just steps away from the Toronto Harbour and around a five-minute drive from the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Pool Day Passes can be booked via OpenTable. They are $65 per person plus applicable taxes and fees, which includes in/out privileges, towels, and service right at your seat. Arrival time is noon and it remains open until 10pm. For hotel guests, of course, there are no fees associated with going to the pool.
My day at the pool was incredibly relaxing. The water was warm, and I was treated to views of the harbour on one side, and a picturesque view of the CN Tower on the other side. The pool menu features a variety of cocktails and cold beer, as well as snacks and meals that you can enjoy poolside. Options include salads, flatbreads, charcuterie, burgers, bowls, and an array of desserts. I personally enjoyed the all-beef hotdog, which came with several fun accoutrements, and a peach bellini.
The Radisson Blu Downtown Toronto is part of the Silver Hotel Group (www.silverhotelgroup.com), a leading Canadian privately owned hotel investment, development, and management company, with properties in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia.
Log on to the following website for more information: https://www.radissonhotelsamericas.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-blu-toronto
JABISTRO: Looking for some fresh, delicious sushi? JaBistro (https://www.jabistro.com) is a contemporary take on traditional Japanese fine dining, where the dishes are, in a sense, treated like works of art. JaBistro opened its doors in November 2012 in Toronto’s Entertainment District, welcoming guests into its warm and chic space.
Located mere blocks away from the popular Nathan Phillips Square, the modern and sleek restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating. During our visit, my travel partner and I sat on their lovely outdoor patio, which had a nice aesthetic and a dedicated bar. We started with the Yuzu Sunrise and Sakura Cocktail drinks, and then went ahead to share several dishes off the menu. The nigiri platter offered us a taste of the chef’s top recommended fish of the day, with each piece tasting better than the one before. Other highlights included the salmon oshizushi, the Jabistroll (the one true maki on the menu), and the Gindara, which is grilled black cod with saikyo miso. Indeed, the restaurant is probably best known for their aburi sushi, with a multitude of different options on the menu, including ebi (shrimp), saba (cured mackerel), hotate (scallop), and wagyu (beef). While we went with an à la carte option for our meal, guests can also choose from various prix fixe options, both at lunchtime and at dinnertime.
JaBistro is part of the Kinka Family, which was founded in 2009 and features a diverse portfolio of restaurants and cafés across Canada and in Japan. You can learn more at www.kinkafamily.com.
CIBO WINE BAR: There are three Cibo Wine Bar locations in Toronto: 522 King Street West, 2472 Yonge Street and 133 Yorkville Avenue. We were lucky enough to enjoy a delicious meal on the patio on King Street.
This Italian restaurant and wine bar, created by the Liberty Entertainment Group (www.libertygroup.com), offers traditional Italian fare in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. The menu offers guests a true taste of Italian cuisine, featuring both traditional classics and modern staples. Like the food, the space itself is warm and inviting with stone and glass walls, rustic wood finishes, exposed brick, and butcher block tabletop.
Everything here is prepared under the watchful eye of executive chef Laura Petracca, who has been passionate about cooking since an early age. She began by making meatballs and gnocchi with her mother, fettuccine with her nonna, and honing her skills in the kitchen with the foods of her Italian heritage, including an “unforgettable” risotto, which I can confirm was, in my opinion, the highlight of the menu. She worked in multiple kitchens throughout her teens and at the age of 22, she graduated from the Culinary Arts Program at Humber College in Toronto.
During our visit, we were treated to small portions of all of the menu highlights. We started off with the grilled whole calamari, the Mediterranean clams + muscles, which is prepared in a parma broth with crispy shallots and chives, and the funghi dish, which was a delicious combination of grilled portobello, oyster, and cremini mushrooms served with extra-virgin olive oil and truffled balsamic vinegar. For our primi course, we tasted two decadent risottos (the sundried tomato and almost pesto risotto, as well as the porcini mushroom risotto topped with truffle oil. We also got to taste the incredible gnocchi topped with rosé sauce. For our secondi course, we shared the grilled striploin with lobster compound butter. Other options for this course, which also sounded fantastic, include the pollo parmigiana and the branzino. For dessert, we shared a very authentic-tasting tiramisu.
By Alexandra Cohen
