Happy Saturday! For me it's a happy and sad Saturday. Today we are leaving Toronto to head back home to Los Angeles for T's summer break from filming his television show. I have been super stoked to head back home, not going to lie (and no offense to Toronto), but now that that day is here I am actually kind of sad. We recently redid our Toronto condo, and now that it's so perfectly homey I don't want to leave it. I have been coming back and forth to Toronto ever since August 2013 when T first began filming his show. Since I am here so often, I am often asked where are some of my favorite spots around the city. To be honest took me a while to begin to open up and explore Toronto (when I was suffering bouts of depression a year ago I became a severe agoraphobic - you couldn't even get me to go to the grocery store). But it's almost two years later and I now have all these incredible, favorite spots that I would be so happy to share with my readers if they are planning a trip to Toronto! Below I have listed some of my favorite restaurants in LA plus my favorite bookstore and the best tourist attraction. Favorite Pancakes Mildred's Temple Kitchen I've spent my past two birthday celebrations here for a reason - I am a breakfast food fanatic and these blueberry pancakes are AMAZING. Of course the stack is sometimes bigger than my face and I need help finishing them, but they are perfectly fluffy. I tend to order my maple syrup on the side since it normally comes on the pancakes already. I wish they offered these pancakes with chocolate chips, too, as well as blueberries! Favorite Sushi JaBistro This is probably my favorite restaurant in Toronto. One of T's costars researched "best sushi restaurants in Toronto" and this one popped up, so we tried it and we fell in love. It is NOT traditional North American sushi which makes it all the more appealing. My favorite dishes are the ebi oshizushi (blow-torched shrimp sushi in an awesome sauce), ebi nanban (deep fried shrimp in an epic tartar sauce), and tori nanban (fried chicken in tartar sauce but the best part of this dish is honestly the fresh cabbage underneath - AMAZING!). Favorite Burgers The Good Son & Soho House I had to start eating meat again a few months ago for health reasons (I was a pescetarian for over two years), but I only eat it here and there. I only eat beef and chicken - no pork, ham, bacon, lamb, or veal and occasionally turkey - and it took me a while to eat my first beef burger again. So far in Toronto, my favorite burgers have been at both The Good Son and Soho House. Although Soho House requires a membership to enter, The Good Son does not. Both are incredibly delicious and fresh. The Good Son makes their own cheddar cheese in house for the burger and they serve it with a homemade Russian dressing. Soho House's burger is a traditional burger but it's done incredibly well and your plate comes with all the extras on the side - lettuce, tomato, onions, etc - to build your own burger. Favorite Pizza Gusto 101 & The Good Son I am SUPER picky about my pizza (I have yet to find an amazing pizza in LA and I have lived there for five years) because I am half Italian AND from New Jersey. Both Gusto 101 and The Good Son serve margherita pizza and both are my favorites in the city - so far. Gusto 101's pizza is served with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil on a thin crust, and it's baked in a woodfire oven. It's what I always get when I go there to eat. The Good Son's pizza has a bit more tomato sauce and cheese and no basil, but it tastes incredible. I am not normally into greasy foods, but The Good Son's pizza has the perfect "pizza grease" that makes it addicting. Favorite Italian Terroni There are two Terroni restaurants in Toronto (and there's even one back home in LA) - one on Queen St and one on Adelaide St. They have one of the best pasta menus in the city, and as an Italian girl myself I am all about pasta! They also usually feature fresh burrata in their weekly specials and, even though I am lactose intolerant, I LOVE burrata! They serve it with fresh, lightly toasted bread lightly sprinkled with olive oil alongside a bowl of fresh cherry tomatoes and basil. Their wine list changes almost daily, but they always have incredible choices of fine Italian wine. Favorite bookstore TYPE I am a bookworm, so finding a bookstore was on the "Priorities list" when I came to Toronto. This cute little bookstore across from Trinity Bellwoods features a whole cooking section which is right up my alley. They also have an incredible selection of art books. If you are searching for perfect coffee table or kitchen books, I highly suggest this place. Favorite way to scare my family (and see the city) CN Tower EDGEWALK Even T is surprised he successfully got me to try this daredevil experience at Toronto's famed CN Tower. It's not for anyone who has a severe phobia of heights, but it's also a way to truly test yourself! I normally am super scared of heights (not too scared that I would consider it a phobia) but you only live once and it gives you the best bird's eye view of southern Ontario and Lake Ontario. Edgewalk is where you get to walk along the edge of one of the highest points of the CN Tower - outside. Don't worry, you're hooked up to some of the strongest cables in the world. But when your guide asks you to squat over the edge of the tower you may start to question that - but it's all worth it! Favorite Shopping Jonathan+Olivia , ZANE, and Oak + Fort If you're in need of a quick fashion fix, I highly recommend those three stores. All conveniently located near Queen Street, these stores are my go-to's when I need a refresher in my wardrobe or a new key item. Jonathan+Olivia always has a big sale rack of Helmut & Lang, Acne Studios, Isabel Marant, and Current/Elliot. They also have an excellent men's selection (T is a huge fan). ZANE features some of the best designers in accessories such as Rebecca Minkoff, Mackage, Eugenia Kim, and Brixton. Oak + Fort is a lot like Zara only a bit more upscale and a bit more luxurious in their designs. There's still a lot more of Toronto to see and explore, and thankfully T's show has another whole season to film so we will be back in several months. I'm sure I will be adding to this list after the end of next year with my latest favorites of Toronto.

Happy Saturday! For me it’s a happy and sad Saturday. Today we are leaving Toronto to head back home to Los Angeles for T’s summer break from filming his television show. I have been super stoked to head back home, not going to lie (and no offense to Toronto), but now that that day is here I am actually kind of sad. We recently redid our Toronto condo, and now that it’s so perfectly homey I don’t want to leave it.

I have been coming back and forth to Toronto ever since August 2013 when T first began filming his show. Since I am here so often, I am often asked where are some of my favorite spots around the city. To be honest took me a while to begin to open up and explore Toronto (when I was suffering bouts of depression a year ago I became a severe agoraphobic – you couldn’t even get me to go to the grocery store). But it’s almost two years later and I now have all these incredible, favorite spots that I would be so happy to share with my readers if they are planning a trip to Toronto! Below I have listed some of my favorite restaurants in LA plus my favorite bookstore and the best tourist attraction.

Favorite Pancakes
Mildred’s Temple Kitchen

I’ve spent my past two birthday celebrations here for a reason – I am a breakfast food fanatic and these blueberry pancakes are AMAZING. Of course the stack is sometimes bigger than my face and I need help finishing them, but they are perfectly fluffy. I tend to order my maple syrup on the side since it normally comes on the pancakes already. I wish they offered these pancakes with chocolate chips, too, as well as blueberries!

Favorite Sushi
JaBistro

This is probably my favorite restaurant in Toronto. One of T’s costars researched “best sushi restaurants in Toronto” and this one popped up, so we tried it and we fell in love. It is NOT traditional North American sushi which makes it all the more appealing. My favorite dishes are the ebi oshizushi (blow-torched shrimp sushi in an awesome sauce), ebi nanban (deep fried shrimp in an epic tartar sauce), and tori nanban (fried chicken in tartar sauce but the best part of this dish is honestly the fresh cabbage underneath – AMAZING!).

Favorite Burgers
The Good Son & Soho House

I had to start eating meat again a few months ago for health reasons (I was a pescetarian for over two years), but I only eat it here and there. I only eat beef and chicken – no pork, ham, bacon, lamb, or veal and occasionally turkey – and it took me a while to eat my first beef burger again. So far in Toronto, my favorite burgers have been at both The Good Son and Soho House. Although Soho House requires a membership to enter, The Good Son does not. Both are incredibly delicious and fresh. The Good Son makes their own cheddar cheese in house for the burger and they serve it with a homemade Russian dressing. Soho House’s burger is a traditional burger but it’s done incredibly well and your plate comes with all the extras on the side – lettuce, tomato, onions, etc – to build your own burger.

Favorite Pizza
Gusto 101 & The Good Son

I am SUPER picky about my pizza (I have yet to find an amazing pizza in LA and I have lived there for five years) because I am half Italian AND from New Jersey. Both Gusto 101 and The Good Son serve margherita pizza and both are my favorites in the city – so far. Gusto 101’s pizza is served with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil on a thin crust, and it’s baked in a woodfire oven. It’s what I always get when I go there to eat. The Good Son’s pizza has a bit more tomato sauce and cheese and no basil, but it tastes incredible. I am not normally into greasy foods, but The Good Son’s pizza has the perfect “pizza grease” that makes it addicting.

Favorite Italian
Terroni

There are two Terroni restaurants in Toronto (and there’s even one back home in LA) – one on Queen St and one on Adelaide St. They have one of the best pasta menus in the city, and as an Italian girl myself I am all about pasta! They also usually feature fresh burrata in their weekly specials and, even though I am lactose intolerant, I LOVE burrata! They serve it with fresh, lightly toasted bread lightly sprinkled with olive oil alongside a bowl of fresh cherry tomatoes and basil. Their wine list changes almost daily, but they always have incredible choices of fine Italian wine.

Favorite bookstore
TYPE

I am a bookworm, so finding a bookstore was on the “Priorities list” when I came to Toronto. This cute little bookstore across from Trinity Bellwoods features a whole cooking section which is right up my alley. They also have an incredible selection of art books. If you are searching for perfect coffee table or kitchen books, I highly suggest this place.

Favorite way to scare my family (and see the city)
CN Tower EDGEWALK

Even T is surprised he successfully got me to try this daredevil experience at Toronto’s famed CN Tower. It’s not for anyone who has a severe phobia of heights, but it’s also a way to truly test yourself! I normally am super scared of heights (not too scared that I would consider it a phobia) but you only live once and it gives you the best bird’s eye view of southern Ontario and Lake Ontario. Edgewalk is where you get to walk along the edge of one of the highest points of the CN Tower – outside. Don’t worry, you’re hooked up to some of the strongest cables in the world. But when your guide asks you to squat over the edge of the tower you may start to question that – but it’s all worth it!

Favorite Shopping
Jonathan+Olivia , ZANE, and Oak + Fort

If you’re in need of a quick fashion fix, I highly recommend those three stores. All conveniently located near Queen Street, these stores are my go-to’s when I need a refresher in my wardrobe or a new key item. Jonathan+Olivia always has a big sale rack of Helmut & Lang, Acne Studios, Isabel Marant, and Current/Elliot. They also have an excellent men’s selection (T is a huge fan). ZANE features some of the best designers in accessories such as Rebecca Minkoff, Mackage, Eugenia Kim, and Brixton. Oak + Fort is a lot like Zara only a bit more upscale and a bit more luxurious in their designs.

There’s still a lot more of Toronto to see and explore, and thankfully T’s show has another whole season to film so we will be back in several months. I’m sure I will be adding to this list after the end of next year with my latest favorites of Toronto.