Taste of the Danforth

This weekend Toronto celebrated its annual Taste of the Danforth, a Greek themed festival that is on the Danforth (a street that is mostly populated by the Greek community).  This year the Taste of the Danforth was sponsored by Pilaros and ran from August 6^th to 8th 2010.  Every year this festival attracts thousands of people to come and enjoy Greek culture by listening to live music and enjoying delicious food.  With every year this festival has grown and has become more diverse by including other cultures as well such Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Americana (hamburgers), Italian, and others.

My favorite part of the Taste of the Danforth with no surprise is the food.  My mouth always waters when I think of the day I will finally be able to eat a chicken souvlaki on a pita with tomatoes, onions, and extra tzatziki (you lika da juice?).  Other delicious foods to try out as well are the gyros, calamari, Spanish paella, fresh oysters, and ribs (the list can go on and on).  For desert you must try the baklava, Galactoboureko, Karidopitta, and then wash it all down with freshly made lemonade.

As for the price of most foods, they’re pretty average not too expensive but also not a great deal.  Almost all souvlaki pitas were around $5, meat on a stick was $3, pop cans a $1, and corn on the cob $3.  A couple of hours roaming around the Danforth and eating can really burn a hole in your wallet.  Still the chance to enjoy a beautiful summer’s day in Toronto while eating amazing food and enjoying such a peaceful and friendly atmosphere is worth every penny.  This is the reason why I keep coming back every year.

The Taste of the Danforth:
http://www.tasteofthedanforth.com/tasteofthedanforth.php

Island Way Sorbet

It’s the middle of summer here in Canada and what better way to enjoy the days than with some great ice cream.  This year I am smitten with Island Way Sorbet, an ice cream or rather a sorbet that is made with fruit flavours and comes in a fruit shell.  The box I bought was purchased at CostCo and comes with 4 different flavours.  You can also buy the sorbet individually at certain malls that carry their carts, but they are a little more expensive.

The flavors included in my box are 3 Mango Orange (in an orange skin shell), 3 Lemon (lemon skin shell), 2 Pineapple (pineapple shell), and 2 Piña Colada (coconut shell).  Other flavours that Island Way sorbet comes in are Passion-Orange, Heavenly Coconut, Green Apple, and Delicious Red Apple.  Although the sorbet isn’t diet food, it is still lighter (more than half) than most fatty ice cream you can find at a supermarket.

So it’s pretty much guilt-free ice cream.  My favorite flavour out of the 4 would have to be the pineapple because it is so creamy and yet hits you with this sweet pineapple taste.  I also love how when you’re done eating it, you’re left with this empty pineapple shell and not some Styrofoam cup that you can’t recycle.  This is a wonderful treat if you’re looking to cool down this summer (or at anytime), and I recommend you try it out when you see it.

Island Way Sorbet:

http://www.islandwaysorbet.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2agcqM3Sszg

Nike Air Max 90 Infrared 2010 Retro

A brief history of Nike Air Max

The Air Max series from Nike was first introduced in 1987 with the Air Max 1.  Although the Air unit for sneakers was invented by Frank Ruby, its research and perfection came with the help of Nike men such as Rob Strasser, Jeff Johnson and Del Hayes in the late 70’s.  The first Nike sneakers to feature the technology were the Tailwinds in 1978.  Although the actual Air unit never exploded, the shoes were a disaster for Nike because the material used to make them was coming apart.  Luckily Nike kept using the technology in certain sneakers, and these sneakers were met with success.  Unfortunately by the mid 80’s Nike was losing its place as top sneaker brand to Reebok, and so by 1985 Rob Strasser acknowledge that Nike needed a new look.  With the help of Peter Moore, Strasser decided to once again focus on Air technology.  Moore then asked Tinker Hatfield, to design an upper for a sneaker that would feature a visible Air unit and the result was the Air Max 1.  Tinker took inspiration for its design from the George Pompidou centre in Paris.  What made the Air Max so special was that it combined a visible Air window that you could see through, and that the unit carried the maximum amount of air that could be put into a sneaker.  Lamentably Strasser and Moore left Nike soon after, and the next Air Max design was left in the hands of Hatfield.

Air Max 90

The third generation of Air Max, now known as the Air Max 90 was first released in 1990.  On Saturday, July 24^th, 2010 Nike re-released this classic in its most popular colorway, Infrared.  In Canada retail for this retro sneaker was $124.99 while in the U.S. they were only $94.99.  The colors used on this sneaker are white, cement grey, black and infrared.  The upper uses a mesh material, the overlay has a fabric that is similar to felt, and the mudguard uses synthetic leather.  The sneaker is also accented with plastic rubber patches around the lace holes and heel.

A feature that I like about this sneaker is how smooth the bottom sole feels like when you touch it, almost as smooth as vinyl toys.  The 2010 Infrareds have a lot of cushioning in them which is why I had to get a half size bigger.  Although this retro for 2010 was a limited release, they weren’t that difficult to get (no need to line up for them).  They also came in an all brown box that Nike has been using for about a year now, that is highlighted with various past Nike logos.

As far as comfort is concerned, these are just the best thing to wear on your feet.  They are so comfortable and they feel like your walking on air (pun intended).  I don’t have any criticisms for this sneaker since it is a retro but I would say that the laces could be a little thicker, and that the upper mesh material isn’t as breathable as current contemporary models.  Other than that, these are a must buy for anyone that loves and appreciates Nike running shoes.  I intended to celebrate the unofficial 20^th anniversary of this model by wearing it as much as possible.

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beIVKmlaVMM

M&M’s Pretzel

This year M&M’s introduced Pretzel M&M’s.  Although most people wouldn’t think that chocolate goes with pretzels (especially because they are salty), I really thought it was a good idea.  The reason for this is because I had chocolate covered pretzels a long time ago and they tasted really good.  For some reason chocolate pairs nicely with salt, because they accentuate the flavor of each other.

I’ve also found that as I’ve gotten older I have started to like many foods that I didn’t like as a child, such as mint and dark chocolate.  But I must say M&M’s hit the jackpot with this new candy.  To begin with, I couldn’t find them anywhere because they were sold out everywhere I looked.  Luckily I did find a store that had some left and I was able to buy a few bags.  The candies themselves look like any other M&M’s candy because they are covered in those bright colors, and are round.  As mentioned before, although the pretzel is salty, it being covered in chocolate and candy really work together to make this a tasty treat.  Since the pretzel is also hard, it gives you a nice crunch every time you bite into it.  I love this new candy and can’t wait to have it again.

M&M’s:

www.m-ms.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moH3gzE5gOg