Return from Toronto!

Thanks to the efforts of the wonderful Kay Radtke and all the great people at Applause Theatre and Cinema Books (especially my friend, editor and publisher, Michael Messina), I just spent three glorious days in Toronto. I was there to tape three (count 'em, three!) segments for TVOntario's popular "Saturday Night at the Movies," and that part of the trip went very well.

This was my first visit to Toronto, and an incredible experience all together. It's one lovely town, and a city you can walk easily, so my wife Kathryn and I spent a lot of time on our feet, hoofing around the metropolis. We ate at great restaurants, visited the Kensington and St. Lawrence Markets, spent time at the Toronto Film Festival, and even got to take in a few flicks. It was a great time.

But, of course, pictures tell the story better than words, so I'm posting a few views of Toronto from our trip.

Above: two glimpses of the Toronto Skyline, and in particular, (in the distance...) the impressive CN Tower, Canada's National Tower and a "Wonder of the Modern World." This construction, "The World's Tallest Building" stands an amazing 1,815 ft and 5 inches high (or 553.33 metres, to get all Canadian with you.). It's beautiful isn't it?

Above (Left): Kathryn stands in front of the University of Toronto, on College Street. The sprawling campus was just a few short blocks from where we stayed (near Carlton and Yonge), and we loved the "college" vibe of the town. Lots of attractive young people bustling back and forth. Above (center): A view of the St. Lawrence Market on Jarvis Street, this is a fantastic, two-story shopping arena for everything from designer gourmet food (like Kozlik's Canadian Mustard) to jewelry. I had to drag Kathryn out of here kicking and screaming (not really...).

Above (left): While I was in Toronto, I just had to make a trek to the world-famous Theatre Books, a shop I've been dying to visit for five years now. The book shop has written positive reviews for several of my Applause Books, including An Askew View: The Films of Kevin Smith, The Unseen Force: The Films of Sam Raimi, and Best in Show: The Films of Christopher Guest and Company. The shop did not disappoint. Kathryn and I headed upstairs to the film center on the second floor and I was honored to see my newest book, Singing a New Tune: The Re-Birth of the Modern Film Musical, From Evita to De-Lovely and Beyond, up prominently on display, atop a book pyramid (along with other Applause Books, including a few from their impressive new releases on the collected film, music, and theatre writings of critic John Simon).

Above (right). That's Kathryn on Jarvis Street, right in front of The Bombay Palace, the Indian restaurant we went to on our first night. The food there was absolutely amazing, and we drank lots of red wine together and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Following the taping for TVOntario on Tuesday, we visited Toronto's Chinatown and had lunch at a terrific restaurant called "Bright Pearl." Located on Spadina Avenue, this restaurant has been called "one bright pearl amidst a sea of disappointment" (by the Globe and Mail's Joanne Katus) and is favored by Toronto Star restaurant critic, Cynthia Wine, food writer Jennifer Boln and others. The lunch was - in a phrase - to die for. We were so full we had to hobble back to the hotel to collapse on the bed...

Toronto is a great city, and now I think Kathryn wants to move there. More on the Film Festival, TVOntario and other topics coming up in another post, but this is the "Muir Tour" of the City. Hope you enjoy the photos.