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1. I have plucked some amazing finds out of the floor-to-ceiling mess that is Javad’s including my amazing tiger-stripe, Kelly Wearstler-style lamps for $10 each: http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/04/having-a-wearstler-moment/

   September 23, 2010 at 6:49 am | by ChrisToronto

2. I’ve lived out of the province for the past 5 years. Use to live in the St. Clair West area. I’m happy to see that the area is thriving. Looking forward to trying some of the new restaurants.

   September 23, 2010 at 7:55 am | by brooklin99

3. Love this spot!! Breakfast is always fun here (except when you have to wait in line!) Alex, one of the servers, is really attentive and makes the experience worthwhile!

   September 23, 2010 at 9:31 am | by DeeDee

4. How can you miss Ferro and the Rushton? Were you limited to 19 or just covering the newer places?

   September 23, 2010 at 9:33 am | by shamj

5. I second the post re: Ferro and The Rushton – two of the better restaurants along the St. Clair West strip. I highly recommend heading to either or BOTH – they’re right across the street from one another. The menus feature AMAZING food that is reasonably priced and during patio season, The Rushton is a great pick! :) just a fellow St. Clair West local

   September 23, 2010 at 10:04 am | by Cri

6. 19 need-to-know places?? wow you just missed the top 2 with Ferro/Rushton-probably the 2 best places in that strip.

   September 23, 2010 at 7:13 pm | by John Linas

7. I agree that the Rushton shouldn’t have been left out. I’ve lived on the strip for about 10 years, and was really happy when this place ‘came to town’.

   September 24, 2010 at 4:50 am | by Jessica

8. The Rushton is fine, but has gotten a ton of attention over years because it was the only show in town. I’m glad to see some lesser-known and fantastic places get their 15 minutes.

   September 24, 2010 at 11:01 am | by Kat

9. About the strange omissions, few people know that in most cases, there is a fee for inclusion. I have no personnal experience of Toronto Life but I know that most publications require membership fees and then more again to be included in any campaign. Those “campaigns” are presented as representing the entire spectrum of availability (i.e. the only restaurants/hotels etc.available in the area)while the reality is that the group promoted represents paying members only. This is true of nearly all “Best of” types of publications. As the best of…. are doing very well on their own and don’t need this type of publicity, they often don’t pay and therefore often don’t appear in such publications/articles etc.

   I’d be curious to know from some of the merchants on the strip if that was the case here. In any case this is certainly true of anything to do with the marketing arm of the City of Toronto & their various publications which are misleadingly title “Toronto City Guide” etc. Membership in this organisation is one of the most expensive in the world, last I checked. Things are not what they seem. People should know.

   September 24, 2010 at 1:53 pm | by Martine

10. Thank you, everyone, for your comments on this piece.

    There was absolutely no fee for inclusion in the St. Clair West Guide, and merchants are not required to buy membership in order to be mentioned. It is in no way a promotion or campaign; it is service journalism. This piece contains on-the-ground reporting and subjective opinions by a team of writers and editors who have simply picked their favourite spots in the neighbourhood. Paid content on both our web site and in the print magazine is, and always will be, clearly marked as an advertisement.

    Thanks again,
    Toronto Life Editors

    September 24, 2010 at 3:57 pm | by Toronto Life Editors

11. Dear Editors,

    So what is your excuse for missing / ignoring two of the best spots? Bad service journalism? How does it help the reader to not mention some of the best places to go in a review like this? Help us understand. We know your listening.

    September 28, 2010 at 10:57 am | by ian

12. Whatever happened to Pain Perdu…. also excellent.

    September 28, 2010 at 12:44 pm | by Christina

13. Marline, I heard that there is a lot of politics in the resto biz in TO; summer/winterlicious are a fine example of the City’s idea of “promoting” an array of restos in TO when in fact, there is some unspoken membership involved there as well.

    October 4, 2010 at 2:08 am | by squirt

14. We’ve lived in the St. Clair/Christie area for almost 4 years and it’s been thriving and we love it! It’s a great ecclectic mix of old world meets new world. We love our Italian neighbours who grow some serious veggies in their garden to the new trendy restaurants just steps away on St. Clair. Great eats, great shopping, great people! You can’t beat The Stockyards for smoked trout, pulled pork or one of their killer breakys and biscuits. The Rushton kicks it up for schwanky drinks and eye candy. Leah’s has delish desserts – especially love the meringue mushrooms and lemon tarts. Pain Perdu – forget about it. You just can’t resist the smell of butter and the perfectly flaky croissants, my fav? The chocolatine. World Class you can get half baked Greif’s bagels and finish them off at home. Ellington’s has live music and great coffee and treats. Noir is one of the most beautiful coffee/tea shops I’ve ever seen. Dona Luz has amazing Peruvian food. ..Sushi Sugar is especially genrerous with the fish and sake. Saverna is Indian comfort food at it’s best.I can go on and on…From junk yard fab finds, to trendy shopping, to killer eats – St. Clair west just can’t be beat!

    October 8, 2010 at 12:06 pm | by Lori

15. For those who live/hang out in the area – what’s the best place to just grab a drink?

    October 21, 2010 at 11:50 am | by Kate

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