The Early Bird Gets the Table—Yorkville Not Busy Despite the Toronto International Film Festival (08)
Last Friday evening, passing through Yorkville, I noticed a bunch of empty tables: at Sassafraz, Café Nervosa, Dimmi, Remy’s, Lettieri—all the usual hangout corners. At 6:30 - 7:00 pm you could take your pick. So, spontaneously, I decided to stick around: choose a restaurant where I’d not been before—Flow. Since the dogs were with me, this worked out well. They could perch on the perimeter hedge of the patio in the comfort of their travel bag, with a view out onto the Hazleton Hotel and One. The waiters were attentive and kind. A large bowl of iced water was served to them, and a sliver of duck from a complimentary amuse gueule. My own dinner of blackened cod and root fries, followed by meringue, was also nicely presented and delicious. It’s very easy to (be made to) feel uncomfortable when dining solo. But, for some reason, I had the contrary experience here. By 8ish the Ronnie Hawkins Band was heating up on the roof of an adjacent parking lot and the rain had started to come down. The night was just beginning, and the opening weekend of the Toronto International Film Festival underway…
