Where to Shop TO: The Healthy Butcher

I don't eat meat, but my husband does so when we buy meat I try to be sure it is at least organic, free of hormones and antibiotics.  When possible, we buy meat from animals raised on their natural diet (chickens/pigs that are pasture raised, cows that are grass fed,etc).  So, we looked throughout Toronto for a butcher shop that meets our ideals for sourcing meat.  

The first place we found that we tried out is called The Healthy Butcher.  They have three locations - one on Queen just West of Spadina, one on Eglinton at Avenue, and one in Kitchener.  They say that their priority is local and organic meat, but they also offer some groceries and prepared foods like soups.  I really like their philosophy.  They have a quote in their store that says something to the effect of  - we should eat half as much meat at twice the price.  I completely believe that this is the way our society should focus on eating - much less meat of a much better quality.

Honest Ed's

There is a store on Bloor and Bathurst called Honest Ed's.  I've never seen anything like it.  I often feel like I've happened upon Times Square if I drive by it at night as it literally lights the neighborhood.  It is a humongous superstore, a predecessor to Wal-Mart I would say, known for the original & quirky sayings of its founder, great deals, and a no-frills shopping experience.

Is Target Coming to Canada?

Is Target coming to Canada?  It looks like they're trying!  But, it looks like they've been trying for 10 years with no success.   Apparently someone else has rights to the Target name in Canada, but Target continues to fight.  I'm going to keep hoping, because there is just something about Target that I haven't found a replacement for (maybe it is the Minnesota girl in me?).  I can find almost anything I need there, and I find it actually to be a therapeutic experience.  I can't walk into one without spending $100, but I guess that is ok now that I only get to one on occasion.  I know I'm a bit crazy about my need for Target, but apparently I'm not alone as I know that many Canadians drive to Buffalo to shop and always make it to Target! 

Where to Shop TO - Groceries: Karma Co-op

Since I moved to Toronto I've had more spare time to do things I've always wanted to do.  I've been interested for the last couple years in local and real/slow food.  I've had a little time to read some books on the subject and figure out what things are important to me.  I can recommend a few:  In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, Real Food by Nina Planck, and The Jungle Effect by Daphne Miller.

In New York it was fairly easy to find this type of food since the Farmer's Markets were so extensive, and though I believe the only requirement is to sell your own food, it was almost impossible to find a farmer who wasn't growing food the way I think it should be grown.  Here in Toronto, you have to look a little harder to find grass-fed beef, eggs from pastured chickens, oils that you're ok with eating, etc.  So I've done some research and tried out a host of places, and then I found Karma.  It doesn't look like much, but when we went for a tour, we were immediately surprised:  eggs from pastured-raised chickens, organic everything, pasture-raised beef, expeller-pressed sunflower oil, unpasteurized honey, un-homogenized milk....all under the same roof. 

Where to Shop TO: Sundries, etc

Toronto is similar to New York in the way people shop for sundries (love that word!) like toilet paper, shampoo, etc. in that we generally buy them at smaller stores like drug stores (or even the grocery store) versus going to a place like Wal-Mart.  This is because stores like Wal-Mart are farther out in the city making it a big trip to visit one versus somewhere you stop on your way home from work.  In Toronto there are two main drug store chains - Rexall and Shoppers Drug Mart - as well as many independent stores.  We live right down the block from a Shoppers so that is where we go most often for everyday necessities and prescriptions.  It is open until midnight and has a Canada Post location inside making it very convenient to buy stamps and mail letters. 

Where to Shop TO - Fish: Pisces

When I go to buy fish (or basically anything really) I want there to be a good selection of sustainably raised options, I want the selections to be fresh, and I want the person working to be knowledgeable on the options.  Pisces Gourmet has this and much more!  This is a fantastic fish shop on Yonge at the Shops of Summerhill, in Rosedale, and so far is the best place I've found to buy fish in Toronto. 

Where to Shop TO: Grocery Chains

I decided to broach the subject of shopping in Toronto.  For me, knowing where to go to buy what I need is critical to feeling settled in a new place.  It was tough when we first moved to NYC finding out that there was no place like Target to buy everything I needed, and in fact no large grocery stores in our neighborhood where I knew I could find what I needed (like red hots - I searched for those things for two years before I finally resorted to importing from my mom in Minnesota).

What's up with the Internet?

Before I moved here, I used the internet for everything.  If I didn’t like the website of a certain business or couldn’t perform the function I wanted, like online reservations, I often chose another business that had a website with the capability that I was looking for.  I also did a lot of my shopping online.  However, I’ve found that many businesses in Canada don’t even have websites or if they do, they aren’t as advanced as I’m used to.  Here is an example to illustrate my point:

Compare the following websites for Wal-Mart Canada http://www.walmart.ca/home and Wal-Mart US http://www.walmart.com/. To me, one website is substantially easier to use and readily provides the functions I want (guess which one?) such as online shopping.