After reading an article about travelling based on one's zodiac sign, adventurist Sonja Slijepcevic found herself exploring the small neighbourhood of Port Credit, a short drive from the city of Toronto. She delves into this beautiful lakeside community, including her favourite restaurant to eat at while visiting.
“You should take a trip, based on your zodiac sign,” suggested Lindsay Tiger in her September article (“The trip you should take this fall, based on your zodiac sign” published in September 2018’s Travel + Leisure). This thought-provoking method of traveling had previously never occurred to me. To make the subject all the more interesting, it was suggested that I, a Pisces, to pay a visit to Toronto.
Even though it is the largest and most populated city in Canada – with 3 million inhabitants in the city, and over 5 million in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) – this city is surprisingly not the capital of Canada. However, it has been the capital of the province of Ontario since 1867. About 200 distinct ethnic origins are represented among Toronto residents, and aside from the nation’s official English and French languages, over 160 languages are spoken by Torontonians.
That being said, the GTA is definitely not short on things to do. It’s unsurprising that each year, over 25 million tourists make this beautiful city their travel destination. Living less than 30 kilometres (20 miles) away from Toronto, this article caught my attention. More intriguing was the fact that I had recently decided it was time to take on another round of exploring Toronto’s surrounding cities and towns. Following the zodiac outline, the exploration of Toronto could take different directions: I wanted to go beyond the typical tourist attractions that downtown Toronto is known for. Where in the GTA should a Pisces live and eat?
It is said that Pisces are dreamers, artistic souls that would love to live by the lake on Lakeshore Road; this would be a natural choice for them. Pisces would enjoy strolls along the shores of Lake Ontario and the ever-changing scenery of the lake from sunrise to sunset. Despite the fact that I certainly don’t live my life by a horoscope, it appeared as if my preferences were in line with the general characteristics of the article. Though I don’t live right on the lake (my budget doesn’t quite equate to the prices of properties in this area), I do live relatively close to it. Almost daily, I walk by the lake in the relaxing area of Bronte Marina, Oakville. Just the sound of the waves brushing at the pier, gulls’ cries overhead, and the murmur of wind rustling the leaves in the trees makes me happy. This environment gives wings to my imagination and sparks ideas for creative work to do when I return home.
It’s no wonder that my favourite eatery is a seafood restaurant called Snug Harbour on Lakeshore in Port Credit (located on the outskirts of Toronto). Pisces or not, seafood is an excellent choice, as it is overall nutritious and a delight for the taste buds. My husband and I discovered the place on one of our summer walks at Port Credit, shortly after the first pier and promenade were built. Snug Harbour rose from a small, shack-like setting almost 25 years ago, to very modern and trendy establishment that it is now. In fact, it’s about two times larger than it originally was. Three brothers started the business with enthusiasm, hard work, and a shared love of good food.
I remember our confusion the first time around, when placing our order to the owner. Seconds after he walked away, he reappeared from a totally different direction. Was he really that fast, or a magician walking through the walls? After this happened a few times, I couldn’t help but ask the gentleman how he managed at one moment to be at the table near ours, and then exiting from the kitchen. He laughed, explaining that he was one of three brothers. “We’re triplets!”
We continued coming to their restaurant, enjoying their hospitality ever since. A few years ago, they significantly expanded and renovated the space. It is still simple and friendly, a stylish restaurant with owners frequently mingling among the guests. What could be a greater pleasure than having one of the brothers coming to our table and shaking hands with us?
On Saturday evenings, live music completes the atmosphere. The place is regularly bustling in the evening hours, while during the day, it is easier to get a table. Even though the restaurant is well known, it is still more a well-guarded secret among locals, known to few tourists. It doesn’t matter if it’s a casual visit, a family celebration, dinner with business partners, or a visitor happening upon this gem of a restaurant; hospitality has never been overlooked, and the food is consistently excellent. From tasty appetizers – various salads, bruschetta, shrimp cocktail – to main dishes and desserts, anyone will find something to their liking.
During my last visit, I picked the delicious blue crab cakes in orange pineapple coconut curry sauce for my lunch, adding on the decadent espresso and chocolate mousse cake for dessert. Of course, I couldn’t finish the chocolate cake (it was too big!), but I scored the leftovers for the next day.
My family consists of different zodiac signs – Taurus, Libra, Pisces – and one thing that we can agree on regardless of horoscope is that Snug Harbour, and the GTA as a whole, is a place that everyone will enjoy.
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