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Toronto-Age |OT3| Going Off the Rails on a Gravy Train

Kuro Madoushi

Unconfirmed Member
Now that added_time is too good for GAF, you need to post one of these every day.
He'll be back; he just needs a creative break.

Banh Mi Boys
South of College on Yonge st.

It was a really mixed bag for me.

I got the pork belly sandwich with a vanilla cream soda and my wife got the grilled pork sandwich. I like that they gave the sandwiches a nice kick of spiciness and the pickled veggies in the sandwiches were really tasty and not as sour as the ones you'd get in regular sandwiches.

The place itself was pretty simple and clean, but while there was music, the atmosphere just seemed dead. There were a few people in there for us, but it was just really quiet. At least it's easy to get to and there weren't line ups like their other location.

While I did like the sandwiches, I didn't get the hype the place receives and I don't think it's mind blowingly better than what you get at regular places or stuff you can make at home.

One thing I wish they did was toast the baguettes to give it a bit more texture; it was softer than what I'm used to and I often toast the baguettes myself when I buy them from other places. I also liked the pork belly, but there wasn't very much of it there; I was imagining big pieces of pork belly like my mom makes with a bit of veggies, but it was the other way around. My wife's grilled pork wasn't very good because the sauce they put on it was way too sweet. Again, it would've been better had I bought some BBQ pork at a butcher and put it into a baguette I buy from a baker in Chinatown.

For reference, the regular places I get these sandwiches at that them with ham, pate, mayo, slices of cucumber, cilantro, and pickled carrots for 2.50. The sandwiches at Banh Mi Boys went for around 5 dollars and up.

I give this place a 5.5 out of 10.
 

Quadratic

Member
Saw EvilMario at a screening of Pacific Rim tonight. He's wondering when the next meetup is going to be. It was so random that I was sitting directly behind him in the theatre.
 
Hey Toronto-age

What is the difference between Teksavvy's DSL and Cable internet services?

other than the fact that their DSL gives 25dl/10 up compared to their Cable, which I have 28dl/1up

It is a similar price but I want to know the quality differences.
 

Quadratic

Member
thumbs up or thumbs down?

For me, thumbs up.

The movie is definitely worth supporting if you want risky nerd subject matter like giant robots fighting monters to be green lit in the future.

The script is very cliche. Plus its very heavy on the world builing in the beginning of the film to get the viewer up to speed. The fight scenes are quite spectacular. The two comedic relief characters were somewhat annoying but didn't lower my enjoyment of the movie. Its being killed at the box office right now but the screening I was in was very full on a Sunday night.

Evil Mario mentioned he usually takes a break from GAF during the E3 crazy.
 

Kuro Madoushi

Unconfirmed Member
Hey Toronto-age

What is the difference between Teksavvy's DSL and Cable internet services?

other than the fact that their DSL gives 25dl/10 up compared to their Cable, which I have 28dl/1up

It is a similar price but I want to know the quality differences.
I'm on their cable plan and I prefer it since there is room for higher speeds, but either one is fine.
Moving within the city or is he moving somewhere else?
Somewhere else in TO...more spacious for all his Nintencrap.
 

thabiz

Member
dear god. i cant believe construction crews are allowed to work this late. 5 should be the latest, but noooooo they are allowed to go till 7. fuck this city. jack hammering (the big ones, not the hand units) for 12 hours a day. 7 til 7.
 

Fuzzy

I would bang a hot farmer!
dear god. i cant believe construction crews are allowed to work this late. 5 should be the latest, but noooooo they are allowed to go till 7. fuck this city. jack hammering (the big ones, not the hand units) for 12 hours a day. 7 til 7.
I hate construction workers.
 

rosarkar

Neo Member
Hi. I started a small business under the Summer Company program. I might have posted my business idea here before so apologies if this sounds redundant. Laundry Chute TO - we do door to door laundry for busy students, young professionals, families, small businesses.

Here is my recently finished website and I was wondering if TorontoGAF could comment on anything that sounds awkward or needs changing - www.LaundryChuteTO.com

Just looking for feedback at this point. Thanks in advance. :)
 

Roto13

Member
Hi. I started a small business under the Summer Company program. I might have posted my business idea here before so apologies if this sounds redundant. Laundry Chute TO - we do door to door laundry for busy students, young professionals, families, small businesses.

Here is my recently finished website and I was wondering if TorontoGAF could comment on anything that sounds awkward or needs changing - www.LaundryChuteTO.com

Just looking for feedback at this point. Thanks in advance. :)

Ok, that background needs to be razed with a cleansing fire.
 

rosarkar

Neo Member
Ok, that background needs to be razed with a cleansing fire.

Yes, ty. This is the type of feedback I was looking for. :)

Will try to find something less annoying. I just tiled my real life paper flyer as a background but I guess it needs to be changed asap.
 

Roto13

Member
Yes, ty. This is the type of feedback I was looking for. :)

Will try to find something less annoying. I just tiled my real life paper flyer as a background but I guess it needs to be changed asap.

Honestly, there doesn't need to be a background. Just white would be fine.
 

cbox

Member
You might want to put your logo higher up on the page so it doesn't look like one of those sites you visit by mistake.
 

shadowkat

Unconfirmed Member
dear god. i cant believe construction crews are allowed to work this late. 5 should be the latest, but noooooo they are allowed to go till 7. fuck this city. jack hammering (the big ones, not the hand units) for 12 hours a day. 7 til 7.

It's even more fun when road construction crews work on the highway overnight.
 

Quick

Banned
I'm thinking about making this year's Fan Expo thread, but I'd like to know if there's an interest in a thread for this year again? Figure we could use it for general info and a place for me to post meet-up plans.

Last year's thread.
 

Oppo

Member
So, apparently my employer is looking to cut our sick days down to five. I swear that employees in Ontario were entitled to ten sick days under the ESA.

Apparently this isn't true, or has changed, if the employer has less than 50 employees in the company.

http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/guide/emergency.php

I find this a bit surprising.

Please tell me I'm missing something?

I don't think you are. Here's what I found:

For employers with less than 50 employees, there is no requirement to provide emergency leave. However, all employees who are governed by the provisions of the ESA are entitled to family medical leave, regardless of the size of their workplace.
Family medical leave is unpaid, job-protected leave of up to eight (8) weeks in a 26-week period. Family medical leave may be taken to provide care and support to a specified family member for whom a qualified health practitioner has issued a certificate indicating that the family member has a serious medical condition and there is a significant risk of death occurring within a period of 26 weeks.

So you still have federal rights here but both are unpaid leave, even the over-50-employees one. It's at their discretion.

I don't know what your job is like but I think I would be saying something like, "Ok, I understand the change. It's hard to run a business. That said; eat a dick, I quit."

I am a bit volatile when it comes to petty employers.
 
I don't think you are. Here's what I found:



So you still have federal rights here but both are unpaid leave, even the over-50-employees one. It's at their discretion.

I don't know what your job is like but I think I would be saying something like, "Ok, I understand the change. It's hard to run a business. That said; eat a dick, I quit."

I am a bit volatile when it comes to petty employers.

I am as well.

The workplace I'm in is already suffering from low morale. There have been problems with absentee employees but that largely stems from the fact that people don't want to be here due to the low morale. Instead of looking for ways to improve the work environment, they have instead decided to find a way to swiftly deal with the absentee issue. I understand it's a problem but there is a larger issue that is being completely ignored and I honestly don't think it will make much of a difference. If people are unhappy at the work place they will find ways to sneak a day off every so often. I've seen it time and time again.

I'm making strides to get out of here myself. Hopefully in a month.
 

Willectro

Banned
I am as well.

The workplace I'm in is already suffering from low morale. There have been problems with absentee employees but that largely stems from the fact that people don't want to be here due to the low morale. Instead of looking for ways to improve the work environment, they have instead decided to find a way to swiftly deal with the absentee issue. I understand it's a problem but there is a larger issue that is being completely ignored and I honestly don't think it will make much of a difference. If people are unhappy at the work place they will find ways to sneak a day off every so often. I've seen it time and time again.

I'm making strides to get out of here myself. Hopefully in a month.

Join the club. Employers have found many petty ways to take the fun out of work. Enjoying work / having a good time = obviously not working hard enough. At first I didn't, but I'm really starting to buy into that Occupy mentality. The way that large companies/governments despise unions and will do anything to fuck them (see: GM and/or David Miller), will eventually fuck non-unionized employees. There really desperately needs to be a paradigm shift around how businesses treat employees. Part of me also blames colleges/universities who enroll and/or graduate students in programs that likely won't lead to employment. Long story short, your lack of days off is a product of capitalism. People need to stop taking this shit.
 

krae_man

Member
So, apparently my employer is looking to cut our sick days down to five. I swear that employees in Ontario were entitled to ten sick days under the ESA.

Apparently this isn't true, or has changed, if the employer has less than 50 employees in the company.

http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/guide/emergency.php

I find this a bit surprising.

Please tell me I'm missing something?

Paid sick days are not a requirement under the ESA. You may still have some rights to time off without fear of getting fired, but they would all be unpaid.
 
Guys any advice for a good restaurant/cafe to take a first date to?

I usually resort to somewhere in Yorkville for first dates, (Remmy's, Hemingways') but I am not a wealthy person and hate to give the impression to my date that I frequent Yorkville...Because I don't, I just don't have any better ideas for a place on a first date...

So what say you TO GAF, I am looking at 20-25 dishes max, nothing too expensive, I don't even know why I want to spend money on her and buy her dinner on a first date.. one of my Achilles heels, being a stupid sucker and spending cash on women, that I will most likely see once or twice...

Anyway enough about my pathetic self....

Please suggest me good restaurants all over downtown for a first date, noting expensive...
 
Paid sick days are not a requirement under the ESA. You may still have some rights to time off without fear of getting fired, but they would all be unpaid.

Paid or not Paid is something I can deal with. The fact that if the company is under 50 employees your not entitled to any sick days is kind of disturbing.

You can take what is essentially a leave of absence, but if I need a day or two off to get over the flu, I'm shit out of luck. I guess I should feel lucky that they're still giving me five days, but somehow that still rubs me the wrong way.
 

Divvy

Canadians burned my passport
Guys any advice for a good restaurant/cafe to take a first date to?

I usually resort to somewhere in Yorkville for first dates, (Remmy's, Hemingways') but I am not a wealthy person and hate to give the impression to my date that I frequent Yorkville...Because I don't, I just don't have any better ideas for a place on a first date...

So what say you TO GAF, I am looking at 20-25 dishes max, nothing too expensive, I don't even know why I want to spend money on her and buy her dinner on a first date.. one of my Achilles heels, being a stupid sucker and spending cash on women, that I will most likely see once or twice...

Anyway enough about my pathetic self....

Please suggest me good restaurants all over downtown for a first date, noting expensive...

Drake Hotel (not really downtown, but close enough I guess)
Guu
Origin maybe?
Some places in Kensington?
 

krae_man

Member
Paid or not Paid is something I can deal with. The fact that if the company is under 50 employees your not entitled to any sick days is kind of disturbing.

You can take what is essentially a leave of absence, but if I need a day or two off to get over the flu, I'm shit out of luck. I guess I should feel lucky that they're still giving me five days, but somehow that still rubs me the wrong way.

Are you sure your employer will punish you if you take more sick days then 5? As long as they don't think you're taking days off for unacceptable reasons I doubt they would do anything. Hiring a new employee is expensive, most places are unlikely to take actions if you are legitimately sick and are a good employee even if they legally can.
 
Drake Hotel (not really downtown, but close enough I guess)
Guu
Origin maybe?
Some places in Kensington?


Cool, is Guu in the Annex? there's also one on Church n' Gerard??!

I kind like Origin, but is there anything interesting to walk to after, in that area? (King St. East) seems like there isn't much to do there, we could walk down to St. Lawrence I guess. Is there anything going on interesting in the city this weekend? any Festivals?

Maan I dread first dates..
 
Are you sure your employer will punish you if you take more sick days then 5? As long as they don't think you're taking days off for unacceptable reasons I doubt they would do anything. Hiring a new employee is expensive, most places are unlikely to take actions if you are legitimately sick and are a good employee even if they legally can.

I'm not sure right now. None of this has been officially presented. The organization I work for has always been all over the place when it comes to policy. It will be interesting to see what they finally present.

I was more surprised by the ESA policy as i was sure that it previously entitled all employees (regardless of company size) to 10 sick days.
 

Divvy

Canadians burned my passport
Cool, is Guu in the Annex? there's also one on Church n' Gerard??!

I kind like Origin, but is there anything interesting to walk to after, in that area? (King St. East) seems like there isn't much to do there, we could walk down to St. Lawrence I guess. Is there anything going on interesting in the city this weekend? any Festivals?

Maan I dread first dates..

Yeah there's two Guus.

Well there's the beer festival at the CNE next weekend. I dunno what kind of date you have, but that may be an excellent/terrible choice.
 

daemonic

Banned
Cool, is Guu in the Annex? there's also one on Church n' Gerard??!

I kind like Origin, but is there anything interesting to walk to after, in that area? (King St. East) seems like there isn't much to do there, we could walk down to St. Lawrence I guess. Is there anything going on interesting in the city this weekend? any Festivals?

Maan I dread first dates..

The Annex Guu isn't very good.. if you're going make sure it's the one on Church. I also think Origin is kind of overpriced. I'd recommend going to Sabai Sabai (Thai Tapas with great casual atmosphere) at Church and Dundas or Sukho Thai at Church and Wellington. Then you can walk through St. James Park and either do St. Lawrence or walk along the Esplanade (which is heavily treed) all the way to Distillery.
 

Quadratic

Member
Guys any advice for a good restaurant/cafe to take a first date to?

Please suggest me good restaurants all over downtown for a first date, noting expensive...

Guu might be too loud to carry a conversation so I would second the Drake. If you like Tacos, La Carnita on College or Grand Electric in Parkdale might be better options. hmm, sometimes I find they crank the music quite high at Grand Electric plus there might be a line so that might not be good for a first date.

Insomnia at Bloor and Bathurst is dark and intimate.

Niagara St Cafe on Wellington is good as well.

I've taken a date once to La Palette Queen West near Spadina, $35 dollar prix fixe menu.
 

Divvy

Canadians burned my passport
Guu might be too loud to carry a conversation so I would second the Drake. If you like Tacos, La Carnita on College or Grand Electric in Parkdale might be better options. hmm, sometimes I find they crank the music quite high at Grand Electric plus there might be a line so that might not be good for a first date.

Insomnia at Bloor and Bathurst is dark and intimate.

Niagara St Cafe on Wellington is good as well.

I've taken a date once to La Palette Queen West near Spadina, $35 dollar prix fixe menu.

Oh yea, Insomnia and Niagara are nice. I was gonna recommend Grand Electric too, but I've never had to wait less than 45 minutes to get in and that can be a real bummer.

The Annex Guu isn't very good.. if you're going make sure it's the one on Church. I also think Origin is kind of overpriced. I'd recommend going to Sabai Sabai (Thai Tapas with great casual atmosphere) at Church and Dundas or Sukho Thai at Church and Wellington. Then you can walk through St. James Park and either do St. Lawrence or walk along the Esplanade (which is heavily treed) all the way to Distillery.

I dunno, I've been to both Guus and the church one is slightly better, but they're pretty comparable. And maybe I'm remembering this wrong, but the church one also doesn't have the quieter sit down area that the annex one does.
 
Hi. I started a small business under the Summer Company program. I might have posted my business idea here before so apologies if this sounds redundant. Laundry Chute TO - we do door to door laundry for busy students, young professionals, families, small businesses.

Here is my recently finished website and I was wondering if TorontoGAF could comment on anything that sounds awkward or needs changing - www.LaundryChuteTO.com

Just looking for feedback at this point. Thanks in advance. :)
This is a neat idea. Good luck with it!
 

Quick

Banned
If I were to take a vacation in Toronto, would I need a car to get around?

I'm asking this because I'd like to go to Toronto someday.

I don't think so. Our subway system is straightforward enough for tourists, for one, and it can be nice to walk around depending on where you are.
 

Kuro Madoushi

Unconfirmed Member
If I were to take a vacation in Toronto, would I need a car to get around?

I'm asking this because I'd like to go to Toronto someday.
Depending on where you want to go it's a maybe.


If you just want to spend time in Toronto and immediate areas, the subway and bus system is super easy to navigate and it works....most of the time.

Thank the gods for this sleepable and breathable weather! I don't get headaches anymore like I do when it's hot and humid
 
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