Did you see all the people out walking?  On June 8, a Neighbourhood Walk through Bathurst-Finch was organized for area residents by community volunteers and the Action for Neighbourhood Change team.  We headed out to enjoy the sights, sounds and flavours of our streets, and to meet new friends.  Exploring the flavours of our neighbourhood was our main theme, and we stopped at many favorite restaurants and grocery shops while experiencing our neighbourhood kaleidescope.

Our first stop was the Happy Bagel Bakery on the corner of Bathurst and Finch.  It was a happy place indeed, as we devoured a mountain of delicious bagels.  It is thought that bagels were first baked by a Jewish baker to honour the Polish king.  However, bagels had been consumed even earlier.  Bagels were made where community bake ovens were common.  As the Jews in Europe several hundred years ago were forced by racism to bake last in the day, they needed fast-baking bread.  By boiling the dough, and by poking a hole in the middle, they made bagels that baked fast and just needed browning on top.  Ingenuity at its tastiest!

Our next stop was Tov Li, meaning "Good for you" in Hebrew, a well loved restaurant in our neighbourhood.  With high standing in many restaurant reviews, including Toronto Life, and the North York Post, their delicious vegetarian dishes are something you should not miss.  Tov Li's specialty is falafels, spicy deep fried chick pea fritters, served with tahini, and fresh salads, all wrapped in a pita bread.  Falafels, being completely vegetarian, fit perfectly into Kosher food laws.  As seen on their signs, Tov Liadvertises that they are "Strictly Kosher", which, in this case, means there is no meat in their food.  As part of Kosher food law, milk and meat are never eaten in the same meal.  You won’t miss a thing when eating the delicious vegetarian falafels.

 Our neighbourhood has many Russian shops, so we stopped to enjoy some rye bread, kielbassa sausage and kvass.  Breads are at the heart of most Russian meals, and are often dark, made with rye, or spiced with caraway or onions.  It is quite a sight to see all the sausages and meat stacked up in the Russian grocery stores.  Kvass is a fascinating drink, resembling a soft drink mixed with light beer, giving a refreshing sweet, sour and bitter mix.  It makes a delicious treat to buy and enjoy in the hot weather. 

Russian cuisine has been described as one of the most elegant when prepared just right.  There were great chefs in Russia's past who brought the most elegant style from across Europe, especially from France, to the tables of Russia.  The elegance of this time is still seen in the beautiful cakes and pastries.  The Antosha Bakery brings some of this internationally inspired Russian elegance to our neighbourhood.  To end, we stopped at Antosha to enjoy delicious cakes, and relax after our walk.

Our walk was inspired by Jane’s Walk, a grassroots organization named after Jane Jacobs, a Toronto-based community activist and author who advocated for urban renewal and more livable communities.  We hope everyone keeps walking and exploring new places throughout our neighbourhood.

By Amy Proulx