August 2021
Here's the thing…
It's not worth dining out if you're in a pen. Pens are for animals, not for people eating animals. Wooden slats can induce trauma. If you have to eat out front, make it like Montreal.
Or better still, go to a proper backyard patio…like at Union on Ossington or Hanoi 3 Seasons on Queen East. It's better than sucking a tail pipe in the middle of stalled traffic, now that the city has erased half the car lanes. The exception for on-street eating is always food trucks, especially ones that serve spicy chicken sandwiches and great fries, like the Home Appliances truck on Yonge, north of Eglinton.
Just another little note on Montreal. A Subscriber recently revealed that St-Viateur Bagels are available in Toronto at Metro grocery stores and have been for years. Unless you meet a former Montrealer, how do you learn these things?
It still feels a little weird eating inside busy restaurants. But it was quiet at Mangia & Bevi the other night and felt great to be back inside. Here's another thing that still makes me feel good.
And cottages
But back to things I put in my mouth. I'm so grateful to drink coffee properly again.
Drinking espresso from an itsy bitsy paper cup makes me sad. (P.S. I learned during Covid that drinking cold drinks from mugs with handles is bad VooDoo. I also learned that you should exit a place through the same door you entered and that you should put down lids on toilets to stop the escape of evil spirits.)
Anyway, as far as eating goes, Subscribers are loving Taverne Berhardt on Dovercourt, Labora on Queen West — it's a Spanish place where the Cold Tea people went once they closed Kensington -- and the bakery Emmer on Harbord, but you have to line up, which can cause Pandy flashbacks
Did I mention that Rhubarb Rose Shrub (rhubarb, rose, fresh lemon, soda) is the drink of the summer, with or without the gin.
A final thought on The Pandy
Staying inside for over a year focused my mind on things I could still do, like brush my teeth. So during those special times when I was inside Shoppers, I spent quality time examining the toothpaste selection. I avoid the whiten-ing stuff, as I’m convinced, for no good reason, that it eats away at the enamel. But there on the very bottom shelf for under $3 is charcoal toothpaste. I love it. It’s nice and pasty— not some gel crap. And no, it does not turn your teeth black. When something seems so wrong, it’s got to be good for you.
Now the boring part
(Now that it's clear that Covid is not completely going away, it gives me more time to complete one of my Pandy goals, which is to listen to, rate and pick a track from all the records in my vinyl collection. I pick up from the last last issue, at the letter P)
Robert Palmer/Pressure Drop 1975 Not as great as Sneakin Sally but still transcendent on songs such as Which of Us is the Fool. A
Gram Parsons/GP 1972 The lp that introduced Emmylou to the world. If you’re enchanted with the mythic American south, the song She will take you there. A
Gram Parsons/Grievous Angel 1973 This is the one to buy — the last thing Parsons did before his body went up in flames at Joshua Tree. Check out $1000 Wedding A+
Gram Parsons/Sleepless Nights 1976 Soggy leftovers from the Burrito Brothers plus a few with Emmylou, including Brand New Heartache and title track. C-
Wilson Pickett/Greatest Hits 1973. A bit exercised for me but so many good tunes. Play Guess the Guitarist on Hey Jude. B-
Pink Floyd/Meddle 1971 If there were more songs like Echoes, I’d actually like prog rock. A
Charlie Parker/Savoy Recordings (Mastertakes) 1976 In permanent rotation, the flitting saxophonist is the only be-bopper I truly love. Donna Lee. A+
The Pixies/Surfer Rosa 1988 There were five years when The Pixies were my top band (Replacements came second). Gigantic A+
Iggy Pop/Kill City 1978 I have this on orange vinyl but it’s terrible. C-
Iggy Pop/New Values 1979 Side one is solid from beginning to end. Endless Sea A
Pretenders 1980 I like this now more than when I got it. Up the Neck A-
Prince/1999 1982 With all that energy, Prince needs four sides. D.M.S.R. A
John Prine/Bruised Orange 1978 The Pandy killed John Prine so I’ve been hearing a lot of him and don’t need any more. Fish and Whistle B-
Psychedelic Furs 1980 This is my trance-dervish album of choice. India A
Psychedelic Furs/Forever Now 1982 I prefer them less polished but still pretty great. Title track B+
Elvis’s Golden Records Every track on here is gold. Don’t Be Cruel.
Public Image Ltd/Second Edition 1980 Nothing clears a party faster than side 2. Those who stay are either open minded or unconscious. Swan Lake. A-
Raincoats/ 1979 The Raincoats are as artsy as they come but they still kind of rock on their cover of Lola, Kind of. B
Raincoats/Odysseus I can’t believe I was artsy enough to buy two Raincoats records. Only Love at Night B-
From the Archives
contact: andrewmpepper@gmail.com