Finding your Toronto

The problem with writing about Toronto is deciding which Toronto you're going to write about.

Is it the Army-Surplus-Store, hipster mishmash in Kensington Market, where an abandoned car was long ago appropriated as a streetside planter?

Or the Distillery District, where a renovated whiskey factory complex has become the hottest condo-and-shopping development in town?

Is it Old Toronto? The historic port on Lake Ontario thrives at St. Lawrence Market, the 9-acre enclosed food pavilion where the top seller for decades has been a back-bacon sandwich -- slabs of brine-cured pork loin, slathered with Saskatchewan mustard.

How about Chinese Toronto? The city has six Chinatowns and several daily Chinese language newspapers. Is it Greek Toronto? Italian Toronto? Portuguese Toronto? They're all here.

"In America, we say we're a melting pot," said an American friend who lives in the city. "Canada describes itself as a mosaic. That's what Toronto's all about."

For a few days I was privileged to travel between Torontos, and sometimes they were right across the street from each other. While I loved the variety, I also marveled at how well the city worked as a whole. The city's core is pedestrian-friendly, safe and, in the truest sense, multicultural. At bars, in restaurants and on the streets, mixed couples and blended groups of friends -- black, white, Chinese, Indian -- appeared in numbers that I have not seen in U.S. cities.

Here you'll find a Toronto mosaic, bits and pieces making up a most pleasant whole. (Note: The exchange rate with the Canadian dollar is basically 1-to-1 these days.)

History

Bell has made a career out of bringing Toronto's past into the present. His three-hour walking tour of Old Toronto focuses on St. Lawrence Market, built partly from the remains of one of the town's early city halls. Go for a walk with Bell and he'll tell you where the bodies are, literally. "See where those kids are playing there?" Bell asked, pointing to a playground behind St. James Cathedral. "There are hundreds of people buried there from the cholera epidemic." The $25 market tour is full of pithy facts and hidden treasures -- and comes with a back-bacon sandwich. Bell also operates tours in Chinatown, the University of Toronto and the Distillery District (1-647-393-8687, www.brucebelltours.ca).

Trivia

The settlement of Toronto was originally called York, Bruce Bell notes, but because New York was bigger and older, people started calling the town Little York or Muddy York. Rather than suffer that indignity, the city fathers changed to an Indian name, whose origin and meaning are disputed. The word is either Mohawk ("place with trees in the water") or Huron ("gathering place").

Must-sees and -dos

Chinatown should not be missed, but take the visit a step further than dim-sum at the OK Oriental Health Beauty Centre for a $25, hourlong foot massage. Walk-ins welcome (453 Dundas St. W., 1-416-913-9165). Second City's Toronto franchise is still top-notch. "Barack to the Future" opened this month (51 Mercer St., www.secondcity.com, 1-800-263-4485 or 1-416-343-0011). The Royal Ontario Museum is a natural history grab-bag that unexpectedly hijacked my attention for half a day; excellent option for kids, too. "The Nature of Diamonds," a show on every facet of the gem, opens Oct. 25 (100 Queens Park, 1-416-586-8000, www.rom.on.ca). Even if you don't know who Guy Lafleur is, you shouldn't pass on the Hockey Hall of Fame (30 Yonge St., 1-416-360-7765, www.hhof.com). It's worth it to see Canadians unabashedly worshiping the Stanley Cup in the cathedral-like space.

Food

If there is an iconic Toronto food item, it is the back-bacon (also known as pea-meal bacon) sandwich. St. Lawrence Market has three vendors. I tried Carousel Bakery (which serves its version on freshly made buns) and Paddington's Pump, which gives you more meat and condiments. Both were excellent. St. Lawrence is also the place to get Ukrainian pirogi, local cheese, sausage and produce of all kinds (92 Front St. E., www.stlawrence market.com).

For a taste of upscale Toronto, head to the Distillery District, where you'll find sleek restaurants and cafes, high-end design stores and swanky galleries. Two finds merit special note: The best meal of my trip came at Archeo Trattoria (1-416-815-9898, www.archeo.ca), which produces rustic Italian cuisine with a few modern twists. I had roasted Pacific salmon (crisp on the outside, delectably flaky inside) on a zesty white bean salad. Very simple dish, but perfectly prepared. Save space for dessert at Soma Chocolatemaker, just around the corner. Billed as "A Place to Worship Chocolate," Soma brews up an amazing Mayan hot chocolate that starts rich and smooth and finishes with a burst of cayenne-and-cinnamon fireworks (55 Mill St., 1-416-815-7662, www.somachocolate.com).

Where to stay

My base was the HI-Toronto Youth Hostel, where I had a ninth-floor private room with bath and an eastern view (I think I could see a sliver of Lake Ontario in the distance). For the location and amenities, it was a bargain at $80 a night. The hostel is downtown, two blocks from St. Lawrence Market and central to just about everything else. The hostel was clean, friendly and the clientele was at least 50 percent not youthful. There were free walking tours and other outings (such as a $15 canoe trip to the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario), reduced prices on many attractions (Hockey Hall of Fame, CN Tower) and a very friendly international staff. By re-upping my Hostelling International membership, I got the room and two hot meals a day for $80 a night (76 Church St., 1-877-848-8737, www.toronto-youth-hostel.com).

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