Anchor Bar, Etobicoke, ON

I had lunch this afternoon at the Anchor Bar on Dixon Road.

I knew that Anchor Bar in Buffalo claims to be the home of the original Buffalo wing (1964).  I like wings and figured I wouldn't be getting to Buffalo anytime soon so thought I'd check them out.

They make pizza

I sat on the lounge side

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, Etobicoke, ON

I had breakfast this morning at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery on Dixon Road. 

It apparently opened at 6am but when I got there about 6:45am, there were no servers or hosts in sight.  The sign at the door said to wait to be seated ... so I did ... then I finally sat myself.  There was another fella waiting to be seated ahead of me (he waited) and we were the only two in the restaurant for a while so it's not like the servers were busy taking care of others.

I built my own breakfast and had a couple fried eggs, toast, bacon and homestyle potatoes.  It was a good breakfast.

When I was finished, no one gave me my bill so I went to the cash to pay.  A couple servers were there talking about one's dog that attacked another dog recently and was going to get sued.  They kept talking while ringing my bill in.  It was like I wasn't even there.  I would think that good customer service would mean they would pause their conversation while taking care of me and then carry on once I've left.

The restaurant is attached to the Holiday Inn so you have to take a parking ticket to get in but the restaurant validates the ticket so parking is free for two hours.

Book ~ "Tattooed" (2012) Pamela Callow

From Goodreads ~ She is obsessed with tattoos.

He is obsessed with her.

When a body is found on the outskirts of Halifax, rumors run wild about the victim’s identity. But tattoo artist Kenzie Sloane knows exactly who she is. They share a tattoo ... and a decade-old secret.

Lawyer Kate Lange remembers Kenzie Sloane. The former wild child was part of the same crowd that attracted her little sister, Imogen, before her death. Now Kenzie needs her help. And Kate needs answers.

But there are others who know about the tattoo and its history. And one of them is watching Kenzie’s every move, waiting for the perfect moment to fulfill a dark promise that had been inked in her skin.

Kate is a lawyer with a firm in Halifax, NS.  Frances Sloane is suffering from ALS and wants to be able to have an assisted suicide and hires Kate to take her case to allow her to do this.  Frances, though, is the mother of Kenzie, a former friend of Kate's sister, Imogen.  Many years ago, when Imogen was 15, she got involved with a party crowd, drinking and doing drugs.  Kenzie, who was two years older, was the "queen bee" of that group.  Kate blames Kenzie for influencing Imogen.  One night during a party at Kenzie's, Kate, who was also two years older than Imogen, dragged her sister from the party.  Driving home, Kate crashed the car and Imogen was killed.  Kate has felt guilty about it ever since.

Frances asks Kenzie to come home since she knows she doesn't have long to live.  Kenzie is now a successful tattoo artist in Manhattan and hasn't been home in years.  John McNally, Kenzie's boyfriend from before she left home, has just been released from prison and is determined to find Kenzie.  Lucky for him she has returned home to visit her mother.

Meanwhile, a body has been found in a bog and it's suspected it's a young girl who disappeared during a Mardi Gras party 17 years earlier.

This is the third book I've read by this author and I liked it.  The assisted suicide was an interesting story line.  Plus I liked the tattoo angle.  I liked the writing style.  It is written in third person perspective with the focus on wherever the action is.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

The author was raised and lives in Halifax (I was born and lived in Nova Scotia until I was in my twenties ... my sister lives in Halifax).  I liked that the author set the story in Halifax and didn't make it look like it was Any Town, USA.

This is the third in the Kate Lange series (so far there are four and I read the two recently).  Though it works as a stand alone, I would suggest you read the others in order to get the back stories that are referenced in this book.  I look forward to reading the others in the series.

Book ~ "Purrfection: How to Achieve Balance and Happiness Through Your Cat" (2018) Sophie Macheteau

From Goodreads ~ Cats can be the perfect remedy for today's stressful life. They fascinate us, amuse us and melt our hearts: how can one resist those big eyes and that furry little face? 

Discover dozens of ways to draw on the power of cats to help us relax and to reinforce this special feline bond that brings us so much well-being. Downloadable audio offers 30 minutes of various cats purring so you can take advantage of that soothing sound wherever you are, even if you don't have a cat (yet)! 

I love reading books about animals and that's why this one caught my eye.  The kitty on the cover is sooooo cute and kind of looks like Muffin, one of our kitties.

The book covers a variety of things about cats:

• The history of cats
• Interesting places you'll find cats (cat cafes, Kitty Island, designer cat house, etc.)
• Cats' superpowers (hearing, sight, smell, etc.)
• Connecting with cats (purring, meowing, purr therapy, etc.)
• Signs of love (kneading, stretching, fun activities to share, yoga poses while holding your cat, etc.)
• Online sites (dating for animal lovers, selfie app for cats, tracking your cat, etc.
• Patterns for DIY feline accessories (shirts, notebook and a totebag)

Throughout the book, there are many colour photographs of cats, poems, sayings and tidbits of information about cats.  The book is well-laid out and attractive.

This book is good for anyone who has a cat or who loves cats.  If you don't already have a cat, it may convince you to get one.

Please note the link to the audio doesn't currently work.

Greek & Co, Toronto, ON

I was craving Greek food so had supper this evening at Greek & Co (on King Street W at Brant Street).

I ordered a chicken souvlaki dinner with no salad.  Everything was really good except for the rice ... it was cold and hard :(  The chicken seemed freshly grilled.  The potatoes were hot and lemony.  The pita bread was warm.  The tzatziki was chilled and refreshing.

Malt 'n Salt Fish and Chips, Pickering, ON

I had lunch today at Malt 'n Salt Fish and Chips.  It's in a little strip mall.

I had the haddock lunch special with a side of gravy.  The batter was light, which I like, but I found that the fish and fries tasted the same ... like grease.  I saw a fella hand cutting fries in the back so I know they are fresh but they didn't taste like potatoes.  I ate the fish out of the batter and it didn't have a lot of flavour.

I won't be back if I'm in Pickering.

Comfort Inn, Pickering, ON

I'm conducting enrolment seminars and one-on-ones today and yesterday in Pickering and spent last night at the Comfort Inn.

Here was my room ...

The bed was comfy

Lone Star Texas Grill, Pickering, ON

I had supper tonight at Lone Star Texas Grill (on Kingston Road).

"Rangler" was my server and she started me off with some warm tortilla chips and salsa.  Yum!

I ordered Southern-Fried Chicken Fingers with medium sauce.  They were good.  They were tender and the sauce had a nice bite.  Because of the free tortilla chips, I didn't need to order fries.

Pizzeria Libretto, Toronto, ON (University Avenue)

I had supper this evening at Pizzeria Libretto (University Avenue, just north of King Street W).  It was surprisingly busy for a Monday night.

Free samples at SampleSource.com - April 2018

A couple weeks ago, I had answered an emailed survey from SampleSource and a box of free goodies (free!) arrived today.  This is the seventh box of samples I've gotten from them over the years.

Here is what I received along with some coupons.

Looks like some fun stuff for Gord, Crumpet, Muffin and I to try ... there is something for us all!

Easy Restaurant, Toronto, ON

I had an early lunch today at Easy Restaurant on Queen Street W, just east of the Roncy/King Street W/Queen Street W intersection.

Easy is known for their breakfast and I was torn between having breakfast or lunch ... and went with lunch.  I ordered the grass fed burger (but without the cheese, onions or peppers).  There were no condiments for the burger so I used what I'm assuming was chipotle mayo on it.  It was a good burger.  The fries were good too.

Book ~ "Indefensible" (2010) Pamela Callow

From Goodreads ~ When Elise Vanderzell plummets from her bedroom balcony one gorgeous summer night, her children awaken to a nightmare.

Their mother is dead.

Their father is charged with her murder.

Lawyer Kate Lange knows all about nightmares. She’s survived the darkest period of her troubled life and the wounds are still raw. Now she’s been handed a case that seems utterly unwinnable: defending her boss, high-profile lawyer Randall Barrett. A prosecutor’s dream suspect, Randall is a man who was cuckolded by his ex-wife. A man who could not control his temper. A man who had argued bitterly with the victim the previous day in full view of his children.

With limited criminal law experience, Kate finds herself enmeshed in a family fractured by doubt. Randall’s teenage son is intent on killing him. His daughter wants only to feel safe again. And the entire legal community would like nothing better than to see Randall receive a public comeuppance. As Kate races to stay a step ahead of the prosecution, a silent predator is waiting for the perfect time to deal the final blow. 

Elise and Randall had been married and have two children, Lucy who is twelve and Nick who is fifteen.  When they split up, Elise stayed in Toronto and Randall moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and started his own law firm.  Elise brings the children to Halifax one summer to spend some time with their father.  Randall arrives unannounced where Elise is staying the day they arrive.  Randall and Elise have a big argument and that night Elise is found dead.  Nick swears he saw his father toss his mother over the balcony to her death and Randall is eventually arrested.  This takes up a big part of the book.  With few options, Randall asks Kate, a lawyer in his firm, to represent him.  With no criminal experience, an unlicensed partner and an attraction to Randall, Kate begrudgingly takes on his case.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style.  It is written in third person perspective with the focus on wherever the action is.  The editing could have been a bit tighter, though, because Randall's dog is Charlie yet later in the book it is referred to as "Scrubby" a couple times.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

The author was raised and lives in Halifax (I was born and lived in Nova Scotia until I was in my twenties ... my sister lives in Halifax).  I liked that the author set the story in Halifax and didn't make it look like it was Any Town, USA ... there are local references such as Kate's colleagues going to a pub called the Lower Deck and a bar called the Economy Shoe Shop (I've been to both) and she goes jogging in Point Pleasant Park (I've been there too).

This is the second in the Kate Lange series (so far there are four and I read the first one last month) and I look forward to reading the others in the series.

Café Diplomatico Restaurant & Pizzeria, Toronto, ON

I had supper tonight at Café Diplomatico (College Street/Clinton Street).  I've been there a couple times over the years but for some reason have never blogged about it.

It was nice to sit on the heated patio

I ordered a personal pizza with pepperoni, bacon and sliced tomatoes.  I love love love pizza and this was a good pizza.