Walter Kish

A long time ago, I was fortunate enough to live in unique area of Toronto that is now commonly known as Bloor West Village. I have a strong nostalgic tie to this area, not only for the fact that this is where I bought my first house and saw my family expand and grow, but also because it was a real neighbourhood, with a strong and colourful ethnic flavour and a real sense of character and history. Although it has been more than 15 years since a growing family and the need for more space prompted us to move away to more affordable and spacious digs in the suburbs, Bloor St. West keeps drawing us back on a regular basis.

The attraction is not only nostalgic, but a very practical one. If you want to buy the best kobassa, or rye bread, or indulge in a craving for some hearty, guilt-inducing Slavic food, there is no better place than this stretch of Bloor St. between Jane and High Park. For my wife and I, we can think of no better way to spend a Saturday morning than taking a leisurely stroll and indulging in the incredibly satisfying and stimulating atmosphere that this stretch of road has to offer.

It is particularly rich in Ukrainian content. The eastern end near High Park is anchored by the Ukrainian consulate and the Ukrainian art gallery, more formally known as the Ukrainian Canadian Art Foundation. At the western end near Jane, one will find the Lviv restaurant and the home of the Ukrainian Canadian Social Services organization, better known in Ukrainian as the "Suspilna Sluzhba". In between are no less than four Ukrainian credit unions and trust companies, the Canadian headquarters of Plast, and numerous Ukrainian stores, restaurants and service establishments that cater to all one’s yens for things Ukrainian.

Our strolls down Bloor Street take on an almost ritual character as we make what have become traditional stops. The West Arka store is a must, a place to check out the latest books and publications to come out, stock up on Ukrainian Christmas, Easter and birthday cards, add to one’s collection of Ukrainian CD’s, and buy those cliché "embroidery patterned" gifts for our older Ukrainian relatives for their various birthdays, anniversaries and other celebrations. The store’s offerings extend beyond just Ukrainian kitsch though, and one can find some genuine and interesting pieces of folk art among the ceramics, icons, jewelry and other artistic wares on sale.

One of the primary attractions of Bloor West is, of course, the food. There are a number of good Ukrainian and Polish delicatessens catering to our cravings for not only the standard deli meats and cold cuts, but also ready made varenyky, cabbage rolls, potato pancakes and other staples of Eastern European diets. The Durie Delicatessen has a good selection of most things, though for my tastes, Kingsway Meats makes the best kobassa. If you want to indulge, Max’s Market on the south side of Bloor half a block east of Windermere has an incredible variety of ready made gourmet fare that makes the mouth water just looking at it. It also has the best selection of cheeses in the neighbourhood.

It used to be that no visit to Bloor West was complete without stopping in at the Future Bakery and Café near the Plast offices for a coffee, a decadent piece of cake, and to pick up some fresh rye bread, their poppy-seed rye in particular. Unfortunately, for some inexplicable reason, the place closed down a little while ago, and I will never forgive Boris Wrzesnewskyj, Future’s owner, for shutting down my favourite spot on Bloor.

A break for lunch can be satisfied in any number of interesting Slavic establishments. Borsch and potato pancakes at the Lviv restaurant near Jane have always been one of my favourites. When Future Bakeries was still around, I used to indulge in my peculiar cravings for "kasha" there at every opportunity. The "pelmeni" at the little hole in the wall known as The Amber restaurant are always a welcome treat, whereas the more refined culinary creations of Slava Iwasykiw and Sonia Potichnyj at the Lemon Meringue never fail to amaze.

In many ways Bloor West Village is more a cultural state of mind or way of life than a mere address or collection of streets. It is a precious piece of Toronto worth experiencing as often as possible.