FRANKIE’S FAVOURITE EATERIES 

Where to go? Where to book? What to do? You can complain about a lot of things in Toronto, but you can't complain about its restaurants, they are great for the food. 

Toronto, in my opinion, has no great supper clubs - Paris has that title (zero bar scene in Paris BTW). It also doesn't have a great bar scene, that is reserved for cities like New York and great American cities but what Toronto does have is a great elevated food scene and I would say many many great Italian restaurants in particular. I think that's partly because of the number of Italians we have and how early they immigrated here. If you're not from Toronto we have two neighbourhoods that were traditionally Italian - one was College and the other was St Clair, but in the 90s so many moved to Siberia, oops I mean to an area north of toronto called Woodbridge, where a handful of families bought tons and tons of acres in the 60s, 70s, and 80s and the people followed. 

Back to the food. Italians are pretty picky about their pastas, so the Italian food scene has really grown up. It's still a long way from the fresh, organic and handmade goodness you get in Italy 🤌 but wudareyougonnado? 

So, having said that if you're dying to try some good classic Torontoesque Italian and you want to hit a great staple near Yonge and Eglinton, I'd try La Vechia. The place is relatively unchanged for the last 30 years, I'd say it has a slightly elevated vibe, a very cozy feel, and perfect if you want that classic red wine, pasta, stewed meat, fish and Pizza even with a dose of Steakhouse feel. 

I recently had dinner with a colleague there. We had the penne vodka, a couple of salads, I had the beets and the lamb shank (delicious) dropped on top of a cozy mashed potato, and some lightly charred rapini (yum). Recently, I've been craving stewed meats and lamb in particular. Why? Perhaps because it's getting cold, perhaps it's something else but stewed, boiled, or long charred and cooked meats have been on my mind baby... 

The food is great here and so is the wine. I paired my meal with a couple of glasses of barolesque wines and they were great, as you know, I never remember the wine names.   I trust the Sommelier wherever we go.  

So, the holidays are coming, and we have plenty of dining to do, restaurants to try, and fun times to be had. In my 100th newsletter, coming up shortly 🤦‍♀️ (I can't believe it) I'm putting together Frankie's 20 favourite restaurants ever. I'm racking my brain trying to narrow my list down. I've been eating out my entire life, I'm a food and party lover, what can I say? I hope you're looking forward to it. I plan on telling you why I like each one. 

If you're enjoying my blog and news or have a restaurant or RE listing that you're dying for me to showcase, please email [email protected] and we will try to make that happen. People often ask me, Frankie, why don't you ever say negative things about restaurants? Well, it's not that I think all restaurants are great but, isn't that why some don't last? I don't need to be the one that closes them down, let's just put it that way. You come here to hear about the good ones, the good news, and that was always my intention with this newsletter, to create an environment where you hear about good news and good things that are going around in the world. I'm so glad that many of you are enjoying this blog. I've heard some people say they enjoy the trivia, I've heard some people say they enjoy the weather (which I was surprised by), I've had many people say they have booked restaurants because of this blog, and others say that they are just happy to receive it early Saturday AM and it's the one thing that reminds them it's the weekend . 

Thank you for reading and I'm thrilled that so many people are enjoying it, I hope it evolves and we continue to get new guest bloggers, writers, and features. Thank you to Maya, our resident psychology feature, our technology writer (which I need to do more of) and editor ;). Thank you to Dimitry, Chris our regular sportswriter and cohost in our weekly podcast (where we need some great people to interview), Mala and Nirit AKA Paris Popcorn (our Paris and London sista) and of course George Pimentel who is graciously giving us his party of the week. 

We could use some great people recommending great books, places to see and stories, yes, we need great stories. Please keep in mind that this blog goes out to some pretty pretty cool people so you will be very surprised who reads your stuff. 

I hope you have a wonderful Holidays and enjoy eating and celebrating with friends this season. 

Check it out!

TECH SPOTLIGHT

If you’re someone who loves podcasts but sometimes struggles to keep track of all your favorite episodes, Pocket Casts just made life a little easier. The app now lets you create playlists—yes, just like you would for music! Whether you want to handpick episodes yourself or let Pocket Casts do the heavy lifting with its Smart Playlists, you can finally organize your listening exactly how you like it.

Dreaming of a flight full of bite-sized episodes or a commute featuring only your favorite guest’s interviews? You’re covered. You can even filter episodes by length or only include ones you haven’t played yet—perfect for squeezing in podcasts on a busy day.

Right now, the feature is live on web and desktop, with Android rolling out soon and iOS not far behind. It’s part of Pocket Casts’ move to make listening more flexible and friendly, even as it grows its subscriber base. Who said organizing podcasts had to be a chore?

Check it out!

REAL ESTATE SPOTLIGHT

Check out this view.... Wow! You are paying for the view here, that's for sure. With the market being where it is and the location, I'm not so sure about the price, it's so hard to gauge how long things will sit or if it's even a good deal anymore but if you've got the money and like the location (it's a particular one and probably only for the right person), this view is hard to beat. Great patio too! OMG 

Check it out!

Sophisticated city living awaits in this modern two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite, where contemporary elegance meets everyday comfort. An expansive open-concept layout seamlessly blends the living, dining, and kitchen areas—perfect for both relaxation and entertaining. The chef-inspired kitchen features sleek built-in appliances and luxurious stone countertops, while 10-foot ceilings and uniform laminate flooring enhance the suite’s spacious feel. The bright living room extends to a large private balcony, offering the ideal spot to unwind. The primary bedroom provides a peaceful retreat with its own 4-piece ensuite bathroom, and the convenience of in-suite laundry completes the space.

This incredible location offers exceptional connectivity, with TTC access right at your doorstep and swift links to the GO Station, major highways, the CNE, and the lively neighbourhoods of Queen West and Liberty Village—home to countless shops, restaurants, and entertainment destinations. The building further elevates your lifestyle with premium amenities, including a 24-hour concierge, state-of-the-art fitness centre, yoga studio, media room, beautiful outdoor terraces, and an indoor children’s play area. A truly remarkable unit that should not be missed!

Check it out!

On The Scene “Party of The Week”

By George Pimentel

YOU HELPED US RAISE OVER $1.47 MILLION AND COUNTING FOR OUR MISSION TO END HIV IN CANADA!

The 29th edition of Bloor Street Entertains on Friday, November 21, 2025 was a wondrous affair that brought together over 1,000 of CANFAR's supporters for an evening of fashion, food, fun and philanthropy that raised over $1.4 million for our mission to end HIV in Canada! The dinners again were spectacular, featuring fan-favourite fashion houses, boutiques and hotels all dressed to impress and while the city's finest culinary teams served up gourmet multi-course meals.

At the After Party, the Mantella Corporation Red Carpet welcomed guests to another beautifully designed experience, while the Spamedica x Magnetic photobooth took tons of special snaps. Nancy Kim hosted another stunning photo studio; and TMB Cosmetic Surgery brought our guests to life through an amazing video activation.

Our After Party host Gigi Gorgeous kept the crowd excited as she introduced DJs MANZONE & STRONG, DJ Karim Olen Ash, and JB Sax-all of whom helped bring the energy into the stratosphere in a multi-hour set sponsored by DECIEM.

We want to thank our co-chairs Melissa Campisi, David Simmonds and Dr. Trevor Born for their incredible leadership and stewardship over the past many moons. A gigantic thank you to our Honorary Chairs Candice Sinclair, Janice Fricker, Michael Liebrock and the incomparable Sylvia Mantella. And of course to our volunteer events committee for all their dedication!

Every dollar raised at BSE29 supports our investments in HIV /AIDS research, national awareness programs, and community-led implementation projects.

Don't forget: next year will be the milestone 30th anniversary of Bloor Street Entertains! If you want to pledge your table or sponsorship now, please email [email protected].

Take a sneak peek at this week’s event photos, your 🫵 backstage pass. 

WORD OF THE WEEK

Amalgamate

What It Means

Amalgamate is a formal verb meaning "to unite (two or more things) into one thing."

UNTAMED PODCAST

WATCH BELOW

FRANKIE’S SONG OF THE WEEK

What a great song to add to your playlist!

100 WEEKS OF POSITIVE MESSAGES

Frankie did 100 days of positive messages 3 years ago. He wanted to center them around mental health and positivity. We will post them each week for 100 weeks.

“We often get asked how we do so many sales.

We promote, promote, promote, and we work on our relationships.

There are 9 billion of us on the planet, right?

Each one of us started somewhere different, so, you path will be different from even your closest of siblings.

When you are looking for a way to feel better, I would look to people who have been able to get over things but also look at people who are going through things similar to you. I think you would be surprised to learn how many people have the same feelings of anger, guilt, and anxiety that are similar to yours.

We are all different but when it comes down to the simple things, we are all the same.

It is important to fix your problems and not let them linger too long, find a way.

Watching someone’s life on Instagram or Facebook is a bad way to judge yours.

I use these social sites to learn about new places to go, to see what cool things people are up to, motivational stuff, post silly things about my life, communicate with friends and of course to promote our businesses.

If being on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, or LinkedIn just makes you angry then I suggest you reframe the way you use social sites.

If I was a salesperson in any business, like real estate, equipment sales, insurance, a tradesperson, software, a lawyer, or any other job, I would post something about what I did at least one day per week on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

BTW these sites are free, FREE! And the eyeballs on these sites are becoming better than paid advertising on billboards, magazines, and even television.

People say that social media causes harm, well, if you can’t control your emotions then it is not Instagram that you need to be mad at, it is the way you see life in general.

I was crazy way before Instagram ;)…

Look yourself in the mirror this morning and find a way to fix your issues.

You can find a way to fix your problems, and work can be a great way to keep your mind off the silly little thoughts that can linger in.

So, what are you waiting for? Post more! Get a new client and let people know what you do.

One foot in front of the other…”

🧠A Weekly Dose of Psychology You Didn’t Know You Needed 🧠

Hi everyone! I’m Maya, I hold an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science and Psychology (basically, I can analyze both a crime scene and your overly complicated coffee order). I’m also an incoming Master of Arts candidate in Counselling Psychology, which means I spend a lot of time thinking about how the human brain works, and why it sometimes does the exact opposite of what we want it to do.

The holiday season is creeping up, and while it’s full of joy, lights, and cozy vibes, it’s also one of the most emotionally complex times of the year.

Psych Fact #21: Anticipating holiday generosity can actually make you happier than receiving gifts.

Studies in positive psychology show that planning, giving, and thinking about giving releases dopamine — the same feel-good chemical your brain produces when you actually receive something. In other words, wrapping gifts, picking out the perfect surprise, or even daydreaming about how someone will react can feel just as rewarding as the act of giving itself.

Another interesting twist: our brains respond more strongly to acts of kindness that require effort. A handmade gift, a handwritten note, or baking cookies can trigger more positive emotions than a store-bought item because your brain notices the time and energy invested.

So this holiday season, don’t stress about what you’ll get or what’s “perfect.” Focus on small, meaningful ways to show thoughtfulness — your brain will thank you for the joy it’s already experiencing.

Until next time,
Maya 🧠✨

TRIVIA

Category: Science Edition!

CHRIS’ CORNER

NBA Cup is Growing on Me

Like any new things, it takes time to build a solid foundation. The NBA Cup is no different.

When it was first announced a few years ago, the NBA Cup in-season tournament seemed like a bit of a reach. It was obviously playing off European soccer cups – either domestic or continental – and felt a bit forced.

The Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural tournament over the Indiana Pacers, then the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the eventual NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder in last year’s NBA Cup final.

Still, neither one of those truly felt like they “mattered” to the overall league and its fans. But this year feels a little different.

Now in year three, it seems like all the players and teams have really bought into it. I’ve been watching a lot of basketball this season, and not only the Toronto Raptors, and it’s been very competitive.

This is especially true of the NBA Cup games. Certainly, there have been a few blowouts, the Raptors over the Washington Wizards comes to mind, there has been decent intensity in the Group Stage.

Look no further than the Boston Celtics edging the first-place Detroit Pistons 117-114 on Wednesday night in a tough, physical match-up that felt very old-school. Looking at the Pistons faces as they couldn’t quite pull it out and it mattered.

The Los Angeles Clippers over the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors over San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets over Houston Rockets, and Phoenix Suns over Minnesota Timberwolves all went down to the wire. The definition of must-watch TV.

The last matches of the Group Stage took place after deadline for this piece, but we knew that the Raptors and the Lakers were already through as group winners.

The quarterfinals will take place December 9 and 10 at the home court of the higher seed, while the semi-finals and final are schedule for Las Vegas on December 13 and 16 respectively.

If you haven’t tuned in, make sure you do when the do-or-die games get started.

By Chris Occhiuzzi

UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS

WEATHER THIS WEEK

TORONTO

MIAMI

PARIS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Hemingway once said "the intelligent are never happy", his interpretation of intelligence is not mine.”

-SFD

THIS WEEK’S MOTIVATION

A friend of mine recently sent me this by Rudyard Kipling, I really enjoyed it.

 IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HEAD WHEN ALL ABOUT YOUARE LOSING THEIRS AND BLAMING IT ON YOU:

 IF YOU CAN TRUST YOURSELF WHEN ALL MEN DOUBT YOU, BUT MAKE ALLOWANCE FOR THEIR DOUBTING TOO;

IF YOU CAN WAIT AND NOT BE TIRED BY WAITING. OR, BEING LIED ABOUT, DON'T DEAL IN LIES, OR BEING HATED, DON'T GIVE WAY TO HATING.AND YET DON'T LOOK TOO GOOD, NOR TALK TOO WISE;

IF YOU CAN DREAM - AND NOT MAKE DREAMS YOUR MASTER:

IF YOU CAN THINK - AND NOT MAKE THOUGHTS YOUR AIM: IF YOU CAN MEET WITH TRIUMPH AND DISASTER

AND TREAT THOSE TWO IMPOSTORS JUST THE SAME:

 IF YOU CAN BEAR TO HEAR THE TRUTH YOU'VE SPOKEN TWISTED BY KNAVES TO MAKE A TRAP FOR FOOLS, OR WATCH THE THINGS YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE TO, BROKEN,

AND STOOP AND BUILD'EM UP WITH WORN-OUT TOOLS:

 IF YOU CAN MAKE ONE HEAP OF ALL YOUR WINNINGS AND RISK IT ON ONE TURN OF PITCH-AND-TOSS. AND LOSE, AND START AGAIN AT YOUR BEGINNINGS AND NEVER BREATHE A WORD ABOUT YOUR LOSS:

 IF YOU CAN FORCE YOUR HEART AND NERVE AND SINEW TO SERVE YOUR TURN LONG AFTER THEY ARE GONE, AND SO HOLD ON WHEN THERE IS NOTHING IN YOU

EXCEPT THE WILL WHICH SAYS TO THEM: "HOLD ON!" 

IF YOU CAN TALK WITH CROWDS AND KEEP YOUR VIRTUE, OR WALK WITH KINGS - NOR LOSE THE COMMON TOUCH:

IF NEITHER FOES NOR LOVING FRIENDS CAN HURT YOU:

IF ALL MEN COUNT WITH YOU, BUT NONE TOO MUCH; IF YOU CAN FILL THE UNFORGIVING MINUTE WITH SIXTY SECONDS' WORTH OF DISTANCE RUN,

YOURS IS THE EARTH AND EVERYTHING THAT'S IN IT. AND - WHICH IS MORE - YOU'LL BE A MAN, MY SON!

--11

CONTRIBUTIONS

If you would like to contribute to the newsletter, please contact us. Our NL goes out to over 10k business owners, friends, and other professionals in my network. We would love to have people from different walks of life, and we won't judge your writing. If you would like us to keep your articles anonymous, we can do so as well. Also, if you enjoy the newsletter and want to contribute $, please donate to www.camh.ca anytime on our behalf AND please have your friends subscribe, it will mean the world to us. 

Thank you

- Frankie

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Super Frankie is lazy. He loves technology because it makes life more simple. Technology is spawned from ideas that make life easier. He is the founder of Busys.ca which is a company that sells/leases and services printers, laptops, document management software, copiers, IT services, and phone systems throughout North America and Europe.

LET’S CONNECT

*These articles, jokes, and stories are written by individuals handpicked by SFD for their unique way of thinking and writing. While SFD appreciates their styles, he does not necessarily endorse their opinions. This newsletter is designed to bring a smile to your face. If you prefer not to receive this weekly newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. You will be missed.