gurrback's Reviews
My local shop
Great shop for skilled and unpretentious service. Huge selection of bikes ranging from intro-level commuters to 10k carbon race steeds. Some prices are a little bit higher than other shops, but when purchasing a bike you generally get a discount on gear and free tune ups for a year. Should also be noted that they have a professional fit shop and throw in a session when purchasing a road bike over a minimum amount ($1200??).
Great sandwich
I walked by this place a thousand times before finally deciding to stop by for some lunch. The vibe is very cool. It's a sort of vintage, wood grain aesthetic with classic hip hop on the sound system and skateboarding/snowboarding/skiing videos playing by the front door. Service was courteous and informal. I had my sandwich in 5 minutes and it was AWESOME. The bread was lightly toasted and perfectly crunchy on the outside. They also have a couple of decent beers on tap although I'd like to see more (and local!)
Overall this is a great place. Perhaps my one issue is the price...a slightly steep $9 for my sandwich.
No pressure, just support
I moved to the area last year and desperately needed a local vet to attend to my 6 month old German Shepherd. I was initially drawn to Front Street Animal Hospital for its convenience - the clinic is only 5 minutes from my house. However, after a few visits I've grown to appreciate the honesty and respect I've received from the front end staff and Dr.Juan.
I feel like they have the best interests of my pet in mind, but also consider the practical and financial implications of expensive vet bills. The options are always laid out on the table and there's no pressure or "upselling". Coming from a rather expensive vet in the East end this was a nice change. I've had a number of lengthy phone calls with the vet that have actually saved me from coming in....bonus.
Love Wvrst
I'm always on the look out for new beer-centric bars and restaurants in the city. Fortunately for me, this European-inspired beer hall popped up a short walk from my home. I've been a number of times now and have a couple observations I'd like to share.
1) Wvrst takes just about any animal you can think of and transforms it into tube form. The diameter of said meat-tubes are approximately the same size as the human mouth. HOW CONVENIENT!
2) Wvrst is beer-centric. That's good news for me. They usually have a Dieu Du Ciel! offering on tap along with Kensington Brewery's Augusta Ale, some other Black Oak offering and and a line up of solid European imports.
3-a)Service is prompt, simple and adequate.
3-b) They have made the mistake of hiring hipsters across the board. I asked for a pint of Augusta Ale, not a pint and a patronizing I-hate-my-job-and-think-I'm-better-than-you smirk.
Overall a super solid place with great beer and decent food. Expect a sausage to run around $9. Fries are around $3-4.
Great all-around sporting venue
I've been here for a number of different sporting events and never been let down. It's a great all around facility. While approaching 15 years old, it doesn't show its age. Food is decent but a bit expensive. What's more depressing is the price of beer. For a boring old macro-beer you will part ways with $12. OUCH.
Great lunch special
Love the sandwich special - can't be beat for $9.
Great trainer, bad methods....
We dealt with two trainers over a 2 month period of time. Both trainers were pleasant, friendly people that were clearly dedicated to their craft. We found them to be involved and genuinely interested in the progress of our dog. It’s unfortunate that the training methods just didn’t work. Oh, and it cost well over $700.
Oh where do I start…
1. Training “bags” were a complete joke. After having these thrown at her half a dozen times, she couldn’t be bothered. We followed all instructions, i.e. not picking them up in her line of sight, not treating them as a toy, soaking them in bitter apple, etc.
2. “Bahing” at our dog. After literally months of growling at our dog, the results were negligible. On top of this, it’s completely embarrassing.
3. Told not to use commands. Commands are a “crutch”. Apparently so are treats/toys or any other item you may use to gain the attention of your dog. Ironically, the only method...
We dealt with two trainers over a 2 month period of time. Both trainers were pleasant, friendly people that were clearly dedicated to their craft. We found them to be involved and genuinely interested in the progress of our dog. It’s unfortunate that the training methods just didn’t work. Oh, and it cost well over $700.
Oh where do I start…
1. Training “bags” were a complete joke. After having these thrown at her half a dozen times, she couldn’t be bothered. We followed all instructions, i.e. not picking them up in her line of sight, not treating them as a toy, soaking them in bitter apple, etc.
2. “Bahing” at our dog. After literally months of growling at our dog, the results were negligible. On top of this, it’s completely embarrassing.
3. Told not to use commands. Commands are a “crutch”. Apparently so are treats/toys or any other item you may use to gain the attention of your dog. Ironically, the only method they taught that actually worked used commands (sit, stay).
4. Continued from point 3: training routines didn’t work. Methods to stop pulling, methods to focus on master, methods to stop scratching = failure. After months of a dedicated, concentrated effort we noticed only miniscule improvement.
5. “Purchasing ______ (expensive) food will help calm her down”. Well, false in our case. Feeding our dog $70 "premium" foods has made no recognizable impact on the behaviour/energy level of our dog.
The worst part about all of this is that their “life time guarantee” is total BS. In the life time of the dog you can never seek outside assistance. And there is NO refund if it doesn’t work. Furthermore, after 5 sessions our trainer kind of threw up her hands and said “oh well”. She seemed genuinely frustrated and at a loss for words at what was happening. She said everything but “this doesn’t work”. She admitted that our dog was an extremely hard case and that this had never happened to her before. It’s a shame.
So we paid over $700 to find out that our dog was a hard case. I’ve since done some research, and the general consensus on the internet is that their methods don’t work with large dogs. It seems to intimidate, startle or scare smaller dogs into submission. However, exerting dominance and control over a larger dog seems to require a different approach. Again, I don’t blame my instructor for everything. I also know that there are areas we could improve in. But overall, it was very obvious that the passage of time could change our dog’s behavior as much as this program did. And that wouldn’t require a $700 deposit.
Great atmosphere, great beer,...
Smokeless Joe's was part of my regular rotation until they unexpectedly closed up shop earlier this summer. I genuinely missed this place. Fortunately for me and other beer-crazy Torontonians, the close was only temporary. Word on the street had them moving to a larger location in the heart of Little Italy. When I heard this was true I nearly fell off my chair. Finally, a space big enough to host an event or to, or maybe just guarantee me a spot after 8pm on a weekend.
Haven't been to the new spot yet (apparently it's open now) but I've heard great things. They've kept some of the same staff so I expect to feel the same vibe when I walk through the front doors. They've always been experts dedicated to their craft, so I doubt this aura will suddenly disappear.
Keep up the good work!
High quality but prices are a bit...
This office is clean and tidy. The receptionists seem relatively on the ball and are generally in a good mood. My sore spot with this vet lies squarely with the pricing structure. $500+ to spay my dog? Are you serious? Seems a little outrageous considering I can have the surgery completed for less than half of that amount elsewhere. I'm aware that they use "cutting edge technology", lasers or something of the sort, but what's the point? Dogs and cats have been spayed and neutered for decades with a knife and a few stitches.
Comments
Some prices are higher. Some are lower. But I think you missed the point of having "cutting edge technology". The laser surgery is less invasive, the pet is in less pain afterwards and the recovery period is much faster. My female Mini Schnauzer had the surgery last year. The incision was only 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. If saving money is more important to you, then the choice is always yours to use a vet using old methods.
Great company that really goes the extra mile to ensure the job gets done on time. I've sent countless "rush" jobs to them at the last minute and there's never an issue. Great on the phone and through email. As mentioned in previous posts, their pricing is excellent...difficult to top.