ThirstyMates.com

When I first moved in to my neighbourhood (3 and a half years ago) from Oakville I severely missed my regular trips to my favourite bar of the area. Now that I’ve been in Toronto living in the Davenport Village I’ve discovered a few bars and pubs in the area that I have come to refer to as my “locals”. I have also come to the conclusion that (for any serious drinker) one must have a local haunt to drift to when the thirst takes hold.

When I was living in Oakville for school I held a job working in the local mall. There was an East Side Mario’s in this mall and it was a natural place for myself and my coworkers to drift after a long day of selling overpriced footwear and other skateboard paraphernalia to snotty nosed kids and their overpaid, underworked parents. This bar/restaurant became my local unbeknownst to me at the time.
After moving to Toronto there was always something missing for me in the way of drinking. Friends would visit from out of town and I’d have no idea where to go. No direction to take them to sit and have a quiet pint. Even when wanting to relax and unwind on a Saturday afternoon or after work there was something missing while sitting on the couch drinking beer from a can.

Now that I have put some time in though in the area and discovered one or two pubs that I don’t mind frequenting I’m happy with my drinking selection and my ability to leave the house and find some suds that I don’t have to pour myself.

My Locals

The local pub brings things that sitting at home can’t. I have two pubs that I consider my locals.

• The Gem - The Gem is located at 1159 Davenport Road and has a deep Rock-n-Roll feel to it. With a ’61 Seeburg (considered by many to be the Cadillac of jukeboxes) as the main focus when you walk in and a constant stream of good ol’ Rock-N’-Roll playing over the radio throughout the bar this place feels warm even on the coldest days. The owner Eddie is a great guy through and through and the bar staff are more than welcoming at all times. This place can get pretty packed on weekends and there’s no question as to why. Their food is incredible (I recommend the hummus or the quesadillas) as is the beer. In most cases one will not know what will be on tap at anytime but it’s sure to be something from Mill St. The Gem is a place that you just can’t go wrong with whether you’re sitting on the patio sipping a Mojito or nestled at a booth escaping the cold.
• PM Toronto - I consider PM Toronto (1245 Dupont Street in the Galleria Mall) not to be a local out of a love for the people or the food or even the beer. But out of sheer proximity to my residence. If I’m ever too lazy to take the ten minute walk over to The Gem, PM Toronto is where you’ll find me. The beer on tap isn’t marvellous and I’m pretty sure they need to clean their tap system. Being a sports bar they serve the regular domestics such as Molson Canadian and Labatt’s Blue and such but they have just acquired Steam Whistle on tap and this is enough to quell my inner beer snob (it also doesn’t force me to grumble and accept a pint of Keith’s “IPA”.

What makes a good local?

• Locality - A local has to be just that. Local. If it’s too far away it’s not a local it’s just a bar you like or frequent. In my opinion I’d say anything more than 15 minutes travel and you’re not in local territory anymore.
• Interactions with regulars - The regulars at my The Gem are one of the reasons I keep coming back (aside from their regular rotation of Mill St. product). I’ve made some pretty decent “at the bar” friends who have helped me out outside the bar as well. Being a Rockabilly-esque bar there’s a lot of motorcycle owners that frequent The Gem and their guidance has been essential to me finding and purchasing my first bike and helping me out when it broke down right outside.
• Interaction with strangers - Strangers in a small pub environment bring more life to it. Sitting on a barstool at your local chatting in passing with the bartender most often sparks up a conversation with someone sitting down the bar. At a true local you never feel as if you don’t have a place in the conversation. Some of my favourite times at The Gem have been had when a stranger has chimed in to a conversation and we’ve hit it off. Have I ever seen these people again? Most of them no. Even if I have there have been times when it hasn’t gone farther than a nod or a wave. Like the “Single Serving Friends” theory from Fight club. This point however does not apply to my #2 local. I stay as far away from the strangers here as I can due to the fact there is an adjoined off track betting parlour it can bring in some undesirables.
• Relaxability - Okay I made that word up. But it applies. If you can’t go to your local and relax you’re in trouble. I like to think of my locals as somewhere I would go by myself if I was in need of an unwind and I would be able to relax there.

My final thoughts

Without a local I can surely live. But I do enjoy having a place to go and relax that is outside my house. The local is a long standing tradition in the drinking culture and it’s one that earned some serious thought from myself and hopefully the few readers that frequent this blog.

What’s your local? Why do you love it? Put the thought in and I’m sure you’ll appreciate it a lot more after you’ve done so. How about a comment to let me know what you love about it?

And next time you’re in the Davenport area stop by The Gem and buy me a round!

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