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| - I was meeting two of my oldest friends here for a little catch-up session, and thought "Hey, great idea: I'll bike straight from work! It's only Bay/Bloor to Christie Pits, that's like 10 minutes. -15 is nothin'."
Idiot. My hands froze solid. Halfway there I kicked my chain off completely, and had to do a sidewalk pit stop to get it back on. By the time I got there, my fingers were so numb, I couldn't even get my bike lock undone. I rushed inside to defrost, and realized I couldn't get my helmet off. So there I am inside Northwood, fully clad in coat, balaclava and helmet, blowing hot air into my hands and watching my bike suspiciously in case a lunatic impervious to the cold decided to run away with it...for 10 minutes!
Relevance? The friendly bar staff made no jests at my expense. Thankfully. Though I felt shame. I finally de-iced, locked-up, my friends showed up smiling and eager for a few child-free hours (3 kids between the two of them.)
We were thrilled by the $2-Off-All-Beer deal between 5-7pm (every night!) and ordered some tall bottles of suds (I'm an 1850s prospector, consarn it.) I had a Garrisson IPA and a Chimay Blue. Both warmed me appropriately for the frosty trip home.
We also ordered some snacks! They suggested getting a few dishes, since the plates are small. This was true and good advice, but the beer was filling enough that I think we were satisfied. In any case, my Root Vegetable Winter Salad was phenomenal. Beets, carrots, rutabaga & radish, with goat cheese and sunflower seeds. My taste buds danced around the flavours like a Bill Cosby tapdance-off, and when it was over everybody won. I can't wait to try and recreate it at home (The salad, not the tapdance competition. My neighbour already passive-aggressively bangs my walls to complain about the reasonable level my GF plays Sarah McLachlan, I don't need the downstairs neighbours finding an excuse to poke at their ceiling with a Swiffer.)
Anyway, it's a great space, the cocktails are also good, and now that I know the food is good I'll be coming back more often. Not in this weather though.
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