Game and Grub
TORONTO — For the second successive summer, I headed down Highway 401 to Toronto, armed with media credentials and a very good excuse to spend an evening at Rogers Centre: Blue Jays baseball.
I had access to the field before the opening pitch and, even better, a perfect perch in the press box for the Jays’ game against the Tampa Bay Rays. For an aging Montreal sports fan, it was a little slice of heaven — with one unavoidable thought hovering in the background: I still miss the Expos.
From a very young age, I went to Expos games at Jarry Park and, later, Olympic Stadium. The Expos left Montreal 22 years ago, and despite numerous attempts to bring Major League Baseball back to town, I believe the chances of that happening in our lifetime are somewhere between slim and none.
For now, Montreal baseball nostalgists will have to make do with Perry Gee’s annual Expos Fest, which brings back stars from yesteryear, and hopefully a minor-league professional team in the Frontier League. There is even talk that Mirabel could land an expansion franchise.
And whatever you do, don’t tell Montreal businessman Ashkan Karbasfrooshan. He is spearheading a private initiative called “The Peanut Project,” which aims to revive the Expos and, unlike the rest of us cynics, he actually believes it can happen.
An aerial view of Rogers Stadium in downtown Toronto
In the meantime, no Montreal sports fan needs to deprive themselves of Major League Baseball. Toronto is a straight shot down the 401 — and if you subscribe to SiriusXM Canada, the drive seems considerably shorter. You can also take the train or fly into Billy Bishop Airport, right downtown.
Just remember to reserve your tickets ahead of time. Even though this has not exactly been a banner year for the Jays in the standings, they continue to draw huge crowds and sell out most games.
On the night I attended, Tampa Bay spoiled the party, beating Toronto 7-1 before an enthusiastic capacity crowd of 40,837. I didn’t notice many fans heading for the exits early. The score was lopsided, but the mood certainly wasn’t. Everyone seemed to be having a blast.
This is the 50th year of Blue Jays baseball. They remain Canada’s team. And Montrealers have a particularly warm connection to one of their biggest stars, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. His father, Vladimir Guerrero, was an Expos legend, and little Vladdy was actually born in Montreal during his dad’s tenure here.
Last year, Guerrero Jr. signed a staggering 14-year, $500-million contract. He hasn’t exactly put together a standout season this year, but Toronto fans continue to adore him.
The same goes for Kazuma Okamoto, who arrived from Japan this season with enormous expectations. He signed a four-year, $60-million deal and has demonstrated that he can hit the ball a very long way. His batting average, however, has left something to be desired.
Then there is Rogers Centre. This is what the Big Owe should have been.
For starters, Rogers Centre has a retractable roof — the very thing architect Roger Taillibert was supposed to properly deliver for Montreal. On a warm summer night, with the roof open, the atmosphere inside the stadium was about as perfect as you could imagine.
And then there is the sound.
Fans still chant together: “Let’s Go Blue Jays! Let’s Go Blue Jays! Let’s … play … ball!”
I had the pleasure of speaking with Joe Siddall, a former Expo who now does a terrific job as a Jays colour commentator on Sportsnet television broadcasts. He made his first return visit to Montreal last spring as a guest at Expos Fest and, like many of us, feels badly that our city has never been given another opportunity to land a team.
Siddall is also a proud Canadian, hailing from Windsor.
I also reunited in the press box with Jeff Blair. We had not seen each other in almost 30 years, although I have followed his exceptional career closely. Blair covered the Expos for The Gazette from 1989 to 1997 before moving on to The Globe and Mail, where he earned the baseball beat. He is now the co-host of a popular baseball radio program on Sportsnet 590 The Fan.
Blair told me that, only a few years ago, he was pretty convinced professional baseball would return to Montreal as part of a proposed partnership with Tampa Bay, with the Rays playing half their home games at the Big Owe.
That plan eventually fell apart. Blair now believes the ship carrying Major League Baseball back to Montreal has left the dock. I hope he is wrong.
For now, I feel privileged simply to have seen the Jays play again this year. Sure, they got beaten handily. But being inside a Major League ballpark, soaking up the sights, sounds and atmosphere, was still a rush.
I’ll certainly be back.
GRUB: Lyla Toronto, The Bagel House and Homies
Looking for some restaurant tips in Toronto? I’ve got three for you.
Start with Lyla, where we thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to this upscale Mediterranean-inspired restaurant at 60 Sudbury Street in Toronto’s Queen West neighbourhood, near Liberty Village and BMO Field.
Opened in 2024, Lyla focuses on Italian, French and contemporary Mediterranean cuisine, combining coastal flavours with modern techniques and subtle international influences. The setting is designed to work for just about any occasion — business lunches, date nights, weekend brunches or private celebrations. There is also a renovated patio and private dining space.
Daniel van Welie and Amen Habtemariam are the co-owners. Van Welie also owns Cano, another Toronto restaurant specializing in classic Italian cuisine.
There is a Montreal connection: Van Welie grew up in St. Laurent before leaving Montreal 15 years ago and heading down Highway 401. www.lylatoronto.com
Jashon, Sat and Jessie at the Bagel House
Remember the old days when Torontonians would come to Montreal and return home with bags of bagels because they simply couldn’t get the same quality west of the Quebec border?
Well, in 1999, Sat Chouhan and Jessie Sahdra decided to do something about it. The two friends had learned the bagel business working at Montreal institutions including REAL Bagel, Fairmount and St-Viateur. They brought The Bagel House to Toronto — and they’re still at it.
Today, there are six locations, including the newest one at Promenade Shopping Centre in Thornhill. And yes, the bagels are terrific. The Thornhill location is managed by Sat’s son, Jashon, who, appropriately enough, was born in Montreal. www.thebagelhouse.com
Finally, there is Homies — and if you haven’t tried these donuts, you are missing out.
In the spring of 2024, Terry Axiotis opened his first Homers Donuts shop on Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal’s NDG district. What followed was a remarkable rise.
There are now 15 locations across Quebec, while Homies shops have also popped up in Toronto, Ottawa and New York City. Dearborn, Michigan, is next, with the ambitious goal of reaching 100 franchises within five years.
On my way to Toronto, I made a detour into the sprawling suburb of Scarborough, where the newest Homies — dubbed Homies Desserts — has opened on Kingston Road.
Not surprisingly, the place is a hit.
And when I finally arrived home with a box of 12 decadent donuts, my family made it abundantly clear that the detour had been worth every kilometre.
Mike Cohen can be reached at [email protected] Follow him on Instagram @mikecohencsl
Cutlines:
Mike_1) Vladimir Guerrerro Jr.
Mike_2) An aerial view of Rogers Stadium in downtown Toronto
Mike_3) Jashon, Sat and Jessie at the Bagel House,