Curley
Brewing Company
ABOUT
100% vegan food, coffee, beer and kombucha. What more could you possibly want? Our friends down at Curley Brewing Company are brand new to the London food and beer scene but have already created quite the name for themselves. 
Curley grew up making beer with his dad and felt the natural next step would be to open up a nano-brewery. Since they didn’t have their manufacturing licence just yet, they decided to turn it into both a brewery and cafe. The result is a humble destination that boasts some tasty vegan eats and flavourful craft beers! The menu at Curley Brewing Co. offers casual items such as pretzel bagels with an option to add house-made Curley mustard (yum!). Their TLT sandwich which is a vegan twist on the classic BLT – tempeh, lettuce and tomato. The curried chickpea salad sandwich is packed with protein and flavour. They also offer pesto and tomato grilled cheese and a tempeh Caesar wrap! Pro tip: try their gluten-free vegan chocolate chip cookie, and you’ll leave thinking about it for a week – trust us on this one 
. While Curley Brewing mainly focuses on their beer, the food selection is undeniably delicious. In addition to providing some excellent in-house eats, they sell some of London’s favourite vegan foods. These items include, but are not limited to Nuts for Cheese which is an artisan based cashew cheese company, and Culture Shock Kombucha. There’s no doubt we’ll be back to Curley Brewing, not just for beer but their mouth-watering vegan food too. 
Contact Curley Brewing Company
http://www.curleybrewing.com/index.html
Phone: 519-872-6667
Email: contact@tobogganbrewing.com
Address
1634 Hyde Park Rd., London, Ontario
Hours
Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday & Thursday: 9am-4pm
Friday & Saturday: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 10am-4pm
The Best Vegan Friendly Restaurants in London
Have you ever experienced the urge to go out for lunch with your friends, but soon remember that you’re trying to adhere to a strict organic/vegan/vegetarian lifestyle? Are you tired of going out for lunch and your only option is to order the “house greens” salad, and even then you’re not sure how healthy it is? Many of us have been there, but luckily for us, our beloved Forest City is emerging with tasty and innovative health food restaurants. These spots guarantee you a good time with friends at a super busy spot and let you leave with a belly full of goodness and little regret. That’s certainly a win-win for us. Well, unless you opt for the truffle fries or triple thick peanut butter almond milkshake, make good choices people! Read on to learn about London’s delicious organic and vegan-friendly spots.
Three words: guilt-free pizza. Who doesn’t love the idea of indulging in a delicious and satisfying ‘za without crying in agony the next day from consuming so much cheese and carbs? Everyone of course! Zen’za Pizzeria is one of those little-known restaurants with a quaint, no frills atmosphere offering insanely delicious pizza that’s so good you just want to keep the secret to yourself. On the other hand, you’re dying to tell anyone and everyone who’ll listen to you because the restaurant deserves the business. Us at Santa Knows Best love Zen’za so much that we go almost every other week. The menu offers mostly whole-wheat thin crust dough, with a gluten free option. The entire menu is completely customizable, but they’ve also made up their own creations. You can choose from seven flavour combinations from balsamic marinated mushroom to a greek ‘za. Our personal favourite is their Thaco ‘Za! Perfect for Thaco Thursdays, this pizza features all the favourite taco toppings, but on a pizza! The most important thing to mention about Zen’Za is their commitment to providing vegan and lactose free options. Every single pizza they make comes in a vegan/lactose free version using ingredients like coconut bacon, nutritional yeast, vegan cheese and sausage!
Neighbourhood: Downtown London 252 Dundas St. (map)
While it isn’t a sit-down restaurant, we just had to include Globally Local on the list. This vegan fast-food restaurant emerged a couple years ago and has been wowing vegans and meat-eaters alike. With the majority of their customers being meat-eaters, it’s easy to assume that Globally Local isn’t a plain vegan restaurant. It’s a one-stop-shop for twists on most classic fast-food items. From the “Vopper,” to the “ChickUN preTenders,” and tacos, sausage and ham breakfast sandwiches, scrambled eggs and gyros, there’s sure to be something for everyone on the menu. This is the ultimate destination for comfort food after a night out, or to satisfy that hankering for a hamburger at 4:00 am. Yes you read that correctly, 4:00 am – Globally Local opened up a 24h drive-thru location in early 2017, making it the first vegan fast food restaurant in the world! And you bet they’re serving up fries and a choice of drink with each meal – definitely a game changer for those thinking about going plant-based, as you’ll still be able to indulge in those greasy meals, but in a guilt free, cruelty free way. All while supporting a local business! Us at Santa Knows Best value the importance of supporting local, and Globally Local is no exception to that!
The Root Cellar has established itself as a favourite London restaurant for carnivores and herbivores alike! Organic in its roots, this restaurant has made it their mission to provide patrons with twists on classic casual restaurant fare. From wraps and poutine to salad, taco cups and Buddha bowls – there’s no shortage of choice here. They serve lunch and dinner every day as well as an impressive brunch on Saturdays until 1:00 pm. Visit the Root Cellar today and order the sweet potato taco cups with a kale Caesar salad or the water buffalo burger and coconut butternut squash soup- you won’t regret it!
Zen Gardens is a small vegetarian chain restaurant serving up plant-based Asian fare. Don’t let the word “chain” scare you because the beauty of this restaurant is their mission to serve meals that are never bland and packed with nutrition. Their meat substitutes are completely natural with no added chemicals and they inform you of all the health benefits you gain from each entrée. From crispy soy fritters to spring rolls and udon noodle soup, sushi platters and curry vermicelli – the menu is not lacking variety. Our personal favourite are the pan-fried dumplings, order these and you won’t regret it. Asian cuisine is generally very meat-heavy and vegetarians no doubt miss this fare that is always full of flavour and satisfying. Zen Gardens is the answer to those cravings and will leave you excited for your next visit!
100% vegan food, coffee, beer and kombucha. What more could you possibly want? Our friends down at Curley Brewing Company are brand new to the London food and beer scene but have already created quite the name for themselves. Located on Hyde Park Road just north of Gainsborough Road, this is not your average distillery. Owner and operator, Nigel Curley has masterfully combined two emerging forces in the London food and culture scene: vegan food and craft beer. Curley grew up making beer with his dad and felt the natural next step would be to open up a nano-brewery. Since they didn’t have their manufacturing licence just yet, they decided to turn it into both a brewery and cafe. The result is a humble destination that boasts some tasty vegan eats and flavourful craft beers! The menu at Curley Brewing Co. offers casual items such as pretzel bagels with an option to add house-made Curley mustard (yum!). Their TLT sandwich which is a vegan twist on the classic BLT – tempeh, lettuce and tomato. The curried chickpea salad sandwich is packed with protein and flavour. They also offer pesto and tomato grilled cheese and a tempeh Caesar wrap! Pro tip: try their gluten-free vegan chocolate chip cookie, and you’ll leave thinking about it for a week – trust us on this one. While Curley Brewing mainly focuses on their beer, the food selection is undeniably delicious. In addition to providing some excellent in-house eats, they sell some of London’s favourite vegan foods. These items include, but are not limited to Nuts for Cheese which is an artisan based cashew cheese company, and Culture Shock Kombucha. There’s no doubt we’ll be back to Curley Brewing, not just for beer but their mouth-watering vegan food too.
Neighbourhood: Old South 162 Wortley Rd. (map) https://plantmatterkitchen.com/
Neighbourhood: Downtown 71 King St. (map) http://zenzapizzeria.ca/
Three words: guilt-free pizza. Who doesn’t love the idea of indulging in a delicious and satisfying ‘za without crying in agony the next day from consuming so much cheese and carbs? Everyone of course! Zen’za Pizzeria is one of those little-known restaurants with a quaint, no frills atmosphere offering insanely delicious pizza that’s so good you just want to keep the secret to yourself. On the other hand, you’re dying to tell anyone and everyone who’ll listen to you because the restaurant deserves the business. Us at Santa Knows Best love Zen’za so much that we go almost every other week. The menu offers mostly whole-wheat thin crust dough, with a gluten free option. The entire menu is completely customizable, but they’ve also made up their own creations. You can choose from seven flavour combinations from balsamic marinated mushroom to a greek ‘za. Our personal favourite is their Thaco ‘Za! Perfect for Thaco Thursdays, this pizza features all the favourite taco toppings, but on a pizza! The most important thing to mention about Zen’Za is their commitment to providing vegan and lactose free options. Every single pizza they make comes in a vegan/lactose free version using ingredients like coconut bacon, nutritional yeast, vegan cheese and sausage!
Neighbourhood: Downtown London 252 Dundas St. (map)
While it isn’t a sit-down restaurant, we just had to include Globally Local on the list. This vegan fast-food restaurant emerged a couple years ago and has been wowing vegans and meat-eaters alike. With the majority of their customers being meat-eaters, it’s easy to assume that Globally Local isn’t a plain vegan restaurant. It’s a one-stop-shop for twists on most classic fast-food items. From the “Vopper,” to the “ChickUN preTenders,” and tacos, sausage and ham breakfast sandwiches, scrambled eggs and gyros, there’s sure to be something for everyone on the menu. This is the ultimate destination for comfort food after a night out, or to satisfy that hankering for a hamburger at 4:00 am. Yes you read that correctly, 4:00 am – Globally Local opened up a 24h drive-thru location in early 2017, making it the first vegan fast food restaurant in the world! And you bet they’re serving up fries and a choice of drink with each meal – definitely a game changer for those thinking about going plant-based, as you’ll still be able to indulge in those greasy meals, but in a guilt free, cruelty free way. All while supporting a local business! Us at Santa Knows Best value the importance of supporting local, and Globally Local is no exception to that!
Neighbourhood: Old East Village 623 Dundas St. (map) http://rootcellarorganic.ca/
The Root Cellar has established itself as a favourite London restaurant for carnivores and herbivores alike! Organic in its roots, this restaurant has made it their mission to provide patrons with twists on classic casual restaurant fare. From wraps and poutine to salad, taco cups and Buddha bowls – there’s no shortage of choice here. They serve lunch and dinner every day as well as an impressive brunch on Saturdays until 1:00 pm. Visit the Root Cellar today and order the sweet potato taco cups with a kale Caesar salad or the water buffalo burger and coconut butternut squash soup- you won’t regret it!
Neighbourhood: Downtown 344 Dundas St. (map) http://www.zen-garden.ca/menu_selection.html
Zen Gardens is a small vegetarian chain restaurant serving up plant-based Asian fare. Don’t let the word “chain” scare you because the beauty of this restaurant is their mission to serve meals that are never bland and packed with nutrition. Their meat substitutes are completely natural with no added chemicals and they inform you of all the health benefits you gain from each entrée. From crispy soy fritters to spring rolls and udon noodle soup, sushi platters and curry vermicelli – the menu is not lacking variety. Our personal favourite are the pan-fried dumplings, order these and you won’t regret it. Asian cuisine is generally very meat-heavy and vegetarians no doubt miss this fare that is always full of flavour and satisfying. Zen Gardens is the answer to those cravings and will leave you excited for your next visit!
Neighbourhood: Hyde Park 1700 Hyde Park Road (map) http://www.curleybrewing.com/index.html
The Rec Room is Coming to London
Masonville Commercial District is booming with big-box retailers, food supply stores and restaurants. What it’s lacking, however, is a strong entertainment aspect. Aside from SilverCity and dining, north-Londoners have to seek out entertainment from other parts of the city. This, however, is about to change with the much-anticipated opening of Cineplex’s latest and greatest venture, The Rec Room! Any north-Londoner or shopper who frequents Masonville Place will agree that the mall has seen significant changes in the past several years. Target Canada was a much anticipated, yet fleeting venture in what was once Zellers. Its close was a shock to many shoppers, but Marshall’s and Home Sense have since replaced the space, and it looks like they are here to stay. There was a massive overhaul of the area in the mall that Sears resided for many years (Zara, H&M, Sport Chek and The Keg Steakhouse & Bar and more have now taken over the area), and this overhaul left people wondering what was going to take over the rest of the Target Space.
There has been a significant increase in demand for adult entertainment such as escape rooms like Trapdoor London, mystery rooms and arcades such as Dave & Buster’s throughout North America. When the rumours started swirling about a possible adult arcade in Masonville Mall, it was an initial hit. The news officially broke in January of 2017 that The Rec Room would become part of the Masonville Commercial District roster. The Rec Room began in Toronto, and this will be the fifth official location across Canada. It is set to be London’s (self-proclaimed) biggest, shiniest new playground. The large establishment will offer delicious Canadian-inspired dining and games varying from virtual reality, to ping pong, pool, shuffleboard and redemption games to win those classic arcade prizes (who remembers Mr. Chuckles?). In addition to the arcade, The Rec Room offers a ton of entertainment from stand-up comedy to live bands and sports games on the big screen – there’s something for everyone. 
From brunch, all the way to dessert, Three10 and The Shed are The Rec Room’s very own Canadian-inspired restaurants. The menus offer a wide range of options and look like an impressive step up from classic arcade eats. The great thing about this entertainment destination is that it’s open up for kids to run free during the day, but when night-time hits, it’s adults only. This allows the space to turn into a sought-after destination for those looking for entertainment and a myriad of drinks. They even have wine on tap (say no more, we’ll be there the day it opens). This will no doubt be the ultimate double-date destination or the perfect spot to celebrate a 40th birthday party in classic throwback fashion. Instead of sipping on Pepsi and scarfing down hot dogs between games at your 10th birthday party, you can dig into a 12oz rib steak and wash it down with a double Caesar. Sounds like a recipe for a great time! 
Eating and playing at The Rec Room doesn’t come without its perks! This arcade is a Cineplex venture meaning it’s directly affiliated with Scene points! For movie lovers, this will be an attractive sell. Every dollar you spend at The Rec Room earns you one scene point. The more you frequent The Rec Room, the more perks you get including front of the line access, bonuses and ticket upgrades! Every 1,000 Scene points get you $10 off at The Rec Room. Moviegoers and avid gamers alike will love racking up these points, as they add up quickly. We are all too familiar with the awesomeness that is free movies, and this is a great bonus to the implementation of The Rec Room to Masonville Mall. The anticipation of The Rec Room is growing, and we’re excited to see what sort of business it attracts. With all the hype surrounding it, we will definitely be checking it out soon after it opens. Are you looking forward to The Rec Room coming to London? Let us know your opinion on any of our social media accounts linked below! 
The
Duck & Dodo
ABOUT
The Duck & Dodo is not just an Antique Market, nor is it just an artisan shop. It is a hybrid of the two worlds. This is how Tiffany came up with the name The Duck&Dodo . The Duck represents the Artisans – The new generation of creators building items out of the old . And the Dodo is the Antiques – Vintage items that are gone and extinct, such is the Dodo. 
The Duck & Dodo is a marketplace with a mix of antiques and artisans. 
What makes the Duck & Dodo different from other marketplaces is that they have an open concept so that all of their vendors products can be shown to their full potential. 
Contact The Duck & Dodo
Phone: 519-601-9255
Email: duckanddodo@gmail.com
Address
Hours
Sunday: 11am-4pm
Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday & Thursday: 11am-6pm
Friday & Saturday-11am-5pm
Monday Market Update Episode 53
Welcome to Episode Fifty Three of the Monday Market Update
On the Monday Market Update, Matt Santagapita provides you with numbers and facts about the London, Ontario real estate market including new listings, homes sold, and homes conditionally sold. In this segment Matt also gives his opinion on what the current London, Ontario market looks like, as well as the surrounding areas! Matt also shares his predictions on what the real estate market will look like going forward. Fortunately this week Matt is ‘back’ from vacation, although, it looks like the humidity really got to his hair; hopefully he can tame that for next week! We really appreciate that our Lead Buyer Specialist from the Santa Sells Houses Real Estate Team, Dale Marsh, was able to juggle doing this video with the rest of his schedule. In the week of March 12th, 2018, London, Ontario’s real estate market saw 176 new listings come to the market, with 151 homes sold and 35 conditionally sold. These numbers are telling us the same thing that we have been mentioning over the last several weeks – there is not enough inventory! In order to get some stabilization in the market, we need to see the ratio of new listings to sold much, much higher. Instead, we are seeing almost all homes sell at or above list price and multiple offer scenarios are becoming normal. We have been seeing a lot of bidding wars on homes recently, in fact one of our teams properties had eighteen offers on it this weekend! If you are looking to sell this year, this is a great time as inventory is low and buyers are willing to spend! Thanks for watching Dale’s debut (as Matt) on the Monday Market Update! Check back again next week for another new episode and to see Matt’s tan!High Speed
Railway
In the age of Elon Musk changing the world with innovative solar power and self-driving Teslas, electric vehicles are an undeniable buzzword. There’s been talk about implementation of an electronic powered high-speed railway between Windsor and Toronto and that talk may become a reality in the near future. This week saw the release of serious plans for environmental assessments of said high-speed railway. There seems to be some divide surrounding whether or not this high-tech railway is worth the taxpayers’ money. Read on as we break down the specifications of this new rail system and explore whether or not it’s an advantage to those living in the Windsor-Toronto Corridor. 
Let’s take a look at the specifications between High-Speed trains and Commuter trains that are used today (information courtesy of www.ontario.ca): 
High Speed: Speed: 175-300km/h Cargo: Passengers only Power: Electric Stops: Windsor, Chatham, London, Kitchener, Guelph and Toronto 
Commuter: Speed: 130-175km Cargo: Some parts shared with freight rail Power: Diesel/Electric By looking at the specifications, any person would be delusional to advocate for the continued use of solely commuter trains! While current trains max out at 175km/h, high-speed trains can reach up to 300km/h. They will eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, reduce travel time by 40-60% and remove millions of cars from the highway. What’s not to love? The $20b price tag of course! To conduct the study alone, the province has already forked out $15m. In addition to this, there are groups of citizens who feel the implementation of a high-speed rail will impede productivity on their land. 
More and more Torontonians are feeling forced to leave their apartments in the city for a more affordable housing situation over an hour away. In July 2017, the average house in Toronto was $775k, whereas the average home in St. Thomas was $320k. Because of this, commuting becomes a necessity. Reducing 40-60% of travel time rather than waking up at 4:00 am is an enticing proposal. These workers could attain an extra hour of sleep in the morning and arrive home an hour early. Shaving a couple of hours off the workday would no doubt improve the quality of work they’re churning out at the office, and increase their quality of life. There are people from rural areas between Windsor and Toronto who have concerns about these railways. Mainly, railways will divide farm properties in half and create barriers for farmers and their land. It will interrupt their routine and impede the efficiency of their practices. This is because walking across high-speed railway tracks is strictly prohibited. By implementing these tracks, farmers land and productivity will be directly affected. Secondly, there is a growing concern about hindering emergency vehicles. Although the likelihood of this issue being overlooked is small, there are still people who disagree with the railway. In conclusion, we think the high-speed rail is an important step forward for Ontario. It will level out the housing market, encourage traveling between the cities and most importantly alleviate the massive commuter congestion problem that we are facing on a daily basis. These benefits alone are enough to outweigh the risks. The one and only qualm we have with this implementation is what the cost of a train ticket will be. It is already quite expensive to travel to and from cities in Ontario with VIA Rail. Will this high-speed train be affordable for middle-class citizens? Will the cost of it outweigh paying for gas to commute and for parking at work every day? We’ll have to wait and see but so far, we’re on board for this new railway. It’s about time there was a more convenient and efficient means of transportation along the Windsor- Toronto Corridor.The Juno Awards are Coming to London
If London, Ontario wasn’t on the nation’s radar before, it certainly is now. This is because the Forest City won the bid to host the 2019 Juno Awards. London is no stranger to hosting significant events, but this is no doubt the most notable of its kind. The Juno Awards receive nationally televised coverage, and each host city has seen an average economic impact of $10m. Hosting the awards is an excellent opportunity to elevate London’s already emerging reputation as a culturally rich and diverse city. Often referred to as “The Grammy’s of Canada,” the Juno’s are the most important night of the year for Canadian musicians. The evening, which was first televised in 1975, honours standout performers from the year and inducts new members to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The event attracts a ton of A-list celebrities and industry bigwigs. There are currently forty-four awards honouring a wide range of genres. Members of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and experts in specific music styles are responsible for choosing the winners. 
This year’s (2018) awards will take place in Vancouver, which has a population of 650,000. London winning the bid with such a low population is indeed a victory for the city’s future. It is, in fact, the smallest city from Ontario to host the awards. Daiene Vernile, Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport is elated about this win for London saying, “Ontario is a key music hub in Canada and North America.” She goes on to explain that, “our vibrant culture is driven by our exceptional talent and diversity, making Ontario a great fit for hosting the JUNO Awards in 2019. We have a thriving music industry that makes a significant contribution to Ontario’s economy by creating jobs, generating sales and building the province’s profile at an international level. I am thrilled to welcome the JUNOS to London.” 
So how did London land such a significant event? They put in an initial bid of $1.5m. The City forked over $500k but will not fund beyond that. Tourism London sought the remaining $1.2 from the province and other funding sources. With the bid came an announcement that starting on January 29th, one dollar from every ticket sale at music venues throughout the city will be donated to MusiCounts. MusiCounts is a charity with the profound mission to ensure that children and youth across Canada have access to musical education. In recent years, London has seen a considerable increase in demand for concerts and festivals, especially in the warmer months. Trackside Festival, which began a couple of summers ago, has attracted significant country artists to the city each summer. Rock the Park has established itself as a London tradition spanning over two weekends each year. These festivals have helped increase London’s appeal to artists and nonlocals alike. 
With Budweiser Gardens becoming a staple event venue in Southwestern, Ontario and London becoming the host city for a ton of music festivals and concerts, it comes as no surprise they wanted to bid for the Juno Awards. Last year the city saw the most significant event of its kind when it hosted the Country Music Association of Ontario Awards. The night was a massive success for the city and London is set to host again in 2018. London is a city flourishing with small businesses, events and a solid music community. Recent years have brought in a significant influx of interest to preserve the city’s culture. Landing the Juno Awards will have a positive impact on the exposure the city has to the rest of the nation musically and culturally. We are very excited to see what positive effects this event brings to London! 
Monday Market Update Episode 52
Welcome to Episode Fifty Two of the Monday Market Update
On the Monday Market Update, Matt provides you with numbers and facts about the London, Ontario real estate market. These include new listings, homes sold, and homes conditionally sold. In this segment Matt also gives his opinion on what the current London, Ontario market looks like, as well as the surrounding areas! Matt also shares his predictions on what the real estate market will look like going forward. With Matt being on vacation for the next week, we have The Santa Sells Houses Team’s Buyer Specialist, Josh Brown, filling in for this weeks Monday Market Update. We think he did a pretty great job considering it was his first time filming a Monday Market update! In the week of March 5th, 2018 London, Ontario’s real estate market saw 169 new listings come to the market, with 151 homes sold, and 41 homes conditionally sold. Compared to last weeks numbers we are down about 25%. That being said buyers should not get discouraged. We had a bit of a warm spell last week that brought the listing count back up as people were eager to take advantage of the warm weather. This warm spell was followed by some snow which brought the listing count right back down again. Despite what the “expert weather man” Matt said about the cold weather being gone in last weeks Monday Market Update, it definitely is not. My prediction for next week is that the listing count is going to go back up over the 200 mark. This would be about a 20% increase in listings. Hopefully we start to see some warmer weather here in London, Ontario as well. as well as well Thanks for watching Josh’s debut on the Monday Market Update! Check back again next week for another new episode.SF
&Co.
ABOUT
There are two sides to SF&Co. One is for pets and the other is for people.Her goal remains the same, to have you and your pet match! 
SF&Co. is a pet lifestyle brand of trendsetting apparel and accessories for people and their pets. All pet products are handmade in Canada using high-quality and fashion forward materials and are designed with people and their pets in mind. SF&Co. offers everything from leashes to bowties for pets and hats to sweaters for people. She also does a lot of custom work and has recently added pet photography to her business. 
SF&Co. wants to take their mission into the community and help save animals. To do this they donate to ARF on a monthly basis. SF&Co. is proud to say that 5% of every sale is donated to the Animal Rescue Foundation! ARF works with local First Nations areas and rural communities to find permanent loving homes for unwanted strays. 
Contact SF&Co.
https://sfandcompany.com/pages/about-us
Email: sfandco.team@gmail.com
Address
900 King Street West, London, Ontario
Hours
Saturday: 8am-3pm
