Dufferin Grove Park is an amazing city park that has redefined and reclaimed the public park as a community and cultural space. They did this through a large network called Friends of Dufferin Grove Park run by the users of the park itself who, in various collective ways, have come together to make this park a vibrant space with a strong sense of well being. It is a hub of activities from a wood burning community oven, an organic farmers market once a week, legal group fire pits, community gardens, and a delicious Friday night, locally sourced, $7/plate dinner.

I first found out about the magic of The Grove when I heard that the park skating rink was going to be open before all other rinks in the city (Canadians love hockey, eh?). This was because Jutta Mason, self-proclaimed “non-staff” member, was personally flooding the rink at night so that the frozen base could begin sooner. Now, that is some serious community love right there. Friends of Dufferin Grove have come up against some politics and bureaucracy regarding their unconventional tactics but it goes to show you that solidarity and action can overcome.

Some friends and I will be gathering around a big warm fire in The Grove to celebrate my partner’s birthday. It’s like going camping but you can go home and sleep in a nice bed – sounds great to me! I’m looking forward to more adventures in The Grove and being a part of such a great community.

Only those people who think that ice cream is somehow “unhealthy” don’t love ice cream sandwiches; I think those people are monsters.Everyone also loves something that has the air of exclusivity. Carmela’s ice cream has the mystique of not having their own shop, instead peddling their wares at farmer’s markets and specialty shops like Locali. If I needed another reason to wake up early on a Sunday and head over to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, I’ve found that in Carmela’s fresh mint with cocoa nibs inbetween two dark chocolate shortbread cookies with sea salt on them. They apparently grow their own mint, and the ice cream is outrageously deliciously minty. And unlike a lot of other ice cream sandwiches, these cookies aren’t merely a delivery system for ice cream, but are pretty delicious themselves.

A runner up for favorite ice cream sandwiches would have to be Milk on Beverly. The building is beautiful enough, but then you step inside and the beauty of pastries and hand made ice cream is  almost overwhelming. The pastries are pretty good, but definitely the reason to go is for their ice cream. I used to ride past this place on my bicycle all the time and would think to myself  “I should check this place out sometime”, but never did. When the Silent Movie Theater started carrying their ice cream sandwiches at the concession stand, though, I realized the error of my ways.