No matter where I am, I try to support local businesses as much as possible. To celebrate these budding entrepreneurs, I have added a new menu to deannadickins.com highlighting some of my favourite hidden gems. Here are my go-to local businesses for Food, Fitness, and Art in Toronto.
Whether you are looking for a caterer to transport you to the Mediterranean, an on-location personal trainer to help you work off the baklava, or some custom artwork to liven up your home, these local business owners will help you. They have my personal guarantee since they are my mom, Joanne, and brother, Justin.
Food and Art: Joanne Dickins, better than yia yia’s
Exploring the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles with my mom/tour guide/personal chef, Joanne.
A trained artist, Joanne is best known for her large acrylic paintings, and her 25 year career as a makeup artist and teacher for film and television. Her cooking style is richly influenced by her Greek heritage and includes modern interpretations of classic dishes and flavours. Whether you are in the mood for a feast for the eyes, or a feast for your belly, she can help!
Check out Joanne’s plethora of Greek goodies and canvas works on her website (http://betterthanyiayias.com) and items for purchase on Etsy.com (https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/JosGalleryandCafe).
Fitness: Justin Dickins, Clean Workout
With my trainer, Justin, and Mud Hero race partner.
After indulging in Joanne’s delicious baked goods, Justin will give you a workout to remember. With a background in Kinesiology, he is a CanFit Pro certified personal trainer with additional certifications in Yoga and Zumba fitness.
His workouts include everything from high intensity interval training, yoga, strength training and cardio, and are customized for clients of all ages and fitness levels. Justin spends a lot of time doing restorative therapy exercises with clients suffering from chronic pain and illnesses, and is always researching more ways to improve their quality of life.
Available for individual and group training sessions. More information available at http://cleanworkout.com