Monthly Archives: November 2018

Top Brampton cafes and eateries to fill up at before hitting the road

Feature image via Bean & Pearl

Nobody should drive hungry. They don’t teach that in driving school and we don’t have any science to back the statement up, but we’re willing to stand behind it. At least for as long as we’re in Brampton where we’re spoiled for quick and delicious local options for snacks, meals, drinks or treats before or after a long road trip.

Whether you’re hitting the 400 series for a rush hour commute, taking a Sunday afternoon cruise or heading to the airport and beyond, make sure you feed, hydrate and/or caffeinate yourself at one of these local businesses beforehand.

Trish Juice

When it comes to fast and healthy food, you can’t do much better than a fresh juice. Trish Juice may specialize in (you guessed it) juice, but their menu lists a lot more than that, including avocado toasts, smoothie bowls, soups, wraps, salads and more. Go for the juice, stay for the lunch, return for the juice…. It’s a vicious cycle, but very healthy.

T by Daniel

This is Daniel. Daniel likes tea. And bowties. And he’s really good at both. Located inside Bramalea City Centre next to the HBC, T by Daniel is a delightful experience guaranteed to put you in a good mood. From the cheerful greeting you receive from staff upon arrival to the expert attention and product knowledge, this is a popular spot for good reason.


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January is our co-founder Renata’s @mrs.tbydaniel birthday month. As a special celebration for her 30th birthday, we have partnered with @jfjhopecentre to host “Ren’s Birthday Baby Bottle Campaign” Our goal is to fill 30 baby bottles with change, to support young families in Peel who are coping with unplanned pregnancy, or who are struggling to parent thier children, and couples who are hoping to build a family through adoption. We will also be accepting donations of diapers, feminine hygiene products and used baby to toddler sized clothing. To learn more about JFJ Hope Centre visit www.jfjhopecentre.ca It is important to society that young families and pregnant women in crisis, have access to support and help. And every child deserves to be part of a loving family! #tbydaniel #brampton #toronto #mississauga #tea #tealovers #foodie #drinktea #give #love #hope #family #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #mothers #fathers #birthday #birthdaymonth

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Segovia Coffee

This Latin-inspired café might be new to the city, but it’s already made an impression with the locals. Segovia Coffee sources their beans from Nicaragua, allowing the origin of the beans to influence the menu. Grab a coffee and an empanada or alfajores to go for something a little different than your usual Starbucks order.

Das Brezel Haus

This place is serious about one thing: pretzels. And no, we’re not talking about the crunchy little ones that you have one of, say “huh, that’s not very good,” and then proceed to eat 80 per cent of a family-size bag. These are the real, kneaded, twisted and baked bread pretzels that are for some reason normally relegated to baseball games and the CNE. Unlike the ballpark vendor, however, Das Brezel Haus has multiple different types and flavours, and will even make them into sandwiches. YOU CAN DO THAT?!

Bean + Pearl

Sometimes the drive calls for a coffee. Other times it calls for a bubble tea. Bean + Pearl marries the two under one roof with delicious coffees, sandwiches and pastries as well as bubble tea served in a highly Instagram-able environment. Here’s proof:


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don’t sleep, halo halo on our #secretmenu

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Sonny’s

If your drive is happening in the later hours and you’re craving a burger and fries, know that there is a pretty solid alternative to the mass fast food chains in the Brampton area. Sonny’s has been serving charcoal-broiled burgers drive-in style for over 40 years, so they’re doing something right (insider tip: it’s the poutine).


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Friday night lights. #50mm #nikon #streetphotography #urbanphoto #moodygrams

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Worth the wait. The 2019 Acura NSX is now on the roads

The new Acura NSX was probably one of the most anticipated cars of the last decade when it first made its public debut back in 2016. Ever since the first-generation NSX in which the legendary Ayrton Senna had a massive role in developing went out of production, people have been spreading rumours of a brand-new car being built.

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To the surprise of everyone, the car launched in 2016 and it completely reshaped the supercar segment. It revolutionized the way people look at hybrids and spawned an entire generation of new-age hybrid supercars. It pioneered an entire niche.

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For 2019, Acura decided to give its NSX a mild facelift, starting with the exterior. An orange color called Thermal Orange was added to the palette as homage to 30 years of Acura Motorsport. The front and rear mesh styles for the bumpers were revised too, and so were some of the accents on the front grille. Inside Acura decided to give customers a choice of two new colors: full red or indigo blue. The deep red matches the brake calipers, which customers can now paint red (or orange if the brakes are carbon-ceramic instead of the standard iron).

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This isn’t just a mild cosmetic facelift, however; Acura has gone to great lengths to improve the NSX’s already brilliant driving dynamics. Certain chassis components have been tweaked, the tires have been changed for a grippier compound and the software got a new tune. The Continental SportContact 6 tires have been specifically designed for the NSX, but track-focused customers can still opt for the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R. All of those changes added up to around two seconds at the renowned Suzuka circuit.

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The NSX’s drivetrain remains unaltered, meaning it still carries a 3.5-liter V6 behind the cockpit and a pair of electric motors up front. The combustion engine sends power to the rear wheels and the front electric motors are able to send both negative and positive torque to each of the front wheels. Additionally, there’s an electric motor incorporated in the dual-clutch transmission to augment the V6 and fill in the torque gap down low.

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The new Acura NSX is without a doubt one of the most complicated and sophisticated supercars to date, and certainly one of the fastest. It’s a technological achievement showcasing what Acura can achieve. Despite being only their second-ever attempt at a supercar, it paves the way for the modern hybrid supercar as we know it.

 

Check out this 345-HP Acura RDX that was at SEMA Show

Acura began SEMA 2018 with more of an explosion than a bang, as it unveiled a 345 horsepower version of its luxury compact crossover, the 2019 RDX A-Spec. The Acura RDX is already a strong performer in stock trim, but that didn’t stop Team Honda Indycar driver Graham Rahal from transforming it into a show-stopper.

Acura RDX GRP
Adding a little voodoo sauce, Graham Rahal Performance (GRP) applied subtle-but-significant upgrades to the GRP RDX. By taking a more mature approach to performance and styling enhancements than is typically seen at SEMA, he created a crossover that is capable of putting a smile on even the most sensible accountant’s face.

Powered by a 2.0-liter DOHC VTEC 4-cylinder turbo engine, the RDX puts out an impressive 272 hp and 280 pound-feet of torque right off the showroom floor.

Graham Rahal Performance RDX A-Spec

Using mostly bolt-on upgrades, the Honda-focused speed shop managed to wrangle an impressive 345 hp and 370 lb-ft of torque from the K-series engine. A new turbo was paired with a faster-flowing intake manifold and PRL Racing intercooler. KTuning reprogrammed the ECU with a custom but fairly safe tune.

The hot turbo gas is expelled from the motor via a fast flowing exhaust manifold, custom downpipe and a lightweight cat-back exhaust. A pair of huge exhaust tailpipes hint at the blistering performance this Acura RDX offers.

Graham Rahal Performance RDX A-Spec

The RDX A-Spec already comes with an impressive SH-All Wheel Drive system that is capable of not only driving power to the front and rear wheels, but to the inside or outside rear wheel as needed to enhance cornering stability and speed. To further enhance this, GRP turned their attention to making the suspension and handling awe-inspiring and to give the Acura RDX the ability to attack corners with a competitive aggression when needed.

The vehicle was lowered by two inches and the suspension stiffened up with custom Eibach coil-overs to make cornering gratifying and dynamic. Wheels were upgraded to 21-inch HRE alloy wheels and wrapped in 265-40 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Huge six-piston StopTech brake callipers are tasked with bringing the RDX to a stop.

Graham Rahal Performance RDX A-Spec

Keeping with the subtle-but-stylish theme, custom carbon grille accents and mirror caps were added to the exterior. The lower front garnish was paint matched to the body to give the RDX more of a road-hugging appearance.

Troy Lee Designs was responsible for the eye-grabbing graphics that were laid over the A-Spec exclusive Blue Pearl Paint and the result is that the Acura RDX looks stunning at any speed.

Graham Rahal Performance RDX A-Spec

The interior was also dressed up to reflect Acura’s philosophy of blurring the line between sport and luxury. Max Papis of MPI Innovations provided a custom steering wheel to complement the custom carbon fiber accents and complete the transformation.

While not exactly an exercise in sensibility, Graham Rahal Performance managed to showcase how easily tuneable the Acura RDX is without compromising comfort, safety, reliability or luxury.