The corner of Port Union and the 401 may not be on your way to anywhere but next time you’re on you way to Montreal make a point to stop at The Black Dog Pub, you won’t be disappointed. In fact, it’s only a 30-minute drive from Yonge and Bloor. So reserve your Zipcar and head to the border, the border of Scarborough and Pickering.  

One of the best things about the BDP is its lack of TV. Though the bartender reveals that there is a pull-down screen they use to show big events, he said that he could “count the number of times it’s been used on one hand.” This is significant considering I was there on a game night for the Leafs. Nobody seemed to care. A recent column in Newsweek criticized the invasion of TVs in public places, saying “their real purpose is to separate us all by yet another degree, a shiny plasma wedge meant to divide and further isolate us inside our individual techno-bubbles.” The BDP combats anti-socialism by creating an environment where people are quite content to be the entertainers. (Outside of Thursday and Saturday nights when live jazz sets the mood.) BDP owner Ken Reuter has brought in a variety of acts from Ric Donaldson (you know, that lovable guy who plays the drums outside the Rogers Centre) to the Juno nominated Elizabeth Shepherd Trio.

"Going green" is to the 2000s what cigarettes were to the 1960s — all the cool people are doing it. But The BDP is greener than a Leprechaun’s balls. They offer organic beer and wine, free-range turkey and five vegan dishes. The pub's greenness also extends past the food and beverages. Highlights from their long list of green initiatives include recycled fibre take-out containers, staff uniforms made from hemp and soy-based candles. They also divert their rainwater into reservoirs to use for their roof-top herb garden, recycle and transform cooking oil into Biodiesel fuel, and have switched all their condiments to reusable fill-up containers. They even use soy-based ink to print their menus!

The Black Dog Pub has figured out a way to go green without the grandiose. Grizzled bar veterans are welcomed with a bell and a hug from long-time bartender Phil Cacace, whose reputation rivals only that of Sam Malone from Cheers. I recommend trying Phil’s signature drink, the Tom-Bo-Bomb named after his brother, which he describes as “a Nutella sandwich in a glass.” The Black Dog Pub one-ups Cheers by not only being a place where everybody knows your name, but a place where the employees says "please," and everybody says "hello" with a smile.

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625 Church St, 6th Floor, Toronto M4Y 2G1