InterContinental Toronto Centre, Toronto, ON Canada

Enjoyed in my hotel room at the InterContinental Toronto Centre while watching planes land at YTZ airport.

Porter Airlines? Toronto City airport on a propeller plane from Boston?

For a moment there I thought I was getting scammed. What was this airline I had never heard of before, flying into an airport I didn’t know existed, for the same price as all others to YYZ?

A few Google searches told me this was all legit… and the excitement I had flying into YTZ, landing 5 minutes away from my hotel, was of epic proportions. Both ways I would skip any security and passport lines, including missing out on what I would later read as the worst airport in the world to fly out of (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62216557).

Day 1 of Destinations International meant an onslaught of networking. So much fun being back together with 1500+ tourism professionals in an incredible, walkable, dynamic city… this was awesome. Of course, networking generally means drinking a lot and not eating much, as was the case on my first night.

After all, how could I let food get in the way of seeing – and hugging – the Stanley Cup at the Hockey Hall of Fame while catching up with friends I hadn’t seen in many months, some even in years (due to Covid).

Nackered, I made it back to the Intercontinental Hotel just before 11pm, a bit tired yet totally energized, and very hungry. Kitchen closes at 11pm, I got my club sandwich order in just in time.

I was only 20 minutes into catching up on emails when my herb roasted chicken club arrived.  Brie and bacon is a slam-dunk combination. It often perplexes me why I do not see this in more sandwiches. The savory salty flavors combined with the crunchy gooey texture is a surefire way to elevate almost any sandwich, as long as the sandwich is leaning towards the less healthy side. Loved it. The moist, herb roasted chicken complimented these two so well, and the touch of the Cajun aioli added a slightly spicy bite to this meal… solid combos left and right, you have to admire the thought-process that went into this club creation. The presentation truly didn’t do this club sandwich justice, which made for poor holdability.

But the real disappointment had to be the side caesar salad. Bacon bits drizzled over leafy lettuce with a slice of crunchy cracker, with some dressing in tub-format nestled next to it, did not substantiate the Caesar salad I was expecting to get… and I didn’t feel like lowering my expectations for this one.

Regardless of the salad, I was content, full, and sleepy. Still, I fell asleep excited for the day ahead…

… funny enough, it is worth noting that the amount of people who asked if I flew private to YTZ during this trip clearly indicates Porter Airlines needs a lot better marketing!!

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