Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is sharing some of his favourite spots in a city that he says has become his “home away from home.”
The Blue Jays star posted a video to social media on Thursday in which he gave fans a glimpse at what his typical off-day looks like in Toronto.
The video is part of a series of videos produced by the Lebron James-founded media company Uninterrupted in which sports stars show off some of their favourite places.
“They think this a boring city but I say Toronto is the best,” Guerrero Jr. says in the video. “You got to feel it because it is hard to explain how the vibe is. The energy, you feel it everywhere.”
Guerrero Jr. grew up in the Dominican Republic but mentions in the video that Canada has become his “second home,” given that he spent considerable time in Montreal as a child, where his father was a star player for the Expos.
He joined the Blue Jays in 2019 and recently signed a 14-year, $500 million (USD) contract to remain in the city long-term.
In the video, Guerrero Jr. is shown dining at the El Camion la Fritanga food truck which he said has “the best Dominican food” and is run by a Torontonian who grew up 10 minutes from where he was raised.
Guerrero Jr., joined by several of his cousins, tries a couple dishes served up from the truck, including one called Yaroa, which is made up of fries, meat and melted cheese, and topped with a variety of condiments.
Next up on the baseball star’s itinerary is a shopping trip in Yorkville, which includes a stop at the streetwear and luxury retailer Kenshi where he concedes that he probably owns 200 to 300 pairs of sneakers.
After that, it’s lunch time and Guerrero Jr. heads to Matty Matheson’s Prime Seafood Palace on Queen Street West.
“Whenever I am out with the boys we always look for one thing: steak. It is our ultimate cheat meal and this spot is known for the best steak in Toronto,” he says.
After sampling a cote de boeuf bone-in ribeye steak and a handful of appetizers with one of his cousins, Guerrero Jr. spends some time playing a baseball video game where he and the rest of his cousins are seen ordering poutine from the Poutine Hub on Parliament Street.
“Give me the bowl,” Guerrero Jr. says before remarking “it is good, it is good.”
These era some of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. favourite Toronto places:
- Poutine Hub (181 Parliament St.)
- Prime Seafood Palace (944 Queen St. W.)
- Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse (81 Bay St.)
- El Camion la Fritanga food truck
- 1 Hotel (550 Wellington St. W.)
- Kenshi (99 Yorkville Ave.)
- Play de Record (411 Spadina Ave.)
- A&C Games (452 Spadina Ave.)
