Meet Shanea Rakowski | Food blogger and restaurant and travel writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shanea Rakowski and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shanea, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I didn’t have a strong culinary background other than living to dine out, plus having a passion for cooking and baking at an early age. I also took numerous cooking classes at home in Toronto and abroad. I was always trying to seek out the latest trends. I used to read cookbooks and travel magazines the way others devoured a novel, and, along the way I enjoyed building friendships and relationships with top tier chefs, and followed them in their careers., I was also lucky enough to start seeing the world from an early age and this encouraged me to start writing for a travel publication called “The In World Guide”. By putting my interest of food and travel together and making lists and reviews for friends and family, this eventually led to my foray into the creation of ShaneaSavours. My blog was created about 7 1/2 years ago. I get to do something I am passionate about, and create something that helps others.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I pride myself on being totally honest in my reviews. I am not paid by any hotels or restaurants. I don’t just write about upscale establishments, in fact I talk about dives to fine dining, street art to private art collections, boutique hotels to grand dames, farmer’s markets to gastronomic food halls. I just try to search out the best and most impressive experiences and trends in where to roam, where to stay and where to dine all over the world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Firstly if a friend was visiting I would recommend a trip to Toronto in the summer or fall, because our winters are brutal. I always start with a driving tour of the city which includes our beautiful waterfront and views of our impressive skyline. I would pass by the Yorkville and Bloor Street designer shopping area. I would possibly do stops at the Art Gallery of Toronto, the Royal Ontario Museum (especially if children are involved) and drive by Castle Loma, a gothic style mansion and garden in midtown Toronto. What makes Toronto such a cool place is it is a meeting ground of different cultures, cuisines and faiths. It is a city with a Little India, Chinatown, Greektown, Koreatown, Portugal Village, and two Little Italy’s. So I would definitely take a guestfor lunch and dinner in one of these areas. We are situated on a lake so I would suggest seeing the city from the water. Perhaps take the island ferry and visit Centre Island, where there are formal gardens and an amusement park, sandy beaches and picnic areas. Ripley’s Aquarium is located downtown and is a world class family attraction. There are a number of nature and walking trails worth visiting and Toronto had a nine mile stretch of cliffs known as the Scarborough Bluffs, home to 11 different parks. The St. Lawrence Market is perhaps Toronto’s most famous market, with shops and stalls for produce, meats, cheeses and more, The current main building was erected in 1902, part of the Old City Hall dates back to 1845 and was incorporated into it. Speaking of City Halls, Toronto has an impressive one worth seeing. Toronto has a Hockey Hall of Fame, because if there is anything Canada is known for, it’s hockey. Time permitting, there are a number of museums, besides our Royal Ontario Museum, such as the Agha Khan Museum, dedicated to Islamic Art, The Bata Shoe Museum, which is a permanent home for over 13,000 shoes like Marilyn Monroe’s red leather stilettos, John Lennon’s Chelsea boots, Elton John’s platform boots and the Dalai Lama’s flip flops. I love taking visitors to the Roger’s Center, with its retractable roof, to see a baseball game..Afterwards perhaps a visit to our iconic CN Tower and possibly brave the Edge Walk, a full-circle, hands free journey around the exterior of the Tower’s main pod, 116 stores above ground.. Time permitting a visit to the Niagara Wine Region, which is the largest and most concentrated winemaking region in Canada, There are countless vineyards to visit and I would encourage a stop for lunch or dinner at Perl Morisette restaurant for a culinary experience in a beautiful setting. Of course there are the restaurants, and Toronto just got listed in the Michelin Guide for the first time. Toronto can boast a world class food scene, and I would definitely take a guest to some of my favourite places listed on my blog. Toronto has a lot to offer to everyone

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
None of this would have been possible without the encouragement of my friends. A special shoutout to Brendan Kwinter ( a New York based designer extraordinaire and owner of Kwinter &Co) who emboldened me to start a blog and even set me up with a web-designer in New York to help me get started.

Website: www.Shaneasavours.com

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Image Credits
picture were taken by Doug Stugeon