The War on Drugs' 2021 album I Don't Live Here Anymore might as well refer to Toronto. Although he hails from Philadelphia, frontman Adam Granduciel had a brief stint living in Ontario's capital a couple of years ago, so when he passed through town for a show with the National, he shared some of his favourite local Toronto recommendations during a conversation with retired NBA star (and current basketball TV analyst) Matt Bonner for the interview series Matt's Chats.
Granduciel told Bonner that he stayed in the Queen West area for a few months; he didn't specify what brought him to town, but it was presumably because his partner Krysten Ritter filmed Orphan Black: Echoes in the city in 2022.
"Me and my kid, every morning we'd go to Mabel's for a morning croissant and coffee," he recalled, shouting out the bakery location at 1156 Queen Street West. "Then there was a coffee place next to Mabel's in a barber shop that I would get every morning. I would get a coffee from there, high quality, and then Bruce would get a croissant." The coffee shop in question is Major Treat Coffee, which closed back in March.
"This other place I liked to go was called Portuguese Grocery," he said — presumably referring to Fix Coffee + Bikes at 80 Gladstone Avenue. It isn't actually called "Portuguese Grocery," but the sign outside reads "Friendly Grocery Mercearia Portuguesa." Granduciel explained, "It's a coffee shop and bike shop. I just went in there, because they're still open, so I just got a delicious cup from that place. It's my favourite little spot."
Fully tying together his Philly roots with his time in Toronto, he shouted out former Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse, who now coaches the Philadelphia 76ers. "He can come and play with us if he wants," Granduciel said, perhaps alluding to Nurse's habit of playing with bands like Arkells. "If he wants to jam a little Allman Brothers on stage with us. Open invite."
Hear Bonner's conversation with Granduciel and bassist David Hartley below. In the chat, Granduciel notes that the War on Drugs currently don't have any new material in the works, meaning that it will still be a while before they follow up I Don't Live Here Anymore.