For the few who don’t tune in to W Network (i.e. straight dudes), Heather White and Lori Joyce are Gemini-award-winning, Dragon’s-Den-triumphing, Canadian reality TV royalty right now. Their “docu-soap,” The Cupcake Girls, is the story of how the best friends build their B.C. cupcake franchise, Cupcakes by Heather and Lori. Put simply, the show rocks. But how good are the cupcakes? Torontonians will soon find out, because the girls are taking over a streetcar this Saturday.
Toronto’s midtown received some healthy culinary injections in the last year with the likes of Cuisine of India, an institution that relocated from North York, and the critically acclaimed Falasca SPQR. Now, Leslieville’s popular Lil’ Baci has chosen the neighbourhood for its second outpost.
We had a chance to check out the Interior Design Show and were overwhelmed by the creativity and innovation we encountered. Housed in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the mammoth space was host to seemingly endless presentations, ranging from Contact Voyaging Co. canoe paddles to Tahir Mahmood’s candle holder/dinner bell to complete installations from Miehe.
Ask Ronen Shnaider why he got into burgers, and the answer is simple, if a little unexpected: “I got religious.” Burgers, apparently, are ideal fare for a strictly kosher restaurant. With that notion in mind, Shnaider opened Burgy’s Goldburger Burger Bar in Thornhill a few months ago.
The donut: once a beloved friend during childhood, it is now considered to be the arch nemesis of an adult diet. That’s not to say that we don’t look back on those days together fondly. We decided to rekindle the relationship when we came across this delectable tote bag by local designer Avril Loreti.
Are you a recent college grad? Unemployed? Single? Or perhaps you’re still looking for your purpose in life? Then you belong on Avenue Q. There you’ll find confused-yet-hopeful fleshy and furry characters spontaneously bursting into song about their dreams, concerns and, uh, porn. But unfortunately, Avenue Q isn’t a real place. It’s actually a Tony Award-winning musical that opened at the Lower Ossington Theatre last week.
This week, we asked Chef Alex Bruveris, Maléna’s current head chef, for his “breakthrough” recipe. Only 23 years old, Bruveris has worked in a number of notable kitchens (including Auberge du Pommier and Enoteca Sociale). His passion for his craft is undeniable: the man has vegetables tattooed on his bicep. Herewith, Bruveris shares a recipe for braised rabbit and explains the significance of this particular dish.
“We’re aiming for the world’s biggest Hall & Oates collection,” Kyle Turner says as he points to a shelf with vinyl reserved solely for the duo. “Though we do have a ways to go.” Turner — along with girlfriend Storm Luu, old pal Rob Moseley and Tamara Salpeter rounding out the bunch — owns Of A Kind, a shiny new store on College Street hawking both vintage fashion and vinyl.
Robert Burns was born Jan. 25, 1759. His birthday is celebrated all over the world. Best known for having written “To a Mouse” and “Auld Lang Syne,” he also wrote “Address to a Haggis,” an ode to Scotland’s notorious national dish. Burns called it the “great chieftain o’ the pudding race,” but if you find it hard to think of haggis as a delicacy, think of it as sheep recycling. In honour of Burns, let’s consider the haggis, which he immortalized with a “grace as lang’s my arm.”
For the few who don’t tune in to W Network (i.e. straight dudes), Heather White and Lori Joyce are Gemini-award-winning, Dragon’s-Den-triumphing, Canadian reality TV royalty right now. Their “docu-soap,” The Cupcake Girls, is the story of how the best friends build their B.C. cupcake franchise, Cupcakes by Heather and Lori. Put simply, the show rocks. But how good are the cupcakes? Torontonians will soon find out, because the girls are taking over a streetcar this Saturday.
Toronto’s midtown received some healthy culinary injections in the last year with the likes of Cuisine of India, an institution that relocated from North York, and the critically acclaimed Falasca SPQR. Now, Leslieville’s popular Lil’ Baci has chosen the neighbourhood for its second outpost.
Ask Ronen Shnaider why he got into burgers, and the answer is simple, if a little unexpected: “I got religious.” Burgers, apparently, are ideal fare for a strictly kosher restaurant. With that notion in mind, Shnaider opened Burgy’s Goldburger Burger Bar in Thornhill a few months ago.
This week, we asked Chef Alex Bruveris, Maléna’s current head chef, for his “breakthrough” recipe. Only 23 years old, Bruveris has worked in a number of notable kitchens (including Auberge du Pommier and Enoteca Sociale). His passion for his craft is undeniable: the man has vegetables tattooed on his bicep. Herewith, Bruveris shares a recipe for braised rabbit and explains the significance of this particular dish.
Robert Burns was born Jan. 25, 1759. His birthday is celebrated all over the world. Best known for having written “To a Mouse” and “Auld Lang Syne,” he also wrote “Address to a Haggis,” an ode to Scotland’s notorious national dish. Burns called it the “great chieftain o’ the pudding race,” but if you find it hard to think of haggis as a delicacy, think of it as sheep recycling. In honour of Burns, let’s consider the haggis, which he immortalized with a “grace as lang’s my arm.”
The biggest news of the day, without question, is bound to be the announcement that a $100 hot dog is now available in Vancouver. Too bad Toronto went through this whole thing last year (get with it, Vancouver) with the now-infamous and hugely unsuccessful $100 burger. The two PR stunts are pretty much exactly the same, so why not do the obvious and compare them head-to-head?
Back in November, we went to check out Fuel House to see what it was all about. It had just opened, so owners Mike Dolegowski and Mackenzie Chiu (of catering company M3 Foods) were keeping things simple — not to mention trendy — with a small menu of soups, salads and sandwiches like the pork belly banh mi ($7.50) or the pulled turkey ($7.50).
If you miss the zoot suit-wearing bad boys of the Mexican-American pachuco subculture, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find a fitting and delicious tribute on the Danforth, just east of Broadview. Bringing a bundle of new flavours to the city, sisters Eren, Jais and Mali Fernandez have teamed up to open Pachuco, a traditional Mexican restaurant with a contemporary spin.
What could pair better with food than film? Other than wine, beer, cocktails and all the other things that food pairs amazingly with? The answer: not a whole lot. So it’s fitting that TIFF Bell Lightbox is commemorating the matchup with an upcoming subscription series entitled Food on Film, hosted by chef Jason Bangerter of Luma and O&B Canteen.
We had a chance to check out the Interior Design Show and were overwhelmed by the creativity and innovation we encountered. Housed in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the mammoth space was host to seemingly endless presentations, ranging from Contact Voyaging Co. canoe paddles to Tahir Mahmood’s candle holder/dinner bell to complete installations from Miehe.
The donut: once a beloved friend during childhood, it is now considered to be the arch nemesis of an adult diet. That’s not to say that we don’t look back on those days together fondly. We decided to rekindle the relationship when we came across this delectable tote bag by local designer Avril Loreti.
“We’re aiming for the world’s biggest Hall & Oates collection,” Kyle Turner says as he points to a shelf with vinyl reserved solely for the duo. “Though we do have a ways to go.” Turner — along with girlfriend Storm Luu, old pal Rob Moseley and Tamara Salpeter rounding out the bunch — owns Of A Kind, a shiny new store on College Street hawking both vintage fashion and vinyl.
Sustainability and sale: two words we love to hear when it comes to fashion. Preloved, Queen West’s staple of redesigned vintage, has filled its shop floor with one of a kind samples and warehouse stock to be sold from today until Saturday.
This week’s Interior Design Show is bound to rouse every design lover out of their January slumps. The largest contemporary design fair in Canada, this year’s show is drawing the likes of design greats Piero Lissoni and the inimitable Karim Rashid (who also happens to be DJing at the opening night party). We chatted with four innovative young exhibitors who have produced some exciting work of late.
Lately, everyone we come across either has a tan or is going to get one. We aren’t referring to the sort acquired from tanning beds or lotions either — we mean those only achieved over an exotic holiday in the dead of winter. It just so happens to be one of the cheapest months in the year to travel, so with all that extra cash saved, you might as well splurge on a new designer bikini, right?
Since its launch five years ago, we’ve come to rely on lady lifestyle website She Does The City as a sort of online bible. From sex advice to guiding us to the best parties to profiling inspiring career women, it’s a one-stop shop. It’s the type of website we needed when we were teens. These days, with the demise of such Canadian teen publications as Fashion 18 and Teen Flare, we tend to wonder where the super-savvy new generation is sourcing its online information.
After a tirade of construction deterred many from heading to Toronto’s Polish village for, oh, almost forever, this west end ‘hood is now enjoying quite the revival. With many plenty of new businesses rearing their heads (with the exception of one landmark bakery shuttering after 39 years), Roncy is becoming a destination, featuring a great medley of boutiques and eateries. Below, some of the strip’s best shops.
There’s nothing we love more than discovering new talent in the city, and we recently scored a good find. After complimenting friend after friend and acquaintance after acquaintance on their eye-catching neck jewellery of choice, we were finally led to the lady behind it all: 22-year-old Asia Clarke.
Are you a recent college grad? Unemployed? Single? Or perhaps you’re still looking for your purpose in life? Then you belong on Avenue Q. There you’ll find confused-yet-hopeful fleshy and furry characters spontaneously bursting into song about their dreams, concerns and, uh, porn. But unfortunately, Avenue Q isn’t a real place. It’s actually a Tony Award-winning musical that opened at the Lower Ossington Theatre last week.
Joanna Chapman-Smith is a charming and breezy folk singer who mixes sounds from around the world in a hodgepodge of delectable musical delights. She's performed in more than 100 cities in four countries and those travels shine through her music. Recently, she settled in Toronto after a decade-long stint in Vancouver. If you don't know her yet, you're in luck: she's playing at Hugh's Room tonight.
Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes presents an end-of-the-world romance that includes talking dogs and a cross-dressing banker. Warning: despite the usage of puppets, this show is definitely not for children.
Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst St., 416-504-9971. Jan. 24 - Feb. 26.
Nerds. They’re practically cool these days. And they’re gathering. Last week, Toronto nerds descended on a local community centre for a monthly get-together of learning and nerdy debauchery known as Nerd Nite. In between pints, they got schooling from brethren on just about anything a nerd may want to know about.
Shoeless, already one of the largest-in-size sketch comedy troupes in the city, got a little larger when acclaimed Toronto comedian Ron Sparks joined the team late last year. In addition to Sparks, the troupe landed another comedic coup: they’re headlining a comedy series at Hard Luck Bar. We talked to Shoeless’ Andrew Kines about the influences and history of this troupe, which could end up becoming the next Picnicface.
Real Estate has grown up quickly. Just this past summer, the band was playing to a half-attentive Toronto crowd at The Garrison. On Friday night, only half a year later, they quickly sold out Lee’s Palace, and this time around the crowd was completely tuned in.
Sure, they are still young, but they’ve got old musical souls. B.C. band Current Swell are turning heads following the release of their fourth studio album, Long Time Ago, last October, and then winning a PEAK Performance Project prize in December. The band checks into the Phoenix Concert Theatre on Saturday night opening for Charlie Winston.
Celebrations for the Lunar New Year kick off this weekend, and Toronto is a-roar with festivities to ring in the Year of the Dragon. So go on and get outside, because regardless of when you traditionally celebrate New Year’s, by the third week of January we all need an excuse to party. Gung hay fat choy!
Try something different to usher in the Year of the Dragon by taking in Roland Schimmelpfennig’s spicy concoction of a play about a Chinese restaurant’s kitchen staff that is hiding a young illegal immigrant.
Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman Avenue, 416-531-1827. Jan. 18 - Feb. 19.
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Got haggis? You should — it’s Robbie Burns Day
Got haggis? You should — it’s Robbie Burns Day
Meet a comedy troupe: Shoeless
Meet a comedy troupe: Shoeless
Meet a comedy troupe: Shoeless