Patio season is upon us: that glorious season when temperature spikes, awnings are lifted, and everyone gets free pizza. Well, maybe not everyone. Mostly, just those people who happen to make their way to Queen West’s Piola tomorrow.
Don’t let his name fool you. Old Man Luedecke (née Chris Luedecke) is a banjo-pluckin’, foot-stompin’ one-man-show — and arguably the most original solo act out there. His style is reminiscent of old school bluegrass and folk musicians such as Dock Boggs and Pete Seeger. It’s hard to pin the Torontonian-turned-Nova-Scotian’s music into one genre — is it folk, blues, roots, bluegrass or, dare we say it, country?
Jonathan Pong is holding in his right hand a piece of art worthy of samurai. It’s a Takeda blade, pretty much a sword, double-beveled, forged by hand out of Aogami Super Steel, tempered for two days and two nights, designed specifically for slicing fish. Which is what he’s doing with it: slicing some of the best fish available in the city and placing those slices on a wooden slab.
This is embarrassing to admit, but up until last week, I didn’t know what National Denim Day was. Admittedly, I’d seen and heard little bits and bobs about it, but never processed what it was really about. This is ridiculous for a couple of reasons: one, why would a girl who loves denim ignore National Denim Day? And two, the annual day has been going strong since 1997!
Whatever your feelings are about Conrad Black — genius, criminal, fine historian — you cannot deny that he had a way with words. He added to many vocabularies a few years ago when he was being interviewed and mentioned how, upon first seeing his future wife Barbara Amiel, his mouth “fenestrated” (a Latin-inspired way of saying it fell open).
Not too long ago, I ate one of the slipperiest, drippiest, messiest sandwiches I’ve ever had. It was at a Financial District nook known as The Gabardine, wherein a fat French baguette was stuffed with pulled pork, raw onions, julienned carrots and kimchi. It was, apparently, an Asian fusion submarine sandwich known as the banh mi. It cost $14, sides included. To anyone planning on taking the plunge: bring a bib. Possibly two.
Since Casa Loma’s pretty much bankrupt, Sir Henry Pellatt’s great grandniece thinks the castle should go back to its roots and become a major player in the party scene again to recoup some dough. If this picture is any indication of the mansion’s former glory days, we think she’s onto something. Have you ever seen Casa Loma this blown up? And a zip line? By the looks of these crunked people, this place was off the hook. Whatever the heck a musicale is, we want another one.
Though Black Swan pretty much scared the bejesus out of us (we’ll never look at a broken toenail the same way again), you can catch the inspiration for the film when Swan Lake pirouettes into town, courtesy of the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet.
Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front St. E., 1-855-872-7669. May 15-19.
We first heard about Yorkville’s The Oxley back in March, and the newly-opened venue — from co-owners Andrew Carter and Jamieson Kerr, the duo behind The Queen and Beaver Public House — is easily one of the coziest spaces in Yorkville. Simply put: “we wanted to offer the neighbourhood a pub,” Carter says, “where you can come for a pint, for a bite, with your family, wife or kids.”
Patio season is upon us: that glorious season when temperature spikes, awnings are lifted, and everyone gets free pizza. Well, maybe not everyone. Mostly, just those people who happen to make their way to Queen West’s Piola tomorrow.
Jonathan Pong is holding in his right hand a piece of art worthy of samurai. It’s a Takeda blade, pretty much a sword, double-beveled, forged by hand out of Aogami Super Steel, tempered for two days and two nights, designed specifically for slicing fish. Which is what he’s doing with it: slicing some of the best fish available in the city and placing those slices on a wooden slab.
Not too long ago, I ate one of the slipperiest, drippiest, messiest sandwiches I’ve ever had. It was at a Financial District nook known as The Gabardine, wherein a fat French baguette was stuffed with pulled pork, raw onions, julienned carrots and kimchi. It was, apparently, an Asian fusion submarine sandwich known as the banh mi. It cost $14, sides included. To anyone planning on taking the plunge: bring a bib. Possibly two.
We first heard about Yorkville’s The Oxley back in March, and the newly-opened venue — from co-owners Andrew Carter and Jamieson Kerr, the duo behind The Queen and Beaver Public House — is easily one of the coziest spaces in Yorkville. Simply put: “we wanted to offer the neighbourhood a pub,” Carter says, “where you can come for a pint, for a bite, with your family, wife or kids.”
Ushering in our new weekly look at Toronto’s best sandwiches is a pick from Jim’s Restaurant in Leslieville. Tucked away on a strip that’s perhaps best known for its Americanos, this divey diner is the kind of place most wouldn’t look at twice. Inside, regulars mow down on trusty favourites, served by waitresses who’ve likely been spilling coffee into the same mugs for a quarter century or so.
Set in the space formerly occupied by The Bowery, the newly-opened Osteria 55 may not appear all that different, physically speaking, from its short-lived predecessor. But new managing partner John Chetti — who also owns the expanding network of Queen Margherita and FBI pizza joints — is hoping to help the restaurant find success with a fully-Italian menu cooked by an experienced kitchen team.
Sure, they say that hot, spicy foods are best for warm summer days to help you sweat and cool down. But sometimes the last thing you want when the humidity has reached South East Asian proportions is a steaming-hot bowl of pho.
Ask any Toronto bartender for their classic tipple of preference and there’s a good chance you’ll receive an answer that involves bitters and either whiskey or gin; Manhattans and Negronis, to be specific. If those two iconic cocktails spawned a love child, that nipper would be a beautiful thing, and chances are it would be very similar to a little-known drink called the Boulevardier.
Taking over the former Niagara Street Café space is Edulis, a charming new bistro from Tobey Nemeth and Michael Caballo. After a veritable tour of the world saw the married duo working and living in Italy, Spain, Panama and Vancouver, it was time to find a place to call home. Last year, when they caught wind that Anton Potvin was selling the Niagara space, they figured it was just what life had in store.
This is embarrassing to admit, but up until last week, I didn’t know what National Denim Day was. Admittedly, I’d seen and heard little bits and bobs about it, but never processed what it was really about. This is ridiculous for a couple of reasons: one, why would a girl who loves denim ignore National Denim Day? And two, the annual day has been going strong since 1997!
Topshop, the U.K.-based retailer of everything fashion-forward, is planning to open a 19,000-square-foot location in The Bay’s flagship Queen Street store. The downside? You’ll have to wait until October.
You’ve got T-minus two days until Mother’s Day. Freaking out about what to get her? You’re not the only one. Besides the obvious bouquet of flowers, we’ve rounded up a list of gifts to grab in Toronto to suit every budget – no matter how big or small.
Every week, we gather our favourite tweets from in and around Toronto’s fashion scene. This week, we’ve got looks from the Met Gala in N.Y.C, a chance to win free swag from Holt Renfrew and details from Nathalie-Roze & Co. on how you can send a Toronto teen to their prom by clearing out your closet.
For quite some time now, the dainty stud has dominated earlobes. The fash pack, it seems, favours the oversized statement necklace (and plenty of arm candy) over flashy earrings. But fashion works in a cycle, and when our desires for high-impact ear wear washes out, it is sure to come right back in again.
Remember the days when being a skate kid was cool? Then you probably also remember when Avril Lavigne came rolling along and ruined the entire culture for everyone. Luckily, after enduring way too many years of the white tank top and black tie combo, it seems that the Avril effect has finally phased out.
Yorkdale Shopping Centre has got another name to add to its fast-growing list of covetable foreign brands that have recently set up shop there. This year alone, they’ve had the popular additions of British mega-brand Topshop and American basics line J Crew. Its newest addition, which opened today (May 4), is Tory Burch — one of the most popular labels to sport on the celeb circuit.
Every week, we gather our favourite tweets from in and around Toronto’s fashion scene. In this edition: A last-minute shopping spree at the Beckerman Bite Plate pop-up shop, Roger Vivier at the Bata, and inspirational tweeting from British Vogue.
We are feeling fairly confident that real summer is just around the corner, even with all the backwards weather we’ve been dealing with lately. So what does that mean? It’s time to open up the T-shirt drawer and refresh! But this is easier said than done if you are a Torontonian who supports “keepin’ it local.” American Apparel? Obviously not. Haines? Not sure where you would even find the brand anymore.
Don’t let his name fool you. Old Man Luedecke (née Chris Luedecke) is a banjo-pluckin’, foot-stompin’ one-man-show — and arguably the most original solo act out there. His style is reminiscent of old school bluegrass and folk musicians such as Dock Boggs and Pete Seeger. It’s hard to pin the Torontonian-turned-Nova-Scotian’s music into one genre — is it folk, blues, roots, bluegrass or, dare we say it, country?
Whatever your feelings are about Conrad Black — genius, criminal, fine historian — you cannot deny that he had a way with words. He added to many vocabularies a few years ago when he was being interviewed and mentioned how, upon first seeing his future wife Barbara Amiel, his mouth “fenestrated” (a Latin-inspired way of saying it fell open).
Since Casa Loma’s pretty much bankrupt, Sir Henry Pellatt’s great grandniece thinks the castle should go back to its roots and become a major player in the party scene again to recoup some dough. If this picture is any indication of the mansion’s former glory days, we think she’s onto something. Have you ever seen Casa Loma this blown up? And a zip line? By the looks of these crunked people, this place was off the hook. Whatever the heck a musicale is, we want another one.
Though Black Swan pretty much scared the bejesus out of us (we’ll never look at a broken toenail the same way again), you can catch the inspiration for the film when Swan Lake pirouettes into town, courtesy of the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet.
Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front St. E., 1-855-872-7669. May 15-19.
An innovative theatre festival that will shine a light on human rights issues kicks off tonight at Theatre Passe Muraille. For two weeks, Panamerican Routes will explore such topics as immigration, displacement, Canadian mining in Latin America and revolution, through theatre, dance and multi-media shows, as well as workshops, a conference and a photography exhibit.
It’s pretty gross when couples match their clothes. Especially when they’re wearing matching dirty coveralls with the suggestive “Enquire Here” stamped on their chests. We like how the dude on the left still tries to keep it classy with a proper tie and hat, though. And at least we know they’re open-minded. But their expressions sure aren’t friendly, are they?
West Side Story is a remarkably good musical, surely one of the greatest. Since I first saw it half a century ago, this musical has lived in my memory — and those of several million others — with profound pleasure and meaning, like a first kiss in high school.
A lot of people think the origins of The Village People were in the ’70s disco era, but in truth, it started with these two guys: The Village Twosome. The musical duo soon broke up because it couldn’t be decided who, exactly, the guy on the left was supposed to be. A sultan? Lord...
At the 2009 L.A. Film Festival, Swedish filmmaker Fredrik Gertten was anticipating the premiere of his documentary Bananas!, about a legal battle between Nicaraguan farmers and U.S. food-giant Dole. Unexpectedly, Gertten received a letter from Dole threatening legal action. The four-person film company fought back against Dole — and they made another film. Big Boys Gone Bananas! is showing at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.
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Tromba, the Toronto tequila that's winning over the city's cocktail lovers
Now playing: Indie filmmaker Fredrik Gertten takes on food giant Dole
Now playing: Indie filmmaker Fredrik Gertten takes on food giant Dole
Tromba, the Toronto tequila that's winning over the city's cocktail lovers
First Look: Stack, a massive new smokehouse at Yonge and Lawrence