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01/03/12
When Dan Hawkins, Aleem Jamal-Kabani and Matt Cherkas — ex-Vancouverites, all of them — decided to invest in Toronto’s nightlife scene, the idea was to keep the focus on libations. That was, of course, until they found chef Jeff Claudio on Craiglist (don’t scoff: that’s where Jen Agg and Grant van Gameren met to set up a little place called The Black Hoof). The result is Yours Truly, a new restaurant that opened quietly on the still-hot Ossington strip in mid-December.
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01/03/12
Quietly opened in November, Grand Electric has given Torontonians another excuse to make their way west to Parkdale. In addition to mainstays like The Rhino or The Parkdale Drink, the strip now boasts spots like Parts & Labour, Keriwa Cafe, Cowbell and Local Kitchen & Wine Bar.
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12/30/11
When I was in university, an English professor of mine shared with me the secret of creating the semblance of worldliness: knowledge of classical music and wines (primarily the reds — he considered white wines to be vulgar). He assured me that in my field, amusing cocktail party conversation would never run dry with a ready knowledge of Tchaikovsky and the Médoc wine region of France on hand.
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12/26/11
The holidays aren’t quite over yet, which means there’s still time to indulge in comforting treats like latkes or gingerbread. For me, it’s about the tastes and smells of the season: peppermint mochas, shortbread cookies and especially homemade apple cider mulling on the stove, with aromas of maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, berries, orange and lemon wafting through the air.
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12/21/11
Yesterday, The Grid revealed some interesting news for coffee fans in Toronto. Espresso guru Sam James is set to open a third location of his eponymous shop, and he’s opening it in the financial district. More specifically, he’s opening in the knot of tunnels that is PATH, beneath the Sun Life Financial building at 150 King Street West. We caught up with him to talk about the new location.
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12/21/11
Earlier today, we stumbled across this National Geographic list of the best foods to eat in Ontario. There are actually a few surprises here, but most of them stem from the publication’s complete lack of originality more than anything. Especially with maple syrup at the top of the list, which is tantamount to listing chop suey as the best food to eat in China’s Guangdong province.
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12/20/11
When owner Mike Derbyshire took over the old Sharkey’s Village Café a few months ago, his plan was to ride out the summer with the old business and launch a new restaurant during the slower fall season. So after closing for six weeks of intense renovations — during which countless passersby tried to peek in through the covered windows — The Kennedy Public House opened its doors to reveal a space that is completely its own.
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12/20/11
This month, Organic Meadow will have produced a whopping 15,000 litres off eggnog — up 60 per cent from last year. (That's something like 180,000 eggs. That's a lot of eggs). Despite a rise in popularity in this carton of foamy goodness, here at Post City, we decided that if we're going to drink the stuff, we might as well make it. Below, some help on how to whip up eggnog in your own kitchen.
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12/19/11
Whether you’ve been noshing on them your whole life at the Hanukkah table or have just recently discovered their fried goodness, most agree there’s something great about potato latkes. It’s why Zane Caplansky of Caplansky’s Delicatessen held the second Latkepalooza event Sunday night.
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12/19/11
Let’s say you finished dinner a few hours ago. You had one too many rounds at the bar and now you’re hankering for some good, cheap eats before heading home. At one time, there was little choice: a trip to Chinatown for some barbecue pork at Goldstone or a hearty bowl of soup at Pho Pasteur would probably have been in order.
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12/16/11
Queen West has a brand new spot to satisfy a Vietnamese sandwich craving. Just don’t go to Banh Mi Boys, situated in the old Ziggy’s Shawarma and Seafood House space, expecting traditional cold cuts between your bread. Go expecting better.
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12/16/11
This is a perfect gift for your squash partner who is so competitive that he even beats you out of the shower. Here’s something to make him sluggish the next time you play — that is, a wine that contains high alcohol. There is a little Petite Sirah in this massive, full-blown Zinfandel. Deep ruby in colour with a creamy nose blackberry; sweet, succulent fruit offering plum and blackcurrant flavours backed by sweet oak and peppery notes.
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12/15/11
Back in November, when we reported on the closure of the longstanding Sierra Grill, we had a feeling that the site would get taken over by Claudio Aprile. He had already announced that he was planning on expanding the Origin brand, including an Origin North. Today The Grid confirms that Origin is indeed headed to Bayview Village, and another location is slated for Liberty Village as well.
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12/15/11
On the table sit three transparent containers full of mealworms. Huddling around it, a small group of people prod and point at it, as if it were a peculiar alien species they’d never seen before. A slideshow of mealworm-based dishes — food porn, in a way — flashes up on the projector screen in front of them. One member from the group looks up and stares until the images come to a stop, then murmurs, “ I can’t believe there are worms inside those dishes – gross.”
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12/14/11
We first came across Elle Cuisine back in October at the Toronto Underground Market. Chef Lauren Mozer’s delicate lobster churros — served with lemon aioli and lime salt — stood out from the pack and left us wondering what other sinfully good concoctions she could come up with.
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12/14/11
Time flies when you’re scarfing down succulent porchetta sandwiches. It’s already been a year since Porchetta & Co. opened up on Dundas West, and next week, owner Nick auf der Mauer is celebrating in style. On Tuesday, Dec. 20, he’s offering up full-blown porchetta sandwiches — not skimpy substitutes — for $1 a piece, plus tax, all day long.
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12/13/11
For anyone who’s wondering when Toronto’s Neapolitan pizza craze is coming to an end, the answer is this: not any time soon. Less than a year after opening, popular St. Clair West pizzeria Pizza e Pazzi is set to open another location just down the street, co-owner Sandrelle Scimo tells us.
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12/13/11
The Ace is the kind of joint that pulls you in with its history. First established as a business in 1914, co-owner Maggie Ruhl let us know that its initial incarnation was most likely a shop hawking girdles. Surprisingly, the fit wasn’t perfect.
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12/12/11
Opened in 2008, Yuzu Sushi and Sake Bar on Adelaide has become a name synonymous with great sushi in the heart of downtown Toronto. After all, it’s not always possible to spend three hours over a dinner at Hashimoto or drop a hundred bucks on the omakase at Sushi Kaji (not to mention the drive out to the west end).
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12/09/11
From FedEx to French macarons: it may not seem like the most natural career transition, but for Calvin Su, it was a temptation he couldn’t resist. Su felt that Toronto didn’t have quite enough quality macaron options to meet demand. Sprinkle in a pastry chef for a sister, and he may just have a recipe for success.
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12/09/11
This is a perfect gift for your accountant who just saved you a wad of money on your tax return. Treat him or her to champagne, but the least expensive one; after all, you’re not made of money. This is a bargain-priced champagne that’s the real deal. Straw coloured with a fine beading. The wine has a nose of apples and white flowers; it’s soft and creamy on the palate with apple and peach flavours, finishing dry with lively acidity.
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12/08/11
Neil Da Costa and Victor Brum, the co-owners of BruDa, a new European restaurant in the old Carpano space, say they opened their own business for lifestyle reasons, plain and simple. Both men are oozing experience. They’ve each worked in the profession for about 20 years, and say it was time to do their own thing. And so they started BruDa, (“Bru” from Brum and “Da” from Da Costa.)
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12/08/11
Coca-Cola caused quite a stir in October when it announced that its cans would be going white as part of its Arctic Home campaign. The fiasco didn’t last long. The soft drink tycoon is already re-launching the polar bear-themed white cans with red ones, because apparently dealing with a white can of Coke is just a tad too complex for customers.
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12/07/11
After opening at the foot of Trinity Bellwoods park last winter, it didn't take long for Inigo to earn a serious reputation for its chicken. Owner-chef Carlos Hernandez took free-range, grain-fed chickens from Quebec and roasted them in a convection oven; just about everyone from The Toronto Star to Toronto Life took note.
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12/07/11
Later this month, Toronto's gourmet burger wars will have a new contender. According to its Facebook page, Ottawa’s renowned and ever-popular The WORKS Gourmet Burger Bistro is heading down the 401 to open its first GTA franchise in Oakville.
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12/06/11
It’s a sad fact that construction of the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown, an upcoming underground transit line running from Black Creek Drive to Kennedy station, will require multiple properties to be torn down to make room. (The TTC likes to call this “property acquisition.”)
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12/05/11
As far as buzz goes, there’s no drowning out all that’s being said about Enoteca Sociale these days, especially with the recent announcement that ex-Black Hoof co-owner and chef Grant van Gameren had become the executive chef there.
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12/02/11
When nobody on city council is doing anything to ban shark fin products in Toronto, it’s time for drastic measures. Oh, that’s right, Toronto has already decided to ban shark fin products, but that’s not stopping an animal rights group — well, what appears to be one at least — from threatening to spread “rat poison on meat, fish, fruit and vegetables” in Chinese markets and restaurants throughout the city.
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12/02/11
This would be an ideal gift for your Italian barber who makes his own homemade wine and insists you try it while he strops his razor. A fine Italian red to give him something to aspire to. Not as rich and complex as the 2007, but more approachable. Deep ruby colour with a minerally, pencil lead, plum and cherry nose; medium-bodied, spicy, raisin and plum flavours finishing satisfyingly dry.
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12/01/11
It was amazing to see a crowd outside the Maple Leaf Gardens again, probably for the first time in over a decade. Obviously, the crowd wasn’t there for the Maple Leafs, but for the opening of the new Loblaws yesterday.
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