Here’s what you need to know about Nuit Blanche this weekend

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2:55 pm

Starting this Saturday at 7 p.m., Toronto will come alive as Nuit Blanche returns, filling the streets with an impressive array of more than 80 contemporary art projects. Nearly 250 talented artists have contributed to this artistic celebration, promising a night of creativity and inspiration. The event, known for its free all-night celebration of contemporary art, will sprawl across various neighborhoods in the city, including Etobicoke, downtown Toronto, and Scarborough.

For those planning to attend, essential information about participating artists and the comprehensive event programming can be found on the official City of Toronto Nuit Blanche website. Art enthusiasts can explore commissioned, independent, special projects, and installations presented by participating cultural institutions.

Art projects are grouped into easily accessible “Nuit Neighbourhoods.” These designated areas include Don Mills, East Danforth, Bloor-Yorkville, North York, Sterling Road, Fort York, Weston, West Queen West, and the downtown waterfront. Etobicoke, downtown Toronto, and Scarborough serve as the primary exhibition hubs.

Etobicoke

Under the curation of Lillian O’Brien Davis, the Etobicoke exhibition, named “Shoaling,” invites audiences to immerse themselves in a multivocal experience. Focusing on the connections between land and water, the exhibition weaves threads of memory, climate, race, and labor through various mediums, including performance, video, sculpture, and technology. Etobicoke will also showcase a diverse range of independent projects presented by Exhibition Sponsor Humber College and the local arts community. Notable attractions include a 150-foot-long light installation, a land-based installation along a beach, and two newly commissioned film works. Etobicoke sites, including Assembly Hall, Humber College’s Lakeshore Campus, and Colonel Samuel Smith Park, will be the backdrop for these captivating projects.

Downtown

Curated by Kari Cwynar, the “Disturbed Landscape” exhibition will transform Toronto’s downtown core with creative reversals and disruptions to the built environment. Commissioned artists will shed light on centuries of development in the city’s financial center, emphasizing the intrinsic relationship between land, economy, and power in urban settings. The downtown neighborhood will also feature various independent projects and installations delivered in partnership with leading cultural institutions.

Scarborough

The “In the Aggregate” exhibition, curated by Noa Bronstein, will delve into ideas of togetherness, friendship, and collectivity, reflecting Scarborough’s unique urban topography. Public spaces will be transformed through shared experiences, with eight commissioned projects taking center stage. Highlights include a descending fleet of space vessels made of bamboo and discarded plastics, a 40-foot video installation on queer dance and resistance practices, and hand-embroidered letters stitched onto silk saris, evoking feelings of nostalgia, loss, and a yearning for connection. Scarborough Town Centre is the proud sponsor of this enlightening exhibition.

Getting Around

To ensure the safety of attendees and facilitate free-flowing access to the art projects, several road restrictions will be in place during the event. These include the closure of Temperance Street from Yonge to Bay streets, Queen Street from York to Bay streets, and Bay Street from Dundas Street West to Front Street West, Armoury Street, Albert Street, and Hagerman Street during specified hours. Detailed information about road restrictions is available on the City’s Road Restrictions webpage.

Organizers strongly encourage attendees to utilize public transit or alternative travel methods such as walking or cycling. For those who must drive, planning routes in advance, staying alert, and allowing extra travel time to and from destinations are advised.

Transit

The TTC will offer subway service all night on Line 1 Yonge-University, Line 2 Bloor-Danforth, and the shuttle bus network on Line 3 Scarborough, in addition to the regular all-night Blue Night Network service. Day passes purchased on Sept. 23 will remain valid until 7 a.m. on Sept. 24.

GO Transit will operate its regular scheduled service during Nuit Blanche, offering the GO Weekend Pass for those looking to experience art throughout the night. Detailed trip planning information can be found on the GO Transit website.

Transport to a TRON universe at The Lakeview as part of Nuit Blanche

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Jennifer Schembri

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1:35 pm

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bruno billio2 — @Campbell House TRON @brunobillio/Instagram

Every year, the city comes alive with a vibrant nocturnal celebration of art, culture and creativity known as Nuit Blanche. For one night only, the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary, and this year promises to be no exception.

Renowned Toronto artist Bruno Billio is set to take over The Lakeview turning it into a futuristic TRON environment that promises to dazzle the senses

From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. beginning on Saturday, Sept. 23, diners can immerse themselves in a world where everything glows in the dark, enjoy a drink or a snack and dine fluorescently with a specially crafted Nuit Blanche menu.

“We’ve been admirers of Bruno Billio and his TRON art for quite some time,” says Fran, one of The Lakeview’s owners. “Just the way the diner presents, we think that the transformation into a ‘TRONNED’ environment will be pretty fantastical.”

Bruno Billio is an interdisciplinary sculptor, installation artist and designer, known for pushing boundaries. His immersive installations and innovative visuals challenge conventions. Billio’s work blurs reality and imagination, transporting viewers to unique realms with a focus on light and space. He’s renowned for creating captivating, sensory-rich environments featured in global galleries and events.

Inspired by the iconic science-fiction film, this immersive experience at The Lakeview promises to transport visitors into the digital world.

When it comes to the menu, you can count on all the diner’s favourites like burgers, chicken fingers, poutine and an all-day breakfast option, the turbo sandwich. And to add to the immersive experience, there will be glow-in-the-dark jello shots, as will the plates the food is served on to the waitstaff to match the whole TRON vibe.

While walk-ins are welcome, Fran suggests reserving your spot and most importantly, arriving on time.

Just for Laughs Street Fest gets underway tomorrow and it’s all free

By

Ron Johnson

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2:28 pm

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Just For Laughs Toronto brings an incredible array of world-class comedy to the city every year, but in addition to the headliners, the galas and the club show, the hidden gem of the event is surely the street festival.

This three-day extravaganza is taking over 100,000 sq-ft of the city at Front St. E and Berczy Park for a long weekend of amazing comedy, food, drinks and good times. Whether you’re a fan of comedy, music, or just want to soak in the lively atmosphere, this event has something for everyone. And it’s completely free!

Headlining acts

The one-and-only Fred Armisen headlines the event with a free show on Sept. 22 at 9:15 p.m.. Co-writer and co-star of IFC’s Emmy-nominated series Portlandia and is currently in the hit Netflix series Wednesday as Uncle Fester. Armisen is a comedic genius you won’t want to miss.

Next, the internationally renowned Reggie Watts, known for his improvisational performances that blur the line between music and comedy. You might recognize him as the former bandleader on CBS’s The Late Late Show with James Corden. Watts seamlessly melds music and comedy, delivering awe-inspiring performances that are entirely spontaneous. His electrifying, high-energy style guarantees a continuous stream of laughter from the audience.

Then, there is the hilarious Jinkx Monsoon, a two-time winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Jinkx is not only a drag queen but also an award-winning actor, comedian, singer, and Cabaret performer. Don’t miss her Broadway debut in Chicago, and catch her live at the festival.

The music is the thing

In addition to amazing comedy, the festival also features some pretty fantastic musical acts including Rich Aucoin, the Heavyweights Brass Band, Fred Penner, Witch Prophet and more.

Food and drinks

This epic outdoor comedy celebration is not just about the headliners; it’s about the entire experience. With over 100,000 sq-ft of fully licensed space, you can stroll through the festival while sipping on refreshing drinks from bars featuring Muskoka Brewery’s beers and Muskoka Spirits Hard Sparkling Waters.

Local eateries are joining in on the fun. You can enjoy dining and patios at neighbourhood places such as Biff’s Bistro, Benares, CC Lounge, Fresh On Front, Sultan’s Tent & Cafe Moroc, as well as The Flatiron: A Firkin Pub. Food Truck Lane is also on the menu with options like Jamaican Patty Shack, Poutine Supreme, Rancho Relaxo, and Caffeine Cruiser.

Lucie is Toronto’s newest and most glamorous French restaurant

By

Megan Gallant

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1:38 pm

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Restaurateur Yannick Bigourdan has launched nearly a dozen restaurants in Toronto over the past two decades, but his latest venture is self-proclaimed as his most deeply personal and distinct project to date.

Lucie not only marks Bigourdan’s return to fine dining but also stands as his inaugural foray into exploring his French heritage. Despite his string of successful establishments, including Splendido, The Carbon Bar, and Amano Trattoria, it’s surprising that this is his first restaurant to showcase French cuisine, considering he spent the first eighteen years of his life in Southern France.

While he can’t quite put his finger on why he’s never ventured into the realm of French cuisine before, Bigourdan explains that the moment just felt right.

“Maybe I felt comfortable. Maybe I felt it was the right moment to do it because I was isolated from not going to France during COVID,” he says. “Sometimes things in life just come to you.”

Bigourdan made the decision to christen the restaurant in honour of his late grandmother, with whom he spent ample time during his upbringing.

“She was always more than eager to cook for me and to have me,” he says.

Now, as Bigourdan delves into French cuisine, he’s staffed Lucie with a team of French-born chefs and managers.

Lucie’s menu is curated by executive chef Arnaud Bloquel, a globally experienced, award-winning French chef. Open for both lunch and dinner, diners at Lucie can choose between the three-course Table d’Hôte menu, featuring an appetizer, main course, and dessert, or opt for the seven-course tasting menu.

Appetizers include a unique twist on a classic French dish with foie gras served alongside Ontario sour cherry gelée and smoked eel. Another popular choice is Les Gambas, a fresh prawn dish elevated with champagne sabayon.

Highlights of the main course menu include the Nova Scotia lobster, made with an Armagnac and arabica sauce, which gives it a coffee-flavour, explains Bigourdan, who calls the dish “absolutely wonderful.”

“It’s a classic French influence utilizing very modern methods of cooking.”

The restaurant also does a La Côte de Boeuf which is cut tableside. igourdan describes as a ‘showstopper’ and a hit since Lucie’s recent opening.

To enhance the experience, Lucie’s guests are treated to a champagne trolley featuring three to four sparkling wine selections at varying price points. Alternatively, they can choose from a continuously expanding wine list featuring approximately 150 labels or savour cocktails crafted from French liqueurs such as Chartreuse.

While Lucie has enjoyed early success and positive reviews, Bigourdan has no intention of hosting a grand opening event. His focus is on the gradual growth of the restaurant, aiming to establish it as one of the city’s premier dining destinations. This venture holds a special place in his heart, surpassing even his previous ventures.

“I have never put my personal life into a restaurant like this,” he says. “I always put a lot of great professionalism behind everything I do, but this was a very, very personal project and the first time that I was a little more vulnerable about the story of the restaurant.”

He adds that his vulnerability has allowed others to more outwardly express their own stories as well.

“So many people have shared their grandmother’s stories to me when they come to the restaurant,” he says, he says, noting that he’s never experienced such a personal connection with his customers. “Loving a grandmother is an incredible thing if you’re lucky enough to have one. It really creates and incredible feeling and it’s something you’ll keep for the rest of your life.”

Will he stay or go? Toronto gasps as Drake buys a house in Houston

By

Ron Johnson

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1:16 pm

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Drake moved ahead of the Beatles — @drakerelated/Instagram

Drake just bought a new house far way from Toronto and some people are starting to speculate just what that means for the city’s unofficial ambassador. The Toronto-based music icon recently had a stop for his It Was All A Blur tour in Houston, Texas and during the show, in front of nearly 20,000 people in the Toyota Center, Drake announced that he had bought a home in the city.

“I’m excited to share this tonight, I had to make it official first but for a long time I’ve been trying to figure out, you know, the right place for me to live – where I belong – outside of Toronto,” the rapper can be seen saying in a clip from the concert posted to Instagram.

The revelation that Drake had not only purchased a new house but also said he was looking for somewhere to belong outside of Toronto has reverberated through his dedicated fan base.

Drake moving to Houston pic.twitter.com/iYn5Ei5zwQ

— HIM DUNCAN⚡️ (@stackztootrill) September 19, 2023

The move is especially noteworthy as Drake has had a strong connection to his hometown throughout his career. He has owned a lavish property in the prestigious Bridle Path neighbourhood since 2015, a two-acre estate initially acquired for the substantial sum of $6.7 million. The house, custom designed and built by famous luxury home designer Ferris Rafauli, is well known to most, if not all of, Toronto’s residents and has become something of an unofficial landmark for the city.

While Drake did announce the purchase and did have several good things to say about Houston, he made no mention of any plans to completely move out of or sell his Toronto domicile.

In the world of celebrity real estate, having multiple homes in different cities is not uncommon. Many global superstars such as Drake have several homes, whether to help with work, for a leisure home or just to have a change of scenery every once in a while.

Still, fans speculate as to the reason for Drake’s sudden purchase, especially when it comes to the specific location in Houston. Some believe that Drake’s move to Houston could be linked to professional opportunities in the vibrant Texas music community. Houston, with its storied musical history and vibrant hip-hop scene, might offer the musician a blank slate on which to experiment with new creative ideas and partnerships.

Others say that Drake would move to be a more private person, since he hinted at a retirement from his music career earlier this year. Drake famously has a massive wall around his Toronto estate to keep people out and still fans have found ways to get the attention from one of the city’s most famous stars.

How They Met: Toronto bandmates on finding romance on and off stage

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Julia Mastroianni

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2:55 pm

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Toronto-based indie band Fast Romantics has their own romantic story in their midst. Lead vocalist and songwriter Matthew Angus and singer-songwriter Kirty fell in love after meeting to rebuild the iteration of the band we know and love today. With a prestigious SOCAN National Songwriting Prize and a Prism Prize nomination under their belts, they’re preparing to release their new album, Happiness + Euphoria, on Sept. 29. Ahead of the new release, the pair shares the details of how they met and their rom-com first date moment.

How they met

Matt had been looking to fill a spot in Fast Romantics and had been searching online for Toronto-based musicians. He came across my profile on Bandcamp and reached out via Facebook. I usually don’t answer messages from people I don’t know on Facebook, and I was never interested in playing in someone else’s band, but I answered the message and decided to go out for drinks with Matt to chat about the band and what he was looking for. From there, our conversations expanded into multiple hangs a week where we would chat about music for the first half hour and then play Scrabble and drink way too much bourbon.

The first date

Those nights kind of blurred into when we officially started dating, so I’m not sure when and where our first official date was. Knowing us, it was probably eating hamburgers, sitting on the floor of my apartment and playing games. As gross and “rom-com-like” as this sounds, at some point the Scrabble pieces flew on the ground and as we were picking them up, we kissed.

The courtship

It’s been almost a decade of life together — with a million memorable moments: Touring adventures and living in a van together, travelling across the continent, travelling to Germany for the first time together, living and recording in New York City, becoming aunt and uncle to a pile of incredible kids across both our large families, hot vacations every winter, being stuck together in the pandemic and loving that time together despite the struggles — the list goes on!

Fast Romantics' Matthew Angus and Kirty — Courtesy Jen Squires

The proposal

Matt had got a family ring from his mom and had planned a cottage getaway on an island up in cottage country. After ribs and corn dinner one night, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. To be honest, I was flabbergasted. Most couples talk about these types of things, but Matt went the surprise route.

The secret to success

I’m not sure if there are any secrets. We love spending time together (even if we’re not doing anything). We challenge each other, and we can count on one another. It sounds crazy, but if we spend a day or two apart, even after a decade, we really miss each other. And one of the most important things is we aren’t ever afraid to be fully honest. If something is up, we just say it, and the other always seems to come at it with both ears, full of understanding and empathy.

Balancing careers and a relationship

This is a hard one! As two people with a hell of a lot of stuff going on with Fast Romantics and everything else, balancing life and work can be hairy. Thankfully, usually at least one of us is more balanced than the other at any one time, and we’re pretty good about gently nudging the other person when it’s time to take a step back and find some balance.

Toronto’s 2023 Michelin Guide welcomes four new Bib Gourmand restaurants

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Jennifer Schembri

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11:01 am

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Michelin announced today a new round of Bib Gourmand additions to its prestigious 2023 Guide. These four restaurants join 21 spots already on the Toronto dining guide from last year.

The Bib Gourmand celebrates superb dining experiences at affordable prices. These restaurants offer the opportunity to enjoy two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for under $60.

“The anonymous inspectors were quite impressed with the imaginative, delicious cuisine at these eateries, as well as the value and experience,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the Michelin Guides. “We hope that local foodies as well as international travellers will enjoy these tasty gems we’re pleased to reveal.”

Without further ado, here are the recently awarded Bib Gourmand restaurants, along with snippets from the inspector’s evaluations.

BB’s (Filipino cuisine)

Start your morning or fire up your evening at this groovy Filipino diner bursting with color and coolness. Brunch is a treat, featuring puffy-fried Adobo-marinated chicken paired with pineapple habanero hot sauce. The wonderfully sour braised pork loin soup will ward off the longest nights and the coldest winters. Dinner is a different speed. The kitchen trades in Japanese milkbread French toast for classic pancit with chili oil, chicken liver mousse and calamansi pie with orange blossom meringue.

Sunnys Chinese (Chinese cuisine)

Spicy, fiery, crispy, smoky – the high-wattage cooking is a total delight, as the kitchen pulls no punches at every possible junction. Tripe and beef shank coated in chili oil is a good start before launching into the charred silver needle noodles. Best of all might be the grilled chicken thigh coated in cumin, chili and pepper. To finish, the crispy Hong Kong French Toast with black sesame jam and oolong condensed milk short-circuits all manner of restraint.

Tiflisi (Central Asian cuisine)

East of downtown Toronto in Beaches, the Pkhakadze family delivers some of the city’s best and brightest Georgian cooking. Portions are built to share so bring a friend or two. Without question, this is hearty food, seasoned beautifully, prepared with care and radiating with all the comforts of home, wherever that may be.

White Lily Diner (Creative cuisine)

Old school diners are rare creatures these days, but ones that smoke their own bacon, make their own biscuits and donuts, bottle their own hot sauce and grow their own vegetables? Even rarer. Breakfast is the main draw, but guests are happy at any hour of the day. Verdant green salads, fantastic sandwiches on homemade bread, and a stunningly light hash brown make for a grand meal that gets all the details just right.

All of Toronto’s Bib Gourmand awardees will be celebrated at the Michelin Guide Ceremony on September 27th at HISTORY.

Toronto’s newest Italian restaurant is helmed by a top Michelin chef

By

Jennifer Schembri

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12:43 pm

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Opened just last week, DaNico is a new bespoke fine dining concept that’s run by one of Toronto’s most acclaimed chefs.

Located in a heritage bank building at 440 College St., DaNico is a nod to Michelin styled cuisine, service and award-winning design. The restaurant showcases the talent of executive chef Daniele Corona of Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto, and was created in partnership with international hospitality icon, Nick Di Donato of Liberty Group, multi-starred chef Ernesto Iaccarino of the Don Alfonso 1890 Group, and chef Corona.

The menu highlights modern Italian culinary tradition, combining modern Asian influences, while using local and sustainable ingredients.

The eight course signature tasting menu of distinctively crafted dishes — produced with chef’s expert precision juxtaposing premium ingredients — is plated on one-of-a-kind serving vessels, designed to tell his story of the food in a presentation that stimulates all senses.

Paired with an exceptional program of curated wines (the restaurant is home to more than 3,000 bottles) from DaNico’s noteworthy repository, DaNico promises an epic evening.The tasting menu costs $225 per person. Wine pairings can be added for an additional $120.

“Opening DaNico is truly my dream realized,” explained Daniele Corona, executive chef and partner. “The concept embodies my culinary journey — from Italy, and under the mentorship of the Iaccarinos in the Amalfi Coast, through the evolution to what inspires my cooking today. Here, I can create my own interpretation of internationally inspired, award-winning cuisine. I am both proud and honoured to welcome my esteemed guests to share my vision unveiled.”

This intimate restaurant is home to just 60 seats, but inside, the historic space is nothing short of amazing. The space, designed by Liberty Group’s VP and creative director, Nadia Di Donato, features the drama and architectural wonder of thirty-foot vaulted thirty foot ceilings, an open kitchen, a chef’s table, intimate banquettes and a buzzy bar, finished with lavish Italian mohair velvets, lush brocades and English leather, gleaming marble, porcelain, Versace ceramics, crystal, and rich warm woods.

DaNico is now accepting reservations for dinner service and is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m.

Enjoy meals for just $10 at Toronto’s massive Asian food festival

By

Jennifer Schembri

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12:18 pm

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Attention food enthusiasts: Get ready for an epic Asian food fest coming to Toronto this weekend! With meals starting at just $10, you can savour some truly amazing eats.

AsialiciousTO is making its return from September 16 until October 1, and is known to be Toronto’s premiere celebration of Asian cuisine, spotlighting the rich flavours of the world’s largest continent. Foodies can explore offerings from more than 100 participating venues.

Inspired by Summerlicious and Winterlicious, this two week event will include an array of mouthwatering cuisines like Thai and Japanese with prix fixe menus prices at either $10, $20, $30 and $40, making it an accessible experience for all.

Some of this year’s vendors include Bar’Kada, Casa Manila, Hawker, Desi Burger, House of Gourmet, Sarang Kitchen and The Cottage Cheese.

You can also swing by the Asialicious Carnival, part of the Asialicious celebration and this year’s event will have a Japanese theme.

This year’s event promises to be packed with entertainment, performance and of course, delicious food that will showcase the diversity of Asian cuisine and culture. The featured performer is Toronto’s very own The Hurricane Band, while food vendors include Stinky Tofu, La Paisa, Muzi Dessert Gallery and Eats Manila.

Organzied by the Federation of Asian Canadians (FACT) and funded by the City of Toronto, the initiative is committed to fostering cross-cultural appreciation and community involvement, all while nurturing the continued growth of Toronto’s vibrant Asian culinary landscape.

The Asialicious Carnival will take place in the southern parking are of Woodside Square Mall, located at 1571 Sandhurst Circle in Scarborough.

For information regarding the festival’s schedule and participating venues, click here.

This Toronto celebrity chef tasted over 700 burgers before creating his own

By

Jennifer Schembri

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2:47 pm

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Snapinsta.app_368507484_811234673718859_6232569764092509856_n_1080 — @fridayburgerco/Instagram

After tasting more than 700 burgers worldwide, Chef Joe Friday decided it was time to put that knowledge to the test and create his own masterpiece.

The celeb chef is making waves in Toronto with his newest venture, Friday Burger Company. With two locations, one already open at TABLE Fare + Social on Bay Street, and another set to open on Danforth Avenue soon, this gourmet comfort food restaurant is creating buzz.

The star of the show is Chef Friday’s signature burger, a labour of love that took him 20 years to perfect. Alongside this mouthwatering creation, the menu boasts a variety of homemade dishes, including chicken sandwiches, salads, sides, milkshakes and more.

“Meet Joe Friday, the man behind Friday Burger Company. Yes, that is his real last name, and yes Friday is the best day of the week! It’s such a good name, we called our company after it!” reads on caption on the company’s Instagram.

Chef Friday’s passion for burgers started during his teenage years while working at a local burger chain in North Carolina. Even after working in Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide, his love for burgers remained unwavering.

In preparation for the launch of his new restaurant, Chef Friday kickstarted a TikTok dubbed “FridayBurgerReview.” Here, he dishes out short, lighthearted videos where he rates burgers from all corners of Canada — his review of Toronto’s legendary Apache Burger has more than 40,000 views.

In addition to burgers, Friday Burger Company offers Southern-inspired buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches, Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, grilled chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, fried pickles, poutine, onion rings, milkshakes, craft beverages and American-style pudding. For those looking for healthier options, there are kale and chopped cobb salads.

Chef Joe Friday brings 20 years of culinary experience, having worked in renowned restaurants across Canada, the US, Norway, Italy and Japan. He’s also the founder of The Chef Collective, an organization dedicated to supporting and promoting chefs in the industry.

Friday Burger Company at TABLE Fare + Social is located at 81 Bay Street, 4^th floor and open on Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Balloon flower bouquets are blowing up thanks to this Toronto artist

By

Julia Mastroianni

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2:47 pm

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You’ve seen flower bouquets; you’ve seen balloon animals; now get ready for… balloon flower bouquets? Dylan Kwacz has spent his summer helping Torontonians feel extra special, one balloon flower at a time.

The 27-year-old taught himself how to make balloon art only three months ago, and now sells his creations through his Instagram business, Ballooms. The feedback Kwacz gets from his customers the most is that they feel like celebrities when they’re walking down the street with their balloon flowers in hand.

“You feel like a famous person holding these bouquets,” says Kwacz, “because people stop and stare and take pictures. They’re thinking, ‘What is this huge ass bouquet? Why do you have it? And where did you get it?’ That’s what sets them apart from your standard flower bouquet; they just have a little more (in-your-face) rizz…and as a bonus: they have a longer lifespan too.”

Kwacz, aka the balloon florist, has always been a creative person with a number of interests. He studied Fashion Communication at Toronto Metropolitan University and now works at TMU as the Acting Director of The Suzanne Rogers Fashion Institute, where he supports emerging fashion designers. On the side, he contributes to fashion publications like S/magazine and Sharp Magazine, and of course, ties balloons into unique floral creations.

“The past few years have been awful in the world,” says Kwacz, “and I wanted a way to reconnect with my creativity and also make something lighthearted.”

When he got the idea for Ballooms, he went to his boyfriend and asked him if it would be completely bonkers to create balloon bouquets. Obviously, he said yes, and that was exactly the answer Kwacz was looking for.

So he started watching Youtube videos until he had mastered the art of balloon floristry. At first he found it really difficult — balloons would explode loudly in his face.

“It actually helped me become a little more grounded,” Kwacz says, “and after a little patience and finesse I got used to it — things don’t explode as much.”

He started by bringing a balloon bouquet to his friend’s birthday and they loved it so much, he decided to turn his side hustle into a small business. It’s been an uphill journey ever since.

Kwacz’s summer consisted of a steady stream of orders for balloon flower bouquets, purchased as spontaneous gifts, birthday presents as well as decor for a wedding picnic, a bat mitzvah, and even the patio opening for Sunnys Chinese restaurant.

One bouquet, which consists of 15 balloon flower stems, goes for $50. Or you can buy an individual balloon flower for $6. To give you an idea of the effort involved, Kwacz says that when he first started, it took him about an hour and a half to finish one bouquet. Now he’s got it down to about forty minutes. And no, he doesn’t have any help. He does have calluses though, which he never expected would happen.

The largest order Ballooms has supplied so far has been seven bouquets (105 individual balloon flowers) and Kwacz is only getting started. His dream, “because it would be absolutely bonkers,” is to provide balloon bouquets for an entire wedding reception. “It’s definitely an acquired taste and has to be the right bride who’s willing to go the playful route,” he says, “but I think that person’s out there.”

Right now, Ballooms’ menu consists of mixed flowers, tulips, and daisies (which have been the bestseller so far) but Kwacz plans to roll out themed options, like sunflowers for fall and roses for Valentine’s Day.

“The more I introduce and the more flowers I combine, [it’s clear that] the options are limitless,” he says. The best part is that unlike real life flowers, balloons aren’t limited to a growing season. And as a gift, they stay true to original form weeks after fresh flowers have died.

Kwacz’s bouquets are made of Qualatex balloons, made from biodegradable latex (which is made from the sap of rubber trees), so you can also trust that your balloon bouquets aren’t worse for the environment.

“For now it’s a side hustle,” says Kwacz, “but I’m hoping that this could grow into something a little bit larger.” All orders are accepted through the Ballooms Instagram, and though he presently asks customers to pick up their orders from his home, he’s working on an economical solution for delivery options. At the end of the day, it’s all about sharing some love.

Roots is collaborating with Barbie and they created an ultra-Canadian doll

By

Julia Mastroianni

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11:01 am

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If you thought the Barbiemania was over, think again — Barbie is getting a Canadian makeover! To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Roots, the fashion brand is collaborating with Barbie to create an ultra-Canadian version of the doll, plus some other themed apparel.

The new doll will be decked out in classic Roots attire, including their salt and pepper sweatshirt and sweatpants, a varsity jacket, Roots brown boots and a weekender bag. The varsity jacket (sported by Barbie and also available for purchase for regular humans) will feature a pop of Barbie pink, as will the other items included in the 30-piece accompanying collection of apparel and accessories.

Megan Roach, president and CEO of Roots, and Karuna Scheinfeld, chief product officer, both wanted to highlight another Canadianism — diversity.

“We wanted to embrace the rich diversity of Canadians and our global audience, including our young daughters,” Roach said in a statement. “The inspiration for the Barbie x Roots doll came from the experiences Karuna and I share as mothers of children from multicultural backgrounds.”

There’s already a Canuck connection high up in Barbie headquarters — Steve Totzke, president of Mattel, is Canadian! “I am especially excited for this collaboration, featuring products that reflect the legacy of an iconic Canadian company, in what continues to be an incredibly celebratory year for Barbie,” he said in a statement.

The Barbie doll itself will cost you $69.99 when the entire collection is released on Friday, and the rest of the collection ranges from $38 for a zip pouch to a whopping $998 for the life-size Barbie x Roots varsity jacket. Sizes range from XXS-4XL and will include women’s, kids and toddler categories.

You can shop the new collection in select Roots stores across Canada.