Cake Boss just brought a slice of Jersey to Yorkville

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2:01 pm

Carlo’s Bakery, the esteemed, Hoboken-based dessert empire, has opened an express location in Yorkville. The bakery earned widespread attention when it was the subject of a popular TLC reality show, which went on to run for nine seasons and amassed a legion of sweet-toothed fans.

In 1910, Carlo’s bakery was founded by Italian pastry chef Carlo Guastaferro who ran the pastry shop until 1964. Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro Sr. shook flour-covered hands with Guastaferro, subsequently taking over the bakery. Today, the shop is run by Buddy Valastro, who has taken on the role of spokesperson for the bakery alongside his four older sisters, three brother-in-law and an assortment of close friends and family.

Today, Carlo’s Bakery can be found across the city at various vending machines as well as a brick-and-mortar location in Mississauga which opened earlier this year. The bakery’s latest venture is located at 24 Bellair St.

The express location currently receive fresh, daily shipments from their Mississauga location. The trip is about half an hour if you don’t include Toronto’s brutal traffic.

Upon entering, customers will be greeted by a life-size cut out of Buddy himself along with modern decor that includes pink wallpaper and botanicals. Staple Buddy Valastro desserts including classic cannoli, monstrous cakes, cupcakes, lobster tails and much more are available for discerning dessert lovers.

Yorkville customers can also expect seasonal treats to pop up if the occasion is right. In the past, the bakery has utilized a flurry of pumpkins during the fall months. Unfortunately, we’re sure these specific goodies aren’t Cousin Mauro tested.

The bakeshop is expected to bring a Yorkville-specific menu to their newest location, although no information has been confirmed as of yet.

Carlo’s Bakery’s Yorkville location is open Monday to Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This popular Toronto band is launching an exclusive celebrity pop-up closet

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Julia Mastroianni

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8:20 am

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Have you ever envied the style of your favourite artist or band and wished you could make it your own? You’re not alone. Performers just make everything look cooler! Now, your chance has arrived — Toronto band The Beaches is about to drop an exclusive collection of clothes for sale that they wore on their tour that just wrapped a few weeks ago.

The band will be listing around 30 items for sale, and you can explore the options now before the items become available for purchase at 12 p.m. today. But you’ll want to act fast – their first collection of tour items sold out within a few hours of posting them.

This vintage dress worn by Jordan on stage will be for sale.

To really amp up the cool factor, the group shared photos of the artists themselves wearing many of the items for sale, including a few very rock and roll photos of them wearing them while on stage. The options will fit almost any style: they’ve listed everything from vintage one-of-a-kind gowns to more modern items from Zara, Wilfred, Levi’s and more.

One more added bonus – everyone who purchases an item from The Beaches’ closet has a chance to win a signed poster, a vinyl record and a keychain from the band.

Celebrities sharing their closets for sale isn’t a new trend; stars from Olivia Rodrigo to Megan Thee Stallion have a Depop profile and have sold their clothes (often for charity) and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop used to host a celebrity closet sale including designer items from the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Anne Hathaway.

If these celebrity closet sales continue to encourage secondhand purchasing, we love to see it (and to see celebrities go for a little bit of minimalism in their lives of abundance)!

Tune in on The Beaches’ Poshmark page at 12 p.m. and see if you can snag a coveted item or two.

Grocerants are opening all over Toronto — here’s what you need to know

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Jennifer Schembri

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2:03 pm

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lead-pic-for-Grocerants-article — @peppers.189/Instagram

Hybrid grocers, or “grocerants” are the latest trend sweeping the city, acting as a one-stop-shop for all your dining out and grocery item needs. A mashup of the words “grocery” and “restaurants” — think of delicious, locally owned spots that feature in-restaurant markets selling artisanal pantry items, fresh pasta and more.

We’ve sourced five of the most delicious hybrid grocery stores so you can snag a delicious lunch or dinner, and then grab some homemade wares to replicate the same meals at home.

Speducci Mercato

Owned and run by award-winning chef Gabriele Paganelli, Speducci Mercato offers an array of local and imported Italian products, exclusive prepared gastronomy, award-winning cured meats and fresh locally-sourced cuts from a butcher. Chef Paganelli is renowned for his salumi – naturally cured meats like prosciutto, pancetta and salami made the Italian way. Speducci offers a true farm to table approach, sourcing some items from an Ontario-based Mennonite farm.

Speducci Mercato is located at 46 Milford Ave.

Pepper’s Food and Drink

Pepper’s is a hidden gem in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood that offers a ton unique Korean snack food items like Pocky, hot and spicy noodles and shrimp crackers in addition to delicious grab-and-go junk food like hot dogs and crispy Korean steamed buns. You can also take a trip back to the 1980’s and order the Spam Lunch Plate, featuring crisped spam, steamed rice, soft scrambled eggs and a macaroni salad.

Pepper’s Food and Drink is located at 189 Wallace Ave.

Maeli Market

Maeli Market is the only supermarket that offers exclusive Taiwanese products in the city, selling snacks, cookware, drinks and gift items as well as hot bento meals and a wide array of tea. Try the fried veggie squid ring bento or the braised pork belly gua bao while you shop an assortment of sauces, teas, snack items and gift items straight from Taiwan.

Maeli Market is located at 18 William Sylvester Dr.

Mattachioni

This Italian hybrid grocer offers a variety of local and important pantry items alongside a variety of house-made dishes that will taste like you took a flight to Italy. Try the gnochetti with basil pesto, parmigiano reggiano, stracciatella, basil or the wood fire mussels with cherry tomatoes, white wine, parsley, garlic, chili and house sourdough. Want to recreate one of their delicious meals at home? Recipe ingredients like pepperoncini, sugo and a variety of fresh pastas, breads and the piece de resistance, wine are all available in-store.

Mattachioni is located at 1617 Dupont St. and 1501 Gerrard Street E.

Cumbrae’s

The Queen West custom butcher offers top quality meat and poultry sourced from local farms, along with prepared, fresh and frozen food items. Patrons can buy anything from lamb to sausages and gourmet pantry items like house-made granolas, dried fruits, spreads like orange-fig and dulce de leche. Looking for a nice gift for the holidays? A Cumbrae’s themed gift basket gives you all the fixings for anything from a delicious pasta dinner to sweet treats.

Cumbrae’s is located at 714 Queen Street W.

For $1.999 million, create your dream life amid 96 acres in Prince Edward County

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Julia Mastroianni

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2:03 pm

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11-2203 PEC Rd 2, Consecon ON — Courtesy of Castle Real Estate Marketing

With wide-open space, fresh air and endless opportunities for dreamers and entrepreneurs, 2203 County Rd. 2 offers the perfect opportunity to start something new.

Beautiful Prince Edward County has long been a road-tripper’s destination of choice. As if straight out of a postcard, the enchanting towns and intimate wineries that dot this region alongside Instagram-worthy sandy beaches make this part of Ontario a true Canadian gem.

Returning home from time spent in PEC is always bittersweet. So why pull yourself away at all? Join a growing number of people who’ve traded in the hustle and bustle of city life to lay down roots in nostalgic rural Ontario.

Listed at $1.999 million, fall head-over-heels in love with this century-old farmhouse, accompanied by a classic barn and outbuildings amid a whopping 96 acres of private land.

Courtesy of Castle Real Estate Marketing

Travel down a quiet country driveway flanked by picturesque scenery and marvel at just how much space and opportunity this property offers.

With recent structural upgrades and a new roof and foundation, each building not only offers sturdy bones but is the perfect blank canvas for building a dream life.

Renvoation rendering courtesy of Castle Real Estate Marketing

The living room offers so much potential. Choose to preserve the ornate antique wood details as part of your new vision, or entirely redo this room for a modern, fresh start.

The second floor features five bedrooms and several smaller rooms fit for whatever your heart desires. The largest and most impressive room, however, is the primary bedroom. With dramatic vaulted ceilings and large windows overlooking the countryside, this vast, sun-kissed room has plenty of charm in the making.

Here’s an example of what the ensuite can look like.

Returning to the main floor, imagine how fabulous this space will look once it’s transformed into the country kitchen of your dreams — not to mention how charming that solarium would be as a breakfast den or tea-time sunroom.

Perfect as an event space, a boutique bed and breakfast, or perhaps an art studio or farm market, the outbuilding and bank-style barn offers endless opportunities for the lucky new owner.

Notice how spectacular the outbuilding would be as a secondary living space or income-generating holiday retreat.

The 10,000-square-foot barn will inspire any entrepreneur or event planner at heart. Convert it into a rustic, country-chic venue ideal for weddings, galas or dances, to name a few.

A moment’s drive to a local winery, several beaches and a short journey to the quaint town of Picton, this unique property also offers several agricultural fields, a 15-acre sugar bush and a saltwater pool.

2203 County Rd. 2 is co-listed with Alyssa Mincer of Slavens & Associates Real Estate Inc. and Suzanne White of Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage. Contact the listing agents at [email protected] and [email protected] to schedule a private viewing.

One of Toronto’s busiest restaurants is opening a Kensington outpost

By

Jennifer Schembri

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11:35 am

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292134927_144112731610545_3104661450073025251_n — Parallel on Instagram

A familiar face for Middle Eastern cuisine on Geary Ave. is opening a second location in March 2023.

The Parallel Brothers, owned and operated by actual brothers Aharon, George, Guy and Alon, have purchased a spot in Kensington Market at 152 Augusta Ave. The three-storey space is currently vacant, but once housed a dive bar.

With a focus on creating Middle Eastern classics with a modern twist, the new take out menu at the Kensington spot will be similar to Parallel Geary, but several menu items have been designed specially for the Kensington location. Some of these dishes include the bureka sandwich (feta cheese, hard-boiled egg, pickles and tahini sauce).

At night, the daytime menu will be swapped for an evening menu which closely mimics Mediterranean tapas-style offerings. “There will probably be about 10 tapas dishes that will change frequently according to market availability and beyond,” says Aharon Ozery, one of the four owners of Parallel Brothers.

Must-try dishes at both the current location and the new spot on Augusta include the Mashweya hummus (a thick blend of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, onions, chopped garlic, amba: a tangy, pickled condiment, chickpeas, parsley, sesame butter, schug: a spicy, green Arabic hot sauce, and sumac), falafel, the fan favourite Parallel salad (a colourful display of chopped kale, Napa cabbage, sweet potato, scallions, black lentils, walnuts, mint, goat cheese, beet sesame butter and drizzled in a honey balsamic vinaigrette) and the savoury knafeh (spinach, onion, goat cheese, chilli, shredded phyllo, spicy green sesame butter, diced tomato, parsley, za’atar.

While the Parallel Brothers team has not yet hired a bartender for the new location, Aharon says the Arak-based cocktail program will continue. Arak, sometimes spelled “araq”, is a type of distilled Levantine spirit made from the anise fruit. At Parallel, Arak cocktails include options like the house Arak Cocktail made with lemon juice, cane sugar and fresh mint, which can also be purchased as a pitcher for the whole table. Of course, other drinks will also be on offer just like at Parallel Geary, including a selection of red and white wines, beers and ciders, and even non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails made from fresh juices and florals.

Parallel Geary is currently open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and from Friday to Sunday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. For updates on the opening of Kensington Geary, be sure to check out their Instagram page for the latest news and updates!

Toronto just got a sci-fi themed cocktail bar with star-filled galaxies and grasshopper cocktails

By

Jessica Huras

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3:15 pm

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Get ready to go starry-eyed for Offworld, a new Queen West cocktail bar with an outer space theme. Run by the same people behind self-appointed “nerd bar” Storm Crow Manor, Offworld leverages the team’s flair for creating theatrical dining and drinking experiences.

“We’re taking the thing that made Storm Crow so famous and popular and trying to elevate it to that next step,” says general manager Tyler VanderWallen. While Storm Crow nods to a range of pop culture topics, from Game of Thrones to Dune, Offworld narrows the focus with an homage to sci-fi that includes showy cocktails and screens that transport diners through a fictional solar system.

“We have to walk that fine line of being fun but not campy,” says VanderWallen.

The Food

Offworld offers a menu of light bites designed to pair with drinks. Like Storm Crow, the menu is peppered with geeky references to the bar’s theme, from the Hyperlight Pretzel to the Tau Ceti Pâté.

The Belter’s Burrata, named after the Expanse TV series, features blistered tomatoes, basil and a side of sourdough bread.

The ‘nanoburgers’ come in standard and vegan-friendly varieties. The beef burger is topped with fig compote and foie gras, while its meat-free equivalent features a Beyond Meat sausage patty with caramelized onions. The slow-cooked pulled pork burger is layered with pickled red cabbage, as is its vegan version made with spicy jackfruit.

Offworld partnered with Nugateau Patisserie for its desserts, which include these multi-hued macarons.

Nugateau is also behind the Dark Star Eclair, which is made with 64 per cent dark chocolate cremeux.

The Drinks

Bar manager Flor Duran Acuna aims to put a sci-fi spin on classic cocktails.

The Xenophauna, for example, is a riff on a Last World cocktail, made with celery-infused gin, green chartreuse, lime juice, demerara syrup and tajin – all garnished with a fried grasshopper to add an otherworldly-feeling element.

The Tikinaut swaps the traditional Tiki mug for an astronaut-shaped glass made in the same style. The drink features Wray & Nephew rum, Goslings rum, coconut, lemon, lime and housemade kiwi syrup. Duran Acuna says that housemade syrups are another key feature of Offworld’s cocktail program.

For the No Tribble, a mix of 1800 Reposado, Cointreau, Lambrusco and cherry soda is hugged by a layer of cotton candy.

True to its name, the Warp Bubble is topped with a vapour-filled bubble that eventually dissolves into a dramatic cloud of smoke. It’s made with Four Roses bourbon, honey syrup, cherry soda and lemon juice.

While these creative cocktails are the showpiece of the bar program, VanderWallen says the team also wants to cater to imbibers looking for a simple, well-made drink. “We have our nine fun, tongue-in-cheek, classic cocktails that we’ve sci-fi’d up, but we want to be able to have somebody sit down and order the best Manhattan they’re ever gonna have or their favourite tequila,” he says.

The Space

Offworld blends a lounge-like vibe with glowing lighting, an illuminated stone bar and hologram-like light fixtures to create an ambiance that feels part-nightclub and part-geek den.

Owner Jason Kapalka, who’s also the founder of video game company PopCap Games, tapped his network of animators to develop the bar’s ‘digital window’ screens, according to VanderWallen.

The screens display a star-filled galaxy as a default, but change throughout any given evening to take guests to various ‘planets’ populated by weird and wonderful creatures. “When this room is full, you hear the reaction when we change over,” says VanderWallen.

VanderWallen says DJ performances and a late-night dance floor are possibilities in the coming weeks. “We’re very proud to be the next experiment in the Storm Crow world,” he says.

These two sisters used Kickstarter to open their Toronto dream bakery

By

Jennifer Schembri

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2:51 pm

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City Bakers Collective, the virtual bakeshop founded by two sisters, Alysa and Jenna King has just opened a brand new brick-and-mortar in the East end’s Danforth Avenue neighbourhood, thanks in large part to a super successful Kickstarter campaign that helped raise $40,000 to support the purchase of specialized equipment, signage and furnishings.

The company, which launched online in 2020, began as a way to unify the pair’s two baking brands, Bayfield Provisions and Bakewell and provide a virtual platform for other bakers in the city to showcase their own unique offerings online. After immense success, the pair decided to take a leap offline and open their very own production and bakeshop so more locally owned, online companies could share their eats with the masses. The physical space is just the next evolution of this goal: to serve as a rotating venue for up-and-coming bakers and small businesses to make and sell their own products under a common roof.

As explained on their Kickstarter page, City Bakers Collective hopes to be a space where they can nurture the exchange of skills between bakers and food-lovers, support the training of new bakers, and set a new standard for equitable working conditions in the food industry. Impressively, the campaign garnered 78 backers and achieved its bold goal of raising $40,000 to bring delicious, small-batch bakes to Toronto’s Danforth community.

In addition to Bayfield Provisions and Bakewell goodies, including bestsellers like crispy, chewy chocolate chunk cookies, lemon bars and savoury potato, spinach and feta pasty’s, patrons can expect to find a small curated selection of grocery and specialty food items from local makers. Some artisanal products available – and the sisters’ faves – include Mounib hazelnut chocolate spread, zambonelli Fine Foods dukkahs, Soul Mayan drinking chocolate, Moss Berry Farm Jams and a selection of Genuine Tea Co.’s organic teas.

Currently the team has Chuck from Johnson Family Bakery in-store selling his widely-acclaimed sourdough breads with plans for additional guest bakers and pop-up shops to make their way to the 1352 Danforth Avenue spot soon.

“The neighbourhood has been so great, telling us how excited they are that we are here,” says Alysa of the warm reception they’ve received even after just a few weeks of being open. “It’s really been an amazing welcome and we are so happy to be where we are.”

In the coming weeks, patrons can expect the same rotating, expertly curated market of the flakiest, chewiest, crispiest, richest, fluffiest baked goods come to mark the online presence of City Bakers Collective, with a few new in-person visitors. In the coming weeks the spot will welcome Backstage Bakeshop, the online, Annex-based bakeshop run by stage manager-turned-baker, where patrons can try her super-popular cheddar cheese bread and cinnamon buns.

Touting inspiration from both their mother and grandmother, Jenna and Alysa hope to provide the same kind of baking inspiration and teaching opportunities to other up-and-comers.

“What sets us apart? I think it’s all in the name! We really want to have a space that allows other bakers to launch and get support.”

Swing by the 1352 Danforth spot Thursday – Friday from 11:00a.m. to 5:00p.m., and Saturday – Sunday 10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m. Pre-orders are available anytime via the website.

Degrassi and Netflix star from Toronto on landing a role opposite Mila Kunis

By

Julia Mastroianni

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12:47 pm

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Nicole Huff with Mila Kunis — @nicolesamanthahuff/Instagram

From a very young age, Nicole Huff had a fierce passion for the arts.

“I grew up dancing, singing, acting, playing piano, figure skating and doing karate — my parents enrolled me in so many different activities,” says the Toronto actor. But it was acting and music that drew her in the most.

“I was always watching movies or listening to music to get inspiration, and I just enjoyed creating and telling stories that made people smile,” she says. “And as I got older, I found that it wasn’t just about making people smile, it was also about feeling things. I watched films and listened to music that I could relate to or to help me get through a difficult time.”

Huff has been performing since she was six years old. She got her start acting in commercials — she has over 35 under her belt — but shifted gears to TV in 2008.

“As I started putting my focus into acting, I started seeing results. I started taking acting lessons and really trying to hone my craft, and it specifically grew in high school,” she says. “I graduated from Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts. I majored in drama and I just absolutely fell in love with it.”

Although Huff describes herself as “always outgoing,” it was at Cardinal Carter that her confidence grew and she began to expand her range as an actress.

“I got more comfortable in myself and being able to portray different characters and tell different stories,” she says. “And that’s around the time where I auditioned for Degrassi. Degrassi really helped me get into different rooms with different casting directors. I noticed that after I landed [that] part, I started getting more opportunities to read for different characters.”

For Huff, Degrassi was a breakout role. But in her view, she’s had several — each one allowing her to test the waters of something new — and she hopes to have many more to come.

In 2020, she landed the role of Paige Aquino on the hit series Tiny Pretty Things, an experience which she says helped her to make a name for herself in Los Angeles. The show exploded on Netflix, and Huff became someone who was getting recognized by fans internationally. In 2021, she played Alina Taylor on CBC’s Pretty Hard Cases with Meredith MacNeill— her first big comedy role.

Now, Huff has earned her breakout role in film as Olivia Kaplan in Luckiest Girl Alive, which stars and is produced by Mila Kunis. The film premiered on Netflix on Friday. Huff says it feels like a major accomplishment for her to work alongside Kunis.

“It’s such a big deal to me because I grew up watching her and grew up loving her work,” she says. “I remember watching Gia growing up and seeing Mila Kunis play young Angelina Jolie and admiring that movie. And now I get to work with her. It’s funny how things come full circle that way.”

Now that Huff has wrapped filming for Luckiest Girl Alive, she’s taking some time to focus on her musical aspirations. And she also hopes to land her next breakout role soon.

“I’m hoping to portray a lead character, whether that be in a film or a television show,” she says. “Or get to work with someone else that I look up to. Someone like Mila Kunis, you know?”

Fendi takes a stand in Toronto… in favour of fur?

By

Megan Gallant

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2:46 pm

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After months of being restricted from selling some of their most in-demand and priciest pieces through concession boutiques, Fendi has opened its first standalone Canadian storefront in Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The move comes after Holt Renfrew’s ban on fur at the start of the year.

The Italian brand has been selling wholesale through the retailer for years, with their second concession stand opening in the Yorkdale location in 2019.

But as of Jan. 1 this year, Holt Renfrew committed to no longer selling fur and exotic skins across all brands and products, alongside a ban of microbeads and plastic glitter. The ban was put in place, according to the website, in an effort to increase the “offering of sustainable and socially responsible products.”

As a fur purveyor founded in the mid-1920s, the ban has consequently limited Fendi’s offerings of luxury fashions, shoes and accessories. According to Retail Insider, Fendi and several other brands found out about Holt Renfrew’s fur ban during a public announcement, prompting the move to a standalone store.

A representative from Fendi’s communications team declined to provide a comment on the reason for the move to a standalone store in Yorkdale and whether it had to do with the fur ban.

The brand continues to sell coats and other accessories made from fur or featuring fur trims on some of their priciest items, which is now available through the new standalone location.

The new women’s ready-to-wear space in Fendi’s standalone store. Courtesy Agence ZOI

The new 1,900-square-foot space provides three sleek, modern rooms, each offering a different collection: in the front, customers walk into a space with various styles of accessories and bags, including Fendi’s popular baguette styles; the other two rooms offer a space for women’s ready-to-wear fashion, accessories and footwear and one for men’s.

With the standalone store opening, Fendi has also pulled its men’s collection from the Yorkdale Holt Renfrew concession.

Though Holt Renfrew only announced the fur ban this year, some brands selling out of the store have already taken the step to go fur-free, including Gucci in 2018 and Prada in 2020. Some brands appeared to follow Holt Renfrew’s lead – after the retailer announced the ban in June, Saint Laurent announced in September that they would stop using fur by 2022.

It looks like animal-free is the future for most luxury brands, but Fendi is one of a few still holding out. They’re joined by Christian Dior and Hermes among others — both have been petitioned to stop the use of exotic skins and furs as recently as 2021.

While Fendi won’t comment on their thoughts on Holt Renfrew’s fur ban, the opening of their new standalone store makes it clear — fur is here to stay at Fendi.

Toronto waiters will now be taxed on their tips — and they aren’t happy

By

Jennifer Schembri

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2:07 pm

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A recent court ruling found that restaurant owners, and subsequently employees, must now include credit card tips as a liability for CPP and EI payments. The ruling was made in response to the Ristorante a Mano v Minister of National Revenue case.

Ristorante a Mano is a Halifax-based restaurant which employs servers who are tasked with tableside customer service.

When customers pay in cash, servers were allowed to pocket an undisclosed portion of the sum, later opting whether or not to disclose the income. However, all tips via credit or debit card were electronically transferred to the servers the following day.

When completing yearly liability reports, the restaurants chose not to include electronic tips as a form of pensionable salary or wages. CRA believed these payments fell under taxable income, forcing them to reassess the restaurant’s tax forms from 2015-2017.

After lengthy court proceedings, the court made a decision in favour of the Minister of National Revenue. Therefore, all tips contributed during the payment of a meal via credit card will fall under the category of pensionable and insurable income.

As a result, restaurant owners and employees will now be on the hook for a more significant sum of income come tax season. The court also warned that restaurant owners not being taxed this year could potentially be audited and re-assessed for previous years.

Toronto in particular is a city that has seen an outcry on tipping habits from both staff members and customers. This August, attendees at Summerlicious were distraught at the 18%-20% tip which was recommended on the companies website.

Around the same time, a Redditor tweeted about “the most offensive tipping options I’ve ever come across” in which they described their tipping options were as follows:

18% (Needs improvement)
20% (Kay)
25% (Good enough)
30% (Great job)
Other

With the court passing this law, one can only speculate about the continuing tipping escapade which has entrenched the city.

A Late Summer Grilling Recipe from Chefs Rob Rossi and Craig Harding

By

Dorothy Chudzinski

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2:06 pm

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caplans-steak-sept-2022 — Grilled tomahawk steak

It’s the perfect time to fire up the grill and enjoy the warmer weather with family and friends. A family-run business for over 75 years that is renowned as the destination for delivering dream kitchens — both indoor and outdoors — Caplan’s has sponsored a new cooking series that focuses on cooking simple and delicious recipes outdoors. Hosted by acclaimed chefs Rob Rossi and Craig Harding, Open Fire creates delicious, innovative dishes, and one of their favourite recipes is shared with you here.

As summer winds down, our thoughts turn to rustic, hearty meals to enjoy with family and friends, and we know they will love this showstopper dish. The tomahawk steak served with a side of wild mushrooms is easy to cook, a ton of fun and super delicious.

The sautéed wild mushrooms are a perfect complement to the steak and bring the whole meal together. Your guests will love the aromas from the BBQ, and they will get everyone excited for what is to come. Slicing the tomahawk steak tableside adds a rustic wow factor that will be sure to impress.

Steak & Wild Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Large tomahawk steak, bone-in (2-inch steak)
Kosher salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Pint of chanterelle mushrooms
Pint of pine mushrooms
Fresh Thyme
2 bulbs of garlic
Fresh Rosemary
Unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Take out tomahawk steak 30 minutes before cooking to rest. Season with kosher salt and pepper generously. Add a drizzle of olive oil.

2. Over a medium-high heat on your grill, place the steak and cook for around 10 minutes each side. A meat thermometer should read an internal temperature of 130 degrees.

3. Once cooked, take the steak off and place on a cutting board to rest.

4. Give the mushrooms a rough chop. No need to wash the mushrooms.

5. Place a cast iron pan on your grill over high heat. Pour a drizzle of olive oil in the pan. Add the mushrooms and give a light stir. Add two cracked bulbs of garlic to the pan.

6. Strip a few pieces of rosemary and thyme into the pan. Add some cracked pepper and two pinches of salt after the mushrooms have cooked for a few minutes. Next up, add two tablespoons of unsalted butter and cook for 2 more minutes then place in a serving bowl.

7. Slice the steak against the grain and serve with the wild mushrooms. Enjoy!

Be sure to tune in to Open Fire, airing weekly on TLN, for more recipes.

Toronto fashion power couple opening edgy new gallery featuring street and experimental art

By

Ron Johnson

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1:26 pm

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gallery building at 1444 dupont — Gallery will be housed at 1444 Dupont St.

Legendary Toronto fashion power couple Joe Mimran and Kim Newport-Mimran are opening the Cultural Goods Gallery on the west side. The first exhibition is set to open on Oct. 29 featuring art from Al Diaz, a key figure in the New York graffiti movement of the ’70s.

Casablanca-born Joe Mimran has had his foot in Canadian fashion since 1985 when he founded Club Monaco. His love for casual, luxury wear was later parlayed into the affordable fashion brand Joe Fresh, which he created in 2006. He’s also been featured as a “Dragon” investor on the CBC-TV series Dragon’s Den since 2015.

His partner, fashion designer Kim Newport-Mimran founded the clothing label Pink Tartan in 2002. In 2019, she introduced a line of eveningwear called the Kim Newport Collection.

The duo is expanding their extensive list of creative ventures by giving Torontonians the chance to experience hand-curated art. The first exhibition FROM SAMO©… TO SAMO©… EVOLUTION OF STREET: ART & TYPE is curated by Grace Zeppilli and Jason Halter. Inside the gallery is a collection spanning Diaz’s 40-year career, from his early-teen graffiti collaboration with Jean-Michel Basquiat to his later prolific text-based collage works.

“Cultural Goods Gallery is a reflection of our decades of learning, collecting and collaborating with artists from around the world. The gallery is a home for pursuing creative expressions and connecting people who feel inspired by new ideas.” Newport-Mimran says, “We are thrilled to begin this journey with Al Diaz, a talented artist who is part of the fabric of contemporary pop culture.”

This exhibition also includes new works by Toronto-based artists Javid Jah, Danilo Deluxo McCallum, Nicolas ‘Alfalfa’ Sanchez, and Kismet, who all express unique and distinct styles demonstrating the evolution of street art that is flourishing in cities across the globe, including Toronto.

“Al and I discussed the evolution and history of street art at length when we started the process for this exhibition. With the traditionally collaborative nature of street art, we saw this show also as an opportunity to blend Brooklyn and Toronto,” says Jason Halter, co-curator of the exhibition. “The collaboration between artists is a visual conversation that allows visitors to see the evolution of the art form from its early roots to now.”

Located on Toronto’s west side, Cultural Goods Gallery, the 2,500 sq. ft. stomping ground is equipped for experimental and immersive art. The space allows for interactive and hands-on galleries as well, giving Torontonians the chance to get up close and personal with future galleries. The Mimrans hope is that the rotating exhibition schedule will nurture relationships with the local arts community, as well as present work that has contributed to the growth of the North American cultural scene.

Cultural Goods Gallery is located at 1444 Dupont St. #15.