The team behind Yorkville’s newest restaurant trained under a Michelin-starred chef

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12:58 pm

Adrak Yorkville is serving up elevated Indian cuisine, blending traditional flavours and fine dining flair to bring something completely new to the trendy Yorkville neighbourhood chock-full of Italian and contemporary eateries.

Unique to Adrak Yorkville is the kitchen hierarchy, which is bucking tradition, filling its back-of-house with category leaders who have specific subject matter and dish expertise as opposed to executive and junior-level chefs. The Adrak team has true global experience having worked in established kitchens spanning Dubai, India, the U.S., Thailand, and more. In fact, all team members have trained under Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia, with select members boasting tenures with other world-renowned chefs, including Gaggan Anand, Hari Nayak and Prashant Chipkar.

“While my family has been established in Canada for over 60 years, I have always been attached to my roots. My mother and now business partner, taught me how to safeguard my cultural identity, and remain grounded while pursuing meaningful business endeavours,” says owner Ambica Jain of the ways her culture has influenced this dining concept. “I grew up travelling around the world experiencing new cultures and knew early on that we needed to bring a new kind of Indian restaurant to Toronto that was in line with the best in the world.”

Adrak Yorkville blends rare ingredients together to create distinct flavours, like made in-house mustard seed paste, curry leaves oil and morel mushrooms, fusing the flavours in signature menu items, as an ode to the many flavours of India.

At the bar, cocktail syrups use local ingredients like balsam fir, baby sorrel, local fresh juices and unique Indian ingredients like blue pea, oolong tea, star anise and green apple kaffir lime cordial to create unique drinks you can’t find anywhere else.

Menu highlights include Raan-E-Shahi, a highly sought after lamb delicacy inspired by the dishes of Indian royalty. Or opt for the Patrani Fish, inspired by the Queen Consorts meaning fish in leaves, this dish is a hallmark of Parsi cuisine influenced by Gujarati and Persian cooking.

For vegetarian kings and queens, the Thecha Paneer Tikka is a standout spiced sauce made from peanuts, cilantro, curry leaves and garlic, and the Asparagus Kofta is a flavour-forward vegetarian dish blending Indian spices and fresh veggies.

The space itself mixes cultural elements reminiscent of the Indian subcontinent with modern touches. Find custom fabrics and wallpapers sourced from India, handmade wood and rattan furniture melding together to create a dimly lit, elegantly upscale feel perfect for an intimate date night or a family dinner out. The space also features a private dining room upstairs, called the Memsahibs, that seats 16 – perfect for larger gatherings and celebrations.

Swing by the 138 Avenue Road spot from 5:00p.m. to 11:00p.m. Wednesdays to Mondays and, starting May 4th, Adrak Yorkville offers an 11:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. lunch.

Jeanne Beker on mum-believable purse trends and where to find them in T.O.

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Julia Mastroianni

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12:15 pm

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One of Canada’s most trusted authorities on style and fashion, Jeanne Beker has covered the industry for more than 30 years. Now watch her in her current style editor role on TSC’s Style Matters with Jeanne Beker or tune into her new podcast Beyond Style Matters, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Subhead: This May, we’re packing away the heavy coats and boots and pulling out the spring accessories — including the perfect purse to add a little something extra to your outfit. Jeanne Beker shares some affordable and luxury options for bags that are both functional and on trend this season.

Going green

SAVE

“I really like this purse because we’re all talking about a pop of colour this season that will last into the fall. The colour is so rich, and I can vouch for Ai bags — the quality is there and they look so good.” Ai, $150, Tsc.ca

SPLURGE

“This bag is quite chic, very elegant hardware with this beautiful chain handle. This bag also comes with a crossbody strap, so you can wear it both ways. It has such a sophisticated style punch.” Strathberry, $870, Nordstrom.ca

Beachside tote

SAVE

“This is a great bag to have during the warmer seasons, and to get it for $59 from a Canadian company is amazing. I think it looks equally cool compared to other more expensive designs!” Poppy and Peonies, $59, Poppyandpeonies.com

SPLURGE

“A straw bag, you can take it to the market, you can take it to the beach — it’s a great casual bag, but you can also dress it up. Obviously, you can fit a lot of stuff in there, and it would still be nice and lightweight, so it’s great for travel.” Isabel Marant, $725, Farfetch.com

The bigger the better

SAVE

“Here’s a bag that would be handy any time of year, and it’s so rich looking considering the price. I really love Ela. It’s another great Canadian brand.” Ela Handbags, $98, Elahandbags.com

SPLURGE

“This croc print purse is great. It’s a crocodile effect but made from leather. It’s such a different bag with such a different colour, a really beautiful shade of brown. And again, it’s a really great year-rounder of a bag.”

For more trend picks from Jeanne, read here.

Mother’s Day gift ideas from Midtown’s coolest shopping district

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Dorothy Chudzinski

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11:08 am

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Need some ideas for a Mother’s Day gift? Check out these local businesses along The Eglinton Way, where you can find thoughtful, unique gifts that will pamper, delight and surprise Mom this year!

Kozeta Salon and Spa

Pamper Mom in style at Kozeta Salon and Spa. Along with all your hair care needs, they now offer laser hair removal, manicures, pedicures, facials, skin rejuvenation and lash services! This full service salon and spa has some exceptionally talented stylists and estheticians who are there to make Mom’s beauty dreams come true!

Vicky’s Jewellery

Everyone loves what comes in a Vicky’s Jewellery box! Proudly celebrating 50 years on Eglinton, this shop is bursting with antique, vintage and modern treasures for you to explore. Vicky’s offers beautiful personalized name necklaces in 10k, 14k gold or sterling silver – fabulous for Mother’s Day, birthdays, graduation, bat mitzvah or even a “just because” gift. The necklace is a great piece to be worn every day on its own or part of a layered look.

Le Reve Skin Clinic

Treat mom to glowing skin with one of the many services available at Le Reve Skin Clinic. They provide innovative and medical grade services and treatments for all skin types. Why not gift Mom an oxygen infusion facial! This relaxing treatment hydrates your skin, making it bright and leaving it feeling clean and radiant. Their beauty booster is also available for deep hydration of the skin with injections of pure hyaluronic acid 5 mm underneath the skin to plump and hydrate.

7 Numbers Eglinton

An evening with “Mama Rosa” cooking classes are back at 7 Numbers Eglinton. Have your Mama join Mama Rosa in the kitchen as she makes comforting, delicious southern Italian soul food. Visit sevennumbers.com to book a spot in an upcoming class, or find out more about their menus and book a table any day of the week for a spectacular meal.

Jenny’s Hair Design

With over 25 years of experience and training around the world, Jenny of Jenny’s Hair Design has cultivated the art of hair. From a simple cut and colour to perms, highlights, extensions, up-dos, special events and weddings, they do it all – including children’s haircuts and men’s haircuts. They are running a Mother’s Day Special – women’s wash, cut, blow dry and hair treatment for only $49. Be sure to book an appointment with them today!

This Toronto butcher shop has a secret supper club

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Erica Commisso

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10:15 am

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Stock-in-Trade supper club — Courtesy Jason Becker

“We all have a background in restaurants, both on the cooking and service side. I think between us it’s a combined 9,746 years – or feels like it anyway,” says Jason Becker, one of the owners of Stock-in-Trade butcher shop on The Danforth. “And we like to invite groups to come to our shop for a night of hanging out, talking, eating and drinking.” The ownership group’s welcoming nature and industry experience fuelled a new idea inside the space: supper clubs.

A private room in the back of the restaurant houses a supper club for six to 16 people for $100 a person. “What ensues is a five-course meal that features many of our products in the shop and is a reflection of our inspiration,” Becker says. “We have a few dishes that we tend to keep up our sleeves but we always like trying different things. It is served family style, on large serving platters that are set right on the table.” Wine and cocktails are available for purchase, but the butcher shop and supper club also has a liquor license that allows guests to bring their own wine, beer and liquor to the space.

“A few things we can attest to are that we thoroughly enjoy cooking for everyone and we very much enjoy showcasing a component from many of the products that we have in house,” Becker says. “We can also say that we’re fairly certain no one has ever left hungry.”

Stock-in-Trade is also starting to set up public supper club events, too, where diners can book as many seats as they like and partake in the experience with other members of the community. Bookings can be made via email to [email protected]. The butcher shop is located inside 7 Numbers restaurant at 307 Danforth Avenue.

6 of the best events happening in Toronto this weekend

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Julia Mastroianni

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9:09 am

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puppy-yoga-toronto — @catchingheather/Instagram

The weekend is finally upon us, giving us the opportunity to enjoy the confusing spring weather. Whether you want to stay indoors or roll the dice on outdoor excursions, here are six events to try this weekend in Toronto.

Roll on the floor laughing at The Corner Comedy Club

For just $25 you and your friends can experience multiple headline quality comics throughout the weekend! The Corner Comedy Club is hosting two shows a night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., with each set ranging from 10-15 minutes in length.

Unwind with puppy yoga and bubbly at Kardia Athletica

Ontario doggos and Kardia have designed an event to cater to those who want yoga, dog snuggles and brunch with friends all in one! Begin your session with an entrance to yoga class with puppies zooming around the studio before settling down with a mimosa in your hand and a dog in your lap. The event takes place on Saturday between 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Honour Stan Lee’s 100th birthday at this local library

The Toronto Public Library has an exhibit on display this spring to remember Stan Lee and all of his creative adventures. A team of talented artists has put together an array of art which puts the spotlight on some of Lee’s most infamous characters. Along with a team, Lee created cult favourite characters such as Spider-Man, Iron Man and Black Panther.

Help Froddo destroy the one ring in IMAX quality

Join a Hobbit from the Shire and his eight mates on a journey to save Middle-Earth from the Dark Lord Sauron. This time, enjoy the remastered audio and video which have been touched up by IMAX DMR. Grab some popcorn and immerse yourself in the Lord of the Rings experience at the Ontario Place’s Cinesphere this Sunday.

Help the raptors make history against Philly this week at Jurassic Park

The Toronto Raptors are two games away from being the first team in NBA history to come back and win a series while down 3-0. On Thursday, the Raptors take on the Philidelphia 76ers at 7 p.m. which you can watch in the stadium or outside on a jumbotron at Jurassic Park. Fingers crossed we take the dub so you can watch the crucial game 7 on Saturday wherever you feel most comfortable.

Throw it back retro-style on the second floor of The Pint

This weekend, enjoy The Pint’s grand reopening event as they reveal second floor which they’ve named The Upper Deck. Hosted by Mike Devine on Friday, the night is set to be chock-full of arcade games, dancing to throwback tracks and indulging in one of their 40 draught beers on tap.

These are some of the best open mic spots in Toronto

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Julia Mastroianni

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2:53 pm

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Open mic night at OBJX Studio in Toronto — @objx.studio/Instagram

Torontonians are eager as ever to hit the town after a long pandemic, so we’ve created a comprehensive list of up to date open mics in the city of Toronto for all genres, including poetry, spoken word, comedy and music.

Open mic nights were generally popular before the pandemic, but they seem to be even more so now as the city opens up again. David Craver, who lives in Atlanta, is the brain behind an international open mic network and directory. While the network offers free listings for all open mic events, Craver also offers an upgraded service that sends proactive emails about upcoming open mic events in the surrounding area. Craver says there are five Canadian open mic sites, including the one dedicated to Toronto, with approximately 1,500 musicians presently registered in Toronto.

“We’re seeing a really good resurgence,” he said.

Read below for a list open mic nights in Toronto broken down by day of the week, location and frequency.

MONDAY

The Painted Lady Ossington

Address: 218 Ossington Ave.

Frequency: Weekly

Genre: All (two songs per artist)

Provided: full backline

Time: 8 p.m. sign up/ 8:30 p.m. start

Cover: Free

Free Times Cafe

Address: 320 College St.

Frequency: Weekly

Genre: Comedy

Time: 7 p.m. Email [email protected] to get on the list

Cover: Free

TUESDAY

Handlebar

Address: 159 Augusta Ave.

Frequency: Weekly

Genre: All

Time: 8 p.m. sign up/ 8:30 p.m. start

Cover: Free

Free Times Cafe

Address: 320 College St.

Address: TheMix669 formerly B-Side Lounge – 669 College St W.

Frequency: Weekly

Genre: Music (10-15 min slots)

Time: 7 p.m. in-person sign up/ 9 p.m. start/ 12 a.m. “Chaos Jam”

Cover: $5 cover (waived for performers who advertise a 15-min spot one week in advance on social media)

“‘Beyond B-SIDE’ is the spiritual successor of the previous Wednesday open mic held at B-Side before the pandemic (as well as the old Sunday open mic held at Remix as the owners have since purchased B-Side and renamed it “The Mix),” said host Adam Golding, who is also a candidate for city council.

“‘Beyond B-Side’ is the only open mic in town that allows you to sign up for a time slot one week in advance so you can tell your friends what time you’re on!” said Golding. You can RSVP using the link to the latest event page which is posted weekly on Golding’s website.

THURSDAY

The Groove

Address: 1952 Danforth Ave.

Frequency: Weekly

Genre: Comedy

Time: Comedians sign in before 10 p.m./ start at 9:30 p.m.

Cover: Free

Taco Taco

Address: 319 Augusta Ave.

Frequency: Weekly

Genre: Music (10 minute sets)

Provided: Mics, cables, speakers, a mixer, house guitar, keyboard and drums

Time: 8 p.m. start. Email [email protected] for pre-registration

Cover: Free (and musicians get drink specials before 9 p.m.)

SUNDAY

FreeF’all Sundays—longest standing open mic in the city of Toronto (having just celebrated their 14th year in March)

Address: 286 Augusta Ave.

Frequency: Monthly on the last Sunday of the month

Genre: Music

Time: 5 p.m. pre sign up/ 7 p.m. start

Cover: Free

Nothing Fancy comedy club

Address: 1185 Dundas St. W.

Frequency: Weekly

Genre: Comedy (four minute sets)

Time: 6 p.m. sign up in-person/ 7 p.m. start

Cover: Free (but a drink purchase grants you an additional minute of stage time)

OBJX Studio

Address: 100 Symes Road Unit 200a

Frequency: Weekly

Genre: Open mic and jam sessions (six musician slots and four performance artists slots)

Time: 6 p.m. sign up/ 7 p.m. start/ 10 p.m. open jam session

Cover: Free

Art Gallery of Ontario planning $60 million expansion announces design team

By

Ron Johnson

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2:52 pm

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In order to be able to house its growing collection of global modern and contemporary art, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), recently announced the trio of architects that will lead the design phase of AGO Global Contemporary, the museum’s proposed expansion project.

Annabelle Selldorf of the global firm Selldorf Architects which recently completed the art and cultural campus Luma Arles in France, has been tapped to lead the design, in collaboration with Don Schmitt of Diamond Schmitt Architects.

The award-winning, Toronto-based firm’s most notable works include the David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City, and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. Brian Porter of Six Nations of the Grand River’s Two Row Architects – recently awarded the prize for social equity design for its Fort Severn Resilient Duplex project, rounds out the team of firms.

“A project with global impact requires an international perspective, grounded in this land and this city,” said Stephan Jost of the Art Gallery of Ontario. “AGO Global Contemporary is poised to launch the museum as a force in the international art world – and this team will get us there. It’s a group that is unmatched in its experience and caliber, and reflective of AGO’s Global Contemporary vision.”

ago — Back of the Art Gallery of Ontario overlooking Grange Park

Since it was first founded in 1900, the AGO has undergone six expansions, most notably, 2008’s Transformation AGO project, designed by Gehry International Architects Inc., which enlarged the museum by 97,000 square feet and increased art-viewing space by 47 per cent.

According to an article in Art Forum, the cost of the expansion is pegged at approximately $62 million and could include a six-storey tower although the project is described as being in the very early stages.

This latest expansion will present the museum with the opportunity to deliver exhibitions and programming that will lead global conversations about art.

The proposed building will be approximately 50,000 square feet, while the goal of the expansion would be to achieve Net Zero Carbon certification, which would make it one of the only museum spaces in the world to accomplish this. The AGO’s ever-expanding collection contains more than 120,000 works of art from around the globe including significant works by Indigenous and Canadian artists as well as European masterpieces.

The project is set to undergo a municipal and public review process and AGO Board of Trustees’ approval. A concept presentation is anticipated for later on in the year.

How to prevent impaired driving this spring and summer

By

Jarrod Daley

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1:30 pm

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See all posts by Diamond and Diamond Lawyers

With the promise of warmer weather and the summer season, everyone is excited about the opportunity to stretch their legs, visit restaurants and attend events. However, summer typically coincides with a rise in impaired driving accidents, so now is a good time to keep the dangers and consequences of impaired driving in mind.

“It’s important to remember that one bad decision can ruin your life or someone else’s in a split second,” warns Diamond and Diamond’s Managing Partner Sandra Zisckind.

Diamond and Diamond’s dynamic leadership team, Sandra Zisckind, Isaac Zisckind, and Jeremy Diamond, outline how you can avoid impaired driving and its detrimental impacts this summer.

How to Avoid Impaired Driving

The best way to ensure you don’t get involved in an impaired driving accident is not to get in a car with someone who has been drinking. If you know that you will be consuming cannabis or drinking alcohol, always make necessary arrangements beforehand. Given the many rideshare services across Canada and the United States, it is easier now than ever to find a ride.

“Planning ahead is the best way to ensure that you do not put yourself in a situation where impaired driving could happen. If you plan on drinking or consuming drugs, do not plan on driving,” says Diamond and Diamond’s Senior Partner Jeremy Diamond.

Signs of Impaired Driving

It’s also imperative to always be on the lookout for signs of impaired driving. Even if you are not driving impaired, you can still be injured by someone who is. Therefore, it’s vital to know the indications of impaired driving and what to do if you suspect someone is driving under the influence.

According to MADD, if you suspect impaired driving, you should:

Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle
Attempt to note any vehicle identifiers (color, license place number, make of vehicle)
CALL 9-1-1. Note: always ensure personal safety before attempting to call emergency services

What If You Are the Victim of an Impaired Driver?

Nobody plans to be injured by an impaired driver. However, if you are in an accident that involves an impaired driver, you may be entitled to compensation.

“Impaired drivers are responsible for any damage or injuries they cause, so it’s important to call an experienced personal injury lawyer immediately,” explains Diamond and Diamond Senior Partner Isaac Zisckind.

The law is not easy to navigate, but that doesn’t mean that you aren’t entitled to compensation. A properly trained personal injury lawyer skilled at assisting victims of impaired driving can help you determine the proper way to file a lawsuit to get the compensation you deserve. If you are the victim of impaired driving, call Diamond and Diamond today at 1-800-567-HURT. Our lines are always open.

About Jeremy Diamond

Jeremy Diamond is a lawyer and member of both Ontario and Florida Bars. Jeremy practices in the area of Plaintiff personal injury litigation. Click here to learn more about Jeremy Diamond.

A rosy new restaurant by chef Adrian Niman is budding inside Hotel X

By

Christine Hogg

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1:04 pm

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Located inside Hotel X on the second floor, Roses Cocina is the latest venture from executive chef Adrian Niman, after he and his team took over the food and beverage department at Hotel X in July 2020.

A familiar face in the hospitality industry, Niman is also behind several popular restaurants including Rasa in Harbord Village and Pantry at Yonge and Roxborough in Rosedale.

The airy new space, decked out in elongated, plush red leather booths and black tabletops, officially opens on May 5.

In early June, weather permitting, Roses Cocina will open its patio, which offers stunning views of the Toronto skyline and Lake Ontario.

Adrian Niman, executive chef at Hotel X’s newest restaurant, Roses Cocina.

The Food

With a focus on refined, modern North American fare that’s been influenced by Tex-Mex cuisine, Roses Cocina offers up light bites and small plates that are perfect for sharing with friends, or while enjoying a craft cocktail, like the signature margarita, or a glass of wine. Many Canadian ingredients have been incorporated into the dishes on Niman’s menu, including Nova Scotia lobster. The flour tortillas are also made here in Toronto, and the produce is locally-sourced as well.

“Everything that we do is from scratch, including our bread and all of our sauces,” says Niman.

The Hamachi Tostada with tomatillo, cucumber, avocado, jalapeño, red onion, and aji Amarillo.

The Mini Lobster Club with brown butter aioli, shredded iceberg lettuce, and crispy bacon served on a soft brioche bun.

The Blackened Beets served on a bed of poblano crema, seasoned with Tajin, lime, and chopped pecans.

The Tuna Aguachile topped with hibiscus flowers, seasoned with poblano crema, citrus, Serrano and crispy rice puffs.

The Wagyu Fajitas (served in a sizzling skillet) with picanha, peppers and onions, served with flour tortillas and a variety of salsas.

The Roses house bread, stamped with roses and served with pumpkin and ancho butter and honey.

Roses Chopped, the house salad with avocado cojita, romaine lettuce, cabbage, vegetables, chipotle ranch dressing, jack cheese, and tortilla crumble.

Sausage Rolls made with chorizo and served with coriander mustard and tomatillo salsa.

The Yuzu Meringue Pie with pretzel crust and yuzu curd.

The Cherry Cheesecake with vanilla cream and cherry rose snow.

The signature mojito, made with a chunk of ice shaped like a rose and garnished with dried hibiscus flowers on the rim of the glass.

For a look at the full menu, click here!

Roses will be open seven days a week and will serve breakfast daily from 7 to 10:30 a.m., dinner from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m., and lunch will be served Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Toronto festival featuring more than 140 exhibitions across the city is underway

By

Ron Johnson

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10:10 am

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The 2022 Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival features works from both Canadian and international photographers with themes of climate change, Black culture and identity, colonialism, and system racism.

“The range of artists that we have gathered for this year’s edition of CONTACT truly span the globe and bring insights and observations on so many different cultural, political, and environmental issues,” said Contact Executive Director Darcy Killeen in a press release.

CONTACT is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1997 and sponsored by Scotiabank and Scotia Wealth Management. Through its Core Program, the organization curates several works from local and international artists in collaboration with major museums, galleries, and outdoor sites across the city.

This year’s festival will also include more than 80 exhibitions presented by other art galleries and venues that aren’t curated by CONTACT.

“They open up the festival to a much broader range of places across the city,” said Heather Meltzer, a spokesperson for CONTACT.

More than 60 Core Program exhibitions will be presented including works from Tyler Mitchell, an African American photographer who made history shooting Beyonce for Vogue’s September 2018 cover. Mitchell became the first Black person to shoot a cover photo for the magazine since its debut in 1892. His exhibition for Contact will be his first in Canada.

contact festival — ‘Southern Girls 2021’ by Tyler Mitchell

Mitchell’s images “portray the beauty, presence, and self-assurance of Black lives, referencing the rich history of Black photography while proposing new futures.”

This exhibition will be presented at three locations across the city including CONTACT Gallery, Metro Hall, and Toronto Billboards from May 1 to June 30.

An installation by Kinngait-based Inuk artist Jimmy Manning will also be featured as part of the festival at formerly named Ryerson University’s Devonian Square from May 15 to September 1.

Manning’s piece Floe / Flow captures Arctic icebergs along with ancient Precambrian stones, reminding “viewers of the natural world’s power and beauty while warning of things to come.”

The work of Ethiopian-born, South Sudanese, Narrm/Melbourne-based artist, and writer Atong Atem will be featured at an installation of billboards at the corner of Lansdowne and College in the city’s west end.

The Festival is free and open to the public, except for some exhibitions at major museums.

Boxcar Social offers new mushroom-infused coffee line

By

Megan Gallant

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4:48 pm

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Earlier this week, Boxcar Social took to social media to announce a new line of products from Beatrice Society in collaboration with Boxcar’s sister company Subtext Coffee Roasters. The new line of mushroom-infused coffee is available through retail pre-ground in medium-coarse grind size, or customers can add one of the three mushroom powders added to their drink when visiting any Boxcar Social location.

“Subtext is obsessed with quality and ethically sourced coffee beans,” says John Baker, co-founder of Boxcar Social and the new CEO of Beatrice Society, in email correspondence, “which aligns with Beatrice’s ethos of sourcing and working with the best companies in their respective fields. The Beatrice coffee has been tested and fine-tuned to complement our added mushrooms.”

Through their five unique locations that combine cafes, bottleshops and bars, Boxcar Social has always been a unique place that allows customers to both start the day with a freshly ground cup o’ joe and end the day with a curated cocktail or craft beer.

With such trendy and innovative selections, it makes sense that Boxcar Social would merge with Beatrice Society, a company focused, as Baker says, on “helping customers source the best wellbeing products in the market,” and “educating through the benefits of psychedelics.”

The CEO says that one success of Boxcar’s is its quality and ability to educate, which is what Beatrice Society tries to do in the industry of psychedelics and their role in wellbeing. He describes the merger with Beatrice as a “trusted extension” that allows Boxcar Social to “extend, adapt, learn and grow into additional valued experiences for our customers.”

“As the CEO,” he adds, “I’m maintaining the separation in these two brands while finding the natural integration to build off of Boxcar’s existing clientele who mirror that of what Beatrice is seeking to support, and to leverage Boxcar’s retail operation experience for the launch of our Beatrice Society Cafe.”

Located at 505 Richmond Street West, as part of the Waterworks development, Beatrice’s full-service café will host physical and mental wellness events that will educate consumers on the ways psychedelics benefit wellness.

Alongside the café, which is set to open in June, there will be a retail space to offer a curated selection of functional and adaptogen-focused health products, and educational resources for a healthy lifestyle and psychedelic wellbeing offerings around the city.

The café and retail space, which is set to launch in June, is not the only thing Beatrice has in the works, as the new product line is only the beginning of the mushroom-infused offerings. Baker says the current priority is working on non-caffeinated offerings. Additionally, As Beatrice Society continues to grow in partnerships, a loyalty program is in the works to launch later this year.

A popular Parisian raincoat brand just arrived at Toronto’s top luxury retailer

By

Julia Mastroianni

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2:48 pm

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@kway_official/Instagram

The time between April and May in Toronto calls for multi-functional shoes that can handle rain, mud and even a bit of frost, umbrellas that double as personal shade and, most importantly, a good raincoat. So the timing of rain jacket and apparel brand K-Way arriving in Holt Renfrew (for good) could not be more perfect.

K-Way, the global rainwear brand that’s all the rage in Europe, is coming to Toronto and Canada permanently through the luxury retailer, making it the first time Holt Renfrew will be housing the raincoat brand since a pop-up back in 2013.

The brand started in 1965 in what often seems to be one of the rainiest places in Europe – Paris. K-Way is best known for creating the original packable jacket in a wind and waterproof design that obviously was a hit – you can find over 25 K-Way locations in France alone and a whole bunch more in Italy, Belgium, Spain, the U.K. and now Canada.

The idea of a packable raincoat might seem commonplace now, but when K-Way brought it onto the rainwear scene, it was anything but. The K-Way jacket, which has kept true to its colourful and functional roots even with its most recent collection, is crafted from water-repellent and windproof rip-stop with inner heat-taped seams and can be folded up and stashed inside a side pocket. You’ll also find an inner wind flap, back ventilation opening, elasticated cuffs an adjustable draw cord hem.

Holt Renfrew’s recent decision to bring on the brand in-store aligns with a potential trend toward rainwear in Canada. While Canada certainly knows its stuff when it comes to winter wear, clothing for those trickier middle seasons is still something we’ve previously left to our rainier neighbours across the pond. It took Canada Goose until 2018 to create even a single rain jacket, though they now offer a waterproof rainwear line. In March, Canadian outerwear brand Wuxly finally joined in with its first collection of rainwear for men and women.

With K-Way entering the Canadian rainwear market in brick-and-mortar shops, we’ll see how long it takes for the brand to take over the market.

In Toronto and the GTA, you can swing by Holt Renfrew at 50 Bloor St. or inside the Yorkdale or Square One shopping centres to see the brand in-store.