Here are the Toronto restaurants participating in Filipino Restaurant Month

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10:56 am

Casa Manila Filipino — Casa Manila on Instagram

The first inaugural Filipino Restaurant Month kicks off on April 1, with the Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) and the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary coming together to create a new culinary experience for Canadians. The month-long celebration will allow foodies across the country to experience Filipino cuisine in a brand new way.

In Toronto, one of the most diverse cities in the world, many Filipino restaurants are participating in the festivities, with prix fixe menus and dining experiences alike available for fans of traditional dishes like Adobo and Kamayan finger foods. The list of restaurants is long, and the offerings are so tempting that just reading them induces mouthwatering. From Kanto (the first Filipino street food restaurant in Toronto) to CASA Manila, some of the city’s most popular Filipino eateries are taking part. As an added bonus, there are prizes involved, ranging from restaurant gift cards to vacations to the Philippines.

“The unique variety of Filipino food, ingredients, chefs, and restaurants throughout Canada” will be at the forefront of the menus, according to a press release about the festival. “Filipino food is integral to the country’s diverse culture with each region having their own unique and traditional recipes that are passed on from generation to generation.”

Filipino Wilson Haus of Lechon — Wilson Haus of Lechon on Instagram

Below is the list of Toronto-area restaurants taking place in Filipino Restaurant Month:

B’s Sizzlin Kitchen, 430 Horner Ave, Etobicoke
CASA Manila, 879 York Mills Rd Unit 1, North York
FV Foods, 2085 Lawrence Ave East, Scarborough
iSlas Filipino BBQ & Bar, 1690 Queen St West, Toronto
Kanto by Tita Flips, 707 Dundas St West and 2986 Dundas St West, Toronto
Lechon Republik, 1 Romar Cres, Unit 2, Toronto
MB The Place to Be, 3434 Bathurst St, North York
Republika RestoBar & Grill, 288-A Wilson Ave, North York
Wilson’s Haus of Lechon, 8 Glen Watford Dr, Scarborough and 365 Wilson Ave, North York

This GTA bakery gets a makeover from The Food Network’s Tiffany Pratt

By

Megan Gallant

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9:47 am

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Tonight, Project Bakeover is back to introduce some delicious treats from bakeries across Canada, as they get an expert menu and interior design revamp. Season two of the hit show is premiering on the Food Network and, if you’re a true sweet tooth, you might just recognize the Woodbridge custom cake shop that gets its 15 minutes of fame in episode three.

On Project Bakeover, pastry chef and chocolatier Steve Hodge and HGTV host Tiffany Pratt combine their expertise to turn struggling bakeries into one-of-a-kind hotspots. The classically trained chef uses his experience operating Vancouver’s Temper Chocolate & Pastry to help the bakery owners gain more profit from their treats without compromising on taste.

Meanwhile, Pratt, who we usually see redesigning residential spaces on shows like Canada’s Home to Win and Family Home Overhaul, shows us her knack for using local products to design inviting commercial spaces that customers won’t want to leave.

As we saw in season one, the fun-loving duo have learned to work together to make the bakery owners proud of their businesses in a time when they may need it most. “Everything about the show is real,” says Hodge. “Tiff and I are working together to create something special for these bakery owners that probably thought this would never happen to them. It’s a fun show.”

Throughout the ten-episode season, Hodge and Pratt visit bakeries from British Columbia to New Brunswick and everywhere in between. The two agree that each bakery’s location must be considered when overhauling both the menu and the interior design.

“You kind of look at what this town is known for in food,” says Hodge. “How can we recreate something with what they’re already making, but bring in that history of the town? And that’s what we do. And I try to tell the bakery owners that if you can capture your culture with where your bakery is, and bring those two together and fuse them together, it’s a win-win. People will buy it; you just have to tell the story on the menu.”

Sharing a story is something that both Hodge and Pratt constantly prioritize when implementing their redesigns. “I always have one thing, that’s my most important thing of all,” adds Pratt, “which is to have something to say. And if having something to say is your branding, is colour, is your product—you have to have something to say, and it has to happen right from the street. From the moment that somebody is walking through your doors, they’re already beginning the experience of your bakery.”

To do this, the Toronto-based designer continues, these bakeries need to create something that will inspire customers to take photographs. This will turn into free advertising through social media.

The pair joke about making a good team because they balance each other out in their methods. While Tiffany wants more colour and more expression in the shop’s design, Hodge’s number one tip in the kitchen is “less is more.”

“Why spend time on something that’s going to take you days to do and you’re not going to make that much money off?” he says. “Simplicity is the best. You know, it’s great to think outside of the box, but at the end of the day, people want simplicity. They want things to taste good.”

On Project Bakeover, we get to see Hodge and Pratt practice both these method as they work with Whitney from Cake Your Way, a custom cake bakery in Woodbridge. While they keep their lips sealed about the details, they do reveal that they were very proud to have incorporated a “must-see design element” in the bakery.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaaAPLclasd/

“There were some design elements that were included in her bakery that I’ve never done before in my life,” says Pratt.

Hodge gives high praise to the “amazing” Cake Your Way while Pratt shares she had just visited the bakery that morning to get cupcakes—cupcakes that featured her and Hodge’s faces on them!

To see the original design elements implemented at Cake Your Way, you won’t want to miss episode three of Project Bakeover, which will air on April 14. Season two kicks off tonight at 9pm on the Food Network.

This might be the coolest new fashion trend Toronto has ever seen

By

Julia Mastroianni

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1:48 pm

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tooth-gems-toronto — @youthin.asia/Instagram

There are purses, there are earrings, there are hair accessories and there are . . . tooth gems? If you’ve ever wanted to add more bedazzling to your look through more than just jewellery, this new trend taking Toronto by storm is for you.

Tooth gem embellishment is another gen Z trend that is garnering major attention on social media. On TikTok, the hashtag #toothgem has over 160 million views. Pinterest’s 2022 trend report cites an 85 per cent increase in the search for tooth gems, deducing that gen Z are taking jewel embellishments to a new creative level by wearing them not only as clothes, but as cosmetic accessories.

Tooth Gem technician Evelyn Cheung of Tooth Gemz Toronto says that tooth gems have grown increasingly popular since the summer, so much so that she’s been nearly completely booked up in the past few months. “I think people had started anticipating the mask mandates lifting and they started to do tooth gems,” Cheung says.

The trend originally dates back to the ’80s and ’90s. InStyle explains that the force of this particular trend is framed in gen Z nostalgia for these decades. The article references imagery of Black hip-hop artists and rappers in the ’90s wearing grills. But now the fashion trend is so widespread that it varies greatly, from an understated single gem to a full mouth.

Cheung has been providing tooth gem and teeth whitening services out of her home studio at Yonge and Sheppard for two years, after researching cosmetic trends and noticing that tooth gems were increasing in popularity. “I thought I might be able to help make the trend popular in Toronto,” she says.

Recently, Cheung bedazzled the teeth of Toronto fashion influencer and creator Rebecca-Jo Dunham-Baruchel @youthin.asia who has 10,000 Instagram followers. “When I started getting tooth gems, there were mask mandates, and for me it was really fun to have this sparkly surprise that was hidden under my mask,” says Dunham-Baruchel.

“I love customizing anything, so for me tooth gems are just another extension of my personal style that I get to show to the world. I change my tooth gems fairly regularly and I’m inspired by different things,” she says.

Verushka Hille has been offering tooth gem applications for 13 years after working as a dental assistant. Her studio is located north of Yonge and Eglinton. Hille trained Cheung on how to provide tooth gem application service safely and now considers Tooth Gemz Toronto her biggest competition in Toronto.

“I started training people and offering a safe kit with everything they needed,” says Hille.

“Toronto has always been reserved and tooth gems are just blowing up,” she continues. Compared to her friends in the U.S., Hille feels that Canadians just aren’t as bold. But it’s certainly popular among a younger demographic. While Hille says her customers are women ages 25-30, another technician, Tiamo Brillantes of @island.smiles on Instagram, says that her clients range from 18-25. Brillantes offers mobile teeth whitening and tooth gem services in Toronto and the GTA. She started offering tooth gem applications on top of her existing whitening service in August after noticing on social media that more people in L.A. seemed to be getting them.

As for safety, these technicians say that tooth gem application is very similar to applying braces – the orthodontic bracket. The materials are dental and Health Canada approved, says Cheung. “On TikTok some people will use nail glue or gorilla glue, and obviously we do not encourage that at all, because you can ruin your enamel,” she says.

Though you can buy a take-home tooth gem kit on sites like Etsy, Cheung says the results are comparable to a temporary tattoo vs a permanent one – the crystal is likely to fall out after two to three weeks.

Interested in hopping on the latest trend? Here’s where to get your tooth gems in Toronto.

Tooth Gemz Toronto

Location: Toronto

Price range: $80 for one gem to four gems at $180

Nail Fairy

Location: Brampton

Price range: One gem at $80 to two to four gems at $120

Gemini Tooth Fairy

Location: Newmarket

Glitter Gaud

Location: Toronto

Price range: One gem at $85 and four gems at $205. $300 for disco ball tooth

Caviar Smiles

Location: Home studios in Newmarket and Caledon

Island Smiles

Location: Oshawa studio with mobile service in Toronto and GTA

Price range: One gem at $50 and two gems for $75

Crystal Kiss

Location: Toronto

Price range: One gem at $120 and two gems at $160

Toronto artistic dynamo Amanda Parris takes down tokenism in spicy new TV series

By

Erin Neilly

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12:38 pm

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amanda parris — Olunike Adeliyi stars in ‘Revenge of the Black Best Friend’ on CBC Gem

In a scathing and comical take on Black tokenism in the entertainment business, Toronto writer, playwright and all-around artistic dynamo Amanda Parris’s latest, Revenge of the Black Best Friend, is set to premiere on CBC Gem.

“Revenge of the Black Best Friend came out of my childhood desire to see more stories on screen led by characters who look like me, and is a revenge fantasy in response to what I got instead: one-note, underdeveloped Black characters that I struggled to connect with,” says Parris. “Revenge of the Black Best Friend is my way of questioning the larger implication and lasting impact of these images. However, it is also about my ongoing curiosity about the challenge of activism today and what happens when social justice issues become someone’s brand.”

Parris is a creative force in the city of Toronto, who hosts three series for CBC, in addition to writing. In 2019, her play Other Side of the Game was awarded the Governor General’s Literary Award for drama.

“I suddenly realized that these were stories I’ve never really seen portrayed anywhere, and I just got really curious about it,” said Parris, in a past article when the play premiered.

And her interest in telling the stories that aren’t being told elsewhere has only grown. The new show is created, co-written, and co-produced by Parris.

The new series, which begins streaming on March 31, stars Oluniké Adeliyi, of The Porter acclaim, as Dr. Toni Shakur, who is an unapologetic fixer for Black onscreen talent.

The series follows Shakur, who is a self-help guru with a mission to cancel the entertainment industry’s reliance on token Black characters. Through the show, Parris tackles the familiar tropes, stereotypes and typecasting that have been forced on Black actors.

The entire six-part series is available on the free CBC Gem streaming service.

A new midtown gourmet food shop is giving away free food this weekend

By

Erica Commisso

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12:12 pm

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GoodGood Café, the local commerce company that brings together curated items, local hard-to-find favourites, and specialty snacks through instant delivery (in 60 mins or less) and retail has opened up a new, permanent location at 1187 St. Clair West. Founded by Ritual alum Robert Kim and Kris Linney and backed by an experienced team from Google, Ritual and Shopify, this is a new area for GoodGood, which opened up a pop-up at 410 Adelaide Street West in December and 140A The Esplanade in February. Like The Esplanade spot, the store on St. Clair West will be a sit-down café and wine bar, offering a full coffee bar with pastries, grab & go lunch, stay ‘n eat lunch, beer and wine.

To celebrate, the new location has tons of grand opening events happening this weekend, including half off select bottles of wine & 6-packs of beer, exclusive vegan ice cream tastings by Honey’s and a chance to snag a free General Assembly pizza on all in-store purchases after 12:00p.m. on Friday, April 1. Also, local vendors, including Comeback Snacks founder Emily O’Brien, will be joining the festivities, hanging out at GoodGood’s St. Clair location for a portion of the event.

The company is guided by one simple goal: to connect local makers with their community through authentic online and retail experiences, making lives, “a little easier, a little more convenient, and a little more delightful.”

GoodGood’s handpicked selection of makers reflects the local community with curated coffee, beverages, snacks and everyday essentials from Toronto businesses likeHoney’s Ice Cream, Marben Restaurant, General Assembly Pizza, SmartSweets and more.

“Think of us as your one-stop community hangout,” says Kris Linney, co-founder of GoodGood. “We’re here for your daily coffee, snacks and drinks for a night in and a cold pint or glass of wine when you need it.”

The café bar offers coffee, tea, and espresso based beverages alongside delicious pastries from Tori’s Bakeshop, Dear Grain, and Goûter. In the afternoon, you can swing by for beer on tap, wine by the glass and pizza. Additionally, GoodGood offers a unique collection of hard to find snacks, craft beer and organic wine. This outpost will be participating in the CafeTO program so there will be outdoor patio seating during the warm weather months.

Delivery is offered daily from 10:00a.m. – 10:00p.m. for those living within a 5 km radius of a GoodGood location. Delivery is promised within 60 minutes, though GoodGood has been averaging 32 minutes. Those outside the instant delivery radius can still enjoy same-day/next-day delivery. Delivery is $4.99 or free if you spend more than $60.

With plans to open three additional all-day cafés in the coming months, you can expect to see GoodGood popping up in Queen West and Midtown neighbourhoods very soon.

Grab a meaty sub with a mob movie-inspired name at this T.O. Italian deli

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Erica Commisso

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10:46 am

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Sammy Davis Jr. and The Sergio Leone take on new meanings as house-made pastrami and braised brisket sandwiches at Elm Street Italian Deli, a local sub shop inspired by owner Lawrence LaPianta’s father’s love of Spaghetti Westerns and early Italian-American mafia films.

No stranger to the Toronto food scene, LaPianta is the owner and pitmaster of Cherry St Bar-B-Que, where most of the meats for the Elm Street sandwiches are made using time-honoured traditions, cooking over live oak fires. The result is a selection of high-quality meat with distinct, bold flavours. Swing by for a sandwich piled high with smoked turkey, roast beef, pastrami, Tuscan ham, smoked sausage, pork shoulder or braised brisket, fresh from its East end neighbour.

The cozy, take-out eatery has been serving up hearty Italian-style sandwiches with house-made sausages, spreads and breads since opening its doors in February 2020.

When the spot initially opened, all the deli meats for the bestseller sandwich, The Don of Elm Street, were made in house. But, when demand increased, the team reached out to local butchers and bakers to help with production. They now work closely with the family-run business Venetian Meats in Hamilton, which supply Elm Street with mortadella, genoa and capocollo.

In fact, business has been so booming the spot had to give their bread recipe to a local bakery to help keep up with all the orders. Now, the house-made, pillow-y fresh buns are delivered nightly to the deli.

Sandwiches come in half sizes, and patrons can throw a side salad onto the order and wash it all down with your choice of an Italian Soda like San Pellegrino or Brio.

“We’re incredibly thankful to all our long-time customers who continued to order and support us throughout the last two years,” says LaPianta. “Along with everyone who has come to know us in the last few months. We wouldn’t be here without you.”

Swing by the 15 Elm Street spot Monday through Saturday from 10:00a.m. – 5:00p.m.

Your closet could be worth more than you think at these Toronto consignment shops

By

Julia Mastroianni

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4:10 pm

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consignment-toronto — @thecatsmeowmeow/Instagram

Whether it’s vintage, consignment or thrifting, secondhand shopping is the latest fashion trend that definitely isn’t going anywhere. A 2021 report from global resale brand ThredUp predicted that the resale industry is expected to grow 11 times faster than the broader retail clothing sector by 2025.

It’s no different in Toronto, where vintage stores pop up on the regular and thrifting is a major shopping source for residents. But the less-explored side of the secondhand world is the seller experience, especially when it comes to consignment, where sellers can make a pretty penny at some of Toronto’s top consignment shops.

With all the demand for second-hand clothing, consignment shops in the city say a closet cleanout might be just what you need to make enough for a comfortable new side gig.

Jenna Dick, store manager of consignment shop Second Nature Boutique at 514 Mt. Pleasant Rd., likens consignment to investing in real estate. “Anytime you buy a quality vintage piece, or you have something that’s sitting in your closet that’s one of those big labels, if you hold on to it for another year, realistically, you’re gonna get back in your pocket double than what you paid originally,” she says.

If you’re someone with a stack of old clothes that are just taking up space in your closet, consignment might be an ideal new side gig for you. Dick says Second Nature works seasonally, so the items they’re looking for right now include trench coats, spring floral dresses. Aside from the seasonal, she says designer handbags and jewelry and vintage jeans always do well in their shop. She also points to mini shoulder bags and cross-bodies, in the style of the Prada nylon bags, are making a huge comeback.

“Nine times out of 10, ladies will have one of those from years ago in their closet. They don’t even realize how much it’s worth now,” she says.

Owner Louise Cooper at The Cat’s Meow, at 180 Avenue Rd., echoes the designer bag trend. “Chanel is the answer to everything. It always does very well, all of the accessories,” she says. “And really anything with a logo.”

Another star trend of the season? 90s style. “Anything 90s is hot right now; those little bias cut slip dresses, they don’t have to have a great label, they just have to be good quality,” Cooper says.

For those looking to clean out their closet, Cooper says The Cat’s Meow has an online and in-person option. “You can send pictures to us for a no-obligation free quote,” she says.

Dick says Second Nature Boutique works with over 9,000 consigners, from repeat customers to individuals looking to do a one-and-done cleanout.

If you have a piece you’re hoping for a high return on, you can work with consignment shops to settle on a selling price that makes sense for what you’re expecting. “But if an item’s been sitting here a month and the seller is more flexible, I might put it on sale so that a client can get the money for it faster,” Dick says.

Another perk of consigning – once you know what sells, you know what to buy. “Always look at the fabric tag. Even some designers these days have gone downhill, so if you can find a good piece that is 100 per cent silk or 100 per cent cashmere, you’ll know what you’re getting,” Dick explains.

She says this even extends to the value of vintage bags. “Old Chanel bags used real gold, but the new ones don’t. That doesn’t mean it’s worth less, because the market rises. But having that vintage one in good shape that’s got the 14-karat gold clasp is going to be worth a lot more than the one of today,” Dick says.

How They Met: Kyle Lowry’s T.O. business partner on a memorable wedding and puzzling proposal

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Julia Mastroianni

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3:25 pm

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When Jordana and Bram Goldstein met for the first time is up for debate – he just might have been the DJ at her bat mitzvah. But since their potentially second meeting, it’s been a match made in heaven. Bram is the founder of bespoke golf bag design company Custom Sevens in partnership with former Raptor Kyle Lowry and owner of an award-winning event management agency. Jordana is a longtime fitness trainer and founder of JEM Salads. Bram shared the details of their meet-cute and a proposal to remember.

How they met

I was at a busy restaurant in the Spadina Village in August of 2005 when I heard Jordana asking me if I was Bram Goldstein across the room. She thought I DJ’d her bat mitzvah back in the day. I smiled and told her that might be possible. (It was possible… as we were 7 years apart and I was once the best MC in the city). I remember leaving a really nice tip, saying my goodbyes and when I walked away, I turned my head around and we both locked eyes and smiled. She was checking me out and I did the same (she had very defined shoulders). After a sweaty “hello” exchange at a spin class, another meal at the restaurant (plus another generous tip), and then a little help from a nosy friend, I proceeded to ask for her number.

The first date

Our first date was the evening of Aug. 14. I liked her right away because she lived 25 minutes north of the city and both had a car and offered to drive downtown to me. We took a walk down Bloor Street and went to the Sky Bar, but it was on the first floor.

In one part of the long night of conversations, Jordana told me that her parents had a cottage in Haliburton, a place where both Jordana and I spent our entire summers in our youth. I was going to propose right then and there, but first needed to see the place.

The courtship

We started out dating long distance (after the cottage checked out) as Jordana was living in New York City studying for her Master’s degree. I remember many nights sleeping on a single mattress staring at both Jordana and the Sex and the City poster she had on her wall.

We travelled to Costa Rica within months of starting to date, noting that we both travelled with carry-on luggage only (another sign of finding the right girl). We had an incredible time together and even witnessed a friendly couple get in engaged right beside us on New Year’s Eve. There was starting to be no doubts about our future.

The proposal

We always enjoyed waking up Saturday mornings to do the crossword in the National Post together. It became our thing. When I was ready to propose, I called up a crossword puzzle creator and gave him 62 answers to clues. I then had the fake crossword turned into a printed contest that he put inside the National Posts Saturday morning paper. I think it was a $5,000 Roots and Indigo gift certificate that we could have won. We were at the cottage, and we got up for breakfast I took out the crossword section from the paper. I remember being so nervous and Jordana had no clue.

It took about 20 minutes or so as we worked through answers to pretty easy clues, including “Sex and the _____ (TV show)” or “Wizard ___ Oz.” We finally had the words, “Will You Mary Me,” (and yes, I knew Mary was spelled wrong) and I jokingly said, “Hey, would you look at that, it reads ‘Will You Marry Me.'” Jordana laughed and said, “Yeah whatever — show me a ring.” I got down on my knee, took the ring out of my pocket and popped the question.

The wedding and honeymoon

We were married in 2007 at The Richmond Hill Country Club. Apparently, RHCC still talks about (or so we are told). We had the legendary George St. Kitts band perform and our first dance song was to Angels by Robbie Williams. We were both smiles from ear to ear all night.

We loved to travel together and loved being newlyweds so we went on not one, but two honeymoons (or so we told the airlines and hotels). We landed in both Brazil and Thailand for unforgettable adventures, once again accompanied by only a carry-on.

The kids

We are blessed with two amazing girls, Samantha (13) and Leigh (11).

Balancing a career and relationship

We have maintained a healthy 15-year relationship because we are both so supportive, patient, understanding and rewarding of each other. We share in our successes and failures together but continually root for each other to succeed. We both have the right set of family values (thanks to great folks) who taught us about tradition, to appreciate what we have in life and to understand that not every day will be perfect.

Marriage Tip 101: If you have kids, it is important to book a date night once and while so you can spend time alone.

Shared hobbies and interests

We love going to the cottage and detaching from our sometimes busy work/life balance. We love to travel, hike, bike, talk to our dog in funny voices and, like most normal couples, live to declutter together. (Right?) Our love for watching Young and the Restless sadly came to an end after decades of a filling up the PVR and now it is filled up with CityLine and SNL.

The secret to success

Knowing what each other wants out of life, knowing that there are going to be lots of good days but there will also be some bad ones too. We know that when we are really busy with work and family duties, we can find the escape and the means to unplug — and tune it out for a bit.

Plus, she puts up with my sarcasm and I put up with her watching Jeopardy every night at 7:30.

Fun fact: it took us six months to get through the first season of Yellowstone because Jordana can’t stay awake past 9 p.m.

The future

Being up north in our happy place surrounded by family, our kids and hopefully our grandkids. Continuing to be on a journey of self appreciation, love and respect for one another.

The world has a strange way of bringing people together but that fateful day when we first met was 100 per cent meant to be.

A world famous Israeli restaurant brings Mediterranean street eats to T.O.

By

Megan Gallant

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12:02 pm

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An Israeli restaurant popular across the globe is opening its first Canadian location in the Yorkville neighbourhood near the Four Seasons Hotel this summer, and Torontonians are already showing their excitement.

“Miznon” is a Hebrew term meaning “kiosk,” which accurately fits the restaurant’s concept of taking Mediterranean street food and giving it a modern take. The first Miznon opened in Tel Aviv in 2011 before rapidly expanding to cultural hubs across the world, such as New York, Paris, Vienna, Melbourne and Singapore.

Behind the successful chain is Chef Eyal Shani. The Jerusalem-born chef has opened more than 25 fine dining establishments worldwide and has become well known for his Israeli cuisine through his television appearances on “Food for Thought” and as a judge on the last six seasons of Israel’s version of Master Chef.

At Miznon, the self-taught chef practices a farm-to-table approach and prioritizes using only local, seasonal vegetables.

According to the company’s website, each of the Miznon locations has a slightly different menu that uses distinct ingredients and flavours to represent the city and make each location one-of-a-kind. At the other locations across the globe, Miznon offers pitas stuffed with chicken, steak, lamb, fish, and beef. For meatless lovers, Miznon provides plenty of vegan and vegetarian friendly pita fillings including falafel, hot chickpeas, and eggplant.

The Miznon Toronto Instagram already hints at serving up Chef Shani’s signature original whole roasted cauliflower, which has become a customer favourite at several locations.

Toronto’s foodies have already shown plenty of excitement for the new location. “This looks fantastic! Can’t wait to try it!” comments below a post from Miznon Toronto’s Instagram account. “Israel has the best food and [we’re] thrilled to see this Israeli mainstay making its way to Toronto.”

“Dreams coming true,” comments the account for Dragon Acres Farm in Brechin, Ontario on the same post.

With no set opening date in place yet, fans of the restaurant will have to wait until the summer to see exactly how the menu of the Yorkville location will make these pitas distinctly Canadian and bring the “magic of Miznon” to Toronto.

This Toronto restaurant is dedicated to all things maple syrup

By

Erica Commisso

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9:44 am

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There is nothing more Canadian than maple syrup. The gooey condiment is deeply embedded in our culture, and we’re known for the quality of our syrup around the world.

So, to commemorate this year’s maple syrup season, Sap is bringing back their Sugar Shack menu, a limited edition ode to maple syrup. “Celebrating the maple harvest has been a tradition at Sap for as long as we can remember,” says the restaurant‘s Executive Chef Ryan Lister. “After all, we are a Canadian restaurant and it doesn’t get any more Canadian than maple syrup! Tt’s also a great opportunity for our team to get creative and come up with new and exciting ways to infuse dishes and beverages with a touch of the sweet stuff.”

Sap Sugar Shack — Maple Bacon Patty Melt.

The yearly event is back again, with maple-infused food items such as sappy sriracha cauliflower, duck and waffle (a spin on brunch classic chicken and waffle) and, the piece de resistance, a maple bacon patty melt, which Lister calls the “epitome of comfort food and a diner classic.” He notes that Sap’s Sugar Shack version “represents Toronto well by incorporating pork belly bacon.”

There are drinks on Sap’s menu, too, including both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. For a boozy beverage, guests can opt for the Maple Old Fashioned, and coffee fanatics can warm up over a maple oat latte. Pair them with a food item, and you’ve satisfied your sweet tooth.

Maple syrup will always have a place in Lister’s heart, for sentimental reasons. “As a British expat, I had never even tried real maple syrup until I first came to Canada,” he says. My first taste of maple syrup was mind blowing. It’s one of the coolest ingredients I have learned to cook with over the past ten years and now, as a Canadian citizen, I feel it is my duty to showcase the deliciousness of maple syrup, especially in the maple harvest season.”

Toronto actor of Vikings fame launches foundation to help Ukrainian refugees

By

Nisean Lorde

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9:27 am

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Toronto-born actor Katheryn Winnick, known for her starring roles in Vikings and Big Sky, recently announced the launch of the Winnick Foundation in an effort to help refugees in Ukraine.

Winnick, who is of Ukrainian descent, confirmed in the March 23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter (THR) that she teamed up with her mom to launch the foundation to raise funds for relief efforts in Ukraine, noting that it’s important to help those on the ground and continue to fight this.

“When the first bombs began to fall on Ukraine, my friend, President Zelensky stood in the face of aggression and became the voice of a nation. When asked by allied countries if he wanted a way out, he replied, “I need ammunition, not a ride,” the actress wrote on the foundation’s website.

“Weeks into this horrific war, President Zelensky has kept his promise to stay and defend Ukraine. But millions of Ukrainians are desperate. They need food, water, blankets, medicine, and other basic supplies to survive the ongoing aggression.”

“As someone of Ukrainian heritage, I knew I needed to do something. By donating through The Winnick Foundation, your contribution will help to provide the things #ZelenskyNeeds to help the Ukrainian people until this humanitarian crisis comes to an end.”

Donations through The Winnick Foundation will go directly to help the people still in Ukraine and those that have fled the violence.

The actress told THR that she’s in touch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s team on a near daily basis, and it’s heartbreaking to see what’s happening.

“I can’t believe that we live in a century where innocent men, women, and children are getting murdered right before our eyes.”

In a video posted by ET Canada, Winnick spoke about how she recently visited Ukraine (a few months prior to Russia’s invasion of the country) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its independence, and how she felt horrified when Ukraine was attacked.

https://youtu.be/U1PwxQviGd8

“It’s horrible what’s happening. I am heartbroken, I am horrified, I am disgusted, I am devastated, in seeing what is happening to our innocent civilians,” she said. “We’ve been fighting this war with Russia for many years now and we’ve always held our ground, but never did we ever imagine that we would get [so] violently attacked.”

In late February, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military operation in Ukraine, by land, sea, and air, in what’s being considered the largest attack on a European state since the Second World War.

As of publication, an estimated 3.7 million refugees have left Ukraine, while an estimated 6.5 million people have been displaced within the country.

Click here for more information on donating to The Winnick Foundation and here for other ways that you can help support Ukraine right now.

An iconic Toronto Chinese restaurant is back after a nearly two year hiatus and people are loving it

By

Erica Commisso

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9:10 am

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Sea-Hi Restaurant, a beloved Chinese food restaurant in the North York community, is reopening–sort of.

The spot closed back in February 2020 after 59 years in business. Beloved fans of the North American Chinese restaurant were crushed – it had become a cult classic in the community for those looking for unique North American spins on Chinese food. But, now, a bright spot emerges, and fans can rejoice. After rumours began to circulate, representatives officially confirmed recently that Sea-Hi Famous Chinese Food is back.

The beloved restaurant (a landmark in the GTA since the 1950s) has undergone some changes, but it is officially back for spring. It moved slightly north of its previous location, relocating into a brand new spot at 7000 Bathurst Street in Vaughan, purpose-built to begin churning out everyone’s Sea-Hi favourites in a take-out, catering and delivery-only capacity. Fans of the original menu can expect the same items and pricing, with an expanded selection of gluten-free and vegetarian options.

“Many, many people across Toronto (and beyond) were left with big holes in their hearts (and tummies!) when Sea-Hi closed back in early 2020,” a representative from Sea-Hi restaurant says of the move to reopen during a particularly challenging era for the industry. “By reopening as a dedicated take-out, delivery, and catering only restaurant open daily for lunch and dinner, our view is that we can thrive while operating safely for our staff and guests.”

Sea-Hi is welcoming back many of its original staff members to serve up the classic dishes everyone loved them for, including their famous breaded chicken sticks wrapped in bacon, BBQ pork slices and Sea-Hi special plum sauce.

“If you know, you know,” the representative coyly said.

Sea-Hi is officially open again, thanks to new co-investor Larry Wronzberg, so check out the restaurant’s website and Instagram to explore the new version.