Fried chicken and sparkling wine is the perfect food and drink pairing you didn’t know you needed in your life, and thanks to the new venture from trendy Ossington strip wine bar, Paris Paris, Poulette has got your back for comfort food and the best in bubbly.
Never thought to wash down a crispy chicken sandwich and fries with a glass of $125 Bulles du Comptoir by Charles Dufour?
Now you can indulge your greasy-chic take-out fantasies with Poulette, which boasts a menu that lists 17 different bottles of bubbly ranging from $10 up to $290. Smiley fries, fried chicken combo meals, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cornbread are just a few of the comfort food classics on the menu.
Poulette launched just one week ago, as a sort of trial run. On Instagram the business wrote, “…fried chicken and bubbly because why not…It’s cold, we’re in another lockdown and we all need a bit of FUN right about now.”
We couldn’t agree more. The joint is operating out of the Paris Paris kitchen, with the bubbly bottles plucked from the wine bar’s Club Paris bottle shop stock.
In recent years ultra-cool wine bars have been popping up all over the city, removing the pomp and circumstance that often shrouds wine, making it more approachable and unpretentious for the average consumer.
Take for example, Bathurst Local – home to a massive selection of natural wines, imported sakes, and local beers all complemented by a small-but-mighty food menu offering patrons the choice of a good old-fashioned hot dog, dressed to your liking, or a tried-and-true grilled cheese.
Paris Paris’ Poulette is just another effort to remove the frills and deliver what locals really want: tasty, no-frills food and an (alcoholic) drink. Especially now, slogging through another lockdown in the darkest and coldest months of the year.
Poulette is available for pick-up or delivery via Ambassador and UberEats Tuesdays – Saturday from 21:00 p.m. to 8:30p.m.
Another Instagram-based bakery business has taken its online success to the streets, opening up a storefront in Etobicoke’s Mimico area on Lake Shore called Aster’s Refined Cakes.
Automotive quality engineer-turned-baker, Maria Lymarenko, is self-taught, learning different baking techniques and perfecting her skills via YouTube videos and a couple of classes. Whipping up stunning, celestial-themed cakes and other too-pretty-to-eat treats in her apartment quickly grew into a business only a year after moving to Toronto from the Ukraine back in 2018.
Her cakes caught the eye of Instagram followers all over, and she spent two and a half years fulfilling orders to friends and followers before making the plunge and securing a brick-and-mortar.
The cakes are exactly as the name of the bakery would suggest: refined. Lymarenko’s creations rely on high-quality ingredients and no added sugar paste or fondant to achieve ultimate decadence and a subtle sweetness. Her cakes are a textured combination of mousse and sponge cake, drenched in a maple syrup, chocolate and condensed milk glaze with the option to add a variety of toppings including berries, macarons and printed photos using sugar paper.
Chocolate sponge cake and white chocolate Bavarian mousse with hazelnut paste.
Pre-ordered cakes are fully customizable and come in a variety of flavours including best-seller Exotic Passion, a coconut sponge cake with a crunchy base filled with strawberry, mango and passionfruit coulis, white chocolate coconut mousse.
If you don’t want to commit to a full cake, smaller, but equally as delectable, treats are available in-store, including cake pops, hazelnut and cream caramel pecan brownies on a stick and a variety of macarons in fruity and chocolatey flavours.
Chocolate peony
You can swing by the 2358 Lake Shore Blvd. West spot for a sweet treat and a caffeine kick. That’s right, the bakery offers a full menu of espresso-based drinks, too.
Hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10:00a.m. – 7:00 p.m. and Sundays 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Starting Jan. 31, Ontario restaurants will be permitted to reopen for indoor dining at 50 per cent capacity.
The announcement was made by Premier Doug Ford on Jan. 20. Since Jan. 5, indoor dining has been banned in the province of Ontario in an attempt to curb the spread of new Omicron cases.
Despite the freezing temperatures, outdoor dining is still permitted, and many restaurants and bars are offering heated patios in an attempt to draw in more revenue. The remaining restaurants throughout the province have been operating on take-out and delivery models, however, many have struggled, and some have permanently closed as a result of financial troubles brought on by the restrictions.
On Thursday, the province reported 7,757 new COVID-19 cases, an 35% increase from the 5,744 cases recorded in the previous report, and 75 new deaths (a 27% increase from the 59 deaths reported yesterday).
Health Minister Christine Elliott reported that 4,061 people were hospitalized with COVID-19—55% were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 and 45% were admitted for other reasons but ended up testing positive for COVID-19.
Effective Feb. 21, capacity limits in places where proof of vaccination is required will be removed, including bars and restaurants, and by Mar. 14, these capacity limits will be eliminated in all indoor public settings.
In Ontario, 29,769,719 vaccine doses have been administered, with over 104,000 doses administered on Wednesday; 91.5% of Ontarians 12+ have one dose and 88.8% have two doses.
New year, new you! For those looking for a new hobby to pick up, a study from DIYS.com found the most popular new in 2022 in Canada is thrifting. Looking at Google Trends data, the platform found searches for thrifting increased 102.6 per cent from December in 2021 to January 2022.
If we can thank TikTok for anything, we can give it a great round of applause for galvanizing Gen-Z to make thrifting a trend. Thrifting, which started as a climate-conscious trend to avoid over-consumption, has taken on a more permanent place in the fashion world and inspired a style ethos of its own.
The will to thrift may be there, but like anything new, it may be daunting to actually undertake without knowing what you’re getting yourself into. We brought in a local expert, Jo Kolakowska of Clutter Porch, to give us a glimpse into her wealth of thrift hunting knowledge in Toronto.
Figure out the difference between good and bad quality
“The number one thing is to look at the wear of the item. Check the seams, check the zippers,” Kolakowska says. The thicker material of t-shirts, for example, may indicate durability rather than a thin cotton weave that can easily be torn or will fade after a couple washes. “Older things that are vintage are just made better. They just by nature were made to last.” Fast fashion is innately made to be discarded soon after a trend fades. Consequently, to keep up with demand, the speed of production is aided by using low-grade materials and poor practises.
“Sometimes something really worn in, though, can be good,” Kolakowska notes. From a purely style perspective, you may be looking for a shirt with holes or tears to achieve a grungier look. Instead of buying a pre-distressed Rolling Stones tee from Brandy Melville, it’s far better to thrift one.
Come prepared with a list and a budget
“My biggest advice to anybody who’s going is [to] write a list and narrow down what you’re looking for. A lot of the times when you do go into thrift stores, it’s overwhelming,” Kolakowska says. “Write a list down of stuff that you’re actually looking for so it kind of takes away your brain from going to stuff that you might not necessarily really need.”
The key to thrifting isn’t just to emulate our fast fashion habits. The goal here is to be selective with the clothing we buy, not filling our wardrobes with clothes we’ll never wear, that we’ll discard a few years down the line when we find it crumpled at the back of a drawer. “Even in terms of thrifting and secondhand culture, things can also become negative in the way that over-consuming and even thrift hauls are kind of bad,” Kolakowska adds.
Along the same lines, Kolakowska recommends allocating a budget. She notes that the price of vintage clothing has increased over the past 15 years. However, it doesn’t mean that vintage clothing should be considered overpriced. “People have been programmed to think that clothing should just be cheap. Clothing should not just be cheap,” she says,.
Never haggle
“I frankly think it’s quite disrespectful when people do try to haggle. It delegitimizes somebody’s business, somebody’s hard work.” The same rules that apply at Aritzia also apply at your local vintage stores and pop-ups. People work tirelessly to bring quality items to the second-hand market and deserve the same courtesy you would give big box stores. This is an absolute don’t.
Go early or go late (or ask your local store)
One of the thrilling parts of thrifting is finding unique pieces that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. There’s a rush you get when you casually happen upon a piece that really speaks to you. If you’re serious about finding something specific, many people will suggest arriving early to beat the crowds, especially if you’re shopping on the weekend. Kolakowska agrees, and adds a caveat. “My advice is to ask a local thrift shop what day they get all their shipments in and when they’re doing a total floor restock.” She also adds that she prefers going in the evening, avoiding the rush of other shoppers.
Buy what you like
Trends come and go, but personal taste is forever. Kolakowska urges not to pay mind to fashion trends, not only because they’re fleeting but because they potentially betray your own sense of unique style. “The biggest thing is just knowing what you want, and steering away from super trendy things. I think it’s about looking for stuff that is meant to last that is a timeless classic.”
If you’re looking for…
If you’re looking for fun pieces, try Clutter Porch. Jo Kolakowska’s pop-up and Instagram store is the place to get unique prints, bright jackets, and anything with a cool, laid back vibe.
If you’re looking for decade-specific vintage finds, try Mama Loves You Vintage. This Queen West institution labels their pieces by decade and features true vintage items, from ’60s mod dresses to ’30s full-length gowns.
If you’re looking for variety, try Hippie Market. Toronto’s roving market is perfect for finding pieces from different vendors. Hosting shops that bring a great mix of flavours and styles, Hippie Market caters to all your fashion needs from leather jackets to sick graphic tees.
If you’re looking to buy AND sell, try Plato’s Closet. Aimed at people in their teens and 20’s, Plato’s Closet is great if you want to purge your closet before looking for replacements.
If you’re looking for basics, try Value Village. This classic thrift store can fulfil all your needs if you want simple and classic pieces. An oldie but a goodie!
Since the start of the brand in 2015, founder and creative director Ellie Mae has made her mark on the Toronto fashion industry with stand-out investment pieces, from funky prints to classic basics. Since the opening of the Ellie Mae flagship location at 1096 Yonge St. in 2021, the brand has grown. From a new vintage line inspired by her father to the complicated process of figuring out who to trust, we spoke with the founder about everything Ellie Mae.
What inspired you to go into the fashion industry?
I’ve always had a really good relationship with clothes. When I was younger, my parents always said, “Wear whatever you want.” I used to wear my Teenage Mutant Ninja pyjamas everywhere; to school, to the store. I moved to L.A. when I was 19 to intern with a stylist, then came back to Toronto to learn about jewelry-making. It was when I moved to London to take a few fashion courses that I really fell in love with the creative process of making clothes.
How did the Ellie Mae brand start?
In 2015, I started out super small and decided I’d just do jackets, because they seemed like the most complicated things to make. I thought if I could do that, I could do a whole line easily. I made a black and a green leather jacket, and I realized people liked it and started figuring out price points from there. But the start of Ellie Mae was such a dumpster fire; I was just working with the wrong people and getting taking advantage of and I didn’t know what I was doing. Those first couple years were a very humbling and sobering experience. In the last four years, we’ve started to surround ourselves with the right people moving forward.
How does sustainability play a role in your brand?
I sometimes feel it’s impossible for sustainability to go hand-in-hand with a fashion company. For us, it was far more important to be an ethical fashion house than a sustainable one – making sure everyone is paid properly and treated properly, sourcing our materials from Europe and re-purposing our fabric when we can.
We don’t make thousands and thousands of pieces; when brands say, “This is sustainable,” I don’t believe having hundreds of stores all over the world is very sustainable.
For me and for everyone who we work with, we just decided early on that it’s always been about the people who we work with. Everyone in the studio, everyone in the store and all of our third party business partners . . . I would rather go down knowing that everyone was treated properly, rather than going down as the most sustainable brand.
You recently released a new vintage line. Was that a natural next step for the brand?
When we started doing just jackets, all I wore with them were vintage t-shirts. My dad was big into music, so whenever we would go to the stores, he would explain the history of all these t-shirts to me. So I wanted to sell vintage pieces, and we started sourcing it from New York and L.A. People seem to love anything vintage; it’s this emotional connection. I think it’s going to have a huge place in fashion moving forward. When you look at brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, there’s a reason why their stuff is still relevant today. Craftsmanship has always been important to them, which is why it can still live on as vintage. I think that [vintage] world is just going to get bigger. If you spend a little bit extra, you’ll have it for that much longer. And then it becomes this piece that you can hand down to your daughter, your niece, your sister, whoever. When we talk about sustainability, I think vintage, that’s your real sustainability.
The Ellie Mae flagship interior.
Any exciting announcements on the horizon?
I think our most exciting thing right now is our store at 1096 Yonge St. Our hope, fingers crossed, is that we can find somewhere for another location.
What has been your proudest moment in the business so far?
Having our store open was an incredibly memorable thing. It opened during the pandemic, and I didn’t know if it was actually going to happen. Our team has just really persevered and I feel like we all made this unspoken commitment to each other that we were all just going to push through. We did a rebrand in the middle of this pandemic and I just feel like we’ve there’s something that I feel like will stay with me moving forward. I don’t know if I can explain it. I don’t know if that sounds weird. There’s just something super memorable about it all.
On Jan. 19, 1971, music icon Neil Young strode onto the stage at Massey Hall for the Toronto installment of his Journey Through the Past Solo Tour. The solo acoustic performance was captured for the live album released in March 2007 dubbed, appropriately enough, Live at Massey Hall 1971. The album was a critical smash hit. It’s just one of Young’s memorable Toronto moments.
Upon the anniversary of this magical Toronto performance, we are reminded of a short piece another Toronto music legend, Dave Bidini of Rheostatics fame, wrote for our music issue back in 2011, celebrating this musical giant.
We thought you’d enjoy giving it another read, so here it is:
The Music Issue: Neil Young How this local legend influenced rock music by Dave Bidni, June 1, 2011
Neil Young lived in Toronto for a short time. He came out of the northwest then departed soon after for the south. If Toronto was the cheese in his sandwich, California was his meat, and Manitoba his bread. Still, the city left deep impressions: endless subway rides, the clubs and rabble of Yorkville, old Yonge Street movie theatres, endless nights in crummy apartments dreaming of home, smoking hash in long dark alleyways and music, music, music.
Then, he returned to play Maple Leaf Gardens and, more famously, Massey Hall in 1971. While Neil is considered a citizen of many places — Omemee, Winnipeg, Calfornia — his most recent engagement at the old Toronto hall was shot by director Jonathan Demme for the third film in his cinematic trilogy about the musician. This supports the notion of the city looming large in the history of Neil’s music and his experiences as a performer.
When I think of Neil and Toronto, I remember being at a friend’s house when Neil performed “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” on Saturday Night Live, one of the greatest moments in rock ’n’ roll television. Before the broadcast, my friends and I spent the evening watching the Leafs play Gretzky’s Los Angeles Kings. The Leafs won that night, a great resounding victory, 8-5. We were over the moon with the result, and the promise of Neil Young would complete the evening.
Just before midnight, he ambled on stage and started the song. The band played feverishly, as if they were being thrown across the deck of a vessel tossed at sea. As the song surged towards its final chord swell — Neil’s face pinched as his hands raced up the neck — the singer turned to face drummer Steve Jordan. Staring back at us on the raggedy ass of Neil’s old jeans was a Toronto Maple Leafs patch circa 1967. We pointed, jaws- stretched, at the crest. That was our city. And there: there was our songwriter.
Toronto’s Tennyson King is described as a nomadic indie-folk rocker who hails from Hong Kong and Canada. He’s spent much of his professional life on the road, whether it be touring across Canada, Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Brazil, or parts of Southeast Asia.
Despite being grounded from tours due to COVID, King has been productive with his time. He released the singles “Wild Rose” and “Garden of Truth” in collaboration with guitarist Daniel Rougeau (Kaia Kater) and Shawn Mendes’ bassist Dave Haskett.
“The past year was a bit intense as I had toured in Hong Kong during democratic protests, then went to Australia to tour during some of their biggest fires in a long time, then went into Vietnam for shows just as COVID was becoming prevalent in Asia,” King says. “I felt that all we can really do, is slow down our pace of life, listen to each other, be there for each other, try to enjoy the small things, and do the small things to be kind to each other.”
In 2020, King was selected for the Canadian Songwriter Challenge in which he worked with Terra Lightfoot, Adrian X (Drake, The Weeknd), and Moe Berg (Pursuit of Happiness). In May 2021, Tennyson released his first Chinese language single, “生命的进度”, in support of Asian Heritage Month and to represent a voice for Asian artists in Canada.
Tennyson King is set to release his first full-length album in 2022. Let’s meet him:
How has it been for you as a musician trying to find a way through this pandemic?
It’s definitely been a bit of a struggle trying to find a balance between staying positive, motivated, and happy. Performing was my happy place and having lost much of that has made it hard. But I’ve been realizing that what can also keep me motivated and happy is creativity. I’ve learned that at the end of the day, I’m a creative being and as long as I can continue to find ways to be creative, I’ll be able to get through this. There has been lots of learning, growing, and self-reflection. I find it hard to balance being on social media to share my music and to still exist in the non-online world.
Tell us about your new project.
Good Company is my first full-length album. I started writing the songs on this album in 2018 while being on the road about 10 months of the year until COVID hit. Many of the songs were written piece by piece in different times, different countries, and weren’t really fully put together until COVID forced me into a little break from touring. I sat down with my producer Ross Hayes Citrullo at his studio in Toronto and we started putting the ideas into songs. It’s called Good Company because I want people to feel like they are in good company when they’re listening. I feel like if we strive to be good company to ourselves and to others, we’ll be in a peaceful place.
How would you describe your music?
My music is a mix of indie-folk, folk-pop, and rock with a touch of soul. As if John Mayer and Jack Johnson had a baby, who was babysat by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
How has pandemic lockdown life influenced your work?
The lockdown and pandemic have made me write more about finding community, finding a ‘home’, how to find strength alone, and who and what is important in my life. Also, it has made me not overthink creating music, but instead, just accept that things are often out of our control, just like how people receive my music.
What are you hoping people take from the new album?
I hope that when people really listen to the lyrics of the songs, they’ll learn a little bit more about me. I want them to feel like a better friend and that if they were to invite me over for dinner, I’d be good company. I want people to have a rollercoaster of emotions, embrace the slow clacking uphill of sadness and then drop off into happiness.
What is your musical background?
As a young child, I was put in classical piano lessons, as many young Chinese kids are in Canada. But I was not a fan of it, in fact, I remember dreading practicing, but I was forced to stick it through. Finally, when I was allowed to quit, I bought an acoustic guitar, started learning alt-rock songs from the radio. After high school, music was just a casual hobby, never took it too seriously. After I graduated from university, I travelled around for a while, and I finally returned to Toronto to figure out what I should do with my life. Music was always the thing I turned to in the lows and highs of life, so it felt right to surround myself around it 24/7.
What keeps you motivated to create?
Creation is really the one thing that keeps me going on a day-to-day basis. If I don’t create, I get sad and become unmotivated to do everything else. Creation is my therapy and it helps me feel like I have a sense of purpose.
What message do you have to those eager to check out the album and see you live when possible?
I’m excited for you to hear the new songs, I’m excited to hear what you think of the new songs, and get ready for the live performances because I have so much energy built up and I’m ready to release all those good vibes on you.
Check out the video for Tennyson King’s latest single “It Ain’t Easy” below.
New Music Wednesdays is a new Streets of Toronto series dedicated to shining a light on local artists creating music in our city despite a pandemic. Our artists need our support.
A dazzling light installation is making its way to Toronto’s waterfront beginning Jan. 27. Entitled, Nordic Lights, this free, outdoor light experience will take place at the Harbourfront Centre until Feb. 13, and is the official kick-off to Nordic Bridges, a year-long initiative that fosters cultural exchange between the Nordic Region and Canada.
The event will feature six interactive light installations from artists from Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark and is being co-produced by Oslo’s Fjord Studio. The artworks are part of a global discussion focused on sustainability.
The six Nordic Lights installations include Sense Light Swing, a moving work of art that also doubles as a light fixture to create a spectacular light show when rocked back and forth; CONTROL NO CONTROL, a giant LED cube that reacts to everything that touches it and every movement performed on its surface; and Great Minds, which will feature light work appearing in the form of two brains in dialogue.
Nordic Lights attendees can also check out Gorži by Finnish artist, Outi Pieski who has created a poetic sight of cascading, flowing water; Pressure, a piece consisting of a 300-meter long RGB-LED hose shaped like a doodle; and Equinox, which will combine elements of contemporary dance, nu-jazz, and graphics.
The installations will be illuminated from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. each evening and be positioned at different locations along Harbourfront Centre’s 53,000-square-foot outdoor space.
For more info, visit the Harbourfront Centre’s website.
Restaurants Canada is calling on the Ontario government to immediately provide the province’s foodservice industry with clear guidance for reopening indoor dining next week.
“Restaurants can’t simply open their doors at a moment’s notice,” said Restaurants Canada President and CEO Todd Barclay. “They need to order food and supplies, schedule staff, and prepare menus. With Ontario’s latest closure of indoor dining set to end on Jan. 26, restaurant operators deserve to know by now if these latest restrictions will be completely lifted or if dining will continue to be restricted to the 50 per cent capacity limit imposed in December.”
Restaurants Canada has sent a letter to Premier Doug Ford, renewing the industry’s call to meet with policymakers and public health officials to gain insights into decisions impacting foodservice operations. The letter also renewed calls for further support to help the province’s hard-hit foodservice businesses recover from the massive amounts of debt they’ve incurred due to restrictive public health measures.
80% of restaurants now have debt
According to a Restaurants Canada survey conducted in the summer of 2021, eight out of 10 independent restaurant operators have taken on debt due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Nearly 75 per cent said they’d taken on more than $50,000 in debt.
25 per cent said they’d taken on between $100,000 and $500,000 in debt.
Nearly half (43 per cent) of those in debt said it will take more than 18 months for their business to recover.
“With restaurants across Ontario now taking on more and more debt due to the province’s latest restrictions, ensuring they will have enough cash flow to continue their operations is becoming increasingly critical,” said James Rilett, Restaurants Canada Vice President, Central Canada. “Current emergency aid from the provincial government only covers a small portion of losses and leaves out many hard-hit businesses altogether. Our industry deserves sufficient compensation and a seat at the decision-making table to work with the government on ways to stop the roller coaster of restaurant closures.”
Restaurants Canada is continuing to call for:
A deferral of HST payments to help restaurants preserve cash flow.
An increase in funding available through the Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant program, as well as an expansion of the eligibility requirements — this program currently fails to ensure hard-hit restaurant operators with more than 100 staff across multiple locations will be able to access sufficient support to cover closing and reopening costs for each of their establishments.
A re-imposition of Ontario’s moratorium on commercial tenant evictions, which expired on Dec. 31, 2021.
Despite Toronto receiving a whopping 36 centimetres of snow yesterday (Jan. 17), in just a few short months, restaurants will be setting up their patios for spring.
Today, mayor John Tory announced that registration for CaféTO is now open for 2022. Local restaurant and bar operators interested in expanding their outdoor dining space into the curb lane and onto sidewalks can register and apply for permits online at Toronto.ca/CafeTO.
The CaféTO program, first announced in 2020, allows restaurants and bars to extend their outdoor dining areas in accordance with existing public health guidelines. New for 2022, café operators are eligible for a matching grant of up to $7,500 to cover 50 per cent of the cost of eligible property or site improvements related to curb lane café installations, sidewalk cafés or patios on private property, through the CaféTO Property Improvement Program.
In November 2021, City Council directed staff to reinstate the permanent permitting process for sidewalk cafés in 2022, while continuing to waive all application, transfer, and permit fees. A new streamlined, online permit application process, means businesses need only apply once for year-round expanded sidewalk cafés. Businesses can now submit application documents and complete payment in one convenient online system.
New advantages
Obtaining a permanent sidewalk café permit will provide benefits to businesses, including a one-time permit application that can be renewed through the annual business licence process. This will provide certainty for businesses in terms of their permitted sidewalk café space, which allows for greater confidence when considering investments in café furnishings.
Once applications are received, City staff will create traffic management plans to safely close curb lanes and develop a balanced approach to curb lane use to support all businesses, including loading zones, garbage/recycling pickup zones, bike parking, etc. Pending public health orders, approved CaféTO curb lane locations would be installed as early as mid-May – in time for the May long weekend.
In order to ensure valuable curb lane space is used to its maximum benefit, businesses must operate their curb lane area during normal business hours for at least one meal service a day, three times a week.
CaféTO also supports restaurant and bar operators to expand outdoor dining opportunities on private property. The City has enacted temporary use Zoning Bylaws to permit larger outdoor patios than would otherwise be permitted and to allow outdoor patios in parking lots.
In 2021, CaféTO supported 1,213 restaurants with curb lane cafés, of those 1,055 were in BIAs and 158 were outside of BIAs. An additional 65 public parklets in 39 BIAs were activated. The program provided 940 restaurants with curb lane closures, which converted 12,000 metres (12 kilometers) of traffic lanes into new outdoor dining space for restaurants.
Details about CaféTO, including how to register, are available at Toronto.ca/CafeTO.
Although Eliana Jones didn’t appear on screen until she was 12 years old, she had been a performer her entire life. Before landing roles in Hemlock Grove, Heartland and, most recently, Apple TV’s Acapulco, Jones was convinced she was going to be an Olympic gymnast.
But, when a back injury left her with bruised tissue around her spinal cord, Jones had to find a new hobby.
Jones’s mother took her to a commercial acting class at age 10 shortly after she quit gymnastics.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve been putting on shows for my family,” says Jones, recalling that she would sit her family down to watch her perform the soundtrack to The Lizzie McGuire Movie.
Although she missed the sport of her youth, it didn’t take Jones long to become devoted to her new hobby.
“As soon as I found that same feeling of being a part of something with acting, I was lost in it and never looked back.”
After appearing onscreen in a KFC commercial, Jones’s first major role was in the action-thriller Nikita. Even though she was originally booked for a single line in a single episode, she recalls being in awe as she sat on the set of the show for 12 hours that day. After being called back for a few more episodes, 12-year-old Jones was hooked.
“I really enjoyed performing, and creating a story was something that I really liked about acting,” she says. “You create an entirely different character that people will be able to relate to in their actual everyday lives. And I think that’s really special.”
After this first role, she attended high school at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts. Although she was enrolled in the drama program, she admits that she didn’t take her courses very seriously since she was also spending most days filming on sets after class.
After all, at this point, she had a main role in the 2013 film Step Dogs and several television appearances, including recurring roles in Hemlock Grove and Lost Girl.
Although Jones has landed plenty of roles, she’s careful not to take her talent for granted, joking that she’s been to every acting coach in the GTA.
“You can never get enough practice.”
Jones currently stars in Apple TV’s rag-to-riches show Acapulco, a prequel to the hit film How to be a Latin Lover. She plays Becca, a character who has a “whirlwind romance” with the male lead Maximo.
Getting to film Acapulco in Mexico, shortly after filming the upcoming Lamborghini movie in Rome, was a dream come true for Jones, who didn’t see her life playing out this way.“It was unbelievable,” she says. “I woke up every morning and I’d think, ‘I’m in Rome filming a Lamborghini movie.’ I don’t think 12-year-old me would ever believe me.”
Move over speakeasy bars, there’s a new secret spot in Toronto and this one is skipping the hush-hush cocktails and serving up Ukrainian classic comfort foods instead.
Heavenly Perogy is a small food shop in a church basement near Kensington Market.
With an indiscriminate blue sign on the side door of the building, it’s easy to overlook – or miss entirely – but you won’t regret hunting down this secret spot’s headquarters inside St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral at 400 Bathurst Street between College and Dundas West.
Classic pierogi topped with bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and green onion.
The small but mighty three-person team behind the Ukrainian delicacies including pierogis, cabbage rolls, borscht, schnitzel and sauerkraut is led by founder and head chef Tetyana Matkivska who arrived in Toronto 15 years ago from Ukraine and immediately found a sense of familiarity and community at the church.
Heavenly Perogy is once again selling chicken schnitzel.
She began selling her signature dish, soft and tangy pierogi, during church fundraisers and officially launched her small business three years ago while balancing a full-time job in marketing.
Cabbage rolls
Fans of Ukrainian cuisine can buy the pierogi hot or frozen in addition to a slew of other menu items including coleslaw, schnitzel and pork and rice-filled cabbage rolls. There are even vegan and vegetarian spins on these classic Ukrainian comfort foods so everyone can get a taste of Eastern Europe.
You can order directly through their website for pick-up or place a delivery order through Uber, Doordash, SkipTheDishes or Ritual.
