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Toronto’s favourite Schitt’s Creek star is launching his own brunch-themed cooking show

By
Christine Hogg
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Dan Levy is looking for participants for his new cooking show, The Big Brunch.

Dan Levy, known for playing the role of David as a co-creator on one of Canada’s most beloved television shows, Schitt’s Creek, recently announced that he’s producing a new show called The Big Brunch.

Levy, who was born in Toronto to parents Eugene Levy and Deborah Devine, is an actor, writer, and producer. Both his father and his sister, Sarah Levy, starred alongside him as characters on Schitt’s Creek.

Despite his Canadian roots, Levy’s new show is for an American audience. Levy has teamed up with Boardwalk Pictures (Chef’s Table, Cheer) to bring viewers the next great American culinary success story, which will air on HBO Max.

“We are looking for chefs, people who are telling stories through food, bringing people together in their communities through their food, those special people that you root for that just need a leg up, or a big break,” Levy shared in an instagram story posted Nov. 2. Levy, along with a team of experts, is setting out to find the most inspiring, undiscovered culinary voices across America by giving them the opportunity to compete for their big break and a life changing grand prize.

“Everybody has a friend, a family member, or a co-worker that is extraordinary at what they do, they just need a leg up so that they can be appreciated on a larger scale. Thanks to an almost obsessive love of food, I’ve been lucky enough to come across many of those people in the culinary world,” Levy said. “I created this show for them, the local culinary heroes of America who deserve a spotlight. Well, that, and who doesn’t want to watch maple syrup being poured slowly over a golden stack of perfectly cooked, creme brûlée inspired French toast?”

The deadline for applications closes Dec. 17, 2021.

Toronto pumped over Drake’s post hinting at WNBA franchise

By
Ron Johnson
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@champagnepapi

Drake is already the global ambassador and ardent supporter of the hometown Toronto Raptors. His OVO brand is a major sponsor of the NBA team. So, when Champagne Papi himself sends out a message over social media hinting at an interest in bringing a WNBA team to town, the city perked up its collective ears.


It’s good timing. Two days ago, the NBA celebrated the anniversary of its first game, on Nov. 1, 1946, which was played right here in Toronto at the old Maple Leaf Gardens featuring the hometown Huskies versus the New York Knickerbockers. So the city’s connection to professional basketball runs deep.

Last month, it was reported that the league is eyeing expansion, although there is currently no team outside of the United States.

According to an article in the Washington Post, the league is doing very well, with broadcast numbers up 78 percent from last season.

Last summer, the league commissioner talked about expansion and said a more concrete plan would be in place by summer, 2022, after being slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Drake’s simple comment had the social media world buzzing with excitement.

The league began in 1997 with eight teams and is now sitting at 12 after a few folded following a big expansion in 2000.

One of Canada’s best-known basketball players, Kia Nurse, is from Ontario and was a WNBA All-Star in 2019. She currently plays for the Phoenix Mercury, which made it to the WNBA finals before losing to the Chicago Sky in four games. Nurse was unable to play the last month of the season due to a torn ACL.

Presenting Toronto’s top lawyers 2021

By
Julia Mastroianni
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Osgoode Hall Library (Credit: @thealejandrafretes)

After surveying more than 4,500 lawyers across Toronto and the GTA, Streets of Toronto and Post City Magazines have released their first ever list of the top lawyers in the GTA.

This list includes over 300 of the city’s best counsel in 25 different practice fields. The peer-nominated process involved a survey sent out to practising lawyers, who then nominated their peers for the top lawyers survey.

Billy Wilson/flickr

The lawyers on our list practice all over the city, from the Financial District to Mississauga to North York, and they work in every legal practice area, including Personal Injury, Immigration, Environmental and Real Estate and Tax.

Check out the 2021 list to see if your lawyer made the cut.

A new grab-and-go smash burger spot is about to open in Union Station

By
Christine Hogg
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photo © Mikey's Smash Burgers

Later this month commuters, sports fans and concert-goers alike can stop in on their way through Union Station for a bite to eat at Mikey’s Smash Burgers, the latest venture by Chef Michael Angelino, co-owner of OCHospitality which backs well-known restaurants like Union Chicken, Amano Italian Kitchen, and the recently-opened Amano Trattoria.

Whether you’re just passing through or looking for the next best thing in grab-and-go burgers that don’t sacrifice taste or quality, the 65 Front Street location, located in the heart of Toronto’s bustling Union Station, is the place to go.

The smash burgers are made from locally sourced, hormone and antibiotic free beef, the same supplier servicing Chef Angelino’s other spots. Beyond the burger joint classics, the menu boasts some speciality patties like a Jalapeno Cheese Dip Burger and a Pastrami Patty Melt. For the vegetarians, Mikey’s even serves up a stuffed mushroom burger, foregoing meat but not flavour. 

Though work-from-home or hybrid working models has become the norm and slashed daily commuter traffic, Michael still feels like Union Station is the ideal location for his new restaurant’s first location.

“We love the direction that the station is taking and believe it is an amazing location with lots of action and great things coming. Union Station is actually becoming a Toronto hub and centre for the arts,” he says. 

Over the years, Union Station has undergone many revitalization projects including one in progress now, transcending a typical transportation hub and evolving into a spot for tourists and locals alike to explore, eat good food, and shop. 

While predominantly a grab-and-go spot, Mikey’s has some limited seating options and a casual, inviting vibe that celebrates the star of the show: the American Smash Burger.  

When asked about the challenges the ongoing pandemic has posed, Michael is unfalteringly optimistic.

“This project was in the works well before COVID, and now with things starting to loosen up a bit the time made sense to open. As we’ve seen, it’s going to take time to return to some sense of normal but I think people miss the social aspect of eating out and are craving that experience even if they are working from home,” he says.

Heading to a Raptors or Leafs Game in the coming weeks? Be sure to stop by the new spot from 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. seven days a week.

 

Beloved holiday tradition for music and lit fans is returning to Toronto

By
Ron Johnson
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Jason Collett

Now that capacity limits are gone, and venues are opening up again, show announcements are coming fast and furious including the popular Basement Revue. The brainchild of musician Jason Collett (Broken Social Scene) is set to return to Paradise on Bloor for a series of half-literary, half-music variety shows every Thursday night.

The Basement Revue has been offering its unique take on a late-night cultural soirée for 13 years since Collett and company first hit the stage at the Dakota Tavern in 2007.

“It’s become this variety show that is half literary and half musical,” said Collett, in a past interview with TRNTO about the event. “It’s this annual exploration of that common space between those two worlds. And that makes for a very entertaining evening.”

The concept is simple in that it pairs a musician with an author who hit the stage together to perform, well, something. The idea has resulted in some epic happenings such as when Leslie Feist backed up Michael Ondaatje, or Margaret Atwood stepping up to the mic in front of one of Toronto’s most celebrated bands and saying, with her characteristic deadpan wit, “hit it Sadies.”

As is tradition, each evening’s pairings will remain a secret until showtime, and that includes the performers.

For 2021, The Basement Revue returns to The Paradise on Bloor, every Thursday in December beginning on the 2nd and running until the 30th. Each night will also be broadcast via Side Door.

Tickets are on sale now for both the live show and the online broadcast.

Toronto’s hotel scene is bouncing back with new renovations made for staycations

By
Jessica Huras
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1 hotel toronto staycation

As Toronto emerges from the pandemic, the city’s hotel scene is coming back with a bang as many new and newly-renovated hotels make their long-awaited debuts. Whether you’re ready to dip your toes into the world of travel again with a local getaway or are simply looking for a break from your day-to-day routine, these latest and greatest hotels have you covered for a relaxing Toronto staycation – and wifi at the ready in case you’re looking to make a long weekend of it without taking another day off.

Park Hyatt Toronto

park hyatt toronto staycation

After closing in 2019 to undergo renovations, the Park Hyatt has returned with a fresh new look courtesy of design firm Studio Munge. Originally opened in the 1930s, the Park Hyatt’s makeover pays homage to the property’s heritage with art deco elements while also creating a sense of place with Canadian touches. Locally-inspired features include artwork from notable Canadian and indigenous artists, including a new public art sculpture by An Te Liu. 

The Park Hyatt’s 219 guest rooms offer a home-away-from-home ambiance and handsome decor (that’s likely fancier than your own abode). A spiffed-up spa is still in the works but in the meantime, guests can check out the 17th-floor cocktail bar, the Writers Room, which offers beautiful views over the city. The stunning new Joni restaurant offers bistro-style fare with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, along with classic cocktails and a wine list curated by an in-house sommelier.  

The SoHo Hotel

moretti caffe toronto

Previously known as the SoHo Metropolitan, the rebranded SoHo Hotel has been a favourite of well-heeled travellers and visiting celebrities for almost two decades.  Fresh off of a multi-million dollar renovation, the hotel’s revamped guest rooms are modern and refined, featuring 80 square feet dressing areas with Canadian maple millwork. Many rooms also feature artwork depicting old-style Canadian currency as an additional nod to the hotel’s local roots (you’ll also see these pieces in the corridors).

The SoHo’s saltwater pool, steam room and fitness centre were also spruced up during the renovation. The gym, which features floor-to-ceiling glass windows and an outdoor terrace, is managed by two-time heavyweight champion Dalton Brown, who has previously trained famous figures like Carrie Underwood.  The glam Moretti Restaurant, the first Toronto location of the successful Montreal chain, is no run-of-the-mill hotel eatery, featuring an open kitchen with a pizza oven and a buzzy dinnertime ambiance.

1 Hotel Toronto

1 hotel toronto staycation

With a focus on sustainable practices, 1 Hotel offers a Toronto staycation that blends luxury amenities with an eco-conscious ethos. The property strives for zero-waste operations, with the goal of diverting over 85 per cent of its waste from landfills. Some of 1 Hotel’s green on-site initiatives include a composting program and a partnership with GreenPlant that sees 100 per cent of its kitchen oil and grease converted into biofuel.

Designed by the Rockwell Group, the hotel’s upscale interior draws inspiration from the environment that it hopes to play a part in preserving, incorporating reclaimed natural materials like driftwood and local limestone. Rooms and suites feature organic cotton linens and bath products, as well as in-room water filtration systems aimed at minimizing the need for single-use plastic water bottles.

Guests can chill out at the hotel’s rooftop pool, which offers sweeping views of the Toronto skyline, or dine at one of five on-site restaurants, including the hotel’s signature venue 1 Kitchen. Each restaurant offers a different menu concept, but a dedication to locally-sourced fare, including ingredients grown in an on-site garden, is a theme throughout.

Toronto’s latest spot for fish and chips also sells bubble tea on the side

By
Christine Hogg
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Halibut & Tea House

Tartar sauce is usually the preferred side for an order of fish and chips, but at this new Yonge and Lawrence spot, you can get crispy fish and chips and bubble tea – all under the same roof.

Aida Li and her partner opened Halibut and Tea House back in early September after years of experience in the food industry. With their kids grown and out of the house, they wanted to fulfill a lifelong dream of opening something just for themselves. 

“The idea came from a desire to open a storefront we could easily run, and so fish and chips came to mind. We knew we wanted to also offer bubble tea because it’s become so popular in recent years,” says Aida of the decision to offer the unique combo at their restaurant.

Crispy halibut can be served with fries or salad.

In addition to super crispy halibut and fries, the duo develops their own recipes in-house with a menu that offers more lunch and dinner items like fried chicken and poutine. You can also forego the savoury dishes for Hong Kong style egg waffles with ice cream or Thai ice cream rolls, which is exactly as it sounds – rolled up ice cream with a variety of available toppings like lychee jelly mango boba. 

Thai ice cream rolls.

The bubble tea menu is extensive, with tons of options for classic milk teas, tea lattes, slush and smoothies. There’s something for everyone like the coffee Frappuccino on the slush and smoothie menu, or something more tried-and-true like the brown sugar milk tea. Modifications to sweetness can be made to suit taste preferences. 

Bubble teas and milk teas are also available.

The family-friendly spot is quaint, with 20 spots for indoor dining, though many people opt for take-out, made simple through online ordering on their website. New recipes and discounted menu offerings are also in the works, with plans to soon offer fish tacos, wraps and discounted combo meals for students. 

You can stop by the 3238 Yonge Street spot every day from 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

 

 

Randy Bachman’s true Toronto crime story

By
lindsaylow
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Randy Bachman photo
Bachman with the Gretsch guitar he is trading for his old guitar.

Randy Bachman, the legendary guitarist from The Guess Who and BTO made headlines recently with the incredible tale of being reunited with his first Gretsch guitar. We asked Bachman to recount the story of when the guitar was stolen in Toronto.

So tell us about the guitar.

I bought it way back in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I must have been about — I don’t know — 18 or 19. And that guitar was my guitar. For everything I wrote and played: “Laughing,” “These Eyes,” “American Woman.” It’s on every one of those songs.

And where did you get it?

I would go downtown to Portage Avenue. Everybody went to the Bay and walked along Portage to Eatons. In between there were clothing stores, record stores and music stores. And I would go and look in the window and look at this orange Gretsch guitar that Chet Atkins played, Duane Eddy played, Eddie Cochran played, Chuck Berry even played one on American Bandstand. And I would stand there next to Neil Young and look at this orange guitar and dream about having an orange guitar like that. Finally, I had enough money to go and buy the guitar, and Neil Young bought one at the same place.

And someone stole it in Toronto?

We were at a studio in Toronto, I think Phase One. We were doing BTO’s, I think, seventh album in 1977, and the guitar was stolen out of the hotel room, and it absolutely shattered me because I’d had this since I was a young kid. So when it was stolen, I called the Toronto police. I called the OPP, the Mounties. I checked every pawn shop on Yonge Street. There was no Internet or anything. So you basically had to go there. I went and did it, and all they said was, “Look we’re gonna tell you the truth about your guitar. It’s probably out of the country driven over to Buffalo or Rochester or something, and it’s gone. It wouldn’t be around here.”

How did they do it?

They said there was a gang that had been hitting all the motels. They made a deal with the hotel maid. They go into your room to clean it, and if you’re down having your free breakfast, you have an extra key in the room, and they throw it out the window. The gang gets the key and goes to the front lobby. He phones the room. If it rings and rings and rings, he knows you’re either paying your bill or you’re having your free breakfast. He’s got an opportunity to go to your room, knock on the door. If you’re checking out, everything’s at the door, your suitcases, your briefcase or your guitar. They open the door, grab whatever is close to the door, walk out to the end of the hall downstairs, and it’s into their truck and gone.

So what happened recently?

I was doing a YouTube live with my son Tal, and you know there are comments that come up on the side of the screen, and one read, “I found your Gretsch guitar.” So we get this guy’s name, William Long, who lives in White Rock, and we got a hold of him.

How did he find it?

He told me that he was working out of his house and had some free time so he started doing facial recognition of the Gretsch. So he basically Googled every orange Gretsch guitar sold in the world over the Internet in the last 20 years. And he said he’d found it in Japan belonging to a guy named Takeshi.

And how did he react when you told him?

So we emailed them. This guy is quite famous in Japan. He’s written songs for all the Japanese idols and he’s sold like 30 to 40 million records, and it took a few months before they read it. Then we get a note back saying, “Well, is this really your guitar? We know who you are, Randy Bachman. Tell me what songs this was on.” I told him and he goes, “My goodness, this is amazing. And so we do a Zoom, and he brings the guitar into the zoom camera, just like about a year ago. When I see the guitar, I can’t move. I’m basically … I’m in tears.

Did he agree to sell it back to you?

Well, I said the guitar was stolen in ’77. And he goes, “I was born to get your guitar and look after it for you. I will trade it back to you.” He said, “I don’t want a new guitar, I want his [Gretsch] sister. We are guitar brothers.” So when I go there to meet Takeshi, we’re going to go to the Gretsch factory there and do a concert. Then I’m going to go to the nightclub where he plays in a video that led to us finding the guitar and doing a performance and trading the guitars. Then I am going to bring the guitar home. It’s a real Cinderella story.

You can try an ancient Roman pizza recipe at this newly-opened Italian trattoria

By
Christine Hogg
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Amano Trattoria

A new Italian trattoria has opened in the bustling St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood.

Amano Trattoria officially opened on Oct. 19, and is led by chef Michael Angeloni (Union Chicken, Amano Italian Kitchen, Mikey’s Smash Burgers). Angeloni has worked with some of Canada’s finest chefs throughout the years, including David Lee (Splendido, which is now home to Piano Piano). Angeloni is also behind Open Concept Hospitality Group.

Amano Trattoria represents the beginning of his newest culinary adventure. Amano means “handmade” in Italian, and is representative of the items you can expect to find on the menu. All of the pastas and pinsas (an ancient version of the classic Neopolitan pizza), are made from scratch using premium ingredients. The high-hydration dough used to create the pinsas is fermented for 48 hours with all-natural yeast, resulting in a crunchy exterior with an airy, fluffy inside.

On the menu, expect to find plenty of shareables, including six tasty versions of pinsa, including the popular funghi pinsa, which features taleggio cheese, Yukon gold potato, and roasted mushrooms. Other small plates include arancini (rice balls) done with pear, smoked provolone, burnt honey, rosemary, and bacon, and daily salumi platters. Six kinds of hand-made pasta, including vegetarian and seafood options are available, as are mains like roasted squash risotto and rib steak done with king oyster mushrooms.

Amano Trattoria’s wine list includes a robust champagne selection with bottles from France, Italy, and the U.S., as well as a selection of red, white, and rose wine from Europe and North America.

The Food

Fresh housemade tagliatelle noodles with AAA beef rags, prosciutto, and extra parmesan.
Roasted squash risotto with crispy chicken skin, sea urchin, chicken jus, and chives.
Charred broccoli with Sicilian vinaigrette, charred coriander, and fresh oregano.
The Fritto Misto, featuring fried calamari, shrimp fennel, and zucchini with smoked pepperoncini aioli.
Beef carpaccio with red wine stain, pickled mushrooms, hazelnut emulsion, and freshly grated parmesan.
Wild Fluke Crudo with pickled mussels, green pepper creme fraiche, and crispy shallots.
The rib steak with king oyster mushrooms.
Funghi Pinsa with taleggio cheese, Yukon gold potato, and roasted mushroom.

Amano Trattoria is located at 9 Church St, Old Toronto and is open Tuesday to Thursday from 4 – 10 p.m. and Friday to Saturday 4 – 11 p.m.

Global supply shortage has Toronto businesses worried and even this midtown Birkenstock store isn’t immune

By
Megan Gallant
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Jp Valery/Unsplash

Now that Halloween has come and gone, it’s time to start pulling out the dusty box of Christmas ornaments and writing those wish lists. But this year, if you haven’t already started, it’s a good idea to hit the malls early before the shelves are clear of everything on your shopping list.

According to the Retail Council of Canada, 30 per cent of Canadians plan to start shopping before November due to fears of the global supply chain shortage, up from 23 per cent the year before.

Though the shipping shortage has been more recently brought to light, this has been an ongoing crisis for many retailers since the onset of the pandemic 18 months ago. Michelle Wasylyshen, spokesperson for the Retail Council of Canada, says you can’t attribute the shortage to just one problem.

Retailers are struggling to keep up with unusual demand patterns

“The supply chain is jammed at every node right now,” says Wasylyshen. “There’s challenges with getting a box loaded, getting it onto a boat, getting it in the water, getting it delivered, and getting it transported from the dock to the store. There’s really challenges with every single node.”

She attributes three major issues that ultimately affect the shortage. The first, she says, comes from differing closures and lockdowns across the globe. Since we source so many products globally, she says, if China has an outbreak at a factory and shuts down for a few weeks, then we are also affected by it.

The second is that freight costs and shipping costs have increased dramatically, and there’s a backlog of boats waiting to be unloaded. She uses the example of a designer who has an entire line of handbags waiting to be unloaded from the shipping container, even though it’s already been delivered.

The final issue is the “unusual demand pattern” since the pandemic began. With an increase in consumers working from home, the demand in product has shifted to spending more on material products rather than food and activities.

“Retailers are still grappling with the ongoing question of temporary versus consumer trends. We don’t know what’s going to stick,” she says.

Wasylyshen’s advice to retailers in preparation for the holiday season is to order early to ensure their shelves are fully stocked.

Small businesses are struggling the most

But even that may not help. Vicky Rados, the owner of midtown’s Circle Shoes, recently had a Birkenstock order from Germany cancelled. This was an order from back in June.

While larger box stores are able to adjust to shipment delays by filling their shelves with other products, this isn’t the case for independent retailers who specialize in a certain product or brand.

For example, The First Step is a Birkenstock specialty store in Toronto which has been unable to get a hold of the majority of the brand’s products.

The shipping shortage is widespread across all kinds of industries. Lexus on the Park in North York recently put out an Instagram post stating that they have a limited supply of winter tires “due to pandemic disruptions.”

 

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A post shared by LexusOnThePark (@lexusonthepark)

Rados is also currently waiting on a shipment from Laurentian Chief Moccasins. These are made in Quebec, so when there were high case counts and the factories shut down, many workers did not return. Since there are fewer workers and the moccasins are made by hand, there’s now a limited supply.

This has Rados concerned as she enters the busy season. “Usually, we would just phone in the supplier, order things in and would be pretty much fully stocked – not all the time, but usually they would. Whereas now we can’t do that. We’re just waiting for our pre-booking orders to come in.”

Retailers worry they may run out of products before Christmas

At The Swag Sisters’ Toy Store on Gerrard Street East, owner Guy Bagley is unable to put in orders to most of his suppliers for the rest of the year.

“We’re going to run out of things,” Bagley says, regarding the upcoming holiday season. “That’s for sure.”

Specifically, Bagley says he’s noticed a resurgence in puzzle sales since the onset of the pandemic and has had difficulty getting his hands on them.

While Bagley says this isn’t the first time that a product has been unavailable to him, it is the first time on such a large scale. “What we normally run into is  the thing that everybody wants – the number one of everybody’s list – is unavailable, since the demand is so high for it. But now, it’s just widespread.”

Rados, on the other hand, has not seen this happen before, and she’s been in business over fifty years.

 And it may not end anytime soon. Wasylyshen says according to a recent survey, they expect the shortage to continue right into mid-2022 at the earliest and possibly right through the end of the year and into 2023.

“It really depends on where your product is coming from, if you have a substitute for that product, if it’s a bigger ticket item,” she says. “We know that it’s easier to stop a supply chain than it is to start it. And so, it is going to take some time to normalize.”

When it comes to holiday shopping, Bagley suggest consumers start buying early to avoid missing out on the toys they’re really looking for, and to have backup options. “I think ultimately the trick would be to get your kid to pick one of two other options and have a couple in mind because there is definitely a possibility of not finding what they want.”

Bagley says he hopes to fill his store with toys that will “fill the void” if his buyers can’t find what they are looking for. He chooses to remain positive about the shortage.

“It’s something that we can’t control. Hopefully we’re in a good enough position that we can just have something they’re looking for.”

Our Lady Peace ushers in new era for revamped El Mocambo with blistering performance

By
Ron Johnson
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el mocambo

Toronto financial heavyweight and would-be rock star Michael Wekerle has spent the last six years dedicated to reopening the legendary music venue El Mocambo. After a number of false starts, thanks to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Wekerle’s dream finally came true on Saturday night at the official grand opening featuring iconic rock band Our Lady Peace and a packed crowd of maskless music lovers.

Wekerle sunk a lot of money into the venue, essentially constructing a beautiful new building inside the older shell that is wired for the new world complete with recording studio and other high-tech wizardry enabling world-class live streaming and more.

Although, as he says, he really just wanted to buy the sign.

The neon palms are back on Spadina Avenue

“I was coming back from a trip overseas and heard on one of the radio stations that they were getting rid of it, and I went to buy the sign. I met up with Sam Rocco, and he said, ‘No, I won’t sell you the sign, but I’ll give it to you if you buy the club.'” Wekerle said, in a past interview with TRNTO.com.

El Mocambo is no longer just a live music venue, although it is most definitely that. It is on its way to becoming a global music brand.

The venue has a large and open bar area downstairs with a smaller stage. Upstairs is the main concert venue, although the room is still a long and narrow space with the stage on a sidewall. It offers a seriously intimate experience for those in attendance, but it would still be classified as a small venue. There is also a second-level mezzanine with seating around a railing overlooking the stage.

Michael Wekerle on stage at the El Mocambo opening night

The design of the venue is thoroughly rock ‘n’ roll and steeped in the history of the El Mocambo with images and the names of iconic rock stars who have graced the El Mo stage from Debbie Harry, Elvis Costello and Chubby Checker to Kim Mitchell and The Cult. And the legendary neon palm sign outside the venue is up and flowing along the Spadina streetscape, but also represented inside including two replicas bookending the main stage.

The band tore through a set of new and mostly classic songs as the enthusiastic crowd sang along well into the night.

The sound, once Our Lady Peace took the stage, proved impressive, and could easily be one of the best in the city, especially for a venue of this size. And it will be interesting to see what the plans are for the coming months.

Raine Maida, Our Lady Peace (photo: Ron Johnson)

Frontman and Toronto native Raine Maida spoke of his own rock upbringing at the El Mo, and what it meant to him and the band to have the honour of being the band chosen to play opening night.

For many in the crowd, as well as the Toronto rockers on the stage, it was the first rock show since the pandemic hit. It was a couple of hours of normalcy, and it was clearly relished by all in attendance.

Wekerle was in fine form on opening night introducing the band and leading the call for an encore when the band wrapped up its set. The El Mo is his baby and it’s easy to see he is one proud papa.

This Canadian winery is inviting wine lovers to ‘Open Up’ with a bottle of wine and card game to inspire meaningful conversation

By
Marlene Mendonca
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Sisters Angela and Melissa, co-proprietors of Two Sisters Vineyards in Niagara, founded their premium winery on the principle of bringing people together.

As mothers and wives who work with their family (both literally and metaphorically – they work alongside their relatives, and their small, close-knit staff have become kin in their own right), Angela and Melissa’s approach to wine is unlike any other premium winery: the bottle is as much about the people you’re drinking it with as it is about what’s inside.

As a predominantly COVID-safe option for those eager to resume their pre-pandemic activities, winery tours saw increased foot traffic over the summer season and have given Ontario’s wine regions a welcome boost in tourism. Two Sisters Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake has gained popularity as a premium offering in the area with a beautiful, Italian-inspired backdrop and a wealth of outdoor terraces and patios sprinkled throughout, making it the perfect place to enjoy award-winning wines and superior culinary experiences.

Two Sisters Vineyards introduces ‘Open Up’, the first card game designed to enhance the wine drinking experience 

After a year and a half in isolation, many Canadians have reported experiencing anxiety over a return to ‘normal life’ and reconnecting with others. As experts in the art of bringing people together, Two Sisters used the pandemic as a time to regroup and reflect on what they truly want wine lovers to experience when they uncork a bottle – opening up in an entirely new way. The Open Up card game encourages wine drinkers to create meaningful conversations, where reconnection is the name of the game, to open up to each other. Without giving too much away, this game is perfect for your next night in with friends and family. 

The card game is now available online as a gift with purchase while quantities last at twosistersvineyards.com/openup using code TSVOpenUp.

 

Plan a visit to the winery

If you are planning a trip to the Niagara region, the vineyard is a must-visit. Whether it’s an elaborate wedding set against a gorgeous vineyard backdrop, an intimate family dinner to celebrate a milestone anniversary, a customized corporate dinner or simply a Wednesday evening where friends are coming together to catch up, the sisters prioritize a premium experience for guests. A variety of tasting options are available throughout the vineyard (check them out here). This fall they are also launching an exciting masterclass series featuring Two Sisters’ Head Winemaker, Adam Pearce, and Estate Sommelier, Dieter Unruh. To receive updates from the vineyard and invitations to all exciting upcoming events, be sure to sign up for the Two Sisters newsletter.

 

Enjoy Two Sisters Vineyards wine from the comfort of your home

For the committed wine drinkers, Two Sisters Vineyards offers a two-tiered wine club service –  VIP Club and Cellar240 – that gives you a mixed, six or twelve-bottle case per quarter along with exclusive privileges including complimentary tastings, special pricing on winery tours and events, unique opportunities to receive special releases and winemaker blends, and invitations to Wine Club exclusive events. For those who prefer to stay true to their favourite varietals and blends, Two Sisters also offers monthly subscriptions by which wine lovers can receive three bottles of premium rosé, red or white shipped to their door every month. 

 

 

Whether you choose to enjoy the vineyard in person or sip Unoaked Chardonnay with your family and friends at home, opening up with a bottle of Two Sisters is this fall’s can’t-miss experience.

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