There’s no need to travel across the ocean to gaze at a French chateau—just head to Richmond Hill instead. Locked behind a wrought iron gate at 45 Kensington Drive is an awe-striking mansion fit for royalty.
The 2017 build sits on a 1.5 acre property and has over 15,000- square-feet of living space. This two-storey home and is currently listed for a whopping $12.88 million. With five bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and enough amenities to keep you busy for weeks, this estate is worth making the trip up to Richmond Hilll.
The reception room welcomes guests with 25-foot high ceilings and an over-the-top imperial staircase.
The rest of the main floor boasts nearly 12-foot ceilings throughout. Everything is lavishly designed, from the intricate details on the fireplace to the decorative ceiling.
The home’s elegance is enhanced through its embossed crown mouldings. The large windows illuminate the eggshell colour scheme.
Another fireplace is the focal point in the living room. The unique mantel adds a lot of character.
Integrated appliances seamlessly blend into the spacious kitchen. The backsplash offsets nicely with the cabinetry, with a portion of space dedicated to some wine storage.
The master suite is large enough to be its own apartment. A bonus room separates the ensuite amenities from the bedroom.
A dazzling chandelier and massive vanity are unique facets of the master bedroom.
This entire room is dedicated to housing the homeowners wardrobe.
The master bathroom has a soaker bathtub strategically placed beside the window and double-sided fireplace.
Peak luxury is having a movie theatre inside your home.
Spacious rooms seem to be a trend throughout the home, the immaculate wine cellar being no exception.
The rec room has easy access to the backyard.
The in-ground pool and patio space give resort-like feels to the backyard.
The future of one of Toronto’s favourite French restaurants is up in the air after a blaze ripped through it early Tuesday morning. Chantecler, a fixture in the Parkdale dining scene, is temporarily closed following the three-alarm fire.
Crews were called to the building, which also contains rental housing, in the wee hours of the morning after reports of the fire.
Great work by @Toronto_Fire crews to access and control the fire in this building on Queen Street West. All occupants are out of the building and accounted for without injury. 3rd alarm assigned. @TPFFApic.twitter.com/G6300NPYtz
Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, who was on site on Tuesday morning, shared an image of the aftermath on Twitter and congratulated the firefighters for getting all residents out without injury.
The fire was escalated to a three-alarm response when additional resources were called in due to the age of the building ––built in 1881––and its proximity to the other buildings in the neighbourhood.
According to Pegg, the fire was “intense initially” and “got into the walls of the building and extended vertically across all three floors.” He explains that the challenge of the blaze was that it quickly “moved laterally and vertically.”
The upper floor appears to have incurred the most damage. The image provided by Pegg and the restaurant show a broken third story window.
Chantecler also posted an image to Instagram stating, “there’s been a fire at 1320 Queen. Everyone is safe. We don’t believe it was a kitchen fire.” The investigation continues as to the cause of the fire.
The Box Donut seems to have ventured where most have failed — to fit a square peg into a round hole. As the name suggests, the Box Donut is just the newest player to win us over in the bakery wars to reinvent familiar offerings in a different format. The Hungarian owned franchise started here in Canada and will open in Yorkdale Mall before the new year. This location will be the fourth place to find this quadrilateral treat.
Its signature product, the squaredonut, is fried in 100 per cent peanut oil and “made with the highest quality ingredients.” Ranging from Callebaut chocolate to creamy fillings and marmalades, everything created in the Box Donut bakery are small batched, non-GMO and additive- and preservative-free, no doubt meant to help persuade foodies to indulge guilt-free.
The decadent squares come in five categories, each with varying price points: basic, classic, fancy, limited and exclusive. An individual doughnut ranges from $3.69 for a basic square and $5.99 for an exclusive one.A basic baker’s dozen starts at $40.99, and customization comes at a premium of between $3.99 and $9.99 if you wanted to mix and match.
The Box’s flavours change seasonally, and one might want to do some research ahead of time so as not to hold up the line. It has an abundance of flavours to choose from, like pistachio raspberry, flower with lavender cream, lemon meringue and chili chocolate, to name a few.
There is an equally indulgent drink menu that ranges from milkshakes to coffees to wash it all down. Popular beverages include the caramel crunch latte macchiato and raspberry milkshake. Lower-cal beverage options like coffee and flavoured waters are also available.
While you’re waiting for the opening of the Yorkdale mall location, you can grab a square-shaped treat at one of the other three locations in Ontario.
We are sharing the inside scoop on Toronto’s secret dining scene. In part four, we expose the best off-menu eats in the city. Nevermind the Burger’s Priest secret menu (that is not much of a secret at all), these dishes are really undercover. Read on to learn about the late-night snacks and secret pizzas that you must order on your next visit.
MIDNIGHT MADNESS
Restaurateur Jen Agg offers special eats for the late-night crowd
Pop into some of Jen Agg’s restaurants after hours for one-off, late-night dishes. From Friday to Sunday, 11 p.m. until close, fondue pots hit the table at Le Swan, and diners tuck into a traditional cheese fondue made with Gruyère, Emmenthal, white wine and garlic. Bar Vendetta typically offers Italian-influenced dishes, but after midnight it’s exclusively nacho platters on the menu. 892 Queen St. W. & 928 Dundas St. W.
INSIDER EATS
Go off-menu with these secret restaurant dishes
When you’re in the mood for a little of everything at Joso’s, ask your server for the Goodfellas pasta. This indulgent surf-and-turf pasta dish features filet mignon, shrimp, calamari, octopus and mussels, covered in a classic red sauce. Be forewarned: the kitchen may decline to cook this beast up for you on busy nights. 202 Davenport Rd.
Insiders at Barberian’s know to ask for the double cooked prime rib. For maximum flavour, they first slow cook a cut of prime rib and then follow that up with a flash sear on a hardwood charcoal grill. It’s all the best qualities of slow roasting and quick searing combined, with a single delicious result. 7 Elm St.
The fan-favourite Dr. Pepperoni at Matty Matheson’s beloved pizza joint, Maker Pizza, gets taken up a notch on Fridays each week: A flavourful vodka sauce is added to the already popular toppings of perfectly-curled pepperoni, a cheese trio of mozzarella, fior di latte and parmesan, plus savoury toasted fennel oil. Multiple locations
Head to Nodo, a casual Italian restaurant with locations in the Junction, Hillcrest and Leslieville, for this adventurous seafood-meets-carbs mash-up. Request the special Portomare pizza, an off-menu pie topped with fresh octopus, prawns, calamari, B.C. mussels, black olives, diced tomatoes and arugula pesto. Multiple locations
Take the spice up a notch at Pizzeria Libretto with Mama’s Hot Pepper Pizza (pictured below). This off-menu gem comes with San Marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte, basil, house-made sausage and the namesake hot peppers. As with all the restaurant’s pizzas, this pie is cooked in a stone oven to give it a nice char. Multiple locations
In the third instalment of our sustainable style series, we chat with the Torontonian behind Tamga Designs. The company is based in Indonesia and focuses on ethically-made and forest-friendly fashion.
Arriving in Dhaka, Bangladesh, shortly after the Rana Plaza factory collapse changed everything for Yana Dales and her partner Eric. Picking apart their role as consumers, the couple was led down a rabbit hole as they educated themselves on the fast-fashion industry that contributed to the deaths of more than 1,100 factory workers.
With some of her favourite brands having been manufactured there, Dales knew her approach to fashion had to change. Tamga began as a side project, with Dales’ experience in modelling and NGOs both providing invaluable input.
“I wanted to wear clothing I knew was made ethically and suited my personal style,” she says.
Connecting with a group of fairly paid tailors, Dales began selling her lively designs internationally through Etsy. She was able to see first-hand both the demand for ethical fashion as well as the impact the work had on the makers’ lives.
“We decided to leave our respective jobs and embark on creating an entirely sustainable and transparent fashion brand,” she says. Seeking out mills and factories that work with Lenzing fibres — the most sustainable choice — Dales has Tamga now based in Indonesia. There, family-owned sewing factories produce the playfully bohemian pieces in small runs, allowing every step of production to be overseen.
“We advocate for forest-friendly fashion,” she says, “and are fighting to stop deforestation of ancient and endangered rainforests — largely caused by fast-fashion brands.” Each Tamga purchase arrives in a biodegradable garment bag, and a donation is made to replant the Sumatran rainforest.
The popular and seriously photographable Tunnel of Glam will be back at its Yonge and St. Clair home this holiday season beginning on Dec. 1.
The 80-foot outdoor pedestrian tunnel comes to life thanks to 14 million reversible sequins offering a fun and festive destination in which to immerse oneself to shake off a hectic winter’s day.
The reversible sequins are designed to be touched, swiped and generally played with, and are highly photographable. It will be one of the city’s most Instagrammed spots next month.
The Tunnel of Glam, located at 1501 Yonge St. was commissioned by the Yonge + St. Clair BIA and created by Studio F Minus. Visitors are asked to tag and share photos with the hashtag #tunnelofglam.
Sorelle and Co., the popular worry-free bakery on Yorkville Avenue shut its doors on Nov. 3.
The elegant store opened in 2018 and captivated the public with its decor, which looked like an ode to Marie Antoinette, and its guilt- and allergen-free sweets. This bakery was symbolic of grandeur and excess, which is humorous as its baked goods were practically free of everything.
Sorelle and Co.’s lavish interior created a safe space for people suffering from allergies and dietary restrictions to find solace and a doughnut. It also offered healthier baked options to the Yorkville crowd and a high tea service that reimagined the Windsor Arms tradition with vegan finger sandwiches and gluten-free crudités.
The store opened its flagship location in Vaughan in 2016 and quickly became known around the city for its elaborate list of baked goods made for people with a long list of dietary restrictions. Owner Sandra has five children each with their own set of allergies, so instead of learning how to work around her kids intolerances, she built a business to accommodate them and other people living with similar discomforts.
As for the reason for the closure, the note posted in the storefront window at the beginning of November told the public they were closing Sorelle’s doors to focus on their wholesale sector. In order to spread their vegan and gluten-, sesame-, preservative- and nut-free sweets to more people, they decided it was time to close down the Yorkville location.
Fortunately, this means we can expect to see Sorelle and Co. sweets in more stores across Canada. As of late, the allergen-free bakery is hosting booths in gourmet grocers like Pusateri’s and high-end cafeterias such as Saks Food Hall.
As for Sorelle’s other locations in Etobicoke and Vaughan, there has been no news of closure. So don’t get too worked up, as they will continue to serve high tea to those willing to travel for it.
Shant Mardirosian is back with a new restaurant and he’s on a mission to redeem another classic American food. The Burger’s Priest founder initially planned to retire after selling the successful series of burger joints, but his life of leisure was short lived. “After four weeks at home I was like: ‘I gotta do something.’ I was going crazy,” he says.
After all, Mardirosian’s decision to sell The Burger’s Priest wasn’t driven by a desire to get out of the restaurant industry completely. “The Burger’s Priest was my first real venture,” he says. “I started realizing that I was the type of entrepreneur that didn’t like to grow companies; I like to start them.”
And that’s exactly what he’s doing with his new Dundas West pizza venture, The Fourth Man in the Fire. “I felt that there was a big push in Neapolitan style pizza [in the city], but what was missing was just regular American pizza, like the pizza that we grew up on,” says Mardirosian.
The exterior of Fourth Man in the Fire on Dundas West.
With no formal culinary training – Mardirosian actually attended Bible college, which is why religious references tend to be weaved throughout his restaurant concepts – his research process for developing the menu at the Fourth Man in the Fire involved a lot of YouTube videos and a lot of pizza taste tests.
His pizza pilgrimage took him to New York as well as the American midwest, where many big pizza delivery chains like Little Caesars and Domino’s have their origins. Mardirosian says that the Fourth Man’s pizza is a cross between the pizza styles of these two regions. “It’s not a thin crust, it’s not a thick crust; it’s right in between,” he says.
The dough at Fourth Man is made in-house and aged for four days to intensify its flavour.It’s then cooked in an Italian brick oven and dressed with fresh sauce and a combination of five different types of cheese (although Mardirosian won’t reveal which ones).
Mardirosian opted to go ultra simple with the topping options (there are six in total and you can only have two on any one pie). “Once we started trying pizzas and testing with a million different toppings, a whole bunch of things didn’t taste right,” says Mardirosian. “We wanted to only select toppings that allow you to taste the cheese, taste the sauce, taste the bread. Once you start putting other things on, it made all the work we did kind of get lost.”
Simplicity and affordability are key aspects of Mardirosian’s ethos with the Fourth Man in the Fire. The restaurant has taken over the Dundas West building that was previously home to Campagnolo. While the Burger’s Priest is fast-food through and through, the Fourth Man offers a sit-down dining experience (although they also launched delivery at the end of October). The restaurant is a big, welcoming space decorated with checkered floors and wooden tables that harken back to old-school pizzerias.
The Fourth Man in the Fire’s name pays homage to a biblical story in which a divine fourth man protects three men loyal to God from being sentenced to a fiery death. Mardirosian says it’s a reference to his desire for the restaurant to protect Torontonians from pricey restaurant tabs.
“I wanted to create a place where families and groups of friends can go out and not spend a lot of money,” says Mardirosian. The 18-inch pizzas, which clock in at about $30 a pie, are large enough to share with three or four people, while house wines are priced at $5 a glass. The single beer on the menu, Miller High Life, is $3 a bottle.
It’s no secret that operating a restaurant in Toronto, particularly one occupying a large piece of central real estate, is expensive, and Mardirosian admits that keeping menu costs low for diners is a challenge. “It’s not easy but I’m just counting on volume to take care of that,” he says. “I want to create a safe haven for people to be able to go out and not spend 300 bucks”
He’s taking the tipping pressure off diners as well by paying all Fourth Man staff $20 per hour. Any additional tips diners choose to add are split evenly between the front and back of house teams.
“I’m trying to create something that not only changes pizza culture, but restaurant culture as well,” says Mardirosian.
Plaid is one of the season’s hottest trends, and we’re not talking about lumberjack plaid. This is country and western chic with a dollop of elegance and a whole lot of pizazz. Our fashion expert Jeanne Beker has picked the perfect pieces from blazers to blouses, skirts, sweaters and more.
A) BOYFRIEND BLAZER
“I love the pink that’s running through it. It adds a touch of femininity to a menswear-style piece.” Intermix, 130 Bloor St. W., $768
B) COUNTRY STYLE
“Smythe does the best jackets on the planet. This one has a wonderful classic country feel to it.” Andrews, Bayview Village, $795
C) CRAZY FOR CO-ORDINATES
“Freda has been doing great things for the Tracy Moore line. This is a very elegant blazer.” Freda’s, 86 Bathurst St. and on TSC.ca, $310
D) LET IT RAIN
“A fun, whimsical poncho that is totally reversible. Very chic on the inside, too, with all black.” Tzatz, 2476 Yonge St., $199
E) POMPOM PARTY
“There is something so divine about this reversible scarf. It’s so soft with nice pompoms. A great gift.” Tzatz, 2476 Yonge St., $99
F) A PERFECT MATCH
“You can team it with the matching blazer for a walk on the wild side, but these pants are also wonderful on their own.” Freda’s, 86 Bathurst St. and on TSC.ca, $179
G) PLEATED PLAID
“This pleated plaid skirt would look fabulous with a chunky sweater. I have a penchant for Scotland, and this would be great for a Highland fling.” Maska, Yorkville Village, $195
H) FUN WITH FRINGE
“I love the fringe that goes right across the back, and it has a very retro feel. A cosy cropped sweater.” Maska, Yorkville Village, $230
I) FUN AND FANCY
“This is a fun piece, very unusual: a jumpsuit with a subtle plaid. It has nice lines with the cropped wider leg. You could dress this up or down.” Parpar, 1766 Avenue Rd., $328
J) ATHLEISURE LUXE
“I love the juxtaposition of the athleisure theme coupled with this plaid with some pink running through it.” Andrews, Bayview Village, $315
K) NEUTRAL CHIC
“This is a fabulous LaMarque coat. Very palatable type of plaid that a lot of people would enjoy. Great for travel, great for layering.” Want, 1788 Avenue Rd., $509.95
L) WILD WEST
“I’ve never seen a western shirt like this. It’s got this beautiful beading detailing all across the back and the beaded fringes. This is just luxe.” Sandro, Yorkdale mall, $495
Sasha Velour is one of the most iconic and popular drag queens performing today. Her appearances on the way to winning season nine of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2017 are the stuff of legend. Her final lip-synch performance of So Emotional by the legendary Whitney Huston was celebrated as one of “TV’s Best Musical Moments on Television”by Entertainment Weekly. After winning her season of Drag Race the gender-fluid star and visual artist went on to create her one-queen show, Smoke and Mirrors. This month the theatrical drag tour is coming to Toronto and with it comes the edgy, fashion driven and quirky mind of this celebrated queen.
Velour is bringing Smoke & Mirrors to the Danforth Music Hall on Nov. 18 and 19. This evening of what she describes as “an effortless blend of drag, visual art and magic” is presented through a collection of thirteen lip-synch performances that range over a number of different genres. The queen, who is known for her use of props to help enhance her performance art, is taking it up a notch in Smoke and Mirrors. Velour excites the crowd as she vanishes into a poof of smoke, explodes into rose petals and even saws herself in half, during lip-synchs of iconic artists like Celine Dion and Annie Lennox.
The queen hopes to RuVeal more than rose petals with her new show. These daring performances unmask the illusions of gender identity, fame, family and the ability to live and love in an over-the-top way. Staying on brand, Velour will be sporting her signature look; a bald head and wicked brow, with costumes designed by long-time collaborator Diego Montoya.
Critics have been raving about this show since it opened in Australia in January 2019. Paper Magazine said the “intensely personal production shows what a top-of-her-game queen Velour really is, both as an artist and as a storyteller.”This show will sell out, so head to thedanforth.com for tickets.
Mother-daughter duo Christina and Kelly McDowell have a new boutique in Rosedale. Clementine’s shares the same name of their former luxury resale boutique, but is an entirely new concept shop that curates fashion, home and design goods. No longer offering luxury resale as part of its assortment, Clementine’s has moved forward with a focus on contemporary and niche luxury labels. They also continue to grow their private label collaborations with fashion and jewellery designers. 1054 Yonge St., 416-966-2662
Local designer Elle AyoubZadeh is bringing her footwear line to Yorkville Village. The Zvelle pop-up shop opens on Nov. 1 and runs until Dec. 31. The boutique will be located on the second floor and customers can also book private fittings after hours. The shop will carry all styles currently available on the website, along with the #GlobalCitizenry T-shirts. 55 Avenue Rd., www.zvelle.com
A new boutique is coming to Avenue Road. StyleArtist is the brainchild of Catherine Abela, and the shop held its launch party on Oct. 24. Abela originally launched StyleArtist in 2017 as an online business for personal styling and shopping. Now, two years later, it has blossomed into a boutique. She has curated a collection of items from brands such as Zadig & Voltaire, Mother Denim, Bailey 44, Sam Edelman, Rebecca Minkoff and more. 214 Avenue Rd., 416-720-0677
One of those trendy coworking spaces is coming to the area. Northspace is opening its second location in the Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue East area. The first phase launched on Sept. 1 with guests enjoying a free space to work as well as daily on-site events. The launch party took place on Oct. 30. The current phase includes an open workspace, dedicated desks, private offices, meeting rooms, a lounge and more. The next phase will launch in 2020 and includes an expansion to 26 offices and two meeting rooms. 15 Gervais Dr., 416-398-2112
Ambiyan on Yonge opened its doors at Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue in September. The menu covers all the Indian comfort food favourites, from samosas to biryani and chana masala. Outside of the traditional offerings, Ambiyan’s specialties include ghost pepper spicy chicken bites, which are paired with a Thai red chili chutney, as well as a paneer and mushroom empanada. 1560 Yonge St., Unit 114, 416-792-5656
For those preparing for holiday travels, a trip to Helene Clarkson is a must. Clarkson started her line of sophisticated clothing for the urban traveller in 2014. She recently opened her flagship boutique on Mount Pleasant Road. Her pieces are reversible, wrinkle resistant and machine washable. What’s better? All pieces are made in Toronto. 565 Mt. Pleasant Rd., 416-519-2223
