Jen Agg opens Bar Vendetta in the old Black Hoof spot in Toronto

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4:08 pm

After a summer of Instagram teasers, the doors to Toronto restaurateur Jen Agg’s latest venture have swung open with a vengeance. Bar Vendetta (928 Dundas St. W.) opened last night in the former home of the Black Hoof, where Agg made her first major mark on the city’s culinary scene.

Agg announced the opening on Twitter, along with photos of the menu. From the looks of things, the new wine bar will feature a tidy menu of pasta and shareable plates, perfect to accompany the curated list of eclectic and personal wines that steal the spotlight at the new spot.

The menu is simple. It starts with a selection of small plates inspired by contemporary Italian dishes such as eggplant with pistachio and yogurt — which nods to the northern African influence of Italy’s southern region — or meatballs with tomato sauce and garlic bread. Then comes the list of elegant pasta that can only be described as hedonistic comfort food, such as the trecce with broccoli, mushrooms and taleggio (a pungent and savoury cow’s milk cheese).

It’s open in case that’s not explicitly clear!
Sunday ~ Thursday 3-2
(walk in only)
Wine ALL THE TIME
Muffulettas 3-5
Pasta 5-12
Nachos 12-2

— Jen Agg (@TheBlackHoof) September 15, 2019

Photos shared on Bar Vendetta’s Instagram hint at a pastiche of ’70s decor, from the tiling to the wallpaper. Agg has used a lot of orange, brown and white tones in her design, reminiscent of the days of corduroy sets and wood-panelled walls.

Agg is known for other effortlessly cool restaurants in Toronto, such as Grey Gardens, Le Swan and, of course, The Black Hoof, and Bar Vendetta is no exception. Serving up some rule-breaking, off-menu selections to their nightly clientele is just one of the ways Vendetta sets itself apart from some of the other spots in the neighbourhood.

Between 3 and 5 p.m., muffaletta sandwiches come out in hoards to tide over the afternoon crowd until the pasta becomes available and takes centre stage. The full menu, in all its glory, will be served until midnight. Then, just when it can’t get any better, fully loaded nachos are whipped up for the last-call crowd.

The artfully decorated new space is sure to draw a crowd, but don’t plan your weekend around it. The neighbourhood joint is only open Sunday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to last call. Don’t worry about making a reservation either, Bar Vendetta is first-come, first-served.

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A post shared by Bar Vendetta (@barvendetta) on May 9, 2019 at 4:31pm PDT

Good Witch star Dan Jeannotte and Heidi Hawkins met while playing in Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’

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Andrew Mannsbach

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3:44 pm

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Dan Jeannotte, from CW’s Reign, the Assassin’s Creed video games and The Hallmark Channel’s Good Witch, fell in love with his wife, voice actor Heidi Hawkins, in the most predictable way — onstage playing strangers who fall in love.

How they met

Dan Jeannotte: “Heidi and I were both cast in a Shakespeare play, As You Like It — one of his comedies where complete strangers fall in love in the space of a few lines of dialogue. There was instantly something between us. But we couldn’t admit it because we were actually both in relationships at the time. Our characters get married at the end of the play, and we shared a kiss onstage. Somehow that kiss seemed to get longer during every performance. Years later, the director who cast us in that show was the officiant at our wedding.”

The proposal

DJ: “For a long time, neither of us thought that marriage was something we wanted. One weekend we were in Saint-Sauveur, a lovely ski town north of Montreal. We were talking about the future. Should we stay in Montreal? Move somewhere else for our careers? Heidi said, “You know, if we’re going to move to another city together, if we’re going to change our whole lives together — maybe we should just get married.” This was the first time we had spoken seriously about marriage. I said, ‘Are you being serious?’ A few days later, I called her father, told him we wanted to be together forever and asked for his blessing. He gave it happily. Our wedding was five months later.”

The wedding

DJ: “Our wedding was at a Montreal museum that actually used to be a public swimming pool back in the ’30s — art deco style, with beautiful vaulted ceilings — but that’s been totally redone with hardwood floors. So we got married in the deep end.”

The honeymoon

DJ: “We went on a fantastic honeymoon a few weeks after our wedding that fulfilled a longtime dream for both of us: a month-long U.S. road trip.”

The offspring

DJ: “Heidi was due right around the time when we were shooting the most recent Good Witch TV movie. I spent a week and a half on set, obsessively checking my phone for any news from Heidi. Finally the shoot was over, and there was a month-long hiatus starting on a Tuesday. Our son was born on Wednesday, 10 days past due! So either Heidi held him in until my schedule was all clear, or this little boy just has a great sense of timing.”

Their home

DJ: “We moved from Montreal to Toronto when I was accepted into the Actor’s Conservatory at the Canadian Film Centre. We first moved to Leaside — mainly because we found a great apartment there, and it was close to where I was studying at the CFC. We liked it there, so when we needed a bigger apartment to make room for the baby, we looked for something nearby. We found a great spot in East York. There’s lots of young families in the area, and we’ve made some great new friends there.”

Goals for the future

DJ: “We live on a farm in the Napa Valley. We have 26 dogs, one for each letter of the alphabet. We own a souped-up RV, and we spend a few months every year on a road trip.”

Posted April 15, 2016

Smoke Bar and Kitchen is a Queen West barbecue joint with a twist

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Samantha Peksa

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1:12 pm

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New Ontario laws in effect to keep people safe

By

Jarrod Daley

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10:00 am

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See all posts by Diamond and Diamond Lawyers

The start of a new year traditionally comes with a slew of new laws, and this year is no exception. Some of the new laws target road safety by increasing penalties or expanding prohibited driver conduct. One law addresses harassment in the workplace by imposing a requirement on certain employers to create rules and procedures for managing workplace violence.

Distracted driving

The most dangerous behaviour engaged in by drivers is distracted driving according to the Ontario Provincial Police, which makes it worse than driving under the influence of alcohol as far as causing accidents. As of January 1, penalties for distracted driving increase to $1,000 for a first offence, $2,000 for a second offence and $3,000 for a third or subsequent offences.

Suspension of a person’s driver’s licence is now included with the fines as a penalty for a conviction. Suspensions are three days for a first offence, seven days for a second offence and 30 days for a third or subsequent offence. Simply holding a cellphone in your hand is sufficient cause for a police officer to write a ticket under the new definition of distracted driving.

Making tractor-trailers safer

Tractor-trailers should be safer under a change to the Motor Safety Act enacted by the federal government. All tractors, the pulling end of a tractor-trailer, manufactured in Canada after August 1 must be equipped with electronic stability control systems to prevent vehicles from rolling over or a loss of control by drivers in the event of a collision. The law also applies to school buses and intercity transit buses.

Safer workplaces

Employers with 20 or more employees will now be required to create best practices guidelines for handling violence and harassment in the workplace. The amendment to the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act includes expands the definition of a workplace hazard affecting the health and safety of a worker to include harassment and violence in the workplace.

Making it tougher for motorists who drink and drive

Amendments to the Ontario Highway Traffic Act increase penalties for motorists with blood alcohol concentrations of 0.05 percent or greater to $250 for first offenders, $350 for a second offence and $450 for offences after the second. Drivers refusing to voluntarily submit to drug or alcohol testing when asked to do so by a police officer are subject to a $550 penalty if they are later found to have a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.08 percent or identified as impaired by a drug recognition evaluator.

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How Toronto-based fashion designer Narces met her husband and managing director

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Andrew Mannsbach

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3:30 pm

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Austria-born power couple Nikki Wirthensohn Yassemi and Stefan Wirthensohn, of the Toronto-based womenswear label Narces, can trace their success in life and love back to their first date in Toronto. Nikki, the creative director and designer behind the label, has risen to the top of the fashion industry with her husband Stefan by her side as the managing director of her line. The two look back on their courtship and how it all started.

How they met

Nikki Wirthensohn Yassemi: “We met during our MBA studies at Schulich School of Business. Stefan was an exchange student from Austria, and I was also born in Austria. So we got into a lot of birth country debates at a university event that my closest MBA friend had begged me to go, which Stefan had organized.”

The first date

Stefan Wirthensohn: “Soon after, we had our first date at a cool cocktail bar on College Street. Nikki was the one who initiated our first date and asked me out to tour around the city with its important sites to see. Conveniently it was reading week, which gave us a lot of time to spend together 24/7, and we started dating since that point on. This was two months before I had to go back to Austria!”

The proposal

NWY: “We loved a famous German kids book, ‘Oh, Wie schön ist Panama’, where a tiger and bear leave their home to find Panama, the best place in the world, to come back home and realize that home is the best place. So Stefan organized a trip to Panama in the summer of 2006 and proposed there. While in Panama, I realized soon enough what was about to happen, and he felt nervous and sick. So the proposal had to wait! Still Stefan pulled through, and I said yes!”

The wedding

NWY: “We got married on Aug. 8, 2008, in the South of France at Chateau Dior. I designed both of my dresses, and none other than my mother made these beautiful garments. The first dress for the ceremony was a cloud of gathered mini tiers of tulle with 3D handmade flowers on the bust. The second dress for the evening was inspired by 1950s ballerina dresses and was made out of double-sided silk satin.”

The honeymoon

SW: “We didn’t really have time for a real honeymoon and still are talking about doing one now. We went to Corsica for four days after our wedding, which we called our honeydays.”

Home life

NWY: “We live and work in the most beautiful village, formerly known as Yorkville Village, established in 1830 and then annexed into Toronto in 1883 (the Rosedale-Yorkville area). Super central, inspiringly creative with beautiful art galleries, unique boutiques, beautiful parks, flagship stores for all major luxury brands, gorgeous hotels and restaurants, all within walking distance. Our house is also our design studio and is a heritage house from 1870, close to Yonge and Bloor.”

The kids

NWY: “We have two children. Zoë and Aryo.”

Balancing careers and marriage

SW: “Our life balance is not always easy because we are running our own company together, and the family keeps us very, very busy. We try to have at least one to two date nights a month to recharge and reconnect and try not to talk about business. But we just end up looking at pictures of our kids that we miss after a few hours.”

Shared interests

SW: “We both love film and music. So movie nights and concerts are on the agenda as often as possible.”

Secret for success

NWY: “Not sure if we have a secret that works for everyone. We do believe that all couples need to do it their way! One thing that we both believe is important is keeping in mind that, even though we are together in a relationship, we need to be happy individually!”

Posted on Sept. 4, 2018

Mike Holmes Jr. wants Toronto to know about the air necessities

By

Erin Neilly

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12:57 pm

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Unfortunately, summer is coming to an end. Before you know it, we will be spending a lot more of our time indoors as temperatures begin to drop.

A recent study dubbed The Indoor Generation, by YouGov, asked Canadians how much time they thought they spent indoors. The study found that Canadians estimate that 68 per cent of our time is spent indoors: in reality, we actually spend 90 per cent of our time inside. And often that means time spent in dark, poorly ventilated and, in some cases, unhealthy buildings.

Here’s a surprising fact: indoor air is usually worse than outdoor air, and can be up to five times more polluted. Seven out of 10 Canadians are completely unaware of this information. And the problem is serious: If too much time is spent in damp, mouldy spaces, the chances of getting asthma increases by about 40 per cent.

All of this may seem unsettling, but don’t worry! There is a lot that can be done to change the indoor air quality in your home. Even if there are no renovation plans on the horizon, you can still improve the air quality.

First, change your furnace filter frequently! Spend a bit more on a quality hypoallergenic air filter, and the air you breathe will already become that much cleaner.

Something as simple as having a fan on or leaving a window open throughout the day can help bring fresh air into your home and get rid of any stale air that you don’t want to breathe in.

Another great idea is to put air purifiers in areas of your home where you spend a lot of time. This will help filter out polluted air, pet dander, etc.

Now, if you do have home renovation plans, there are many things to consider. In my opinion, the most important thing is to leave your home during any major renovation work! Stay elsewhere, whether with a friend, family member, or at a hotel or rental. You definitely do not want to breathe in all of that construction dust.

If the renovation is minor, make sure you’re out of the house during any demolition, and any other time the contractor will be creating a lot of dust. Ensure that your contractor seals off the area being worked in, and keeps the rest of your home clean and dust-free.

Another tip is to renovate your home from the outside in. Think ahead when it comes to different products that you want to incorporate during a renovation. Personally, I think a heat recovery ventilator is very important. Its job is to exchange the stale air inside with fresh air from outside, giving you better-quality air immediately.

Once you start to close up the walls, it is important to think about what kind of drywall and paints you want to use. In any area of your home where there will be moisture (bathrooms, the bottom four feet of basement walls) mould-resistant drywall is a good idea. This will prevent any mould growth elsewhere in the home. Another product I make people aware of is VOC (volatile organic compounds) -absorbing drywall. This drywall absorbs VOC for up to 75 years and 25 coats of paint, contributing to cleaner air.

Last but certainly not least, you should be using a zero VOC paint! I like Fusion Mineral Paint for a lot of my personal projects because it is high-quality, non-toxic and a zero VOC paint.

The quality of the air you breathe is important; these tips help get your home ready for the extra hours you’ll be spending there during the autumn and winter.

12 ways clubbing resembles motherhood

By

Erin Neilly

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12:00 pm

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Cat and Nat tackle motherhood with wit and wisdom. Find them at catandnat.ca or @catandnat.

Clubbing vs. motherhood: this may be a strange comparison to some people, but we’re here to tell you that they are actually the exact same thing — except for the fact that one is a lot more fun, obviously.

We’re no experts, but because we’ve noticed so many similarities between the two, we can say with the utmost confidence that clubbing really does prepare you for motherhood. Now let us share with you all the reasons why.…

1. You wake up in the morning feeling like you haven’t slept all night long, and that’s simply because you haven’t slept all night long. There also may or may not be someone in your bed, and quite honestly, you can’t remember how they got there or when they got there. When you’re a clubber, you’re praying that it’s the hottie you met at the bar. As a parent, you look over and you hope that it’s the good kid lying next to you.

2. There is usually a girl curled up in a corner somewhere bawling her eyes out. You’re not sure why she’s mad or if you’ve made her mad, but she’s definitely overemotional and inconsolable. Unfortunately for you, you have absolutely no idea what to say to her, and if you try to approach her, she will most likely scream at you.

3. Shots: there are lots and lots of shots. When you’re in the club, you’re throwing back shots of alcohol and living your best life. When you’re a parent, you’re downing shots of espresso and trying not to cry or pass out due to sleep deprivation.

4. It’s 100 per cent guaranteed that there will be drinks spilt on you, over you and around you. When it’s apple juice that you have to clean up on your way out the door to a meeting, it’s not OK. When you’re clubbing, it’s vodka, you don’t seem to care as much.

5. There is always someone running around with no pants, no top or no clothes at all. Always.

6. You don’t eat anything until the absolute last point in the evening, and then you stuff your face and scarf down as much as humanly possible. The more unhealthy, the better.

7. It’s so loud. You can’t hear anything, ever. You can’t even hear your own thoughts!

8. You will never go to the bathroom on your own, and there will most definitely be drama on the way there. Once you’re finally in the bathroom, there is always some kind of chit-chat that makes for even more drama.

9. It takes FOREVER to get out of the house. When you’re young, you spend all your time doing your hair and makeup. When you’re a parent, you spend all your time getting the kids ready.

10. Personal space … it just doesn’t exist. There is always someone touching you. When you’re clubbing, you want to be touched. HEYOOO! When you’re a parent, you want everyone off.

11. Someone is always barfing. True story. It smells like barf, it feels like barf. By the end of the day, someone has barfed … everywhere.

12. There is at least one person in the room who is doing something that is most definitely naughty and most likely nasty.

And there ya have it! All you young ones out there who are in the middle of your clubbing days, keep doing it! Do it every night. Do it all the time. Go wild. Honestly, it’s the best preparation you’ll ever get for motherhood.

The best veggie burgers in Toronto

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Samantha Peksa

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11:11 am

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Toronto’s queen of organic cannabis talks pot, sexism and life as a mother from Forest Hill

By

Erin Neilly

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4:02 pm

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Alison Gordon is the CEO of 48North, the cannabis growers behind the world’s largest legal crop of organic marijuana. We checked in with the Forest Hill mom about trailblazing, sexism in the industry and the best munchies around.

How does it feel to operate the largest legal cannabis farm in the world (outside of Hamilton)?

It’s super exciting to be growing on that scale outdoors. It’s a different energy than growing indoors, feels less criminal.

Less criminal?

You know how in the indoor facilities you have to wear those hazmat suits to enter and gloves and hairnets? Well, outdoors has this real energy. It just feels more natural to grow weed that’s been kissed by the sun.

You think there’s an appetite in the legal market for organic cannabis?

In California, they can’t keep it on the shelves. And there’s a trend toward organic, vegan, plus it’s perceived as being more natural — and produces stronger terpenes.

What’s one thing people get wrong about cannabis a year after legalization?

There’s confusion about what’s legal. People tell me it’s legal to buy there [at an illegal dispensary such as Toronto’s Café], and I’m like, “No it isn’t!” Although I guess now they’re right, but there’s confusion about legalization because there was so much media that Canada has gone legal that there’s a perception that everything is legal, and that’s not the case.

And what do people still get wrong about weed?

There’s this perception of the people who use cannabis as lazy or unmotivated, the typical stoner mentality, and it’s amazing to me because people like myself — I’m the CEO of a company and I’ve raised $70 million — clearly I’m not sitting on my ass, but when I say I’m a regular cannabis user I get a vibe that people are like, “Oh my God.” I think it takes time to break that stigma.

Where are you in the city again?

Christie and Davenport. And I grew up in Forest Hill.

What do the neighbours think about the mom who smokes pot?

I think, as my career evolves and investments I’ve made, even prior to being here at 48North, have come to fruition, even my dad is like, this industry is not normal. Maybe tech had a similar thing. I don’t think this is a good thing; however, I think it’s true: once you have a commercial success, people look at the situation differently.

So are neighbours asking you for weed stock tips?

Definitely people come up to me. I’m not famous, but what does happen a lot is young women approaching me who want to get in the industry.

Is there gender equality in the industry?

Cannabis is a capital intensive industry, and with banking and finance, unfortunately, certain things rule that world and as a result rule our industry too. Our industry is male dominated, and it always has been, and it doesn’t seem to change. But one of the things I say is I was a PhD dropout, but at least I got in [the cannabis industry]. I started Rethink Breast Cancer, and we grew it into a national organization. It’s not like I didn’t have accolades, but one of the things I never understood was the financial markets.

Have you experienced lots of sexism?

The opposite because in 2013 or 2014, the “gold rush” or “green rush” with legal weed, I was the only woman in the room, the only female CEO presenting to these bankers, and it was a differentiator — that’s how you turn sexism around.

What about when you can’t?

I’ve been winked at, and the bankers will put their hand on your back to say hi and you’re like, YUCK! Those things aren’t fun, but they happen. I turn it into a win.

I hear your son in the background. He’s 14. What do you tell a teenager about weed?

He knows. And I mean, I started using cannabis around that age, 15 or 16, and I’ve been regular, like I never went through a phase where I stopped or picked it back up. I never dropped it, so I’m just honest with him and want him to be honest with me.

Honestly, where’s a good place to eat in your ’hood with the munchies?

My corner store? I like freezies.

OK, where’s a good place to go out.

Fat Pasha. We eat there a lot.

If you could put a legal dispensary in any Toronto area, where would it be?

Forest Hill village would be fun. It doesn’t have the best foot traffic, but it’s where I grew up. How great would that be.

Jen Agg’s Queen West diner is shaking things up with its new breakfast-y lunch menu

By

Samantha Peksa

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3:35 pm

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65449250_611623572660303_7870698341738549085_n — Eggs and soldiers (@leswanfrenchdiner)

Le Swan has a new midday menu that’s breaking the rules in more ways than one. Served from Friday to Sunday beginning at 11am (the traditional brunching hours), the menu banishes bennies and other brunch staples in favour of dishes that fall squarely into either the breakfast or lunch category.

Similar to the restaurant’s dinner offerings, the lunch menu features a pared-down selection of simple, comfort food dishes done well. Among the more breakfast-y options is Le McMuffin, a not-so-subtle riff on the Golden Arches’ favourite, which is taken up several notches with sausage, raclette cheese, dijon vinaigrette and arugula.

A traditional Full English breakfast is reimagined as “the Full French,” an equally hearty (but much fancier) spread of thick cut bacon, fried eggs, hash browns and flageolet beans with duck confit, finished with a string of blistered cherry tomatoes and hunks of lightly toasted baguette.

The savoury waffle sees a crisp waffle topped with eggs, bacon, cheddar and jalapeño honey, while the eggs and soldiers offer a little childhood nostalgia at an affordable $8. On the lunchier side of things are standards from Le Swan’s dinner menu, including a western sandwich, an omelette and a tuna melt.

Although the restaurant accepts dinner reservations, tables are walk-in only at lunch. Fortunately, Le Swan’s untraditional breakfast-lunch menu doesn’t appear to be attracting the typical Toronto brunch crowds so you’ll likely be able to get your weekend eggs-and-coffee fix without a long wait.

The lingering question is if McDonald’s is going to catch on (or care about) Le McMuffin and the presumably unauthorized use of the trademarked McMuffin name. You might want to try Le Swan’s version of the breakfast sandwich sooner rather than later, just in case.