The complete guide to Toronto’s top sushi

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3:18 pm

Once upon a time, a few — a very few! – Torontonians discovered raw fish. “EEEuw,” said others. “Fab,” said more and more. And soon it was no longer exotic or even a fad. Sushi is normal, and it ranges from the cheap stuff in supermarket cases and airport snack shops to the high end where those with diamonds on the soles of their shoes pay $500 plus for dinner for two. I’ve eaten sushi in Japan and searched for the best sushi in Toronto. Here are the results of my hunt: The 10 best sushi in the GTA and the hot spots that serve them.

Yasu — torched scallop with yuzu and pepper

Flown in from Hokkaido in Japan, the buttery flesh is torched to seal in the salty-sweet juices and rendered complex with citric yuzu and black pepper. Chef paints house-made soy on the sushi with a brush to get the right proportions. Yasu’s omakase (the resto’s only option) is 18 courses — each a single perfect sushi. 81 Harbord St.

Sushi Kaji — chopped toro with green onion gunkanmaki

At Kaji, sushi is an art; each dish as beautiful as it is delicious. Try toro gunkanmaki — chopped fatty tuna atop a pristine morsel of just tangy enough rice, wrapped in the crispest nori and topped with finely shaved scallion, the sharpness of which contrasts exquisitely with the rich, oily toro. 860 The Queensway

Shoushin — octopus nigiri

Shoushin is like entering a Japanese Zen garden. Rest your bare feet on river stones in a recessed tatami. Outstanding service kicks the experience up a notch, but the food is why it made the list. Octopus is more tender than I’ve ever experienced. If octopus can be erotic, this is it. 3328 Yonge St.

Zen — uni hand roll

Zen’s move to Markham last spring only improved the experience. Never have I experienced such freshness this far from the ocean. Zen’s hand rolls (which are cylindrical rather than conical, allowing for even distribution of rice and filling throughout) are divine. The freshest uni in the city is served chilled, complemented by slightly warm rice and glass-crisp nori. 7634 Woodbine Ave., Markham

Solo Sushi Ya — giant sweet shrimp (raw, with head on)

The fish selection is small in number but great in flavour. Best is the giant sweet shrimp. Eat the candylike body (don’t forget to savour the subtly flavoured rice) and send the heads back to the kitchen to be deep-fried to satisfy your guilty cravings. 291 Davis Dr., Newmarket

Ja Bistro — aburi mackerel

Ja’s blowtorch menu seems an affront to trad raw fish, but their oshizushi (rice and fish lightly torched and compressed to intensify the flavours) is divine. Mackerel runs the risk of being greasy and fishy tasting, but pressing and torching makes it rich but not oily, with a sugary finish offset by daikon and soy. 222 Richmond St. W.

Hiro — house smoked salmon

Hiro takes great fish and makes it greater. Starting with top-quality ingredients (including homemade soy and freshly grated wasabi), he adds his own touch. Try the salmon trio, which includes raw, marinated (grav-lax) and smoked versions. My fave is the latter — smoky-sweet flavour that maintains the tender sweetness of the raw flesh. Not your deli lox! 171 King St. E.

Japango — ikura with quail egg

Treat yourself to ikura with quail egg. It’s a multi-act play for your palate. First the nori crunch piques your interest, then the obscenely fresh salmon roe pop in your mouth, drenching your taste buds in their briny filling, and the cool egg yolk tops it off with a flattering layer of richness. 122 Elizabeth St.

Wow Sushi — tamago

In Japan chefs train for years perfecting their recipes for this omelette-like cake made of layers of sweet egg. The ideal tamago is uniform in texture and colour. The tender yellow cube is sliced open and sandwiched around a tiny morsel of perfectly toothy rice. Bite in and enjoy the salty-sweet balance of juices that are released. 11 Charles St. W.

Sushi on Bloor — sushi pizza

Sushi pizza sounds like a culinary fusion abomination, but both ingredients and flavour contrasts are yummy. The deep-fried rice is warm and crispy against the cool smoothness of huge pieces of surprisingly good quality salmon on top. Japanese mayo, tobiko and green onions tie the dish together. This is comfort food Toronto style, oh joy! 525 Bloor St. W.

News Focus: A snapshot of some of the tallest of the tall heading midtown's way

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10:10 am

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1 Eglinton Ave. E.
Hariri Pontarini Architects

Proposed: The applicant is proposing a 68-storey, mixed-use residential building. The condominium would have retail space on the ground floor as well as commercial space and 672 residential units and 26 live/work units.

Parking: 287 parking spaces.

What happened: The building owner applied for a zoning amendment, and that application came before Toronto and East York Community Council on Jan. 3, 2015. A community meeting was held May 11, and a preliminary report was issued by city staff on Dec. 18.

What’s next: The application was scheduled to come before Toronto City Council for final approval during the fourth quarter of 2015 but never made it. Look for a decision in early 2016 if the applicant doesn’t appeal to the OMB.

Talking points: Staff is concerned about replacing the lost office space; although according to a staff report, the developer states it is in compliance because of proposed “live/work units.” This is in addition to concerns regarding a step back of the tower and the overall height.

2263–2285 Yonge St.
Rosario Varacalli

Proposed: This application, which also includes 8–10 Eglinton Ave. E. and 25 and 25R Roehampton Ave. and was submitted on Dec. 14, 2011, features a 58-storey building as well as a 38-storey building with a total of 854 residential units as well as commercial use on the first couple floors.

Parking: 287 parking spaces are being proposed.

What happened: The development was approved after the application was revised in consultation with the city and community.

What’s next: The application came before Toronto City Council and was approved on July 16, 2013. Construction is currently underway with an anticipated move-in date of September 2017. Price per square foot is $783, but the condos are currently sold out.

Talking points: The building’s owner has paid $3.25 million, under Section 37 of the Planning Act, to be used by the city for neighbourhood improvements including a new public space on the TTC lands on the southwest corner of Yonge and Eglinton.

55 Eglinton Ave. E
Kirkor Architects

Proposed: A 47-storey, mixed-use building has been proposed for this site on Eglinton Avenue East between Holly Street and Dunfield Avenue. The project would include 455 residential units, a five-storey base and 42-storey tower.

Parking: 141 parking spaces and 455 bicycle spaces on six levels of underground parking.

What happened: The preliminary report came before Toronto and East York Community Council on Feb. 18, 2015, and a community meeting was held on April 20.

What’s next: The application was scheduled to come before Toronto City Council for final approval during the fourth quarter of 2015.

Talking points: Although the development is more than 23 times current density requirements, the developer’s planning rationale statement indicates the density does meet the objectives of Toronto’s official plan and Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan.

33 Holly St.
Quadrangle Architects

Proposed: This development, which also includes 44 Dunfield Ave. as well as 86 and 88 Soudan Ave., consists of two residential buildings of 24 and 32 storeys as well as five-storey additions to the existing apartment buildings on Holly Street and Dunfield Avenue and a six-storey apartment building at the Soudan address. The total units will be 492 condominium and 46 rental plus 324 existing rental.

Parking: 600 vehicle parking spaces and 538 bicycle parking spaces.

What happened: The city voted against the development. A staff report states that the “application represents overdevelopment of the site” and does not comply with its “apartment neighbourhoods” designation.

What’s next: The city voted to oppose this application at the OMB, and a date for a 10-day hearing has been set for March 21, 2016.

Talking points: This development is off the main avenues and is subject to different zoning under the official plan, and under the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan highest densities are recommended for Yonge, Eglinton and Mount Pleasant.

90 Eglinton Ave. W
Turner Fleischer Architects

Proposed: A residential condo development has been proposed for this site at the corner of Eglinton Avenue West and Henning Avenue. The proposal is for a 29-storey mixed-use building with retail on the ground floor as well as two floors of office space. The site is currently home to a six-storey office building.

Parking: 125 parking spaces.

What happened: There have been two pre-application hearings, and a community meeting was held in July 2014. A preliminary staff report was submitted to North York Community Council on Aug. 6, 2014, when staff recommended the application be revised.

What’s next: The application is currently under review.

Talking points: According to a city staff report, under the Eglinton Connects Planning Study a mid-rise, eight-storey building has been identified as appropriate for the site.

Restaurant Review: Fantastic fare at Figo (service not so much)

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Andrew Mannsbach

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3:17 pm

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If Charles Khabouth and his sidekick Hanif Harji aren’t the busiest guys in town, dunno who is. I can’t keep track of all their bars, clubs and restos. From Patria and Weslodge to Société and Byblos, throw in a few big clubs and these guys are making Oliver and Bonacini and Mark McEwan look petite.

The newest member of the Khabouth/Harji family is Figo on Adelaide Street West. It’s unfortunate that Figo is across the street from Hooters, that brand not being so appetizing (to some of us) across a plate glass window. Maybe some curtains? It’s a pretty room, light and curvy, the wine cupboard’s glass boxes the shape of church windows and a large tile arch framing the open kitchen.

My mom used to say that, if I couldn’t say something nice, I oughtn’t to say anything at all. Clearly she didn’t know she was raising a restaurant critic. So sorry Mom, but could some of the serving staff have migrated southward across the street? ’Cause their service skills range form mediocre to appalling, so we’re wondering if maybe they have other, ahem, attributes.

It starts with the maître d’, who, with the restaurant three quarters empty, seats us at a small round table in the middle of the throughway from kitchen to back room rather than a nice big table against the wall.

Then there’s ordering the wine. Which of the reds is the fullest bodied? She doesn’t know. She consults her cheat sheet. She still isn’t sure.

But the food is fantastic. There is superb salad of creamy burrata with pressed cantaloupe and huckleberries. A suite of house-made ricotta apps with house-made crostoni and diverse garnishes. I favour the one with vin cotta (cooked down caramelized wine) and toasted pine nuts. Very authentic. There is impeccable raw sea bream jazzed with chili and basil. Fabulous thin-crust pizzas, of which the simply dubbed mushroom topping is just about mind-blowing in a town with too much great pizza. It’s cremini and maitake mushrooms with nicely caramelized onion, caciocavallo cheese, super-thin shaved potato, a big bouquet of raw watercress and the scent of truffle. Divine!

Of course the pasta is house-made. I like the tortelli, which are smallish ravioli stuffed with lemon-spiked arugula and ricotta in butter sauce. They go great with salad of black kale with chilies and crispy garlic.

What doesn’t go so great is having all the food delivered to the (smallish) table at once. The maître d’ walks by several times during our dinner but never pauses his perambulation either to check in with us or to notice how we’re being served. Pity.

We ask what the chocolate dessert is, and the server says there’s a quenelle on top. Which she defines as a mascarpone (pronounced like corn pone) football. Escoffier would be turning in his grave to hear the great gossamer dumpling of la grande cuisine française referred to as a football.

So we order the panna cotta. Yet a different server delivers that. This one is in such a hurry that as I ask her where the elderberry jelly is, she has already turned heel and hurried away. Thank goodness I can find the elderberry jelly all by myself. It’s a golden layer atop the panna cotta, itself a quivering fragile mass of cooked cream and elderberry jelly, a sophisticated not-too-sweet benediction on the Italianate splendour of the panna cotta.

But still they put a foot wrong. In a restaurant that’s still not so full, wouldn’t you think someone, anyone, might bid us farewell on departure? Not a chance. Is this a new meaning of hospitality?

Figo, 295 Adelaide St. W., $100 dinner for two

Joanne Kates trained at the Ecole Cordon Bleu de Cuisine in Paris. She has written articles for numerous publications, including the New York Times, Maclean’s and Chatelaine.

Restaurant Review: Does Brad Moore still have the magic touch at Old School?

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Andrew Mannsbach

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8:16 am

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I am struggling to understand chef Brad Moore. At Xacutti on College Street, his food was superb. Light, multicultural, flashing flavours and textures. Okay so it was from 2002 to 2007, but a chef doesn’t forget how to cook. It’s like riding a bicycle. He was, then, one of the most interesting chefs in town.

Fast forward to today. Old School, chef Moore’s new restaurant in the premises of the former Hudson Kitchen: It’s the old/new classic, the all-American diner, the 1950s soda fountain with egg creams and flapjacks, open 24/7. Paper napkins, graffiti, Motown and formica. The formula has legs because it harkens back to a kinder gentler age, before snotty maître d’s and $15 cocktails.

But the chef partnership of Ian Kapitan and Brad Moore means gastro-business too. Mr. Kapitan, a chef without a big pedigree, is the guy behind the smoker out back, turning out ribs and chicken. And Brad Moore, whose food we know and love, does the other things. He’s hitting a certain, shall we say, low note. Hangover salad with pulled pork, bacon and a deep-fried egg? Flapjacks? Fried chicken with butter? C’mon Brad, you know how to cook a vegetable. And fish. And meat that isn’t all about fat.

Is this because Toronto is gaga for meat (especially pork) fat and BBQ and these guys thought to capitalize on the trend? Or do they both have genuine personal love of fatty meat?

If the latter, then why isn’t the food better?

Hogtown is a pretty competitive place to be smokin’ ribs these days, and Old School’s aren’t within spitting distance of the top 10. They’re rather dry and not so meaty. The big smoker out back also handles chickens, to equally uninspiring effect. The smoked chicken is also dry and overcooked, with scant scent of smoke.

Equally disappointing is the road-crosser chicken, in Chef Moore’s bailiwick. In my world, fried chicken is one of the #1 ways to overspend on calories and trans fats. There is nothing quite so transcendental as the crunch and squirt of ultra-crisp breading and moist meat when you bite it. Not at Old School, where the breading was flaccid and the meat no longer moist. Serving it with a big scoop of vanilla butter is simply too much. Is one to put the butter on the no longer warm biscuit? It might have helped, since said biscuit could be flakier. Our good humour is not improved by the undercooked potatoes in the potato salad.

The fries are underwhelming. Not bad, not great. Serving them lukewarm doesn’t help. The best thing on the menu, the sine qua non of Old School, is the mac and cheese. It’s loaded with sharp cheddar, the sauce is velvety, the noodles nice. Mac and cheese is not exactly haute cuisine. Maybe this is a case of lowering the bar, just for fun. The question is, whose fun?

Old School, 800 Dundas St. W., 416-815-8790

Taste Test: Club kings sample T.O.’s top sammies

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Andrew Mannsbach

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8:55 am

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Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji, two of Toronto’s leading restaurateurs help us pick the city’s best club sandwich.

Winner:
Cocoalatte, 671 St. Clair Ave. W., $10
“The whole combo works,” says Khabouth. Harji agrees saying, “The bread is really delicious, it has good texture, and it’s not trying too hard.”

Urban clubhouse
Against the Grain Urban Tavern, 87 Laird Dr., $15
“It’s delicious. The cranberry isn’t overpowering, and the smoke of the turkey is nice, and I like the bread,” says Harji. Khabouth adds, “It’s a lot of turkey,” and he loves it.

Dairy triple-decker
Centre Street Deli, 1136 Centre St., Thornhill, $14.95
“It looks like it’s from an old-fashioned diner,” says Khabouth, and Harji gets nostalgic: “It looks like something my mother made for me.”

Grilled turkey club
Colette Grand Cafe, 550 Wellington St. W., $18
The smoked tomato steals the show. Khabouth says, “The tomato makes it,” and Harji agrees: “the smoked tomato is delicious,” but he wishes there were more texture.

Tuna club sandwich
Local Public Eatery, 180 Laird Dr., $16
“The best part is the bread that’s been buttered and toasted,” says Khabouth. Harji adds, “The tuna flavour is not as strong and doesn’t hold up to the bacon. It gets lost.”

Smoked chicken club
The Hogtown Cure, 1484 Dundas St. W., $11.75
“The smell of the pesto is really good,” says Khabouth as he admires all the colours in the sandwich. Harji wishes the chicken had a stronger smokey flavour.

Camel club
Black Camel, 4 Crescent Rd., $9.50
“The tomato is unbelievable,” says Khabouth. Harji agrees, “It’s good. It’s either oven roasted or olive oil poached or something, but it does the trick.”

Ahi tuna club
Joey Don Mills, 1090 Don Mills Rd., $17.50
“The texture of the onion ring is really nice,” says Harji. Khabouth adds, “I love the bun. It’s delicious, I really like it. It’s a little bit sweet, but I like it.”

2015 Torontonians of the Year: Cancer surgeon Dr. Fahima Osman

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Andrew Mannsbach

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8:48 am

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Dr. Fahima Osman, surgeon

The year 2015 was a banner one for Dr. Fahima Osman. Certainly her specialized breast cancer surgery at North York General is notable (as is the grant she received in January to research oncoplastic surgery in Ontario). But as a Somali-Canadian, her work has been notable since she set her sights on a career in medicine at age eight.

“I was a peculiar child who had one dream of becoming a doctor and everything revolved around it,” says Osman. And become a doctor she did, despite the challenge of being the eldest of nine children to refugee parents who had never been to school. When the Globe and Mail contacted her in 2003, Osman realized she was going to be the first Canadian-trained medical doctor in Canada’s Somali community. And so, for the first three years of her practice, Osman made annual trips to Somaliland to volunteer as a surgeon.

“That’s why I ended up doing a master’s in public health,” explains Osman. “I discovered that I want to train Somali students to help themselves. We started a scholarship for Somali medical students to allow them to do surgical training in neighbouring countries.”

Osman was awarded a full scholarship to study global health and how to improve access to healthcare in low and middle income countries at Johns Hopkins.

In Toronto, Osman has become an expert in oncoplastic breast surgery, which uses plastic surgery techniques to remove tumors and produce positive cosmetic outcomes. This surgery is uncommon in Canada, due to a lack of training. Osman performs the surgery without any added compensation.

“I hope that highlighting how women with breast cancer are happier with these outcomes sets an example for other hospitals.”

Daily Planet: Toronto needs a crosstown protected bike lane on Bloor and Danforth

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9:36 am

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During the recent federal election, a candidate distributed flyers promising that, if elected, her party would make “historic investments in infrastructure. This means building cycling lanes and better public transit.” The transit pledge wasn't unexpected — many politicians talk about that — but her other promise was surprising and welcome. Among the dozens of issues a candidate can mention, this candidate chose bike lanes. Perhaps the world is changing.

This November, the David Suzuki Foundation launched a campaign to have protected bike lanes built in Ontario cities. It’s all part of our effort to help folks spend more time outdoors, reduce traffic congestion, clear the air and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Our first goal is to get a protected bike lane on the main east-west corridor of Canada’s largest city: Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue. We think it could be a game-changer not just for Toronto, but for municipalities across the country.

Toronto already has lanes on shorter streets, such as Adelaide in the downtown core, and they’re proving very popular. Since bike lanes were installed on Adelaide in 2014, the number of cyclists has nearly tripled, from 550 to 1,575 over an eight-hour period. Jacquelyn Hayward Gulati, the city’s cycling infrastructure manager, says people on bikes now represent nearly half (43 per cent) of traffic on this street.

Now it's time to take this successful experiment and run it right across the city with a “cycle track” — or protected bicycle lane — on Bloor-Danforth.

Along with our local partner, Cycle Toronto, we are optimistic the project will come to fruition. The new federal government has promised billions of dollars for “green infrastructure,” a category in which bike lanes should easily fit.

The Bloor route is backed by six local residents’ associations. And city staff are recommending approval of a pilot lane along Bloor, to be built in spring 2016.

As well, the project should garner support from drivers, especially elderly ones. The U.S. advocacy group People for Bikes says protected lanes reduce driving risks. Other experts point out that, by clearly delineating spaces for cyclists and automobiles, the lanes make road use more predictable and safer for everyone.

The Bloor proposal comes in the midst of a growing belief that reliance on private motorized vehicles needs to be sharply curtailed. In Ontario, cars are now “the largest source of transport emissions,” according to the environmental commissioner. The growing popularity of cycling in Canadian cities shows that, when you give people the opportunity to leave their cars at home, they will.

A Bloor bike lane is a great idea — one that could spark similar projects across Canada. But not everyone at Toronto City Council is embracing it. That’s where you come in. Take a moment to express this to decision makers by filling out the Bloor Loves Bikes pledge, which can be found at www.cycleto.ca.

If we’re going to address climate change and improve our air, we need to give folks lots of alternatives to the gas-powered automobile. Bikes are among the best.

Restaurant Review: Has Kasa Moto dumbed it down for Yorkville?

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Andrew Mannsbach

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9:13 am

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enjoy kasa moto cuisine from heated patio — Enjoy Kasa Moto's incredible cuisine from its heated patio

Kasa Moto is two floors of Yorkvillian luxe in the former Remys; should you wish to drop $200 on a Japanese dinner for two with a lot of pretty people, Kasa Moto is your spot. It’s owned by the Chase Hospitality Group, of The Chase, The Chase Fish and Oyster and the Thompson Hotel’s Colette. Fancy Shmancy.

So I had high hopes.

Oh well.

First off, the dining room is weird, chopped up into unattractive small bites with blah grey tub chairs and few grace notes. If this is minimalism, give me tchotchkes.

Then there’s the service. Pretty much everything came at once, with no explanation offered about what was what. A little pacing might have been nice, especially at these prices. And how about bringing the soup with everything else? I asked the waiter why the soup didn’t come first, and he said that’s cause they serve it last.

But it came all jumbled up with everything else. In my world, if you’re charging $13 for a bowl of soup and calling it lobster miso, you better 1) serve it at the right time and 2) gimme lobster. Not so much. As a long-term fan of miso soup, having eaten it in Japan and here, I found this rendition shockingly flavour-free. The lobster was eentsy bits of overcooked lobster, flavour also MIA.

Which I can’t figure out. The chefs are Daisuke Izutsu, who’s cooked at the superlative Kaiseki-Sakura, Michael Parubocki from the estimable Momofuku Noodle Bar and Frank’s Kitchen, and Tsuyoshi Yoshinaga (ex Yasu, Kingyo and Kaji). These guys have pedigrees. Have they dumbed it down for Yorkville? One could hardly blame them for not doing their best at Toronto’s epicentre of all that is skin-deep glamour and glitz.

It’s all pretty good. But pretty good for that money? Hamachi ponzu is nice fresh yellowtail with a pool of properly puckery ponzu and some shiso oil, topped with a significant pile of what they call “crispy carrot.” It’s carrot shreds that have, presumably, been deep-fried. Should be ultra crisp and sweet. Who knows how long they sat before being delivered. Let’s just say there’s many a slip ‘twixt the deep fryer and my lip, ’cause these crispy carrots aren’t.

Tuna tataki is similarly pleasant but also not special — good tuna, each slice nicely draped over a curl of daikon, some ponzu and aïoli but none of it notable. Same deal for ceviche salad, small chunks of raw salmon, tuna, yellowtail and root veg with citrus dressing. If you ate that at my house you’d be impressed. At a Japanese restaurant for $16, not so much.

They make much of their robata bar. Hope springs eternal. We ordered robata gulf shrimps, imagining flame-kissed, soft-in-the-middle sweet shrimps. With garlic chips (yum!) and soy butter. There was no evidence of soy butter, whatever that is, and no garlic chips. They woulda helped the blah slightly dry shrimps.

More shrimp disappointment came in the form of rock shrimp tempura. Why would anybody in their right mind bathe tempura anything in aïoli? To make it mushy after doing their best to make it crispy in the deep fryer? If that was their goal, they succeeded admirably.

All in all, it’s the kind of disappointment that we’ve long learned to expect when dining in Yorkville — a haven for unsuspecting tourists and those who prize form above function.

Kasa Moto, 115 Yorkville Ave., $150 Dinner for two

Joanne Kates trained at the Ecole Cordon Bleu de Cuisine in Paris. She has written articles for numerous publications, including the New York Times, Maclean’s and Chatelaine.

North Yorkers aim to raise $1 mil for mental health facility in teen’s memory with The Maddie Project

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3:50 pm

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When 14-year-old Madeline (Maddie) Grace German Coulter passed away as a result of depression this past April, her family was faced with two options: they could succumb to their grief and mourn their loss in private or could shine a light on the scourge of mental illness by sharing their experience with others suffering from the same affliction. They chose the latter.

Maddie’s parents, Nicole German and Chris Coulter, spearheaded a community initiative called the Maddie Project to promote awareness and support other local adolescents suffering from depression.

The project has committed to raising $1 million to create a therapeutic healing garden at the Phillips House in North York in honour of Maddie’s memory. The site was unveiled Oct. 26 and sits on the property’s 1.2 acres. The contribution will go toward the $7 million renovation of the North York General Foundation’s new outpatient facility.

According to Maddie’s mom, the garden could provide opportunities for children with eating disorders to grow their own vegetables and learn about the benefits of nutrition. Maddie spent a significant amount of time at North York General Hospital, and although she received top-notch care, resources were limited. That was something German said her daughter wanted to change.

“Maddie often talked about wanting to give back when she got out of the hospital, whether to help get a gym or provide better facilities for kids in the program. And so this is really about fulfilling her wish,” said German.

Maddie’s brothers, Zac and Sawyer, and other members of the Lawrence Park neighbourhood have also pitched in to raise funds.

The group has already raised $350,000, with other fundraising projects scheduled for late November. Go to www.themaddieproject.ca to donate.

How They Met: Persistence, a proposal and two pups later for Daniel and Taylor Winnik

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Andrew Mannsbach

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8:30 am

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Entering his second season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Daniel Winnik and his wife Taylor are settling into their T.O. home in Trinity Bellwoods. As he hits the ice, Taylor is preparing for her television debut on the second season of W Network’s Hockey Wives, which premiered Oct. 28.

How they met
We met through a mutual friend on the San Jose Sharks after Dan got traded there from Colorado. I was dating someone at the time, and Dan was very persistent in a local bar. As a group we went back to my friend’s house to hang out, and we all watched the Lion King. Dan was more focused on trying to get my number though. I sent him home with nothing, but he managed to find me on Twitter. I would hear from him every two or so weeks from there on out.

The first date
Almost an entire year after the first night we met, he cooked dinner for me at my house when he was visiting for an Anaheim vs. Sharks game in San Jose. He thought it would be funny to strip down naked and cook for me in an incredibly feminine apron he requested I buy for him. Afterwards I made him put his clothes back on, and we watched Sinister and were scared to death for the rest of the night.

The courtship
We spent a lot of time on the beach together because he was playing in Anaheim. It was really beautiful and romantic. Once the season was over, we went on our first vacation to Lake Tahoe and spent the entire time adventuring together. I’ve never laughed more in my life.

The proposal
Dan came and surprised me in Tahoe with what I thought was a “Christmas surprise,” but after all the initial excitement of just seeing him, he got down on one knee. It had been snowing all day, and right as he asked me, it turned to rain. He had our song playing over the speaker while my family watched from the doorway. Everyone was in tears.

The wedding
We were married on July 25 of this last summer in Napa Valley. The property we chose as the wedding location was a private hillside estate overlooking the valley. The next day after our wedding, we hopped on a plane to the Maldives and spent nine days on a private island resort in a water villa.

The kids
Our children are our bulldogs, Mario and Sonny. Mario is almost three and Sonny is just over a year.

Their lives now
Our lives are relatively the same, except we don’t get to live in California year round any longer. Toronto is our home for eight to nine months of the year, and San Francisco during the off-season. Our most common interest (besides our pups) is the lust for travel. We spend a lot of time deciding what parts of the world we want to see together. So far we’ve been to Brazil, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Dubai and the Maldives.

Secret to success
We make each other laugh a lot. I consider Dan my best friend and he really understands me as a person. We always manage to have great communication and work through any and all issues together. In almost every way imaginable we complement each other.

Cedarvale residents paint over 40 garage murals as a deterrent to incessant graffiti

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9:59 am

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In 2011, Christine Liber and Elly Dowson, residents of Kenwood Avenue near St. Clair Avenue West and Bathurst Street, noticed that the garages in the laneway behind their houses were a hot spot for graffiti and vandalism. So the two, armed with paintbrushes and determination, embarked upon a mission to do something about it.

“We both realized this is useful, viable space, and it was being neglected,” said Liber, an art history major.

The two chose to speak with officers at Toronto Police Service 13 Division, who told them street art had proven to be an effective deterrent to vandalism. So Dowson (who holds a fine arts degree) and Liber rallied consent from neighbours to paint each garage in the area with a colourful mural.

A “before” shot of one of the tagged garages

They struck up a local partnership with Frank Reilly, of Maple Paints on St. Clair, who donated supplies to their cause.

Over the past four years, the two have managed to successfully paint more than 40 garages in their neighbourhood and still have requests coming in.

News of their efforts even reached Ward 21 councillor Joe Mihevc’s ears, who called the community building project a great example of “urban renewal.” So much so, that he said university professors have even begun to conduct tours down the laneway with hordes of interested students.

Liber and Dowson’s murals are often reminiscent of forested landscapes and Group of Seven paintings, in tribute to their ’hood, often called “the woods,” for its street names: Wychwood, Pinewood and Maplewood avenues.

And an “after” shot with mural in place.

And their work has paid off — not one garage featuring a mural has been vandalized, and the two have created a vibrant community haunt.

During their many conversations with neighbours, the two wound up forging a connection with area resident Lilie Zendel, who ironically runs the StreetART program for the City of Toronto.

An expert in the field, Zendel said the initiative fostered a sense of community in the area and as a result the laneway “feels safer, more attractive and pedestrian-friendly.”

Restaurant Review: Canoe, at 20, is a magical mystery tour of Canadiana

By

Andrew Mannsbach

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9:51 am

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An edible hymn to Canada, 54 floors above downtown, with a wraparound view of the lake at sunset, as autumnal dusk turns the sky the magical deep blue that dreams are made of. This is the kind of restaurant where big statements are made.… And selfies taken.

Canoe is celebrating 20 years. It was never before an important resto, thanks to its humdrum kitchen that didn’t even come close to living up to the view. But all that has changed — for the better.

Oliver & Bonacini has morphed the menu into a magical mystery tour of modern Canadiana, from mountain cranberries to balsam fir crème fraîche, and the kitchen has stepped up and raised the bar.

A table at Canoe with a top-of-the-city view.

Mediocrity is gone from Canoe. In its place is a passionate embrace of the land and both feet planted firmly on the path to innovation.

Which sometimes works very well, and sometimes goes over the top. The idea of foie gras s’mores is entrancing and the execution is close to flawless: A cloud of barely sweetened marshmallow that tastes vaguely caramelized, with a big fat hunk of deeply sexy perfectly sautéed foie gras, savoury waffles, graham cracker crumbs and smears of blueberry with unsweet dark chocolate sauce. It all hangs together.…

Kind of.

Certainly better than maple salmon candy, which is, as its name suggests, sweet cured salmon, served with smoked avocado (??), a tiny spoon of sturgeon caviar, crispy nori with tapioca and sushi-style rice inflected with the subtle scent of wild ginger. This is a dish whose elements cannot be faulted, but discretion here would have been the better part of valour, as in: Don’t mess too much with the flawless flavour of fine salmon.

Canoe sources the absolute best in local ingredients and treats them with total respect. Who else offers pheasant from Owen Sound, moist and savoury, with grain porridge flavoured with foie gras, braised celeriac and tiny onion cups cradling lightly pickled mountain cranberries? This is serious cooking aspiring to be 54-storey-high art.

And sometimes it gets there.

But some dishes are too complicated for their own good: From the tasting menu comes a gorgeous hunk of fork-tender red venison with too much else on the plate. Confusion reigns thanks to Swiss chard, dehydrated grapes, ice wine jus, Jerusalem artichoke bark, purée and soubric. I had to ask. Soubric is quiche without the crust.

The deconstructed butter tart is upscale Canadiana for dessert.

Dessert can be similarly a little too ambitious and yet still fun. The deconstructed butter tart is the filling and crust separately with crunchy bits of brown sugar praline cream, smoked pecan nougatine, and wild rye ice cream. It all sounds so very snazzy, and it is. Super artsy on the plate. Tastes good. But it makes me long for the simplicity and straightforward yumminess of my mother-in-law’s traditional butter tarts.

But don’t get me wrong. Go to Canoe. It’s a great Big Night Out. There’s an old adage that a person’s reach must exceed their grasp, else what’s a heaven for? This applies perfectly to the beautiful restaurant in the sky, where Oliver & Bonacini has made a commitment to excellence, Canadian style.

Canoe, 64 Wellington St. W., 54th floor, $150 Dinner for two