First Draught: Prison Break Breakout Pilsner

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12:59 pm

When the partners behind Double Trouble Brewing Co. — Claude Lefebvre and Nathan Dunsmoor — released their Hops & Robbers IPA, it was like an introductory course on IPAs. Now, with the upcoming release of their Prison Break Breakout Pilsner, beer drinkers will get an easy-drinking take on Czech-style lager.

Hops lend a variety of characteristics to beer: on one end of the spectrum, the newer American types add bitterness and flavors of grapefruit, zest and pine; on the other end, the more subtle and austere central European varieties show up as herbal, spicy or minty.

For both of their beers, Double Trouble has picked hops that usually sit near opposite edges of the hops continuum, but each beer is accessible and balanced.

Poured from the can, a pillowy, white cap sits resiliently on top of the straw-gold, clear lager. The subtle aroma is of toasted cereal and spices that associate with rye bread.

The first sip starts as a slightly off-dry maltiness (the sweetness may change a bit as the recipe is perfected), which gives way to a lingering finish of floral, mouth-drying Saaz hops. That slightly bitter, snappy finish comes from hop additions made throughout the process, including dry-hopping after the boil.

When pairing a pilsner with food, there are two things that need to be taken into account. Pilsners have plenty of carbonation, so they will work well to lift fat. They also have fairly subtle flavours that partner well with the European meat-first, spices-second flavour palate. In this case, I’d look to grilled wursts, roast potatoes or a plate of charcuterie.

Prison Break has been spotted at some of Toronto’s finer beer bars, including Bar Hop, Tall Boys and 3030. Given that Hops & Robbers is usually in about half of the LCBO’s locations (that’s two to three times what most craft beers manage) I expect this one will be easy to find once it hits stores.

Double Trouble Prison Break Breakout Pilsner, LCBO #337006

In addition to covering beer, new restaurants and food trucks for Post City, David Ort writes about food and drink for several Toronto publications including Spotlight Toronto and his own site, Food With Legs. For more of his thoughts on food, beer and life in general, follow him on Twitter.

Reds Wine Tavern is opening a second downtown location

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3:11 pm

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After a major revamp last fall, the financial district’s Reds Wine Tavern is set to expand with a second downtown location. The new restaurant, which is expected to open in late summer or early fall, will be located at the massive Aura condominium currently under construction at Yonge and Gerrard.

McMillan Design, the firm behind the Adelaide location’s makeover, will also be designing the new venue. The size, look and feel will be similar to the Adelaide location, with some adjustments to suit the new neighbourhood.

Specific details regarding the chef and the menu are still in development, but we’re told that the Aura location will continue to focus on sharing plates to cater to the after-work crowd.

Shop Talk: AllSaints joins Yorkdale’s growing retail roster

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2:38 pm

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Though the name hints at something angelic, the clothing and accessories from British fashion house AllSaints are anything but. Named after a famous London street (All Saints Road in Notting Hill), the brand’s edgy, rock ‘n’ roll style is best suited for nights out on Queen West, but can only be found north of downtown at that mall that keeps on growing, Yorkdale.

Just like the other U.K., U.S. and European locations, the 6,000-square-foot Canadian flagship store is decked out in the company’s trademark industrial décor — dark hues, exposed brick and lots of beams and piping. The atmosphere is fitting for a clothing line that is heavy on pre-aged leather and denim and light on colour (muted shades of grey, black, brown and cream are the go-tos).

Along with staples like denim jeans and leather boots and jackets, the store is a good spot for layering pieces, like T-shirts and tank tops, as well as footwear, bathing suits and even blazers.

We liked the idea of pairing the Rivera Jersey dress ($148) with the Manifest boot ($328) for a Saturday night of dinner and cocktails. For guys, the Ranger Crew T-shirt ($55) along with the Pipe chino ($128) would be perfect for a swanky Sunday brunch.

The store’s stock is consistent with the other locations as well, so if you really liked that Ishida leather biker jacket ($598) at the Chicago store, for example, chances are you’ll be able to find it at Yorkdale. If not — and for those who can’t stand the idea of becoming a mall rat — the retailer has also launched a Canadian online store.

AllSaints, Yorkdale Mall, 3401 Dufferin St., 647-775-8960

Drink This: MoRoCo’s Iced Debauchery

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1:46 pm

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Speaking to the modern-day Alice in Wonderland — or Marie Antoinette — MoRoCo is an ode to all things chocolate. Located in a chi-chi Yorkville space, the boutique chocolaterie-meets-eatery is outfitted in lavenders and greys, acting as a backdrop to chocolate-nibbling patrons wiling away a lazy afternoon.

While the menu lists numerous boozy creations, we opted for a suitably cacao-laden option. The Iced Debauchery ($14) — a frozen chocolate martini — is really more of a dessert than a drink, but that doesn’t make it any less desirable.

With Grand Marnier and Kahlua making up the boozy base, the addition of cream and Belgium’s finest Valrhona milk chocolate add up to a concoction that will make chocolate lovers swoon.

And if that’s not enough, a truffle on the side should do just the trick.

MoRoCo, 99 Yorkville Ave., 416-961-2202

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Shop Talk: Mini Mioche opens in the Distillery District

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5:28 pm

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The city’s one-stop shop for babies — Mini Mioche — has had great success at its Queen West location, and two years after opening there, the business has opened a new flagship store in the Distillery District.

“The Distillery area has so much character,” says owner Alyssa Kerbel. “We call this our flagship store because it has a lot more space to showcase more product. We have a lot of shoppers that are east-enders and were destination shoppers to our Queen Street store, so we decided to move a little bit closer east.”

Mini Mioche is known for offering baby clothing that is organic, eco-friendly and made in Canada. For those who may not know what, exactly, organic clothing is, Kerbel explains: “Organic clothing means we use cotton that is grown without using pesticides. Even when we use polyester, it’s recycled. We like to keep things local and very eco-friendly here.”

While the store’s environmental ethos is admirable, it’s the style of Mini Mioche’s clothing that grabs our eye. The inspirations for the line came from Kerbel’s own experience with children, and she designed the clothing with her right hand, Alex Goth.

Where cute and gimmicky may be the name of the game at other stores, Mini Mioche stocks must-have basics, including long-sleeved shirts, T-shirts and hooded sweaters. Of these basics, we love the organic cotton lush hoodie ($52), a piece that is available in two versions: French terry cloth for the spring, and organic fleece for the fall. The store’s clothing is organized according to the age that it’s appropriate for; this way parents will know how to size up as their baby grows.

Exclusive to the Distillery location is an adult line called em+west, named after Kerbel’s children (and also designed by Kerbel and Goth). Em+west offers adult-sized versions of those aforementioned basics, like hoodies ($108) and T-shirts ($45). Though Kerbel has plans to release a unisex collection, the line’s initial launch is only for womenswear.

Other than clothing, Mini Mioche’s 1,705-square-foot space also has an “eat, bathe, sleep and go” section, as well as toys, hats and a play corner to occupy your children while you’re perusing the goods. There is also a well-curated selection of footwear that features Toms, Adidas, Collegien, Vans and Puma, among other brands.

Mini Mioche, 6 Case Goods Lane in the Distillery District, 416-366-5858

Claudio Aprile launches a free-food pop-up stand at Bayview Village

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2:26 pm

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Claudio Aprile, the mastermind behind the Origin restaurant empire, has set up a pop-up food stand at Bayview Village to promote his soon-to-open Origin North. The pop-up launched earlier this month, but there’s still time to test it out and get some free food.

Over the next three Saturdays, the pop-up will provide free samples from Origin North’s globally inspired menu. On April 27, made-to-order liquid nitrogen ice cream will be available for taste-testing. On May 4, a shredded Japanese vegetable salad will be served, and on the final Saturday, May 11, an Origin North chocolate bar will be offered. Each pop-up runs from noon to 2 p.m.

Meanwhile, Origin North is progressing well, with the new restaurant scheduled to open at Bayview Village in early June. Fans of the now-closed Colborne Lane will be happy to know that Andrew Wilson, Colborne Lane’s former chef de cuisine, has been taken on as chef de cuisine at Origin North.

Origin North menu tour, Bayview Village, every Saturday from April 6 to May 11

Toronto’s 10 most influential comedians

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1:49 pm

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You could call Toronto Comedy City, and you wouldn’t be far wrong. The influential and groundbreaking comedy to come out of Hogtown is staggering. Is there something in the air? In the water? In the media?

Putting together a list of the 10 most influential Toronto comics was not easy. A lot of great performers had to be left off. And the definition of Toronto is an ever-changing one. Yes, I included some comics from Brampton and Newmarket, but it wasn’t that long ago that Scarborough wasn’t part of the legal definition of our city’s boundaries. Finally, I made sure this list was alphabetical. I wouldn’t want to rate this talented crew.

JOHN CANDY
Much beloved alumnus of the original Second City gang, he used his portliness and vulnerability to charm us in TV, stage and film. Who can forget his work in SCTV? Or the film work in Planes, Trains and Automobiles? Or Uncle Buck? For me, his iconic moment was watching him play squash in Splash, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Sadly, he died in 1994.

JIM CARREY
Starting as a stand-up impressionist at the age of 17, the rubber-faced, gangly, high-energy performer overcame a Dickensian background to become one of the highest paid comedians in the world. The only white performer in the TV series In Living Color, Carrey redefined the comic leading man with wild, goofy turns in Ace Ventura, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber and many more.

HOWIE MANDEL
The first Canadian stand-up superstar, Mandel’s grin-and-bare-it-all approach to comedy revolutionized the quaint, polite traditions of Canadian comedy. Famous for his serio-comic role in the hit TV show St. Elsewhere, he parlayed that into a 30-year touring act that never stopped, not even when he landed the hosting job on mega-hit Deal or No Deal? A legendary prankster, his practical jokes can often be seen on network late-night talk shows.

LORNE MICHAELS
Strictly speaking, he’s not a performer, although his straight-man skills helped make The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour a national hit in the early ’70s. What can you say about the man who created Saturday Night Live? And turned various characters into film franchises? And produced Kids in the Hall? Did I mention he discovered Conan O’Brien? And slid Jimmy Fallon into the host’s seat? And is responsible for 30 Rock? Michaels’ influence in modern comedy cannot be underestimated.

MIKE MYERS
Most sketch and film comics are lucky to create one enduring iconic character for the ages. Myers, the pride of Scarborough, created three: Wayne from Wayne’s World, Austin Powers and Shrek. With an uncanny ability to write and star in movies that appeal to young and old alike, Myers’s films will be enjoyed well into the next century.

CATHERINE O'HARA
As an original member of the Second City team that created SCTV, O’Hara’s precise characterizations will influence female sketch comics for generations to come. She is the star of Home Alone, one of the top-grossing film comedies of all time. But she’s done some of her best work in the mockumentaries of Christopher Guest, such as Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind.

RUSSELL PETERS
Arguably the most important stand-up comic working today, Peters’s global reach is unprecedented. Selling out stadiums from Dubai to New York City, Peters has single-handedly reinvigorated comic tropes on race and ethnicity. He worked in obscurity in the Toronto area for years until his videos went viral on the Internet, and he became a worldwide sensation.

SCOTT THOMPSON & DAVE FOLEY
The only members of Kids in the Hall native to the Toronto area. Thompson brought a much-needed out-there gay energy to the comedy scene. He broke down a lot of doors on both sides of the border, and his character on The Larry Sanders Show was always wonderful. Foley followed his stint in the Kids with a lead role in NewsRadio as well as a whack of scene-stealing appearances in TV and movies.

WAYNE & SHUSTER
Gone but not forgotten! Straight outta Harbord Collegiate came the comedy duo that defined Canadian comedy in the ’40s through the ’70s. They held the record for most appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show and gave the CBC the template for sketch comedy for decades. Until the arrival of Second City, they were the only Toronto comics that mattered.

HARLAND WILLIAMS
Goofy, loopy, surreal, yet unfailingly polite, Williams came to define the eccentric style of Toronto stand-up that flourished in the ’90s and continues today. A comic who can easily shift gears between adult content and kids’ cartoons is a rarity, and his offbeat movie appearances have earned him a fan base that is generations younger than he is.

AND 5 WHO WILL SOMEDAY BE ON THE LIST…
Samantha Bee: Currently a correspondent for Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show. Watch for her next career move as she transitions into her own projects.
Aaron Berg: Dividing his time between N.Y.C. and Toronto, Berg’s confessional, sexually explicit stand-up has made him a valuable commodity in today’s no-holds-barred world.
Gerry Dee: Star Search winner, Last Comic Standing finalist, his own CBC sitcom. ’Nuff said.
Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice: Though the two have gone on to very separate careers, the duo known as Kenny vs. Spenny is the biggest cult item in years. Watch for each of them to do great things on cable and on the Web.
Pat Thornton: He’s already famous for his 24-hour stand-up marathons (like a filibuster, but funny), and his Hotbox show on Comedy Network was a cult hit. Plus, he does a great Rob Ford.

T.O.’s best coconut cream pie

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4:13 pm

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As part of our comedy issue, and in a tribute to the classic comedic gag, we took a look at some of the GTA’s top coconut cream pies. Herewith, chef Grant van Gameren declares a winner in our city-wide pie competition.

WINNER
Scaramouche, 1 Benvenuto Place, $13 (slice)
This pie gets a rave review. It’s really rich and sweet without being too sweet, van Gameren says. “It’s got a lot of coconut, a lot of the pastry cream,” he adds. And the white chocolate clinches this as the winner.

Rich and luxurious
Harbour Sixty Steakhouse, 60 Harbour St., $13 (slice)
This pie has a good ratio of whipped cream to filling, van Gameren finds. He describes it as rich and luxurious. “I really like the flaky shell on this one,” he adds. “It actually makes a nice sound when you’re eating it.” This was a front-runner for van Gameren.

Points for presentation
Ginger’s Cupcakes & Desserts,10220 Yonge St., $25 (pie)
This pie is one of the best-looking of the bunch, van Gameren says. He is, however, disappointed that there seems to be more whipped cream than anything else, and that there isn’t more coconut.

An unconventional take
Madeleines, Cherry Pie and Ice Cream, 1087 Bathurst St., $16.95 (pie)
Before his first bite, van Gameren says this pie looks delicious. “This one is more of a coconut pie,” he says, pointing out that it lacks cream. It does, however, have a good, strong coconut flavour.

The shell sells
The Canadian Pie Co., 798 Queen St. E., $20 (pie)
Van Gameren appreciates the homemade pie shell of this selection. He tends to prefer a richer filling, but the browned pie shell is cooked to perfection.

Light and fluffy
Flaky Tart, 711 Mt. Pleasant Rd., $18 (pie)
Van Gameren says this light and fluffy selection has a pleasantly strong coconut flavour. The toasted coconut on top is a fine touch, he notes. “It’s nice because you get those stringy strands of coconut stuck in your teeth.” This pie is a close runner-up.

A coconut shave
Wanda's Pie in the Sky, 287 Augusta Ave., $21.95 (pie)
“The really large shavings of coconut are great, the pastry’s nice.…” he says. But the consistency of the filling is heavy for van Gameren’s taste.

Flavour to savour
Windfield’s Restaurant, 801 York Mills Rd., $5.25 (slice)
Van Gameren immediately comments on the flavour of this pie. “It’s nice because it’s not too sweet,” he says. “It’s got a nice, savoury pie shell.” He does, however, wish it had a little less of what he suspects is gelatin.

Xococava to serve its last truffle in May

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2:49 pm

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Xococava, midtown’s gourmet chocolate shop, will be closing its doors for good on May 17. Located at Delisle Court at Yonge and St. Clair, Xococava is the brainchild of Chris McDonald, chef and owner of the renowned Cava restaurant. The shop has been serving out chocolate treats and other desserts for the past five years.

This is not your typical chocolate shop. Its flavours — like the chorizo sausage chocolate truffle — are often described as being the creations of a mad scientist. The menu is literally a periodic table of chocolate.

McDonald tells us that his reason for closing down the popular shop is to focus on his strengths as a chef and restaurateur, though he says that he has other projects in the works.

A wine store will be taking Xococava’s place when it closes.

Faceoff: should for-profit blood or plasma donation clinics be allowed to open in Toronto?

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2:28 pm

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As the province’s first for-profit blood plasma donation clinic awaits its license to open in Toronto, local sentiments are split. Some say that as long as they’re properly regulated, for-profit clinics could provide a new source of much-needed donations. Others are concerned that turning a profit may put the public at risk. Below, two perspectives on this contentious issue.

For paid plasma:

David Page, executive director at Canadian Hemophilia Society

The Canadian Hemophilia Society recognizes the essential nature of paid plasma donations in Canada and on a global level. It also recognizes that products made from paid plasma donations are of equal quality and safety as compared to those made from unpaid donations, as long as the for-profit clinics are properly regulated.

There are many, many diseases and conditions that require plasma-derived products, and people rely on them for their very survival. Around the world, 80 per cent of plasma-derived products are already made from paid donations.

Fresh blood components, such as those collected by Canadian Blood Services and American blood centres, are collected using voluntary donors. However, they rely on only two levels of safety: donor screening, where you choose healthy donors, and donor testing, where you test each donation for pathogens.

For plasma products, you have three levels: donor screening, donor testing and a third level for viral activation. The combination of these is what really gives these products a very good safety record.

In a perfect world, we’d all love plasma donations to be voluntary and non-remunerated. But that’s not the case. In fact, we’re going the opposite way. Medical science is finding new uses for these plasma proteins, and our only source is from paid American donors. It’s hypocritical for us to say we can forbid those in Canada and think that it really changes anything. All it does is make us rely on donors from the U.S.

Unless we are willing to invest a massive amount of money to attract volunteers, it’s hard to argue against paid donations on ethical grounds. I think the opposite is true: it would be unethical to restrict access by prohibiting this practice and denying patients medicines essential to their well-being.

Against paid plasma:

Dr. Danielle Martin, chair of Canadian Doctors for Medicare

For-profit blood or plasma clinics undermine the safety of our blood system and pose a real threat to the ability of the Canadian blood system to take care of Canadians’ health when they need it the most.

As patients and providers, we rely upon the standards set by our government to protect us. That these clinics need to turn a profit for their shareholders — their obligation as for-profits — presents substantial concerns.

Paying for donations has been extremely problematic in Canada and internationally. Paid donations were linked to the tainted blood tragedy in the early ’80s. [Editor’s note: the Krever Commission ruled that inadequate screening and testing were leading causes of the tainted blood tragedy in Canada.]

Canadian Blood Services has already been very successful, and one of the reasons for that is because it was founded on the necessity of maintaining a voluntary donation model as opposed to for-profit.

That’s not to say that we couldn’t use more donors, but the solution, when there is an undersupply, is to increase public education, do more drives, find ways to encourage donations and make it easy for Canadians to donate — not to pay vulnerable people for whom $20 makes a difference between eating and not eating.

I think the clinic opening near Toronto’s Scott Mission illustrates my point perfectly. Many of the American blood donations that led to the tainted blood scandal came from prisons and inner-city communities. I really don’t think that is a direction anyone wants to see our system head in.
Given this move’s significance, I think that public debate should have occurred earlier. Both the public as well as experts in the field of blood services would tell the government that this is a bad idea.

How They Met: Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod

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Andrew Mannsbach

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3:44 pm

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During Body Break’s heyday, hosts Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod kept their relationship status elusive. Canadians wondered if the fitness icons were a couple or just gym buddies. After having kept it a secret for years, Hal Johnson opens up about how they met.

How they met:
We met in a gym in 1988. Joanna was on the pec deck, and I went up to her and said, “Can I work out with you?” I started up a conversation, and then I saw her a couple more times. Eventually, I said, “Hey, want to grab something to eat?”

The first date:
Joanne had mentioned that she wanted to get into television, and so, when I asked her out, I used a line. I said that we should go out for business, and I would teach her more about television. I thought I had been smooth at the gym. So I picked her up, and as we were leaving, she was like, “Oh, I forgot something!” She ran back in and brought out a notepad. At dinner, she took out this notepad because she thought I was actually going to give her information about how to get into TV. We laugh about it now, she’s like, “How could I be so naive?”

The courtship:
Shortly after going out with Joanne, I came up with the idea for Body Break. The show kind of blurred the lines of courtship because it was like all of a sudden we were together 24/7. We were just so connected with the show that we literally woke up and said, “Oh, I guess we are a couple because I haven’t seen anyone else in six months.” So as Body Break grew, so did our relationship.

The proposal:
It certainly wasn’t mushy. After 11 years or so of living together in the house, we bought together. It was like, “Hey, want to get married?” We are very practical.

The big day:
We got married Dec. 30, 1998. Our Body Break book was launching in the new year, so we had our friends and family over to celebrate. We decided to surprise everyone. So at the party, we had a clergy show up and marry us in the living room. Everyone was shocked. I thought my mom was going to faint. Joanne was eight months pregnant, and we thought, well, since we were going to have a child, marriage was probably simpler. We’ve been together 25 years now.

Special bond:
I think the biggest thing is we are able to work together and be together. There’s no one I have more confidence in. If Joanne says she is going to do something, then I know it’s going to get done. I have complete confidence in her, and she has complete confidence in me because we’ve had to work together through that. A lot of my friends don’t appreciate what their spouse is going through, and it’s difficult because they do different jobs, but Joanne and I work together, so I know exactly what she’s going through.

Secret to success:
We have a similar philosophy on things. We share the same philosophy when it comes to money and on how to raise our daughter. Our values are similar. We both have respect and trust for the other person. You have to look at it like it’s a partnership. Always look from their perspective before you impose your own perspective.

Catch restaurant takes on chef Charlotte Langley

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2:54 pm

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Catch — the sustainable seafood restaurant that has been attracting piscivores to St. Clair West since its opening last year — recently announced that its chef, Nigel Finley, had accepted a position at the soon-to-open Chase Fish & Oyster restaurant. Filling the gap is P.E.I.-native Charlotte Langley, who is slated to take over Catch’s kitchen over the next couple of weeks.

Langley comes to Hogtown via Ottawa, where she made a name for herself (and her supposed sailor’s tongue) at The Whalesbone. Since moving to Toronto, Langley has worked at several restaurants around town (including Café Belong and The Atlantic), but as head chef at Catch she’ll get a chance to flex the creative muscles that made Ottawans bemoan her departure.

Many of Finley’s dishes will remain on the menu, including the more outlandish ones like the gout (a five-pound sea trout stuffed with smoked oysters and roasted in the belly of a 30-pound goat), but we’re excited to see what Langley will bring to the table.