Weekend Warrior: Bob Saget, Foundry, the International Bicycle Show, Sexapalooza, Fishing After Dark and more

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What About Bob?

Full House may have painted a pretty picture of Bob Saget, but his standup will give you a fresh perspective. The edgy standup comic is nothing like the persona that made him popular, which makes his show as much of a surprise party as it is a comedic act. He hits Toronto on March 3.

Grand Electro

Foundry, a month-long project that showcases up-and-coming electronic acts, kicks off on March 1 with Shlohmo, D33J, Deebs and Harrison Bennett at the Blk Box Theatre. It won’t be all fist pumping though. Pop in to see music with elongated but emotional melodies and subtle bass drops.

Old is Gold

Part of the joy (or pain) of vintage shopping is scouring through the racks to find that one item that is the perfect addition to your wardrobe. But the savviest fashion aficionados know it’s not just about the rack you’re perusing, it’s about the shop you’re in. Instead of hopping store-to-store on Queen Street, head over to the Toronto Vintage Clothing and Textile Show this weekend at the Ontario Science Centre, where vendors will gather to sell their wares under one roof.

Two-Wheel Drive

Aside from those hardcore cyclists who are undeterred by snowfall, most of us have been waiting for the snow to melt before hopping back on our two-wheelers. Get your bicycle ready for the spring by visiting the retailers at the Toronto International Bicycle Show this weekend. And don’t forget to take advantage of the Test Ride Zone, where you can take the latest models out for a spin.

Sea-ing Is Believing

Sustainable fish purveyor Hooked is teaming up with Slow Food to host Fishing After Dark this weekend. Educate yourself on sustainable fish and traditional seafood recipes while dining on creations by local chefs. There’s also a bonus buck-a-shuck oyster bar, which is a deal if you don’t mind overlooking the $25 cover.

Beavers and Woodpeckers… Oh my!

Attracting more than 15,000 patrons and with more than 700 exhibitors, Sexapalooza could be the fun and upscale adults-only event you’ve been looking for this weekend. This year’s special feature is a life-sized beaver dam full of brand ambassadors dressed as beavers and woodpeckers (we couldn’t make this up), ready and willing to formally educate you about the newest products in the industry.

First Draught: Chaman, a hoppy and aromatic imperial pale ale from Quebec

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This March, let’s agree to not force our beer into the indignity of wearing green. Instead, beers like Chaman imperial pale ale from Quebec’s Dieu du Ciel!, which have the ever-green flavour of hops, seem like a more appropriate way to celebrate spring.

The imperial pale ale style came out of the thriving craft beer scene in the Pacific Northwest. Lots of warming alcohol, strong flavours and an especially heavy hand with the hops characterize the type.

Chaman pours a hazy amber orange with more than a finger’s worth of off-white head. A patient and careful assessment of the aroma will be rewarded. What starts as pine resin will pass through grapefruit zest and hints of tropical fruits on its way to a calm earthiness as the head fades and the beer warms slightly. Give it at least a full minute before you take the first sip.

Chaman’s flavour accomplishes what every imperial pale ale should: a hard-fought, heavyweight match between bitter hops and sweet, bready malt that goes a full nine rounds. The strong background of alcohol (nine per cent) supports both flavours without getting in the way.

The importance of glassware is worth a specific mention here. Beer tulips or small snifters (like you might use for brandy) are purpose-built to capture the wonderful aroma of beers like imperial pale ales. Even a large wine glass will do the job in a pinch. It’s an especially bad idea to drink a beer like Chaman straight from the bottle. A lot of work goes into making it as aromatic as possible, and that effort goes to waste if it can’t open up in a glass.

Chaman is part of the LCBO’s spring release, which will begin hitting stores soon. Look for the green labels with the frightening mascot.

Chaman from Dieu du Ciel!, LCBO #309658

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.

Grab of the Week: a mod-tastic getup from Banana Republic’s new Mad Men collection

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If ’60s mod is the look you’re going for this spring, you’ll be pleased to know that Banana Republic’s third Mad Men collection hit stores yesterday. This time around, the women’s collection is mainly inspired by the mod-tastically dressed character Megan Draper, played by Montreal-born actress Jessica Paré.

Keeping it in the Canadian family, the collection’s campaign features none other than homegrown supermodel Coco Rocha. In particular, we love the bold shift dress ($160) for its pops of green, as well as the Hampton-fit gingham crop pants ($124).

Banana Republic’s Mad Men collection, prices start at $35. Available at Banana Republic stores across the city

Gracie Carroll is a Toronto-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in ELLE UK, ELLEcanada.com, Plaid magazine and FILLER magazine. Keep up with her daily blog at www.graciecarroll.com.

Shop Talk: James Perse brings L.A. chic to Yorkville

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Though Los Angeles designer label James Perse already has two locations in Canada (one in Vancouver and the other in Montreal), the recently opened Toronto location is considered the flagship store of the true north strong and free. Found a little off of the main strip in Yorkville, the store, which opened Nov. 7, has two floors and 2,100 square feet of retail space housing various items of the casual-chic nature.

Almost everything inside the store is for sale, from the mirrors to the drawers to the ping-pong table and even the surfboards and artwork. It’s clear every detail of the shop has been carefully considered, though the clothing is still the kernel of the attraction here.

For men who love to sport a clean look, throw on a Supima cotton T-shirt ($58 to $110) under a dress shirt for extra comfort, and pair them with some designer jeans to complete the casual but high-end outfit. For women, take a gander at the hooded beach poncho ($325) in Perse’s “bruin” colours (blue, grey and white stitching, named after the UCLA Bruins).

James Perse, 18 Hazelton Ave., 416-513-0926

Meet a Comedy Troupe: Smells Like The 80s

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If you’ve ever wondered what the ’80s smelled like, then you might want to check out this Toronto comedic quartet, Smells Like the 80s. OK, so maybe their B.O. doesn’t smell like Corey Hart, but their comedy sure doesn’t stink either. Double award winners at the 2010 Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, they’re headed there again next month. We chatted with member Cameron Wyllie about ’80s heartthrobs, Yasmine Bleeth and Crowded House.

So, what — or who — do you think most smells like the ’80s?
The time capsule where we buried our original cast. Trevor lost the map, but we know it’s somewhere in Perth County.

Where do you guys find your inspiration?
Friendship. Ideas come from everywhere. Movies, the news, bits of overheard conversation — but they all kind of just sit in your brain until troupe meetings. It’s only when you’ve got the entire troupe laughing at an idea or a line, that you know you have a concept worth putting effort into. We’re all secretly competing to be the funniest guy in the troupe, so we never stop punching up our material.

You’ve been to a bunch of sketch fests, including this year’s Toronto Sketch Fest. Any memorable moments?
Sketchfest 2011. We were opening the night at Comedy Bar. The show was sold out and the venue was packed. Moments before the host was about to bring us out, a man collapsed in the audience. The show had to be cleared out and a team of paramedics was called in to extract the guy. The audience was forced back into the lobby for almost an hour, nobody knowing if they had just seen a man die. When it was clear and the theatre was filled back up, we were introduced and had to come out and try to make them laugh. Thankfully, after that whole experience, the audience wasn’t mad or upset, just eager to start laughing so they could diffuse the stress of the situation. (P.S. if anybody knows if Jeff is okay, please let us know. We’re still worried about you, little buddy).

Dream guest performer?
David Cross and Bob Odenkirk were huge influences on all of us, but if this is a dream then I guess we have to pick Spider-Man, a bunch of wizards and Yasmine Bleeth, circa 1994.

Dream ’80s playlist?
Some songs from Crowded House’s Deep Cuts, anything from Thomas Dolby’s Aliens Ate My Buick album and of course, some “Monster Mash” (it was still played it in the ’80s.)

If each one of you were an ’80s heartthrob, who would you be?
Sean is Fred Savage — he will always be adorable and loves when his Grandpa reads him stories. K. Trev would be Judd Nelson. He’s the John Bender of our Brat Pack, and absolutely hates it when a grown-up tells him what to do. I’d be Andrew McCarthy, not because of my handsome leading man qualities, but because I would also have agreed to do a sequel to Weekend at Bernie’s. Curtis would be Harry Anderson from Night Court — judge, jury and amateur magician.

What’s next on the horizon for you?
We’re competing in the SirusXM Sketch Off, an audio sketch competition where the winning troupe gets a comedy album produced. We self-produced an album in 2007, so we’re due for a new one. After that, we’ve got a huge set at The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, and then vague plans to all go out for pizza together. It’s Sean’s turn to pick the toppings.

The details:

Year established: 2002
Cast Members: Curtis Diehl, Sean Jordan, K. Trevor Wilson, Cameron Wyllie,
Next gig: Toronto Sketchfest, Comedy Bar, 945 Bloor St. W., 416-551-6540. Mar. 8, 9 p.m.

Smells Like The 80s – "Mom Fight" from Smells Like The 80s on Vimeo.

Guu gets into lunch (and yes, ramen is involved)

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It’s shaping up to be a good year for Guu fans in Toronto. First, the restaurant started taking reservations at both of its Toronto locations, and today, it announced that both of those locations now serve lunch (on weekdays, for now). Choices include the likes of sashimi, udon noodles and shoyu ramen (because everyone knows there’s a shortage of ramen in the city). Catch a preview of Izakaya’s menu here and Sakabar’s menu here. Consider us officially excited.

Drink This: Grand Electric’s take on the bourbon sour

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Although Hogtown’s hottest taqueria has yet to open up that elusive second floor, Grand Electric’s new lunch hours mean that waiting in line no longer comes part and parcel with the experience — well, not always. Lingering guilt-free is now possible, and those Baja fish tacos and pork tinga tacos need not be wolfed down with haste (not that this’ll stop us).

With the eats, of course, comes booze. The Grand Electric Sour ($8) is our cocktail of choice. Blending vanilla-infused bourbon with lemon, agave and egg white, the tipple is finished with some freshly grated pepper, giving it a bit of a zip on the finish.

The whole affair conjures up hazy, slush-free summer days.

Grand Electric, 1330 Queen St. W., 416-627-3459

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Table Talk: Joanne Kates reviews Richmond Station

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Richmond Station is like the best of the British gastropubs — cozy, friendly, and the food is robust and honest, without gewgaws and highfalutin constructions and garnishes.

It’s normal, not food as architecture or artwork. And unlike at most of our hot new places, the people in charge actually seem to care about their guests’ comfort — they take reservations, the chairs have backs, you don’t have to sit with strangers and there’s no Arctic draft in the dining room.

There are actually two dining rooms. I prefer the back room (and, yes, you can request it when you reserve) for its bright, cheerful proximity to the open kitchen. I find the front room long, narrow, high-ceilinged and less warm. Though its black-and-white pics of the Toronto subway being built in the early 1940s are mesmerizing.

The menu is short and simple, thanks to the restraint of the chef/owners Carl Heinrich and Ryan Donovan, both ex-Marben. The restaurant’s visual grace notes — as well as the first few months’ rent — came from chef Heinrich’s $100,000 in prize money from winning Top Chef Canada. Methinks that, unlike previous winners, this guy has already made back his capital — and more. Because it could take a week to get a reservation, and deservedly so.

The chefs do marvels with things as bland and ordinary as quinoa. Their quinoa salad, topped with crisped carrot shreds, has shaved marinated fennel, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, squash cubes and a red wine vinaigrette so assertive that quinoa becomes exciting — no small feat. Their lobster bisque is short on cream, long on flavour, and the anise oil, foam and crispy croutons on top add value.

Among the short list of mains there’s the usual snazzy burger. But I counsel forsaking their burgers and charcuterie, however lovely, for the road less travelled. Their wild boar ragu is small bits of very tender boar in fab tomato sauce, chili spiked, with small mushrooms and barely cooked small cubes of celeriac, and al dente celery and al dente house-made orecchiette with melted cheese on top. This is the comfort food of my dreams, as is Bourbon Street halibut. This is a small, perfect piece of halibut with chicken “oysters” (the little nugget of meat on the chicken’s back, browned nicely), zucchini and potatoes in creamed Cajun sauce.

The desserts are as inventive as the mains, but dearest to me is their riff on Reese’s Pieces: a cloud of peanut butter mousse with graham cracker floor and chocolate ganache roof, a side of drunken raisins in whisky and a little bit of frou-frou on top — crisp, candied shavings of celery!

With all this good taste, it comes as a surprise when the waiter mumbles and then stacks the plates. My mother said never to stack at the table. And surely not at such a gracious table as this one.

Richmond Station, 1 Richmond St. W., $80 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, and she was the Globe and Mail’s restaurant critic for 38 years.

Torito is getting a sister restaurant on Queen West

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A new Spanish restaurant from the team behind Torito is set to open soon on Queen West, near Shaw. Torito’s chef, Luis Valenzuela, has financially partnered up with Torito’s owner, Veronica Laudes, for the new venture. The restaurant is slated to open in late March.

The specifics of the new place — the name, the exact address — haven’t been publicly revealed yet, but Valenzuela tells us that it will offer tapas, paella and more. He will remain as executive chef at Torito while heading up the new operation.

UPDATE: March 13
Mr. Valenzuela has revealed to us that the new restaurant will be called Carmen, and it will be located at Cajú’s old space at 922 Queen West.

The Drake Hotel takes on Ted Corrado as its new executive chef

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Queen West institution The Drake Hotel announced today that it is taking on the acclaimed Ted Corrado as executive chef. Formerly known for his culinary flair and local flavours at c5, Corrado will oversee the research and development of the menus at The Drake Hotel and the soon-to-open Drake Devonshire Inn in Wellington, Ont.

During Corrado’s run at c5, the restaurant was regarded as one of the best in the city (Joanne Kates ranked it at number 37 in her top 100 list in 2010). Corrado was unexpectedly replaced by chef Corbin Tomaszeski in 2011, who took a more accessible approach with c5.

Meanwhile, The Drake’s Darren Glew — who replaced Anthony Rose as chef last spring — will retain his position as head chef at The Drake Hotel, working in collaboration with Corrado.

It will be interesting to see what Corrado has in mind for The Drake; we’ll update as we learn more.

Toronto Style Radar: Gravitypope, Intuition, the Love Her gala, Uncle Otis

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Every Tuesday, we round up the best events from the city’s fashion scene. In this edition: an uptown menswear shop gets into womenswear, an awesome winter clearance sale, a pop-up shop at Uncle Otis and more.

Spring Cleansing with Dr. JJ

When: Feb. 26, 5-8:30 p.m.
Where: Liberty Clinic, 657 Yonge St., Second Floor
Details: If you’re feeling like your body could use a bit of a spring cleaning, you won’t want to miss Dr. JJ and the Toronto Vegetarian Association’s spring cleansing event this evening. Expect a night of complimentary consultations, spa demos and healthy food to get you refreshed from head-to-toe, inside and out.

Intuition Gets Into Womenswear

When: As of Feb. 26
Where: Intuition Men, 2487 Yonge St.
Details: Uptown menswear retailer Intuition Men has answered requests for a female equivalent of its shopping experience; it now offers womenswear (and it’s now called, appropriately, Intuition Men/Women). Expect to find clothing from Nikita, Insight, Fredrick Prince, Supremebeing, Krate 101, Obey, Minimum and more.

Gravitypope’s Final Winter Clearance Sale

When: Feb. 27 – March 3
Where: Gravitypope, 1010 Queen St. W.
Details: The city’s winter sales aren’t over yet, and this could be the best one so far. Gravitypope is clearing out and making way for new spring stock by offering items at significantly reduced prices, including some buy-one-get-one-free deals. The offer excludes jewellery and housewares, but still, we can hardly believe this sale.

Love Her in Support of Ovarian Cancer Canada

When: Feb. 28
Where: Corus Quay
Details: The second annual Love Her gala in support of Ovarian Cancer Canada is taking place this Thursday in Toronto. Don’t miss an evening filled with fashion, comedy, cocktails, auctions and music. It’s guaranteed to be a good time for a good cause. Tickets run at $200 apiece.

Made & Crafted’s Launch Party at Uncle Otis

When: Feb 28, 7-10 p.m.
Where: Uncle Otis, 26 Bellair St.
Details: Since 2009, Levi’s Made & Crafted line has been recreating iconic garments from Levi’s history using modern techniques, including some occasional stitching done by hand. You can find a small collection of the line’s goods at stores such as Holt Renfrew and Nomad, but why not head on over to the new store-within-a-store at Uncle Otis for a look at the new spring/summer 2013 collection instead? To celebrate the pop-up shop’s opening, Uncle Otis is having a launch party on Feb. 28 from 7-10 p.m. The pop-up officially opens on March 1.

Pancho’s Bakery sets its sights on Little Italy

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Looking to build on the success of its Kensington Market and Dufferin Street locations, Pancho’s Bakery is planning to open a new location near College and Beatrice. Pancho’s is known for its Mexican baked goods, such as conchas, tortas and churros, but this location will have an additional focus on Mexican chocolate.

We’re told that the new location will provide more of a café experience, offering the usual Pancho’s products along with chocolate bars and truffles made from Mexican cacao beans.

The 750-square-foot café will seat about 20 people and is scheduled to open in about two weeks.

Pancho’s Bakery, 658 College St.