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Drink This: the maple bacon bourbon Manhattan from Reds Wine Tavern

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Reds Wine Tavern has upped its game following a recent revamp. With Top Chef Canada’s Ryan Gallagher stepping into the kitchen, and a décor do-over adding conversation-prompting wooden tables and eye-catching chandeliers, the restaurant has shrugged off its slightly stuffy past. Though the locale is known for, um, wine (it does have over 350 types of wine at any given point), a cocktail menu — much like the shuffleboard table — keeps things interesting.

With a number of classic and signature tipples on offer, we couldn’t resist the maple bacon bourbon Manhattan ($10.50). Served over a single rock, the cocktail features house-made bacon-infused Bulleit bourbon, sweet vermouth and our province’s very own maple syrup to boot. A trio of bourbon-soaked cherries — also done in-house — and a garnish of maple sugar on the rim add the finishing touches to a drink fit for a Bay Street mad man.

Reds Wine Tavern, 77 Adelaide St. W., 416-862-7337

For more must-try Toronto cocktails, check out our Pinterest page

 

Our favourite Eddie Izzard moments

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British comedian Eddie Izzard, the man who looks better in red lipstick and leather pants than any woman, is dropping by Comedy Bar tonight for two sold-out stand-up shows. Izzard is mostly known for running around stage in high heels and outrageous make-up (being a self-proclaimed “executive transvestite,”) but nothing masks his brilliance (he’s amazingly smart). Here are some of our favourite of his stand-up moments (and a film clip — we couldn’t resist).

Eddie Izzard: Circle, “Death Star Canteen”

Izzard launches into what he imagines what restaurant culture on the Death Star must be like. Darth Vader has to eat too, right?

 

Eddie Izzard: Stripped, “Raptors”

Here, Izzard spends a few minutes discussing the range of dinosaur intelligence from driving to downloading porn. Evidently, raptors were pretty smart and very computer-savvy.

 

Eddie Izzard: Definite Article, “The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men”

Like most of his stand-up, Izzard will start with one joke, which leads to another, then before you know it, you’re back to where you started. He starts his tangent talking about poetry, then connects it with The Italian Job.

 

Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill, “Learning French”

You know someone is talented if even his stand-up in another language is amusing. And for someone who doesn’t know French (or even someone who does) this is very entertaining.

 

Across the Universe, “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite”

While we really dig his stand-up, Izzard’s multitude of film and TV cameos are worth mentioning. He makes a cameo in the feature film, Across the Universe, as the obscure Mr. Kite. He takes us on a twisted journey through the classic Beatles song, “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite,”
but it’s one of our favourite renditions of it.

 

Eddie Izzard, Comedy Bar, 945 Bloor St. W., 416-551-6540. Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Must-see Movie: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

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As our American friends get ready to eat their turkey dinners this week, we can’t think of a better way to help them celebrate than to watch one of our favourite holiday-themed flicks, Planes, Trains and Automobiles. The John Hughes classic stars Steve Martin as Neal and John Candy as Del, a pair of mismatched strangers who become road trip companions as they try to get Neal home to Chicago from New York in time for Thanksgiving.

Besides the obvious laughs coming from the odd couple pairing of high-strung Martin and klutzy Candy, the film pulls off that rare moment in a comedy movie: a scene so indelibly painful and emotional that it threatens to pull this crazy train of a movie off the rails, transforming it into something way heavier. However, the intensity wears off quickly and we’re back in guffaw-heavy territory almost immediately. But the scene’s power holds steady throughout the rest of the film: we now see these bickering strangers as human beings, not just comic foibles, and it’s that kind of humanity that we wish we could see more of in today’s funny movies (although we could do without the synth-heavy music undertones).

Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Yonge & Dundas Cineplex, 10 Dundas St. E., 416-977-9262. Nov. 20.

 

Toronto Style Radar: Oliver Spencer, Poor Little Rich Girl, Community 54 and more

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Every week, we round up the best events from the city’s fashion scene. In this edition: Oliver Spencer celebrates its two-year anniversary, the One of A Kind Christmas Show hits town, Black Friday heads north and more.

 

Oliver Spencer Two-year Anniversary Party

Where: Oliver Spencer, 962 Queen St. W.
When: Nov. 20, 7-10 p.m.
Details: Celebrate Oliver Spencer's two-year anniversary with the stylish man himself as you rub elbows with other clotheshorses while sipping on cocktails, nibbling on hors d'oeuvres and perusing the new spring 2013 collection.


Frocktails After Dark

Where: Poor Little Rich Girl, 2094 Yonge St.
When: Nov. 22, 5-9 p.m.
Details: Kick off the holiday season with cocktails and tunes by DJ Ludo. Enjoy 30 per cent off all holiday attire, from snuggly sweaters to sparkly frocks. Every purchase gets you entered to win a pair of Mavi jeans and a beauty basket from Shoppers Drug Mart.


One of a Kind Christmas Show

Where: Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place
When: Nov. 22 – Dec. 2.
Details: If you’re in need of that perfectly unique Christmas gift, this is the show to attend. With everything from handcrafted jewellery to fashion accessories to original clothing, you’ll no doubt leave with something one-of-a-kind — and a ton of bragging rights. 


Legin Knits Pop-Up Shop Event

Where: Community 54, 1275 Queen St. W.
When: Nov. 23, 6-9 p.m.
Details: It’s officially sweater season, and this unique Canadian-made knitwear brand is holding a pop-up event this Friday, complete with a live crochet demonstration.


Black Friday Shopping

Where: Toronto Eaton Centre
When: Nov. 23, 6 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Details: The early bird gets the steal when Black Friday, the top U.S. shopping event of the year, heads up north. In addition to a ton of promotions, the first 100 shoppers to arrive at guest services will receive a $10 Cadillac Fairview gift card.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse prove they can still rock the free world at the ACC

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Even as he inches closer to his 70th birthday, Neil Young isn’t ready to be a stale nostalgia act yet. Young and Crazy Horse’s Monday night show at the Air Canada Centre might not have satisfied those who came seeking old classics, but any true rock fans in the crowd of 18,000 certainly got their money’s worth.

The homegrown 67-year-old folk legend offered up an energetic two-hour set infused by sounds that ranged from punk to country, and everything in between. Also present, of course, were a few signature guitar jams — with at least one of them playing well past the 20-minute mark.

Like Bob Dylan’s disappointing set last week, Young demonstrated a willingness to go against the grain, and he refused to pander to the crowd like a jukebox. Unlike Dylan, however, it was immediately clear that his heart and passion are still very much into what he does.

Young looked perfectly at home all night, jamming with his Crazy Horse bandmates without worrying about a checklist of mandatory songs or a set structure to the show. The faithful ACC crowd was treated to a couple of old favourites, including “Harvest Moon” and “Twisted Road,” but they also got no fewer than six new songs from a group of graying rockers who continue to innovate.

The night was, perhaps, best summarized during the encore, with the band’s hard-rock take on “Helpless.” It wasn’t expected or conventional — it just worked. Young and Co. weren’t looking to rehash a whole slew of oldies; they were simply out to make great music.

Henry Rollins rolls into Toronto

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Henry Rollins has always had something to say. Whether it was as the lead singer of the now-defunct punk band Black Flag in the ’80s or as a writer, radio DJ, activist and spoken word artist, the Washington, D.C. native has never been shy about expressing himself. Now he hits Toronto with his spoken word tour. We caught up with the tatted talker to chat about Toronto’s punk scene and speaking live.

What is the idea behind this spoken word tour?
Well, I think, I’m very careful — when I’m in countries that are not America — not to wear out the good audience. I take more of a global position, and all the travel stories come into play. As well as some interesting tall tales from America… I’m never short on stuff to talk about, but it will be a bunch of stuff from trips to Haiti, Cuba, North Korea and Sudan. 

What is it about speaking live that works for you?
It is the most difficult. There is no cover. In a rock band, you’re singing away, and if you blow a lyric, nobody can really tell because it is too noisy, so you have a little bit of latitude to screw up. On my own, onstage, it is a whole different thing. It is just you, and you have to deal with that. It’s a worthy challenge.

When did you first notice people paying attention to what you had to say?
I noticed in high school that, when I would be talking, all of a sudden there were three people listening. My best friend Ian MacKaye and I, when we were 12, would compare notes about it — but not like “Oh, aren’t we great.” At one point, in his attic, we made a promise to each other to go out and do stuff and get listened to and do things in a very public way. He did music, and I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was his roadie, then I got into a band, then another, and here I am. 

You tour constantly. Did your involvement in the punk scene with Black Flag help you to develop a solid work ethic?
Oh yeah, that was probably the most influential thing that ever happened to me. We worked very hard in those days; insanely hard with that monastic single-mindedness you have when you are young. I was crazy, but we learned early how hard you can work.

Are you familiar with Toronto’s own contribution to the punk scene, Fu–ed Up?
I actually ran into the singer of that band. What’s his name? [Damian.] Yeah, that’s him. I saw him at the FYF Fest in Los Angeles watching Dinosaur Jr. Don’t know the music all that well, but he was a cool guy, smart. I like that guy. I’ve hung out with him a few times. He’s a big fan of Dinosaur Jr., and they opened for them in New York last year, and I was at that show, too.

Henry Rollins: The Long March, Glenn Gould Studio, CBC Building, 250 Front. St. W., 416-205-5000. Nov. 19-21

Grant van Gameren takes on Brandon Olsen as chef de cuisine at Crown Cooks

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Fans of Grant van Gameren likely know that come January (we hope), the renowned chef will be opening up his own restaurant: Crown Cooks. Taking over the former Grappa space on College Street, the upcoming eatery will be turning out tapas-style sharing dishes in addition to a late-night menu — both influenced by van Gameren’s recent European jaunt.

What we didn’t know, however, is that Brandon Olsen, who recently left his gig as The Black Hoof’s head chef, will be joining Crown Cooks as chef de cuisine.

“Brandon worked with me at The Hoof,” van Gameren says, “and I’m excited to work with him again. He’s a super talented individual.”

Having also been hit by the travel bug, Olsen is currently off doing his own thing, but he’ll be back in time to get the restaurant up and running.

With Crown Cooks already destined to be a hot ticket, we can only imagine what the pairing will do for the place. Good thing it’ll be taking reservations.

Meet a Comedian: Christi Olson

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Despite some serious health challenges, comedian Christi Olson is seriously funny. A transplant from Regina, Olson has quickly moved up the ranks in the Toronto comedy world, even landing this year’s Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award. We chatted with Olson about fear vomiting, hecklers and laughing through the pain of EDS

Were you always funny growing up?
I think I was more weird than funny. I was an excellent liar and had undiagnosed ADHD, though, both of which are helpful things for comedians. 

What made you decide to pursue a career in comedy?
I thought it would be fun to try, so I signed up to do the Great Canadian Laugh-Off last year, thinking I’d have a few months to perform and maybe do well enough to move on. The week after I signed up for, I got very sick and forgot… until they called me in April to let me know I needed to be in Toronto to perform the next week. It went surprisingly well. I made it to the semi-finals, and then people just kept asking me to do it. 

Describe your first stand-up gig. Where was it, how did it go, how did you feel?
It was at a bar called Gabbo’s (affectionately known as ‘Stabbo’s’) in Regina. I wrote my jokes in under an hour the day of the show (because I needed eight minutes for the Laugh-Off a week later), and I fear-vomited for a solid 10 minutes after it was done (in a bathroom without locks on the doors with a Plan B advertisement over the toilet). Apparently it went well, but I don't remember any of it. 

You just won this year’s Tim Sims award. How did that feel? Did it validate your comedy?
It felt great! I feel super lucky to have been a part of it, because I met so many incredibly talented people. The only downside is that the trophy they gave me is made of crystal so anytime the TV is on, it reflects off of it and for a few seconds I think there are ghosts in the apartment. 

You’ve been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. How does that affect your stand-up?
I can’t do nearly as many shows as most comics, and generally, my sets have to be shorter because of dysautonomia, which is automatic nervous system dysfunction. My two biggest triggers are changes in altitude and changes in temperature, which means the heat from stage lights makes me dizzy and nauseous, and if I don’t deal with it fast enough, I’ll throw up and/or pass out. I’ve been lucky though, in that the comedy community in Toronto has been super supportive and very understanding when I’ve had to turn down shows. 

What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to while onstage?
It didn’t actually happen to me, it happened because of me. I was in a comedy competition, and I was the only female performer. Some girls in the bathroom recognized me and asked if I was doing the show. I said I was, and that I had no one in the audience (which was true) so I needed them to laugh extra hard. They took this to mean that they should heckle everyone who wasn’t me and then give me applause breaks for every joke I told regardless of whether or not it was funny. I still feel bad about it.

Who or what makes you laugh the most?
It would probably be a tie between my boyfriend [Dan MacRae, also a comedian] and Teddy Bear, the talking porcupine.

Favourite funny movie?
All time: Annie Hall. This year: The Cabin in the Woods.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Because of the EDS, I can’t really set too many long term goals. Ideally, I’ll have robot legs and one of those Stephen Hawking talking machines so I can just type out my jokes from the comfort of the audience. I would also accept being a Tupac-esque hologram

What's your advice for other aspiring comedians?
A lot of comedians, when they’re first starting out, rely more on shock than on punchlines, which isn’t always a bad thing. That said, if you wouldn’t tell your joke in front of an audience entirely made up of the target of your joke, just don’t tell the joke. Toronto is a pretty multicultural city, so it doesn’t happen as much here, but back in Saskatchewan, there was nothing more cringe-inducing than a room full of white people laughing at a racial slur.  

The details:

Year started stand-up: 2011
Influences: Debra DiGiovanni, Kristeen von Hagen, Elvira Kurt, Mike Wilmot
Next gig: The Incubator, Crown & Tiger, 414 College St., 416-920-3115. Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m.

Must-see Movie: Citizen Kane

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“Rosebud.” It’s the infamous last word uttered by Charles Foster Kane, the wealthy media proprietor, played by Orson Welles. The enigmatic line, which was named the 17th best movie quote by the American Film Institute, opens the sweeping masterpiece, Citizen Kane, and sets its story into motion. The flick is considered by many cinema critics (including the AFI) to be the greatest film of all time. It plays this Sunday at the Yonge & Dundas Cineplex.

The 1941 film was also co-written and directed by wunderkind Welles and went on to be nominated for nine Academy Awards. It was also Welles’ first feature, and one that many consider to be his best. The film is lauded for its innovations in narrative structure and cinematography; aspects of the film that we still see emulated today.

But for all its Hollywood hubbub, the movie’s hype still leaves many movie-goers scratching their heads and debating its place in cinematic history. We might as well watch it for ourselves (finally) and see what the fuss is all about.

Citizen Kane, Yonge & Dundas Cineplex, 10 Dundas St. E., 416-977-9262. Nov. 18.

Q&A: Pat Thornton, the local comedian who’s performing 24-hours of non-stop stand-up in the name of charity

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Tonight comedian Pat Thornton will run a comedy marathon, performing stand-up for 24 non-stop hours at Comedy Bar, all in the name of charity. It’s the fourth year that Thornton has attempted the feat to raise funds for the Stephen Lewis Foundation (he raised $14,000 last year; the goal is $24,000 for this year) and he has no plans to stop the charitable, comedic craziness.

We chatted with the comic about Kevin Sorbo, how he gets through the marathon and why he still does it.

How did the idea of doing stand-up for 24 hours come about?
I’ve been doing it for four years. The first year I got solicited on the street from a canvasser from the Stephen Lewis Foundation. We had worked together before on a TV show, so he knew me, and he told me, “You would be perfect for this. Do it at Comedy Bar,” and then they kept calling me. And I was like, “Okay,” and so I thought I should do something. So I was coming up with something with Gary [Rideout Jr., owner of Comedy Bar] and I said, “If I do something, I should do something crazy,” and Gary said, “You should do stand-up for 24 hours,” and the next day, when I was sober, I was like “I am doing this.”

Why is the Stephen Lewis Foundation so important to you?
I looked into a lot of their stuff after I was stopped that first time, and I had heard about them too. I really, really like when Stephen Lewis speaks. He’s a really passionate, intelligent guy, and I want to help him.

Walk us through the evening a bit. You get up onstage with your own material, and then other comics chime in in-person or via Twitter or email, right?
Yeah. I prepare a bunch of stuff. Last year I prepared well over an hour of material, but all of my friends are sitting in the bar, writing jokes for me, so I did 20-25 minutes of my stuff before I felt the audience getting anxious for me to start doing their jokes. It just becomes this crazy, interactive event where people keep bringing up jokes and putting them in a bowl and I pull them out and start to read them. It all becomes really weird and all the jokes start building on each other. We start to create a weird universe.

Like two years ago, the theme was Kevin Sorbo, and then he ended up actually performing at Comedy Bar because of it. What was that like?
That was one of the craziest things that ever happened to me. Gary had been talking about it awhile afterwards how funny it would be to bring Kevin Sorbo to Comedy Bar, and then I guess Sorbo was coming to town for the Fan Expo and Gary called us and booked him with a whole weekend at the bar. He did improv shows and he did Sunday Night Live. He was great. But it was really strange; all of our jokes were about him being poor and eating garbage, and his show was called Kevin’s Garbage Weekend.

When’s the time when you start feeling like, “All right, I’ve had enough?”
I don’t feel I’ve had enough. There’s a certain amount of adrenaline going so if I ever stop for 10 minutes, I would fall asleep or die. I just keep going. It certainly gets harder, but then it gets easier again. It gets kind of hard during the day because there’s less people there and the energy is low. But this year we are doing it on the weekend, so it might be different.

How integral is the Comedy Bar for doing this type of event?
I think it’s really important. First of all, it sort of has its own community, which is what I draw from to do this thing. It’s great that one of my best friends owns the bar, so who else would let me do this and take over their place for 24 hours?

Where do you find the inspiration to keep doing this year after year?
It’s really fun. It sounds crazy, because it’s hard, but I don’t even think about it that much. It’s just a highlight of my year. It’s the craziest, funniest time and everyone has a good time doing it. I’m excited to do it with them.

Pat Thornton’s 24-Hour Stand-Up Marathon, Comedy Bar, 945 Bloor St. W., 416-551-6540. Nov. 16, 8 p.m. $5 minimum donation.

Friday Restaurant Recap: The Red Bench, Yakitori Bar, Archive, LPK’s Culinary Groove, College Street Bar

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Friday Restaurant Recap rounds up the week’s Toronto restaurant news. In this edition: two new restaurants for Baldwin Village, a British food truck, the new College Street Bar and ramen. Lots of ramen.

Opening soon

  • It looks like Yonge Street will be getting a new café soon with The Red Bench, serving smoothies, juices, frozen yogurt and more. [Twitter]
  • Baldwin Village is about to get two new restaurants: Yakitori Bar and Seoul Food. They are slated to open by Dec. 1.
  • There is more to Scandinavian cuisine then just Ikea meatballs, or so claims upcoming restaurant Karelia Kitchen, opening on Bloor Street next month. [The Grid]

Newly opened

  • Ramen mania continues as Japanese chain Santouka Ramen opens on Dundas Street.
  • And, again, ramen mania continues with Shogun Ramen, a Japanese noodle house for Richmond Hillers.
  • If you’re a fan of sushi (and happen to enjoy a bit of pyrotechnics), then JaBistro is the sushi joint for you.
  • The British food trucks are coming! The Feisty Jack food truck features traditional British pub fare and more.
  • Archive, a new wine and tapas bar, has opened at 909 Dundas West.
  • The Bloordale Pantry closed last month, and in its place is The Whippoorwill Restaurant and Tavern. [The Grid]
  • The owners of Three Speed have opened a new bar called The Wallflower on Dundas West. [The Grid]
  • Gelato Pizza brings exactly that, gelato and pizza, to Parkdale. Hopefully not on the same plate, though. Or would that be good? [The Grid]

Closing

  • After 14 years in business, east-end pastry shop LPK’s Culinary Groove has announced that it will close its doors at the end of December. [LPK’s Culinary Groove]
  • The last chance to check out The Feasting Room is quickly approaching. The popular nose-to-tail pop-up on College Street will come to an end — in its current form, at least — on Nov. 18. [The Feasting Room]

Change-ups

  • Little Italy’s College Street Bar has a new owner and, well, new everything, including a $5 snack menu by David Adjey.

Yorkdale Shopping Centre is officially ballin’

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Last night, a swarm of Toronto’s keenest mallrats headed north, awaiting a glimpse of the Yorkdale Shopping Centre makeover. Costing a cool $220 million, the 145,000 square foot expansion officially opened to the public today.

The new wing brings forth a number of firsts: Canada’s first Ted Baker London and LOFT locations; and the first time a Club Monaco store has been designed from the ground up (instead of just moving into a pre-existing space). We toured the shops to suss out the goods.

With a coveted corner location, L’Occitane en Provence is the latest mall stop for the skincare-obsessed. We were told that the space in itself is quite unique; the only other shop with a similar set-up is the London outpost. In addition to an endless array of goods — comprised of West African shea butter and ingredients from Provence, France — the store is outfitted with a barber’s corner for men and a tree-like display of their renowned hand creams. The original shea scent is the most popular, though we fell for the date version. 

Club Monaco’s luxe new spot has something no other location has: two entrances, one for the men and one for the girls. The space has been imbued with the feel of a European boutique: black and white photos dot the space, plants inject a sense of the outdoors and couches are a welcome sight for weary shoppers. Ladies can pick up holiday-ready pieces like sheer dotted blouses and — our favourite — plaid trousers with leather detailing; for men, hand-tailored suits and pocketed cardigans in a range of hues are on offer. 

Lululemon’s new outpost visually outshines all the others with its natural wood façade. Designed by Lululemon in collaboration with the Brothers Dressler and Quadrangle Architects, the entrance wall was built using over 35,000 blocks of scrap wood from over 20 types of trees, resembling a fallen leaf from afar — much like an impressionist painting. Inside, yoga enthusiasts can peruse the sweat-friendly threads in addition to yoga mats that are so thin they can be folded, rather than rolled.

Ted Baker’s quirky British sensibility showed us that guys should embrace jackets dotted with stars, while gals can don frocks fit with birds. Men’s threads were inspired by fly fishing, and are done in heritage fabrics with built-in pocket squares (as in, simply flip the pocket inside-out and voila!). Ladies’ gear included plenty of full-skirted frocks in arresting prints or with quirky detailing. The whole affair made us think of a mad tea party. 

Over at Ann Taylor, things got much brighter, with a giant display of rainbow-hued gifts taking centre-stage. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and the back corner is devoted to a calm-inducing zone fit with a sofa and various books for sartorial inspiration. We liked the black and white prints best of all: dresses in zebra or leopard-prints are a welcome change from sequin-heavy frocks we’re destined to see more of as the season wears on.

Colour continued over at kate spade new york, where accessories (naturally) reigned supreme. Huge hunks of fuchsia resin made their way into bright necklaces; quirky knit hats featured images of ski goggles; purses were drowned in glitter. Clothes-wise, we fell for a jewel-print dress and a black-and-white striped frock with an A-line skirt.

Other new retailers include Wilfred and LOFT; at the former we loved a pair of striped pants that would work for both holiday affairs and dinner with friends; at the latter, a pair of sequin pants in a relaxed fit are a less fussy way to inject some seasonal spirit into an outfit. For those unsure of how to navigate trends, LOFT offers free (yes, free) personal stylists to customers to help them look their best.

At Diesel, the women’s leather handbags (especially the hunter green ones) stood out, as did a pair of intimidating black leather boots for men; Lacoste’s new spot is fit with a Polo Bar, showcasing its classic polo Ts in a diorama of colours.

Meanwhile, entering Anthropologie’s never-ending space feels like stepping into one of Hans Christian Andersen’s tales: frilly aprons bedeck one wall, and gift-ready trinkets and such spill from every corner. Ladies’ garb is a hodgepodge of sequins, textures and patterns. A winter coat in a bird print is a great way to stand out from black-clad crowds.

In honour of the swanky extension, a number of retailers will be offering discounts and deals over the weekend. Still to come to the mall is Holt Renfrew’s new store, arriving in the New Year. Also, British fashion retailer AllSaints is set to join the expansion wing for 2013.

Guess we’ll just have to wait.

Yorkdale Shopping Centre, 3401 Dufferin St.