When Apple launches a new product (like the new iPhone 5), we can expect a big hoopla. But, really, nothing beats holding a phone in front of a blank piece of paper. Simple, and to the point.
Secret Recipe: Breakfast club
Quick, tasty and packed with energy, these recipes are perfect for back-to-school mornings.
Post City Magazines’ culinary columnist, Rose Reisman, is the author of 17 cookbooks, a TV and radio personality and a health and wellness expert. Visit Rose at www.rosereisman.com.
The humble ponytail hits the red carpet
Sometimes it seems as if there are more aesthetics bars in Toronto than there are boozy bars. Although there is yet to be an exclusive ponytail bar, I’m sure one will not be too far away.
Who knew a ponytail deserved so much attention?
In New York City, the new Ponytail Bar charges $50 per ponytail at the swanky Fifth Avenue location of John Barrett Salon that has recently opened on the top floor of Bergdorf Goodman.
As Barrett, who also recently opened a shop called Braid Bar, has said, “A good ponytail is like a good heel — it gives you a lift.”
I head to Blo Yorkville, which just recently opened its doors, to try out a professional ponytail such as the one you’d get in the big city at Ponytail Bar, as opposed to the messy one I always throw my hair up into.
The difference, as Barrett notes, in an interview with nbcnews.com, is in the details.
“It’s a marriage of couture and education — each ponytail is fashioned to the client, and although it looks simple, it demands a certain skill,” he says. “It’s not a ponytail you’re going to wear to the gym or grocery store — we know you can do that yourself. This is a ponytail for a night out, a special event, a big business meeting — something where you want to wow.”
If it is good enough for the likes of Rachel McAdams or Kirsten Dunst and Naomi Campbell — who were among the main fashionable folk sporting this hot fashion trend at the Summer Olympics in London — well, it is good enough for me.
Inside Blo Blow Dry Bar, it’s very girlie, with scented candles that smell like bubble gum and a lot of pink and white. On their menu, they offer services such as the “red carpet,” executive sweet,” and “holly would” (perfect for the film festival).
And they also offer the “hunt club,” which is also called the “perfect pony,” described as a “polished look for an impromptu polo match or just because.”
I’m not hitting the polo grounds any time soon, but I didn’t let them in on my little secret. My friendly stylist, Kenlyn, and I look at photos of celebrities with ponytails on red carpets, and we find one of Kate Beckinsale with a pony that is described in the caption as “high glam meets messy,” and it is on.
First, I get a quick wash and blow-dry. Next thing I know, I’m sitting in a chair watching Kenlyn tease my hair, feeling like I should be on the Jersey Shore.
She pulls my hair back, leaving a few hair wisps falling down by my ears, which is sexy. But she adds height at the front to balance my heart-shaped face. Apparently, low ponies are better on narrow face shapes.
There are nine Blo Blow Dry Bar locations in Toronto, including ones in Bayview Village, at Yonge and Eglinton and in the Exchange Tower in the Business District.
Rosemary Chau, who manages both the King Street and the Yonge Street locations, has definitely seen the trend for professionally done ponytails pick up steam in Toronto.
“It’s a fast and quick way to look sophisticated, sexy and put together,” she says.
She wears a ponytail “every other day” and says she gets random compliments on the street, especially when she adds a braid to make it look boho chic.
She’s also noticed a trend of ponytails at weddings.
“Brides now want effortless updos or loose ponytails. They no longer want the constricted hair look for them or their bridesmaids.”
After my hair was teased and pulled back tight (so tight I thought I’d get a headache, which I did) with four elastics and 10 bobby pins, strategically placed so no one could see them, with some of my hair also wrapped around the pony, I was done. It took about 20 minutes, in total, including the wash and dry.
The truth is I thought it was too poofy on top. Of course, the elegant ponytail didn’t exactly match with what I was wearing: a sweat top. When I got home, I tried on a cocktail dress, just for fun, and it was a good look. I appeared to be some sort of elegant woman ready to head to a wedding. Who knew?
At the end of the day, says, Kenlyn, the ponytail should work around what you are wearing and what the event is. (And keep in mind, it took almost as long to get out and unwind my ponytail as it did for Kenlyn to create it.) But for $50, I think it’s worth it to get your hair done professionally and quickly, even for a ponytail.
I couldn’t help but notice, just a couple doors down from Blo on Yorkville, that there is a brow and eyelash bar. I may have to try that out next. It is film festival season after all.
You never know when I’ll be bumping into the Goz.…
Post City Magazines’ columnist Rebecca Eckler is the author of Knocked Up, Wiped!, and her latest books, How to Raise a Boyfriend and The Lucky Sperm Club.
Meet a Comedian: Steve Patrick Adams
A little while back, we told you that if you aren’t following any Canadian comedians on Twitter, then you really should be. Steve Patrick Adams is one of those people. It’s not because he won Best Stand-Up Newcomer at this year’s Canadian Comedy Awards or that he likes to post pictures of his fat cat. It’s mostly because he’s, well, funny. And he’s on the rise. We chatted to Adams about dinosaurs, his cat Chub Chub and a man with a peg leg.
Were you always funny growing up?
To certain people I was. I remember making my cousins laugh when I was really young and thought it was a big deal. Keep in mind, those were largely fart noises. I had a knack for performing in front of crowds, which I recall discovering during a grade eight speech. Let’s say since grade eight, then, for sure.
How did you get into stand-up?
I wanted to try stand-up for a long time and eventually attended the Humber Comedy program, which allotted stage time at Yuk Yuk’s. I enjoyed my first few sets but didn’t get completely hooked until I had to deal with an ailing family member. Stand-up became a nice outlet for the extra strain on my life and turned into something I really loved doing and wanted to pursue.
Describe your first stand-up show. Where was it? How did it go? What were you feeling?
I performed a short set at Yuk Yuk’s to a nearly packed house. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more nervous in my life. It was driver’s test nervous, which most of us can relate to, I’m sure. I barely remember performing but it went very well. The sets following went poorly for a while, but that first one was great!
Your favourite gig so far?
This is going to sound really boring and lame, but my favorite gig was probably the first show I put on with my comedian friend, Jordan Foisy, at Stella. We don’t host at that venue (bar) anymore, but it was an amazing four or five shows.
Most embarrassing thing to happen to you onstage?
I was performing at a show in Kensington Market with a few strange characters loosely paying attention at the bar. One of them had bag pipes so I casually mentioned that while performing. The man believed I was making fun of him and proceeded to harass me on stage for several minutes. He cursed at me and eventually demanded I tell him a joke because he was completely unimpressed with my set thus far. I
started talking about an old war amp commercial, to which he interrupted, “You know I’m an amputee don’t you?” and proceeded to pull up his pants revealing a peg leg. Shortly after that, the bartender calmed him down.
Who or what makes you laugh the most?
I love humour about small things and pathetic characters. Generally, I just love something really surprising that’s also not horrifying.
Favourite funny movie?
Probably Spinal Tap or Napoleon Dynamite.
Your Twitter bio says you’re a dinosaur enthusiast. How much of a nerd are you?
You know, I read quite a lot, studied philosophy intensely, play video games with a passionate interest, but wouldn’t really consider myself a nerd. I don’t think I have that obsessive drive that nerds have toward their hobbies and interests. I do love dinosaurs but it doesn’t take a nerd to appreciate how badass they are; It takes a human being.
Write a tweet demonstrating Steve Patrick Adams’ sense of humour.
I do a lot of picture tweets. Here’s an example: On a scale of one to 10, how hard would you say your life is? — (now imagine a picture of my cat Chub Chub lying as lazy as possible).
If you weren’t a comedian, you’d be….
I had an interest in law but would probably be too goofy to be taken seriously in court. I also enjoyed the study of ethics and logic but would really have a tough time doing either with a PhD being the minimum requirement. Mystery novels?
Best piece of advice?
The best alteration I ever made was to stop writing out my material word for word. It made me more comfortable on stage and more trusting of myself as a performer. So I would definitely recommend trying different approaches to creating jokes as a piece of advice. Also, try to be grateful for performing opportunities.
What’s next on the horizon?
Hopefully getting more gigs and travelling opportunities. Comedian Jordan Foisy and I run two rooms at Crown and Tiger and Comedy Bar respectively, which seem to be picking up momentum. I’m also recently involved in a musical sketch comedy duo called Two Seagulls Nestling on a Welcoming Bush. Joel Buxton and I put together songs of a satirical nature.
The details:
Year started: 2009
Influences: Norm Macdonald, Jim Gaffigan, Louis C.K., The Simpsons, xi
Next shows: Sept. 4, The Humber College Alumni Show, Yuk Yuk’s, 224 Richmond Street West, 416-967-6425;
Sept. 8, Crown and Tiger Pub, 414 College Street, 416-920-3115.
Toronto Style Radar: Comrags, The Narwhal, Rac Boutique, Fuzz Wax Bar, Fashion’s Night Out, Maison Mercer
Every week, we round up the best events from the city’s fashion scene. In this edition: Comrags and Plaid team up for Fashion’s Night Out, The Narwhal celebrates its second birthday, Fred Falke hits up The Hoxton and more.
Fashion’s Night Out with Comrags and Plaid
Where: Comrags, 812 Dundas St. W.
When: Sept. 6, 6-9 p.m.
Details: What is it about a fashion editor’s touch that gives a look that je ne sais quois? Find out by popping over to Comrags’ new location to see how Plaid Magazine’s Editorial Director, Odessa Paloma Parker, puts a spin (using accessories by local designers) on Comrags’ new Fall/Winter collection.
The Narwhal is Two!
Where: The Narwhal, 8 Price St.
When: Wednesday Sept. 5, 6-9 p.m.
Details: Get a head start on Fashion’s Night Out in Toronto by celebrating the second birthday of The Narwhal the night before. As one of the city’s finest new fashion boutiques, we should all cheers to them. Do so by heading over tomorrow evening for some cocktails and oysters, along with a sneak peek of handbag designer ela’s holiday collection.
FNO: The Bazaar by Rac
Where: The Burroughes Building, 639 Queen St. W., 6th Floor
When: Sept. 6-8
Details: What’s the best way to celebrate the first-ever Fashion’s Night Out in Toronto? By partying alongside the best retailers and designers the city has to offer. Yorkville boutique Rac has gathered Toronto’s “best of” to do just that. Expect to find goods from Chloé comme Parris, Love of Mine, Canon Blanc, Magic Pony and more. Better yet, it lasts for two extra days and comes complete with a DJ and free beverages.
FNO: Fuzz Wax Bar
Where: Fuzz Wax Bar, 701 Queen St. W.
When: Sept. 6, 6-11 p.m.
Details: The relationship between client and waxer is far closer than that of client and hairdresser, for obvious reasons. It’s one of the closest relationships out there, and shouldn’t be dismissed during Fashion’s Night Out. Fuzz Wax Bar invites you to enjoy a free eyebrow wax (upon purchase of a product) and shop the Stella and Dot trunk show.
Join TFI to Celebrate Fashion’s Night Out
Where: Shops at Hazelton Lanes, 87 Avenue Rd.
When: Sept. 6, 6-11 p.m.
Details: It’s about time that retail therapy awarded more than just the thrill of buying yourself a gift. Join TFI on Fashion’s Night Out to receive expert styling tips from FLARE and hair touch ups from Maybelline and Redken. Plus, the more you spend, the more perks you get.
Fred Falke Live! Hosted by She Does The City
Where: The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst St.
When: Sept. 7, 10 p.m. – 5 a.m.
Details: As TIFF hits the city there are oh-so-many parties to choose from. If you’re going to add any as your Friday night must-do, Fred Falke at The Hoxton should be at the top of that list. Don’t miss your chance to see this legendary house producer hit the decks while drinks flow freely for an extended two hours.
The Official Fashion Cares After Party
Where: Maison Mercer, 15 Mercer St.
When: Sept. 9, from 10 p.m.
Details: This is your chance to party for a cause in the most glamorous way possible. The “night of glitter and light” is like Christmas for fashion folk, except everyone’s invited to help make the world a better place. Your ticket secures rubbing shoulders with the like of Dsquared2, Linda Evangelista, Scissor Sisters and more.
Grace 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.
Theatre Review: the Stratford Festival’s Hirsch
One-man-shows have never been my cup of tea. That goes for one-woman-shows as well. Dialogue between two or more characters is such an essential part of live theatre that I find it glaring when it’s missing.
As the solid Toronto actor Alon Nashman jokes to the audience at the opening of Hirsch, “This production is the only one-man-show at the Stratford Festival this summer.” And while the production is impressively creative and well-performed overall, it never fully captures the life of John Hirsch; neither his horrific childhood nor his often remarkable career.
The former saw his entire family murdered before his eyes during the Holocaust, and the latter saw this highly-gifted man create one of Canada’s longest-lasting and admired theatre companies (the Manitoba Theatre Centre) and later run both the Stratford Festival and CBC television drama for several years, so we are not talking about an uneventful life here.
Nashman, as noted, is a fine performer, and to have co-written a play like Hirsch with one of Canada’s best directors (Paul Thompson, who also directed the show), is no mean feat. And there are dozens of vignettes that capture one’s heart, eyes and ears, such as seeing Nashman (as Hirsch) pulling the famous cart of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and her Children — a fitting, powerful image of what the pre-teen, starving, Hungarian-born future director must have carried in his mind and soul through his entire 59 years on earth.
Probably all artistic directors find it tedious to have to deal with impatient businessmen and petty money concerns while they are forever striving to create great art, so it must have been maddening for a fine and creative mind such as Hirsch’s to have struggled with the monied, often theatrically-illiterate supporters in Winnipeg, Stratford and eventually CBC television in Toronto, in order to get things done.
Hirsch is really a series of brief scenes from one man’s tumultuous life, and unless you saw a few of his seminal productions (as I had the honour of doing), or knew him personally (as I also did; I was a writer for King of Kensington, the long-running sitcom that Hirsch helped develop), too much of Hirsch will fly past even the most open and knowledgeable ears of its audience.
And too much of John Hirsch’s story is vague, such as his being in touch with someone named Bryan, whom we never discover was his lover. Some of the staging is surprisingly awkward, and bringing in stagehands so frequently to set up the jagged scenes can be confusing.
I am certainly not sorry to have seen Hirsch, and I applaud the powers that be at Stratford for backing this play and its production. But when you compare it with, say, the deeply moving and powerful The Little Years, written by the inspired local playwright John Mighton, which thrilled and broke hearts of audiences last year on the same stage (and which, I am thrilled to report, will be gracing a stage in the GTA within the next few weeks), this competent but unsatisfying one-man-show is just not worth the 90-minute drive to Stratford.
Hirsch, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, till Sept. 14
Ossington’s Goed Eten packs it in
It’s not too often that one hears of a restaurant closing on the Ossington strip these days, but brunch spot Goed Eten has served its last waffle. A message from Goed Eten’s Twitter account announced the closure, and we also confirmed with a former Eten employee. Owner Johan Maes will apparently concentrate his efforts on his other restaurant, Le Petit Dejeuner.
Morning Throwback: today’s hipsters are eerily reminiscent of ’60s schoolchildren
First impressions are important on the first day of school. In the ’60s, kids made sure to wear their best fedoras and striped shirts, and made sure their bicycles were looking super fly. Nowadays, we just call these people hipsters.
License to kill: our favourite 007 death scenes
Though we reported about TIFF Bell Lightbox’s upcoming exhibit, “Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style,” back in April, TIFF recently announced some extra additions to the Bond bonanza, which kicks off Oct. 26, including three TIFF Cinematheque film programmes. In tribute to the suave spy, we present our favourite not-so-debonair deaths.
Dr. No (1962)
Obviously, you can’t tell Dr. No to get a grip, which is too bad, because it’s possible that if he didn’t have those weird metal hands, he would have stood a chance in that nuclear reactor (assuming he would have survived the ass-whupping from 007). But, alas, he is boiled alive, despite nuclear technology worthy of Homer Simpson.
Goldfinger (1964)
Firing Goldfinger’s gun probably wasn’t the best plan, because Bond could have been sucked out of the plane just as easily as Goldfinger. But he’s Bond, James Bond, so he’s got reflexes like a cat and is able to easily withstand the extreme depressurization. Unfortunately, the villain is not so lucky, and is deflated like a rushed soufflé.
Diamonds are Forever (1971)
In a Scooby-Doo-esque scene, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd pose as waiters serving up a gourmet meal to Bond and his female companion, which includes the ol’ bomb-in-a-cake trick. Bond catches onto them because he recognizes their cologne (apparently not their faces), and next thing you know, Mr. Kidd is getting ready to throw flaming shish kebabs at Bond. Luckily, Bond douses him with some booze and he combusts into flames. Then, Bond gives the ultimate wedgie to Wint (Bruce Glover, Crispin Glover’s father) before he straps a crotch bomb onto him and somersaults him into the dark sea.
Live and Let Die (1973)
In the bizarro world of Goldfinger, the drug lord, Kananga, dies from a case of inflation. That’s right. Bond stuffs some sort of bullet in his mouth as they’re brawling under water in a shark tank (the shark, for unknown reasons, leaves them alone to duke it out), causing Kananga first to inflate like one of those Macy Thanksgiving Parade balloons and then bursting just as quickly. Weird.
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
In what’s probably one of the slowest (read: boring) death scenes ever, Bond’s arch-nemesis, Blofeld (Mike Myers’ obvious inspiration for Dr. Evil, cat and all), who’s now wheelchair-bound, hijacks Bond’s chopper via remote. Bond regains control — not before doing some fancy “look at me!” death-defying stunts — and picks up Blofeld’s chair with the helicopter and drops him down a factory smokestack. Gotta love that closing ’80s music that makes sure we know Bond is in charge.
TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St. W., Oct. 26-Jan. 20
The Indie Coffee Passport is back for round three
For those willing to a bit of trekking, the Indie Coffee Passport is a good way to save some coin while exploring Toronto’s coffee scene. Now in its third year, the passport costs $25 and entitles the bearer to a drink at 30 different shops over seven months. This year, the indie coffee action starts tomorrow.
A new twist to the passport this year is that participating venues have each chosen six drinks that are redeemable with the passport; these include brewed coffees, teas and espresso-based drinks. Our questionable math skills suggest that the passport would start paying off after about 10 uses.
Gentleman’s Choice: a piqué cotton blazer from Toronto’s newly-opened Massimo Dutti
Every time a new Toronto shop selling menswear opens it doors, it does so to the resounding cheers of sartorially-inclined guys who want to up their style game. Yesterday, Massimo Dutti opened its first North American store in the Eaton Centre, a stone’s throw from Harry Rosen’s new über-location. For the uninitiated, think Zara’s roguishly handsome older brother.
The Spanish brand was founded in 1985 primarily as a menswear outlet, and premium fabrics, traditional patterns and classic — not slim — cuts preside. However, Massimo Dutti offers free alterations that even include shoulder and chest fixes on blazers. Eventually, one will be able to buy a “personally tailored” suit off the rack at this location.
While the crazy-soft Australian merino wool blazers were tempting, our pick is this navy blue piqué cotton blazer, tagged at $245. We imagine it’s what the Spaniards are rocking to work, nights out and everywhere in between.
Soft shoulders, cool texture and a cooler colour make it damn wearable. But it’s the sporting details — subtle elbow patches, billet pocket and leather lapel tab — that make you want to wear it every day. Rock it with a knit tie in this fall’s boozy shade of bordeaux, and show those Iberians that no matter what they do, we can still do it better.
$245. Available at Massimo Dutti, 218 Yonge Street, 647-255-0000
Tony Aspler’s Weekly Wine Pick: Quails’ Gate Chardonnay 2010
This is a full-throttle chardonnay from the Okanagan. Straw coloured with a smoky, toasty nose of citrus with barnyard notes; full-bodied, dry and elegant with rich apple and green pineapple flavours supported by oak.
Food match: lobster with butter sauce, roast chicken
$21.95, LCBO #377770
Tony Aspler is Post City’s wine columnist. He has written 14 books on wine and food and also created the Ontario Wine Awards. He can be heard on 680News.
