Massimo Dutti is opening its first North American store at the Toronto Eaton Centre

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4:38 pm

Want to inject some Spanish style into your casual (and formal) wear? On Aug. 30, you’ll be able to. Spanish clothing brand Massimo Dutti (a high-end concept from the same company that owns Zara) has a picked out a new casa for its first North American location — on the third floor of Toronto’s Eaton Centre.

For chicas, expect the staple LBDs, colourful printed dresses, bright scarves and tasteful accessories. For the hombres, there are cable knit sweaters, tailored shirts and other essentials.

Massimo Dutti offers both casual and formal collections, so young professionals who usually fill their closets with Club Monaco and Banana Republic will have a new spot to shop — this time with a Spanish twist.

First Draught: Hops & Robbers IPA

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3:19 pm

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From its humble beginnings, Hops & Robbers IPA has become the little beer that could — get itself into the LCBO, that is. Only eight weeks after launching at the government retailer, it’s now stocked in over 270 stores across the province. That’s more than any other beer that I’ve covered for a First Draught post, even though some have been around for years.

The can’s design, with its chocolate chip mint ice cream colour palette and graphics reminiscent of Spy vs. Spy cartoons, grabs attention, but it’s the beer inside that makes it worth recommending.

When Claude Lefebvre and Nathan Dunsmoor co-founded Ontario’s Double Trouble Brewing Co., they saw an opportunity to offer a beer in the very popular IPA category that was also very drinkable. Lefebvre thinks Hops & Robbers is “a nice, sessionable IPA — something that is an introduction to the style.” And at about 50 IBUs (as in International Bittering Units, or how bitter a beer tastes) and 5.7 per cent alcohol, he’s got a point. Many of the other new pale ales from Ontario breweries weigh in at above 6 per cent alcohol and 65 IBUs.

In the glass, Hops & Robbers has that slightly orange, deep-gold colour that says “beer” to the North American eye. It has a slightly sweet aroma of dry grass and lemon. The flavour, which is all woodsy hops, puts it squarely in the English IPA camp — but again, they’ve used a light hand here, so the beer is more refreshing than bitter, and it could probably pair with a wider range of food than a bigger IPA.

As Ontario breweries continue to release new products in the IPA category, there’s a place at one end of the market for distinctive, super-bold seasonal releases. Double Trouble is counting on capturing the other end of the spectrum for those who want to drink their pale ale a few cans at a time.

Hops & Robbers IPA, $2.75 for a 473 ml can, LCBO #285270

When David isn't busy drinking beer for his articles here, he writes about food and drink for Toronto's online publications including his own site, Food With Legs. For more of his thoughts on beer and life in general follow him on Twitter.

Weekend Warrior: the Celebrate Yonge festival, The Ex, Blue Rodeo, the Ontario Summer Games and the Ultimate Dinosaurs exhibit

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2:12 pm

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Forever Yonge

A street that was once known as the world’s longest deserves a party. The Celebrate Yonge festival (Aug. 17 – Sept. 16) is a pilot project for a city hoping to infuse energy into the downtown core. Instead of gridlock (for that, you’ll just have to look to the congested surrounding areas), Yonge Street between Queen and Gerrard will feature reduced traffic lanes to make extra room for pedestrians. The festival will also showcase a wide array of events.

It’s That Time of Year Again

The Ex (Aug. 17- Sept. 3) is back, folks. That means rides, games, attractions and deep-fried everything. New this year is the Sky Ride, hovering above the grounds to offer an eagle-eye view, along with the new Nitro roller coaster and even a zip line. The Food Building will once again serve as a glutton’s dream, with an all-bacon stand introduced this year, along with its polar opposite, a shop offering vegan fare. Concerts this year include Nick Carter, Don McLean and The Tea Party, with Olympic gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir starring in the skating exhibition. Let’s go to the Ex!

It’s That Time of Year Again (Again)

The Ex isn’t Toronto’s only annual late-summer staple. Once again this year, Blue Rodeo (Aug. 18, Molson Canadian Amphitheatre) will bring some local flavor to town for a night of bluesy rock alongside Great Lake Swimmers. Jim Cuddy and the gang probably won’t offer up too many surprises, but instead a reliable array of crowd-pleasing hits under a (hopefully) clear sky.

A Cure for Your Olympic Hangover

The Olympics Games in London ended last Sunday, leaving many Canadians scrambling to find something else to distract them at work. While it’s not quite the Olympics, the Ontario Summer Games (Aug. 16-19, across the city) offers a 28-sport fix for those still yearning for more amateur athletics. The Games, taking place in Toronto for the first time, brings nearly 2,500 athletes together for a chance to reign atop the country’s most populous province.

Those Dudes Were Big

The Royal Ontario Museum’s latest exhibit is a mixture of the (really) old and new — a dinosaur exhibit that also incorporates exciting new technologies to enhance the experience. Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants From Gondwana (on now) features some of the largest dinosaur skeletons ever mounted in Canada. Thanks to a downloadable iPhone and iPad app, visitors will also have the chance to see a digital rendering of the dinosaurs as they would have looked in the flesh.

Grab of the Week: a kitschy stoneware mug

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11:00 am

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Back to school is just around the corner (already). Even if you’re not heading back to hit the books, it’s always nice to be reminded that you still know your ABCs and can sing the alphabet at the drop of a hat. This week, grade yourself, a friend or a loved one with an alphabetical mug. In the adult world, you can pretend whatever letter you choose (even if it’s your initial) would get an A grade.

$6. Available at Anthropologie, 80 Yorkville Ave., 416-964-9700

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.

Morning Throwback: the CNE is probably way more fun than this old drawing made it seem

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10:31 am

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This CNE drawing looks pretty drab, but throw in some horses, rickety rides, bacon funnel cakes and Krispy Kreme hamburgers and you’ve got yourself a party.

Daniel Boulud appoints a chef de cuisine for his upcoming Toronto restaurant

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12:28 pm

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Here’s the latest from Daniel Boulud’s press camp: the celebrity chef has named Tyler Shedden as the chef de cuisine of the upcoming Café Boulud at Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel.

Shedden, who hails from Canada’s West Coast, has a formidable resume that includes stints at Gordon Ramsay’s The London NYC and Boulud’s Daniel. Shedden worked with Boulud for over a year in New York before earning his role as chef de cuisine at Café Boulud, and he has apparently been living in Toronto and researching local purveyors since earlier this summer.

Café Boulud and dBar — another Boulud offering at the Four Seasons that specializes in cocktails, charcuterie and snacks — are both set to open on Oct. 5.

Band of the Week: Egyptrixx

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11:45 am

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David Psutka, otherwise known as Toronto-based electro recording artist Egyptrixx, offers something rare and unparalleled in the dance music scene. Think of his music as what hipsters might dance to at 3 a.m. in outer space. His celestial sonic dreamscapes have quickly garnered attention from DJs across Europe and North America, likely due to his meticulous construction of electronic music that can only come from both producing and creating.

We caught up with Psutka to talk house music, his rock band Hiawatha, and the YouTube phenomenon.

You’re a classically trained musician with degrees in neuroscience and journalism — how did you get into music?
I’ve been doing music since I was a little kid. I’ve been in bands and played instruments and taken lessons and writing songs for people since I was a preteen. It's something that’s always been a part of my life.

Does your background play a part in the way you construct music?
Yeah, I guess so, I mean it’s a body of skills that I’ve acquired throughout my entire life. So I guess it does affect how I make my music now.

With dubstep becoming increasingly popular, is club music getting more mainstream traction?
I’m not really sure how to measure that. That project of mine increasingly tends to get busier and busier, it’s hard to really say anymore, with club music or electronic music. I’m not sure if there’s as clear a boundary between mainstream and underground as there was. The biggest artists now, are not artists that are born of the commercial music regime as they were 10 or 15 years ago. You know, there’s like the YouTube phenomenon and the Twitter phenomenon. I’m not even sure that delineation exists in its binary form as it did years ago.

Does that give you more room for creativity?
The absence of these clear genres, it doesn’t seem to exist anymore. It was a real dance music thing. I think that has something to do with the fact that people listen to music mainly on YouTube now, instead of discovering it in record stores. Record stores have tangible physical categories, like the Techno section or the House section. But I don’t think that really happens anymore.

How does playing in your band, Hiawatha, compare to Egyptrixx?
Hiawatha is basically a rock band, it’s me and Ian [McGettigan] from Thrush Hermit. It’s a different project, different intention, different vibe. I enjoy doing both of them.

Does producing give you a different perspective on the music?
Yeah, well on top of Egyptrixx, I have a couple of projects. I also do just straight video production and helping people make albums and I find that it definitely helps with my own music. It’s a question of perspective, really — it’s working on a project from a different angle. I find the easiest way for me to make music is if I’m doing video production simultaneously.

A lot of your work is collaborative. Is there anyone you’d like to work with?
I’d like to work with Stephen O’Malley. I like his body of work.

What’s next for you?
I’m producing an album with a band called Bestial Mouths, they’re from Los Angeles. I have an album from Hiawatha coming out at the end of September on Last Gang Records. And I have another Egyptrixx album coming out early next year.

Drink This: Cocktail Bar’s Manhattan

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11:31 am

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Heralding the start of our weekly cocktail column is the Manhattan from — where else? — Cocktail Bar. Part of restaurateur Jen Agg’s mini-Empire, this Dundas West watering hole offers up a slew of booze-soaked beverages for the cocktail connoisseur.

The obvious pick is the Manhattan, the most perfect cocktail, according to Agg. Hoofland’s most famous libation, the cocktail is a blend of house-made bitters, Alberta Springs 10-year rye whisky and the kicker, Carpano Antica Formula vermouth (at around $55 a bottle, the cost may send some reeling, but Agg staunchly refuses to craft her drink without it).

The finishing touch? Two sour cherries, dried and brought back to life thanks to a luxurious bath of rye, vermouth, caramel syrup and a house-made bitter almond tincture. For those who think $16 is astronomical for a drink, we suggest they take it up with Agg.

Just don’t go asking for vodka.

Cocktail Bar, 923 Dundas St. W., 416-792-7511

What I Wore: print on print with Nowhereland, Christopher Kane, Olivia and Joy, Tory Burch and Chanel

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11:08 am

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Print on print — I’m still not over it. And since I first tiptoed into the trend, I’ve now made a head-first dive straight in. Perhaps it’s because of the colder weather setting in that I can feel my love for all-black everything re-emerging with a vengeance. But until then, I’m making a point to go balls out with print on print. Like, in an extreme way.

Here, I’ve taken the beloved cheetah print one step further by wearing a top from Nowhereland with actual cheetahs printed on it. The galaxy skirt is an original from London design darling Christopher Kane that I treated myself to before moving back home. Paired together at last, I can’t fathom how either piece was worn without the other.

The overall look is balanced out with an oversized shoulder bag from Olivia and Joy that — not being a huge fan of the short shoulder bag — I have opted to hold as a clutch. If accessory trends from last fall taught me anything, it’s that most shoulder bags of this size look better folded over and held in your hands.

What I Wore: Cheetah top from Nowhereland; skirt by Christopher Kane; bag by Olivia and Joy (available at The Bay), iPhone case by Tory Burch; shoes by Chanel from Fashionably Yours.

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.

Still a Dream in High Park by any other name

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10:30 am

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Where Shakespeare was at his best, or at least at the top of his comedy game, was in his A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A play put on so often by Canadian Stage over the past three decades, its outdoor production each summer had come to be called The Dream in High Park.

This year, the play returns to the leafy confines of High Park, but now the company has gone and changed the name of the whole shebang to Shakespeare in High Park. So we have A Midsummer Night’s Dream as part of CanStage’s Shakespeare in High Park. Confusion aside, this year’s rendition is a rousing affair and will provide an enchanting and laugh-filled evening of entertainment.

There is no other play by Shakespeare that is so perfectly made for High Park, with its century-old trees and penchant for gentle summer breezes.

How wonderful to see Richard Rose, one of Canada’s smartest and wisest directors, at the helm.

This version of one of Shakespeare’s most enduring comedies has been trimmed to a single act, barely 90 minutes long. And Rose has crafted a randy affair to say the least.

Warning: the play is a scream, but it isn’t exactly clear to those who haven’t studied it or recently read a synopsis. And that goes for adults as well as children. It’s worth every fraction of the second to call the plot up.

This production does get a serious updating, and it loses a bit of its cohesion as a result. Still, I can’t help but think that Willy would love this new take. It keeps all the bawdy humour Shakespeare intended, such as actors scurrying about in their underwear and plenty of sexual innuendo (good luck explaining that to your son or daughter after the show), and loses the overly dramatic interpretations.

There is a remarkable doubling of roles, with the Duke of Athens, Theseus (Dmitry Chepovetsky), about to marry the queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta (Tamara Podemski), paralleling the quarreling fairy couple, Oberon (ditto) and Titania (ditto). But I’m not sure this was such a good idea.

Things come undone when it comes to fairy land, with Oberon the fairy king adopting some sort of growl, with antlers in his hat, and very little range.

When it is fitting, it works just fine. But, is Oberon really supposed to be mad all the time? He’s a fairy king, people! Puck, one of the ripest roles in all of the Shakespeare canon, is pulled off nicely by Gil Garratt. But it could have been better. Actress Tamara Podemski does a fine job in her role as Titania, showing an emotional range befitting the role. Well done.

The four young lovers, well, they got it right — led by Eric Morin as the dreamy Lysander and Sophia Kolinas as Hermia. And kudos to Ali Momen as Demetrius and the pluck Sarah Sherman as power-walking, busybody Helena. In addition, the four comedians in the amateur acting company did a marvellous job led by the accomplished John Cleland, who embraces the rich comedic possibilities of Nick Bottom.

Each evening, there will be special guest performers who will show up and take part in the big wedding that wraps up the show.

On opening night, legendary Kids in the Hall actor Scott Thompson reprised his Queen Elizabeth II role to take part in the evening’s festivities. Needless to say, the crowd was suitably impressed to have Canadian comedy royalty in the amphitheatre.

Shakespeare in High Park runs until Sept. 2, and it is a wonderful evening of live theatre for the entire family (give or take). Tickets are by donation with a suggested price of $20, and kids are free. There are blankets available on-site to rent as well as plenty of beverages and snacks. But, most veterans come prepared.

For more information go to www.canstage.com.

Morning Throwback: waiting for the TTC has pretty much always sucked

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9:33 am

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Sure, this new bendy bus sounds cool, but you know things won’t be all that different: buses will still be late and people are still gonna be up in your grill.

Trending in Theatre This Week: top picks from the Stratford Festival

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4:14 pm

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A Word or Two

One of Canada’s greatest classical actors (and silver foxes), Christopher Plummer, reflects on his life-long love affair with literature in A Word or Two, reciting everything from Stephen Leacock to the Bible. Heck, we’d pay to hear him read the phone book.
Avon Theatre, 99 Downie St. Now – Aug. 26.

42nd Street

Producer Julian Marsh (Sean Arbuckle) puts on what may be his last Broadway musical, and at the last moment, chorus girl Peggy Sawyer (Jennifer Rider-Shaw) wins not only a starring role, but Julian’s heart.
Festival Theatre, 55 Queen St. Now – Oct. 28.

Elektra

Even if you don’t suffer from an Elektra-complex, Sophocles’ epic tragedy about the goddess’ (Yanna MacIntosh) vengeance that she and her brother Orestes (Ian Lake) take on their mother Clytemnestra (Seana McKenna) and stepfather Aegisthus (Graham Abbey) is bound to be memorable.
Tom Patterson Theatre, 111 Lakeside Drive. Now – Sept. 29.

Much Ado About Nothing

In Shakespeare’s classic comedy of errors, Beatrice (Deborah Hay) and Benedick (Ben Carlson) are engaged in a very “merry war” of mutual disdain for each other, while Benedick’s friend, Claudio (Tyrone Savage), woos his beloved Hero (Bethany Jillard). Of course, chaos ensues.
Festival Theatre, 55 Queen St. Now – Oct. 27.

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Based on the beloved comic strip Peanuts, this musical revolves around a typical day in Charlie Brown’s (Ken James Stewart) life — meaning nothing goes right.
Avon Theatre, 99 Downie St. Now – Oct. 28.

Tickets for the Stratford Festival can be purchased here.