Rashers wants to up Toronto’s bacon quotient in a big way

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12:42 pm

Toronto is experiencing a crush of new restaurants that focus on one food item, so it was only a matter of time before bacon got its due. Enter Rashers, a new shop set to open in Leslieville next month, which is straight to the point about its concept: “It’s good bacon, on good bread, put together by a good chef,” says co-owner John Clark.

Clark and his business partner Richard Mulley are first-time restaurateurs who want to significantly increase Toronto’s bacon quotient. They’ve secured a first location at 948 Queen St. E. — a six-seat takeout-focused spot — but are already scouting for other locations around the city and hope to eventually open up in the Trinity Bellwoods area and Yonge and Eglinton, amongst other areas.

They’ve enlisted the culinary aid of consulting chef Suzanne Baby (Gallery Grill), who is helping them put together a menu of sandwiches centered around a British style of bacon known as rasher bacon.

The Rashers team is still finalizing its sandwich menu, but the idea is for six to eight core sandwiches that could include a BLT with chili roasted bacon, beer mayo, lettuce and tomato, or a peameal bacon sandwich with Bonnechere cheese, Dijon aioli and a fried egg. Rashers will also do rotating specials as well as a breakfast sandwich. Clark expects the price points for most sandwiches to hover around $7-$8.

Rashers is working with local purveyors such as Perth Pork Products and Beretta Organic Farms for its bacon, and is sourcing all of its bred from Fred’s Bread. The shop also plans to make its own beer-brined bacon, and is looking sell packaged bacon at the shop and, eventually, in grocery stores.

The Leslieville Rashers location is gunning for a mid-September opening.

Rashers, 948 Queen St. E.

Toronto Style Radar: Love of Mine, June Records, Cooper Cole Gallery, Polyhaus, Parts & Labour

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10:49 am

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Every week, we round up the best events from the city’s fashion scene. In this edition: an online retailer pops up on Queen West, launch parties for two new magazines, a warehouse sale and more.

Nowhereland (extended) Pop-up Shop!

Where: Love of Mine, 781 Queen St. W.
When: Aug. 15 – Sept. 30
Details: Do you love shopping online for new clothing but hate not being able to try things on before you buy? The city’s newest online shop, Nowhereland, solves this problem by opening up an extended pop-up shop in prime Queen West territory starting on Wednesday.

Little Brother No.1

Where: June Records, 662 College St.
When: Thursday Aug. 16, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Details: We really don’t know much about this magazine launch but we figure — we have a little brother, and we also like magazines… so why not check it out?

No Rest For The Wicked: The Villain Magazine Launch Party

Where: Cooper Cole Gallery, 1161 Dundas St. W.
When: Aug. 16, 8 p.m. – Midnight
Details: Newly launched arts and culture magazine Villain is throwing a celebratory party, and they’re inviting you and a friend (or five). Early birds get the free food from Lou Dawg’s, and drinks, so don’t be late!

Feast In The East 16: Tezeta + Ostrich Tuning + Josheph & The Mercurials + LIPP

Where: Polyhaus, 388 Carlaw Ave.
When: Aug. 17, 9 p.m.
Details: This monthly east-side event combines music, food and an installation series. This time around, enjoy a free Italian dinner to the sounds of Tezeta, Ostrich Tuning, Joseph & The Mecurials and LIPP, with visuals provided by Sarah D’Angelo and Joële Walinga. When was the last time $7 got you all that?

Muttonhead Warehouse Sale

Where: Muttonhead Studio, 163 Sterling Rd., Studio 9B
When: August 17-19, 12-8 p.m.
Details: Even better than a sample sale is a stock blowout sale. Why? Because you’ll find more than just sample sizes available, and maybe even multiples of each style! Muttonhead will be selling SS12 stock at 40-70 per cent off, and will be joined by the likes of Naked & Famous, LABEL, Leilanni, Cuchara, Handsome, Outclass and Clothing Brand Experiment.

The Zodiacs present: LEONIS

Where: Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W.
When: Friday Aug. 17, 10 p.m. – 2:30 a.m.
Details: Fiery Leos must be roarin’ to go by now, seeing as it is already mid-August. Celebrate your month and blow off some steam by dancing to old school hip hop and R&B all night long, courtesy of the Diego Bros.

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: unfortunately for Fido, these Toronto dogs are now dead

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If these Toronto dogs from the ’20s were competing in today’s Future Fido contest, this is what we think they’d say: “Pick me!” “But I’m cuter and smaller!” And then we’d say, “Holy crow! Talking dogs?!”

One Direction's new Toronto pop-up shop opens this Saturday; pandemonium to ensue

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3:44 pm

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If you don’t know what makes you beautiful, then perhaps you might want to head over to the new One Direction pop-up shop, which will open in Toronto on August 18 and run until September 2. Because, obviously, nothing says you’re beautiful quite like a wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the likenesses of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis.

The Toronto Star reports that the 1D World Store, set to open at 680 Yonge Street, is the first of its kind in North America (the only other location is in Australia).

The shop will sell exclusive and limited edition merchandise, like posters, calendars, t-shirts, and more totally tween-y gear. Apparently the response to the pop-up shop in Australia was “out of this world,” so Toronto Directioners better brace themselves for one heck of a line-up.

Those brave (obsessed?) fans arriving on opening day will have the chance to win free tickets to 1D’s concerts here next year, along with other prizes, that will surely turn heads when you walk through the door.

[The Toronto Star]

Meet a Comedy Troupe: Jape

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1:55 pm

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Described as "high reference, low brow comedy at its finest," Jape is an award-winning comedy sketch troupe that's been around for almost ten years. If you haven't heard of it already, you will: with a Canadian Comedy Award nom for Best Sketch Troupe under its belt, along with being a fixture on the comedy festival circuit, Jape is destined for bigger things – or, at least, will make you laugh.

We chatted with member Adam McNamara about the origins of its funny-sounding name, dead dream performers and winning the Bag of Beer Award.

How did you guys come together?
We met as teenagers while studying improv at the Second City. We clicked while performing and thought we’d do improv on our own. At one point we were six people, with Jamie O’Connor eventually moving to Chicago and then back to Toronto for a career in stand up, and Evany Rosen upgrading to the troupe Picnicface when she moved to Halifax for university. Since 2008 we have focused exclusively on sketch comedy.

How did you come to name your troupe "Jape"? What does it mean?
Jape means joke (especially one of a practical nature of verbal jab) in English. It’s used more in England, and it’s kind of archaic in North America. Until about a year-and-a-half ago, we were known as Statutory Jape. But after so many reviews that started with, “Questionable name aside, these guys are pretty good,” we decided to switch to the more pithy troupe name.

How would you describe the style of your show?
Our style has been described as high reference, low-brow. For example, one of our sketches involves Alexander Graham Bell making obscene phone calls to his assistant, the only other person in the world with a telephone. We do deviate from that, though. We love to play the premise of a scene and end with a satisfying blow line. Writing is our strong suit and it’s bit of a mix of stupid, funny and smart.

What's the most outrageous sketch you've ever performed?
We are certainly not the most outrageous out there. We’ve never done nudity in a sketch before, which, given our bodies, is probably for the best. But we have done some pretty dumb material.

You've been to a few comedy festivals (Chicago Sketch Fest, Toronto Sketch Fest, Toronto Fringe). What's a wild story from one of those experiences?
This year at the Montreal Sketch Comedy Festival, we won the “Bag of Beer Award," which is basically a plastic bag filled with liquid beer that we each have to drink from. Aaron [Hagey-Mackay] ended up stripping naked and intentionally kept missing the beer as it flooded the stage. We hope they invite us back!

If you could describe yourselves (individually) in one word, what would it be?
Aaron: Hairy
Eric: Eric!
Adam: Roll-out!!
Simon: Sensible

Who would be your dream guest performer?
To be honest, all of our dream performers are dead.

You've been nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Sketch Troupe. How does that feel?
We feel honoured! It’s especially flattering to be placed next to Falcon Powder and Uncalled For, since they put on amazing shows last year. Frankly it would be a complete surprise if we won. We're just happy to be there for the first time.

Now that you're in the big leagues, what's next on the horizon?
The next show is always the horizon. Barring any unforeseen television or radio deals, we will keep plugging away at live comedy in a rote, monotonous grind. You can also catch us on Rogers TV on Late Night with Matty D.

So, in a perfect world, where do you see Jape in two years?
That’s hard to answer. We’ve always been a “let’s see what happens” kind of troupe. We try to make as many unanimous decisions as we can. The fact that any four people are still together after almost ten years is a miracle in itself. We all have our own lives, and those are always shifting. We’re just happy if people come to our shows and laugh.

The details

Established: 2003

The line-up: Eric Turk, Simon Pond, Adam McNamara and Aaron Hagey-Mackay

Influences: Monty Python, Mitchell and Webb, Kids in the Hall, SNL, The Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Sellers, most of the 80s and 90s.

Next show: 2012 Canadian Comedy Awards Showcase, Comedy Bar, 945 Bloor St. W., 416-551-6540. August 23, 8 p.m.

Morning Throwback: even back in the '60s, Toronto actresses were against carbs

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Some Torontonians might be gung-ho about cereal now, but back in 1960, this actress was all like, "If I have to eat one more spoonful of All Bran, I'm going to die. Just die!"

Theatre Review: The Crucible

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4:05 pm

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Arthur Miller’s The Crucible became one of my favourite plays after reading it for the first time in grade 12 English. No doubt, my curiosity of Wiccan culture at the time attributed to my admiration of the American classic (I was a pretty superstitious teenager). So, 10-plus years later, as I waited for the Soulpepper production to start, I wondered if my fondness for the play would remain the same or diminish.

Even if you haven’t seen or read The Crucible, its plot is pretty ingrained within our pop culture lexicon (remember SNL’s Salem Bitch Trial sketch with Shannen Doherty from the ‘90s?). So more than likely, one knows that it revolves around something to do with witches, and something to do with McCarythism. In fact, the play, which was written in 1952, is set during the Salem Witch Trials of the 1600s, and it is an allegorical response to the raging days of the Cold War and its commie paranoia.

Miller’s play is a central work in the American drama canon for a reason. Though the Cold War is behind us, the story’s main tent poles — religious fanaticism and absolutism mixed with discrimination — still carry a modern day punch to the stomach (Chick-Fil-A, anyone?).

The play begins with a group of teenage girls, who, after having been discovered dancing naked in the woods and otherwise acting like, well, teenage girls, are now feigning hysteria and accusing others of witchcraft. The ring leader of the group is the manipulative and chief Mean Girl Abigail Williams (Hannah Miller), who is out for revenge against the Proctor family. It’s revealed that Abigail and John Proctor (Stuart Hughes) had an affair, and though Abigail still carries a torch for the rugged farmer, he has pledged himself faithful to his wife, Elizabeth (Patricia Fagan).

When the second act starts, all hell has broken loose (pun intended), with many townspeople jailed and accused of witchcraft, and the pious Deputy Governor Danforth (Joseph Ziegler) — having been called to Salem to preside over the bewitching mayhem — is now a deadly force to be reckoned with.

Though the play had me spellbound since the first scene when little Betty Parris (Rong Fu) jumps out of her comatose-like state, hysterically screaming, the production really gets going in the second act.

Hughes’ John Procter is a rock star. He’s powerful, he’s strong, he has long hair; the dude’s got swagger. You pay attention to him when he’s on stage — especially during that tearful final scene. Fagan’s Elizabeth, meanwhile, is a quiet source of strength, and equally as mesmerizing during the play’s conclusion. Miller’s Abigail is obnoxious and irritating, which is fitting for the character, but also seemed one-dimensional at times. And, though Nancy Palk’s role as the accused Rebecca Nurse is a small one, she brings amazing gravitas to the pivotal role.

Also, I have to give a shout to Soulpepper on its colour-blind casting; the diverse cast is a refreshing twist on the classic play, while paying homage to our city’s multiculturalism.

I’m still left chilled by the riveting, climatic scene of mock-witchcraft performed by the group of girls in front of the judges and reverends. Ten years ago, I might have been beguiled by the play’s magical history, but now I’m just excited to see really, really good theatre.

The Crucible, Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane, 416-866-8666. Runs until Sept. 22.

Banana Bar Crawl is coming to Toronto for some reason

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1:16 pm

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Oscar Wilde once wrote: “The only horrible thing in the world is ennui.” So when boredom strikes, the obvious thing to do is to gather a group of people, dress up as bananas and invade nearby bars on masse. And yes, that is actually going to happen in Toronto later this month when Banana Bar Crawl descends upon the city.

The event appears to have originated in Dallas, Texas, and after “two successful years” there it is heading north of the border. Banana Bar Crawl is more or less self-explanatory: buy a banana suit, meet at the designated starting location (in Toronto’s case, it’s going to be the Duke of Richmond) and then proceed to get wasted and walk around the city. Finding a banana suit is easy, apparently, thanks to the powers of Google.

We’re not even going to bother asking why this is happening. We’re just going to rest easy knowing that, when dozens of pointy-headed hooligans spill out onto the streets on Aug. 25, it’s not some kind of Ku Klux Klan get-together.

Banana Bar Crawl, Duke of Richmond, Aug. 25

There’s still time to check out this great Junction flea market before summer is out

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1:00 pm

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Presented by SMASH and Russet & Empire, the Junction Flea is the perfect excuse to take a trip to the west end ’hood this Sunday. Located in a parking lot at the corner of Dundas and Indian Grove, the well-sized market hawks curated curiosities for the antique aficionado. It operates on the second Sunday of each month for the duration of the summer.

With a well-rounded group of vendors setting up camp, chances are there will be something for everyone. Emporium by I Miss You plans on keeping the focus trained on assorted leather goods, while past vintage stalls have included LAB Consignment and 69 Vintage. Those looking for household tchotchkes and whatnot are bound to discover plenty of Pyrex dishware, typewriters, old records and endless items exuding retro charm. Meanwhile, textiles and pottery from local crafters will also be up for grabs (past participants have included Bookhou).

We suggest getting there via the Toronto Railpath — make sure your bike is fitted with a basket — and before heading home, cool down with some homemade ice cream from Delight (we’re smitten with their Cab Sauv Drunken Cherry variety).

If you can’t make it this time, the last market of the summer takes place Sept. 9.

Junction Flea, every second Sunday of the month until Sept. 9. Located at the parking lot at 2803 Dundas St. W. and Indian Grove

Tony Aspler’s Weekly Wine Pick: Château la Grave Expression, 2009

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10:44 am

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The Minervois region of southern France produces bargain-priced reds that are great candidates for barbecue. Currently at Vintages is the 2009 Château la Grave Expression — a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignane and Mourvèdre — which is a great buy. Dense ruby in colour, it has a smoky nose of blackberries and licorice and the flavour of raspberries. It’s remarkably elegant.

Food match: burgers or ribs

$13.95, Vintages #277053

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.

Morning Throwback: before Dîner en Blanc, exclusive Toronto dinners looked like this

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Dîner en Blanc? Outdoors? In the rain? Bah! Back in the early 1900s, Toronto partygoers brought Mother Nature to them, inside. Smart.

Toronto Fashion Week: IMG is in; Robin Kay is out

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3:50 pm

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Toronto’s fashion world has been all a-Twitter since it was revealed yesterday that IMG Canada bought Toronto Fashion Week from the Fashion Design Council of Canada. The coup means that, after this year, Toronto Fashion Week will be run by IMG Canada and IMG Fashion, the international fashion management group that also runs New York Fashion Week and other fashion weeks. It also means that FDCC’s long-time executive director Robin Kay is out.

The non-profit FDCC has owned and produced Toronto’s Fashion Week (a.k.a. World MasterCard Fashion Week) for over a decade. Though Kay is stepping down as the event’s executive director, she will retain her position as president of the FDCC, an organization that supports and promotes homegrown fashion designers. The upcoming Fashion Week, which kicks off on Oct. 22 at David Pecaut Square, will also proceed as planned.

So what does the new purchase mean for Toronto Fashion Week? It’s too soon to tell, but considering the past gripes surrounding the event and Kay herself, there seems to be more pros than cons. With IMG being a privately held company, there is the possibility for the event to finally make some money. Also, as Jeanne Beker tweeted earlier, the internationally renowned company has the power to attract major international press to the event like never before.

But maybe Kay herself put it best to theToronto Star: “I really believe that this is the best next step on the runway for the event, for the City of Toronto and for our market as Canadians on the global runway.”

The move has the potential to attract some serious global recognition, and it could be a very good thing for our local designers.

[Toronto Star]