This is a perfect gift for your squash partner who is so competitive that he even beats you out of the shower. Here’s something to make him sluggish the next time you play — that is, a wine that contains high alcohol. There is a little Petite Sirah in this massive, full-blown Zinfandel. Deep ruby in colour with a creamy nose blackberry; sweet, succulent fruit offering plum and blackcurrant flavours backed by sweet oak and peppery notes.
$37.95, Vintages #555599.
Cue the climate change deniers: according to a soon-to-be completed study, warmer winters with less snow could become the norm in Toronto.
[Globe and Mail]
Saadi Gaddafi, son of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, apparently owns a $1.6 million condo in Toronto.
[National Post]
Mayor Rob Ford has vowed to keep his promise to eliminate the land transfer tax in 2012. “I campaigned we’d get rid of it by the end of my term and if we do it in pieces, we’ll do it in pieces, but I’m going to keep my promise,” he said.
[Toronto Sun]
The population of the world’s Sumatran tigers is less one after a Toronto Zoo tiger was killed by her breeding partner.
[Globe and Mail]
Mississauga councillors have repealed the shark fin ban that they passed in October.
[Toronto Star]
From pop-up shops to super discounts to sample sales, there is a heck of a lot happening in the city over the next few days. You know what that means? Come Monday, your wardrobe is going to look extra fabulous — or perhaps you will have found most of your Christmas gifts. Either way, there will be some major credit card damage, but it will be worth it. Here’s a guide to the best in shopping this weekend.
Uptown is heading downtown this weekend and setting up shop on Ossington. Luckily, uptown just so happens to be in the form of our favourite shop, The Narwhal, and it is selling off a huge selection of its coveted contemporary brands — Rag & Bone, Helmut Lang, Acne, Preen, Mara Hoffman — at up to 80 per cent off.
The Narwhal pop-up shop, 104 Ossington, 11-7 p.m., Dec 15-18.
It’s currently a winter wonderland over at “V” (69 Vintage’s curated concept store) and from Thursday to Friday it will be hosting a Holiday Gift Bazaar featuring locally-made gift items from Isak & Inger, Nettie Blanche and Ruth Weil (to name a few).
Holiday Gift Bazaar at “V” Concept Store, 198 Walnut Ave., 12-6 p.m., Dec. 16-18.
Jeremy Laing and Complex Geometries are two of our most favourite Canadian brands. On Friday they will come together under one roof to sell off their end of season samples. There are no words to describe how awesome this is. It’s one day only, and you can count on fighting us for their discounted goods until the bitter end.
Complex Geometries and Jeremy Laing End of Season/Sample Sale, Jeremy Laing Studio, 207A Cowan Ave. 3-7 p.m., Dec. 17.
Back in November, when we reported on the closure of the longstanding Sierra Grill, we had a feeling that the site would get taken over by Claudio Aprile. He had already announced that he was planning on expanding the Origin brand, including an Origin North. Today The Grid confirms that Origin is indeed headed to Bayview Village, and another location is slated for Liberty Village as well.
Of Origin North, Aprile tells The Grid: “It’s going to have the DNA and the core values of Origin, but not the exact same menu. It’s a different demographic, and it’s exciting to learn about the neighbourhood and create dishes that will resonate with the people living there.”
Aprile has also gotten a hold of a space in Liberty Village, at 171 Liberty Street East, for a 150-seat restaurant, lounge and bar.
The plan is to have the Origin in Libery Village open for spring of 2012 and Origin North open for December 2012.
[The Grid]
On the table sit three transparent containers full of mealworms. Huddling around it, a small group of people prod and point at it, as if it were a peculiar alien species they’d never seen before. A slideshow of mealworm-based dishes — food porn, in a way — flashes up on the projector screen in front of them. One member from the group looks up and stares until the images come to a stop, then murmurs, “ I can’t believe there are worms inside those dishes – gross.”
Earlier this week, Toronto biochemist Abigale Miller auctioned off her colony of mealworms as she prepares to depart the city for a new job in Shanghai. Miller recently completed a three-year experiment breeding and eating mealworms, and took to the stage inside the Annex’s Centre for Social Innovation building Monday evening to share her ideas and experiences with insects to a crowd of 35 as part of a food lecture series.
For Miller — who never liked bugs or thought about insects as a food before the project — the experiment started out as a hobby and then became an alternative food source in the kitchen. “I used recycled foods to feed the mealworms,” she says. “I didn’t have to buy land to keep the colony and used less energy to produce food made from them.”
A recent study from the American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences says mealworms are a source of dietary protein. On her mealworm research blog, Abigale’s Edibles, Miller points out that a group from Halifax, in collaboration with scientists in Saudi Arabia, found that mealworms contain 25 per cent protein and 12 per cent fat. Compare that to other, conventional types of meat: beef has 18.4 per cent protein and 20.5 per cent fat, chicken has 22 per cent protein and 3.8 per cent fat, while pork is broken down into 14.6 per cent and 31.4 per cent respectively.
“The protein found in mealworms is similar to other meat and a good replacement in case we do run out of food. It’s a good alternative, definitely something to think about,” she says. “ They don’t grow as fast as other bugs, but they don’t fly around or escape and are perfect to grow at home.”
Miller bought her first bag of 100 mealworms — roughly the size of two teaspoons — at a pet store near Bracebridge, close to her parents’ home, then set about the task of raising them at a mealworm farm in her east end apartment in Toronto.
For the first six months, Miller would sit and stare at them feeding off the bran inside three containers. She had planted her mealworm colony in a system that coincided with their three stages of life – larva (the edible mealworm), pupa (kind of like a butterfly’s cocoon stage) and adult (they grow into beetles, and don’t bite or fly or move fast at all). The top container had hundreds of beetles. When they laid eggs, they would fall through the sieve-mesh flooring to the mid-level container; when they grew into pupa, she would place them in a separate container until they grew into beetles, then they would be placed back in the top container to repeat the process.
Miller confesses that during the initial stages, she did a lot of mothering. “I got excited when they had babies and was often worried about the room temperature and why they weren’t growing fast — did they have enough water?” she says. “ But I soon figured out they’re quiet, robust and didn’t require so much attention.”
Before she explored the culinary side of mealworms, Miller decided to grow a few generations of them first. “That way, I know what I’d been feeding them before eating them.”
During a routine week, life with the mealworms was seamless. Miller spent two 30-minute sessions cleaning the containers, picking out the dead beetles and topping up their main food supply of bran or dry cereal. She also found that they did just fine when left in the dark; they don’t have a need to be exposed to light like plants. If you put them in the fridge, they sleep and their growth stops, but when you take them out, they wake up.
Last year, during the Harbourfront Centre’s Too Cool for School Art and Science Fair, Miller finally got the reaction she craved. Her project: capturing people’s responses after they’d had eaten a fried mealworm. During the exhibit, a woman opened a container to sample one of the cooked mealworms. After seeing a whole pile of them, she shrieked and ran off.
“The woman eventually came back and tried one of the fried mealworms, but it was like she was swallowing a pill,” Miller says. “It’s by far the best reaction I’ve come across.”
Then, in the exhibit guest book, one man wrote: “This exhibit makes me want to vomit. I can’t believe you call this art.”
“That’s what I was going for,” she says. “I wanted people to think about mealworms, and I’m interested in what questions they have, why they object to it. Just because they’re icky is not really reasonable.”
The first batch Miller ever cooked was fried in garlic and onions. Her friends thought she was crazy, but “in my head I had built this up. My family, friends, they were all waiting for me to try it someday and I simply had to do it,” she says.
And the taste? A toasty, benign, nutty flavor.
After a while, Miller turned to baking the larvae and found staple dishes in flax crackers, mealworms covered in chocolate (chocolate is good with everything, right?) and even tossed some fried mealworms in with her salads.
“Most people don’t even think about the food they put in their mouth when they go to grocery stores, but as soon as you mention worms, people are repulsed at the thought of it,” she says. “What about oysters and shrimp? They are all socially accepted foods.”
Toronto’s restaurant scene hasn’t quite caught on to mealworms yet, but insects, like crickets, have been sighted as one-off dishes at The Atlantic and Charlie’s Burgers.
“Right now, thinking of insects as food, it’s on the cusp of either exploding into commercial mainstream or petering out,” Miller says. “ Not sure which way it will go, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.”
Justin Robertson is a freelance writer and editor based out of Toronto. His work has appeared in The Walrus, The Globe and Mail and The National Post.
Every fashion-loving lady lusts for one of Alexander Wang’s Diego bags (unless she owns one already). Why do we love them so much? Well, first off, the bucket shape makes them neither dainty nor annoyingly oversized, and the studs and heavy metal make them all-around badass. While the Diego may be an icon in the handbag world, sometimes we like to look for lesser-known alternatives, especially when it means we can support our homegrown talent.
Jenny Bird’s ruched bucket bag is the perfect answer to this. It’s got a sleek style all of its own, and had us sold at the first tickle of that elongated tassel.
$595. To order, contact Jenny Bird at [email protected].
Toronto’s iconic Flatiron building has been sold for $15 million to Clayton Smith’s Commercial Realty Group. Smith’s company owns several other heritage buildings throughout the city.
[Toronto Star]
Get ready to spare another dime. The TTC has approved a 10 cent fare hike, which means that tokens will now cost $2.60 and monthly passes an extra $5. Cash payments will remain the same at $3.
[Toronto Sun]
While Toronto Police are being urged to keep purse strings tight for next year’s budget, police spending in suburban areas is expected to increase.
[Globe and Mail]
The Grid showcases an image that sums up Toronto’s bike-versus-car situation perfectly.
[The Grid]
It seems that Jason Meadus, the runaway truck driver that led police on a five-hour low-speed chase throughout the GTA in October, won’t get behind the wheel again anytime soon. Meadus has received a lifetime driving ban.
[CBC]
Justin Trudeau showcased some colorful language in the House of Commons yesterday by referring to Environment Minister Peter Kent as a “piece of shit.”
[Huffington Post]
We’re now near the end of the first year of Rob Ford’s mayoralty, and I have been trying to think of helpful things to say to our city leaders. Yes, we’ve been given far too many reasons to be critical in recent months, but I know that some days it’s not so easy to be a leader. On some days, good advice is what you want to hear.
So this is an attempt at good advice.
One useful thing Mayor Rob Ford could do to make life easier for himself — and us — would be to include some of the more progressive voices in his inner circle.
He should engage with experienced councillors who have a track record of getting things done, like Adam Vaughan, Pam McConnell, John Filion, Joe Mihevc, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Janet Davis or Shelley Carroll.
At the moment, the mayor has filled his executive committee with councillors set to do his will.
They are not individuals who seem ready to bring forward new and different ideas about addressing city problems; instead, they echo that tired mantra of the unlikelihood of governments helping to create a better city.
The mayor’s ability to surround himself with only his friends was a change made by Queen’s Park just a decade ago, over the opposition of both David Crombie and myself.
We didn’t like the so-called “strong-mayor” system but favoured the process where city council — not the mayor — chose those who chaired committees and who occupied other positions of power at City Hall.
Under that old system, there was a rich diversity of opinion among the leadership at City Hall, and the mayor had to seek consensus to keep on his or her feet.
Councillors had to work together in spite of their differences, and the result was interesting and creative local governance.
People looked for common ground rather than mean political advantage.
One remembers that even in this new era Mayor Mel Lastman worked closely with the late Jack Layton to address city problems, to their mutual advantage as well as for the good of the city.
But the new system, where the mayor gets the power to pick and choose, means the mayor can exclude those whose opinions he distains.
It is the same unhelpful way they do things at Queen’s Park and on Parliament Hill where the process limits the talents brought to bear on problems.
Rob Ford could surely find ways of working with those whom he has excluded and forced to be opponents.
He could ask them to join committees and task forces, ask them privately to assist him in creating strategies and approaches to problems.
Councillors would have less reason to yell at each other knowing they have opportunities to sit down together and be constructive.
I think we’d find that would create quite a bit of civility at City Hall.
That’s my piece of positive advice for Mayor Ford after his first year in office: bring some of the opposition members into your inner circle and get them working with you.
You’ll benefit and so will the city. You’ll get better decisions and you will enhance your position as a leader.
Continuing to isolate different opinions does not serve the public interest.
Watching City Hall during this last year has not been an encouraging experience.
Too often I’ve found myself lodged deep in that Leonard Cohen song “Everybody Knows.” Two lines keep going through my head: “Everybody knows the boat is leaking, everybody knows the captain lies.”
I want to change that.
For our neighbourhood feature this month we headed east to Riverside. Oft lumped together with Leslieville, this stretch of Queen Street East has some flair of its own, featuring a smattering of shops that speak mostly to our palates and our design sensibilities. Below, some of our favourite shops in the area.
In this neck of the woods, this is the place to head to if seeking out, well, wood. Filled with handcrafted furniture created with salvaged materials, customers can either choose from the pieces displayed on the floor or have sturdy bits of lumber transformed into whatever their hearts desire. Those seeking something to spruce up a room for not such a pretty penny may opt to pick up a candle emitting the oven-fresh aroma of cinnamon buns or a deliciously scented bag of warm vanilla potpourri ($8.50).
700 Queen St. E., 416-690-8787
This sliver of a shop may seem teeny tiny, but it’s packed to the rafters with British goods. Aimed at expats, monarchists and hopeful travelers alike, seasonal items include Cadbury advent calendars ($5.99), black treacle ($5.99) and Christmas puddings from Marks ‘n’ Sparks (from $6.99). Emma Bridgewater ceramics – with a range of prints – are a store staple (from $35), in addition to teas (from $9.99) and tins of shortbread (from $15.99). Meanwhile, Corrie fanatics are likely to swoon over the 2012 Coronation Street calendar — we’re pretty sure Debbie Travis already has hers ($17.99).
717 ½ Queen St. E., 416-551-4463
Founded in 1998 by Lesia Kohut, Hogtown’s first organic pastry and chocolate shop will help you feel a little less guilty when gobbling down sweets. Each dessert is crafted using organic, fair trade and sustainable ingredients as much as possible. Winning awards for their vegan and gluten-free Nanaimo bars and some spicy chèvre noir shortbread, LPK also carries quality products like spicy dal spelt sticks from Evelyn’s Crackers and jams and preserves from Stasis Preserves. We enjoyed a huge coconut macaron cookie that was soft and chewy and disappeared in moments ($2.50). Classes are available.
718 Queen St. E., 416-461-6440
Twentieth century furniture, wonderfully peculiar jewellery cast from resin and fine bone china alike are all to be found in Leo Magi’s captivating shop. Carrying lines like Fornasetti, Iittala and Gaetano Pesce, Studio Pazo has plenty of curious finds for the homeowner who has had their fill of reclaimed wood tables. We loved everything by The New English Ceramics; designed by The Prodigy’s Paul Bishop, each piece was equal amounts creepy and stunning, calling up images of Damien Hirst’s artwork. A Día de Muertos latte cup— complete with gold detailing — instantly caught our eye ($200), though we liked the cheaper mug almost just as much ($25).
729 Queen St. E., 416-916-6302
One of the newest additions to the strip, Ruby Eats comes to us from the peeps behind Ruby Watchco, the much-loved neighbourhood eatery. Lynn Crawford — who lost to Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America — and Lora Kirk are the chefs behind the store and have created their own line of goods, which includes red wine poached pears and truffle honey as well as other gourmet products. We fell for the delectable niçoise olives. Candied using maple syrup, they have just the right amount of crunch and can be eaten as a snack or sprinkled on, well, just about anything ($8.99). Regular cooking demos are available for those who wish to up the level of their kitchen skills.
742 Queen St. E., 416-901-3355
Hawking everything one needs for a stylish home, this home furnishing store carries an eclectic mix of pieces created using vintage and salvaged finds, much of which is discovered during the owners’ travels. The result is an intriguing atmosphere that blends antique with modern. A hammered metal console immediately caught our eye, as did Murray Duncan’s original artwork that is peppered throughout the store.
760 Queen St. E., 416-462-3099
This adorable little boutique for kids carries a mix of the practical and the fanciful, including books, clothing and, of course, a teepee. We loved Egg by Susan Lazar — a charming clothing line made here in Toronto — falling for a white button-down peppered with black sheep, which is the perfect gift for a troublesome tot ($39.95). A tribe of patchworked critters known as Les Jolis Pas Beaux are well suited for lengthy car rides ($21.95), while some teeny tiny cowboy boots will have all the grown-ups swooning (and wondering where to get their own) ($34.95).
768 Queen St. E., 416-406-5437
Christina Bergström’s designs may be made in the city, but the well thought out patterns and subtle ingenuity hint at her Scandinavian roots as well as a background in civil engineering. We loved Bergström’s take on the classic wrap dress — her version (the Mrs. Robinson) differs from the usual cut in that the skirt is fixed, while the top is adjustable, preventing a thigh-high slip from creeping up unannounced ($187). A teal vegan leather bag was also pretty nifty, concealing a smaller purse on the inside for when you don’t wish to haul the kitchen sink to your local café ($72). Jon Klar’s cuffs made from hand-coloured anodized aluminum were yet another great find ($36).
781 Queen St. E., 416-595-7320
This charming cupcakery whips up pint-sized cakes in a homemade style. The bakeshop, which makes sure to include “mama’s lovin’” in each batch, has six cupcake flavours on daily rotation ($16 per half-dozen) in addition to the likes of cookies, squares and breads with nary a petit four in sight. Right now they’re serving up mint chocolate brownies, which sandwich mint choco wafers between a classic brownie — a treat fit for the season.
750A Queen St. E., 647-352-2257
Complete with a (faux) olive tree in the corner, Olive & Olives’ focus is on, you guessed it, olives. Best-selling items include a house brand of Manzanilla olives — available in flavours like anchovy, cheese and hot pepper ($3.25) – and their own organic olive oil, produced in Catalunya, Spain ($21.95). Other great finds include the Ines Rosales tortas from Spain – staples of Andalucían cuisine ($4.95) – and Leonardi’s Italian-made white balsamic ($16.95).
779 Queen St. E., 416-551-8181
Devoted to using fair trade and local ingredients whenever possible, this boutique chocolaterie whips up signature treats using top-of-the-line Michel Cluizel and Valrhona chocolate. Popular picks include the coconut and lemon chocolates; the former is a white chocolate ganache infused with coconut, while the latter mixes white and dark chocolate layers with a bit of a zing thanks to some Meyer lemon juice ($1.15).
753-A Queen St. E., 416-406-2462
We first came across Elle Cuisine back in October at the Toronto Underground Market. Chef Lauren Mozer’s delicate lobster churros — served with lemon aioli and lime salt — stood out from the pack and left us wondering what other sinfully good concoctions she could come up with.
With luck on our side — not to mention plenty of holiday spirit — we managed to throw a dinner party exclusively catered by Mozer. While events like TUM have helped promote Elle Cuisine (her personal chef and catering company), Mozer wished to show us the true extent of her abilities. Since her days at McGill, when she was known for her almost nightly dinner parties done amongst friends, her forte has been private events. Following graduation, she turned her obsession with food into a full-time commitment, receiving a degree from George Brown’s renowned culinary management program and creating her company while still in school.
For our party of eight — which included a smattering of artsy types — Mozer put together an elaborate seven-course tasting menu, complete with suggested wine pairings that we wholeheartedly embraced. With a culinary background in French cuisine, Mozer enjoys incorporating French elements — lots of butter, cream and sauces — into her cooking, before adding some unexpected international touches.
Our diverse menu featured influences from South America, Italy and even some east-meets-west Torontonian flair. Sourcing her meat from Black Angus Fine Meats and Game and her fish from New Seaway Fish Market in Kensington, Mozer keeps her focus on price and quality, buying local whenever possible.
The night began with a first course of braised lamb nachos, which we paired with a cava. Homemade corn tortilla chips were topped with a warm tomato salsa, a cilantro and cumin crema, queso fresco and roasted jalapeño hot sauce. Mozer opted for lamb due to her love of meat — game meats in particular — which she believes are underrated. “I’m a huge carnivore,” she laughs “I can’t go without meat!”
Up next was a strong contender for the dish of the night: popcorn-encrusted sea scallop. The scallops were pan-seared, allowing for natural caramelization, and garnished with crispy shallots. They were then perched atop an avocado and charred-corn salsa, drizzled with smoked paprika oil and chive oil. A dry Riesling complemented the dish, ensuring that even the subtlest flavours were able to come through. Mozer notes that she is “obsessed” with scallops, featuring them frequently in her cooking.
Duck confit cannelloni made up the third course. As Mozer noted during her introduction of the dish, this was her very first time serving it. As far as we were concerned, it was executed perfectly. In addition to the Muscovy duck, the homemade pasta was stuffed with sautéed spinach and triple-cream Brie. A medley of sauces — rosemary brown butter and cranberry port reduction — added richness, while crispy parsley introduced another texture. Glasses of Malbec coupled well with the robust flavour of the dish, another favourite of the night.
Our palates were then given a brief respite thanks to a soupçon of homemade lemon and basil sorbet, refreshing our taste buds before we moved onto some lighter fare.
The fifth course was a rainbow beet tartare sprinkled with crumbled goat cheese and honey-caramelized walnuts. An aged balsamic reduction and mint and basil puree made up the sauces, before the dish was garnished with some micro-arugula.
Our final dish before dessert crossed comfort food with indulgence. A medallion of dry-aged beef tenderloin was nestled into a bed of lobster mac ‘n’ cheese, garnished with crispy leeks and served with a side of sautéed baby bok choy. Merlot was our wine of choice for both the beet tartare and the macaroni dishes. The gourmet mac ‘n’ cheese was yet another frontrunner for dish of the night, though the grand winner was never actually decided upon. By this point we were all sufficiently stuffed, with just barely enough room for the final course.
The evening was brought to an end with servings of a luscious dessert: a delectable dark chocolate truffle tart with layers of sea salt caramel drizzled with dark chocolate ganache. Its chocolate shortbread crust added just the right amount of crumble while the sea salt gave each bite a bit of a crunch. Some fresh raspberries and a scoop of homemade chocolate raspberry ice cream balanced out the rich textures of the tart, sending everyone into gastronomic heaven. And on that divine note, the merry night came to a close.
Elle Cuisine, 647-931-6444
Holiday revues are classic staples around this time of year (Bob Hope had one, and even The Muppets did). So what is it about December that makes us want to laugh loudly and spontaneously burst into song for 25 straight days? Could it be the mega-shopping, the reunion of families and the impending heaviness of another year gone by? Pretty much. You might say the holiday revue is the antidote to our surrounding dysfunction.
How fitting is it, then, that The Second City’s own holiday revue, presented by the company’s national touring branch (a.k.a. some pretty funny people), is called The Second City’s Dysfunctional Holiday Revue? The show is a lighthearted look at the common stresses we face during the Christmas season (I mention only Christmas because, as one of the show’s songs puts it, it’s the holiday that trumps them all. Sorry, Hanukkah! My condolences, Kwanzaa!).
But, as the revue jovially asks, what’s so great about Christmas anyway, when, even if you’re unemployed, you’re still pressured to donate money to “little Jaheeb,” who has to fight off monkeys for his breakfast and lets grown men punch him for rupees? Or how about the time when your parents tried to videotape a holiday greeting for you but couldn’t even remember your fiance’s name?
Yeah, Christmas sucks, especially when carolers are just zombies in disguise.
However, I think The Second City does its best work when it’s on Santa’s naughty list, so my favourite sketches were those that walked a bit on the raunchier side of Christmas. They included a scene in a wine cellar and another which featured a ‘90s-era pop-rock duo called Denim and Lace (probably because I’m a self-proclaimed wino who’s still stuck in the ‘90s).
The former had Allison Price venture into Connor Thompson’s wine cellar during a holiday party in which the opening of a vintage bottle of wine was used as a fun euphemism for sex (tastefully executed, of course). The latter sketch was improvised, set at a retirement home’s Christmas party. Here, with suggestions from the audience, Kevin Matviw and Price hilariously depicted Denim and Lace and created a song with lyrics that included getting your turkey (ahem) stuffed because “Christmas is about exploring your sexuality.” Obviously.
Even though the revue isn’t quite up to the level of The Second City’s current mainstage production, Dreams Really Do Come True! (and other lies), the six-member cast does a fine job of mixing misery with merriment (a slo-mo snowball fight set to the song “Mad World” is a perfect example) with scenes that zip nicely along, interspersed with some fun and festive musical numbers.
I liken it to a holiday bonus from your boss. It might not be as much as you would have liked, but you’re still satisfied all the same. This holiday revue is a tradition definitely worth keeping — and seeing.
The Second City’s Dysfunctional Holiday Revue, The Second City, 51 Mercer Street. Runs until Jan 2.
Time flies when you’re scarfing down succulent porchetta sandwiches. It’s already been a year since Porchetta & Co. opened up on Dundas West, and next week, owner Nick auf der Mauer is celebrating in style. On Tuesday, Dec. 20, he’s offering up full-blown porchetta sandwiches — not skimpy substitutes — for $1 a piece, plus tax, all day long.
The deal is limited to one sandwich per person, and doesn’t include toppings other than hot sauce and mustard. Still, we don’t expect many complaints. Some would argue that these sandwiches are best enjoyed with limited toppings anyway.
Auf der Mauer says he’s expecting pandemonium, and has already started stocking up on meat. He’ll be hunkered down at the shop all day Monday, normally an off day, in preparation.
“I would be happy if we went through 500 sandwiches,” auf der Mauer says. “But we could go through more.”
Porchetta & Co., 825 Dundas St. W., 647-352-6611
