Charities are going to have to start paying for trash pickup. Over the next four years, Toronto will phase in trash pickup charges for formerly exempt customers — like charities, churches and retirement homes — around the city. [Toronto Star]
Forget the food at E11even: a visit to the restaurant is in order after it received the distinct honour of having the best restroom in Canada. [The Grid]
The Gardiner is the highway that everyone loves to hate, but beautifying and improving this 1950s development is no easy task. [CBC]
Mayor Rob Ford lost a bid in council yesterday to reduce curbside recycling pickup. [Globe and Mail]
Some protesters remained at St. James Park last night, despite a police notice for eviction. [National Post]
We can’t think of a better time than now for one of our favourite local lines to have a sale. It’s right before our wallets feel the holiday pinch, giving us an excuse to indulge in some new duds at deal prices. Toronto-based indie design label Diepo has teamed up with Queen West boutique Robber to host a holiday trunk sale from Dec. 1-4.
The womenswear line is made up of ready-to-wear separates (inspired by a love for vintage lingerie) that can be worn day or night, outside or inside the bedroom. And since shopping and partying go hand in hand, everyone is invited to the opening night party to enjoy post-work treats, drinks (free beer!) and tunes, along with the mega deals available throughout the shop.
For anyone who didn’t get a chance to check out The Globe this weekend, Chris Nuttall-Smith got the scoop on the latest in the Grant van Gameren saga. Just weeks after leaving The Black Hoof and jumping back on board with Lucien, along with Guy Rawlings, to help steer the restaurant in a new direction, van Gameren has been announced as the executive chef at Enoteca Sociale.
Van Gameren has already added his influence to the menu — with new items such as gizzards and sweetbreads, along with a vegan option — but co-owner Max Rimaldi wants to help the esteemed young chef realize his full potential. Apparently, research tours of New York and Rome are in the works, along with a new concept called “Grant restaurant.”
In addition to breaking some pretty sweet news (that the already great Enoteca Sociale just got even better), the article is also an intimate portrait of a humble, shy and incredibly talented chef. Read it here.
A judge has ruled that the city can dismantle the Occupy Toronto camp at St. James Park. “Anarchism has a long political history,” the judge wrote. “But, Canada has not chosen anarchism.” [Toronto Star]
The University of Toronto has launched the biggest fundraising campaign in Canadian history, with a goal of $2 billion in mind. [Globe and Mail]
The new Blue Jays jerseys are a blast from the past. [National Post]
The value of the info-pillars that have recently installed on downtown sidewalks is being called to question. For some, they’re packed with too many ads, while others find them useful. [Toronto Star]
There are plenty of works of art around the city that are literally just one big rock (see: Yorkville). Makes you wonder what city officials were thinking at the time? [Toronto Sun]
With the Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens set to open at the end of the month, almost a decade after original plans were laid out, there is still much controversy about the opening of a chain in one of Toronto historical buildings. [Toronto Sun]
Opening up for TheKooks at the Sound Academy on Wednesday, Nov. 23, are The Postelles. This New York city-based band put in a sizzling set at the North by Northeast music festival earlier this year and have been on a roll over the summer. The band, fronted by the gregarious lead singer Daniel Balk, play an upbeat style of garage rock with major influences from the ‘50s and ‘60s. Not that The Kooks aren’t a good enough reason to head down for the show. The U.K. band’s infectious indie pop sound has garnered significant acclaim overseas and a growing fan base here in North America.
For a stripped down version of The Postelles’ “White Night,” off their self-titled debut album, go here:
Kathleen Edwards and Hannah Georgas announce tour
Alt-country dream team of Toronto singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards and Hannah Georgas, originally from Newmarket, have announced plans to tour together beginning in late January including a date in Toronto on Feb. 11 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre.
For Edwards, the tour is in support of her new album, Voyageur, out on Jan. 17. The first track of the record, released by Maple Music in Canada, “Change the Sheets,” is killer, and is available here:
Lowest of the Low light
Ron Hawkins and Stephen Stanley, the front dudes of Canadian indie rockers Lowest of the Low — and some of the finest songwriters this city has produced— have just announced their annual Blue Moon Six series. The shows, which have become something of an annual tradition for fans of the Toronto musicians, are set for Dec. 8, 9 and 10 at Graffiti’s in Kensington Market. Tickets are $25 a pop, but considering they’ll likely blast through a bazillion of your favourite tunes in a beer-fuelled musical marathon, it seems like a fair price.
And If you don’t believe me about the whole best in the city thing, here is one of Hawkins’s best live from Graffiti’s. Sorry about the quality… don’t blame me!
Andy Kim Christmas show announces special guests
In what has turned out to be one of the city’s coolest holiday traditions, the 7th Annual Andy Kim Christmas Show, slated for Dec. 14 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, announced the special guests for this year’s rendition. They include Rush’s Alex Lifeson, along with Ron Sexsmith, Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning from the recently defunct Broken Social Scene. I like to think of Andy as Canada’s own Neil Diamond. Check him out in full ‘70s splendour singing his mega-hit "Rock Me Gently."
Album of the week: Act III: Love Will Ruin by Neverending White Lights
The brainchild of Daniel Victor, Act III is the third in a series of conceptual albums by Neverending White Lights. It hit shelves Nov. 15, and Victor appears at The Drake Hotel in Toronto on Nov. 21 and 22. Always inventive, Victor’s previous efforts garnered significant critical acclaim along with a Juno nomination and a Much Music Video Award for Best Independent Video of the Year. As in previous efforts, Victor has enlisted some fine players to help bring his ideas for fruition such as Dallas Green, Lights and The Midway State. On the new record, Hot Hot Heat helps out on “Ghost Ship,” along with Victor’s sidekick Bed of Stars. It is a huge, sprawling, synthed-out affair that would have rocked the world in the early ‘80s… or so I gather. Ahem. Hopefully it finds an audience, and Victor takes the next step in his evolving career. He’s a serious talent.
Rock ‘n’ roll tweet of the week
This one comes from Kathleen Edwards, a.k.a @kittythefool, on Nov. 11: “I got drunk and downloaded Beth Orton’s records. The smartest thing I’ve done when I’m usually dumb-sauced.”
This is one of the under-the-radar super-Tuscans at a reasonable price. It’s a blend of Sangiovese, Colorino, Canaiolo and Merlot. Ruby in colour with a smoky, minerally, black cherry nose; savoury on the palate with flavours of dried cherry, orange peel and earthy tones; firmly structured with good length. Food match: tomato-based pasta dishes.
Post City Magazines’ wine columnist, Tony Aspler, has written 14 books on wine and food. Tony also created the Ontario Wine Awards. He can be heard on 680News.
Reprieve is on the horizon for Ontario university and college students as the Liberal’s 30 per cent tuition break campaign will be in place by January. [Toronto Star]
Jaime Oliver declares his recent meal at Buca to be the best that he’s had all year. [Toronto Life]
Local tennis phenom Milos Raonic beat his idol, the legendary Pete Sampras, during a friendly exhibition match at the Air Canada Centre yesterday. [Globe and Mail]
Rationing diapers in nursing homes is just one of many ways in which Toronto’s elderly have been neglected, The Star reports. [Toronto Star]
After reports of absenteeism surfaced at Toronto’s 311 helpline, Budget Chief Mike del Grande wants the city to look at contracting out the two-year old call centre. [Toronto Sun]
Occupy Toronto protestors will be able to remain in St. James Park until at least Monday while a judge makes his decision. [CBC]
A new idea is taking shape in one of Toronto’s trendiest ‘hoods. On Nov. 29, international chain Piola will be opening a new location near Queen and Dufferin, at the Bohemian Embassy condo. The new pizzeria will be serving up high-quality Italian cuisine and carefully selected wine, along with some local art, but owners insist Piola will be missing one ingredient: attitude.
“It’s a casual pizzeria,” Jennifer Karam, a manager of the new location, explains. “There is nothing pretentious about this place. Everyone is welcome, including families. We’ll be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, which I think — on that strip in particular — is missing.”
The Queen West location is Piola’s first venture into Canada. The international chain has over 30 locations around the world, including restaurants in New York City, Buenos Aires and Istanbul.
What can we expect in Toronto? Even Karam is not entirely sure, as the menu will be tweaked to include local ingredients.
“We’re still doing a lot of tests, so we can’t finalize the specifics of each pizza.”
Every menu item, she says, is approved by a team of chefs who are flown in from Italy to make sure local additions are up to the Piola standard.
“Our pizzaiolos from Italy are still tasting flours and other ingredients,” she says. “Until they taste each ingredient and make sure the pizza is absolutely perfect, we’re not printing those menus."
But can any Toronto restaurant win over both foodies and families? Piola is going to try.
“We’re going to be a classic pizzeria,” she says. “Yes, we’re going to have beautiful wines and a great cocktail list … but we’re looking to fill that gap of an accessible restaurant for everybody in west Queen West."
Around six years ago, before doing one thing really well was hip in Toronto’s food scene, The Fish Store opened in Little Italy as a closet-sized purveyor of fish sandwiches and fresh raw seafood. It’s now a neighbourhood fixture, and its original formula has changed little. So it was a bit odd to venture into the store this week to find that beef bulgogi, a Korean specialty dish — and clearly, a departure from tradition for the place — has been added to the menu.
Owner Phillip Hwang says he has long admired his wife’s bulgogi recipe, and was urged by family and friends to put the dish on the market. Hwang wasn’t about to be completely limited by his store’s moniker, so he eventually took the advice and put bulgogi on the menu earlier this month.
Hwang’s family hails from Seoul, where everyone has their own take on bulgogi, he says. Here, it’s done with rib eye beef, trimmed of fat and sliced razor thin. The beef is marinated for 12 hours in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, onions, sesame oil and other ingredients. Afterwards, it’s sautéed on a flat top grill with green and white onions. It’s then topped with sesame seeds and comes with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, house-made kimchi and The Fish Store’s signature brown rice.
At regular price, the dish goes for $9.95, but for the rest of the month, The Fish Store is offering it for $5.99.
Now that leaving work means entering total darkness, we’ve turned our backs on any sort of social agenda, choosing instead to retreat into hibernation at home. Chunky sweaters, flannel PJs and a nice glass of wine by the fire: that’s the kind of happy hour we’re talking about. When in winter mode, there’s nothing that rocks our socks quite like a fresh new pair of slippers to keep our tootsies cozy while hanging around the house.
These Dorthy Grieves-designed moccasins from Canadian heritage brand Manitobah Mukluks are like the Ferrari of at-home footwear. They’ve got fur trim and a hand-beaded design; they’re also limited edition and you can buy them online. Don’t you just love traditional companies who get with the times?
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.
The concept of an Africentric high school has won approval from the Toronto District School Board. Now the next challenge is finding a location. [Globe and Mail]
Welcome to the Toronto Public Library. Would you like to make a purchase today? A new report recommends looking into the viability of adding a retail function to the library’s website. [Toronto Star]
311 may be Toronto’s helpline, but according to a new audit, more than 21 per cent of calls go unanswered. [Globe and Mail]
The NDP and Tories say they will back a private member’s bill in Legislature to remove the provincial portion of HST from home heating charges. They still need Dalton McGuinty’s cooperation, though, which probably won’t happen. [Toronto Sun]
Licensing more animals could provide several million dollars in additional revenue for the city. [National Post]
Do dreams really come true? No. At least not according to the funny folks at Second City. It seems that all of our so-called “dreams” are really just a bunch of lies (sorry!), and this disappointing truism is hilariously proved and performed in the latest Second City mainstage revue, Dreams Really Do Come True (And Other Lies).
Though the show’s been open for a few months now, I just recently caught the show with my Second City class. As a student of Toronto’s Second City, I feel like I’m the perfect (if not ever-so-slightly-biased) person to walk you through how to enjoy a Second City show. First and foremost, when attending a Second City show for the first time, one should know that each performance is rooted in sketch comedy, with moments of improv sprinkled in for good measure (naturally, since improvisation is the backbone of the comic establishment).
That being said, attending a Second City show is for those who a) like to laugh, b) are not expecting some clever Wes Anderson script and c) don’t mind the go-to-funny. What do I mean by all of that? Let’s go through it:
A) You like to laugh. Pretty self-explanatory. You’ve come to the right place. Second City is the ideal place for those who are seeking two hours of goofiness. P.S.: No one cares if you have a weird laugh, because they won’t be able to hear you above their own laughter.
B) Not “Wes Anderson clever,” you ask? Well, if you’re looking for nuanced, deadpan delivery, you’ve come to the wrong theatre, my friend. Here at Second City, you’ll be greeted with coarse language, suggested (if not gratuitous) sexuality and taboo subjects. The dialogue is more about punch lines than subtext, and that simple formula works plenty fine.
C) “Go-to-funny”? By that I mean the tried-and-true gags that we’ve all seen somewhere before (SNL, MADtv, etc.) and which almost always garner some kind of guffaw. In Dreams, we have the comical rapping-at-a-funeral scene, featuring two white dudes (Alastair Forbes and Jason DeRosse) along with the requisite black guy (Nigel Downer). Then, of course, there’s the weird-multi-position-simulation-sex-while-crying scene (with Forbes and the always fantastically funny Inessa Frantowski) that’s guaranteed laughs, because sex in weird positions while crying is, well, funny. In both sketches, the actors display the usual gusto that’s expected from a Second City performance, even if the sketches are a bit clichéd.
The cast, under the keen and crazy direction of Second City veteran Kerry Griffin, shares the magical chemistry that’s required amongst performers who are doing silly things together. You know, things like jumping and rolling around as Vietnam vets, pointing out jiggly parts or discovering that they’re related to Adolf Hitler. Of course, the cast really comes together in the second act, when they get to do what they do best: improv.
And whoever says they don’t want to be chosen as the “lucky” audience member who gets to go on stage and do silly things with them is lying. You might even say it’s a dream come true.
Dreams Really Do Come True (And Other Lies), The Second City, 51 Mercer St. Limited Run.
