Zane Caplansky dishes on what it's like starting up a food truck in Toronto

1:35 pm

Caplansky’s Delicatessen is about to go mobile with the launch of its new food truck tomorrow at the Beaches Jazz Festival. Thundering Thelma, as the truck is known — named after owner Zane Caplansky’s Nana — will be available for private functions and corporate events. Caplansky is looking to license his truck to sell on public property soon. We caught up with him to find out just what it takes to make a meals-on-wheels deli work.

Why a food truck?
Food trucks are a wonderful way to take deli to different festivals. Last summer, we did large scale events and it became clear that a truck would be a good way to accomplish those.

What are the city’s regulations for food trucks?
The city treats food trucks as a restaurant on wheels. They need all the same safety and health regulations like hand washing, fire alarm, freezer, dishwasher. Toronto licenses don’t allow trucks on public property south of Eglington, east of Bathurst or west of the Don River. We can operate on private property in those areas.

How did you deal with the regulations?
We haven’t gone for public licensing yet. We’re operating now only on private property for events. It’s not about getting around the regulations, but it’s about conforming with the city. We had a conversation with the Toronto Health Department about what the truck has to have and then we had the same conversation with the Toronto licensing department. I think the red tape is a myth. It’s hard to find someone who’s been turned down for a license. The city has been open and welcoming; the city hasn’t been an obstacle.

Where will the truck be parked?
The excitement is that it moves around. We have a twitter account that will let people know where we are. There’s a discovery on part of the customers to track us down. For lunches we’ll be mostly in the downtown core.

How does the truck menu compare to the restaurant’s?
It’s going to be simplified and we’ll change it up.

What is inside the truck?
It has a kitchen. Fridges, freezers, fryers, steamer, oven, serving window, storage station, hand washing sink. It’s like an old Purolator truck. It’s 18 ft. long, 8 ft. wide and 8 ft. high.

Thundering Thelma will sell items like smoked meat sandwiches, barbecue brisket sandwiches, poutine and hot dogs

It’s music festival season. Here are our top local designers to help you accessorize

12:00 pm

The popularity of music festivals is growing every year, and with celebrities often in attendance, style photos of festival fashion are more coveted than ever. Who could forget Kate Moss in those short shorts and Hunter boots at Glastonbury a few years ago, or Alexa Chung in her Barbour jacket last year — now the most desired jacket and pair of boots on the planet?

Unlike our music-loving celeb favourites in the U.K., those of us based in North America don’t normally have to worry about mud slides or sporting durable waxed jackets. Our summers are hot; with festivals so sweaty we’re left begging to be drenched in water. With Hillside, Osheaga and Lollapalooza all coming up, let’s talk about looking cool in mid-summer heat.

You’re going to want to wear as little as possible. So, if the uniform is going to be teeny-weeny shorts and a bikini top, how do you up your style ante without overheating? It comes down to accessories: specifically, standout jewellery, since your feet will be covered in dirt (and who carries a big purse at a festival, anyway?). We’ve tracked down five of the best Toronto-based designers to rock; wear ‘em separately or all together, either way, you’re going to have the style paparazzi in a frenzy.

Lara Vincent

If there’s ever a time to embrace your inner hippie, it’s at a music festival. Lara Vincent’s hand-made floral headpieces ($100-$400) are perfect for prancing around like the gorgeous love child that you are.
Where to buy: Magic Pony, 680 Queen Street West, 416-861-1684

Highway 1

Named after the legendary route along the California coast, — and inspired by its natural surroundings — you’re sure to be spotted from a mile away and pulled on-stage when wearing one of Highway 1’s massive statement necklaces ($125-$850) made from positively charged, vibrant gemstones.
Where to buy: Delphic, 706 Queen Street West, 416-603-3334

Speech

Rebel rock and rollers love Speech. The current collection, “A Paradise Lost,” is all prickly rose stems, skulls and nails in unpolished and oxidized metals. Perfect if you consider yourself more hardcore than hippie. Prices start at $110-$150.
Where to buy: Carte Blanche, 758 Queen Street West, 416-532-0347

Forrester

The coolest things to hang around your neck this summer are a bunch of crystals. Thanks to Forrester’s incredible price range ($20-$70), you can stack ‘em on and feel even better about supporting a sustainable and eco-friendly designer.
Where to buy: Lavish & Squalor, 253 Queen Street West, 416-599-4779

Jaime Sin

When she’s not DJing or promoting parties around the city, Jaime Sin makes jewellery. Working with metals, this spring she’s made everything from the runway jewellery for Jeremy Laing’s spring collection to a series of sterling silver flying penis necklaces! Total conversation starters, for sure. Prices range from $69-$310 for the sterling silver collection.
Where to buy: Delphic 706 Queen Street West, 416-603-3334

Band of the Week: Mariachi Fuego

Broadstreet Support

8:06 am

While there may be an inclination to treat Mariachi Fuego like a novelty act, you’d be missing the point. The group’s genuinely entertaining live show is enough to get the most cynical of us out of our chairs, and now the Dakota Tavern is hosting Mariachi Mondays, which has the band kicking off every work-week with a bang. We caught up with band founder and trumpet player Rob Dickson to talk about what’s coming up for the band.

Can you talk a bit about how you guys got together?
I had been playing mariachi music for about ten years in the Toronto area when I decided it was time to form my own group. I wanted to have greater musical control and I also had a vision about the type of customer service I wanted to offer.

How did the residency at the Dakota come about?
A couple of years ago I contacted Shawn Creamer [owner of the Dakota] about the possibility of performing there. A few months later he called me to see if we would be interested in performing for St. Patrick’s Day at the Dakota. I loved the irony of having a mariachi band play for St. Patrick’s Day, so naturally I jumped at it. It has since become somewhat of a tradition. We have just recently undertaken the Mariachi Mondays gig and are hopeful it will take off.

You guys have clearly been playing this type of music for a while; you really know how to put on a show. Were you guys playing in other mariachi or similar bands before Mariachi Fuego?
We all met playing in different mariachi bands. I have been playing with some of these guys for ten years or so.

Is there much of a mariachi scene in Toronto? If so, who are some of the other bands to check out? Would you encourage more musicians to start playing the style?
There are a few other bands in the city. The music is great fun to play so I would encourage anyone who has the skills and the passion to look into it.

Mariachi instruments like the guitarron and the vihuela seem like they would be hard to come by around here, where does one procure such instruments?
Mexico is the place to get them.

From what little I know about mariachi music it seems to be a genre with a lot of history. Is it important for you to honour those traditions?
We do try to honour those traditions. As with any type of folk music there are purists and there are progressives. I would like to think that we fall somewhere in the middle.

I remember you talking about Mexico on Monday. Have you ever had the opportunity to play there? How does it compare to Toronto?
I have had the opportunity to play in Mexico twice. Needless to say the pressure to perform a certain way there is very high. But on the other hand the people there where always thrilled to see that there music has reached up to this country. A Canadian mariachi is quite a novelty down there.

Do you guys write much of your own material or do you concentrate more on traditional songs?
Pretty much totally traditional music, although Oscar [the guitarrone player] has a few originals we are working on.

I know from your website you’ve recorded a few songs. Are there any plans to release an album in the near future?
We are currently working on an album, which will include some unconventional tracks along with the usual traditional works. Hopefully [it will see] a fall release date.

Recommended track: “Guantanamera”

Mariachi Fuego are:
Rob Dickson – Trumpet, vocals
Oscar Perez – Guitarrone, vocals
Osvaldo Rodriquez – Violin, vocals
Jairo Mantilla – Vihuela, vocals

Mariachi Mondays, Dakota Tavern, 416.850.4579

Kensington's upcoming Sonic Boom caters to vinyl purists

3:01 pm

After over 10 years of rocking, the iconic Annex record store Sonic Boom will be rolling down to Kensington Market to open up its second location. The upcoming shop at 201 Augusta Avenue — currently preparing for an early August opening — will sell only vinyls and casual vintage wear and accessories, store owner Jeff Barber tells us.

"The Annex is my favorite neighborhood in Toronto, but Kensington is a close second," he says.

It’s an emotional time for Barber, who is preparing to move Sonic Boom’s original stock to Toronto’s bargain landmark Honest Ed’s. He’s frustrated about being kicked off his corner to make room for yet another Dollarama, but opening up a new location in his second most trusted neighborhood could be the silver lining.

Barber is hopeful that the tradition of showcasing live bands — like Sam Roberts Band, Nada Surf, Broken Social Scene, and Lights — will continue at both Honest Ed’s and the Augusta location.

He’s aiming to get Kensington’s Sonic Boom ready for the first week of August. As for the original location, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart will be the last band to play there on August 1.

Sonic Boom, 201 Augusta Ave.

Q&A: Jesse Cook, Toronto’s guitar hero

1:26 pm

Jesse Cook, Toronto’s own flamenco guitar phenomenon (a musician, composer and producer, to be precise), is busy working on a new studio album, and he’s set to take the stage at the Rexall Centre alongside Pink Martini and Chris Botti tomorrow evening. We managed to lob a few questions at Cook, who, along with being a Juno Award winner, also happens to be an all-round nice guy.

If the Stanley Cup playoffs taught us anything (final game not withstanding), it’s that there’s often a “home ice” advantage. So we’re wondering: is there a “home stage” advantage when you perform in T.O.?
Oh, it’s always fun to play here — you get to invite all your family! Actually, by the end of a record cycle, we’ll have played nearly every stage in Toronto.

Are there certain songs your hometown audiences request?
Not exactly. I’m really lucky — I have a lot of weird songs, and all my audiences seems happy to hear any one of them!

Have you mastered onstage banter?
[Laughs.] No. I always used to find it very uncomfortable — but I’ve started to enjoy it more. I can get a little long-winded though. Actually, I went to see Chris Botti play a few years ago — and he did a lot of talking. And it worked. So as an audience member, I enjoyed it. You really get inside his headspace. I made the experience come to light for me. So, actually, maybe I’m doing the right thing!

Have you played with Chris Botti or Pink Martini before?
Actually, funnily enough, Chris opened for me at a winery in California — 10 years ago. Right after he toured with Sting. He had just started out, but even then, I could see he was going to have a great career.

Any hidden talents?
Yes! I have a lot of really useless skills beyond music. As a teen, I spent way too much time becoming a pool shark. I can ride a unicycle — but that really hasn’t come in handy in any way. And lattes … I can make an excellent latte. My wife, my friends, we all enjoy that one.

Any additional musical talents beyond guitar?
Let’s see. Well, I completed my Grade 8 in piano, and I played in a West African drumming ensemble. And then there was a Brazilian percussion ensemble that I joined, too.

What’s up next for you?
At the moment, the focus is really on making this record. But we also just aired a PBS special in the States — so I think we’re looking to do more of that on the East Coast in the near future.

Pink Martini, Chris Botti and Jesse Cook, Rexall Centre, July 20

Africa comes to Canada with a Kensington Market pop-up

12:37 pm

It’s time to get freaky, Africana style. Supafrik has debuted at Kensington Market’s Hotshot exhibition space, and it’s the first pop-up shop of its kind in Toronto. Chinedu Ukabam, designer of Chinedesign and curator of the pop-up, wants to bring urban contemporary Africana to the streets of Toronto.

“I am doing something that I am not seeing being done,” he says. “I think Toronto is not missing it because of lack of interest – people are very interested in it — but it’s about how to contextualize it in an environment that’s cool.”

The shop will be profiling African-inspired art, clothing and literature. On offer are Ohema Ohene sneakers from London —styled using African prints — and Aya, the African graphic novel by Marguerite Abouet.

The pop-up was created so Torontonians could see a more relatable and contemporary Africa. Ukabam hopes Supafrik will become an annual event, and maybe even a permanent spot if demand calls for it.

Before Supafrik, Ukabam’s claim to fame was his clothing line Chinedesign. “The collection I am mostly showing here is called Afrotropolis, which I released a few months back. I wanted to capture that whole urban, contemporary Africana.”

Going off the idea of Rick James, being super freaky is what brings in the crowd. “To be freaky is to be different and to be super is always a good thing,” Ukabam says.

The shop opened last week and will remain open until July 31.

Supafrik, Hotshot, 181 Augusta Ave., July 14-31, 11:00 a.m-7:00 p.m.

New patisserie opening in Le Pain Quotidien's former digs

2:24 pm

While popular Belgian bakery Le Pain Quotidien may be an international success, it failed to make a go of it in Toronto, shuttering its doors less than three years after opening here. Still, a local cake company thinks it can make a success out of the European brasserie experience in the spot once claimed by Quotidien. Patisserie Cocoa is set to open up an eatery as early as this month.

As a traditional brasserie (a mix between casual and fine dining), the place will offer specialty coffees, pastries, desserts and a full breakfast and lunch menu. According to manager Colin Anderson, the plan is to keep adding more menu items until the fall.

The brasserie will seat about 77 people, and will aim to replicate the French experience to a tee.

"If they want to come in for a continental breakfast in the morning, or in late afternoon for a bottle of wine and some specialty cheeses … they can," Anderson says.

The stone fireplace and the décor are true to French country style, and Patisserie Cocoa will also house an on-site baker to churn out different organic and specialty breads.

As for the desserts, Anderson says many of the items will be familiar to those who already know the cake company. We recommend trying some of the dome-shaped mousses or the French pear flan.

Patisserie Cocoa, 508 Eglinton Ave. W.

Frugal Fashion Week is nigh. Here’s how to fit in

11:40 am

Who doesn’t like a good sale? That’s the idea behind Toronto’s Frugal Fashion Week, which kicks off its third year July 21 and continues throughout the weekend. Over the four day festival, Toronto frugalistas will bring their slimmed-down wallets and fashionable selves to partake in a variety of fabulous fashion and beauty events across the city, which include – what else? – amazing sales that won’t break the bank.

The idea behind Frugal Fashion Week came to its founder, Gillian Downes, back in 2009, in an effort to boost sales to local fashion retailers suffering from the recession. As a former owner of a Toronto skincare boutique that fell victim to the faltering economy, Downes felt a need to help out her fellow beauty sellers, and as a self-proclaimed frugal fashionista, she was also compelled to “teach people how to shop.”

So how does one become a frugal shopper anyway? Here are some of Downes’ top tips.

1. Scour stores first and make notes. With a solid plan in place, you can budget accordingly.

2. Always bring cash to make your purchases. You’re probably more likely to impulse buy while using a credit card.

3. Go shopping during the off-season. That means buying your winter coat in July and picking up that summer bikini in October.

4. Look for at least 80 per cent off on a sale. A sale is only considered “good” when items are at least 80 per cent off the original price because “most stores have clearances every two weeks anyway.”

All proceeds from the Frugal Fashion Week will go towards the Stiletto Project, a new social initiative that partners with women’s organizations and not-for-profits to improve the lives of at-risk women and girls.

Frugal Fashion Week, July 21-24

This Week in Sound: Real Estate, RX Bandits, Thomas Dybdahl, Billy Talent and more

11:08 am

Real Estate (July 19 @ The Garrison) will either put you into a trance or put you into a coma — nothing in between. The New Jersey indie darlings know how to set a mood with their spacey surf rock, that’s for sure. Check them out if relaxed vibes and endless reverb sounds like your bag of Twizzlers, but take a pass if you expect your rock to register on the Richter scale.

The RX Bandits (July 18 @ Mod Club) will bring their farewell tour to the Mod Club tonight. Anyone who came of age in the early 2000s will definitely remember them, but if their horn-driven punk was your fave, we suggest you scout out their new material to be sure — the RX Bandits of today are more prog than ska.

Don’t pretend that you’ve ever heard of Thomas Dybdahl (July 19, The Drake Hotel), because we definitely hadn’t. But if you happen to have a date on Tuesday, consider dropping by The Drake, where the Norwegian troubadour will be plucking guitar strings and heart strings. Think the fingerpicking of José González, but a little simpler, a little less moody, and with pop songs playing overtop. Swoon.

Seeing them on a bill that also includes Megadeth (see below) is a little confusing, but Mississauga’s Billy Talent (July 24 @ Downsview Park) will be playing Saturday at the Heavy T.O. fest. Say what you will about Billy and his Talents; you’ve got to hand it to a Canadian band that has staying power and enough guts to walk into an sea of metalheads and play radio singles.

Also at Heavy T.O., Anthrax, Motörhead and Megadeth (July 23 @ Downsview Park) will be making Edgefest look like an episode of Shining Time Station. We won’t bother editorializing, since chances are you either love metal or avoid it like smallpox, but we’d be amiss if we didn’t also mention that Anvil (July 24 @ Downsview), stars of Anvil: The Story of Anvil (and all around nice guys) will be shredding fretboards the next day.

The Indie tastemakers at Pitchfork dismissed their album as trite, but we still think they have a certain charm: Young the Giant (July 20 @ Mod Club) will deliver a foot-stomping dose of U2-ish arena rock this week. Edge listeners will appreciate, hipsters will absolutely not.

And finally, to be filed under "n" for "nostalgia:" those looking to relive their emo days can catch Taking Back Sunday and Thursday (July 22 @ Kool Haus) this Friday. Those with a closet full of ripped jeans and Kurt Cobain posters, meanwhile, might want to angst out with The Tea Party (July 21@ Sound Academy).

This Week in Sound is PostCity.com’s weekly roundup of the best shows coming to Toronto

Japan’s indie film scene comes to Toronto with the Shinsedai Cinema Festival

9:39 am

From humour to horror, this week’s 3rd annual Shinsedai Cinema Festival brings entertainment from every angle by the best of Japan’s independent filmmakers. You don’t need to know anything about Japan to enjoy these subtitled films. We caught up with festival Co-Programmer/Co-Artistic Director Chris MaGee and asked him about the festival, Japan’s film scene and what makes Hollywood so predictable anyway.

What makes Japanese cinema different from Hollywood?
The biggest difference is that Hollywood films tend to be “more real than real.” All the puzzle pieces have to fit. By the end of the film all the threads are tied up. No loose ends. Japanese film, in varying degrees, will diverge from reality, or it will leave some threads that aren’t tied up, as a service to the whole of the film. There’s not this kind of slavish connection that, if we do this then that has to happen, that A leads to B leads to C. Sometimes in Japanese film you don’t even get A, or it can go from A to C. It’s not so connected to reality as we live it, but it’s reality as constructed by the filmmaker.

What is shinsedai?
It means “new generation.” It’s a name I came up with when we started things in 2009. This is a new generation of filmmakers we are trying to showcase. It’s also a new generation kind of festival. We want to set ourselves apart from festivals that exist now or that have come before. The shinsedai concept was created by Jasper Sharp and myself and has been fostered by the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.

Why focus on independent films/filmmakers?
Japanese films can be as bloated and predictable as Hollywood films. Our interest lies with young filmmakers who at this point are working more along the margins and [not yet] mainstream. We find often the most interesting films are coming from there. The independent film community in Tokyo is very aware of Shinsedai [fest], so they are very happy there is a showcase for their work outside of Japan.

Do people have to be familiar with Japanese cinema or culture in order to enjoy the films at Shinsedai?
No. It helps, but it’s not a prerequisite at all. I think people can see a parallel, fairly easily, between these films and their lives, like … our opening night film Hospitalité which, although it’s a satirical look at modern Japan, it’s also a family comedy drama. So if you’re living in a household, it doesn’t take that much to recognize yourself onscreen. We program films that we believe audiences are going to enjoy regardless of their level of exploration of Japan.

What might surprise the uninitiated at Shinsedai?
The quality and nature of the films always surprises in a good way. For example, one film this year that I’m really excited about, The Catcher on the Shore, the director Ryugo Nakamura – who will be in attendance at the festival – was only 14 when he made the film. He’ll be at the festival this year, and – it’s a very simple story – and when you see the way it’s been executed you say, “Wow, where is this young man going to be 20 years from now?” Not only will you have surprises onscreen; you’ll get to meet some of the actors and filmmakers. It’s an immersive kind of weekend.

Shinsedai Cinema Festival, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, July 21-24

Tony Aspler's wine pick of the week: Magnotta Special Reserve Semillon 2009

7:10 am

Trust me, this wine is really worth searching out. You can only get it from Magnotta stores around the city. You don’t find many varietal Semillons in Ontario, and this one had the distinction of winning a regional trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London in April. Golden straw in colour with a waxy, honey and peach bouquet, it’s medium-bodied on the palate, offering spicy peach and Bartlett pear flavours riding on lively acidity. Great value here.

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.

A culinary tour of the local marketplace at Bathurst and Dundas, where street food meets farmers' market

1:52 pm

A hot, used shipping-container-turned-street-food-stall at the corner of Bathurst and Dundas might not be where one would expect to find Tony Sabherwal, owner of the successful Magic Oven organic pizza chain. And yet, there he is, selling street food on a completely pizza-free menu at Scadding Court Community Centre’s Live Local Marketplace.

So why is Sabherwal there?

“I grew up in a small town in India called Lucknow… and this was the street food. It gives me an opportunity to find myself,” Sabherwal says. “Everyone who has had our sandwiches has come back.”

It’s not hard to believe. The sandwiches are an Indian-infused — and much improved — take on the sloppy joe. Sabherwal puts yellow masala peas cooked with tamarind on “the softest bun” he could find, and adds either a veggie samosa ($4) or tandoori chicken ($5) to top it off. The result is a surprisingly soft, flavourful, and totally original bite.

Magic Oven’s Tony Sabherwal

Sabherwal’s “sloppy bunjo” creation happens to go very well with fresh watermelon juice ($4.49) available from the bubble tea vendor nearby.

The Original One’s owner, Hong Jin, has been at the market for about one month, and like the most of the vendors, has yet to make money from the opportunity. That’s despite the affordable $10-a-day rent that Scadding Court charges; although the marketplace has been around for about a year, it seems to have remained a little too under the radar.

And yet, like the rest of the vendors, Jin looks happy, and is eager to talk about his drinks.

“The people like mango, and kiwi,” Hin says. Even on its own, the watermelon juice is refreshing on a summer afternoon, like a mini-detox from the smog on Dundas Street. Hin also gives free top-ups from what’s left over in the blender.

Hong Jin at his juice stand

The Live Local Market is like a street food festival meets farmers’ market. Around 10 vendors are set up in used shipping containers, out on the sidewalk. It’s open every day, throughout the year, and on Friday nights in the summer there’s a night market, from 6-10 p.m., featuring additional vendors, performers, discussions and extra activities, like a doggie pool and a craft area for kids.

Then there’s the cheese.

Farmers’ market regular Montefort Dairy has set up here, with a menu by the dairy owner’s son, Ben Szoller.

“We’ll always try to have a cold soup, either gazpacho or … cucumber and watermelon soup,” Szoller said. “We know we want it to be simple, so definitely cheese, ice cream, I’ll make a soda pop float and then maybe one or two other things.” Monforte’s buffalo milk ice cream ($4) is not to be missed.

All of the way out from Markham, customer Chris Penrose is enjoying a cheese plate with watermelon juice, faithfully topped by Hin.

“The cheese place is awesome,” Penrose says. “You’d pay $20 for the same thing [somewhere else], and this is $6.”

The Monforte team

Live Local Marketplace, Scadding Court Community Centre, 416-392-0335

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