Style Q&A: What not to wear in T.O. this fall

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8:55 am

Designer Franco Mirabelli answers all your style questions, including his pick of the biggest fashion faux pas for fall.

What do I wear with a cropped jacket?

A high-waist skirt, wide leg pants, or wide flare jeans.

How much leg is too much leg to show?

If you’ve got nice legs and knees, a few inches above the knee — depending on your height. Otherwise, keep your skirts at your kneecap.

How can I make a cocoon coat work for me?

Don’t buy it too big. Wear it with tights/leggings or skinny pants, best tucked into your boots.

What’s your suggestion for the perfect pair of comfortable fall boots?

Riding boots with a two-inch heel.

What’s your biggest fashion faux pas for fall?

Wearing linen… anything.

I like the military jackets but how can I make the look more feminine?

Wear a military jacket belted with a knee length skirt.

I’m 46, is that too old to be wearing leg warmers?

Who wears leg warmers?

How do I pick the right sport coat/blazer?

I like fitted or close to the body two-button jackets with two side vents at the back.

I travel a lot, any suggestions on a great overnight bag?

I love to travel light, so a bag with great pocket details in a light weight black nylon or leather.

With three corporate stores in Toronto, Franco Mirabelli continues to distinguish himself as one of Canada’s strongest fashion talents. Keep up with him by following his weekly blog at PostCity.com or by visiting mirabelli.com.

McEwan’s Italian food factory

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4:00 pm

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THE LATEST EDITION to Mark McEwan’s empire is a rustic Italian restaurant named Fabbrica (Italian for “factory”). Skeptics predicted his grocery store would never last in the outdoor Shops at Don Mills, so he went ahead and built a restaurant across the street.

He’s got big … something. The place is packed on a Tuesday night with a lively buzz of activity.

McEwan has created a whimsical take on Italian dining with splashes of reds and blues, mix-and-match wood, even a few old school formica tables for good measure.

But, the focus of this factory is on the big open kitchen that occupies the front of the dining room.

With all the pizza talk in town and authentic Neapolitan ovens that reach a gazillion degrees to cook your pizza in less than two minutes, I’m especially excited to taste the pizza Marguerita. It turns out I need to learn to temper my excitement. The flavour is there, but it is too doughy and too thick around the edges to meet my expectations.

For starters, bruschetta with bone marrow and horseradish gremolata ($10) is rich and intense, and the melted bone marrow on the warm bread works very well with the perfect amount of finely grated horseradish.

The grilled octopus ($15) is adorned with chickpeas, thinly sliced Genoa salami, a few arugula leaves and some chili flakes — rustic and flavourful but not loud and brash. The octopus is tender but slightly chewy with a little candylike char.

Linguine with clams sees perfectly cooked house-made pasta with a rich flavour, but there is a bit too much French influence here with shallots and a sauce of either beurre blanc or white wine. The clams have also held onto some sand.

Pappardelle, with guanciale (pork cheeks), cream, crab, shallots and a soft-boiled egg, is perfection with a creamy sauce and a rich crab flavour.

A pork belly entree is offered as a special of the evening. The scent is apple and sage with a perfect balance of fruit, but not sweet. The top is golden brown but soft — not crunchy. It melts as we put a fork in, and the pan gravy we consider drinking as a soup.

Sea breem is simply grilled with mint and capers ($32). It’s superfresh and well grilled but pricey. Braised lamb neck with lamb sausage in a rich caponata has tender meat served with its mellow broth. The caponata is perfect with the fruit pairing well with the rich lamb and fennel-spiked sausage.

Do not under any circumstances share the warm zeppole! This is the kind of dessert that might make you take your fork and stab anyone who dares to take one from you. The little perfectly fried doughnuts dusted lovingly with sugar and cinnamon and filled with a silky orange cream melt in your mouth.

Fabbrica to me is a rustic Italian experience with a French touch. Don’t expect Nonna’s cooking. The names on the menu are definitely Italian, but I taste the French structure in several dishes.

49 Karl Fraser Rd., 416-391-0307, $100 Dinner for two

The stealth bomber

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3:09 pm

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GRAND PRIZE WINNER

LINE LEATHER JACKET $550; RED CANOE SCARF $49.99

“Line is a great Canadian line,” says Beker, with her signature sass. “I love this jacket’s dramatic styling with this big, knit collar. It has that goanywhere look. It would look fabulous coupled with a tight pencil skirt and little booties.” Moving on to the scarf selection, Beker opts for a lightweight Red Canoe accessory. “We love our classic plaid,” she says. “I’d add this for a bit of punch.”

Where to get it: (jacket) Andrew’s, Bayview Village, 416-225-0049

UPTOWN GIRL

DOLCE AND GABANNA JACKET $2,300; ESPRIT SCARF $39.50

“This D and G looks like something you may have found at a vintage store — but the styling’s spot on,” says Beker. She pairs it with this scarf for “a pop of colour.”

Where to get it: (jacket) Holt Renfrew, 50 Bloor St. W.

HOLE-Y COW

MACKAGE “NELLA” JACKET $650; ESPRIT SCARF $49

“This jacket is beautiful with perforated leather detailing,” says Beker. “It has a nice soft feel to it. And I like the thumb holes.” Beker chooses an off-white scarf: “This is very elegant.”

Where to get it: (jacket) Stylexchange, Promenade mall

IN SHEEP’S LINING

HELMUT LANG JACKET $1,295; RED CANOE SCARF $29.99

“This is a bona fide designer jacket,” says Beker, feeling the fuzzy lambswool of this Helmut Lang creation. “And this scarf is fun,” she continues. “You can wear it any which way.”

Where to get it: (jacket) TNT, 392 Eglinton Ave. W.

FLY ME TO THE MOON

THEORY AVIATOR $1,550; SEVENTY FRINGE SCARF $320

“This is for those who love fur. The collar is detachable — so you get a lot more mileage out of this jacket.” Beker selects a Seventy scarf, saying, “You’ve got to have flare to wear this.”

Where to get it: (jacket) Holt Renfrew, Yorkdale Mall

REBEL, REBEL

KYO AND SOIA “SUGAR” JACKET $395; LINE KNITWEAR SCARF $395

“This is a go-anywhere kind of jacket. There’s some panache with this silk lining!” As for the scarf: “There’s a lot happening here.”

Where to get it: (jacket) Poor Little Rich Girl, 2094 Yonge St.

BEIGE AMBITION

ACNE AVIATOR JACKET $1,299; HOLT RENFREW SCARF $85

“This one has a nice, soft sandstone colour,” says Beker, also praising the jacket’s pink lining. She matches it with a wooly scarf, admiring its “hand-knit” feel.

Where to get it: (jacket) Corbo Studio, 162 Cumberland St.

Jeanne Beker is the host and segment producer of Canada’s leading fashion series FashionTelevision. Catch her Sunday nights at 5:30 p.m. ET on CTV or visit www.FashionTelevision.com

Jason Bangerter gets 'wacky' at Luma on King

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Jason Bangerter is enjoying licence to be “a little wacky”.

Foodwise, that is.

Bangerter heads up the culinary side of Luma, the TIFF Bell Lightbox’s new secondfloor restaurant.

After eight years as chef de cuisine at French-inspired eatery Auberge du Pommier, Bangerter says he is enjoying getting to play with Luma’s menu: a touch of Thai here, some spices there and a new, seared-tuna twist on the classic salad niçoise.

Ninety per cent of his ingredients are local, coming from within a 100-mile radius, he says, such as fresh herbs from a farm in Guelph and free-range chicken that might end up smoked on site and sliced into a wrap with mangoes, avocados and chili-lime mayonnaise.

The vibe is “modern casual, fun and funky,” says Bangerter.

Luma is located at 330 King St. W., Second Floor, 647-288-4715.

Toronto style maven reveals his favourite fall trends

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11:38 am

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After taking in New York Fashion Week last month, Toronto style maven Franco Mirabelli reveals his top five favourite fall trends in his PostCity.com blog.

The military influenced jacket

Whether it’s in a fall tweedy fabric or a textured wool pea jacket, it’s an updated classic you’ll have for years in your closet.

The scuba look

Double-knit dresses and separates with Lycra stretch are the hottest looks this fall. Always buy them in black and if you want some extra fashion, pick up a legging pant with zipper details.

Classic tweeds

The best tweeds always come out for fall. This fall pick up a great 1950s Mad Men influenced jacket and skirt suit.

Riding jacket

Choose between a fitted tweed style or a loose boyfriend cut.

Skinny pants

Pants this fall are either super wide or slim. Pick from double knit leggings, skinny jean-cut pants or tailored slim stovepipes.

The Guy at Home in his Underwear – in Toronto

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11:10 am

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Mark McIntyre is trying to make a difference in the lives of those affected by cancer. By hanging out in his apartment for 25 days in his underwear.

On Oct. 6, Mark and Stanfield’s, a Canadian men’s underwear company, launched a fund raising campaign using popular Internet tools: webcams and social media. Mark will spend a total of 25 days in his downtown Toronto apartment in his underwear – he reveals a unique pair of undies every day – while four web cameras broadcast his every move to the world wide web.

For every "like" Mark and the campaign receives from Facebook users over the next 25 days, Stanfield’s will donate $1 to testicular cancer research. The original goal for the campaign was $25,000, but Stanfield’s recently announced they will donate up to $50,000 if Mark can get 50,000 "likes" on Facebook. The Facebook page had 42,623 "likes" by Oct. 21, the sixteenth day of the campaign. Mark recently spoke with PostCity.com from his apartment.

What has surprised you the most so far during this undertaking?

"It’s very bizarre not to go outside, so I’m starting to feel that a little bit. But the same time, because of all the likes on Facebook and the people showing up in chat, I’m surrounded by people all over the world that are reaching out to me and supporting me and what I do…But I’m sort of here by myself. It kind of messes with your mind a little bit."

What was your favourite pair of underwear so far?

"I’m a boxer-brief guy…whatever underwear I bought, it was boxer-briefs. But the briefs really appealed to me, because it keeps everything tucked in. The smaller ones I kind of liked better, which was interesting."

Have you received any surprising feedback from viewers?

"I’ve been told quite a few times that people have burned their dinner while watching me cook their dinner…I think that’s really cool, that whatever we’re doing with this initiative, that people are getting a kick out of watching what I’m making for dinner. They’ve gotten to know me to a point that they want to know what Mark’s having for dinner."

Is there any upcoming day in particular that you’re excited about?

"I don’t know exactly how this works, but they have a blind date coming in for me. Having a date on camera in your underwear is certainly something I’ve never done. So, that will be a challenge. No one really has told me how this is going about. The only comment about the blind date that I’ve heard from people who are finding someone for me is that ‘we’re trying to find someone who would actually like you.’ Which, is like, oh, thank you very much – as if that was so hard. (laughing)"

Izakaya joint brings the buzz to the Annex

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10:11 am

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The storefront at 559 Bloor St. W. sits empty, but if everything goes smoothly, it will spring to life in January 2011 as Guu Izakaya’s second location.

“I guess I should say thanks to all Torontonians,” says Hyun Soo, general manager of Guu’s Church Street locale. “People like our food.”

The annex menu will continue Guu’s traditional “Japanese comfort food” concept, including raw fare, grilled fare and a selection of noodle dishes.

Soo promises it will also serve something “Torontonians haven’t seen before,” but he won’t elaborate.

“My chefs will be very angry if I say anything else,” he says.

Guu Izakaya is located at 398 Church St. 416-977-0999.

T.O. rock icon sounds off on new solo album

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7:46 am

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EVERY NEW ALBUM by Gord Downie is an event. One of the country’s most successful musicians, Downie has put out three solo albums in addition to his work with the Tragically Hip over the past 20+ years.

And each time we think we’ve got him pegged, he changes directions much like a musical chameleon, and it all seems to work somehow. With a new album in tow, The Grand Bounce, Downie is on tour in the area this fall.

So what do you enjoy about raising your family in Toronto?

I love it.… You know, I think Toronto gets a bad rap, obviously. It is sort of cutesy, but behind the scenes the back sniping actually manifests itself in our politics, the screw-Toronto attitude.We see it played out on the streets.… I’m proud of where we come from, where we live and raise our kids. They get a nice cultural upbringing here, seeing things I never saw as a kid.

How are you feeling about your craft these days? Is it getting any easier for you?

Yeah, I mean, I feel really good about it. It makes me nervous, and that tells me passion is required, so yes, I always seems to be at the outer limits of passion, you know. And that tells me that I’m in the right place. It can still have all those other dizzying effects.

I was interested to hear that you don’t really discern between a Hip song and a song more fitting for solo work. So how does it work?

Well, I guess I approach it more that I don’t know if I’ll be here tomorrow, so prolonging things, being like that, is almost arrogantly tempting fate. And I wouldn’t want to do that.

Are you still playing hockey at the local outdoor rinks in Toronto, hiding behind your goalie mask?

I did do that, yes. I lived across from a rink, and I’d come out and the kids would go nuts, like the ice cream man had shown up. That winter, toward the end, I realized guys were coming in and firing it high on me, doing all kinds of stuff. There were little kids around, all ages. I was worried they’d blister one at me.… I’m sort of retired altogether now.

Now, I remember you wearing a Boston Bruins jersey in concert. Are you still a fan or have you given that up and embraced your hometown team?

No, no.…God know. I love the Bruins. But I’m kicking hockey.We’ll see how it goes this year.

And what do you think of the mayoral race?

Sort of depressing…

Popular Italian resto looks north for growth

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4:18 pm

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Uptown eatery Mezza Notte has decided to open a second location and bring their flair for Italian food to the 905.

They are joining other T.O.-based Italian restaurants including Grazie and Ferraro — both with new York Region restos.

Owned by Gus and Robert Savonarota, Mezza Notte has been located on Yonge Street north of Sheppard for the past 15 years.

In Thornhill, the 90-seat restaurant features the same menu with the exception of smaller sized pizzas.

Mezza Notte is located at 11 Disera Dr., 905-707-0222.

North Toronto restaurateur ups the ante

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4:17 pm

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When Conrad Chen, co-owner of Cravings Asian Cuisine, had to start turning customers away during peak dinner hours,he knew he needed a bigger space. Enter 3323 Yonge St., a two-storey, Roman-style building with an oversized skylight, where Chen plans to open Up restaurant later this month.

Like Cravings and Chen’s other restaurant Azian, Up will feature traditional Japanese, Thai and Chinese fare.But there’s an eclectic twist.

“We are going to put lobster and even stuffed duck on the menu,” says Chen,a 20-year veteran of the restaurant industry. “And grilled fish , people always ask for grilled fish.”

Popular Cravings staples will be showcased as well, including dim sum, mango salad and the legendary UFO sushi, which is spicy tuna on a bed of fried sweet potatoes.Featured drinks include a local Ontario Riesling, the exotic lychee martini and a selection of fruit juices.

On the first floor,which seats up to 90, customers can sit in wooden booths or at round tables. The second floor seats 60, including three private rooms that can be booked for larger parties.

Up is located at 3323 Yonge St.

Indian fare the old-fashioned way on Avenue

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1:34 pm

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Patrons may have plenty of time to chat at the Copper Chimney while they wait for their dinner, but it will be worth it.

Indian food is “a time-taking cuisine,” says owner Sanjay Gufain.

“We don’t take shortcuts, and you can taste the difference.”

The Copper Chimney, which opens on Avenue Road this month, specializes in Indian food from different regions throughout the country: Mumbai, Madras and Delhi, to name a few.

Copper Chimney is located at 2050 Avenue Rd., 647-436-2538.

Fall Colours, Pioneer Village, Mythic Creatures, Parkdale Bazaar, Soupalicious

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1:34 pm

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If you’re looking for a reason to roll away from the dinner table this Thanksgiving weekend, try taking a stroll through the Kortright Centre for Conservation – or make your way to Soupalicious to sample some of Toronto’s urban bounty. Here’s our weekly guide of the top five things to do this weekend:

Kortright Centre for Conservation Fall Colours Weekend

The conservation centre, based in Woodbridge, is giving guided walks through the fall foliage on Oct. 9 – 11, and Oct. 16 and 17. After taking a tour through the forest, you can enjoy live bird of prey demonstrations and hot pie and soup in the valley. Admission is $8 for adults, and $6 for children and seniors. Children under the age of four are free.

Kortright Centre for Conservation Oct. 9 – 11, 16, 17, 905-832-2289

Thanksgiving Dinner at Pioneer Village

Black Creek Pioneer Village is hosting a traditional Thanksgiving feast this weekend. Complete with a dramatic reading and music, the locally-sourced meal is served up at Historic Brewery Restaurant at the Half Way House. If you want to dine in the comfort of your own home, the restaurant also doles out Thanksgiving-feasts-to-go.

Black Creek Pioneer Village Oct. 10, Oct. 11 416-736-1753

Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids Ontario Science Centre Exhibition

Featuring massive models of dragons and tales of how narwhal horns were once mistaken as evidence of the existence of unicorns, the Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids exhibit looks at how and why these fantastical creatures have made their way into our collective consciousness. The exhibition features artifacts from the American Museum of Natural History and the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Admission to the exhibition is included with the price of general admission.

Ontario Science Centre Exhibition opens Saturday, Oct. 9 416-696-1000

The Parkdale Bazaar

This market, for vintage and handmade crafts and products, was introduced to the neighbourhood to foster the growing arts community in the area. The market runs along Cowan Ave. at Queen West, and features vintage retailers from the neighbourhood, as well as work by local artists, crafts-people and collectors.

Saturday, Oct. 9, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Soupalicious Toronto

If you’re looking for a different way to celebrate the harvest this Thanksgiving weekend, try venturing down to the Exhibition Place for Soupalicious. The event features over 35 different kinds of soup, all made by local chefs from locally-grown ingredients. You can plant yourself at the all-you-can-eat soup stations, or take in presentations on gardening and food.

Saturday, Oct. 9, 11 am – 4 pm, Exhibition Place, Heritage Court 416-263-3001