The Source: Opera Atelier costume sale on Laird

7:40 pm

Vintage, minimalist, sporty or dramatic – no matter what your style is, you’re bound to find it at one of these fabulous sales in Toronto.

TNT

Do a world of good for your wardrobe and the community by shopping at TNT this weekend. With a $10 minimum donation to Ve’ahavta’s new Youth Breakfast Club Program, you’ll receive 25 per cent off almost all merchandise, including designs by Helmut Lang and Elizabeth and James. Larger donations are greatly appreciated.

May 27 to 30. 388 Eglinton Ave. W. 416-488-8210.

Dean Davidson and Jenny Bird

Attention accessory addicts! Canadian designer Jenny Bird brings her sleek jewellery and handbags together with Dean Davidson originals at this sample sale. Find spring accessories 30 to 70 per cent off at this two-day sale.

May 27-28. The Spoke Club, 600 King Street West, 4th floor.

Modasuite

Men who appreciate a clean cut for their cutting edge suits will find it at Modasuite‘s custom fitting event. Designs by Dimitri-Chris are made-to-measure at special prices: $199 for three shirts and $499 for two shirts and one suit.

May 27-28, Confort Inn Airport West, 1500 Matheson Blvd East, Mississauga. May 29-30, Sheraton Parkway Toronto North – Aurora Room, 600 Highway 7 East, Richmond Hill.

French Twist

Montreal designer Gloria Gaudette brings her French twist on casual women’s wear to Toronto. Also, find fresh designs from young up-and-comers Lauren Vidal and Ronen Chen at 50 per cent off. Spring stock has sizes four to 16 and fall sample sale items run sizes six to 10.

May 26-29. 63 Wingold Ave. 416-596-6551.

Freedom Clothing Collective

Freedom Clothing Collective is clearing out its summer stock to make way for a new renovation. Top-shelf vintage is 40 per cent off and all other items are at least 50 per cent off. Check out additional discounts on home decor knick knacks.

May 29. 939 Bloor St. 416-530-9946.

Opera Atelier Costume Runway Event and Sale

Shoppers looking to add a little drama to their wardrobe should check out Opera Atelier‘s costume sale. Opulent gowns, waistcoats and capes from productions such as The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni range from $10 to $250. Also, Opera Atelier will host a runway event showcasing 20 of the company’s most celebrated costumes.

Runway event, June 3, tickets $25. Sale, June 4-5. All Canadian Self-Storage, 1 Laird Dr. 416-703-3767.

New restaurant gets a rise out of local diners

12:13 pm

THE NEW PHOENIX restaurant entices patrons who like plenty of Chinese culinary choice at wallet-friendly prices — almost everything costs less than $10.

We sip complimentary warmed lemon water as we try to take in the 28-page menu, which breaks down into Yunnan vermicelli in fish broth; Malaysian curry; snacks; sandwiches; baked or fried dishes of rice, spaghetti, macaroni, spaghetti and other noodles; Hong Kong–style rice dishes; fried rice dishes; Hong Kong–style noodle in soups.

Offerings from other regions pervade the extensive menu, too— such as Mexican French fries, Japanese toast, Korean spicy rice, Thai minced pork fried rice and Spanish coffee. But the groups of friends and multi-generational families don’t seem to mind the mishmash.

Two vegetable spring rolls ($2.50), halved, require a bit more time in the deep fryer. The pastry wrapping the watery contents (carrot and sprouts, mostly) remains mushy inside. A dipping sauce of some kind — any kind — might have improved things.

“Popular” king prawn and crab roes with salad ($5.99) brings a tall, shaped mountain of goopy potato salad with cooked carrot over dry, shredded iceberg lettuce.

Long snips of nori, squiggles of more mayonnaise, cucumber slices, parsley sprigs, roe, and two small, butterflied shrimp top the lot. Is this salad having an identity crisis? Things pick up with main dishes.

Squid in black bean sauce on rice ($6.50) could sate two people or serve as two meals (doggy bagging available).

Only a few toughish squid morsels (of many) detract from the pleasure of this dish, which also stirs together diced onion, garlic and red and green pepper in a black bean sauce that is blessedly light on the salt. Well-timed rice accompanies.

Generous, tender beef morsels play a starring role in fried spaghetti with beef ($7.50), tossed with sprouts, green onion, green and red pepper and soft-but-notsoggy noodles in a thin, sweet-salty sauce. No oiliness here.

Plates come so fast (and in no particular order) that we barely have time to appreciate the modern, cavernous room.

White wall panels, with recessed outlines of delicate birds in flight, add elegance; larger metallic birds hang from the middle ceiling, seemingly caught between two dramatic, archlike parallel panels creeping up walls and inward. Plenty of real and faux woods (floor, chairs, tables, pillars, lighting over the open bar) and red paint sections ground the overall atmosphere.

Despite the language barrier and the fact that we were tucked away in a back corner away from other guests (and given forks instead of chopsticks — grr), service was pleasant and competent.

No alcoholic bevies served here, but a wide, hodgepodge variety of non-alcoholic drinks, such as sesame milkshake, bubble tea and red bean ice with vanilla ice cream float, keeps things feeling festive. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cash only.

A taste of Paris arrives in Midtown

12:13 pm

NATURAL LIGHT INFILTRATES La Bohème, Sha Taheri’s new French café in North Toronto. Moms on maternity leave head to the back to gossip and lounge on a low couch positioned before a coffee table; busybodies on their lunch breaks perch on stools at an open wood counter; and friends opt for one of the room’s many white two-seat tables.

The decor, like the seating, is also varied. An assortment, in style and size, of artwork adds colour to white walls; a marker board of offerings and prices is propped up haphazardly atop the espresso machine.

Glass cases and counter space along the south wall display the day’s offerings — any number of quiches (whole or wedges), sandwiches, pizzas, salads and, of course, countless pastries and sweet treats (patisserie items come from Jules on Mt. Pleasant).

Mini ciabattas and baguettes fold around various fillings in daily sandwiches ($7.75), as in smoked salmon or grilled vegetable.

Generous tuna salad blends a judicious amount of mayonnaise into the flaked fish, with diced red and green peppers adding crunch and colour. A hint of lemon juice balances the creaminess.

Pizzas go fast. By 12:30 one Thursday lunch, only one slice remains. The huge square portion ($4.50) sees long, thin slivers of green and red peppers, tomato slices and purple onion strings crown a crisp, thin crust. Sharper knives, s’il vous plaît.

Reheating has rendered the vegetables a bit dry and, in places, burnt, but overall the flavours remain balanced — thanks, in part, to the light tomato saucing, which lets the inherent sweetness of the vegetables stand out.

From a choice of six salads (100 grams/$2.20) comes a stir of sweet, halved baby tomatoes and whole bocconcini. The freshness of the ingredients, newly plucked thyme and a very light vinaigrette make this salad a standout.

Asparagus salad also impresses. The inclusion of chopped walnuts, fresh coriander, mushrooms, tomato, green onion and plenty of fresh garlic translates into a new taste and texture experience with each mouthful.

Those with a sweet tooth, smaller appetite or craving for a pastry fix choose from croissants (buttery or almond), pan au chocolats, Danishes, cakes, petits fours glacés, tartlets and the like.

A large, fresh blackberry and crescent slice of candied lemon top an individually sized classic lemon tart ($4.65).The smooth and dense filling, more cream than curd, balances the tartness and sweetness of the citrus, complemented by a simple and satisfyingly crunchy shortbread crust.

The pastry in tarte poire ($4.35) is less successful — fork wrestling required — but the simple pear slice topping plus the liberal serving size compensate.

Caffeine enthusiasts wait patiently in line for brewed or packaged coffee from Te Aro in Leslieville.

Blurring the lines between comedy and tragedy at Hot Docs

12:04 pm

HOT DOCS, THE annual documentary film festival held each spring here in Toronto, might seem an unlikely place to find laughs. Most of the films revolve around tragedies, but if you look carefully, there are a few comedic gems in the mix.

This year was no exception. I found movies with laughter as the subject, and at least two of them were wonderful and enlightening.

The one that didn’t quite work was And Everything Is Going Fine, Steven Soderbergh’s tribute to the late Spalding Gray. For those unfamiliar with the name, Gray was one of the finest monologists in the U.S. until his untimely suicide in 2004.

Gray’s iconic shows, in which he would sit at a desk and read serio-comic tales of his own life from a loose-leaf binder, were masterpieces of dry wit and wisdom. A kind of WASPy, patrician Woody Allen, Gray’s New Yorker navel-gazing made him a hero to intellectual theatre patrons. Many of his shows were filmed, some by Soderbergh himself, and were hits on the festival circuit.

Unfortunately, his fascinating life did not make for much of a documentary, at least in the hands of the filmmakers.

I had the opposite reaction to American: The Bill Hicks Story. Hicks was a cult stand-up comic in the Lenny Bruce mold who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 32 in 1994. Although mass success eluded him, he regularly sold out clubs, appeared on talk shows and had a huge following.

The documentary uses visual tricks I’ve never seen before. Stills of Hicks are digitized, animated and manipulated, so it looks like the comedian is wandering through the photo.When the film deals with Hicks’s use of psychedelics, the movie explodes with trippy colours to mimic his drug-altered state.

I booked Hicks at Yuk Yuk’s back in 1992. He was very funny and pointed, but he seemed unhappy and very distracted. He was not a conventional showbiz personality, and that’s one reason the film works so well.

Finally, there’s John Zaritsky’s Leave Them Laughing, about a fortyish Canadian singer living in L.A who has contracted Lou Gehrig’s disease, a fatal disease of the nervous system, which slowly and horribly strangles the life out of its victims. But the woman, Carla Zilbersmith, refuses to be a victim.

She confronts her disease with ribald humour, both in her blog and in her life. She will not go gentle into that good night, and fills her day slinging zingers to her coterie of friends. Zaritsky’s camera is there to preserve it all.

I defy anyone to watch this movie and not fall in love with the woman’s grace and charm. The film was shot over a period of years, and the filmmaker flashes back and forth over various periods of Carla’s sickness and wellness. The contrast between footage taken before she contracted the disease and afterwards is heartbreaking.

The movie sounds bleak, but it isn’t. I laughed a lot, and Zilbersmith’s withering barbs are quotable and profound. We always talk about how close comedy and tragedy can be; here’s a woman who lives it.

New ’80s rock ’n’ roll musical not really one for the ages

12:02 pm

WHAT MAKES US love theatre?

More relevant here: what makes us love musicals, flock to them, memorize their tunes and lyrics, sing them in the shower?

For millions — and this critic is inarguably one — the musical is the one true American art form: a sometimes awkward mix of decent plays sprinkled full of memorable songs that become part of the soundtrack of our lives.

Growing up in the 1950s and ’60s, I enjoyed folk music but also rhythm and blues; recognized the genius of the Beatles but knew that Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific and The King and I, for all their sentimentality and sexism, captured the optimism of North America and were bursting out all over with brilliant songs.

Cole Porter’s Kiss Me Kate, Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls, Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady and Bernstein’s On the Town and West Side Story bordered on perfection. And yes, Stephen Sondheim just could be God.

A new type of “musical,” condescendingly mocked as “juke box,” has shoved most traditional musicals into the corner, and weak, often silly plots are developed which attempt to link the earlier hit songs of various artists or groups into an evening’s entertainment.

Mamma Mia! has made more than a billion dollars from dozens of productions internationally, stringing together ABBA’s hit songs awkwardly but, for most audiences, irresistibly.

And so, I turn reluctantly to Rock of Ages, a crude and loud stringing together of best-selling rock songs of the 1980s from groups you may or may not have heard of: Journey, Night Ranger, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake.

Any of these guys ring a bell? I found Rock of Ages to be an unpleasant experience, but maybe I slept through the 1980s and am too hoity-toity to recognize what is purportedly a fun evening.

Elicia MacKenzie — yes, Maria from the recent Mirvish production of The Sound of Music — is quite good as the Midwestern girl who longs to make it as an actress in Los Angeles; Yvan Pedneault (We Will Rock You) can blast out rock songs with the best of them. For all the Germanstake- over-and-try-to-clean-up- America jokes, gay jokes, transgender jokes, size of organ jokes, “Hooray for Boobies” Tshirts (is that really clever?), all that almost saves the evening is the ubiquitous “meta-fiction”: actors commenting on the play endlessly (“Happy ending coming up!”) and poking fun at people in the audience

Did the audience around me seem to love Rock of Ages? Most appeared to, and I’m not out to spoil the party. But, with the very rare and thrilling exception of Jersey Boys, “juke box musicals” just aren’t this critic’s cup of tea.

A dreamy evening of outdoor theatre The 2010 edition of Dream in High Park features Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, running June 25 until Sept. 5 at the High Park amphitheatre.

Last year’s Tempest was very satisfying, and while you’ll never get Stratford-level, near-perfect productions, it’s a marvellous, joyous way to introduce your children to the Bard without ruining your budget.

Chirping birds, passing planes and occasional raindrops are free, but you’ll never experience more believable trees, clouds and wind. And often highly professional productions.

For more information go to www.canstage.com.

An ode to the beautiful game

11:59 am

THIS MONTH MARKS a return to the throngs of flagwaving, horn-honking sports fans taking to the streets in cars and on foot to celebrate another World Cup, soccer’s Holy Grail.

The event is watched by more people than the Olympic Games, the Stanley Cup and the Super Bowl, combined with a religious fervour usually reserved for, well, God.

At least one person in town has sounded a clarion call to the hockey-loving masses to embrace the beautiful game. John Doyle, TV critic by day, has had a lifelong love affair with soccer, and his new book, The World Is a Ball, is his attempt to convey the essence of the sport as a global phenomenon.

“I think, in a way, the book is a kind of love story. Following this thing that you love all over the world, to be in its company, to admire it, to have it illuminate the world around you,” says Doyle.

“A love story because I fell in love with it when I was in Ireland at a time when Ireland was a fairly oppressive, dark place, where nationalism was vitally important.

Gaelic games were for true Irish, and soccer was the English game.… It was a forbidden thing, and as young boys do, I fell in love with the forbidden thing.”

Doyle didn’t start writing about soccer until 2002, when he penned an article on watching a game between Iran and Ireland at a bar in Toronto for his Globe column (he’s been the Globe and Mail’s television critic since 2000).

“It went over very well with a lot of people and was a good description of what it was like to watch the game on TV with both Irish and Iranians there,” Doyle explains.“Shortly after, I was asked if I was interested in going to the World Cup in Korea and Japan and writing about it as a fan of the game, from the perspective of someone who is passionate about the game.… It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

Doyle has covered a number of competitions around the world since, including the run-up games to next month’s World Cup. But this book is his contribution to the game on a higher level and to describe what you don’t see on TV.

“Most people don’t really grasp what it’s like in the stands and in the streets outside in a city where a major soccer game is happening,” says Doyle. “On the subway in Lisbon, when one end of the subway car is filled with Croatians and the other with English fans, that is part and parcel with soccer.

It has never been described fully. It is my mission to describe all that.”

John Doyle’s five favourite places to watch a World Cup game in Toronto:

1. The Football Factor, 164 Bathurst St., at Richmond Street West.

2. Il Gatto Nero, 720 College Street in Little Italy

3. McVeigh’s New Windsor Tavern, 124 Church St., at Richmond Street East

4. Nino Diversa, 1 Toro Road in North York near Keele Street and Finch Avenue.

5. The Queen and Beaver Public House, 35 Elm St, the owner’s a big soccer fan, and they run a classy operation.

Canadian indie music icons arrive on the heels of their hot new album

11:57 am

FOR THE LAST decade, the demise of Canadian indie stalwarts the New Pornographers has been imminent.

With their new release Together already the best-selling album in the band’s 10-year history and on the eve of a European tour, comes the possibility that the breakup stories might come to an end. For the summer, maybe.

“Ya, well, we never grew up together or went to high school together or lived in the same house, so there has never been a total certainty that we’d all be involved for everything, you know,” says John Collins, who also plays in the band Destroyer along with fellow Pornographer Dan Bejara.

“But ya, I mean, we do manage to get it together somehow. Everyone shows up when they can.”

The New Pornographers was born of the indie scene in Vancouver and, similar to Toronto band Broken Social Scene, consists of bandmates with fingers in many different musical pots. Members include front folk A. C. Newman and songstress Neko Case as well as Dan Bejar, Kurt Dahle, Kathryn Calder, Todd Fancey and Blaine Thurier.

For the new album, the band returns to its rockin’ ways after a rather subdued and mellow effort on Challengers, released in 2007.

Together blends a myriad of genres together in a groovy and infectious rock mashup. The first single, “Your Hands (Together),” demonstrates a return to the riffheavy rock of earlier efforts while songs such as “Silver Jenny Dollar” and “Valkyrie in the Roller Disco” demonstrate that the songwriting talent in the band runs deep.

“Well, you know, I think the last record Paul was trying to, you know, see what he could do in terms of mellow tunes, this time around, more back to what our general normal tendencies are — just to play some heavy rock ’n’ roll,” says Collins. “It is just generally easier for us to do that kinda thing and more fun.”

The band returns to Toronto on June 15 for a concert at the Sound Academy, part of a massive tour, with stops in Europe, the United States and across Canada, from May until August.

“We’ve only sort of got our act together in New York rehearsing,” says Collins. “It was the first time we’ve ever kind of attempted to play some of those tunes together with full arrangements, and it was really fun and it sounded great.”

The band has always had a large fan base south of the border, thanks in part to American singer Neko Case’s growing fame. On a recent episode of Jimmy Fallon, featuring a live performance from the band, they were described as “Canadian indie music icons.”Not bad, says Collins.

“I mean, that’s a pretty flattering description. I don’t know actual musical icons out there still playing,” says Collins. “But I guess we’ve been around long enough that they have to say something nice about us out of respect for our ages.”

For band information, go to www.thenewpornographers.com.

The return of the Cowboy Junkies

In a return to all things ’90s, iconic Canadian artists from the last couple decades are cranking out new releases this summer including a stunning disc from the Cowboy Junkies along with the likes of Gord Downie, Sarah Harmer and the Crash Test Dummies.

The Cowboy Junkies’ (Michael, Margo and Peter Timmins along with Alan Anton) release Renmin Park slid in under the radar to some degree, and that’s a real shame. A stunning album full of life and energy, Renmin Park is the result of a fabulous collection of musicians with a lot of music left in them to give.

Do yourself a favour, and visit latentrecordings.com, to listen to and purchase the album.

Jazz stars toot their own horns this summer

11:44 am

MACY GRAY

JULY 3, YONGE-DUNDAS SQUARE

Your new album is called Beauty in the World. What’s the most beautiful thing about Toronto (and don’t say how polite we all are):

I like the fact that you don’t have a military and have never been to war. Um.…

Three must-bring items to ensure a good time at your free show at Yonge-Dundas Square:

A bottle of your favourite spirit, good friends and good ganja.

Who would win in a raspy voice-off: you or Tom Waits?

Me, my voice is sexier.

MARTHA WAINWRIGHT

JUNE 25, GREAT HALL

Will your T.O. show be more shake-yourtail- feathers or sit-back-and-soak-it-in?

Somewhere in between. I’ll be standing and the audience will be sitting, I imagine.

You’re from a talented musical family. Were you guys more Partridge Family or Brady Bunch?

A little more like the Addams! We love to sing together though, even if there are no cameras rolling.

What’s the most recent addition to your iPod?

I don’t have one!

NIKKI YANOFSKY

JUNE 25, KOERNER HALL

How many new Facebook friends did you gain after the Olympics?

My friends don’t change — they’ve been the same for my whole life! But, if you’re referring to my fan page? I wish I could tell you. I didn’t compare!

We hear you’ve got a thing for Robert Pattinson from Twilight. Is there anything we should know about?

I think everyone’s got a thing for Robert Pattinson.… Team Edward!

MACEO PARKER

JUNE 25, NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE

If James Brown was the Godfather of Soul, what were you?

Sax player from the Funk Mob!

What was going through your mind the first time you auditioned for him?

“He’s going to like what I play.”

And what was his reaction?

He did like what I played!

Who’s the funkiest Canadian you know?

Celine Dion. She may not be funky, but I like her!

JANE BUNNETT

JULY 4, SHOPS AT DON MILLS

You played in northern Ontario recently. What’s the craziest thing you saw?

A huge black dog walked onto the stage. The musicians thought it was a black bear and just dropped their instruments and ran from the stage!

What’s the upside to playing a show at a shopping centre?

Bop ’til you drop and then shop until you drop!

Jazz is to the ears as…

spinach is to Popeye.

Top of the pops

1:04 am

1ST PLACE — FLOWER POWER

ETON SHIRT $245 PAVONE TIE $150

“A shirt-tie combo is a very personal thing. If you’re going to be shopping for Father’s Day, you’ve really got to think about the man you’re buying for. This combo, for example, has a great degree of elegance. This is for the big businessman, maybe someone with a bit more of an appreciation for the arts with the floral tie. No nonsense pinstripes, very bold, very, very strong!”

Where to get it:

Shirt: Harry Rosen, 82 Bloor St. W. Tie: Bogarts, 1560 Yonge St.

Watch video of Jeanne picking the perfect combo

ROCKIN THE RETRO

KRANE SHIRT $210 HUGO BOSS TIE $145

“The tie has a real ’50s kind of vibe. If your dad appreciates cool rock ’n’ roll, teamed with a leather jacket, this would be hot.”

Where to get it: Shirt: Delphic Clothing Ltd., 706 Queen St. W. Tie: Barbuti, 19 Aggie Hogg Gardens, Unit H6

GALLANT IN GINGHAM

DE LAURENTIS CHECK SHIRT $195
PAUL AND SHARK STRIPED TIE $125

“Talk about preppy. The shirt is a wonderful
shade of blue, and with a no-nonsense tie to
tone it down, perfect for the silver fox!”

Where to get it: it: Shirt & Tie: Le Firme, Italian Designer Menswear
95 East Beaver Creek Rd., #3, Richmond Hill

CRIMSON CRUSADER

NAKED AND FAMOUS SHIRT $110
ALTEA TIE $140

“This is bold with a real power tie. Coupled
with a plain white shirt, there’s a bit of a
conservative edge here, too.”

Where to get it: Shirt: Uncle Otis, 26 Bellair St.
Tie: Testa Uomo, 2085 Yonge St.

MAUVER AND SHAKER

ETON SHIRT $285
DION SILK TIE $110

“This kind of look is very summery. Some men
might feel it’s a bit too soft. Nothing wrong
with that, but maybe not for the macho dad.”

Where to get it: Shirt: Harry Rosen, 82 Bloor St. W.
Tie: Barbuti, 19 Aggie Hogg Gardens, Unit H6

COME SAIL AWAY

BROOKS BROS. POLO SHIRT $89.50
BROOKS BROTHERS TIE $85

“This is an optimistic kind of look. Your dad is
going to open up this box and smile. For the
sporty personality, someone who loves water.

Where to get it: Shirt & Tie: Brooks Brothers, 200 Bay St.

LOUD AND PROUD

ETRO SHIRT $298
TINO COSMA TIE $140

“This is for the fellow who has the flare and
the confidence to strut pink and purple.
Really for the guy that gets who he is.”

Shirt: Harry Rosen, 82 Bloor St. W.
Tie: Testa Uomo, 2085 Yonge St.

Watch video of Jeanne picking the perfect combo

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

Uptown T.O. gets a dash of fine French fare

12:46 am

A STRETCH OF Yonge Street north of Lawrence, which has been dominated for the past decade by all things Italian, has been invaded by the French. Local diners are delighted to welcome them to the neighbourhood.

The term “bistro” has been distorted beyond all recognition, but Steak Frites is here to reeducate us. A quick glance at the menu, which lists onion soup, pâté de campagne, escargots and calf ’s liver and we know that these folks are aiming for authenticity.

Decor matches perfectly. Since the owner has run the remarkably successful Merlot on the Kingsway for 10 years, this comes as no surprise.

The hostess is intuitive; she seats us at a table near the back door and sees the disappointment in my eyes. Two minutes later she returns, suggesting that a fiveminute wait will result in a table by the window. Smart woman.

We use the time to dissect the menu. I inquire about the fish soup and am warned that it is not bouillabaisse, so I move on. I am a sucker for grilled calamari and persist in seeking elusive perfection. I do not find it tonight.

Despite my specific questions regarding true grill, the large portion arrives cold, fish-belly white and soft ($10.95).

A far better bet is the moules marinières (mussels) that brings a classic presentation of plump bivalves steamed in white wine. This dish is created with slurping and sopping in mind ($8.95).

One of us has to have the classic steak & frites. The plate is full with just enough room for the wonderful assortment of parboiled vegetables; the frites are thin, crispy and lightly salted. The New York strip loin, despite being cooked beyond the medium rare requested, is good ($19.95).

I am an unapologetic lover of duck. The waiter’s eyes glisten as he recommends it, but I neglect to ask a critical question: is the skin crispy?

Undoubtedly, this duck confit has been marinated and then cooked in its own fat, and, once I remove the flabby skin, the meat is earthy and succulent. Instead of the sautéed garlic potatoes that are offered, I also have the frites, and the same vegetables appear on my plate. A brief chat with the waiter as he removes my plate informs me that all I had to do is ask for crispy skin. That would have made it perfect ($18.50).

A lovely feature for couples who dine and then drive is that several wines are offered by the half litre, which is perfect for most evenings.

The dessert list is lovely and each treat is made in-house. Chocolate mousse is a classic, and to our taste buds it seems that there are layers to the depths of chocolate in this goblet ($7.95).

The kitchen at Steak Frites clearly has a special touch with pastry, and I taste it with the tarte du jour, which on this evening is the humble pear. The fruit is not overcooked and is fanned out over a sweet crust highlighted by crème anglaise, whipped cream and mixed berries.Too good ($8.95).

Steak Frites is still a bit rough around the corners, but the service is smooth, prices are reasonable, and it offers a welcome alternative in the neighbourhood.

The perfect plonk for a Father’s Day grill-a-thon

12:43 am

BARBECUING IS WHAT Canadians do when there is no hockey to watch. Meat on a stick held over a fire, it shouldn’t get any more complicated than that, unless you want to talk about marinades, which is a modern twist involving wine, herbs and spices.

Just as you wouldn’t use a bottle of Château Lafite to marinate a steak, it’s overkill to use an expensive wine to drink with barbecued fare.

Grilling meat, fish or vegetables over charcoal, briquettes or even gas jets caramelizes the surface of the raw material, and those blackened bands from the metal bars are pure carbon. Add to this the smoke and the marinade, spice rub or basting sauce, and you have a mouthful of complex and conflicting flavours.

So, delicate, finely nuanced wines will get lost in this situation.What you need are wines that have upfront flavour, sweetness of fruit and soft tannins.

This style speaks mainly to New World wines, both red and white. But don’t ignore rosés, which are the perfect al fresco summer wine.

Now down to business.When it comes to choosing wines for the barbecues, if you’re spending more than $15 a bottle, you’ve just won the lottery.

Hamburgers: If simply prepared and served with mustard and relish, a medium- to full-bodied red made from Shiraz, Gamay or Malbec.Try Rigal the Original Malbec 2009 (Southwest France).

Deeply coloured with a blackberry nose; light, toasty oak and creamy blackberry flavour; soft tannins. ($11.95, LCBO #159178).

If you’re adding cheese and bacon, you’ll need something with a little more acidity: Domaine de Sérame Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (Languedoc).

This wine is dense purple in colour — always a sign of lots of flavour — with a smoky, cedar and black raspberry bouquet; it’s medium- to full-bodied with sweet, juicy blackcurrant fruit and a whisper of oak on the finish ($12.95, LCBO #35006).

Steak: Plain grilled with a spicy marinade: Serego Aligheri Possessioni Rosso 2007 (Veneto).

Dense purple-black colour with a bouquet of cedar, black cherry and blackcurrant; richly extracted and full on the palate with ripe fruit flavours of plum and black cherry ($14.95, LCBO #447326).

Ribs: For dry ribs try Trivento Tribu Syrah 2008 (Argentina), a minerally, blackberry nose and that characteristic Syrah medicinal note. It’s medium- to full-bodied with a fresh, sweet blackberry flavour and a warm alcoholic finish ($8.95, LCBO #145292).

Salmon: You’ll need good acidity to cleanse the palate, so try Robertson Winery Sauvignon Blanc (South Africa). Grassy, green bean and green plum bouquet, aromas that replicate as flavours on the palate; touch of residual sweetness in mid-palate ($10.75, LCBO #129684).

Grilled vegetables: A Sauvignon Blanc or Sauvignon blend: Long Flat Semillon Sauvignon 2008 (Australia), which is straw coloured with a nose of pear, cut grass and a waxy-floral note; medium-bodied, with fresh, lively citrus and pear flavours. ($10.95, LCBO #183715).

SAUL RUBINEK

12:19 am

THE TROTSKY WAS one of the biggest, best-received movies at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

That its director was a 31-yearold from Montreal makes this fact somewhat surprising, especially considering that his leading man, Jay Baruchel,is slight and gawky and not the most obvious casting choice for a fiery, romantic film star.

However, when examining the cast of The Trotsky a bit further — the film is a funny, rollicking anti-capitalist screed somewhat in the manner of Rushmore meets Warren Beatty’s Reds — its success becomes a little more obvious.

Because along with Baruchel, Emily Hampshire and local actress Liane Balaban, is Saul Rubinek, a stand-out on NYPD Blue and Law & Order who helped launch Quentin Tarantino with his flare for Tarantino-esque dialogue in True Romance. A film and television veteran,Rubinek says he learned his craft while living in the Annex and that he hit his first marks on the stages north of Bloor Street.

“It was really a very fertile ground,” says Rubinek, 61, who recently wrapped the highly anticipated Barney’s Version in Montreal, acting opposite Dustin Hoffman and Paul Giamatti in Mordecai Richler’s hilariously grumpy classic.

“My father was a stage actor in Europe and, living in the Annex, I took to acting like a fish does to water.”

The story of a young high school rebel convinced he’s the second coming of Leon Trotsky, The Trotsky, directed by Jacob Tierney, is a coming-of-age story in which the hero doesn’t just want to get the girl, but he also wants his classmates to unionize and stand up for their rights. In the picture, Rubinek plays Baruchel’s agitated though ultimately compassionate father, a man who has also learned a thing or two about the value of defending his ground.

Rubinek was born in a refugee camp in Germany, the son of Holocaust survivors,and he started acting when the family moved to Ottawa when he was a little boy. His dad had been a Yiddish stage actor and theatre manager before the war.Rubinek moved to the Annex at 17 and began working for the CBC and performing in the hippie-friendly coffee shops of Yorkville.

“Anybody who was anybody in the world came through there. Bruce Cockburn was a regular,”recalls Rubinek with a laugh. “God knows what was going on there. God knows if there was drugs, but all I do remember is that my parents weren’t immediately too thrilled.”

Of course, if Rubinek’s parents had cause for concern, the young actor squelched those worries when he landed a gig at the Stratford Festival in 1970.

“I bummed around Europe and auditioned for Stratford for some reason, and when I got in, it was completely a fluke,” Rubinek says.

“I sang a bunch of songs and told some jokes,and I was a member for a year and then quit and came back to Toronto because it was more exciting.”

A restless actor and playwright who would also go on to direct, Rubinek became involved in experimental theatre, working with what’s now Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and forming the cutting-edge Toronto Free Theatre group.

“It’s funny to look back on what was once the most adventurous theatre in North America is now Mr. Green Jeans in the Eaton Centre,” says Rubinek, who sounds almost wistful when recalling the free-living, devilmay- care days of his rebellious youth.

Rubinek eventually heard the siren call of New York, and his work with the famed Public Theatre would lead to breakout performances on iconic shows like Hill Street Blues and L.A. Law. Back then,Rubinek was still dividing his time between the Annex and Manhattan, and he sees these years as the foundation of his burgeoning film and television career.

“I look back on the beginning of my true life in the theatre in Canada as being back then,” says Rubinek of his work in the mid-1970s and the relationship he formed with Toronto.

The relationship grew so strong, Rubinek says, that his parents eventually moved from Ottawa to North York to be close to him, his wife and their two kids.

“My parents had an apartment at Steeles and Bathurst and, with us in the Annex, bringing my kids to their place for Passover fills me with memories of my mother’s cooking and my father’s joy,”says Rubinek,who has been married for 20 years to his wife Elinor and has two children, a 15-year-old son and a 19-year-old daughter.

“I consider myself an extremely fortunate person because I get to make a living doing what I love, and that’s being a success in any language.”

Success, for Rubinek, is tied into family and pride in his adopted home country. He says making The Trotsky was one of the easiest decisions of his film career because not only was he friends with the director’s father, the famed producer Kevin Tierney,but he’d actually played the father to his son Jacob in a 1986 film called Obsessed.

“I always thought he was a gifted, awesome person,” says Rubinek of the younger Tierney, who directed The Trotsky “and so when his script arrived, I put it on the top of my pile and I think I gave him the fastest yes! of my whole career.”

At this point, Rubinek’s career has become one for the ages. It’s no surprise, then, that his younger castmates on The Trotsky and even his director turned to him for advice on the Montreal set.

“Acting is a funny business because nobody can predict who’s going to be or stay some kind of star,” he says. “It’s like wondering who’s going to win the lottery or get hit by a truck, but I just know there was a lot of memorable talent working together on that great little film.”

Great films, terrific stage shows and memorable television performances have defined Rubinek’s career. He was unforgettable as a drug-huffing film producer in True Romance and, along with his work on Frasier, Law & Order, Warehouse 13 and Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, the actor calls his current work on Barney’s Version the most rewarding professional experience of his life.

“Barney’s Version is a work of art for the ages,” says Rubinek. “I actually did a three-hour radio show for CBC playing Barney once, and it’s still probably available in the CBC sales department …of course, CBC’s sales department is probably three guys in a basement playing pinochle, but it’s there if you really look.”

In the new film, currently in postproduction and directed by Richard Lewis, Rubinek shot in Rome, and he says the picture is going to delight the legion of rabid Mordecai Richler fans — a group he knows well, because he’s also a member.

“Barney’s Version was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done, and of course it’s a work I’ve adored for years,” Rubinek says. “My entire career has really been a joy, and when I look back on everything, my family and Toronto, it really is with this overwhelming joy.”

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