The dance of love

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11:57 pm

BESIDES BEING PRINCIPAL dancers for the National Ballet of Canada, Heather Ogden and Guillaume Côté are a blissfully in-love couple who got engaged this summer and are planning to tie the knot next year. Eleven years ago, they were apprentices and strangers. The couple will share the stage in The Sleeping Beauty this month and will star in Swan Lake in the new year. Here, Heather explains how their love affair danced off the stage and into the sunset.

How they met

Guillaume and I met when we both joined the National Ballet of Canada as apprentices, 11 years ago. We were paired together in many ballets and became good friends in the studio before we ever began dating.

The first date

Our first official date was three years ago. Because we had been friends for so long, it wasn’t typical.

What happened?

Guillaume had just returned to Toronto after a long time away, guesting with another ballet company, and asked me out to dinner. Who knows if it was all the time apart or if it had been in the cards all along, but I sensed a very different vibe between us that night. It was clear that we weren’t going to be “just friends” any more.

The courtship

Our courtship was pretty unique in that we are partners both on- and offstage. We have shared countless memories while dancing together. It’s difficult to describe how wonderful it is to dance with the person you love; there is an incredible amount of trust there.

The proposal

We went on an amazing trip to Italy this past summer and were spending a few days in Florence. We found a little ledge beside the famous Ponte Vecchio to sit on, to watch the sunset. Guillaume chose that moment to pop the question. It was very romantic and a definite “yes” for me!

Wedding plans

We are planning to get married next July in Toronto. The week after, we are planning to go to Guillaume’s hometown of Lac-Saint-John in northern Quebec where we will have a second wedding celebration for all those not able to get to the city for the first ceremony. At the moment, that’s all that we have planned, but at some point, I would love to take a beach honeymoon. I’m thinking Tahiti.…

Memorable moments

There are so many.… We love to get out and experience what the city has to offer. Guillaume is a big fan of classical music, and early on in our relationship, he took me to hear the symphony, which I loved! We also recently bought our first house together, and we love exploring our new neighbourhood and have already found a few favourite hangout spots.

Love onstage

Guillaume and I will be sharing the stage in the upcoming production of The Sleeping Beauty, Nov. 13 to 22, 2009. I will be Princess Aurora and he will be my Prince Florimund. We will also dance together in Swan Lake in 2010.

Dunlap Observatory heritage bylaw passed

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11:43 pm

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RICHMOND HILL RESIDENTS, town staff and local residents met on Oct. 20 to discuss how the David Dunlap Observatory can be protected should an application to develop the site be submitted.

The meeting came after the town passed a bylaw that designates parts of the historic property under the Ontario Heritage Act.

But some local activists worry the language in the bylaw isn’t strong enough to protect the telescope and surrounding lands.

“What is it that they are going to tell us tonight that’s going to make us feel any more confident?” said Karen Cilevitz of the DDO Defenders.

“We haven’t been listened to before, and we feel absolutely impotent.” Cilevitz’s group made revisions to the original bylaw submitted by town staff in September, but few of their revisions were taken.

“If we don’t agree with them, it doesn’t mean we didn’t listen,” said Joanne Leung, of the planning and development department. “The town has actually made a lot of effort in working in the community.” Leung said it won’t be long before Metrus, the site’s owner, applies to develop it.

“Time is running out.We have to put some protection guidance in place.”

Thornhill prepares to welcome the world

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11:40 pm

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RESIDENTIAL SALES FOR a controversial development project on the site just north of Steeles Avenue and Yonge Street have been very strong according to a development representative.

Marco Filice of Liberty Development Corporation said the company is “excited about the response to date” from buyers.

The World on Yonge project at 7161 and 7171 Yonge St.will add more than 1,200 residential units as well as a 117-suite hotel to the 10-acre site. Currently, a single-storey plaza, gas bar and fast food restaurant occupy the site.

The development — with residential building heights between 18 and 31 storeys — will also include office and retail space. While significant changes have been made from the initial proposal submitted in 2006 — including reductions in building heights and the inclusion of an LEED and bird-friendly design — concerns still exist.

“The density, I think, is still something that people really don’t want,” said Marilyn Ginsburg of the Grandview Area Residents Association. She added that residents are worried about the impact on area infrastructure, which is already problematic.

“The primary concern we still have is traffic infiltration,”she said.“The amount of traffic that this project is going to generate is pretty scary.” Coun. Valerie Burke agreed the impact of the project will be great.

“This is a huge change to the neighbourhood,” she said. “I think the residents have really struggled with this.”

The proposal does offer benefits to the area, Burke said, including making the “hostile” car-focused area more pedestrian friendly through incorporated park and green spaces.

Cost for residential units at the development begin at $189,000 and go to over $600,000. Filice said he anticipates the opening of a sales centre in the new year to sell remaining units. Tentative occupancies will commence in December 2012.

Stintz drops pursuit of mayoral position

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11:34 pm

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MIDTOWN COUNCILLOR KAREN Stintz recently announced that she has dropped plans to pursue Toronto’s mayoral position. Stintz said the decision was reached with a team assembled over the last five months intended to pursue the post and “challenge Mayor Miller’s vision of Toronto.” In September, David Miller announced that he would not seek re-election next year, citing a desire to spend more time with family.

“With John Tory and George Smitherman musing that they may both run, we decided it made more sense to focus our efforts on making sure the issues get debated,” Stintz said. “And I can better do that as a councillor."

While a number of high-profile contenders have been linked to a possible run at the position — most recently former Winnipeg mayor and current president and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute, Glen Murray — only Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti has declared an intention to run.

Project brings visual arts to Willowdale

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11:29 pm

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THE SUBURBS OF Willowdale became the unlikely canvas for an exhibition of installation art recently.

The Leona Drive Project, named for the road it’s located on near Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue, brought more than 20 artists to the area for a unique contemporary multi-media art show to be displayed in boardedup houses set for redevelopment.

Janine Marchessault, co-curator of the exhibition, said the idea for the project came two years ago when she and her students were studying urban cultures in Willowdale.

The show examines the post-war suburban community and its ideological differences and similarities to the higher-density developments that are scheduled to be built on the lots.

“We thought this could be an interesting way of looking at the old and the new suburb. And what if we curated an art exhibition in one of these groupings of houses?”

Participating artists include Robin Collyer, a photography-based artist and a Willowdale resident of 30 years. Students at the Claude Watson School for the Arts will also show work. Round-table discussions about urban planning, history and Willowdale are also planned.

Offer of free community centre doesn't swing vote

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11:24 pm

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A $17 MILLION dollar offer to fund a community centre in exchange for approval of a controversial development at the Shops at Don Mills was rejected on Oct. 1 by city council.

Reactions — from both residents and councillors — were mixed. “We were not only disappointed,we were shocked,”said Terry West, of Don Mills Residents Inc. West, whose group supported the offer, said that the money could have been used toward an integrated multi-use centre to replace the aging Civitan Arena.

“We find it extremely hard to understand why council could turn down an offer for $17 million at a time when the city has no money,” West said.

Simone Gabbay of Don Mills Friends said the rejection was a relief.

In addition to worries of increased traffic and density, Gabbay and her group were concerned that the conversion of 75 The Donway West — currently housing many area health care providers — would have a negative impact on area residents.

“Obviously [council] recognized the wisdom contained within the pages of the planning report,” Gabbay said. Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong, who voted against the offer, said the decision was difficult.

“It came down to a community centre and approving an application that represented exceedingly bad planning,” he said. Kim Beckman, a partner at law firm Davies Howe Partners, who represent Cadillac Fairview, said the outcome was “very disappointing.”

Beckman added that with council’s rejection the $17 million offer is now off the table as the matter goes to the OMB. Hearings are scheduled to begin on April 6, 2010.

The Cadillac Fairview proposal called for a mixed-use development of six buildings with heights up to 26 storeys and 1,300 units.

School trustee Matlow throws hat in the ring

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11:19 pm

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SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE Josh Matlow has announced his intention to run for city council in the 2010 municipal election.

The St.Paul’s trustee said he decided to run because he feels the culture of city politics in Toronto needs a change.

“Many people in our community and Toronto as a whole are not happy with how thoughtless the debates seem to be at the school board and City Hall,” Matlow said. “It’s squabbling rather than responsible decision making.”

Matlow said that, when it comes to Ward 22, community consultation on local development projects needs to be improved. Matlow also said that more public spaces for the community to come together need to be created.

Incumbent Michael Walker has not confirmed whether or not he will run again in November 2010.

“Coun. Walker is currently undecided but is leaning heavily toward running,” said Chris Sellors,Walker’s executive assistant. Sellors did not say when Walker will make his decision.

Northern students protest police presence

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11:14 pm

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NORTHERN SECONDARY STUDENTS protested the mandated Student Resource Officer (SRO) program on Oct. 22, and are bent on challenging the placement of a police officer on their property. The protest was held across the street from Northern, near Eglinton Avenue and and Mt. Pleasant Road, and organized by a handful of students who don’t want a police officer monitoring their hallways.

The program started in Sept. 2008 assigns an officer to a school in their division to promote a safe environment. The arrest of a student at Northern by an SRO on Oct. 2, was a catalyst for the protest. The incident was caught on students’ cellphone cameras and later broadcast on YouTube.

Harrison Jordan, a Grade 12 student and one of the protest organizers, thinks it’s an arbitrary strategy.

“Students need to maintain relationships with police but this is not the way to do it,” Jordan said. Trustee Josh Matlow believes the arrest was an isolated incident and said that the SRO program is not a reflection of that.

“Northern wasn’t chosen because it is a safe or unsafe school,” Matlow said, “but as part of a program created by the Toronto Police Service to develop relationships between students and police.” Matlow wants to ensure students that a SRO is not there to be a hall monitor.

“Their job is not to stand at the door and act as a security guard,” he said. “The whole mandate of the program is to demonstrate to youth that there is a person behind the uniform.”

Former Toronto mayor John Sewell attended the protest. “I generally have a number of questions about it,” he said. “Northern is the only downtown school with police. If anybody was told there was going to be a police officer in their workplace, I think there should be some discussion about it.”

The gin is cold and the piano’s hot: a jazz guide

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3:31 pm

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RALPH BENMERGUI SAYS he isn’t really a jazz expert. Surprising, considering he’s the host of Benmergui in the Morning on JAZZ.FM91, Canada’s only notfor- profit radio station dedicated to jazz music.

“I’m a broadcaster,” he says, modestly. “Most people know more about jazz than I do.” We’re in the Home Smith Bar at the Old Mill (21 Old Mill Rd.). Benmergui has agreed to give us a mini-tour of some of the best places to hear live jazz in the city, and the Old Mill is our first stop.

His picks are a result of a collaboration with Jaymz Bee, another of the station’s hosts who can be heard alongside Benmergui between 7 and 9 a.m. every weekday.

“Jaymz’s whole life is to go out. I have kids at home, but there are no obligations like that in Jaymz’s life.… He goes to at least one jazz bar per night, if not two or three.” Nonetheless, Benmergui knows his stuff, too.

“After four years and 20 hours of listening, I have learned something. Nobody can not pay attention for that long,” he explains. What emerges from the pair’s collaboration is an accessible list of quality concert halls.

“I love jazz, but I’m not a jazzophile,” Benmergui explains. “You don’t have to be some kind of expert to listen to jazz.” The Old Mill, for example, is one of Benmergui’s favourite places because, he says, it’s “an oasis spot.”

“My wife and I stayed here once [at the inn] and we felt like we were just … gone. We were 10 feet from Bloor West Village, but we felt like we were somewhere else entirely. It’s a self-contained place. We came to the Home Smith Bar, listened to jazz, and it was great.”

Benmergui says besides the basic, positive vibe, one of the best things about the Old Mill is how committed the management is to the live music scene.

“Our Sound of Jazz Concert series happens here, and that’s really important,” he explains. “When I got to the station, the Sound of Jazz was being held at the Ontario Science Centre, and it was really hard to get an audience.

It was really counterintuitive. And Ross [Porter, president and chief executive officer at the radio station] moved it over here, and now we sell out every show. It’s really popular. I’ve hosted the shows in the main room. It’s great for live performances. Great sightlines. Everybody’s got good tables. It’s the way I think good jazz should be.”

Despite that statement, Benmergui doesn’t think there’s just one way to present good jazz. Our second stop is Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas St. W.), a venue that seems to have nothing in common with the Old Mill but is, nonetheless, another of Benmergui’s best bets for good, live jazz.

“There are a whole bunch of different kinds of jazz,” he explains. “It’s so many different things. Some of it is vocals and pop influenced, some of it is completely outside that, improvisational, some of it is bop.… There’s all this other stuff going on within jazz.”

What’s going on at Lula Lounge is Latin, salsa and world music, which Benmergui calls one of his “passions.”

“I love world music, and that’s one of the things this club is great for,” he says.

The interior calls to mind a Cuban dance hall. The raised stage gives way to a large, open dance floor, flanked by the bar, with intimate tables around the perimeter. Both the ambience and the service at Lula are top notch, it’s a wonderful place for jazz newbies.

“You can come here, have dinner, see a show and get home before it gets too late,” he says. “It’s a nice way to spend a night.” The third stop on the jazz minitour is the Rex (194 Queen St. W.), a spot Benmergui calls “one of the most important jazz clubs in the country.”

The place is charmingly understated and the vibe publike homey and welcoming. Owner Bob Ross greets us, while his son Avi offers food and drink.

Benmergui is a favourite patron. He even has a regular table.

“The Rex, to me, is the most accessible jazz bar in the city,” he says. “You can walk off the street, sit down and watch somebody play and it’s completely unpretentious. You can order onion rings or fries and just relax.

And everybody gets to play here. Guys just out of Humber or York play here, and so do some of the best jazz performers in the city. They have big bands on a Monday night. They come pouring out off the bandstand. It’s one of those places you can slide into and it’s always happening. You just show up and hang.”

So if you’re looking to get into the jazz scene, that’s the way to do it. Just show up and hang. “When you see live jazz, you get it,” Benmergui explains.

“Go to any of the places that have jazz in the Toronto,” he adds. “Any of them. Just Google ‘live jazz Toronto’ and take your pick. It’s not this thing that you’re not cool enough for. Just go.” You won’t be sorry.

Ready for the main event

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2:56 pm

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IS THIS A restaurant with an identity crisis or is it an allpurpose eatery? These burning questions bring us to the latest outpost of Le Gourmand or LG3 as they call this Midtown location at Yonge and Eglinton.

The dinner menu does not overreach — charcuterie and cheese boards, pâté, cured ham and a few specialty salads make up the first section of the decadent menu. I read the cheese list and discuss the listing with the knowledgeable waitress only to learn it is the chef who makes the choices.

I opt for two and receive allegretto from Quebec and mimolette from France. My only stipulation is that, if one is hard, that the other be soft or semi-soft, but my request never made it to the kitchen. Both are rock hard and are cold ($10).

Grilled calamari does not appear to have actually met a grill, but the generous portion arrives sitting atop a delicious red and yellow tomato and olive salsa ($11).

The mains are where this restaurant really shines. There are three pizzas, priced from $9 to $13, but we keep on browsing until we hit the pastas. After all these years and all these carbs, we are hard to impress, but Sicilian gnocchi is noteworthy.

At first glance, we think the kitchen must have made an error as these guys look more like penne but are, indeed, light, toothsome gnocchi.

The large soup plate dwarfs the portion, but it is bottomless and stays steaming throughout the meal.

“CHEQUE PLEASE”
LG3
2177 Yonge St.
416-487-9900
Dinner for two excluding tax,
tip and alcohol:
$70

The sauce is succulent, slowbraised pulled oxtail in a tomato and vegetable ragu and is graced with lashings of excellent Parmesan. This dish pops with flavour ($16).

Crispy rock hen is proof that the most humble of ingredients can soar when handled with respect and a modicum of creativity.

Two breasts have been flattened and crisped without a hint of oil yet without any loss of moisture — always a challenge with white meat of any fowl.

A gentle bed of sliced fennel is a provocative counterpoint to the spicy and creamy chipotle mayo, which, in turn, is bliss for the flawless matchstick frites.

Caramelized onions are dense and sweet against a forest of peppery arugula. Two unadvertised Parmesan biscuits don’t really add much but do amuse. A simple and perfect entree for which I would be happy to return ($15).

This level of skill is undercut by serving thin slices of baguette that have obviously been cut hours earlier.

Dessert choices are limited.

Out of the corner of my eye, I espy a multicoloured pastry case, which is promising, but it turns out that all cakes are mousse based and rather uninteresting. In that light, the offer of beignets perks me right up.

Rarely seen in these parts, how a Toronto resto will interpret this famous New Orleans dish piques my interest. Eight small balls have been deep-fried and rolled in cinnamon — think Tiny Tom with a Cajun accent. Decadent and delicious ($6).

This part of the Yonge and Eglinton corridor needs a general appeal restaurant for shoppers, movie-goers and diners. Le Gourmand can be that place if the fine tuning is consistently applied. The room is small and welcoming while the passing parade is amusing — definitely worth a visit.

Grill house shows promise

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2:56 pm

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“DRAMATIC” AND “CONTEMPORARY” are two words that spring to mind when entering this space of greys, blacks and reds. Eyes are drawn to the room’s middle row of tables: red chairs tucked under matching tables, each mounted with metal statuesque red “flames” that act as mock dividers for communal dining.

Flanking this red-hot area are leathery, large grey booths set with stylish black armless chairs.

Couples occupy a few, but it feels empty because of the high ceiling and echoing music.

Our waitress, friendly but not practised in the ways of formal dining, informs us they had a busy weekend, so they are out of some meats. All the food here is halal, but other than that, the menu’s culinary approach is decidedly undecided. Their list of “ethnic and international food” covers the gamut: spring rolls, quesadilla, pakora, Caesar salad, N.Y. strip loin, sashlik, tandoori, fettucine alfredo.

A trio of samosas ($4.99) starts things off splendidly. Crispy pastry exteriors yield to soft, seasoned filling of carrot, potato, lentils and onion. A small ramekin of sweet tamarind sauce makes this an appetizer to remember.

Deep-fried but grease-free calamari ($9.99) is memorable, too, but this time it’s the presentation that piques interest. Instead of Hula Hoop rings, the fresh calamari is cut in vertical strips — the result is an assembly that looks like a basket of fries. The side dip is labelled “chili-lime aioli,” but it tastes like mayonnaise.

“CHEQUE PLEASE”
SASHLIK
1070 Major Mackenzie Dr. E.
905-780-8400
Dinner for two excluding tax,
tip and alcohol:
$50

Small salads follow, part and parcel of all entrees. Squiggles of creamy bottled Caesar dressing decorate romaine, croutons and powdered parm; and a ramekin of emulsified balsamic vinaigrette balances on a plate of iceberg, tomato, chopped onion and cucumber in garden salad.

Things seem to fall apart as we move on to mains. Our server recommends the signature dish, sashlik ($12.99) but warns of spicy seasoning. What arrives disappoints. Save for a turn or two of the pepper grinder and a pinch of salt, the seasoning is indiscernible on two skewers of cubed chicken (beef and lamb also available). It’s true the portion is generous and the meat moist, but it lacks flavour. A dish of blah brothlike sauce on the side doesn’t help.

The same sauce accompanies the 12-ounce strip loin, one cut alongside filet mignon and rib-eye under “steaks.” Lovely grill marks and a tender texture are about all that can be bragged of, as the meat was cooked past medium (I’d asked for rare), and it was oversalted — even for me.

Main courses are served with any two of rice, roast potato, mashed potato, French fries or seasonal vegetables. Among them, rice stands out from the crowd. It’s immaculately timed, balanced with butter. “Roast potato,” however, brought a hash brown–like potato creation (with purple onion) in an unpleasant, goopy, piquant sauce.

Seasonal vegetables procures a mound of hyper-honey-sweetened roasted spaghetti squash with diced onion, occasional mutilated squash seeds and chopped chives. While the side was certainly “seasonal” and comforting, whole-plate thinking might have led to the realization that squash paired with any other side translates into starch plus starch.

Carrot, beet or anything green might have made a more colourful, balanced offering.

Things look up again as we round the corner to dessert. Homemade chocolate cream cake provides a sweet, light finish — its three layers and sassily smeared icing are neither too dense nor too rich. Sashlik is Muslim owned, so drinks are nonalcoholic.

Hits and misses mean Sashlik shows promise but needs to focus on strengths.

Blustery weather means more home entertaining

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2:06 pm

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It gets harder and harder to put on all that cold-weather gear just to head out to a family friendly restaurant with friends and kids in tow. That is why fall and winter are perfect for hosting a dinner party from the comfort of your own home.

Be it a casual evening or formal affair, you can make your home a setting for great food and wine where no one will ever want to leave.

“Guests should always feel at home,” says Samantha Sannella, president and CEO of Toronto’s Design Exchange. “Comfort is critical.

“If you have to add chairs, then get creative and change the groupings of furniture to accommodate more people.”

Part of making people feel comfortable is making sure they don’t have to ask for anything.

“Always have more than enough wine and refreshments,” Sannella says.

“Guests should never feel uncomfortable that they might ‘take the last bite.’” In a world where the Food Network and Rachel Ray reign, make the kitchen the central room for your party.

One might also consider hosting an event where everyone cooks together to ensure that conversation is flowing.

For cheap and quick decor ideas, Sannella has three words: “fruit, fruit and more fruit. “I love pomegranates and bosc pears,” she says.

“Placing these in a bowl is a great way to add colour and a festive feel.” Or, consider filling red and white wineglasses with acorns and grouping them together in the centre of the table. It’s all about being creative, especially in tight financial times.

And because of the recession, new trends are popping up that may not have been as popular a few years back.

People are having potluck parties, where each guest makes a signature addition to the menu, or wine tastings, where the hosting home provides the cheese and chocolate, but guests bring a bottle of their favourite vino.

For more wallet-busting tips, interior designer Dvira Ovadia recommends reusing what you have and simply introducing one unique touch to spruce it all up. Your existing china set can be revived with a new coloured bowl, a glitzy underplate or unique goblet.

A new tablecloth and an unusual centrepiece will also make last year’s table feel like a completely new one.

Sannella insists that every detail counts, and while you may have the ideal entertainment room, it won’t make the difference if the rest of the house just doesn’t add up.

She recommends you ensure that your powder room is spotless and that there are plenty of “supplies,” including decorative guest towels and soaps.

If you want guests to remove their shoes at the entry, then accommodate this without making people feel uncomfortable.

“Consider offering new socks for ladies that might have freezing feet,” she says. “You might make it fun and buy silly holiday socks for guests.”