Hey, Tiger! Have you ever wanted to look like Brad Pitt in those Oceans movies? No? You like things more fitted? OK, fine. This store, which just landed on the most unfriendly-to-art-gallerires stretch in Toronto, might be worth a look. Call it H&M for the jet-set.
Read my profile of Tiger of Sweden in the fashion stores section.
Co-owner of FBI Pizza, Sean Tanha, decided a while ago that it was time Torontonians had better delivery pizza. Now with locations in Etobicoke and Woodbridge, he's looking to up the game on what you get in a cardboard box. Here he reveals a new menu item, his favourite toppings, and the Iron Chef that inspired him to cook in the first place.
Why did you decide to get into the pizza making business?
My partner Rocco Mazzaferro's father used to own the Big Slice on Yonge Street. They were the original owners back in the 80s. We were working at Queen Margherita, and we wanted to branch out. Since we don't do take-out or delivery at Queen Margherita, we wanted to do a pizza that was really high quality, but something that would also last through delivery and take-out. Everybody's sick of eating nasty delivery pizza, and I didn't think there are many good options out there.
Who taught you how to make pizza?
I kind of learned from Rocco, his father, and other guys from Queen Margherita. I learned a lot from myself too, just through trying it. We tested and tried so many things before we opened.
Why do you love pizza so much?
It's the most popular food in the world. If you ask anybody what's their favourite food, it's often pizza. I think the majority of people's favourite food is some sort of Italian fare, whether it be pasta or pizza. I'm a fan of all Italian food.
What's the secret to a great pizza?
Honestly, you have to care. As good as our pizza can be — obviously, we use the highest quality ingredients, you know tomatoes imported from Italy; our dough is made from 00 flour — all of those things in combination with your love of making the pizza makes a difference. I can give our dough, our sauce and the mozzarella that we use to someone who doesn't have a passion for making pizza, and I don't think it would work. Obviously with the quality of ingredients it's going to taste good, but making the most amazing pizza really comes from inside too.
We roast our red peppers every day, we cut our mushrooms fresh everyday, and we even go to the Ontario Food Terminal on a daily basis and pick our produce. For the first 10 months I would wake up at 4am and do it all by myself.
What do you like on your pizza?
I really like anchovies. Anchovies, mushrooms, red onions; I probably eat that most commonly.
Is there a topping that should never be on a pizza?
I don't think there is. You can put anything on a pizza. Pizza is so versatile. If you go to an Italian pizzeria here, and they don't do pineapple and this or that, I don't buy into it. In Italy, there are places that sell pizza with hot dogs and french fries on them. I think pizza's one of those things in the world that people can do their own way.
Other than you, who makes the best pie in the city?
There's only one other place: Queen Margherita. Between us and Queen Margherita, I believe that we have the best product for our love for pizza and our quality of ingredients. They're completely different: Queen Margherita uses a wood-burning oven, and we use a stone deck electric oven, so we have to cook our pizzas for eight to ten minutes, while they do it in 90 seconds.
What are some of the challenges you face running a mainly delivery operation?
The main challenge is timing. Your regular customer is someone who's been ordering from a Pizza Nova or Pizza Pizza for the past 10 years, and they want to try something new and they don't mind to pay a few dollars more. So they call us, but they expect on a Friday night at 6pm that their pizza's only going to be 40 minutes. It's impossible for us to do that, just because of the way our pizza cooks and the time that we take to make it. The way we want it to look...we have a high set of standards. We try our best, but if it doesn't look perfect, it won't get sent out.
Any plans for a third location? Are you possibly looking to franchise?
Absolutely. We have plans for many more locations. My plan is to open a hundred of them. We've been approached by people who are interested in opening franchises. We know we want to expand, and that's our goal — to be a large company.
What's next for you as a chef and for the restaurant?
We're going to be introducing (in the spring) our style of chicken wings. We're going to use fresh chicken, and they're going to be the best chicken wings you can buy. That's why we don't introduce things right away; there's a lot of thought and time spent finding different ways to do new things. What's next for me is what I'm doing right now; I'm here all day and all night, and I dedicate myself to it.
RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS
Most underrated ingredient? Gorgonzola
Best culinary tool? Ladle
A chef that inspires you?Masaharu Morimoto
One dish you can't live without? Pizza? Pasta too...
Favourite Toronto restaurant?Harbor Sixty Steakhouse
What would people be surprised to find in your fridge? I love cold pizza
What's one food trend that needs to end? Who doesn't like food trends? They're fun.
For more chef profiles, check out our Toronto Chefs Pinterest board
Photos by Morris Lum
As Canadian Music Week rolls into Toronto (March 19-24), a ton of Canadian and international bands will be preparing to entertain the city - you can check out which ones we've got our eyes we on in this post. Even without a festival wristband, though, you can take advantage of some of the stellar free events around the city. Here's a roundup of the top seven you should probably check out.
February 1 - March 31 | They Shoot Horses | Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art | All-Ages
This exhibition has been going on for the last month and a half, but if you haven't stopped by yet, this is the time to do it. The artist (not the musician) Phil Collins staged an eight-hour dance marathon in Ramallah with nine Palestinian youths, taking video and setting it to era-crossing pop music. The atmosphere of the actual exhibit imitates a club, and you're encouraged to join in as the dancers cycle through states of exhilaration to pure exhaustion. Bet you've never done that before.
Tuesday, March 19 | Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite | The Horseshoe Tavern | 19+
Kicking off the CMF at Toronto's beloved Horseshoe Tavern, Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite will get your blood pumping in anticipation of this week's awesome events. Featuring Artful Vandelays, The Bloody Five, Inlet Sound, Silver Creek, and Nature Boys, this show starts at 8:40pm sharp, so make sure you get there early.
Thursday, March 21 | Blues and Troubles | The Gladstone Hotel | 19+
The old-school blues, country, and R&B band Blues & Troubles is playing a free show at the Gladstone Hotel. If you're getting overwhelmed by indie and electro pop during CMF, drop by the Gladstone for a palate cleanser and get psyched up for the festival's final all-out weekend shows.
Friday, March 22 | Beat Nation Breakdance Battle | The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery | All-Ages
As the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery celebrates its 25th birthday, they are putting on a free Beat Nation Breakdance Battle. Hosted by Benzo and Q-Rock and featuring three judges and twenty-eight crews, this show will give you the chance to see some seriously talented dancers break it down on the dancefloor.
Friday, March 22 | Andy Shauf, Kopecky Family Band, Mad Ones, Mise en Scene, Bend Sinister | Sonic Boom | All-Ages
As always, Sonic Boom has handpicked some real talent to play free afternoon shows on the weekend. On Friday, a slew of plucky alt-rock bands, including Andy Shauf, Kopecky Family Band, Mad Ones, Mise en Scene, and Bend Sinister, will be taking the floor from 2pm onward to get you in the mood for the night's Indies awards ceremony and performances.
Saturday, March 23 | Grounders, Cai.ro, Mac DeMarco, Sean Rowe, The Grapes of Wrath, Blonde Elvis, Acres of Lions | Sonic Boom | All-Ages
As you might have guessed, Saturday will also feature some fantastic bands at Sonic Boom, starting at 1pm. Grounders, Cai.ro, Mac DeMarco, Sean Rowe, The Grapes of Wrath, Blonde Elvis, and Acres of Lions are bound to entrance your ears and get the blood pumping for the night's headlining shows.
Saturday, March 23 | Laura Repo | The Gladstone Hotel | 19+
If you're looking to turn down the energy on Saturday night (after possibly burning yourself out all week at other events), you can check out acoustic country singer Laura Repo at the Gladstone. Her show begins at 9pm and precedes the Gladstone's weekly Karaoke night. Grab some friends, have some drinks, and lubricate that throat well for your turn in the spotlight.
Writing by Lori Steuart / Photo by Matthew Broszkowski
Toronto's years-long coffee renaissance has seen us awash in a sea of espresso and capuccino, latte, macchiato and Americano. Which is nice, but it's not surprising that a few cafe owners and baristas - and not a few customers - long for more variety and a bit more creativity than pretty pictures in their latte foam.
CONCEPT
At Arte Gelato on Bloor Street, owner Sebastian Silvestro was pondering the annual dilemma that troubles every gelateria - "What can I do for the winter?" - while looking at his freezers full of gelatos and sorbets. Open just over a year, Silvestro knew there was a small, die-hard crew of gelato fans who'd eat the stuff even when the mercury was well below zero. (Kids, for instance, just don't care.) But he knew that offering sandwiches and pizza would still mean trays and trays of homemade gelato growing ice crystals while the snow fell.
Every gelateria is also a cafe, so Silvestro put a couple of scoops of his hazelnut gelato in a metal steaming cup and got to work. Experimenting taught him that it took two separate bouts of steam to break up the gelato smoothly, but he knew he was on to something when he smelled the aroma of the hazelnuts and cream as he worked. A few more tries taught him to add a dollop of milk to help with breaking the gelato down.
"The funny thing is," Silvestro tells me, "that I came up with this in the summer."
SCORE: 7/10
EXECUTION
He pours out the frothy mixture into a glass and pulls a shot of espresso, which he pours carefully into the mug. The coffee blooms in the hot gelato, but stays near the top. He adds a small dollop of whipped cream, and a sprinkling of cinnamon and dusted hazelnuts. There's a version of the drink without coffee, suitable for kids and the coffee averse, but tasting both, the hot hazelnut gelato gets stiffened up by the espresso, which mostly infuses the first half of the drink, giving way to the gelato drink at the bottom.
No sugar is needed, of course - the gelato has plenty to begin with, and Silvestro has to warn customers having it for the first time to taste it before they reach for the sugar bowl. He's also had to explain that it's not an afogato - the gelato isn't a cold dollop resting on top of an espresso, but a whole hot drink.
There are, of course, some gelato flavours that don't work as hot gelato; the potassium in banana burns, lemon and mint are simply out of bounds, and coconut is too gritty. Any chocolate flavour is a success, though, as is coffee and any nut-based gelato. He swears by hazelnut, though, the subject of his first experiment, and sipping away at one, I'm pleasantly surprised by the whole hazelnut that I find floating just between the froth and the whipped cream.
SCORE: 8/10
VALUE
Arte Gelato's Hot Gelato comes in three sizes ranging from $2.99 to $4.99 and since it's still so new Silvestro hasn't added it to the board behind the bar, just ask for one and try to enjoy it while the last frigid days dissolve under the gentle siege of spring.
SCORE: 8/10
TOTAL SCORE: 23/30
Thanks to the New Listerine UltraClean for sponsoring our coffee-fueled adventures.
The best chicken wings in Toronto hail from a mix of sports bars, pubs and dedicated wing specialists, with a couple of spots introducing snack bar variations of twice fried, Asian-styled poultry to Hogtown palettes. Flavours and styles are as diverse as the city itself, broadening the criteria for best chicken wings beyond the usual pub standards more than ever. Whether they're breaded or naked; saucy or seasoned dry; baked or fried; these standouts all have at least one thing in common, they're lipsmaking, fingerlicking delcious.
Here are the best chicken wings in Toronto.
See Also:
The Best Ribs in Toronto
The Best Fried Chicken in Toronto
Yonge and Eglinton is in a state of flux. The Crosstown LRT is coming, the old bus connections at the subway station are disappearing, and the neighbourhood's population is set to skyrocket.
On the northeast corner, the E condos will be the tallest of five major construction projects planned for the midtown intersection over the next five years. Towering roughly 64 floors above the street and split between two substantial buildings - dubbed E8 and E15 - the glass frontages will be a key facet of the crossroads come 2017. And now we have a much better idea of what exactly they're going to look like.
The E condos, also known as 8 Eglinton, have come a long way. The first drawings submitted to the city's Design Review Panel in January 2012 were panned for a variety of reasons, including a proposed low overhanging podium and a lack of space between the towers.
Six months later, the group responsible for promoting good aesthetics, urban design, and landscaping on major construction projects recommend only minor tweaks to a revised proposal.
In its latest examination of the drawings, the DRP agreed the density and height of the proposal was appropriate for the neighbourhood and complimented the widened sidewalk on Yonge Street. There were some concerns over "incidental and a little misplaced" street furniture.
Perhaps the most noticeable feature for non-residents will be a green-roofed entrance to the TTC subway and LRT lines. The DRP liked the idea, though they suggest a glass beacon might make the portal easier to find. Short of that, the group thought the roof could double as a small parkette.
The large street-level plaza as a whole was also well received, though the panel hoped for a Bixi station and "engaging retail tenants" on the corner. The TD bank currently occupying the site should be moved north, they said.
The project is currently in the rezoning phase - the first condo owners are expected to take occupancy in October 2017.
What do you think of the latest renderings for this condo? Did the Design Review Panel get it right?
VITAL STATS:
Number of units: 889
Floors: 64 (E8) and 38 (E15)
Parking spaces: 450
Height: 202.05 metres (E8) and 119.70 metres (E15)
Total retail area: 5,380 square metres
Density: 16.0x lot area
(Figures correct as of last available staff report.)
MORE IMAGES:
Yonge-Eglinton plaza
Looking southwest on Roehampton Avenue
Southeast on Roehampton Ave.
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Images: r.varacalli architect and NAK Design
The future is now at this Leslieville studio space, which offers 3D design and printing services to Toronto's film industry, designers, artists, inventors and tech enthusiasts. With designers on hand, the shop is ready to help clients turn their napkin sketches into tangible objects — and to offer a first glimpse at technology that may revolutionize how we live and work.
Read my profile of 3DPhacktory in the galleries section.
If Andy Stott is the future, then the future is dark. Very dark. The celebrated producer of 2012's sleeper hit album, Luxury Problems played at Mansion's Foundry series in the Blk Box Theatre, beneath the Great Hall on Saturday night.
His set was a technical exploration of negative space in sounds found in the more recent 'knackered house' trend that seems to have skipped over to our shores. It's a term Stott helped define, and that comprises first generation dubstep sounds (the dark and moody stuff that had no radio presence outside of UK pirate radio) that's manipulated into techno, industrial, and a skeletal drum and bass.
Andy's genius is that he's managed to select stripped down tunes that keep everything but their basic rhythmic elements, yet still kept your body shaking with the repetitive metal clicks, clanks, and shuffley dungeon sounds.
Like most kinks and S&M perversions, there was an innate cerebral appeal to Stott's music that had the full house spontaneoulsy roaring for more. What was so amazing was that he managed to make something so minimal and devoid of colour into something so incredibly addictive and danceable. In our true nature, we must all be nihilistic, recession-wallowing zombies to make us crave these primal rickety beats.
Photos by Alejandro Santiago
It's become patently clear over the last year or so that the GTA desperately needs to find a way of funding new transportation infrastructure. As Rob Ford will tell you, subway, LRT and bus rapid transit corridors live and die over the amount of money in the pot.
To that end, the Toronto Region Board of Trade today outlined today its ideas for funding the next phase of transit projects, including the Downtown Relief Line, Yonge subway extension, and various GO Transit improvements.
Facing a $50 billion shortfall (spread out to $2 billion a year), the province will likely have to adopt one or more of the Board of Trade's recommendations if anything is going to get built. The benefits are clear: better transit equals lower commute times, higher productivity, lower emissions, and better health.
Here's a breakdown of the charges the Board of Trade is recommending:
The board admits there are no taxes, fees, or tolls that don't have drawbacks or challenges. There will be vocal detractors of any fee but without a way of paying for new infrastructure Toronto will be doomed to gridlock and economic strangulation. One estimate suggests the cost of packed subway platforms and jammed highways could hit $15 billion annually within the next 20 years.
By 2031 the population of the GTA is projected to be around 8.6 million - 3 million more than right now. Without a better transit system, those new Torontonians will simply bring their cars and take up what little space is left at Yonge station during rush hour.
City council will weigh its options in the spring. Are there any taxes you think the Board of Trade is missing, an income tax, for example.
Which of these taxes do you think are the most viable? Do you think a gas tax could ever get the green light?
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Image: "Rush Hour Congestion" by ariehsinger/blogTO Flickr pool.
Toronto events on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
MUSIC | Canadian Music Week
Canadian Music Week launches its 31st year of music with national pride tonight. Beginning with a digital media summit at the Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre and several performances across the city, this six-day celebration of Canadian music and music makers involves sonferences, a trade expo, film and comedy festivals and awards shows scattered around the city. Highlights of CMW will include shows by CHVRCHES, Metric, and Heart (to name only a few). Check out our round-up of the top 30 shows of CMW 2013 for a full guide on what to see and how to see it.
Various locations at various prices
ARTS & CRAFTS | Crafty Connections
Whether you're crafty or not, come experiment with arts and crafts at the Ralph Thornton Centre Exchange Loft on Queen East this afternoon. Crafty Connections is an hour and a half workshop where experts welcome the community to gather and learn crafting techniques. Anyone is welcome to come and hang out with their neighbours in this cool loft space that also offers free newspapers and WiFi. For a full listing of interesting workshops and events taking place at the centre, check out RalphThornton.org.
Ralph Thornton Centre Exchange Loft (765 Queen Street East) 3:30PM
PHOTOGRAPHY | Sound Image 2013
Local concert photographers exhibit their best images of musicians in action at Sound Image 2013. A contest and exhibition judged by Exclaim Photo Editor Stephen Carlick, music photographer and creative director of Analogue Gallery Lucia Graca, and music photographer Barrie Wentzell, Sound Image will feature the images of local artists like Jess Baumung, Vanessa Heins, Brian St. Denis and our own Roger Cullman. Stop by to take a look at their works along with that of 22 other photographers and stay tuned for a special guest judge announcement as well as prizes provided by Crumpler, Lomography, and Henry's.
Analogue Gallery (673 Queen Street West) 6PM Free
BOOKS & LIT | Write Club Toronto: Chapter 6
Write Club is a fight club for writers who are willing to go tête-à-tête in front of a live audience at The Garrison for charity. Given two opposing ideas, two writers will face off for seven minutes apiece with the audience picking a winner. Tonight, eight writers--Ryan F. Hughes, Jason Maghanoy, Aisha Alfa, Patrick Hakeem, Marilla Wex, Daniela Saioni, Chloe Van Keeken and Megan Griffith-Greene--will face off. Cheer and jeer at Write Club Toronto: Chapter 6 this evening because, after all, it is for charity.
The Garrison (1197 Dundas Street West) 7:30PM $10
ALSO OF NOTE:
MORE EVENTS THIS WEEK
For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:
Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.
Photo of Gwen Stefani by Roger Cullman
TTC CEO Andy Byford will issue an explanation and apology later this morning after a particularly wretched subway commute last night. A 20-minute loss of power at Dupont station and similar delays at Eglinton, Keele and Union coupled with numerous assistance alarms triggered long delays. Trains on the Yonge line were packed and moving at a crawl. Did you experience the problems?
Drivers in the 'burbs are, perhaps not surprisingly, unsure about new transit taxes and tollsfloated by the Toronto Region Board of Trade. The sales, parking, and gas fees were recommended in a report yesterday. The Toronto Star went to Square One in Mississauga and found most don't want drivers to pay. Should there be better PR for transit construction?
The Ikea Monkey mom (remember her?) hopes starting a foundation will fund her battle to have her illegal pet removed from a sanctuary staffed with wildlife experts. The Darling Darwin Monkey Friends and Co. will also sell a children's book Nakhuda has written. Half the $75 tickets to the launch event have sold - buy now!
Rob Ford isn't the only one conflicting his interests. Eternal Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion is set to go to court next month to contest allegations she failed to abide by the spirit of the law when she participated in a vote related to her son's company. Toronto's neighbour to the west has amended the wording of its laws to legislate against "the appearance of conflict."
Coun. Glenn De Baeremaeker wants to laws against people who feed coyotes in Toronto. Animal services say providing food attracts them to residential areas and reduces their natural fear of humans. The proposed rules would also ban killing coyotes.
Toronto's best minds are close to solving Dutch elm disease, the deadly virus that killed many of the city's elm trees. DNA experts at the University of Toronto have mapped the genome of Ophiostoma ulmi in the hopes of finding a cure. Elms used to make up around 12 per cent of the city's tree canopy but now that figure is closer to 4 per cent.
The reasons behind the Maple Leafs' recent ticket price hike is suddenly clear - the team just needed a new practice machine. The RapidShot, which costs $100,000, automatically passes pucks and is probably cheaper than paying an actual Maple Leaf to do the job.
Finally, the Sherbourne Street bike lanes make great parking, especially when you don't get a ticket (via Reddit user kettal).
IN BRIEF:
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Image: "Mid Century Modernism" by Jack Landau/blogTO Flickr pool.
This Week in Home Video previews all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and on-demand titles hitting the street this week, plus lost gems, crazed Cancon, outrageous cult titles and the best places to rent or buy movies in Toronto.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
The delayed-by-a-decade Lord of the Rings victory lap looks unsurprisingly sublime in home friendly HD, without any of the confusing and eye traumatic 48 fps malarkey that distracted too many people during its theatrical run last year. Bilbo Baggins' trilogy sprawling quest is off to a mighty start here, with all the clarity and hilarity of hallucinogenic mushrooms but none of the scary pitfalls. Although, minor quibble, one does wonder why exactly the Trolls speak in a Ray Winstone-like Sarf London patois.
Since there will no doubt be super-sized expanded editions released in the future, this place holder release still features impressive bonus material, including the always insightful Peter Jackson production diaries, vlogs and video game trailers. Most exiting is a password which will allow you to join in the online premiere of a "live worldwide sneak peek of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" with Jackson himself, but move fast as the event is scheduled for March 24!
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
Zero Dark Thirty (eOne Films)
Katherine Bigelow's non-partisan hi-tech valentine to the art of female intuition aided by superior firepower managed to whip both right and left-wing punditry into a pants wetting tizzy, quite a noble accomplishment. The film's ice cold structure owes more to the studied and talky sub-genre of police procedural, while Bieglow's camera probes the human anthill of both CIA and Al Queda networks before a rapturous and therapeutic finale featuring (SPOILER ALERT) kitted out S.E.A.Ls riddling the spectral corpse of Usama Bin Laden full of silent bullets. Does it really matter if it went down exactly like this? Extras include a look at how Bin Laden's terrorist compound was lovingly reconstructed from varied eye witness sources, and a profile of the film's knockout MVP Jessica Chastain.
Nanook of the North/The Wedding of Palo (Flicker Alley)
This beautiful 1922 "savage ethnographic" silent film is quite correctly regarded as the very first feature length documentary, staged sequences et al. Robert Flaherty famously followed the life of Inuit Nanook and his family as they carved out a life in the harsh Canadian Arctic. As they did so beautifully with Méliès' Trip to the Moon, the A/V boffins at Flicker Alley have re-mastered Nanook in high definition, and have also included a wealth of fascinating extra material - short films including The Wedding of Palo (1934), Dwellings of the Far North (1928), Arctic Hunt (1913), Eskimo Hunters of Northwest Alaska (1949), Face of the High Artic (1959) and Nanook Revisited, which looks at how Inuit life has changed in the intervening decades since Flaherty documented Nanook.
It also comes with a 32-page booklet features exerpcts from Flaherty's 1924 book "My Eskimo Friends" and a new essay from noted historian Lawrence Millman. Nanook of the North was local film buff and TVOntario maestro Elwy Yost's favourite film, and he ran it on what seemed like a loop on Saturday Night at the Movies and Magic Shadows. He sure would he have loved this Blu-ray release!
Les Misérables(Universal)
Intoxicating Oscar bait framed by deft and off-kilter visuals, amusing performances, lovely production work and a leather bound old-school quality that thankfully still has a place in trashy modern Hollywood. Extras include "The Stars of Les Misérables", "Creating the Perfect Paris", "The Original Masterwork: Victor Hugo's Les Misérables", and a film-school worthy running commentary from toffee voiced director Tom Hooper; Blu-ray only extras include "Battle at the Barricade", "The West End Connection" and "Les Misérables on Location", and "Les Misérables Singing Live" which illustrates the extreme difficulty of singing live in front of a gargantuan film crew.
This is 40 (Universal)
Kind of sort of like the visual equivalent of a 2 hour 30 minute jam band session by Judd Apatow's brand of comedy, this episodic catalogue of First World Problems has its moments, both comical and sentimental, but could also be fairly accused of over staying its welcome, being too coy by half, and wasting an inordinate amount of screen time talking about busted old stuff, like Lost and Facebook (thanks, Gramps!). Great line-up of extras include both theatrical and unrated versions, deleted scenes, a feature length commentary from the chef Judd Apatow, and an obligatory gag reel which, shock horror, isn't all that different from the final cut.
Timerider (Shout! Factory)
Wacky 1980's time-travel hijinks from the decidedly un-Back to the Future school of temporal displacement, which is more of an excuse to throw genre veteran Fred Ward into a grizzled Western with shouty character actors like L.Q Jones, Ed Lauter, Richard Masur, Macon McCalman and Peter Coyote. Adoringly rescued from the black hole of video store amnesia by the always on-point Shout Factory, this Blu-ray easily takes the title as best time travel themed release of 2013 (so far).
Badlands (The Criterion Collection)
Visual demi-God Terrence Malik started his revered career with this emotionally detached adaptation of the Charles Starkweather killing spree in the late 1950s. Great 70's vibes and cast including Martin Sheen, Warren Oates and a young Sissy Spacek deliver a true cult art house classic.
Miles Davis with Quincy Jones & the Gil Evans Orchestra Live at Montreux (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Totally legendary and essential recording made at the 1991 Montreux Jazz festival. Despite his anti-nostalgia, Davis was persuaded by Quincy Jones and Claude Nobs to take part in this tribute to his great friend Gil Evans, who had passed away in 1988. Performed just a few months before of his death, this session is a fitting tribute to both Miles Davis and Gil Evans.
STILL FRESH
BIGFOOT AT THE BLACK MUSEUM
The Black Museum is a limited engagement of horror lectures and screenings, a place for horror professionals of all kinds to share their experience, knowledge and love of the genre.
This week's lecture is entitled Primate Panic: Bigfoot on Film 1967-1980 and comes courtesy of curator and Canuxploitation! CEO Paul Corupe, who shares with us The Black Museum's thoughts on the best Bigfoot movies currently available on DVD.
Legend of Boggy Creek (1972)
The granddaddy of all Bigfoot movies and the guaranteed "you know what movie scared me when I was a kid?" answer for an entire generation, Legend of Boggy Creek is gold-plated essential viewing for armchair cryptozoologists. Texas filmmaker Charles B. Pierce built his career on this groundbreaking docudrama-horror hybrid, featuring creepy reenactments, interviews and sparse narrative elements that delve into the mystery of the Fouke Monster, a legendary Bigfoot-like monster rumoured to live in the backwoods of Arkansas. A charming low budget production featuring real Boggy Creek locals in front of (and in some cases behind) the camera, Legend of Boggy Creek made convincing use of its distinct regional flavour and its ripped-from-the-headlines hucksterism to become a huge drive-in hit, although today it's only available for home viewing on various DVDs of questionable legality.
Mysterious Monsters (1974)
Veins pop out of host/narrator/Mission Impossible alumnus Peter Graves' angry face as he confronts skeptical scientists in this laughably manipulative--but still undeniably fun--"documentary". Light on science but big on speculation, Mysterious Monsters is pretty certain that Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster actually exist, thank you very much. Enjoy the DVD's battered print as the usual evidence is trotted out, including plaster casts, blurry photos, and even the infamous Gimli-Patterson Bigfoot footage as Graves poses bizarre non-questions like, "now that we've established that Bigfoot exists, why do scientists continue to ignore this audio tape recording of a scary howling?"
Like a feature-length version of '70s television staple In Search Of..., Mysterious Monsters originally aired on TV but was later picked up for theatrical exhibition by Sunn Classic Pictures, who also released paranormal exposes of everything from ancient astronauts to UFOs and the Bermuda Triangle, only with less antagonistic certainty.
Snowbeast (1977)
Easy to find in public domain DVD sets, this surprisingly decent NBC movie-of-the-week is an unabashed Jaws rip-off that tries to compensate for a lack of blood with some standard issue 1970s melodrama. This time, square-jawed 1970s heroes Clint Walker and Bo Svenson square off against a rampaging, hungry Yeti who is totally ruining everyone's fun at a winter carnival. As more and more resort guests go missing, Bo must get over his marriage breakdown with his unfaithful wife (the always lovely Yvette Mimieux) to take on the furry invader. Snowbeast's picturesque snowy setting, complete with gratuitous snowmobile footage, are decent distractions until the Yeti--who only appears in quick glimpses--finally sneaks into the resort and crashes the world's most boring party.
Sasquatch: Legend of Bigfoot (1978)
This film, which we'll be screening to kick off the second season of our lecture series, The Black Museum, is actually my favourite Bigfoot film available on DVD. It just edges out Boggy Creek as a pitch-perfect mix of reality and Hollywood embellishment. Not to be confused with the inferior stock-footage heavy Legend of Bigfoot (1974), this tale, which follows a research party that ventures into the wilds of B.C. on Bigfoot's trail, offers some hard evidence up front but is mostly a fictional feature shot in documentary style. Dramatic enactments of real cryptic encounters tide viewers over until the riveting conclusion, with features some of the most unsettling scenes in Sasquatch cinema, as shadowy figures invade the hunters' base camp at twilight. Your long weekend jaunts to Algonquin will never be the same!
Night of the Demon (1980)
From deep woods cipher to unstoppable entrail-shredding sex criminal, Night of the Demon is the Bigfoot film to watch if subtlety and nuance aren't really your bag. From the very first image of a huge footprint slowly filling with blood, it's obvious that this Sasquatch may have picked up some pointers while lurking in the woods around Camp Crystal Lake. This time, yet another Bigfoot search party ends up stumbling not only on their hairy prey, but also the girl that he raped and impregnated. While the team assembles more clues about the fate of their offspring, an oversize deadbeat dad is busy in the forest nonchalantly pushing campers faces into hot stoves, stabbing girl guides and castrating truckers. It's enough to make George A. Romero queasy. Missing on DVD for years, Night of the Demon was recently re-released by grindhouse specialists Code Red to give viewers a peak at the most mean-spirited breed of this gentle giant--one that would have certainly turned made the Boggy Creeks run red.
The Black Museum presents - Primate Panic: Bigfoot on Film 1967-1980
March 21, 2013 at 8pm
Big Picture, 1035 Gerrard Steet East, Toronto
Cost: $12 Advance, $15 at the door
CONTEST
WIN THE HOBBIT ON BLU-RAY!
The kind folks at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment have provided us with two copies of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on Blu-ray to give away. To enter, simply add a comment to this post listing your favourite Middle Earth character (feel free to be creative, as we're not looking for one answer). Please leave a valid email address in the comments field so that we can contact the winners.
Fine print:
You must be a Toronto-area resident to win. Only one comment and answer per person. If you include multiple answers or post multiple comments you will be disqualified.
When we last checked in with Liberty Village Brewing Company, they were touting the homebrewed wares of brewmaster-to-be Eric Emery at a series of tasting events in their eponymous neighbourhood. Their goal at the time was to settle on a single beer or two they might begin brewing on a larger scale for commercial release and to find a place to do so.
Now, four months later, they've done just that. Having contracted the use of the facilities at another west end locale to brew their beer, last week the folks at LVBC invaded Junction Craft Brewery to make a batch of their beer with guidance from Junction Craft's brewer and resident brewing equipment MacGyver, Doug Pengelly.
As anyone who's brewed beer will tell you, it's really a lot of waiting around, and last Tuesday was no exception. Crafting LVBC's first batch of beer, however, was even more of a time-consuming process given that Pengelly's unique and custom-designed brewing system necessitates some detailed directions at every step of the process. As a result, watching the brewers collaborate was actually a lot like watching a teacher with students. Given that this is Emery's first brew on a large scale, the comparison seems apt, and it's an image aided by the fact that the folks on hand from LVBC Tuesday, including Emery, Cassandra Campbell, and Steve Combes, are all fairly young, fresh-faced, and eager and the bespectacled Pengelly is clearly in his element explaining technical elements.
And while Pengelly at times seemed vaguely irked to have so many people in his house on brew day — a nosy beer blogger and a circulating photographer perhaps chief among the distractions — the collective effort of two of the city's neighbourhood breweries is just a natural extension of the city's flourishing co-operative brewing community. Toronto's craft brewers are all too happy share knowledge, equipment, and ingredients among one another and they're all sincerely interested in what other brewers are up to.
Indeed during my visit with Liberty Village Brewing out at the Junction, Jeff Broeders, brewer at the nearby Indie Alehouse popped in just to check things out and, as luck would have it, try some of LVBC's homebrew that they were smart enough to bring along for those periods of waiting around.
Yes, between grinding malt and heating the mash on the brewers' first brew day, we sipped some of their other homebrewing efforts, which included a great Gose beer they've been calling Gosebuster and even a beer brewed with gummi bears, appropriately dubbed Gummi Beer. While it's not in the cards just yet, it seems highly likely that some more of these homebrew recipes will find their way into the LVBC lineup someday, an inevitability evidenced by the fact that Emery shows a clear inclination toward experimentation and his beers are damn good. (Incidentally, Junction Craft brews were also among those sampled Tuesday and their new Wakatu Pale Ale and Shinkansen — named after the Japanese bullet train and brewed with their recently departed intern — are both worth a mention, too).
For now though, the Liberty Village Brewing Company is starting things off with a pale ale. Participants of the tasting events back in November might recall this beer as the dry-hopped offering from the second evening of tastings, except when this version eventually hits the market, it will be redubbed 504 Pale Ale, after the streetcar that services the area the brewing company calls home.
True to the spirit of their tasting events, they assured me that this beer is the one that had the most positive feedback during their initial event so it seems fair to assume it will likewise be a hit when it becomes available publicly — something you can likely expect to happen around mid-April. This first batch will yield just five kegs, one of which is likely destined to remain at Junction Craft Brewing, and four of which will show up at an as-yet-unnamed Liberty Village bar.
The long term goal for the Liberty Village Brewing Company is still a brewery in their own neighbourhood, but for now they are content to take things slowly and are happy for the guidance they're receiving contract brewing in the Junction. If they're lucky, they might even have Doug Pengelly's brewing set-up figured out before they can afford to move into their own digs.
Photos by Andrew Williamson
Ben Johnson also writes about beer over on Ben's Beer Blog.
The always-comforting DineSafe database has shed light on relatively few horrors this week. None of Toronto's restaurants had to shut their doors on account of bad behaviour, and there were few crucial infractions. But 10 local restaurants did receive only a conditional pass. Here are the culprits and their sins.
Crema Coffee (Spadina)
Inspected on: March 14
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 2 (Significant: 2).
Crucial infractions include: N/A
Diner's Corner
Inspected on: March 13
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 2, Significant: 3, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: failure to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated, failure to thoroughly re-heat hazardous food items.
Fu Yao Supermarket
Inspected on: March 13
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 2, Significant: 5, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: failure to maintain hazardous foods at 4 C (40 F) or colder, failure to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.
Guy's Snack Service
Inspected on: March 12
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 8 (Minor: 5, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A
Pizza Nova (3928 Keele)
Inspected on: March 14
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1, Crucial: 1).
Crucial infractions include: failure to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.
San Kalp
Inspected on: March 15
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 4, Significant: 5).
Crucial Infractions include: N/A
Sobeys Express (207 Queens Quay W)
Inspected on: March 14
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 3, Significant: 2).
Crucial infractions include: N/A
Tasty & Tasty
Inspected on: March 12
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 2 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1).
Crucial infractions include: N/A
Treats (York University)
Inspected on: March 13
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3).
Crucial infractions include: N/A
No, this isn't a sprawling, multimillion-dollar McMansion. (For that sort of thing, check out last week's post.) But who says small packages (or rather, mortgages) can't offer a little charm? This east-end home is ideal for fat-cats who are stuck in the skinny-stray stage, offering great views and designer perks without the seven-figure deposit.
SPECS:
Address: 10 Dault Road
Price: $649,900
Lot size: 65.00x70.75
Storeys: 2
Bedrooms: 2+1
Bathrooms: 2
Parking spaces: 2
Walkouts: 3
NOTABLE FEATURES:
Wrought iron gate entry
Mature trees
Seasonal lakeviews
Stainless steel appliances
Quartz kitchen island
French doors
Skylights
Infrared sauna
GOOD FOR:
Nature lovers, Bluffs lovers, those who want to bathe under the stars (or "star" — this is Toronto, after all). Good for those who envision a starter home as something more than a 23rd floor one-bed-plus-den.
MOVE ON IF:
You have an anti-Scarborough-and-vicinity bias. You realize all of that green will be grey and/or absent for most of the year.
Additional Photos
If you had the dough, would you buy this home? Let us know where you stand in the comments below.
The angle at this newly opened Dundas West restaurant is to lure in locals with the casual laidback atmosphere and then tempt them with a menu full of decadent takes on classic daytime offerings. Oh, and the ceiling is just spectacular.
Read my profile of The Guild in the restaurants section.
Pink Tartan took the idea of fur as an accent, and ran with it. The fall/winter 2013 collection showcased yesterday on the first day of Toronto Fashion Week seemed to be built around monochromatic palettes - jumping from all pink to all blue looks to everything in between - and the unexpected use of corresponding dyed fur trim, collars, and sometimes entire clothing articles.
Check out the collection in our Style section.
Top photos by Dickson Ly
This week's travels take us to classically styled French Bistro La Societe at Bloor and Avenue, where we have not one but two cocktails to discuss!
The Bennet-Bellows Sour
The origins of the style of cocktail known as a 'sour' are said to be traced back to the British navy: soldiers were given lime juice to prevent scurvy, which they would then add to their daily ration of gin or rum to make it more palatable. Fast forward a few hundred years, and a sour is generally regarded as a mixture of liquor, citrus (commonly lemon) and sugar, with many bartenders opting to add egg whites. Drunk as an aperitif, a good sour should be fresh and bright, to awaken the palate for the meal to come.
Having a balance between alcohol and fruit juice is key, as they should enhance the flavour of one another. The Bennet-Bellows sour is a perfect example. An egg white, Makers Mark bourbon, cardamom-vanilla syrup, and fresh-squeezed lemon juice are dry shaken before ice is added for a second shake and strained into a chilled coupe glass. As a final touch, a float of Averna (an Italian liqueur, usually drunk as a digestivo) is added.
To make:
1 Egg white
2oz Maker's Mark Bourbon
¼ of a lemon
¾oz Cardamom-Vanilla Syrup
Dry shake all ingredients for 20 seconds. Re-shake again with ice. Fine strain into cocktail glass. Float Averna by drizzling over the back of a bar spoon.
Cardamom-vanilla syrup:
Combine equal parts sugar and water to fill a litre container. Add 1 Vanilla bean pod, and 4 pods crushed Green Cardamom. Stir over heat until sugars dissolve and reduce slightly.
Name this cocktail for a chance to enjoy one on the house at La Societe.
The green bottle, tucked mysteriously away on a back shelf, will be a familiar sight to many bar patrons the world over, but few are as familiar with the complex and distinctive flavours of Chartreuse. Its popularity in cocktail making has risen of late Toronto with the return to popularity of the Last Word (a prohibition-era mixture of gin, maraschino liqueur, green Chartreuse, and lime juice), but it remains a great challenge for any bartender learning their craft to successfully balance the intense herbal flavours in a mixed drink.
James LeBerg was asked to make a cocktail containing Chartreuse on the fly by famed Master Sommelier John Szabo. James loved the drink he came up with (a herbal take on the classic Corpse Reviver No. 2), and it'll be featured on the new cocktail list launching soon at La Societe.
He starts by filling a coupe glass with ice and a touch of Herbsaint Absinthe. While the glass chills, he adds Victoria gin, Lillet Blanc, green chartreuse and a quarter lemon (squeezed) to a Boston shaker before ice is added, and everything is stirred. The ice is tossed out of the coupe to make room for the drink to be strained into (though the flavour of the absinthe remains), and finally the drink is garnished with a lemon twist. The result is a beautifully balanced cocktail.
Unfortunately, he can't think of a name for it, and is inviting readers to suggest something. Leave your idea in the comments section. The winner, picked by James, will have his or her suggestion immortalized in print on the new cocktail menu at La Societe, and also get to enjoy one on the house as a thank-you.
To make:
Chill coupe glass with ice and ¼oz Herbsaint Absinthe
In mixing glass, add:
1oz Victoria Gin
1oz Lillet Blanc
½oz Green Chartreuse
¼ of a lemon
Stir, and strain into glass (toss out the ice first!). Garnish with lemon twist.
Photos by Morris Lum
Chloe Comme Parris fall/winter 2013 was nineties teen angst personified. Aside from the models' moody walks and loud rock music blaring in the background, the collection used elements like military influences, holographic black leather, and blue velvet - topped off with silver chokers and thigh-high nylons - to bring back the best of the decade we all know and love.
See the collection in our Style section.
Top photo by Dickson Ly
