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Inside the new Mill Street Beer Hall

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Mill Street BreweryA few weeks ago Mill Street Brewery announced an extension to the Mill Street Brew Pub with the launch of a second location, dubbed The Beer Hall. The new location aims to take a sophisticated approach to the classic Bavarian beer hall and boasts not only an elaborate system that delivers beer directly from the nearby brewery but also an impressive still that will be used to distill biershnaps, a dry spirit that's not available anywhere else in Canada, meaning that for the first time in 70 years, spirits will again be distilled in the Distillery District.

I spoke recently via e-mail with Mill Street's brewmaster-cum-distiller, Joel Manning and Chef Elizabeth Rivasplata, who will be helming the new location's kitchen, about what Torontonians can expect at The Beer Hall and what exactly biershnaps is all about.

Can you tell me a little bit about biershnaps? Not only is no one in Toronto making it, I'm pretty sure you can't even buy it anywhere in the city (or maybe even the country?). What exactly is it and what does it taste like?

Joel: "Bierschnaps is not available in Canada — certainly not on a regular basis as far as we know anyways — and we are the only Bierschnaps distillery here. It's a spirit that is classically made in Germany by distilling beer into a clear, colourless spirit and adding a small amount of cane sugar. It is different from American schnapps which is a liqueur and very sweet — our Bierschnaps is quite dry and designed to show off the quality of the spirit, not mask it with sugar. It's made through a double distillation process that involves a beer still and a copper spirit still with a rectifying column that produces a very smooth, pure spirit. The distinctive malt and hop character of our beers are distilled with the alcohol and make our Bierschnaps a perfect accompaniment for a pint of your favourite Mill Street beer.

We'll have biershnaps brewed using a few of our beers and each will have unique characteristics. Our Tankhouse Bierschnaps will embody the bold flavours and smoothness of this beer, with Cascade hops on the nose and finish but with our signature five malts used in this beer providing a smooth maltiness reminiscent of an unaged single malt whisky. This biershnaps is 45% ABV.

Mill Street Beer HallWhere did that gorgeous still come from?

Joel: "The still was built by Kothe Distilling Technologies in Germany. It is a pair of stills actually — the stainless steel beer still and then the copper spirit still that does the second distillation along with the copper rectifying column."

Who will serve as your master distiller? Are you doing double duty as brewmaster?

Joel: "I'll oversee the operation of the still and development of the Schnaps and other products that we develop, but the day to day operation of the still will be done by Kaitlin Vandenbosch. Kaitlin has an MSc in Brewing and Distilling from Heriott-Watt University in Edinburgh."

Will we eventually see biershnaps for sale in the bottle, or is this something that will be exclusive to The Beer Hall? Can we anticipate an eventual LCBO release?

Joel: "The Bierschnaps will be exclusive to the Beer Hall and our retail store at the Brewpub in the Distillery District. You will be able to order it at our bars to drink in the pub alongside your favourite Mill Street beer or buy bottles of it in our retail store to take home. We will likely release it to the LCBO at some point in the near future but we don't have a date for that yet."

Mill Street Beer HallAny plans to broaden distilling operations? I know that you need to age whisky three years before you can sell it in Canada. Any chance there's a secret cellar at The Beer Hall with something awesome aging in barrels? Or is there Mill Street vodka or gin on the horizon?

Joel: "We will only make Bierschnaps to begin with — we are brewers first and foremost and we are making the Schnaps because it is a directly derivative product of our beer and it is delicious. There are a lot of vodkas and gins out there and we're not interested in getting into that game, but we will make malt whisky in the near future and squirrel some barrels away to bring out when it is ready in several years.

We have been working on recipes for it and we are very confident that we can make extraordinary whisky on this still — the double distillation technique that we are using is classically what is used to make whisky. Being at the Distillery District where millions of gallons of whisky were made over the years, I think that the ghosts of distillers past would be angry with us if we didn't.

We'll are also getting into some oak aging with our Schnaps products and will be coming out with a "Hopfenschnaps" which is a stronger (55% ABV) version of our Bierschnaps but loaded up with a ton of varietal hops. It is the hoppiest thing you have ever tasted in your life but it has no bitterness at all since the bittering acids don't come forward when you distill hops."

Can you tell me a little bit about the draught delivery system? Is beer actually piped directly from the brewery to these taps and to the still?

Joel: "Yes! The draught lines run through copper pipes overhead from the brewery directly to the bars in the Beer Hall so the customers can see exactly where their beer is coming from. Four of these copper pipes bring beer from the brewery to the two bars in the Beer Hall and the fifth pipe brings beer from the brewery to the Bierschnaps distillery. Our beer is the raw material for the Bierschnaps."

Will the Beer Hall feature a different beer lineup than the brew pub? Or can we expect beer exclusive to the new location?

Joel: "There are three new beers being made for the opening of the Beer Hall that will be available permanently. They are:

1. Minimus Dubbel (8.5% ABV). This is a classical dark brown Belgian abbey-style beer made with a variety of malts and traditional Belgian candy sugar. It has a soured mash in order to give it a slight acidity to offset the sweetness of the malt and the sugar and has aged hops used in it which is traditional for this style of beer. The Minimus also has French oak infusion spirals in it to give it an oaky softness that is also typical of these beers. It is served unfiltered. The name is from the latin expression "minima maxima sunt" (The smallest things are most important — Ben)

2. Distillery Ale (6% ABV) This is a copper coloured English-style Old Ale made with English floor malted maris-otter pale malt and caramel and chocolate malt and a whole pile of English Fuggles and Goldings hops. Old Ales are similar to Barley Wines only smaller. This is a style of English Ale that would have been around back in the old days of the Distillery District and the founders would have been very familiar with.

3. Ampel Weiss (3.8% ABV) This is a Berliner-style Weissbier made with a lactic fermentation and a blend of wheat and barley malts. Pale straw coloured, this is a very dry beer with a profound sour tartness that makes it extremely refreshing. We will serve this in the traditional way giving drinkers the choice of drinking it straight or with a "Schuss" (a shot) of raspberry syrup or woodruff syrup (imported from Germany). The beer is pale amber, the raspberry syrup is crimson red and the woodruff syrup is bright green which creates a "traffic light" (Ampel in German) effect when you try a flight of all three versions together at the Beer Hall."

Mill Street Beer HallWhat about the food? Can we expect fancier fare, or will this be strictly bar food?

Elizabeth: "The menu is a sharing-style menu: seasonal, fun, and unpretentious. We'll be playing with some bar classics too and giving them our own twist."

I see that beer-infused items will be featured on the menu. Can you tell me what sort of food that will include? Will there be a variety of Mill Street beers incorporated?

Elizabeth: "We are trying to incorporate beer in most of the dishes from savoury to desserts. I would say 80% to 90% of the menu contains beer. We'll use Mill Street Organic to make flatbread dough fresh daily, we'll have Green Thai Curry mussels made with Mill Street Lemon Tea, braised short ribs with house-brewed beer glaze, Charcuterie boards with house-made cured meats like Tankhouse Ale bratwurst, and wild boar bratwurst. Additionally, all the menu items will feature a suggested beer pairing from Joel."

The Mill Street Beer Hall will officially open on Thursday, April 18th and the space's covered, 100-foot courtyard patio will likely open in mid-May in time for their grand opening party on Thursday May 23rd.

Ben Johnson also writes about beer over on Ben's Beer Blog.


Red-Tailed Hawk

Radar: Colour Shift Collective, Fahrenheit 451 with Michael Johnstone, GE Cafe Chef Series, Big In Germany

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Colourshift Abstract CollectiveToronto events for Tuesday, April 9, 2013

ART | Colourshift Collective Sustenance Show
The five abstract artists behind Colourshift Collective explore artistic sustenance and the inspirations that drive creative intellectuals to continue to produce in Sustenance, a new show opening at the Distillery District's Arta Gallery today. Scott Garant, Lisa Hickey, Sann Sann Lam, Kate Taylor and Karen Taylor use vibrant colours and the movement of nature to show what inspires them to sustain their personal interpretations through painted visuals. The opening reception will take place at the gallery on Thursday evening at 6PM with the artists present.
Arta Gallery (14 Distillery Lane) 10AM Free

FILM | Fahrenheit 451 with Michael Johnstone
If you caught either of last week's two independent screenings of Francois Truffaut's 1966 adaptation of Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" (and even if you didn't), tonight's public discussion of the film will be of interest of you. The futuristic science fiction film that takes place in an oppressive society, where firemen's sole duty is to burn books, is one that has been equally well-received and bashed by critics. Professor of Science Fiction Michael Johnstone examines the film and the challenges of adapting scifi from novel to screen in tonight's free public discussion. To register for the event, call 416-395-5639.
North York Central Library Auditorium (5120 Yonge Street) 7PM Free

FOOD | GE Cafe Chef Series: A Raw and Wild Spring
Everyone is trying to get back into shape with this week's warm(er) weather and the Evergreen Brick Works GE Café Chef Series weekly series is expanding to reflect the shedding of winter coats. Executive vegan chef Doug McNish leads this month's workshop that includes a small, intimate cooking demo, by focusing on raw and organic vegan foods. Dinner will be served as the following course is prepared in front of the audience. By the end of the evening, attendees will have had a full gourmet meal prepared by a renowned chef and will have sampled several wine pairings to match. Tickets to tonight's — and each month's — workshop are available at http://ebw.evergreen.ca/whats-on/food/chefs-series.
Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Avenue) 6PM $75

THEATRE | Big In Germany
The Omnipotents are Canada's greatest rock 'n roll band that are virtually unknown in their homeland. While they sell out arenas and festivals in Germany, nobody in Canada seems to recognize their platinum albums, forcing them to work in the local porn industry to make money while home. A satirical play about the Canadian entertainment industry, written by playwright Rob Salerno, Big In Germany points out the flaws in the Canadian entertainment industry while examining a phenomenon few have experienced (looking at you, Hasselhoff). Big In Germany, untrue to its name, has toured across Canada and in Europe to strong reviews. Tickets are available in advance on the Buddies In Bad Times website or at the door.
Buddies In Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street) 8PM $25 door $20 advance

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.

Image: Lisa Hickey from the Colour Shift Collective

Morning Brew: No casino deal for Toronto, Wynne says traffic hurting Toronto, Doug Ford could win election, notes from Ford, GO gets wifi, and acrobatic raccoons

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toronto derelictPremier Kathleen Wynne maintains Toronto won't get a special revenue-sharing deal from the province on a new casino. A city report released yesterday recommended council only agree to the deal for a guaranteed $100 million hosting fee and an even split of revenues. Wynne says the formula for sharing gambling revenue must be the same for all of Ontario. Is she right?

Also in Wynne, the Premier says transit taxes are necessary to ensure Toronto's reputation isn't damaged by congestion. Speaking before the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Wynne said there was "no war on cars, cyclists, or transit," just "a better way forward." Is the city getting a reputation for gridlock?

Meanwhile, a new poll suggests Doug Ford would win the Etobicoke North seat if he ran against the Shafiq Qaadri, the Liberal incumbent, in a provincial election. If Ford were to take the seat he would give the PC's their first Toronto seat in years. The Forum Research poll printed by the Star shows 46% support for Rob Ford's older brother. Should he run?

Also in Doug Ford, the Etobicoke councillor spent parts of an in camera session of the government management committee yesterday taping hand-written notes to the door. There were 5 in total, reading: "I *heart* media," "I love casino & jobs," "Toronto needs larger convention center's [sic]," "casino helps build subways," and "10,000 job's [sic]." Maybe we can expect more of this creative communication in future. [Images via Don Peat]

GO Transit has pipped the TTC to become the first Toronto-region transit agency to offer free wifi to its customers. Riders at Clarkson and Pickering stops can now use a trial version of the network that's expected expand to Oakville in a couple of weeks. The service isn't yet available on trains or buses. The TTC is currently planning to bring wifi to the subway.

Looks like Stephen Harper doesn't think the green GO livery matches his party's palette. Two trains, clearly GO Transit locomotives, appear in Photoshopped blue without their logo on the Department of Finance website and cover of information material. It's not the first time the Conservative party has been criticized for it's choice of colours, but this time it's being blamed on an advertising firm.

It hurt to be a Jays fan this Sunday. The team were walloped 13-0 by the Boston Red Sox at home, giving the new-look team a 2-4 season record. To add insult to injury, Ace, the team's mascot, took a full speed run into a wall. Ouch.

Toronto's raccoons really are getting acrobatic. This little critter spotted walking a high wire in the city's east end seems to have perfect balance in addition to the ability to hack into even the toughest compost bin.

IN BRIEF:

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Dominic Bugatto/blogTO Flickr pool.

This Week in Home Video: Naked Lunch, Korean fantasy, Astron-6 and Toronto Public Library classics

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Naked LunchThis 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.

NEW THIS WEEK

Naked Lunch(The Criterion Collection)

A quiet week for new home video releases nonetheless fronted by an outstanding Hi-Def re-release of home boy David Cronenberg's narco masterpiece Naked Lunch. Bug powder dust and mugwump jism get the high grade Criterion spit and polish, bringing a visual clarity to the madness of Interzone unseen since the original 35mm prints rolled out in theatres in 1991.

After his trail blazing 1970s and '80s run inventing the genre of Canadian body horror, Naked Lunch marked the beginning of Cronenberg's new era as a film festival art-house darling, perfectly realizing an "un-filmable" William S Burroughs book long before Lord of the Rings and Watchmen were a twinkle in Hollywood's eye, and now currently collecting dust in Walmart dump bins across the land. Only a Toronto lad could go there, and strangely this is one of his back catalogue that gets overlooked because of it's hazy dream like quality which this Bluray release captures better than any previous home video versions. Check it out, future classical stylings from the Toronto Don of cinema.

Extras include an audio commentary with Cronenberg and actor Peter Weller, "Naked Making Lunch" a vintage 1992 television documentary, Special effects gallery, Audio recordings of William S. Burroughs reading from Naked Lunch, and a gallery of photos taken by poet Allen Ginsberg of Burroughs.

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

Woochi: The Demon Slayer (Shout!Factory)

Gonzo South Korean fantasy plays like fever dream of what Harry Potter would have looked like if he had been based on the debaucherous life of Charlie Sheen. Jeon Woo-chi is a drunken, boorish, womanzing wizard forced into present day Korea to fight evil goblins. Featuring absolutely bonkers choreography from Doo-Hong Jung (GI Joe: Retaliation) and a hilarious host of extras including a look at how CGI and wire-fu come together to make movie magic.

Father's Day (Troma)
Astron-6 is a Wu-Tang like film collective straight outta Winnipeg, whose tremendous cinematic achievement seems to be demonically fuelled by all those sweaty nightmares doled out by the lurid covers of dusty, over-sized VHS boxes in the horror section at the local Mom & Pop video stores in the 1980s and 90s that promised more than they could ever realistically deliver. Astron-6 actually delivers. Make no mistake, this is the stuff of video trash legend: hugely offensive (making light of male rape within its opening moments, hello) beserk film-making from the Vestron school of poor taste. Ironically distributed by legendary sewer grade studio Troma, who on the basis of social media sniping, are involved in some kind of nasty dust-up with the Astron-6 boys. Tune in next week when their much family friendlier follow up Sc-Fi epic Manborg hits the street..

Hyde Park on Hudson (eOne Films)

As usual Bill Murray puts in a workmanlike performance as FDR in this pleasant historical drama which plows along like a jolly extended episode of Masterpiece Theatre. US President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Murray) and his wife, Eleanor (Olivia Williams), invite the King and Queen of England for a weekend at their home in upstate New York. Since the reclusive Murray only makes 1 film every few years now, this one feels like a wasted opportunity.

Major Dundee (Twilight Time)

Sam "The Wild Bunch" Peckinpah, undefeated master of the untamed and violent Wild West, directed this classy Western with that paragon of gun worship Charlton Heston, but sadly what should have been a career high point for both was greatly diminished by the old chestnut that is studio interference. Even still, what remains is a glimpse of how bad ass movies could have been in the restrictive mid-60s had it not been for squares running the studios.

STILL FRESH

KNOW YOUR LOCAL VIDEO STORE - THE TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY

Did you know that the largest DVD rental chain in our city is the Toronto Public Library?
Thankfully, in addition to the rows of new Hollywood fare there's lots of classic film history, documentaries and Canadian features on hand, all of which are worth your precious movie watching time. And if you have membership, it's free. We asked the TPL for a list of 10 great movies in their system they recommend to film lovers, and here is what they suggested:

Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner)

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

The Celluloid Closet

City Lights

Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Story

Incendies

Neil Young: Journeys

The King Speaks

Up the Yangtzee

Whale Music

5 events to check out at the Spur Festival in Toronto

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Spur Festival Toronto2013 is the inaugural year of the Spur Festival, a national festival of politics, art and ideas taking place in Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver. The festival's objective is to spark dialogue on current issues and to generate new ideas about how to move our country forward, with a variety of events like debates, panel discussions, writer's talks, and theatrical performances.

The Toronto edition takes place April 11-14. With its theme of the bottom line, the festival explores links between the economy, arts, politics and culture. Events range in price from free to $30, with reduced prices for students, and are held at various Yorkville-area venues.

Festival Director Helen Walsh hopes to create an open and respectful forum for debate that rises above extreme partisan rhetoric. To target students and the under-35 crowd, Spur offers emerging scholars and public fellows programs, student deals, younger speakers, and nighttime bar events. For Walsh, the festival is about having serious discussion and fun at the same time. She has plans to expand Spur to more cities in the future, like Calgary, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.

If you're looking to get a bit cerebral this spring (or to get some good material to sound impressive at dinner parties), here are some highlights from the festival's roster of events:

April 11: The Future of the Book
This free debate at the Toronto Reference Library explores what technological developments mean for literature and publishing, and features Paul Holdengräber of the New York Public Library and Hugh McGuire, founder of the online e-book publishing site pressbooks.com. The debate is moderated by Toronto Life's editor-in-chief Sarah Fulford (who probably has some vested interest in the issue of technology and publishing).

April 11 and 12: Bar Car
The Thursday and Friday nights of the festival offer live music from local acts at the Pilot Tavern ($10 cover). Thursday night features Toronto's R&B and funk ensemble Soul Stew, and things get jazzy on Friday with Grossman's Tavern regulars Happy Pals.

April 12: Political Satire: Does it Matter?
This panel discussion on the importance of political satire should be entertaining--who wouldn't want to hear Todd Hanson, writer and editor of The Onion, ponder the role of political satire in driving social change? The event also features SCTV and SNL alum Robin Duke, Andy Bichlbaum of The Yes Men, and humour novelist Terry Fallis.

April 13 and 14: All the World's A Stage
Spur features outdoor walking events since, in the words of Director Helen Walsh, "sometimes you need to move the body to move the mind...and it's spring in Toronto!" On the Saturday morning, playwright Ins Choi (of Kim's Convenience fame) will deliver a walking theatrical piece around UofT, Koreatown, and the Annex. On the Sunday, you can stroll among the Yorkville's glitzy storefronts while learning about the neighbourhood's counterculture hippie past, with expert historian Stuart Henderson.

April 14: Vested Interests in Politics
Does money bring political influence? Umm...seems like an obvious question, no? Still, it should be interesting to hear this discussion between two informed insiders: The New Yorker's Hendrik Hertzberg, and Consumer News' Managing Director and Editor Chrystia Freeland (who was also formerly an editor with The Globe and Mail, and contributor to the Financial Times, The Washington Post, and The Economist).

Photo by Connie Tsang

Jessie Ware hosts her first Toronto love-in

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Jessie Ware TorontoBritish singer Jessie Ware never performed at Toronto's smaller venues. With North America lagging behind on the attention the R&B artist got with her 2012 Mercury Prize-nominated debut, Devotion — which will officially be released in the US next week — Ware's rising star status on this side of the ocean has left audiences anxiously waiting for her shows and subsequently buying up all the tickets for almost every stop of her tour. This brings us to her first Toronto show ever: a packed room at the Opera House on Saturday night where fans who had long familiarized themselves with her record were ready to belt out the words to every song.

Jessie Ware TorontoEven with the decidedly larger venue choice, Ware's immediate sense of warmth and compassion made the room feel as tiny as the cafe I'm sitting in right now. The effortlessness her performance speaks volumes about the amount of talent the singer possesses. That she creates an environment where the crowd feels just as comfortable to wave their hands, sing along and dance to everything, from the power ballads to the more guitar and bass grooving jams is a testament to her own ease on stage.

Ware's set-up was spare and simplistic — she was merely backed by a three-piece band — and allowed for her to shine with her velvet voice and oddball wit. Between songs, she'd joke around with people throughout the venue, be they at the front or all the way up on the balcony, which gave the impression that she was our best friend. It's an inevitable love-fest waiting to happen every time she steps onstage, with her one-two punch of great music and a charming personality.

Jessie Ware TorontoIt takes a lot of talent and effort to pull off the minimalistic yet spectacular show Jessie Ware puts on, and it was about time Toronto got a taste of it. Even if her next trip calls for an even larger venue, we'd all happily return, demanding for her music and friendship.

Jessie Ware TorontoPhotos by Alejandro Santiago

$1.2 million bike storage facility coming to City Hall

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toronto bike parkingCity council might not always like bike lanes, but the parking garage under Nathan Phillips Square is going to be getting a full-featured, $1.2 million bicycle storage area very soon. And no, this one's not an April Fool's joke.

Approved 3-2 yesterday by the government management committee, the bike corral will include 380 secure storage lockers, four showers, pumps, and basic tools for minor mechanical tweaks. The area will be accessible 24-hours a day and be open to all cyclists.

Construction, funded under the revitalization budget for the Nathan Phillips Square, was deferred in July 2011 when it was discovered losing 24 parking spaces would cost Toronto Parking Services around $70,000 a year. Coun. Mary Fragedakis successfully motioned to waive the lost revenue pending final approval by city council next month.

Coun. Doug Ford called the loss of revenue from the parking spaces "disgusting." "That's the gravy train. That is reckless spending," he added. "To put showers here at City Hall at $1.2 million. It's disgusting."

Jared Kolb, Executive Director of Cycle Toronto, visited the garage on several occasions and found many of the spaces on the lower levels empty, generating zero revenue.

"[Cyclists] need access to safe and secure parking, and people want shower and change facilities to get into their work clothes after a sweaty commute," says Kolb. "This helps enable and extend cycling to more people."

Though use of the bike lockers requires payment of a fee - $2.15 for single use by non members or a discounted rate with a $26.91 lifetime membership - the charges are only intended to cover the operating costs. A similar bike storage area with without showers is already open at Union Station - another at Victoria Park station accepted its first bike in May. Pape and Finch West subway stations will get theirs in the next few years.

What do you think of the new bike parking? Should the city be taking away more parking spaces and making it convenient to cycle to work, or is the money all that matters?

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: ZensLens/blogTO Flickr pool.


This week on DineSafe: Govardhan Thal, Harvest Grille and Panini Shoppe, Tea Shop 168, Honey B Hives

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DineSafe Toronto The venerable DineSafe database has pinpointed few serious infractions this week, and no major chains are in the spotlight. Sooriyan, Tea Shop 168 and Icy Spicy Fusion Restaurant (does this place sound terrifying to you, too?) all seemed to struggle with food safety. This is a wonderful bit of irony in the latter's case, as one of the key infractions was failure to keep food, well, icy. But at least there were no reports of rats in the soup. On that note, bon appetit...or something. Behold, this week's screw-ups.

Govardhan Thal
Inspected on: April 2
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 2, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Harvest Grill & Panini Shop
Inspected on: April 4
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 2, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Icy Spicy Fusion Restaurant
Inspected on: April 4
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 6 (Significant: 4, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated, failure to maintain hazardous foods at 4 C (40 F) or colder.

Sooriyan
Inspected on: April 4
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 3 (Significant: 1, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated, failure to maintain hazardous foods at 4 C (40 F) or colder.

Tea Shop 168
Inspected on: April 4
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to maintain hazardous foods at 4 C (40 F) or colder.

Honey B Hives
Inspected on: April 4
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Where to bet on horses and pretend you're Don Draper

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Turf Lounge TorontoWith its dark-hues, suit-clad clientele and horse wagering, this Woodbine Entertainment-owned lounge has an undeniable Mad Men vibe going on. That won't appeal to everyone, but given its location at Bay and Adelaide, the concept works well for the target audience.

Read my profile of Turf Lounge in the restaurants section.

House of the week: 41 Austin Avenue

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41 Austin Avenue TorontoThis peculiar mini-house is the definition of a fixer-upper. But at the same time, it's undeniably adorable. Despite the fact that the kitchen looks like a horrendous decorating disaster circa 1994, 41 Austin Avenue might just be a caterpillar some future owner turns into a butterfly — or, more size-appropriately, the closest thing you'll find to a real life dollhouse.

Toronto Real EstateThe strange little (upper) Leslieville property, near Jones and Gerrard, is only about 900 square feet. It's advertised as a condo alternative, and in order to make bring out its full potential, the buyer would have to make some serious renos, including gutting the kitchen, investing in some new tile/other solution in the washroom, and installing new light fixtures. That said, for a house in Toronto, especially one within a reasonable distance to downtown/transit/retail/etc., this isn't a wretched price. The house isn't hopeless by any means, especially if you're handy and, yes, free of multiple kids.

Toronto Real EstateSPECS:

Address: 41 Austin Ave.
Price: $499,000
Size: 900 SF
Storeys: 2
Bedrooms: 1+1
Bathrooms: 1
Parking Spaces: 2
Property Taxes: $2830.30

Toronto Real EstateNOTABLE FEATURES

Large back deck (needs: fairy lights, prayer flag, barbeque)
Heinous green kitchen that just might come back into fashion if you wait long enough
Custom storage in the master bedroom
Custom closets
Gas stove
On-site laundry (in the kitchen — yuck)

Toronto Real EstateGOOD FOR

This house would be ideal for a couple of DIY mavens just starting out. Or a couple of dolls. Or Alice in Wonderland. Or someone short like me — alas, I don't have any money.

Toronto Real EstateMOVE ON IF

You think you might need more space anytime soon. Or, if you have small person's disease. Keeping up with the Joneses ain't going to be easy.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES

Toronto Real EstateToronto Real EstateToronto Real EstateCould you make this mini-house work?

Photos and information sourced from urbaneer.com. Check it out for further info.

Read other posts in this series via our House of the Week Pinterest board.

Drake Hotel unveils details of their new restaurant

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Drake 150The Drake Hotel officially announced plans for Drake One Fifty today. As previously known, this 6,000sf restaurant isn't going to be the newest Parkdale/Junction/West Queen West haunt. In fact, Drake One Fifty will be situated right in the heart of Toronto's Financial District at 150 York St. An interesting move for the hip hotel brand which has long distanced itself from central spots such as this.

Set to open in early Summer, the restaurant will seat 175 guests and will include a dining room, 70-seater patio (a hot commodity in this neighborhood), bar, "micro-Drake General Store," curated art gallery and a performance space. So basically, it's the Drake Hotel, just set in a neighborhood where none of their current clientele would step foot for dinner, unless entertaining their in-laws with a Mirvish show, or lining up for a bite at neighbouring Momofuku. Interesting choice.

Executive Chef Ted Corrado, formerly of the ambitious C5 at the ROM (now shuttered) and current corporate executive chef at the Drake, will oversee the menu, including both lunch and dinner, serving up the same dining ethos we've all grown to love and crave: a contemporary take on classic comfort food.

As someone who now lives on the east side of University, after years of calling west end neighborhoods like Parkdale and Little Italy home, a move like this definitely sparks my interest. Not having to endure a tenuous, unreliable, 30-minute streetcar ride to get to my favourite west end brunch splurge spot will be a welcome change. I just wonder how the bankers, lawyers and general business folk will embrace their new neighbour.

Will the Drake really be the Drake without the creative class that generally populate the dining room and patio? Or will this new incarnation be a complete change, and a welcome addition to the "power lunch" set? It's definitely a nice escape from spending your lunch hour trapped in the PATH.

New timelapse shows off Toronto in all its majesty

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Toronto Timelapse JavinToronto has been the subject of its fair share of timelapses over the last few years, some of which have been better than others. Admittedly, it's hard to do something entirely new on a thematic level — the point of these works, after all, is to assemble a series of scenes that show off the city at its majestic best. Narrative isn't the name of the game. What makes each one different from the next is the new views of the city that a given photographer has sussed out for our collective delectation. Why make it more complicated than that?

The latest timelapse to join a local collection that includes strong efforts from Ryan Emond and Tom Ryaboi comes from Javin Lau (who, in the interest of disclosure, I should note shoots for blogTO from time to time). While there are few vantage points common to the work of all three, there's plenty of new stuff here to warrant hitting the play button.

Enjoy.

Toronto is Home from Javin Lau on Vimeo.

New Club District bar tests if medium is the message

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Media Bar TorontoA new bar in the Club District combines TV, film and communication with Tequila Sunrises, Flirtinis and Cosmopolitans. Would the experience be more Vice Magazine or Globe & Mail?

Find out in my review of Media Bar in the bars section.

Enclosed Field


By the numbers: The West Toronto Diamond project

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west toronto diamondThe West Toronto Diamond grade separation, just up the Kitchener GO line from the Strachan Overpass at Keele and Dundas, is another major rail construction project putting up big numbers.

The complex intersection of old CP and CN tracks that gave the Junction neighbourhood its name is being completely reconfigured to ease freight and passenger train bottlenecks. In the absence of altered track, the arrival of the Union-Pearson Express would have further strained the already overtaxed corridor.

toronto junctionPut as simply as possible, Metrolinx is digging a tunnel beneath the east-west CPR tracks and adding two additional tracks to the north-south route. Just north of the old intersection, a new wye, a triangular rail interchange, will allow eastbound CPR cargo trains to pass over the new tracks and head north.

In the past, the Junction had to be managed by a complex system of switches, derailing devices, and signals controlled from a central tower to prevent trains crossing onto the wrong tracks. The system was controlled remotely after 1965.toronto junctionWhen the new underpass and wye are in place, GO and UP Express trains will be able to breeze through the West Toronto Diamond without a potentially perilous at-grade crossing with the CPR tracks. For the first time in more than 100 years, two major rail lines will not be meeting directly in West Toronto thanks to a new 1-kilometre lowered railway corridor and series of bridges, each one spanning 11-metres.toronto junctionTwo of the four bridges used in the project will be built away from their final location and slowly eased into place over a period of between 5 and 10 hours. It's the first time a slide-in bridge of any kind has been installed on a Canadian railway.

Here's the project by the numbers:

Rail companies using the corridor: 4 (CPR, CNR, GO Transit, and Via)
Project lifespan: 100 years
Project stages: 4 (2006-2015)
New tracks: 2
Number of pipe-piles reinforcing lowered corridor walls: 2,338
Deepest piles: 23m
Concrete used: 55,000 cubic metres - enough to fill Union Station's Great Hall
Excavation: 9m (max)
Soil removed: 200,000 cubic metres - enough to fill 80 Olympic swimming pools
Number of bridges: 4
Total bridge weight: 10,000 tonnes
Total bridge weight measured in empty 12-car GO trains: 14

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Metrolinx, City of Toronto Archives, MrDanMofo/blogTO Flickr pool.

Contest: Win tickets to Bud Light Presents Sensation

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Bud Light SensationThis June 1st, Bud Light presents Sensation: Ocean of White at the Rogers Centre. This is the world's biggest dance event and it's coming to Toronto for the first time. If you're a music fan this is where you need to be and we want to give you the chance to win passes to this epic event.

For details on how to enter head over to our contest page.

What Corktown used to look like in Toronto

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Corktown History TorontoFor all the changes it's undergone over the last century, Corktown remains one of those Toronto neighbourhoods that shows off its historical character well. That is, if you know where to look. Along with landmarks like the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse and St. Paul's Basilica, short streets like Bright, Ashby Place and Wilkins Avenue offer some of the best examples of 19th century row-housing in the city. It's difficult to stroll along them and not imagine Toronto as it once was.

Although the general consensus is that the neighbourhood took its name on account of the famine-fleeing Irish immigrants who took up residence here in order to be close to the various breweries, brickyards and mills in the vicinity, some have speculated that the preponderance of cork from nearby distilleries might have some etymological significance as well. I doubt it, but it's an interesting enough theory.

Life in Corktown at the turn of the century were anything but rosy. While the remaining historical homes look quaint today, the area was once dotted with slum housing occupied by poverty-stricken residents. The bulk of the photographs below, in fact, were taken by Toronto's public health department, which was tasked with documenting the conditions in the neighbourhood.

Certainly one of the busiest places in Corktown during this period was the House of Providence, a Catholic charity that still exists to this day. Originally housed in a majestic building on Power Street that opened in 1857, the institution provided care and support for the many downtrodden residents of the area. In somewhat typical Toronto fashion, the structure was demolished in 1962 to make way for the Richmond off-ramp from the Don Valley Parkway. Along with the loss of the House of Providence, DVP-related construction wiped out hundreds of historic homes in Corktown.

Today the neighbourhood is in the midst of widespread redevelopment. Along with the condos that have popped up on King East over the last few years, the nearby West Don Lands development is set to completely transform the area to the southeast, which is bound to have a ripple effect on the streets to the west.

There's a certain lazy quality to King Street between Parliament and River streets, which always gets me in a historical state of mind, but this latest influx of residents to the area might very well serve to make the streetscape more vibrant — and that's nothing to complain about. If anyone suggests messing with Bright Street and Ashby Place, on the other hand, I won't be a happy camper.

See also:

What Queen East used to look like in Toronto
When the Distillery District produced booze and bombs

MAPS

2013410-goads-corktown.jpgGoad's Atlas, 1903

Corktown TorontoGoogle Satellite View, present day

IMAGES

2013410-House_of_Providence_Toronto.jpgHouse of Providence, opened 1857

2013410-trinity-church-1900s.jpgTrinity Church, 1900s

2013410-gilead-place-1912.jpgGilead Place, 1912

2013410-512-516-king-east-1913.jpg512-516 King East, 1913

2013410-487-king-1917.jpg487 King Street, 1917

2013410-queen-tracy-1919-f1231_it0825.jpgQueen and Tracy streets, 1919

2013410-sumach-south-king-1932.jpgSumach Street looking south to King, 1932

2013410-9-15-power-street-1936.jpgAbove 9-15 Power Street (House of Providence to the left), 1936

2013410-38-44-bright-street-1936.jpg38-44 Bright Street, 1936

2013410-gilead-place-1936.jpgGilead Place, 1936

2013410-king-west-sackville-1936.jpgKing looking west at Sackville, 1936

2013410-king-east-sackville-1936.jpgLing looking east at Sackville, 1936

2013410-480-482-king-east-1936.jpg480-482 King Street East, 1936

2013410-percy-1936.jpgPercy Street, 1936

2013410-22-26-sackville-1936.jpg22-26 Sackville Street, 1936

2013410-king-sumach-1936.jpgKing and Sumach, 1936

2013410-531-king-st-east-1937.jpg531 King Street East, 1937

2013410-51-division-alt.jpgFormer Consumers' Gas Co, Station A — now 51 Division (shot ca. 1990s)

2013410-can-opera-co.jpgWhat is now the Canadian Opera Company (227 Front Street East)

2013410-ashby-place-percy-dont-know-90s.jpgI initially thought this was Ashby Place, but now I doubt it. Suggestions (ca. early 1990s)?

Percy Street TorontoHere's the above photo of Percy Street flipped horizontally. Thanks to the first commenter.

MORE PHOTOS

In addition to the images above, I'd be remiss not to direct some attention to the great resource that Laurence Lui of the Corktown Residents & Business Association has put together. It features numerous photos not collected above and, perhaps best of all, plots them all on a map of the neighbourhood. Nicely done.

What's happening with the eyesore at Queen and Pape?

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queen and pape1003 Queen Street East is proof that not all condos in Toronto go to plan. The unfinished shell of the 12-unit low-rise building sits open to the elements on the southeast corner of Queen and Pape waiting for someone to rescue it from years in limbo. Thankfully, that might be about to happen.

Local councillor Paula Fletcher calls the project a "dog's breakfast." Construction began on the Film Studio Lofts, as it was first known, in 2006 but the project stalled soon after the foundations had been excavated and the basic shell welded together. Recently, the Rose and Thistle Group purchased the site as-is and, well, not much happened.

queen and papeAs of today the site is padlocked and the building is mostly open to the elements. A large concrete pit at the back is collecting rainwater dripping down through the centre of the building and several of the window frames sit empty. The boarding at street level preventing unwanted peering from passers-by has several layers of adverts, dating the site like tree rings.

"It's dreadful that someone could just start a building and leave it like that, including all of the scaffolding from the city," says Fletcher. "Apparently as long as you hammer one nail within a period of a year, your building permit is still good."

"This project is a very difficult project for the city because there are no levers to make somebody build something when they stop in the middle of it."

The issue of building permits is a complex one, but in essence very little work needs to be done to ensure developers are able to keep their site legally active. While it's fair to say most condo builders want their units purchased and occupied as soon as possible, the current rules leave the door open for troubled sites to freeze and atrophy when issues arise.

queen and papeGood news may be on the horizon, though. Norma Walton from the Rose and Thistle Group says they've received conditional approval under the New Home Warranties Plan Act to continue work on the site after months of waiting.

"We anticipate we'll be starting construction over the next two to four weeks." she says. "There's no structural or foundational issues. We'll be replacing all of the windows, we'll be replacing all of the yellow that's on there now ... we're confident the suites we're building will be of quality."

"I would think occupancy will happen within 12 months of today. We're excited about it, it's a great location. The shell looks good. Once we deal with the windows and the cladding we think it will be fantastic."

queen and papeThough this is undoubtedly a positive result for the neighbours and those looking to buy condos at this location, there are other sites in the city lying perpetually dormant. Coun. Fletcher cites 372-374 Coxwell Ave., also in her ward, as another example. Have you seen other dormant condos? Should the rules be changed to force action on ghost construction sites?

Thanks to Josh Newman who asked us to look into this.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Chris Bateman/blogTO

Should Porter be allowed to expand the Island Airport?

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Porter Island Airport ExpansionEarlier today Porter announced plans for a major expansion at the Island Airport, one that's sure to cause heated debate amongst downtown residents and at city council. The key points of the proposal include a request to allow jets to be flown out of Billy Bishop and for an extension of 10 per cent to either end of the airport. When news surfaced that the company had placed an order for 30 jets from Bombardier, it seemed like Porter was set to transfer significant operations to Pearson International on account of existing regulations at the Island. Nope.

If you live in a lakefront condo and are worried about the extra air traffic that such a proposal would bring to your front window, there's probably no need to panic just yet. Porter has quite a few hurdles to climb to make this happen. The regulations at YTZ are the product of an agreement between the municipal government, the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority — so all three parties will have to convinced of the merits of these plans before the airline can proceed.

Should Porter succeed, you can expect the company to add 14 new destinations, most of which are far longer routes than they currently offer. As to the likelihood of that happening, it's anyone's guess right now. The mayor has expressed support for expanded service at the Island Airport before, but area councillor Adam Vaughan will fight tooth and nail to prevent jet traffic in his ward. And that's not to mention the type of lobbying that an organization like CommunityAIR will do to block Porter's plans.

One of the obvious objections to the proposal is that an alteration to the regulations won't just apply to Porter, who claims the jets they have on order make no more noise that the turbo props they have in service right now. That may be the case, but other carriers with potentially louder planes would also stand to benefit from a decision to allow jet traffic on the Island.

Where do you stand? Would you like to see Porter's service at the Island expanded to include jets and new destinations? Or is the cost to our waterfront too high?

Photo by i duke in the blogTO Flickr pool

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