The rainy 2006 weather produced lean, elegant reds, while the blistering hot summer of 2007 was perfect for bold bottles. Here, the best of both vintages.
Rosewood 2007 Pinot Noir Reserve (Photo by Daniel Shipp)
February 8, 2010 | 4:36 pm | Robert Furtado
Rumours & Rumblings
New York legend Scott Conant to open new restaurant in Toronto
Shinan Govani finally had some food gossip to dish up this past weekend. Rumour has it that renowned chef Scott Conant is coming to Toronto to set up a restaurant at the much-hyped Thompson Hotel on Wellington West—the hospitality chain’s first location on non-U.S. soil, due to open this spring. Conant is the man behind Manhattan’s celebrated Scarpetta and will be importing its high-end Italian ethos, trademark polenta and foodie cult appeal to his new Toronto digs. His local partner on the project, Tony Cohen, tells Govani that the hotel will also house a 24-hour diner, which should be “perfect for both night owls and Spoke Club members alike.”
Funny that, not long ago, this was the spot from which Thompson Hotel Group poached great Toronto chef Susur Lee. Perhaps the family-owned luxury hotel group is back to make amends.
February 8, 2010 | 2:29 pm | Karon Liu
Aprons & Icons
Go west: Marc Thuet leaves T.O. to take Conviction to B.C. and the U.S.
Marc Thuet and Biana Zorich: courage of their Convictions (Photo by Karon Liu)
Marc Thuet and Biana Zorich are leaving Toronto to take on Vancouver and the United States. Following the success of their two major projects of 2009, Conviction and Conviction Kitchen—restaurant and reality show, respectively—the couple is heading to the west coast next week to scout real estate for the second location of the restaurant. Like the King West version, the Vancouver outpost will be run by reformed criminals whose trials and tribulations will be broadcast on TV.
Read the rest of this entry »
February 8, 2010 | 8:03 am | Andrew Brudz
Weekly Lunch Pick
Weekly Lunch Pick: Oro
The cozy Elm Street restaurant serves one of the more exceptional lunch menus to be had during Winterlicious
(Photos by Matthew Fox)
February 6, 2010 | 11:18 am | Toronto Life Staff
In Print
Get a sneak peek at Toronto Life’s nine new restaurant reviews
My friend Guu's got a new review (Photo by Jen Chan)
Toronto Life’s March issue hits newsstands on Thursday, but we’ve got a preview of the nine new restaurant reviews contained therein, including ones for Guu and Hoof Café. Click on the links below to read the reviews and see how many stars the establishments earned.
Read the rest of this entry »
February 5, 2010 | 4:08 pm | Karon Liu
Culinary Curiosities
Milk in bags: that’s so Canadian
Today’s viral hit is a YouTube video made by Sheryl Ng, a York University student who explains the concept of drinking milk from a bag as opposed to a carton or jug. Western Canada and the entirety of the United States (the video is addressed to the latter) thinks Ontarians are as weird as Maritimers and the Québécois—the only known people who drink bagged milk. There’s a lot to explain, apparently: in the three-minute video, Ng goes into great detail about the size of one’s bag opening, the ideal pouring angle and how to prevent “the fridge smell” from getting into the milk.
Read the rest of this entry »
February 5, 2010 | 2:30 pm | Karon Liu
RestauranTO
Technician’s eyebrows presumed missing after gas explosion at Caplansky’s Delicatessen
Thankfully, Caplansky's Delicatessen remains intact (Photo by Ian Irving)
Caplansky’s Delicatessen was closed yesterday, and officials crowded its College Street space after a technician set off a small fireball while trying to install a fryer. Zane Caplansky writes on the restaurant’s blog that the technician got burned and, amid the panic, used the fire extinguisher, then ran onto the street. Firefighters arrived, and soon the police, EMS, Toronto Public Health, the Ministry of Labour and Technical Standards and Safety Authority arrived to see if the technician who fled was OK. Eventually, the fryer vendor who hired the technician came to the restaurant and told the police that he installed the fryer himself. The cops promptly arrested him for obstruction. “Seeing your kitchen equipment guy being cuffed in your dining room and led away by the police is an experience I never imagined I’d have,” writes Caplansky. “And I’m not grateful for it.”
Read the rest of this entry »
February 5, 2010 | 1:50 pm | Matthew Fox
RestauranTO
Mildred’s Temple Kitchen takes it all back
It was fun while tongues were wagging, but we suppose Mildred’s tongue was in her cheek all along. After a few days of massive media overexposure, Mildred’s Temple Kitchen is reneging on its suggestion that customers engage in some sexual fun in its unisex washrooms. “It was just meant to be a joke,” Laurie Hall told the Star. Her PR firm, Flex, is handling the restaurant’s Big Love promotion, which includes aphrodisiac dishes and optional handcuffs. “We were just kiddin’” confirms the restaurant in a Twitter response to Perez Hilton (of all people), adding, in another tweet, “Can’t this town still have some fun?”
Read the rest of this entry »
