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The comprehensive index of every blog post, magazine story and restaurant review that appears on Torontolife.com
Ardwold (Image: CP Images)
Sir John Craig and Lady Flora Eaton lived in a 50-room estate on Spadina Road near Davenport, designed in 1911 by architect A. Frank Wickson. The Great Hall held this magnificent pipe organ, which Sir John loved to play. When Sir John died of pneumonia in 1922, Lady Eaton moved to her King City château and sold Ardwold in 1936. It was demolished a few years later, and Ardwold Gate, an upscale subdivision, was built on the site Read the rest of this entry »
HOW DID WE DO IT? While the Great Recession battered other cities, Toronto has emerged triumphant—Bay Street is bullish, our real estate market is hot, and the streets are sparkling for this month’s G20. Yes, our success has a lot to do with our stingy financial system, but it’s also because smart, interesting people move here every day, attracted to a city that’s challenging and gritty and exciting and indulgent (we have a restaurant dedicated entirely to grilled cheese sandwiches, Reason No. 2). If Torontonians have one shared flaw, it’s that we’re pathologically reluctant to acknowledge our greatness. Now, more than ever, we have reasons to brag
Many Torontonians have sampled this caterer’s delights at parties, but boxed meals from its small lunch counter satisfy, too
Apricot-glazed apple tart from Daniel et Daniel
The place: One of the city’s most popular catering kitchens is also an excellent lunch stop for Cabbagetowners. The tiny takeout counter has all the gourmet goodies for a picnic at nearby Allen Gardens.
The crowd: Regulars with running tabs, executive assistants picking up office lunches and construction workers filling up on the hearty spanakopita.
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In Soviet Russia, fire eats you (Photo by Karon Liu)
It’s oddly appropriate that a Russian-themed bar has opened in Cabbagetown. But instead of borscht, Samovar served crudités (sprinkled with salt rather than dipped in ranch), skewers of meat, house-made blinis with caviar and, of course, plenty of Stolichnaya during Thursday’s opening night.
Thankfully, the decor is less Yakov Smirnoff and more an homage to the Soviet era. Clips of old Russian cartoons are projected on the wall, a copy of War and Peace sits on the coat check counter, and two collages of propaganda posters adorn the sides of a small stage at the end of the bar. Not so subtle are the fur hats and officer’s caps worn by the staff.
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(Photo by Michael Graydon)
In 2000, Todd Caldwell, a landscape and floral designer, and Shaun Moore, then a furniture design student at Sheridan, started house hunting. They spent a year inspecting more than 100 homes all over the city. In the end, they chose the biggest house on what might be the ugliest street in Cabbagetown. Click here to see how they transformed the crumbling row house.
Twisted: Some soft-serve ice creams contain high levels of bacteria (Photo by Chihaya and Sakura)
• The Toronto Star found that five out of 14 soft-serve ice creams bought from trucks and stores across the city had high levels of bacteria, such as coliform, prompting health officials to launch an investigation. What a great way to start the summer. [Toronto Star]
• When America’s first lady isn’t pumping iron or making fashion editors swoon, she’s tending to her garden at the White House, which just yielded 73 pounds of lettuce and 12 pounds of peas. It’s a mighty harvest, considering she spent only $200 on the garden. [New York Daily News]
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The Gay Village is buzzing as it gets ready for Pride’s climax this weekend. As any yearly attendee knows, Church Street’s focus during the last weekend of June is on fun and drinking—not dining. For Torontonians and tourists looking for great food and respite from the crowds, here are our picks for where to eat during Pride 2009. Read the rest of this entry »
From Russia with love: Rumen Dimitroff opens his third drinking house in Cabbagetown
The city’s ambassador of Russian chic, Rumen Dimitroff (Rasputin, Pravda), brings another vodka-inspired nightspot to the east end—this time at 51 Winchester Street. As with his other tributes to the motherland (Rasputin pays homage to czarist Russia; Pravda plays on Soviet communism), Samovar is loaded with cultural shout-outs. The bar unites centuries of Russian cultural history, starting with the titular antique teapots from which classic eastern European drinks will be served. Dimitroff, who has been steadily colonizing the east end, is trying to break the region’s reputation as a second-fiddle destination. “I’m trying to make the east end a little more attractive.”
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A dish from Omi
While brown-bagging a lunch every day is good recessionary sense, sometimes we sleep in and just can’t pull a healthy meal together before 8 a.m. Besides, taking a break from the office to dine out is a much-deserved treat, which is why we’re launching a new series on Torontolife.com that will scope out the best places for a noon-hour repast.
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What is that colour-changing tubular thing on top of the condos at Yonge and Carlton?—Ian Topp, Cabbagetown
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There are two vacant bank buildings on Yonge across from the Eaton Centre. They’ve languished in disuse for years. Will they ever be occupied?—Douglas McTaggart, Cabbagetown
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There’s a stone archway on the east side of Yonge, north of Gerrard. Where did it come from?—Jeff Smith, Cabbagetown
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Dear Urban Decoder: What’s the story on that tiny cemetery on the east side of Pape, south of Gerrard?—Elizabeth Hubert, Cabbagetown
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Dear Urban Decoder: A friend tells me that all traffic lights in the city are operated by underground sensors. Is this a myth?—Adrienne Shore, Cabbagetown
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