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GALLERY: Our 10 edible picks from this year’s Toronto Christmas Market (mulled wine very much included)

The organic waffles at Über Delicious (Image: Caroline Aksich)

You don’t have to be a wide-eyed, rosy-cheeked tot to enjoy the second annual Toronto Christmas Market at the Distillery District. Heck, you don’t even have to be the world’s greatest fan of carollers and reindeer songs—because the edible offerings at this year’s cheery fest are the perfect remedy for holiday exasperation (especially the mulled wine). We hit the Distillery’s cobbled streets to seek out the best the market had to offer. Here’s what we found.

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The Goods

Buyer's Market

December 8, 2011 | 12:13 pm

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GALLERY: Our 10 picks from this year’s—somewhat kitschy—Toronto Christmas Market

Lowe’s Christmas Market 2011 at the Distillery District

Handmade toys from Blythe for the tots on your list (Image: Caroline Aksich)

The folks behind the second annual Toronto Christmas Market are trying to bring a touch of Old World European Christmas magic to a presently dreary—and snow-free—Toronto. With a 45-foot Christmas tree decked out with close to 20,000 lights, a charming carousel and a Ferris wheel that looks over the twinkling Distillery District, there’s enough to keep the kids occupied while you get some shopping out of the way. The Christmas Market is open daily until December 18 (weekdays from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., weekends from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.). We perused the 35 vendors’ wares to cull the treasures from the knick-knacks. See what made the cut after the jump.

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The Informer

To Market, To Market

December 1, 2011 | 4:30 pm

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Is a Gansevoort hotel coming to the Distillery District in the form of a condo tower?

Although arguing for more condo towers in and around downtown Toronto isn’t a popular activity of late, the Toronto Standard found a good spot to squeeze in one more—the Distillery District. Apparently, there’s a plan to build a 34-storey structure (early rumours say it’s a Gansevoort) with 88 hotel suites and 246 condo units at 60 Mill St. While the Standard argues that the increased density the tower would bring is good for the neighbourhood, getting the city on board might be another matter. Read the entire story [Toronto Standard] »

The Informer

In Transit

November 25, 2011 | 2:10 pm

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Bixi expands its service—just in time for winter

Break out the wool socks. Toronto’s Bixi bike-sharing service will continue through the winter. The service is also moving some of its rental stations further afield—to Bathurst, to the Distillery District, and along Sherbourne (check out this handy map from The Grid)—in an effort to widen its footprint. As we’ve said before, Bixi’s utility is tied to its reach. A greater catchment area and the potential for longer rides can only improve the service. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »

The Dish

Foodie Follies

September 28, 2011 | 5:28 pm

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Dîner en blanc, Toronto’s other white meet

About 400 sartorial albinos descended on the Distillery District yesterday for Toronto’s first Dîner en Blanc (apparently unconcerned that Nuit Blanche usually has dibs on the colour this season). Partly organized by Suresh Doss—the man behind Food Truck Eats—the feast was a pilot of sorts, not formally affiliated with the official events in Paris, Berlin, New York and elsewhere. The concept remained the same: dress in your finest whites, bring your own haute cuisine and show up at a public locale that’s revealed only shortly beforehand. The dinner bills itself as a high-class affair; indeed, its code of conduct warns that “only the most proper decorum will be tolerated,” attested to in the photos up at Torontoist and The Grid. In Montreal, on the other hand, it seems they do things a little differently: this video from 2010 features a very posh Gandalf the White at 3:30, as well as a truly graceful conga line at 5:45. Read the whole story [Torontoist] [The Grid] »

The Hype

To-Do List

September 14, 2011 | 2:28 pm

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The Weekender: Private Lives, Queen West Art Crawl and six other events on our to-do list

Rakim, the Queen West Art Crawl and Private Lives

1. PRIVATE LIVES
This 1930s comedy by Noël Coward is responsible for about three quarters of romantic comedies today. Just look at the plot: divorced couple Elyot and Amanda and their respective new partners find themselves on vacation at the same hotel on (wait for it) the French Riviera. Campy, banter-laden shenanigans ensue, naturally. Kim Cattrall and Paul Gross star as the lovely ex-couple, which sounds just about perfect. Sept. 16 to Oct. 30. $35–$175. Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King St. W., 416-872-1212, mirvish.com.

2. STIFFED! FILM FESTIVAL
TIFF wraps up this weekend but that won’t stop this indie film fest from trying to steal its thunder just a little. The filmmakers featured at this one-day event have three things in common: they’re all Canadian, they’ve all recently directed a short film and they were all passed over for a screening at TIFF. Sept. 18. $15. The Annex Wreck Room, 794 Bathurst St., stiffedfilmfest.com.

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The Informer

Gimme Shelter

September 2, 2011 | 1:05 pm

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Cottage of the Week: $4 million for a two-cottage compound on Little Lake Joseph

ADDRESS: 75 Old Portage Road

NEIGHBOURHOOD: Rosseau, Ontario

AGENT: Jamie Blair and Tom McDonald, Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage and Richard Scully, Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage

PRICE: $3,995,000

THE PLACE: Situated on Little Lake Joseph, this Muskoka compound includes two individual cottages and a bunkhouse on the property.

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The Dish

Restauran-TO

July 6, 2011 | 8:36 am

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We stopped by the inaugural Food Truck Eats and found a revolution in the making

At 3 p.m., the lines continued unabated. (Image: Renée Suen)

Saturday marked the inaugural staging of Food Truck Eats, a street food event organized by Suresh Doss, publisher of Spotlight Toronto, which saw four street trucks and 10 vendors gather at the historic Distillery District. Although a conservative turnout of 500 was expected, more than 3,000 showed up for the long-weekend event (which ended up trending on Twitter). Despite the heat and long lineups, the crowd was abuzz—a sure indication of the city’s readiness for more liberal street food rules. We caught up with the various vendors—Cava, Geoff Hopgood, El Gastrónomo Vagabundo and more—to check out their wares and find out what they made of the day’s success. We also spoke to Doss, who gave us the heads-up on the next two events, which will take place at the on Aug. 20 at the Distillery and Oct. 1 at a new location to be announced, and will feature some surprise guests.

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The Hype

To-Do List

June 29, 2011 | 2:00 pm

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The Long Weekender: 9 to 5, Food Truck Eats and six other ways to spend your Canada Day/Pride weekend

Pride, Street Food and Canada Day—that’s what we call a long weekend.

1. 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL
The ’80s are so hot right now. Ripped skinnies, jelly shoes and Chuck Taylors are all in, samples and remakes of ’80s jams are de rigueur, and this musical is hitting the stage. Based on the cult film of the same name, which starred Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton, this high-energy show is basically the original Horrible Bosses. Three co-workers band together against their dictatorial boss, with a predictably slapstick outcome. June 29 to July 10. $40–$65. Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge St., 416-644-3665, tocentre.com.

2. FOOD TRUCK EATS
Remember when Torontonians were promised more exciting street food, only to see their street food dreams go up in smoke as the Toronto A La Cart program was an utter failure? Here’s hoping this foodie event—which offers up five-spice pork belly buns (El Gastrónomo Vagabundo), cupcakes (Cupcake Diner), south Indian favourites (Tiffinday), kulfi (Joshna Maharaj), barbecue (Buster Rhino’s) and yes, even hot dogs—can prompt a street food revival. And if you’re cottage-bound this weekend, no worries. Organizers are planning follow-up events in August and October. July 2. The Distillery District, thedistillerydistrict.com.

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The Dish

Restauran-TO

June 8, 2011 | 11:35 am

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New summer food truck event fuels hopes for a Toronto street food revolution

Niagara’s El Gastrónomo Vagabundo will be one of the trucks on site at the July 2 event (Image: Suresh Doss)

Steeltown might have beaten us to the food truck race, but three special events starting this summer are laying the groundwork for a decent street food culture in Toronto. Starting this July, Food Truck Eats will host food trucks and street food stalls featuring some top Toronto chefs in a bid to free up chefs from the substantial legal and health concerns associated with street-side operations. We caught up with Suresh Doss, the event’s organizer and the publisher of Spotlight Toronto, for the details.

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The Dish

From the Print Edition

January 27, 2011 | 8:44 am

16 Comments

Toronto’s five best cafés

The city’s top spots for lingering over a latte and laptop

1. Rooster coffee house
This out-of-the-way spot overlooking Riverdale Park achieves café perfection. The room radiates homey elegance with a massive tree-trunk table (ideal for Scrabble tourneys) and comfy leather chairs. The baristas are full of scruffy charisma, chatting up customers as they pull espressos smooth enough to compete with the best in town (we’re talking to you, Sam James). 479 Broadview Ave. (at Riverdale Ave.), 416-995-1530.

2. Balzac’s café
This restored 1890s warehouse—a Distillery District icon for the past nine years—looks like it was airlifted in from the set of Amélie. While there’s usually a lineup downstairs, the open second-floor loft has a clandestine atmosphere, making you feel as though you’re squirrelled away in an Old World garret, suffering for your art. Balzac’s custom-roasted beans make distinctive, nutty-sweet coffee. 55 Mill St. (at Parliament St.), Bldg. 60, 416-207-1709; 43 Hanna Ave. (at Liberty St.), 416-534-7372.

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The Dish

Bottoms Up

December 22, 2010 | 12:13 pm

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Toronto to get its very own sake brewer in the Distillery District

(Image: Svadilfari)

When Ken Valvur first tried fresh, unpasteurized Japanese sake, it changed his life. “That’s how I fell in love with it,” he recalls. “When I tasted just-pressed sake, it was an amazing moment for me.” There are few sake breweries in North America (Canada has two on the west coast), so the alcoholic rice beverage is usually pasteurized for its transport over vast distances. Most Torontonians never get to enjoy sake the way it was meant to be. Valvur intends to change all that when he opens the Ontario Spring Water Sake Company, the first sake brewery in eastern North America. The doors are scheduled to open this spring in the Distillery District.

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The Hype

To-Do List

December 1, 2010 | 4:00 pm

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The Weekender: December 3–5

1. ROSS PETTY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
The evil Barnum von Cowell (otherwise known as Ross Petty the other 11 months of the year) is on a quest to rule the forest’s music charts, so he’s been creating pop stars out of musically disinclined woodland creatures. Enter shy Prince Edgar (Degrassi alum Jake Epstein), who makes a deal with von Cowell and gets turned into the Beast for his trouble—and, of course, he meets Beauty (Melissa O’Neil) only post-transformation. Look for the hilarious Scott Thompson as Beauty’s guardian. To Jan. 2. $27–$85. Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge St., 416-872-5555, ticketmaster.ca.

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The Dish

Opening

September 7, 2010 | 11:53 am

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Introducing: Stirling Room, the Distillery District’s first and only nightclub

Glow job: Stirling Room's new bar in a classic building (Image: Jon Sufrin)

There are no ghosts in one of the buildings at the old Gooderham and Worts Distillery, at least not according to entrepreneur Albert Rishes. He would know, too, since he and his partner Simo Korac—both veterans from Embassy nightclub—spent months there setting up Stirling Room, the first and only nightclub in the Distillery District. Open for just over a month, the new venture fills the space that once housed A Taste of Quebec and brings parties and live music to a neighbourhood known more for sleepy evenings than pumping nightclubs.

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The Hype

To-Do List

June 23, 2010 | 9:49 am

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The Weekender: for the brave souls staying in Toronto this G20 weekend, eight great things to do

The Toronto FC play LA (Image: Oliver Mallich)

1. DREAM IN HIGH PARK
High Park’s family-friendly outdoor performance this year is courtesy of Dora-winning director Vikki Anderson, who uses one of Shakespeare’s favourite literary techniques—the play within a play—in her interpretation of Romeo and Juliet. A group of bored thespians waiting at a Verona train station pass the time by performing the famous love story using the costumes and props in their luggage. June 25 to Sept. 5. PWYC (suggested donation $20); children under 14 free. High Park Amphitheatre, 416-367-1652, canstage.com/dream.

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