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Introducing: Smith, the gay village’s new destination for both grubbing and clubbing

Looking out onto Church Street from inside Smith (Image: Daniel Barna)

Smith may be one of the less Google-able of Toronto’s new restaurants, but owner Renda Abdo is counting on sharp design and a menu of updated takes on comfort food to lure in the masses. “Smith is for anybody that enjoys good food, good music and good atmosphere,” the Wish and Black Skirt boss says of the newly opened three-level restaurant, which took over the space formerly occupied by Straight, one of the gay village’s more popular clubs. But just because it’s a restaurant, don’t expect things to go quiet at night.

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The Informer

Federal Election Guessing Game

December 22, 2010 | 3:53 pm

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Harper finally finds a use for the Senate: appoint the candidates he wants for the next election

The Canadian Senate (Image: scazon)

Stephen Harper’s love affair with the unelected Senate—you know, the one he ran against in previous elections—gets more torrid with every passing week. This week brings the news that the Conservatives finally have an absolute majority in the Senate, after appointing two new men to the Red Chamber: Toronto pastor Don Meredith and former CFL commissioner Larry Smith. According to the Globe and Mail, this is all part of the Conservative master plan to break into seat-rich urban territories.

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The Dish

Weekly Lunch Pick

September 27, 2010 | 8:19 am

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Weekly Lunch Pick: the beef sukiyaki at Tokyo Grill

Sukiyaki at Tokyo Grill (Image: Renée Suen)

Turns out Guu isn’t the only place to go for Japanese comfort food. Homesick expats and Japanophiles often turn to the belly-warming sukiyaki ($12) at Tokyo Grill, an unassuming (even garish) hole in the wall near the gay village. The sumo-sized cast-iron pot comes packed with shirataki noodles, sautéed bean sprouts, spinach and sweet onions, topped off with a poached egg, thin slices of beef and creamy soft tofu. The soy-mirin broth hasn’t been over-sugared for Western tastes; it’s semi-sweet and sublimely piqued with a touch of shichimi togarashi seasoning. Diners who sit in are rewarded with a complimentary bowl of miso soup that’s showered with scallions, wakame and tofu cubes.
The cost: $19 per person, including tax, tip, an upgrade to brown rice ($1) and tea ($1). Cash only.
The time: 31 minutes.
Tokyo Grill, 582 Yonge St. (at Wellesley), 416-968-7054.

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The Dish

Aprons & Icons

September 24, 2010 | 12:27 pm

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RIP: Arthur Carman (1925-2010), the legendary restaurateur of Alexander Street

Carman's Dining Club at 26 Alexander Street (Image: Google)

Arthur Carman, the renowned proprietor of Carman’s Dining Club, near Maple Leaf Gardens, passed away at his home Tuesday. He was 84.

Born Athanasios Karamanos in Greece, Carman and his storied namesake steak house once represented the epitome of fine dining in Toronto. Carman’s opened in 1959, with clientele that included Al Green, Nat King Cole, Lorne Greene and Sammy Davis Jr. Diners still reminisce about the smell of garlic in the air and the nostalgic decor that stood out in a neighbourhood that evolved from quiet residences in the Leafs’ backyard to a thriving gay village dotted with high-rises. The restaurant closed last year just as it celebrated its 50th year in operation.

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The Dish

Opening

August 3, 2010 | 12:21 pm

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Introducing: Boutique Bar, Church Street’s new cocktail bar

Sit and sip: Boutique Bar's happy-hour crowd takes over the patio (Image: Boutique Bar)

For a year and a half, French competitive mixologist Julien Salomone and his wife, Haligonian Devon Salomone, combed the city for a quaint space to open their own cocktail bar. The search ended when they found Veda‘s old space on Church Street: right in the heart of the gay village and minutes away from their house. Boutique Bar‘s first reveal took place last month during Pride, but is now officially open for business, bringing the strip a new patio space and a gamut of deluxe cocktails.

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The Goods

The Find

June 29, 2010 | 10:54 am

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This year’s Pride merch unveiled, and it’s surprisingly subtle

Every year, Pride Parade–goers dig out their rainbow flags, T-shirts, Speedos and wigs they only dare to don when everyone expects them to, which is why we were intrigued by Pride Toronto’s imaginative and highly localized spin on the classic Pride merchandise. The tank tops, available in black and white, feature the instantly recognizable street signs of the Church-Wellesley intersection, at the heart of Toronto’s gay village. It might be a little obvious to wear it standing right at the intersection, but it’ll certainly look more sophisticated anywhere else than a rainbow muscle shirt.

Available at shoppridetoronto.com for $20.

The Dish

Bottoms Up

April 16, 2010 | 1:14 pm

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I will survive: Crews and Tango reopens tonight (finally)

Crews and Tango in its old incarnation (Image: Google)

It’s been a year since Crews and Tango, the Village main drag’s main drag bar, shuttered. Over that time, the neighbourhood experienced a downward spiral as the area’s stores and restaurants closed left and right: Carman’s, American Apparel, Bigliardi’s, Lettieri, Zelda’s, Statlers, Pita Pen, Il Fornello, etc. But tonight, the former hot spot will welcome its 20-something clientele once again—part of a local turnaround that is making “there goes the gaybourhood” jokes seem laughably premature.

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The Dish

Neighbourhoods

March 9, 2010 | 10:47 am

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Church and Wellesley comes back from the brink

The beat goes on: Church Street ignores terminal prognosis (Image: Neal Jennings)

Last year was a rough one for the gaybourhood. Zelda’s, Bigliardi’s, Pita Pen, Il Fornello, Carman’s, Lettieri, Statlers and Crews and Tango all shut down, leaving the Post and the Star to speculate that the Village was on its last legs. Well, according to an overstatement in Xtra (“Overwhelming prosperity grips neighbourhood in midst of death throes”), the Great Flame-Out of ’09 is over, and the district is quickly turning around. Maple Leaf Gardens will be reopening, the iconic Church Street Diner has expanded, Chic-Ko-Roo has taken Il Fornello’s old spot, and a liquor licence application has just appeared in the window of Crews and Tango. There’s still no word on the official reopening date of Crews (it has seemed to be on the verge of reopening every month since last summer), but the bar was accepting résumés last week. We’re sure there’s a diva reinvention metaphor in this story, but couldn’t decide which was more apt: Whitney or Madonna. Only time will tell.

• Businesses rush to Church Wellesley Village [Xtra]

The Dish

Deathwatch

November 19, 2009 | 11:51 am

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Carman’s Dining Club steak house finally put out of its misery

Carman's Dining Club, 1959-2009 (Photo courtesy of Google)

Arthur Carman’s storied and troubled steak house on Alexander Street went into hibernation this summer, never to wake up. This makes the restaurant—credited with introducing Toronto to garlic bread—the latest Village establishment to disappear in recent months (the list also includes Crews and Tango, Bigliardi’s, Il Fornello and Zelda’s).

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The Dish

Deathwatch

September 17, 2009 | 9:45 am

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After 32 years on Church Street, Bigliardi’s closes its doors

At steak: Church Street loses its longtime resident, Bigliardi's (Photo by Jon Sufrin)

Ever since the news broke that George Bigliardi’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant is closing on September 26, the long-standing Church Street spot has been packed every night. Yet this is not just the usual phenomenon of regular customers coming by to bid the place farewell; George Bigliardi, the 73-year-old owner, says he is witnessing an influx of customers he’s never seen before. “Last night we had two people that had never been here before,” he says. “That is most unusual.”

Asked what has kept regulars returning for the past 32 years, Bigliardi cites his unique brand of customer service instead of the grilled rack of lamb or bacon-wrapped filet mignon. He sees his patrons “as family,” and the feeling seems to be mutual. Indeed, he tells us many customers were driven to tears at news of the restaurant’s closing. “When they come to see me, their martini is already on the table. For most of our customers, we remember what they drink.”

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The Dish

Where to Eat Near...

June 22, 2009 | 2:45 pm

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Where to eat during Pride 2009

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.

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The Dish

Restauran-TO

May 29, 2009 | 9:57 am

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Carman’s steak house closes for the summer

Carman’s—the ivy-shrouded steak house in the gay village—is closing its doors for three months starting in June. The closure piqued our interest for two reasons: it was announced via radio, and it comes in the middle of the restaurant’s 50th anniversary year. We spoke with one staff member, who said the place has previously shuttered during the summer months and assured us that the scheduled closure isn’t recession-driven—it is meant to “give everyone a break.” Further phone inquiries were met with suspicion and more than one hang-up.

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