We scoured this booty-filled city and scooped up its best deals
The comprehensive index of every blog post, magazine story and restaurant review that appears on Torontolife.com
All stories relating to Gladstone Hotel
Great Spaces: DIY domestic bliss
For one artistically inclined couple, a late-night foray into on-line dating led to DIY domestic bliss
The Weekender: Royal Winter Fair, Day of the Dead Festival and six other events on our to-do list
Giddy up! (Images provided by the Royal Winter Fair)
1. CAPTURE THE FLAG (FREE!) Read the rest of this entry »
The suit-filled streets of the financial district get a Newmindspace make-over during this huge game of capture the flag on Bay. Teams get 10 minutes to plan before the game starts; organizers suggest bringing cellphones (for strategizing) and flashlights (it gets dark just after 6 now). Nov. 6. 8:30 p.m. Southwest corner of King and Bay Streets, newmindspace.com.
The Weekender: nine things on our to-do list (yes, including Halloween events)
1. CINDERELLA: ROCK THE BALL Read the rest of this entry »
The annual fundraising gala for the Canadian Opera Company, Operanation is always a place to see and be seen. This year’s bash is a rock ’n’ roll take on Cinderella that was inspired by the upcoming production of La Cenerentola, the Gioacchino Rossini opera based on the fairy tale. Think, all the city’s PYTs, amazing food and cocktails and, oh yeah, a joint COC/Broken Social Scene performance. Oct. 29. $150. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W., 416-363-8231, coc.ca.
Jonathan Demme to host art exhibit at Gladstone Hotel during TIFF
The westward movement of TIFF action this year continues with Jonathan Demme’s prized collection of Haitian and Jamaican art on display at the Gladstone Hotel from September 7 to 16. The director (Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married) has a soft spot for Haiti. In the 1980s, he purchased a painting by a Haitian artist at a New York gallery, visited the island several times, made friends, learned Creole and later shot a documentary about Haitian journalist and activist Jean Dominique. The film, 2003′s The Agronomist, will be screened at the Gladstone on September 12 at 2 p.m., with all proceeds from ticket sales ($20 each) going to the Haiti relief fund.
House of the week: $5 million for an Eb Zeidler-designed Rosedale sanctuary
(All images: Harvey Kalles Real Estate)
ADDRESS: 11 Beaumont Rd. Read the rest of this entry »
NEIGHBOURHOOD: Rosedale-Moore Park
AGENT: Elise S. Kalles, Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage
PRICE: $4,998,000
THE PLACE: A sprawling, ’60s-style grotto with natural light pouring through floor-to-ceiling windows, a glass wall and a skylight hovering above the main stairwell. For summer reading, pick a tome off the two-storey bookshelf and head either to the private deck off the master suite or to the pool, which is nestled in amongst the giant oak trees of the Moore Park Ravine.
Pride: a complete list of bars serving until 4 a.m.
Woody's will be serving late (Image: Neal Jennings)
Of all the fun associated with Pride—the parade, the wild outfits, the half-naked people littering the streets—call us jaded, but our favourite part is getting our drink on until 4 a.m. Like in recent years, most of the festivities will be split between Church Street and Parkdale, but this year, Queen West will be a whole lot quieter as homo hipster hot spot Wrongbar (and host of such major Pride events as Big Primpin’ and the Will Munro memorial Vazaleen) was denied a late licence—surprising news, as it was allowed to stay open late two weekends ago for NXNE. Here, the bars officially licensed to stay open until 4 a.m., from Thursday July 1 through to Sunday July 4:
Read the rest of this entry »
Details magazine takes on Toronto, barely leaves 501 streetcar
The Queen streetcar: delivering shoppers to shops, one stop at a time (Image: Anthony Easton)
Details magazine has named Toronto a mecca of “modern-art galleries, high-concept restaurants and fashion-forward boutiques,” but judging from the choices, it appears the writer barely got off the Queen streetcar. Don’t get us wrong—most of the choices are pretty good. The magazine lists Sydney’s (Queen and Manning), Klaxon Howl (Queen and Euclid) and The Gladstone Hotel (Queen and Gladstone) as three of its seven picks. Two others are Nomad (a block from Queen on Richmond) and Jonathan and Olivia (on Ossington, just steps north of Queen). The remaining two options are the furthest flung: Sam James Coffee Bar, all the way north on Harbord, and the Black Hoof, the wildly popular charcuterie hot spot on Dundas.
Look, it’s all right if Details doesn’t want to send its readers to other great areas—like Leslieville, Liberty Village, the Distillery District and Roncesvalles—but if it’s going to do a shopping guide, at least throw Yorkville a bone.
The Weekender: Grease, Buy Design’s spring social and six other things to do this weekend
Grease is playing at the Canon for 11 days (Image: Joan Marcus)
1. FARM TO HOME FAIR 2010
This annual food fair is a locavore’s dream: meet and greets with farmers, info sessions on community-shared agriculture and treats (locally sourced, naturally) prepared by the Gladstone’s chef, Marc Breton, are all on offer. April 10. 1–4. $10. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., slowfood.to/837/events/farm-to-home-fair-2010.
2. TORONTO SILENT FILM FESTIVAL Read the rest of this entry »
A brand new addition to the city’s film festival lineup, this celebration of silent movies is a flashback to the era when Fairbanks and Pickford were the boldface names. This Sunday, check out A Thousand Laughs, the festival’s short comedy program, which shines a light on the less-recognized kings of (silent) comedy; Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are nowhere to be found. Instead, see (Fatty) Arbuckle in Love, Lloyd Hamilton in Breezing Along and Stan Laurel (pre–Laurel and Hardy) in The Pest. April 6 to 15. $7–$15. Various locations, 416-461-9287, ebk-ink.com/tsff.
Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide
Choosing one New Year’s Eve event over hundreds of others can be daunting, especially when all the descriptions meld together with promises of a glass of champagne (read: cheap sparkling wine) and various misspellings of “hors d’oeuvre.” To help in the decision-making process, here’s a roundup of 10 very different events taking place on December 31st.
(Looking for the best NYE prix fixe menus? Click here »)
-
-
Venue: Gladstone
Dining options: Marc Breton’s hearty fare, including poutine, grilled cheese, ploughman’s board
Libations: Hotel bar stocked to the max
Atmosphere: The Skin Tight Outta Sight rock ’n’ roll burlesque troupe will be taking over the hotel, encouraging guests to put on their best “rock of love bus attire” (make sure those clear plastic platform heels have good traction on ice)
Entertainment: Singing and dancing by one of the city’s most popular burlesque troupes, partial nudity
Likely to happen at midnight: An MC will commence the countdown in an over-the-top, Rocky Horror manner with lots of double entendres
Who will be there: Aspiring roller derby athletes, musicians from bands no one has heard of, fans of the Pillow Fight League
Who should go: People who missed the burlesque boom of 2004
Avoid if: You have a stack of $5 bills you’d prefer not to part with
1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635, event Web site. $30 in advance, $40 at the door.
Photo by Skin Tight Outta Sight
-
-
Venue: The Drake Hotel
Dining options: Five- or three-course meals, along with hors d’oeuvre. Expect such Drake staples as sushi and charcuterie
Libations: Obligatory glass of sparkling wine
Atmosphere: All-around warmth created by the hotel’s mood lighting and a sense of self-satisfaction from staying away from the downtown core
Entertainment: Jazz crooning by Elise LeGrow upstairs, DJs spinning in the underground. Basically, a re-enactment of K-os’ “Sunday Morning” video
Likely to happen at midnight: Quick cheers and air kisses followed by revellers crowding into the hotel rooms, where the real party begins
Who will be there: Twenty-somethings still in denial about the death of hipsterism, fashion students who skipped out on lunch at Freshii for an entire week to save up the entrance fee
Who should go: Those too old for the club district but too young for Yorkville
Avoid if: You have no idea what Owl City is
1150 Queen St. W., 1-866-943-8849, event Web site. $75, $99 with dinner.
Photo by Amber Dawn Pullin
-
-
Venue: Watusi
Dining options: Four-course menu (unfortunately doesn’t include the famous chickpea fries)
Libations: Quirky Pearson-era cocktails: mojitos, piña coladas, Manhattans and Singapore slings
Atmosphere: Retro dance party without the hassle of having to dress up as Peggy Olson
Entertainment: DJ spinning near the back of the space, marvelling at the restaurant’s psychedelic colours, deciding whether to eat or dance
Likely to happen at midnight: Quick champagne toast, then back to partying like it’s 1965
Who will be there: Nearby residents and business owners, kids disenchanted with Queen West, noise narcs keeping the volume under control
Who should go: Mad Men fans
Avoid if: You still use the term “shagadelic”
110 Ossington Ave., 416-533-1800, watuzi.biz. $65.
Photo by Watusi
-
-
Venue: Sneaky Dee’s
Dining options: The famously cheap and huge nacho platter
Libations: Cheap pitchers (and we don’t mean Roy Halladay)
Atmosphere: Laid-back dive bar
Entertainment: Sneak standby Shit la Merde will be spinning at The Garrison instead, but the DJ lineup will still maintain a similar sound
Likely to happen at midnight: Brief pause just after midnight as everyone realizes they missed the countdown due to all the dancing
Who will be there: The fraction of Torontonians who actually look good in skinny jeans, over-inked 20-somethings
Who should go: Cash-strapped students, people who would rather wear hoodies and jeans than suits and dresses, revellers unwilling to trek to the Junction to swill bottles of PBR in an ironic fashion
Avoid if: You’re over 30
431 College St., 416-603-3090, sneaky-dees.com. $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
Photo by Allison Felus
-
-
Venue: Ultra
Dining options: Surprisingly good and varied (vegetarian options!) three-course meal with such dishes as duck and roasted squash tourtière and beef tenderloin with marrow crust and parsley root purée
Libations: Not one, but two glasses of champagne for each person
Atmosphere: Dark club with glowing panels to accentuate the silhouettes of the well coiffed and fit staffers
Entertainment: Loud beats, macho guys giving bro hugs
Likely to happen at midnight: Lots of hooting and hollering
Who will be there: Male regulars breaking out the black party loafers, women in sky-high heels
Who should go: Party-goers who prefer not to go outside between dinner and clubbing
Avoid if: You are not a fan of Jersey Shore
314 Queen St. W., 416-263-0330, ultratoronto.com. $161.
Photo by Ultra
-
-
Venue: The Burroughes Building
Dining options: Hors d’oeuvre (read: fill up beforehand)
Libations: Open bar
Atmosphere: Fancy-dress masquerade ball with a whiff of exclusivity
Entertainment: Eavesdropping, predicting who will make it into Govani’s next column, updating Twitter feeds every 10 minutes
Likely to happen at midnight: A collective toast, fifty-fifty chance of confetti cannon, aerial group photo reminiscent of the one in The Shining
Who will be there: Shinan Govani and the duo behind Greta Constantine will be hosting. And wherever Govani is, expect flocks of other local celebs and party page regulars to be close by
Who should go: Aspiring gossip bloggers, party photographers, the Salahis
Avoid if: You want to get wasted
639 Queen St. W., jen@styleforstyle.ca, event Web site. $100.
Image by Burroughes Building
-
-
Venue: Nathan Phillips Square
Dining options: $3 hot dogs ($5 with fries)
Libations: Tim Hortons and Starbucks to offset the hypothermia—that is, if it’s even possible to get inside the coffee joints, which have to serve hundreds of people throughout the night
Atmosphere: Collective feigned enthusiasm to mask the bitterness of not having worn enough layers, kids asking how much longer till midnight
Entertainment: Scripted bantering by newscasters, an unidentifiable VJ, Shawn Desman/Danny Fernandes/Massari (it’s Karl Wolf this year), Jarvis Church, Anjulie, Kardinal Offishall, cast of Rock of Ages, the Mission District
Likely to happen at midnight: A good but modest fireworks display so as not to set the city on fire, followed by a massive evacuation at 12:01 in order to beat the traffic
Who will be there: Out-of-towners, fathers with shoulders strained from carrying their kids all night
Who should go: Junior high students venturing downtown for the first time without parents, boyfriends who want to be that guy who proposes on live TV, families composed of people who really get along with each other
Avoid if: You have a TV that carries CityTV
100 Queen St. W., event Web site. Free.
Photo by Photopia
-
-
Venue: Hazelton Lanes
Dining options: Very small appetizers
Libations: The event is sponsored by Roberto Cavalli Vodka
Atmosphere: Conspicuous consumerism at its finest
Entertainment: A hodgepodge of DJs, Cirque du Soleil aerialists and a Cavalli fashion show, because nothing says party like a fashion show
Likely to happen at midnight: Polite glass raising and air kisses
Who will be there: The real housewives of Toronto, industry people ready to hand out stacks of business cards
Who should go: Fashion bloggers, Waldorf wannabes
Avoid if: You equate Jimmy Choo’s H&M line with Jimmy Choo’s actual line
55 Avenue Rd., 647-898-2554, event Web site. $60–$80.
Photo courtesy of Roberto Cavalli
-
-
Venue: Ame
Dining options: À la carte in the evening, tasting menu at 9 p.m.
Libations: Wintry girly cocktails and hot sake
Atmosphere: Low-key setting where it’ll be more about the food than the revelry
Entertainment: Guy Rubino’s culinary flourishes
Likely to happen at midnight: Polite hand roll raising
Who will be there: Bay Streeters hacking away at their BlackBerrys, foodies who’d rather have a party in their mouths than at a club
Who should go: Ho Su and New Gen regulars looking to step it up a notch
Avoid if: You always order California rolls at sushi joints
19 Mercer St., 416-599-7246, event Web site. Tasting menu $85–$100.
Photo by Davida Aronovitch
-
-
Venue: Casa Loma
Dining options: Hors d’oeuvre are included in the $75 entrance fee, but has anyone ever seen a server with an actual plate of food at these parties? The catering is done by the Pegasus Group, which also represents Nyood, Kultura and the interchangeable Philthy McNasty’s, O’Grady’s, the Wheat Sheaf and the Fox and Fiddle
Libations: Obligatory glass of sparkling wine (the event description says “champagne,” but we’re skeptical). The bar’s open until 2 a.m.
Atmosphere: The event promises “plenty of romantic make-out spots,” according to She Does the City (it’s that kind of party). Access is limited to the great room, the library and the conservatory, but we’re sure a few people will make it a mission to have a romp in the stable or the master bedroom
Entertainment: DJs spinning, watching people grinding strangers in a century-old house where children have Easter egg hunts
Likely to happen at midnight: Castle-wide PDAs
Who will be there: People who haven’t visited the castle since grade school, naughty librarians, history buffs
Who should go: People who need parking, kids who got shut out of the rave at the Don Jail during the summer
Avoid if: You expect a Clue-style murder mystery to unfold
1 Austin Terr., 416-524-4505, event Web site. $75.
Photo by Wanda Gould
Also: Check out our picks for the best NYE prix fixe menus »
New book takes a bite out of Toronto
Read the rest of this entry »
The Toronto food scene gets a ton of media coverage, but until recently there has been a dearth of books covering the city’s ever-expanding dining experiences. One of the latest contributions to the genre, The Edible City: Toronto’s Food From Farm to Fork, launches this Sunday at the Gladstone Hotel as part of This Is Not a Reading Series. The book details Toronto’s food past, present and future in cutesy chapters titled Antipasto, Primo, Secondo, Contorno and Dolce.
Cuban festival turns Queen Street into Castro Street—sort of
Viva! Cuban food and drink come to Little Portugal (Photo by Omid Tavallai)
This weekend, West Queen West goes Cubano with the second annual Havana Cultura Festival. There will be music, cigar rolling and, most importantly, Cuban-inspired culinary experiences from 16 restaurants and bars along Ossington, Queen and Dundas. One unlikely participant this year is Poutini’s. For the first time since opening, they will be offering something other than their standard menu dish: a “Cuban-style frijole” poutine consisting of black beans, onions, garlic, peppers, tomato and herbs over fries, and topped with sour cream and cilantro (it’s traditionally served over rice). On Saturday night, the staff will be manning a booth across the street in order to serve the same frijole over a baked potato instead of fries.
Read the rest of this entry »
Geoff Pevere talks to us about Toronto’s role in cinema history
Read the rest of this entry »
“It’s kind of like living in the world’s biggest stand-in,” writes Toronto Star veteran film critic Geoff Pevere in his essay for the book Toronto on Film. He and other contributors such as TIFF director and CEO Piers Handling chronicle the role of Toronto in cinema history. At last night’s book launch at the Gladstone Hotel, we sat down with the now Star books editor to discuss whether a movie set in Toronto could capture an international audience, why local filmmakers try to hide the CN Tower and the irony of having a British film open the festival on the city’s 175th birthday.
Toronto’s espresso experts tell us of coffee’s second coming, what makes a good cup and why Starbucks isn’t all bad
Irregular joe: Chris Tellez pours his way to first place at the Regional Barista Championships (Photo by Cristene)
The atmosphere may have been frothy at the Seventh Annual Regional Barista Championships at the Gladstone Hotel last Sunday, but the competition was no cake walk. Fourteen coffee aficionados had 15 minutes to impress six judges (two technical and four sensory) with 12 cups each (four espresso, four cappuccino and four signature). Marks were docked for such Emily Post–like infractions as improper spoon positioning and more than half a finger nail’s worth of waste. We caught up with the top five winners and asked them about the second coming of coffee, what makes a good cup, latte art backlash and why Starbucks isn’t all that bad.
Like beer, which has been catapulted to celebrity status with the craft brewing movement, coffee has been gaining ground. The Toronto bean renaissance continues with a slew of new cafés, including an new eponymous joint from this year’s second-place champ Sam James, coming August 8.
Read the rest of this entry »
