Liberty Village may be late to the party when it comes to the fancy burger trend, but good things come to those who wait
Lamb and portobello burgers (Images: Catherine Hayday)
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Five reasons why Nuit Blanche may not suck this year
Click here for our guide to the 10 must-see exhibits at this year’s Nuit Blanche >>
Last year's light installation at city hall (Image: Eduardo Zárate)
Although our reaction to last year’s Nuit Blanche might best be summed up with an ambivalent shoulder shrug and an apathetic “meh,” we’re cautiously optimistic for this year’s event, scheduled for October 2. Yesterday, the city announced new exhibition sites and the 2010 curators; below, what we’re looking forward to:
1. The four main zones will be centralized along the Yonge-University subway line, meaning that more time can be spent looking at art and less time spent schlepping between Yorkville and Liberty Village.
2. Yonge Street will become a pedestrian mall from Bloor to Front, relieving sidewalk congestion and hopefully reviving one of last year’s charms: the financial district swamped with people not wearing suits.
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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.
Buy in Rosedale or Little Italy? One couple’s $700,000 real estate compromise leads them to the Annex
She wanted to buy in Rosedale. He didn’t. After an epic 10-month, 140-house search, they settled on a fixer-upper in the Annex
The buyers
Matt Killen, a painter and high school art teacher, and Joanna Foster, a photographer, couldn’t agree on where to live. They had been renting an apartment north of Liberty Village, as well as an art studio on Ossington, but wanted a place large enough for an in-house studio. Killen suggested Little Italy, Seaton Village and Riverdale, all of which Foster nixed. She wanted Rosedale, the neighbourhood where she’d gone to school. “I pictured us in a house on a lush, tree-lined street safe for kids,” she says. They finally agreed on the Annex, which felt urban and central to Killen, yet cozy enough for Foster.
The criteria
Three bedrooms, close to transit, with a rental unit. They preferred an older Victorian home, and it had to be north of Bloor, east
of Bathurst and west of Yonge.
The budget Read the rest of this entry »
$550,000–$700,000.
Liberty Village bread factory is relocating to Hamilton
Hamilton will smell like freshly baked bread (Photo by jytyl)
It’s been just over a month since we first reported on Canada Bread’s announcement that it will be closing three aging Toronto plants in 2013—including the massive Liberty Village bakery—and building a substantial factory somewhere in southwestern Ontario. Yesterday, the company announced that Hamilton will be the site of the new $100-million facility.
The 375,000-square-foot behemoth will occupy a piece of land on which Maple Leaf Foods, which owns 90 per cent of Canada Bread, wanted to build a pork-producing facility in 2005, which would have created 900 jobs. Neighbourhood opposition nixed Project Pork, but the city seems to be eager for the bread plant (which will employ up to 300), judging by how quickly the deal went through.
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Let’s tryst again: Mildred’s Temple Kitchen encouraging sex in its washrooms
Mildred's gets saucy, and not in the kitchen (Photo by jbcurio)
Hoping to spice things up for Valentine’s Day, or perhaps to attract a different breed of customer (the Larry Craig–George Michael set), Mildred’s Temple Kitchen is encouraging customers to have sex in its four unisex bathrooms. According to the Toronto Star, Mildred’s has long encouraged loo liaisons (its former iteration, Mildred Pierce, had copies of the Kama Sutra lying about), but now the Liberty Village restaurant is being more explicit. “Have you given any thought to moving beyond the bedroom?” asks its Web site. “Check out Mildred’s Sexy Bathrooms throughout the weekend of Big Love. You get the picture.”
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Liberty Village to stop smelling like fresh-baked bread by 2013
Trucks load up at Canada Bread's Fraser Street plant in Liberty Village (Photo by Google)
Canada Bread, the company that pumps out Dempster’s baked products, will be closing three of its plants in the GTA over the next three years, including the massive bakery located incongruously among Liberty Village’s art and design firms. Production at the Toronto locations is shifting to a new $100-million state-of-the-art factory—expected to be the largest bakery in the country—located in an as-yet undecided southwestern Ontario location. The decision will affect 435 employees, who will be given the opportunity to move to the new location or work at 13 plants remaining in the city. As for filling the void left by the soon-to-be-emptied Liberty Village plant, we have a radical suggestion: condos.
Sales roundup: 90 per cent off at William Ashley, 80 per cent off athletic wear, Rita Tesolin sample sale
FASHION AND BEAUTY
ATHLETIC LOCKER OUTLET
Find holiday presents for sporty family members at this 25th-anniversary warehouse sale that includes up to 80 per cent off clothing, running shoes and skates from such brands as Fila, Airwalk and Wilson. Winter jackets start at $35, and footwear starts at $15. Nov. 18 to 22. 6085 Belgrave Rd., Mississauga, 905-361-0110, athleticlockeroutlet.com.
DOLL FACTORY BY DAMZELS
In honour of its third anniversary, the Leslieville frock shop is celebrating by offering guests 10 per cent off all purchases, gifts with purchases over $150 and free cocktails. Nov. 19. 6–9. 1122 Queen St. E., 416-598-0509, damzels.com.
LILEO
For anyone who has ogled the amazing Japanese denim at this Distillery District boutique, pay attention. For two evenings, Lileo is hosting Guys and Girls Night Out, with 25 per cent off most items, vodka shots, wine, desserts and free facials. Nov. 19 and 20. Noon–9. 55 Mill St., Bldg. 35, RSVP to 416-413-1410, lileo.ca.
RITA TESOLIN Read the rest of this entry »
The Toronto jewellery designer (her multi-strand pearl necklaces are stunning) is hosting a holiday sample sale with deep discounts on baubles and belts. Nov. 20 to 22. 63 Wingold Ave., Ste. 110, 416-784-1221, ritatesolin.com.
Just Opened: Liberty Noodle
Souped up: the underground dining room at Liberty Noodle (Photo by Catherine Hayday)
Making people feel welcome seems to come naturally for Arshad Merali. At Liberty Noodle, the new venture from the long-time partner at Blowfish, the evidence is everywhere. Free Wi-Fi, for example, indicates that he understands (and welcomes, which is even rarer) Toronto’s outlet-obsessed laptop hordes. Soon, the restaurant will have an on-line order system for takeout. There is even an elevator running the short distance from the entrance to the industrial-chic dining room below. “If I did a business cost analysis, the elevator probably loses us money. But this is about doing the right thing,” Merali says.
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Tyler Cunningham and Frank Romano go spatula to spatula in Liberty Village booze-off
(Photo by backpackphotography)
Mildred’s Temple Kitchen is staging a battle (Crown) royal tomorrow. House chef Tyler Cunningham and Frank Romano (of Far Niente) will face off in an Iron Chef–style cook-off to launch the LCBO’s What’s Your Whisky Festival. The chefs will compete during the preparation of four rye-soaked courses, each based on a Canadian brand of booze, to prove that whisky is—wait for it—the next, next red wine.
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The twisted art of furniture designer Rob Southcott
In our Best of Fall package, we met with must-watch furniture designer Rob Southcott in his Liberty Village Studio. Tomorrow, Southcott’s Under the Table installation at 47 gallery opens. Read more about the up-and-comer and his breathtaking work here.
Cooking with Tyler at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen
Lisa Ray: rickshaw rider (Photo by Karon Liu)
Serving Indian food to the Indian stars of a film about cooking—Dilip Mehta’s Cooking With Stella, to be precise—sounds like a challenge of Padma Lakshmi’s devising. Luckily for dinner-skipping attendees, Mildred Temple Kitchen’s chef Tyler Cunningham was up for it. The Liberty Village resto became a “Temple of Taste” for last night’s Mongrel Media soiree, the warmest and most savoury we’ve attended this week. Rose petals clothed every table, an elaborate rickshaw dazzled on the red carpet, and Lisa Ray held court in a violet sari, and yet the food—curry potato dumplings, succulent shrimp on naan—was the most beautiful thing there.
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Sales roundup: 50 per cent off at Jacflash, 20 per cent off at Uncle Otis, 20 per cent off sofas at Restoration Hardware
FASHION
BEAN SPROUT
Don’t panic, but the kids’ boutique is having a pre-season snowsuit sale (emphasis on the pre-, please). Take 20 per cent off all suits and 60 per cent off all final summer clearance items, including Geox sandals. 565 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-932-3727, beansprout.ca.
JACFLASH
Summer merchandise at this West Queen West store that caters to both teens and adults is discounted by 50 per cent. Already discounted items in their “garage sale”—house, naturally, in the former garage at the back of the store—are all under $50. 1036 Queen St. W., 416-516-8766.
LINEA INTIMA Read the rest of this entry »
The lingerie shop is having a mother-daughter sale: when both buy bras, the panties are free. Print off the coupon here. Until Sept. 30. 1925 Avenue Rd., 416-780-1726, lineaintima.com.
Restaurant closures roundup: now is the summer of our discontent
Photo by James Cridland
Steel for some heartbreakers. Since our last roundup of restaurant closures, three of Toronto’s hoariest dining institutions are no more. These and several other fallen eateries, after the jump.
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Sales roundup: Designer denim sale, 20 per cent off at Stylegarage, save up to 70 per cent at Preloved
FASHION
BEANSPROUT
Before sending the tykes off to camp, check out this sale at the kiddie outfitter Beansprout. Bathing suits, shoes and socks are marked down by 20 per cent, and seasonal footwear and togs are half price. Sizes available for newborns to 12-year-olds. 565 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-932-3727, beansprout.ca.
BUCKLER
Men who like their fashions fresh from the NYC meat-packing district should head to Buckler, where almost everything is 30 per cent off. Hyper-trendy dark-denim drop-crotch jeans are $228, down from $325. Bonus feature: a removable zip-off panel allows them to morph into regular-crotch jeans—perfect for when the fad peters out or the wearer starts to feel self-conscious, whichever comes first. 700 Queen St. W., 416-551-8441, bucklershowroom.com.
CARTE BLANCHE
Just when everyone thought Cheap Mondays couldn’t get any cheaper, jeans at this store are now $55 (down from $69). Everything else is 25 to 50 per cent off, including—for all the Lady Gaga wannabes out there—a black, midriff-baring torpedo-bra corset for $135. 758 Queen St. W., 416-532-0347, shopcarteblanche.ca.
COMRAGS Read the rest of this entry »
Make like Sarah Slean and snap up a dress or two designed by these Ryerson fashion program alumnae: selected items at the store are discounted from 30 to 50 per cent. From July 11. 654 Queen St. W., 416-360-7249, comrags.com.
