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Jewel-like bugs could destroy Toronto’s ash trees this summer
Emerald ash borer: Charlie Sheen’s not the only destructive force coming to Toronto (Image: USDA)
Toronto may have narrowly escaped snowpocalypse this winter, but the city is now facing a summer threat: an invasion of the city’s ash trees by the emerald ash borer beetle (or, if you prefer, “ashpocalypse”). According to OpenFile, the pretty penny-sized bugs have been devastating trees in southwestern Ontario for a while now and made their way to Toronto in 2007—flourishing mostly among the concentrations of ash trees in the northern and eastern parts of the city. So is ashpocalypse as over-hyped as snowpocalypse? Toronto’s Parks and Environment Committee doesn’t think so; it recommended the city set aside $1.139 million to deal with the infestation, a proposal that’s being debated by city council today.
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Just Opened: Camp 4, the Ossington alternative
Turn off your bright lights: Camp 4 (Image: Jon Sufrin)
When the Ossington strip is too packed to go bar-hopping (or even to open new bars), it’s time to spread the party elsewhere. For the owners of Camp 4—named after a rock-climbing base camp at Yosemite—that means Dundas West: close enough to still be part of the Ossington scene, but far enough away to give hipsters some breathing room.
Camp 4 is a bar in transition as it tries to accomplish the not-so-small task of differentiating itself from such nearby hot spots as the Communist’s Daughter and the Dakota Tavern. An ardent dedication to simplicity permeates, right down to the cocktail menu. Patrons can sip three takes on the old-fashioned (bourbon, rum or tequila, $13), while the whiskey-heavy liquor selection is refreshingly free of anything fluorescent. “There’s not going to be any Hpnotiq,” says co-owner Joseph Tanner. “No blue drinks.”
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Ask the expert: a caterer’s dos and don’ts for the big day
Arpi Magyar became a culinary star in the kitchen at Splendido, and now his catering company, Couture Cuisine and Event Artistry, delights palates at more than 150 weddings a year. His dos and don’ts for the big day.
Photograph by Vanessa Heins
How much of the wedding budget should be for food and booze?
About 60 per cent of a wedding budget should be devoted to the food, booze, staffing and rentals. But I never know what they’re spending on everything else—a bride can spend $10,000 on a dress.
Where should couples splurge?
Most people should spend an extra $500 to $600 on better wine. It makes all the difference, and it’s only the equivalent of two flower arrangements.
Where should they save their money?
Don’t serve wedding cake as dessert—it never looks good on the plate, and most of them aren’t that tasty. Get a small, symbolic cake and serve a plated dessert. My favourite thing to do is an assortment of samples: a crème brûlée in an espresso cup, maybe a miniature molten chocolate cake, and a quenelle of raspberry sorbet.
Has the recession changed the way people cater weddings? Read the rest of this entry »
For sure. Fewer cheese plates. They’re a luxury item—at the end of the night, after the coffee and dessert—and at $9 a person, that can mean spending thousands of dollars just on cheese. People are also shying away from more expensive main courses. I’ve done fewer veal chops this year and a lot more poultry. Playing it safe with beef, chicken or salmon is always smart.
Where to eat lunch this week: Solo Sushi Bekkan
After the excellent donburi bowls at this tiny Yonge and College spot, we may never go back to the bento box
Six Ontario delicacies being served at the Olympics Pavilion
Peanut brittle from Sudbury's Sinfully Deelicious (Photo via sinfullydeelicious.com)
It’s no secret that corporate sponsorship is one of the most competitive sports at the Games, but a few independent brewers, bakers and farmers made the cut at the Ontario House in the Olympics Pavilion. Alongside the Coke, Minute Maid and Timothy’s coffee, there’s enough Ontario nosh to satisfy any locavore.
Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company: Lug Tread Ale Read the rest of this entry »
Based in eastern Ontario, Beau’s is more familiar to residents of Ottawa and Kingston—that is, until the family brewery made it into Ontario House. Its Lug Tread Ale, a lager-ale mix, is being served on tap and in a beer–and–Balderson cheddar soup.
Q&A: legendary chef Thomas Keller on his culinary empire
Thomas Keller at his first Toronto appearance (Photo by Renée Suen)
A crowd of 450 (including top Toronto chefs Ted Corrado, Mark McEwan, Bonnie Stern and Donna Dooher) gathered at the Toronto Reference Library on Monday night to hear from Thomas Keller, who was in town to promote his new cookbook, Ad Hoc at Home. In the book, Keller, the only American chef to receive Michelin stars for two restaurants (The French Laundry, Per Se) at once, reveals recipes from Ad Hoc, his restaurant in Yountville, California, which serves a different prix-fixe menu every night. We wrangled some alone time with the chef to talk about his culinary empire.
It’s your first time in Toronto. Will you be exploring much of its culinary scene? Read the rest of this entry »
Unfortunately, I got in late last night and am leaving early tomorrow morning, so I won’t really get to see much this time. The one restaurant that is on my list is The Black Hoof, which I heard from a friend is very good.
Where to eat lunch this week
In our latest installment of the Weekly Lunch Pick, we visit Matagali. The downtown favourite offers two affordable lunch menus—one Indian, one Thai. Trust us; the dual identity is more charming than it sounds.
State of the Union: Teo Paul talks about opening his Ossington restaurant
Come together: after nearly a year of delays, Union opens on Ossington Avenue (Photo by Davida Aronovitch)
Inside Ossington Avenue’s long-awaited Union restaurant, diners find a Parisian oasis. The room smells of fresh baguettes, and Gilles Vigneault’s “Champs Élysées” floats over fin de siècle accents and a brasserie-style horseshoe bar. A look at this soothing atmosphere reveals nothing of the struggle chef-owner Teo Paul had in putting it all together, though readers of his Opening Soon blog, hosted here on torontolife.com, know better.
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Viagra in energy drinks, Tim Hortons expands in NYC, man dies in chocolate vat
Chocolate, the silent killer (Photo by Daniel Catt)
• A 29-year-old man died Wednesday after falling into a vat of chocolate at a New Jersey candy factory. Not the most dignified way to go, but definitely not the worst. [Huffington Post]
• Oscar Mayer III has passed away at 95. (No, we didn’t know there really was an Oscar Mayer either, let alone three of them.) In his honour, the Chicago Tribune has compiled a list of other notable food products named after people, real and fake. Biggest surprise? There really was a Chef Boyardee. [Chicago Tribune]
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Where to eat lunch
This week, our lunch pick is a calming Japanese restaurant that caters to Bay Streeters and casual diners alike. The deal? A four-course midday menu that’s worth loosening the belt for (in more ways than one).
The InterContinental’s SkyLounge patio is now open (and serving a recession-busting grill menu)
Hot off the grill: steak burgers, chorizo hotdogs and pulled pork sammies (Photo by Karon Liu)
When the publicist said the biggest name who had RSVP’d for the InterContinental’s SkyLounge patio opening last night was Rick Campenelli, we expected it to be a long evening—especially when said ET Canada host failed to show up.
No matter. The shindig gave us (along with a bevy of networking industry types and unnaturally tanned, unnaturally blonde recession/fashion/style-istas) the opportunity to sample the TIFF hotspot’s new recession-friendly Thursday grill menu.
Almost
The interior of Union, May 1, 2009 (Photo by Teo Paul)
We were hoping to be open by May 5, at the latest, but the usual happened. One guy held up another guy from finishing his job, so yet another guy has to wait for that guy to finish so he can get done what he has to get done—and then everyone needs more money. It drags on and on. I don’t recommend gutting a place and trying to build a restaurant from rubble and dirt. Who knew such a sweet little spot could demand so much? It’s been tough to hold on to the spark that shot me into this thing when it feels like it’s just spitting me out. It bangs up your faith because you start thinking it’s you that’s making it take so damn long. It’s lonesome waiting for something to begin. You’re out in the wind with just self-doubt and a bunch of expectations to keep you company.
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