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War on fun update: patio applications for Campagnolo, Woodlot and more up for Valentine’s Day rejection

More like probably denied (Image: Jon Sufrin)

Summer—a.k.a. patio season—is still months away, but that isn’t stopping the Toronto and East York Community Council from raining on everyone’s parade in advance. Seven proposals for “boulevard café permits,” including from Campagnolo and the Queen West location of Dark Horse Espresso Bar, are on the agenda for the upcoming Valentine’s Day meeting of community council. In each and every case, city staff members have recommended that the application be denied. (To be fair, most of the time at least some nearby residents have opposed the patios.) At the same meeting, the Greektown on the Danforth Business Improvement Association will continue its battle against Toronto’s inconsistent rules on patio hours. Last year, a stretch of Danforth eateries won the right to keep their patios open until midnight, but a few party animals just couldn’t help themselves and broke curfew—so city staff has recommended the privilege be withdrawn. See the full list of doomed patio proposals after the jump:

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The Informer

Gimme Shelter

September 9, 2011 | 2:35 pm

2 Comments

Office Space: $3,300 per month to lease two floors of vintage Queen West real estate

Address: 880A Queen Street West

Neighbourhood: Trinity-Bellwoods

Agent: Djanka and Edward Gajdel (for lease by owners)

Price: $3,300 per month (plus HST, taxes and utilities)

THE PLACE: Fittingly, this space—situated on the second and third floors of a historic building just west of Trinity Bellwoods Park on trendy Queen Street West—is nothing if not cool vintage chic. The retro furniture, much of it sourced from France, comes with the office, and the glassed-in boardroom includes shelving and an armoire that once belonged to the French Foreign Legion army. Despite the sleek digs, however, in summer months previous tenants have been known to ditch their desks for the outdoor patio. Dubbed “the cottage on Queen,” the office’s deck is rigged with Wi-Fi to enable employees to “work” with a view of the park.

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The Hype

To-Do List

June 14, 2011 | 1:05 pm

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Tuesday’s NXNE picks: The Antlers, Nu Music Nite and the Disposable Film Festival

North by Northeast is, first and foremost, a music festival, so it gives us great pleasure to present our first concert picks on NXNE’s second day. Check out our selections for Tuesday, after the jump.

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The Informer

From the Print Edition

May 11, 2011 | 9:08 am

1 Comment

Gregory Burke pulled the Power Plant out of debt and enhanced its international reputation. Then, he quit.

By Daniel Baird

Gregory Burke with Sarah Bywater, the former Power Plant head fundraiser, at the 2009 Power Ball (Image: George Pimentel)

The Power Plant’s first board meeting of the year was held at noon on Monday, February 7. The gallery, situated on prime waterfront property, is a magnet for the city’s wealthy society figures. The clubby board of governors reflects that. Trinity Jackman, an archaeologist and the daughter of Hal Jackman, is the vice-president. The Drake Hotel owner Jeff Stober is a member, as are Rosedale hostess and arts patron Elisa Nuyten and the entertainment lawyer Paul Bain. The board’s president is Shanitha Kachan, an art collector and the wife of investment guru Gerald Sheff. Kachan called to order what should have been a routine, low-key meeting. Then came the big revelation.

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The Dish

Opening

April 20, 2011 | 5:19 pm

14 Comments

Keriwa Café, a new restaurant with an Aboriginal menu, to open on Queen West next month

A new restaurant focused on Aboriginal cuisine is set to open on Queen Street West this coming May. Behind Keriwa is Aaron Joseph Bear Robe, previously of Splendido, Michael Stadtländer’s Eigensinn Farm and Haisai, and the River Café in Calgary. With a strong pedigree of farm-to-table haute cuisine, Keriwa Café will bring Aboriginal recipes together with more contemporary dishes, and will focus on local, seasonal and organic ingredients. He’s also promised us fried bread.

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The Goods

The Find

March 24, 2011 | 4:22 pm

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The Find: the perfect spring trench for the coolest girls

We know there’s still snow on the ground, but spring, believe it or not, is upon us, and we can’t wait to test out this knee-length Philip Sparks trench, available at Delphic. From the front, it is as classic as The Bell Jar and a breakup, but the goods are in the back. We love how the pleated flounce fans out in a peekaboo fashion. One of the best aspects: Sparks’s tailor-made clothes are all Canadian. Burberry who? $650.

Delphic, 706 Queen Street West, 416-603-3334

The Goods

Rogue Fashion Week

March 22, 2011 | 12:37 pm

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PHOTO GALLERY: see Philip Sparks’s fall/winter 2011 collection

Philip Sparks fall/winter 2011 collection

Janelle Monáe, is that you? (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)

Philip Sparks kicked off Rogue Fashion Week’s first off-site show at Queen West’s Burroughes Building last night. Check out our complete coverage in today’s inaugural gallery of plaid, prints and classic Canadiana. Check out our full write up on the scene, the sights and what we think of Toronto’s gleeful Philip Sparks.

The Informer

From the Print Edition

February 28, 2011 | 10:02 am

6 Comments

Fun factory: a look inside Red Bull’s space-age new offices on Queen West

No surprise that Red Bull’s new offices resemble a space-age nightclub. They also prove that it’s OK—even beneficial—to mix business with pleasure By Matthew Hague

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The Hype

The Inn Crowd

February 14, 2011 | 12:34 pm

7 Comments

Seven-year itch: the Drake Hotel announces plans for expansion

The Drake Hotel (Image: Amber Dawn Pullen)

Since the day its current incarnation opened—Valentine’s Day, 2004—the Drake Hotel has been the restless centre of West Queen West. Unable to remain contained in its original building, the self-proclaimed “hotbed for culture” spread east, spawning a retail shop and barbecue joint. And now, as part of its seventh anniversary celebration, the Drake has announced that it will be expanding yet again. The plan is to provide additional rooms, new menu items, and enhanced performance and exhibit spaces for artists.

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The Hype

To-Do List

February 9, 2011 | 12:38 pm

Comments

The Weekender: Heart, Nature Unleashed and six other can’t-miss events

1. HEART
Remember when rock star sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson sent John McCain’s campaign a cease-and-desist letter after he used their hit song “Barracuda” to introduce then-running-mate Sarah Palin? That’s just one of the many reasons this stalwart band is awesome. Their Friday concert, part of the sisters’ 35^th anniversary cross-country tour, will almost certainly include a 2011 take on “Barracuda,” as well as all the other hard-rock anthems and power ballads the Wilsons are known for. February 11. $65–$115. Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St., 416-872-4255, masseyhall.com.

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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

Opening

January 24, 2011 | 2:57 pm

2 Comments

Introducing: Fifth Elementt, Bay Street’s Indian fusion restaurant reborn on Queen West

Inside the new Fifth Elementt (Image: Jon Sufrin)

When Bay Street’s Fifth Elementt closed down last May, chef Johnee Savarimuthu knew he wanted to continue the Indian fusion restaurant’s legacy. His culinary career had taken him down many roads—from sommelier to Disney cruise cook to head chef at New York City’s Revival—but he’d never owned his own restaurant before. So he and his sous-chef partnered up and bought the Fifth Elementt brand, taking it to Queen West earlier this month in the space where Bangkok Paradise used to churn out its signature pad see ew.

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The Dish

Restauran-TO

January 21, 2011 | 1:28 pm

11 Comments

Between two trends: John Lettieri on coffee and burgers in Toronto

Lettieri’s busy Queen Street West location (Image: Steve Harris)

John Lettieri is in an interesting position these days. As president and founder of both Hero Certified Burgers and Lettieri Espresso Bar and Café, he straddles two of Toronto’s biggest food trends: gourmet burgers and coffee. Recently we noticed that his company decided to transform two Lettieris—one at Bloor and Bathurst and another at Church and Wellesley—into Hero Burgers. Is one hot trend overtaking another, or is the indie café explosion creeping up on the chain? We caught up with Lettieri and got his take on Toronto’s coffee and burger scenes, the future of his chain and a new concept he’s launching soon.

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The Dish

Opening

January 17, 2011 | 2:46 pm

21 Comments

Introducing: Inigo, a Queen West churrasqueira, takes over Igor Kenk’s old space

Inigo is Carlos Hernandez's take on the churrasqueira

While Dundas West is in the midst of a carnivorous craze with a serious emphasis on the pig (we’re looking at you, Porchetta and Co.), a new Queen West takeout spot at the southern end of Trinity-Bellwoods Park is putting its faith in the original white meat: chicken. Carlos Hernandez opened up shop at Inigo last week—in Igor Kenk’s old spot— where he’s offering his take on the Portuguese churrasqueira, those homey greasy spoons ubiquitous on College and Dundas West.

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The Dish

From the Print Edition

January 14, 2011 | 3:14 pm

2 Comments

Modern comforts: Chris Nuttall-Smith takes on Woodlot and Ici Bistro

Two neighbourhood restaurants serve up light-handed renditions of our rib-sticking favourites By Chris Nuttall-Smith

(Image: Vanessa Heins)

The comfort food revolution has brought us much to be thankful for, including cheaper, more casual restaurants, and the glories of deep-fried mac-and-cheese, but it hasn’t exactly delivered a surge of culinary innovation. Spurred on by a sputtering economy, the comfort trend spawned a wave of barbecue joints, gourmet burger shops, neighbourhood pubs and by-the-book bistros, and it introduced childhood-evoking staples like cookies and milk to scores of restaurant menus where the “licorice root, three ways” used to be. It offered certainty when everything else around us seemed ready to collapse, not only for diners but for restaurateurs, too.

Comfort eating, like love and psychotherapy, is driven by equal measures of longing (for simpler times) and industrial-grade denial (s’mores are less fattening when they’re made with single-estate chocolate from São Tomé), powerful motivators both. So most chefs have been happy to feed our cravings without letting their own high-minded notions get in the way.

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