White rum is something I’ve barely touched since high school, when my rugged, juvenile iterations of the Cuba Libre — a generous helping of rum topped with a splash of Diet Coke and half a lime squished in for good measure — made it lose its lustre after one too many hellish hangovers. But trauma be damned, there’s one cocktail that inspires me to make an exception: the Papa Doble.
From Eve’s biblical breakfast blunder to Isaac Newton’s gravitationally-induced epiphany — even down to that sleek device buzzing away in your pocket — the apple as a cultural symbol has persisted for thousands of years. But while apples may remain symbolically fresh, their physical resilience has traditionally been less reliable. Until now.
Quinta Restaurant, soon to be the latest player in the Dundas West scene, is the vision and brainchild of chef Leor Zimerman, who made a name for himself at such as hotspots as Opus Restaurant, Brassaii and Czehoski. His first solo venture, opening next month, will both pay homage to and expand upon previous endeavors, showcasing a rich multicultural mélange of gastronomic traditions.
Chardonnay Musqué is an aromatic clone of Chardonnay, a variety that does very well in Ontario. Because of its fragrance, it’s usually not given any oak treatment, which allows its apple blossom–like bouquet to be as pure as possible.
Big news for fast-food fanatics: beloved American burger chain Five Guys Burgers and Fries is making inroads into downtown Toronto and other areas of the city. After taunting our taste buds with the opening of a Scarborough location last year, as well as a number of locations circling the outskirts of the GTA, it seems that Five Guys is finally making the big leap downtown.
So now that Justin Bieber has announced he’s coming back to his home and native land, we think it’s fitting to remember one of Canada’s former teen idols: this guy. He had the requisite popular coif, the bright, tight smile and a swagger like no other, swimming directly after he ate and talking loudly in libraries. Of course, people like this usually have their fame collapse pretty quick and end up working part-time at PJ’s Pets or something.
The doughnut is the latest goody to get the gourmet treatment in Toronto. Glory Hole Doughnuts, which has been selling decadent pastries by delivery, will soon open a storefront location. At Little Nicky’s, customers can watch bite-sized pastries come fresh off the conveyor belt. Who will win? You decide. GLORY HOLE DOUGHNUTS Owned by Ashley … Continued
Buca is set to bring its acclaimed brand of reinvented Italian cuisine to Yorkville. An offshoot of the King West restaurant, which has been critically acclaimed and last year received the Jamie Oliver seal of approval, will open in a 3,500-square-foot space in the new Four Seasons Private Residences, probably in October.
Devin Connell, the much-buzzed about owner of Yonge and St. Clair’s trendy Delica Kitchen, couldn’t decide what kind of restaurant to open next. All she knew was that she wanted to serve either fried chicken or doughuts. Stuck between a rock and a sweet place, she decided to do both.
This delicious wine is unlike any white Bordeaux I’ve tasted — it’s more like a cross between a Loire Valley Sancerre and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Pale straw, almost water white in colour, it has an upfront bouquet of gooseberry and grapefruit. These flavours expand on the palate to passion fruit and guava, ending with a crisp lemony finish.
While on vacation in London last month, I was introduced to Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer. There, it’s available in every halfway-decent grocery store. That won’t be happening here any time soon, but by happy coincidence last month — soon after I left London — the LCBO started stocking Crabbie’s Original.
Yorkdale Shopping Centre is getting a huge expansion this year that will see 145,000 square feet added to the already immense shopping giant. Yet while the addition of 40 new stores is sure to get our retail juices flowing, we’re more excited about the plans for a brand new food court — or rather, a “food collection,” as the mall’s media reps would have you call it — which will provide a much needed revamp of the mall’s dining options.
