Patio season is upon us: that glorious season when temperature spikes, awnings are lifted, and everyone gets free pizza. Well, maybe not everyone. Mostly, just those people who happen to make their way to Queen West’s Piola tomorrow.
Not too long ago, I ate one of the slipperiest, drippiest, messiest sandwiches I’ve ever had. It was at a Financial District nook known as The Gabardine, wherein a fat French baguette was stuffed with pulled pork, raw onions, julienned carrots and kimchi. It was, apparently, an Asian fusion submarine sandwich known as the banh mi. It cost $14, sides included. To anyone planning on taking the plunge: bring a bib. Possibly two.
Ask any Toronto bartender for their classic tipple of preference and there’s a good chance you’ll receive an answer that involves bitters and either whiskey or gin; Manhattans and Negronis, to be specific. If those two iconic cocktails spawned a love child, that nipper would be a beautiful thing, and chances are it would be very similar to a little-known drink called the Boulevardier.
It’s official — Leonard Cohen really is our man. The iconic Montreal troubadour is to receive the Glenn Gould Prize for lifetime achievement, and this weekend more than 25 artists will be performing his songs on street corners around the city, including the Yorkville Parkette, Nathan Phillips Square, and the Bay and Bloor intersection. On Monday, Cohen will receive the prize at Massey Hall, and a slew of stellar musicians will join him on stage.
If you’re a fan of Cabernet Sauvignon, you won’t want to miss this wine from Argentina’s Mendoza Valley. Dense purple in colour, it has a nose of crushed blackcurrants. The fruit is sweet and the balance is perfect. As it retails for just under $15, you might want to cellar a few bottles because this wine will improve in a couple of years when the tannins soften.
Victoria Vaccher, owner and chief baker at Tori’s Bakeshop, knows a thing or two about pie crust. Part of a pie-centric clan (her family, that is), it’s no surprise that Vaccher chose to share a “flaky crust” recipe with us this week. Herewith, Vaccher’s recipe for a vegan pie crust — to be baked with a filling (sweet or savoury) of your choice.
Vampire Weekend fans have another reason to celebrate: Chris Baio, who also goes by his DJ moniker, Baio, recently announced he will release his solo EP, Sunburn, on May 21. If there was ever any proof that good things come in small packages, this is it: the EP is only three tracks, and his mini-tour of just five shows happens to include Toronto.
Guy Rawlings, formerly of the buzzy Brockton General on Dundas West and now the menu consultant for the newly opened brew-pub Bellwoods Brewery on Ossington, is one of the city’s most celebrated young chefs. And now he says he has found a new interest: beer. Or, at least, good beer.
We’ve known for a while now that something interesting was going down in the previously papered-up venue adjacent to The Black Hoof, and now the Toronto Star is reporting that the space appears on the cusp of opening as a new Hoof-related restaurant.
Bringing together the Toronto Underground Market and Food Truck Eats for the very first time, Saturday’s Street Food Block Party was the foodie event of the spring. Hundreds of hungered Torontonians made their way to the Evergreen Brick Works to test fare from 21 vendors and 11 trucks, with a surprise appearance from Jamie Kennedy’s famous fries. With tickets selling out promptly, lines were snaking their way around the mammoth space, with lineups reaching hour-long waits (lobster poutine, we’re looking at you).
Nearly two decades ago, Michael Stadtländer opened up Eigensinn Farm and set to work establishing his 100-acre Singhampton outpost as one of the premier dining spots in the country, all the while spearheading the local-food movement with his ready-made environmental ethic. At Eigensinn, Stadtländer shocked traditional foodies by growing his own food, making his own chairs and tables, crafting his own outdoor ovens and grills and featuring the bounty of local growers — call it fine-dining DIY.
Chef Matt Blondin has announced that he is stepping down as chef at Little Italy’s celebrated Acadia restaurant. Blondin, who has headed up a kitchen serving a Canadian take on Cajun cuisine since the eatery opened last summer, will plate up his last dish on May 31.
