It’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride for fans of The Black Hoof lately: first, The Hoof Café closed to make way for Black Hoof and Company, originally set to open this spring. That opening was delayed, of course — for an entire year — leaving us to wonder what would happen with the space until then. The answer is a somewhat unsurprising (though wholly welcome) cocktail bar.
I’m not usually a fan of wine that bears the name of a celebrity, sporting or otherwise. But this one won the gold medal at this year’s Ontario Wine Awards in the off-dry Riesling category. It has flavours of honeyed lime and cantaloupe,with refreshing acidity. It will make you think twice about Riesling. Food match: aperitif wine, smoked fish (Vintages # 229286).
Toronto city dwellers are always making excuses to head up north, and now, Orangeville’s Hockley Valley Resort is giving them a new one. The golf and ski getaway, located about an hour outside of the city, will be introducing a luxurious fourth restaurant to it’s current trio of eateries this winter.
Toronto’s Annie Sibonney brings her love affair with Spain to the Food Network in a new 13-episode miniseries, From Spain With Love. Airing on Thursdays, the show profiles different traditions, recipes and restaurants from all across Spain. From brains to balls, Sibonney shares with us the details of her Spanish inquisition.
In these times of extreme heat and humidity, we all have our own coping methods. My survival strategy revolves around building a water work station with my newly purchased kiddie pool and lady bug sprinkler. Currently, I’m still in the process of figuring out how not to get electrocuted should my large and hyperactive dog accidentally knock the umbrella taped to the side of the pool into my computer, knocking it off the stool and into the water.
Toronto’s mean midsummer heat wave bares sparse semblance to the first, sweet-breezed weekend in May that heralds the arrival of spring and, south of the border, gives way to the famous Kentucky Derby. But there’s no reason why we can’t inwardly escape to the Bluegrass State by wrapping our sweaty paws around a tall, frosty cup of minted bourbon.
This flavourful Pinot from New Zealand’s Central Otago region is red Burgundy on steroids. Light purple in colour with a nose of raspberries, tomato leaf and rust, the wine is medium-bodied, elegant and dry with dense flavours of raspberry and dark chocolate. And a long, lingering finish. Food match: duck breast or grilled portobello mushrooms. (Vintages #61242)
It took east-enders Colin Reed and Brittany Peglar several months to find the right spot for their first restaurant, Hammersmith’s, a British-inspired brunch destination in Riverdale. But landing the former Logan Grill space at the corner of Logan and Gerrard has proven to be a smart move for the couple. Local residents have been frequenting the restaurant since its opening earlier this month.
Toronto’s Lit Espresso Bar is no stranger to the fact that one man’s waste is often another man’s gold. Last year, it donated used coffee grinds to Urban Productions, a local design company, which used the grinds for a tile project. These days, though, the cafe throws out around one and a half green bins worth of coffee grind per week. But who knows, maybe brown will become the new green. A Taiwanese textile company has found a way to transform used coffee grinds into fabric fibers.
Caplansky’s Delicatessen is about to go mobile with the launch of its new food truck tomorrow at the Beaches Jazz Festival. Thundering Thelma, as the truck is known — named after owner Zane Caplansky’s Nana — will be available for private functions and corporate events. Caplansky is looking to license his truck to sell on public property soon. We caught up with him to find out just what it takes to make a meals-on-wheels deli work.
While popular Belgian bakery Le Pain Quotidien may be an international success, it failed to make a go of it in Toronto, shuttering its doors less than three years after opening here. Still, a local cake company thinks it can make a success out of the European brasserie experience in the spot once claimed by Quotidien. Patisserie Cocoa is set to open up an eatery as early as this month.
Trust me, this wine is really worth searching out. You can only get it from Magnotta stores around the city. You don’t find many varietal Semillons in Ontario, and this one had the distinction of winning a regional trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London in April. Golden straw in colour with a waxy, honey and peach bouquet, it’s medium-bodied on the palate, offering spicy peach and Bartlett pear flavours riding on lively acidity. Great value here.
