A hot, used shipping-container-turned-street-food-stall at the corner of Bathurst and Dundas might not be where one would expect to find Tony Sabherwal, owner of the successful Magic Oven organic pizza chain. And yet, there he is, selling street food on a completely pizza-free menu at Scadding Court Community Centre’s Live Local Marketplace.
Winnie Yip is attempting to give street food a makeunder. Tired of forking over five (or even ten) dollars for streetside nosh, Yip banded together a group of rogue street food enthusiasts (conveniently, her friends) — and started making, and selling, toast. Yes, toast.
After being punched in the face by my first whiff of Brazil’s national dram, cachaca, I was mystified as to why anyone would want to ingest something that bore such an intense olfactory parallel to rubbing alcohol; something that once, according to legend, powered up an automobile (a Ford Fairlane, to be exact). Then, I was taught how to make a caipirinha — a strong and simple mixture of muddled limes, sugar and cachaca — and everything started to make sense.
Most people are oblivious to the intricacies of Japanese knives, but chef Ivan Fonseca (of Messis) and Olivia Go intend to change that with their upcoming store, Tosho Knife Arts. Japanese knives are considered an art form; traditionally, there is a knife for every task — like peeling chestnuts, say — unlike European knives, which are less specialized. Tosho, currently an online store, sells samurai-sword quality knives from Blacksmith Takeda and Konosuke-Sakai.
Although I don’t know who Mad Tom is, or why he’s got his dander up, I do enjoy Muskoka Brewery’s new India Pale Ale named in his honour. Mad Tom is billed as a traditional India Pale Ale, meaning a full-flavoured, lip-smacking romp through hop-ville. In this case, a dry hopping with Cascade and Centennial varieties is used to help complement the citrus and floral notes.
This Saturday, Relish Yo’ Mama is kicking off a series of canning workshops at the St. Lawrence Market Kitchen, including a tutorial conducted by chef Luis Valenzuela of Torito. We caught up with the tapas master — who learned about canning while seeking to preserve Canada’s various seasonal delicacies — to chat about canning, cold weather and Canadiana.
Queen West’s The Social may have ended its six-and-a-half year run earlier this month, but when one door closes, another one opens. Or in this case, two doors. Owners Richard Lambert and Jesse Girard are planning on opening a British pub in The Social’s space, and they’re are also working with Kenny Hotz (of Kenny vs. Spenny) and Embrace Productions on The Hoxton, a new nightclub set to open August 6.
Wasn’t everything better in the ‘50s? Actually, having seen Midnight in Paris, we know that we’re just inherently dissatisfied with the present. Still, we’re intrigued by the latest project from Table 17’s Erik Joyal and John Sinopoli: an upcoming restaurant and wine bar in Leslieville that’ll offer up lots of house-made pasta while paying homage to a bygone Italian era.
In the Rheinhessen region, winemaker Fritz Hasselbach has fashioned a bargain-priced Riesling without sacrificing quality. Deeply coloured with a spicy peach bouquet, the wine is medium-bodied, off-dry with flavours of honey, peach and lime. It really fills the palate and is a delicious summer drink. Food match: pork chops or Thai dishes. (Vintages #216366)
When the newest addition of the Terroni family opened in Rosedale earlier this year, we couldn’t help but wonder if the area was prepared for carpaccio di cavallo (a.k.a. horse meat). The answer is neigh, apparently. Terroni Bar Centrale has decided to quit horsing around and has pulled horse meat items from its menu. Talk about an epic foal-ure (we just can’t help it with the horse puns).
China House, an Eglinton West fixture since 1958, has announced that its vintage dining room will be closing on July 18. With the site slated for condo development, owner Jonathan Wise is currently searching for a new home for one of Toronto’s last upscale Chinese restaurants.
Dark Horse Espresso Bar opened its third location just last year, but owners have apparently been deliberating a fourth location to be housed in the Toronto Eaton Centre. Yes, that Eaton Centre. Co-owner Deanna Zunde tells us that plans have been in the works since around March for a fourth Dark Horse to emerge on the ground floor of Sears, but says those plans may be changing in light of Sears’ recent CEO changeover.
