Summer’s dog days are here, and with that precious heat (the kind that never lasts long enough in this country) comes the inevitable need to get outside and soak up some sun. Sounds perfect, right? Not so fast: There’s a few important things to be mindful of, namely spreadable infections, diseases and germs, all of which can be easily contracted if you’re not careful. Here, Dr. MacDonald fills us in on how to stay infection-free during the season of the germ.
In June, some sports groups using the city’s green spaces received a letter from the City of Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division sternly reminding them of Toronto’s zero-tolerance policy for alcohol in public places. Unauthorized drinking after a game would, threatened the letter, result in the culprits losing their permit to play sports in city parks and put them on a blacklist for the future.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more satisfying show for drum or guitar lovers than Tuesday night’s Molson Amphitheatre double bill of Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience and newly minted Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Heart.
A few weeks back, Playa Cabana added yet another location to its quickly expanding roster of restaurants. Hacienda, the third taco-slinging joint, is more low-key (food-wise at least) than its brethren, though the same pumping beats pulse out alongside the characteristically boisterous signage.
Origin, created by Toronto’s brilliant chef Claudio Aprile, now has a third location in Bayview Village. This is a restaurant experience you don’t want to miss: the food is eclectic, super-trendy and absolutely delicious. The mozzarella bar features imported buffalo mozzarella and burrata; the raw bar has succulent oysters and mouth-watering tuna sashimi.
Summerhill is prime real estate for interior design shops, so when owner Christine Flynn set up her second location of Love the Design in the neighbourhood, she knew she was playing in the big leagues. “I wanted to offer Summerhill something a little different,” says Flynn. “Our style is more nontraditional and industrial vintage.”
For this week’s post I ate smelly tofu, which I know is a bit of a cop out, because last week I ate balut, which is also an Asian food. Like, am I just going to write about Asian food every time? The answer is no, but let’s face it: Asians eat a lot of gross things. It’s partly what makes their cuisine so awesome.
With its rolling hills, gently winding pathways and immaculate flower beds, Mount Pleasant Cemetery is one of the most serene parts of Toronto. The Doric pillars and statues on the imposing mausoleums dotted about the gardens testify that, for much of its 137-year history, this has been the place where many of the city’s great and good have chosen to rest in peace.
Don’t bother joking with Mark Lloyd about his status as a professional athlete, because he’s heard them all. “It just kind of comes with the territory,” he says.
Sotto in the Village, sister restaurant to the longstanding Sotto Sotto in Yorkville, closed its doors around two weeks ago. Owners couldn’t reach a lease agreement with the landlord, so they decided to close the restaurant after seven years in business.
In case you missed the memo, backpacks are enjoying a resurgence in popularity right now. This is likely a by-product of the ’90s making a huge, plaid-printed comeback on runways and street style blogs. Whatever the reason, it’s becoming virtually impossible to traverse the downtown area without seeing a backpack or two on sartorially inclined men and women.
To see the Jonas Brothers and their shrinking (but still vocal) fan base on Thursday night at the Molson Amphitheatre was to witness what might just be music’s youngest nostalgia act.
