Toronto-based musicians Lily Frost and José Miguel Contreras found each other through their love for music. The two balance writing, recording, performing and touring as separate artists on top of their love life, and, despite their hectic schedules, the indie singer and By Divine Right front man have managed to develop a lasting relationship as well as a beautiful family.
A show booked into Peterborough’s Showplace Theatre in April advertised itself as the No Foul Language Standup Comedy Tour. The cutline is “100% Funny, 0% Profanity,” and the show was taped by CBC’s radio series Laugh Out Loud. Seven experienced comedians participated in the show, but none were household names.
Holt Renfrew’s offshoot store, HR2, recently opened their second Canadian location in Vaughan Mills in May. And although the store is merely a branch of the Holt Renfrew tree, shoppers will be happy to know that luxury is still the root that Holt’s hopes to grow its success from.
The hot topic about relationships these days is “sleep divorce,” which is essentially making the decision to not share the same bed as your partner. It was in the news recently after a British sleep expert, Neil Stanley, declared, “We sleep better when we sleep alone.” For some, the idea makes sense. For others, it is unimaginable.
In honour of the Taste of Little Italy, old-school eateries Café Diplomatico and Bar Italia battle for the boot. Who is flying Italia’s true colours? Whose marinara is worth chowing down? You decide.
Earlier this month, Parkdale welcomed Sylvie and Shimmy, a new womenswear store, to the neighbourhood. For most buisiness owners, nabbing a location that attracts the right clientele is half the battle, so when Caroline Sylvester and Kyungjoo Shim found a spot in Parkdale for their shop, it was a no-brainer.
Produced from the fruit of 80-year-old Assyrtiko vines, this wine is pale straw in colour. You can smell the volcanic soil in which the grapes were grown, giving it a minerally, smoky, melon nose; it’s medium-bodied with a crisply dry, crab apple flavour carried on lively acidity.
It’s Thursday, and the weekend is fast approaching. Need stuff to see or do? We’ve got you covered. In this edition, Italian pride on College Street, a celebration of Roncesvalles, a Japanese film festival and more.
Whenever I mention to fellow theatre-lovers that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats is one of my favourite musicals, I receive a chortle in response. Maybe it’s because when the musical first launched here 28 years ago, it was the only spectacle to see in town (“Whenever you went on a date, you went to Cats,” someone recently said to me, rather bitterly).
“Beer with fruit; German tradition; premixed beer cocktail; refreshing; juice beer; official drink of cyclists.” Such was the seesaw stream of thoughts that tormented me this week while preparing to write about the Stiegl Grapefruit Radler. This grapefruit version of the radler — a premixed beer cocktail — is currently available at the LCBO.
Summer’s almost here, and that means that heavy desserts are the last thing Torontonians crave to round off a meal. Sorbet may be the easy go-to choice, but panna cotta — the traditional Italian dessert — is perfect for sweltering summer days: it’s light, and it even has a JLo-worthy jiggle. Here are six Hogtown joints that are putting their own spin on panna cotta.
Toronto has a lot to be concerned about these days — from Mayor Rob Ford’s continued antics to the failings of almost every professional sports franchise the city has to offer. But the local music scene has always been a source of pride. So with summer right around the corner, we are celebrating the contributions of local musicians to the city.
