The world’s 50 best restaurants were announced yesterday, and Canada has plenty of reasons to rejoice. Our bad — what we meant to say is that Canada has no reasons to rejoice, because not one single Canadian restaurant made the list (again). It gets worse: Canada didn’t even get a mention on the top 100, when in 2010 we at least had Cambridge’s Langdon Hall at number 77 and Calgary’s Rouge at number 60.
Ah, yes. The great chess match of 1914-ish: Morrison vs. Marshall. Never heard of it? Here’s all you need to know. Team Morrison’s slogan: “I’ll take your pawn, all day long;” Team Marshall’s tagline: “This is a stick-up: give up your bishop.” The game was so epically long that those two dudes’ beards turned white in the process. The game was won in only four moves. Marshall ended up losing, but his great-great grandson invented the game Connect Four, so it all worked out in the wash.
Toronto franchise Big Smoke Burger (previously known as Craft Burger) announced today that it’s planning on making inroads into the U.S. and other global markets, starting with a Manhattan location set to open later this year. The team behind that location is looking to eventually open 50 Big Smoke Burgers in the New York and Chicago area.
Momentum is building for Toronto band Metric’s new album Synthetica, which is set to be released June 12. The first single off the album, “Youth Without Youth” will be released on May 1, while the artwork and track listing were released earlier this month. Synthetica is being released by the band’s own label, MMI, through a series of partnerships with distributors around the world including Universal Music here in Canada.
Over the second half of Fashion Art Toronto, things got a little bit racier. With the themes of the two days broken down into “Bodyscapes” and “Futurescapes,” very little was left to the imagination. Montreal’s Zent and Pedram Karimi stood out with their distinctive visions, while labels like House of Etiquette and Artifice Clothing brought the likes of PVC and latex down the runway, much to the delight of the crowd.
Spirithouse, which opened last week in the King West area, is the work of the people behind the Toronto Institute of Bartending — and they insist it’s not just another cocktail bar. Instead, owner Len Fragomeni says this drinking spot is dedicated to getting guests to sample new and unusual drinks.
Our inner geek is blissing out over this one: Star Trek’s Lieutenant Sulu is in town and he’s hosting three concerts of sci-fi tunes. George Takei, who played the helmsman of the Starship Enterprise in the TV series and movies, will take to the stage at Roy Thomson Hall tomorrow (May 1) to host the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s “Sci-Fi Spectacular.”
When the doors open tomorrow at the AGO’s Picasso exhibition, Torontonians will be given a deeply personal glimpse into the life of one of the 20th century’s most influential artists. “Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris” features 147 works from the artist’s personal collection, dubbed “Picasso’s Picassos.”
Back before MMA and Game of Thrones existed, what exactly did Toronto men talk about in 1898? Well, we think it went something like this: “What the heck does the word ‘Yukon’ even mean?” “So those Spaniards got a pretty raw deal with that Treaty of Paris, eh?” “I hear there’s a new element called radium. Sounds pretty harmless.” Good thing for them that the National Hockey Association would soon be on its way.
Maybe it was their newfound status as Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, maybe it was the addition of new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who stepped in to replace founding member John Frusciante in 2009. Whatever the reason, the Red Hot Chili Peppers served up an energized, inspired two-hour set at the Air Canada Centre Friday night in the first of two back-to-back shows, the Peppers’ first tour dates since being enshrined in the Rock Hall two weeks ago.
Every week, we gather our favourite tweets from in and around Toronto’s fashion scene. This week: exclusive deals from @FashionCanada and @ShopDealuxe, and sad news from the Betsey Johnson HQ.
A new documentary by Brilynn Ferguson delves into the world of Secret Pickle Supper Club, a travelling supper club in Toronto that shuns expensive bottle service and other pretentions, focusing instead on creating an original and top-notch dining experience.
