It seems the Price is Right for retired game show host Bob Barker. He has said he will pay out of his own pocket to have three African elephants from the Toronto Zoo moved to a sanctuary in California.
[Toronto Star]
Toronto’s Dave Bidini, freewheeling rocker, author and the only Canadian artist to have been nominated for a Juno, Genie and Gemini, is back on the musical side of the artistic ledger as he puts the final touches on a new Bidiniband album due out Jan. 24. We tracked him down to get the inside scoop on the album, titled In The Rock Hall.
Queen West has a brand new spot to satisfy a Vietnamese sandwich craving. Just don’t go to Banh Mi Boys, situated in the old Ziggy’s Shawarma and Seafood House space, expecting traditional cold cuts between your bread. Go expecting better.
This is a perfect gift for your squash partner who is so competitive that he even beats you out of the shower. Here’s something to make him sluggish the next time you play — that is, a wine that contains high alcohol. There is a little Petite Sirah in this massive, full-blown Zinfandel. Deep ruby in colour with a creamy nose blackberry; sweet, succulent fruit offering plum and blackcurrant flavours backed by sweet oak and peppery notes.
Cue the climate change deniers: according to a soon-to-be completed study, warmer winters with less snow could become the norm in Toronto.
[Globe and Mail]
From pop-up shops to super discounts to sample sales, there is a heck of a lot happening in the city over the next few days. You know what that means? Come Monday, your wardrobe is going to look extra fabulous — or perhaps you will have found most of your Christmas gifts. Either way, there will be some major credit card damage, but it will be worth it. Here’s a guide to the best in shopping this weekend.
Back in November, when we reported on the closure of the longstanding Sierra Grill, we had a feeling that the site would get taken over by Claudio Aprile. He had already announced that he was planning on expanding the Origin brand, including an Origin North. Today The Grid confirms that Origin is indeed headed to Bayview Village, and another location is slated for Liberty Village as well.
On the table sit three transparent containers full of mealworms. Huddling around it, a small group of people prod and point at it, as if it were a peculiar alien species they’d never seen before. A slideshow of mealworm-based dishes — food porn, in a way — flashes up on the projector screen in front of them. One member from the group looks up and stares until the images come to a stop, then murmurs, “ I can’t believe there are worms inside those dishes – gross.”
Every fashion-loving lady lusts for one of Alexander Wang’s Diego bags (unless she owns one already). Why do we love them so much? Well, first off, the bucket shape makes them neither dainty nor annoyingly oversized, and the studs and heavy metal make them all-around badass. While the Diego may be an icon in the handbag world, sometimes we like to look for lesser-known alternatives, especially when it means we can support our homegrown talent.
Toronto’s iconic Flatiron building has been sold for $15 million to Clayton Smith’s Commercial Realty Group. Smith’s company owns several other heritage buildings throughout the city.
[Toronto Star]
We’re now near the end of the first year of Rob Ford’s mayoralty, and I have been trying to think of helpful things to say to our city leaders. Yes, we’ve been given far too many reasons to be critical in recent months, but I know that some days it’s not so easy to be a leader. On some days, good advice is what you want to hear.
For our neighbourhood feature this month we headed east to Riverside. Oft lumped together with Leslieville, this stretch of Queen Street East has some flair of its own, featuring a smattering of shops that speak mostly to our palates and our design sensibilities. Below, some of our favourite shops in the area.
