Toronto Life articles from April 2005

Toronto Life archives from April 2005

I share the view of the "prominent Torontonian" who told your CEO that Toronto Life is mean spirited [This Issue, March].(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2005... I share the view of the "prominent Torontonian" who told your CEO that Toronto Life is mean spirited [This Issue, March]. Yes, critical writing is good, but critical in the sense of an intelligent or thoughtful analysis. Unfortunately, when...

Critical condition.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2005... The "mean spirited" charge that prompted John Macfarlane's editorial about critical journalism beautifully illustrates the downside of the Canadian national characteristic of trying not to offend anyone. I grew up in England, and though I have...

Bad gamble.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2005... The caption on the photograph of Daniel Negreanu ["Red-Hot Poker," Sports, March] says he's outside Las Vegas's Bellagio. That's technically true, but he's not directly outside or even in front of the Bellagio. The casino in the photo is...

I am Canadian.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2005... Your extensive article about Terminal 1 at Pearson International Airport ["Terminal Velocity," February], contains a number of misleading statements pertaining to the architectural design. First of all, while it is true that the project was a...

Oops!(Letters)(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2005... In our review of Antinori's Tignanello wine [Drink, January], we implied that Antinori is owned by Constellation, the world's largest wine distribution company. In fact, Antinori remains in family hands. We regret the error.

I've always had a thing for art direction.(This Issue.)(Editorial)
April 1, 2005... As a boy, my favourite picture magazine was Look. Life was bigger and more profitable, but Look was... well, better looking. The elegantly stylish Esquire of the late '50s and early '60s kindled my interest in magazines as a career. In the...

Next big sing: for the sumptuously voiced actress Jackie Richardson, performing is in the blood.(profile)(Biography)
April 1, 2005... IT'S EMBARRASSING TO ADMIT because it seems so unsophisticated, but after about 1.5 minutes with Jackie Richardson, the thing you want to do most is give the woman a hug. Not, one suspects, that she'd mind. She's built for it ample and plush...

Competitive edge: for the fiercely independent (and snazzily dressed) arts community, the annual Untitled Art Awards at the Steam Whistle Brewery is a chance to get together, drink beer and do battle.(Camera)
April 1, 2005... 01 Maria Legault, winner of the Emerging Artist Award 02 Art Gallery of York University director-curator Philip Monk 03 Writer-producer Julia Dault and costume designer Jenifur Jarvis 04 Musician Dave Clark, sound theorist Lewis Kaye, art...

A forgotten statue and sushi cats.(Urban Decoder)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2005... Dear Urban Decoder: Driving down the western side of Queen's Park Crescent, I've noticed a large monument near the Wellesley bridge. Why is it so hidden? JAMES DURRELL, LEASIDE In 1866, a ragtag army of Irish-American...

Blue in the face.(Telling Tales. The Blue Man Group.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Like Celine Dion and Aerosmith, the Blue Man Group is an entertainment phenomenon that's passed through the crucible of critical and popular appraisal and moved to a higher plane: branding. The Broadway-based act, centring on the mute antics of...

Just watch me: tuning in to the TTC's new underground TV network.(Here's The Thing)
April 1, 2005... Critics see them as a desecration of public space and further evidence of the predatory nature of advertising. Defenders see them as a welcome diversion for beleaguered commuters. One thing's certain: the digital screens popping up throughout...

The highs and lows of city life.(Best & Worst.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... BEST PACKAGE DEAL SINCE CABLE BUNDLES The recent sale of SkyDome to Rogers did more than add a whopper to the cable guys's stock of ugly buildings. It threw yet another dash of salt into a massive, money-hemorrhaging wound. Let's do the...

Le Chateau: Joe Brennan's $10.7-million urban palace.(Hot Property.)
April 1, 2005... Where: 1046 Yonge Street (Yonge and Ramsden Park) Square Feet: 6,600 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 5 Asking Price: $10,750,000 The Seller: Who else but Brennan, go-to builder for Toronto's elite, would see a grungy, stucco-clad...

Dangerous liaisons.(Telling Tales.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... When you're as prone to flights of editorial fancy as Globe and Mail crime reporter Christie Blatchford, you're liable to occasionally get tripped up in your own elaborate yarns. Such was the case with her recent coverage of the dismal...

Assets and liabilities: an audit of the city's top niche accountants.(Roundup)
April 1, 2005... For those who make their living in non-traditional work environments--actors, artists, hockey players--there are few things as intimidating as tax time. Inconsistent wages, unusual expenses and a general ineptness with numbers make bookkeeping...

Sign of the times.(tourism promotion)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... SUSPECT: Downtown-Yonge Business Improvement Area SCENE OF CRIME: Yonge Street at Queen, Gerrard and Carlton CHARGE: Grossly indecent street clutter EVIDENCE: As part of their strategy to promote Yonge Street as a welcoming tourist...

Greenhouse effect: spring is in the climate-controlled air at the City of Toronto's most bountiful grow-op.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... WHEN SPRINGTIME DECORATES TREES WITH MINTY BUDS, municipal gardeners rush to reupholster our green spaces into florid life. Every petal in our urban parks and curbside planters is carefully nursed at one of Toronto's two secret gardens: the...

XS-IVE behaviour.(Telling Tales.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... On a cold February morning, more than 200 punters stood in line outside Little Italy's Mod Club hoping for a chance to metamorphose into rock stars. Reality TV king Mark Burnett had dispatched his team to Toronto to find talented musicians and...

Clash of the Titans: we elected Dalton McGuinty because he said Toronto deserves a new deal. So why is David Miller poised for the battle of his political career?(Politics.)
April 1, 2005... WHEN DALTON McGUINTY SWEPT into office in October 2003, the Liberal victory was seen as the revenge of the 416, which bore the brunt of Mike Harris's Common Sense Revolution. But the Grits also took much of the 905, where Tory-supporting...

Deconstructing Holmes: in an effort to rehabilitate the image of the contractor, Mike Holmes--the star of HGTV's Holmes on Homes--has made it his mission to fix botched reno jobs. It's a weirdly wholesome shtick, and it has earned him a legion of dedicated fans.(Pop Culture.)
April 1, 2005... SWALLOWING A MITTFUL of squirming maggots is not--at least not yet--part of the home makeover show repertoire. Instead of stunts, these shows trade in the belief that we could all stand some aesthetic improvement. As if we needed reminding. So...

Keen Eddie: under that sweet, geeky exterior is a fiercely driven individual. How a pint-size Jewish kid from Montreal grew up to become The Globe and Mail's most idealistic editor-in-chief.(Eddie Greenspon.)
April 1, 2005... Oh Eddie, Eddie Greenspon, what to make of you, sweet little Jewish kid from Montreal who's all grown up now and who's made it way, way up to editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail, where the air is thin and heady and the journalistic world is...

Where to eat '05: from welcome trends (like the return of the cheeseboard) to annoying ones (the ubiquitous Diana Krall soundtrack), our roundup of the year's most memorable meals).(Cover Story)
April 1, 2005... Top of Its Game Civilized, contemporary, purring with energy, Splendido has never been better (best) With great charm and honesty, Splendido continues to strive for excellence long after reaching the point where other restaurants sink...

A beaten teen, a demented faker, an anxious mom, a hotshot trauma team: 12 hours in the life of an ER night shift.
April 1, 2005... It was a quiet Saturday night at St. Mike's ER: some minor cuts, a couple of textbook fractures, a case of food poisoning. The doctors were getting restless. So at 2:20 a.m., when the paramedics called to say a guy had collapsed at Sherbourne...

24 hours with Susanne Langmuir: how the Susanne Lang fragrance maven, who launches a new scent collection this month, would spend a perfect day. Toronto on an unlimited budget.
April 1, 2005... In the morning, I'd pick up pastries from Rahier (1586 Bayview Ave., 416-482-0917). They have the best pain au chocolat ($1.65), and around eight a.m. they're still warm and fresh. The shop is busy, but if you order the day before, you go into...

Spring fling: our monthly pick of the city's best loot.(super shopper)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
April 1, 2005... HOT SHEETS Dash off a note that dazzles on Warhol-worthy paper in Studio 54 shades. $11.95 for 16. Outer Layer, 577 Queen St. W., 416-869-9889. CLOAKROOM DRAMA A cropped cotton-suede jacket screams springtime when a snow-covered city...

Leslieville: for decades, this gritty strip played poor cousin to Queen West. But now it's blooming with the signs of bourgeoisification: home decor emporia, juice bars and stylish couples pushing SUV-size strollers. Portrait of a neighbourhood on the rise.(On the Block)
April 1, 2005... [new] 1. Hardware Co-owners Murray Duncan and Jordan Tabachnik rehabilitate furniture and bits of junk they've unearthed at auctions and Ontario farmhouses, turning moulding into mirror frames and discarded Mennonite floorboards into...

Quantum leeks: a vivid, wild vegetable whose time has come.(Food.)
April 1, 2005... APRIL BRINGS TWO CERTAINTIES: the end of tax season and the first wild leeks. Stirring out of the dead land before the snow begins to melt, before the maples unfurl their flags overhead, the green shoots are one of the first signs of life in...

How sweet it is.(baked products)
April 1, 2005... Until Claudia Egger opened Frangipane, good pastries were hard to find along the Dupont strip. The Culinary Institute of America-trained pastry chef and former J.S. Bonbons employee comes from a long line of Swiss bakers. She has transformed an...

Shuck and awe.(Food)
April 1, 2005... (find) Ask Patrick McMurray, master shucker at Starfish, where to find an ergonomic, one-size-fits-all oyster knife and he'll tell you you're looking for the Holy Grail. Instead, he'll take a mould of your hand and customize a pistol-grip...

Where there's smoke.(Food)
April 1, 2005... When Columbus introduced peppers to Spain, monks in Extremadura took stewardship of them, eventually disseminating the seeds through Europe. Now that job is left to celebrity chefs touting La Chinata, the region's smoked paprika (it's popping...

Original Zin: the shiraz weary are ready for a new grape. Could an old vine be the next big red?(Drink. www.calwine.ca )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... SYRAH-SHIRAZ TOOK THE WINE WORLD BY STORM with its big, easy-drinking style. But the Mediterranean variety has reached its tipping point, and the search has begun for the next great red hope. Zinfandel, with its similarly quaffable...

New Releases.(drinks)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2005... [pick] Robert Mondavi 2002 Fume Blanc **** $24.95 | Napa Valley, California Of the 50 California sauvignons I recently tasted side by side in Napa, this standby ranks among the top three. Robert Mondavi coined the name Fume Blanc...

Restaurants.
April 1, 2005... A LA MODE BY MARK ***1/2 This restaurant may be in the TD Centre's debased concourse, but hipster design firm Yabu Pushelberg wisely defers to Mies anyway, down to the ultra-skinny reveals dividing the upstairs bar's vast planes of...

Born again: JOV Bistro gets a new lease on life.(restaurants)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Leaside mourned when chef Owen Steinberg and his sister, Jill, put JOV Bistro up for sale last fall. Happily, the new owner, chef Masayuki Tamaru, has no plans to change the stylish 50-seat space. And while he trusts local goodwill remains...

Club kid: chef Paul Boehmer brings his homegrown spiel to the Spoke.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... (spotlight) In 1984, when he was 20 years old, Paul Boehmer went looking for work at Stadtlander's on JohnStreet. His only industry experience was a job as a bouncer (he's six foot seven), but Michael Stadtlander took an instant liking to...

Romaines of the day: the default choice of the unadventurous eater reaches new and improved heights.(restaurants)
April 1, 2005... (guest) Contrary to popular belief, the caesar salad has nothing to do with Julius, Augustus or any other emperor. It takes its name from Caesar Cardini, who invented the classic at his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1924. The original...

Swine tasting: at Via Allegro, pork lovers don't have to choose between heads and tails.(Restaurants)
April 1, 2005... (the dish) Chef Lino Collevecchio has introduced a new dish to the menu--half a pig's head poached, then roasted to a glossy brown crispness. It is brought to the table in a huge copper pan set over a naked flame, surrounded by luscious...

Calendar.(events and opportunities)(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... The scoop on this month's events and promotions from advertisers: NEW YOU SHOW Considering cosmetic enhancement? Join plastic surgeons, dermatologists and cosmetic dentists for an evening of seminars, exhibits and demonstrations....

Chill out: an upscale eatery reinvents the drive-through classic.(restaurants)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... (high/low) Twenty years ago, a St. Louis Dairy Queen franchisee created the Blizzard, a confection of soft-serve ice cream whipped with crushed candy and other sweets. Now it's the chain's top seller, with more than 60 flavours. Canadians...

Salon set: at Sweaty Betty's, absinthe makes the heart grow fonder.(restaurants)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... (it spot) Once the poison of "mad poets and licentious artists," as the menu quips (Verlaine and Van Gogh spring to mind), absinthe is the choice concoction for Trinity-Bellwoods' own tortured literati, who rendezvous nightly at this new...

Theatre.(this month)(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... OPENINGS AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'. The return of a powerhouse: singer-actor Jackie Richardson (who triumphed in last year's Cookin' at the Cookery; see profile on page 19) sings the standards in Fats Waller's quintessential 1929 musical revue....

Classical.(this month)(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... CHAMBER AND SOLO AMICI. Strings Plus is the title of this offering from one of the city's finest chamber ensembles. Violinists Benjamin Bowman and Shane Kim make an appearance, along with violist Sharon Wei and Amici regulars David...

The Mummy Returns: Nora McLellan steps out as the quintessential stage mom in the Shaw Festival's Gypsy.(Interview)
April 1, 2005... Over the course of 21 seasons with Shaw, Nora McLellan has conquered the title characters in such venerable classics as Saint Joan, Mrs. Warren's Profession and The House of Bernarda Alba, while showing off her vocal chops in Anything Goes and...

On the bright side: Norwegian artist Anne Katrine Dolven takes on eternity, voyeurism and that dazzling northern light.(exhibitions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... (free) This photographer, painter and video artist divides her time between London and the Lofoten Islands--a Norwegian archipelago north of the Arctic Circle--but Anne Katrine Dolven is intensely identified with the crystalline light of...

Rock climbers: soul-punk heroes the Constantines spread the word.(In The Clubs.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Since relocating to Toronto a few years ago, Guelph expats the Constantines have been converting jaded locals into devoted disciples with their epiphanic live shows. Led by gruff-voiced front man Bryan Webb--whose impassioned, Springsteen-esque...

Pop.(this month)(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... ANI DIFRANCO. With her tireless touring, feisty storytelling and freewheeling mix of folk, jazz, pop and funk, this Buffalo native defied the music industry by proving a singer doesn't need a big record company or a Y chromosome to cause a...

Jazz.(this month)(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... CONCERTS ADI BRAUN. From her classical training to her cabaret-style approach, Adi Braun uses her well-developed diction to make every word count. For this performance, she pays tribute to great female vocalists from the '30s to the '60s...

Art.(this month)(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... CHRISTO AND JEANNE-CLAUDE: WORKS FROM THE WESTON COLLECTION. Christo and his wife, Jeanne-Claude, create super-sized art: wrapping the Reichstag, extending a "running fence" across Sonoma and Marin counties in California, and tenting 23 miles...

Dance.(this month)(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... BALLET JORGEN CANADA. The latest Canadian choreographer to succumb to the Cinderella epidemic is Bengt Jorgen, who has fashioned a pocket version on his forever-touring company. This Cinderella uses Prokofiev's famous score and remains true to...

Kids.(this month )(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. They may stick to the classics, but there's nothing humdrum about Dufflebag Theatre's special brand of interactive storytelling drama--think Stratford meets Second City, for the younger set. So you can expect the...

Diversions.(this month)(film festivals)(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... CINEFRANCO. A Parisian tries to become a Yank in The American, one of several films that suggest an unofficial theme for this year's French film festival: identity just ain't what it used to be. In films like Exiles, 25 Degrees in Winter and In...

Mr. Dressup: Danish documentarian Jeppe Ronde brings the Swenkas--nattily clad, blue-collar South Africans--to Hot Docs.(On Screen,)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... (free) Every Saturday night, in the basements of post-apartheid Johannesburg, a curious ritual plays itself out: a band of Zulu men shed their soiled, working-class clothes and step into the limelight. Competing for a pooled entry fee (or, on...

Good catch: after 11 years, Blue Jays first baseman Carlos Delgado leaves the team smiling.(The End.)
April 1, 2005... LIKE THE CHESHIRE CAT, Carlos Delgado has a trademark smile that lingers even after he's disappeared. He has left his Toronto fans smiling, too--a rarity in professional sports. (How many grins did Vince Carter leave in his wake?) To the casual...

2005 restaurant guide.(Directory)
April 1, 2005... Acqua ** When Franco Prevedello unveiled this high-end restaurant in an atrium 10 years ago, it seemed piazza life had arrived in Hogtown-sur-Lac. Now, amid the glare and blare of the cavernous BCE Place, it seems a mistake. Ramparts of...

Best seats in the house: take a pew and enjoy the view.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... FAT CAT The table by the open kitchen window--which accommodates four to six people--allows guests to observe a master at work. Toothsome chef Mathew Sutherland labours under the supervision of a gold-sprayed bust of the King (Elvis) himself....

Living hand to mouth: when cutlery is just an encumbrance.
April 1, 2005... It would be a crime to eat XACUTTI's (page 16) guava-glazed ribs with a knife and fork; part of the fun is gnawing every last sticky-sweet drop from the bone. At QUEEN OF SHEBA (page 18), cutlery is replaced by injera, a tangy, spongy...

2005 restaurant guide.(Directory)
April 1, 2005... Beaver Cafe ($25) "Welcome to the Beaver," greets the young server. "What?" he smirks. "It's Canadian." The sleek one-and-a-half-year-old lives up to its moniker, adorning the walls with representations of the beast, alongside more serious...

2005 restaurant guide.(Directory)
April 1, 2005... HOTEL Accents ** Dimly lit, carpeted rooms are spacious enough that each table has a sense of privacy, while CanCon pop tunes float down from the faux dome ceiling. The kitchen likes clean flavours and a bit of spice: a visually stunning...

Raw deal: if you can't stand the heat, forgo the cooking.
April 1, 2005... Despite misguided attempts to outlaw never-frozen raw fish, ground beef cooked less than medium and unpasteurized cheeses aged fewer than 60 days, raw food has never been more popular. Eat up before these foods disappear. AUBERGE DU...

2005 restaurant guide.(International-Japanese)
April 1, 2005... INTERNATIONAL Barrio **1/2 Grazers, rejoice! The entire menu here is a parade of appetizer-size dishes with geographic descriptors ($4-$11, $3-$4 for starches), plus a couple of evening specials. Flawless salads with bright...

Let's do brunch: where to get cracking.(hot dishes of Toronto)(Free Times Cafe)(Le Petit Dejeuner)(Xacutti)(Irish Embassy Pub and Grill)(Fressen)(Mitzi's)(Restaurant Review)
April 1, 2005... BUFFET Guatemalan-sweatered students and the occasional well-heeled Forest Hill parent pile plates high with more than 40 trad Jewish and Middle Eastern dishes at Free Times Cafe. The Sunday-only brunch features fluffy scrambled eggs with...

Sipping point: where to get corked.
April 1, 2005... CRUSH With a wine lover as owner and a wine academy in the basement, this place knows its grapes. An array of ever-changing, unusual treats is available by the glass. THE FIFTH Quality, not quantity, is the order of the day. Expect shrewd...

2005 restaurant guide.
April 1, 2005... KOREAN Buk Chang Dong Soon To Fu ($25) Bulgogi and bi bim bap are on hand, but best to follow the lead of every other diner who has stood in line to order a bowl of the namesake dish, soon to fu ($6.95), a rich stew. Delivered first...

Prep schools: where the chefs divulge trade secrets.
April 1, 2005... They brought you to your knees with pure-hearted risottos, quivering foie gras and satin chocolate desserts. Now you can learn the chefs' secrets. CALPHALON CULINARY INSTITUTE CENTER (425 King St. W., 416-847-2212). Massimo Capra...

2005 restaurant guide.
April 1, 2005... Adega *** While firmly in the downtown core, it remains outside of the trappings of Bay Street or the seediness of this part of Yonge. The menu is simple; dishes revolve around a main ingredient with little in the way of distractions or...

Afterglow: where desserts come first.
April 1, 2005... AVALON Texture's the thing. Here, slow-roasted pineapple in coconut tapioca gets a drizzle of cilantro oil. THE FIFTH Mark Cheese, former pastry chef of the Windsor Arms, is together again with J. P. Challet; great desserts are the happy...

Wait not, want not: where everyone gets the VIP treatment.
April 1, 2005... BOBA Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. If you're a regular at Boba, owners Bob Bermann and Barbara Gordon really do. Even if you're not, the couple's always on hand to ensure that every guest feels cosseted (page 6). ...