Toronto Life articles from February 2003

Toronto Life archives from February 2003

Season's greetings. (This City).(Norwalk virus)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The virus is named after Norwalk, Ohio, the town where it was first isolated 30 years ago, but it might as well be called the "holiday party favour." It lurks among the crudites and cheeses and moves through handshakes and festive kisses. This...

Heralded MacMillan. (Profile).(Margaret MacMillan)
February 1, 2003... She has good pedigree, this Margaret MacMillan. Great-grandpa, for example, happens to be David Lloyd George, prime minister of England from 1916 to 1922, and one of the architects of the Treaty of Versailles, the peace plan that marked the end...

Stone cold. .(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... In town shooting The Devil's Throat, with Dennis Quaid and Juliette Lewis, Diabolique sexpot Sharon Stone revealed her own diabolical tendencies in a recent visit to the Queen West boutique Parade. The foxy Basic Instinct starlet flounced...

It was the best of Time. .(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Celebrating the launch of its new monthly series, Canada's Best, Time Canada hosted a po-mo cocktail soiree at the Power Plant. The icy December evening paid homage to a phalanx of internationally acclaimed Canadian design maestros: architect...

Cross purposes.
February 1, 2003... Yann Martel, the Booker Prize-winning Life of Pi scribe (and now, it seems, king of the world), attended a reception hosted by Random House in December--an event of dramatic, even biblical, proportions. Agent Bruce Westwood and assorted Indigo...

Party politics. (Telling Tales).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The annual City Hall press gallery Christmas blowout, at Club Lucky, involved a party platform of the raucous kind. Journos, councillors and the requisite mayoral rat racers--Tom Jakobek, David Miller, John Nunziata and Barbara Hall--all made...

Food fight. (Telling Tales).(National Post food critic, Jacob Richler, about Dana Hospitality's food. Byron Kaczmarek, president, was not amused. )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... In a glowing review of Osgoode Hall's Law Society dining room, National Post picky palate Jacob Richler bitterly compared the barristers' handsome stained glass-adorned boite with his own newspaper's decidedly less august (and less savoury)...

Urban decoder.
February 1, 2003... Dear Urban Decoder: The Club Monaco building at the corner of Bloor and Avenue Road is emblazoned with the words "Department of Household Science." Is this where women were once taught the physics behind the tuna casserole? --Raoul...

The monarchist's lair.(Kan McGrath's butterflies.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Kan McGrath's roommates are small and quiet--all 160 of them. In his bachelor apartment in a North Toronto skyscraper, the stocky 51-year-old has converted a 42-square-foot walk-in closet into a butterfly house. Inside this hot, dry room, on...

Retropolis. .
February 1, 2003... It isn't simply a mindset. Retro has become a full-fledged industry, with such retail monoliths as Williams-Sonoma and Restoration Hardware peddling Honeymooners-era-faux-stalgia. This revivalism--mirrored in film (Far From Heaven) and music...

John MacFarlane.(concern over Toronto Island airport expansion)(Editorial)
February 1, 2003... IN THE MODERN WORLD, THE BIG ISSUES ARE RARELY simple, which is why many of us find it more and more difficult to formulate intelligent opinions, much less take sides. I envy Roy Romanow, who had a year and a half to study the country's health...

Brandt loyalty. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... I have a number of issues with Trevor Cole's rant against Andy Brandt and the LCBO ["The Mayor of Liquorville," December]. First, he never once refers to the consumer or the almost 10 million Ontario shareholder taxpayers. Do we care about the...

Radio waves. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... Thank you so much for deconstructing the disastrous makeover at Metro Morning ["Mourning Show," December]. Unfortunately, I'm still enduring the chirps of an unnecessary meteorologist standing on Front Street. As if listeners don't have...

Retraction. (Letters).(Correction Notice)
February 1, 2003... In the October 2002 issue, Toronto Life published incorrect information as to the basis for an order of the Ontario Securities Commission in December 2001 regarding Scott Paterson; formerly of Yorkton Securities. In addition, Toronto Life...

Theatre. (This Month).(theatrical productions)
February 1, 2003... OPENINGS Boy Gets Girl. Rising playwright Rebecca Gilman is being hailed as the best thing to come out of Chicago since David Mamet. In addition to their civic origins, Mamet and Gilman share a predilection for hard-hitting, issue-driven...

Beautiful losers. (This Month).(director Gus Van Sant films)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... In the history of cinema, few directors have shown a more touching, obsessive identification with misfits than Gus Van Sant. It's been hard to see in his recent, sentimental Hollywood pictures (Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester), in which...

Classical music.(Calendar)
February 1, 2003... ORCHESTRAL Esprit Orchestra. New Waves features some of the most interesting up-and-coming voices in contemporary music, in a concert devoted to the 30-something generation. Under the direction of Alex Pauk, the orchestra presents Canadian...

Field trip. (This Month).(Monica Tap)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Imagine an idyllic meadow of flowers and grasses waving gently in the breeze, bending toward the sun. If their subtle movements could be captured over time, the resulting trails and pollen showers might look like a canvas by Monica Tap. While...

Hynde sight. (This Month).(Chrissie Hynde)
February 1, 2003... More than any other rock star, Chrissie Hynde embodies the suburban dynamic: the need to escape and rediscover yourself. Raised in Akron, Ohio, worshipping such distant heroes as the Kinks and the Beatles, she fled to England, bought a leather...

Dance. (This Month).(Calendar)
February 1, 2003... Ballet Jorgen presents Romeo and Juliet with a small cast of 16, but artistic director Bengt Jorgen makes effective use of Prokofiev's famous score, particularly in the fine detailing of character and the energy of the youthful lovers. Glenn...

Art. (This Month).(Calendar)
February 1, 2003... [FREE] Arnaud Maggs methodically records the contours of his subject's craniums, more in the manner of a cartographer than a phrenologist. His modus operandi involves taking sequential front and side portraits, up to 48 of them, from the...

Nightlife. (This Month).(Calendar)
February 1, 2003... CONCERTS Bon Jovi. The Jersey boys are back, with the same blend of melodic hard rock that spawned such anthemic hits as "It's My Life" and "Runaway." Yes, Jon Bongiovi, the pin-up boy of the power ballad, is flexing his buff musical self...

Jazz and standards. (This Month).(Calendar)
February 1, 2003... CONCERTS Christine Jensen. This Montreal-based alto saxophonist plays in the post-bop idiom with precision, and thoughtful lyricism. She's joined by some of the most eminent young musicians in the country, including two outstanding West...

Sitting pretty. (This Month).(Scot Laughton)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... In this city's heady days of anteing up for international designerati ("I'll see your Libeskind and raise you a Gehry"), at least one Toronto-based designer is having a stellar year. Scot Laughton has been celebrated non-stop since last May,...

Kids' events. (This Month).(Calendar)
February 1, 2003... Cushion Concerts. For kids pining to play the djembe or the steel pan, an interactive concert by Creole Drummatics offers just such ah opportunity, with contemporary pop tunes played on traditional African and Caribbean instruments. Feb. 2. The...

Diversions. (This Month).(Calendar)
February 1, 2003... Cinematheque Ontario. From In a Lonely Place to Rebel Without a Cause, director Nicholas Ray defined the dark side of the '50s--and gave it a glamorous allure. Cinematheque presents 23 of his films, Feb. 7 to March 11. Early works from cinema...

The it spot. (This Month).(2 Cats nightclub)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... 2 Cats, 569 King St. W., 416-204-6261 Where: A few doors down from Susur and mere steps from the strip Joint For Your Eyes Only, high class meets low maintenance at a haunt that reflects the diversity of this thriving King West...

Eastern flock: The numbers are staggering: in less than a decade, tens of millions of people around the world have adopted the practice of Falun Gong. This is the story of one lost Torontonian who found himself unshakably connected to the cause. (Faith).
February 1, 2003... THE MOST INTENSE MOMENT OF ZENON Dolnyckyj's young life occurred on November 20, 2001. It was a clear, cool day in Beijing, and when Dolnyckyj (pronounced dolnicky) walked onto Tiananmen Square, he. was wearing white sneakers, a T-shirt bearing...

Matters of the heart: when Dr. Lori West joined Sick Kids in 1987, the hospital didn't do infant heart transplants. Donor matches were so hard to come by that the babies would die waiting. Now she's the medical director of a thriving in-house program, and her revolutionary innovations have saved dozens of lives around the world. (Health).
February 1, 2003... THE DAY CHRISTINE DELGUIDICE walked into Credit Valley Hospital for a routine ultrasound in 1997, she was a blissful expectant mother. "I thought everything was normal. But when they did the ultrasound, they couldn't see the heart properly....

Surreal estate: you start by looking at houses you can afford, a sobering tour of rushed renos and ramshackle heaps. Then you revise your budget up, way up: to $300,000, $400,000. Soon half a million isn't enough. Portrait of a market gone mad.
February 1, 2003... THERE WERE TWO HOUSES TO LOOK AT, the agent said. The families were at home, but I could come by at six p.m. Both semis were occupied by several generations living in unrenovated squalour, a kitchen on every floor, a bathroom from the Great...

Water shed. (Icons).(R.C. Harris Filtration plant, Toronto)
February 1, 2003... Steel pipes take in the lake water raw from two and a half kilometres out, That's what they call it--raw, as in crude, unbridled. The water is washed through screens, which subtract pebbles and plastic, the occasional fish. Pumps push it uphill...

Rock bottom: Casino Rama forks out big bucks to bring yesterday's pop stars, country singers and comedians to its slick, oversized concert venue. The celebrities love it, the owners love it, but the audience? They just want to hit the jackpot.
February 1, 2003... Trisha Yearwood is a platinum-selling country star born and bred in Monticello, Georgia, who woke up this morning in a casino outside Orillia. She has several pounds of blond hair, broad hips and a bit of 'tude, not like those bony, shellacked...

Goal oriented. (Rituals).(Women's Hockey Club of Toronto)
February 1, 2003... It's Saturday night, and I'm chugging back a half glass of riesling, ducking out on yet another dinner party. I hop in my Jeep and speed across town, past Maple Leaf Gardens, to my game. Lace up the skates, pull on the sweater, step onto the...

William the conqueror: austere and funny, warm and cold, ruthless and charming, rigid and adaptable--the man behind the ROM's ambitious expansion is a bundle of contradictions. Those who know William Thorsell can agree on just one thing: he won't take no for an answer.
February 1, 2003... With the self-assurance of Jesus clearing the temple of moneychangers, he verbally sweeps aside ticket sellers from the Royal Ontario Museum's 1932 gold mosaic rotunda. "All this junk must go. The ROM's new entrance will be on Bloor Street." As...

Rock of ages. (super shopper).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Today's great accessories are bold and simple and tell a story. This fabulous strap of stone-studded suede, by the Vancouver-based duo Wade Papin and Danielle Wilmore of Pyrrha Design, is meant to be tied around the neck, choker style, with...

Business partner. (super shopper).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Smaller than a breadbox and decidedly more useful than anything else in your desk drawer, this cool-looking gadget is a multitasking superhero. From the geniuses who came up with the iconic Swiss Army knife, the new Swiss Business Tool...

Heart to heart. (super shopper).(Fragonard heart-shaped soap)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Parisian designer Jacqueline Morabito has a way With form. Her furnishings and accessories manage convey exquisite refinement with the utmost economy. This deliciously sculptural heart-shaped Fragonard soap ($40), for instance, is beautiful and...

Slick as a dog. (super shopper).(dog clothing and accessories)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Nothing is too good for your best friend, particularly if she is hairy, growls at small children and smells of kibble. But where to find her a tiny doggy tiara? Enter the wacky world of Princessfield, a style boutique for purse-size designer...

Dew gooder. (super shopper).(anti-aging skin care products)(Murad Resurgence)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... With baby boomers getting crow's feet, anti-aging is the buzzword in beauty. Dr. Howard Murad--a California-based dermatologist who has devised an entire skin care line around the latest high-tech and herbal formulations for the menopause...

Shooting stars: Paul Alexander's charm got him into the heady world of fashion photography. But his work with Sharon Stone and Tina Turner proved he wasn't just talk. How a playboy became a top celebrity lensman. (Fashion).
February 1, 2003... PAUL ALEXANDER IS ON HIS HANDS AND knees fiddling with an electrical cable on the floor of Play de Record, a vinyl sanctuary on the grittier side of Yonge and Dundas. There is a posse of assistants to perform such lowly tasks, but the...

Taking care of business: North 44[degrees]'s Mark McEwan goes downtown to bring Bymark to Bay Street. While the chef-owner may not always be on site, his carefully trained staff keeps the kitchen humming. (Food).(restauranteur plans new Toronto restaurant)
February 1, 2003... DEEP IN THE FOOD COURT BENEATH THE TD Centre, Mark McEwan sets down his coffee mug on the scratched Formica table and listens politely to my question. Lunchtime crowds hurry by. A few yards away, two heavy glass doors stand open, spilling the...

Calendar.(Calendar)
February 1, 2003... Get the inside scoop on this month's hottest events and promotions from the following advertisers: PALMA BRAVA Palma Brava Living Interiors... we create intimate home environments with our handcrafted wicker, wood, leather, iron and...

Tasting notes. (Drink).(wine picks)
February 1, 2003... In the gewurz way Bargain basement prices are not the only reason Eastern European whites have been gaining ground at the LCBO. Having cast off the hammer and sickle of the Eastern bloc, these wines are finally improving in quality. Domaine...

Agora. (A La Mode).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... *** With JK ROM slated for closing, the AGO's restaurant will soon be the only lunch destination for the culture set. Those without memberships or tickets to the gallery are escorted through the permanent collection by a kindly volunteer....

Scaramouche. (A La Mode).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... *** 1/2 Plus ca change. The staircase has a new focus--grey gravel under a sail of white fabric--but the dining room looks as suave as ever, angular lines subtly directing attention to the famous view downtown. Upper and lower decks are...

"Vagabond Chef at Large" is the message on Greg Couillard's current business card, the address a 900-acre spread near Innisfil, Ontario, where he has been living with his friend and former sous Lee Bailey and her family. (Tidbits).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... "Vagabond Chef at Large" is the message on Greg Couillard's current business card, the address a 900-acre spread near Innisfil, Ontario, where he has been living with his friend and former sous Lee Bailey and her family. While a year in the...

Hard to decide which will be the most wasteful casualty of the Royal Ontario Museum's $200-million renovation: the Terrace Galleries, completed only 18 years ago to architect Gene Kinoshita's award-winning design, or the restaurant that has perched above them for almost nine years, Jamie Kennedy at the Museum, a.k.a. JK ROM. (Tidbits).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Hard to decide which will be the most wasteful casualty of the Royal Ontario Museum's $200-million renovation: the Terrace Galleries, completed only 18 years ago to architect Gene Kinoshita's award-winning design, or the restaurant that has...

Speaking of initiative, November brought a visit from a posse of Australian culinary luminaries, including top Melbourne chef Teage Ezard and food maven Sherry Clewlow. (Tidbits).(plans for the Spirit of Hospitality Festival)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Speaking of initiative, November brought a visit from a posse of Australian culinary luminaries, including top Melbourne chef Teage Ezard and food maven Sherry Clewlow. Together with Canoe's Anthony Walsh, Mari time star chef Stefan Czapalay...

Pascal Ribreau, formerly chef of Alumette in Montreal and Provence in Cabbagetown, opened a new restaurant in December at the corner of Mount Pleasant and Manor Road. (Tidbits).(Celestin )(restaurant and bakery)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Pascal Ribreau, formerly chef of Alumette in Montreal and Provence in Cabbagetown, opened a new restaurant in December at the corner of Mount Pleasant and Manor Road. Named in memory of his grandfather, Celestin also has its own bakery, Le...

Remember Dante Larcade, formerly chef and co-owner (with his brother Jean-Edouard de Marenches) of that elegant resort, the Domain of Killien? (Tidbits).(now owns Roseland)(sells antiques and cooking sprays)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Remember Dante Larcade, formerly chef and co-owner (with his brother Jean-Edouard de Marenches) of that elegant resort, the Domain of Killien? Larcade is now proprietor of Roseland (702 Queen St. W., 416-869-9229), and among the antiques and...

Left Bank. (American).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... *** "Cavernous" only begins to describe the space behind the draft-blanketed entrance, and the deeper you go--past several bars, downstairs to pool tables, a manoir-size fireplace and yet another bar--the more the space confounds. These...

Nlagara Street Cafe. (Bistro).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... *** Mother-and-daughter first-time restaurateurs Deborah Nicholas and Jen Johnson bring their (Southern-influenced) brand of organic home cooking to the people. Drawing on farm-fresh produce and naturally raised meats, the menu is about 85...

Shopping with chefs. (Restaurants).(buying supplies with Stephen Perrin of Terra)
February 1, 2003... Stephen Perrin of Terra, 8199 Yonge St., 905-731-6161 "Meet me at Finch station. I'm driving a silver 4Runner." The information is superfluous: Stephen Perrin is hard to miss. He's built like a brick oven and the only guy in the parking...

Osgoode Hall. (Restaurants).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... [NEW] ** 1/2 The ladies who lunch have discovered the Law Society dining room (no doubt by asking for directions at the front desk), leaving robe-wearing lawyers waiting unhappily in the wings. The room itself is stately--note the...

Silver Spoon. (Restaurants).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... *** This is the sort of place that foodies dream will open up in their neighbourhood: it's clean and unpretentious, with careful attention paid to details, and reasonable prices (pastas all below $15, a handful of mains around $20). Soft...

Noodle soup. (Restaurants).(Asian restaurants)(Toronto, Ontario)(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... In the culinary world, the tallest--and most tenacious--tale may be that of Marco Polo introducing pasta to Italy after a noodle-eating sojourn in China. Like most good stories, it has common sense appeal. The Sleeping Dragon has been making...

Vivo. (Restaurants).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... ** Just south of Eglinton on the west side of Mount Pleasant, this trat occupies the north end of the mini-strip mall better known for the Chick `n' Dell Deceptively large, the open front room features hardwood floors and upholstered...

Pearl Court. (Chinese).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... ** 1/2 Negligent service, sticky chopsticks and dubious fish tanks at the entrance belie the quality of food at this Gerrardtown eatery. If you can navigate your way through the establishment's dizzying array of menus, the reward is...

Pastis. (French).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... *** For years, the dashing raspberry-coloured room has split the menu between seasonal bistro and classic haute French dishes. Now hints dropped by ever genial owner-host Georges Gurnon suggest the emphasis is swinging toward the former....

Zachary's. (International).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... ** 1/2 Business travellers on expense accounts and revellers on vacation make a din in a formal room stamped from the hotel restaurant template: floral broadloom, tables draped in linen, plushy banquettes, upholstered captain-style chairs....

Gio's. (Italian).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... ** Ditz and eccentricity guarantee a good time in this signless (just a big schnozz out front) uptown eatery. And there's a coherence to the funkiness that starts right at the front door, where patrons meet--or at times jostle--the valiant...

Hiro Sushi. (Japanese).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... *** 1/2 It's really two dining experiences in one. Those who sit at tables in the friendly, unpretentious room discover a small menu of well-prepared, conventional Japanese dishes and exceptionally fresh sushi and sashimi. Those who choose...

Wildfire. (Mediterranean).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... ** 1/2 Soothing maple panelling covers most of the walls of this large, boxy Yonge Street spot, except by the open kitchen, where a brothel-like red takes over. There is no shame in sitting nearby; the aromas that emanate from the grill...

Carman's. (Steak).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... ** 1/2 A pair of maitre d's, perilously straddling the line between charming and obsequious, welcome diners to this Tudor-on-the-outside, medieval-on-the-inside steak house. The dining room evokes an earlier Toronto, the wooden walls and...

Young Thailand. (Thai).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... ** From the dog-eared menu to the downtrodden decor, Wandee Young's mother ship inadvertently reinforces its claim to fame as the "first Thai restaurant in Canada." Wait staff in shiny Thai silk and a rose on every white linen table help...

The Compleat Angler. (Out Of Town).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... [NEW] *** 1/2 Co-owner E. J. Gordon was weaned on tales of the Old Man himself, Ernest Hemingway, a fishing buddy of his grandfather, whose stories stoked a passion for sport fishing, restaurants and Hemingway's writing. All three...

The Restaurant at Peninsula Ridge. (Out of Town).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... [NEW] *** Hard by the young winery, the dining room, like some of its wines, has legs but will doubtless improve with age. The restored Queen Anne farmhouse is a charmer, major renovations still preserving a strong sense of the...

Suicide bridge 1918-2003. (The End).(structure added to Prince Edward Viaduct to prevent suicides, Toronto, Ontario)
February 1, 2003... In a scene from Michael Ondaatje's novel In the Skin of a Lion, R. C. Harris, an early czar of the city's public works, is surveying his first great project, the bridge over the Don River, when he sees a nun blown from its height. "This was...

Humble pie: food and drink for the budget minded.
February 1, 2003... Though truffle oil and Iranian caviar have their indisputable allure, culinary ecstasy need not always add to the burden of student debt and mortgage payments. Scores of restaurants in this city of neighbourhoods offer both affordable treats...

By the Way Cafe. (Restaurants annex).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... Bloor and Brunswick is Annex central, and this casual corner eatery draws substantial crowds, especially for brunch on the patio when the weather is kind. In the evening, the scene is more subdued, despite the parade of frat boys en route to...

Country Style. (Restaurants annex).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... The neighbourhood's last Hungarian holdout. Alcove tables for two are especially coveted. Highlights include beef paprikash with onions ($10.75), sturdy stroganoff ($10.75), and roast duck ($11.95). Some of the city's finest cabbage rolls...

Dooney's. (Restaurants annex).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... It's not Starbucks (though it was once in danger of becoming one), and socially aware Annex denizens are thankful for that. Many settle in for drinks and snacks (some writers treat it as their coffee house); consequently, much of the menu is...

Fresh by Juice for Life. (Restaurants annex).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... The expansive vegan and vegetarian menu draws from Indian, Middle Eastern and Asian traditions. Begin with a selection from the noisy juice bar, some 50 fruit, veg or soy-yogurt concoctions carefully combined to create potent tonics...

Insomnia. (Restaurants annex).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... So named for its late, late hours: the kitchen cooks till 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. "Tapas" here means caesar, mesclun and Greek salads, along with crab cakes, soup and calamari. A smoky, thick tortilla soup special should become a...

Kensington Kitchen. (Restaurants annex).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... A back-roof patio gets plenty of glowing notices, but allergy sufferers and winter diners appreciate the clean white rooms handsomely decorated with antique toys, beaded purses and woven carpets. Some tables anchor whole dinners with the mezes:...

Korea House. (Restaurants annex).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... Nestled in a strip of like-menued restaurants, this unassuming family-run eatery betters its neighbours with carefully prepared, utterly authentic cooking. The best things are free: a superior collection of nine side dishes ventures beyond...

Momo. (Restaurants annex).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... One of the more casual spots with a coveted Harbord patio. Inside, the first of the sunken dining rooms shares space with a busy Middle Eastern kitchen; in the second, belly dancing music prevails. Dips dominate the appetizer list: creamy...

Nataraj. (Restaurants annex).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... Crowding the narrow space, Annex diners can barely hear themselves think, but it's a happy throng--little wonder, considering the breezy meld of good cooking and amiable prices. The kitchen garners an edge in the marine department, with no...

Serra. (Restaurants annex).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... Once this bustling spot begins to fill--no evening reservations--Old Blue Eyes is barely audible. From the no-nonsense menu of Italianate starters, pastas ($11.95-$15) and mains, thin-crusted gourmet pizzas ($11.45-$14) from the wood-burning...

Sushi on Bloor. (Restaurants annex).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... Bright, noisy and busy enough to require a reservation--unless you don't mind waiting in a quick-moving line. Vegetarian offerings are plentiful. Assorted tempura ($5.50-$8.50) are generously battered and expertly fried in fresh oil, while udon...

Tacos El Asador. (Restaurants annex).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... Latin Americans--and a few gringo interlopers--gather for an indoor picnic, in search of the food that reminds them of home. Top honours go to the tamales: masa harina (corn flour), stuffed with chicken, potato and green pepper, are steamed in...

Cafe La Gaffe. (Baldwin).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... On a busy evening--the norm--finding a seat in this colourful Toulouse-Lautrecked bistro is an adventure. The kitchen's studied consistency delivers baked chevre salad (half order $5.50) under a carapace of pistachio and couscous; a cauldron of...

John's Classic Italian Pizza & Cafe. (Baldwin).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... In cold weather, an inviting glow beckons folks inside; when it's warm, the patio is perennially busy. Italian snacking standards make the menu: caprese salad ($6) is a favourite when tomatoes are ripe; plump chickpeas are tossed in a...

Kon-Nichi-Wa. (Baldwin).(Restaurant Review)
February 1, 2003... An homage to that classic Japanese noodle Western, Tampopo, this no-frills student hangout offers cheap Japanese fare in a laid-back setting. The kitschy-cute decor (think Hello Kitty) features photos and postcards from staff and customers....