Mr. Toronto

I guess I need to start this blog with an apology to those of you who actually wait for new entries with baited breath….so mom and dad, I’m sorry I kept you waiting so long…the New Year got away from me, and we are well into 2010.  I suppose my excuse is that there has just been so much going n in Toronto, I haven’t had the time to sit down and write!  The Raptors are winning consistently, the Leafs are sucking less with the addition of three hot new players, and arts and entertainment continues to flourish around the City…

Three fantastic “smaller” theatre productions are being staged right now – all highly recommended.  “The Light in the Piazza” won a Tony on Broadway, and is now on a small stage at the Berkeley St. Theatre.  “Assassins” is a new Stephen Sondheim play about people who have wanted to kill Presidents over the years – playing at the Theatre Centre.  And “Intimate Apparel” a fantastic non-musical (the other two are), playing at the slightly larger venue of the Bluma Appel Theatre, as part of  Canadian Stage’s season.

Speaking of venues, there is a fabulous new one that opened up recently, mainly for (one-night) concerts (all kinds of interesting stuff from Cuban to Flamenco to Pop).  It’s the Koerner Hall at the Royal Conservatory of Music on Bloor St.  Gorgeous spot, great shows – check it out: http://performance.rcmusic.ca/viewallconcerts

Finally, I want to leave you with a bit of tourism-related research you may be interested in, from a visitor survey conducted by Tourism Toronto, in partnership with Ryerson University and the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (an ongoing visitor survey at Pearson Airport and several highway stops outside of Toronto).

Here are the main neighbourhoods of interest during visitor trips:

• Yonge/Dundas
• Waterfront/Harbourfront
• Chinatown
• Queen West
• Entertainment District
• University of Toronto area
• Yorkville/Bloor
• St. Lawrence/Old Town
• Mississauga
• Toronto Islands
• Distillery District
• Scarborough
• Little Italy
• Kensington Market

We’ve covered some of these in previous blogs, and will surely get to the rest in the future.   Look forward to bumping into you!

Since I kept you waiting so long for my last blog entry, thought I’d give you an early Holiday present and follow up with another right away…especially cuz it’s timely info, and I wouldn’t want you missing out on any exciting T.O. entertainment….

Allow me to share with you the Toronto Star newspaper’s guide to the “Stars of the Season” – the best of December’s events (from an article dated Nov.21, 2009):

The Nutcracker – National Ballets’ annual blockbuster.  Gotta see this one once in your life…www.national.ballet.ca

Robin Hood, The Environmental Family Musical – every year, actor Ross Petty and his troupe distorts another well-loved story, to the delight of kids and adults alike…www.rosspetty.com

Puppetmongers – “elegant, detailed, loving and lovely”…www.puppetmongers.com

Canadian Brass – this accomplished quintet is known around the world as one of the best.  Playing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra…tso.ca

And if you’re into the vocal stuff:

St. Michael’s Choir School – a festive program that reflects their wide range of ethnic backgrounds as well as their main role in the masses conducted every week at St. Michael’s Cathedral…roythomson.com

Nathaniel Dett Chorale – Canada’s only Afrocentric choir perform “An Indigo Christmas” from the Gospel, Caribbean and African traditions…roythomson.com

Hannaford Street Silver Band and Amadeus Choir – “Nothing says Christmas better than this 24-member brass band and 100-voice choir, in what is usually a pretty traditional selection of carols and anthems”…stlc.com

Please note that some of these events have multiple performances all month long, but others have just one or two dates – so check out the websites to avoid disappointment, and get over ASAP to celebrate the Holidays! And a shameless plug for my favourite Toronto hotel – the Delta Chelsea, just minutes from all these venues – that has a super “Shop n’ Stay” room rate from just $99!

If we don’t chat again before the end of ‘09, have a very happy holiday season, and look forward to blogging in the New Year!

Mr. Toronto

Apologies, fellow bloggers.  It’s been a while since my last entry, but I’ve just been so darn busy with all that my favourite City has to offer, that it’s been hard to slow down and write…. last night, for instance, went to my first Raptors game of the season.  Basketball is probably my favourite Toronto sport to watch, for a number of reasons.  First, we’re actually good at it – we have one of the best teams in the NBA right now, one that is sure to make the playoffs this year (you heard it here first!).  Secondly, it’s fun to watch – not just the game itself, which is fast paced and exciting – but the cheerleaders, fans, activities during timeouts…. and thirdly, it’s quite reasonable.  Unlike NHL hockey tickets, which you have to sell your firstborn to buy in Toronto, Raptors tickets start at $15 (if you’re lucky) and move their way up in slow increments before hitting those stratospheric amounts…

What else has kept me busy?  Went to the opening of a fun new show here, The Toxic Avenger.  A “campy” musical based on a comic character, it’s kind of in the genre of the Rocky Horror Picture Show (meaning it’s not necessarily for everybody!). There are only five actors, but they play multiple parts, and are incredibly talented (including Louise Pitre, who was nominated for a Tony award on Broadway for Mamma Mia. The costume changes are lightening fast and very clever, and the music is a lot more memorable (and fun!) than some of the Andrew Lloyd Webber stuff you hear nowadays. It’s playing for an indefinite run at a lovely little venue, the Danforth Music Hall, which is in Greektown, so lots of great places to visit and eat at before and after the show as well…

Finally, went to the opening of the King Tut exhibit at the AGO last week.  I have to admit I was a bit sceptical…I went to the first Tut show back in the 70’s (I know, really showing my age here), which was great, but the world has changed a lot since then and we have all become more “sophisticated” – and cynical…. well let me tell you, the show lives up to its hype. Really well done, with some breathtaking objects.  My only disclaimer is that this kind of thing is SO much more impressive when you can have a moment “alone” with the object you are looking at, which isn’t very easy when you are jostling for space with dozens of other people.  So my recommendation is to try and go/get your (timed) tickets for as off-peak a time as possible…the show is here til April 2010.

Best news of all is that the weather is holding u and you don’t need snow boots and parkas yet – so come on over and have some fun!

Mr. Toronto

Since summer didn’t really start until mid August this year, I refuse to switch over the closets til I can see my breath…. and though I have put the bike away for the season (side note – David Byrne of Talking Heads fame has just authored a new book about “urban cycling”, and was just in Toronto singing the praises of our City in that regard), there’s still a little bit of summer-like activity to squeeze out of this place!

Specifically, let’s talk patios.

It’s a favourite activity of Torontonians and visitors alike to find that “secret” oasis to have a bite and a brew in the great outdoors.  And since patio season is so potentially short in these Northern climes, the smartest business owners have installed heaters to continue the festivities well into November…

Here’s a roundup of some of the best:

The Fifth Grill and Terrace – 221 Richmond St – hidden away on the rooftop of an old warehouse

Grano – 2035 Yonge St – under a tree in their lovely rear patio, you’d think you were in Italy!

Messis – 97 Harbord St – known especially for its yummy desserts; this peaceful patio is surrounded by a barrier of small trees

One – 116 Yorkville Ave – THE place to see and be seen, in the heart of Yorkville on the ground floor of the ritzy Hazelton Hotel

The Miller Tavern – 3885 Yonge St – out of the downtown core, with space to prove it – three tiers of open air seating on a gigantic patio

The Rushton – 740 St. Clair Ave W – also out of the core, in a cool ethnic neighbourhood; really warm and cozy inside if you just can’t take it anymore!

Of course, the most fun part of any visit to Toronto is discovering your own little haven, so don’t be afraid to grab your boots, coat and scarf and enjoy Toronto al fresco!

Mr. Toronto

The end of September may mark the end of summer on the calendar, but somebody forget to tell Mother Nature that, in sunny Toronto.  We have just come through the longest stretch of dry weather we have experienced in 30 years (we keep track of things like that here), and temperatures have remained high.  Guess it’s payback time for the rainy and cool July and August we experienced this year…so people are still roaming the streets in shorts, sitting on patios, and – visiting farmers’ markets!

Yes, that was my way of introducing a burgeoning trend in T.O. – buying locally sourced foodstuffs at markets all over the City…
Farmers’ markets in Toronto have been going strong selling yummy Ontario fruits and veggies all summer long. They don’t shut down until well into October.  Most have very limited days and hours, so here’s a daily guide to some of the best:

Mondays – Sorauren park (at Wabash) : 3-7pm, till Oct.26

Tuesdays – East York Civic centre (at Coxwell) : 8am-2pm, till Nov.4
Riverdale Farm: 3-7pm, till Oct.27

Wednesdays – Toronto City Hall (Nathan Phillip’s Square): 8am-2:30pm, till Oct.14

Thursdays – Dufferin Grove Park (at Bloor): 3-7pm , year round!
Metro Hall (John/Wellington): 8am-2pm, till Oct.14

Fridays – Birchcliff Village (1512 Kingston Rd.): 3-7pm, till Oct.23

Saturdays – Brick Works (Bayview/Pottery Rd.): 8am-1pm, till Oct.31
St. Lawrence Market (North Building): 5am-5pm, year round

Sundays – Distillery District: 10am-6pm, till Oct.16
Liberty Village (Liberty/Atlantic): 9am-2pm, till Oct.27

A bunch of these places – Riverdale Farm, St. Lawrence Market, Distillery District, Liberty Village – make for great places to just walk around and soak up the scene, weather you’re interested in eating all your vegetables or not.

And plenty of restaurants in town to enjoy the end result of using these home-grown goodies, if you don’t feel like doing it yourself.  But that’s the topic for a future blog!

Mr. Toronto

Ah, my favourite time of the year in Toronto…the weather is still beautiful (actually, I should say finally beautiful – what a lousy summer!!), the hordes of tourists have moved out, and the stars have moved in!  Must be the Toronto International Film Festival!

If you’ve never visited TIFF before, you have to check it out.  Besides great movies day and night – many of which you can now actually see since tickets have become more accessible – it really is almost impossible to hang out – at the right places, anyway – and not bump into a movie star somewhere.

So what are those right places, you might ask?  Well, despite many of the movies/galas being shown further downtown, Yorkville is still the centre of activity.  Hotelwise, stand outside of the Four Seasons Hotel and you’re guaranteed a sighting.  The Park Hyatt is right up there, too, with a close 3^rd being the Intercontinental – all spitting distance from each other. And the Hazelton is a very ritzy boutique hotel – with it’s own private screening room – where you can also see beautiful people hanging out in its beautiful bar/restaurant, One….as for other restaurants, Sassafraz still draws them in, as does Bistro 990, which claims to be the “Official Restaurant” of TIFF…Sotto Sotto is an Italian fave of the stars…but you can pick any of the local restaurants, grab a table, and hope for the best (George Clooney ate at a non-descript Yorkville sushi joint last night…)

And then there’s the shopping.  The stars are always visiting their favourite stores in Yorkville, and on Bloor Street. The Roots flagship store is a sure bet, as is Holt Renfrew.

But the great thing about TIFF is you never know where you’ll bump into someone.  I almost ran Dennis Miller over as he was jaywalking on University Avenue a couple years ago, and rode up in an elevator with Sean Penn at the Delta Chelsea last year! (where I also spotted Geoffrey Rush having a drink in the bar).

So put on a comfy pair of shoes, grab your binoculars and autograph book, and come on down!

See you at the movies!

Mr. Toronto

Thought I’d be pretty single-minded this blog – cuz I was up late last night and woke up this morning with a hankering for some good eats. So let’s talk Weekend Brunch. One of those rare luxuries (even more rare if you have kids) that one seems to only be able to do when one is on vacation. And hopefully, if you’re reading this, you are at least contemplating a vacation to T.O., so here are some of my top picks for comfort food on a Saturday or Sunday (please note that I am not providing addresses – cut me some slack – it IS the weekend, and I’m feeling lazy. That’s what Google is for!!):

1. The very hip Drake Corner Cafe, at the even hipper Drake Hotel
2. Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, in Liberty Village (more on that in a moment)
3. School, also in Liberty Village
4. Frank, the trendy new restaurant in the beautifully renovated AGO
5. Brassaii Bistro Lounge, housed in a converted turn-of-the-century warehouse
6. Okay Okay, a retro diner with all the trimmings
7. Toast – also like that (you gotta admit, these places have great names!)

So where was I? Oh yes – Liberty Village. This is my new favourite area of town. Used to be a bunch of derelict warehouses, then the film community took over for studio work, etc., and now it’s hip and buzzing. Not a lot to do here but eat, drink, and watch the beautiful people walk around, buy hey – nothin’ wrong with that once in a while! And some great outdoor patios there, so make hay while the sun shines in our fair city!

Happy eats,

Mr. Toronto

Yes, it’s true – Toronto has just gone through a month long City Worker’s strike. City run day camps and swimming pools were closed, the Island Ferry wasn’t running, and garbage wasn’t being picked up. But the media played it up much worse than it actually was (surprise, surprise…) – tourists hardly noticed a thing. There were alternate ways to get to the Island (water taxis), and independent trash collectors made sure the streets were clean. But if you WERE waiting for the strike to be over before visiting, it just ended – so come on down! Personally, I am pretty grateful, cuz I had some pretty old garbage stored in my garage…gotta air that puppy out real good…

If you’re coming to visit with the kiddies, I thought I would pass along five kid-friendly eateries to satisfy grumbling tummies, as noted in the most recent issue of WHERE magazine (very handy to pick up when you hit town, FYI). They are:

1. The Pickle Barrel, casual with a huge menu (a few locations, but easiest is at Atrium on Bay, between the Eaton Centre and delta Chelsea Hotel)
2. The Rainforest Café (you know this, right? Jungle animals, thunder/lightening – kinda tacky but the kids go wild) at Yorkdale Mall (great mall, by the way. Car is easiest, but also serviced by the subway
3. The Old Spaghetti Factory – Fun, Cheap and Casual – on the Esplanade way downtown
4. Alice Fazoolis – Like above, only a little more classy – and a great patio!
5. Richtree Market Restaurant - individual cooking stations, self serve – lotsa fun and interesting to watch…on Yonge, right downtown

And just for the adults, thought I’d throw in a little tip for when the kiddies are tucked in bed – there’s a gem of a local pub I just went to over the weekend, called – The Gem.

One of those rare neighbourhood hangouts that’s tucked away, cozy , warm and friendly – with great food and a great patio (and live music some nights). Davenport St. near Christie.

Cheers!

Mr. Toronto

Groovin’ on a sunny afternoon here in Toronto. And the festivals continue….

Just coming off of Indy weekend, where I actually got to ride around in the pre-race parade with other sponsors, VIPs and drivers, and wave like the Queen to the stands surrounding the track. Also got to meet Gene Simmons, who was the parade Grand Marshall. Was never a huge Kiss fan, but you gotta admire the guy for what he has accomplished musically and as a marketing genius….

And now we’re heading into the Just for Laughs festival…had to turn down tickets to see Sarah Silverman, one of my faves, but there is plenty of other stuff on tap – including John Cleese and a huge free outdoor gig by Russell Peters, a native son who has just been listed as one of the top 10 wealthiest stand-up comics (guess he’s having the last laugh…)

Yesterday also marked the kick-off of ten days of Caribana festivities, always a wild and crazy time in the City…good time to be opening a new reggae musical, which Mirvish Productions is doing next week – The Harder They Come. Not sure how this 70’s cult movie is gonna translate to a play, but will let you know! (or better yet, come find out for yourself!)

Last blog I mentioned our city’s great outdoor patios…this time I want to mention that there are some dynamite gelato places (seems like everyone wants gelato nowadays – ice cream ain’t good enough any more…) in some very cool areas of the City. Check out one of the two “Little Italys” we have here – at College St. or St. Clair Ave.; La Paloma on St. Clair is one of the oldest and well know gelaterias in Toronto…or head over to Hollywood Gelato, located on a cool strip packed with great restaurants and bars, on Bayview Ave. just south of Eglinton.

And come catch a Jays game before we all lose hope for yet another season! I’ll be there Sunday against the Red Sox…

Mr. Toronto

…. Summer activities, that is.  Sorry it’s taken me longer than usual for this entry, but the lure of recreational activities when the weather is nice is just too strong (to be sitting in front of a computer…)

Since we last “spoke”, I have officially kicked off summer concert season with an awesome Dave Matthews Band show at the Molson Amphitheatre at Ontario Place.  To be honest, the Amphi is not my favourite venue to see a show – too big, and the security is over the top (and totally unnecessary).  But when it all comes together – great weather and great tunes – as it did for DMB, it can be fantastic.

Speaking of fantastic, event season also kicked off with Luminato in June, a 10 day Festival of the arts – ALL kinds of arts – that focused this year on the guitar.  Fantastic free shows at Metro Square and Yonge-Dundas Square, including Randy Bachman (from the Guess Who- Canadian gods…), Daniel Lanois (another famous local boy, more famous for producing U2 albums than his own music), Taj Mahal and Derek Trucks (without doubt, one of the finest living slide guitarists on the planet).  From here on in, the festivals come fast and furious…(gay) Pride next week, Jazz Festival the week after….

Also getting into some serious bike riding now, and Toronto is a great place to do it.  Loads of trails, parks, ravines, that will take you just about anywhere.  You can pick up a great map at City Hall.  I rode my bike over to Toronto’s newest “hot” district for brunch the other day- Liberty Village in the south/west end of the City.  Used to be an industrial district, now a happening place for film and agency types, and more fantastic places to eat than you know what to do with – and each one with a fab patio to catch those glorious sunny days…

Hope to catch you out there!

Mr. Toronto