Toronto Uncovered

It would have been obvious to anyone walking by that there was something serious going on at One Restaurant Wednesday night.  Lines of well dressed, young professionals snaked down Yorkville Avenue all the way to Avenue Road;  big signs bordered the entrance; and loud music poured out onto the crowded street.  It was the official launch party for Yahoo! Canada’s new website, a definite who’s who of Toronto’s advertising and marketing elite,  joined by household celebrity names like Ken Daneyko and Tie Domi.

Since Yahoo! Canada is a client of the marketing firm where I work,  my colleagues and I joined the party to see what all the fuss was about. I had never been to One before, and have to say that my first impression was, “Wow, this place is huge”. I had assumed that it would be one large open space with maybe a couple of rooms, but was proven very wrong. There were 4 main rooms all occupied with different stations.

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I’m a big fan of stations at parties because they keep them interesting and entertaining. Yahoo’s stations included a photo shoot with lots of fun and crazy props (wigs, swords, helmets, big glasses and boas), a lip balm bar where you customized your own balm, a bar station where you ordered your own drinks (what? it counts), and a make your own taco station. This last one wasn’t really for me, by the time i got there it looked like a thousand small children had been there first, sticking their fingers into the cheese and various sauces. In short, it was kind of a mess and turned me off a little. Good idea in theory, poor in execution.

The music, spun by DJ Starting from Scratch, was selected by party goers who could make requests when sending their RSVP. This was a good way to make people feel involved and to ensure everyone heard at least one song they could dance to. It would have been even better if you could also tweet your requests (since social media is a big part of the new Yahoo! Canada site).

Canapes were flowing from the time I arrived until the time I headed home. They started with sliders, butter brazed lobster, sesame coated tuna sashimi, and boxes of poutine, followed by sweet key lime and pecan filled deserts. Hats off to Food Network’s Chef, Mark McEwan for providing delicious treats all night long.

Given that the theme of Yahoo’s new website, It’s Y!ou,  is all about customization, this party was on point with their message.  I had a pretty good time and would definitely attend another party at One Restaurant. Yahoo!

Did you attend? What did you think?

I’ve lived between the boundaries of Yonge St. and Sherbourne St. for most of my adult life. In previous posts, I have pointed out that the East side, while offering many benefits (especially if you are a home owner), lacks the same epicurean vibe that its Western counterpart flaunts so brightly. East-enders have to look a little harder to find a really solid restaurant that satisfies all of our basic dining needs: ambiance, service and food.

I have been dining at Hair of the Dog (Church and Carleton) since my University days. It is small and intimate and built into the side of an old house. In the summer, it provides a great balcony setting to enjoy caesars over brunch. In the winter, it embodies the feeling of a cozy cottage, dimly lit with comfortable chairs and benches. It’s furnished with dark wood and draped with rich velvet.  Soft house music plays dimly in the background, providing just enough melody to muffle the chitter chatter of other diners. It is instantly relaxing.

Hair of the Dog is a popular spot and does not take weekend reservations, however, I have never had to wait for more than 15 minutes, during which the bar tenders and hostess provide excellent service, including prompt martinis and regular table updates and check-ins. You’re never left waiting and wondering (unlike some other trendy hot spots, ah hem, Guu). Once seated, the service is fast and friendly. No complaints.

OK, now onto the really important part: the food. The menu at HoTG is not huge, but it has something for everyone. My personal favourites include the jambalaya, the 1lb burger and the chicken stir fry. The pulled pork sandwich and grilled seafood dishes are also amazing.  I will warn you, if you order the jambalaya add the scotch bonnet sauce with care, it is not for fair-tongued eaters. Unless you like to feel the burn the next day, take it easy on the hot sauce. Most dishes range from $10.00-$20.00. Expect to pay about $60.00 per person including liquor, tax and tip.

If you’re in the area definitely check it out. Let me know what you think!

A few months ago I wrote a post about the types and benefits of hot yoga and the different studios I have tried around Toronto.  As you might remember, I prefer Bikram’s style of hot yoga over Moksha because it pushes me to achieve higher levels of difficulty and fitness.  Since that post, one of my good friends has been urging me to try his hot yoga studio, iam yoga, which offers a number of different hot flow classes.  At first, I was reluctant because I thought, like Moksha,  it would be too light and fluffy for me.  Luckily, his persistence eventually paid off and I joined him for my first hot flow class on Saturday and my second last night.  These classes are 60 minutes, instead of the 90 minute Bikram, and are a mish mash of different yoga styles including: Hatha, traditional flow, Ashtanga, Bikram and some Pilates inspired movements as well (straight legged bicycles in a 100 degree heat is NOT easy). The main part of the flow class is that in between every major set of positions you come back to a flow, which is a transition from downward dog, into chaturanga followed by upward dog, ending back in downward dog.

I have to say that these classes to be a perfect middle ground between Bikram and traditional Moksha. They are definitely challenging and work towards improving your mental and physical strength, but they are not as intense as the Bikram and offer a variety of different movements each class.

The downtown location celebrates its 1 year anniversary in February and there is already such a huge sense of friendship and community among those who practice. The uptown location, Moksha Yoga Uptown, is more of a Moksha style, but also offers flow classes for anyone living further North.

I have to admit I’m a bit of a convert. Ill probably mix up practicing between Bikram and these flow classes depending on my mood and energy levels.

Where do you practice? Any other good hot yoga studios downtown?

As January rolls in, many of us are looking for ways to shed the extra pounds we have undoubtedly packed on over the holidays.  I’m thankful that my parents pounded into my head the importance of exercise and healthy eating at an early age  (of course, I  wasn’t so thankful when I was 10 and searching endlessly for the hidden Halloween candy in my Mom’s closet). Now that I am older, I usually seek out healthy food naturally. I actually love and crave big salads with lots of different toppings. I have come across some pretty amazing salad and prepared food bars in Toronto which are both healthy and delicious.

My favourite place to grab a prepped salad is Whole Foods. I LOVE Whole Foods. Its totally yuppie and I don’t care. The salad bar and prepared foods section is amazing. First, you have a choice of romaine lettuce, baby greens and baby spinach, before working your way through toppings like sesame tofu, grilled eggplant, baked cloves of garlic, candied yams, mini potatoes, 3 different types of quinoa and at least 6 cultures of cheese. Their prepared food section doesn’t end there. They also have a hot bar for anyone looking for fresh lasagna, turkey meatballs or beef stir fry. The list goes on, but those are my favourite dishes. I usually mix the hot and cold bars – because I am a grazer, and at the end of the day I have a hard time saying no to food.  Whole Foods does not sell any products that contain unnatural ingredients like dyes or preservatives and most of their food is organic.  For between $10.00-$15.00 dollars you are guaranteed a delicious, filling and totally good-for-you meal!

I used to work downtown at Bay and Queens Quay, which is rammed with lots of bad-for-you, fast food. If are in the financial district a lot and looking for a good place to grab a salad the Longo’s Market (BCE Place) is a safe bet. Like Whole Foods, they have a wide variety of salad toppings – chicken, boiled eggs, seafood salads, smoked salmon, and a ton of veggies and cheese. I usually paid about $12.00 for lunch and looked forward to treating myself at least once a week.

Bay and Elm houses one of my other favourites called Commensal. I uncovered this restaurant back in my vegetarian and vegan days. All of their food is vegetarian friendly, but it is so amazingly delicious you would never know it. They have a hot and cold bar as well as a full counter of deserts! Because this is a vegetarian menu only, you get more variety than your typical hot/cold bar. I especially love that you can choose between 2 types of hummus and a variety of other dips and spreads, not to mention their vegetarian lasagna, quiche, chilli and stir fries.  Yummy! I haven’t been vegetarian/vegan for years, but I still love going back to Commensal. This is the more expensive of the three – usually upwards of $15.00-$20.00 per person.

Do you have a favourite prepared food spot? Any good hot or cold bars in Toronto that I am missing?

Last night I was among the lucky bloggers and journalists in Toronto to receive an invite to a very intimate Inniskillin wine tasting.  The event was hosted in the back room of  Nancy’s Cheese at Dupont and Spadina, which provided  amazing cheese and a cozy atmosphere for us learn about the various wines that make up Inniskillin’s Winemaker Series.

I am definitely no wine connoisseur, but I do know what I like when it hits my pallet. Throughout the evening we tried four wines from the series and listened as Marketing Director, Scott Starra, regaled us with stories of Inniskillin’s past and present accolades.

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We started the tasting with a 2008 Two Vineyard Riesling. Unlike most Rieslings this particular blend was not overly sweet, but instead had strong notes of citrus, leaving a refreshed feeling in your mouth. If you like your Rieslings dry with higher acidity levels this is a great choice. It is also highly versatile for food pairings, going well with Asian, Thai and Indian dishes as well as squash soups.  Scott explained that if you are ever unsure of what to pair with a particular meal, a dry Riesling is a good choice as they often accent most flavours and foods.

Our second wine was a 2008 Three Vineyard Chardonnay, oaked in both French and American oak for a full robust bodied taste.  As with the Riesling, this Chardonnay was high in acidity, which is a common element in 2008 white wines because of the long, warm nights that summer was blessed with. I usually prefer an unoaked Chardonnay, however, found this one to be really tasty when paired a strong cheese  like the Roaring Forties Blue from Australia. You can also pair it with buttery foods like lobster, seafood, buttered popcorn (with truffle oil if you’re feeling swanky), and even turkey.

It was finally time to move onto the reds. While I enjoy my whites, I am a red wine girl at heart. I was thrilled to learn our first selection was a Pinot Noir. Maybe it stems from the scene from Sideways in which Miles gives a full description of the delicacy, sensitivity and temperament of the Pinot grape, or maybe its just because i have good taste, but Pinot has been high on my list of favourites for some time.

The 2007 Three Vineyard Pinot Noir owes its full body and distinguished tastes to the hot summer we had in 2007. If you’re looking for a mild Pinot, this is not for you. On the other hand, if you like your wines to have a little bit of attitude and be able to stand on their own this is a great choice.  In terms of pairings, Scott suggested anything with earthy mushroom flavours, pork, duck, or a good brie. I also liked it with the Blackburn cheese from Quebec that we sampled last night.

Our final vino of the soiree was a 2007 Cabernet Franc from Inniskillin’s Reserve Series. As with all wines from 2007, the Cab Franc was very full bodied, without being too strong or intrusive on the pallet.  I liked this wine a lot and since it is the only one we tried last night currently on the stands in the LCBO will definitely be picking some up for the holidays. Priced at $16.95 you’re getting a lot of value at a low cost. This wine is well paired with lamb, steak and grilled chicken as well as a strong well-aged cheese.

The first three wines featured will be hitting the shelves in the near future. If you’re not already familiar with the different wines Inniskillin and other Niagara region wineries have to offer, its high time you get acquainted. For more information on Inniskillin check out their Facebook page, including videos, interviews and recipes.

I usually refuse to set foot in a mall during the pre-Christmas craziness. I’m not huge on malls to begin with, and I really don’t have the tolerance to withstand the crazy crowds. Since I am also not prepared enough to start my shopping early, I rely on the thousands of online stores, ready to ship my parcels with the click of a button.

There is only one problem with this method: I’m not supporting my local vendors. This year, my mission is to incorporate more vendors from the GTA who also have online stores.  Below are some I have found so far:

Duration of Ownership: 2.5 hours. Chocolate Lover? Check. Human? Check.

Neslo Chocolates: Neslo is owned and operated  by two cousins who hand make every batch of delicious, high quality Belgian chocolate. They experiment with unconventional flavours like Banana Brandy, Salted Caramel and Strawberry Wasabi. These chocolates are melt in your mouth. If you don’t finish the box in the first couple of hours  not only are you not a chocolate lover, you may not be human either.  These are a perfect gift for anyone in your life, just make sure you pick up a box or two for yourself while you’re at it.

You cant get much cooler than having a Star Wars and Computer combo!

Orange Fish: This online-only store caters to the knick-knack lover. Products range from characterized USB keys, to belt buckles, to artisan undies and magnets. I particularly love their cuff links, many of which are made out of  pieces of real items like hockey pucks, working compasses,  footballs and Madison Square Gardens flooring.  Everything on OrangeFish.ca is unique in either creation or design and range in price from as little as 4 or 5 dollars through to around 200. Their items would be great stocking  stuffers or Secret Santa gifts.

Warning: Owners may also experiment with copping a feel

Clothing Brand Experiment (CBE for short): CBE hoodies are a Toronto based company offering some funky and colourful hoodies for men and women. The hooded sweatshirt was the first “experiment” CBE went after.  Their goal was to make a locally produced, hooded sweatshirt with all the features they loved. Looks like they did a pretty decent job and don’t have to charge their clients an arm and a leg. Check out their online store – good gift for anyone hoping to stay warm this winter in style.

Simply splendid and simply de-lic-ious (num num num num num)

Simply Splendid: OK, so this one you cant order online, however, you can just pick up the phone and place your order that way. And since you can still accomplish this from the comfort of your couch, it still counts. Simply splendid owner and baker extraordinaire, Marilyn Mirabelli, specializes in making the most delicious shortbread cookies I have ever tasted. I have tried her vanilla and chilli chocolate which were both good enough to make me go back for seconds, but the real show stopper was her curry flavoured shortbread. I know it sounds kind of weird but its amazing. Her teas and cookies can be purchased separately or as sets. Definitely a good gift for any sweet tooth in your life. She will also come to your house and put on a full British-style Victorian Afternoon Tea.  A great gift idea for moms, grandparents, Brits and any cookie lover in your life.

Where have you been doing your online shopping this year? Any great Toronto vendors to share?

One of my favourite games to play in November is: “Movember moustache or every day?” Sometimes, it really is hard to tell. I honestly believe you guys dress up the m0ustache throughout the month, matching your clothing with your ever evolving facial hair. If you’re sporting a Tom Selleck that day, maybe you throw on a blazer with your jeans. If its a little more of a Burt Reynolds stache, maybe you go a little cowboy. Either way, its a hilarious month, filled with giggles, double takes and maybe even the odd quick pic when you’re not looking. Now that November has come to a close, leaving your razor blades dull and upper lips smooth, Ive compiled some pictures that I thought you would appreciate… Enjoy! If you have some classic shots you want added to the real email them to me at hmorrison@torontouncovered.com.

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It was always my intention to eventually open up Toronto Uncovered to Torontonians.  One of my first forays into the world of social media and online publications was about four years ago, when a good friend and I started a journalistic community site called MyCitySpace.ca.  The idea of this site was to eventually have predominantly user-submitted, content featured alongside content of our core writers. Although we were successful in getting the site off the ground and running, we ultimately became too busy to keep it going – I also didn’t know half of what I do now (this was a time when Facebook was still largely unknown to most people).  I am really excited to be opening up Toronto Uncovered to you and your thoughts. If you have any feedback or ideas, I am always happy to discuss those as well.

To submit an article go to the “Submissions” tab at the top of this site, input as much info about yourself as wanted. Write your article, attaching any relevant content. Press submit and away we go. I will be moderating and posting.

Some guidelines to keep in mind when submitting:

First, have fun with it. This is definitely the most important piece of advice I can share with you. If you’re having fun, the readers probably will too.

Second, don’t concern yourself too much with stuffy language and grammar (but I beg of you, as the moderator, please use some grammar). If you’re feeling a good rant, and the f-bomb seems appropriate, throw it the fuck in there.

Third, make sure you’re not submitting a repeat post. You can double check this by using the “Uncover It” search option.

Fourth, add multimedia content. I’ve allowed for file uploads for multimedia – you can also include links to video to embed within the post.

Fifth, include links. This is the best way to prove a point,  give readers further info, and add depth and credibility to your post.

Last, distribute it through your channels. If you want your content to be read and have a good number of comments, post your published article on your Twitter or Facebook page, or send it to your friends.

A couple of months ago a friend invited me to have lunch at Four Restaurant. Since then, it has quickly become my favourite Bay Street restaurant. I have eaten there at least 5 times for and recommended it to friends, colleagues and clients.

Im not really a picky eater, and will usually try anything at least once, however, I am usually pretty health conscious. What I like about the menu at Four is that everything on it is under 650 calories, low in fat and still high in taste. Instead of flavouring their dishes with butter, salt, and sugar, they use more herbs and spices to bring out the natural taste of the food.  None of their dishes are deep fried and most are specialty diet friendly (South Beach, Weight Watchers, etc.) The portions are of a reasonable size (I have never left still feeling hungry) and you aren’t saddled with gut rot for the rest of the afternoon.

My favourite part of eating at Four is the deserts, which are served in shot glasses for $2.00 a piece. Your waiter brings around a tray of 10 different deserts to choose from, ranging from fresh fruit to cheese cake. All deserts are health conscious as well, all under 200 calories.

If you end up trying Four, make sure to make reservations as it is a popular lunch spot. Let me know what you think and what you end up trying! So far, Ive had their burgers, pastas, appetizers and most of the deserts. I have yet to be disappointed, unsatisfied or underfed.

For the last gazillion years my friends have organized a streetcar party on Halloween. The idea is simple: charter out a streetcar and bar hop until you can bar hop no more. Its always a smashing success. This year, I helped organize and recruit people, which wasn’t hard since I have been raving about it since last year. One thing that most people (including myself) didn’t realize is that you can charter out a streetcar for your own personal partying pleasure anytime you want. If you’re interested in organizing a similar type of event, here are some things you should know:

1. Cost: A single streetcar, which has capacity of about 70 people, is about $1000.00 for 4 hours. A double streetcar, which can hold upwards of 110-120, is about $1600.00 for 4 hours. Additional TTC info can be found here.

2. Bars: My friends contact different bars (along streetcar routes) ahead of time to make sure they are bar hop friendly. Any bar owner with even the slightest iota of business sense will jump at the chance to have 100 drunken patrons brought their bar.  Make sure you choose bars that don’t get too crowded as it can be difficult to round everyone up to head to the next stop. Some good bars include: Raq n Waq, The Rex, Midtown, Prohibition, and Bovine Sex Club.

3. Bar Treats: Most of the bars will offer complimentary shooters and/or food. Don’t be scared to ask for some extras, including easy entry and no cover.

4. Timing: We usually start early. If you only have 4 hours of streetcar,  5 bars to hit, and the last bar closes at 2am (making your latest arrival time 1am).. carry the 3.. and that gives about 1 hour at each bar when you factor in travel time. This year’s meet time was 6:30. Of course we didn’t actually leave the first bar until just after 7:30.  We arrived at the last bar around 12:30. Make sure to time everything out.

5. Theme: For Halloween, no other theme is necessary. If you are going to plan a streetcar party on a normal night a theme is a good idea.   Its way more hilarious for everyone to dress up, not to mention far more interesting for everyone on the streets and in the normal streetcars to see a TTC vehicle come to a stop and unload 100 dressed up, rowdy partiers.

6. Make it charitable: The cost per person is usually around 40.00. After all the expenses (ie. streetcar, wrist bands, on-street-car jello shots) are taken care of, you will definitely have some extra cash left over. We always donate the proceeds to a local charity.

The Streetcar barhop is a great time and an experience most people have yet to come across. Let me know if you want any more info or details on how we organized things this year.