Toronto Uncovered

I don’t put a lot of emphasis on Valentine’s Day. Its not that I don’t believe in love and longing, however, I do have a problem with holidays imposed upon us by large corporations looking to spike their first quarter earnings. To this end, last year I threw a party at The Painted Lady entitled “Suck It Hallmark”.

This year, I will be celebrating Saint Valentine from the comforts and confines of my living room. For those of you looking to go out and be social, but want to avoid the lame and over priced prefix restaurant dinners, here are some events I have come across this week:

1. BoylesqueTO: Me Mein Valentine! A Weimar inspired male burlesque show, huh? Hilarious! This event promises to be “a showcase of sexual outlaws, with ladies of ill repute, and men of gender ambiguity!”. If nothing else, you’ll get a good laugh and likely have a little fun while you’re at it.

Where: The Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. West)

When: Saturday February 14th and Sunday February 15th @ 9pm

Cost: Advanced tix $25.00, door tix $30.00

Who: YOU!

2. RENDEVOUS: Toronto’s singles soiree with a cause! While you’re busy dancing the night away, having your make-up done, sipping on delicious martinis and receiving free give aways from a number of sponsors, you will also be supporting the “Because I’m a Girl” campaign, which goes to provide clean water, food, security, health care and education to women and girls around the world.

Where: The Fifth (225 Richmond St. West)

When: Sunday February 14th @ 10pm

Cost: $20.00

Who: Girls +23, Boys +25

3. Jezebel Burlesque’s G’Lamour: For those of you who have not yet been to Jezebel, its definitely worth experiencing at least once. It’s a small space, lined with velvet covered booths and grand chandeliers. It will no doubt provide a high end, debaucherous Valentines experience. Check out their Facebook invite here

Where: 227 Ossington Avenue

When: Sunday February 14th  @ 10pm

Who: YOU!

Have you heard of any other V-Day parties? Got anything big planned?

Haven’t taken a trip to the windy city yet? Get a move on! Last weekend I toured Chicago for my first time with a couple of good girl friends. It was a girls trip through and through, filled with shopping, eating, dancing and laughing. It was truly a whirlwind of activity, without a minute of downtime to spare.

For anyone thinking about taking a trip to Chicago below is my itinerary, hopefully it inspires you:

Friday:

Friday night we went to a Mexican resto-bar called Mercadito to start our trip with some seriously potent margaritas. This is the only bar I have ever been to where there were full bottles of tequila on the tables and shots as big as my head. Ummm, Awesome! Needless to say, a great way to start off any night!

Post margaritas, mojitos and tequila shots, we made our way to a club called Crescendo. Crescendo reminded me of Embassy (the old System Soundbar). Had we been in Toronto, I would probably have scoffed at the half naked girls dancing on platforms, the mirrors that lined every wall and the wanna-be, wished-it-was “house music”. I find I am far less picky as an out-of-towner and danced to the poorly mixed beats nonetheless. We had fun, but unless you really like the cheesy club scene, it wouldn’t be top on my list.

Saturday:

On Saturday afternoon we went to the Park Hyatt’s NOmI Restaurant in search of some over priced, high-end burgers (aka The Twenty Dolla’ Burger). Unfortunately, this particularly delectable item was no longer on the menu, forcing us to select other over-the-top munchies instead. We ’settled’ for ‘The Park’ (which is basically a chicken avocado club), an order of Kobi Beef sliders and mini pulled pork sandwiches, served with salads and fried plantain chips. Nothing warms up your stomachs or your wallets quite like a swanky hotel lunch.

Chicago has no shortage of shopping. Whether you’re in search of a Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s or a smaller boutique, you’ll find something to suit your tastes and budget. I picked up some awesome boots from Bloomy’s and a great pair of pants from a boutique called Intermix (highly recommend checking this one out!).

Saturday night we decided to treat ourselves to a steak dinner at Epic, a trendy new restaurant spanning three floors. The top two were lined with booths and large round tables full of diners and daters, while the first floor, reserved for dancers, pumped out classic dance hits from the ’90s. The food was great, but definitely very rich. We ordered a spread of appetizers, most notably the sausage gnocchi and brazed scallops. We were also treated to light appetizers and deserts, compliments of the chef – I love when restaurants shower me with love in the form of free snacks!

After dinner we hit the clubs, and hit them hard. Since bars and clubs in Chicago are either open until 2 or 3 on Fridays and 4 or 5 on Saturdays (depending on their license), we had enough time to hit 3 post dinner spots. The first two, Lumen and Y Bar, were pretty loungy and reminded me of King Street West. The third club, Spy Bar, had much more of an after hours vibe, with DJs JJ Flores and Alex Peace cranking out well mixed house music. I wish I could remember more of the finer details, but all I can tell you is that I danced until I could literally not feel or move my feet any longer. And then it was time to tap out!

Sunday:

Sunday morning we dusted off our 48 hour hangovers, threw on our leggings (have i mentioned lately how much i love leggings?) and sat our danced-out asses down at Kitsch’n, a typical mid-western greasy spoon, comparable to Mel’s or Boom. Our meals were pretty basic but nonetheless delicious. Id suggest hitting this place up if you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful brunch spot.

Before catching our 6:30pm flight, we toured Millenium Park and ogled the beauty that is the Nugget. We even made it to the famous Art Institute of Chicago for a little culture. No matter how hungover and tired you are, this is a MUST! Plus, they have the coolest museum shop Ive ever been in – so many neat and interesting gadgets and doohickeys.

It has taken me 8+ days to get over the partying and sight seeing that was Chicago – truly a great city to visit!

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?

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.

I adore Halloween! I love getting dressed up in the costume of my choosing and parading around in public. I usually start planning months in advance,  and feel lucky to live in North America, where Halloween is taken most seriously.

The Get-Up

Its a great feeling when the light bulb above your head flicks on and the perfect get-up pops into your head. Now to find all the necessary pieces!  This year, I am going as Street Fighter’s Chun-Li, first female player in a fighting game and performer of the deadly ‘Lightening Kick‘. I prefer to make my own costumes. I’m not really a fan of the pre-packaged, store bought outfits (sorry, but if you cant be creative on Halloween, when CAN you be creative?). If you’re still searching for your costume try the following spots:

1. Value Village: Not only do they have the best selection of vintage wear, they have full section devoted to Halloween get-ups. I found the main part of my costume within two minutes of walking through the doors.

2. Goodwill: Also a good selection of vintage clothes with strong costume potential.

3. Kensington Market: In a previous post ‘Kensington Avenue‘ I mentioned a number of shops that have everything from tutus to wigs to army gear. You name it, they’ve probably got it. Most of these shops are also very ‘Halloweened up’ right now.

4. Yonge Street: I usually go to Yonge street for accessories (like Chun-Li’s wrist guards). There are lots of cheap dollar stores along Yonge and also some shops with some pretty crazy clothes – depending how adventurous you are!

5. Malabar: OK, so if you have decided to go with a pre-packaged, pre-made costume, Malabar is a pretty good choice. Its got a huge selection and lots of variety, but it’ll cost you a pretty penny and you do run the risk of running into someone with the exact same costume (embarrassing!).

The Get-Out

If you’re still searching for some good places to hit in Toronto Church Street is pedestrian only and ALWAYS a good time. Not surprisingly, the LGBT population doesn’t hold back. Almost all of the bars along Church Street throw big  parties, including contests for best and worst dressed.

For the last couple of years I have attended an annual Halloween Streetcar Barhop. Friends of mine have been running this amazing booze-filled debauchery for years. We paint the town red on our very own chartered streetcar, hitting about 5 or 6 bars throughout the night. This year sold out pretty quickly – I will post info and photos post party.

BlogTO also has a massive list of parties around Toronto. There is absolutely no shortage of things to do, and no excuse for not getting out there and letting loose!

What is your get up this year? Where did you get it? Where are you getting out to?

Every now and again all I want to do is dance. I don’t want to talk or socialize, I just want to zone out and dance the night away. I find that as I get a bit older and have less patience to put up with massive parties, lines or outrageous cover, solid dancing nights are harder to come by.

Saturday night was one such night. Luckily, I was with friends who I consider to be fairly ‘in the know’ when it comes to good parties with decent music and dance floors. They took me to The Rivoli’s backroom for the monthly Foot Prints event: four different DJs throwing down tribal house, infused with jazz, funk, soul, Latin and afrobeats. As we walked in to the crowded venue I could tell it was going to be exactly what I was looking for. The music was loud, the dance floor was packed and there wasn’t a wallflower in sight. Each track progressed seamlessly into the track that followed, building with energy and intensity. It was one of those nights where you turn off your brain and let your body do all the work.

I will admit that if you are at all claustrophobic or unable to get over the odd whiff of B.O., Foot Prints probably isn’t for you. If, however, you can manage to work around those  for a few hours, you wont be disappointed.

I sleep easy knowing this is a monthly event. The next one will be held Saturday August 29th with cover of $5.00 before 10:00pm and $10.00 after.  While I was there I picked up a promo for Brooklyn’s DJ Spinna at Sunnyside Pavilion, August 2nd. The show features many of the same DJ members of Foot Prints and might be worth checking out.

I feel like this post is coming a little bit late for an event that was held on Friday.  To be honest, I needed a few days to fully recover after the madness that was SpinTO.  SpinTO, for those who have been living under a rock (or haven’t checked your Twitter feed in a few weeks), was a kick-off party celebrating the Friends for Life Bike Rally from Toronto to Montreal in support of the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation.

Similar to events like HoHoTo and Twestival Toronto, SpinTO leveraged the strength and goodwill of Toronto’s social media community to market itself, attract sponsors, and increase attendance. In addition to the social media crowd, there was significant representation from Toronto’s gay and cycle communities, making for a very interesting mix.  Organizers, Mark Kuznicki and Adam Schwabe did a great job of making sure there was something for everyone.

Bikes were set up at the outdoor entrance of the Mod Club for friends and foes to spin-off against one another. The races were timed, and the winners  were rewarded with their time stickers and bragging rights.  Having always wondered what it would be like to spin in three inch heals after downing a few drinks, I challenged my best friend to a race.  Once I  finished celebrating my three second victory (which admittedly lasted a little longer than three seconds) I moved back inside to check out the silent auction and mingle with the Midas men sprinkled throughout the crowd.

In my opinion, music and entertainment are always the most important part of any event or soiree. The stage performances, which could easily have been interpreted as strip performances, were hilarious and got the crowd cheering for more.  In between acts, tracks spun by Duarte Da Silva aka @modernmod (fully adorned in cycle gear) kept us moving on our feet. In my books, any night that begins and ends with full fledged dance-offs between my friends and members of the gay community is a total success. Those gay guys really give you a run for your money!

As noted on the SpinTO website, the event was a huge success, raising over 15,000 dollars. Once again, it goes to show that the people of Toronto have big hearts and are willing to step it up for a good cause.  On any given weekend there is a strong likelihood that many of us will be out enjoying the many parties and bars Toronto has to offer. We might as well be doing good at the same time.

For more pictures and videos of Friday night’s craziness click here.

If you know of any great fundraisers coming up let me know, I am usually interested in checking out these types of events!

Elliott BROOD at Dakota Tavern: Picture by Rock Paper Pixels

I received an urgent text from one of my good friends Wednesday night. It read “You have to come to the Dakota Tavern! Awesome!” This was following two missed calls from the same friend, and one barely audible voice mail. Intrigued, I called back and was told by my fairly inebriated, but nonetheless musically reliable, friend that Elliott BROOD was about to take the stage for a Ride to Conquer Cancer charity event at Dakota Tavern, and that, “this would be the last time to see them in such an intimate venue”.

I had seen the post on BlogTO earlier in the week announcing the concert, and had decided that since I already had a networking commitment that night, I would have to miss it. Maybe it was something in my friends voice and all the noise and excitement in the background, or maybe it was just because I was already a few drinks in and my little voice of reason had piped down, but I decided to make an appearance.

Cover was a little steep for Ossington – 20 bucks – but easily justifiable (especially for a good cause). There were  a number of raffles going on inside as well to support the ride. Inside: the bar was packed, dance floor was moving, and the three piece band was really givin’ ‘er. The music was a mix of rock, folk, and alternative. It had a steady beat that made even the most reluctant dancer give in to the head-bob-two-step. I have since downloaded all of their albums, and would recommend them to anyone looking for some good, easy flowing, summeresque tunes. And, the icing on the cake, they got their start right here in Toronto.

If youre still looking for a reason to support them – give them a listen. According to their MySpace page they won’t be back in Toronto for a while, but are defnitely worth the download, and keeping your eyes out for any upcoming dates they might squeeze in!

Aaahh Spring! A season that promises chirping birds, blooming flowers, and infusions of warmth and sun. It is also a season full of events, functions, and parties. A time when Torontonians can start to shed their Winter doldrums, heavy jackets, and hibernation modes.

I kicked off my Spring season Friday night at the 6th Annual Journalists for Human Rights Fundraiser, hosted at the Berkeley Church. I’m not sure what it is that makes me love this venue so much. There’s just something exciting about partying in a place of worship, even if it is for a good cause.

I arrived around 10:30 just as the upper and lower levels were starting to fill up. By 11:30 the party was in full swing, both main levels were packed and the entertainment was taking to the stage.  Between trips to the open bar, I watched performances by African drummers and an interpretive dance group called Crazyfish Collective,  and bid on any silent auction items that caught my eye.

Eventually I  made my way down to the lower (basement) level of the church, where I happily stumbled upon a hidden room of food – fried plantains and other delicious finger foods if my memory serves me correctly. One suggestion to the organizers: make the food more accessible and visible, especially with an open bar.

Overall, the event was very successful, raising a total of $30,000 for the  human rights movement.  At $60.00 per ticket, you definitely got your money’s worth and left feeling warm and fuzzy for contributing to a good cause (and not just the bottom line of some downtown bar/club).

The Ossington strip has undoubtedly come a long way in the last ten years. It has successfully shed its reputation as a sketchy neighbourhood, and is now lined with tons of great bars, shops, and restaurants. Its one of the few areas  that still maintains a truly Toronto vibe, and has yet to become overly popularized and mainstream (although its probably only a matter of time). For these reasons, I find myself there at least once a week.

I could barely contain my excitement when  a couple of friends unveiled  plans to open a bar on Ossington.  After months of work and renovation, The Painted Lady opened its doors in January and has been bustling ever since. There are a million reasons why I absolutely love The Painted Lady, but in the effort to keep my posts a reasonable length, Ill try and sum them up as best I can:

1. Location, location, location. Located at 218 Ossington, The Painted Lady is far enough  from the downtown club scene to keep the number of out-of-towners (i.e. 905-ers) low. No one is rolling up in stretch limos or lowered Honda civics. No offense to those of you who enjoy this, its just not my cup of tea. Although it’s not right downtown, it’s close enough to be reached by the subway, streetcar, cab, or your ever reliable chevro-legs.

2. Super (fantastic happy hour) Staff. The owners, Sam and Nicky, can usually be found partying and chatting with their patrons; and the bartenders are   friendly, attentive, and FUN. Its not unusual to see them singing and dancing on the bar, or rocking out with their regulars.

3. You are drinking for the greater good. Nicky heads up the Canadian chapter of NOAH charity. NOAH  raises funds to build sustainable communities for South African children who have lost their parents to HIV and AIDS. The Painted Lady will host events throughout the year to raise money for NOAH.  Further details to come.

4. All the important no’s are looked after – NO LINE, NO COVER, NO DRESS CODE, and most importantly: NO PRETENTIOUSNESS

5. Food and drinks are cheap! Twenty or thirty bucks is enough get you through the night, leaving you well-sauced, and with enough change in your pocket for post bar, late night munchies.

6. The Baby Dolls poster hangs discretely on the back wall. If you weren’t sold on reasons 1 through 5, this fact should seal the deal. The rest of the bar is  adorned with  decorations that further highlight its playful character, such as an illuminated, flashing poster of Jesus, and over 80 portraits of painted ladies.  Even the trip  to the bathroom is unique, featuring leopard print wallpaper and multi-coloured Christmas lights.

Even though I am an East-ender, The Painted Lady really feels like my neighbourhood bar. It can always be counted on for a good time, no matter what night of the week. I have a feeling my liver is thankful  that I don’t live closer than I do.

Have you been there yet?

Other Posts/Reviews of The Painted Lady: Cameron’s Brewing Co.
and Martini Boys