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You could make Los Angeles Toronto’s newest neighbourhood. For seven years, Toronto’s little airline has been a good neighbour. Despite being small, we’ve taken you to some terrific places. Now, you’ve asked us to expand to new destinations like Los Angeles, Miami, Vancouver and the Caribbean. We’d like to get you there by flying the quietest commercial jet in production, the Bombardier CS100 from your convenient downtown Toronto City Airport. It’s specifically chosen by Porter because it consumes half the fuel per passenger of modern compact cars and creates 20% less carbon emissions than planes in its class – while still being really comfortable for you. But if you want to get to Los Angeles right from your neighbourhood airport, you need to help. Your Toronto City Councillor needs to hear your voice of support for Porter’s jet proposal. We’ve made it easy for you; just visit porterplans.com

ONTENT

PUBLISHER KING WEST MEDIA LTD. PRESIDENT PETER FREED EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KAREN VON HAHN CREATIVE AGENCY PORTLAND STEWART CREATIVE DIRECTOR ALICE UNGER MANAGING EDITOR RONNILYN PUSTIL ART DIRECTOR MICHAEL BOZINOVSKI ASSOCIATE EDITOR DIANE PETERS CONTRIBUTORS ADRIAN ARMSTRONG LORETTA CHIN LEANNE DELAP CAROLYN DREBIN NAOMI FINLAY ROBERT GRAVELLE MATTHEW HAGUE CHRIS JOHNS KATERI LANTHIER IRWIN LARMAN JOHN BENTLEY MAYS MARILISA RACCO HILARY SMITH RUSSELL SMITH ANDREW SOULE JOSEY VOGELS MURRAY WHYTE SAMANTHA YAFFE ELI YARHI DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AJ MANJI DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MORAD REID AFFIFI

KING WEST MEDIA LTD. 552 WELLINGTON ST. W. PENTHOUSE SUITE 1500 TORONTO, ON M5V 2V5 KINGWESTMAG.CA

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ON THE COVER KRISTEN MURPHY OF ANITA NORRIS MODELS SHOT BY ANDREW SOULE STYLIST: RITA LIEFHEBBER MAKEUP: SIMONE OTIS, HAIR: JUSTIN GERMAN; BOTH FOR PAGE ONE MANAGEMENT OUTFIT HERE AND ON THE COVER: SEE CREDITS P. 60

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14 16 21

Editor’s Letter

KW Up Close

Men at Work

IDS Top 12

Canadiana Cool

Cabinets of Curiosity

Come As You Are

Strong Suit

Street Style

It’s All About The Chase

The Pour

Turkish Delight

On the Town Events, The Playing Field by Marilisa Racco, Test Drive: Sex shops, Real Estate: John Shnier serves it up family style at the Thompson

124

Visionary

Contributors Proclaimer

Micro-Trend: Euro bakeries, Meet Your Meat: Lamb, Local Talent: An Te Liu by Murray Whyte, The List: From the Boston Marathon to Winterlicious, Mr. Smith’s Good Times Guide by Russell Smith

A photographic look at King West by Irwin Larman

Architects Saucier + Perrotte rock us to the core by John Bentley Mays

Matthew Hague highlights the best of the 2014 Interior Design Show

Wave the flag with these holiday gift picks by Loretta Chin

4 small museums that fill a niche by Kateri Lanthier

The ’90s never looked so now by Andrew Soule

The Smythe duo has its designs on you by Leanne Delap

Fashion blogger Gracie Carroll by Loretta Chin

Chris Johns hunts down the city’s hottest ticket

The best winter wines by Robert Gravelle

Karen von Hahn blisses out at Amanruya

Q&A with Porter Airlines’ Robert Deluce

2013-11-29 2:40 PM

EDITOR’S LETTER

PHOTO: ALVARO GOVEIA

ith this, our eighth issue of KingWest, I can’t help thinking how far we have come and how much more grown up we are—both as a magazine and the downtown core neighbourhood our publication proudly represents. In the first Editor’s Letter I wrote for this magazine, I recall making the case for the emerging downtown west as a real, viable place for people to live in what used to be a dead industrial zone. Now, some four years later, our concerns have shifted from whether we are truly a neighbourhood to the issues surrounding our continued growth. King West now has its own visual language, one meticulously documented by architect Irwin Larman in King West Up Close (p. 38). One sign of our emerging maturity are the questions we are now asking ourselves: How do we want to live in the city? What kind of downtown do we want? As development continues with newly built structures emerging on a streetscape of repurposed 19th-century industrial warehouses, what should these new buildings look like? The much-celebrated Montreal-based architectural firm Saucier + Perotte has some surprising answers, as John Bentley Mays discovers (p. 42). For them, a site review doesn’t merely skim the surface but digs deep for inspiration into the hidden geological underpinnings within. This innovative approach is producing some buildings that challenge the stripped-back monumental facades of classic modernist architecture—in short, rewriting what “modern” looks like by giving it back more earthiness and soul. Another indicator of how much we have matured is how people now live their daily lives in King West—shopping for fresh-baked bread at Europeaninspired local ovens (see Micro-Trend, p. 24) and re-designing their bachelor lofts, as architect John Shnier did at the Thompson to accommodate his new family of three (p. 104). The new wave of young families opting to live downtown and enjoy the offerings of the city on their doorsteps rather than flee for the big front lawns and picket fences is another reassuring sign of our growing sophistication. So well used is Porter Airlines now at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport—despite initial opposition—that this issue’s Visionary, CEO Robert Deluce (p. 124), is flying full throttle, making the case for permission to extend the airport’s runways to accommodate larger planes and farther-flung destinations. Leanne Delap’s story of the homegrown label Smythe’s emergence on the international radar after one of its designs—a now-iconic navy jacket renamed “the Kate”—was worn by the Duchess of Cambridge on her tour here in Canada also speaks to a new, PR-savvy maturity in the local fashion scene (p. 72). And our gift guide of all things bright and beautiful (mostly) made and most definitely designed right here in Canada (p. 51) reveals that our creative expression of our national identity has never been so well, or so appealingly, articulated. One of the pieces that didn’t make it into this fine issue before we went to press was a Word on the Street column in which we asked people in the hood for their opinion as to whether our troubled mayor was a media target or his own worst enemy. As our casual poll revealed, most of us already saw Mayor Ford as a problem just waiting to blow up—even before Police Chief Bill Blair’s bombshell revelation that the video does indeed exist and the mayor’s confession that he did, indeed, smoke crack “in one of my drunken stupors.” With the reality-TV revelations coming in on an almost-daily basis, our story seemed like old news. As an alternative to the latest on crack, however, we do serve up Momofuku’s highly delicious (and addictive) crack pie (p. 25). But, as we hope this issue illustrates, the truth of the matter is that our city is now way too sophisticated and cosmopolitan a global centre to be stuck with such a boorish and contemptible late-night talk-show joke of a mayor. On every level, we deserve better.

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Celebrated fashion and beauty photographer Andrew Soule has spent the last 13 years shooting in Europe for such prestigious international publications as ELLE Italy, Vogue Australia, Velvet and Flare. For this issue of KW, he got behind the lens for our fashion feature, Come As You Are (p. 60). Recently returned to Toronto, Soule divides his time between photography and cinema. What he learned while working on this issue: “The importance of having a clear vision!”

Rita Liefhebber has worked every angle of the fashion world, from designer to model and, of late, wardrobe stylist—a celebrated eye for pulling together a look she brought to Come As You Are (p. 60). Her celebrity clients include Katy Perry, Jessica Paré, Nelly Furtado and Metric’s Emily Haines, while her own namesake fashion line has garnered global attention. What she learned while working on this issue: “You can wear your PJs outside as long as you throw on a big furry coat! Possible new uniform? Yes, please.”

Matthew Hague, who previews the Interior Design Show in this issue (p. 47), writes about architecture, furniture and interior design for The Globe and Mail, Toronto Life and other publications. Before becoming a journalist, he studied architecture at the University of Waterloo. Hague’s latest adventure was a trip to India, where he learned to make a kick-ass paneer curry. What he learned while working on this issue: “Canadian decor is about so much more than moose antlers and tartan throws. Top Canadian designers—who will be out in full force at IDS—have a unique, modern sensibility that is as rich and surprising as anywhere else in the world.”

Sex and relationships columnist, blogger and broadcaster Josey Vogels sussed out sex shops for this issue’s Test Drive (p. 102). The author of six books on sex, including the recent Better Sex in No Time, Vogels laid the groundwork for her career cruising around rural Ontario in her teens, listening to AC/DC and Teenage Head and dating inappropriate boys. What she learned while working on this issue: “Cell-phone vibrators and vibes you can personally program? Sex toys have certainly come a loooong way since my first cream-coloured hard plastic ‘personal massager’ I bought at Consumers Distributing.”

Shagg Salon co-owner Justin German splits his time between being on set and with private clients. As a regular contributor to Flare for more than 12 years, he has worked his magic on many a model’s mane; Sienna Miller, Jessica Alba and Molly Sims are on his list of celeb clients. Look for KW winter: “The new scrunch. The ’90s version was done with gel and was hard and crispy. I used gel but mixed it with hair conditioner and silicone oil drops to keep it slightly wet looking. To get the look: Apply the gel mix to wet hair, scrunch the hair to bring out natural texture or wave, and then twist or curl the hair with your fingers.”

With a career spanning 18 years, makeup artist Simone Otis has worked with some of the most iconic personalities of the international fashion scene, including legendary editor Polly Mellen, photographers Annie Leibovitz and Brigitte Lacombe and models Daria Werbowy, Jessica Stam and Coco Rocha. Her artistry has graced the pages of Vogue, ELLE and Vanity Fair and was put to the test in developing the product line for Joe Fresh Beauty. For this issue, she helped model Kristen Murphy get ready for her close-up in Come As You Are (p. 60). Look for KW winter: “The look was inspired by the ’90s, when brick and rust were popular lip colours. I kept Kristen’s skin dewy and used a burnished gold cream shadow on her eyes. Using a sheer cream colour on the eyes gives a lovely touch of festive sheen.”

PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) ANDREW SOULE, CHRIS NICHOLLS, JENNA MARIE WAKANI, FELIX WONG, DANIEL PARKER

CONTRIBUTORS

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George Hoyningen-Huene - Swimwears (detail)

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PHOTOS: ADRIAN ARMSTRONG, (RUNWAY) COURTESY CORBIS, (MIRROR) COURTESY AVENUE ROAD, (BRACELET) COURTESY HERMÈS

PROCLAIMER

SILVER STREAK (clockwise from top left) G.H. Bass & Co. Metallic Oxford, $135, gravitypope.com; Issey Miyake fall/winter 2013, isseymiyake.com; Ciaté Caviar Manicure Luxe,

$30, sephora.ca; Mackage braided leather belt, $130, mackage.com; Françoise Turner-Larcade’s Fragmented Mirror, $4,800, avenue-road.com; Modern Revival Timex Watch, $85, philistinetoronto.com; 1973 Commemorative 5 Cent Belgian Chocolate, $6.95 each, roots.com; Antonieta Bottle by Etel Carmona, $1,655, avenue-road.com; Franklin the Fox doorstop, $54, westelm.ca; Galop Hermès bracelet, $4,585, hermes.com

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2013-11-25 3:36 PM

HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY 176 YONGE ST. / HBC.COM

Forget London’s Selfridges and Barneys New York. The latest destination for those with a serious footwear fetish is right here at The Bay Queen Street’s slick new 20,000-square-foot shoe department on the ground floor. On the heels of HBC’s phoenix-like reinvention, prez Bonnie Brooks’ latest innovation is surely a step in the right direction. In the previously undistinguished area that once housed men’s shirts and briefs is now Canada’s largest shoe boutique, dedicated solely to more than 120 lines of the absolute latest from the likes of Brian Atwood, Sam Edelman, Jean-Michel Cazabat and McQueen to Sperry, Tretorn and Uggs in a chic, light-filled, contemporary setting that feels like every woman’s dream closet. “Five years ago when I joined The Bay, we asked ourselves: What’s it going to take to make it a wow destination?” Brooks says. “The one thing everyone wants is shoes.” Indeed. —KvH

harge ll be in c ay as we m rake D “I r : e L p L p THE BA egrown ra ador.” HE’S ON ss said hom a ,” b m rd a a l o urism b rs “globa se I feel of the to the Rapto oll becau dubbed e on payr m on to this t ti u n on being p e tt lly a lot of a ould rea d . sh n a y e le h 0 p 2 “T in 14.. peo opening g a lot of re’s a job like I brin e th , e k y, Dra city.” He

PHOTOS: (THE BAY) COURTESY THE BAY, (DRAKE) GETTY IMAGES, (GYM) COURTESY EQUINOX, (THE BEVERLEY) COURTESY THE BEVERLEY, (GOORIN) COURTESY GOORIN BROS

THE

FOOTAGE

THE

WORKOUT EQUINOX 199 BAY ST. / EQUINOX.COM

In a city where Bay Street tycoons are rock stars, it’s no wonder Canada’s first Equinox has taken residence in the heart of Toronto’s financial district. A 35,000-square-foot answer to seekers of sleek, Equinox Bay Street (the 62nd “trophy” location of the haute fitness brand worldwide) is part of a wave of global luxury lifestyle brands flexing their muscle in the downtown core. Boasting a NY standard of service, the luxe health club invites the busy and the beautiful to sweat, breathe, juice and jive in über-modern style. Here, towels are steeped in eucalyptus, facials defy age with masks made of 24-carat gold, and softly lit tinted glass walls set an almost romantic mood. Complimentary skin and hair products by Kiehl’s add a splash of cool to spa-like change rooms, each designed around two immaculate saunas (wet and dry). But no visit is complete without a little detox from The Juicery (Dr. Junger’s Morning Smoothie packs the ultimate post-workout punch), serving breakfast, lunch and din from 5 am on. For $160 a month, members are treated to a roster of signature yoga, Pilates, spin, boxing and crosstraining classes along with state-of-the-art cardio and strength-and-stretch machines (each housed on their own floor). The bulls of Bay Street are hooked on Shockwave—a fiercely competitive bootcamp that pits teams against each other, using BOSU, body bars and Equinox’s custom-built Indo-Row machines. A perfect fit for the high-octane cityscape it overlooks, this KW outpost of the celebrated celeb health chain delivers the most invigorating ROI north of the border. —Samantha Yaffe

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2013-11-25 3:37 PM

THE

STAY

BEVERLEY HOTEL 335 QUEEN ST. W. / THEBEVERLEYHOTEL.CA

After several seasons of false starts, the hoarding around a storefront on the last stubborn stretch of Queen West to resist revitalization was finally lifted, and The Beverley Hotel opened its doors. The best of the boutique stay’s 18 rooms face up Beverley Street with a view of OCAD University. “Nearby is the super-luxe Shangri-La and the Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts,” says general manager Scott Newnham. “This is something more authentic, a little window to experience the neighbourhood.” Chef Eric Wood’s mainfloor restaurant has a menu that stands out from all the Indian, falafel and burger joints nearby. Wood hates to have the “C” word, as in the comfort trend, applied to his cooking. “It is upscale food that happens to be comfortable.” That means a strong seafood presence by night (the chowder with grilled lobster is a must), a rich torchon of foie gras app, and a wildly popular bone marrow at brunch. Diners are surrounded by curated heritage images of Queen Street back when this was a one-horse town: Look for the photo of this stretch of road on Armistice Day, 1918, in the dining room. The polished black walnut bar (craned in as a single piece) and raw pipe tubing punctuate the rustic warmth of whitewashed rubble stone walls and hand-trowled concrete floors. Thus far a melange of business types (the core is steps away) and couples in town for artsy shopping weekends make up the eclectic mix. —Leanne Delap

THE

TOP HAT

GOORIN BROS HAT SHOP 320 QUEEN ST. W. / GOORIN.COM

“Hats trigger memories,” says Jen Thorn, shopkeeper at Goorin Bros, a descendant of a proud Pittsburgh family of hat makers that started from a street stall back in 1895. Today, its Toronto shop—the brand’s second in Canada—is all reclaimed wood floors and gramophonehorn lamps warming a cozy and nostalgic space with display cards highlighting the “History of Flatcaps.” Any ersatz feel is broken by the legit product stacked high on shelves. Each fedora, floppy and flatcap is built in true 19th-century style on a hat block. Still operating one of the last cut-and-sew factories in the U.S., Goorin’s milliners form their toppers on the same blocks the brothers used back in the ’30s. In the signature Heritage collection—available in autumnal camel, whisky and rust colours—dead stock Harris Tweed and Woolrich fabrics crown caps with satin linings, suede-bottomed brims and leather bands. Be it a cloche (Fast Minnie, $125) or fedora (Guido Delgado, $125), each time-tested look puts a tight lid on your style. —Eli Yarhi

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2013-11-25 3:37 PM

MICRO-TREND

OVENS ARE HOT! CAROLYN DREBIN GETS BAKED

FORGET ABOUT FASHIONABLY OVERWROUGHT CONFECTIONS LIKE CRONUTS AND CAKEPOPS. IT’S BACK TO THE FIRE AS THREE NEW EUROINSPIRED BAKERIES SPREAD THE LOVE—AND THE CARBS. TRADITIONALLY ARTISANAL YET CONTEMPORARY, THESE NEIGHBOURHOOD OVENS ARE SERIOUSLY HEARTWARMING.

FORNO CULTURA

DELYSÉES

SUD FORNO

Third-generation baker Andrea Mastrandrea is no stranger to Italian bakeries—both his father and grandfather were bakers. A suburban architect in his previous life, Mastrandrea found himself nostalgic for the Italian neighbourhood bakeries of his youth. Not anymore. Subscribing to the “if you want something done, do it yourself” school of business, he opened downtown oven Forno Cultura. Walk into the bright yet discreetly tucked-away subterranean space and discover the warmth and essence of a traditional Italian bakery, southern-style. In the raw, industrial-chic shop it’s baking in the back and tasting up front. Biscotti, gluten-free frollini and divine appolini jostle for space with breakfast staples frittata, cornetti and baked eggs. By midday, sweet and savoury delicacies abound—pizza slices, crema desserts and artisan breads, which Mastrandrea describes as the bakery’s core. Not to miss: daily warm frittata and gorgeous handcrafted panini.

Inspired by a Parisian childhood near the Champs-Élysées, baker-turned-fashionista-turnedbaker-again Fred Naggar describes his new cafe as “French, with a twist.” Naggar’s specialties range from light-as-air croissants to the classic crusty fresh-baked baguette that is the daily bread of the French. Through a glassed-in prep room, one can observe rye, sourdough and two kinds of baguette being lovingly filled with the likes of razor-thin shavings of prosciutto, tomatoes and gruyere by sandwich-maker Elise Hing—each small sammie a perfect delicacy. In the slick and super-clean space, French paintings line the walls and French tunes play softly in the background. Of course, no patisserie is complete without macarons! At Delysées they come in a dozen flavours: six core tastes, including the sublime salted caramel, with a seasonal roster of ever-changing innovations like the unique lime-basil. Magnifique!

The folks at Terroni have done it again. You can smell Sud Forno—the real working oven for all the Terronis across town—from the street. Artisanal Italian products like olive oil and peperonata line the shelves, while upstairs a gelateria looks out over a communal dining table. Designed by longtime collaborators Giannone Petricone to resemble an industrial oven, the magic begins with the stunning mosaic floor, delicately patterned with sheaves of wheat. Fresh sandwiches made on signature Pugliese bread are identified with small flags in Italian. Dolci, made fresh each morning, include cannoli stuffed with fresh ricotta di bufala and bombolone stuffed with crema or Nutella and fried and rolled in sugar. Irresistible stirata Romana, or long stretched pizza, is served all day in classic variations like margherita and prosciutto farcita, with seasonal specials and dessert versions, too. Don’t wait to ask about their holiday pannetone, it already has a waiting list!

609 KING ST. W. FORNOCULTURA.COM

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780 KING ST. W. DELYSEES.COM

716 QUEEN ST. W. SUDFORNO.COM

2013-12-06 4:37 PM

MICRO-TREND

OVENS ARE HOT! CAROLYN DREBIN GETS BAKED

FORNO CULTURA

DELYSÉES

SUD FORNO

609 KING ST. W. FORNOCULTURA.COM

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780 KING ST. W. DELYSEES.COM

716 QUEEN ST. W. SUDFORNO.COM

2013-11-25 3:37 PM

PHOTOS: (BREAD) HILARY SMITH, (HOME OF THE BRAVE) COURTESY HOME OF THE BRAVE, (CRACK PIE) COURTESY MOMOFUKU MILK BAR, (COCKTAIL) JOANNA BALCERAK

NEWS FOR FOODIES Seasonal pop-up Cool City Oyster Yard has some shucking great news: Its Sudbury Street digs are winterized and will be open all year long, complete with heated patio… Suits meet hipsters at Drake 150, the new sibling of the Queen West stalwart on Bay. Expect the usual Drake-ian touches, from food and drink, to art and design, even a mini General Store… Marky Mark and his bros Donnie and Paul bring the beef to the Soho Metropolitan Hotel at Wahlburgers, the first Canuck outpost of the family-friendly burger joint… “Join or die!” and get in line to check out the tasty Americana on a plate at Home of the Brave, the KW follow-up from the hombres behind La Carnita… Across the street, Top Chef fan fave Steve Gonzalez’s Colombian roots are showing at Valdez, where Latino street food can now be enjoyed at lunch or during the fiestas that rage late into the night... The pork sandwich will meet the pizza with the just-announced collaboration of Nick auf der Mauer of Porchetta and Co. and Max Rimaldi of Pizzeria Libretto on adjoining storefronts on the strip of KW between Bathurst and Spadina... Finally, enRoute magazine gave props to three Toronto hotspots in its annual list of Canada’s Top 10 Restaurants! Congrats to Electric Mud BBQ, Bar Isabel and KW’s own Shoto—2013 was indeed a very good year! —Carolyn Drebin

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LIBATIONS SINNER’S SOUR Mae West said, “It ain’t no sin if you crack a few laws now and then, just so long as you don’t break any.” Cocktail purists might say we’ve crossed the line with this blasphemous twist on the classic Sour, where Calvados subs in for whisky, which is on winter vacation. Boulard’s apple brandy is made from more than 100 varieties of the forbidden fruit and makes for a warming cocktail perfect for sipping around a blazing hearth. And speaking of warmth, the brûléed apple is our little touch of fire and brimstone. (If the raw egg white is bit too transgressive for you, the pasteurized variety works perfectly fine.) 1½ OZ CALVADOS BOULARD PAYS D’AUGE 1 OZ FRESH LEMON JUICE ½ OZ PLUM SYRUP ½ OZ EGG WHITE Combine all ingredients in a shaker and roll without ice. Add ice and shake again briskly, so the whites froth properly. Strain into a glass and garnish with a brûléed apple slice dusted with cinnamon and sugar.

MILKING IT: David Chang opened his Momofuku Milk Bar upstairs in the Shangri-La, making his crack pie not only legal but accessible. It’s official, the city’s addicted. And now we can all ask of ourselves (as we do of some in public office): “Are you on crack?”

Joe Howell is head bartender at the members-only Spoke Club / thespokeclub.com

2013-11-25 3:38 PM

MEET YOUR MEAT

NICE CHOPS

Mario Fiorucci is the proprietor of The Healthy Butcher and RealFoodToronto.com. 565 Queen St. W. / thehealthybutcher.com

PHOTO: ALBERT ELBILIA

Lamb is the only universally accepted red meat: Beef is taboo for Muslims, and kosher Jews don’t do pork, but no culture or religion outlaws lamb. Its succulent flesh has been a part of our carnivorous lives since most people in the world were shepherds. The best time to purchase lamb is in the fall, when yearling lambs have grazed on open pasture for several months. Hence the availability of genuine Ontario “spring lamb” around this time of year. The taste of good lamb is earthy and rich with a faint sweetness. The rib area of the lamb is very tender and flavourful, like prime rib of beef. This part of the lamb is either cut into little rib chops or left whole as a rack. Rib chops or racks of lamb are very frequently “Frenched” for aesthetic purposes, meaning the meat on the ends of the rib bones are scraped off. But true lamb lovers will tell you that the best part of feasting on a rack of lamb is nibbling on the bones. The lamb loin is the most tender muscle. It is usually cut into butter-soft loin chops, which resemble tiny T-bone steaks. Or it can be split to reveal the ultra-tender (and tiny) tenderloin, which because of its diminutive stature is best quickly grilled or sautéed (the equivalent to filet mignon in beef). Roast options from the loin include a loin roast and a saddle of lamb. A loin roast is the entire loin section, left whole and bone-in; because of its leanness, it should be cooked carefully to avoid drying out. The saddle is a double loin roast, where both sides of the backbone have been left intact. This roast contains a large quantity of meat and is very easy to carve. These premium cuts are best cooked with dry heat (roasting, grilling, pan frying, sautéing). Aim for an internal temperature of 125°F before resting, for a finished temperature of 140°F to 145°F medium-rare. While a cow’s leg—the “round”—is extremely lean and tough, the leg of lamb is tender and very versatile. It makes a wonderful roast or can be cut into steaks or kabob meat. Although a lamb gets around on four of them, only the two hind legs produce the cut referred to as “leg of lamb.” The whole bone-in leg can weigh from five to nine pounds and may be American style (no shank, bone attached) or French style (shank bone left on). A whole leg that has been boned makes a compact and tidy roast when rolled (with or without stuffing) and tied or netted to keep its shape. It may also be butterflied for grilling. To roast a leg of lamb, bring it to an internal temperature of 125°F before resting, for a finished temperature of 140°F to 145°F medium-rare. Lamb shoulder is less expensive and more flavourful but comparatively tougher. As a roast, the shoulder is dual-purpose: just tender enough to be dry roasted, but because of the fat content, excellent for long, slow braising. A lamb has, technically speaking, only two shanks—those attached to its rear legs. The two front shanks are called “foreshanks.” The shanks and foreshanks are delicious braised. Both dry and wet (braising, stewing) heat can be used for the shoulder. The tougher cuts such as shank should be cooked only with wet heat methods. What’s left? Well, the breast and neck are so small there’s not much you can do with them, although they are quite flavourful. The best use for these cuts is to grind the meat and turn them into lamb sausages and burgers. Any way you slice it, now is the time of year to enjoy all of the cuts this wonderful animal produces. —Mario Fiorucci

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CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF CONVERGENCE, CONVERSATION & INNOVATION. Since our inception, we’ve been bringing together some of the finest creative minds in the country. One inspiring decade deserves another. Here’s to the promise of what’s to come.

THESPOKECLUB.COM

AN TE LIU

BY MURRAY WHITE

Murray Whyte is the Toronto Star’s art critic. He has written about art (and other things) for The New York Times, Details, The Walrus, Canadian Art, ARTNews and bunch of other publications.

PHOTOS: (AN TE LIU) NAOMI FINLAY, (ARTWORK) COURTESY GARDINER MUSEUM

LOCAL TALENT

An Te Liu is taking the year off, though you’d never know it given his general air of exhaustion. And fair enough: This fall, the Toronto-based artist staged an “intervention” at the Gardiner Museum that served as the kind of middle chapter of which most artists dream. To be fair, Liu’s taking a break from one of his two careers—he’s also a professor in the Daniels Faculty of Architecture at the University of Toronto—and with good reason. With his art practice already the subject of high-profile showings here, in the U.S. and in Europe, Liu is having a moment. If you weren’t able to share it at the Gardiner, trust me: Liu’s Mono No Ma, a suite of primal-seeming sculptural forms, arrayed on plinths and looking for all the world like reincarnate Picassos, Moores and Hepworths, was a jubilant defining moment. Quoting modern art’s various high priests—or priestesses, counting Hepworth—comes naturally enough to Liu, whose grounding in art came as an undergrad at the University of Toronto, where he studied art history and Renaissance studies. “I’m an old bones kind of guy,” he smiles, perched next to a flung-open window at his Kensington Market loft one gloriously warm fall evening. “All this stuff that’s trendy, that’s ‘hot’—that’s just not me.” He went on to do his master’s in architecture at the prestigious California architecture school SCI-Arc, where modern and post-modern aesthetics began to inflect his old-world thinking. ‘Old,’ in our high-speed world of instant obsolescence, is a relative term, and one Liu takes to heart. Prior to the Gardiner show, you’d most likely have known Liu from one of his remarkable, imposing composite sculptures of stuck-together household appliances, long-since replaced by something new and improved. At 2012’s Nuit Blanche, in the Museum for the End of the World exhibit at City Hall, it was White Dwarf, a colossal, rotating orb of old humidifiers and air purifiers, all sprayed an intentionally purifying white. Another piece, Blast, from 2011, installed a similar array of castoffs—a DustBuster, an ancient PlayStation and an Easy-Bake Oven could be picked out among the swirl—in an explosive-seeming vortex. Blast took as its source the journal of the same name from the artistic and literary group the Vorticists in early 20th-century Britain, which put forth “concrete poetry” as the radical reinvention of the written word (its contributors included such icons as T.S. Eliot), but the appropriation was aimed more at how the revolutionary fades—and quickly, into the mundane, and forgotten. Blast, like White Dwarf, and Cloud, a 2008 piece that showed at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art before being acquired by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, are inherently, pointedly absurd. But there’s something deeply 21st century about them, too. If you think of our culture’s online, high-speed, accelerated desire to replace old with new, you’re onto it: Works like these highlight, with uncomfortable humour, the shortening lifespan of our objects of comfort and convenience—and their inevitable landfill fate. “Everybody has a stuff fascination, and a stuff problem,” says Liu. “What to keep, what to get rid of, what to store in boxes and put away. And the whole time, we’re just accumulating more and more.” For Mono No Ma, though, Liu extends and deepens the theme. Cool and primal installed in the museum’s lobby, if photographed in black and white it could have easily passed for a ’50s installation at MoMA. Liu’s evocation of high modernism and its ideals—of a kind of unconscious primal purity at the core of human experience—is entirely intentional, as was the show’s destabilizing, contradictory “aha!” moment. Read a little, and it all comes together: Those primal forms, almost tribal, are actually ceramic castings of even more oblique throwaways: packing styrofoam, the likes of which cradle your LED TV, your iMac, your wireless home-theatre system (one piece is cheekily titled Delivery System). They protect state-of-the-art objects and are rendered obsolete the moment the packing tape is torn off. State of the art has a way of becoming yesterday’s news. Like Liu’s other work, Mono No Ma gathers up the castoffs of our disposable world and, through the transformative power of art, lets them live forever.

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2013-12-06 3:52 PM

AN TE LIU

BY MURRAY WHITE

Murray Whyte is the Toronto Star’s art critic. He has written about art (and other things) for The New York Times, Details, The Walrus, Canadian Art, ARTNews and bunch of other publications.

PHOTOS: (AN TE LIU) NAOMI FINLAY, (ARTWORK) COURTESY GARDINER MUSEUM

LOCAL TALENT

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2013-11-25 3:42 PM

Keep up with An Te Liuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work at anteliu.com

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2013-11-25 3:39 PM

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WHY NOT GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE? SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE STORY, THAT IS. TYPE BOOKS’ JOANNE SAUL RECOMMENDS THESE JUICY GEMS THE WES ANDERSON COLLECTION

I AM MALALA BY MALALA YOUSAFZAI

THE ASYLUM BY SIMON DOONAN

BY MATT ZOLLER SEITZ (HARRY N. ABRAMS)

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(BLUE RIDER PRESS)

This one is a no-brainer. It’s a great-looking coffeetable book and a Wes Anderson super-fan’s dream. Edited by noted film critic Matt Zoller Seitz of New York magazine fame, this filmography spans the cult auteur’s career. It includes interviews with Anderson and his actors, photos from the style-savvy sets, little-known factoids and superb illustrations. A must-have for the committed indiefilm buff on your list. Pick it up before his latest, The Grand Budapest Hotel, starring Anderson regulars Bill Murray and Owen Wilson as well as Tilda Swinton and Edward Norton, hits theatres in 2014.

When Malala Yousafzai was 15 years old, she was shot in the face by Taliban gunmen while returning home from school—targeted because of her crusade for girls’ education in her Pakistan homeland. Not only did she recover from the attack, she went on to become an outspoken advocate and is the youngest person to be nominated for the Nobel Peace prize. This memoir charts Malala’s activism but also tells the story of a regular young girl who loves Ugly Betty and owes much to her nurturing and supportive family. Inspirational fodder for the tweens and teens in your life.

Looking to sneak a peek from the front row of New York Fashion Week? This little gem from industry insider and New York Observer columnist Simon Doonan will scratch that itch. As creative ambassador of Barneys New York, Doonan has seen it all. From supermodel snit-fits to wardrobe malfunctions, his very funny, gossipy and sometimes bitchy memoir is a fun ride. Doonan manages to show the hilarity, extravagance and ridiculousness of it all while keeping his marvelous sense of humour. The perfect gift for your favourite fashionista.

PHOTOS: (BOOKS) ADRIAN ARMSTRONG, (PAUL SMITH) COURTESY DESIGN MUSEUM

THE READ

THE LIST

HEADS-UP ON WHAT NOT TO MISS Now – Mar 9

Hello, My Name is Paul Smith, Design Museum, London

Dec 11 – Apr 6

Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

Jan 16 – 26

Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah

Jan 18 – Feb 21

Così Fan Tutte, Canadian Opera Company, Four Seasons Centre, Toronto

Jan 31 – Feb 13

Winterlicious, Toronto

Jan 31 – Feb 16

Quebec Winter Carnival, Quebec City

Feb 6 – 13

Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week, NYC

Feb 14

Justin Timberlake, ACC, Toronto

Feb 23 – May 11

Christopher Wool, Art Institute Chicago

Mar 6 – 9

The Armory Show, NYC

April 21

Boston Marathon

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was an inspiration to the punk scene at CBGB. Hell quit music in the early ’80s and became an accomplished writer, producing novels, criticism and essays. His autobiography is not just an informative overview of how the CBGB scene developed but a painful and honest examination of a suburban American childhood and the failings of the 1960s. Hell is an eloquent and charming writer who doesn’t shy away from details about what it’s like to have horny groupies—and a lot of drugs—around at all times.

GOOD TIMES GUIDE 5 THINGS MAKING ME HAPPY RIGHT NOW

BY RUSSELL SMITH

1 THE GABARDINE Bay Street, in the heart of the financial district, has always been a bit of a social and culinary wasteland, unless you like giant steaks and giant martinis with a side of status competition. A well-heeled person can have a lot of fun at Ki and Jump and Canoe and Bymark and Hy’s, but the word “cozy” doesn’t exactly spring to mind. I love the elegant and homey little Gabardine bistro not just because its salty, comforting food always has an original twist (a seared halibut comes with lentils, a pork chop with sautéed mustard greens), but also because it looks European and the staff is interesting and stylish. And it’s reasonably priced. It’s also right beside another oasis of culture, Ben McNally Books. (372 Bay St., thegabardine.com) 2 BENJAMIN DAEDFYSHE FOOTWEAR This Toronto shoe designer (pronounced “dead fish”) is trying to get guys to wear their tasteful and luxurious sneakers with suits and ties. I think the city has a few years to go before this combo catches on in the towers of finance, but the shoes are still pretty cool on their own. You could call them dressy sneakers or casual shoes. The patent leather “Charlie” model, with a rubber sole and brogueing, is pricey ($350) but would be particularly snazzy with jeans and a blazer for a night on the town. (daedfyshe.com)

3 I DREAMED I WAS A VERY CLEAN TRAMP BY RICHARD HELL Often called the very first punk rocker, this wild-living poet/ musician cut his hair short and spiky in Greenwich Village in the mid-’70s, before Malcolm McLaren imposed the same look on the Sex Pistols. Hell was in the whiny art-rock band Television, with Tom Verlaine, and then in the rambling Voidoids, whose song “Blank Generation”

4 THE PENTAX K-30 I’m no professional photographer, but I want to have more control over my exposures and effects than the average point-and-shoot gives me. I am in love with this machine, the new entry-level digital SLR from Pentax, which is just as sophisticated as higherpriced Nikons and Canons (about $600 for the body). I can hold this thing in my hand in near darkness—in my favourite deserted alleyways and crumbling factories—and take luminous, clear photos, almost as bright as daylight. It’s stylish enough for me, too: It’s got a matte polycarbonate body and an angular, dangerous design—what you might imagine a Stealth camera might look like. They say it’s rain-resistant too, but I’m not brave enough to test it. 5 THE WRECKED WATERFRONT Queen’s Quay—like so much else in this grinding and gridlocked city—is shut down in at least one direction at a time for major construction for the next year. It’s planned to be finished in 2015, by which time, who knows, we might have all moved to Fort McMurray or have been incinerated by the death rays of planet Zarbon. This means it’s extremely difficult to get to the Harbourfront Centre, including The Power Plant, and the ferry terminals. The walkway and the bicycle path that run along the lake are now deserted places—which makes them fantastic. There are a couple of beautiful, weird and eerily silent parks along there: the enclosed and lush Little Norway, at the foot of Bathurst, where Norwegian airmen trained in the war, or the labyrinthine Toronto Music Garden, designed by Yo-Yo Ma to look the way a Bach cello suite sounds. You make it across the torn-up industrial wasteland to one of these and you are poised in an empty no-man’s land, with the ruins of civilization on one side and the churning grey lake on the other. If William Gibson were to imagine an artsy Toronto of the anarchic future, it would look like this. Hang out there before the road reopens.

PHOTO: (SMITH) JOWITA BYDLOWSKA, (SHOES) COURTESY PATRICK CORNISH

MR. SMITH’S

Russell Smith writes novels set in Toronto. His latest is Girl Crazy. He also writes two weekly columns for The Globe and Mail, one on style and one on culture, and is a founder of the online men’s magazine DailyXY.com.

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ARCHITECTURE

MEN AT WORK

GROUNDBREAKING MONTREAL ARCHITECTURE FIRM SAUCIER + PERROTTE ROCKS US TO THE CORE BY JOHN BENTLEY MAYS

Rack House D, Hotel and Residential, Distillery District, Toronto (future)

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PHOTOS: COURTESY SAUCIER + PERROTTE, THOMPSON RESIDENCE PHOTO COURTESY FREED DEVELOPMENTS

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, 2004

“Twenty-five years!” exclaims Gilles Saucier when I remind him that it has been that long since he and André Perrotte launched their multidisciplinary Montreal firm, Saucier + Perrotte Architectes. He sounds like a man who has almost forgotten to buy flowers for his wife’s birthday. “We must do something,” he says. “Something that is anchored in our way of working. Maybe a show of inspirational photography. At the same time, we should have a real party at our office here in Little Italy—which is very, very large, with only 24 architects.” If Saucier and Perrotte do get around to throwing a party in these spacious digs before year’s end, there will be much to celebrate. The firm’s bold, poetic modernism has earned its institutional, cultural and residential buildings fame here at home and in international media. Acclaim has come in the form of numerous awards and honours, including designation as this country’s top architectural office by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 2009. The founding principals—Saucier and Perrotte collaborate intimately on each design—have won consistently high marks from the critics for their exacting attention to detail and conceptual breadth. But it might not be surprising if Saucier and Perrotte let their silver anniversary slip by without uncorking the bubbly. Their collective attention, after all, is focused on other things, including competitions in South America and the Middle East and ongoing projects in Canada. In Toronto alone, two important housing schemes of their design are in progress: Urban Capital Property Group’s 1,000-unit River City and Freed Developments’ Thompson Residences on King West at Bathurst. Each embodies what’s distinctive about the firm’s design strategy and approach to city building.

“WE ARE CHALLENGING THE WAY HOUSING IS DONE IN A PLACE LIKE TORONTO. STOP ASSUMING THAT HOUSING HAS A CERTAIN FORM.”

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River City (a joint undertaking with Toronto’s ZAS Architects) occupies a long rectangular site in the once-desolate brownfields known as the West Don Lands, one of several areas slated for regeneration under the planning oversight of Waterfront Toronto. The location is bounded on the north by King Street East and on the south by River Square, a public meeting place to be lined with cafes and restaurants, adjacent to Waterfront Toronto’s new Don River Park. All the old industrial construction and infrastructure on the spot has been bulldozed, except for one mighty object: the elevated traffic deck of the Eastern Avenue flyover, which cuts right through the middle of the River City site. Saucier + Perrotte’s way of dealing with this complicated place has been to lay down a graceful ribbon of courtyards and variously tall and short structures extending south of a dark, irregularly shaped, slope-sided 14-storey building on King Street. (In Saucier’s words, “It is about sculpting a black art object, something with materiality that will look very strong and expressive on the site.”) Beside this sombre condo stack, and in sharp contrast to it, is a series of gleaming white housing blocks that halts just north of the traffic decks, underneath which is a new public park. The architectural sequence resumes on the south side of the flyover, flipping up into a tower that will be 30 storeys or so high. “What I wanted to make is a continuous object,” Saucier says. “Its angles on the surface are meant to invoke a moving geology, a kind of order, a duality between the strict grid of the apartments and a skin that expresses variety, shape and carving. The skin activates the project, inside and outside… We are challenging the way housing is done in a place like Toronto. Stop assuming that housing has a certain form. By the interpretation of nature and geology and the site, you can question those forms and propose something totally different.” Thompson Residences, along King Street on the other side of town, similarly contests the tried-and-true format of the residential building. Normally, such structures present a stolid, monolithic face to the city. This one, however, works visually at two scales: that of the total mass but also that of the individual living units, which are stacked like glass-fronted drawers, pulled in or pushed out in a rhythmic configuration across the building’s surface. “The site is large and so is the building, so we had to avoid the effect of monumentality,” Saucier says. “Instead, we created a certain pattern of human representation, a series of elements that together create a mosaic of individual lives.” Each sculpted shape on the façade, in other words, expresses a single unit of habitation. “Often when you look at housing projects, you see them as wholes—balconies, windows, barbeques, bikes. That’s a condo building. What I wanted to achieve is the idea of individuality…it’s the accumulation of elements that gives [the building] texture, an impression, the simple movement of elements to express the idea.”

Thompson Residence, Toronto Developed by Freed Developments

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WHEN DESCRIBING HIS FIRM’S AESTHETIC STRATEGY, SAUCIER SPEAKS FREQUENTLY OF NATURE, A WORD HE USES ALMOST INTERCHANGEABLY WITH LANDSCAPE AND ENVIRONMENT.

River City Phase 2, Residential, West Donlands, Toronto (future) Developed by Urban Capital

Communication, Culture and Technology Building, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 2004

When describing his firm’s aesthetic strategy, Saucier speaks frequently of nature, a word he uses almost interchangeably with landscape and environment. “When I started,” he tells me, “I slowly came to understand who I am in reality—someone very interested in nature, in symbolism, geology, landscape. I am talking about being inspired by nature, so what I am trying to accomplish, even if the project is in town, has to link to an environment.” Sometimes this link is plain and literal. Thompson Residences, for example, is “about geology,” he says, “erosion, the way water moves.” This lyrical notion finds visual form in the uneven, back-and-forth surfacing of the north and south facades, as if each had originally been a solid slab of stone, which was then worn down by weather and time. Usually, however, the relationship between Saucier’s designs and “environment” is more layered, more complex and metaphorical. (“I like it when things are complex,” he says.) Making architecture (such as Thompson Residences) that asserts the basic living unit instead of the grand outline, for instance, can be read as an especially appropriate response to the shifting landscape around the intersection of King and Bathurst streets. Residential density is high in this district, urban commotion is dense, and living is most commonly a matter of sharing a single mid-rise address with dozens of other condo dwellers. It’s a context that needs a touch of individualism, and Saucier’s unusual design seeks to give it one. There are many ways to construct a city, of course, some of them downright awful, others merely uninspired. One of the best ways takes its cue from the landscape understood in the sense Gilles Saucier gives to the word. Landscape, that is, as the sum of all the flora and fauna and geology, all the natural and cultural devastations and developments, stories and histories and human events that have combined to make a certain patch of earth what it is today. “What you may not know about me is that I studied botany and biology before I studied architecture, and I discover more and more the importance of this training,” Saucier says. “I want my architecture to be an integration with nature, a certain approach that is more than just looking at the beautiful view. What I have tried to accomplish in all these 25 years is to understand that intangible link between man and nature, and how architecture can be an interpretation of it.”

John Bentley Mays is an award-winning Toronto writer about art and architecture.

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ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BETTER ON TOP, ALL YEAR ROUND.

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IDS TOP

DESIGN

MATTHEW HAGUE DELIVERS THE GOODS ON T.O.’S BEST DESIGN SHOW

If the city’s clothes hounds live for Fashion Week and film nuts die for TIFF, then nothing gets a home decor devotee giddier than the Interior Design Show. Held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from January 23 to 26, the annual fete features the absolute best in furniture, fabrics, lighting and appliances from across Canada and around the world. It’s the perfect place to preview next year’s furniture trends and must-have colours (emerald is so over and tangerine tango long dead) or just glean off-thewall yet inspirational innovations—walls festooned in pencil crayons, for example, or stools upholstered in shimmering salmon skins (seriously). The four-day event can be hectic—with hundreds of exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees all clutching Moleskines for scribbling down ideas—but we’ve made it easier. Here, the 12 top people, places and things to check out at IDS 2014.

Toronto’s Reed Hansuld handcrafts furniture specifically for people who wouldn’t describe their taste as strictly traditional or contemporary. His lines are spare but also echo bygone aesthetics like art deco and art nouveau.

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PHOTOS: (OPENING NIGHT PARTY) ARASH MOALLEMI, (BENSHETRIT) ANDREW ZUCKERMAN

Valencia-based Lladró has long been renowned for its classic, decorative figurines (the kind grandmothers love to keep in their china hutches). Over the last few years, however, thanks to contemporary collaborators such as Jaime Hayon, Lladro’s look has gotten edgier. The new Belle de Nuit line of lighting updates Victorian-style chandeliers in eccentric yet charming hues.

The opening night party is a society watcher’s dream. Where else is it possible to spot Sarah Richardson and Shinan Govani sipping flutes of Veuve with Tommy Smythe and Brian Gluckstein as Karim Rashid saunters past in a cotton-candy-pink hoodie?

IDS doesn’t just feature cool stuff for adults. Nor do design-obsessed adults have to put up anymore with mediocre objets for their children. Imm Living’s Carousel collection, featuring adorable stacking cups illustrated with architecture, is just one of the kid-friendly, high-design options changing the genre.

6 5

With its Momento collection, AustralianCanadian company ErthCOVERINGS has sculpted porcelain floor tiles to look like cobblestones pulled straight out of ancient Rome. The effect isn’t just pretty, it’s also practical: Walking on an undulating surface reportedly helps improve balance and lower blood pressure.

One of IDS 2014’s marquis speakers is the globalist Dror Benshetrit, an Israeli-born, Dutch-educated, New York–based designer. If his presentation is anything like his furniture—such as the famous fan-shaped Peacock chair, folded from a single sheet of felt—it will be bold, humourous and illuminating.

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As the creative director of her family’s eponymous legendary studio, Patrizia Moroso has helped scout out, nurture and launch some of the biggest names in contemporary design (Ron Arad and Patricia Urquiola among them). As IDS’ International Guest of Honour, she will be unveiling a site-specific art installation. Expect other-worldly hues and playful shapes.

Gone are the days when wallpaper meant fusty stripes, dusty pink roses and all manner of birds. Thank heavens. Toronto-based Rollout is reinventing the medium with daring prints. Imagine an accent wall covered in a subway map, graphic arrows or, yes, a portrait of Marie Antoinette.

PHOTOS: (MOROSO) ANNA BUSSOLOTTO, (DESIGNBOOM) ARASH MOALLEMI

Tat Chao is an amazing young designer out of Montreal. He has a particular gift for elevating the everyday into the sublime. His creations include craft paper folded into a jaw-dropping lantern and thrift-store wine glasses upcycled into the stem of a stunning side table.

Many of the products at IDS cost, oh, about a zillion dollars (as handmade, limited-edition pieces tend to do). For everyone not shopping on a Real Housewives budget, popular blog designboom curates a gift store at IDS featuring a selection of items—from alarm clocks to toasters—priced between $1 and $100, so you can shop the show as well as dream.

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Montreal-based Montauk produces the kind of minimal sofas and loungers that modern condo dwellers swoon for. Its new Oscar daybed is plush yet understated for today’s achromatic, spare and industrially inspired spaces.

The Federal is an Ottawa-based studio started by two former RIM employees. Its style blends Canadiana—it’s all sort of warm and woodsy—with a contemporary slickness. The maple knives are simply gorgeous.

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DESIGN

CANADIANA COOL OUR PICKS FOR THE BEST GIFTS DESIGNED AND (MOSTLY) MADE RIGHT HERE AT HOME

IT’S HIP TO BE SQUARE with artist Gary Taxali’s silky take on Toronto for Unfamous at Harry Rosen, $95, harryrosen.com

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1. HOSER CHIC Buffalo check Cottage coat, $445, tuckshopco.com 2. BLANKET STATEMENT (top) Alpine chalet wool blanket, $149, redcanoebrands.com; (bottom) Tissage Magély Weaving blanket, $150, easytigergoods.com 3. HAT TRICK City of Neighbourhoods toque, $35, tuckshopco.com 4. CUTTING EDGE (large) Grohmann Trout and Bird Flatgrind, $98; Mini Russell Lockblade, $85, northstandard.com 5. MOUNTIE MAN Arborist cashmere sweater, $175, drakegeneralstore.ca 6. CARRY ON Gerry’s Bag Parisian, $788, roots.com 7. STICKY FINGERS Nude honey, $6.95, roots.com; Drip maple syrup, $30, drakegeneralstore.ca 8. GET LIT Smells Like Canada candle, $28, northstandard.com

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PHOTOS: ADRIAN ARMSTRONG, (PADDLE) COURTESY NORQUAY CO., (GAME) COURTESY HBC, (BOOTS) COURTESY MANITOBAH MUKLUKS, (NECKLACE) COURTESY DRAKE GENERAL STORE

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9. MUG SHOT Enamel mug, $12, northstandard.com 10. GOT GAME Wooden dominoes, $25, thebay.com 11. GO NUTS Acorn necklace, $75, drakegeneralstore.com 12. TAG TEAM Dumbo Press holiday gift tags, $2 each, crownflorastudio.com 13. TEA TIME The Cold Survival Kit, $24.50, davidstea.com 14. PILLOW TALK Charles Pachter moose needlepoint pillow, $95, thebay.com 15. BELOW THE BELT Reproduction Voyageur handwoven sash, $349, recanoebrands.com 16. IN A PICKLE Thomas Lavers Ginger Beer, $5; Spicy Mixed Vegetables, $5; Spicy Green Beans, $7, Thomas Lavers Cannery and Delicatessen, 193 Baldwin St., 647.351.1159 17. WHAT THE MUKLUK? Burton X Manitobah Memento Snowboard Boot, $279, manitobah.ca 18. UP THE CREEK Adanac paddle, $270, norquayco.com

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SLUG

CABINETS CURIOSITY SMALL MUSEUMS THAT FILL A NICHE BY KATERI LANTHIER

The grand-scale promise of big museums—vast holdings that span centuries, blockbuster hot-ticket shows—make them urban landmarks. But battling the crowds and negotiating the maze of galleries can seem overwhelming. Smaller museums, by contrast, can be near-private pleasures, visits to them often the highlight of a trip. Your own personal map of Paris might feature the Musée Picasso; in London, the neo-classical treasure-box of Sir John Soane’s house or the curio cabinet of the Wellcome Collection. The smaller scale of these niche museums gives them an intimate charm and their micro-focus on an art form, artist or theme jump-starts the imagination. Downtown Toronto boasts four such gems, each with their own bold approach and quiet revelations within.

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GARDINER MUSEUM

CULTURE

111 Queen’s Park / 416.586.8080 / gardinermuseum.on.ca Founded in 1984 Upcoming in 2014: Ron Thom and the Allied Arts, Clare Twomey

“Our exhibits deal with the interaction between object and social history. In the early history of fine porcelain, the pieces were for the aristocracy—owning them was like having your own Lear jet. But we want to tell the full story, not just of the objects as beautiful pieces, but as material objects for everyday life, from centuries ago to the present.” —Rachel Gotlieb, chief curator

PHOTOS: COURTESY GARDINER MUSEUM, (UNTITLED, HEAD) JUN KANEKO

An understated modernist jewel box by KPMB Architects on University Avenue, the Gardiner has attracted connoisseurs of porcelain and pottery for years. Recently the museum’s focus has moved beyond its precious and renowned collections of Sèvres dinner pieces and vivid-hued Meissen commedia dell arte figures to compelling exhibits of contemporary work that redefine traditional forms. Newly appointed chief curator Rachel Gotlieb has introduced exhibits such as Animal Stories: Friends, Foes, Fables & Fantasy, which brilliantly juxtaposes 19th-century lobsterthemed basins with china pups by art-world star Jeff Koons and an eerie delicate porcelain bat by Canada’s Shary Boyle. In the new Artist Intervention series, An Te Liu’s porcelain castings of industrial packaging detritus made for cerebral sculptures. (See Local Talent, p. 28, for a profile of Liu.) 2014 will see the unveiling of a site-specific piece commissioned for the Gardiner by Victoria & Albert star ceramicist Clare Twomey. A chic third-floor café with a glass view onto University, a lunchtime lecture series, studio classes for both adults and children and glam seasonal events like the 12 Trees of Christmas make this an all-ages destination. Don’t miss the gift shop, where you’ll find playful, refined and modern artisanal pieces in earthenware and china and a large cache of necklaces, bracelets and earrings by both Canadian and American makers. “The buyer for the Museum of Arts and Design in New York is our buyer, too,” Gotlieb confides. No wonder Vogue called it Toronto’s best museum gift shop.

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THE BATA SHOE MUSEUM 327 Bloor St. W. / 416.979.7799 / batashoemuseum.ca Founded in 1995 Upcoming in 2014: Fashion Victims: The Pleasures and Perils of 19th-Century Dress “When Mrs. Bata first started collecting she made the very astute observation that although feet are basically the same, no matter where you go or what time period you consider, footwear is decidedly diverse. It is in this profound diversity that so many fascinating and nuanced aspects of cultural meaning can be researched. One of the goals of this museum is to encourage people to see history afresh by starting with what might seem to be a humble thing: footwear.” —Elizabeth Semmelhack, senior curator In a dramatic four-story building by architect Raymond Moriyama (who was inspired by shoeboxes), you can follow in the deerskin-clad footsteps of the earliest humans and the teetering velvet chopine-wearers of Shakespeare’s day right through to the stiletto-wobble of Marilyn Monroe and the high-tech sneaker-wearing rap artists of the 21st century. The museum, which tells the story of civilization, literally, from where we stand, in both semi-permanent and changing exhibitions, is the brainchild of founding chairwoman Sonja Bata, whose husband (the son of a Czech shoemaker) founded a shoe company in Canada that grew into a global enterprise. Mrs. Bata’s interest in collecting began in the 1940s, on the couple’s travels abroad to their factories. The result is a unique and rare 12,500-item collection of shoes and related artifacts from around the world: spiked French chestnut-crushing clogs, elaborately embossed Indian silver shoes, glass drinking cups shaped like riding boots, as well as one of the world’s most important collections of Native American and circumpolar footwear. Footprints on the World Stage, a recent exhibit, included ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn’s toe shoes, John Lennon’s Chelsea boots, Justin Bieber’s kicks, Terry Fox’s left-foot Adidas sneaker and a pair of Napoleon Bonaparte’s silk socks. On the top floor, you can peek through the glass at a conservator working on the delicate treasures. The gift shop has a surprising number of children’s books with shoe themes, as well as monographs by curators and some glitzy jewellery for those eager to proclaim their shoe fetish.

TEXTILE MUSEUM OF CANADA 55 Centre Ave. / 416.599.5321 / textilemuseum.ca Founded in 1975 Upcoming in 2014: From Geisha to Diva: The Kimonos of Ichimaru

“Our way of ‘seeing’ through textiles might draw on politics, economics,

geography or history—and it’s definitely about daily life. We do that through different media, through fashion, costumes, fine art, design, architecture, science. This interdisciplinary approach is important in dealing with the complexity of the subject but also in showing the public that they have a viable connection to textiles, no matter who they are.” —Sarah Quinton, curatorial director “Textile” seems like such an industrial word for the rainbow-hued, multimedia, historic and innovative pieces at this inventively curated museum. Its tagline—“Connecting cloth, culture & art”—gives a better sense of what’s in store. An inconspicuous entrance in a Chinatown building north of City Hall leads to a series of galleries with ever-changing exhibits of everything from folk weavings and 18th-century printed fabrics to the aluminum foil–based work of contemporary artists. The holdings are sizeable, with more than 12,000 objects from over 200 countries and regions, with carpets, ceremonial cloths, quilts and stunning embroidered and beaded clothing among the treasures. At fibrespace, the permanent hands-on gallery, you can touch and work with fabric. Deepen your knowledge of the long history of textiles at the

onsite library (with more than 4,000 books and 50 journals) or through the many books for sale in the gift shop, which also offers exquisite scarves, crafting kits for kids and new and vintage fabrics. Curatorial director Sarah Quinton has recently presented such exhibitions as Marimekko, With Love, which looked at the iconic brand’s contribution to the contemporary aesthetic, and Farandole: Perspectives on Western Métis Culture, in which a French couture-level embroiderer and an artist of Métis background collaborated to create exquisite beaded garments and filmy curtains embroidered with the stories of Métis people. In Ancestry and Artistry: Maya Textiles from Guatamala, vivid Huipil garments from the past to the present day embody the interconnections between folk traditions, the tourist market and contemporary manufacturing. The human hand, invisible yet ever present, makes this museum especially affecting on an emotional level—you can sense the lives of the people who worked the cloth.

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DESIGN EXCHANGE 234 Bay St. / 416.363.6121 / dx.org Founded in 1994 Upcoming in 2014: This is Not a Toy: The Urban Vinyl Phenomenon, guest curated by Pharrell Williams

PHOTOS: COURTESY THE BATA SHOE MUSEUM, TEXTILE MUSEUM OF CANADA AND DESIGN EXCHANGE

“Design is truly ubiquitous—everything we come in contact with has been designed by someone. When we look at some of the world’s challenges today, smart and innovative design can usually offer a good solution. By presenting exhibitions and programs that reflect contemporary culture, the Design Exchange seeks to demonstrate this relevancy and importance of design to everyday life, in all of its ramifications—from fashion and interior design to industrial design, graphics and architecture, and from luxury goods to basic human needs.” —Shauna Levy, president Inhabiting the sleek art deco building that was once home to the Toronto Stock Exchange, DX is evolving from a design-insider nexus to a publicoutreach hot spot. Under the leadership of Shauna Levy, who, as leader of the Interior Design Show and IDEX developed her connoisseurship and a keen sense of how to draw an audience, the elegant spaces of DX have recently hosted smash retrospectives of Christian Louboutin’s sexy red-soled shoes and the history of French lingerie. In Playing Favourites, Part 1 Light and Sound, Canadian architects and designers were asked to choose their favourite pieces from the museum’s permanent collection of postwar industrial design. The Metal Collective presented À Table, in which metal artists set the table with pieces that explored together ideas about “community, consumption, worship and want, as filtered through the perspectives of European, Asian and indigenous cultures.” The museum’s multiple spaces can be hired for private events, which its deep downtown Bay Street location makes especially appealing. It would be worth dreaming up a glam soirée just to hold it on the restored Historic Trading Floor, with its 40-foot ceilings, Charles Comfort murals and sweeping staircase. SwipeDX, the well-curated shop by the entrance, offers gorgeous books on design, architecture, urban issues and advertising, along with cheeky accessories and those must-have Rhodia sketchbooks.

Kateri Lanthier is a writer who specializes in design and art. Her poetry collection, Reporting from Night, was published in 2011 and her poem “The Coin Under the Leftmost Sliding Cup” won the 2013 Walrus Poetry Prize.

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Streamline, Not Mainstream. Turnkey Redesigned.

freedhome.ca

We’re exactly what you need Turnkey design services provided – design, order, deliver, set up. Exceptional hands-on approach to customer service. Tell us what you want and we present you with options to fit your budget, timeline and style – we do the ground work for you. We’re always price competitive and can work with a variety of budgets.

What Services do we offer Interior Design/Custom Furniture Packages Custom design packages including: Furniture layouts and design using freed home pieces. Paint, lighting and window treatment recommendations. Signature Packages Preset Furniture Packages designed for your space and your taste. Window Treatments Manuel roller-blinds, Motorized blinds, Drapery, Sheers. Available in a variety of colours, styles and opacities

Have questions for the freed home team, or want to book a consultation? By Appointment Only, Monday –Friday, 10am – 4pm Please contact Katelynn@freeddevelopments.com, 416-360-0600 ext. 227 or Tracy@freeddevelopments.com, 416-360-0600 ext. 223 Our sales office is located at: 600 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5V 1M3

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW SOULE STYLING BY RITA LIEFHEBBER CREATIVE DIRECTION BY ALICE UNGER

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(PREVIOUS PAGE) ZADIG AND VOLTAIRE COAT AT THE BAY, THEBAY.COM; BEAUFILLE DRESS, BEAUFILLE.COM; CAROLE TENENBAUM NECKLACE, CAROLETENENBAUM.COM; OSCAR DE LA RENTA CUFF AT HOLT RENFREW, HOLTRENFREW.COM (THIS PAGE) VINTAGE DRESS, 69VINTAGE.COM; CARDIGAN AT TNT, TNTFASHION.CA; TOP SHOP TOQUE AT THE BAY, THEBAY.COM (OPPOSITE PAGE) STELLA MCCARTNEY COAT AT HOLT RENFREW, HOLTRENFREW.COM; TOP SHOP CAMISOLE AND SLIT SKIRT AT THE BAY, THEBAY.COM; CAROLE TENENBAUM JEWELRY, CAROLETENENBAUM.COM

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EDDIE BORGO EARRINGS AT HOLT RENFREW, HOLTRENFREW.COM

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(OPPOSITE PAGE) BCBG COAT AT THE BAY, THEBAY.COM; BEAUFILLE DRESS, BEAUFILLE.COM; CAROLE TENENBAUM BRACELETS, CAROLETENENBAUM.COM MAJE CARDIGAN AT THE BAY, THEBAY.COM; TOP SHOP CAMISOLE AND SKIRT AT THE BAY, THEBAY.COM; ALEXIS BITTAR NECKLACE AT HOLT RENFREW, HOLTRENFREW.COM

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(OPPOSITE PAGE) BEAUFILLE SLIP DRESS, BEAUFILLE.COM; CARDIGAN AT TNT, TNTFASHION.CA; EDDIE BORGO EARRINGS AT HOLT RENFREW, HOLTRENFREW.COM NATORI DRESS AT HOLT RENFREW, HOLTRENFREW.COM; JOEFFER CAOC FUR STOLE, JOEFFERCAOC.COM; TOP SHOP HAT AT THE BAY, THEBAY.COM; EARRINGS AT RAC BOUTIQUE, RACBOUTIQUE.COM

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MENDOCINO FUR COAT, MENDOCINO.CA; NATORI PAJAMAS AT HOLT RENFREW, HOLTRENFREW.COM; NECKLACE AT RAC BOUTIQUE, RACBOUTIQUE.COM; OSCAR DE LA RENTA RING AT HOLT RENFREW, HOLTRENFREW.COM SHOT ON LOCATION AT EVERLEIGH

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FASHION

STRONG SUIT

THE SMYTHE DUO HAS ITS DESIGNS ON YOU BY LEANNE DELAP

PHOTOS: COURTESY SMYTHE, (KATE) COURTESY GETTY IMAGES

he best ideas in fashion are the simple ones. Ten years ago next spring a Canadian label launched out of a small studio off Niagara Street. The name Smythe Les Vestes said it all. The design duo Christie Smythe and Andrea Lenczner’s simple idea was to sell nothing but jackets. The first, a one-button cutaway equestrian style, provided the solution to the burning fashion question of the last decade: What do I wear with my $250 jeans? This past year, the Smythe girls moved to gleaming, spacious all-white offices with their team of seven, but remained firmly in the hood that lent the polished label its street cred. The new Gladstone studio, just above Queen West, has already proved handy for celebs such as Jessica Biel or Rachel McAdams to pop in when filming nearby. The Smythe look is retro and modern at the same time. Some of their favourite touches—heritage tweeds, elbow patches, tuxedo trimmings, a touch of velvet—show up each season, in blazers and now in coats. Blouses and even pants fill out the still-trim lineup. The past decade has seen the brand enjoy slow, steady growth, all part of the pair’s very conservative approach to the business side of fashion. That approach has seen their wares picked up by the major department stores of the world, as well as one of the best celebrity “gets” of all time: landing a jacket, now renamed “The Kate” in her honour, onto the newly minted Duchess of Cambridge for her first Canadian tour. The low-key designer duo themselves, though, fly well beneath the radar. It is by design that we don’t know that much about the women behind the label. Christie, now 41, and Andrea, 42, met at the private school Branksome Hall, where they admired each other’s style. “I spotted Christie,” Andrea says. “There is something about how a girl wears her uniform.” The friendship carried on to McGill, where the pair lived together. “Our friends used to come to us and ask, ‘Hey guys, what should we wear?’” Andrea went on to do an MBA at the Rotman School of Management and started her career in the buying department at Holt Renfrew. Smythe headed to New York to study design at Parsons. “It was Christie who called me one day and said: ‘Jackets,’” Andrea says. “I said yes, yes, yes!” After all, what was missing at the time was something to wear with your jeans. Citizens of Humanity and 7 For All Mankind had taken over the

market, but no one knew what to wear with them. Fashionable girls started to wear jeans to the office, but they didn’t want to look sloppy. Department stores didn’t have “item” buyers at the time; they only bought collections. And then the problem for department stores was where to put the jackets. Most big stores opted for positioning Smythe by the new designer denim in Contemporary. But fashion as it trickled up from the street was demanding that department stores wisen up to the strength of separates. Christie had been attracted in design school to brands, in her words, where “jackets were a pillar”: Armani, YSL, Ralph Lauren. “The jacket is second only to the bra in terms of complexity,” she says, estimating that there are between 40 and 60 pattern pieces used to make a jacket in a single size. The design challenge was the easy part. Where it got real was in life/work balance as the partners each got married and started a family (Andrea has three kids, Christie has one; their girls are the same age and, yes, pals too.)

“THAT MODEL OFF-DUTY LOOK IS WHAT REALLY RESONATES WITH US. WE PUSH UP OUR SLEEVES. WE LET THE BLOUSE HANG DOWN.” 73

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“You have to have the same values,” Christie says. “But what’s really unusual is that we are 50/50 partners. We each have an equal amount at stake. That extends from benefits to risks.” Andrea jumps in—the two can toss a conversational baton, paced for pauses, without making eye contact. “We both do everything. That means we both design each piece, we both pore over the numbers, we both have to nag the suppliers.” Christie finishes: “We both do the fun stuff and we both do the drudge stuff.” The duo’s other secret to success is a conservative business strategy. “Grow slow and keep money in the bank for a rainy day,” Christie says. “The economy has had a lot of rain in the past few years.” Another constant for the pair is that they still proudly manufacture here in Toronto. “We started that way because of the size of our runs,” Christie says. “But we have stayed here because of the quality control it affords us.” There has also been some luck in this creation story. Andrea’s connection to Holts has proved an international calling card. “When I gave my notice at Holts, my boss said, ‘Come show it to me.’” After the initial support from the big player on the home team, the women hit the trail. “We camped out in hotel rooms, we went to industry events,” Andrea says. “When we got Barneys, everything changed.” The Barneys hookup was a fluke. “Someone gave us the email of an assistant to the fashion director,” Christie says. “She put the lookbook in her boss’ hands and then the buying office called.” A New York showroom followed. And then came a fairy princess—or what the design duo refers to as “the Kate effect.” “When we learned in 2011 that there would be a royal visit to Canada, we made it our mission to try and get a jacket to her,” says PR wiz Deb McCain. “We knew the Duchess liked supporting local designers and we felt if we could get the Smythe story and some images in front of her, she would be interested. We then developed a Venn diagram of possible paths to the Duchess, from our contacts at Hello! magazine to Holt Renfrew. An unwavering persistence (including numerous calls to Clarence House to explain who Smythe was and why they should be considered) ultimately paid off. The Duchess chose to purchase the navy one-button jacket—“something we learned just days before the visit.” As the story goes, after Kate was photographed wearing it, the jacket sold out everywhere in 30 minutes. “It was re-ordered. And re-ordered again,” Andrea says. “Now it is in permanent production.” Alongside such fairy-tale moments, the girls discovered that it can be hard changing your story, even if it is a natural evolution. “For our first eight years, we told everyone we were only one thing: jackets—then coats, which make sense with jackets.” The expansion to blouses, followed by pants, felt natural to the pair as the fashion landscape changed. The Holiday collection is hanging in the studio right now, minus pieces out being shot for editorials. The Smythe girls are always keen to see how editors style the pieces. Their lookbooks have stayed the same for the past decade, with the same winsome blonde model (a friend who embodies their style, the women say, not a professional) who has aged naturally over that period, shot by local lensman Christopher Wahl. “We love the dishabille look,” says Christie, pointing to Andrea’s boots left unzipped at the back. “Things thrown together casually. That model off-duty look is what really resonates with us. We push up our sleeves. We let the blouse hang down.” Their overall message to women is that the Smythe girls understand you. They know you want to emphasize where you are small and de-emphasize where you are soft. Peplums are your friend. “We have always designed clothes we want to wear,” Christie says. What is the litmus test of a Smythe design? Says Andrea: “We put it on and see if we feel cute in it.”

Former FASHION editor and gal about town Leanne Delap writes about everything from beauty to fashion to food for the Toronto Star and magazines across the country.

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FASHION

STREET STYLE GRACIE CARROLL KW: WHO ARE YOUR STYLE ICONS? GC: My mother [290 Ion’s Sanghun Oh] has definitely had a huge influence on me. I also love Audrey Hepburn and Chloë Sevigny. I think those two might say a lot about my style and the way I dress. WHAT’S YOUR MUST-HAVE(S) FOR THE SEASON? A multicoloured fur chubby and tartan pants. WHAT DREW YOU TO CREATE GRACIECARROLL.COM? Initially I started blogging as an easier way to keep my friends and family up to date with my adventures while living abroad. While working at ELLE UK, I researched a lot of blogs and wondered why they weren’t better designed to offer a more enjoyable user experience. When I moved back to Toronto I decided to create the blog I wanted to read. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE BLOGS? Right now I’m loving Beyonce I Am, Thug Kitchen and Single In Toronto. I read Refinery29 every day and BuzzFeed for a quick laugh. YOU’VE LIVED IN TWO STYLE CAPITALS, HOW DO YOU VIEW TORONTO STYLE? It’s definitely not like London, where everyone’s style is pretty wild, but overall I’d say Torontonians look pretty good. The majority of people here are quite physically attractive, so that helps. The men here have definitely upped their style game over the last few years, and that I love to see. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE KING WEST HAUNT? Gusto 101! I practically live there, especially since my office is now around the corner. DO YOU HAVE SHOPPING RULES? Over the past few years I’ve committed to buying less and buying better. So I’ll spend more on one quality item instead of buying more fast fashion pieces. I was brought up to appreciate quality, so it really bothers me to wear things that aren’t well made or don’t feel good against my skin. It has to be one of those “I can’t live without it” pieces to actually come home with me.

HOW DO YOU TRANSITION YOUR LOOK WITH THE SEASON? My advice is to leave your parkas and snow boots at home for as long as possible. It doesn’t make sense, especially sartorially, to start wearing them as soon as the weather gets chilly. Invest in a good tailored coat. I tend to layer my leather jackets under lighter oversized jackets. I’m a real Canadian gal at heart though. I love the cooler weather and layering is ingrained into my style. I might be addicted to buying sweaters. —Interview by Loretta Chin

Fashion blogger Gracie Carroll is wearing a vintage hat, Celine sunglasses, custom Danier jacket, Ann Taylor blouse, Le Chateau tartan pants, 3.1 Phillip Lim bag, Iro pumps from The Narwhal boutique.

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PHOTO: NAOMI FINLAY

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO WEAR TO HOLIDAY PARTIES? I love the holiday season because it’s even more of an excuse to wear shiny, sparkly things. I love almost anything in sequin and gold—there is one dress from Robert Rodriguez that I am eyeing at the moment. I want to look like a shimmering jewel at every party.

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H&M ¦ Marshalls ¦ Gap ¦ Dynamite ¦ Michael Hill ¦ Winners and more

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FOOD

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CHASE

PHOTOS: CARLY MILLER AND ERIN LEYDON

CHRIS JOHNS HUNTS DOWN THE CITY’S HOTTEST TABLE Inside the glass-enclosed rooftop space it’s all calming hues of greyish blue. Plush chairs and tufted banquettes flank rich-grained tables topped with pure white vases of tiny lavender bouquets. Lush, lounge-y grooves play discreetly in the background. Outside, the towers of the financial district glow like boxy Christmas trees. Welcome to The Chase, the most ambitious restaurant project to open in Toronto in years—and one that, according to its owner, Steven Salm, “aims to raise the bar for dining in the city.” Originally from New York, Salm, at the tender age of 29, is already an industry veteran. After cutting his teeth for the Ritz-Carlton, he joined the BLT Restaurant Group, where he started at an entry level and then took on a traveling GM position that saw him opening restaurants across the U.S. Lured to Canada by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, he developed the steakhouse e11even for that company before partnering with Michael Kimel and former Reds chef Michael Steh, and launching The Chase. The group’s first venture is actually two restaurants in one: The more formal and elegant rooftop aerie is known as The Chase, while on the ground floor The Chase Fish & Oyster offers a more relaxed, casual setting—albeit one with a vast, curved marble bar, silver pendant lamps and staff that look runway ready. The staff might be even better looking than the clientele, but the building outshines all of them. Both restaurants are housed in the Dineen Building, an elegant 1897 Renaissance Revival style edifice that was originally home to the W. and F. Dineen Co., a fur factory and showroom at the corner of Yonge and Temperance. Years of neglect and indifference had rendered the building nondescript but a massive adaptive restoration by developer Clayton Smith saw the facility returned to its original glory. Restorations of heritage buildings can be a nightmare for restaurateurs, but owner Steven Salm describes the experience as both collaborative and efficient. “The heritage department was incredibly supportive of this whole project,” he says. “We basically took the heritage bones of the downstairs space and then added on an additional 1,500 square feet to the back. That’s where you see the elevator shaft and the bar area and the kitchen of Fish & Oyster—that’s all new.”

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Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the restoration is the fifth rooftop floor where The Chase is housed. Working with what was basically a fourstorey building, the developers erected massive 30-foot beams, built a concrete wall and filled the space with glass, essentially adding a glass box atop the existing structure. “The mechanics of it was amazing,” Salm says. “It was overwhelming and it was fascinating how quickly it happened. On the first of January it was nothing, we were standing on the roof, and by the 18th there was a box.” While the construction went smoothly there were still some challenges as to how to make a viable business in the space. “Our fit-out was quite complicated,” Salm admits. “We’ve got one lease and its split between two completely different spaces that don’t really talk to each other at all. Downstairs has nothing to do with upstairs with the exception of being connected by an elevator. So I knew we had to make this two completely different businesses, each with their own identity, for this to be successful.” Conceptually, the project went through a number of phases. At first Salm considered installing an enoteca/pizzeria downstairs and a formal fine-dining Italian restaurant upstairs. He also toyed with the idea of creating a brasserie and a French fine-dining restaurant. “This idea and vision was really a way to allow the two spaces to speak to each other,” he says. “I knew if we did something seafood-oriented with oysters and a raw bar and then upstairs we did something with a little more attention to detail in more of an upscale environment, there could be some communication between the two. That’s how we evolved with The Chase and The Chase Fish & Oyster.” Before opening, Steh and Salm embarked on a marathon three-city, eightday, 48-restaurant eating tour of North America’s hottest restaurants. The ideas and influences they picked up on that trip are incorporated throughout The Chase, in subtle and sometimes surprising ways. “Juvia in Miami was a big influence,” Steh says of chef Laurent Cantineaux’s French/Asian restaurant. “We took a lot away from the experience from the aesthetics of the room, certain design elements, menu and plating elements, the style of the food. We loved that it had all these light, refreshing, satisfying, craving, addictive elements that would draw in a crowd that would come in for lunch and again for dinner.” New York impressed them with the attention to detail and exceptional level of service they encountered at places like Eleven Madison Park, Locanda Verde and Andrew Carmellini’s The Dutch. In Chicago, the pair was inspired

by what Stephanie Izard is doing at the Girl & the Goat. “That’s a very different restaurant from ours,” Steh says, “but we really loved how present and forward the culinary aspect of that place is. What we took from that is how we wanted the pass to feel upstairs where people walk by. We wanted people to see what we were doing and for it to be a dramatic showcase to what the night has to offer. Those seats in front of the pass upstairs are frontrow centre to my antics and occasional temper tantrums and swearing.” On the night I visited the restaurants, about two months after their official opening, there were no temper tantrums. On the contrary, the staff seems to have settled into a comfortable groove. Downstairs in the oyster bar, chefs personally deliver shucked shellfish in stainless steel bowls to guests perched at the bar. On the patio, a woman pauses in the midst of her scallop tostada and holds court at a table filled with suits who hang on her every word. Upstairs, amid the Ralph Lauren fabrics and expensive lighting, a patron introduces himself to the hostess and coolly slips her a twenty. Plates of roast chicken, dramatically garnished and ideally bronzed, are paraded through the room on a silver platter for inspection before being returned to the kitchen and sliced. Baskets of truffle-scented focaccia arrive garnished with a slip of paper detailing the recipe. Water bottles are placed on coasters, napkins are folded each time a guest leaves the table, crumbs are wiped between courses and the whole experience feels pampering and plush. The packed dining room and generally positive reviews bode well for this ambitious venture, but hot new restaurants are a dime a dozen in Toronto’s happening culinary marketplace. Chef Michael Steh is under no illusions, yet he’s feeling optimistic. “I want to just continue to produce amazing restaurants with Steve,” he says. “We know we have a lot of work to do and a lot to live up to. We came out of the gate saying we want to be the top dog. We want to be the top restaurants in the city. We want to reset the bar for the expectation of what the guest is getting out there and we want to make them feel like gold. We just need to make sure that we protect our baby and that what we do here we do right and do it well.”

Chris Johns is an award-winning food and travel writer. Based in Toronto, he is a regular contributor to enRoute, Globe Style Advisor, Toronto Life, Men’s Fashion and a host of other publications.

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The Ultimate in Luxury mattresses

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DRINK

THE POUR WINE PICKS BY ROBERT GRAVELLE

The holidays seem to inspire generosity. As the weather turns frightful, I too am feeling the love. Consider this my “Santa Sack” full of wine recommendations. Whether you prefer sparkling, white or red, there is sure to be something here for you to raise a glass to this holiday season. Nigl “Gartling” Grüner Veltliner 2012, Kremstal, Austria $23 Available from Le Sommelier / lesommelier.com

Pearl Morissette “Cuvée Madeline” Cabernet Franc 2010, Niagara Peninsula $38 Available direct from the winery / pearlmorissette.com

Clot de L’Oum “Le Compagnie des Papillons” 2011, Côtes du Roussillon, France $30 Available from The Living Vine / thelivingvine.ca

Champagne Tarlant NV Brut Reserve, France $40 Available from LCBO Vintages 325167 or B&W Wines / bwwines.com

A textbook example of premium Napa Valley Cabernet with black currant, cedar, tobacco and toasty vanilla oak notes. Quite full bodied with ample fine-grained tannins. Enjoy the 2010 vintage while it lasts—2011 was a rough one in Napa and the wines are not looking that promising.

Grüner Veltliner is on the lips of most sommeliers these days (figuratively and literally). Grüners are generally crisp, mineral-driven wines with notes of white peach, green apple, white pepper and floral notes, and this one is no exception.

Without exaggeration, this is one of the finest Niagara Cab Francs I’ve ever tasted. Medium weight (as it should be) with fully ripe raspberry and cherry flavours, chalky minerality and a welcome hint of a leafy note. The winemaker, Francois, is a bit of a newbie when it comes to this grape variety but he appears to be a natural.

I’ve been a fan of this certified organic and biodynamic winery ever since I first tasted the wines back in 2006. The winemaker, Eric Monné, is a proponent for non-interventionist, terroir-driven wines. The Papillons is fresh and elegant with notes of dark berries, wet stone, pencil lead, savoury herbs and earth.

Don’t be fooled by the entry-level price point of this champagne. The nose combines crisp green apple and pear aromas with yeasty notes of toasted brioche. A sophisticated non-vintage brut with a richness on the palate followed by a refreshingly dry finish.

PHOTO: ADRIAN ARMSTRONG

Frank Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Napa Valley $53 Available from Dacapo Wines / dacapowines.com

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A DIVINE FOOD & COCKTAIL EXPERIENCE DINNER AND BOTTLE SERVICE AVAILABLE

TURKISH DELIGHT

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE ONE&ONLY

ESCAPE

KAREN VON HAHN BLISSES OUT AT THE AMANRUYA

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PHOTOS: COURTESY AMANRUYA

urkey has always been at the top of my bucket list. Colourful images of the exotic immediately come to mind, a mission to see it for real made only more pressing with all the buzz about Turkey as the rising star of Europe. The very idea of Istanbul alone—an ancient way-stop for the caravans along the Silk Road, where the East meets West by the moonlit Bosphorus—is like a dream. How fitting, then, for my husband and I to mark a special anniversary with a trip to the Aman Resorts’ fantastically luxe new Amanruya on Turkey’s Bodrum peninsula. Named after the Sanskrit-derived word for peace, aman, and the Turkish word for dream, ruya, the resort, surrounded by ancient olive groves and perfectly positioned on the azure coast of the Aegean, is like a reverie. So idyllic was it that in stressful moments since I close my eyes and conjure up the elegant rusticity of its sunbathed pink stone walls, the light perfume of wild thyme and rosemary on the path to the beach, and the papyrus mat for two under the natural shade of the olive trees where we whiled away the heat of the afternoon reading, swimming and drinking chilled glasses of Turga and Efes beer, zoning out on the turquoise calm of that sea. Like the Turkish breakfast of sesame-studded breads served with small plates of strong cheeses, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbed olives and honeycomb we enjoyed every morning with strong Turkish coffee by our own private pool, everything was so simple and somehow right as to be essential. From the moment our driver greeted us at the airport carrying two chilled towels on a silver tray, to the seemingly invisible hands that kept our private Anatolian stone villa crisp, spotless and stocked with minimal sculptures of fresh local pears and apricots, to the smiling Voltan, our waiter at the beach club on our first day who gently stopped us when we began to introduce ourselves, saying, “I know who you are,” every detail of this waking dream has been meticulously worked out in advance. As we quickly discovered, the thing about Aman Resorts (and why, as we learned from Amanruya’s wonderful hosts, a couple named Nicholas and Christine Juett, afficionados are so loyal to the chain that they call themselves “Aman junkies”) is that not only have they managed to perfect some new previously unimagined level of service, but it is actually impossible while staying at an Aman to find anything within eyesight that is ugly.

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This became a sort of game for us, starting our day by opening the traditional shutters out onto our Antalyan green marble swimming pool before a large crested jay with a long grey tail would dive in for a drink, calling out as he flew off over the fields of olive trees out to sea. Walking up the twisting stone paths delicately winding around the 30-odd extremely private walled villas to the yoga pavilion, we might pass a swimmer, executing lengths of the 50-metre infinity pool like a living Hockney. A tall stone lookout on the unmatched view that housed a small library of books on Turkish art, history and architecture was set with cold rose-scented tea; a small domed structure typical of early Anatolian design—a former cistern of beautifully irregular field stone—served as a boutique for artisanal weavings and carpets. Dining outside at night on fresh grilled fish, lovely Turkish wine and shepherd’s salad under the stars, with the lights of the small marina of Torba in the distance, the warm air around us was so dark and enveloping, it was as if we were floating in the view. Our fellow habitués, too, seemed to be part of the design. A well-preserved French couple in their late 50s who stuck to a strict Chanel-like palette of various combinations of navy and white; a German filmmaker and his leggy girlfriend who arrived at the beach with stacks of obscure fashion magazines; the entirely delightful and impeccably attired front office manager Yeshi Phuntsho, who hailed from Bhutan, the tiny nation that studies happiness. One day, with Yeshi’s help, we hired a driver to take us to the nearby ruins of Ephesus, where the sculpted remains of one of the ancient world’s largest libraries stood out against the blue sky like sun-bleached coral. Another memorable afternoon, we went for a sunset sail and swim with Nick and Christine on Amanruya’s yacht, where Christine unpacked a leather-strapped wicker trunk of canapés and cocktails as if we were sailing back into some more civilized time. But mostly we just sank back into our papyrus mat by the Aegean and soaked in the blue. In the game, Amanruya wins every time.

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Bathurst & Niagara

45 Boutique Condos and Lofts $300’s FROM THE MID

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NIAGARA REGISTER NOW:

90niagara.com Prices and specifications are subject to change without notice. E. & O. E. Rendering is artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concept only.

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it’s perfect.

for the music-lover on your list

CELINE DION LOVED ME BACK TO LIFE

Loved Me Back To Life, the highly-anticipated new album from the multi-Diamond-selling and five-time Grammy® Award-winning music legend Celine Dion, is her first English-language album in six years. Loved Me Back To Life offered Dion the chance to work with a team of exceptional producers and songwriters. The new album is available in Regular and Deluxe Editions and includes the lead single “Loved Me Back To Life”. Available now on Regular and Deluxe Edition CD

Autumn Hill Favourite Mistake Includes the singles “Anything At All” and “Fire”

Basia Bulat Tall Tall Shadow Featuring the singles “Promise Not to Think About Love” & “Tall Tall Shadow”

Cher Closer To The Truth Includes the singles “Women’s World” and “Take It Like A Man”

Sheryl Crow Feels Like Home Featuring the single “Easy”

Bettye Lavette Thankful N’ Thoughtful Lavette releases her best collection of songs she’s ever recorded.

the home of entertainment

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12/3/2013 7:53 PM

95 Bathurst at King | 416.792.7223 | blacktoerunning.com

416.939.9545 • 101 SPADINA AVENUE, SUITE 103, TORONTO, M5V 2K2 • IMPRINTPILATES.COM

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3:36 PM

95 Bathurst at King | 416.792.7223 | blacktoerunning.com

416.939.9545 • 101 SPADINA AVENUE, SUITE 103, TORONTO, M5V 2K2 • IMPRINTPILATES.COM

Pilates | Yoga | Private & Semi-Private | Small Group Classes

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2013-12-03 10:15 AM

NIGHTS IN THE HOOD

DRAKE 150 OPENING

PHOTOS: KAYLA ROCCA

(Clockwise from top left) Martina Sorbara and Jesse Girard; Drake 150 executive chef Ted Corrado; Kofi Gyekye; Stephen LeDrew; Zoe Sweet, Suzy Von Schlinitz and Sophie Hanson; Damon Allen and guest; Drake founder Jeff Stober and Shinan Govani; Drake GM Bill Simpson, Rachel Simpson and guest. (Below, clockwise from left) Debbie Kaplan and friend; Theresa Track; John Tong and friend; Mr. and Mrs. Stober; Lindsey Cepek and Marcello Cabezas; Rebecca Wood, Richard Lambert and guest; Clint Roenisch; Apollonia Vanova; Joseph Tang and Tonya Papanikolov; Leslie Ng and Tommy Matejka.

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(Clockwise from top left) Jeffrey Remedios, Amy Burstyn Fritz, COC’s Alexander Neef and Anne Maggisano; Glenn Dixon and Suzanne Rogers; Jian Ghomeshi and friends; Amoryn Engel and Toufik Sarwa; Sam Roberts Band; Dina Samhouri and Aliya-Jasmine Sovani; Lil Lozinski and FASHION’s Bernadette Morra; Katherine, Ashleigh and Marissa Semkiw; Sam Roberts in action; Clare Christensen and Alexander Neef; Stacey McKenzie; Markus Anderson and Jennifer Koss; Brendan Canning and Abigail Van Den Broek; Nicholas Mellamphy and friends; COC’s Ambur Braid.

HERMÈS LES METIERS

PHOTOS: (OPERANATION) RYAN EMBERLEY AND TARA NOELLE, (HERMÈS) GEORGE PIMENTEL

OPERANATION

(Clockwise from top left) Michael Budman, Diane Bald and Piers Handling; Sandy Skotnicki; Anne Vos and Shauna Levy; Hermès Canada president Jennifer Carter and Hermès International’s Patrick Thomas; Geoffrey Dawe and Wendy Natale; Michelle Lloyd and David Berman; Barbara Amiel; Hermès PR Kate Chartrand and Christopher Sherman; Nathalie Atkinson; Catherine Nugent and Krystyne Griffin; Ivan Fecan and Sandra Faire; Amy Patel in Hermès; Lisa Tant.

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PHOTOS: (BRAZIL) COURTESY AVENUE ROAD, (DX) KATHERINE HOLLAND

4U FROM BRAZIL

(Clockwise from top left) Carlos Motta and friend; Soho House’s Markus Anderson and friends; John Tong, Jeff Stober and Philippe Meyersohn; Markus Anderson and Annaliese Levy; lounging Brazil style; Glenn Pushelberg, guest and George Yabu; Tommy Smythe, Avenue Road’s Michael Barr, George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg; caipirinhas; Tommy Smythe, Theresa Casey and friend.

DX INTERSECTION

(Clockwise from top left) Jeanne Beker and DX president Shauna Levy; Klaus and Marissa Nienkamper; Glen Baxter, Candice Chan and Jay Strut; Jamie Webster and friend; Daniel Faria and Rui Amaral; Byron Peart, Stephen Weisgerber, Maria Varvarikos and Dexter Peart; Krystal Koo; Sara Diamond and Susan Langdon; Byron Peart, Shauna Levy and Dexter Peart; Jesse Girard and Kinga Illyes; Rosey Edeh and Michelle Bilodeau; Fritz Helder; Michael Barr and Markus Anderson; Ben and Jessica Mulroney; fabulous performer.

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PHOTOS: GEORGE PIMENTEL

WMC FASHION JOE FRESH WEEK AFTER PARTY

(Clockwise from top left) Joe Mimran and Kim Newport-Mimran; models; Susur Lee and sons; Morad Reid Affifi and Courtney Fallow; Alixe Boyer and Paul Sinclaire; Janice Alida and Joe Mimran; Kirk Pickersgill and Stacey McKenzie; tartan-clad reveller; Heather Marks and Elisha Cuthbert; party-goeers looking fresh; Cary Tauben, Corey Ng and Alison Cohen; Mario Grauso and Marjorie Gubelmann; Dion Phaneuf, Joe Mimran and Joffrey Lupul; Anne Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hagan and Derrick Chetty; Moira Wright.

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THE BATHROOM DIARIES WHY I’M STRUGGLING TO KEEP MY MAN OUT OF MY LADIES ROOM BY MARILISA RACCO

lot of women will probably tell you that they’d rather keep their menfolk out of the kitchen. Me, I’d rather The Boyfriend steer clear of the bathroom. This has nothing to do with the unsavoury things that go down in there—everyone poops, as they say. And we’re well past the stage of pretending we’re too gorgeous or virtuous to have bowels that need evacuating. (I was only able to uphold that fallacy until our third date at Curry Twist, anyway.) The Boyfriend Bathroom Embargo is more about the fact that the man is like a modern-day Oscar Madison in there. No sooner am I done rinsing Mr. Clean from the faucet fixtures than they’re once again splattered à la Jackson Pollock with toothpaste and razor shavings. I may consider myself lucky for having found a man who knows which fork to use and who always places his napkin on his lap, but his bathroom etiquette needs work. Some examples: He doesn’t understand that not all towels are created equally. In my linen closet, there exists a hierarchy: The prettily embroidered hand towels sit atop the coordinated hair towels that rest upon the bath sheets that are stacked on The Boyfriend towels. What are The Boyfriend towels, you may ask? They are the somewhat threadbare, maybe a little stained, colour-faded towels that I’ve had for years but won’t throw away because they’re still functional and ideal for occasional use. Which makes them perfect for The Boyfriend since we keep separate homes and he only showers here a few times a week. Despite repeated attempts at explaining the hierarchy and him nodding enthusiastically, he continually reaches for the coordinated hair towel. This is passive-aggressive conflict avoidance and I am SO ONTO HIM.

He can’t (or won’t) properly distinguish between my beauty products. Because I write about beauty, I get a lot of products sent to me for testing, many of which are pretty fancy. And anyone familiar with fancy beauty items knows that oftentimes product names aren’t very straightforward. Shampoo can be called “cleanser,” conditioner is “softener,” and face wash can run the gamut from “cleansing balm” to “foaming cream,” so I’m aware that he’s at a bit of a disadvantage. However, I also know from growing up with a father who would be sent to the store for body wash and return with a tub of hot wax that men aren’t the best at reading labels. The Boyfriend is no exception. He once used a $70 face cleanser to WASH HIS ENTIRE BODY. The conversation went something like this: The Boyfriend: “That body wash is really moisturizing.” Me: “Yeah, I love X and the blue bottle is so pretty.” The Boyfriend: “No, this was in a small white bottle. Me: “SHOW ME WHICH SMALL WHITE BOTTLE.” After calming down I comforted myself with the knowledge that the anti-aging ingredients in the cleanser would probably give him the balls of a 20 year old. [Towel addendum] He won’t use the bathmat. Because I’m Howard Hughesean in my germ-avoidant ways, I don’t like the type of bathmat that perpetually sits on the floor—between foot traffic and my dog it goes from clean to cesspool in no time. I prefer the bathmat in towel form that I can fold neatly and hang over the rim of the tub. For whatever reason, The Boyfriend never feels compelled to use the bathmat. And the problem with this habit is twofold: 1) He will then step on the bathroom floor with his wet feet, leaving two distinct puddles of water, and 2) since he leaves the bathmat on the rim of the tub, it gets soaked during the showering process, wherein he’s probably washing his balls with $70 FACE CLEANSER. Which brings me to another point… He’s always re-adjusting the angle of the showerhead. There’s a considerable height difference between The Boyfriend and me, so I can totally understand that if the water hits my head it’s probably hitting his solar plexus. I’m sympathetic to his needs and respect the necessity to re-position the showerhead. But is it too much to ask for him to put the damn thing back when he’s done? Whenever I get in the shower after him, the spray clears my head, hits the shower wall and goes cascading onto the floor beyond the curtain. It’s like I’m standing on the rock shelter of a waterfall AND NOW I HAVE A WET FLOOR AGAIN. I’m acutely aware of the qualities and attributes that are needed for a healthy, functional relationship to thrive: honesty, respect, loyalty, compromise, hot sex. I just think we need to add separate bathrooms to the list.

Marilisa Racco is a Toronto-based fashion and beauty writer who generally prefers the company of her dog, Floyd.

PHOTO: NAOMI FINLAY

PLAYING FIELD

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XXX SHOPS

SEXPERT JOSEY VOGELS DOES THE LEGWORK SO YOU CAN GET A LEG OVER COME AS YOU ARE

493 QUEEN ST. W. / COMEASYOUARE.COM IN STOCK: A huge variety of high-quality vibrators, dildos, harnesses, men’s toys and bondage gear, many made in Canada. Good selection of condoms and lube and an excellent book and adult DVD section. VIBE: Dark wood flooring, nice lighting and chartreuse walls adorned with local art and shelves of brightly coloured vibrators and dildos make this store inviting, funky and fun. The sign in the window —“Great sex is a co-operative endeavour”—sums up the inclusive, nonjudgmental, socially conscious attitude. SETUP: The sections in the store are intentionally not labeled—“not to confuse but to help people explore without judgment or categorization,” says co-owner Annanda DeSilva. SERVICE: A sign in the store says it all: “We love questions.” Extremely well-informed staff. A staffer’s detailed explanation of the sexual benefits of improving your pelvic floor muscles is a great example of this shop’s educational approach. CLIENTELE: From beginners with lots of questions to more educated consumers, this sex shop targets people of all ages, genders and sexual orientations. It also specifically caters to transgendered customers, offering chest binders and dildos and harnesses designed specifically for “packing.” OVERHEARD: “I came to check out the Fleshlight”—a penis sleeve that comes in ‘mouth,’ ‘vagina’ and ‘anus’ as well as a shower-mount version. SEX-ED: Regular in-store workshops on everything from Hands-On Rope Bondage to Being a Person of Colour in the BDSM Community. HOT SELLER: The Stronic vibrator ($200) harnesses the latest technology to create a pulsating, thrusting sensation. MOST UNUSUAL: DIY vibrating dildo casting kit with “just add water” written on the package. HOLIDAY GIFT: LoveBumper sex furniture with body-safe foam, $90 and up; Tenga Egg, $10 (stocking stuffer for him)

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TEST DRIVE

GOOD FOR HER

175 HARBORD ST. / GOODFORHER.COM

CONDOM SHACK

PHOTOS: ADRIAN ARMSTRONG

231 QUEEN ST. W. / CONDOMSHACK.COM IN STOCK: The emphasis here is on novelty, with Let’s F*ck The XXX Sex Game, Spanish Fly Mints, Night Light glow-in-the-dark condoms and candy-necklace bras (available in ‘g-string’ for her and ‘posing pouch’ for him) and a small selection of sex toys. VIBE: The smiling cartoon condom sign out front hints at the feel inside—playful and a bit goofy. While the brightly lit store with peeling floors and gaudy purple walls doesn’t exactly ooze sexiness, it’s certainly not intimidating. MISSION: To “provide a comfortable atmosphere for anyone of any age or sexual orientation to buy safer-sex products and adult novelties.” SERVICE: Don’t kid yourself. Despite the focus on novelty, the staff here know their stuff and aren’t shy about it, as demonstrated by the young, pierced and tattooed saleswoman whose frank advice for an elderly customer had him walking out onto Queen Street with a cock ring, numbing cream and some herbal supplements to help blood flow. You do the math. CLIENTELE: Saturday afternoon tourists and late-night bar patrons bolstered by a little liquid courage (the store is open til midnight on weekends). OVERHEARD: “Is it that you’re having trouble getting an erection or keeping one, sir?” HOT SELLER: Displayed on the wall like big jars of penny candy, the dozens of flavoured condoms are the big hit here, available in every flavour from grape to passion fruit. Given its tourist-friendly location, the maple-flavoured ones with Canadian flags are the biggest seller ($1 each or 6 for $5). MOST UNUSUAL: Handcrafted framed needlepoint vulvas. DEMO: Primarily for the curious and novelty seekers. The saleswoman described it as a “beginner’s sex shop,” but one that opens up doors for the sexually curious. “They may come in for condoms and leave with a roll of bright pink bondage tape.” HOLIDAY GIFT: For the couple wanting to spice things up: 1000 Sex Games, $23

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IN STOCK: Good selection of sex books and adult DVDs. A nice variety of high-end vibrators, dildos, harnesses, bum toys and bondage gear. Lots of condoms and lube. VIBE: Female positive. The current window display—golden leaves scattered around a gold sequined pillow upon which is nestled a pretty USB rechargeable vibrator with “Fall into Pleasure” in delicate cursive writing—captures the feel of the store: subtle and inviting. They offer you tea when you arrive! MISSION: The store’s logo is a drawing of a naked woman with hair flowing and arms outstretched looking positively free and blissful, symbolizing what this store stands for: a place for women—and the men they love—to feel free and empowered. “My goal was to create a shop where people uncomfortable with going into a sex shop would be comfortable,” owner Carlyle Jansen says. “We’re not on a main street, so people can feel discreet coming in.” SETUP: Set against a backdrop of creamy white walls and bright yet soft lighting, the shelves of vibrators, dildos and bondage gear look pretty and enticing. SERVICE: Friendly and knowledgeable staff. “It’s not like I’m selling shirts, I’m selling pleasure,” sex educator and DVD buyer Lorraine Hewitt told me. “I enjoy having people open up to me.” CLIENTELE: The store originally catered more to women, but now women and their partners—both male and female—shop there alongside straight and gay men. Special hours on Sunday between noon and 2 pm are reserved for women and transgendered shoppers so they can shop in a gender-safe space. RUMOUR HAS IT: Lorraine once had a male personal assistant come in who’d been sent by his elderly female boss to pick up 12 LELO Gigi vibrators for all her friends. SEX ED: Weekly workshops on everything from Giving Great Head to Sexual Communication Secrets. They also do home parties with themes such as Sex Toys and Pleasure, Burlesque or Spicing it Up. HOT SELLER: Minn Ola vibrator ($180), operated via a cushioned pad at the end of the vibe that is programmable so you can set it to your preferred pulsation. MOST UNUSUAL: Stout Vac Clitoris pump…with pressure gauge. HOLIDAY GIFT: Bourbon Afterglow Natural Massage Oil Candle (burns like a candle but melts into massage oil with a subtle bourbon scent), $30

2013-11-29 5:25 PM

THREE’S COMPANY ARCHITECT JOHN SHNIER SERVES IT UP FAMILY STYLE AT THE THOMPSON BY LEANNE DELAP

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PHOTOS: JEFF CARLSON

REAL ESTATE

oronto architect John Shnier got a hot tip 10 years ago about an as-yet-unnamed condo project where he could get an 1,800-square-foot unit all on one level—in his words, a “most unusual” opportunity—later revealed to be the Thompson Residences. At the time, Shnier was a bachelor living in a “fantastic” place at 29 Camden, an early loft development in the hood. “It was my semiretirement plan,” Shnier says. “I thought I should be on one level in case I needed a hip replacement. But I put my money down and forgot about it.” Seven years later when the call came for him to start customizing his new place, “my whole life was very different,” he says. “I had been planning on using the space maybe as a home office. And then I found myself married. And we had begun the process of adoption.” The large open space has proven elastic enough to accommodate Shnier’s new life with his wife, academic Patricia Gaviria, and their son, Elliott, who is now three. “The truth is that looking at what is on the market as an architect, the unit plans of condos very rarely represent good value in terms of living quality. By that I mean a large-format space with room to breathe and good light that can shift from a home to a studio to a space for a large party.” In Shnier’s words, “architectural space—the bits that hit you viscerally and make you fall in love with your space.” His home, with views that match those of the Thompson rooftop, facing east with an unbroken angle on the city’s glittering towers, has been designed to serve many purposes. “We had a sit-down luncheon party for 25 for my mother’s 90th birthday just last week.” He points to the low cluster of many sofas that “clip” together by Piero Lissoni for Living Divani (by order at Italinteriors in Toronto). “It is a changeable landscape of beautiful furniture; for the lunch I made them into two long benches for seating at a long table. But they can become forts for play dates or can be split up to accommodate conversational areas at a party for 50 or more.” The addition of Elliott to the family called for a rethink of their “extra” room, which had served as everything from a DJ station for Gaviria to a guest suite. Note that there are no doors in the space, rather the couple commissioned area-dividing curtains in space-age silver and gold by Toronto’s Paul Mezei of Relish Design—a tribute to Gaviria’s open-living Ecuadorean and Colombian heritage.

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REAL ESTATE

“The only door in the place is to Elliott’s room,” Shnier says. “And he leaves that open all the time.” Elliott’s room is actually a three-dimensional millwork sculpture—a fortcum-bed—with a few secret escape hatches. “We wanted something that would fit a small mattress now, but that can accommodate a double as he grows older. It also has a homework space built in.” As a principal at the boutique firm of Kohn Shnier, one of the architect’s main concerns has been creating spaces that don’t immediately read as “domestic.” While Shnier is an enthusiastic cook and loves to entertain, he has hidden the kitchen off to the side. “Most people want that island and open kitchen, they picture themselves entertaining in a commercial for Captain Morgan’s rum. I don’t let anyone in the kitchen with me.” When you walk in, you don’t notice the coat cupboard, a powder room. “You could be in a gallery or an office,” he says. “That is luxury to me.” His goal is always to try to create loops of movement in the environment. “There are not many dead ends. Very few of the walls go right to the perimeter.” This is especially important with floor-toceiling windows, which restrict usable space. His solution for storage is a deft mix of his own designs and Ikea. “Everyone has a budget,” he says. “The secret is knowing where the money shows.” Shnier has found he enjoys King West much differently now en famille. Back in the early ’80s, near Queen and Portland, “I lived above the Hungarian Goulash Party Tavern. It was hookers, crack whores and perogies.” Then he moved to the area around the Crangle’s Collision facility “that [Peter] Freed has almost singlehandedly built up. This was heavy-duty industrial land, much of which had to be remediated. I don’t think anyone imagined back then that people would live on it. Now we are raising our child here.” Shnier and Gaviria, both avid cyclists, say they rarely use their car and that their priority remains using the city with their son, which means museum trips and swing sets.

“EVERYONE HAS A BUDGET. THE SECRET IS KNOWING WHERE THE MONEY SHOWS.” “There are more and more children in the parks,” says Shnier, who appreciates that his unique space is a luxury. “So many places are built to maximize the number of units that the actual structure of the space doesn’t work for a family. I hope that changes, that units become flexible enough to grow with families. We need to change the vision we have as a society about urban living.” He says the Thompson residents are an inclusive bunch. “We have trust-funders in their 20s on up to empty nesters. Elliott gets a lot of attention, he loves it here.” Shnier admits there are some tensions between the hotel guests and fans of nightclubs in the area and the more domestic-minded condo owners, “but that is evolving. The thing is we are all engaged in the community,” he says. “When you don’t have a house, you engage with the city around you.” And when they come home, all is peaceful. “This space is very relaxing. We made a decision to feel like we are on vacation every day. There are subtle luxuries, like travertine marble slabs. We went for a large bathroom. This is a celebration, in a very restrained way.”

Former FASHION editor Leanne Delap writes about everything from beauty to fashion to food for the Toronto Star and magazines across the country.

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New Central West Location DUPONT & CHRISTIE

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LADIES & GENTLEMEN

CENTRAL WEST PSR Brokerage Christens Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Newest Community By Lonelle Selbo

AdvertoriAl

The future of Toronto’s impressive real estate boom is a source of great speculation and debate for real estate gurus and economists alike—but one thing that can’t be argued is that this phenomenon has transformed our city’s landscape, in ways both expected and surprising. Hundreds of cranes soar above our ever-rising skyline, towering over the city-wide rush hour that stretches out 24/7. Torontonians idle the time away, awaiting the relief that will be delivered by the new ‘Transit City’ projects, a series of new public transportation lines designed to ease congestion and improve flow. On a micro level, our social media feeds are clogged with condo listings posted by a new breed of weekend brokers (aka our high-school friends) as they cash in on the flood of new properties on the market.

“To date we have sold more than $1 billion in real estate. ” Eric Kuzuian

Several years ago in the heart of King West, a youthful brokerage with an energetic approach—eyed the scene with building anticipation. PSR (Private Service Realty) starting making strides in 2009, fostering a team of 50 ambitious agents and employing a traditional resale structure poised to serve the imminent growth of the King West neighbourhood—from a primarily industrial area to an upscale and in-demand work/live hub. From the beginning, however, the brokerage’s aim was to branch out, providing full-circle service that would transcend the standard buy/sell representation model to become a true partner, able to support the real estate needs of a variety of clients—from homebuyers to developer giants. Fast-forward four years and PSR has fulfilled its original mandate to become a boutique brokerage that’s a go-to for clients with diverse and demanding real estate needs. “To date we have sold more than $1 billion in real estate. We’ve successfully launched and sold Fashion House Condominiums, Thompson Residences, and currently manage three of Freed Development’s sales centres: 600 King, 60 Colborne, and the newest Freed and CD capital joint project 155 Redpath—as well as Burnac Development’s South Hill on Madison and Real Wealth’s commercial project, University Heights,” says partner and broker-of-record, Eric Kuzuian.

Photos courtesy of: Hilary Smith

Advertorial

Having nurtured and led PSR’s downtown team to substantial sales records, Kuzuian, working alongside a team of PSR’s other top brokers Brandon Ware, Corrie Hain, Ted Kern, and newly joined top sales representatives, Jordan Grosman and Jamie Sarner—has just launched a new PSR office located on 672 Dupont Street, “equipping us with the greater capacity and proximity to service the midtown market.” The Central West office was established in response to growth opportunities beyond Toronto’s thriving downtown core. “’Central West’ is a concept we came up with while we were analyzing the various Toronto neighbourhoods we will be representing”, says Sarner, referring to the up-and-coming mid-Toronto areas of Davenport, Annex, South Hill, and Seaton Village—predicted to be a few of Toronto’s ‘hot-zones’ for high-return real estate. With the launch of their new space, the PSR team is hustling to introduce the Central West profile to Toronto, launching the newest cool zone for Torontonians to live, work, and play. “We’re very much looking forward to building the vibe of this area,” says Grosman. “Torontonians are ready for a mid-town that’s a destination area—somewhere cool to visit for a night out or a day of shopping, not just a place to rest your head.”

“Torontonians are ready for a mid-town that’s a destination area…” Jordan Grosman

Photos courtesy of: Hilary Smith

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“Torontonians are ready for a mid-town that’s a destination area…” Jordan Grosman

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Sixty Colborne is the very definition of contemporary character, as envisioned by architect Peter Clewes, and developer Peter Freed. Featuring state of the art amenities, interiors by Johnson Chou, a magnificent rooftop pool, and an ultramodern exercise facility, Sixty Colborne is perfectly designed for your downtown lifestyle.

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This 3+1 bedroom split-level fully detached bungalow has 2900SF of total living space (1670SF main floor and 1230SF lower level). Situated on a 50’ x 115’ corner lot this southfacing home features a large backyard, vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, a fireplace with marble hearth, a 4pc main floor bath with claw foot tub, and private drive access for 2 cars. 79 McGillivray makes an excellent alternative to condo living. Close to the 401, shopping, schools, library, parks, and public transit.

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PSR’s Favourite Buildings In The City The Royal Conservatory

Jamie Sarner

Sales Representative

The Royal conservatory of music is one of my favourite buildings in the city–an old structure that has been immaculately restored with a new modern glass edifice. In 1991 the conservatory hired Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects to lead the renovation of McMaster Hall and Castle Memorial Hall. The expansion resulted in one of those rare perfect mixtures of old and new; a classic building complemented by a flawless contemporary enhancement.

468 Wellington Street West

Diamond Truong Broker

Finished in 1985, the Bartlett Lofts is one of the city’s original loft buildings. With exposed brick-and-beam interiors and wonderfully high ceilings, each of the 13 units is entirely unique as owners are free to completely customize their living space. Set primarily amongst older Victorian and century homes, the building is ideally located within the downtown core yet tucked away from the chaos of the main streets.

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St Lawrence Market Lofts

Jordan Grosman Sales Representative

Situated on what few know to be the original Toronto Waterfront, this 140-yearold warehouse was converted in 2002 to a boutique 54-unit loft building. Preserving much of its original architecture, the property features exposed brick and beam with original hardwood floors throughout. Set above the shops on Front Street just steps from the St Lawrence Market, in terms of character and location, it doesn’t get better than this.

Madison Avenue Lofts

David Shirazi Rad Sales Representative

Madison Avenue Lofts, originally the Toronto Hydro building, was converted into residential lofts in 2007. The property features vast ceiling heights up to 14 ft, and is one of the few new buildings in Toronto that has incorporated Art Deco style into its design. I particularly love that individual owners have taken such different approaches to the interior design of their units–you can find ultra modern, minimalist decor next door to very traditional layouts, each fitting well within the context of the space.

PSR’s Favourite Buildings In The City The Royal Conservatory

Jamie Sarner

Sales Representative

The Royal Conservatory of music is one of my favourite buildings in the city–an old structure that has been immaculately restored with a new modern glass edifice. In 1991 The Conservatory hired Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects to lead the renovation of McMaster Hall and Castle Memorial Hall. The expansion resulted in one of those rare perfect mixtures of old and new; a classic building complemented by a flawless contemporary enhancement.

468 Wellington Street West

Diamond Truong Broker

416 360 0688 | psrbrokerage.com

St Lawrence Market Lofts

Jordan Grosman Sales Representative

Situated on what few know to be the original Toronto Waterfront, this 140-yearold warehouse was converted in 2002 to a boutique 54-unit loft building. Preserving much of its original architecture, the property features exposed brick and beam with original hardwood floors throughout. Set above the shops on Front Street just steps from the St. Lawrence Market, in terms of character and location, it doesn’t get better than this.

Madison Avenue Lofts

David Shirazi Rad Sales Representative

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VISIONARY I fell in love with planes almost immediately, right from early childhood. My parents started a small hunting and fishing charter air service in Northern Ontario after my father returned from WWII as a fighter pilot. I was a young child learning to walk then, so I’ve been around planes all my life. I got my pilot’s license in high school at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, known as Toronto Island Airport at the time. I’d take the streetcar down Bathurst from St. Michael’s College School, occasionally skipping out on class a bit early on a Friday to do so. My first flight was in September 1966, on a Fleet Canuck at Central Airways, which was owned and operated by the Wong brothers. I still fly my Cessna 185 amphibious plane, usually in the summer to the cottage. But you’ll find me sitting in the back more often these days on a Porter flight. It’s simpler and it allows me to interact with passengers and cabin crew, although the occasional time I occupy a jump seat in the cockpit is always enjoyable. The idea for the island airport as a hub for the city goes back to my days at that airport learning to fly. It is an incredible asset for our city. People tell us that all the time, whether they live in Toronto or enjoy flying into it. As one of the best-located urban airports in the world, it wasn’t living up to its potential as a catalyst for economic development and tourism. Porter came about as a way to begin making positive use of this transportation jewel. Porter has two distinct aspects to our brand. First, there is a colour scheme, logo and aircraft livery that would be considered “corporate.” On the other hand, the graphic raccoon brand mascot allows us to inject an element of fun and playfulness to everything from advertising to the water bottles served onboard. This helps make our brand appear sophisticated and approachable. One of Porter’s goals is to represent certain aspects of the so-called Golden Age of air travel when people dressed up for the occasion and were treated with a degree of respect and refinement. Allowing all passengers into first-class-type lounges, offering a specialty coffee, a glass of wine or beer or some food without asking people

to pay more—these things give people a good feeling about their trip from the beginning, which is not always the case today. Billy Bishop will always be small. There may be an opportunity to expand the lounges a bit to accommodate more people, but this would be modest. You can only have so many flights per day by regulation, so this helps maintain the passenger experience. I think people will be pleasantly surprised when the pedestrian tunnel opens in 2014 at how the flow of passengers becomes calmer simply by spacing everyone out more evenly, as opposed to relying only on the ferry. We are currently pursuing an exciting plan that would allow us to grow beyond our existing regional network and provide service across North America. Our passengers asked us to try to do this and now we need their support with local politicians. There are some necessary approvals still needed, but we’re optimistic that we’ll be in a position to fly to destinations such as Vancouver, Los Angeles and Miami beginning in 2016. This will only be possible because of the Bombardier CS100 aircraft. New engine technology makes it four times quieter than similar jets and essentially the same sound profile as the turboprops currently at the airport. Toronto-Montreal has been the busiest route in Canada for many years. It’s key for business travel and both cities are great to spend time in for fun. Porter has up to 17 daily flights on this route. The next new destination for Porter could be somewhere like LA or Las Vegas using the CS100, or somewhere closer to home within our current network. There are many possibilities. On day one, we wanted to set ourselves apart from the competition. The Mr. Porter brand mascot was controversial, but he’s one aspect of the brand that helped us achieve our objective. He represents our home city of Toronto and raccoons have traits such as persistence, creativity and tenacity that fit well with a small airline taking on the big guys. Robert Deluce is the president and CEO of Porter Airlines.

PHOTO: COURTESY PORTER AIRLINES

ROBERT DELUCE

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