Results tagged “wine”

There can be few pleasures as simple as splitting a bottle of wine with friends. It’s difficult to pinpoint the source of the romanticism, but it could be the systematic pouring from the bottle, the rhythmic swirling of the wine, or the life implicit in something that has to breathe. At the same time, wine can be damn intimidating. There are people who babble on about the 2003 this and how the shiraz from this region just simply can’t compare to the one from that region.

It hasn’t been the greatest season for the Raptors; in fact, it’s been one of the worst yet. At eight games back of Chicago and with nine left to play, the players and coaches must already have their flights and tee times booked. What better time to thank the Raptors season ticket holders for enduring another year? And what better way to do so than with loads and loads of Northern Italian food and wine?

Seven months after axing Chatto's Digest (not to mention all their other blogs), Toronto Life has launched a new food blog. Daily Dish promises to "[serve] up the latest gossip from the city's restaurant scene, from openings and closings to celeb-sightings and food trends." As Online Editor Matthew Fox explains in the blog's inaugural post:

Forget the snow, it's time to start planning your summer of cycling. The Toronto–Niagara Bike Train will be returning this year with an expanded schedule, more travel options, and some getaway package deals. Building on last summer's successful pilot program which saw dozens of cyclists and their bikes riding the train between Toronto and Niagara Falls on each of four weekends, the 2008 edition of the Bike Train spans eight weekends from late June through the end of September. The September trips should be popular thanks to events like the Niagara Wine Festival.

Snow globes, ice sculptures, and an ice bar...sound like an arctic paradise? Even if you're sick of slipping on the white (and sometimes yellow) stuff, you're still invited to Bloor-Yorkville's IceFest Festival this weekend—and you don't even have to get your feet wet!

Torontoist is one of fourteen cities in the worldwide Gothamist network. Each Sunday, the editors of every site—from LAist to Londonist—choose their most interesting article, a list which is compiled into the network-wide feature Elsewhere In The Ist-A-Verse.

An ornately set table. A fine bottle of pink sparkling wine. A bouquet of flowers purchased in a hurry on the way home from the office. A filter on the window to simulate a blue moon. Andy Williams crooning "Moon River" or the 101 Strings playing "Light My Fire" in the background. All of the necessary mood-enhancing ingredients for a cozy tête-à-tête on Valentine's Day.

Just in case this is something you like to be reminded of, you're going to die someday. The good news is that day is likely to be further off than ever, because average life expectancy in Canada has risen, with a baby born in 2005 likely to live to 80.4 years of age. On the other hand, who wants to be an 80-year-old baby?

Photo by karlofun from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

We've already taken a look at a few local seasonal beers, and the reigning champion is still Great Lakes Winter Ale, which some have described as tasting like sitting beside your fireplace during a snowstorm.

It sounds pretty simple. There's one rule, right? Don't get so wasted that you a) spill the beans to your boss about i) the fact that you hate him/her or ii) the fact that someone is quitting, b) touch someone inappropriately, or c) throw up in your boss' lap. And yet come holiday season, we're bombarded by so much inane advice on how to not screw up at your office party that it's enough to make anyone paranoid. So to save you some time, we thought we'd do a summary of the not-so-helpful suggestions from our local etiquette experts.

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate (or not) the upcoming holiday season, it’s hard not to embrace a spirit of generosity that seems unique to this time of year. Students from the Ontario College of Art & Design’s Think Tank program are hoping that giving mood will be alive and well among restaurant patrons on Thursday, December 6, as they unveil the inaugural Bread Project. A joint project between OCAD’s Think Tank and...

Wouldn't your friends appreciate it more if you were present for dinner? Unless you are rewarding them, do you trust your friends and clients enough not to blow your credit limit in a swanky establishment such as this restaurant? Toronto was one of several Canadian cities featured in this late 1970s American Express campaign. All of the ads feature models who look too eager to serve cardmembers (check out Vancouver's entry). It's hard to...

Last week, we reported on a confrontation at College and McCaul Streets where a cyclist stabbed a motorist in the neck and face with a screwdriver. Police have arrested Yonan Inwia for assault, but give no further details. It's stories like this that need Rosie DiManno: "Yonan Inwia fell roughly to the ground, his hands reaching out in a Christ-like fashion to break the heavy fall. Little did Yonan know, today he would be the messiah of cyclist rage, wielding the cuspidated tool of justice."

The Entertainment District got a little more entertaining early Monday morning as an innocent bystander was wounded in a wild movie-style shootout involving at least four gunmen. Mayor David Miller called for a crackdown on gun smuggling as part of his strategy of blaming all problems in Toronto on forces outside of his control.

Photo by Greg Clow from Flickr.

Think you can write, draw and finish a 24-page comic book in 24 hours?

Given the chance to provide insider knowledge about Toronto to a well-known travel site on behalf of your city and fellow residents, what juicy local secrets would you reveal?

A lot happens in and around Toronto, but we can only write about so much in a week. Here's the best of the rest, in a new weekly feature we're calling Superfluist. Superfluist will appear every Friday night.

Ask Torontonians for an example of Toronto food and you will have an array of different answers. One astute response may be that Toronto specializes in having everything and having it available at your doorstep.

Even though the city has voiced disappointment and considered allowing chain restaurants onto the list, Summerlicious has arrived with all its previous perks and kinks.

There’s nothing quite like leisurely strolling on a warm, sunny Saturday, exploring shops, nibbling some treats, and sipping some wine. Can this enticing combination be had in Toronto? Yes—tomorrow is the last day of Santé, the 9th annual Bloor-Yorkville wine festival, with several events left to round out your activities this Mother’s Day weekend.

With the explosion in popularity of natural, organic and local foods, grocery shopping has become a confusing experience. Now that supermarkets, big box stores and major manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon, it’s getting harder and harder for consumers to trust their food source. Luckily for us Torontonians, we don’t have to settle for the fluorescent food section at the nearest Wal-Mart Supercentre. St. Lawrence Market has been thriving downtown for over 200 years, and has all the fresh, wholesome food you need at a decent price. And you can trust your food by interacting directly with the farmers and proprietors who handle it.

Residential property taxes have skyrocketed this year, almost twice the rate of inflation. To lessen the blow, the city is considering a plan to set "pay-as-you-throw" fees for household waste pickup that would be integrated into your water bill. A standard-size garbage bin would cost $4 per month for weekly pickup, but the fee would increase with a special larger bin. There would be no penalty for additional recycling and compost pickup.

The idea of dressing up dogs can be deeply divisive. Some people think it's cute, others contend it's traumatizing for the animal—and then there are those who think it's just plain stupid. But anyone who's had to carry a canine friend home after too much sidewalk salt has made for sore paws will tell you that dog boots are definitely not just a silly accessory. And no matter your view on dog getups, it's hard to argue with raising money for canine cancer.

Hey, have you been outside? It's hella cold.

There's only so much one can write about the Robert Pickton trial, 48 Abell and the $8 minimum wage. Today, we present "News Roundup Lite"...

Toronto can't seem to keep its trash out of trouble. Those giant sidewalk trash bins aren't generating enough in ad revenue to honour their $1-million-a-year payout to the city, so now what? Well, bids for Toronto's street furniture contract are still being accepted. The winning companies will be supplying garbage bins, bus shelters and bike racks for no cost, but will reap the benefits of the "furniture"'s potential adspace.

Two of our contributors, Shari Kasman and Jenelle Rupchand, are all about arts & crafts this weekend. In this roundup, Shari brings you some of the many weekend fairs going on, while Jenelle's stocking up on some fair trade goods.

Happy December Torontoist readers!