blogTO | Posts by nicolestamp

House Party 1988 - 80's Pop in Support of Non-Profit Housing

Nicole — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:50:24 PDT

Photo: detail of "t dot" by moonwire from the blogTO flickr pool.

It's no secret that Toronto has a housing problem. And this Thursday night, you can bust a move to help solve it. According to various sources, well over 60,000 people in Toronto are on the wait-list for social housing. The wait can be as long as a decade (yowza!) and physical or mental health issues can make it tough for some to find a safe, clean, and comfortable place to call home.

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Miss Cora's Kitchen - Butter Tart Heaven in Kensington Market

Nicole — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:47:55 PDT

Miss Cora's Kitchen is a bright, cozy bakery and take-out spot tucked under an orange awning in Kensington Market. Miss Cora DeVries herself presides over the warm wood counter with a welcoming grin and friendly, neighbourhoodsy small talk.

Read the full review of Miss Cora's Kitchen in our Baked Goods section.

Clafouti - Croissants, Tarts, and a Killer Mister Crispy

Nicole — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:43:15 PDT

Clafouti, a French bakery on Queen St. West, is the perfect way to kickstart a day off. It's a madhouse on the weekend, jammed with ravenous hordes salivating over perfect, buttery croissants and pains au chocolat. On a weekday, however, the pace is serene. The pleasant shop contains just a few people absently munching the extravagantly good tarts and reading highbrow periodicals.

Read the full review of Clafouti in the Cafes section.

Rough House - Floating like Chaplin, Falling like Keaton

Nicole — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:17:43 PDT

Andy Massingham's Dora Award-winning one-man slapstick play, Rough House, is a jewel-perfect example of theatrical minimalism. In the 50-minute show, he speaks not a word of text, and is accompanied onstage by only a sturdy kitchen chair, a small white bowl, and a dangling lightbulb. There's no story to speak of, and you won't care. Directed by Brian Quirt, Massingham channels the rough-and-tumble greats of silent film, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, and seasons their warmth with a dash of Becketty bleakness. The show wasn't designed for children, but its appeal is ageless; at Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, several hundred people, ranging in age from 4 to 94, alternately sat spellbound and laughed their faces off.

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Ding Dong Pastries and Cafe - A Whole Lotta Snackin' For $0.60

Nicole — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:21:26 PDT

The Ding Dong bun house is a narrow, pleasant Chinatown shop. The walls are lined with tanned and golden buns, reclining under steam-clouded domes, weirdly reminiscent of Brigitte Bardot in a soft-focus lens.

Read the full review of Ding Dong Pastries and Cafe in our Restaurants section.

Saving Grace, an ace brunch place

Nicole — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:25:43 PDT

Brunch at Saving Grace feels like visiting a friend who has a better apartment than you, but isn't smug about it. The small, high-ceilinged room seats twenty people (many, but not all, of the hipster variety) at bright plywood tables, and a few more can oversee the room from a raised bar at mezzanine level. Most Sundays, the place is packed- but it's only a 15-minute wait, and the servers are always smiling. In the bright, airy little space, the atmosphere is pleasant and relaxed.

Saving Grace was chosen as one of blogTO's Best Brunch Spots in Toronto. Read the full review of Saving Grace in our restaurants section.

Royal Ontario Museum - Darwin: The Evolution Revolution

Nicole — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:48:53 PDT

The Darwin exhibit begins with a (literal) bang: a pair of crusty golden tortoises, staring into space whilst engaging in the most natural activity of all. The slack-jawed male looks determined, pumping a stolid thrust every few seconds against his bored girlfriend, who's half-heartedly trying to climb out of the enclosure. The scaly couple ignore the many amateur filmmakers documenting their X-rated embrace on cell-phone cameras. The reptiles are dignified and unselfconscious: many a Hollywood starlet could take notes.

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Hannah's Kitchen: Homestyle Lunch, Uptown

Nicole — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:05:13 PST

Hannah's Kitchen is Yonge & Eglinton's cheery beacon of lunchtime goodness. The narrow shop is dominated by a gleaming counter loaded with sandwich fixings, a colourful swath of chunky salads, two great daily soups, and hot, fresh, comfort lunches.

Read the full review of Hannah's Kitchen in our Restaurants section.

Sidecar Bar & Restaurant, New on College

Nicole — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 13:18:37 PST

Sidecar is the newest addition to the Little Italy strip, having just opened in the spot formerly occupied by that weird Versace bar. Inside, the place looks like the product of a Gordon Ramsay restaurant makeover: warm raw brick, sleek curved bar, and buttery-beige ductwork, all glowing by candlelight. We're a little underdressed in parkas and army caps, but the host greets us warmly, despite our obvious street cred.

Read the full review of Sidecar in the Restaurants section.