Lab Cab Festival

What's better than finding a new summer festival to check out? Finding one that is steps away from your home! I realize I have an unfair advantage when it comes to location (living at Queen & Gladstone downtown Toronto there is a disproportionately high number of arts/cultural events happening in my 'hood) but all that really means for me is that I feel an obligation to take in as many of them as possible. Which brings me to my Saturday spent in Parkdale at the Lab Cab Festival.

The Lab Cab Festival is a free multi-arts festival whose mandate is "to provide a home for local artists of various disciplines to experiment with new work in a fun and risk-free environment". What this translates to is 100 artists performing in 70 venues on Queen West between Dufferin and Roncesvalles. Yes, you read that correctly. 70 venues. Probably the most intriguing thing about Lab Cab is its use of performance space. Stores, restaurants, community buildings and public spaces all double as venues for the day during Lab Cab, which means that in addition to seeing artists do their thing, you get to explore Parkdale itself. Awesome.

Before heading out to Lab Cab you may want to make yourself a schedule of what you want to see and where to see it because as I mentioned, the venues aren't always obvious as you pass by. Though they were all indicated by balloons outside (the international childhood symbol of PARTY TIME), they all were open to customers throughout the day. Most Lab Cab shows are short (ranging from 10-30 minutes) so it makes sense that they would try to keep it business as usual between performances. My first stop was at West End Comics for the dance piece "Adventures of Imagination: I Am Super Hero". It was probably the weakest but most earnest performance I saw during the day, but that has a lot to do with the fact that it relies heavily on audience participation and our audience was quite reluctant to do mini-jumping jacks and other super hero training tasks. Kids would probably love this one.

Next stop was a theatre performance inside Glory Hole Doughnuts. A brief aside, have you had these doughnuts? OH. MAN. Before the performance we had the absolute delight of partaking in an orange creamsicle doughnut and it was one of the best doughnuts I've ever had. Bring a friend, they're HUGE. The theatre piece was an excerpt from "Amusement" performed by Nobody's Business Theatre. It was quite good, very funny and staged well considering we were inside a small storefront. After the show ended we tumbled outside to catch the end of a lovely musical performance by folk-country band Local 164 who were playing on the steps outside Our Lady of Lebanon church.

Next stop was the parking lot of Certified Tire & Auto for one of the day's highlights, a Tibetan song and dance performance entitled "Five Elements Chuba". For those who don't know, Parkdale is home to Toronto's largest Tibetan Diaspora, and I was very excited to see some traditional Tibetan offerings on the Lab Cab programme. The show began with a vocal/guitar duet and then Tibetan musician Tsering Dorjee took the stage and performed a traditional Tibetan step dance on the dramyin. The final performance had Dorjee accompanying dancers in beautiful Tibetan costumes. Loved it!

It was at this point it began to drizzle a bit so we were happy to have an indoor stop scheduled at vintage store Common Sort. Another aside. If you love vintage shopping, you should plan a trip to Common Sort ASAP. I couldn't even make it out the door without making a purchase (shoes & a bag, I'm such a girl). Inside Common Sort we were treated to an improv performance by "Fast Friends" Amy Matysio & Dana Pino. Using costumes and props from Common Sort's stock, they performed a few improv pieces which were all hilarious. They got the biggest laughs of the day from me. These ladies have a great chemistry/dynamic, which for improv is the most important thing of all. It was great, I wish it had been longer!

Next was an outdoor masked opera "Mr Park VS Dale" performed by Derek Kwan, accompanied on Viola da Gamba by Jöelle Morton. It was performed in a lovely setting (in the May Robinson Apartment outdoor greenspace) and we were really enjoying it until the rain began to fall in earnest, cutting short the performance. Typical of this summer, amirite? But I get it. Viola da Gambas and rain do not mix. We hurried to our next indoor venue, The Mascot Cafe, for the dance piece "Chicago Overcoat" performed by Kristy Kennedy. OH MAN. THIS ONE. This was it for me. It was SO good I kind of want to see it again today. It was a very physical/movement dance, using a table, chair and typewriter in the performance. I don't presume to explain the meaning of the piece on Kennedy's behalf, but to me it spoke to the struggles of the creative/writing process and it did so very effectively. It also used killer tunes (Tom Waits featured heavily). See it, it's awesome.

Last stop was the comedy reading "Greg Does the Alphabet and Other Very Important Things", which took place on the rooftop of Made You Look jewellery, by far the most random and cool venue of the day. Greg Thomas began with a "PSA" about public sneezing, which was funny but would have been funnier if it was shorter. Next was the titular alphabet piece, which was hilarious. It was a work in progress so we only got to "P" but I would love to hear how it ends. Probably with "Z".

We intended to see a few outdoor musical performances at the Dufferin Amphitheatre to finish the day but unfortunately the weather had other plans for us. With any luck, we'll be able to fit in a few more stops at Lab Cab today. It runs again from noon to 6pm and it's FREE! Check it out, it's unlike any other festival I've attended and I mean that in a good way.

The Noise Project at 99 Sudbury

Along with food, art is something that I love but don't necessarily have the proper language to write about. So bear with me here, and don't be discouraged by the absence of pretention. It's probably okay to write about art without it... maybe...

Yesterday I wandered over to the gallery at 99 Sudbury to check out The Noise Project, which describes itself as "a messy, experiential and multidisciplinary exhibition about Noise". I found the idea of using noise as a theme intriguing since most gallery exhibits tend to be library-quiet. Also intriguing was the location of the exhibit, which according to the map I found online actually stretched beyond the walls of 99 Sudbury, with site-specific installations and performances in the surrounding West Queen West Triangle area.

The Noise Project contains works by 24 Toronto-based artists and the bulk of these were on display indoors at the gallery at 99 Sudbury. The art on display involved many different takes on the central theme of urban noise in various forms of media including sculpture, installation, video and film. Highlights for me included the collaboration by TIMEANDDESIRE & Labspace Studio "Overheard", which allows you to sit and listen to private conversations recorded in public spaces (eavesdropping is one of my not-so-secret guilty pleasures). In a similar spirit, Jacqui Arntfield's "Loud Enough For Anyone To Hear" centred around listening to neighbours in intimate conversations/situations through a vent in the wall (another thing I have done quite shamelessly in real life). I also really enjoyed Stephanie Avery's "Music of the City: The Awakening Sounds of Stress", which was an audio installation of a mix CD of urban sounds designed to create a stressful experience (tracks included "Sirens", "Eaton Centre Foodcourt" and "Union Station Construction").

Outside the gallery, Andrew Shenkman played guitar for his work "Duets w/Places". As cars passed by on Sudbury St., each one altered the course of his playing in his attempt to create a duet with the surrounding noise. A lovely moment was when a car paused to watch him and take a picture with their phone, not knowing that their actions were affecting the music being played in real time. I also enjoyed Aria Evans' untitled dance project, which was inspired by the relationship between sound and memory. The dance took place in graffiti alley, just behind the current location of the Theatre Centre, south of Queen West between Lisgar and Dovercourt. Gotta love it when art forces you to travel to interesting locations. Speaking of which, I also made a valiant effort to complete Stephanie Avery's "Acoustic Treasure Hunt", which was like a sound scavenger hunt in the surrounding area of The Noise Project. Sadly, I had trouble locating a clue and then found another clue out of sequence so I'm gonna call that one a fail.

The Noise Project is only at 99 Sudbury for two days, so if you get the chance try to check it out today between 11-4pm. It's FREE and each outdoor site-specific work I mentioned will be happening again today. Additionally, those interested in taking part in the "Acoustic Treasure Hunt" will have an opportunity to do it in a group with the artist present. Undoubtedly, you'll have more successful results than I!

One more thing! If you get the chance, check out Adam Herst's "Timer, Timer, Timer: A Durational Noise Performance In Three Parts", which begins with the artist inside the gallery behind a music stand flanked by buckets full of timers. I won't give too much away about the performance itself, but it takes you outside the gallery to a nearby area where the artist constructs an installation using the timers and then back again to the gallery where more timer-related art installation occurs. Quite interesting and engaging.

T&T Waterfront Night Market

Although I hate to admit it, it's impossible to attend every delicious food-related event in Toronto. I try my best to get to as many as possible, but certain events always seem to elude me. Last year I made a very real attempt to get to the T&T Waterfront Night Market but I was bamboozled (read: bent over) by the TTC and I never actually arrived at my destination (long story, ask me about it sometime). This year I was determined to check it out so my husband and I were on our game and got there about twenty minutes before it was due to open at 6pm. We were happy to see they were letting folks wander in already, even though some vendors weren't quite ready to sell their wares. The T&T Waterfront Night Market is partnered with the T&T Supermarket chain and the unofficial theme of the event is centered around Asian street food. Our plan was to eat as many new and interesting things as possible. We were successful but there were some... complications on the way.

The first thing we ate was takoyaki, which is a Japanese snack consisting of a wheat-flour batter ball filled with octopus. The balls are served with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, aonori (seaweed) and bonito (fish) flakes. They were six for $5, which was an awesome deal. Be warned: even once you think they've cooled down they still need more time to cool before eating. I may have burned my tongue. Totally worth it.
Whenever I've read about the Night Market in the past, there is always a mention of the stinky tofu. Apparently this is a big deal guys. It was everywhere. And even though the smell was indeed objectionable, I had a burst of "when in Rome" spirit and went for it. Hmmm... how do I say this politely... it's rare that a food triggers my gag reflex. I couldn't manage a whole piece, despite getting a pile of it for $5. Maybe it's an acquired taste? I tried guys, I really tried. This gave me some gweilo shame but I soldiered on.

Okay! Redemption time. Those tasty looking skewers to the left are actually grilled chicken hearts. Oh yes. I absolutely did. The first thing I exclaimed upon seeing them was "they're so small!", which I quickly realized was not at all shocking. The other not shocking thing is they taste like chicken, or more specifically, like dark chicken meat. The texture was interesting but not in a bad way. The skewers were two for $5.

And then this happened:

 

The forecast had called for "possible severe thunderstorms" but we thought, "what else is new?" and decided to go about our evening. As soon as we ate our chicken hearts (I really wanted to write that sentence) the sky became scary dark and the wind started blowing dust and dirt in our faces. The wind then became violent and vendor booths started blowing around and parts of some blew apart. The rain started quickly but the wind continued to be the most destructive force, threatening to take down the main tented area set-up for eating food. A volunteer asked for help stabilizing the poles so she could take down a sign acting almost like a sail in the wind. My husband hurried to help her do so and also helped take the sign down when she couldn't reach. My hero! He credited the chicken hearts for his courage. (I took pictures. I'm awesome to have around in a crisis.)

The storm didn't last too long but sadly, it ended the night for many vendors. Some had to repair their booths, some lost power and some just seemed to think the evening was over. It's true that the crowd thinned considerably when things got stormy. I was disappointed and reluctant to leave until I was sure it was over. When the rain stopped, the vendors that remained and who could still prepare their foods started cooking again. It was pretty cool to see how some of them took it in stride. I saw a lot of people laughing and shaking their heads, but no one seemed to have their spirits dampened. We decided the best thing to do was to stay and keep eating.

The next thing we ate was teppanyaki squid. And I mean the whole squid. It was a little more pricey than the other dishes at $8, but it was a tremendous amount of food. The vendor (wearing a garbage bag rain poncho) offered to cut it up for us, which was very nice. It was delicious, a real highlight.

We then opted to have some teppanyaki scallops. This was interesting because I consider myself to be a lover of scallops but I was unfamiliar with the shapes I saw on the grill in front of me. Apparently there's more to these little guys than what I'm used to eating. These looked more mollusk-like with the outer muscular area still attached to the "coral" (I absolutely had to Wiki this shit when I got home). Delicious + learning = $6 win!

Once we had eaten a heaping pile of seafood we started to feel pretty full and satisfied so we decided that was it for food sampling. Around us, more vendors were firing up their grills and getting their evenings back on track. As we left I grabbed a milk-tea bubble tea for the road and I was happy to see that new waves of hungry people were starting to wander through. Though I'm sure that the weather hiccup will hurt the vendors a bit, the party is set to go late tonight (until midnight) and will continue throughout the weekend, Saturday 4pm-midnight and Sunday 4pm-10pm. Go if you get the chance. Eat something different and exciting... and enjoy!

Toronto Fringe - Morro and Jasp: Go Bake Yourself

Once again Toronto Fringe has come to a close. Sad face. How about one more review for the road? OH-KAY!

When checking out Fringe listings two little words under "Warnings" always make my stomach drop: audience participation. Usually the threat thought of being called to the stage to participate in a play is enough to make me skip the show altogether. Call it unfair, but it's outside my comfort zone and I don't ever want to be the reluctant player who causes a show to grind to a screeching halt. But on occasion I will still pick a play with those scary, scary words of caution if it appears too good to miss.

Last year at Fringe, I did just that and ended up seeing a play by local clown duo Morro and Jasp. Despite the audience participation aspect (from which I was gratefully spared) it was the highlight of my festival. So when I saw that Morro and Jasp were back this year with their Dora Award-winning (Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role/Ensemble, 2012) show Morro and Jasp: Go Bake Yourself, I once again chose to ignore the audience participation warning. Was I spared this time? Yes and no. Intrigued? Read on!

The premise of MAJ:GBY is straightforward, the clown sisters have a live cooking show, and is driven by their established dynamic. Jasp, the more responsible of the pair, attempts to keep them focused and on-track as they work through several recipes and Morro, the sweet-but-simple chaotic force, tests her sisters' patience with her nonstop antics. There is nothing subtle about the way these two interact with each other or the audience but fortunately these two have the comedic chops and timing to ensure that the silly never gets too over-the-top. That being said, it's two clowns in a kitchen. Things get pretty zany. Cooking ingredients are messy props and much mess is made on stage. But much like the cliché about having to crack eggs to make an omelette, Morro and Jasp know that sometimes you have to make a mess to make laughs happen.

The audience's laughter began immediately and even with a few quiet moments it never receded completely. Morro and Jasp began the show by making two pies, which were baked on stage as the rest of the show took place (the pies' progress could be viewed by the audience via their "pie-cam", a nice touch). They passed out "fancy hors d'oeuvres" (crackers and cheese) to the audience complete with a recipe so we could make them for ourselves at home. They then proceeded to make several other dishes, with varying degrees of success. And yes, there was audience participation. There was a carrot-peeling contest for a small group of willing participants, and a longer audience participation segment where a man was plucked from the audience to taste a truly horrific looking recipe (containing everything from pickles to oysters to cocoa powder to whipped cream). Fortunately my back-row seat ensured I was passed-over for these tasks.

The final act, however, got everyone involved. And I mean everyone. Beginning with the back-row, we were called to the stage and given a plastic fork and napkin. Then, like a sort of demented communion, we were given a small forkful of a freshly-baked pie and "blessed" by Morro. It took some time to work through the entire audience, but Morro made the process hilarious by ad-libbing a tailor-made wish for each of us (mine: "May your ringlets grow long and prosper!"). A show-specific highlight was Morro's wish for audience member and CBC host Jian Ghomeshi: "May you be blessed with a voice that is heard across the nation!". A great show to end my Fringe with. Until next year!

Summerlicious - Harlem West

You know those places. Everyone has them. Restaurants in your neighbourhood that you pass by over and over again and you say to yourself "I should really try this place, it's so close!" and yet somehow you never make it inside. They're hidden in plain sight and you never hold yourself accountable for neglecting them because obviously you'll get there sooner or later, after all they're so close! We are all guilty of this, and I am no exception. With my most recent Summerlicious outing I attempted to right this wrong by taking in a lunch at Harlem West.

Harlem West had been on my list for some time so I was really excited to check out its Summerlicious offering. I was even more excited to see that its menu had a lot of dishes I could choose from, which isn't always the case at Southern/BBQ restaurants (for those who don't know, I do not eat pork or beef). The restaurant had a very laid-back vibe and it wasn't just because it was a hot Sunday morning. Staff were very friendly and attentive and chit-chatted with us between Charles Bradley tunes playing in the background. Though it was my first time there, it felt like I was a regular.

For my appetizer I chose the corn bread. In fact, my entire party chose the corn bread for their appetizer, which our waitress teased us about. She was right to suggest we should have coordinated together to try the other options (Cajun fried okra! Deep fried pickles!) but who among us can resist the lure of fresh made in house corn bread? It was delicious and had whole corn nibblets (technical term) baked in... yum! I didn't even bother with butter; it didn't need any assistance pleasing my face.

For my main I chose the Bayou catfish sandwich, which was pan-seared and served on ciabatta. The catfish was prepared perfectly, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a lovely little kick of spice. For dessert I took a calculated risk, choosing the candied plantain over the lemon square (typically I would have zeroed in on this in a flash). Happily, I was not let down by my decision to act against type. The plantain was sautéed in a brown sugar caramel sauce and it was a delightful end to the meal.

Harlem West, I'm sorry it took me so long to realize what was right in front of me. See you soon!

Corn bread? Ain't nothin' wrong with that!

Probably should have taken an "under-the-bun" pic of the catfish, but you can see it peeking out here... hello!

Candied plantain might be my new favourite thing. Oh yes.

Open Roof Festival

Last night I took in my first Open Roof Festival screening of the season. For those unfamiliar with Open Roof, now in its fourth year,  the festival runs Thursday nights throughout the summer from June 20th to August 22nd. This is the first year the ORF has been screening from its new location "The Moonview Lot" at 175 Queens Quay East (its previous home, the Amsterdam Brewery at 21 Bathurst St. has since relocated and the building has been torn down). I was a fan of the old location and its lovely skyline backdrop, but was excited to check out the new location and its promise of an even more scenic venue (located close to the lake and across the street from Sherbourne Common).

The Moonview Lot did not disappoint. It's located within a pocket of the city that is only recently starting to be built-up so it has a remote, low-traffic quality, which gives screenings a private feel. It faces the city from the opposite side (east) of the old location, and gives audiences an even clearer, less obstructed view of the skyline behind the stage/screen. My only complaint about the new location is that the bathrooms are located further from the screening area than they were at the last location (which is not to say they were close, but you didn't have to leave the venue to get to them).

The really great thing about the Open Roof Festival is it's more than just an outdoor screening of a movie, it's an entire evening of entertainment in one location for one low ticket price ($15). The movie is the main event, but before the movie there is food and a performance by a band, with different food vendors and performers for each screening. On this particular occasion, the food vendors were Hot Bunzz and FeasTO, both of which I had the yummy pleasure of sampling before at various Toronto food events.

Hot Bunzz being prepped for the oven.

Delicious Hot Bunzz for all!

Hot Bunzz were serving two kinds of "bunzz": a mushroom, 3-cheese and spinach bun and a Brazilian BBQ beef bun. I chose the former and it was delicious. Sold by the pair for $6 they were a bargain. At the FeasTO station I opted to grab a chicken Bahn Mi-style sandwich for $6 and it was another winner. It's true what they say: everything is better with cilantro. Okay, they don't say that but I do and I stand by it.

The folks at FeasTO busily prep their offerings.

Chicken Bahn Mi sandwich anyone? HECK YES.

After we filled our bellies with delicious foods we found our seats and watched Chris Bottomley and his band perform. Having no knowledge of Chris Bottomley before the screening, I was expecting something tailored a little more to the tone of the film (oh, I'm getting to that) but instead we were treated to some very nice upbeat, funky rock. It's a tough job being the band at ORF screenings since most people are milling about getting their food, beer (the event is most definitely licensed) and seats but Chris Bottomley & co. did a good job of getting everyone in the mood for a fun evening. In addition to the food vendors I mentioned, there was a stand selling popcorn (duh -- it's still a movie guys!) and the girls selling it were dressed in bikinis and balaclavas, which was a nice touch given the movie we were about to watch.

Ahhh yes... you may have noticed mentions of the movie being screened have been conspicuously absent up until this point. That was deliberate. This was meant to be a review of the Open Roof Festival itself, so I wanted to focus on the venue and event and not the film. But yes of course we were there to watch a movie too. The movie screened last night was Spring Breakers, directed by Harmony Korine. I liked it, but I knew what I was in for. Korine's films are certainly not for everyone. Suffice it to say, if you like so-bad-it's-good movies with a cast of former Disney actresses acting bad (double entendre), plenty of boobs and a Skrillex-heavy soundtrack, you'll enjoy it. If you find James Franco attractive, you might want to give it a skip as it might devastate you to see him in cornrows and grills.

A great night was had and I'm excited to take in at least one more Open Roof Festival screening before summer's end. Check it out!

Not a bad spot to watch a movie outdoors, amirite? Toronto! Lovely!

Toronto Fringe - The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!

As much as I try not to judge a book by its cover, when I saw the Fringe listing for The Musical of Musicals: The Musical! I immediately wanted to see it. And more than that, as a huge fan of musicals, I had a need for it to be good. Really good.

Friends. I can assure you I was not disappointed.

The Musical of Musicals: The Musical is a musical (SHOCKING!) parody of musicals. Ugh. I'm going to say "musicals" a lot in this posting. Apologies.  The plot is simple: "You must pay the rent!" "I can't pay the rent!", but its brilliance lies in its execution. The plot is then played out in five different mini-musicals done in the style of five noted musical composers. The first musical segment is 'Corn!', done in the style of Rodgers & Hammerstein. The second is 'A Little Complex', done in the style of Stephen Sondheim. The third is 'Dear Abby!', done in the style of Jerry Herman. The fourth is 'Aspects of Junita', done in the style of Andrew Lloyd Webber. And finally, the fifth is 'Speakeasy', done in the style of Kander & Ebb.

If any of these names sound unfamiliar to you, your enjoyment level might suffer slightly but TMOM:TM does a very good job of ensuring that everyone is in on the joke, despite having a somewhat esoteric premise. The laughs are so rapid fire that even musical superfans are bound to miss a few, which levels out the audience response. Each musical segment had a very distinct style and paid homage to its source material very effectively. The music for each segment was very cleverly written and contained some of the most groan-worthy puns I've heard in a long time (meant as a compliment). The production was very stripped down and didn't rely on sets or costumes to tell the joke; instead the emphasis was placed on delivery and choreography.

It would be very difficult to go into more detail without spoiling some of TMOM:TM's best jokes but I still wanted to make mention of two personal highlights. The first was the performance of Paula Wolfson as Abby, the older, advice-dispensing character in each musical segment. The role invariably provided Wolfson with five different opportunities to deliver a show-stopping number, which she did with ferocity. A second highlight for me was how during 'Aspects of Junita' segment (parodying Andrew Lloyd Webber) there were as many jokes making fun of the audience of Webber's musicals than there was of Webber's work itself. Despite the presence of many Webber fans (myself included), the audience still loved laughing at things like stage directions instructing "the audience applauds at the use of a smoke machine".

Summerlicious - The Chefs' House

Full disclosure. Every Summerlicious (and Winterlicious) I begin making preliminary picks once the menus are posted and I whittle down my options based on a number of factors until I come up with my final list. And for whatever reason, The Chefs' House always manages to get cut right before the final round. So this year I said "NO MORE!" and I bumped it to the final round immediately. It was time. This was happening.

And today it happened! But before I get into the yummy details, a little background about the restaurant. The Chefs' House is student-staffed by a number of related programs at George Brown College. Think of it as a teaching hospital but in restaurant form. At The Chefs' House students get practical industry experience and patrons act as willing test subjects. I found the concept of the restaurant quite intriguing*.

The first thing I noticed when my husband and I walked into the restaurant was that it was teeming with staff. We arrived at noon and the lunch rush hadn't quite got underway so the staff was conspicuously present on the floor, eagerly awaiting their tasks. Attentive doesn't even begin to describe the level of service. The second thing I noticed were the television monitors on the walls of the restaurant which were screening what was happening in the kitchen while food was being prepared. A cool idea but maybe a little unnecessary since the kitchen was in full view from pretty much every seat in the dining room.

After munching on some deliciously fresh focaccia our appetizers arrived. I had the tomato and mixed bean salad with goat cheese and it was so colourful and lovely on the plate I almost didn't want to destroy it. But destroy it I did and it was glorious. For my main I chose the chicken tikka, served with basmati rice and carrot chutney. It was very good but there was a section of the chicken that was teetering close to being undercooked (eep). I cut around it and all was well in the land. Fortunately my dessert got me back on the winning track. I had the ginger scented peach crumble with lemon Chantilly. Heaven.

(*for more information about The Chefs' House check out their website)

The colours! The colours! The goat cheese! The goat cheese!

There's a lot going on in the bowl. More cilantro please!

I swear it didn't look like a crime scene on the plate but here... lil' bit. I blame the photographer.

Parkdale Flea

There aren't a lot of things that will get this ginger out of bed early on a grey Sunday morning (maybe brunch) but when I heard that the newest flea market in town was happening in my backyard (more or less) I happily set my alarm. Today was the first edition of the Parkdale Flea and it was well worth the slight loss of sleep.

Let me start out by saying that if you aren't already sold on the concept of flea markets altogether then you can give this one a skip. They aren't for everyone and I'm not here to sell you on the idea of vintage or handmade goods if you aren't into it. And that's okay. More cool shit for the rest of us.

As someone who digs a good flea the Parkdale Flea is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood, especially after the Junction Flea left its temporary winter home in The Great Hall and went back to the Junction. There will no doubt be comparisons to the aforementioned flea and there were certainly similar aspects (concept, signage, a few familiar vendors) but I thought it did a very good job distinguishing itself as its own unique flea.

To begin with, they have a great space. It's large and spread out in a way that allows for a lot of people to wander around comfortably. It also has an indoor section if you need a little a/c break or if raindrops happen to make an appearance.

There was a solid selection of vintage, antique and handmade vendors, ranging from very affordable to pricier fare. There were food and drink vendors to help keep energy levels up while shopping (beetroot lemonade and mini doughnuts?!? HECK YES). And of course there were the requisite bizarre collectibles and oddities that really have to be present at any good flea.

Sadly, my budget didn't allow for a splurge today but there will be one more opportunity this summer to get in on the sweet Parkdale Flea action. August 4th. Mark your calendars. Save your pennies. And get there early because once word gets out that the new kid in town is, like, totally awesome there might not be any mini doughnuts left for you.

All your Communist pin needs in one place! What could be more convenient, comrades?

The best thing I saw at the Parkdale Flea...

... and the worst.

Toronto Fringe - Bremen Rock City

When my BFF Bob asked me if I was seeing Bremen Rock City at Fringe it caught me off guard. I had read positive reviews for the play but it was never on my radar since it's part of the Fringe Kids! program, which are productions intended for a 3-12 year old audience. And though it never occurred to me to see a Fringe Kids! play, I wasn't opposed to the idea in theory. I regularly pick movies at TIFF from the TIFF Kids program and it has yielded positive results in the past. Also, I thought it was hilarious that Bob clearly had no idea he had suggested a children's play. I mean, this is the guy who reviews movies by telling me exactly how much nudity I can expect to see. I decided to let this one play out (no pun intended), and off to Bremen Rock City we went.

It was... good but uneven. The execution was very no frills but very thoughtful, with the cast taking on the roles of many different animals in costumes that were more suggestive than literal, which was pretty cool. Some of the original music was quite catchy but I thought it odd that the clear show-stopping song happened around the mid-way point and was not saved for the finale (that the premise involved a battle of the bands and then proceeded to use a weak song as their "entry" was a misstep for sure). When it was clever it was very clever and it had a few jokes built-in for adults, which was appreciated. But despite its earnestness it felt somewhat wasted on the audience, who were either too old to need the lesson or too young to understand. This would have been a great play for an audience of 7-9 year olds but unfortunately all the kids I saw were probably in the 3-5 range. They were entertained but I doubt they left with its message in mind. Let's hope their parents took the time afterwards to walk them through it.

As for Bob, I can't say for sure if he enjoyed it or not but almost immediately after the play ended he started to claim that this whole thing was my idea so I suspect he wasn't blown away.

Summerlicious - Sambucas on Church

I need to preface this post by clarifying that I don't think I have the proper language for reviewing food. Meaning, I don't have a grab-bag of descriptive (pretentious?) words that I can pull out of my ass to descibe the flavour of my filet mignon. Which is okay because I don't eat red meat.

I'm starting to veer off course here. Let's try again.

Summerlicious! For those who don't know, Summerlicious (and it's companion Winterlicious) is a city-wide event wherein participating restaurants (195 of them to be exact) have special 3-course prix fixe menus ranging in price (lunches at $15, $20 and $25, dinners at $25, $35 and $45). It's a great opportunity to try new places and get a lot of bang for your buck, especially for the cheap lunches. Which is where I come in.

Today my friend Jessie (what up grrrl) and I had a $15 lunch at Sambucas on Church, which she picked for us. For my appetizer I chose the tuna bruschetta baked with mixed cheese, for my main I had the pappardelle pasta with lobster tail and black tiger shrimp and for dessert I had the chocolate hazelnut tartufo. Not too shabby for $15, right? Though you certainly won't find lobster on every $15 lunch menu (which is why we both lobster'ed it up good and proper). My appetizer was good, kind of like a tuna melt bruschetta, which I was into. My main was full of lobster and shrimp so it was clearly a winner. My dessert was pretty run-of-the mill, not unlike a PC-brand frozen tartufo you could pick-up at Loblaws (Jessie won the dessert round with her chocolate mousse, which was delicious).

Now, I promised myself I would never turn into the kind of douchebag who takes pictures of their meals to Instagram or whatever but I also know that food posts really do look better with a visual so I briefly lapsed into douchebag territory today and took pictures of my food. I hope you guys appreciate this shit (apologies for the flash, the restaurant was romantically lit)...

First time taking food pictures, I totally forgot and dug right in...

So. Much. Lobster.

Both desserts! Jessie's mousse on the right took the gold.

Toronto Fringe - We Are The Bomb

The Toronto Fringe is always a bit of a mixed bag so it feels especially satisfying when you see something awesome. It feels even better than that when the first play you see is awesome. For a brief shining moment it feels like you've beaten the odds and that this will be the year you see nothing but awesome shit. Past experience has taught me that this feeling is fleeting. Nevertheless! I'm going to revel in it tonight.

We Are The Bomb had a lot of things going for it on paper, including a good company (Theatre Brouhaha) an acclaimed writer (Kat Sandler, writer of last year's Best of Fringe winner Help Yourself) and critical anticipation ( NOW, Torontoist, blogTO, etc.), so it seemed like a safe bet. I'm always a little apprehensive about site-specific plays because they tend towards gimmicky, but this play did a good job using its unconventional location without it feeling hokey. We Are The Bomb takes place in the Paddock Tavern at Queen & Bathurst and the basic plot (no spoilers) is that it is the last night in Toronto before prohibition takes place and a motley crew of bar patrons declare themselves a sovereign nation in an attempt to thwart the new law. And then shit goes down. It's genuinely laugh-out-loud funny (Kat Sandler is clearly a sharp writer, especially of dialogue) and as it begins its descent (ascent?) into more dramatic territory it feels very organic and natural.

I won't go into any further details; suffice it to say that there are 9 more performances left and I predict they will be well-attended so get your asses in gear and grab some tickets. A word of caution: The Paddock is not air-conditioned and it was hot as balls by the time the play reached its conclusion. The good news (for you drinkers) is the Paddock is open for booze business until the curtain goes up, despite there not actually being a curtain in the bar, so grab something cold before the show. ONE LAST THING: I really enjoyed the pre-show music being played by the company. Someone made a cool revolution-themed playlist, including Patti Smith, The Clash, The Living End, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and The Beatles. It's the little things, amirite?

INTRO!

"You should really have a blog or something."

I hear that a lot and it usually makes me cringe. And yet here I am, about to start blogging. Frankly, I'm just as shocked as you that I've given in to the peer pressure. So why this? Why now?

For a couple of reasons, most of which I don't intend to bore you with. The most important reason is that I do have a genuine urge to tell people en masse about my various Toronto adventures. And I do tend to have more Toronto adventures than most. So! Whether you're interested in finding something T.O. See & T.O. Do for yourself or you just want to live vicariously through my posts (no judgement) then CHECK. ME. OUT.