Friday 6 May 2011

Eclectisaurus has a pop-up store

Leslie is taking advantage of some extra space in her neighbourhood to expand into a pop-up store. From now until May 28, she has a temporary location next door at 251 Gerrard and she’s holding an “as-is” sale of vintage and antique furniture, decorative smalls, clothing, jewellery, lighting and artwork. Save from 15 to 50% off. Many items at $5 and $10. New stuff arrives daily. http://www.eclectisaurus.com/ 249 and 251 Gerrard.

Champagne for Mum at Stout
Erin at Stout Irish Pub (221 Carlton) loves Mums and she’s giving each one who visits for brunch and dinner on Mother’s Day a free glass of bubbly. Dinner on Sunday features a lovely jumbo prawn spaghettini sautéed in white wine butter with fresh parsley and parmesan. This is just the start of a very busy week at Stout. On Thursday, it’s time for a party. Beginning at 5:30 pm, Stout will celebrate a grand opening. It’s a bit late - Erin opened in January but she hasn’t had a chance to do her launch until now. So she's combining it with her patio launch. Come early (before 7 pm) and enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres, scotch whisky tastings, samples and gifts from Camerons Brewery. At 7 pm, Zack Werner starts performing. For more info, click here: http://www.stoutirishpub.ca/

Young Thailand is now open
There’s been some curiosity about this new restaurant. They opened but didn’t have a sign and their publicity was very low-keyed. Now, everything’s done and they’re all ready to welcome you. Their liquor license arrived a week ago. Outside, their new sign is up and inside the dining room is beautifully decorated with white table cloths. So far, their most popular dishes have been royal pad thai and grilled red snapper. Lunch is from 11 am to 3 pm daily and dinner from 5 pm onward. 446 Parliament.

Caroline’s
Caroline Murphy is expanding her weekend brunch service – it’s now available on Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm. And her patio is open along with her special shawls for those who think it’s too chilly for Spring. Throughout May, tables of four or more who order a Caroline’s classic pizza will be supporting her in her July bike ride to Montreal on behalf of People With Aids. 554 Parliament.

Business people interested in Twitter
Linda Ogbeide is giving a talk at Merryberry Café (559 Parliament) on Wednesday morning May 11 from 8:30 to 9:30 am. It’s geared to business people who want to know more about this effective social networking tool. Topics include having conversations, getting followers, best practices and lots more that you need to know to succeed here. This event is sponsored by the Cabbagetown chapter of Business Networking International, a group who meet weekly and cover topics relevant to business people. $10.

Flowers for your mother
Mother’s Day is a big event at Simmons Flowers and they’re ready for the rush. They have great choices for you - lots of different flowers in stock to meet your needs. And they’re delivering on Mother’s Day (order by Saturday for Sunday delivery.) http://www.simmonsflowers.com/ (416) 920-6580. 540 Parliament

And flowers for your garden
Contrary to popular experience, it really is Spring. Time to plan and plant your garden. Fairway Market (520 Parliament) has loaded up with plants, soil, fertilizer and other gardening necessities. Of course, flowers are the basic ingredient, but don’t overlook their basil plants - very yummy indeed. There’s something for everybody here.

It’s Spring at Mi Casa
When Alex holds a sale, it’s a big event. Over this weekend on Friday and Saturday only, all his regularly priced merchandise is on sale. He has gorgeous furniture, lamps, chairs, accessories and more – like these Jonathan Adler ceramics. All are available at 20% off. And search through the store for even better buys on specially marked items – 20 to 50% off. http://www.micasatoronto.com/ 238 Carlton.

Mother’s Day treats at Epicure Shop
Patty is featuring Phipps Mother’s Day cupcakes (beautifully decorated with pearls and flowers) along with Dufflet tarts, boxed chocolates and homemade pies and cookies. Cheese lovers will again enjoy her latest offering – fresh chevre from C’est Bon Cheese in St Mary’s Ontario. And from Quebec, she still has 2011 maple syrup and her lovely roast beef from Montreal is on special all week long. 473 Parliament.

Crazy catnip at Pet Menagerie
The main event in Pet Menagerie’s sale (at least in my house) is the wild catnip. It’s wild, organic and potent – very potent. You can get little cloth bags full of this stuff and then sit back and watch your cat go crazy. We did a test case at the store – Kaelo played with Oscar who couldn’t get enough of it. Buy one for $3 and get another free.

Mum’s gifts at Kendall
Kendall & Co have lots of gifts – handmade jewelry, picture frames, keepsake and jewelry boxes, home accessories, vases, tea sets, organic bath products and cards. You can save up to 50% on these fantastic presents. 438 Parliament (across from Spruce.) http://kendallandco.ca/fyi/2011/05/04/dont-forget-about-mum/

Kendall’s first “Promote our local” event
On Sunday May 22, Kendall will host an event with two local potters – Gerri Orwin and Winnie Wong – whose latest works will be shown along with informal presentations by each one about their work, their creative process and their experiences. There’ll be two sessions and space is limited. So please RSVP and indicate which session you prefer – 1 pm or 3 pm. http://kendallandco.ca/fyi/play-with-clay/ 438 Parliament (across from Spruce.)

Spring bbq-ing is starting up
Mark at St Jamestown Steak & Chops (498 Parliament) has started the barbeque season with his special chicken and beef kebobs. They’re available now. While you’re visiting his store, check out the many ways that he’s improved his meat and fish – with more local, organic and hormone-free offerings on sale. Read what Toronto Life says about his store at : http://www.torontolife.com/guide/food/butchers/st-jamestown-steak-chops/ .

Get your pet ready for Mum
Marilyn from Pawdicures is visiting Pet Valu again on Saturday from 10 to 4 pm. For only $10, your pets can have their claws clipped and trimmed. 240 Carlton.

Celebrate Mother’s Day with Labour of Love
Regina has lots of new arrivals and fresh ideas for your Mother’s Day gifts. Stop in and she’ll do a free gift wrap for you and for purchases over $100, she has a free gift for you as well. She gets new stock regularly and you can check it out here: http://www.thelabouroflove.ca/ 242 Carlton.

Cabbagetown pet lovers
A group of Cabbagetown dog owners is creating a community in our area. On Sunday May 15 from 4 to 7 pm, they’ll be holding a doggie-day in Riverdale Park to make everyone aware of their new group. There’ll be treats, photo opportunities, sessions on first aid and on local clinics, dog walkers and groomers. For more info, go to www.cabbagetownpetlovers.tumblr.com

Congrat’s to the Kiwanis Boys & Girls Club
We’ve told you already that the Kiwanis Boys & Girls Club at Spruce and Sackville is in the middle of big renovations. They have a fundraising campaign underway to help pay their share of these costs. Miles Nadal has contributed 1.55 million to the project, enabling them to expand their facilities and their program. There’s a very good article in the Toronto Star about his gift. http://www.thestar.com/news/article/983111--porter-tycoon-miles-nadal-donates-to-a-centre-for-regent-park-youth

The Forsythia Festival
Another successful festival happened last Sunday in Wellesley Park. The parade and the crowd were bigger than usual despite the cloudy and threatening weather. The festival relies on the generosity of its donors and several Cabbagetown businesses supported the event: Cycle Solutions, Fairway Market, House on Parliament, Nettleship Hardware, Pizza Pizza, RePrint, St Jamestown Steak & Chops, Starbucks and Shoppers Drug Mart. Nadine from the festival organizing committee chats with Mark and his son Noah and in the background, you can see the Pizza Pizza jumping castle.

Ticket sales for the garden tour are underway
This is one of our most popular Spring events. The Garden Tour happens this year on Sunday June 5 (10 am to 3 pm) and tickets are available at several Cabbagetown outlets – Mi Casa (238 Carlton), Kendall & Co (438 Parliament), Fairway Market (520 Parliament) and the BIA Office (237 Carlton). They’re also available at Jay’s Garden Centre (360 Gerrard), Sheridan Nursery (2827 Yonge) and Bill’s Garden & Design (903 Pape). You can get more info and buy your tickets online with Paypal at http://www.cabbagetownpa.ca/ $15 For more info, http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/Stop+smell+roses+popular+Cabbagetown+hidden+gardens+tour/4701884/story.html