Restaurant News

Congratulations OMI NOW Magazine has just reviewed OMI (241 Carlton) and given John Lee and his staff a great boost: “remarkably luxe” and “if a recent dinner and lunch are any indication, the revamped OMI should be seeing Libretto-like lineups once word gets out that he’s back”.

New at Stonegrill on Winchester
The Stonegrill (51A & 51B Winchester) has expanded, taking over the upstairs room that was once the home for the Laurentian Room. Now it’s Lounge 51 and it’s offering a great weekly program. Thursday will be a special community day. Friday offers live music (with Mae Cromwell back this week). Saturdays will be the DJ night with DJ Ronnie from Tom Katz Productions. Downstairs, the Stonegrill is continuing its S&M Thursdays (Sushi & Martinis) under the guiding hand of chef Michi Tanaka.
Both Stonegrill on Winchester and Lounge 51 have Facebook pages and you’ll be told about their special events regularly at their sites. Click on and become a Friend if you want their bulletins and announcements.

Big Mamma’s Boy Michael Guenther has been traveling through Russia and Ukraine and now he’s back. Like every good chef, he’s brought a batch of new ideas home with him. So he’s cooking up a Russian Menu to celebrate – Saturday November 8, Sunday November 9 and Monday November 10. (554 Parliament)

Gourmet Burgers
...coming soon to 482 Parliament.

JAMCafe JAMCafe is now offering Christmas and New Year’s party menus and taking reservations. You can find out more at http://www.jamcafe.ca/ If you don’t want to wait until Christmas, you can try 100% organic beef Jamburgers and 100% organic roasted stuffed chicken, both from Beretta Farms. (195 Carlton, 416-921-1255 and av@jamcafe.ca)

Cranberries is expanding. They’ve taken over the space once used by their bakery neighbour and they’re building an extra room for parties and overflow crowds. Cranberries is one of our quiet success stories, consistently providing lovely meals at amazing prices. When they hold special events, they’re sold out. We’ll keep you up-to-date about their plans and their progress with the new room. (601 Parliament)

Pear Tree Pear Tree’s special Christmas party menu has also been posted. For years, this Cabbagetown favourite has been a destination for those who want good meals at reasonable prices. They have excellent facilities for groups and a cozy atmosphere for family events and special occasions. (507 Parliament)
You can see the party menu at http://peartree.sites.toronto.com/specialevents.html

Barracuda It’s the end of the summer season and Barracuda is clearing out stock to make way for next year’s supplies. Wood accessories are 25% off. Many glass vases are specially priced at two-for-$30. Jewellery is offered at 25 to 35% off. If you buy two cowhide cushions, you can either take a third one free, or get a 25% discount on your purchase of two. Barracuda is full of beautiful items so this sale is one you don’t want to miss. (527 Parliament)

Regent Park Update
Alan Waterhouse, our community representative on the Regent Park Revitalization Design Review Committee, has reported on the progress of Phase 1 rebuilding. From Cabbagetown, we can see the towers rising and the impressive work underway at Dundas and Parliament. Construction on the rental tower is almost completed with occupancy aimed at March 2009. The condominiums at One Cole are on target for completion by November 2009 with sales starting in March 2009. Two more multi-storey buildings and the townhouses will be finished by the end of 2009 and early 2010.

Halloween Quickies

Today’s musings are going to be short and sweet – so we can get home, change into our outfits and give out those candies.
Halloween in Cabbagetown is a highlight of the year. Hundreds of tiny kids roam the streets going door-to-door and collecting their goodies. It always seems as if a school of little minnows has arrived just for one night and is swimming about in joyful confusion. It’s especially fun when parents dress up and add a nice costume to the mix.

Ghost Tour
A final reminder – the tour happens tomorrow night (November 1) at 7 pm. Tickets are available at the starting point at Winchester and Parliament. This has been a popular event. Our quota of tour tickets sold out and we’ve fielded a lot of telephone inquiries. Individual tickets are $10. Families and groups (four or more) are $7.50/each.
Nothing this scary has happened in Cabbagetown since Jack Layton did his graveyard tours. Some say that a ghost with a mustache still prowls the Necropolis.

Adult refreshment
Once you’ve tucked the last candy into a little kid, it’s time to take care of the grown-up inside you.

The Ben Wicks Pub (424 Parliament) has music, Halloween pumpkins and dancing from 8 pm to 1 am.

OMI, Cabbagetown’s newest Japanese restaurant, has now been open for several weeks. We’re hearing great initial reports about their menus and the high quality of their food service. Try them out. (241 Carlton)
On Saturday, Big Mammas Boy is hosting their third SheDance. DJ Groove Warrior is entertaining everyone and Big Mamma will buy you a shot at the end of your dinner. The dancing starts at 10 pm as the music kicks up with your hosts, Heather and Mary Lou. No cover. (554 Parliament)

Clothing needed Constable Paul Nadeau from the Community Relations Office at 51 Division wants to remind us that a clothing drive is still underway to help senior men (over 55) at the Good Neighbours Club. A bin has been set up in the lobby of 51 Division (51 Parliament at Front). It is, by the way, a great reason to visit the station and see how well the renovation of this stately building has been accomplished.

Marathon Congratulations

Yeti Agnew (Yeti Law, 215 Carlton) has completed this year’s Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC . It's her fourth successful entry in this race and her sixth marathon overall. She appeared in our office last Monday, hale and hearty only one day after the event – she has amazing recovery skills. And she wore her medallion from the event. Well done, Yeti.

Aberdeen Gardens

Residents on Aberdeen Avenue have long been working to beautify the area around the Green P parking lot. Their gardening efforts through the summer in these concrete planters are a nice step forward.

Heritage Congratulations

The new Cabbagetown Regent Park Community Museum has been given two prestigious awards by Heritage Toronto. The first is the Community Heritage Award and the second is the Heritage Toronto Members Choice Award. This recognition of the Museum’s fine work in bringing Cabbagetown stories and history to life is indeed well deserved.
Learn more about the Museum at http://www.crpmuseum.com/
And when you’re visiting the lobby of 51 Division to drop off your clothing donation, you’ll see the Museum’s exhibition featuring Toronto Police and Fire Services.The Award for Excellence in the Media went to Cabbagetown resident Sally Gibson for her fine work on the history of the Distillery District on their website.

Eight wines, seven countries JAMCafe (195 Carlton) is hosting another of its successful wine tasting events on Wednesday, October 29. Hors d’oeuvres and the tasting will be served at 6:30 pm.
The wines will be introduced by Malcolm Cocks from Hobbs & Co Wine Merchants and Glen-Ward Wines. If you like the wines, Malcolm will accept orders after the event.
Included are a South African reisling, a Vouvray and Sancerre from France, and then five lovely reds from New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Australia and California.
For details about the wines, www.jamcafe.ca/events
You’ll need a reservation: joe@jamcafe.ca or (416) 921-1255. $35 per person. Dinner is not included but can be provided separately (about 8:30 pm).
And another thought…
JAMCafe want to remind you that they’re accepting reservations for holiday parties from businesses and residents for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Christmas is coming – I love it.

National Me to We Day

Free the Children (located at 233 Carlton) is a remarkable world-wide agency that manages “the world’s largest network of children helping children through education.” Their primary goal is to free children around the world from poverty and exploitation.

Since the group’s founding in 1995, it has built over 500 schools and started innovative programs in 45 countries. It’s a registered charity in Canada and the US as well as several other countries abroad.

Last week marked the second annual “Me to We” Day when 8000 students from across Toronto arrived at Ricoh Coliseum. Thousands more joined in online across Canada. With guest hosts Tanya Kim and Ben Mulroney, the program featured appearances by Justin Trudeau, Sarah McLaughlin, Mia Farrow and many others.

The day was more than a celebration of young people and their power to change the world. It also launched the 100-school challenge.

Tune in on Saturday, October 25 (CTV, 7 pm) or Sunday, October 26 (CTV, 12 pm) to see e-talk’s video highlights from the day and to learn about the challenge.

Check out Free The Children and their promo for the day at:http://www.freethechildren.com/

Save energy and money

Kyle at Loonie or Less (480 Parliament) is now an official retailer in the Every Kilowatt Counts program with Ontario Power Authority. You can buy a 60 watt-equivalent Compact F lightbulb (retail $6) for $1 after the INSTANT in-store coupon. He also has table and floor lamps (normally $39.95) for openly $9.99 after the INSTANT coupon.
The promotion runs to November 16. Customers are limited to five coupons per day.

Sharon did a big shop And she’s stocked up on exciting new winter fashions. She has Victorian 100% cotton nighties from small to XL at $39.99, men’s and women’s hats, scarves, gloves, sweaters, vests, jackets and skirts. Her greeting cards are both beautiful and funny.
Those Victorians could keep themselves warm at night. They had to – their houses were beautiful but, wow, drafty! So pop in and get something cuddly for yourself.

Under the Apron Big Mamma’s Boy (554 Parliament) keeps getting warm, positive reviews from bloggers and electronic media across the Internet. Their latest is a close-up introduction to chef Michael Guenther in an Xtra web article from last week. Congratulations, Michael.
It’s worth reading: http://www.xtra.ca/public/Toronto/Under_the_apron-5703.aspx Just click on the link.

The Trap Door Party From Sunday, October 26 to Tuesday, October 28, Vancouver’s MOVE company presents a fresh look at traditional dance forms. Classical and modern, the dance and music create a refreshing evening that’s ultra-cool and great fun. Doors open at 7:30, show starts at 8 pm. Winchester Dance Theatre, 80 Winchester St, $25 (students $20)

Thanks to a long list of nice people It’s overdue, but definite thanks to Marianne Mailer. She worked at the BIA office over the summer, concentrating mainly on preparations for the Cabbagetown Festival. Our parade and street vendors were her main focus and she also worked on liquor licenses, health department permits, street entertainers and a host of other details. She did a great job. She’s now back at school and we wish her the best for her final year at Ryerson.
More thanks go to John Jay (The Cobourg) and his volunteer committee. The Nuit Blanche night was a success here in Cabbagetown. It was our first and we’ve learned a lot for next year’s event.
More thanks for Nuit Blanche. A large group of very generous businesses in the area contributed during the fundraising for the evening events including:
AAA Accounting, Ben Wicks Pub, Cabbagetown Organics, Daniel et Daniel, Dragon Nails, Fairway Market, Ginger, The Healthy Whey, The House on Parliament, JamCafe, Jill Koplowitz from HomeLife/Realty One, Menagerie Pet Shop, Nettleship, Carl Orbach and Stonegrill on Winchester. As we collect more information, we’ll pass on extra names.

Hot buns Absolute Bakery & Café has just opened a new bakery at 589 Parliament and it’s full of baked delicacies. Raj and Nages have long been neighbourhood favourites at their old location and they report that their new spot is even better. The bank machine has moved along with them and is available for everyone inside the store. They’ve really expanded their dishes and kept the same tasty quality that’s made them so popular. They’re also offering sandwiches, lunches and catering services.

OMI Opens
The new OMI is open at 243 Carlton. More details will come next week. For anyone who loves sushi, tempura, sashimi and other Japanese entrees, OMI will be a welcome addition to our area. They’ve come to us from Church Street with a well-established reputation for quality. They’re open from Monday to Friday for lunch (noon to 2:30 pm) and Monday to Saturday for dinner (5:30 to 10:30 pm). Call 416-920-8991.

Clothing DrivePC Paul Nadeau from 51 Division (above left) is helping to organize a clothing drive to aid the Good Neighbours Club. The collection takes place over the next three weeks. Clothing for men over the age of 50 is badly needed. You can drop it off at 51 Division (51 Parliament St at Front).

ArtHeart at Jet Fuel Jet Fuel (519 Parliament) is hosting ArtHeart’s grand sale on Sunday, October 19 from 2 to 4 pm. The show has run from October 1 and will continue to October 31. Sunday’s sale looks at “Fashion” as it affects the lives of these young artists. Proceeds from the sale go directly to the artists. (During Nuit Blanche, ArtHeart had a display at the George Smitherman/Bob Rae Action Centre in Cabbagetown.) ArtHeart provides children, young people and adults from the inner city with art education and materials year-round, free of charge.

Menagerie Pet Shop In October, Menagerie (549 Parliament) has a bunch of specials available for cat and dog lovers. A 5lb bag of Fromm Four-Star Pork & Applesauce is free when you buy Fromm Four-Star Dry Dog Food and if you buy a Four-Star Dry Cat Food, you’ll get a 2.5lb Chicken a la Veg free.. All cat trees priced over $100 are 15% off. 40lb of Pestell Clumping Cat Litter is 10% off. There are more specials, just ask at the store.

Epicure’s Coffee ContestThe coffee contest ends this weekend. You’ll remember that all you have to do is pour yourself a 454g bag of Reunion Island coffee beans and you’ll get a second bag free. Impossible you say? Well, two people have already walked out winners this week.
While you’re at it, pick up a homemade pie. They’re on special – buy one and get a second one free. Free coffee, free pie – sounds okay.
Patty Junior also tells us that they’re switching from plastic to brown paper bags when you buy your lunches at Epicure. (473 Parliament)

A couple of quick announcements
On Sunday, October 26, St Peter’s Anglican Church (188 Carlton) is holding its “Leather Sunday” service in honour of Sts Crispin & Crispinian with special music by Forte, the Toronto Men’s Chorus. Wear your leather and show up at 10:30 am On Saturday, November 1, the Cabbagetown Preservation Association is hosting a guided Ghost Tour throughout the area. Tours start at 7 pm at Winchester and Parliament. There are spirits and ghosts everywhere and this Tour will shock and amaze you. Tickets are $10 (at the BIA office, 237 Carlton or at the start of the Tour.) Preliminary Hallowe’en Details
If you’re walking along Parliament near No Frills, you’ll see a wonderful display of Hallowe’en costumes on racks along the sidewalk. Reflections (453 Parliament) has all of these and plenty more for you. They’re open Tuesday through Sunday and they have a selection to satisfy all ages.

Nuit Blanche

And now for the program details
Five sites are home to Cabbagetown Nuit Blanche experiences: Parliament Street (from Carlton to Winchester), Rose Avenue near Wellesley, 80 Winchester St (at Metcalfe), Wellesley Park (at the east end of Wellesley St) and Riverdale Park (at the east end of Carlton St).

Parliament Street events
Project Beacon by William Hudson (at Winchester). A rustic gathering point in the middle of the asphalt tributaries that have replaced the Don River wetlands.
A Return to Hugh Garner’s Cabbagetown with Michael Ondaatje and friends (508 Parliament) A dusk to dawn reading of Hugh Garner’s classic novel.
Art Heart Exhibition by the children and youth of Regent Park (514 Parliament)
Carousel at 509 Dance by Andrea Nann, Dreamwalker Dance Company and 509 Dance (509 Parliament). A communal interactive kaleidescope of music and movement.
Justin Dart’s Outside Drawings (Parliament Street and more). A continuous chalk drawing winding through neighbourhood streets.
No One Sleeps from Francois Aubrey and Jenn Kalinowski (Carlton and Parliament) An avant garde outdoor film exhibition.
Red Door by Ryan Dineen and Misha Hunter (Carlton and Parliament) An all-night mural painting project on the wall of one of Cabbagetown’s favourite buildings.
The Ghost of Shakespeare by Christopher Roberts (various locations). Spotlight speakers transmit sounds over distance and whisper into someone’s ear in the crowd.

Wellesley Park
Currents by Nina Bunjevac, Andy Townsend, Perry White and Michael White. A multi media installation with visual and sound components.

Winchester Dance Theatre
Crank the Winch with Ruth Levin and Sarah McQueston (80 Winchester St).

Rose Avenue
Opposites Attract by Deborah Barnett and Aaron Benson (Rose Avenue near Wellesley)
Seven limited edition letterpress broadsides are printed with handset typography and new works by Toronto illustrator Seth Scriver

Riverdale Park West
Light House by Brian Moore (at the east end of Carlton St). Beacons of light shimmer and dance with images of the community.
Kelly Roger’s The Poet Tree. Nature physically deconstructs a well known verse when the words blow in the breeze and the audience reconstructs it as they wish.

More Nuit Blanche events being planned
The Union Yoga Centre (242 Carlton) has become a workshop for the Cabbagetown Nuit Blanche team. Cabbage lanterns are being assembled there on Friday night for delivery to homes through the neighbourhood. Overnight during Nuit Blanche, there’ll be art from their successful Bless The Feminine show and special yoga experiences and small classes. Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre (509 Parliament) is holding an interactive and improvisational musical movement experience where visitors can join CCDT dancers and musicians. Don’t forget that 2-4-1 Video (455 Parliament) is holding all-night screenings for short films and videos. If you have a video to screen, bring it along. Reflections (453 Parliament) reports that their Halloween costume event is going smoothly and they’ll be encouraging everyone to wear their new stuff on the street during Nuit Blanche.

Food, of course, is really important during an all-night event
At Piccolo (226 Carlton), Robert Houle’s recent small ledger paintings will be on display in the Annabella jazz bar. Piccolo have very generously contributed two gift certificates that the Nuit Blanche committee is using for its fundraising drive. Down the street at JamCafe (195 Carlton), Av and Joe Atikian are presenting three artists: Christian McLeod (http://www.christianmcleod.com/), Tristan Teng (http://www.t3gallery.ca/) and Andrea Raymond (www.andrea-raymond.com/home.html) Av will also be performing on guitar and Joe on drums. If you’re hungry and thirsty, they’re offering two lovely wines with complimentary hors d’oeuvres in a special celebratory tasting. Over on Parliament, St Jamestown Deli (516 Parliament) is holding another wonderful bbq for the starving hordes – steak and chicken sandwiches will give everyone the strength to continue onward to Jet Fuel for a top-up. Snooky Tynes is playing outdoors next to St Jamestown. Cabbagetown Organics (499 Parliament) will have more snacks and drinks to keep everyone alert. Epicure Shop has coffee and cookies, homemade pizza slices and wraps ready to devour at their outdoor table. Inside, they’ll have more sandwich deals, breakfast bagels and samples of artisan cheeses. Green’s Antiques (529 Parliament) are setting up an art display in front of their store. And candy floss will be available. While all of this is happening, popular regular eateries like the Ben Wicks, the House on Parliament, Peartree, Margarita’s, Brass Taps, Stonegrill, Cranberries and Big Mamma’s Boy will be open and welcoming. For specialty meals and snacks, try Timothy's Tikka House, Tea Pot Chatt, China Gourmet, Ginger and Asahi. For breakfast and quick meals, there's Johnny G's, Chew Chew, M2M and Best Breakfast.

Gamblers welcome…
The Epicure Shop is again offering its free coffee contest and it’s starting during Nuit Blanche. If your package of coffee beans weighs exactly 454 grams, then you’ll get a second bag free. It’s an addictive experience. Patty Junior won’t admit it but this thing has grown out of hand – busloads of people en route to Casino Rama are now stopping there for a chance at a freebie. In the meantime, punters are also laying down bets on Jet Fuel's hours during Nuit Blanche. Will he or won’t he? Johnny Jet Fuel has kept a breathless audience waiting for his final decision. He's got art hanging on the walls and he's got the right ambiance but he isn't committing himself. Because he’s right in the middle of the block and because both his café and his coffee enjoy a well-earned city-wide reputation, the smart money is saying that he’ll stay open for the festivities. But he keeps saying “Nuit what?” “Nuit when?” (519 Parliament) Who knew coffee could be so complicated?

Federal Election Forum
The election campaign is definitely upon us and we have a full slate of impressive people offering themselves for our consideration. You can meet them all, watch them at work and ask your pressing questions at our Election Forum.
Church Hall, St Simon the Apostle Church, 525 Bloor Street
Monday, September 29, 7 pm
This year, we’ve joined forces with our friends in St Jamestown to host the meeting

Openings
Welcome to The Lampcage (557 Parliament), located just south of the gas station. They offer lamps, lighting and furniture. The lamps are custom designed and handcrafted on site – the store is actually Dean Lee’s studio. The Lampcage has moved here from Riverdale and has an established clientele to bring into our neighbourhood.

The whole block around The Lampcage is undergoing quiet improvement with Michael Haddad’s new office, Norah’s Hair Studio, the new façade at Musicent and the new business coming next to Blockbuster. Even Coffee Time is being renovated! All good news.
The Post Office is back in Cabbagetown. The new location for their kiosk is our Shoppers Drug Mart (467 Parliament). Guru Paran is in charge.Old Cabbagetown Physiotherapy has just opened and is our first physiotherapy clinic. Dr Minh Hao has a background in both physiotherapy and chiropractic and he will soon also offer both acupuncture and massage therapy. He will emphasize the individual needs of each patient. His office is located in the beautiful row of buildings just west of Berkeley (255 Gerrard, 416-972-9997) Kabongo Toure has just opened his new store, ICITS, at 430 Parliament. He has an amazing range of African videos available as well as computer rentals, electronics, software and repairs. Well worth a visit. And speaking of new business, gossip has it that we’re about to get a new sushi restaurant, a new art gallery, a new catering business and a new bakery – more on these as they unfold.

If you’re looking for a location for a new office, check out the facilities at 185 Carlton. They have an office available at 500 square feet ($1500/mo) and another at 335 square feet ($1000/mo). Boardroom, fax and copy facilities are available. For more information, call Bernadette at 416-323-1444 ext 224.

Barracuda has a sale
Gerry Gold at Barracuda is having a sale. Selected glass, ceramics and planters in this great store are now on sale at 50% off until October 15. Cabbagetown gardeners (this store is a destination for you) will definitely want to take advantage of the sale. (527 Parliament)

Nuit Blanche Celebrations
The bandwagons are starting to roll. The all-night flavour of the event has captured imaginations among Cabbagetown businesses. Here’s a sampling of the delights that you can expect:
Loonie or Less (480 Parliament) – just mention Nuit Blanche at the cash register when you’re making a purchase during the coming week. 5% of your purchase will be donated to the organizing committee. The artists will benefit and so will you with the amazing bargains now being offered. Greater Minds International (250A Carlton) – they’re placing a massage therapy chair near Winchester and Parliament. If the night begins to drag you down, Ekua can fix you up.
The Epicure Shop (473 Parliament) – will stay open all night and provide lots of coffee, sandwiches and goodies to fuel your artistic needs.
2-4-1 Video (455 Parliament) – will screen short films throughout the entire night. They’re working with Gina Dineen from the Cabbagetown Short Film & Video Festival to ensure a full and fascinating program. Do you have a short film on DVD? Bring it in and they’ll screen it. Reflections (453 Parliament) – has a Nuit Blanche all-night Halloween Costume Party. This is their forte and they’re putting their hearts into it. Watch for the red flashing roof light on their parked car. The Ben Wicks Pub/Left Door
A new bistro menu has just appeared at Cabbagetown favourite, The Ben Wicks Pub (424 Parliament). It features pub favourites from finger food to full-course meals. It’s a nice match for their new décor in the Left Door.

The Epicure Shop

Patty Junior has announced new store hours. Monday to Wednesday, they're open from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm. Thursday and Friday, from 7:30 am to 7 pm. Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm and Sunday, from 9 am to 5 pm. The reappearance of Niagara Gold and Comfort Cream cheeses is also big news from Epicure - both of them are worth chasing. (473 Parliament)

International News - Denounced in MoscowCabbagetowner Eric Morse has written an article published in the Ottawa Citizen about pending conflicts in the Caucusus. He has subsequently been denounced as “irresponsible, dangerous and totally out of control” by Oleg Popov of the Media Intelligence Group of Moscow. Cabbagetowners of course, know Eric (previously of Petshotz fame) as a Ben Wicks regular and we all deny that his erudite article has any relationship to the frequency of his appearances at the Wicks.
The real mystery is Mr Popov. Just who is Oleg? It turns out via a Google search that Oleg Popov is a famous Moscow clown. Eric Morse is being denounced in a three ring circus. That won’t surprise Ben Wicks regulars.