Toronto Life December 2022

DIGITAL EDITION FREE FOR PRINT SUBSCRIBERS Your Toronto Life subscription now includes free access to the Toronto Life and FASHION digital editions. In your digital newsstand store, search “toronto life” and “fashion magazine,” download/open the apps, and follow the prompts. SUBSCRIPTION EXPIRY To find out when your current subscription expires, check the mailing label. BILLING AND RENEWAL NOTICE Invoice and renewal notices are printed one week before they are mailed to you. With delivery time, it’s possible that your payment or renewal order will cross in the mail with our invoice or renewal notice. FRAGRANCE-FREE ISSUES Some issues of Toronto Life include perfume strips. If you prefer to receive your copy of the magazine without perfume strips, please write to us at the address listed below. MAIL PREFERENCE On occasion,…

Food for Thought Restaurant owners, cooks, servers and patrons all seemed to have opinions about “No, Chef,” our October cover story on how to fix the city’s beleaguered restaurant industry. “I grew up in the hotel business in Switzerland, did a three-year kitchen apprenticeship and got my diploma from the hotel management school in Lausanne (still the world’s most recognized). “Of the 27 industry insiders interviewed for your restaurant package, only Kate Chomyshyn and Altair Vincent addressed the outdated tipping system. This was changed ages ago in Switzerland, and it worked because it was done by the government and everyone changed at the same time. One price, tax and tip included! “Why should anyone’s livelihood depend on the good or bad mood of a patron who may not have liked…

ON SEPTEMBER 8, a who’s who of Canadian talent and VIPs gathered for Toronto Life and HELLO! Canada’s inaugural Hollywood North party. Kicking off TIFF ‘22, guests filled the Park Hyatt’s third-floor ballroom to toast the country’s booming film and television industry. On arrival, guests were greeted with a cornucopia of Canadian cuisine, from gourmet poutine bites to BeaverTails. And on the drink menu: a list of signature cocktails from the World Class bar, featuring premium brands like Tanqueray No. Ten Gin, Ketel One Vodka, Don Julio Blanco Tequila, Bulleit Bourbon and Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky. Now, try your hand at the signature cocktails and sip like a movie star from home. 1 Tonight, We Tanqueray A clean, refreshing sip with 1½ oz Tanqueray No. Ten Gin, ½…

As Sarah Liss writes in her terrific profile (page 50), Liu came to Canada as a young boy. He spoke no English and knew very little about the world he’d just entered. Growing up, he felt isolated and underrepresented—an outsider in a society where pretty much every leading man and lady was white. Then, in 2015, Liu saw a Soul-pepper production of Ins Choi’s play Kim’s Convenience. It was the story of an Asian Canadian family grappling with race, culture and belonging. In effect, it was his story, reflected back at him. He sat in stunned silence after the performance. A year later, the play became a TV show, with Liu starring as the prodigal son. A prime-time program featuring an all-Asian cast was a breakthrough, but Liu had even…

Every month, TL Insiders enjoy terrific experiences and events across the city. More than 1,000 Torontonians have already signed up, and you can too! Members get front-of-the-line access to cultural events and private dining experiences plus exclusive invitations to Toronto Life’s salon-like discussion series. Membership is only $75 a year—so sign up today and rediscover the city as a member. Don’t miss out. Sign up at: members.torontolife.com A ROYAL THAI FEAST: Chef Nuit Regular took TL Insiders on a culinary journey to Thailand with her Royal Thai–inspired Sumrab tasting menu at the newly reopened Kiin Restaurant. She served classic dishes such as Chor Muang (Chef Nuit’s signature purple flower dumpling), Khao Yum rice salad and Boombai Short Rib Curry alongside new offerings like Khao Soi Pad Haeng—plus a few other…

John Tory sailed to his third consecutive election victory, garnering a whopping 62 per cent of the vote. Was it his overwhelming popularity or the rogue’s gallery of uninspiring opponents? Likely neither. There are many strikes against Tory—overflowing garbage bins, a watered-down SmartTrack, the weirdness of his paid advisory side gig at Rogers. But Toronto faces all sorts of fresh horrors in 2023: a possible recession, a helium-filled real estate market, an affordable housing crisis and who knows how many new Covid variants? Amid this unease, voters chose a known quantity, a pragmatist who is willing to compromise. Given Ontario’s new strong-mayor legislation, having a leader capable of humility and self-control is no small thing.…