Innehållsförteckning för August 2024 från Toronto Life

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IT WAS A BICHON FRISÉ THAT PUSHED KRISTA KAIS-PRIAL OVER THE EDGE. On a Tuesday morning this past April, the employment lawyer and mother of two found herself juggling parenting and work, so she headed to Humewood Park to let her two-year-old daughter blow off steam. A tree-lined patch of green just north of St. Clair and west of Bathurst, Humewood is expansive for a neighbourhood parkette, with gentle slopes and a winding path where locals walk their dogs. Kais-Prial’s toddler was playing with a few other kids in the playground when a small white pup resembling a balled-up Kleenex ambled by, off leash. Toy breeds are called toys for a reason—once the cluster of children spotted the sentient stuffie, they beelined for it. The toddlers’ erratic movements freaked out…

For fans of bouclé Lanai Chaise Casualife has been selling outdoor furniture for nearly 40 years, with showrooms in Markham and Mississauga. This chaise is covered in a polypropylene fabric that’s resistant to sun, sweat, stains and mildew but feels as soft as an indoor material. With rounded edges and a recessed base, it makes a stylish statement by the pool. $3,155, casualife.ca For design lovers Roly Poly armchair British designer Faye Toogood created the iconic Roly Poly chair in 2014, and its chunky legs and bowl-shaped seat have become instantly recognizable. This one, made by Italian brand Driade, comes in a sunny shade that contrasts beautifully with greenery. $828, finnishdesignshop.com For serious loungers Kavala outdoor lounge chair For anyone who loves the idea of melting into a cushion while…

FOR POST-LAST-CALL TACOS Taqueria el Pastorcito 1160 BLOOR ST. W. , TAQUERIAELPASTORCITOON.COM ROCIO GUTIERREZ’S TAQUERIA has been spicing up Bloordale since 2023. In her hometown of Guanajuato, Mexico (a city one-tenth the size of Toronto), vendors sling tortillas all night long. Surprised by the scarcity of late-night options when she moved here, the chef took matters into her own hands. The room is lo-fi, but the menu hits all the high notes, focusing on four stellar proteins (pork al pastor, chorizo, sirloin and five-hour-braised beef tongue) that shine in tacos, quesadillas, tortas, burritos and volcanes. Everything is scratch made, from the iced hibiscus tea to the complimentary salsas that accompany every order—including a standout habanero-spiked pineapple. Open until 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday. FOR TASTEFUL NOODS Hey Noodles 3700 MIDLAND…

DILLON’S LIMONCELLO Here’s a home-grown take on an Italian favourite: Dillon’s Niagara grape spirit steeped with lemons, lemon peel, cardamom and lemon verbena. Serve it alongside Good Behaviour’s lemony Torta Della Nonna ice cream. $45 TOP SHELF BUTTER TART LIQUEUR This Perth-based distillery translates Canada’s favourite sweet treat into adult form. The corn spirit is flavoured with butter pastry crust, caramel and pecans. Use it to spike scoops of butter pecan ice cream or pour it over shaved ice. $23 APPLETON RUM This eight-year-old Jamaican rum is made by the first-ever female master blender in the spirits industry. It’s elegant and excellent, particularly when added to a rum raisin milkshake. $42…

Toronto is getting a WNBA franchise for the 2026 season. Seems like it came together pretty fast, no? Actually, you could argue that it took 28 years—that’s how long the WNBA has been in existence, and many groups have tried to purchase a Toronto team over that time. But, today, with the rise of women’s pro sports in North America, the timing is perfect. Finally, we have the fan base and the finances. And yet, last spring, MLSE walked away from a bid. Were you dejected? No. The WNBA had identified Toronto as a potential expansion city well before the pandemic. It was just a matter of finding the best ownership group. And then Larry Tanenbaum stepped up. When he asked me to be president of the team—that was the…

$8.49 Price of a burger at Toronto’s new Shake Shack, $2 cheaper than the chain’s New York price, after currency conversion. $860,000 New cost to rebrand Yonge-Dundas Square as Sankofa Square, $525,000 more than what the city originally estimated. $1,000,000 Amount Drake lost by betting on the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup and the Dallas Mavericks to win the NBA finals, pouring fuel on what sour sports fans call “the Drake curse.” $25,000,000 Federal subsidies given to Loblaws and Costco between 2019 and 2023, which the grocers used to purchase energy-efficient appliances for their various locations. $450,000,000 Listing price for the Ritz-Carlton on Wellington, as set by Cadillac Fairview. That averages to about $1.7 million per room. $1,000,000,000 Total sum of outstanding Ontario mortgage payments that are more…

IT STARTS with a tomato. A tomato that’s perfectly round, perfectly plump, perfectly perfect. Of a glowing red that seems to break the colour spectrum. A tomato of rare pedigree, coddled and hand-picked in a secret greenhouse in southern Japan. A tomato of such pure sweetness its genetic code must take a chromosome or two from cotton candy. In the three months since the uptown restaurant LSL opened, that little tomato has become its calling card. Here’s how they improve upon perfection: poach the tomato for a couple of seconds, peel off the skin, scoop out its innards and stuff it with a hash of bluefin tuna dressed with olive oil, tarragon, thyme, a zing of dried yuzu peel powder and, for a touch of heat, fermented chili. The LSL…

WHO: British-Canadian TV personality Debbie Travis and producer Hans Rosenstein WHERE: Villa Reniella, Tuscany Debbie: I’ve worked in TV most of my life, first in London in my 20s, then in Canada after I got married and moved with Hans to Montreal. We launched our production company, Whalley-Abbey Media, in 1993. We were constantly travelling to Toronto for meetings, so we finally moved there and bought a condo on Soho Street. We started to film abroad and were gobsmacked by Italy’s beauty. We’d go on vacations there and scout around for homes. Then, one day in the late 2000s, I was being interviewed at an event and was asked, “What’s next for Debbie Travis?” Suddenly this vision came to me and I started spouting off, fully making it up as…

KAELEN HAWORTH launched her eponymous fashion line at age 24, fresh out of New York’s Parsons School of Design, and started showing collections at New York Fashion Week. In 2017, she pivoted to start a size-inclusive label called Second Sight. But the design world can be tough on smaller brands, so after she and her husband, Simon, moved home to Toronto with their two sons in late 2020, she decided to focus on curating and styling. In the fall of 2023, Haworth launched her Queen West boutique, Absolutely Fabrics, where she showcases edited collections of daring looks, mostly from sought-after smaller brands that are hard to find in Canada. “I want to be that place of discovery,” she says. “I look for pieces that are special and exciting.” Her bold…

SAMPO College near Bathurst “After service, my staff and I often go here because it’s super relaxed. The menu is simple, authentic Japanese. I usually order the karaage—I love the crunch—or the ramen. It’s a soy broth with char siu and an egg. Nothing is better than the rich pork flavour late at night.” Open until 1:45 a.m. NEW HO KING Spadina near College “When my husband and I were dating, he owned a club where I was a bartender, and our nights often ended at New Ho King around 4 a.m. We’d order General Tso chicken, egg-fried rice and what we dubbed ‘fat succulent noodles.’ It’s nostalgic for us.” Open until 4:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 1:30 a.m. other nights. PHO HA NOI College near Bathurst “It’s always bustling,…

Toronto Life celebrated the launch of its highly anticipated Best New Restaurants issue at Evergreen Brick Works. The eighth annual event—presented by Uber Eats—was a spectacular sold-out evening of food and drink, bringing together some of the city’s most innovative restaurants and more than 1,000 dedicated foodies. THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT PARTNERS FOR FULL PARTY COVERAGE, SCAN THIS…

Many homeowners don’t mind this behaviour. Under different circumstances, I wouldn’t either: I adore dogs and know that nature sometimes calls without warning. But the lawn is where my kids play, and nothing ruins a good playdate faster than soiled clothing. To make my point of view unambiguous, I’d installed a handsome little sign of a dog, its back distinctively arched, over the word “No!” What the sign may lack in taste is made up for in clarity of messaging. At least that’s what I thought—until this villainous pooch did his business one inch from it. My question is this: When did dog owners decide they answer only to themselves (and Satan)? I know I sound per-snickety and entitled, but I’m not alone in my bafflement. In this city, dogs…

SARAH DOUGLAS SAILING Hometown: Toronto Age: 30 Did you know? Her brother, Greg, is a two-time Olympic sailor Biggest win: Gold at the 2022 Sailing World Cup, making her the most successful woman sailor in Canadian history “Sometimes when I don’t perform well, I almost forget there’s a little kid in me who just loves skateboarding. But, when I hear people cheer, I remember how far I’ve come” FAY DEFAZIO EBERT SKATEBOARDING Hometown: Toronto Age: 14 Day job: She starts Grade 10 in September Good luck charm: A feather in her helmet from Richard, one of her two pet ducks Biggest win: Gold at the 2023 Santiago Pan Am Games Did you know? She started skating at age six in a church basement on Broadview QUINN SOCCER Hometown: Toronto Age:…

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 JOIN NOW! $75/year FOR YOUR TL INSIDER MEMBERSHIP…

ON A SWELTERING summer day, there’s nothing like a chilled spritz or a frosty swirl of soft serve to help ward off the heat. Now, bartenders are blurring the line between both treats by creating high-ABV ice creams that go far beyond your standard chocolate and vanilla. Bar Mordecai, for instance, makes stunning soft serve in such fetching flavours as piña colada and strawberry elderflower margarita, which can be topped with prosecco for an additional $4. They’re served in stemware and are highly photogenic. Co-owner Christina Veira admits that some people order a round purely for the Instagram bait—and then they discover just how tasty it is. Flavours rotate, but other recent creations dispensed from the soft serve machine have included an eye-opening frozen tiramisu espresso martini and a chocolate…

BOOKS A retelling of Canadian history The Knowing by Tanya Talaga Out August 27 TANYA TALAGA is the author of Seven Fallen Feathers, All Our Relations and now, The Knowing, an intimate exploration of her family’s experience with residential schools. A member of Fort William First Nation in Northern Ontario, Talaga spent nearly 25 years as a reporter for the Toronto Star covering city hall and Queen’s Park; now, she writes a column on issues like treaty rights and police discrimination for the Globe and Mail. We caught up with Talaga to talk about retelling history from an Indigenous perspective, her time at Queen’s Park and getting Indigenous stories in front of wide audiences. What was your process for writing this book? A lot of late nights and research. It’s…