Another great place to go to is the Distillery District (thedistillerydistrict.com); a little village in the city. Besides really cool and unique boutiques, galleries and art studios, restaurants and cafes in the Distillery District are blessed with sunlit terraces due to the lack of skyscrapers.

In case you prefer big North American malls, Yorkdale and Eaton Centre are the best choices. You can’t visit Eaton Centre without having a delicious lunch at Mercatto (trattoriamercatto.ca) instead of the usual food court. YUM!

iPod nano and map for finding my dancer at Dancing in the Streets. No photos allowed at CAMH, and all dancing was on CAMH grounds, so sorry, no photos of the dance.

I’m holding a hand-drawn map and standing with eight or so other audience members, also holding maps, in front of the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art. We are waiting for a performance of Dancing in the Streets. “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, . . . . 0.” The organizers start the same sound track on multiple iPod nanos. Each audience member receives an iPod. I put in the ear buds, and the performance has begun. The dancers we are to meet shortly are listening to the same sound track. Each audience member is paired with a dancer, but first we have to find our dancer, hence the maps. The directions are slightly different on each map, so when the organizer signs, I follow the arrows on my map, down the street, then across the street to the grounds of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). I’m walking to the X where I will meet my dancer. As I walk along Queen West, I hear the narrator on my iPod track tell of walking along a street and having homeless man approach her saying that he wanted to die. She kept walking, he kept following and talking, and she was upset. The narrator told us about coming with young people from Eva’s Phoenix to observe individuals on the grounds or parks around the CAMH Queen Street site who appeared to be mentally ill. Eva’s Phoenix provides housing, employment and apprenticeship opportunities for homeless or at risk youth. One young man commented on how frightened he was that he could end up like to be like the individuals he was seeing around CAMH.

Under the trees outside of a CAMH building, I meet the dancer whom I follow for the rest of the performance. This young man beckons and dances and walks. I love watching and being with him. I walk further and further into the CAMH grounds with my dancer as the narrator talks about mental health, the history of caring for individuals with mental illness at this site, and recent developments. She mentions how she had been suicidal herself once, had feared saying anything to anyone, but got help that made a difference for her. Towards the end of the performance, my dancer and I join the other dancers and audience members at the Sunshine Garden on the CAMH grounds. The dancers were delightful, and the narrator is saying more things about mental health, but I can’t recall exactly what. The garden is lovely, though the building to the east opens onto an outdoor area completely enclosed by a very high chain link fence, a somewhat unnerving indication that not all are free to come and go from CAMH grounds.

The Queen Street West Project, Dancing in the Streets, is intended to explore the area’s relationship to homelessness, mental health, and regeneration. Homeless people are presented as mentally ill, somewhat scary, and, like the narrator, me and many others, having had moments of feeling suicidal. It’s interesting to be drawn deeper and deeper into the CAMH grounds physically as well as through dance and music as I hear this narrative. CAMH is undergoing major physical renovations, which are apparent as I walk outside, and even more striking later when, on my way back to Queen Street, I walk inside a building housing a large swimming pool, cafés, a spacious, light-filled courtyard, and large TV sets. The physical changes are appealing. Do these attractive new buildings house an institution that supports regeneration or healing for the individuals who are homeless or mentally ill? I couldn’t tell from this production.

Production: Dancing in the Streets, the Queen Street West Project organized as part of the Theatre Passe Muraille fall season, Theatre Beyond Walls, September 12-23, 2012, Toronto. Financial support from the Metcalf Foundation.

Now on or upcoming:  Being Scene, November 9-17, 2012, Workman Arts, 651 Dufferin Street, Toronto; 20th Annual Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival, November 9-17, 2012, Toronto; Transformation by Fire, February 7-April 8, 2013, 111 Queen’s Park, Gardiner Museum, Toronto.

But with items like suits, jackets and jeans, the process is rarely that easy. Unless you fit a sample size, it can be hard to find a fitted item that flatters your curves nicely.

Shopgirls Gallery Boutique is stepping up to help shoppers with this dilemma – particularly when it comes to jeans. The Queen Street establishment is hosting a ‘Dr. Denim Clinic’, where guests will be receive a body-type diagnosis and a “prescription” for the perfect pair of jeans.

The ‘doctor’, in this case, is Eric Wazana, creator of Second Denim Co.– the Canadian brand which manufacturers the Yoga Jeans sold by Shopgirls.

Second Denim’s Yoga Jeans

Second Denim boasts an impressive collection of jeans, with a selection of different styles that’s almost overwhelming. The pants are available in low, mid and high-rise fits, with styles ranging from ‘super skinny’ to ‘super flared’, and various different lengths and colours.

They’re appropriately dubbed ‘Yoga Jeans’ for their stretchy, comfy material. A proud owner of high-rise skinny Yoga Jeans myself, I can vouch for them: they’re by far the comfiest jeans I own.

Given the variety of available styles, however, I can see how some expert advice could help an intimidated first-time buyer narrow down the options and find the pair of jeans best suited to her body.

As a bonus, clinic guests can enter to win a pair of Yoga jeans, and will be among the first to see the new limited edition Shopgirls Yoga Jeans by Second. Clinic details are below.

What? Dr. Denim Clinic

When? Thursday, Nov. 8th, 6 pm – 9 pm

Where? Shopgirls Gallery Boutique – 1342 Queen St. West, Toronto

Hot off the press: Yummy Stuff’s new website!

I’m so excited to finally share this happy news with you all: Yummy Stuff‘s brand spankin’ new website went live yesterday and yours truly, Deb of Ate by Ate, has FIVE of her photos featured on it!  I’m so happy and ecstatic!!!  This has been in the works for over a month now and I’ve been on pins and needles wondering which photos Morag and her team chose to use on the site and I got the happy news in my inbox yesterday to go check it out because it was up and live and running!  I feel so incredibly honoured to be on their site representing even just a fraction of all the delicious and yummy cupcakes, cakes, decorated sugar cookies and sweets that they offer in their shop and I am just on cloud nine right now knowing they liked my stuff enough to want to use it.

You’ll find the majority of the photos in Yummy Stuff’s “About Us” page as well as on their “Bakery” page - hurray to the max for the gorgeous red scalloped dish that I love so much!  I took some screen caps of the pages featuring some of the photos they decided to use and a screen cap of their “In the News” page where Ate by Ate proudly sits in their 4th square!  This is a really happy, smiley moment for me and I want to thank all of you for always supporting me and being my inspiration for Ate by Ate – it wouldn’t be fun or worth it otherwise.

*****

Yummy Stuff is located at 1660 Queen Street West in the west end Parkdale neighbourhood, east of Roncesvalles Ave.  They are open Tuesday-Sunday, from 10am-7pm from Tuesday-Friday, 9am-6pm on Saturdays, and 12pm noon-5pm on Sundays.  They are closed on Mondays.  Visit their official website here.

Royal Alexandra Theatre. Image Source: Wikipedia.

We have not posted on Backpackers on Dundas for a while, but since then there have been quite a big announcement about the future of the Theatre District on Queen Street West.  The talk has been about the proposed Mirvish/Frank Gehry condo towers which would take over a Toronto landmark: the Royal Alexandra Theatre.

The Royal Alexandra Theatre is located near King Street West and Simcoe Street in the west end of town and is the oldest continuously operating real theatre in North America. It seats 1,497 people within its beaux arts style design. Its interiors have seen such productions as the Lion King and Miss Saigon over the years.

The interior has an Italian marble lobby, Venetian mosaic floors, carved stairs and railings, silk wallpapers, ornate plasterwork and a mural by Canadian painter Frederick S. Challener. It also has cantilevered balconies so that there is no interference with lines of sight.

With all the talk around this theatre, why not see a show a show there? The current production is:

La Cage Aux Folles

DIRECT FROM BROADWAY

October 10-November 18, 2012

WELCOME TO LA CAGE AUX FOLLES! Winner of three 2010 Tony Awards® including the award for BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL, this hilarious new production of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES was the biggest hit of the 2010 Broadway season, leaving audiences in stitches night after night!

Starring George Hamilton and Christopher Sieber, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES tells the story of Georges (George Hamilton), the owner of a glitzy nightclub in lovely Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin (Christopher Sieber), who moonlights as the glamor­ous chanteuse Zaza. When Georges’ son brings his fiancée’s conservative parents home to meet the flashy pair, the bonds of family are put to the test as the feather boas fly! LACAGE is a tuneful and touching tale of one family’s struggle to stay together… stay fabulous… and above all else, stay true to themselves!

The Songbook Series – Theatre Passe Muraille
The Songbook Series is part of After Hours @ TPM, a late-night cabaret series to compliment the season at Theatre Passe Muraille. Each evening, they celebrate the work of a single artist, group, era or style that has had a significant impact on our collective musical history. Then they invite a variety of musicians from all disciplines to re-imagine that music in their own way. Re-imagination is key— they are NOT looking for a simple acoustic cover. Last season, they featured the music of Elton John, Madonna and The Beach Boys.

Beneath the Surface – October 2012

I`ve taken a sample of such menu offerings from some of these restaurants in Toronto,  not far from where I live,  and paired them with potential corporate sponsors and spokespeople who can benefit mutually by exploiting these opportunities.  And although not located in Toronto,  I`m going to include the now infamous M. Wells (All`s NOT well at M. Wells) who pretty much cover all the bases by offering horse,  marrow,  foie gras and other notably and unapologetically fatty foods.  Wherever possible I’ve used actual pics of the food provided by the restaurant.  Bon Appétit!

Blood Custard at The Black Hoof

Suggested Sponsor – United Horsemen`s Group

Suggested Spokesperson –  Author Jennifer McLagan – “Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal”

Since the pro horse-slaughter contingent advocates consuming their own horses,  why wouldn`t they eat blood?  They hate to waste anything,  and they already eat meat and horsemeat,  so what not just add some cream,  egg yolks,  and a little plasma (pick your favourite species) for a little dessert?  Lord knows that Sue Wallis is always preaching that the blood is the most valuable part of the animal.  Maybe Sue knows something that the rest of us don`t – perhaps blood could be the new king of condiments!  Chef Olsen at The Black Hoof certainly isn`t squeamish about it “I enjoy blood.  I think blood is a great vessel for culinary expression. When I look at The Learning Channel, at all those surgery shows, that’s when I get squeamish. But working with animals, no.”   Chef Olsen even tells us that horses don’t get parasites because they don’t graze the part of the grass stalk upon which eggs are laid.   Buy Jennifer McLagan`s book if you`ve ever wondered how to cook bellies, brains, cheeks, combs, gizzards, hearts, hocks, kidneys, lungs, marrow, necks, shanks, spleens, tongues, trotters, and, oh yes, testicles.

Bone Marrow at the Black Hoof

Suggested Sponsor – Legal team at Monsanto

Suggested Spokesperson – Fred Flintstone

People who eat bone marrow frequently describe sucking the last bits of marrow out of the bones.  So obviously,  this isn`t a first-date kind of food – much like green salads,  which can get caught in your teeth and embarrass you later in your date.  This is the kind of food that the Monsanto legal department regularly chows down on (and sucks dry),  so  they should wholeheartedly endorse marrow.  However,  I`m not entirely sure  that one shouldn`t be cautious about eating parts of cows that may carry BSE.  FSIS in the US considers these to be the brain,  tonsils,  spinal cord,  parts of the nervous system,  and part of the small intestine.  If oxtails are suspect,  so too is bone marrow.  There is some confusion about bone marrow because it has been reported to potentially carry the infection.  Since bones were certainly around during the Paleolithic period,  and hence,  are available for inclusion into the Paleo diet,  I`ve chosen Fred Flintstone as the spokesperson.  Despite not having any dairy,  grains,  sugar,  legumes,  potatoes, processed oils,  or any other food grown after agriculture started,  Fred is still overweight and at least a 40 on the BMI scale.

Foie Gras and Nutella at The Black Hoof

Suggested Sponsor:  Total Gym

Suggested Spokesperson:  Paula Deen

I wonder what celebtard chef thought this up?  It seems like a finalist for the “Cruellest Dessert” category.  Just looking at this makes my arteries cry.  Paula Deen,  famous for the Krispy Kreme burger,  should endorse this one.  Therefore,   I suggest also incorporating a Krispy Kreme donut into this lacquered mess so you can have another sweet fat with a savoury fat – it`s a great big blessed matrimony of fat!  Adding mucho expensive (and ethically dubious) fattened duck liver to a dessert isn’t necessarily unusual. But to add some fibre to this meal I`d suggest adding a diamond-encrusted tennis bracelet and perhaps some other country-club condiments that Paula might be familiar with.

Le Tartare de Cheval Bien Relevé at Batifole

Suggested Sponsor – Merck and Co. Inc.

Suggested Spokesperson – The Geico Caveman

So this is a “well-raised” horse?  I wonder if the staff at Batifole can lay any claims to whether it was “well-killed?”  Excuse me server,  what breed was this horse?  I understand that wine painings with different breeds can be a bit tricky at times.  Perhaps to be safe,  you`d like to recommend a nice Chiati?  What wines are complementary with Trichinosis?  Foodies who embrace the new and the outré, might also embrace a dose of Trichinosis as well,  since it`s an acknowledged fact that horses carry Trichinella spiralis,  the parasite that causes the disease,  which occurs with some commonality in France.  That`s why I`m suggesting this is a sponsorship Merck might be interested in,  since they manufacture Mectizan,  the human version of Ivermectin wormers we are all using on our horses.  You might need some if you’ve eaten a horse with Trich……And our postmodern spokesperson,  the Geico Caveman, would no doubt have eaten some food raw,  at least before the invention of fire.  At least cavemen knew how to progress beyond the Paleozoic era…..

Escabeche Chevaline Niçoise at La Palette

Suggested Sponsor – FEI Dressage Rider Patrik Kittel

Suggested Spokesperson – Jasha Lottin

We`re really going to push the boundaries of good taste for this one – all around!  For the uninitiated,  this plate consists of horse heart and tongue,  with quail egg tarted up with  red wine Dijon vinaigrette.  I am presuming it`s cooked, but knowing La Palette,  you can never be too sure.  And if you`re not familiar with Jasha Lottin, she is the infamous Oregon woman who killed her horse,  gutted it,  and crawled inside the carcass, gnawing on various organs for photographs,  who was then endorsed by Wyoming Representative “Slaughterhouse” Sue Wallis.  Apparently Lottin thought she was recreating the scene from The Empire Strikes Back where Luke killed a tauntaun,  to keep from freezing to death.  Bear Grylls did the same with a camel.  Hey Jasha,  want to be “one with your horse?”  Go see Cavalia.   And of course,  even though video is available of  Patrik Kittel`s horse`s blue tongue,  he was cleared by the FEI from actually using rollkur at the Olympics,  since it was really only LDR (Low,  Deep, Round).

Foie Gras at La Palette

Suggested Sponsor –  The American or Canadian Liver Foundation

Suggested Spokesperson – Anthony Bourdain

Odes to its “butter-soft texture and rich, subtle taste” appear regularly in the New York Times magazine.  Cruelty aside,  there may be another reason to pass on the foie gras. Scientists report that these livers of overstuffed waterfowl contain abnormal proteins that, when fed to laboratory mice, caused them to quickly develop the protein clumps themselves.  Various human diseases – among them Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and rheumatoid arthritis – are associated with these clumps, known as amyloids.  Foie gras is a traditional food in France and throughout Europe – where, interestingly, amyloidosis is more common than in the US. So why is this heavy, fat-rich delicacy also rich in amyloids? Put simply, force-feeding makes animals sick. To produce the succulent livers, tubes are inserted into the birds’ throats and corn mush is pumped in, massively inflating the animals. Anthony Bourdain, renowned chef-author-famous-TV-food-bourbon-swilling guy, should stand up and personally sponsor this entree.  He looks like death warmed-over,  quite frankly,  so it`s a fitting match.  And kudos to Wolfgang Puck for quitting the foie.

Quack “n” Track at La Palette

Suggested Sponsor – Schering-Plough Animal Health Corp.

Suggested Spokesperson –  Banned Thoroughbred horse trainer Mark Wedig

Mark Wedig has had a symbiotic relationship with La Palette it`s true;  had it not been for the efforts of many individuals,  more Wedig trained horses would have ended up on the menu,  replete with all the usual drugs that racehorses typically run on.  Cactus Café and Canuki,  fresh off the track at Buelah Park,  were practically in the kill box at Richelieu slaughterhouse before they were miraculously retrieved after conscientious individuals presented their DRUG HISTORY to management at the abbatoir.  Not that their drug history is any different from almost any other racehorse.  Does Shamez charge extra for pharmacologically active horsemeat? Schering-Plough is one of the companies that distributes/manufactures phenylbutazone,  one of the major ingredients in horsemeat mains served in restaurants in Quebec,  Toronto,  and the OoogaMooga food festival in New York.

Tongue on Brioche at The Black Hoof

Suggested Sponsor – Boston Scientific Corporation

Suggested Spokesperson – Andrew Zimmern,  host of Bizarre Foods

First off let me say that even when I was not a vegetarian,  I could never have overcome the mental barrier involved in eating something that had already been in somebody else`s mouth.  When fat and refined carbs are glued together in blessed matrimony, a heart attack can’t be far behind. Enter the Boston Scientific Corporation: It’s sold over a billion dollars worth of coronary stents since just 2009.  Of course,  Andrew Zimmern`s show includes a precautionary announcement, which explains that some of the foods featured on the show could cause death.  Hearing such an announcement must be the equivalent of a wet dream for Foodie Freaks.

Horse Tartare at M. Wells

Suggested Sponsor –   Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Inc.,  makers of Premarin®

Suggested Spokesperson –  Bear Grylls

Thank god I do not have a penis,  therefore,  I`m unconcerned about repeatedly trying to demonstrate how big it is.  Chef and co-owner Hugue Dufour is soon to be spending more time than anyone else apologizing,  well except for Canadian conservative politician Rob Anders perhaps!  The manufacturer of Premarin®, Pfizer, maintains that this drug is “exclusively from natural sources.” Yes, they are correct. Horse urine is natural, but so is manure. Premarin® is so widely used because it was the first product of its kind for estrogen replacement therapy. It continues to be used, not because it is superior to the other available therapy but because it is what doctors are told is the best. They are told by a company with a huge advertising budget who has a lot to lose if doctors begin prescribing other estrogens,  or simply telling women that menopause is not a disease that requires treatment. The mares on these farms are placed in a urine collection harness and rarely taken off the “production line” for exercise or any other reason.  Straps firmly hold a rubber cup on the mare’s urethra to catch every drop of the precious urine. The continuous standing on concrete causes swollen legs and crippling. Urinary tract infections are not uncommon and many of these horses die as a result of the stress, only to be replaced by another “disposable” horse that might soon come up as a menu item at M. Wells.

Bear Grylls is not only notable for eating virtually everything raw,  from spiders to grubs to worms,  but to giving himself an enema with fetid water just to keep himself hydrated.  Dufour may already know his spokesperson Grylls, since as sous chef for Montreal`s Au Pied de Cochon, Dufour appeared in a TV show called “The Wild Chef”a couple of years ago,  travelling through La Belle Province (otherwise known as Quebec) in search of unique food experiences.  Raw oysters on a bed of jellyfish?

Cuy (Ecuadorian Guinea Pig) At M. Wells

Suggested Sponsor – La Molina University in Lima,  Peru

Suggested Spokesperson – Michael Vick

Here’s a guinea pig fermenting in some sort of curry bath – reminds me of United Horsemen’s “Rescue and Rehabilition” program for horses – only it’s nothing like a spa treatment.  I have to admit I was shocked when I saw this pic on M. Wells Facebook page,  since I consider guinea pigs to be children’s pets.  Secondly,  I am shocked since I strongly suspect that this animal was never USDA inspected,  and since the proprietors imported it from Ecuador,  as per their own comments;  I wonder how they got it here?   Clearly,  since it’s a menu item,  they had more than one.  I know there’s an entire black market industry revolving around the import of animals and I’ve seen many pics of people caught in customs with animals in their suitcases or strapped inside their pant legs,  bound and silenced or even sedated.  Even if it arrived frozen from Ecuador,  how is a small animal such as this “dispatched” in that country?  Any meat that is not state or federally inspected may not be served in restaurants or sold in any way.  Selling uninspected meat is a serious crime.  Even wild meat that is processed by a butcher must be stamped “not for resale.” Our sponsor,  La Molina University, wants to exploit their genetic engineering of guinea pigs,  since they have taken an animal that normally weighs a pound,  and engineered it to weigh 2.5 pounds.  Makes you wonder what they have done to more than double the size of the animal.  Michael Vick is the celebrity face of pet cruelty,  and an appropos spokesperson considering that most people in the west consider that guinea pigs are pets.

How about we just go back to Meat (if you eat it) and plain old white potatoes. Maybe a green salad with a tomato or two.  But if we did that what would happen to the Celebrity Chefs? Oh yeah, they might just go back to cooking decent food instead.  I’m ready for this cruel macho eating to finally go away – along with the restaurants and chefs responsible for it.  Oh,  and another foodie freak habit I hope goes away real soon – taking photos throughout the meal and posting them on Twitter and Facebook – the rest of us don`t need to see your documentation of your food,  OK,  well I did,  at least for this blogpost.  Blackberries and iPhones are not as necessary on a table as are knives and forks.  `Nuff said.

I am exhausted after an afternoon strolling the shops on Queen Street West in Toronto (had to fulfill a shopping craving and wanted to find some good content for you guys!)

My sister had told me about this new store, Brandy Melville and it seemed neat for some casual digs. It’s originally from the States (typical) but it hasn’t garnered the attention like other American stores have when transferring to Canada, like Old Navy in the early 2000s and Forever21 within the past couple of years (do you remember the pandemonium?!)

The store was located on Queen Street West snuggled between I found the average shopper was about 7-10 years younger than I am (so mainly 14-17 year olds) with the straggling 20-something year old like myself wandering around for a top that was “un-cropped.” It was very boho chic, “Tumblr-esque” with lots of silk-screened designs, florals and Aztec-like prints. If I was a couple years younger, I would have had little-to-no self-control in a store like this where the average shirt was $15-$23, but I am a bit past the cropped tee phase in my life, so I was able to exercise some self-control. I would rate this store about a 7 out of 10.

• PROS: decent prices for some unique clothing that 400 other girls don’t own already. (Think bodycon dresses from American Apparel circa 2008.); shirts were baggy and loose-fitting which I love; (if you love Bob Dylan, Nirvana or anything California, there are about 15 different shirts for you!)
• CONS: The store was “one-size-fits-most” and I’m a bit more blessed in the derriere area, so any shorts or pants were just not an option for me; too many crop tops — there needed to be some more options; anything that wasn’t a crop top was 10 to 15 dollars more; limited selection of accessories

Despite the cons, I picked up a few items which I am very pleased with:

1. The Gina bralette ($14 CAN) which is reversible (mine has a beige lace overlay on the other side) and will be perfect with low-back dresses or even on a casual underwire-free kind of day — plus I am the president of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee so I don’t need that much support anyways:

Gina bralette, $14

2. The LA Bones top ($25 CAN) is a slouchy tee that is another versatile piece: can be worn on bum-around days or on a night out with solid chunky accessories. This tee is a little bit more on the cropped side, but since I am a Petite Princess (5’1 baby!) , it reaches the top of my hips. I love LA and everything about California and thought this was a neat-o shirt — you don’t always have to buy trendy or work -appropriate items…sometimes you just get the feeling and you must bring that baby home!

LA Bones top, $25

3. And the piece de resistance, the Dalis top ($22 CAN) – I love shirts that reveal backs and this is super edgy and fits a bit longer on me so I can wear it with a shiny legging and boots or tucked into some skinnies with wedges. This is by far my favourite, if you haven’t noticed (despite the terrible model face in the website photo):

Dalis top, $22

I definitely won’t be reviewing a store every Sunday, as I do not have millions of dollars in my bank account (even though I wish I did — my shoe collection would be beyond amazing!)

xx

To see them in person is jaw dropping.
I hope you enjoy these works. Found along the queen street west, west and dufferin street area in Toronto.

26 photos on Facebook in the album “Street Art Along the Railways 2012″ http://t.co/1KB7O6I7

Just not feelin’ raw meat…….

Hello dear readers,  and welcome once again to our version of the Occupy movement,  on Queen Street West in Toronto!  A couple of recent protests with a smaller number of advocates in attendance have proven to be about as pleasant and soothing to the nerves as trying to shit in a public bathroom when the stall door lock is broken and you have to keep it shut with your hand.  La Palette co-owner Shamez Amlani no doubt  feels that when our attendance is in smaller numbers,  he is free to resort to douchebaggery,  and when the numbers are larger (more witnesses?) he retreats inside where his only offense is to scowl determinedly from behind the bar.

One recent attempt to get under our skin consists of having someone stand out in front

La Palette serves up raw horsemeat on Queen Street West (photo courtesy of Frances)

of the resto with crackers and a plate of horse tartare – uncooked horsemeat.  While some may not appreciate this tactic,  it personally bothers me very little – you know what they say about “loss leaders.”  Each sample of horsemeat that Shamez hands out free on the street is one that he cannot sell.  If I were going to recommend another tactic that works equally as poorly,  I’d suggest he also start using Groupon,  which has been shown to be an ineffective acquisition tool for customers,  primarily because curious, cost-conscious  people try a service once,  and never return.  IMO,  freebies and deals like Groupon don’t work for restaurants because while you’re devoting your time servicing a discounted customer base,  any people willing to pay top dollar for any service are often left unaccommodated.  I’ve no worries that Shamez would ever follow my business advice,  because if he did he would have gotten out of horsemeat for all the reasons I’ve accounted for in previous blogs.

“I run a small India restaurant and we were busy right after the groupon, but very few of the customers came back to eat. Plus, those that did visit spent the minimum and barely tipped our staff.”

Returning for the moment to the wisdom of offering uncooked meat to anyone who passes by – any meat,  including horsemeat of course.  I wonder how many people were initially aware that they were eating raw meat,  since this information wasn’t being provided to passers-by who took a sample?  This info might have been even more meaningful in the context of La Palette’s failure to achieve an unconditional pass from the Toronto Board of Health – Dine Safe Program.  Toronto Public Health also offers an advisory on food handling,  particularly as it concerns raw meat and cross-contamination.   IMO,  the serving of raw meat should not be allowed anywhere,  and municipalities are beginning to crack down on this practice,  because there will always be people who are determined to treat their bodies as a garbage dump, at least until they come down with a parasitic infection,   as evidenced by this comment from a foodie freak on a food blog:

“Until we fight the battles necessary to establish the fact that what ever we decide to put into our bodies regardless of perceived risk, is our decision and our right, the battles will never end. There will always be a new perceived risk with the psychopaths in government there to save you from yourself. Even if they kill you in the process. If you continue to fight each of these issues as an unique event, and try to argue the unique merits of a practice you will still fighting new battles that the system creates when the end of time arrives. Asserting your rights to what you put into your body and your absolute right to contract, is the only sane tactic and the only way we are going to win in the long run.”

Raw meat glorifies food porn and features terrible food safety.  Caveat emptor,  dumb-ass.  And it’s not a “perceived risk” either,  there is a quantifiable risk on several fronts.  From an expert:

“Raw meats or undercooked foods leave you at risk of infection of parasites or a slew of other illnesses,” says Dr. Michael Mansour of the division of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital.

According to NYC’s Department of Health, restaurants must notify diners when food isn’t cooked to required temperatures — either verbally or by printing this on the menu. Basically, it’s buyer beware — though the DOH says it will investigate complaints of people getting sick from eating raw food.

Of course,  New York isn’t Toronto,  and despite my trepidation with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA),  I give high marks to Toronto Public Health.  Toronto Public Health

“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.”
Brillat-Savarin

received the Crumbine Consumer Protection Award, consisting of a bronze Crumbine medallion and engraved plate, at the Annual Educational Conference of the National Environmental Health Association, on June 19 in Columbus, Ohio. This was the first time in its 56 year history that the award was presented to a local food safety jurisdiction outside of the United States. As a Crumbine Award winner, Toronto Public Health joins an elite group of local public health agencies that have demonstrated “unsurpassed achievements in providing outstanding food protection services in the community.”

The selection jury noted that they were particularly impressed by:
➢ Innovative and new ideas in the realm of consumer protection with technically savvy items like a phone application for consumers
➢ Transparency, with daily website posts
➢ Internationally recognized program with strong impacts felt across the United States and elsewhere

Toronto won for its restaurant inspection disclosure system – red, yellow, green signs on the doors.  La Palette is acutely aware of how this system works.

Toronto Public Health – La Palette earns a conditional pass

And congrats on that, because on the 10th anniversary of its groundbreaking restaurant inspection disclosure program, Toronto Public Health has become the first non-U.S. health department to win a prestigious award for “unsurpassed achievement in providing outstanding food protection.”

The city’s health department will receive the 56-year-old Samuel J. Crumbine Consumer Protection Award for DineSafe, an internationally recognized program that posts inspection results for Toronto eateries online and in their front windows.

So while Shamez is busy handing out the pharmacological version of Canadian horsemeat on the street (the EU will decline to accept American and Canadian sourced horsemeat come August 1, 2013,  but it will still be good enough for his customers)  I’ve been busy promoting this blog and the concept that horseslaughter and horsemeat are poor consumer and humane choices.  Case in point – this blog,  at the time of writing,  has received over 2,000 hits on La Palette related subject matter only,  not including Facebook penetration or hits on the individual images.  Some of my La Palette blogs rank higher in Google than the restaurant website itself,  depending on search terms and the geographical area of the searcher.  It’s the Queen Street West version of the Occupy movement.  Social media plays a huge role in shaping the views of society on a myriad of issues, and those media are also playing a role in shaping people’s opinions of dining establishments.  Social media has dramatically changed the world of protesting.

“Things like spreading a message and amplifying a message to lots of people are really effective when done online,” said Matt Stempeck, a research assistant at MIT’s Center for Civic Media.

PopUpShopsMyCity attended Fashion’s Night Out “The Bazaar” by rac on Queen Street West and we had such an amazing time! 

Before I tell you about the event itself, some of you may want to know what it was ALL ABOUT. so here is the skinny…
The Bazaar, a three-day event featuring independent retailers from across Toronto, launched this past Thursday, September 6 during Fashion’s Night Out.

The event offered a large selection of items from Toronto designers and everything from jewelry to shoes to clothing. Participating retailers included: Gotstyle, Lab Consignment, Drake General Store, Psalms:911, Vocado, Elle Hardware, Woodlawn, Rescue Vintage, Robber, Philistine Vintage, Canon Blanc, Magic Pony, Chloe Comme Parris, Life of Manek, Foe & Dear, Love of Mine, Fischer Street, Muskox, OnlyOne Gallery, 69 Vintage, Travis Taddeo and The Cashmere Shop.

When we got to the event, we immediately rode up in an elevator and then out into a room filled with clothing, accessories, shoes, vintage apparel, bags, belts, cupcakes (apparently THE BEST cupcakes ever), custom made leather shoes& purses, did I mention an OPEN BAR?  But wait, there was more, there was custom made jewellry, watches, cashmere hats, sweaters, scarves… It was almost too much to take in all at once!  I need more T-I-M-E!!

The moral of this story folks is going to be the theme that keeps repeating itself on this BLOG, Don’t miss out ‘cuz it’ll be gone before you know it.  For those of you who didn’t make it out to ANY of the FNO events this year, I beg of you to take part next year!  Do it in the name of FASHION!

Well I had my reception for the photo exhibition at the Beacher Cafe last night and I’ve got to say it was all a bit overwhelming — in a good way, of course. The place was packed. Many of my friends from the photo walks group showed up, of course. I had friends from work show up. My friends Jane and Margaret came in from out of town. Another friend from my magazine work came by. My ex-girlfriend popped in. An old high school friend came along. And Frances came (thank you Frances). Even my grade 10 high school teacher showed up, along with one of my customers from back when I was a contractor. It was an amazing time. People were all so generous with their compliments. The place was a buzz with laugter and conversation and fun. I sure hope everyone enjoyed themselves. I tried hard to make sure I got to talk to everyone. At first I was a bit anxious but soon enough I settled down and enjoyed the evening. Anyway, I suppose you could call it a big success. Here’s a slideshow of the evening.

This shot dates back to April 2011 taken during a Toronto Photo Walk outing. Might not have been an official walk, though, just an outing with some of the members. I took this with my Tokina 11-16mm F2.8 wide angle lens @ 11mm. You’d never get a shot like this with a regular lens, at least without doing a multi-shot panoramic. The people across the street are part of the group I was with. As you can see, there’s plenty of perspective distortion with this lens when shooting wide open. I could have corrected it a tad in LR, but I would have lost the top of the clock tower. Anyway, hope you like it.

Fashion’s Night Out is coming to the streets of Toronto for the first time this year.

The window display at H&M’s Bloor Street store promotes Fashion’s Night Out. This location, along with the Eaton Centre one, will celebrate the event with drinks, music and special offers.

The international event launched in New York in 2009 as a collaboration between American Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, NYC & Company and the City of New York. It now brings together shoppers, retailers, designers, celebrities and media at swanky parties and shopping events in 18 countries around the world.

In Toronto, the celebration will be permeating all corners of the city’s retail scene. Here are some events to check out:

• The Toronto Eaton Centre is extending mall hours, remaining open until 11 pm, and will host a public fashion show at 7:30 pm in Centre Court. Check it out to see the latest fashions from Stuart Weitzman, Juicy Couture and GAP.

• Many retailers at Yorkdale Shopping Centre will also stay open until 11 pm, and while they’re there, shoppers can also enjoy presentations on beauty trends, fall and winter fashions and personal style tips.

• Holt Renfrew’s ‘Hot in the City’ street party kicks off in front of the chain’s Bloor Street store at 7 pm, and runs until 10 pm. But the celebration needn’t stop there – the store will stay open until 11 pm.

• Nearby in Yorkville, there will be plenty of sales and swanky shopping events. Cumberland will transform into a runway featuring trendy looks from New York fashion week, compliments of Aveda Canada, and MasterCard’s Stylicity Lounge at Hazelton Lanes will feature complimentary styling and make-up applications, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres until 11 pm.

• Queen Street West will also be buzzing, with celebrations and special offers at retailers such as Rue Pigalle and Preloved.

Check out the full list of participants here.

I’m so excited about this unique event “Fashion On Film“. The city is buzzing tomorrow with the first year of Fashion Night Out and we will be in the center of it all at 627 Queen Street West. With fashion, shopping, classic films, a rocking DJ, drinks and sweet treats all in one place this will be one fun event! There are seven amazing designers offering brand new fall pieces with a great selection of clothing, footwear and jewelry. Be sure to come by and say hello!

Since the reception date and time was already published in a local area newspaper I figured I’d send out an invite to whoever would like to come. Here’s a google map link for direction.

On another note, I was hired to shoot a photo essay on Kensington Market a month or so back. It’s finally been published, which I’m pretty please about. Here’s a link if you care for a peek.

Actually, I didn’t buy it for the recipes.  I bought it for the page pictured below.

I couldn’t resist acquiring yet another alphabet.

But, of course, one cannot have a cookbook without also trying the recipes.  And so I am discovering the unique cuisine of Ethiopia.  I now rely on several of these recipes—especially Spiced Butter, Berbere Dilhie and Mit’mita seasoning—for much of my other cooking as well.

One thing that still stymies me though is how to make Injera—the traditional Ethiopian bread.  I expect this is something one cannot learn without personal instruction.

Recipes are beautifully illustrated with full-page colour photos. And in addition to the Ethiopian script, the book is seasoned with Ethiopian art and the author’s personal philosophy such as “The Recipe of Love”.

Unlimited cups of Love
Unlimited cups of Forgiveness
Unlimited cups of Loyalty
Unlimited cups of Friendship
Unlimited Understanding
Unlimited Kindness
Unlimited Hope
1 tsp. of Tenderness
True Laughter
1/2 tsp. Faith

I can tell you that more than once I glanced upwards towards to the roof of this former horse stable,  to see if co-owner Shamez Amlani was standing up there with a boiling hot cauldron of bacon grease,  rather like those medieval “anti-personnel” fortifications that consisted of incendiary devices  or other flaming projectiles lobbed at enemy combatants during castle sieges.  Alas,  the “renos” did not consist of gunpower, quicklime,   flame throwers,  or napalm,  but Shamez is forever inching those plants out closer towards the sidewalk,  trying to push us further away from the front façade of the restaurant and towards the collection of derelict pre-WWII bicycles,  which he probably believes creates “shabby chic ambiance.”

I’d have to say that,  IMO,  the bikes  offer all the ambiance of  an episode of “American Pickers”  of the “Jersey Shore” meets “Hoarders.” You don’t want to brush up against this rusty junk – there are sharp bicycle fenders pointing

I Want to Ride My Bicycle! Shabby Chic Elegance or Eyesore?

out at right angles towards pedestrians as they walk by.  The Queen Street West drunks are particularly uncoordinated tonight,  snatching a protest sign  and lurching uncontrollably  into storefronts,  falling into pedestrians,  faceplanting on the sidewalks,  and narrowly avoiding that rusty tangled mass of junk.  I hope anyone coming into contact with these pre-industrial relics has recently had tetanus shots,  although I suppose when you’re drunk and lurching along Queen Street West late at night,  your physical well-being is already a low priority.

Anyway,  our protest group had speculated that at least part of the reason for the temporary shutdown was due to the excitement of the protest immediately prior,  where protest devotee Bob

A Supporter from the Mounted Divison

was again manhandled by Shamez.  Shamez is really teetering on the precipice of arrest now – that bad boy can’t seem to keep his temper under control,  and Bob’s defenceless sign was mangled once again – now it has a permanent crease down the middle after La Palette’s chief horse-hater struck at Bob through the sign.  You’d expect that a clean air/bicycle activist would be a peaceful sort of person,  no?  I also wouldn’t blame you if you opined that it seemed like a direct conflict for such an activist to turn around and serve non-food animals who have been treated with prohibited drugs and then transported long distances and cruelly slaughtered, to his restaurant patrons.  Shamez seems to confirm,  as recounted in this blog since April,  that he’s hardly the zen-priest of pacifism,  logic,  or reason.

By definition,  assault  and/or battery consists of physical contact with another person without their consent.  An injury need not occur for an assault to be committed, but the force used in the assault must be offensive in nature with an intention to apply force,  which is surely does.  Typically,  people with bad tempers accompanied by poor life skills and/or coping mechanisms find themselves making physical contact with someone  as part of their argument.  Just sayin’

By now,  you may be asking yourself, dear reader,  WWBD  (What Would Bob Do)  after yet another altercation in front of the restaurant?  Bob and the other protesters conferred and in the end,  cops attended the scene,  and had  convo with Shamez that fortunately for him,  did not include a taser, handcuffs,  or a late-night phone call to a sleazy lawyer in a banlon suit.  The cops concluded their visit by advising Shamez that if he causes another physical altercation with a protester,  he will be charged.

Although we have no still pictures of this event,  we do have this incredible,  remastered, eyewitness video:

I guess this means that Shamez will now longer be mistaking the protest as a “Pro- La Palette” event,  as he has claimed in the past?

Modern Marvel? You be the judge…….

In case you were thinking that Shamez was always the “Centaur of Attention” at his restaurant,  guess again.  It seems that his chef may also hold delusions of grandeur.  Don’t all chefs have delusions of grandeur though?  It is only food, after all, and chefs are not deities.  So whenever you see those big white plates with microscopic portions on them, you can feel validated for thinking that chefs take themselves far too seriously.  On his Facebook page,  Chef Brook Kavanagh makes the rather unbelievable  claim he is teaching a National Geographic course?  Seriously?  I thought a Discovery show on French topics might discuss the Maginot Line,  the French Revolution,  or Churchill on the Battle of France,  but no,  Brook claims he is TEACHING it.  This is a show about technology.

I know that some of these programs have teaching modules, but how could horsemeat possibly represent the subject matter for this show? Judging by the Facebook pics, it looks more like the History channel featured *something* on horsemeat.  Or perhaps it was a show on trichinosis?  I wonder if it was a segment dealing with the ramifications of leaving meat out at room temperature and consequently barely passing their Public Health inspection?

Try as I might,  I couldn’t find any independent verification of the claim of teaching a Discovery Channel show,  so I’m am throwing shade on this claim,  even though I totally believe that he is telling anyone with a pulse that horsemeat is just fab.  But when Teacher Appreciation Day rolls around,  I’ll have to give you a pass – sorry!

And now,  for a revelation that will give any attention whore pause…………wait for it……….

The last and most interesting development for the evening  is that an anonymous tipster,  who ate at La Palette and saw our protest outside,  reached out  to me via the blog.  One half of

La Palette Receipt

the couple who dined there described Shamez’ demeanor as “perpetually pissed-off” on this evening (weekly jousts with protesters and cops might have that effect).  Ventilation was also terrible – the tipster described the place as being full of greasy smoke – the host apparently discourages patrons from sitting up front where the air is fresher,  because of the protesters!

I guess there’s nothing like greasy smoke for shabby-chic ambiance – but if it were me Shamez,  I would have made “improved ventilation” one of the “renos” that you were going to complete during the shutdown.  Other notable comments were that these diners felt that,  although they enjoyed their entrees,   they were overcharged for tiny portions  (there must be an inverse relationship between the size of the chef’s ego and the portion size – the bigger the ego of the chef – the tinier the portion?) and that the place was generally “underwhelming”  for various reasons. No wonder Amlani feels that he has to rely on the serving of horsemeat to prop up the resto – perhaps $18 for an entree “the size of your fist” isn’t going to cut it.