Wednesday night, I made my way to the Brockton General, one of the new business that is gentrifying my West end neighbourhoods of Bloordale Village and Brockton Village. Replacing a Portuguese bar at Dundas and Lisgar, the small restaurant resembled the other cafes that have sprung up in the area: mismatched wooden tables and chairs, old-timey decor including sepia-tinted photographs, cuckoo clocks, and a faded poster of a Portuguese soccer team. The bottles behind the bar were stored in rickety, wooden crates.
According to the owner, Wednesday is slower compared to the packed houses from Thursday to Sunday. So there was only 1 chef in the kitchen and the revolving main menu, written on butcher paper, featured only 3 items tonight. I ordered all 3 and another dish from the bar menu: a potted animal ($7) which for tonight meant a duck gruyere with some bread.
The duck did come out in a pot, or at least a small glass jar whose lid came off with a nice pop. It was essentially a coarse pate or terrine. I've been complaining lately about the blandness of the duck dishes I've been eating. Not this one. The first bite or two was almost too gamey, but my palate re-calibrated. A nice appetizer but too large a portion, I had to ask for another round of bread to finish off the duck.
The soup ($8) came out in a shallow bowl with a row of thinly sliced parsnip and black walnuts arrayed along one side. They were topped with finely minced capicollo, which reminded me of the shrimp powder on banh beo. The server then poured warm clear maple broth into the bowl. Neat! I don't think I've ever had a sweet soup before. The broth tasted wonderful with the parsnip and the black walnuts; with the capicollo, not so much. The sweet and savoury clashed instead of complementing each other. It was better once I let the pork soak in the broth to draw a bit of the saltiness out.
The main ($15) was maltagliati pasta with little pointy bits of pancetta, tomato, and pecorino. Everything came together for this dish. This maltagliati was long, flat ribbons that had the right amount of chewiness. The sharp, smokey pork went well with the tangy tomatoes. Very nice.
The dessert ($7) was pieces of chocolate cake over chocolate amaro sauce and hazelnut. Some of the pieces were topped with either sour cream or a few flakes of Maldon salt. The chocolate and hazelnut were quite good, the salt did not complement the sweetness, and the sour cream tasted so odd with the chocolate cake that I almost spat it out. It was a good dessert overall but next time I'll ask for the salt and sour cream to be added on the side.
I believe that the Brockton General changes its menu regularly so there's no telling what's for dinner (unless you check the wall on their facebook page). For my meal, there were some minor misses where the chef seemed to have gotten a little too creative, but they were all interesting and well-made. I'll definitely be back to this tiny boite that Toronto Life gave a Best New Restaurants 2011 spot to (as well as James Chatto).
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sir, Yes, Sir! More Sweet, Less Savoury!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Road To Junos
I ordered the deep-fried Garlic Chicken and Gra Bong (deep-fried squash fritters) appetizers, the 3-flavours Pad Thai, the Khao Soi (egg noodles in curry), and the Thai iced tea. Unlike my recent experience with deep-fried food at Guu Saka Bar, the appetizers here were light and tasty. The hint of lemon-grass with the chicken and soft centre of the squash were particular highlights. I've had the pad thai and Khao Soi before, but my fellow diner wanted to try them out. The Khao Soi seems much thicker than before, almost a heavy curry. I do enjoy the dish, but the creaminess of the curry has always been too much of a good thing. The pad thai and iced tea made a nice addition to the meal.
First up at the Great Hall was Kat Burns. She is the lead singer of local indie band Forest City Lovers. She sang slow, introspective, moody and confessional music. Being the 1st act of the night, and relatively unknown, it was a tough set to sell in this larger venue. People were getting a bit restless a couple of songs. It would have been better if she had a few more up-tempo numbers. In contrast, almost every roots-rock/country-flavoured song by New Country Rehab was a toe-tapping number. Even the slower tunes built up layers of instrumentation. Half of their songs were originals and the other half were reworked covers of country/americana by Hank Williams Sr, John Fogerty, and so on. I was impressed by the guitarist, who seemed to be able to pull out all sorts of effects from his acoustic guitar, that's one interesting set of guitar pedals he's got. Both him and the lead singer, who was also fiddling, pulled off some fast-fingered and nimbled solos, to the delight of the crowd.
Basia Bulat was the final act of the night. Unlike the last time I saw her, when she was the opening act for Josh Ritter, she had her full band with her. There were some minor glitches: the mike for the upright bass didn't work for the first part of two different songs, and Basia herself forgot the lyrics to the 2nd verse to an older number. Her voice seemed a bit strained, but she was her usual bubbly and self-effacing self. The sound system was slightly weak for a set-up of this size, reducing a bit the energizing effect of Bobby Bulat's drumming on songs like Go On and Gold Rush. But the mix was excellent for the vocal harmonies and the softer viola and ukelele. Her 40-minute set, plus a 2 song encore, meant that she stuck to songs from her 2 CDs (except for covering Sam Cooke's "Touch The Hem of His Garment" in the encore) instead of trying out her new material or Polish songs. I wished she did a longer show but like everybody else, I left happy and contented.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Guu-ey
Guu Izakaya opened its second Toronto location called Guu Saka Bar at Bathurst and Bloor in the Annex this past Sunday. I decide to check it out Tuesday night after work. Located on the South-East side, Guu has taken over a Burger King location, and done up the exterior as trendy uneven brickwork. The sign is barely visible but you can see a number of intrigued passerby peering through the tiny, palm-size windows that dot the otherwise solid brick facade.
Passing through the glass-covered front corridor, I find myself in the middle of new bar, enthusiastically greeted by a waitress. The front half, which runs the length of that entrance hall, is a giant tatami room. This also explains the curious faces on the sidewalk. You share 20 or so tables sitting on padded mats on the elevated wooden floor (no worries, your feet can dangle below the tables). You won't get as much privacy as other tatami rooms, but it is a quieter atmosphere than a typical Guu experience. The rest of the room is rustic Japanese with rough dark wood for the communal tables, bar, and walls. This includes the washrooms where even the faucet is in the shape of a miniature country water pump.
After sitting down at the bar, the entire waitstaff scream out some Japanese greeting, turn to face me, and bow. What to do with such over-the-top behaviour? I guess a smile and a nod will have to do. Beside the interior design which differ from the Guu bar on Church St., there are some other differences at least this early into its grand opening. First, given the extra space provided by the tatami room, the place doesn't have a line-up until past 7 pm. There are more Caucasian customers, about 25% of the clientele. However, some of them act as if they've never had Japanese food (or at least Izakaya), never seen a tatami room, or a bit hyperbolic in their praise (a "sushi master" at Guu? Oh, please.)
The food menu is also different. I order a glass of Sapporo (hmm, the pull tab for the draft beer is shaped like a samurai sword) to start. From the standard menu, I get the Gindara (grilled miso marinated black cod with yuzu sauce), deep-fried brie cheese, and 5 assorted fried skewers. From the grand opening menu, I decided on the pan fried daikon radish and the seared B.C. tuna sashimi.
The brie cheese comes as 3 breaded triangular wedges on a sweet mango sauce. An interesting combination, but the runny cheese interior is only room temperature. I am expecting cheese fondue-level warmth. Perhaps this is a logistical impossibility, but I know what I like. The radish is too soft for me, I was looking for a crunchier side dish condiment. Live and learn. The seared tuna has sprinkles of chopped green onions and fried shallots. Tuna tataki was wonderful the first time I ate it at Rikishi, but I've had this dish numerous times since then at various location and it has been a let-down. Even the 2nd time round at Rikishi wasn't that great. Perhaps it's the kind of dish that has an exciting novelty value but diminishing return.
The deep-fried skewers, with mayonnaise and teriyaki dips, are also mediocre. Only the ham benefited from the liberally coated bread-crumb shell, the vegetables would have been preferable in a light tempura batter. The potato and onion are good, but the lotus roots are sliced too thick and the mushrooms taste cheap and wet. Finally, the black cod arrives. Too salty and a bit over-cooked.
A disappointing meal. I claim some fault (Protip: not so much fried/grilled stuff), and partially excuse the kitchen (being only their 3rd night). But looking around at the other diners and their fried udon, mayo-covered shrimp, and baked oysters, I'm not excited about those dishes either. On the other hand, the salmon carpaccio and various salads look good. Maybe more fish and veggies next time. As I make my way out, the entire staff wave good-bye in unison, which I return, to the amusement of the line that has started to form in the entrance.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Bol-ywood
Having enjoyed myself at last year's Kalanidhi Indian Dance Festival, I decided to check out this year's edition on Saturday. This year's honoree is Kumudini Lakhia, so the show on Saturday was predominantly Kathak dancing. There were also 2 15-minute pieces from England-based Nina Rajarani Dance Creations highlighting Bharatanatyam dance.
This all-male dance troupe consisted of 4 dancers, a raga singer, a violinist, a flautist, and a percussionist. The dance style is fast and furious, comprising of a bended arms and legs. Entitled "Bend It...", the first piece's conceit is that the competitiveness and posturing of the dance is similar to a soccer game, so let's turn it into one. The instrumentalists became goal-keepers, while the percussionist and singer were the coaches. The dancers moved back and forth across the "pitch", showing off dance steps. Amusingly, when one side scores, they engaged in bhangra-style Bollywood celebrations. It was a funny and athletic piece. The second piece, "Quick!", envisioned the troupe as London businessmen going through their day, vying with each other from sun-up to sun-down. I felt that the dancing didn't work as well in this piece, but I thought that the call-and-response typical of Indian music, where a singer will sing a tala sequence which will be repeated by a musical instrument, being acted out as a tense business meeting was a nice metaphor.
The two book-ends performances of the night were a local and an Indian Kathak troupe. The main dance vocabulary of this dance style is a tapping out of tala sequences, often very fast, with bare feet. The dancer's shins are often wrapped with bells to amplify the sound. It greatly resembles Flamenco dancing and in fact, the two dance styles are thought to be related.
The evening started off with 4 pieces by the Chhandam Dance Company supported by the Toronto Tabla Ensemble. The main choreographer of this company is Joanna de Souza. I have seen this performer and her support dancers before around town, for example at Kensington's Pedestrian Sunday. She is an excellent dancer, but I have always found something awkward about her style. While watching the other female dancer in her company, Kiran Phull, I realized that Joanna had stiffer arm movements. They were not as soft and "feminine" as Kiran and the female dancers from India. Since there are male Kathak dancers, I wonder if she should switch to a more masculine style, similar to the way Myriam Allard, a Flamenco dancer from Montreal, have both feminine and masculine styles.
The 4 pieces were average, with the modern touches not contributing much to the narrative. Alone, they would have been adequate. But tonight, they were completely eclipsed by Kadamb, Laikha's company from India.
This company was extraordinary. Comprising of 4 female dancers and a male dancer, their techniques were excellent: crisp percussive taps, interesting soft rings when dancing on the balls of their feet, fast spins, and evocative arm movements. During the last piece, Tarana, I was once again struck by how much Kathak resembles Flamenco as the women tapped out complex rhythms with their feet while swishing around their red flowing skirts. But it was the second piece Evam that most enchanted.
Conceived as a duet between female dancer Sanjukta Sinha and male dancer Akash Odedra, the dance started off slowly with both dancers in seated positions, moving through some almost yogic arm movements. Once they got onto their feet, their skills were quite apparent. In sync and moving together, they demonstrated how sensuous and flirty dancing can be, even when there is no touching between dancers. I had previously seen the standard Kathak spins, which is similar to a ballet dancer's, except done on the heels instead of the toes. I had never seen them done so fast and so numerous. I was also astonished that there were also whirling dervish style spins, where a dancer's head and arms move freely with the turns similar to a figure skater. These were my favourite because of their free range of motion. There were even spins on knees, like some Eastern European cossack. But it was the overall emotional content of the piece that made it stood out. I should also mentioned that all those feminine arm movements, coquettish head turns, and swaying hips kind of did a number on me.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A Fish Tale
Tuesday night, I headed to Yonge and Eglinton to try Fin Izakaya. I have been told that it is comparable to Guu but not as loud and packed. When I was there, there were about 15 people in the restaurant including several 20-something and 30-something Japanese. Fin seems like a Japanese take on the current Asian restaurant aesthetic (e.g., wooden tables and faux leather couches and seats). All the wood is dark. Wood slats cover up the windows and down the main entrance, dividing the room into 2 sections. There is a private room, multiple tables, and a large table divided by bamboo stalks that seats about 14. The sushi bar and open kitchen span most of the span along the back wall. Various sake-related accoutrements line the walls: bottles, drums of rice, etc.
I mostly ordered the same dishes as this blog post except for 2 items off the special menus: 2 skewers of pork belly Kushiyaki with sea-salt and teriyaki ($3 each), Saba Aburi - blowtorched mackerel ($8), Takoyaki - octopus balls ($5.75), and Duck Shichimi Yaki ($8). From the special menu which was just updated for March 2011, I got the Hamachi Kama - grilled Yellowtail collar ($7). From the special tuna menu, which is available because they buy entire tunas, I ordered the Tuna Tataki ($8). In fact, on March 24 starting at 7 pm, there is a live Tuna Carving Show with samurai sword. There is also a Rewards program you can sign up for.
The first inkling that I may have ordered too much food was when the Saba came out. There were 20-25 slices of fish! It was ok and definitely a bang for your buck, but the mackerel palled by the 20th slice, and I missed the slight coating of garlic oil put on blowtorched fish at Yuzu/Japango. The Takoyaki was a generous size and came practically hidden by massive piles of shaved bonito. It was chewy goodness but I think that Kenzo Ramen gives you more octopus. The duck, sprinkled with Shichimi spice mix, had a slight spiciness. It came on a hot platter with green onions and enoki mushroom. This was good duck. The pork belly was also tasty but the teriyaki skewer was better than the sea-salt. I'm not sure if there are grades of pork belly, but with the sea-salt you can tell that it wasn't high-end meat. On the other hand, I'm not complaining too hard about generous skewers of sizzling pork for $3.
What about the specials? The tuna tataki was a deep red, mostly raw through the middle, but cooked along the edges. It came on a bed of spicy salad of thinly sliced cucumber, onions and other vegetables. The salad had a small spicy kick. The tuna was average but I guess you don't use high grade tuna for tataki. Finally the yellowtail collar came out. It was, in fact, the grilled collar of a fish with the side fins still attached. It was also a rather large piece. Perhaps because I was already stuffed about 1.5 dishes ago, I didn't get very much out this dish. It tasted like cooked fish. It probably would have gone better with some rice and a vegetable dish.
Fin Izakaya is a comfortable restaurant with some tasty, generously portioned, dishes. At the other tables, I also saw a beef hot plate and a platter of fiery red grilled squid. It was quieter than Guu, although the waitstaff do yell out greetings as you enter/leave. The electronic dance music may or may not be to your taste, depending on what kind of mood you're in.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Super Sneak
On Friday night, I decided to check out a few bands for Canadian Music Week. First, I dropped by Sneaky Dee's around 9:40 pm to catch the last few songs from Christien Summers. I've been living in Toronto for years and yet this was my first time at this locale, one of the Toronto's iconic hang-out. The upstairs room where the stage is located is long and narrow, and a lot smaller than I expected. It was painted completely in black except for the side door and walls of stage right, which was just bare plywood. I shall never sneer at The Piston again.
Christien Summers is a 5 member band fronted by a female singer. They play jangly rock with a bit of a funk feel thanks to the guitar and synth. The singer was a bit flat on a song or two and it was your average dance-pop. A little past 10 pm, Bravestation came on. A 4 member rock band that played some new wave harmonized pop (free EP download). Their songs typically have catchy lyrics and choruses, which were enthusiastically sung along by their contingent of fans.
Allie Hughes came on just after 11 pm. Although she kept on her bridal veil, she wasn't getting married this time around. No. She was expecting, tongue-in-cheek, that after her set, the executives who were no doubt in the audience will line up to sign her to a major label. A slightly abbreviated version of her Wedding set was eventually welcomed by the slightly bewildered crowd. I don't think they knew about her theatrical behaviour compared to audience at the previous shows. Her "boyfriend" Chad also showed up for the duet. I guess she forgave him for jilting her at the altar a few weeks back. Oddly, it was a different Chad. It didn't matter though, because he ditched her again at the end of the song. I guess Allie just never learns. I do miss her bridesmaids, who had added some nice harmonies.
Although I knew that local "it" band, The Meligrove Band, was due on at 1 am, I wanted some fun dancing music. So I headed down the street to Augusta to check out the venue at Supermarket. This tapas restaurant had a small stage in the back but a fairly powerful sound system for its size. The 2nd last band, The Box Tiger, came on around 12:15 am. They remind a bit of The Balconies, and not just because the lead singer is female with a good voice and plays jangly hooks on her guitar. But the male guitarist also added some interesting chords and riffs, and highly pitched harmonies. They had a lot of energy and their songs tend to have numerous structural changes and progressions. I liked them but I wished that for a song or two, they would play it more or less straight. Sometimes when there's too much variety, sameness is actually more interesting.
After 1 am, Maylee Todd bounded up on stage. I saw her a few weeks ago and was blown away by her songs and performance. She might have first confused some inebriated gentlemen, who screamed "Harp solo" on the first song. When the soul/funk songs came out, everybody was dancing. Given that she just released her Bjork-like album just last year, I despair about how long it will take before these songs are recorded. The set ended enthusiastically at 2 am and I went home humming her catchy refrains.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Honestly, I Do Give A Clam
I was feeling in the mood for some fish or seafood Tuesday. Having browsed a number of positive reviews for Frank's Kitchen (588 College St.) at the corner of College and Clinton, I decided to give it a try. Previously, this spot was an upscale Italian restaurant (Sorriso). And years prior to that, it was a European dining spot where I had my first osso buco.
The restaurant had only 1 other couple when I came through the doors. But apparently the place was fully reserved so I sat at the bar. Over the course of the night, I overheard numerous phone calls regarding reservations: "telling one customer they had to call ahead 24 hours to get a call back", "a table opening up on Saturday", and so on. It seems like Frank's is a hot boite and you might want to call ahead.
With quiet lighting, cream-coloured tables, and bathrooms with cloth hand towels, the restaurant is going for a refined feel. I ordered a baked oyster rockefeller ($14) and the catch of the day, Arctic char ($30). But the kitchen also gave me 4 complimentary dishes: a bread plate, an amuse-bouche, an intermezzo, and a small dessert.
The bread came as an egg-washed brioche and a basil and cherry tomato focaccia with an olive and sun-dried tomatoes paste. I liked the brioche with its slight sweetness, but didn't tasted anything distinctive about the focaccia. However, it went great with the house-made dips, which were delicious.
For the amuse-bouche, a small plate came with a goat cheese croquette on a bed of salsa in a large spoon and small glass of cauliflower pureed soup. I do love me any cream-of-something soup. The croquette was still hot and the goat cheese simply oozed in my mouth.
The baked oyster Rockefeller came as 6 oysters on a two-tier tray. The oysters nestled in a hollandaise sauce, with spinach, and bits of bacon. It was tasty though given the other ingredients, it was hard to discern the oyster except for a slight chewiness and seafood flavour.
For the intermezzo, the waitress gave a me a small spoon with a tiny scoop of a lime sorbet with a tiny basil leaf. It was a refreshing cleanse of the palate. So far, everything has been great.
But when the main came out, I was a bit shocked at the portion size. The $30 main was more of an appetizer-sized dish. I felt like one of those yokels in Hollywood movies who went to a French restaurant serving nouvelle cuisine. There was some seared Artic char, about only 1/3 the portion size I was expected, a single seared scallop, one razor clam made Casino-style, half of a grilled artichoke heart, some winter greens and spinach, all resting on a green saffron nage (seafood stock). I wasn't sure what Casino-style was but it looked similar to the baked oyster: hollandaise sauce with some sprinking of herbs. I liked the vegetables, though I didn't realize artichoke was so sour. The nage was deep and rich. I would have liked the skin on the Artic char to be a bit crisper. The fish had a slight raw mouth-feel and I don't like raw fish unless I'm expecting it (e.g., ceviche, tartare, sushi). The dish was good but without those other dishes, plus some fruit and yogurt when I got home, I wouldn't have been full.
With my bill, I got 2 decadent pieces of chocolate truffles, apparently also made in house.
The ambience of the restaurant, attentiveness of the waitstaff, careful plating, and the complimentary dishes really give you that VIP treatment. But if the other similarly priced mains are equally petite, I would stick with the appetizers which are tapas-sized but at least they are also tapas-priced. Alternatively, you could try the pasta dishes at $19-23. Ultimately though, it may be one of those restaurant where you'll have to shell out more than I did ($60 with tax/tip - I was a bit generous with tip because of the free dishes and good service), or cross the street and grab a burrito from Burrito Boyz (575 College St.) on your way home.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Dance-a-thon
Each pair competed in a traditional pas de deux taken from a classical piece, then they will showcase their contemporary moves in a new contemporary piece commissioned for them. In the pre-Ballet talk, it was pointed out that what really gives these dancers, who are from the corps de ballet (i.e., that mass of dancers in the back of any scene), a career boost is the time accorded to them by their Ballet Director and dance choreographer in preparation for this competition.
I enjoyed the classical repertoire but ultimately found it a little hermetic. It reminded me of this older patron from this performance who found these classic pieces "old-fashioned". The problem is that there is nothing new in these pieces, the dance vocabulary is well-known and well-trodded. My opinion is that the classical pas de deux are best seen from a full ballet production where the music, the storyline, and the other dancers are integral to providing the frame that situates and informs the piece. Otherwise, it's like watching somebody practice scales or etudes on a piano.
The contemporary pieces were more interesting with each dance present new and different dance movements. However, outside of Little Monsters, it was obvious the other pieces derive most of their ideas from classical movements. I would have liked to have seen bolder choices such as those seen in Chroma.
Before the winners were announced, the audience got to vote on their favourite male dancer, female dancer, and choreographer. Then the National Ballet performed Balanchine's Theme and Variations. It was the main role debut for Elena Lobsanova (2nd Soloist of the National Ballet) who won the 8th competition in 2009. Similar to other Balachine's plotless ballet, I found the intricate movements intellectually interesting but emotionally cold.
The best male dancer went to Joseph Gorak of American Ballet Theatre, best female dancer went to Maria Baranova of Hamburg Ballet, and best choreographer was Demis Volpi of Stuttgart Ballet. The audience were obviously disappointed as they clapped much harder for the Audience Choices: Elisa Badenes and Daniel Camargo (Stuttgart Ballet), and Robert Stephen (National Ballet of Canada). I agree with Paula Citron that sometimes it's easier for an audience to cheer for flash. Daniel Camargo was very athletic in his jumps and spins. I can't say whether or not he failed to connect with his partner as Ms. Citron points out. But I did notice that he sometimes struggled to keep his lines. In any case, they were all strong dancers and will no doubt move up from the corps de ballet soon.
American Ballet Theatre: (Christine Shevchenko, Joseph Gorak)
- Pas de Deux from Act II of La Sylphide (Choreography: August Bournonville)
- Divergent Connectivity (Nicola Curry, Music: Daniel Bensi and Saunder Jurrians, Trails)
The Hamburg Ballet: (Maria Baranova, Kiran West)
- Pas de Deux from Act II of Giselle (After Marius Petipa)
- Chopin Dialogue (John Neumeier, Fredrico Mompou, Variations sur un theme de Chopin)
The National Ballet of Canada: (Shino Mori, Naoya Ebe)
- Bluebird Pas de Deux from The Sleeping Beauty (After Marius Petipa)
- Passacaglia (Robert Stephen, George Frideric Handel/Johan Halvorsen, Passacaglia)
The Royal Danish Ballet: (Shelby Elsbree, Jon Axel Fransson)
- Pas de Deux from Flower Festival in Genzano (August Bournonville)
- Meron Nign (Louise Midjord, Klezmer Conservatory Band, Meron Nign)
Stuttgart Ballet: (Elisa Badenes, Daniel Camargo)
- Pas de Deux from Act III of Don Quixote (Marius Petipa)
- Little Monsters (Demis Volpi, Elvis Presley, various excerpts)
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Sunday, March 6, 2011
Busted Rhymes
Street Justice opened the show with a couple of songs. Though each rapper had his own style, they can all switch it up depending on the song. What stood out for me is that they had ok singing voices. Sometimes they sang a refrain in harmony, with one of them doing a real nice bass. I think they should do more arrangements that take advantage of this, considering how many other rappers need to rely on auto-tune.
Next up was a baby-faced Double X. He had a more laid-back rap style that was almost old-school. Then came Ron Dias. He also was a old-school rapper. Both performers were ok, but my own preference is for a rap style with more internal rhymes and a faster flow.
The DJ then spent 20 minutes mixing some tracks because apparently the main headliner, Eternia, was nowhere to be found. The crowd got really into it with a bunch of couples grinding. I didn't really enjoy this style of rap which was mostly about thugs, bling, and whores. I don't think Eternia would either since her songs are dismissive of that type of pose.
Finally Eternia came up on stage. Apparently, she was a DJ for a cousin's wedding and things ran over. With her curly hair cropped short and large over-sized earrings, she looked more like a suburban housewife than a rapper. But she showed her skills the minute she opened her mouth. She went hard right away and for the whole night, spitting out lines fast and furious. She was all over the stage, ran down on the floor, even stepped onto some precarious bar tables at the front. Her stage presence was much more powerful compared to the previous acts. Her sister, Jessica Kaya, even joined in for one song. Eternia put on quite a performance.
Sadly, I also experienced another concert first: somebody threatened to kick my ass. About 2/3rd through Eternia's set, the guy in front and a little to my left turned to me and, shall we say, informed me that if I didn't give him some space, there was going to be trouble. Given that we are all crammed up at the front of the stage, any contact would be incidental and accidental. I was speechless because for the first few moment, I had no idea what he was talking about. My bewildered silence only got him even angrier. Well, I wasn't going to argue with a guy who outweighed me by 70 lbs and stood a full head taller. So I made some vague, reconciliatory hand gesture and gave him whatever extra space I can.
Needless to say, I didn't enjoy the next couple of songs very much. Given that the late set was approaching 2 a.m. already, and I had an early morning schedule, I skipped out on Eternia's closing numbers and grabbed a taxi home. Ignoring the angry hip-hop fan, I was glad I caught a full set of Eternia instead of the abbreviated version a few months back at Dundas Square.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
This Magic Moment
Friday night, on the way home from work, I stopped by Drift. This casual bar at Bloor and Havelock replaced Casa Mendonca, a local Portuguese Bar and Grill, about 6 months ago. No doubt part of the ongoing gentrification of this neighbourhood.
Exposed brick and reclaimed signage as decoration suggest a hipster sensibility, as do the men with mustaches and beards and the women wearing giant glasses. The 8 or so tables made from recycled bowling alley material (you can still see the strips of wood that made up the bowling lanes), the dark-wood bar, and the sofa area were a nice touch. Even better, the 6 drafts and 25 bottles beer selection are priced at $4-5. I ordered a laphroaigh scotch which is also a good deal at $6.50. I needed that scotch since it took 10 min before someone took my dinner order.
Drift had a one page selection of sandwiches and wraps, french fries, salad and other pub food. I wavered between the two most expensive dishes: a $9 pork burger or the same for some home-made Mac and Cheese. The waitstaff suggested the burger.
While waiting, I noticed that the bottled beer selection included "Fin Du Monde", made by the Quebec microbrewery Unibroue. This beer has consistently been ranked one of the top beer in the world. Intrigued, I ordered a bottle. Fin Du Mond was a wonderful revelation. It tasted clean and best of all, had a slight flowery accent. It reminded me of those perfumed Italian soft drinks, but in a good way. The night was looking up from that slow service.
The pork burger came, not on regular hamburger buns, but bread that looked more like baguette slices.The patty seemed more loosely packed than typical, and with a slight hint of pink (but not worryingly so for those people who are leery of undercooked pork).
I've eaten at other "gourmet" burger places, such as the Gourmet Burger Co. and Burger Shoppe Meat. I recognize that they use better ingredients than fast food, but personally they never tasted as good as a Harvey's burger, even if that flavour came from some lab in New Jersey. Will Drift's pork burger be equally disappointing?
No, it was delicious! Finally, a burger that made a case for freshly made burgers. The meat inside was moist, juicy, and warm. The meat outside was cooked enough to give it a nice resistance and a grilled, charcoal taste. Whatever additional ingredients were added made the patty well-seasoned and flavourful. Maybe it was the scotch and beer, but I told the bartender to send my compliment to the chef. Forget just the burger category, this was one of the best dish I've had in a new restaurant lately.
This will definitely be my go-to restaurant for burgers from now on. I hope that it wasn't a one-off phenomenonal night for the chef. More worryingly, other reviews of Drift seem to suggest that they vary their menu! You. Must. Not. Touch. That. Burger.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Sister, Can You Spare A Tune?
The Ballroom is a recent addition to the Entertainment District, a combination funky bowling alley on the main floor and a huge bar on the 2nd floor. I was expecting a trendy hipster hang-out. What I got was a full modern sports bar with TVs everywhere, loud music, and waitresses in skimpy outfits. Beer went for a mind-boggling $9. Sheezer was going to play here? This was too uncomfortable close to some snarky comments from this blog post suggesting that they were no better than any cover band playing at Crocodile Rock.
The opening act was a 3 girl band called Rouge. Hmm, didn't the 2 singers showed up a few weeks back as Allie Hugh's bridesmaids? Yup. They tried to get the room going but it was kind of hard when the stage is surrounded by bar tables. Finally, a couple of tables were moved away giving some of us a bit of room to dance at the front. Rouge sounded like the Bangles updated with 21st century electronica, although for one song they did sing "sex my body" accompanied by some 80s moves and sounds. The drummer kept up an insistent beat and they had some fun, danceable tunes.
When Sheezer finally came on, the rest of tables were moved from the front of the stage. However, with the bar only a few feet back, there still wasn't enough room near the stage. Of course, the rest of the bar is cavernous but too far from the action. There was enough space to fit tonight's smaller crowd, but it would have been insufficient for their previous sold-out shows.
They played some great Weezer songs from the Blue and Pinkerton albums, much to the delight of the crowd. I believe that a fair number of people in the audience were musicians or in the business. There were also some finicky Weezer fans. Even with these Weezer "classics", some would only join the throng on certain numbers. Otherwise, they wandered back to their table. The only sad bit of news is that apparently Robin Hatch won't be going with them on their Canadian Western tour.
As to live music at the Ballroom, the promoters will have to work out some logistics if they want to make this work better: the tables, the area near the stage compared to the rest of the huge space, and even the loud music seeping up from the bowling alleys downstairs.