How The Light Gets In

After a delicious dinner at Rickshaw Bar, I headed down the street to the see the National Ballet's remount of Romeo and Juliet. I saw this Ramatsky production when it debut in 2011. I enjoyed the mixture of realistic dance and semi-abstract set then, but I wasn't blown away. I thought the main pairing didn't seem to exude sufficient passion.

Tonight was different. The company has mounted it several times since then; this is one of their signature piece when they tour. Also, it was the "primo" pair tonight of Guillaume Côté as Romeo and Elena Lobsanova as Juliet. The latter has climbed the rank and was just promoted this season to principal dancer. Their passion felt genuine, and the chemistry palpable. Notably, Juliet's exuberance seemed natural and unfeigned, especially in several pas de deux where she launched herself without reservation at Côté.

They were surrounded by a great cast. The stand-out was Piotr Staczyk (Mercutio) who had both insouciance and comic timing. His death was both funny and tragic. Evan McKie made a menacing Tybalt as he was physically bigger than the other male dancers. But the cast had some sloppy coordination now and then. Notably, the sword fights seemed less visceral and dangerous than before. But these small quibbles aside, it was a great show.

Pan-Asian

I've been eyeing newish restaurant Rickshaw Bar (Queen St. W and Bathurst) as I pass by, but I'm not usually down in this area at night. Given a great review from the Globe and Mail last week-end, I finally decided to make a detour on Saturday. I aimed for an early visit, only about 10 minutes after opening in anticipation of an uptick in customers. Good thing too, because the people who came just a little later had a 30 min-1 hour wait.

The critic claimed that this was a good "cheap eats" because of the small tapas-style menu. With tax and tip, my dinner came to $72, which isn't what I'd consider a bargain. However, chef Noureen Feerasta has drawn from her South Asian heritage as well as other Asian cuisines to deliver some outstanding dishes. Both the chicken ($6) and veggie fritter ($5) tacos were crunchy and fresh. Their shell of fried paratha added some unusual flavours. The fritter wasn't quite as good since the fried veggie had too similar a taste to the taco. I was on the fence about the scallop ceviche ($12). The taste profile was excellent: a coconut milk sauce, tangy line, bursts of herb, crunchy puffed rice, and delicate, thin slices of scallop. But it was a bit of a sticker-shock for such a small portion.

The chili fish ($13) had the best price/portion ratio. A nice piece of fish, barely seared, laid on top of a bed of rice. Along with hint of lemongrass, garlic, and a slight kick, this was a great dish. The Ismaili beef curry ($15) was also exquisite. Unlike both Thai and Indian curry, this thick almost chocolatey sauce hid tender potatoes and soft beef. It was sinfully delicious. It would have also been a great deal but the side order of rice ($3) pushed into slightly into the pricey side. Although if like the critic, your palate is refined enough to taste the dozen ingredients within it, you might consider it a steal.

As for me, I'll definitely come back. But I might grab a small bite at the Pizzaiolo across the street beforehand to make it a little easier on my wallet.

Hello, My Dear

Friday night, I headed over to Lee's Palace to see two bands, both of whom were often into "epic" songs, drawn out and full of changes. First up was local band Language-Arts, although the lead singer/guitarist Kristen Cudmore is originally from the Maritimes. This was their last show touring Canada for their latest album Able Island. As such, they concentrated on new numbers including Neighbour and Fight or Flight. Cudmore's propensity for hilarious but inappropriate revelation continued with her admission that one song (Tonight, At The Campsite) was about an ex who "never looked at [her] during sex". Though their songs are often wordy, their live set was more propulsive.

The head-liner was The Dears out of Montreal. Since their oeuvre spanned some 20 years, including a new release this year, there was plenty of (usually muscular and symphonic) material to choose from. Their set opened and closed with two different recordings of Que Sera Sera. Singer/guitarist Murray Lightburn came onstage, and accompanied by a string quartet, crooned Bandwagoneers. His smooth singing ranged from a deep bass to a sweet high note on songs such as Face of Horrors, 5 Chords, and Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe? Vocalist/synth Natalia Yanchak provided a light harmonic counterpoint though she occasionally took co-lead (Onward and Downward, 22: The Death of All The Romance).

For the encore, they were joined by ex-member Robert Bentley for two rocking numbers. The crowd tonight was obviously long-time fans who embraced the new stuff and cheered on old favourites. Some expressed disbelief that somehow The Dears never became huge. Certainly, they do seem to have the same anthemic feel as another Montreal band, the more "recent" Arcade Fire.

Exeunt, Ursus

On Thursday, I went to The National Ballet's newest production, an adaptation of The Winter's Tale by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. It would have been an evening of all Eastern European ballerinas with Jurgita Dronina (Hermione), Svetlana Lunkina (Paulina), and Elena Lobsanova (Perdita). However, the latter's partner was injured and so the pair of Perdita and Florizel was danced by Rui Huang and Skylar Campbell.

The bulk of this Shakespearean tale of jealousy really rested on the shoulder of Evan McKie as King Leontes. In order to portrayed his descent into rage and suspicion regarding the alleged infidelity of Hermione, Wheeldon combined classical ballet, angular modern movements, and plenty of pantomine. This was the case for most of the characters: joy and happiness translated to jumps and spins, while anger and despair manifested as twitchy arms and fingers.

Like his production of Alice in Wonderland, Wheeldon also love stage spectacle and complex group choreography. Although the sets were fairly abstract: columns, staircases, and marble statues, the sea scenes especially the wild storms were vividly portrayed both virtually as CGI projections onto sheets  and curtains but also physically with these same screens billowing, gusting, and transforming into sails and waves.

I thought the non-stop choreography in the second act where every permutation of sheperds and sheperdesses, Florizel, Perdita, and Father Sheperd and son was just too much. There was no time to feel or think. The third act was abbreviated and weak, but that's from the source material.

The dancing was superb throughout, but there really was only 1.5 acts of interesting narrative. And did Antigonus run off-stage, pursued by that famous bear? Yes, in the form of a towering white wave.

Feeding Time

On Saturday, I went by College and Spadina for 2 reasons: to see some cats and eat a hearty breakfast. First, about the meal. I've noticed as I pass by The Old Laurel that they were advertising a "proper fry-up" (i.e., a full English breakfast). One of my pet peeves with your typical diner or brunch spot is that you have to choose between sausage and bacon. One place actually told me (rather disingenuously I thought) that they couldn't break up the standard servings. Well, if this place has the real deal, I won't have to pick.

Most of their English breakfast options came in at $15, but the actual fry-up was called The Full Monty. When it came out, it was indeed a full meal. I wasn't sure I could finish all the food, but I gave it the old college try. Everything was fried, of course, from the hash brown, to sausage, to the bacon, ham, and eggs. Even the tomato was fried. Then there was the proper addition of beans and black pudding. Finishing it all off was a couple of pieces of toast. The menu gave you a choice of fried bread, but I passed on that overindulgence. Everything was tasty, though a bit one note (i.e., fried). Amazingly, I wasn't overstuffed but this was a once-in-a-while meal, if you want to preserve your health.

As for the cats, well next door was Toronto's first cat café. But I was disappointed, to be honest. There was a small room by the window, closed off from the rest of the space via clear glass due to health regulations, where you can go inside to play with some cats on loan from The Toronto Humane Society. They should have turned that front space into a small "closed off" serving area, and made the remaining area a large cat-friendly zone along with the usual café tables and benches. As it was, most people were sitting around, waiting for their turn to go inside the "cat nook". So it wasn't a particularly inviting place and I can't see anyone visiting more than once out of curiosity.

Projection

When I think of ethnic food mart, I usually consider Mexican, Asian, or Indian stores. But there are other ethnicities and cultures in Toronto. So my further exploration of the strip mall at Sheppard and Consumers Road revealed another nice find on Thursday. This time, it was a small Balkan/Serbian market called Mercator Euro Mini Mart. They carry a variety of food stuff including Eastern European chocolate, spreads as well as a full deli. But I was interested in what they offered for lunch.

To that end, I ordered the 10-piece cevapi meal ($9.45). I thought it mean a kabob or sausage sliced up into several pieces. In fact, it was 10 full sausages (albeit only a few inches long)! I stared at the daunting portion of meat and then dug in. They were just grilled and had a great mouth-feel and scent. Luckily there was some bread (somun), cream cheese (kaymak), and onions to go with the sausages. It was a tasty but full lunch. For their lunch specials, Mercator also have moussaka, goulash, and other dishes. So I'll have to come back and try these other items.

Mome and Pope

On Tuesday, I was exploring the back of a little strip mall at Sheppard and Consumers Road when I came across a tiny Indian vegetarian take-out spot called Vatica. This was a family affair with an older couple at the cash register. The full meal special ($8) gave you a choice of 3 selections with rice and naan. I chose potatoes and eggplant, bell peppers, and spinach and cheese.

The naan was average. It was obvious they had no tandoor oven and was simply heating up the bread. However, the vegetarian dishes were excellent: fresh, tasty but not too oily, just enough spice, and a mild heat. This was more home-style than restaurant food, so you didn't get the aggressive seasoning. All in all, this was a good find. And they have other interesting items including a back of thumb-sized samosas at $3.50 for 24.

I Get Blotto

Cross-pollination has come full circle when I went down to Kensington Market on Sunday to Otto's Berlin Döner, which offers Middle-Eastern donair in the German style. Note that this wasn't somebody's crazy hipster idea, but "authentic" German food of at least 20 years vintage. As I didn't really want a shawarma, I opted for a "currywurst" instead. I guess the Germans have whole-hearted taken to South Asian cuisine like the British.

Mine was a pork-based bratwurst ($7.85) with a side of couscous ($1). This was a nice combination to update the typical meat-heavy Bavarian meal. The bites of salad and grain gave the dish more variety. The sausage itself was tasty and substantial. The fragrant curry had a small kick and made a good sauce. The only downside was that I thought the spices would actually be mixed into the sausage stuffing.

Three Speed

I felt groggy Saturday night from a lack a sleep. But I'm glad I was able to drag myself to Handlebar that night. The 3 bands that played tonight showcased different styles of pop in excellent performances. Opener Kelly McMichael (Rouge, KM and the Gloss) played a solo set from her new venture as Renders. Though she included a few old songs from her other bands which were more indie, her new music was chill and relaxing in keeping with her self-described "stoner pop". The first single I Am Gone is perfect for radio play.

Coronado turned it up several notches. Their songs from their 3 self-released EPs are synth-pop creations meant to get your butt moving. From A Line We Never Drew, Paralysis, and Lighter Than Air (plus several songs so new they were untitled),  this was fun music full of 3-part vocal harmonies, wah-wah guitar, funky bass, and lots of spacey synth.

The night ended with Paradise Animals. It was the release party for their first full-length album. They calmed things down with dark pop (Monday Morning, Tripping on The Rails). The deep, laconic vocals reminded me of 80s pop like The Cure. So appropriate enough, they covered A Flock of Seagulls' I Ran (So Far Away).

Out of Season

The monthly Arts & Music series Long Winter is turning into a Toronto tradition along the lines of Jason Collett's Basement Revenue or The Wooden Sky's Christmas show. Though it's been diminishing returns for me, I decided to give it another go this year. So on an unseasonably warm Friday evening, I dropped by The Great Hall.

The security has gotten more zealous. There are full pat-downs now, something I rarely encounter at any other shows. The musical performances were also sparsely attended; and almost nobody even bothers with the art exhibit and other artists. Each of the 4 different rooms was maybe 25-30% full. Of those, most were talking in the back instead of paying attention.

Opener Sasha Chapin had to explicitly ask people to come closer to the stage for his acoustic set. Then it was down to the Blackbox Theatre to watch Vish Khanna interview writer/journalist Desmond Cole for Long Night. The predominantly white audience was definitely uncomfortable with his statements about systemic racism in Canada.

The highlight of the evening was Hataw, a group of filipino dancers who combined traditional dances with modern choreography and music. From fan-waving, to jumping between bamboo poles, to their own variation of "sexy club beats", it was quite enjoyable to watch. Elaquent spun and sampled urban music for an hour. Then model/singer Mieke came on for an intimate set of confessional pop tunes.

As I was leaving, I realized that security may be not just zealous but over-the-top. How to explain the hundred or so waiting outside when the venue was mostly empty?

Do or Don't

After many years in the Annex, Dooney's Café closed down. But then the owner came out of semi-retirement and re-opened this diner farther West in Bloorcourt near Bloor and Ossington. On Friday, I dropped by to grab a late lunch.

Looking over the small menu, I ordered a Dooney's club ($9) with an extra order of fries ($4). The sandwich came out looking fresh and tasty. It was OK with its combination of aioli, bacon, and chicken. The main issue was the chicken, which typical of a lot of joints, uses white chicken breast. Without any fat or skin or it, you can't do much to add much flavour. The fries were more wedge than straight-cut, reasonable enough, but lacking the great crispiness of excellent taters. This was typical pub grub.

Repeat To End

It's probably been more than 10 years since I've been to Coda at Bloor and Bathurst. Back then, it was your run-of-the-mill bar venue. Recently, it has re-invented itself as a club catering to dance music and live DJs. I went there on Thursday for a free show sponsored by Absolut Vodka.

Inside, it was sleek and black. For tonight, everything was vodka-related, even the bottle service. Numerous Absolut hostesses tried to engage you with various corporate-sponsored "art". All the exhibits had to include their bottles in some way. The music was DJed (Ferenc Stenton, Jacques Greene) but there weren't actually too many dancers on the dance floor. Most were schmoozing and talking.

At around 11:30, synth-pop singer Allie X came on. Dressed in a pink-white tulle-esque concoction, she ran through the same set as her other performances. A small but vocal crowd sang along with every song. Unlike the rest of the tonight's crowd, they were more queer, diverse, and less shinily dressed. And just like her other shows, she once again ran into technical difficulties. This time, her wireless mic stopped working just before her last song Sanctuary. A quick switch to the venue's mic and off she went. The consummate professional, I'm not sure anybody noticed that with the mic change, Allie had to sing without feedback from her in-ear monitor.

Space Cadets

Another drizzly Tuesday night at The Mod Club. I was here for some psychedelic music. First up was SWIMM. This L.A.-based band played groovy music with a lot of swirling wah-wah guitars. The lead singer's mass of tousled blond hair seemed appropriate to the genre.

The head-liners Bright Light Social Hour were from Austin, but they've come through Toronto numerous times on a series of never-ending tours. They have a good fan base here (the bassist even said, winkingly, that he wants to replace Drake and rep for Toronto). But although the crowd would pack their usual haunt at The Horseshoe Tavern, it couldn't quite fill up this larger venue. But to make up for the size, most were jammed right up to the stage.

BLSH ran through a good chunk of material from their new album "Space Is Still The Place" starting with the echoey The Moon which segued into the groovier Sweet Madelene. The new songs sounded more pop (though still psychedelic) than rock. Infinite Cities was practically a dance number. But the older tunes provided the knock-out punches. The audience went bananas for bluesy hurting song Detroit and the super funky Back and Forth.

Someone in the crowd remarked wryly that there's "something not right" about this band.  I guess if you start talking not so obliquely about mushrooms, then mused about living cozily as a fetus in a womb, and finally ended the night playing shirt-less (and pants-less), some might think you're a bit odd. But their sweet hippie demeanour was warmly embraced, and the 10-min encore Garden of the Gods had everyone grooving out; even the roadies came on stage for clap-alongs and crowd-surfing.

Double A

I've been rewarding myself with pizza after my Sunday's vigorous workout classes. But this Sunday, I decided to try a different pizza joint than my usual. So I headed over to the small diner A3 Napoli on College St., which aims to bring Italian street food to Toronto. Looking over the menu, I noticed a lot of fried stuff. They also have a stone oven for their regular pizza. So I opted for 2 kinds of pizza styles: a Neapolitan Margherita ($8) and a small Montanara ($4).

The first came out hot and gooey, dripping with tomato sauce and cheese. The ingredients were tasty and rich. However, this wasn't in the top echelon of Toronto's offerings. It lacked that crispy (and crackling) crust and did not emit that wonderful baked dough smell. The Montanara had similar toppings: cheese, tomato, basil. But the crust was fried. It was a lot of dough if you are avoiding carbs. But it had a very intriguing texture and fragrance. Surprisingly, it wasn't too oily. This was a nice treat by itself, though perhaps a bit overkill accompanied by a regular pizza. Next time, I'll focus mostly on the fried stuff from here.

Lovers In a Decadent Time

Friday night, I went to the Four Seasons Centre for a performance of La Traviata by The Canadian Opera Company. The story was about the doomed romance between Parisian courtesan Violetta and bourgeois Alfredo, mostly due to the conservative views of his father Giorgio. The opera opened with a spotlighted view of Violetta as she dressed. When the lights came on, we found ourselves in a sumptuous room cavorting with her demi-monde friends: aristocrats and their high-class escorts. They (and her) aim for a life of "pleasure" as opposed to Alfredo who entreated with her that such a life lacks "love".

I'm not a fan of opera because of all the "singing". That is, the music isn't typically compelling between the arias. With this Verdi opera, it was almost the opposite. It was practically too much of a good thing because intriguing melodies followed one after another. Most beautiful were the duets. In contrast, I found the solos almost anti-climatic.

As for the story, I watched it with amused ambivalence. I had recently finished an academic polemic called "Single: Arguments for the Uncoupled". Professor Michael Cobb argued that many of the problems, most especially loneliness, are wrongly ascribed to singles. In fact, it's the couple who's to blame. So as La Traviata progressed to its tragic ending, I couldn't help but think Violetta would have been better off dismissing the moon-eyed attention of Alfredo. She would still die of consumption, but without all that drama.

Lunchable

I was in the Beverley and Dundas St. W neighbourhood around noon to grab some last-minute opera tickets, so I dropped by cheap Japanese diner Manpuku. Luckily, I just got before the lunchtime rush. Many OCAD students and other workers have discovered this little gem, though the surrounding food court has most of the traffic. This is always a bit weird because the food here is just as cheap and tastier.

It's been a year and I noticed that they have a few more dishes on the menu. I stuck with perennial favourite Tsukichi Udon ($5.49) but also went with the new Tofu Nugget ($3.99). I enjoyed the noodle soup with its mix of seaweed, fish cakes, and egg. The udon was a just a tad on the soft side, probably because the kitchen was rushing around fulfilling orders. The nuggets looked just like its fast-food counterpart (but vegan). With a crispy skin coated with slightly sweet sauce, you couldn't even really tell it was tofu. They were stuffed with various veggies. I thought the carrot one was a better fit than the asparagus.

Birch Jerk

On Wednesday, I headed over to Chris Jerk on Birchmount for lunch. Although there are a few small tables, most people do take out at this popular and busy Jamaican joint. As such, there were several cooks behind the front counter grill, and several more in the kitchen in the back.

I got a substantial jerk chicken dinner for $8.95. Overall, the dish was good. The freshly steamed vegetables and hot fried plantain added some variety. The chicken was tasty but not the best, partly because the skin lacked that crunchy crispiness. But the rice and peas was a bit of a head-scratcher. Instead of the usual plump and soft rice, it was a thin pilaf-like grain. This didn't really mesh well with the earthy and rich flavour of the other ingredient. I don't know if Chris Jerk is worth a trip for its typical Jamaican fare. However, it does carry other intriguing selection, especially the "sharwarma" that seems to use roti instead of pita, and more Caribbean-style chicken rotating on the spit.

Sweet Emotions

I was back at Burdock for another show on Tuesday. First up was a solo Lisa Conway, without her L Con bandmates. Tonight's set didn't showcase her talent. She told the crowd that to handle nervousness, sometimes she decides to play new songs on new instruments. This got some laughs but unfortunately, this approach resulted in a rough performance. Too bad since Conway is an unusual pop singer who write songs about myths like star formation and Medusa.

The second set had some off-kilter music too, but deliberately so. The band members of Bernice delighted in constructing songs where the various instruments seemed to wander in and out of synchronicity. But the harmonies of Robin Dann and Felicity Williams provided a solid foundation to anchor the swirling music. A very nice set.

Luka is pure pop though generally rooted in quiet melancholy. So he, backed by his full band, sang of lost love, found-and-lost love, and never-found love. But ultimately being a romantic, he ended his set with two affirming numbers: Love Is The Eternal Way and O, My Heart Is Full. Though the protagonists weren't necessarily better off, at least they remained optimistic about their chances.

Hallow Won't

I had a good dinner at The Steady, but it's been a while. So on Saturday, I ventured back to this low-key spot for some nosh. Looking over the brunch menu, I thought the Southern Skillet ($14) looked good. And it came out quite appetizing: a pile of brightly coloured ingredients (cherry tomatos, baby spinach, sausage) on a sizzling cast-iron pan.

Unfortunately, the entrée was bland and boring. Chef decided to leave out the salt, which is quite typical of breakfast items. But for some dishes, adding seasoning afterwards is not the same thing. There were also missed opportunities to add flavour by browning a few items including the over-easy eggs or hash brown. The onions were flaccid and limp, lacking both the strong hit of sautéed onions or the sweet flavour of caramelized ones. When it's the run-of-the-mill button mushroom that makes the biggest impact, it's a dull meal. Only the liberal application of some spicy salsa sauce made it palatable.