My friend Frank Bo. brought this wine to our last hockey tournament: "Trapiche" Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 bottled by Bodegas Trapiche Mendoza, Argentina.
...that's right - Argentina, not Australia where I almost always find my favourites. It's a very nice, full-bodied red wine and it's under $15. Quite a nice wine, one that you wouldn't be ashamed to take to someone's home for a dinner party.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Italian Restaurant - "Capocaccia"
Went to this nice Italian Restaurant http://www.capocaccia.ca/location.html last night with my daughters. We had a bottle of their quite decent house red wine, a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (Citra), as well as the grilled calamari, which was very tasty and tender, served on some kind of greens. The girls each had a personal pizza, and pronounced them to be very good - these are the little wood oven-baked "gourmet-pizzas" like the ones you may think of from places like Il Fornello, but with a much more authentic home-style Italian look and taste. I opted for the Chicken Penne in a delicious, but not-too-decadent creamy parmesan sauce.
(Cost: around $90 plus tip)
(Cost: around $90 plus tip)
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Condo/Apartment For Rent! Warden & St. Clair
684 Warden Ave #310
$995 For Lease
Toronto, Ontario M1L0A1
Condo Apartment
Bedrooms: 1
Dir/Cross St:
St. Clair & Warden
Washrooms: 1 x 4-piece
MLS#:
E1249095
Landlords: Macneil
Occup: Tenanted (until April 1, 2008)
Heat: Gas,Forced Air
Central Air
Apx Age: 0-5
Apx Sqft: 500-699
Exposure: N
Rec. Room: Y
Water Incl: Y
Heat Incl: Y
Hydro Incl: N
Cable TV Incl: N
CAC Incl: Y
Bldg Insur Incl: Y
Parking Incl: Y
Balcony: Open
Pets Perm: Restrict
Exterior: Brick
Surface Parking Spot(s): #74
Bright And Clean Spacious One-Bedroom Condo Apartment. Walk To Warden Subway Station (And To Tim Horton's!!) Includes Appliances And Ensuite Washer/Dryer. Non-Smokers Preferred. *Note: Showings After 6:00 P.M. Weeknights With 24 Hrs Notice. W/Ends To Be Arranged Also 24 Hrs.
Refrigerator, Stove, Built-In Dishwasher, Washer & Dryer, Central Air Conditioning, Broadloom Throughout.
Show After 6:00 Week Nights, 24 Hr.Notice. Empl. Letter With App, Credit Check Will Be Done. First Month's Rent Required At Time Of App(Upon Approval) Then Cert. Last Month's Rent And 10 Post-Dates
Lease Term: 1 Year
Application Required: Y
Employment Letter: Y
Payment Frequency: Monthly
Deposit Required: Y
Lease Agreement: Y
Payment Method: Cheque
Credit Check: Y
References Required: Y
MIDDLEFIELD REALTY SERVICES LTD., BROKERAGE 416-365-3232 Fax: 416-340-1080
First Canadian Pl,Box 192, Toronto M5X1A6
FRANCINE MARIE ALLEY, Salesperson 416-340-8439
MICHAEL SCRIVEN, Broker of Record 416-409-1833
Appts:
416-409-1833
rent per month= $995
$995 For Lease
Toronto, Ontario M1L0A1
Condo Apartment
Bedrooms: 1
Dir/Cross St:
St. Clair & Warden
Washrooms: 1 x 4-piece
MLS#:
E1249095
Landlords: Macneil
Occup: Tenanted (until April 1, 2008)
Heat: Gas,Forced Air
Central Air
Apx Age: 0-5
Apx Sqft: 500-699
Exposure: N
Rec. Room: Y
Water Incl: Y
Heat Incl: Y
Hydro Incl: N
Cable TV Incl: N
CAC Incl: Y
Bldg Insur Incl: Y
Parking Incl: Y
Balcony: Open
Pets Perm: Restrict
Exterior: Brick
Surface Parking Spot(s): #74
Bright And Clean Spacious One-Bedroom Condo Apartment. Walk To Warden Subway Station (And To Tim Horton's!!) Includes Appliances And Ensuite Washer/Dryer. Non-Smokers Preferred. *Note: Showings After 6:00 P.M. Weeknights With 24 Hrs Notice. W/Ends To Be Arranged Also 24 Hrs.
Refrigerator, Stove, Built-In Dishwasher, Washer & Dryer, Central Air Conditioning, Broadloom Throughout.
Show After 6:00 Week Nights, 24 Hr.Notice. Empl. Letter With App, Credit Check Will Be Done. First Month's Rent Required At Time Of App(Upon Approval) Then Cert. Last Month's Rent And 10 Post-Dates
Lease Term: 1 Year
Application Required: Y
Employment Letter: Y
Payment Frequency: Monthly
Deposit Required: Y
Lease Agreement: Y
Payment Method: Cheque
Credit Check: Y
References Required: Y
MIDDLEFIELD REALTY SERVICES LTD., BROKERAGE 416-365-3232 Fax: 416-340-1080
First Canadian Pl,Box 192, Toronto M5X1A6
FRANCINE MARIE ALLEY, Salesperson 416-340-8439
MICHAEL SCRIVEN, Broker of Record 416-409-1833
Appts:
416-409-1833
rent per month= $995
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Thelonious Monk
Just picked up a new cd at Starbuck's called "the Measure of Monk", by Thelonious Monk. This guy is a jazz legend, one of the best piano-players of his time. I'm only a minor jazz fan, but am always tryng new things, and feel that this is a very good sort of beginner's sampling of this guy's work. Very easy to listen to at first, then just gets better on repeated listening...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelonious_Monk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2s6LZUdYaU
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelonious_Monk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2s6LZUdYaU
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
SouthSide Shuffle Blues Festival in Port Credit
We (brother-in-law Brian, hockey-buddy Brock and I) went to see Buddy Guy on Saturday night...great show at a pretty interesting outdoor venue, right beside the Credit River, and just above the Lakeshore. They had "waitresses" walking around the whole place selling cans of beer! So civilized!
Very energetic old Buddy can still sing in a strong, clear voice and can also still play the hell out of his electric guitar.
Friday night Brian and I went to the Crooked Cue and played a couple of games of pool (I lost. Big. As usual.) We went downstairs to catch the second set of "Rave On", a pretty decent Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band. The guy has the look, and the guitar-playing down, but can't quite match Stevie on vocals...but was very good to watch nonetheless.
On the street on Saturday, we came across a young guy from Quebec called Ricky Paquette who just floored me with his guitar playing abilities...he picks the strings with his fingers (not a guitar pick) much like Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits...he covers Buddy Guy, Stevie-Ray Vaughan and others really well, and has an exceptionally strong singing voice, particularly for someone so young. He should only get better with age, and my prediction is that he'll be a big star in the blues community (which, sadly, is pretty small relative to the "pop" music scene). You can check him out here on his myspace page, or look him up on youtube.com :
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=86864404
After the street re-opened at around 7:00 p.m. and the bands dispersed or went into the various bars for a few more sets, we had some time to kill before Buddy Guy's show at 10:00 p.m., and even before his opening act "The Detroit Women" who were also very good and very fun-to-watch singing soul, blues, gospel, etc. We walked over to a great little Thai restaurant http://www.thaisignature.ca/contact.htm for some very excellent food and Singha beer.
A really great weekend of music, food and enjoying some beers with friends and family! If you missed it (and I think most of you did!) you should really think about it for next year - it'll be the 10th anniversary of the SouthSide Shuffle, and will no doubt have some extra-special things on tap.
Very energetic old Buddy can still sing in a strong, clear voice and can also still play the hell out of his electric guitar.
Friday night Brian and I went to the Crooked Cue and played a couple of games of pool (I lost. Big. As usual.) We went downstairs to catch the second set of "Rave On", a pretty decent Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band. The guy has the look, and the guitar-playing down, but can't quite match Stevie on vocals...but was very good to watch nonetheless.
On the street on Saturday, we came across a young guy from Quebec called Ricky Paquette who just floored me with his guitar playing abilities...he picks the strings with his fingers (not a guitar pick) much like Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits...he covers Buddy Guy, Stevie-Ray Vaughan and others really well, and has an exceptionally strong singing voice, particularly for someone so young. He should only get better with age, and my prediction is that he'll be a big star in the blues community (which, sadly, is pretty small relative to the "pop" music scene). You can check him out here on his myspace page, or look him up on youtube.com :
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=86864404
After the street re-opened at around 7:00 p.m. and the bands dispersed or went into the various bars for a few more sets, we had some time to kill before Buddy Guy's show at 10:00 p.m., and even before his opening act "The Detroit Women" who were also very good and very fun-to-watch singing soul, blues, gospel, etc. We walked over to a great little Thai restaurant http://www.thaisignature.ca/contact.htm for some very excellent food and Singha beer.
A really great weekend of music, food and enjoying some beers with friends and family! If you missed it (and I think most of you did!) you should really think about it for next year - it'll be the 10th anniversary of the SouthSide Shuffle, and will no doubt have some extra-special things on tap.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Great Dinner in Scarborough!
We went, over the weekend, to one of our very favourite spots for dinner. I guess you could say we're "regulars" there now, although we haven't visited as often as our hosts would like, I'm ashamed to admit!
It's tucked away in the eastern part of Scarborough in a quiet little residential area - West Hill, in fact. Just past the sketchy part of town, and just before the Rouge.
It's a smallish venue, but has a beautifully-laid table for the four of us with fresh flowers centre-piece, and perfectly-lit candles. That nice blue & white china, and antique-looking wine glasses, in a very private room.
We had started with a small appetizer platter of cheeses and crackers, and had a pre-dinner drink or two on the lovely private back garden patio. When it was time for the main course, we moved back inside to our previously mentioned dining area. Billie Holliday, Sarah Vaughan, Etta James and Molly Johnson's wonderful jazz music was playing softly but insistently in the background, and set just the right tone for our meal.
We opted for a bottle of one of my favourite Australian Red wines: a Shiraz/Cabernet blend called Jacob's Creek. It went very nicely with our dinner selection.
We skipped any further appetizers or pre-dinner items and went directly to the entree: beautifully pink-in-the-centre prime rib of beef, accompanied by roast potatoes and cauliflower with cheese sauce. A couple of croissants on the side, then over to dessert, which was another home made classic: warm Apple Crisp (or Apple-Brown-Betty as some people refer to it) with vanilla ice cream! Some mugs of steaming hot coffee and a glass (or three!) of Frangelico liquor, and some very entertaining conversation with our charming dinner companions capped off the experience.
All of a sudden it was close to 11:00 p.m., and we decided to head back into the city - totally satisfied and very happy with our dining experience. We've made plans to return soon!
p.s. this "hidden gem" is my Mom & Dad's place...thanks again folks. We had a great time!
It's tucked away in the eastern part of Scarborough in a quiet little residential area - West Hill, in fact. Just past the sketchy part of town, and just before the Rouge.
It's a smallish venue, but has a beautifully-laid table for the four of us with fresh flowers centre-piece, and perfectly-lit candles. That nice blue & white china, and antique-looking wine glasses, in a very private room.
We had started with a small appetizer platter of cheeses and crackers, and had a pre-dinner drink or two on the lovely private back garden patio. When it was time for the main course, we moved back inside to our previously mentioned dining area. Billie Holliday, Sarah Vaughan, Etta James and Molly Johnson's wonderful jazz music was playing softly but insistently in the background, and set just the right tone for our meal.
We opted for a bottle of one of my favourite Australian Red wines: a Shiraz/Cabernet blend called Jacob's Creek. It went very nicely with our dinner selection.
We skipped any further appetizers or pre-dinner items and went directly to the entree: beautifully pink-in-the-centre prime rib of beef, accompanied by roast potatoes and cauliflower with cheese sauce. A couple of croissants on the side, then over to dessert, which was another home made classic: warm Apple Crisp (or Apple-Brown-Betty as some people refer to it) with vanilla ice cream! Some mugs of steaming hot coffee and a glass (or three!) of Frangelico liquor, and some very entertaining conversation with our charming dinner companions capped off the experience.
All of a sudden it was close to 11:00 p.m., and we decided to head back into the city - totally satisfied and very happy with our dining experience. We've made plans to return soon!
p.s. this "hidden gem" is my Mom & Dad's place...thanks again folks. We had a great time!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Best Music Event of the Season?
Beginning on Friday evening, September 7th, 2007, and continuing on Saturday the 8th, and into Sunday the 9th, is a great blues and jazz music festival in Port Credit (QEW west to Hurontario Street/Hwy. 10 south to the Lakeshore). http://www.southsideshuffle.com/
I've gone out to these for a few years now, and have always enjoyed the various kinds of bands and solo performers that are posted all along the Lakeshore (which is closed to vehicle traffic on the Saturday) from Hwy. 10 west to the Credit River. This year, it looks like I'll have to also buy a weekend ticket, as Buddy Guy is playing on Saturday night at one of the main stages, and both the Downchild Blues Band and the Powder Blues Band are also going to have mini-concerts over the weekend. "Lighthouse" is playing on Sunday there as well - a real "blast-from-the-past", as they put on a show at U. of T.'s Scarborough College in the Meeting Place area in my first year there...great little show! (Although they may have changed a bit, unlike me, since that was 1971!!). Port Credit is a wonderful place to wander around and visit nice shops, restaurants, and bars at any time during the summer. It's at its best, I think, during this event. (p.s. I may have been tricked into going in to a few bars last year by Brian M. and Mark J.) Good times!
I've gone out to these for a few years now, and have always enjoyed the various kinds of bands and solo performers that are posted all along the Lakeshore (which is closed to vehicle traffic on the Saturday) from Hwy. 10 west to the Credit River. This year, it looks like I'll have to also buy a weekend ticket, as Buddy Guy is playing on Saturday night at one of the main stages, and both the Downchild Blues Band and the Powder Blues Band are also going to have mini-concerts over the weekend. "Lighthouse" is playing on Sunday there as well - a real "blast-from-the-past", as they put on a show at U. of T.'s Scarborough College in the Meeting Place area in my first year there...great little show! (Although they may have changed a bit, unlike me, since that was 1971!!). Port Credit is a wonderful place to wander around and visit nice shops, restaurants, and bars at any time during the summer. It's at its best, I think, during this event. (p.s. I may have been tricked into going in to a few bars last year by Brian M. and Mark J.) Good times!
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