Why I won't be signing Wendy's "Poutition"

Firstly, let it be known that I love poutine, period, full-stop. 

But, I take serious umbrage to Wendy's "Poutition" to make poutine the national dish of Canada. 

1) Wendy's poutine is a piss-poor imitation of the real thing.

2) Poutine is a REGIONAL (Québec) dish, Canada is a large country with a rich diversity of regional cuisines (not all of which are as conveniently fast-food marketable as poutine).

3) Canadians don't need an American corporation's cheap marketing gimmick to name a "national dish".

The Big Smoke

The "gourmet" burger bistro has been a burgeoning trend on the food scene for a while now. Toronto has its fair share of these chains like Gourmet Burger Co., Hero Certified Burger.  Since moving to the city Craft Burger has been my favourite local mid-to-high-end burger joint.

My favourite burger in the city so far has to be the Craft Red; 6oz fresh, never-frozen Ontario AAA ground chuck made and cooked to-order, roasted red peppers, gorgonzola cheese, rosemary mayo and lettuce. Dee-lish. I'm salivating thinking about it right now.

Interestingly, after 4 years, Craft Burger just underwent a major re-branding.  Well, maybe not an entire re-branding, its core brand identity is the same but the strategy involved changing its name to Big Smoke Burger. Thankfully, I'm told the menu and staff/management are the same.

A mid-course name-change is a bold, risky move for any business, especially one like Craft which has been building steady word-of-mouth around its product.

However, I really like the new name. "Craft" was a bit ambiguous and potentially confusing.  It could easily be confused for Kraft (and I'm sure the association with common, mid-range grocery items and process cheese slices is incongruent with the image of a higher-end burger place) and Tom Collichio's restaurant, Craft in New York and Las Vegas.  Incidentally, Collichio also has a spin-off chain of high-end sandwich shops cleverly named 'wichcraft. 


I love the double entendre of Big Smoke; it conjures images of burgers on a smokey grill but "The Big Smoke" is also a pejorative nickname for Toronto that the chain has reclaimed and spun into a positive.


I guess they're firmly rooting the brand in Toronto's identity which is probably a good move to reinforce the fact that they're a local business.


I also noticed they kept the word "craft" in their tagline "hand crafted burgers" which I guess is the original reason they called themselves "Craft" in the first place so they get to keep that messaging and highlight that point of difference without the confusing name. 


At the end of the day, whether it's called a Craft Burger, or a Big Smoke Burger, I just want my same juicy, satisfying hunk of dead cow.

Christopher Plummer in Barrymore

I had the chance to take in a performance of Barrymore starring Christopher Plummer, a man many consider a living acting legend.  Plummer is a legend not only because he can deliver brilliant performances but, in the case of Barrymore, because he can single handedly transcend a rambling script full of throwaway one-liners to deliver a sublime, engaging performance.

The play details one of the last days in the life of famed actor John Barrymore as he attempts to rehearse for a revival of his triumphant title role in Shakespeare's Richard III.  It is essentially a one-man show (though Barrymore does banter with his off-stage prompter, Frank).  

The script for Barrymore can generously be described as a scattershot caricature.  It lacks depth and focus.  It's peppered with humorous anecdotes and one-liners but never really delivers anything other than a superficial examination of who Barrymore was as a man.  Any time the script seems to veer in the direction of making some sort of point or profound comment it never follows-through.

If somebody had presented me with the script for Barrymore and asked me, "What do you think?  I'm gonna rent out the 1,500-seat Elgin Theatre for a 30-performance run and charge $120 per ticket for this show and it's gonna be a hit!"  I would've told him he was insane.

Fortunately, the script for Barrymore is merely a pedestal for Christopher Plummer's superb performance.  If the script isn't layered or nuanced, Plummer's performance certainly is.  In the hands of a lesser actor the play would have been a total bore.  Plummer is a spry, energetic 82-year-old.  He imbued Barrymore with a strangely magnetic charm that was irresistible.  Plummer delivered the role with a sharp wit, ably navigating Barrymore's wild mood swings and ultimately made this unlikely character endearing.  There's no denying Plummer is a joy to watch.

It's the mark of a true master to be able to transcend mediocre material to deliver a captivating performance.





BARRYMORE will be staged for 30 performances from January 27 – March 9, 2011 at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre

Tickets may be purchased by phone by calling (416) 872-5555, online at www.ticketmaster.ca, or in person at the Elgin Theatre Box Office, 189 Yonge Street-Toronto.

For additional information about BARRYMORE, visit www.BarrymoreThePlay.com

Sunset Boulevard by Signature Theatre

On my recent trip to Washington, DC I had the opportunity to check out a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard by Signature Theatre; a DC regional theatre company.

Signature is renowned for its musical productions and Sunset Boulevard is a prime example of why the company receives so many accolades.

Sunset Boulevard is a musical adaptation of the classic noir film directed by Billy Wilder about faded silent screen star Norma Desmond, desperate to make her return to a film industry that abandoned her when "talkies" became the norm, and her relationship with Joe Gillis, a down-on-his-luck Hollywood writer who is equal parts cynic and opportunist.

Admittedly, I've never been a huge fan of Sunset Boulevard as a piece of musical theatre. It isn't the most tuneful of Lloyd Webber's shows with only two or three noteworthy songs. Neither lead character is relatable or particularly likeable; Norma is, for all intents and purposes, totally bat-shit crazy and Joe is jaded and humourless.

Sunset Boulevard first debuted in the era of the mega-musical; the original production design on Broadway and the West End featured gigantic, mechanized set pieces such as Norma Desmond's mansion which rose up from the floor of the stage. Also, the show has almost always had to rely on having a "name" in the lead role; Glenn Close on Broadway, Diahann Carroll in Toronto, Petula Clark in the national tour.

Given all the above I had pretty much dismissed Sunset Boulevard as a mediocre show that requires empty razzle-dazzle and celebrity star-power to attract an audience.

Signature Theatre's approach to the production really shed a new light on the piece for me and allowed me to appreciate the show in a way I couldn't before.

Florence Lacey played the lead role of Norma Desmond and acted the part brilliantly. Lacey's Desmond starts off subtly crazy; at first she just seems a little eccentric but throughout the course of the show her level of craziness ramps up to full-blown delusional insanity at the show's climax.

D.B. Bonds puts in an admirable effort as Joe. While not entirely likeable, you can get the sense that his character struggled with the notion of "selling-out" and was not always a cynical opportunist.

The venue; the Max theatre is a small, intimate performance space (fewer than 300-seats) yet the production is as grandiose as it would be in an opera house. Signature's Sunset feels grand and lavish. Daniel Conway's scenic design is elaborate and employs automated set elements. The attention to detail is immaculate, the set seamlessly transforms from an old Hollywood soundstage to Norma Desmond's mansion.

The full orchestration of Andrew Lloyd Webber's score is performed by a 20-piece orchestra perched on the balcony of the mansion.

Director Eric Schaeffer's staging is dynamic and the scenes flow into each other with seamless transitions.

The production is performed on a thrust stage and the seating is arranged in a half-round. The choice to stage the production nearly in-the-round brings the characters closer to the audience members. The intimacy of the space combined with the performances of the leads really humanize the characters in the story. As we watch Lacey's progression as Norma Desmond throughout the course of the show; her facial expressions and her energy, we get an understanding of the character and can at least see the pathos of Norma Desmond even if we still don't fully empathize or sympathize with her.

What I took away from the Signature Theatre production of Sunset Boulevard is that the show actually can work as a compelling piece of theatre if it's done on a smaller, more intimate scale with an emphasis on the characters.



Sunset Boulevard by Signature Theatre

Book and Lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Based on the Billy Wilder Film Sunset Boulevard
Directed by Eric Schaeffer

December 7, 2010 – February 13, 2011 at the Signature Theatre in Shirlington, Virginia

Cirque Éloize: iD at the Sony Centre

I saw iD, Cirque Éloize's newest creation tonight as it finished up a run as the first show to open up the renovated Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.

Having fallen deeply in love with the previous three Cirque Éloize shows I've seen; Nomade, Rain and Nebbia, all directed by Éloize's previous director Daniele Finzi Pasca as part of his "Sky Trilogy", I was taken aback when I saw the first promo videos of their new show iD. The images of Bboys dancing in front of graffiti-laden cityscapes to electronic music couldn't be a further departure from the languid, old-world romanticism that defined Finzi-Pasca's Sky Trilogy. I had some reservations going into the show. Done poorly a "young and urban" approach to nouveau cirque could be a tacky disaster. Happily, this is not the case.

Sure, iD is a huge departure for Éloize but while the style of the show is completely different, the performance quality, the artistic direction and the sheer talent and energy of the company remain at the same consistently high level. iD is a stunning, energetic tour-de-force. It is an exhilarating meeting of urban dance and circus framed in a simple but effectively drawn-out through-line of a rivalry between two street gangs. The show sizzles with youthful, exuberant energy, it's gritty and sexy and thrilling.

As is always the case in Cirque Éloize shows the cast consists of several talented, multi-disciplinary full-fledged and learned circus artists.

iD features a hand-to-hand act, it is the first act after the opening of the show which features characters hurriedly walking about the stage to create a bustling urban street scene, a chance encounter between a man and a woman leads to a beautifully-choreographed hand-to-hand number.

The juggling act takes place on a construction site. It's the kind of contrived scenario that could easily come off as hokey if done poorly but somehow director Jeannot Painchaud is able to focus the staging of the act and the construction worker characters on the stage so that it works as a clever context for the jugglers.

The contortion in iD is performed as a pas de deux between the contortionist (Leilani Franco) and a Bboy, in the loose storyline they are from rival gangs so there is a "forbidden love" pre-text to the act. Throughout their dance they mirror each others' moves in their own unique styles, they come together and create a beautiful, tender moment in the show. The act is original and cleverly staged, it presents contortion in a new context audiences have never seen. The two performers have great chemistry and performance quality and the act works brilliantly.

Urban dance plays a huge part in iD. There are several featured Bboy soloists but group dance numbers are infused throughout the show during the different numbers and really serve as the pulse that connects the show together. Too often urban dance isn't incorporated well into choreography and it just looks like a bunch of competing solos. This isn't the case with iD. Though the choreography isn't anything avant-garde, the dance is presented organically, the ensemble radiates energy and the choreography flows and makes sense with the presentation.

Other stand-out acts of the evening included a breathtaking dance-trapeze act by Evelyne Lamontagne and an interesting mixed-discipline pas-de-deux which Cirque Éloize does often. This time it's a dance between an aerial silks artist and a roller blader and made for another gorgeous moment in the show.

The set features a blank outline of a cityscape which is filled in with different projections during the show. The use of projections was very well-done and enabled the setting to keep up with the dynamic pace of the show. The projections were especially effective during the trampoline-wall finale. The backdrop is constantly shifting, windows open, ledges slide in and out, walls are rotated into place. The act is well-paced and builds to an ovation-inducing climax.

I guess you can pretty much gather that I really enjoyed iD and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. It's not my favourite Cirque Éloize show (a battle between Rain and Nebbia) and it certainly doesn't have the deep layers of emotion and soulfulness that the previous Éloize shows have but what it lacks in depth and subtlety it makes up for in style and energy and is well worth going to see.

Summerlicious at Nyood

I had dinner at Nyood, a restaurant in Toronto's Queen West neighbourhood by Chef Roger Mooking of the Food Network's Everyday Exotic, since I heard the prix-fixe menu on offer for Summerlicious was good.

I really like the place. The decor was interesting, I love the "modern baroque" theme.

The food was good. To start, I had the tuna tartare served with a black olive tapenade, plaintain chips and a soft boiled quail egg. The balance of the flavours was really nice, I was afraid the olive would overpower the delicate flavour of the tuna but it worked out quite nicely . . . I'm not sure what the quail egg added to the dish it may have just been there for presentation or maybe it was a clever wink to the salad niçoise.

For my main I had the European sea bass with sides of purple potatoes, lime-pickled red onions, sweet plantains and a charred lemon. The pickled red onions were delicious, kind of kimchi-like but zestier because of the lime juice. The fish was served in a very Cantonese-influenced style; fresh ginger and scallion were dominant in the flavour profile of the dish. My friend ordered the striploin with a chimichurri sauce. It was interesting to see one main with a predominant Asian influence and another with a South American influence.

For dessert; a hazelnut, chocolate tart with chantilly cream and mint syrup along with a nice café americano.

Overall, I enjoyed the meal, the decor, the atmosphere (the place was hopping but I like that frenetic energy) and the service. I'd definitely go back sometime.

Presto . . . change-o?

I just used my new Presto card to get onto the subway; an RFID, unified Ontario transit systems payment card.

Welcome to the world of tomorrow!

Er, well, unless you count similar services available for years in Tokyo (Suica and Pasmo cards), Hong Kong (Octopus card) and London (Oyster card) ... Welcome to the world of ten years ago!

So far GO Transit is phasing in Presto across its system over the next year. Oakville and Burlington transit both have it fully implemented, Mississauga Transit and Brampton Transit are implementing it this fall and Durham, York, Hamilton and OC Transpo in Ottawa will apparently all be adopting it sometime in late 2011.

The sole hold-out is TTC! It's only implementing Presto on a trial basis in 12 of its 69 subway stations right now (Bloor/Yonge being one of them so it benefits me).

C'mon, get on the ball TTC!!! Presto should be accepted at all subway stations, busses, street cars and Toronto Island Ferries!

I remember in Shanghai you could even use them to pay for cabs! That'd be awesome too.