This Just in...

Newly opened Mendocino__Holt Renfrew Centre

Zara poster

Indigo Books poster



Cafe Mania__Yonge St.


Gone, baby gone: this women's golf & tennis gear store didn't last 6 months__Hazelton Lanes

Harper's Bazaar__Dec.09

Holt Renfrew Centre

The Cookbook Store__Yorkville Ave.

Ed Hardy bag__Pharma Plus

detail

The Fat Duck Cookbook__Indigo Books

Holt Renfrew

Newly opened Legs Beautiful__Holt Renfrew Centre

Jacadi__Hazelton Lanes

Distillery District


Hyatt Regency hotel






Manulife Centre

For baby

Yoplait Minigo


Stunning neckpiece__$425__TNT

Teatro Verde__Yorkville Ave.



Chenille wash mitt = sexy bath time__Canadian Tire

Neighbourhood restaurant, Blu

Blu's cured meats platter

Glen Grove Suites__2837 Yonge St.

Lobby ; built in 1929, this apartment-style temporary housing complex preserves art deco detailing.




A cage-like thing glides over the elevator door before it takes off.

The inside of the elevator door indicates I'm on the second floor.

Floor detail

Carpet detail

Don't let the pic fool you - the walls are painted 80s-style pale blue and a reno that's more true to the period could really spruce up the place__GlenGrove.com

Ame (pr. ah-MAY) means "rain" in Japanese. If you ever watched the Food Network's Made to Order, you'd recognize Guy (head chef) and Michael Rubino (co-owner), who gutted rain to make room for Ame.

Exterior signage detail

Interior wooden wall detail

Interior mirror detail

Pretty menu paper

My companion's scallops: he says they were good but didn't understand what was lying beneath them (taro root?).

Tuna Kabayaki: seared to perfection. The resto was very good about accomodating my (gluten free) dietary needs, provided I pre-ordered a couple days ahead.

Duck breast: succulent & delish

Flatiron steak w/ bone marrow: also delectable

My companion's lemon meringue dessert. Overall, there's no disputing that Guy is a master in the kitchen. My only sore point with the meal is that vegetable sides were noticeably absent.

Across the street from Ame lies the stylish and boutiquey Hotel Le Germain.

THE HAZELTON HOTEL
Front entrance

BACK in October, an acquaintance (not a client) of mine treated me to an overnight stay at The Hazelton Hotel. Located in my Yorkville neighbourhood, I watched this baby go from scaffolded exterior 4 years ago to celeb hot spot during the annual film festival without so much as an offer for a drink at the bar. Bitter? Maybe a little. I'd pass by it at least once a week on my way to Whole Foods next door, glance through the lightly-shrouded floor-to-ceiling glass windows of its in-house restaurant, ONE, and feel a tinge of envy. I chalked up my exclusion to a matter of clientele: the hotel caters to an older, wealthier subset of the population that guards its privacy with fierce determination. Still, I knew it'd be just a matter of time before one of them broke ranks and invited me in. Finally, I got to see for myself what all the fuss was about...

Lobby sitting area


Rock sculpture in the lobby

By the elevators

Shoe and laundry bags laid out on the bed

The bed was comfy and conducive to a good night's sleep

The stone work in the bathroom was sleek and luxurious, but the colour palette was on the dark side. In fact, the entire hotel is done in muted, distinctly masculine tones, which I found to be a little gloomy.

Complimentary toiletries nicely displayed

Enormous soaker tub was at least 3 ft deep

Mini tv screen embedded in the bathroom mirror

Rise and shine, sleepyhead!

The doors pictured above led onto a small balcony which faced the stunning view of a...brick wall. Not good. Of course, this can't be helped because there's a reputable art gallery next door, but it can be ameliorated. How about an original mosaic on said wall to give breakfast patio dwellers something to look at? Or a row of skinny poplar trees? Ok, birds from the trees might crap all over the balcony, but my point is that just about anything would be better than a frickin brick wall. Hell, cut a giant window in the wall and I'll watch the gallery patrons go about their business. I'm not fussy for visual entertainment and it would make the best of an unacceptable situation.

Nice desk lamp

Killing time with The City before my spa appointment

Interesting lobby light fixture

Sun streaming through the lobby windows

Beautiful gold-lined bowls in the lobby

Ladies' locker room at The Hazelton Health Club and Spa

Hurry up and get nekkid, girl!

I got a pedicure that day and a full body wrap treatment the following week from a very nice Russian attendant.



Next time I'll go for a swim in their gorgeous pool.

The bar adjacent to ONE restaurant

The bar's lounge area

ONE restaurant

I was disappointed by the fare at ONE. Their reviews aren't great and I was hoping my meal would prove the naysayers wrong, but that clearly wasn't the case. For instance, the rapini pictured above had nothing in it to counteract its inherent bitterness (like a tart mustard dressing), so it was barely touched.

The dover sole was bland with a citrus sauce that didn't complement it at all. And look at it. Who would want to eat that?

Scallops: another bland dish with a mismatched citrus sauce. Either the head chef lacks imagination or couldn't be bothered, which is inexplicable considering the prices they charge.

The only dish I liked was the fries, which were light, crispy and not too salty, but it's hard to mess up fries as long as the oil's fresh. The shaved parmesan was unnecessary and the aioli (?) dipping sauce tasted "off".

SO, how would I rate my stay at The Hazelton Hotel? Well for me, a good hotel has a comfortable bed, clean bathroom and friendly service. A four star hotel provides all of these things with style and has good food to boot. A five star hotel goes above and beyond the call of duty, as in "your every wish is our command", plus has an interior design that's so freaking gorgeous you don't dare touch anything for fear of ruining it. In fact, if you can't afford to replace any of the items in a five star hotel, then you probably don't belong there. Having said that, I give The Hazelton Hotel a solid 3.5 stars. It's quaint, hushed and discreet, but it isn't a five star hotel as they claim it to be - not when you've the Four Seasons Hotel: New York (the gold standard of five star hotels) - as a comparison. To be honest, I don't know if a boutique hotel should be able to make this claim alongside the big names in the business; they're simply not offering a comparable experience. No, I expect a good boutique hotel to have a comfortable, homey feel and a lively, neighbourhood bar/restaurant scene, but I don't expect it to blow my mind. On that score, The Hazelton almost gets it right.
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MUSINGS OF A LATE NIGHT BLOGGER
Bay Bloor Radio__Manulife Centre

RECENTLY, my eye was caught by this HDTV which is about 85" and sells for around $45,000 (I had to ask). The old guy working the floor showed me an even bigger model in the back room that was 100+" and retailed for around 80Gs. I don't know what impressed/galled me more: the enormity of the things or the size of the houses I imagined they'd fit into. When 3D TVs hit the marketplace, what will happen to these models? Will people discard them like really expensive - but no longer desirable - toys? Do I even want to think about the kind of havoc this level of consumerism wreaks upon the planet? No, I don't, cause I know that even though I recycle and don't litter and try not to waste anything, I'll never in a million years be able to offset the carbon footprint of one giant HDTV. Why should I? I do what I do because it feels right, but I hate when companies and individuals try to guilt-trip me into doing more. Let's face it: we're not getting any better. This sphere we inhabit is continuing its rapid decline and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it. Why not enjoy the ride while it lasts? And please don't say "do it for the children" cause I don't want any and I don't owe anyone else's kids anything. Quite frankly, I think bringing a child into the world at this stage of the game is downright cruel. Who knows if we'll even have potable water in 50 years? By that time (if not sooner), I hope to be drawing my last breath without a care in the world. But if it makes environmentalists feel any better, I'd wish to be cremated and my ashes scattered in a community garden, cause you know, that would be responsible.
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Cheyenne Jackson