Archive
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Little Ethiopia
Could it change the culinary image of the Danforth? By Scott Jeffries Traditionally the Danforth has been known for its Greek town, but over the last five years there’s been a rise in a new culinary delight: Ethiopian cuisine. Between Pape and Coxwell station you’ll notice about a dozen Ethiopian restaurants right on the Danforth’s storefront. I’ve been attracted to these new places as a vegetarian, so I imagine that has to be part of what’s going on. “Our dishes are popular amongst vegetarians,” explains Michael Kidus, owner of the Dukem Ethiopian restaurant, “and our most popular dish is the vegetarian platter. It’s a selection of all our meatless dishes…
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Danforth Music Hall is Detoxified
Why The Toxic Avenger Musical closed abruptly in 2010 By Scott Jeffries Last fall Danforth residents watched their renovated Music Hall transform into “Tromaville” as Dancap productions prepared the venue for the opening day of The Toxic Avenger Musical. The idea comes from the 1984 cult classic The Toxic Avenger which spawned three sequels (with a fourth on the way) as well as a short-lived children’s TV spin-off called Toxic Crusaders — and then, in 2009, its new incarnation in musical theatre. The stage design of The Toxic Avenger Musical came right out onto the Danforth; there were prop barrels of toxic waste, massive sidewalk stickers shaped like ooze, and…
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La Di Da ♪
If you think this boutique sounds good, wait until you see it! By Lisa Wray The La Di Da Boutique, located at 128 Danforth Avenue, is a haven for the last-minute gift shopper. Its walls are filled with a unique array of jewellery, edibles, stationary, and items for the home…including a collection of the sexiest aprons I have ever seen (these are definitely not of the variety your mother wore!). The store opened in 2006 by co-owners Joanie and Elise. The boutique initially promoted an aesthetics studio, but they closed it this past Christmas and now devote their time focusing on stock. “We just pick what we like,” co-owner Joanie…
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Mother’s Day Gift Guide
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas from Drysdale & Co. Article and photos by Amanpreet Dhami With Mother’s Day coming in May, you’ll want a unique gift idea for the woman responsible for your place on this earth. Drysdale & Co., a seven-year-old, eclectic gift shop located on the Danforth, provides options for mothers of all ages, personalities, and vocations. Owned by Susan Drysdale, “the boutique stocks products based on customer recommendations, and from Susan’s research of items she sees on blogs,” says store manager Amy. Canadian designers and artists make all items found in-store – including the jewellery, stationary, and novelty items – so your purchase will support homegrown talent. My…
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The Joy of Caffé Demetre!
Waffles, Ice Cream, and Cake, Oh My! Dieters beware: this place is for special occasions only. By Andrea D’Amico A dessert only restaurant is rare. The concept is delightful: sit down with friends to enjoy crêpes, waffles, ice cream, and hot drinks in massive proportions. Not only is it a dieter’s worst nightmare, thanks to their generous portions, but Caffé Demetre could make you nauseous if you ignore the pains coming from your stomach. Low Calorie Menu? I went into Caffé Demetre to find out if anything on their menu was condidered low calorie. What I found was that they had a few low calorie items on the…
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Flower Therapy
Danforth Avenue’s FRESH Floral Creations By Sarah Blagdon Nothing is better than escaping winter by dashing into the doors of a local florist, with its warm temperatures and surrounding reminders of spring. Case in point: walking into Danforth Avenue’s FRESH Floral Creations, it’s hard not to be amazed by the modern and sophisticated collection of flower accessories, and more importantly, by the glassed in green house that encamps half of the store. Don’t let their small store front, (at 333 Danforth Avenue, between Chester and Broadview) fool you. There are many unique arrangements and gifts available for every season and occasion. My personal favourite, their FRESH at home collection,…
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I Scream, You Scream
You upper-Canadians don’t know how good you’ve got it. If you didn’t already know, I hail from the east coast. It is a lovely place filled with quaint back-country roads and beaches galore. But in April, it is still snowing. It snowed this past weekend. Badly, I hear. I chuckled when I heard the news as I gazed out of my window at blue skies, blooming trees and the parrot across the street (weird, I know right?) Perhaps the best part of spring is that it is now acceptable to eat copious amounts of ice cream. Even better (or worse, depending on what your vices are) when there’s a cozy…
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Raining on the Parade
It was a cold, dark and rainy Sunday just on the cusp of spring, and the whole world seemed depressed. Well, maybe not the whole world, but my room-mate and I were after a long weekend indoors with little fun and loads of schoolwork. To cheer ourselves up, we decided to make use of the Tim Hortons coupons my mom had sent me (it’s the little things when you’ve been a student for 5 years) by loading up on sprinkle doughnuts and iced cappuccinos. Emerging from the underground at Pape station was like stepping into a different time. Cars were spaced evenly all along the southside of the Danforth with…
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Community Love
The Riverdale Share Community Association defines what a community is. By Kristen Gentleman For eighteen years, the Riverdale Share Community Association has dedicated itself to bettering its Danforth-Riverdale community. Every December, it hosts the Riverdale Share Concert to raise money for people-in-need within the community, now a much loved start to the neighbourhood’s holiday celebrations. Susan Baker, producer and co-artistic director at the Association (RSCA), says she hopes to expand it into a full-time community association, but is finding it difficult to find the manpower and time to do so. “There are people who have and those who have not,” Baker says, “and I think there is an important role…
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Blogging on the Danforth
This is a blog you should be reading…if you haven’t already. By Madelaine Paterson Natasha Granatstein of the Danforth-based blog, DECA Diaries, shares Danforth’s history and purpose, shedding light on why this medium is so crucial for connecting with the community. Why Blog? The motivation to create a blog was all about reinvention. As the chairperson of the Danforth East Community Association (DECA), Natasha sent out e-newsletters updating community members on what was going on with DECA and the Danforth at large. It was a tedious process so she introduced a blog instead. DECA Diaries is now a one-stop location for people to access the association’s happenings in a more…
