Volume 16 Summer 2003
Building Blocks
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rumbling paint, faded signage, dark alleys and vacant buildings once typified King Street West from Spadina to Brant. Today, there are few remnants of this sad decline, as the former garment warehouses now play host to hip bistros, cool coffee shops, happening clubs, bustling patios, fashionable furniture retailers, and a burgeoning office population. Rather, this stretch of King is capitalizing on its historical ambience to reclaim prominence. Crush owner operator Jamieson Kerr calls downtown west the most dramatic area in the city. “These spaces have a lot of character. It’s not like I’m putting a restaurant in an office tower,” he says of his King Street West location. Restauranteur Peter Tsebelis of Brassaii agrees, suggesting his converted warehouse space acts as a social hub. “We’re following the oldworld tradition of connecting neighbours through dining and, given what’s physically here, it gives us a lot to work with.” Bringing the restaurants into the neighbourhood was part of a second stage in the development of the neighbourhood, explains broker J.J. Barnicke’s Tom Burns. “Allied’s first priority was leasing the office space, while further west, the neighbourhood was focusing on residential development.” Once a core of residential and office was established, it was time to tackle the retail market. “Typically, restaurants and cafés are the first phase of an emerging retail activity because they can bring people in to destination dine,” says Burns. “Rodney’s was our first major hit,” he explains. “And because of the press Rodney’s got, Old Hide House came along and because of
Photos by Tony Whibley
Creating a retail neighbourhood is a step-by-step process
those two, Mini came along.” Interior Elements, a high-end furniture store, was one of the first retailers in the neighbourhood. “We wanted to break away from the King East area,” says Interior Elements’ Jason Cloutier, referring to the critical mass of furniture and home décor stores on the other side of Yonge Street. “Most of our clients are designers and architects and this is where they’re situated,” he adds. Destination shoppers support the backbone of retail activity in the neighbourhood, and stores like Acton Leather Co. and Mini are seeing the benefits of being associated with KingWestCentral. According to manager Graham MacNab, Mini Downtown’s sales are second highest of the auto line’s 15 retail locations across the country. Acton Leather Co. president Steve Dawkins says his customers love the historic look and feel of the whole block, adding that he frequently heard shoppers commenting on the area’s beauty asking: ‘How long has this been here?’ “The buildings have been here for a long time,” says Michael Emory, Allied Properties president, KINGWESTCENTRAL “but the neighbourRETAIL hood’s just beginning. We're convinced that CALPHALON CENTER strong, local retailers will continue to INCOMING! enhance the distinctive character of the PATIO GUIDE KingWestCentral community.”
Inside...
– Yvan Marston
WHERE TO BUY WHAT Want to know who sells what where? Check out the KingWestCentral Retail Register on Page 2.
Front & Central
The King West Central Retail Register
Acton Leather Co. 522 King Street West (416) 203-7001 leathertown.com
Calphalon Culinary Center 425 King Street West (416) 847-2212 CalphalonCulinaryCenter.com
With 15,000 square feet of space, the Acton Leather Company’s showroom features leather shearling garments as well as top-grain leather furniture.
Calphalon’s retail centre carries a wide array of cookware, bakeware, cutlery, accessories and utensils. It is one of the finest selections in the city and a great place to shop for yourself or find gifts for the foodies on your list.
MINI Downtown 500 King Street West (416) 703-6313 minidowntown.ca
Interior Elements 435 King Street West (416) 367-5850 ieinteriors.com
Of course you can shop for your new MINI here if you like, but the two-level showroom also sells a variety of MINI gear – lifestyle items from key chains and hats to T-shirts and model MINIs.
Focusing on premium furniture lines and renowned designers, Interior Elements draws from the heart of modern design. The showroom houses exclusive lines such as Cappellini, Driade, Moroso, Poliform and Flos.
R-Shop 433 King Street West (416) 408-2288 rshop.ca
Shelter Interiors 451 King Street West (416) 593-0200
Well-designed furniture at an affordable price is the R-Shop philosophy, and its loft-like showroom features a wide selection of European-inspired sofas, beds, tables, chairs, stools and storage solutions.
A 3,000-square-foot showroom that features furniture and decorative pieces with an Eastern flair, including Chinese antiques and contemporary Asian reproductions.
Totum Life Science 445-447 King Street West (416) 979-2449 totum.ca This customized health and fitness service provider has a Thai boxing ring, Ground Zero and Pilates equipment, cardio, treadmills and elliptical trainers and classrooms for an array of fitness courses.
The King West Central Community Chronicle
New Center a Culinary Delight Food and wine classes now in session
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alphalon’s culinary facility is preparing its fall/winter calendar and filling it with ample opportunity for KingWestCentral foodies to find inspiration and education in the kitchen. Maggie Murphy, director of the 8000-squarefoot complex, says the school is a wonderful way for King West neighbours to gather and learn about food, wine and entertaining. “Classes are a great evening out with friends, but we also entertain corporate events and private classes,” she adds. Courses taught at the centre, which is equipped with a 40-person demonstration room, a hands-on classroom with 12 cooking stations and a back-of-house kitchen with seating for nine, will run the gamut of cooking experience. Chicken, Beef, Pork, Fish and Vegetarian 101 cover some of the basics with hands-on sessions designed to improve students’ kitchen methods. The Foundations series offers the intermediate chef the chance to hone techniques such as steaming, sautéing, as well as making soups and simple Calphalon’s retail centre. desserts. Students looking for something more challenging, can delve into making their own pasta, cooking up a “surf and turf” and learning the art of Japanese cuisine. If there are just a couple of things that pique your interest, Murphy says you can select demonstration or hands-on courses a-la-carte and attend on a one-off basis. “So if you simply want to learn to sauté or pan-sear, you don’t have to take an entire series,” she explains.
The Center’s hands-on classroom features 12 cooking stations.
The majority of the classes will be taught by Alison Kent and James Smith, the center’s two resident chef instructors, but Murphy says a number of guest chefs from around the GTA will also participate in teaching. And just because it’s a cooking school doesn’t mean it’s all about being in the kitchen. The Farmer’s Market Tour takes students shopping to learn the secrets of selecting the freshest and tastiest items. There are also courses on food and wine pairing, healthy cooking (the Calphalon Culinary Centre has joined forces with its King Street West neighbour Totum Life Science for some combination courses involving exercise, healthy cooking and dietary advice), and the new Bachelor Cooking – a sure-hit for men looking to expand their culinary repertoire. While the holiday season is still some months away, the centre has a full schedule of events and classes to help students plan, create and serve a number of seasonal dishes. For more information on these and any other course offerings, drop by the Calphalon Culinary Centre at the corner of King Street West and Spadina or visit the Calphalon Web site at: www.CalphalonCulinaryCenter.com – Yvan Marston
ing!.. m . o Salon Central d’ermo Salon Spa opened its doors early in the summer providing full body treatments and an array of aesthetic services to the King West Central crowd. From its quaint Victorian setting at 858 King Street West (a block west of Niagara), d’ermo offers manicure, pedicure, waxing and laser hair removal services as well as massage therapy and of course, a wide range of hair colour and cut treatments. Open Tuesday to Friday, 10:00-9:00 and Saturdays, 9:00-4:00. To book an appointment contact (416) 703-0777. Condo Update QUAD Condo Lofts’ Phase One is 72 percent sold and construction of Phase One and Two is scheduled to begin at the end of this summer. The first phase, at 19 Brant Street, will hold 75 units. Each is designed with 10-foot ceilings, exposed ductwork and sliding doors that can be closed for privacy or opened to give the loft an airy feel. The bare concrete finishes and columns complete the loft’s mini-
malist style that the developer, Cresford, says will let owners define their own space. Phase One condos range in size from 675 to 1579 square feet, and Phase Two, 19 Brant’s 11-storey neighbour, will have spaces ranging from 685 to 1160 square feet. Quad condo lofts is the latest residential innovation from the team that developed the awardwinning Merchandise Building, a condo development in the former Sears warehouse at Church and Dundas. For more information, Quad Phase Two’s drop by the new Quad Condo 685 sq. ft. model Lofts offices at 510 King Street West or check out the Web site at: www.quadlofts.com
The King West Central Community Chronicle
AL FRESCO The Patios of King West Central pring and fall are the seasons you recognize more often by the date on the calendar than by the weather outside. But summer, you know. It’s the one where the neighbourhood has less snow, more humidity and the persistent echoes of people eating, drinking and carrying on ‘til the small hours. Whether it’s a courtyard setting abuzz with the clamour of summer socializing, a breezy rooftop BBQ or just a casual street side table, King West Central abounds with outside dining possibilities.
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Bakerberry's Cafe Juicebar 469 King Street West (416) 595-5155
Crush Wine Bar 455 King Street West (416) 977-1234
Serving the breakfast and lunch crowd, Bakerberry’s patio seats about 18 and gets busy from noon to 2:00. While most of its menu is vegan fare (baked goods and cold salads), Thursdays they bring out the BBQ and cook up sausages, chicken and other things un-veganlike.
606 606 King Street West (416) 504-8740
Brassaii 461 King Street West (416) 598-4730
Photos by Tony Whibley
A classic French bistro patio with an awning and marble-topped trattoria tables. Surrounded by ironwork to match the courtyard’s gate, Crush’s outdoor dining seats 36. Lunch and dinner are served Monday to Friday and Saturdays are dinner only.
Dinner for 40 or drinks for 120. Depending on what time you find yourself at 606 will determine whether you sit or stand on this roof-top patio that stays open ‘til 2:00 a.m. Either way, the Caribbean feel of the space, combined with the aromas billowing forth from a six-foot barbecue set the perfect tone for a warm summer evening. For a more quiet setting, you can dine downstairs on the sidewalk patio that seats 12.
With space for 70 diners, a choice of eight different salads and an outdoor grill cooking up traditional bistro fare with a twist, Brassaii’s patio mixes a European-inspired menu with the pleasures of dining in a downtown courtyard setting. Offering an unpretentious, diner-like attitude, Brassaii is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks.
The King West Central Community Chronicle
Rodney’s Oyster House 469 King Street West (416) 363-8105 The Oyster Garden, as Rodney’s calls its patio, is a cozy, shrub-enclosed corner of a courtyard that seats 40 at communal tables. Open from Wednesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, some times to check out include the Thursday and Friday Northern Ontario Fish Fry lunch or the Friday and Saturday night oyster boat display where you can witness oyster shucking at its finest.
West 500 King Street West (416) 361-9004 With a 160-person capacity, suspended ten-foot diameter umbrellas and a 10 x 10 VIP tent, West’s great outdoors has more in common with Nikki’s Beach Bar in Miami than it does with your run-of-the-mill, street variety T.O. patio. Tapas are on the menu and drinks are on the table from 5:00 to 2:00.
www.alliedproperties.ca