LET IT SNOW
VOL.5 NO.6 | $4.95
Collingwood’s winter wonders
HOT TICKET
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Onstage in Toronto
GOLF GETAWAYS 14 best resorts
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IN THE ISSUE:
fe a t u re s
CITY CONFIDENTIAL 8 Collingwood draws winter sports fans with famous slopes and trails.
departments
UP FRONT 6 Rare art, a turbo Porsche, architectural icons and more.
FASHION 36 Designers Andy Thê-Anh and Philip Sparks share their style tips.
THE ARTS 44 Julie Makerov stars in the Canadian Opera Company's new love story.
16
LUXURY TRAVEL On Great Abaco Island, golfers find a player’s paradise. Plus, a round-the-world tour of balmy courses to tee off all winter.
26
DINING OUT David Lee’s new hotspot, Nota Bene, makes its mark.
28
CAR REVIEW The Mercedes-Benz ML320 BT defines green diesel.
30
WINE A mini-tour of Argentina’s first-rate vino.
34
TECH TOYS Million-dollar bikes, a bejeweled phone and other essentials.
48
ON THE SHELF Accomplished authors look at the dark side of life.
50
FILM Joel and Ethan Coen win kudos for two decades of offbeat fare. Cover photo courtesy of Blue Mountain Resorts
THE BAY STREET BULL | 3
BAY STREET PUBLISHING
Photo: Ruslan Sarkisian
Vol. 5, No. 6
VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLISHER Fred Sanders EDITOR Catherine Roberts CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Wing Sze Tang ART DIRECTOR Mark Tzerelshtein CONTRIBUTORS Mike Dojc Anita Draycott James Grainger Viviane Kertész Ned Morgan Marc Phillips Chris Powell William Shelley PHOTOGRAPHER Ruslan Sarkisian ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, TRAVEL Vanessa Lee DIRECTOR, ADVERTISING SALES Bill Percy advertising@thebaystreetbull.ca ADVERTISING GRAPHIC DESIGNER Christophe Boilley COMMUNICATIONS FACILITATOR David Rees WEB DESIGNER Marc Meloche The Bay Street Bull is published six times yearly and distributed in Toronto’s financial and business districts. Distribution method: hand-delivered, inserted, mailed and retail. Editorial + subscription + retail advertising enquiries to 305 Evans Ave., Suite 305, Etobicoke, Ontario M8Z 1K2.
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uebec may have Mont-Saint-Anne, and B.C. has Whistler, but right here in Ontario the perfect snow-covered slopes and trails are just a two-hour jaunt from the GTA. Writers Ned Morgan and William Shelley find that Collingwood has been transformed. It’s now home to awardwinning restaurants, soothing spas, private resorts for the real ski enthusiasts, and sports to suit every taste, including snowkiting and winter caving. If you prefer to play in sunnier destinations, Anita Draycott tours an extraordinary golf resort on Great Abaco Island in the northern Bahamas, while resident golfer and tech expert Mike Dojc takes you on a journey through some of the best fairways to visit in North America and around the world. Among the highlights: courses in the heart of skyscraper-strewn Dubai, the rugged Western Cape and verdant Maui. Of course, Dojc also couldn’t resist giving us the latest on his favourite tech toys, from a luxury cell phone to a fully electric sports car. Fashion writer Viviane Kertész spends some time chatting with designers Andy Thê-Anh and Philip Sparks about their new Toronto shops, what not to wear and the very taboo subject of fur. Also taking on the topic of good taste, critic James Grainger has a few things to say about David Lee’s new restaurant, Nota Bene: the lively and fresh menu will ensure top ranking among the city’s culinary heavyweights. And he suggests that while Chilean wines may be getting a lot of print, Argentina’s vibrant bottles are well worth quaffing. Arts writer Chris Powell has a tête-à-tête with acclaimed songstress Julie Makerov about her latest role at the Canadian Opera Company, singing in Czech for the first time, and preparing to leave her California home to move to Toronto in January. You can also read about Oscar-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen and their two-decade-long career of making offbeat movies. All these stories and the archives of our past issues can be found on our website at thebaystreetbull.ca. But that’s not all—you can also see extended interviews, current news and more. Our web designer, Robert Meloche, has created a stunning and interactive site, which we hope you’ll enjoy. We are always interested in hearing how you think we are doing. If you want to write in about the issue or have an idea you think we should feature in the magazine, please address your letter to The Publisher, The Bay Street Bull, 305 Evans Ave., Suite 305, Etobicoke, Ontario, M8Z 1K2, or e-mail me at publisher@thebaystreetbull.ca.
info@thebaystreetbull.ca WWW.THEBAYSTREETBULL.CA Printed by Signature Printing Inc.
4 | THE BAY STREET BULL
Fred Sanders, Publisher publisher@thebaystreetbull.ca
U P
F R O N T
Porsche’s Panamera Porsche’s long-awaited and much-discussed Panamera, the marque’s first four-door car (not counting the Cayenne SUV), is slated to start production this spring and is expected to cost around $175,000. A cross between a Carrera and a scaled-down Cayenne, this front-engine, rear-wheel luxury sedan will come in three different engine options, including a turbocharged 4.8-litre V8 topping out at 500 horsepower. For a hybrid version, you’ll have to wait until 2010. porsche.com
The King of Cool Steve McQueen’s rugged masculinity and innate good taste have inspired countless fashion designers and a slew of actors. This past summer saw a number of books paying tribute to McQueen, but few can compare to the well-curated collection of photos seen in Unforgettable Steve McQueen, edited by journalist Henri Suzeau. Containing rarely seen images and a foreword by Hollywood headliner Brad Pitt, this 180-page treasure is the perfect gift for any connoisseur of cool. verlhaceditions.com
Show Business Russian artist Roman Zaslonov, known for his whimsical paintings, will make his US debut at Chicago’s Gallery KH. The show, which will run until March 7, will bring together works that have been hanging in private collections and never been viewed before, along with exhibited works. With the wait time for a Zaslonov composition hovering around two years, the gallery expects a boon from collectors hoping to snag an original. gallerykh.com
High Design
Little Wonders Admirers of intricate, ornate decor on a tiny scale will be impressed by the miniature architectural marvels by Mulvany & Rogers. Taking historically significant European and North American buildings, like Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court and Versailles, and their interiors, Kevin Mulvany and Susie Rogers re-create them at one-twelfth the size. The pieces are so tremendously detailed and luxuriously crafted, it’s hard to believe you can’t actually go inside them. mulvanyandrogers.com
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With so many tower projects grinding to a halt, there were grumblings that Shanghai Tower, slated to be China’s tallest building, would never break ground. But construction has begun. The tower, designed by the US architectural firm Gensler and located in the Luijiazui Finance and Trade Zone in Shanghai, will be 632 metres tall and feature office and retail space, a luxury hotel, cultural venues—and the world’s highest unenclosed observation deck. As a model for future sustainability, its funnel-shaped roof will have a rainwater recycling system, nine gardens and wind turbines that provide the electricity to power the building’s outer lighting. gensler.com
There are lots of championship courses in the world. But they’re not surrounded by Barbados.
The championship courses. The spectacular views. And an island with a wonderful mix of British and African cultures. Welcome to Barbados, where you’ll find fairways and greens to fit your game, and other activities to fit every mood. We invite you to take a swing, and experience the authentic Caribbean. www.visitbarbados.org or call 1.888.BARBADOS
CITY CONFIDENTIAL
HAPPY
TRAILS
BLUE MOUNTAIN OFFERS CLASSIC SKIING AND NOVEL SNOW SPORTS
BY NED MORGAN
8 | THE BAY STREET BULL
ities and blizzards are a bad combination. But up here in the Blue Mountain region, they don’t let heavy snow slow them down. On the contrary: the more it snows, the faster they click into their skis and hunt for fresh powder. Welcome to the Georgian Bay snowbelt. With the lake-effect snowfall caused by winds over Georgian Bay colliding with the Blue Mountain escarpment, the snowbelt is the gift that keeps on giving. Though no one relishes driving through it—four-wheel drive or snow tires are de rigueur—the consensus is that the snow is a blessing. It has made this Ontario’s most popular snow sports destination. Though only about a two-hour drive from the GTA, the Blue Mountain region, with its forest trails, groomed slopes and alpine hospitality, transports visitors worlds away from city life. In the early 1940s, an enterprising Czech immigrant named Jozo Weider organized the first “snow trains” from Toronto to Craigleith. Ontario had not yet discovered winter recreation, but that was about to change. Weider established Blue Mountain Resort—the first downhill resort in the area—with a rough wooden lodge and, in what was then a technological innovation, a lift powered by a truck engine that pulled two sleds attached to a cable. The Osler Bluff Ski Club opened in the early 1950s, and the Georgian Peaks Club followed late in that decade. Today, the wooden-turreted depot where the snow trains unloaded has been restored as a tourist centre and gateway to the region. Beyond downhill skiing and snowboarding, other winter sports have emerged in recent years. Nordic skiing is one of the best low-impact exercises and easy to learn; throughout the Blue Mountain and Southern Georgian Bay area, there are gentle escarpment slopes, reclaimed farmland, mixed forest and open glades perfect for Nordic skiing. Some Nordic centres feature groomed trails for both classic and skate skiing. For a backcountry experience, skiers are flocking to the famous Kolapore Uplands Wilderness.
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WHETHER YOU’RE DEEP DOWN UNDER THE ESCARPMENT OR FLYING DOWN ITS STEEP FACE, WINTER IN THE BLUE MOUNTAIN AREA IS ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE
THE BAY STREET BULL | 9
PRIVATE SKI CLUBS Skiers can choose from six private clubs in the Blue Mountain area. We’ve picked two of the most storied clubs to highlight. THE GEORGIAN PEAKS CLUB – STEEP APPEAL Built atop steep, forested escarpment peaks overlooking Georgian Bay, The Peaks is a story of provincial firsts. With 820 vertical feet, this is considered the most challenging hill in Ontario, with diamond and double-diamond trails crowding its trail map. The pitch is so nosebleed-inducing, The Peaks is the only resort in Ontario sanctioned by the International Ski Federation to host Giant Slalom races. But with a total of 24 trails (including Ontario’s longest, Champlain), The Peaks offers something for every taste and ability, including a half-pipe and a freestyle terrain park. The club got its start as a public facility in the late 1950s but has been private since 1987. It is highly regarded for its alpine programs, ski and snowboard school and world-class coaching staff. Private lessons, camps and ski school programs are also offered—from an on-hill nursery to masters’ racing. OSLER BLUFF SKI CLUB – SNOW-BLESSED
In the late 1940s, the founders of Osler Bluff, scouting around the escarpment south of Collingwood for the ideal spot to escape the long lineups they were facing on ski trips to Quebec, took heed of some local knowledge. Farmers advised them that every season, without fail, the snow fell most abundantly on the slopes towering far above the Poplar Sideroad. Osler is Ontario’s most illustrious and secluded ski club, and its location works to its advantage in several ways. Not only does it receive more snow due to elevation and distance from the bay, but its snow also endures longer. The bluff is oriented to the northeast, which protects the snow from the depredations of intense wind and sun. In addition to its 24 downhill runs, Osler Bluff’s property includes 12 kilometres of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails.
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Snowshoes have come a long way since the traditional wood and rawhide, and now feature spring-loading and crampons for ascents. Snowshoeing allows ample freedom of movement— you can snowshoe anywhere you can hike, which is why the sport is the best way to see the Bruce Trail in winter. Canada’s longest footpath follows the Niagara Escarpment from Queenston Heights to Tobermory and winds through the Blue Mountain area, offering several loop trails and countless vistas of uninterrupted beauty and solitude. Visitors will also find plenty of opportunities to embrace winter in more unconventional ways. The fearless may opt for a snowkiting lesson. This new sport involves navigating over flat, open, snow-covered surfaces harnessed to a foil, ram-air or inflatable kite while wearing skis or on a snowboard. Several area outfitters offer dogsledding, both guided trips with overnight camping in snow huts, and on tracks where participants drive their own small team of huskies. An even more novel way to experience the landscape comes in the form of winter caving, where guides conduct tours of the area’s many escarpment caves and caverns, first on snowshoes to the cave entrance, then into the earth to explore the underground ice formations and subterranean rivers. Whether you’re deep down under the escarpment or flying down its steep face, winter in the Blue Mountain area is always an adventure. PHOTOS: Page 8 - Snowboarding at Blue Mountain. Page 9 - A view of the icy waters of Georgian Bay from Awenda Provincial Park, and Blue Mountain Village at night (Photos: Dreamstime.com). Page 10-The Georgian Peaks Club (sidebar top), downhill skiing (above) (Photos: Glen Harris), Osler Bluff Ski Club (bottom)
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VILLAGE Life WHERE TO STAY, DINE AND UNWIND IN BLUE MOUNTAIN BY WILLIAM SHELLEY
12 | THE BAY STREET BULL
ometimes, one outstanding natural feature provides a focal point for an area, shaping many different aspects of it. The high escarpment bluff of Blue Mountain—especially when it’s cloaked in fresh snow—is just such a feature. Intrawest’s Village, set at the base of the Blue Mountain, has been progressing since the 1940s. Today, the Village is a thriving centre for real estate, shopping, dining, entertainment and outdoor activity. Below are a few aspects of Village life.
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THE WESTIN TRILLIUM HOUSE The Westin Trillium House is fast becoming known as one of the top hotels in Canada for its legendary Westin services, enviable location and old Ontario–inspired style. Its architecture evokes, on a macro scale, century-old lodges of Ontario’s cottage country, like the storied Bigwin Inn on the Lake of Bays. The Trillium House was named, of course, after Ontario’s provincial flower, which blooms in the spring along the Bruce Trail on the escarpment high above the hotel.
Overlooking the Mill Pond at the southern end of the Village, with the Blue Mountain slopes just behind it, the Trillium House is the heart of Ontario’s recreation playground. Guests can enjoy a year-round heated outdoor pool and two hot tubs, in addition to the adjoining Plunge Aquatic Centre, a 10,000-squarefoot indoor-outdoor centre featuring four-season pools, hot tubs, a water slide, swing ropes, waterfalls and lounge decks. Guests can also enjoy in-room massages from a registered massage therapist. The Trillium House offers 222 suites. Amenities include flat-screen televisions with DVD players, high-speed Internet, a full kitchen or kitchenette, and 24-hour in-room dining provided by Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill. For corporate groups, there is a 10,000-square-foot conference facility with the latest audiovisual technology. At 1,482 square feet, the hotel’s signature presidential suite features a master
bedroom with a king-size bed, a second bedroom with two queen-size beds, a living area with three queen-size pullout sofa beds, a dining room table that seats 10, and a wall-mounted flat-screen TV. Cathedral ceilings with floor-to-ceiling windows fill the space with natural light and afford views of the mountain, Village and Georgian Bay. The large kitchen includes stainless steel appliances. Each bathroom—one a master en-suite and the other off the sitting area—features a jetted tub and stand-alone shower. The second bath features a double-size shower.
OLIVER & BONACINI CAFÉ GRILL Because the Westin is far from an ordinary five-star hotel, it follows that its inhouse restaurant should be from one of Canada’s best-known and acclaimed business duos: restaurateur Peter Oliver and chef Michael Bonacini. Among the acclaimed eateries the team has opened since the late 1980s are Auberge du THE BAY STREET BULL | 13
Pommier, a French restaurant in a 19thcentury north Toronto cottage; Jump, a New York–style café and bar; and Canoe, on the 54th floor of the iconic TD Bank Tower, considered one of Canada’s best restaurants. The first Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill opened in Toronto’s Bayview Village Shopping Centre, redefining “mall food” with its fresh take on North American and Italian classics, open kitchen and wood-burning pizza oven. Having invented the café grill template and displayed it with such verve, O&B decided to branch out from the city, and the Westin Trillium House was the obvious choice. Michael Bonacini describes the food as “modern North American, inspired by Canada’s diverse culture, rooted in the classics and taken to the next level by the rich contribution of local growers and purveyors.” Diners can choose from a range of appetizers, seafood, steaks, chops, ribs, pasta, fire-roasted pizza and burgers. A highlight of O&B at Blue Mountain is its huge Southwest-style smoker barbecue, designed and built by smoker specialist Robert Post in Arkansas. All dishes are smoked slowly over Baxter Orchard timbers and brushed with O&B’s chipotle barbecue sauce.
LE SCANDINAVE SPA BLUE MOUNTAIN
PHOTOS: Page 12 -Blue Mountain Village. Page 13 - The Westin Trillium House: Living room and lobby. Page 14 - Le Scandinave Spa (above), Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill (below) and Grand Georgian Hotel (right)
14 | THE BAY STREET BULL
Just minutes away from the Village, located in 25 acres of hardwood forest, Le Scandinave Spa seems to spring out of the local natural landscape, with its limestone features. Walking among the al fresco baths and waterfalls, oversized steam room and sauna, one is reminded of small spa towns in Northern Europe. If you have the time and stamina, the full Scandinavian bath experience is recommended: body warming in the outdoor warm baths, then a refreshing cold plunge in the outdoor cold baths, a relaxation period, repeated three or four times, then followed with a massage therapy treatment. The spa is equipped with a Finnish dry sauna to detoxify skin, a Norwegian steam bath to release toxins, and both thermal and Nordic waterfalls to promote relaxation. The facility also offers yoga and Pilates classes, a bistro, a boutique, quiet lounges and solariums. Le Scandinave focuses on hydrotherapy as a way to stimulate the blood and lymph and rid the body of toxins as a prelude to massage. The spa team offers Swedish, hotstone and Thai-yoga massages.
indulge in Mosaïc Distinctive architecture, sleek interiors, elegance, comfort and style - welcome to Mosaïc, the newest addition to the Village at Blue Mountain. A stylish boutique-style hotel, Mosaïc offers a dream setting with stone fireplaces, inspired interiors and contemporary finishes. 85 boutique suites ranging in size from studios to 3 bedrooms make Mosaïc the perfect option for your getaway. Indulge in the finer things in life. Enjoying the best resort life has to offer is easy in Mosaïc. Conveniently located in the heart of the Village at Blue Mountain, shopping, dining, entertainment and the ski lift are just steps from your door.
877.445.0231 www.bluemountain.ca/baystreet
Guests at Mosaïc benefit from beautifully equipped suites featuring flat panel televisions, bathrobes and exclusive access to a private courtyard with a year-round outdoor heated pool and hot tub. Mosaïc is the ideal choice for your next Blue Mountain adventure! Lodging packages at Mosaïc start as low as $139 per person. Visit www.bluemountain.ca for your guaranteed lowest rate on lodging.
LUXURY TRAVEL
Bahamian RHAPSODY
ON GREAT ABACO ISLAND, GOLFERS FIND A PLAYER’S PARADISE BY ANITA DRAYCOTT
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ntrepreneur and visionary Peter de Savary knows all about location, location, location. The flamboyant Englishman has a knack for finding extraordinary pieces of property (Scotland’s famous Skibo Castle, for one) and turning them into Edens of extraordinarily good fun. At the Abaco Club on the island of Great Abaco in the northern Bahamas, de Savary has created a private colony of contentment on more than 530 acres that sweep along Winding Bay. He likes to think of it as a castaway kind of place, where the luxury is rustic and simple. If I ever have to wash up on a beach, please Neptune, make it here at Winding Bay. The 18-hole golf club, designed by renowned architects Donald Steel and Tom Mackenzie, is touted as the world’s first Scottish-style tropical links. What does that mean? Think palm trees instead of gorse, sunshine instead of fog, and teal-blue ocean instead of cold, dark sea. But the Abaco Club does fit the definition of a true links course: it is built beside the sea on land that has been shaped by the wind, and it has been designed and maintained to be firm and fast-running. The dunes that dominate many holes would be the envy of some of the greatest seaside links. Prevailing winds are almost always a factor, so hone your bumpand-run shots. No offence to Steel and Mackenzie, but it would be difficult not to build a great course on this outstanding piece of land. The layout is classic: seven holes out, seven back and the final four dramatically perched on an ocean ridge. Numbers four through seven are seaside showoffs, but it’s the final four that will knock your socks off. There’s a deep quarry to be avoided on 15 and 16. Seventeen is a giddying parthree played from elevated tees down to an oceanside green. The majestic 18th starts and ends on a clifftop, with the crashing surf on your left and a series of caves on your right. It just doesn’t get much better than this. Many of the pros concur. Members include Ernie Els, Annika Sorenstam, Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood and Greg Norman. Sir Sean Connery, who christened the course, deemed it “a perfect jewel of a design.” Not that you’d ever tire of this golf course, but there are other sporting options. Those blue waters are renowned for bone fishing. The snorkeling is superb. In fact, that’s often how Abaco’s golf director, Justin Norvell, starts his day. As the sun sets, guests usually sink their toes into the sand and order a Bahamian cocktail at Buster’s beach bar, where the ambience might be described as rustic Robinson Crusoe. Those wanting a relaxed dining
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atmosphere head to the octagonshaped Clubhouse, a casual spot with a million-dollar view of Winding Bay. Fresh seafood options, such as champagne shrimp cocktail and orangegrilled spiny lobster, are among the dishes served up by the chefs in the open kitchen. The wine list isn’t too shabby either. As Abaco is a private club, prospective new owners and members are invited to visit once to decide if they want to invest in real estate here, with oneacre home sites starting at $1 million US. The Ritz-Carlton Club also now offers fractional ownership based on buying points, starting at $110,000 US.
WHEN YOU GO
The Abaco Club on Winding Bay in the Bahamas
The Abaco Club is managed by RitzCarlton. A private shuttle picks you up at the airport and takes you to the club, where guests are given their own golf carts to travel around the property. The private reserve consists of home sites, cottages, cabanas, a clubhouse, a spa, tennis courts, an equestrian centre, a fishing club and the golf course. Abaco enjoys scheduled non-stop air service to Marsh Harbour Airport from Miami, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Nassau. The Abaco Club can also arrange for transport in a Fairchild Merlin IV-C twin-turbo prop that seats up to 12 people. 18 | THE BAY STREET BULL
THE REST OF THE BEST In addition to the Abaco Club, you might want to do a bit of island hopping and take a swing on Paradise Island or Great Exuma.
THE ONE & ONLY OCEAN CLUB Past the glitzy Atlantis mega-development, you’ll find the exclusive enclave of the One & Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island. Scenes from the James Bond movie Casino Royale were filmed on the manicured grounds of its hotel, which offers 24-hour butler service. Just a five-iron away is the Ocean Club’s 18-hole tract, designed by Tom Weiskopf, which takes full advantage of its ocean frontage. You might spot Oprah or Michael Jordan, who both have homes in the neighbourhood surrounding the wonderfully watery course.
FOUR SEASONS RESORT GREAT EXUMA AT EMERALD BAY With six signature holes hugging the crystal waters of Emerald Bay, Aussie legend Greg Norman has put the Great Exuma course on the tropical golf map. After your round, indulge in some pampering at the Four Seasons spa.
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FAIR WEATHER Great places to tee off all winter BY MIKE DOJC It’s always five o’clock somewhere, and it’s always warm somewhere, too. Even in the middle of a frigid February when you might consider trading your golf cart for a snowmobile at your favourite local course, fairer climes elsewhere bear no such hindrance. Bypassing some of the usual suspects (we’ll hit ’em next time), we break down 11 balmy getaways that will scratch that winter golf itch. >>
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Dubai Creek Golf course
DUBAI
There are a handful of championship golf courses to choose from on this slice of South Carolinian sunshine near Charleston, and you really can’t go wrong with the masterful designs by Jack Nick22 | THE BAY STREET BULL
breathtaking views on every hole—half the challenge of the brilliantly conceptualized Peter Matkovich championship layout is remembering you’re there to play golf, not just to take in your surroundings. Stay: Western Cape Hotel and Spa.
SCOTTSDALE
WESTERN CAPE
With world-class vineyards, a whalewatching haven and the jaw-dropping backdrop of Table Mountain, this South African province is a ruggedly glorious sight to behold. Play: An hour’s drive east of Cape Town, bordering the spectacular banks of the Bot River lagoon, lies the Arabella golf course, a regular Sunshine Tour stop. South African golf star Trevor Immelman, playing along with his childhood idol and countryman Gary Player, won the Nelson Mandela invitational here in 2006. It’s a scenic wonder with
Scottsdale golf resort club house lounge and course
The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island
KIAWAH ISLAND
laus, Tom Fazio, Gary Player and Clyde Johnston. Play: The Ocean Course, which hosted the 2007 Senior PGA Championship and will have the honour again in 2012, is as good as any to start with. Sculpted by Pete Dye in 1991, the course gained instant acclaim as the staging ground of the “War at the Shore,” a Ryder Cup thriller that came down to the final hole of the final match, when Germany’s Bernhard Langer missed a five-foot putt against Hale Irwin to give the US the trophy. Stay: Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
Coastal South African golf course
The sports and leisure capital of the Middle East is better known as a skyscraper-strewn metropolis (it’s home to the CN Tower–dwarfing, soon-to-becompleted, half-mile-high Burj). However, it’s not only an architectural delight and economic powerhouse but also a burgeoning golf destination. Dubai has become synonymous with luxury, and the local links are no exception. Play: Until Tiger’s signature course is up and running, give the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club a gander for some prime golf in the Gulf. The immaculately groomed 18-hole, par-71 stunner in the heart of the city was designed by European Tour veteran Thomas Bjorn. The tropical treat is lined with date and coconut palms, and true to its namesake the course is rife with water hazards, so be sure you have plenty of extra balls. Stay: Park Hyatt Dubai.
Here’s a word-association exercise for you, Arizona = __. If you immediately pictured Senator John McCain or the Grand Canyon in your mind’s eye, we’ll let you take a mulligan. Play: Troon North’s Monument Course and Pinnacle Course present extremely challenging yet compulsively playable desert golf
Reynolds Plantation golf course
GEORGIA
Visting the Peach State without packing clubs is akin to showing up to your own wedding and forgetting to kiss the bride. Play: Greensboro’s Reynolds Plantation takes the cake, though if you just want to smell the azaleas, head over to Augusta National Golf Club and pretend you didn’t see that pesky members-only sign. There are five courses to try out, but two stand out from the bunch: Jack Nicklaus’s Great Waters and Rees Jones’ Oconee
Course. The Plantation features a TaylorMade Performance Labs facility, which uses the same motion-capture technology showcased in Lord of the Rings and Batman films to enhance the custom club-fitting experience. Stay: The Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation.
Algarve golf course
experiences. The game can be a relaxing diversion, but all that driving, chipping and putting can do a number on your back. After a tough round, head to the spa and indulge in a therapeutic golfer’s massage, which kneads away at your shoulders and back with heated balls—a sporting twist on the standard hot-stone technique. Stay: Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North.
MISSISSIPPI
With an abundance of golf resorts to choose from, this Deep South duffing destination continues to capture buzz. Discover what locals like Brett Favre have long known: Mississippi golf is a sure bet. Play: Traverse lush pecan orchards and contend with the soaring namesake trees at Fallen Oak, a Tom Fazio–fashioned masterpiece adjacent to the De Soto National Forest. Dramatic elevation changes make the golf as spectacular as the lush canvas it is played on. Stay: Beau Rivage Resort & Casino.
THE ALGARVE
Portugal’s eternally sunny beachfront has had Brits flocking here for decades. The Algarve region is all about cocktails, tanning and manicured greens, with over 30 enchanting courses to choose from. Taking it easy and unwinding may be the Algarve’s primary indulgences, but getting in the swing of things is this coastal
paradise’s raison d’être. Play: The revered Vilamoura Old Course opened for play in 1969 and features tight, pine-lined fairways and elongated doglegs that’ll test your precision hitting. Also top-notch is Arnold Palmer’s Victoria, home of the Portugal Masters. Stay: Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa.
MAUI
On the island that has everything, the popular saying “Maui no ka oi” still applies. Translation: “Maui is the best,” and the golfing is no exception. Play: Walk in the footsteps of golf superstars on the sprawling, verdant terrain of the Plantation Course. The PGA Tour’s MercedesBenz Championship opening salvo is played here in January. If you’d rather watch golfing professionals (the tourna-
Swaying Palms, Invigorating Adventures and Heartwarming Smiles Blend lazy relaxation with island excitement Here in Antigua and Barbuda, we’re famous for hundreds of pink and white silky sand beaches. Find your own private cove for two or a lively spot for family fun. But our islands offer more than just sand and surf ! Explore bustling city streets filled with welcoming faces. Enjoy galleries and museums, exotic dining, sporting activities and bird watching. Relax in your favourite style of accommodation – whether a quaint B&B, boutique hotel, allinclusive resort or luxury villa. A customized vacation experience awaits you – just a 4 1/2-hour non-stop flight from Toronto.
For insider info on island highlights and things to do, simply contact us: Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Office 60 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 601, Toronto, Ontario M4T 1N5 416-961-3085 info@antigua-barbuda-ca.com www.antigua-barbuda.ca
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Cornelia Diamond Golf & Resort, Belek, Turkey
ment is restricted to tour winners from the previous season) sink birdies than knock in your own, book for January 5 to 11, 2009. Last year, Daniel Chopra put on a down-to-the-wire show during a wild, sudden-death playoff against Steve Stricker. After a couple of headscratching close calls that would have sealed the deal, the Swede delivered the winning tap on the fourth hole of the extra stanza after yet another humdinger, an eagle attempt that put on the brakes right at the lip of the cup. “I felt like there was a goalie in the hole,” remarked an elated Chopra after the break-free victory. Stay: Kapalua Resort.
KAUAI
Hanalei Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
The luxe aloha golf scene cannot possibly be contained to one entry, and this garden island has its own unique flavour. The King filmed Blue Hawaii here in 1961 against the backdrop of coconut groves and beautiful lagoons that dot this dreamy island. While you’re visiting, the long and winding road to a breathtaking view of Waimea Canyon, which Mark Twain dubbed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is well worth the dizziness the
Turkey’s temperate Mediterranean climate allows for four fantastic seasons of golf. Belek’s first golf courses broke ground in the 1990s, and it is wasting no time establishing itself as an up-andcoming golfing locale. Play: With Belek undergoing a golf renaissance, there are already a fresh baker’s dozen to pick from, and new and exciting courses are just breaking ground. Ryder Cup stud Colin Montgomerie’s first crack at course design is ready to play at the Papillon Golf Club, as is Nick Faldo’s 27-hole Cornelia. The International Association of Golf Tour Operators chose Belek as the top destination for golf in Europe this year. Stay: Cornelia Diamond Golf & Resort.
ALABAMA With its famous Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Alabama has created what is
perhaps the ultimate golf road-trip hotspot. Test your duffing skills and endurance on a 10-stop series of pristine courses, currently offering a grand total of 432 holes. That’s either 24 rounds of grip-it-and-rip-it golf or several wheels of Emmentaler. Anyway you slice it, that’s a lot of skins. Sure, Louisiana, Maine, Utah and Virginia all have similar golf trail concepts, but Bama’s is the best executed and the climate allows for fantastic off-season play. Play: The pick of the litter is Ross Bridge in suburban Birmingham. It opened in 2005, and at 8,191 yards, it is the third longest championship course in the world, so your big stick gets plenty of action. It’s also easy to get to, just 32 km from the Birmingham Airport, or only a two-and-ahalf-hour drive from Atlanta. Stay: Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa.
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
drive may inspire. Play: The magnificent rolling terrain of the Robert Trent Jones Jr.–designed Prince Golf Course stirs up the perfect tropical golf cocktail. It’s a shot shaper’s paradise wrapped in panoramic picture-postcard scenery. Stay: Princeville Resort on Hanalei Beach.
BELEK
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more than just world-class golf... WINTER GOLF PACKAGES IP Casino Resort Spa January to March 15 4 nights – 4 rounds of golf
US$739 per person double Includes shared accommodation, Hertz mid-size car rental. (Car rental fees approx. $50 extra)
Gulf Coast Resort Rentals January to March 15 4 nights – 4 rounds of golf
US$819
per person quad Includes shared accommodation in a 3 bedroom / 3 bath condo, Hertz mid-size car rental. (Car rental fees approx. $50 extra) For complete details, call Merit Golf Vacations 1-800-268-5940 or visit meritgolfvacations.com
Sure it’s easy to boast about our 140 world-class golf courses, world-class casinos and world-class spas. But don’t forget about our world-class beaches, theme parks, entertainment, music, history, food and southern hospitality! All without a world-class price tag. So whether you’re looking for a golf trip or a great family adventure, the State of Mississippi can accommodate all your needs. For more information visit www.visitmississippi.org or call 1-888-669-7662 for a FREE Golf Mississippi Guide and start planning your world-class vacation today!
D I N I N G
O U T
Nota ene B
DAVID LEE’S HOTLY ANTICIPATED NEW EATERY MAKES ITS MARK BY JAMES GRAINGER
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C
hef David Lee’s long affiliation with Splendido, one of the city’s most venerated finedining institutions, ensured that his new restaurant venture would automatically qualify as a must-visit destination for the food crowd. So when Nota Bene opened in the summer, the question around town was not why should anyone want to eat there but where, exactly, was the place? Was it in the theatre district, on the Queen Street West strip or crowded in among the Bay Street towers? Nota Bene is hardly off the beaten track. Nestled at the base of the glass-and-steel annex of the Canada Life building and fronting Queen Street just west of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, the new eatery from Lee and Splendido owner Yannick Bigourdan (and their silent partner, restaurateur Franco Prevedello) is ideally located to service the theatre, culture and finance crowds for lunch and dinner. The view into Nota Bene’s street-level bar does not do justice to the surprisingly airy, spacious dining room behind, which seats about 200 while allowing plenty of elbow room for
The porkfest continues with a main of suckling pig and boudin noir tart. Diners should probably cut this impossibly rich riot of sweet baby pork, bacon, blood sausage, mushrooms and oozing taleggio cheese with a side of sautéed rotini with garlic and chili, pommes frites or a heaping of light-as-paper onion rings. The stilton brisket beef burger is another stomach-bursting treat and is simply one of the best (and reasonably priced) gourmet burgers in the city at this point in time. The more health-conscious may want to settle into a seafood choice. A half-dozen wild Digby sea scallops are
Photos courtsey of Nota Bene.
diners seated at the comfy benches that line the walls. The decor is minimalist— lots of beige and black—without feeling cold or impersonal, and the high ceilings ensure you never need to lean over your soup bowl to make yourself heard across the table.
David Lee
The menu offers regional Canadian favourites such as Nova Scotia lobster, Digby scallops, Lake Huron pickerel, Cumbrae Farms beef, handcrafted local cheeses and plenty of pork, haute cuisine’s latest “it” meat. There are also plenty of dishes and seafood choices from around the world. A duck prosciutto starter mixes thin slices of the delicate, fatty meat with sharp pecorino cheese, fresh arugula and balsamic vinegar, offering a preview of the menu’s distinct but expertly matched flavour combinations. The tandoorispiced barramundi is a tad dry, but the spicing and mango salad add a rich complement to the fish’s subtle taste, while the modestly named “Farm to Fork Char-
cuterie” plate showcases the kitchen’s delicious in-house cold meats and pickled vegetables, including a selection of flavourful sausages, beer-cured bacon and thick mustard.
perfectly seared to maintain their rich flavour and moistness, and are not overpowered by a zippy, fruity salad of pineapple, chili, coriander and jicama, a Mexican root vegetable. The pickerel filet is also tender and juicy, and is wonderfully paired with a potato gnocchi livened with basil pesto and wild mushrooms. The desserts are uniformly superb, from the lemon yogurt panna cotta with a compote of eye-opening sour cherries to the heavy, rich bread and butter pudding with a side of banana ice cream. A special nod should be given to the friendly wait staff’s military precision and the extensive, impeccable wine menu. Such attention to detail, coupled with Nota Bene’s uniformly lively and fresh menu offerings, should ensure Lee and Bigourdan’s high ranking in the city’s pantheon of culinary heavyweights. THE BAY STREET BULL | 27
B U L L
R E V I E W
Mercedes-Benz I
f you thought the words “diesel” and “clean” could never coexist, think again. The new BlueTEC diesel engines developed by Mercedes-Benz are quiet, powerful and clean. So clean, in fact, that the 2009 ML320 BT has already been nominated for the World Green Car of the Year award. Equipped with a 3.0-litre, V-6 turbodiesel powerplant generating 210 horsepower engine, it boasts an AdBlue exhaust treatment system that actually neutralizes pollutants with a fine organic ammonia mist. It even rivals hybrids with its low fuel economy: 950 kilometres per tank. But beyond its fuel-efficient features, the ML320 BT, like all Mercedes-Benz M-Class vehicles for 2009, has received a mild makeover that in-
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ML320 BlueTEC cludes stainless-steel front skid plates, larger side-view mirrors, a wider rear bumper and a lower-set grille and front bumper, plus newly designed headlights and fog lamps. Standard on all models is the innovative Pre-safe system: when the car detects an impending crash, it automatically closes the windows and sunroof, tightens seatbelts and shifts the seats, all to protect passengers from the impact. Be it potholes, construction or black ice, the M-Class makes the hazards of driving virtually disappear. Add BlueTEC technology, and you have an eco-friendly SUV with powerful performance. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; MARC PHILLIPS
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W I N E
R E V I E W
Southern CHARM ARGENTINA’S FIRST-RATE WINES FINALLY GET THEIR DAY IN THE SUN BY JAMES GRAINGER
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Argentinian vineyards near the Andes mountains. Photo: Dreamstime.com
CHEVAL DES ANDES 2002 ($116) This is the second vintage of wine made by the joint venture between Terrazas de los Andes and Château Cheval Blanc. Redcurrant, plum and blackberry fruit are balanced by vanilla bean, coffee and smoke notes. Well-rounded tannic structure with a long finish.
KAIKEN ULTRA MALBEC 2006 ($23) This award-winning dark red wine is bursting with fruit flavours, especially plum and blueberry. Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, it has an attractive perfume with notes of oak, violet, black cherry and a hint of chocolate, and a youthful, tannic and acidic close.
ROLLAND COLLECTION YACOCHUYA MALBEC 2003 ($65) Made with 100 percent Malbec grapes from 60year-old vines, it has a very dense, dark colour and a solid core of blackcurrant, fig and tar. A soft, delicately spicy, rich finish with a loamy undertow.
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Bottle photos: Ruslan Sarkisian
W
hen veteran and rookie wine aficionados think of South America, their thoughts inevitably turn to the Cabernets, Chardonnays, Merlots and Sauvignon Blancs from the Chilean foothills and plains around the towering Andes mountains. Known for their bright, fruity taste, Chilean wines have taken their place beside other highly competitive New World winemakers through a sustained combination of savvy marketing and retail value. What may surprise wine fans is that Chile ranks second in South American wine production to its eastern neighbour, Argentina, the world’s fifth-largest wine producer. So why is Chile getting all the press? Are Chilean grapes that much better than those that grow on the other side of the Andes? Taste is often a matter of just that—taste—but in terms of quality the gap between Chilean and Argentine wines appears to be narrowing with every passing growing season. Why the Chileans are grabbing so much of the praise is a little more complicated. Argentina has been producing wine since Spanish colonialists introduced the grape vine to the country in the 16th century. Later imports of French vines expanded
A wine tasting room in Mendoza, Argentina. Photo: Dreamstime.com
LUIGI BOSCA SINGLE VINEYARD MALBEC 2004 ($17.95) A bargain at under $20, this spicy, lush wine has been winning raves from Malbec converts since its release. Spend a while savouring the rich aromas, which include cherry, chocolate, blackberry and oak, then serve with steak and potatoes.
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LABORUM TORRONTÉS 2007 ($19.95) This offering from the high-altitude Laborum vineyards is a great introduction to the unique flavours and scents of Torrontés wines. Aromatic and rich with tropical fruit flavours, this dry white can be enjoyed on its own or matched with such saltwater fish as snapper and sea bass.
CATENA ALTA MALBEC 2005 ($60.95) A classic Malbec from the Catena family, who have been making the country’s signature wine in some of the highest elevations of the Mendoza province for four generations. Rich, full-bodied, with notes of spice and berry, this elegant red can be served immediately to eager dinner guests or cellared for up to four years. Serve with roast beef, venison and duck.
the range and quality of Argentine wines, but because the country traditionally consumes at least 90 percent of its vino output, quantity tended to trump quality. Low-priced wines produced for Argentine dinner tables dominated the industry until a number of big local players started exploiting the export markets for New World wines in the 1990s. Since then, Argentine wines have been steadily increasing in quality and reputation. The king of Argentine grapes is the Malbec, a very dark grape with a rich, plummy flavour. Introduced into Argentina by French grower Michel Pouget in 1868, the Malbec vines thrive in climates with high daynight temperature differentials, long sunny days and dry air, making it the perfect match for Argentina’s mountainous growing regions. Argentine winemakers have also developed a signature white grape, the Torrontés, the only grape considered indigenous to the country. Torrontés wines, known for their fragrant floral and herbal notes, have been gaining a devoted following in the past five years and are poised to break through as the next big thing in whites. Almost 70 percent of the country’s wine production is centred in the province of Mendoza, which stretches from the Andes in the west to the eastern Cuyean plains. Winery tours are an increasingly popular component of the province’s thriving tourism industry, especially in February and March, when the annual grape harvest is celebrated with raucous festivals.
T E C H
T O Y S
Gear Up
NEW GADGETS FOR YOUR WISH LIST
BY MIKE DOJC n Quantum of Solace, the latest chapter in the Bond saga, Daniel Craig relies more on his wits than spy tech to get the job done. Aside from his trusty Walther PPK, the only other flash bang that 007 packs is a Sony Ericsson equipped with a superlong zoom lens and target-tracking facial recognition software. While we appreciate the throwback Bond as much as anybody else, the last couple of movies have left us nostalgic for the gadgetry of yore, the kind that has the audacious power to make the Miss Moneypenny (also sorely missed) in our own life swoon. While Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions stalls on the latest in lasershooting watches, we keep you techcessorized for the real world.
I
MACBOOK PRO, THE NEXT GENERATION Apple’s winning streak continues with the latest makeover of the popular MacBook Pro. For starters, the masters of innovation re-engineered the laptop’s casing with a slick aluminum unibody, making it thinner, lighter and stronger. The exterior aesthetics aren’t the only aspect to be revolutionized. Thanks to a bright, glasscovered, LED-backlit display, the picture is more vivid and more energy-efficient than ever before. The trackpad has also been reinvented—it’s bigger, buttonless (it now is the button) and operates using the fluid and intuitive 34 | THE BAY STREET BULL
finger-swiping multi-touch platform that has made the iPhone such a runaway success. Graphics-intensive applications also perform more smoothly and with a lot more zip, thanks to a speedy Nvidia processor. Starts at $2,150. apple.com MOTOROLA AURA Is it a cell phone or a Patek Philippe? Moto attempts to pioneer the “dress cell” category with the Aura ($2,000 US). The Swiss-made, 62-caratsapphire, circular crystal lens houses a 16-million-colour, 300 dpi display, and it opens the way the Fonz would assume—switchblade style. The Bluetooth, GSM support, camera and all the other specs are as irrelevant as whether or not an horological masterpiece can light up its face in the dark. This is clearly fashionista pocket candy. The gears are tungsten carbide coated; the swiveling mechanism that opens the Aura comes courtesy of 130 precision ball bearings. Even the finish has the same PVD coating and mirror polish used to make luxury watches visually pop. motorola.com
2009 TESLA ROADSTER This high-performance, 100 percent electric sports car is no slouch. She can do 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds—that’s twice as fast as BMW’s Mini E. Tesla’s 125 mph top speed also trumps Bimmer. While it takes 24 to 30 hours to fully charge on a regular household outlet, you can have a 220-volt, 70-amp, highcurrent charger installed in your garage to get this baby juiced in just three and a half hours of plug-in time. As for range of motion between charges, the roadster can squeeze in a hefty 244 miles before the battery drains. If this quiet speedster turns your crank, plan a trip to Menlo Park,
California, to visit the showroom and take it for a spin. You’re looking at $109,000 base, and currently there’s a 12-month backlog, but Tesla plans to ramp up production early this year. An additional $55,000 is required to lock in a production slot and delivery. At press time, they are selling exclusively in America and Europe. teslamotors.com SEVEN-FIGURE BIKE Hell on wheels is a phase you get over in time, but art on wheels—that’s forever. At 16, Chicara Nagata was involved in a nearly fatal motorcycle crash. On the long road to recovery, Nagata wondered why he had survived while so many other accident victims perished. His handcrafted, retro-futuristic bikes are not only an expression of gratitude to those who tirelessly worked to restore his health but also a tribute to the riders in the sky. Each one takes Nagata 7,500 hours to build. 2D Pictures could never do his painstaking workmanship justice. An exhibition of his
“Liquid Chrome” motor masterworks is currently showing at the Ippodo Gallery (521 W. 26th St., Manhattan) until January 31. Install one on your driveway for a cool million. chicara.com SAMSONITE BLACK LABEL SERIES BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN The four-time British Designer of the Year winner is notorious for staging outlandish fashion shows. He’s recreated a shipwreck, staged a human chess game and, at his “Widows of Culloden” show, projected a hauntingly beautiful 3D hologram of Kate Moss dancing in a billowing dress over the catwalk.
New MacBook Pro with aluminum unibody (left), Motorola Aura (top), Tesla Roadster (above), Chicara Art I Classic (top right), Blackbird Rider Guitar and Samsonite Black Label Series by Alexander McQueen (rigt),
Samsonite’s core luggage principles of luxury, style and durability remain tastefully intact and benefit from McQueen’s bad-boy sensibility. The Hero ($230), the pièce de résistance of the collection, is an upright roller resembling a robust human ribcage on the front, and a sturdy backbone on the flipside. “The human ribcage protects our vital organs as we move about in the world. Luggage takes on the same role as we travel and pack our worldly possessions inside for safe transport,” explained McQueen at the launch of the line. samsoniteblacklabel.com BLACKBIRD RIDER “Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Take these broken wings and learn to fly.” While it won’t do anything for your vocal accompaniment, this blast from the past will resonate beautifully on this hollow-bodied acoustic, whose sound is reminiscent of a Dobro. Where’s the tech? The stealth bomber black Rider is forged from carbon fibre using 3D CAD. With the neck, head and body cast in one piece, it’s virtually indestructible, not to mention humidity-proof. Weighing in at an ultra-light three pounds and small enough to fit in an airplane’s overhead compartment, the Rider is the perfect travel axe. $1,900 buys the softer-toned, nylonstringed model, or save $300 by opting for the even more compact steel-stringed edition. blackbirdguitars.com
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FA S H I O N
TWO WHITE-HOT DESIGNERS SET UP SHOP BY VIVIANE KERTÉSZ
ou remember that scene in Casino Royale: James Bond (Daniel Craig) presents his love interest, Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), with an exquisite formal gown that hugs her every curve, even though it was crafted without a tailor ever having taken her measurements in the flesh. Bond then discovers that Lynd has improbably one-upped him by procuring an equally gorgeous tuxedo, somehow cut to his exact physical proportions despite the fact that he never met its maker, the tailor, either. Sadly, producing bespoke tuxes and evening gowns that miraculously fit like a glove sans fittings is only the stuff of cinema. In the non-celluloid world, so my extremely reliable fashion industry sources tell me, securing the perfect fit on evening gowns, tuxes and suits requires attending actual in-person alterations. Fortunately, a couple of the country’s most innovative designers have just launched Toronto digs at two tony locations, with a cast-load of alterable, readyto-wear lines to make you look like a movie star. So, whether you want to surprise your real-life paramour with something special to try on for size, or would rather outfit yourself with some bigscreen style, veteran womenswear designer Andy Thê-Anh and menswear up-and-comer Philip Sparks can kit you out for cameos, close-ups and even those backstage moments. The Bay Street Bull spoke with Thê-Anh and Sparks about their aesthetic, the great fur debate and what to wear this season. >>
Y
Star 36 | THE BAY STREET BULL
Style
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ANDY THÊ-ANH
The Bay Street Bull: Where do you stand on the debate over whether fur is cruel or eco-friendly? Andy Thê-Anh: Fur is more ecological to use, because you can recycle it— you never throw it away. And it degrades, unlike faux fur. What a lot of people don’t know is that the furconsumption slowdown has led to nature being off-balance. In Ontario and the States, there are problems with the muskrat’s overpopulation. The trapper was disappearing because there wasn’t a demand for fur, and the rest of it is grown on the farm— the fox and mink don’t run wild anymore. I don’t embrace the idea of using extinct animals, but when they’re in abundance it makes sense to use them. What is the hottest item you've designed for the season? The one people really love is the twolayer blouse, a stretched poplin cotton with silk-chiffon over top. You can wear it for day and for evening, with jeans or with a skirt, but no jacket, because it doesn’t need one. Recurring themes in your Fall 2008 line include belted waistlines on pants and dresses, fingerless gloves that extend past the elbow, a modern take on the tuxedo blouse and big jewelry. What were you trying to achieve with your current collection? I always love to mix masculinity and femininity together, to play with the structure by, for example, taking a masculine fabric and designing a feminine silhouette. What do you think of as your signature look? I did a pant in 2001—the code 344— and every season, people keep asking for it. I keep trying to kill that pant, but everyone, from skinny to bigger people, looks good in it. Talks of an “economic tsunami” have resulted in more cautious buying. What’s the one item you think a woman should have in her arsenal right now? A piece of jewelry is an investment piece that you can pull out and wear with your little black dress. It’s timeless, and you can wear it with a suit or blouse. It’s versatile and can dress you up or dress you down. What trends for Spring 2009 do you predict will be most popular? For next season, every shade of pink will be hot. And beige will make a big comeback. In tough times, we go back to the sure colours.
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PHILIP SPARKS
The Bay Street Bull: Your natural beaver fur and lambskin mitts are hot. Why do you like using fur? Philip Sparks: Fur is very Canadian. The fur-trading industry is what built our country. The oldest cities were trading posts, and that’s why they were developed as cities. It’s a natural material to use and the oldest existing material that man has been able to use as protection. It’s reusable, very long-lasting and embraces our history. What item of clothing should a man own this season? A man needs to have a well-tailored winter coat. I don’t think you can go wrong spending a good amount of money on it, because something like that is an investment that protects you and can give you a strong sense of selfconfidence. And we’re in Canada—it’s just going to get colder and colder. How would you describe a classic Sparks suit? Classic Philip Sparks suiting has a silhouette, is a slimmer fit, with a highercut armhole and a very slim sleeve. Who or what is your biggest inspiration? Probably old photographs. I’m always looking for a new book of photography that highlights men, and finding historic men’s reference books is really hard.
Born in Saigon, Vietnam, Andy ThêAnh arrived in Montreal in 1981, finishing high school in that city. “My family was pushing me to do computer science, which I did for one semester before attending LaSalle College for a three-year fashion design program,” he says. He quickly won a couple of school contests and landed a job at Tristan & America, then worked at Raffinati (a luxury brand comparable to Escada that did mostly suits and coats for women), where he learned the skill of tailoring. “They were really old-school there,” Thê-Anh relays, “which is how I learned the techniques.” His next step was working at Irving Samuel (Raffinati’s competitor, which had a more Max Mara look) for two years. “After that, with the recession and the economy of the ’90s and things closing down, I worked for Parasuco jeans for two 40 | THE BAY STREET BULL
Your 5th-floor showroom in the Burroughes building at 639 Queen St. W. is a beautiful loft-like space, which, on Saturdays between noon and 6 p.m., is open to the public. What is it about this space that inspires you? I’ve been looking at this building for years, then really watched the restoration from the street with anxiety and actually approached the owners several times. I’m finally where I’ve wanted to be for a long time. I love the raw feeling of the building and the vintage quality of everything that reflects what we do. What are the most popular items of your current collection? There is something that everyone covets: the brown satin-rayon tuxedo jacket. Another popular item is our backless vest, a takeoff on a cotton white piqué vest—but we produced one in black and herringbone. What trends for Spring 2009 do you anticipate will be most popular? In terms of colours, yellow. Canary or lemon yellow—a bright yellow, like what’s in a plaid. There have been a dark couple of seasons lately, but we’ll see an overall lightness to Spring 2009, a general lightening up of the palette.
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and a half years, until 2001, when a manufacturer offered me the chance to do my own line,” Thê-Anh explains. That line, called POW—which stood for “Presence Of Woman”—was a challenge for the then-novice designer because he had to create a collection from scratch. “It was a great experience for me. Then, in 2005, I had a group of people who financed my own line under the name Andy Thê-Anh.” And so it began. Fall 2008 was ThêAnh’s sixth collection under his namesake brand. He defines his aesthetic as very structured. “I love controlled constructions that are elegant and sophisticated. When I design, I design for one type of woman: a typical strong woman who is very professional and knows what she wants.” For design wünderkind Philip Sparks, Fall 2008 marked his third collection. Although the 26-year-old, who’s stirring up the Toronto fashion scene, may seem to have come out of the ether, his design past has deep roots. From an early age, Sparks knew he wanted to be a designer. “I started sewing things when I was 16 as a need to express myself creatively,” he says.
PHOTOS: Pages 36 and 38 - Andy Thê-Anh Fall 2008 Collection. Photos: Mario Miotti Pages 40 and 42 - Philip Sparks bow-ties and shoes from Fall 2008 Collection; runway shots and ramie/cotton knit V-neck, polo shirt and tie from Spring 2008 Collection.
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Sparks grew up in Fort Erie and moved to Toronto to attend Seneca College for their fashion arts program. While in school, he started working for a tailor at the National Ballet of Canada. “I apprenticed there for three summers, graduated in 2003, then worked for the Canadian Opera Company as a tailor for a year,” he recalls. After that, Sparks worked as an assistant costume and set designer for three seasons at the Stratford Festival of Canada. When asked to describe his aesthetic, the young designer can sum up his look in a sentence: “A Philip Sparks piece always has a nostalgic quality about it.” During his last season at Stratford, Sparks knew he was ready to do his own thing and see through his own ideas. “I definitely have that reference to historic places or to a theme,” Sparks explains, “but fashion for the theatre is meant to be seen on the stage, while my collection is more pared back, as it’s meant to be appreciated up close.”
foto Salvati e Salvati 2008 Armchair Musa > Antonello Mosca Writing desk Exedra > LĂŠon Krier
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T H E
A R T S
The Soprano RISING OPERA STAR JULIE MAKEROV TAKES THE STAGE IN TORONTO BY CHRIS POWELL ulie Makerov stands five feet eight inches tall, possesses a singing voice described by one reviewer as “a big and beautiful instrument,” and has a self-described “big personality.” Classic pop diva ingredients. But while Makerov has loved singing ever since she was a young girl, it wasn’t until discovering “Ava Maria” at age 18 that she determined her future lay not with the Barbras and Madonnas of the world but with the Puccinis and Wagners. “I realized that [opera] was where my voice was going while all my other friends were
J
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singing pop music,” says Makerov via telephone from her Southern California home. “I just had a terrible pop music voice but loved to sing. Usually people say, ‘I’ve been groomed to be an opera singer since I was 12 years old.’ I came to it a little bit later because I didn’t come from a background that opera was a big part of.” The American soprano—blessed with what The New York Times has called a “plush soprano voice”—has been tapped as one of opera’s up-andcoming stars. Torontonians can hear for themselves
next month, when Makerov appears in the title role of the Canadian Opera Company’s presentation of Antonín Dvořák’s tragic love story Rusalka. With a plot that incorporates elements of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale The Little Mermaid, Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué’s story Undine and Karel Jaromír Erben’s A Garland of National Tales, Rusalka tells the story of a water nymph who turns her back on immortality for a chance at love with a mortal prince. First performed at Prague’s National Theatre in 1901, Rusalka—which features the classic aria “Song to the Moon”—has become one of the most enduring and popular Czech operas. Last seen with the COC in the role of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Makerov says the doomed Rusalka is a perfect character for both her voice and personality. “She’s a wonderful, tragic character, so I really relate,” she says. “Most of the characters I play are either tragic or fiery.” Why? “It has to do with my voice [and] it has to do with who I am as a person and what I can do convincingly onstage,” she adds. “You very rarely think of Meryl Streep as a comedian. [It’s true: remember Death Becomes Her?] You go with what you have naturally, and I have a flair for the dramatic, the tragic and the fiery. [Rusalka] is truly a tragic character, so I’m loving it.” When asked how else she’s preparing for the role, however, Makerov displays an impish side that seems at odds with the characters she favours. “I swim a lot,” she says, before bursting into laughter. While Makerov’s career has seen her sing in a veritable United Nations of languages, including German, French, Italian and Russian, Rusalka marks the first time she will perform in Czech. “What it entails is a lot of studying of the Czech language,” she says. “I’ve sung in Russian, [and Czech] is a little bit similar but still has its own set of rules. It’s challenging in its own way.” She’s been training for the past month—“I have wonderful coaches that I employ, and they hit my hands with a ruler and say, ‘No, don’t do that’ and ‘Yes,
do that,’” she says—but notes that her previous experience has provided “building blocks” that make it easier to learn a new language. Makerov has become something of a regular at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in recent years, but Rusalka will mark the native Californian’s first trip to Toronto in the colder months. She says she’s fully prepared for the harsh Canadian winter, however. “I do have an outlandish fur coat that I’ve never felt comfortable wearing anywhere, and I
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Julie Makerov
might bring it,” she says. “I always say, ‘I love Toronto,’ and people say, ‘Really? Have you been here in January?’” Rusalka also stars Michael Schade, making his first appearance with the COC, in the role of the Prince; the “Moldavian powerhouse” Irina Mishura, as Jezibaba, the malevolent witch who gives Rusalka the opportunity to win the Prince’s heart in exchange for her immortality; baritone Richard Paul Fink, who played Alberich in the COC’s presentation of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, as Rusalka’s devoted friend the Water Gnome; and soprano Joni Henson, who sang Elisabeth de Valois in two performances of Don Carlos, as the Helena Zubanovich as Jezibaba, Andreas Mitschke as Wassermann and Alla Perchikova as Rusalka in the Theater Erfurt production of Rusalka, 2006. Photos: Lutz Edelhoff
Foreign Princess also vying for the Prince’s heart. The production, from Germany’s Theatre Erfurt, is directed by Dmitri Bertman while Hartmut Schörghofer and Corinna Crome are set designer and costume designer, respectively. Rusalka runs January 31 and February 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20 and 23. Single tickets are available online at coc.ca, by phone at 416-363-8231, and at the Four Seasons Centre Box Office (145 Queen St. W., Toronto). Prices range from $60 to $290, with special young people’s tickets (for those 15 and under accompanied by an adult) from $30 to $98. 46 | THE BAY STREET BULL
ON THE SHELF
Dark Matter A Mercy by Toni Morrison (Knopf) is set in the 1680s, when America is struggling as a colony. The tale unfolds on the isolated homestead of Jacob Vaark, an Anglo-Dutch trader, where his mail-order bride and three female slaves fight against great hardships while coming to grips with those that enslave them, both literally and emotionally. A fitting companion to Morrison’s Nobel Prize– winning novel, Beloved.
Red Dog, Red Dog by Patrick Lane (McClelland & Stewart) takes us through a week in an Okanagan Valley town in 1958 and the lives of the Stark family, specifically two red-headed sons, Tom and Eddy, now in their 20s and still reeling from their violent upbringing. A fine debut by one of Canada’s foremost poets.
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More by Austin Clarke (Thomas Allen) begins with news that Idora Morrison’s son, BJ, has been involved in gang crime. Disappointed and disillusioned, Idora retreats into her Toronto basement apartment for four days and four nights, trying to make sense of how her life has spiralled into disaster. Clarke’s command of language makes this tragedy not only readable but memorable.
Indignation by Philip Roth (Viking Canada) centres on 19-year-old Marcus “Markie” Messner, the overprotected son of lower-middle-class Jewish parents from Newark, N.J., and his illfated plunge into WASPdom at an Ohio college during the height of the Korean War. Readers intimate with Roth’s 28 previous books will recognize some familiar themes: sexual, societal and religious repression.
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (Free Press) caused a bidding frenzy in October at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest international gathering of the publishing world. It’s not hard to see why. This page-turner (and 2008 Man Booker Prize winner) offers an unadorned portrait of modern India from the bottom of the heap and, in doing so, unearths the corruption, the class system and the sheer viciousness beneath the economic miracle.
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Last September, when Burn After Reading went into wide release, Joel and Ethan Coen were already in production on their next film, A Serious Man. Set in 1967 in the Coens’ hometown of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, this black comedy (their 14th film) centres on Larry Gopnik, a Jewish professor suffering an existential crisis because his marriage is falling apart. He turns to three rabbis to help him solve his problems and become a mensch, a serious or honest man. After the success of Burn After Reading and the awardwinning No Country for Old Men, not to mention the Coens’ ability to enlist such Hollywood headliners as Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Tommy Lee Jones and Holly Hunter, making a movie with such a dark premise starring local, unknown actors seems a curious choice. But doing the unexpected may be the genius of the Coens. For more than 20 years, beginning in 1984 with Blood Simple, they have been producing offbeat films while steadily building critical acclaim and racking up their share of Oscars—four to date. Greatly influenced by film noir, their movies combine dry wit, irony and often violence. In the best of times, Hollywood has favoured predictable, formulaic flick; as the US economy struggles to regain its footing, the tried and true will be the norm in Tinseltown. So it’s nice to know that the Coens will be dishing up some unusual fare.
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