PHOTO OF THE MONTH What’s making us smile
Visitors hold up their glasses to toast with Beaujolais Nouveau wine at a wine spa at the Hakone Yunessun spa resort facilities in Hakone, Kanagawa prefecture,
some 100 kms west of Tokyo. To celebrate the end of the 2010 Beaujolais Nouveau embargo in Japan, Hakone Yunessun started the annual 12-day-long Beaujolais Nouveau spa to attract visitors. (Photo credit TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images)
TABLE OF CONTENTS 14 PLACES TO GO EAT
6 APPERITIFS Small Tasty News Bites
For December: Pub Grub
8 PEOPLE TO SEE DJ Dani Buragina
15
PLACES TO GO FOR FUN Gourmet Food & Wine Expo
10 THE ART OF DRINK Drink Expert Darcy O’Neil
16
PLACES TO GO Holiday Martinis
12 DRINKS TO TRY Our Beer & Wine Choices
18
CLOSING TIME Food Talk with Danko Jones
Do you have a great photo to share? Send it to us!
INDULGEmag.com | December 2012
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FROM THE EDITOR
R
eading the premiere issue of a magazine is similar to opening a brand new release from a craft brewery. There is the excitement of cracking it for the first time, anticipation the first taste, and satisfaction of enjoying a team’s creative success. Indulge Magazine is the voice for drinks culture and nightlife in London, Ontario. We craft the stories and share the experiences about people to see, drinks to try and places to go to enjoy everything the city has to offer. We welcome you to sign-up for your free print subscription and join our fun community of knowledgeable drink enthusiasts. Cheers, A. PAUL MITCHELL
Follow Paul on Twitter: @apaulmitchell
Contributors KATHY RUMLESKI
Enjoys wine, any colour, beef, any cut, and a night of great friends and good music.
JERRY ZILER
Photographer extraordinaire. Known as Mr. London Bars!
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INDULGEmag.com | December 2012
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF A. Paul Mitchell CONTRIBUTORS Brittany Dakins, Laura Downs, Kathy Rumleski, Stephanie Sargent PHOTOGRAPHY A. Paul Mitchell, Jerry Ziler OUR THANKS Dana James; Kerri Bradt at BDC for your ongoing support SUBSCRIPTIONS Print subscriptions are FREE within the London area. Visit indulgemag.com to sign up! ADVERTISING National Advertising advertising@indulgemag.com Retail & Lifestyle Brands Food & Beverage Trade Elise Nagel, 519 / 668-4833 elise@indulgemag.com MARKETING & EVENTS pmitchell@indulgemag.com ARTICLE/PHOTO REPRINTS Please contact our office for details and pricing. INDULGE MAGAZINE 922 William Street London, Ontario N5Y 2S6 Telephone: 519 / 852-3765 editor@indulgemag.com indulgemag.com
STEPHANIE SARGENT
Likes meeting new people, tasting whiskeys and enjoying London nightlife with friends.
BRITTANY DAKINS
Self-proclaimed foodie, avid traveler and soon-to-be media graduate.
Indulge Magazine, business registration 220995989, is published nine times a year. December 2012, Preview Issue CANADA POST: Send address changes to address above. Contents copyright Š 2012 Indulge Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without prior written permission from the publisher. Opinions expressed in Indulge Magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Indulge Magazine does not assume responsibility for claims by its advertisers or contributors. All items submitted to Indulge Magazine become the sole property of the company.
COPPOLA WINES AVAILABLE AT: Black Trumpet Blu Duby David’s Bistro Mein Street The Tasting Room Trichilo’s Waldo’s
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APERITIFS Tasty News Bites To Whet Your Appetite
Hogue Cellars’ 30-month study finds significant benefits in using screw caps over natural cork closures
What better way to build customer loyalty than to bribe them with food! Molly Bloom’s fun autumn promotion is a Kraft Dinner box with a cover label detailing their weekly specials. Great imaginative gimmick that’s perfect for the broke and hungry student.
Yellow Tail’s easy-to-open and resealable opener is a great first-of-its-kind innovation to help keep your sparkling wine fresh and fully carbonated between servings. Yellow Tail “Bubbles” is available at all the London-area LCBO stores and makes for a great holiday pre-dinner drink. A novel holiday gift idea for any wine enthusiast, Wine Awakenings offers a series of aroma kits consisting of a dozen vials of specific scents. Each retails for about $150 and helps develop collectors’ ability to identify the aromas commonly found in wine. www.wineawakenings.com St. Thomas’ Railway City Brewery is busier than ever moving to a new larger facility and launching new beers at the same time. This “Honey Elixir Ale” label is a work-in-process (to be released as “Bee-Lixir”) toward LCBO approval. The final version is being reworked to meet standards. www.indulgemag.com: French drinking less wine. | Facebook not effective at marketing spirits. 6
INDULGEmag.com | December 2012
When Marketing Drinks Goes Wrong
APERITIFS Tasty News Bites To Whet Your Appetite
Lawyers Celebrate Turkey Bowl
Each year Harrison Pensa invites several hundred of their clients from London and surrounding community to raise money for London Lawyers Feed the Hungry while enjoying a game of football on American Thanksgiving. This year, $8000 was donated to purchase hundreds of holiday turkeys for area families and organizations in need.
a drink with...
A new German company has introduced ‘G-Spirits’, a line of vodka, rum and whisky with a gimmick that the spirits are poured over models’ breasts before bottling.
Only 5,000 bottles of each product are made, selling at the equivalent of $177 CDN each. No details at this time about how sales are going yet the owners are adamant that their products are not marketing hype.
Countdown for Icewine in Ontario Ontario winemakers have started to wait patiently for temperatures to reach a minimum of minus 8˚ Celsius; just right for the winter harvest of one of Canada’s most cherished products, Ontario Riesling and Vidal Icewine.
Winemakers Barrelroll at the Street Festival
Actor Alec Baldwin shares a smile with Dr. Paula Foster at Robarts Research Institute’s annual “Leaders in Innovation” dinner (Nov. 19). Dr. Foster has made significant breakthroughs for improved outcomes for people living with a spinal cord injury.
Wine Country Ontario is home to Niagara’s annual Icewine Festival (January 11-27) which turns the region into a wintery wonderland of tastings that any wine lover will want to attend. niagarawinefestival.com INDULGEmag.com | December 2012
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PEOPLE TO SEE
Night Sounds DJ Dani Anthony Buragina creates the mix that keeps the dance floor packed
D
ani Anthony Buragina; you may have never heard his name but if you have ever gone out for a night of drinks and dancing in London, you have heard his sound. Buragina is one of the longest running DJs in the city and has been providing the music that keeps dance floors packed throughout the night. Buragina’s musical interest began at a young age. His father was in a band and as a result Buragina always had the equipment available to mix music. “I am a high energy person who has a passion for music and I love providing the means for people to have fun,” he says. He got his start at school dances, and through hard work and dedication founded his own company, D Man Productions.
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INDULGEmag.com | December 2012
Article by
He is also a photographer and MC. “Something people don’t know about me is that I used to be a shy person,” Buragina reveals. “Now I’ve broken out of my shell and even record radio commercials.”
Stephanie Sargent
Join Buragina for a night of dancing
With a background in broadcasting he started to DJ on the side and over time turned his passion for music into a full time gig. “I was heavily involved in the nightclub industry when the Ridout was the biggest club in the area, including its after-hours bar. Everybody and their brother wanted to be at the Ridout and the diverse musical content brought people in.”
Jack’s Monday Wednesday Thursday Cowboys’ Ranch Friday Saturday
When it comes to his experiences with London he says, “the majority of my crowds are students, but I also get a wide range of people who just want •
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to hear the hits. Crowds want to hear their favourite songs and dance with friends.” Buragina has an instinctive feel for rhythm, tempo and sequence evidenced by his ability to repeatedly fill dance floors all night long. Trends in nightclub music tend to change often. “I think the biggest thing that DJs, myself included, have noticed is that house tracks are collaborating more with rappers. A lot of famous rappers are merging dance and rap music and the dance floor loves it.”
TOP NOVEMBER REQUESTS Jack’s 1. Psy, Gangnam Style 2. Macklemore, Thrift Shop 3. Pitbull, Don’t Stop the Party 4. Bingo Players, Rattle 5. Kesha, Die Young Cowboys’ Ranch 1. Tim McGraw, Truck Yeah 2. Taylor Swift, 22 3. Kip Moore, Something About a Truck 4. Zac Brown Band, The Wind 5. Florida Georgia Line, Cruise
While some DJs have an aversion to requests, Buragina does not agree. “All DJs should take requests and play the music that people want to hear. It fills the dance floor and to a DJ that’s the greatest accomplishment.” And which are the songs currently getting the most requests? Buragina is quite clear: “Gangnam Style has been brainwashed into everyone’s head. Almost anything Pitbull is a hit and Nicki Minaj is another major request.” ••
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Darcy O’Neil is a writer and bartender with a formal education in chemistry. He is regarded as one of North America’s top bartending experts, frequently judging mixology competitions around the world. O’Neil feels that food and drink are too important to take short cuts, so became an advocate for making great cocktails. He currently writes about his adventures on his site, Art of Drink (www.artofdrink.com). O’Neil’s first book Fix the Pumps is available through Amazon. INDULGE MAGAZINE: For those who are not
familiar with your story, what is your background as a “mixologist” or bartender, and what prompted your interest in getting started in the trade?
DARCY O’NEIL: I thought about becoming a chef but opted to study chemistry instead. About 10 years ago I decided to take up a bartending job and discovered that I enjoyed it. From there I started writing about it and have been doing it ever since. IM: What fascinates you most about pre-
Prohibition bartending? What are the lessons that we can learn from using older recipes?
O’NEIL: The fascinations comes from the idea of
tasting history. What did these old drinks taste like and what can we learn from them? There’s only one way to answer that question, and that’s by delving into the topic and doing the research. I think the resurgence of classic cocktails happened because there was a trend towards quality, be it food, wine or beer. After prohibition the quality of cocktails declined extremely rapidly, as there were few bartenders left who knew how to make a good drinks. Bartenders who have embraced the idea of quality cocktails have had to look back to the pre-prohibition era to see how good cocktails were made. I suspect that classic cocktails are here to stay. Once people taste a great cocktail, it is hard to go backwards.
IM: How can historical flavours and ingredients be
used with more modern liqueurs and techniques to improve tasting pleasure for today’s drinker?
10 INDULGEmag.com | December 2012
The Art
London Autho Darcy O’Ne
O’NEIL: For decades there was
basically a top 50 list of familiar cocktails that people would order (Cosmopolitan, Amaretto Sour, Killer Koolaid, etc.). In the world of wine and even beer, that seems to be a very small sample of drinks, and that is true for cocktails as well. The use of new or historical ingredients expands the flavour spectrum of cocktails and gives people an opportunity to experience something new and usually much better. A lot of bartenders have embraced bartending as a viable profession. Because of this, they are putting the effort into creating interesting cocktails and taking the idea of customer service to a much higher level.
IM: How do you perceive the
state of bartending in London? Are we different than other cities?
O’NEIL: London’s cocktail scene
is pretty much unchanged from the 1990s. Obviously students play a role, as their budgets are geared more for the lower end of the price spectrum, but eventually things will get better. Many cities through North America have at least one bar that
t of Drink
our & Bartending Expert eil Discusses our Current State of Drink Culture Interview by
A. Paul Mitchell
is working on classic cocktails, or at least not specializing in candy flavoured martinis. IM: Tell us how you became
involved with the worldrenowned drink festival Tales of the Cocktail.
O’NEIL: Tales of the Cocktail
is an annual five day event held in New Orleans that brings bartenders and industry people from around the globe to celebrate and learn about everything cocktail related. I have been going since 2007 and present at least one session every year, usually two or three. This year I co-presented one session on Taste & Aging that explained how taste changes as we get older. Some of it is the physiological effects of aging, while other parts are psychological. For example, our ability to taste does decline as we age, so we seek out stronger flavours. However, we also get bored of drinking the same Darcy O’Neil’s favourite drinks, including a recipe for the classic cocktail, Moral Suasion, available at www.indulgemag.com.
things so we look for new experiences. These types of sessions help bartenders size up guests before they sit at the bar, and knowing your guests can only improve customer service. Most of my presentations are scientific but I also do a fair amount of historical research mostly on 1800s soda fountain drinks. IM: What other projects are you working on? O’NEIL: I’ve started writing my second book.
Besides that I’ve been working on a long-lost aromatic bitters recipe, one believed to be used in the original Manhattan cocktail, as well as selling old soda fountain ingredients like Acid Phosphate. I have a few other ideas in the pipeline. I’m never short on ideas, just short on time. •
INDULGEmag.com | December 2012 11
Beers to Try What We Are Drinking
Craft brews are made by operators who produce under 400,000 hectolitres of beer a year or the equivalent of 2.8 million cases
Spearhead Hawaiian Style Pale Ale
Garrison Spruce Beer
The first of its kind, this pineapple-infused beer is very unique, with a bold and very hoppy character. It is unfiltered to give a less sweet, more tart flavour that showcases a nice bouquet. Available widely through London’s LBCO stores.
The experimental Halifax brewery that created a Jalepeno ale brings us the taste of forests in time for Christmas. Blackstrap molasses and dates mellow the harsh medicinal flavours one would expect. Complex and fullbodied with a hint of caramel.
Railway City Black Coal Stout
Tree Brewing Raspberry Porter
Pitch-black with a rich aroma of coffee, malt and hint of smoke, this new release is hitting shelves soon. Medium bodied, it has good balance, a strong but not overwhelming flavour of mocha and a short finish. Great with stew or braised meats.
Dark brown colour, mild raspberry notes mix with aromas of coffee, chocolate and malt. Not as big and heavy as most porters, it is dry with flavours of hops, raspberry. (Product has been discontinued but bottles still available at Masonville LCBO.)
Toronto (6%, $13.95, LCBO 294520)
St. Thomas (6%, not released yet)
12 INDULGEmag.com | December 2012
Nova Scotia (6%, $13.95, LCBO 294520)
B.C. (5%, $5.95/650mL, LCBO 286849)
Wines to Try What We Are Drinking
Chateau des Charmes Brut
vqa
Niagara (12%, $22.95, LCBO 224766)
Kim Crawford 2011 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
Bottle fermented using the Method Traditionnelle, this effervescent sparkling wine presents clear pale lemon with streams of long-lasting bubbles. Aromas of ripe apple, pear and biscuit aromas are followed with off-dry with balancing crisp acidity and medium body. Look for ripe apple and citrus flavours.
Australia (13%, $18.95, LCBO 35386) Crisp and clean, this wine is ideal as a pre-dinner drink or paired with light seafood. Kim Crawford is renown for making what we think of as quintessential Australian Sauvignon Blanc. Gooseberry and passion fruit hints make it refreshing.
Featherstone 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
Folonari 2010 Pinot Noir
Known for their incredible Black Sheep Riesling, Featherstone makes a softer and fruiter version of this wine. Hints of kiwi and lemongrass are immediately noticed. Mid-weight, mellow and smooth, it has a lemon, key lime and sweet pineapple finish.
Medium bodied and easy-todrink, the pale to medium cherry colour has forward aromas of red fruit, spice, floral and a hint of oak. Summer fruit such as cherry lead to a long finish. Great with barbeque pork and spicy or smoked dishes.
Niagara (12.5%, $19.95, LCBO 89011) Italy (12.5%, $13.95, LCBO 32888)
According to Statistics Canada, market share for wine increased from 23% in 2010 to 30% last year Since 2000, market share for beer has shrunk from 52% to 45%
INDULGEmag.com | December 2012 13
PLACES TO GO
When We’re Hungry
Reviews and Photos by
A. Paul Mitchell
Izakaya Serves Asian Pub Fare Most people think of pubs as typically English or Irish, but nothing could be further from the truth. In Japan, the izakaya is a type of causal after-work drinking establishment that also serves food. The menu at O”Zen on Richmond is delicious and simple, and pairs perfectly with cold Japanese beer and sake. O”Zen has a sleek, modern design that creates a cozy and comfortable atmosphere for sharing plates. The small, low wooden tables and bench seating may be cramped at times, yet there is no doubting that the place has a cool factor.
with Gyoza (fried dumplings) and Yam/Avocado Rolls. Light, crispy coating envelopes sliced vegetables and is much better with the shrimp option. For traditional light Asian dishes savoured with drinks in the evening, O”Zen is a great alternative destination to your regular British Isles-inspired pub.
The menu features a variety of affordable Japanese and Korean dishes with plenty of sushi options. U-Don ($9.95) is a satisfying noodle choice arriving with an artistic splash of sweet sauce on top. The tasty Tempura Combo ($10.95) is served
O”Zen Korean Japanese Cuisine 607 Richmond Street (at Central) 519/642-2558 | www.ozenlondon.com Rating: **** (4) Price range: $3.95 - $15.95 Reservations: No | Licensed: Yes
The Scot’s Corner 268 Dundas Street (at Wellington) www.thescotscorner.com 519/667-2277 | Rating: ***½ (3.5)
Old South Village Pub 149 Wortley Road www.oldsouthvillagepub.com 519/645-1166 | Rating: **** (4)
Though renovated within the last year, the long-standing Scottish-themed pub still looks perennially tired in a welcoming and relaxed fashion. Lots of tartan, soccer and cold pints remind you that it is a laid-back place to share drinks and laughs with friends. Best items on the menu are the club sandwich and their fish and chips.
Located in the Wortley Village, the former Copperfield’s spot features a summer patio and a warm, casual gastro-pub feel. Wood-burning pizza oven adds inviting possibilities. Though it offers limited seating, the menu’s hearty portions (Ye Olde Yorkie and Steak/Guiness Pie) and friendly service make it a true destination.
14 INDULGEmag.com | December 2012
TOP DISH APPETIZER Abruzzi 119 King Street www.abruzzi.ca Oysters on the Half Shell (6), Unique Sauces & Mignonettes, $16 Suggested Pairing: Cormons Prosecco Non-Vintage, Italy $44/bottle MAIN COURSE Trichilo’s 691 Richmond Street www.trichilos.ca Gnocchi Con Gorgonzola Potato gnocchi with pulled beef brisket in cheese sauce, $21 Suggested Pairing: Coppola Bianco Chardonnay 2010, California $41/bottle, $10/gl Cantine Delibori Ripasso Valpolicella 2009, Vento, Italy $41/bottle, $10/gl
PLACES TO GO
When We’re Bored Reviews and Photos by
Celebrity Sightings, New Drinks All Part of Show Midnight-black ale swirls in my glass, a creamy mocha coloured head of foam emitting a strong vanilla and cocoa aroma. It is brand new from Mill Street Brewery, one that has not yet been released, and it has totally captivated my attention. I take a sip and turn to visit another booth when I nearly crash into a figure standing behind me. I am suddenly confronted by a familiar, smiling face asking an odd question: “Care to try duck liver ice cream?” The person in question is David Chrystian, chef at Victor Restaurant in Toronto and runner up in the second season of Top Chef Canada. In any other circumstance, this question might seem out of place but at consumer trade shows like the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo I am attending on November 16, these encounters are quite ordinary. For the food and drink enthusiast looking to try something new and different in a low-risk environment, the small price for entry and sample tickets yields a huge reward in tasting experiences. Consumer trade shows occur frequently throughout the year across the province and are designed to showcase what is new from local restaurants and from Ontario and world drink producers. At this year’s 18th Gourmet Food and Wine Expo, there are over 1,500 wines, beers and spirits and an equal abundance of incredible gourmet cuisine to try from the 250 exhibitors. Additional attractions include 23 special product seminars and tutored tastings hosted by industry and television celebrities (such as Chef Andrea Nicholson, co-
A. Paul Mitchell
host of Restaurant Takeover and another Top Chef Canada vet) to complement other learning opportunities. The “Top Scoring Wines: 90+” and “Mastering Bordeaux” seminars that cost an additional $80 are really alluring but I am on a tight schedule to try the latest whisky offerings. For both people in the food and beverage industry and consumers alike, where else can you meet, mingle and share a drink with the very people who make your favourite brand? Although Toronto hosts the most prominent events (others being the Toronto Wine and Cheese Show and the Drinks Show), similar occasions are held in
Hamilton, Ottawa, Kitchener and London. You do not have to travel far to experience the best that the world has to offer. Evident at this show are several drink trends that will no doubt make their way to London. Molson, among others, is busy pushing a range of beer cocktails. Many distilleries are launching •
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INDULGEmag.com | December 2012 15
(Expo, continued from Page 15)
lines of sweeter, spiced or infused liquors (rum and whiskey the most prominent – look for a review in our February issue). Ready-to-drink cocktails and products from newly developing markets (Lucky Buddha Beer from China and Wines of Georgia, Asia) are big entries that will provide difficult to ignore. Amid the good-looking women draping guests with leis and muscular guys tossing bottles around via flair bartending are fantastic people sharing their enthusiasm and excited to talk about what they have tried and what they like. You never know who you will run into.
Dressing Up Martinis for the Holidays Written by
Brittany Dakins
Richmond Row is all lit up for the holidays, and there’s one bar sign pointing straight up to festive drink specials. Martini Bar, located just above Mongolian Grill, offers over 30 custom cocktails made specially to toast with this holiday season. Among them is the Flavour Savour, a Christmas feature made from whiskey, banana liqueur, raspberry vodka and cranberry juice. “People are in such great spirits when they go for a drink this time of year,” says Sydney Adkin, long-time bartender and selfproclaimed mixologist. With four years of experience, she maintains that the best part of martini-making is getting the drinks nicely dressed up – which is all about the holidays. Martini Bar’s lounge-inspired room features a menu full of other festive favourites like the Swedish Berry (vokda, raspberry liqueur and cranberry juice) and White Freezie (vodka, raspberry sourpuss, banana liqueur and 7UP), as well as staple martinis like the Classic. And to the delight of gift-givers, Martini Bar offers each drink on the menu for $6.00 every Monday night throughout the holidays.
Several experts leading innovative new products in the drink trade (Bruno Codispoti from Crazy Uncle Punch, Eric Brass from Tromba Tequila, and Brewmaster Tom Schmidt from Spearhead Brewing) have strong connections to London. We are all part of one big and interesting community. •• 16 INDULGEmag.com | December 2012
“We change up the music every night – sometimes there’s jazz and other times we’ll bring in a DJ depending on the crowd,” she says. “There’s a little something for every one.” That goes for the drinks, too. There’s a different martini for every holiday-goer, including a male martini favourite dubbed the Dude, made from vanilla vodka, Kahlua and milk. Martini Bar is currently planning its annual New Year’s Eve bash. •
INDULGEmag.com | December 2012 17
Danko Jones The Hard Rocking, Hard Touring Band Has Fond Memories of London Written by Kathy Rumleski Photos by Jerry Ziler Interview by Laura Downs
D
anko Jones makes a point of stopping in London each time the band tours. And that’s a lot. As many as 15 times since the hard rock, Toronto-based group formed in 1996. You’ll never guess what keeps them coming back? It’s the Call The Office carpet, jokes the eponymous frontman Danko Jones. “Same carpet the last 15 years. Same decor.” As so much has changed for them over time, there’s something comforting about same old, same old. “It never changes,” drummer Atom Willard says of the club and the city. “It’s like your Mom’s house right? You go back and things are still where you left them. Your room is the same.”
unplugged with Indulge Magazine about food, fun and surviving while on tour. Turns out eating well is part of the trick. Willard reveals that it’s their guitar player, John (J.C.) Calabrese, who chooses where to feast. “My favourite food story? We’re picked up from the airport and we’re in, Austria or somewhere, or Norway, at a gas station. We drive for 25 minutes away from the airport and then we pull over in the middle of nowhere. John looks out the window, one side of the bus and then he looks out the other side and he goes, ‘OK. Go down the street and turn left.’ And there’s a restaurant right there. “We go in and we had this amazing monkfish and it was such a great meal. It was crazy. I was like, ‘OK. John decides from now on.’” Jones does not see himself as a big foodie, but nutrition is important to him.
On a recent stop in London, 18 INDULGEmag.com | December 2012“Over the years, making sure you’re healthy and Danko Jones members went fit on the road to keep the tour going has •
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host of the syndicated radio show , “The Magical World of Rock”. He has also written columns about music for several publications. And turns out Jones is in the Paul Miles’ book Sex Tips From Rock Stars. But their music is always a priority. The group loves performing for any sized crowd. “It’s fun to play in front of like 10,000 people, but it’s also really intense when you play in a small club like Call The Office,” Jones said. And a smaller crowd, doesn’t always mean an orderly crowd, as Calabrese explains. “Last time (in London), I think there were some fights, but we had no idea that was going on because we were on stage.” Still, they’ll keep coming back to London to share their music.
become a big priority. So we always like to find really nice restaurants to eat at while we’re on tour.”
“Pretty much every time we’ve put out a record, we’ve been touring, we’ve always stopped here,” Calabrese said.
His favourite? “I love East Indian food. I would probably say I love that over everything except pizza. Not Italian food, but just pizza.” The band also has a fondness for Thai food. For their show at Call the Office on November 15, their Road Manager ordered Chicken Pad Thai from Thai House (715 Wellington Rd).
{
It’s really intense when you play in a small club like Call The Office.
The Juno Award-nominated band has toured all over the world in support of their six full-length albums, including in Denmark, Germany, Hungary and Sweden, where Jones was a A list of the band’s favourite food & drink available at indulgemag.com.
This time it was for Rock and Roll is Black and Blue, which is more melodic than past releases. Jones believes it was time for that.
}
“I listen to our older albums now and I go, ‘Wow, if I could be singing that song today I would sing it differently.’
“I’m getting more confident with my voice to sing now. It’s taken years for me to get confident with and let go a little bit of the growling. That’ll never go away completely.” Their tour has now wrapped up, but you can bet the guys are out there somewhere, searching for that next great restaurant or for some good homecooking for the holidays. •• INDULGEmag.com | December 2012 19
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