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One problem with living here is how easy it is to part with
a loonie. The temptations—exotic cocktails that cost as
much as a gourmet locavore dinner, gourmet locavore
dinners that cost as much as a designer dress, designer
dresses that cost as much as a German sedan, etc.—
multiply by the minute. Even our cheapskate mayor
couldn’t resist upgrading his business cards with gold
filigree. The safest way to avoid following in Greece’s
footsteps is to swear an oath to cheapness: never buy
full-price, always be on the lookout for a bargain, and
haggle when appropriate. Here, our annual shortcut
guide to the good life for less.
By Andrew D’Cruz, Matthew Hague, Rachel Heinrichs, Emily Landau, David
Lawrason, Jason McBride, Mark Pupo, Peter Saltsman and Courtney Shea
12
20
Where
to Get
Good Stuff
Cheap
Home
GOOD STUFF CHEA P
Bathroom accessories
Ginger’s
9 5 R o n a l d Av e . , 4 1 6 -7 8 7-1 7 8 7
The faucets and fluffy towels
at Ginger’s can be pricier than
a mortgage payment. But at
the rear, semi-hidden, are discount tables of last season’s
onyx toothbrush holders,
nickel-plated towel rods, vanity mirrors and other baubles
that will instantly transform
the lowliest WC into a boutique hotel spa. From $4.
$ 15
each
Knobs and pulls
Addison’s
Eclectic Revival
3 0 7 5 D u n d a s S t. W. , 4 1 6 -7 6 6 - 5 5 0 0
When LEDs and compact fluorescents became the norm, decor radicals opted for replica Edison
bulbs—the low-tech lighting equivalent of a turntable. The bulb’s distinct amber glow is produced
by fragile carbon filaments; it’s a warmer, softer light than the tungsten coil on an incandescent
emits. They’re becoming easier to find—Restoration Hardware carries them now—but the city’s
cheapest source remains the vintage lighting store Eclectic Revival.
elegant as a runway model,
and it floats airily on a pair of
chrome legs. While the original is still produced by the premium manufacturer Herman
Miller, modish furniture
source Morba offers a madein-China knock-off for less
than half the price. $1,699.
Miller Airia desk with walnut
millwork and a gleaming
white top—a barely used leftover from a retail photo shoot,
going for $1,200 less than they
sell new. $995.
Coffee table
Smash
When everyone has the same
granite and Shaker cabinet
kitchen, there’s nothing more
important or more frustrating
than the hunt for distinctive
hardware. And depending on
how many drawers you have,
it can get expensive. Addison’s, the museum-like plumbing and decor artifact store,
has boxes and boxes of
reclaimed doorknobs, cabinet
pulls and latches—in nickel,
chrome, vintage glass, brass
and the occasional bright red
’60s powder-coated steel—
starting around $7 each.
They’re a bargain, especially
for a one-of-a-kind patina.
2 8 8 0 D u n d a s S t. W. , 4 1 6 -7 6 2 - 3 1 1 3
Desk
Queen West Antique Centre
1 6 0 5 Q u ee n S t. W. , 4 1 6 - 5 8 8 - 2 2 1 2
Condo sofa
Morba
6 6 5 – 6 6 7 Q u ee n S t. W. , 4 1 6 - 3 6 4 - 51 4 4
Charles and Ray Eames, the
Pop-era furniture icons,
designed the Sofa Compact in
1954, but it seems like it was
always destined for the tiny
living room of a CityPlace
tower. The couch is as slim and
40 toronto life January 2012
In a typical week, the Queen
West Antique Centre has a
handful of bargain desks—
futuristic Italian tables from a
bankrupt start-up, or vintage
partners’ desks in handsome
oak. Occasionally, rummaging
through the vast inventory
will reveal something fantastic, like an authentic Herman
Glass tops and wenge slabs are
so 2002. The vogueish coffee
table in every shelter magazine
now is a reclaimed industrial
weighing cart—usually made
of slats of lacquered hardwood
atop two sets of iron wheels.
Park it beside a low-slung felt
sectional to nail the eclectic
artist look. The Junction curiosities store Smash has stacks
of these tables, some in need of
a light dusting. $250.
Room divider
Industrial Storm
1 1 0 6 Q u ee n S t. W. , 4 1 6 - 9 5 5 - 9 8 8 8
Industrial Storm elevates the
humble room divider with
exquisite materials (bubinga
wood, gold leaf) and impeccable craftsmanship (mortise
and tenon corner joints, as
opposed to IKEA’s patented
pegs and staples). All their
pieces are made to measure,
which makes them incredibly
photographs this page and opposite by liam mogan; tv by carlo mendoza
4 1 Wa b a sh Av e . , 4 1 6 - 5 3 9 - 0 6 1 2
Edison bulbs
expensive—and they never
have proper sales. But for
those willing to forgo the truly
custom experience, discontinued floor models can be significantly marked down. On a
recent visit, a three-panel
shoji-like screen, with handmade paper in a mahogany
and redwood frame, was
reduced from $3,200 to $2,560.
Custom bookcase
h appy hour
The Pine Store
24 8 K i n g S t. E . , 6 4 7- 4 3 5 - 0 1 9 4
Doug and Jim Howie’s tiny,
ramshackle store has the jumbled feel of a suburban yard
sale. It’s easy to miss among
the mammoth, lustrous furniture showrooms on King East,
but it’s worth finding because
the custom, Mennonite-made
pieces are almost IKEA cheap.
A three-by-eight-foot solid
pine bookcase, built with
Ontario-grown wood and finished in one of six handsome
stains, is $350 and can be
ready in four weeks.
e v ery th i n g f or cost- e f f ect i v e re v e l ry
Mixing glass
B YO B , 9 7 2 Q u ee n S t. W. ,
8 7 7- 9 8 9 - 8 9 8 0
The classic Japanese Yarai
mixing glass is large enough for
making two cocktails at once,
and its heavy glass frame looks
good—but it’s infinitely more
durable than similarly stunning
crystal pieces (and infinitely
less expensive, too).
$ 65
Rubber caps
G oo d E gg , 2 6 7 A u g u sta Av e . ,
416-593-4663
$5
Home theatre
Sound Designs
5 5 M i l l S t. , T he C a n n er y, B l dg . 5 8 ,
ste . 1 0 1 , 4 1 6 - 3 6 4 - 4 8 0 0
Sound Designs carries some
of the city’s most high-end AV
equipment at decidedly highend price tags (witness the
$140,000 home theatre system
on display). Carrying the best
and most up-to-date inventory
requires quick turnover,
which means frequent markdowns. So while early adopters may be willing to pay full
price, more patient electronics
addicts can score generous
discounts. A rimless, 46-inch
Samsung 3-D TV, which first
hit stores in 2010, was recently
discounted from $3,200 to
$1,800 (at the time, less than at
chains like Best Buy or 2001
Audio Video).
T h e A r t h u r , 5 5 0 C o l l ege S t. ,
Mastermind Warehouse Sale
416-972-0725
m a sterm i n dtoy s . com
Get one of these original
Magda Soda Water glass
siphon bottles and you’ll never
buy San Pellegrino by the
heavy, expensive case again.
Indestructible luggage
1 9 1 1 D u n d a s S t. E . , 9 0 5 - 2 3 8 -7 9 0 0
Crystal chandelier
Briggs and Riley suitcases
have the seemingly immortal
resilience of Joan Rivers, but
thankfully none of the glitz—
each piece is minimally
embellished and impeccably
designed. Evex Luggage Centre, in a dingy Mississauga
strip mall, offers a wide selection of pieces at wholesale
prices: a 20-inch four-wheel
carry-on retails for $470 but
here is $100 less.
Siphon bottles
Wooden toys
For toy-crazed tots, Mastermind’s annual warehouse
sale, usually held the last
week in May, is almost as
exciting as Christmas morning. Parents and grandparents
(and overzealous aunts, and
birthday party guests—really,
everybody) should also get
excited about the discounts:
the latest additions to a Playmobil or Thomas the Tank
Engine collection can cost up
to 70 per cent less than retail.
Look for an announcement on
the website.
Evex Luggage Centre
Burger Bar’s Brock Shepherd,
a craft beer devotee, designed
these ingenious, colourful silicone rubber caps. Good for
keeping your half-finished brew
fresh, or for preventing you
from mixing up your PBR with
someone else’s.
$ 40
Cocktail recipe book
T y p e , 8 8 3 Q u ee n S t. W. ,
416-366-8973
$ 16
Lighting Originals
Ice tray
1 0 9 C a rtwr i ght Av e . , 4 1 6 -7 8 1 -7 2 3 2
The stretch of Cartwright
Avenue just east of Caledonia
is lined with places hawking
discount chandeliers, but
those at Lighting Originals
stand out for their superior
quality: most of the crystal is
sourced from Europe and is
of the highest quality (30 per
cent lead content). Regular
prices aren’t low, but discount
Whether you’ve made a million mojitos or you’re still
struggling to get your rusty
nail just right, every bar needs
a good bar guide. See Mix
Drink is one of the most elegant available—in precise,
witty, colourful infographics,
it details how to make 100
classic cocktails.
$ 15
B YO B , 9 7 2 Q u ee n S t. W. ,
8 7 7- 9 8 9 - 8 9 8 0
Some drinks just demand giant
ice cubes: they melt more
slowly and are a cheap way to
class up any bevvie. The flexible food-grade silicone Tovolo
tray, available in several
colours, turns out six perfectly
square two-inch cubes.
January 2012 toronto life 41
GOOD STUFF CHEA P
n o r e s e r va t i o n s
wh at to cook w i th whe n yo u cook at home
Pasta maker
$ 50
tags always hang on a certain
percentage of the merchandise. One week, a five-foot-tall
chandelier (the kind that
might hang in a glam doubleheight foyer), was $9,995,
down from $11,995.
C o n s i g l i o ’ s k i tc h e n wa r e ,
energy and come with sustainably harvested stir sticks. Of
the different brands available,
YOLO, which is clay-based
and comes in a vast array of
colours, is the most affordable,
averaging $60 per gallon (similar brands can push $85).
1 2 1 9 S t. C l a i r Av e . W. , 4 1 6 - 6 5 3 - 6 6 2 2
Discontinued wallpaper
Forget the pricy attachments for
your KitchenAid Stand Mixer. To
make genuine fresh pasta alla
nonna—the rich, soft, eggy kind
that’s the star of the dish instead of
a mere sauce conduit—you want a
stainless steel, made-in-Italy handcrank device by Imperia.
Primetime Paint and Paper
2 9 9 Q u ee n S t. E . , 4 1 6 -7 0 3 - 9 8 4 6
Cast iron pan
$ 30
C ay n e ’ s h o u s e wa r e s , 1 1 2 D o n c a s­
ter Av e . , T hor n h i l l , 9 0 5 -7 6 4 -1 1 8 8
Home cooks not blessed with a lovingly seasoned, hand-me-down cast
iron skillet should head to Thornhill
kitchen mecca Cayne’s, where
made-in-the-U.S.A. pans by Lodge
invariably sell for much less than at
any downtown shop. $30 for a
12-inch skillet.
Coffee siphon
G r ee n B ea n e r y, 5 6 5 B l oor S t. W. ,
4 1 6 - 5 8 8 -7 7 0 0 e x t. 24 9
$ 40
French presses can be too sludgy
and countertop espresso machines
too expensive. The best compromise
is a coffee siphon. The old-school
glass devices, with their steam­punk
chemistry set looks, brew incredibly
rich, smooth coffee.
Global knife
$ 110
Universal Lamp
121 Cartwright Ave., 416-787-8900
Describing a house as barnlike is no longer a euphemism
for trashy—the urban country
look is hotter than a shirtless
Ryan Gosling (well, almost).
Craftmade’s bronze pendant
light wasn’t reclaimed from a
century-old barn, but it’s just
faux-tarnished enough to fool
the most discriminating house
guests, and it’s infinitely more
in vogue than that halogen
track lighting you’ve been
meaning to replace. At $105,
you can afford to buy a matching set.
Patio furniture
InsideOut
Ta p P h o n g , 3 6 0 S pa d i n a Av e . ,
1 2 8 0 C a st l e f i e l d Av e . , 4 1 6 -7 8 2 - 2 7 0 0
4 1 6 - 9 7 7- 6 3 6 4
During the winter months,
when most Torontonians get
cold just thinking about being
outside, almost all of InsideOut’s Castlefield showroom
goes majorly on sale. Keep an
eye out for its selection of trendy
resin wicker furniture (it looks
like wood but it’s actually plastic). A clean-lined, three-piece
sectional, with cream-coloured,
mildew-resistant cushions on a
black and brown wicker frame,
costs $2,995, down from $3,699.
Anthony Bourdain gave Global
knives a much-deserved shout-out
in Kitchen Confidential. The Japanese steel blades are elegant and
durable. Tap Phong, the Chinatown
kitchen supply treasure trove, consistently has the best prices. $110
for an eight-inch chef’s knife, and
one is all you’ll ever need.
Pepper mill
$ 50
Farm pendant
Deg r ee s K i tc h e n Sto r e ,
2 5 8 8 Yo n ge S t. , 4 1 6 - 4 8 4 - 8 2 2 2
Those beautiful, wooden Peugeot
pepper mills might be objects of
home cook gadget lust, but the Unicorn Magnum, an unassuming black
plastic number, is consistently rated
higher by those in the know for its
wide grind range and extraordinary
pepper output.
42 toronto life January 2012
For anyone with big ideas and
small rooms, discontinued
wallpaper (maybe one with a
bold, rococo-inspired flower
pattern) is the most affordable
option. Riverside’s Primetime
carries odds-and-ends rolls
(each one is 11 yards, which is
typically enough to cover 45
square feet) from brands like
Graham and Brown, York and
Provincial for $30 (their regular merchandise averages $170
for the same coverage). Just
don’t mess up the application—
the catch is that the same pattern won’t be available again.
VOC-free paint
The Zero Point
1 5 9 0 Q u ee n S t. E . , 4 1 6 - 6 0 2 - 6 5 8 6
Leslieville’s The Zero Point
specializes in environmentally
friendly, VOC-free and ethically produced paints. They’re
manufactured with renewable
Fabric
Robert Allen
1 7 0 Bed f ord rd. , 2 n d F l r . ,
4 1 6 - 9 3 4 -1 3 3 0
For one day each summer and
fall, Robert Allen’s Designers
Walk showroom, normally offlimits to anyone but discerning decorators and retailers,
has a doors-open sample sale.
Discontinued banners (three
yards by 54 inches) are discounted from about $200 to
$10 each; bolts of overstocked
silks, linens and embroidery
are $10 per yard. Unfortunately, sewing lessons aren’t
included. The next is sometime in July.
photographs this page and opposite (except boot) by liam mogan
$ 65
Fashion
$ 99
in Leslieville, high-end labels
like Chanel and Givenchy are
marked down by as much as
80 per cent. Among the treasures: a beautifully draped
Jacques Heim couture cocktail
dress from the late ’50s ($425),
a wool Christian Dior suit
from the ’40s ($300) and Hermès and Schiaparelli silk
scarves ($100 to $200). Don’t
miss the back room, where
Watson keeps some of her hidden gems, like a ’60s mintgreen column gown by Roger
Frères for $325 and majestic
Pauline Trigère coats for
under $300.
Knits
Line Knitwear Sample Sale
15 A pe x Rd., 41 6 -92 9 -330 0
John Muscat and Jennifer
Wells’ luxe pieces, woven from
custom wool blends, are the
most stylish knits in town—
cable tunics, crocheted dresses
and colour-blocked wraps are
as cozy as they are sophisticated. Line usually sells for
around $150 to $350, but sample sales from parent company
PYA Importer every November and May offer up to 90 per
cent off retail. Sign up at
pyaimporter.com to get notified of future sale dates.
Tote
Studio Biba
2 5 8 3 Yo n ge S t. , 4 1 6 - 9 2 1 - 6 7 8 0
It used to be considered a travel bag, but over the past couple of years, Longchamp’s iconic Le Pliage
nylon tote has become an everyday standard—celeb fans include Pippa Middleton, Katie Holmes
and Rachel McAdams. Studio Biba at Yonge and Eglinton offers a deal on the sturdy, chic shoulder bag, selling it in a range of colours and sizes for as low as $99.
Fur
at her Mount Pleasant consign­
ment shop, sells luxur­ious
mink, lynx and fox on the
cheap. A sumptuous fulllength espresso-brown Birger
Christensen mink coat in mint
condition is a steal at $1,400
(it would have sold originally
for 10 times that price), and a
sleek, sandy ermine goes for
about $400. Adorable rustcoloured mink capelets and
stoles ($100 to $200) recall
Izzy Camilleri’s recent runway
looks.
5 6 5 M o u n t P l e a s a n t R d. , 4 1 6 - 4 8 7- 24 8 6
Maxi-coat
Act Two
If you want to dodge both an
ethical land mine and an astronomical Visa bill, vintage fur is
the way to go. Inga Welsman,
Lorne’s Coats
season’s maxi-dress. Plus, it
brings a touch of drama to
drab winter months. Lorne’s,
a fashion district mainstay,
carries a number of options in
every colour and silhouette,
such as military style, A-line
and fit-and-flare. A 100 per cent
cashmere camel belted trench
from Cinzia Rocca is marked
down to $745 (the line sells for
$1,000 to $1,600 at Bergdorf’s
and Bloomingdale’s), while inhouse styles stitched from Italian cashmere-angora blends
run between $300 and $400.
Vintage couture
1 0 1 S pa d i n a Av e . , 4 1 6 - 5 9 6 -1 0 5 8
Thrill of the Find
A sweeping full-length coat is
the logical complement to the
1 1 7 2 Q u ee n S t. E . , 4 1 6 - 4 6 1 - 9 3 1 3
In Mireille Watson’s tiny shop
Boots
B2
Yorkd a l e S ho p p i n g C e n tre ,
3 4 0 1 D u f f er i n S t. , 4 1 6 -7 8 7- 5 0 2 2
Don’t expect the urban woodsman to forgo his flannel—or
shave his beard—anytime
soon. The still-fashionable
look embodies the artisanal
predilections of our age. It’s
also surprisingly pricy to get
just right. Fortunately, B2 can
January 2012 toronto life 43
GOOD STUFF CHEA P
s u p p l i es at b a rg a i n p r i ces
Shampoo
$ 14
$ 14
Sports coat
Gotstyle
B ea u ty S u p p ly O u t l et,
6 2 B ath u rst S t. , 4 1 6 - 2 6 0 - 9 6 9 6
1 5 6 8 Yo n ge S t. , 4 1 6 - 9 2 9 - 6 5 3 3
While salons might
charge exorbitant sums
for a wash and cut, they
make their real money
selling product. The
Beauty Supply Outlet isn’t
technically wholesale, but
salon-quality Goldwell
shampoo sells for several
dollars less than anywhere else. $14 for 300
mL of Goldwell Rich
Repair.
Retro patterns and textures—
velvet, corduroy, tweed—are
enjoying a revival, but this
season’s plaid wool model by
Gotstyle, with its distinctly
contemporary cut and lining,
will fit in at a King West dance
club, and it costs half the price
of the designer equivalents on
York­ville’s racks. Okay, it
looks a lot like your grandfather’s jacket, but did your
grandfather don blue suede
elbow patches? $595.
Shaving cream
T-shirts
T o r o n to B a r be r a n d
Artik
B ea u ty S u p p ly, 1 0 0 D u n -
3 1 4 Ade l a i de S t. E . , 4 1 6 - 8 1 5 -7 7 7 0
d a s S t. W. , 4 1 6 - 9 7 7- 2 0 2 0
Finally: your dodgeball team
can get the uniform it has
always wanted. The print and
embroidery company Artik
offers 100 per cent cotton jersey short-sleeved American
Apparel T-shirts on which you
can have any custom design or
logo printed. Buy a minimum
of 12 and get shirts in a variety
of colours for $14.85 each. The
more you buy, the cheaper
they get: 500 shirts are less
than 10 bucks each.
This is where the pros get
their goods (in fact, some
products are strictly offlimits without a salon
licence). We recommend
a tub of J. M. Fraser’s sha­
ving cream, a Canadianmade barbershop favourite, for it’s thick lather
and citrusy scent.
umbrellas. But head downstairs and it’s a fluorescent-lit
cornucopia of winter jackets,
the peacoat chief among them.
Look for the store’s Canadamade house brand, which
offers a cashmere-wool-blend
coat that’s surprisingly slim
and modern fitting. At $695,
it’s already a hell of a bargain
for a cashmere jacket, but
come ready to buy and there’s
usually a deal to be made.
High-tops
New Balance Toronto
1 51 0 Yo n ge S t. , 4 1 6 - 9 6 2 - 8 6 6 2
When you’re shopping for
shoes, it helps to have a cursory knowledge of brand pedigree. PF Flyers—part of the
Converse-led retro sneaker
trend, but more handsome and
less ubiquitous—are a subsidiary of running shoe giant
New Balance. That means the
best place to find them is the
NB store, where the black
high-top versions are regularly as cheap as anywhere
else in the city. And because
they’re coming straight from
the source, old versions are liable to go on sale faster and
more frequently than anywhere else. $80.
Merino tights
Precious Creations
3 4 1 S pa d i n a Av e . , 4 1 6 - 5 9 3 - 0 2 9 7
Cosmetics
M A C / E s t é e La u d e r Wa r e h o u s e Sa l e , 9 0 5 - 4 7 0 -7 8 7 7
This giant warehouse sale is unequivocally the best place to stock up
on makeup. The catch: it’s technically open only to MAC and Estée
Lauder employees and their friends and family. If you can score a
ticket (they’re often available on Craigslist), it’s more than worth the
trek out to the Markham Fairgrounds.
44 toronto life January 2012
Peacoat
Stollerys
1 B l oor S t. W. , 4 1 6 - 9 2 2 - 6 1 7 3
This throwback shirting store
is the elder statesman of Bloor
Street: a stalwart purveyor of
fedoras, plaid scarves and
The tights-as-pants movement
just won’t die. In the name of
fashion, women of all ages
forgo the comfort of jeans or
cords even in winter, thighs
separated from the biting
wind only by a thin layer of
nylon. Enter merino wool
tights—hardly a revelation,
but sure to keep your legs cozy.
photographs this page and opposite (except glove) by liam mogan
Good Head
Pro f ess i o n a l- q u a l i t y b e a u t y a n d groom i n g
help get him off on the right
foot; these vintage-look leather
work boots are a dead ringer for
the hipster-prized, Minnesotabased Red Wing footwear—at
two thirds the price. $168.
Precious Creations, a small
Chinatown boutique, sells
Mondor tights for a good $10
less per pair than you’ll find
anywhere in Yorkville. $24.
Descente, never used and only
marginally dated. A Descente
jacket, originally priced at $840,
goes for $335.
Ski wear
Sporting Life
2 9 0 1 B ay v i ew Av e . , 6 4 7-7 8 8 - 3 5 8 0
A good ski jacket can cost as
much as—or more than—a
pair of skis. For a less expensive alternative, check out
Sporting Life’s Bayview Village location, which is home
to an impressive array of castoffs and holdovers from previous seasons, all marked down
by as much as 70 per cent.
(And really, the multicoloured
waterproof shells characteristic of the sport don’t change all
that much from year to year.)
Because it’s still Sporting Life
at heart, they’re all top-of-theline models from brands like
The North Face, Spider and
paper and leather goods. For
the latter, Rudsak is one of
Canada’s best designers, especially when it comes to gloves.
Wait for one of Rudsak’s two
annual sample sales, where
everything is upwards of 70
per cent off. It’s worth suffering cold fingers this winter if
it means holding out for a deal
this good in the spring. Sign up
for an invitation at rudsak.com.
the office as it is for a dinner
date. On sale for $495, it’s as
cheap as it is versatile.
A-line dress
Robber
8 6 3 Q u ee n S t. W. , 6 4 7- 3 51 - 0 7 24 Leather gloves
Rudsak Sample Sale
1 4 1 T ycos D r .
There are two things one
should never buy retail: toilet
While runways are dominated
by heavily structured shifts,
asymmetrical cut-outs and
drop-waisted caftans, the
traditional A-line remains
the more practical choice.
The Toronto designer Philip
Sparks’s micro-check cotton
shirt-dress, complete with
waist-cinching belt, is universally flattering and as good for
Bundled
W i n ter - de f y i n g k i ds ’ c lothes th at m atch st y l i sh n ess w i th h a n dm a de d u r a b i l i t y
$ 95
$ 52
$ 35
Parka
Toque
Hoodie
P l a n et K i d, 8 7 R o n ces va l l es Av e . , 4 1 6 - 5 3 7- 9 2 3 3
Ko l K i d, 6 74 Q u ee n S t. W. , 4 1 6 - 6 8 1 - 0 3 6 8
M i n i M i oc h e , 7 9 5 Q u ee n S t. W. , 6 4 7- 3 4 8 - 5 8 8 3
Multifunctional clothes are easy on the
budget—and extra fun for little kids. This
cozy, stylish hooded winter parka from 7 A.M.
Enfant becomes a full bunting bag with just
a couple of quick snaps. Available in lilac and
navy blue.
Handmade hats rarely sell for less than the
cost of a wool sweater. Cate and Levi’s adorable, reclaimed wool toques keep the heat in
and let your tot’s inner bunny (or puppy or
monkey) out.
This tiny store turns out kids’ basics that are
miniature versions of grown-up attire, at pintsized prices. The colourful elbow patches on
this made-in-T.O. organic cotton fleece hoodie
are sure to meet the approval of the most sartorially minded toddler.
January 2012 toronto life 45
GOOD STUFF CHEA P
Help
Best dance class for
Gaga wannabes
try the Soggie Dog’s DIY wash
service, which offers top-ofthe-line washing products and
equipment for use in a comfortable setting. No cleanup
required means you can wash
and go, or drop an extra $10 to
outsource dog-washing duties
to one of the pros on hand. DIY
wash starts at $22.50.
Lindsay Ritter Dance
N at i o n a l B a l l et S choo l ,
4 0 0 J a r v i s S t. , 4 1 6 - 8 1 7- 5 4 6 0
$ 14
Best Beckham hair
Vidal Sassoon Academy
3 7 Av e n u e R d. , 4 1 6 - 9 2 0 -1 3 3 3
The classic Sassoon cut is a
graduated bob—sleek, sophisticated and pricy (between $78
and $110). Cut costs without
snipping style by serving as a
human teaching tool at the
salon’s Toronto academy,
where tress tamers are
schooled in the Sassoon ways.
Teaching sessions generally
last between two and three
hours, so be prepared to plant
your butt for a little longer
than usual. Pass the time plotting how to spend all the
money you saved. Haircut $19.
Upscale alterations
Stychin’ Tyme
2 5 0 2 Yo n ge S t. , 4 1 6 - 4 8 5 - 6 9 7 0
For 20 years, the dressmaker,
seamstress and tailor Penny
Bedford has been doing Gucci46 toronto life January 2012
calibre work for Gap prices,
which explains her devoted following of frugal fashion plates.
Services run from the basic
(hemming from $15) to the
more involved. Bedford, who
trained in men’s tailoring in
England in the ’60s, is a master
at altering men’s suits, making
her the go-to person for the
post-Atkins Bay Street crowd.
growing in those overplucked, early-millenniumDrew-Barrymore-style brows
may take more than one visit.
Eyebrow waxing $10.
Eyebrow expert
Avalon Esthetics
5 4 1 C o l l ege S t. , 4 1 6 - 9 6 3 - 9 0 9 3
Most hair maintenance can be
handled with a pair of tweezers, but to do the bushy brows
of the season right, you’ll want
to consult a professional.
Joanne Sabatini at Avalon
salon uses wax to blast unruly
unibrows and shape arches.
The service is less than half
the price of big-name salons,
which is a good thing, because
Pooch bathing
Soggie Dog Company
1 0 5 4 Q u ee n S t. E . , 4 1 6 - 4 0 6 - 2 6 2 6
Leslieville’s canine-to-human
ratio is among the city’s highest, so it makes sense that the
east end ’hood has myriad
puppy primping options. To
get the best bang for your buck,
Louboutin rejuvenation
Nick’s Custom Boots and
Shoe Repair
1 6 9 D u p o n t S t. , 4 1 6 - 9 24 - 5 9 3 0
Urban winters will do a number on your runway-worthy
footwear. But before dropping
triple digits on a new pair, try
taking last year’s model in for
a professional cleaning with
the city’s shoe makeover master. Boots are treated with a
chemical desalting agent and
stain remover, then polished,
conditioned and sprayed with
a protectant to prevent—or at
least postpone—this winter’s
beating. $20 and up.
High-speed Internet
TekSavvy
teks av v y. com
Technological life can be complicated and costly, which is
why it’s so nice to find a nobrainer: cheap and easy highspeed DSL wireless service.
TekSavvy is a sort of wholesale
service provider, offering more
bandwidth for less money than
the retail giants. That’s especially key for anyone using a
computer as a TV-slash-movietheatre. A $60-per-month Rogers plan limits free downloading to 100 gigs per month, and
with the average Netflix movie
screening at about five gigs,
watching the final season of
Desperate Housewives could cost
you more than just your selfrespect. $47.97 plus a one-time
$99 start-up fee buys you a
more-than-sufficient 300 gigs
per month.
photographs this page and opposite by jess baumung
Learn to vamp like a
music video star in
Canada’s best pop-jazz
classes—basically mod­ern
dance with a few kicks
and turns thrown in.
Artistic director and
instructor Lindsay Ritter
emphasizes what’s new
and hot in her 90-minute
classes, where so-youthink-you-can-dancers
learn a routine set to the
biggest pop hits (including
Lady Gaga’s “Born This
Way”). All sessions are
drop-in and just $14 each,
which means
you’ll have plenty
of extra money
to buy that meat
dress you always
wanted.
sw e a t i t o u t
Junk removal
Junk-Out
4 1 6 - 2 5 3 -7 5 3 3
f o u r e x erc i se reg i me n s th at w i l l he l p yo u dro p p o u n ds , n ot do l l a rs
If your basement is beginning
to resemble the Island of Misfit Appliances, it’s probably
time to call in a professional.
To save money, avoid the big
billboard names—Henrique
Vieria of Junk-Out will get rid
of your unwanted drywall,
dishwashers and other discarded stuff for between $350
and $400 per 14-cubic-yard
bin. Running a small business with low overhead
means he can charge a whole
$100 less than crap-clearing
Goliaths.
Emergency plumber
Adrian Plumbing
$ 20
$ 30
4 1 6 - 8 8 0 -1 0 2 9
Master plumber and former
Mr. Rooter employee Adrian
Heji can undercut his old
employer thanks to lower
operational costs (he’s the
labour) and minimal overhead
(he owns a truck). Call him
’round the clock for toilet
installation (starting at $120,
compared with Mr. Rooter’s
$200-plus), leaks, drain problems and pretty much any piping disaster, as well as home
heating issues and malfunctioning furnaces. Service is
prompt, professional and
plumber’s-crack free.
Spynga
Yoga
S p y n ga s o u t h s t u d i o ,
Pa ss p ortto p r a n a . com
1 4 1 5 B ath u rst S t. , 4 1 6 - 5 8 8 -7 7 9 6
The ultimate membership for the nomadic yogi, the
passport entitles users to one free class at each of
36 Toronto yoga studios, and it lasts a year. The cost
is just $30, meaning if you can make the time, you
could bring the per-class rate down to 83 cents (and
turn your body into a temple while you’re at it).
Work up a sweat while improving your inner chi at
this hybrid exercise class that combines a highintensity spinning workout with the restorative benefits of yoga. An introductory offer of two classes for
$20 means you can sample the goods for a steal.
Snow tire storage
Tire Source
1 4 1 Q u ee n S t. E . , 4 1 6 - 3 6 2 -1 2 3 5
Stressing about where to store
those winter tires when the
freezing season finally lets
up? (It will let up, right?)
Avoid tucking them away in
your garage, your basement
or, if you’re a condo dweller,
your living room. These may
sound like good ways to save
a buck, but tires kept improperly (where unwanted moisture can get inside them) can
quickly lose the qualities that
made them so pricy in the
first place. Plus, they tend
to be covered in road grime.
Instead, drop and store winter
wheels at the centrally located
Tire Source. Removal and full
off-season storage for $120,
which is as cheap as it comes.
$ 6.50
Squash
$ 49
Boxing
St. Law r e n ce C omm u n i ty C e n t r e , 2 3 0 E s p l a n a de ,
B l oo r St r eet F i t n e s s a n d B ox i n g , 2 2 9 5 D u n d a s
41 6 -3 9 2 -1 3 47
S t. W. , 4 1 6 - 5 3 5 - 2 6 9 9
Play the game of Bay Street big shots without the
posh prices at the St. Lawrence Community Centre,
operated by the city’s parks and rec department.
Courts cost just $6.50 per player, which is less than
the price of parking at some private racquet clubs.
Book early (up to a week in advance is allowed),
especially on busy winter weeknights.
The city’s most authentic boxing gym—it’s home
to the same ring in which Muhammad Ali battled
Rocky Marciano in Times Square—is also the cheapest. A monthly membership of $49 includes 24/7
gym access, daily boxing and unlimited classes
(pilates, kick-boxing, hip hop) for exercise buffs of
all kinds.
January 2012 toronto life 47
Food
GOOD STUFF CHEA P
CNE, chances are your brain’s
pleasure centre is rigged to
explode at the whiff of a frying
mini doughnut. At the Amélieesque café just off Queen
West’s shopping stretch, the
baristas beat the batter by
hand and feed it into a device
called the Donut Robot, which
pumps out the bite-sized comfort bombs to order. Served
lip-searingly hot, perfectly
doughy in the middle and
coated in crunchy white sugar
and cinnamon, they’re the
highest-intensity hit of nostalgia you’ll find for less than a
fiver. $4 per dozen.
Locavore dinner
Zócalo
$ 22
Family-style dinner
The Queen and Beaver
3 5 E l m S t. , 6 4 7- 3 4 7- 2 7 1 2
The Sunday feasting menu at Elm Street’s authentic British pub is aptly named: for $22 a person,
chef Andrew Carter will brine a loin of Ontario pork for two days before slowly roasting it and
presenting it whole, bones included, for the head of the table to slice and serve. A bevy of seasonal
sides—like golden beets, roasted root veg, mashed potatoes, heirloom carrots and green beans—is
included, along with homemade apple sauce. Reservations are required by Thursday to give the
kitchen time to prepare. Minimum five people.
Raw fish fix
Agave y Aguacate
2 1 4 A u g u sta Av e . , 6 4 7- 2 0 8 - 3 0 9 1
Some of the best street food in
48 toronto life January 2012
the city comes courtesy of
Agave y Aguacate’s smoothtalking, fedora-sporting chef
Francisco Alejandri. With
only a bar fridge and a few
burners in a makeshift Kensington Market food court, he
turns out fresh and tangy ceviche tostadas worthy of any
well-established restaurant.
A freshly fried corn tortilla is
piled three inches high with
avocado (scooped out of its
skin while you wait) and
limed-soaked white fish finely
chopped and tossed with
tomatoes, carrot, cilantro and
hot habanero peppers. It
comes on a kitschy ginghamlined paper plate with a promise from Alejandri: “Believe
me, you’re going to love this”—
and he’s right. $7.50.
Over the last few years, we’ve
grown used to dropping $150
on virtuous Ontario-grown
dinners. In the Junction Triangle, there’s a genuine hole in
the wall (easily missed signage, 30-odd seats, decor
resembling your great-aunt
Gladys’s parlour) serving creative dishes that top out at $13.
The latest menu proffers all
manner of mid-winter comforts. The best pick is a massive stew pot of pork-andprune meatballs with braised
cabbage. On the side, there’s
oven-fresh buttermilk apple
cornbread (you’ll be slapping
away your tablemates’ hands,
so order an extra helping),
mushroom-walnut pâté and
whipped garlic confit. It’s the
kind of humble, filling food
that almost makes you glad
it’s winter.
Southern feast
Acadia
5 0 C C l i n to n S t. , 4 1 6 -7 9 2 - 6 0 0 2
Timbit alternative
Little Nicky’s
3 7 5 Q u ee n S t. W. , 4 1 6 - 2 6 0 - 0 5 0 0
If you grew up going to the
Okay, it isn’t super cheap, but
hear us out. At Acadia, the most
ambitious restaurant to open
last year, the precise (i.e., controlfreaky) chef Matt Blondin
serves a six-dish tasting menu
that shows off his singular lowcountry-as-high-culinary-art
style of cooking. Blondin prepares a collection of southern
staples such as cornbread,
shrimp and grits, dirty rice
balls and short ribs using more
unusual ingredients (chow
chow, Louisiana mirlitons,
photographs: queen and beaver and little nicky’s by ryan szulc; acadia by emma mcintyre; agave y aguacate by jess baumung
1 4 2 6 B l oor S t. W. , 6 4 7- 3 4 2 -1 5 6 7
molecularly manipulated buttermilk powder) than you can
Google between courses. It’s
an ingenious mix of comfort,
luxury and lightness, and
much more affordable than
ordering à la carte. $69.
upscale-campy (a carameland-Kahlua-drizzled
brownie). Plus, servers of
superhuman efficiency mean
you have time to enjoy it. $42.
Pre-theatre prix fixe
Nota Bene
1 8 0 Q u ee n S t. W. , 4 1 6 - 9 7 7- 6 4 0 0
Dinner in the theatre district
usually means wolfing down
tourist-priced bistro food
while making multiple
requests for the outsized bill
before curtain. Nota Bene, the
plush and professional AsianItalian restaurant, cuts down
on the rush and the bill with a
three-course prix fixe on performance evenings at the Four
Seasons Centre from 5 to 6:30
p.m. The courses are designed
thoughtfully so you can mix
the exotic (goji berry–dotted
hot-and-sour soup) with the
refined (seared Mediterranean sea bass) with the
Barbecue for two
Barque Smokehouse
2 9 9 R o n ces va l l es Av e . , 4 1 6 - 5 3 2 -7 7 0 0
Of the many barbecue joints to
open in Toronto in the last few
years, Barque is the most
stylish, forgoing plastic bibs
and crusty hot sauce bottles
for flattering lighting and a
sommelier-designed wine list.
Pitmaster David Neinstein
proves almost everything is
better after a few hours over
smouldering cherry and apple
wood—lemons, bourbon,
pineapple, asparagus and,
of course, meat. The sampler
plate for two brings plenty of
it for a bargain. Diners select
three of five options: a halfrack of peppery baby back
ribs or beef ribs, a stack of
fork-tender brisket, smoked
sausages, or two fat chicken
thighs glazed in sweet, vinegary red barbecue sauce. Our
three favourite sides (from a
choice of seven) add smoky
refinement to the feast: smoked
beets with chèvre on mustard
greens, smoked root vegetables with sage-tinged butter,
and gnocchi in smoked tomato
sauce. $40.
Gourmet lunch
Sense Appeal
9 6 S pa d i n a Av e . , 4 1 6 - 9 0 7- 8 5 24
This is the kind of café you
wish were in the bottom of
your office building. Last fall,
owner Peter Adamo built a
miniscule open kitchen (three
cooks fill it with organized
chaos) in his espresso shop
and began to make delicious
lunches that are far more
ambitious than the IKEAchair-and-paper-napkin setting they’re served in. He uses
seasonal veggies and mostly
organic meats in creative specials like Nunavut caribou
chili and Ontario bison French
onion soup. Salads and sandwiches are excellent value.
The organic chicken tagliata
salad comes with a huge, juicy
breast on pancetta-laced
wilted radicchio and sautéed
mushrooms, with ripe tomato
and buffalo mozzarella on the
side. All for $11, roughly the
S TA C K ED
T he u lt i m ate b a rg a i n go u rmet me a l? A p i m p ed - o u t s a n dw i ch
photographs: barque smokehouse by jess baumung; sandwiches by ryan szulc
$ 7.50
$6
$ 14
Waldorf chicken salad
Porchetta
B a n n oc k , 4 0 1 B ay S t. , 4 1 6 - 8 6 1 - 6 9 9 6
Po r c h etta , 8 2 5 D u n d a s S t. W. , 6 4 7- 3 5 2 - 6 6 1 1
Fried chicken thigh
T h e C o u n ty G e n e r a l , 9 3 6 Q u ee n S t. W. ,
The excellent sandwiches at Oliver and
Bonacini’s new downtown Canadiana spot
Bannock epitomize the high standards and
unfussy elegance of big brother Canoe, at
grab-and-go prices. A savoury Waldorf
salad—the classiest vehicle for mayonnaise
and chopped chicken—arrives on a perfectly
buttery, flaky croissant.
Instead of continuing his slog up the ranks of
Toronto’s best kitchens, Nick auf der Mauer
opted to open this Dundas West hole in the
wall, where he serves a slow-roasted pork
shoulder wrapped in prosciutto and cured
pork belly with bits of crackling. Optional toppings—like a rich truffle sauce or sautéed
mushrooms—fill out the soft sourdough bun.
416 -531-4 4 47
The buttermilk-soaked chicken thigh in The
County General’s most popular sandwich is
cooked sous-vide, dusted in cornflour and
fried to achieve the perfect balance of crispy
and moist. It comes on a down-home milk bun
with creamy avocado, red onion, fresh coriander and a lowball glass full of spicy fries with
homemade smoked ketchup.
January 2012 toronto life 49
GOOD STUFF CHEA P
p o sh n o sh
B a r s n acks th at a re a s l i p -sm ack i n g
cost of a mechanically cut,
microwave chicken–topped
salad at the Subway just up
the street.
a s the y a re che a p
with the fatty, flavourful belly
meat and perfectly seasoned. It
costs less than a toonie, making
it a perfect solution to those
after-work but pre-dinner hunger pangs. $1.95.
Noodles
Kenzo Ramen
3 7 2 B l oor S t. W. , 4 1 6 - 9 2 1 - 6 7 8 7
Inside a bowl of tonkotsu
ramen, thinly shaved slices of
fatty, almost-sweet roast pork
fight for space with crunchy
sprouts, green onions, baby
bok choi, a perfectly cooked
egg and, of course, mounds of
chewy, slurpy alkaline noodles, all bathing in a preposterously meaty and milky pork
bone broth. $10.
Gourmet junk food
Craft beer
Cantina platter
Milagro
toca ba r , 1 8 1 W e l l i n gto n S t. W. , 4 1 6 - 5 8 5 - 2 5 0 0
Bar Volo
Done up in corporate neutrals and colonized by Seven Sisters partners, the Ritz-Carlton bar serves the kinds of cocktails that come with
lotus root garnishes and elderflower infusions—and cost $16 each.
Sounds steep until you factor in the freebies delivered with the drinks:
sticky, maple-glazed bacon, pan-fried capers and corn nuts. It’s
gourmet junk food that’s impossible to stop eating, which is okay
because the bartender replenishes the supply without judgment.
5 8 7 Yo n ge S t. , 4 1 6 - 9 2 8 - 0 0 0 8
other G TA l oc at i o n s)
Toronto’s much-heralded craft
beer revolution has a muchless-heralded downside: shelling out seven or eight bucks for
a pint. Which is why Bar Volo,
an early evangelist for tasty
brews in the city, is packed
every week for its $5 Monday
night pints. Discerning hopheads will want to consult the
bar’s Tumblr, where staff post
blurry snaps of the daily list of
drafts and casks, all from
small regional brewers.
Milagro is one of Toronto’s
best Mexican restaurants—
and unfortunately also the
most expensive. But for a relatively cheap $67, three or four
people can fill themselves up
on the cantina platter, which
allows you to build your own
tacos with fresh corn tortillas
and three kinds of pulled
meat: banana leaf–roasted
lamb barbacoa, spicy chicken
tingas and pork carnitas.
There’s also Mexican rice,
fried plantains, refried beans
and stewed potatoes with corn
and poblano chilies. An extra
$33 brings a bucket of six cold
bottles of Dos Equis.
Sampling plate
4 1 6 s n ac k ba r , 1 8 1 B ath u rst S t. ,
$9
$1
416-364-9320
At this gastro–watering hole,
where waifs and their newsboycapped boyfriends meet over
wine and microbrews, there’s
a ridiculously cheap sampling
plate called the Smörgasbord.
The ever-changing selection,
like house-cured pancetta,
fresh figs, smoked trout, Niagara
cheeses, peach jam and pickled
green beans, is reliably excellent. $9 per person.
Oysters
b i ff ’ s b i s t r o , 4 Fro n t S t. E . ,
416-860 -0086
After work, the city’s power brokers pour into this French stalwart to blow off some steam
with a bottle of Barolo. If you
don’t have an expense account
to abuse, oysters are the thing
to order. Every evening after 5,
the fresh half-shells are just
$1 apiece. A half-dozen with an
$8 glass of cava makes terrific
cinq à sept.
50 toronto life January 2012
Korean tofu soup
Tofu Village
6 8 1 B l oor S t. W. , 6 4 7- 3 4 5 - 3 8 3 6
A bowl of the steaming and
pleasantly spicy soon tofu soup
at this bright and cheerful
Koreatown favourite is a middle finger raised to winter. The
complimentary sides (kimchee,
sweet potatoes, bean sprouts
and more tofu) and stone pot of
purple rice will do their part to
fill you up, but the main attraction is the ethereally silky
cubes of fresh tofu. $6.95.
Souvlaki
Folia Grill
1 0 3 1 Pa p e Av e . , 4 1 6 - 4 24 - 2 8 0 0
Toronto is home to many Greek
fast-food restaurants, but
Pape’s Folia Grill is the rare one
that rises high above the standard. A skewer of pork souvlaki, seared to order, is made
5 M ercer S t. , 4 1 6 - 8 5 0 - 2 8 5 5 ( p l u s two
New Year’s bubbly
Villa Sandi Prosecco
LCBO
Sure, prosecco may lack the
luminescence of fine champagne, but it’s light, lively,
blessedly cheap and finally
shucking its reputation as
the exclusive tipple of Paris
Hilton. The LBCO’s selection
includes Villa Sandi, a charming sparkler with exceptionally fresh flavours of apple,
white almond and shortbread.
With the money you save, you
can afford to buy an extra bottle for your hair-of-the-dog
brunch the next day (it goes
perfectly with fruit and croissants). $13.85.
photographs: posh nosh by ryan szulc; craft beer by igor yu
Free