Graffiti isn’t random scribble. It’s a culture with jargon and rules. In the 2010s, it’s having a mainstream moment, but true graffiti is still a bit counterculture, a bit subversive.
Tagged: Toronto
In recent years winemakers at more than half the 45 wineries in the Niagara Peninsula are putting serious energy into sparkling wines
As seen in The Plain Dealer The pressure is on. Your best friend got a ring for the holidays and you’re the bachelorette bash boss. A limo rolling from East Fourth to Tremont to Ohio City for cocktails is nice, but you can do Cleveland next Saturday. Doesn’t your girl deserve a weekend away with her crew? After all, the bestie-moon is trending. Our neighbor to the north – Toronto – is jonesing for your party. And, with a stronger U.S. dollar — $1 American equals about $1.35 Canadian — it’s like Canada is on sale. You can go by car, about 290 miles or five hours without pit stops. Or take a one-hour flight on Air Canada. Either way, remember your passport. If…
I spent a long weekend in Toronto looking at art. It changed me. I realized that art is NOT measured in dollars and cents. Or sense. It is measured in experience and connection, in relation and revelation. Art can live outside a museum or gallery. It should live where it reaches people. I discovered that art can be timeless or temporary. My discernment peaked during Nuit Blanche (“White Night”), a one-night art event spread throughout Toronto’s downtown and neighborhoods. Its audiences experienced more than 75 projects by 400 artists ranging from performance art and interactive installations to sculpture, mixed media and beyond. The concept of Nuit Blanche originated in Paris. Toronto adopted and adapted it in 2006. Planned as a one-time event, the night…
Tagged: Toronto
I pushed through the heavy glass door at Hambar in Old Montreal as an experienced food journalist there to sample a Lyon, France-inspired charcuterie platter. Chefs at the sophisticated, stylish and busy Hambar make their own charcuterie. I was there for a special platter created in honor of Montreal en Lumiere, a large winter festival of performing arts, gastronomy, family activities and more. Having written a recent story – What is Charcuterie? –- for a mid-February issue of The News-Herald I knew charcuterie as “dried, cured, fermented and otherwise processed meats of yesteryear.” Basically, sausages that had been historically preserved as a way to feed families throughout the year. I was excited to see how the products created by neighbors to the north compared…
I seek herbs when I travel, to see how they’re part of a local culture. The Jean-Talon Market in Montreal was a jackpot. My favorite store in the historic market was Epices de Cru, a colorful exotic vendor of herbs, tea and spices. The husband and wife owners travel the world to bring home the best ingredients from the “ordinary” to the unusual. Think: Cinnamon leaf or avocado leaf (use like bay leaf with a different accent.) I was so entranced I visited twice. The second time I spent an hour perusing shelves and deciding just what to carry to my Ohio home. Feeling adventurous I asked for the most unusual product and was introduced to sansho pepper. I can’t decide if the person…
Tagged: Food, Jean-Talon, Montreal, Sansho, Travel
The challenge of planning a trip three hours north to Canada’s Niagara region was packing. How do two people – one who is six foot, two inches tall — fit three days of clothing, including theater attire, onto one motorcycle? And, with a black Honda Goldwing motorcycle, a comfy cruiser, we’re the lucky ones with a trunk and two saddlebags. The secret: Dress in black, wear things twice and roll everything. All told, we had remaining space to bring home four bottles of Canadian wine. We travel by motorcycle when possible to wring every sensual experience from a trip. Riding sensitizes one. You see, smell, hear and feel deliberately. Farmers talk about the influence of subtle climate changes in area. Check. We feel temperature…
Tagged: Niagara Falls, Ravine Winery, Reif Winery
Paris Wolfe - Writer + Editor