If you've visited Toronto in the past three years, you know the city has embarked on a serious program of renovation and reinvention. Several of the city's most important art institutions decided to expand their gallery spaces with the help of some visionary architects. At the same time, the long-awaited opera house went up on a patch of prime downtown real estate. And the march of gentrification carried on along Queen Street West. At long last, residents and visitors are seeing the results. Book your trip now and you'll get to see the wonders of the city, old and new, for yourself.
Planning Your Trip
Don't be scared off by the idea of visiting Toronto in winter -- the locals know how to enjoy the best of the season. There's no better evidence of this than the WinterCity Festival. Running from January 26 to February 8, 2007, it mixes indoor and outdoor events. Its most popular offering is Winterlicious (see the "Where to Dine" below), but there are special events across town at venues as diverse as Casa Loma and the Toronto Zoo. Visit www.toronto.ca/special_events/wintercity for more information.
Where to Stay
The Hilton Toronto (145 Richmond St. West; tel. 800/445-8667; www.toronto.hilton.com) has re-created the executive suites on its 32nd floor as unique spaces with the help of Lemay Michaud Architecture Design. Each one represents significant slices of Canadiana. My favorite is the Margery Steele, which celebrates the former director of the St. Regis Room at Simpson's department store (the dearly missed Simpson's is now the Bay's flagship store at Yonge and Queen). The Art Deco-inspired suite is peppered with glamorous touches. The mirrored walk-in closet and dressing room could make any woman feel like Norma Shearer. The suite is CA$1,500 a night.
Many of Toronto's best hotels have created winter packages to spark visitor interest. Some good bets are the Fairmont Royal York (www.fairmont.com/royalyork), the Park Hyatt Toronto (www.parktoronto.hyatt.com), the Four Seasons (www.fourseasons.com/toronto), the Sutton Place (www.suttonplace.com), the Sheraton Centre Toronto (www.sheratoncentretoronto.com), and the Delta Chelsea (www.deltahotels.com).
Where to Dine
While I was sad to see Avalon close its doors after an eleven-year run, chef Chris McDonald has opened an extraordinary restaurant with Cava (1560 Yonge St.; tel. 416/979-9918; www.cavarestaurant.ca). This small jewel offers exquisite tapas-like plates and sparkling wines at prices that will not break your budget. The menu does have its pricey side (you can have a flute of Nicolas Feuillatte champagne for CA$20), but if you stick with salt cod cake with chipotle cream (CA$8), four oysters on the half-shell with tomatillo salsa (CA$11), or three-minute flank steak with chimchurri (CA$15), you can't go wrong. The restaurant is tucked into an alley just north of St. Clair Avenue -- and it doesn't have street signage at the time of this writing -- so it can be hard to find. Allot some extra time whether you take the subway or drive.
Another don't-miss spot is Thuet, a new addition to the gourmet paradise along King Street West in the past few years (609 King St. West, tel. 416/603-2777; www.thuet.ca). If you visited Centro uptown on a previous visit, you may already have sampled some of Alsatian chef Marc Thuet's excellent cooking. His new spot is both a bistro and a bakery, and it allows the fourth-generation chef to make use of his family secrets (the artisan bread-making recipes come from his ancestor Marcel Thuet, who was whipping up breads with a starter instead of yeast 200 years ago). The bistro's menu is hearty and rich, with entrees like a mille-feuille of yellowfin tuna, ocean trout and foie gras (CA$20), and an aged beef tenderloin with a ravioli of braised tripe (CA$35). Bon appetit!
There's no better time to try out the city's best restaurants than during Winterlicious. Part of the WinterCity festival, it runs from January 26th through February 8th, 2007. Many of Toronto's best chefs offer prix fixe menus for lunch and/or dinner: A three-course lunch will cost CA$15-$20 and three-course dinner will run CA$25-$35. Check out www.toronto.ca/special_events/wintercity for details about participating restaurants and a complete listing of the special menus (although at press time these were still to be released). You can make reservations starting January 11, 2007.
What to See & Do
The Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queen's Park; tel. 416/586-8000; www.rom.on.ca; CA$18 adults, CA$15 seniors and students, CA$12 children 5-14, children under 5 free) is making the most of its gorgeous newly renovated galleries designed by Daniel Libeskind. Déco Lalique will be on display until March 18, 2007. More than 60 pieces created by the René Lalique are on show. Nearly all of the objects featured are from the ROM's own collection, widely regarded as the largest and most representative in North America. Visit www.rom.on.ca for more details. Keep in mind that the last phase of the ROM's ambitious Renaissance ROM project -- the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal galleries and public spaces (which include restaurants and event spaces) -- will open in June 2007.
The equally ambitious renovation of the Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W.; tel. 416/979-6648; www.ago.net) will continue into 2008. Toronto native-son Frank Gehry is reinventing the city's best art gallery, and his spectacular design will increase viewing space by 40%. Until complete, only 30% to 50% of the usual viewing space will be available, and galleries will be opened and shuttered at different times. There are still plenty of reasons to visit now. For starters, an excellent photography exhibit -- Two Photographers, Two Visions: Ansel Adams and Alfred Eisenstaedt -- will be on show till February 4, 2007. From March till May 2007, Emily Carr: New Perspectives on a Canadian Icon will offer the most comprehensive showing of the painter's work to date. Admissions to the special exhibits is CA$15 for adults, CA$12 for seniors and students, CA$10 for kids aged 6-15.
Toronto After Dark
The new opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (145 Queen St. W.; tel. 416/363-6671), has been a smash hit since it opened in June 2006. Designed by architect Jack Diamond, it has a simple exterior, which looks like nothing so much as a house of glass. Inside is where the magic happens. In the tradition of truly grand opera houses, there are three stages: Main, rear, and side. But the masterstroke in the design is in the perfect acoustics. Keep in mind that it's not only home to the Canadian Opera Company, but the National Ballet of Canada as well. Early in 2007, opera lovers can enjoy Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Gounod's Faust. Those who love dance can take in The Taming of the Shrew (choreographed by John Cranko) and Balanchine's Don Quixote. Take a look at the schedule on www.fourseasonscentre.ca.
Side Trips from Toronto
Ontario's sumptuous icewine -- which keeps on winning gold medals in international competitions -- is one of the best things about winter. The 12th annual Niagara Icewine Festival will take place from January 19th-28th, 2007. The festival features special winery tours, culinary seminars, tastings, a dinner series, and many other events. Visit www.niagarawinefestival.com or call tel. 905/688-0212 for information or to book tickets.
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