JB's Warehouse & Curio Emporium

Since the first time I went out with the Chowhound dining group went OK , decided to check out their January destination Friday night. This month's pick: Red Violin , a Brazilian BBQ at Danforth and Broadview. The evening got off to a rocky start, when I went into the wrong resto. I briefly lost the ability to match the sign above the correct door - I entered the Latin restaurant next door, left a puzzled maitre'd when none of the names I rhymed off were on the reservation list, then finally noticed a review in the window. After heading next door, all was good. FIRST COURSE To start, they offered up a salad/seafood bar. Not exactly your offering of limp iceberg, the spread featured hot and cold seafood (great shrimp in tomato sauce), a variety of cheese, slices of guava paste, various vegetable salads and addictive thumb-sized cheese bread. All delicious. MAIN Soon after, servers came around with large skewers, each with a different type of meat. They came to each perso

After seeing ads on newsboxes touting a new look for the Sunday edition of the Toronto Star , the newspaper junkie in me couldn't resist giving it a try. The Sunday Star has been redesigned to be "Canada's first maga-paper", as editor Alison Uncles put it: ...a hybrid magazine-newspaper that blends what is the best of both mediums. From a newspaper, we bring urgency, relevancy, quick-paced thinking and the resources of Canada's largest newsroom. From a magazine, we borrow a step-back sensibility, colour, the luxury of deliberation and beautiful design. For their maiden effort, they tried too hard. The paper looks like the efforts of somebody who received a bunch of new toys and went overboard in their enthusiasm. The new paper consists of the following sections: The front section - besides the headlines, now incorporates elements of the old World and Metropolis sections. Not too bad looking - manage to keep use of colour backdrops on articles low, thoug

Hey folks, how did your 2005 begin? A glass of champagne? A memorable night out? An evacuation from a subway car? Mine started off like many others, with a round of champagne as soon as the clock struck midnight. Most were in good spirits at the party, drifting between the kitchen and living room. I had my fair share of booze...don't ask me to remember what I had. The crowd gradually thinned, going home or to other destinations. I was one of the last to go, hopping onto a deserted train at Spadina around 2:20. The first revellers hopped on at Osgoode. The driver came over the loudspeaker, chiding those on the station platform who dangled their legs onto the track. Cue maniacal laughter in my car. As the train filled up, the Osgoode crowd dangle from the handrails as if they were monkey bars. Nothing like piss-drunk kids for early morning entertainment. Around 2:45, the train entered the tunnel leading into Eglinton station. Suddenly, it stopped and the lights went out. Announ

What did you do in 2004 that you’d never done before? Started and finished writing a short script. Bought clothing at Le Chateau. DJ a wedding. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Didn't make any last year. As for new resolutions, try to keep in better shape, reduce the nuclear stockpile of food and go to more gatherings with total strangers. Did anyone close to you give birth? No, but a few were married. Did anyone close to you die? No. What countries did you visit? Usual trips south of the border, though no new ground was covered, other than some neighbourhoods in NYC. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004? A steady partner-in-crime. What dates from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? No exact dates stand out, though there were many memorable days. Lineups around the block to get into a bar in NYC on St. Patrick's Day. Road hockey in Ottawa. JD and Elizabeth's day o' bliss. C