Pizzeria Libretto, Part II

My third and fourth visits to Pizza Libretto proved to be a mixed bag, less satisfying than the first two trips. One pizza, the Pingue Prosciutto, was a complete waste. The tomato sauce was overwhelmed the rest of the pizza. The finely sliced ham could not be tasted due to the potent tomato taste. They could have served cured Iberian pork and nobody would have noticed; one might as well have ordered the Margherita pie. Chile oil or thicker slices of prosciutto would have enhanced this pizza.

The Sardines pizza boasts a variety of flavours. At times, it was somewhat salty, due to the olives and the cured fish, but mostly it was a delicious combination of textures and ingredients. Chile oil spiced everything up and gave the tomato sauce greater depth. The sardines were not too fishy and balanced the fresh herbs well. I would recommend this pizza highly yet my favourite Libretto remains the Duck Confit and Bosc Pear combination.

Caplansky's Deli

The first sandwich that I ordered at Caplansky’s new deli was a little underwhelming. I was expecting more flavour from the smoked meat (medium) and it was a little dry, especially when served with the house mustard made with whole mustard seeds. It was superior to a run of the mill sandwich shop but a letdown relative to the deli’s reputation. The fries were excellent, the oil had been recently changed and hand-cut potatoes were well-seasoned.

On my second visit, I ordered the breakfast special and the smoked beef bacon was delicious. It was smoky and just a little crispy but still savoury. The fact that it was beef bacon was stunning; you wouldn’t notice if it wasn’t explained on the menu. The eggs, latkes, and toast were prepared as ordered but the coffee was ordinary. Still, it would be a great meal at any time of the day.

Caplansky’s has moved to College and Spadina, into a bright and airy location. Many restaurants have exposed brick walls and the decor - framed restaurant reviews - was self-serving. Still, it’s nice to be able to look out the window and pay one tab at the end of a meal. It can’t be overlooked that you are dining in a convenient restaurant in a venue that seems suitable for dining, not loan sharks and backgammon games. The deli serves local beer, like No. 9 Indian Pale Ale and Denison Wheat Beer at reasonable prices.

Pizzeria Libretto, Part I

Pizzeria Libretto prides itself on creating premium Neapolitan pizza with authentic ingredients prepared by “pizza artisans.” The key is the ingredients. The restaurant may win the award for Toronto’s best pie but it is not a fair comparison. The quality ingredients are a cut above what is served at Cora’s, Massimo’s, or Papa Ceo’s that there should be two separate categories: one for walk-up stands that sell slices and another for sit-down restaurants which sell more expensive pizzas.

The service is very attentive which partially compensates for the lengthy waiting period but the attitude is a bit much. Although the pizza is prepared according to a detailed philosophy, it is merely a pie. It does not reinvent the wheel or usher in a new age in deliciousity. The décor is also a bit clichéd: stripped down light bulbs and exposed wood that have appeared on Restaurant Makeover for years.

The crust is thin and expertly cooked. I tried the House-Made Sausage (with Caramelized Onion, Ontario Fiore Di Latte Mozzarella , Chili Oil) pizza but found it to be a tad too sweet, a consequence of the onion and chili oil overwhelming the sausage. The sausage may have been flavourful on it’s own but the savoury taste does not come through when laid on the pie.

During another visit, I sampled the Duck Confit (with Bosc Pear, Panna, Ontario Fiore Di Latte Mozzarella) and found it to be a massive improvement. Sweet and savoury balance perfectly. The pear slices are not too big and they don’t dominate the pizza. I thought that the duck and the pear were an excellent match and would certainly order it again.

Toronto’s best pie? Perhaps on some nights but you better get there early…

Invisible City

How does one find meaning growing up? How does one develop a sense of responsibility if there are no role models to watch? How does one create self-esteem if nobody seems to care?

Invisible City - a film which was honoured with the Best Canadian Feature Documentary award at this year’s Hot Docs festival - endeavours to answer these questions, intertwining the stories of two youths in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood with the massive redevelopment and gentrification of the area.

From a cinematic point of view, Invisible City is an excellent documentary and a very good film. A subtle soundtrack enhances pensive photography and elegant editing. Personally, I dislike excessive intertitles in documentaries because they replace explanations that could otherwise be provided by interview subjects, archival footage, or voice-overs. I think that these other options gradually augment the mood of the film compared to a three second burst of information and in my mind director Hubert Davis missed a chance to weave additional perspectives into the film’s tapestry of personalities.

Viewers need to step beyond the role of an audience member and think about the film as a citizen. How do we (personally and as a society) behave towards outsiders or the less fortunate? I have some idea based on experience but I can’t say that there is a definite solution.

On one hand, I want to say that everyone should treat others as individuals, giving respect and providing opportunities to succeed. Despite whatever happens at school or in the city, everyone needs to understand that they will be known by their actions. The police may patrol Regent Park frequently but residents shouldn’t place themselves in bad situations by breaking the law or hanging out with those who do. It may be bad luck to have been caught in the act but in the end, it was an act that was self-destructive or dangerous to others.

One scene that crops up as I reflect about the film is a discussion between Mikey and his mother after he got into a fight because somebody he didn’t know “talked to [him].” I despise logic like that. Hopefully, Mikey realizes the fallacies in his argument upon viewing the film and self-evaluating his actions.

The film was screened at Eastern Commerce C.I. for staff members and Hubert Davis and Kendell were present. Fortunately, although it may have taken a little longer, both of the film’s subjects seem to be moving forward at school and in the workplace.

"This Is Russia”

Dave King wrote King of Russia during the 2004-05 season when he coached Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Russian Super League. The diary contrasts the professional hockey systems in Russia and North America and records observations about daily life in Russia. In post-Communist Russia, the country is modernizing from Moscow outwards but it is not quite there. Despite all best intentions, transportation and distributions quandaries occasionally arise and corruption remains a problem. King encounters some bizarre situations where it is best not to ask questions because “this is Russia.” Unfortunately, King is also able to chronicle how the Russian economy is distilling into two classes: the very rich and the destitute (a problem occurring in other cities and countries, including Toronto).

King often admires the work ethic of players at all levels of the club program (echoing Gladwell’s 10,000 horus theory) and the Russian/Soviet ability to mesh different sport tactics and training methods together in order to better their teams (Lloyd Percival’s The Hockey Handbook receives a shout-out). Russian players work on physical conditioning (especially quadriceps muscles) from a very young age and skill is developed over thousands of repetitions. An hour practice might be divided into only three drills. Despite this work ethic, King finds that the team finally hits its stride after Russians with N.H.L. experience model the way and lead by example on the ice.

Questions abound at first about how the Canadian will survive in the Super League but King successfully introduces North American ideas such as power-plays and penalty killing systems and line match-ups. Even in the K-League there is not a single answer to every problem.

Toronto Stories

Toronto Stories begins with a series of diverse people passing through customs and ends with a wide-angle shot of a homeless man crossing the street and entering the dense maze of downtown. The link between these two diverse scenes (the personalities of the travelers and the soulless nature of the city) is a mysterious boy of unknown origin who does not speak English. Alongside the tapestry of tales of people moving on and doing their best in their different lives, there is a thread that asks how the city would be perceived by a newcomer who knew nothing about Toronto or its citizens.

The myriad of stories is arranged chronologically: two adventurous pre-teens, two stories of young adults in their early and late 20s, and an older homeless man who has been on the ropes since his son died in a swimming accident. The characters showcase the many types of compassion in a large city like Toronto and personify alternate ways of coping with adversity, such as resistance, recovery, or a stubborn refusal to change. Early in the film, the two kids find a homeless person sleeping and think that he is a monster but as the audience gets to know Henry, who seems to be a recalcitrant drug-addict at first, we see that he is a complex person trying to cope with his own tragic.

The writing and performances are uneven, given that the four separate stories have different writers. I thought that the film could have used a fifth story explaining how the boy figured into the equation. At the end of the fourth story, he is able to communicate via an interpreter so it would have been interesting to see him try to settle in Toronto.

There were some loose ends in each story that were not tied up; more contact between the storylines could have created a sense of Six Degrees of Separation, or better displayed the drama occurring in each story. For example, in the first story, a man jumps from a bridge with no apparent explanation. Had the explanation appeared in another story, it would have created a neat relationship.

The film was enjoyable, but not excellent. For example, just off the top of my head: other superior films, such as A History of Violence or No Country for Old Men, feature average everyday characters going about their lives and trying to make a difference.

Espace Détente

Place du 14 Juillet

One service admirably accomplished by the municipal, provincial, and federal government in Tours is the creation and maintenance of public spaces. Throughout the city, there are dozens of locations where citizens may relax, play chess or pétanque, view gardens or pieces of art, and otherwise enjoy themselves at no cost (I assume that they are paying for it with tax dollars but at least they get to benefit from their contribution to the system).

Over time, parts of Tours have been destroyed due to fire, Huguenots, Reformists, the French Revolution, and the air bombings of the Second World War. Plus the places that people demolished themselves because they felt the architectural style (in this case Gothic) was no longer fashionable. But the city usually rebuilds what has been lost, to some degree, or replaces it.

Place Plumereau is a lively outdoor square where tourists loiter and couples get married on the weekends. Place du 14 Juillet is a quiet area for conversations and a meeting place. Place Jean-Jaures is the centre of town, where almost all the bus routes connect. Le Jardin Botanique has a quaint petting zoo where lambs, calves, and roosters can congregate together.

For all of the benefit derived by citizens and the dollars gained from increased tourism, Tours profits from these spaces. Toronto lacks the foresight to design spaces properly, for example building a post-modern City Hall and then cramming it with gardens, fountains, vendors, and other urban detritus, and the wherewithal to maintain what already exists, illustrated by the decline of the Toronto Islands or parks where the equipment was removed due to excessive legal worries. When something potentially interesting is built, like Yonge-Dundas Square, it takes years to apply the finishing touches and even more to create an identity.

In this case, simplicity and giving everyone a little something, so they can see their property taxes at work, is the best way to reward citizens and promote the city.

Two Hoops

Two Photos of Basketball Hoops that I Took Today

On a different note: In 1959, Jean Royer became mayor of Tours and held that position until 1995. During that time, Toronto suffered through several equally leftist mayors yet seems not to have witnessed the improvements seen in Tours.

Tour Charlemagne

Royer was known as le bon roi Jean and the French legislation that protects small local stores from retail conglomerates is known as le loi Royer. The mayor restored many parts of the old town - especially le Place Plumereau - and otherwise protected historically and culturally significant buildings.

Place Plumereau

An out-of-town group, the Ontario Municipal Board controls the protection of Toronto’s architectural heritage. Traditionally, the board sides with developers and permits historical buildings to be replaced by drab, dreary, and indistinguishable condominiums and big-box stores. Certainly, it is the free market at work but there is something to be said about a town full of unique pieces of architecture. Putting one’s foot forward is best done with discretion, like Spain’s Fernando Torres shot the ball where the goalie wasn’t doing to be in a moment, not directly in the German keeper’s path.

Non-Plumb Building in Place Plumerau

From Crombie to Sewell to Miller, Toronto’s government has been ineffectual, due to a lack of knowledge or a lack of commitment. Ontario’s government has been likewise indifferent. If public officials purport to care about certain causes, they should lobby tireless for them, even if they are a little to the left. Doing something is better than doing nothing.

Place du 14 Juillet

On one hand Tours has missed out on some innovation but on the other hand it has gained an identity north of the Boulevard Béranger; modern developments, like the T.G.V. are located on the south side of the boulevard. Frankly, Tours is more interesting than Toronto. Practically, it is a better city for no other reasons than it has figured out how to use urban planning to install public washrooms, includes bike and pedestrian lanes, and protects its heritage.

Three Windows

Little Things, Part III

The Michigan Basketball All-Stars defeated the Toronto All-Stars over the weekend. It was a boring game to watch -- there was a lot of one on one with four players watching. Toronto started the game with a really cool PHX set. Yonas Berhle came off a high rub going to his right, looked to turn the corner, and kicked to Jessie Simmons for a wide open three. That was a really good read but it was all downhill from there.

Michigan killed Toronto with defence and rebounding. At times, Toronto was effective in transition; other times the ballhandler would jack a three with no rebounders in place or someone who shouldn’t have handled the ball on the break would receive a pass.

In the eyes of the post-secondary coaches, everyone looks best when the team players together and wins, irrespective of individual glory. Those slow one on one moves to get an off-balance jumper won’t work at the next level so it’s better to try a passing game set or something uptempo.

Local Basketball

Lost in the playoffs Saturday, 67-60 at York. Perhaps a call could have gone the other way or a basket not rimmed out but athletes make plays. Must get fitter, happier, more productive over the off-season so we are in a position to make more plays down the stretch next year.

Raptors blew a massive in Dallas. Bosh and James went off to a certain degree. However, it was Darrell Armstrong (defensively) and Dirk Nowitzki (offensively) that made plays in crunch time.

Indiana beat Michigan State on Sunday. Michigan State had overcome a large lead but after Paul Davis fouled out, the Spartans didn’t make plays and the Hoosiers won.

In the Toronto District 4A playoffs, the top two teams (Eastern Commerce and Emery Collegiate) lost in the semi-finals, creating a final between Northern S.S. and West Hill Collegiate. West Hill was a huge favourite but they got smoked. Northern stopped with a 2-3 zone and scored with excellent outside shooting.

There are multiple ways to make plays, from the opening tip to the final horn. Mistakes are never final and the game is never over until the final buzzer. Student-athletes always have the opportunity to make plays to win the game.

The Raptors badly need a perimeter defensive stopper, a shooter, and a wing who can take the ball to the basket. Getting Bryan Colangelo is a good start. Conventional wisdom said that Steve Nash was too old when Phoenix signed him in July 2004 and most pundits believed that the team was in deep trouble when Joe Johnson wanted out and Amare Stoudamire was injured. The speculation was wrong; Phoenix is not too expensive, very athletic, and very good. Hopefully sunnier days are ahead for the Raptors.