Hamlet

I missed the first performance when I was in Israel so I purchased a ticket for the encore production. I am certainly glad I didn’t let this one get away.

Every singer was superb in his/her role. The stage settings were minimal and it worked so well. Marlis Petersen who played the part of Ophelia literally had 3 days notice to play the part. It is almost impossible to imagine how she did it. Her voice is magnificent. She has the very difficult mad/death scene at the end. It was emotional. Her voice was spectacular and I sat on the edge of my seat enjoying every note.

Everyone is familiar with the story of Hamlet. It was the first time I have heard it translated to music. Every character was spectacular. Even the two grave diggers were wonderful to listen to.

44 countries now participate in showing these Metropolitan Opera performances by live satellite. The shows are sold out well in advance. In my opinion it is better than being at the Met. I love being able to see the faces up close and view all the action as if it is being performed for me alone.

The interviews are amazing. You can’t get that at the Met or at the COC for that matter. During intermission you are introduced to many of the performers and the conductor. You often see the set changes taking place. I love it when the camera zooms in a particular instrument and you see the musician playing.

A prelude of the next opera is presented. A famous opera diva performs an emotional aria and then comes off stage and is willing to be interviewed. Amazing and wonderful!

There is still once chance left this season to see Armida on May 1. The encore presentation is May 22.

You can book next seasons operas starting on August 27 (with a Scene card). If you don’t have a card you can book on Sept. 10.

There will be 11 productions next season and five new operas being presented. It is now my favorite entertainment. You have the benefit of the best opera stars and the close up presentation is spectacular.

I can’t praise it enough. I can’t wait for the next season.

Mercurio

What a completely fantastic afternoon. Four friends had just attended the premier of another friend’s film. The film was emotional, creative and very well done. We decided to go out for a lunch following the presentation. Where better to have good conversation and sensational food.

The jazz music is always so inviting at Mercurio. The family run business has been an institution on Bloor for many years. Brother Joe or sister Teresa is usually there to give you that special welcome. I find it amazing that the charming mother is still very active in the business. Apparently she still does some of the baking for Espresso by Mercurio situated across the road. What an inspiration!

The food is so authentic Italian. The place has such a warm atmosphere. I always have the feeling of being in Italy. This is definitely a favorite spot. Just try and get a table after 6:00 p.m. without a reservation. Forget it. It used to be that you ordered your food at the counter and you would be called when it was prepared. I am delighted that it is now full service and great service at that.

A Panzerotti was the choice of one friend. It was an enormous portion of a round pizza covered with a lot of fresh tomato sauce. A side salad made it a very complete meal. I don’t know how she managed to finished it all but apparently it was so good she couldn’t leave any. This was one of the specials for the day.

Insalate Caprese was the choice of another friend. A huge mound of Buffalo Mozzarella cheese was mounded on a large portion of roasted tomatoes with pesto. Small pieces of foccacio were on the side of the plate. ($14.00)

My sister opted for the Omelet di Pollo.($!4.00) Smoked chicken, roasted red peppers, basil and white cheddar made for an exotic dish. All omelets are topped with sour cream and caviar and are served with a choice of in house frites, roasted vegetables or green salad. My choice was Fettucini Al Funghi.($16.00) It was sensational and brought back memories of the tasty pasta I enjoyed in Montepulciano, Italy. The pasta was perfectly al dente. The variety of forest mushrooms was infused with truffle oil and reggiano cheese. I loved every bite. I was still licking my lips the next day when I thought about this dish.

The Pizzas are amazing. Years ago my grandson was a student at UTS across the road. Every Wednesday we would lunch together. This was our favorite place. They still remember that Pizza Margarita ($11.00) was his favorite choice. I noticed it is still on the menu.

Pizza Genovese is another favorite with chicken, breaded eggplant, pesto, tomato and mozzarella.($16.00)

Sharing a pizza and a salad can make for a wonderful lunch. Insalata Arugola is composed of arugola leaves, roasted pepper, asiago and tomatoes.($!2.00) Insalata Beet has been my choice on many occasions.($12.00) Roasted beets, pine nuts, spinach and gorgonzola make up this tasty exotic salad.

This restaurant is the trendy place on Bloor St. L’Espresso Bar Mercurio is the sister restaurant across the road. There is a reason they are both so busy. Good food and great service ought to be their motto.

The Secret in Their Eyes

I have to see any film that won as the best foreign film for the year. It was a surprising choice. Half way through the film I realized that I was familiar with the characters and the story. I had seen it previously at a screening over a year ago. I certainly didn’t mind seeing it again.

This Argentinean film is a thriller and leads to many surprising actions. I thought that Ricardo Darin was superb as the former police investigator, Benjamin Esposito. He is handsome in a rugged way and he always looks so sad. His eyes are heavy. He is plagued by an unsolved murder of over 20 years. The young woman was brutally raped and murdered and the case was closed. Esposito wants to write a novel based on this story.

He goes to visit his former boss Irene who is now working in the same courthouse he used to frequent.

We are not sure of the former relationship between Irene and Benjamin. There are hints of a past relationship. There is obviously respect between them and much affection.

The movie moves between the past when the murder occurred and the present time. Irene and Benjamin solve the murder.

There are some fast paced scenes when the murderer is chased and he is exposed (literally) as the murderer. Apparently that scene alone took a year to plan and several months to execute. It was amazing.

Politics creeps into the story when the murderer is let off for giving information on political prisoners.

You never are sure which way the story will go. Is it a story of past romance? Is it a police story about solving a murder? Is it a political story about corrupt cases that allow a murderer to go free?

The last half hour of the film takes you on an unexpected emotional journey. . I enjoyed listening to people discussing the film as they left the theatre. Most were somewhat negative as to the quality of the picture.

The story will keep you interested. You will certainly want to discuss your interpretation. I always enjoy listening to the Spanish (English sub-titles) This is a good picture but I’m not sure it was the best foreign film of the year.

Langolino

It was like returning back home. There is something so soothing about the atmosphere at Langolino. The outside looks like a quaint inn. At night the little light bulbs give it a magic charm. Inside it is cozy, casual and warm in atmosphere. I am getting tired of the glitzy high tech restaurants. This restaurant makes me feel so comfortable.

I am also inspired with Wendy, the chef. With no formal training I can honestly state that she is a first class chef. She is creative. The food is tasty. I am impressed that she likes to use local produce and Ontario raised meat. The presentation of the food is always so inviting. The web site states that the food is a ‘delightful sensual taste experience.’ That is absolutely correct. The service is always perfect. Often Wendy’s son is attending. On this evening a very charming server was outstanding. He couldn’t do enough to please us.

My friend Nadia lives in the west end of the city. I live centrally. We try to find central locations for our frequent visits. We always have a great time and often relate stories of our ridiculous antics when we taught together. Nadia had heard me rave about this restaurant and it was her choice to try it. I, of course, was delighted.

We started with an appetizer special. The Smoked Salmon was served on Potato Rosti and tasty mixed greens.($12.00) It was so beautifully plated w e hated to disturb the dish. Once we started we couldn’t stop eating this most generous portion. It was so tasty and pleasing to the palate. That dish would have made for a meal on its own.

I was tempted to start with the Shrimp Mignonette.($14.00) Jumbo shrimp are prepared in garlic, butter herbs and a touch of tomato. This is a signature dish.

Soups and salads are also choices as a starter course.

Nadia chose the Linguine Pescatore for her entrée. It was a generous sized portion and beautifully arranged. Nadia agreed that we had made the right choice for dinner this evening.

I was so plt was crispy on top and moist and flavorful inside. There was a healthy portion of julienne vegetables and some little potatoes. It was all sitting on a bed of red pepper puree. Oh my goodness! Delicious.

I noticed that there is a reasonable fixe prix at $25.00. choose between the House Soup or Mussels.

The main course offers Baked Salmon or a Pasta dish. Desserts include ice cream or a slice of one of the selected cakes. What a bargain!

Sunday Brunch is very popular. Classic egg dishes are listed as well as yogurt and pancakes.

Now that the weather is nicer many will want to enjoy the patio. It is special because it faces Clinton Street and only looks onto the busy College St.

What value! We had a spectacular meal and felt so comfortable in the surroundings.

A Shine of Rainbows

was so overwhelmed with this exquisitely filmed emotional picture that I had to wear my sunglasses home at 6:00 p.m. The cinematography is worth the price of admission. The Irish countryside and the vista left me aghast. The acting is superb. This is a tender loving story that will really tug at your heart strings.

11 year old John Bell is unbelievable as Tomas, a young orphan boy.

We first meet him in the orphanage where he is taunted by the other boys. He stutters and is quiet and withdrawn.

The exquisite Maire ( Danish film star Connie Nielsen) comes to the orphanage to adopt Tomas. She is beautiful and so loving and tender. Apparently she had to learn the Irish accent in a very short time. I could listen to her all day. She sounded beautiful and she looked exquisite. Her smile would comfort any child. She takes him home to an island off the coast of Ireland.

They live in a small cottage. It is obvious that they do not have many material things but the love that Maire gives to Tomas is unconditional. She teaches him to be self sufficient and she also inspires him to love the nature all around.

Maire’s husband, Alec, is not convinced that Tomas is the right choice. He wanted someone more masculine. Alec ignores him and cannot relate.

It is heartbreaking to see the interaction with Tomas and Alec. It is so beautiful to see the interaction between Maire and Tomas.

Alec and Maire are a happy loving couple. Gradually we see Tomas getting to love his new home and making friends with the neighbor children. If only Alec could warm up to him.

The cinematography is breathtaking. The children in the area go to the sea shore and investigate old wrecked forts. They observe the insects and the bats. Tomas befriends a seal that is marooned on shore. He is tender and loving to the seal and talks to it as a friend. They investigate old structures in the area and believe mythical stories about the area.

At first I almost felt embarrassed that I was watching a ‘kid’s story.” Not at all. It is an exquisite story well told about a young boy acclimatizing himself to his new surroundings. I shuddered every time the social worker came for a visit. I questioned whether Tomas would be able to stay because Alec had not signed the papers.

Maire becomes very ill and everything changes. It was heartbreaking and I wondered how the story would conclude.

Apparently the filmmaker has won awards in the past. He is Canadian.

The filming is impressive. The acting is impressive. The story is captivating. Just bring a lot of kleenex and your sunglasses.

This film has been playing for a few weeks so I suggest you plan to see it in the near future or you may miss the opportunity of watching this very special story.

Filippo's

Elaine is my ‘foodie’ friend. I can’t tell you how much time we discuss in deciding which restaurant to dine and then discussing every morsel that we enjoy. We love talking about our menus for dinner parties and sharing recipes. Elaine is a great and innovative cook. In short we both love good food.

I hadn’t seen Elaine for a long time. She had been away and then I went to Israel. We had missed our dining experiences and had so much to talk about. We decided to meet on St. Clair Ave and let fate decide which restaurant we would enjoy. When we drove past Filippo’s a light went on. Elaine has dined here before and I had heard about the fine food.

We both like small family run restaurants. When we were greeted by the smiling face of Filippo we knew this was going to be a positive experience. He greeted everyone and continued to check if we were satisfied. It was never noisy and it was fun to watch the glorious plates of delicious looking food being presented to the tables.

We were very naughty and completely demolished the delicious broschetta. It arrived immediately and we enjoyed the fresh tomatoes on this crusty tasty bread.

We shared Filippo’s Insalata di Casa ($8.95) Romaine lettuce, artichoke hearts, black olives, and sun-dried tomatoes are delightfully mixed with a three cheese dressing. I wonder how many calories we consumed. Didn’t matter. When something tastes this good you just go with the flow.

For a small restaurant I was impressed that 5 salads are offered. A Zuppa del Giorno is freshly prepared daily.($6.95) The Minestrone is always on the menu($6.95) Vegetarians will be happy to note it is a vegetable base with fresh garden vegetables. Carpaccio di Manza offers thin sliced cured beef, parmaggiano cheese and served with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.($12.95)

Pasta and pizza are the main listings on the menu. Pesce and Carne selections are listed daily on a blackboard.

We opted to share a pizza. It was decision time to choose one of the fifteen choices. Fresca Pizza was the right choice for us. The crust was thin and crusty. Tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pesto, roasted red peppers, shrimp and eggplant were so tasty. They were even kind enough to divide the pizza and give us our own plates. There are so many different ingredients listed on the pizza choices. All the family can dine here and be satisfied with different choices.

The Risotto del Giorno changes daily. I’m told it is prepared without cream and is delicious. My favorite pasta choice was a consideration and will be my choice on my next visit. Pasta Gamberoni is a linguini dish with black tiger shrimp prepared in a mildly spiced tomato and white wine sauce.($24.95) Gnocchi Ripieni offers fresh spinach and ricotta cheese-filled gnocchi in a light tomato cream sauce.($17.95) Cappellini Pomodor is angel hair pasta prepared with plum tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and garlic and fresh basil. ($14.95)

This is a small restaurant. The menu offers many choices. We were delighted with our choices. It is such a friendly place. Thank you Stephanie for the pleasant efficient service.

It was all a winning combination and it was so good to see my good friend again.

Caplansky's Deli

Welcome to the old world of the neighborhood deli. I felt as if I was walking back in time. The aroma hits you as soon as you enter the establishment.

We were charmed with our server who is from Australia and traveling around the world. It was fun just chatting with him. He was so friendly and willing to please.

Alex was heading out for a gig at a club in the neighborhood. My daughter-in-law, Kathy and Alex met me for an early dinner. Kathy is the expert on French fries. She can tell Hand Cut Fries and only eats these freshly cut and cooked fries. Apparently they are outstanding at this restaurant. Alex and Kathy were fighting over the last few fries. By the time I decided I would really try one there was nothing left.

Alex started with a bowl of Matzoh Ball Soup. Our family likes to think we are connoisseurs of the fluffy matzoh ball. Alex declared this a winner. The soup was full of flavor and the matzoh ball passed the flaky test.($5.00) Alex ordered the Sandwich Combo. That included his soup and a Smoked Meat Sandwich ($11.00) The sandwich was so full of lean meat. All the condiments were already on the table so we had nothing to do but dig in to the feast.

Kathy also ordered the Sandwich Combo but with fries. Alex and Kathy were happy patrons.

I do not eat meat so wondered if I would starve here. Fortunately the Leo was available. Leo stands for Lox, Eggs and Onions. I usually have a problem with scrambled eggs in a restaurant. They are often overcooked. These were almost as good as mine. The portion was large and the eggs were fluffy and delicious. Lots of cooked onions were immersed in the eggs and I liked the fact that the lox is added at the end. Two potato Latkes with applesauce, a bagel and pieces of fresh fruit completed this tasty dish.($12.00) It is not an extensive menu but I imagine most people come here for the smoked meat.

The Caplansky Salad is available for less hungry patrons.($10.00) Seasonal chopped vegetables, spring mix, chick peas, croutons and sprouts are tossed in a mustard vinaigrette.($10.00) Liver and Onions is offered with schmaltzy onions.($12.00)

Chicken In a Pot is a specialty of chef Danny Griesdorf.($12.00) All the regular specialties of Chopped Liver, Kishka and Knishes are available as side dishes.

The dessert menu is extensive. We opted for the Sour Cherry Pie. We should have ordered two more pieces. We all loved it so much.

There are specialties on the menu for children at very cheap prices.

A good deli is hard to find. This one brought back memories of days gone by and made me reminisce about the famous Stage Door and Carnegie’s in New York.

Caplansky’s is centrally located. I imagine the patio is busy on a warm day.

This was a treat that will soon be repeated. It is an economical meal that will fill your stomach and your soul with a cultural experience.

I love being with my family and we had the bonus of this delightful restaurant.