The first round of news focuses on bars and restaurants, reflecting where Torontonians spend their time in the winter.

We may have been the first to note the opening of restaurant Yours Truly, but we are not the last. Many are lauding the food and the men behind it, and liking the bar scene – check it out yourself at 229 Ossington.

Singer Emily Haines listed The Dakota Tavern as her favorite go-to for live music in Toronto.

Blogto has been profiling bartenders, starting in our area with The Garrison and The Ossington.

We were there when they were, and now you can read and watch a behind-the-scenes look at new GlobalTV series Bomb Girls when they were on location at The Dakota Tavern last fall.

Soon-to-open new restaurant The Grove, next to Churchill on Dundas at Lakeview, is already getting preview attention for its English menu.

The local art scene is also getting some coverage, starting with a story about art which mentions some street art on Queen near Ossington. It’s a cool picture – definitely want to check it out!

Liss Platt’s exhibit at MKG127 just opened and received a nice write-up for her photography in constant.

Last week, Toronto Life recommended Pinkalicious, the children-targeted musical which has been running every Sunday at Lower Ossington Theatre.

 Did we miss any news about the neighborhood? Let us know in the comments.

The year in festivals kicked off in January with a dance festival called Connect TO at Lower Ossington Theatre, which is a prime festival location.

The music festival season began with the Canadian Music Festival in March. Musicians and bands performed at local venues including The Painted Lady, The Garrison and The Dakota Tavern.  Juno Fest also hit Toronto, and Ossington, in March, with Canadian musicians featured at The Garrison and The Dakota Tavern.

The music came back with the return of NXNE in June, and we saw some amazing shows right here in Ossington Village. This July, the Painted Lady created a new festival to coincide with the Toronto Jazz and Fringe Festivals. Maybe next year, we’ll see more venues join the fun.

The Contact Photography Festival covered art galleries for the entire month of May, and didn’t miss Ossington, with exhibits at The Painted Lady, Angell Gallery, Brockton General and Levack Block.

Jane’s Walks, which take place all over the globe on a May weekend, were also led in our neighborhood. Maybe next year you’ll see an Ossington Village Jane’s Walk instead of “the Hipster’s Guide to Ossington!”

Summerworks returned in August, bringing music and theatre to Lower Ossington Theatre and other local venues. The hugely popular Havana Cultura returned for it’s second year in August, with Cuban music, art and food on offer at almost every spot on the street. Who can forget the cigar roller surrounded by scantily clad women? Another returning event was Queen West Music Fest, which celebrated it’s third year this summer in Trinity Bellwoods Park.

Some was sipped, and some was likely chugged, but either way, Toronto Beer Week also returned to Ossington in 2011, with tastings and pairings at local restaurants and bars. Ossington also saw the return of TO Sketch Fest, with lots of comedic troupes taking to the stage at LOT this past November.

The gift: Theatre tickets. With a focus on delivering the arts to the community, LOT offers entertainment throughout the year. Seats are on sale in 2012 for Avenue Q for the adults, or, for the little ones, Pinkalicious.

Where to get it: Lower Ossington Theatre, 100 A Ossington Avenue

Price range: $30 – $60

Who would like it: People who like the theatre, or just a nice night out. Young kids who would be enchanted by a Sunday matinee (and their parents, who would love it if you’d take them off their hands for an afternoon)!

Bohmer Restaurant is holding a Speakeasy New Year’s Eve, with a 5 course tasting menu with a glass of bubbly, for $75 pp.

At this year’s Dakota Tavern New Year’s party, CATL will have everyone dancing with a show starting at 10PM.

The Painted Lady sticks to what it does best, with music by Salazar and burlesque from Anastasia Burlesque.

The Ossington is planning an 80s boogie funk New Year with “Love Handle NYE Edition” with DJs starting at 10PM.

Opera Bob’s is hosting their 3rd Annual New Year’s Eve-Stravaganza, with live music from The Unknown Culprits and guests. Admission is $20 but go buy tickets in advance as they sold out well before the big night last year.

The Garrison‘s Annual New Year’s Eve party features Chronologic and Shit la Merde and tickets are available at Soundscapes and Rotate This for $20.

Lower Ossington Theatre‘s new event space, LOT, is hosting a New Year’s party for $10 with dancing all night. Tickets on sale now and the party starts at 10p.

UPDATE: Fishbar has announced their dinner menu for New Year’s (scroll down) and for $55 pp they are offering a 4 course meal, drinks not included.

People will be dancing at Levack Block. Featuring DJ Dougie Boom in the backroom with special guests in the front. Entry is $20 in advance, $30 at the door, plus there’s a $40 VIP wristband = entry to second floor & champagne toast at midnite. Doors open @ 10pm, serving till 3AM.
Tickets available at the bar from Thursday to Saturday from 5pm or through PayPal via levackblock@yahoo.com

We’ll keep updating this post as we learn of more happenings in the neighborhood.

How did you get involved with the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival?

Although this is our first year performing in the Toronto Sketch Festival, we have previously performed in Toronto as part of the 2010 Fringe Festival. That was a qualified success, but an unqualified great experience. When it was over, we knew that we wanted to make some major improvements to our show, and we also knew that we wanted to return. Toronto is a great comedy town, and we’re excited to see old friends and show off new material. We also just really enjoy the hassle of bringing six foot rubber snakes through customs.

What other troupe’s show at this year’s Festival do you most want to see?

Seeing Uncalled For‘s Hypnogogic Logic the last time we were in Toronto was a major inspiration for where we wanted our comedy to go. We had a similarly enlightening experience when we saw Peter N’ Chris at Seattle SketchFest this year. We’re obviously pumped to see those groups again, but we’re also hoping that a new Canadian sketch group will expand our ideas of what can be done on stage. The Really Good Show sounds promising.

Why should we come to see your show?

We were called “fresh-faced” by NOW Magazine. Of course that was more than a year ago, so we might be “old hat” at this point. Assuming you are the writer from NOW Magazine who wrote that, you should probably come see for yourself if it needs to be updated. In the unlikely event that you are not that writer, perhaps a description of our comedy as “hyperliterate, design-savvy…hip and dilettante in the best possible way” by CultureVultureVictoria.com will persuade you to come out. And just in case you’re wary of the dots in that quote or the dot com in its source, the last thing we will say is that we are performing with Uncalled For, so you should probably buy your tickets in advance.

What is your favourite place on Ossington? If you haven’t been to Ossington, where do you most want to go?

It’s hard to say. From looking at Google Maps, there are a number of martini glass icons that look like they represent swanky lounges. We’ve always wanted to be permitted into one of those.

How did you get involved with the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival?

We’ve been hustlin’ our sketches around Toronto for about a year, and we decided it was time to get festive wit’ y’all.

Picnicface. Haircut, because we both think Pat is hot, and Allie is our homegurl. The Imponderables. Vest of Friends – we love their veeeeeeeests! Fratwurst. Jape.

Because WE’LL be there! And so will our friends – they’re hot and SINGLE. (We do comedy for the sex)

That Portuguese bakery across from the furniture store and beside the Lower Ossington Theatre. You know the one. Prosciutto sandwiches for 3 dollars, yo!

How did you get involved with the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival?

Toronto Sketch Fest is the one place where we can expose our material to a new audience, and bring people out to our shows that go on the rest of the year. It’s always a great opportunity for us to meet other comedians, and expand our audience. This is our second year being featured in the festival, and we couldn’t be any more excited! We all got haircuts!

We would love to get the chance to see Two Kids One Hall. We are all huge fans of Kids in the Hall, but then again, it’s hard to find a sketch comedy troupe that isn’t. We’re also hoping on seeing some of the new and upcoming troupes that are featured on the roster this year.

We’re all really excited for the material we put together for this year’s sketch fest revue. We always aim to mix as many different types of humour into our shows as we can, and this set has a good mix of physical comedy, musical comedy, straight-dialogue humour, and theatrical sketch. As always, it wouldn’t be a Good Game show without a little touch of absurdity, but there’s really something for everyone in this show. This year we’re putting an emphasis on variety, and feel like this might be our best sketch fest set yet (that kinda rhymes).

Too many to choose just one… Pizzeria Libretto and Dakota Tavern are some favourites… you can often see us at The Lakeview having a few drinks or some coffee before checking out a show or event at Sketch Fest. Ossington Village is one of our favourite places to hang out during Sketch Fest events, since it’s walking distance from both the Lower Ossington Theatre and Comedy Bar.

The Queer Comedy Collective is performing at this year’s Sketch Comedy Festival at the Lower Ossington Theatre on November 9 at 10PM. They are the next troupe we profile in our series.

How did you get involved with the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival? 

Andrya, a member of our troupe, was out somewhere doing something entertaining in front of an audience or some such thing, and someone from the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival gave her his card. “It’s hard to find Queer sketch comedy troupes,” he wept. So we invited Sketch Fest to our pre-Pride show at Bread ‘n Circus in June, after which, we filled out all necessary paperwork.

What other troupe’s show at this year’s Festival do you most want to see?

Cory, Punch in the Box and Picnicface

Why should we come to see your show?

Scott from Xtra called it ‘cheerfully deranged.’ It’s bratty but good-natured. Sarcastic and stinging but you’d still want to be its friend. It’s not the bully of sketch troupes. Oh yah, and we’re the only Queer sketch troupe in Canada.

What is your favourite place on Ossington? If you haven’t been to Ossington, where do you most want to go?

Want to eat at Pizza Libretto and Campagnolo. Or, just want to walk up and down Ossington and be mistaken for cool people.

Susan from the Queer Comedy Collective sent me over lots of videos, so check one out here:

Kevin’s responses to our questions follow:

How did you get involved with the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival?

I’m currently working on a full hour solo sketch comedy show and I wanted to raise awareness for this project by performing with the festival. I’ve been in the festival in previous years writing and performing with The Sketchersons and as one half of the now non-existent sketch duo Death Ray Cabaret.

What other troupe’s show at this year’s Festival do you most want to see?

I’d like to see A Classy Affair, The Templeton Philharmonic and British Teeth. Conveniently enough, British Teeth and The Really Good Show are performing on the same bill!

Why should we come to see your show?

You should come and see my show because I will be performing sketch alone, which is a feat in itself. I will be doing songs, playing multiple characters and it is all material I have been honing in front of audiences for the past year so it’s gonna be funny. If you don’t come, I don’t know what I’ll do to myself and you’ll have to live with that.

What is your favourite place on Ossington? If you haven’t been to Ossington, where do you most want to go?

My favorite place is the Lower Ossington Theatre, which is a venue for the festival. It’s huge! I’ve always wanted to perform there. The bigger your troupe/act, the better chances you will be booked there when they create the sketch fest lineup. This year, I’m performing at Comedy Bar in the broom closet behind the water heater.

 

How did you get involved with the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival?

Peter: our Toronto comedian friends told us about it and it sounded like a fun time, and a good chance to meet other sketch comedians, so we applied.

Chris: and I was too drunk to say No

What other troupe’s show at this year’s Festival do you most want to see?

Chris: Im pretty excited to see Uncalled For, Picnicface, Two kids one Hall, Falcon Powder, and Charles

Peter: and hopefully there is enough time to catch Tower Heist, its a new Ben Stiller movie

Why should we come to see your show?

Peter: you’ll want to see our show because we are on before PicnicFace that night, and you are probably going to see them. So it would be polite if you showed up for us too

Chris: also, we won pick of the fringe in Vancouver, Now Magazine Critics Pick, and a Just for Laughs Best Comedy nomination, and we are on before Picnicface who you already want to see.

What is your favourite place on Ossington? If you haven’t been to Ossington, where do you most want to go?

Chris: I don’t really know Ossington, but last year there was this convenience store near the Lower Ossington Theatre that I bought a Red Bull at before the show, and it definitely lived up it its name. Convenient

Peter: Yeah Chris told me about that store, it sounded pretty awesome, i hope to go there too.