I’m no sports fan. I’ve tried to make that clear. I am however a fan of large rowdy crowds, VIP seating opportunities and snacking. So when Bacardi invited me to bring a friend to the Toronto Blue Jays VS San Francisco Giants at The Rogers Centre to indulge in their #BacardiBestSeats I jumped on the opportunity.

Culinary driven sports commentary wasn’t new to me. Last year I had the opportunity to sit court-side at the ACC for the Raptors VS Bulls game and made a point to storytell about their sips and nibbles. My grandfather and father are rather obsessed with baseball so I grew up watching them scream at the TV or better yet, getting rowdy at the Rogers Centre. Their passion for the sport is often endearing and rarely embarrassing. My entire family headed out for one of the first games fo the season. An oddball bunch in the nose bleed section…

On this particular VIP adventure my guest for the evening would be my friend Rodney, an Aussie from Brisbane who recently moved to Toronto. I discovered he had never in his life been to a baseball game and figured these special seats would create a long lasting impression and fond memory.

We arrived moments before the game started and marched down to AA seating where you can literally touch the astro turf from your seat. After the duo of anthems we sat back down on plush padded seats and surveyed the menu. We had a server designated to our section throughout the game who grabbed snacks and Bacardi beverages whenever we felt peckish. I was delighted when my friend Brock McLaughlin sat in the seat next to me. Apparently this was his first baseball game as well, so rather hilariously I realized I was the most familiar with the sport. #sideglance

Highlights of the evening included: screaming because you can, endless rum centric beverages, attractive first basemen, an annoying mascot dressed as a large blue bird and the moment when the girl behind us caught a foul ball. My heart jumped out of my chest as the ball came crashing towards me. Thankfully the ball plopped gently in her lap. The Rogers Centre offers up the standard ball game snacking opportunities, a perfect accompaniment for fans of the bats and balls.

Bacardi Best Seats Feasting Includes:

Fresh Popped Popcorn

Shelled Peanuts

Stadium Hot Dogs

Fresh Turkey and Peameal Bacon Wraps

Nestle Ice Cream

Bacardi Oakheart and Cola, Bacardi Real Jus, Bacardi Breezers

#453 restaurant reviewed in Ontario since moving to Toronto in 2010. 

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Last week Buddies in Badtimes hosted a media preview for Director Alistair Newton’s Of A Monstrous Child: A Gaga Musical. It was a beautiful sunny Thursday late evening so I served up a cocktail for James and I to enjoy before running down the street for the much anticipated final show of the Buddies season.

Mr. Newton has been working on this project for some time now. Last summer during the Pride Festival I made certain to visit his Monstrous Ball. Through this club party he was able to showcase elements of the show which allowed me to piece together its final transformation and big final reveal on stage.

The cabaret was packed and a buzz with excitement as guests enjoyed pre-theatre refreshers. Shortly before 8pm critics and the who’s who in Toronto’s theatre scene spilled into the space. Just as the lights dimmed the audience roared, hooted and hollered. A lively bunch.

I mulled about the show during the performance, chit chatted about it afterwards and took two days to let the content rest with me before pulling up my chair and tapping my fingertips across my keyboard. Alistair has done an excellent job at using Lady Gaga as a subject for the discussion of fame and its impact on celebrity, fandom and borrowed influence. The show is by no means a Mamma Mia style ABBA musical, rather it offers up a darker take on the creatures which live within her realm of power and projection.

Inspired by an essay Lady Gaga wrote while studying at NYU, Of A Monstrous Child chronicles an encounter between one of her obsessed fans (played by Lil Monster, Tyson James) and performance legend Leigh Bowery (Broadway star Bruce Dow). The iconic Bowery gives a crash course in the history of queer performance, trotting out a virtual who’s who of artists, academics and celebrities whose work has been appropriated by our Mother Monster.

Highlights of the show include stunning set design (a coffin filled with roses and a stoic podium), witty narrative (those insufferable hipsters) and a stand out emotional performance delivered by Kyle Travis Young. Throughout the show we encounter Madonna, Bjork, Yoko Ono, Boy George, Elton John, Andy Warhol and Marina Abramovic.  A whimsical and humorous look at the pop stars and underground art world icons which have helped create the personality we now refer to as Gaga.

I’ve always been enamoured with those who make daring choices. While I’ve had my own phases which included absolutely oddball haircuts and questionable wardrobe decisions I wouldn’t place myself in a category of avante garde. While Lady Gaga’s fame is an excellent study for the wild, wacky and queer, Alistair’s show made me think about those today who are taking the most risks and inspiring us to take chances.

I’ve been eyeing London’s Daniel Lismore for some time now. One look at his Vine or Instagram showcases a wild and wonderful world of performance art that lives and breathes wherever he goes. He is often referenced in the UK as London’s most outrageous dresser, club kid, man about town and fashion runway commentator. I suppose having the courage and empowerment to dress however you feel is perhaps the most freeing and liberating experience we can hope for. Fashion thrills and the Fame Game.

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On a cold winters late afternoon I met Marian Staresinic for for a hot bowl of ramen at Kenzo. After lunch we popped by my apartment as I wanted to share a sweet sip. We chit chatted about social media, the blog world, Toronto’s restaurant scene and our love for good food and drink.

I popped open a bottle (alright it was a screw cap…) of 20 Bee’s Late Harvest Vidal which is produced in Ontario’s Niagara region just outside of the town of Virgil. Their 2009 vintage won the Bronze at the Wine Access 2011 Canadian Wine Awards and is known for offering the best value in the late harvest category. This sweet nectar showcases aromas of pear, peach pie, honey, lemon sherbert, buckwheat honey and spice. Medium in sweetness and light acidity for balance.

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