A Grandly Electrifying Dining Experience

image via foodjunkiechronicles.com

I am constantly on a mission to find the best bang for my buck when it comes to dining out in the city of Toronto, aka El Toro aka The Big Smoke aka The T-Dot.

This city has made a real name for itself on the North American restaurant scene in recent years. The success of local chefs such as Susur Lee, Jamie Kennedy, and Mark McEwan has helped put Toronto on the map for world-class eats and top-level dining experiences.

So with that said, the latest buzzworthy resto to hit the scene is Grand Electric, a diminutive, 29-seat "taco bar" run by ex-Hoof Cafe chef Colin Tooke, located in the city's Parkdale neighbourhood.

Comedy Review: Tracy Morgan Is A Sick Mofo (And We Love Him For It)

Yes. He killed it. (Photo via clubzone.com)

Me and the future Mrs. Paqman were waiting on The Turnbulls at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts for the Tracy Morgan stand up show. As we were hanging out, I saw a dude walk through the front doors with a white shirt and an impressive pot belly. I leaned over to Fabs and said "Is that Tracy Morgan?". Before she had a chance to answer, I instinctively yelled out "TRACY!!!!!" while she wooed it up. He looked over briefly and kept walking with his fiancé. He had that look on his face...you know, the signature look he has that just makes you want to laugh. And that was our preview to a great performance.

Turnbull's Top 10 Albums of 2011

Tens of thousands of albums have been released this past year, so P&B are taking on the arduous task of breaking down our very own Top 10 Albums of 2011 List. This is the first of a 2-part series (Turnbull's first, with Paqman's to follow). We'll break down the albums, EPs, and mixtapes, etc, that made for quintessential listening throughout the year. If you don't see something on here that you feel should've made the lists, feel free to leave a comment or send us an email about it!

10) Theophilus London - Lovers Holiday

Amongst a couple of mixtapes, and a major label debut that I found somewhat disappointing, this 5-track EP captured the true essence of this debonnair Brooklyn MC/singer-songwriter, who sights Prince, Mike J, and The Smiths as his key influences.  London is a fashion savvy street rebel who struck gold with this short yet solid set of tracks.

P&B Approved Cuts: Strangelove, Wine & Chocolates

9) Bon Iver (s/t)

Truth be known, I didn't know what to make of this album when I first heard it, but it certainly has grown on me over time.  This record serves less as an album, and more as a collection of lush 'soundscapes' that conjure up the same feelings of isolation shown on Bon Iver's critically acclaimed debut album For Emma, Forever Ago.

P&B Approved Cuts: Perth, Holocene, Towers

Quick Shot Review: Drake - Take Care

(Photo via aglobalculture.com)

I added Drake's Take Care to my Blackberry this morning (legally) so that I could sample the delayed and anticipated album. Singles, or leaks, are usually an indication of what we should expect from the official release. For Take Care, this is the case.

The feel of the album is dark and moody on my first listen. In contrast, I thought that Thank Me Later had more kick to it, with a great mix of ballads, bangers and everything in between. Based on what's been written about Drake's process in creating his sophomore effort, he took his time. And his meticulous and drawn out process is reflected in his work.

The main themes of the album are fame (don't hate) and the ladies. This isn't a shocking deviation from what he's released in the past. My feeling is that he could've expanded on what he previously established, but why fix something when it isn't broken.

So take Take Care for what it is. A deeper exploration into Drake's soul and his struggle with fame. It's a darker journey that you might not want to take more than a few times.

P&B Approved Cuts:

- Make Me Proud feat. Nicki Minaj
- Headlines
- Lord Knows feat. Rick Ross

-Paqman

Five Things We've Learned from NFL Week 1

photo via ca.ibtimes.com

These are 5 things we've learned after Week 1 of the 2011-12 National Football League season:

#5 - The Buffalo Bills look like they'll be a competitive team this season:

Incumbent starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is continuing to display great leadership skills for this squad, and he has them starting the season with a lot of confidence.  Sure, it is only the first game of the year, but I like how the franchise made a commitment to sticking with Fitzpatrick, as they did not draft a quarterback to compete for his job this season.

Concert Review - TV on the Radio @ Sound Academy, Toronto

TV on the Radio stopped in for a Toronto date on Monday night as they currently tour in support of their latest record, Nine Types of Light.