Milli - Magazine - Issue 2

S P R I N G & S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 • I S S U E 2

I N T E R V I E W W I T H N A T A L I E P O R T M A N

N E W D I S C O V E R I E S I N O L D N I C E

P I C O N E F I N E F O O D

L U I S A C E R A N O

D R E A M I N G I N T E C H N I C O L O U R

C L E A N , M O D E R N , A N D L U X U R I O U S .

Welcome to the second issue of Milli Magazine.

First and foremost, I would like to thank each and every one of you, our loyal customers, for your patronage and support.

Spring has sprung! This season brings the fusion of new trends with classic spring style. From crisp white head-to-toe, to long dressesthat effortlessly carry from day to evening, our latest arrivals are sure to make this seasonal transition tres chic.

Miwelcomes a visit from you to check out the revitalized colour palette going forward; pops of colour, neutral basics and playful sil-houettes speak volumes (see “Dreaming in Technicolour” on page 46). Accessories are the focus in “Glamour Eyes” (page 10) and “If theShoe Fits” (page 50), proving that sometimes it is the smaller details that make the most difference.

This issue features an exclusive interview with Oscar winner Natalie Portman (page 18) and an in-depth look at the reality of customerservice (see page 52). Also included are the voices of local businesses and contributors – The Art Gallery of Hamilton, Earth to Table,Picone Fine Food and Tawse Winery. Check out all of the services that Milli offers, vendors we are carrying for spring and coverage fromour fall Pink Tartan event.

We have also launched our new interactive website – my efforts to stay in touch with the techno savvy world! Visit www.milli.ca towatch runway coverage, view collections, and keep up-to-date on store events and promotions. You can contact us through the websitewith questions, comments or even to order that must-have item!

Lastly, a special thanks to all of those who partner with us, locally and abroad, for helping make Milli Magazine possible. We encourageyou to do business locally with each of the exclusive companies represented in the pages of this edition. The very best in customer serv-ice can be expected from Milli and all of our local partners. A special thank you to Lida Baday for the cover and editorial for ourSpring/Summer 2011 issue as well.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Milli Gould

S P R I N G & S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 • I S S U E 2 • M I L L I M A G A Z I N E

TORONTOCritchley Lane • 100 Bloor Street West

Toronto, Ontario • M5S 3L3416 944 2233

HAMILTON310 Main St. West

Hamilton, Ontario • L8P 1J8905 527 1531

www.milli.ca

Photo Courtesy of LUISA CERANO

Todd Tufts • Editor in Chief, Publisher

Leslie C. Smith • Editorial Director

Vence Vida • Production Manager

Milli Magazine is published by Tufts Communications, 1201 E. 5th Street, Suite 1009 • Anderson, IN 46012T: 765-608-3081 • E: [email protected]

© 2011, Tufts Communications. All rights reserved.

4] M I L L I M A G A Z I N E

issue 2 M I L L I M A G A Z I N E

ON THE COVER:

LIDA BADAY

p18

p36

p46

p26 Luisa Cerano

p14

1 Welcome

5 Welcome to Milli.ca

6 Milli Services

8 Milli Apparel Selections

10 Glamour Eyes

12 Wrap Yourself in Pink Tartan

14 Lida Baday

18 Interview with Natalie Portman

24 Art Gallery of Hamilton

26 Luisa Cerano

32 Picone Fine Food

36 New Discoveries in Old Nice

42 Tawse Winery

44 Earth to Table

46 Dreaming in Technicolour

50 The True Value of Service

52 If the Shoe Fits...

56 Locally Fashionable

C L E A N , M O D E R N , A N D L U X U R I O U S .

at your service

STORE LOCATIONS

web: www.milli.ca • email: [email protected]

STORE HOURS

OUR STYLE

Milli is the premier destination for women’s clothing and accessoriesin Southern Ontario. Our first fashion boutique opened in 1964,and for the last 47 years, we have remained committed to offeringthe latest designs from the world’s top designers. Customer serviceis the hallmark of our business and we are the main destination forthe well-dressed woman. We look forward to sharing with you theMilli experience.

EXPERIENCE

Our highly trained team has the experience and expertise to helpyou in designing the ideal wardrobe for your tastes and lifestyle.

STAY IN TOUCH

We value our clients and want to stay in touch. Let us keep you in theloop about special events, sales and store happenings! Sign up onlineor update your personal contact information next time you’re inshopping.

SHOPPING BY APPOINTMENT

Contact us and set up a time to come in and be outfitted in theseason’s hottest styles. We are available during store hours, beforeand after closing, or by appointment. At your request, we willpersonally pre-select garments we feel are just right for you andnotify you of their arrival.

ATELIER SERVICES

Our professional team of atelier are ready to help you create theperfect fit.

WARDROBE CONSULTATION

Let us bring Milli to you in the comfort of your home. We will takean inventory of your closet, suggesting new ways to incorporate

pieces from our collection in-store, as well as working to mix andmatch with your existing wardrobe. We also are available for personalconsultation at your office, or wherever works best for you! We striveto make looking good comfortable and convenient.

GIFT CARDS

The perfect present is the Milli shopping experience! Gift cards canbe made for any amount and never expire.

GIFT WRAP

We offer complimentary gift wrapping for all purchases and specialgifts in our signature Milli packaging.

HOME DELIVERY & SHIPPING

We ship anywhere in the world! Arrange to have the newestcollection of your favourite designer sent to your vacation home, orgetaway hotspot. If you’re in town, we will personally drop off yourpurchases at your convenience.

RETURN POLICY

If one of your purchases fails to live up to our highest standards, wewould be happy to repair the garment, or issue a credit on youraccount. Your satisfaction is our guarantee.


Hamilton:310 Main Street WestHamilton, ON L8P 1J8905-527-1531

Toronto:Critchley Lane100 Bloor Street WestToronto, ON M5S 3L3416-944-2233

Hamilton:Mon.-Sat. 9:30-5:30,Closed Sundays

Toronto:Mon.-Sat. 10-6pm,Closed Sundays

R E A D Y- T O - W E A R

A I R F I E L D

A N E T T R O S T E L

A Q U ATA L I A

AT T I T U D E

A U T U M N C A S H M E R E

B A S L E R

B L U F I N

C A M B I O

C A S M A R I

C O O K I E J O H N S O N

E L I E TA H A R I

E L I Z A B E T H & J A M E S

F R A N C O F E R R A R I

F R A S C A R A

G A L L A N T

G E M Y

H A U T E H I P P I E

H O T E L P A R T I C U L I E R

I R I S V. A R N U M

I VA N G R U N D A H L

L A F A Y E T T E 1 4 8

L I L L A P

L I N E

L U I S A C E R A N O

M A G A S C H O N I

M A J E S T I C

M A R C C A I N

M A X V U L M A R Y

M C Q

N I C E C O L L E C T I O N

P I A Z Z A S E M P I O N E

P I N K TA R TA N

P L A N E T

R E N Z O

R I C H & S K I N N Y

R E P E AT

R I C H A R D G R A N D

R O B E R T O AV O L I O

S H A M A S K

S A C H I N & B A B I

S H E ’ S S O

S O N D R A R O B E R T S

S T I Z Z O L I

T H E O R Y

D E S I G N E R

A L G O O F S W I T Z E R L A N D

B R U N E L L O C U C I N E L L I

E T R O S P A

G E O R G E S C H A K R A

G I O R G I O A R M A N I

H E L M U T L A N G

L A N V I N

L I D A B A D A Y

M O S C H I N O C H E A P & C H I C

P A U L E K A

R E N A L A N G E

S O N I A R Y K I E L

S T R E N E S S E

VA L E N T I N O

S H O E S

C O L E H A A N

C U C I N E L L I

E L I E TA H A R I

G U I S E P P E Z A N O T T I

L A N V I N


S T U A R T W E I T Z M A N

VA L E N T I N O

A C C E S S O R I E S

G I O R G I O A R M A N I

B A R R E R A

E L I E TA H A R I

E T R O

J A N I S B Y J A N I S S AV I T T

L A N V I N

M I S S O N I

N A N C Y G O N Z A L E Z

S I M O N S E A B A G


S T R E N E S S E

VA L E N T I N O


collections

Photo Courtesy of PINK TARTAN


You wouldn’t put a Picasso in justany frame.

And neither would the friendly andfashion-forward team at Westdale opticalBoutique, where the mandate “differentiateyourself” lives strong in the rows of uniqueeyewear that grace the shelves in this superstylish store.

Located in the heart of trendy WestdaleVillage in Hamilton, Westdale OpticalBoutique is owned and operated by thehusband and wife team of Jim andStephanie McLean. But make no mistake —this is no mom and pop shop. It’s fun andfunky, elegant and glamourous all rolled intoone, with eyewear from all the top designers,plus fabulous gifts and jewellery.

Westdale Optical Boutique boasts a wideselection of eyewear to suit everyone’s desireand need. Many of the lines are exclusive,due to the McLean’s worldwide shoppingexpeditions to find the latest and mostfashionable trends.

Don’t wait for the sun to try on ThierryLasry’s exciting bold frames and OliverGoldsmith’s iconic Audrey Hepburn. Have

fun with the latest designs from Alain Mikli,Judith Leiber, and David Yurman (to namejust a few). Westdale Optical will dazzle youwith these smashing frames.

“It’s a little like playing dress up,” saysStephanie McLean, who confesses toowning 25 pairs of glasses and adds to hercollection each season. “Eyewear is no longerjust a necessity, it is your most importantaccessory. Glasses can be fun, glamourous,or girly, but above all, they should be you.”

Westdale Optical Boutique hasknowledgeable style consultants to help youexplore the endless possibilities and directyou to your most flattering looks.

Lead optician Jim McLean has more than40 years of experience turning out flawlesscustomized lens work in his state of the art

lab. Medical eye exams are available on thepremises, as well as expert contact lensfitting. Quality & fashion, fashion, fashion iswhat this store is all about.

In addition to eyewear, Westdale OpticalBoutique displays unique giftware: CarolBoyes, Alessi, La Loop, stunning jewelleryfrom Europe...expect the unexpected.

It is always an exciting experience comingto Westdale Optical Boutique. When youwalk out the door, you feel good and youlook fabulous!

Milli’s is the place to be —Westdale Optical is the place to see!

Glamour-eyes

Glasses can be fun,glamourous, or girly, but above all, theyshould be you.” —Stephanie McLean

designer eyewear

and Pink Tartan

pink tartan


Natasa Crugnale

Dana Weisz, Sales AssociateSusan Coolsaet, Cindy Kam

Mark Gould, Milli Gould, Ben GouldHead Designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran

and Milli Gould

Head Designer Kimberley Newport-MimranDeborah and Victoria Altman

(Milli shopper in training!)

AA number of lucky ladies wrapped themselves in Pink Tartan on November 18,2010, spending a lavish evening with head designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran.After an exclusive presentation of the designer’s luxe collection, guests were able topurchase the new pieces, with a percentage of the proceeds benefitting HamiltonFood Share.

1200 Upper James StreetHamilton, ON L9C 7M5905 575-9400www.johnbear,com

Balancing serious performance with luxury in a very affordable package — the all-new CTS CoupeCadillac—setting another automotive benchmark. Pursue the benchmark of quality, style, and elegance.

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designer spotlight


designer spotlight

M I L L I M A G A Z I N E [15

designer spotlight


winner b y A M Y L O N G S D O R F

"Nina's bulimic. And anorexia andbulimia are forms of OCD. Ballet real-ly lends itself to that because there'ssuch a sense of ritual that goes alongwith dancing — the wrapping of theshoes everyday and the preparing ofnew shoes for every performance.

"It's almost religious in nature. It'salmost like Jews putting on theirTefillin or Catholics with their RosaryBeads, and then [the dancers] have agodlike character in their director So Ithink Nina suffers from a sort of reli-gious obsessive compulsion. Thatwould be my professional opinion."

From the beginning of Black Swan,Nina has a loose grip on reality. Lockedin a too-close relationship with hermother (Barbara Hershey), she beginsto unravel after her company's artisticdirector (Vincent Cassel) fires his starballerina (Winona Ryder) and handsthe leading role in "Swan Lake" over toher.

Nina's problems are intensifiedwhen a new dancer named Lily (Mila

Kunis) joins the company. The pairinstantly begin a pas de deux of

love and hate, which pushesNina even closer to the brink.As one critic noted, theDarren Aronofsky-directedfilm resembles "MommieDearest meets Repulsionmeets Single White Female.”


interview with academy award® winner

When Natalie Portman crackedopen the script for Black Swan, thesaga of an ambitious ballerina'smind-blowing nervous breakdown,she instantly understood where hercharacter was coming from.

It's not that Portman, who wona Academy Award for Black Swan,has any personal experience withmental illness. In fact, the actress,who's best known for roles in theStar Wars prequels, Garden Stateand V For Vendetta, has a reputationfor being one of the hardest-work-ing, most well-adjusted stars inHollywood.

But Portman has a secretweapon when it comes to sussingout troubled characters — a degreein psychology from HarvardUniversity.

"This movie is actually a case ofsomething that I learned in schooltranslating into something practical,which is very, very rare," she sayswith a laugh during an interviewwith a select group of journalists.

So, what's Dr. Portman's diagno-sis of Nina, a dancer who begins tolose her grip on sanity as she pre-pares to dance the starring role in apressure-cooker production of SwanLake?

“This is absolutely a case ofobsessive compulsive behavior," saysPortman, a native of Jerusalem whogrew up in Long Island, the onlychild of a doctor father and an artistmother.

Natalie Portman

oscar winner

Portman is in nearly every scene of thedrama and it's her out-on-a-ledge perform-ance which is earning plenty of rave reviews.

"The best thing that you can hope forwhen you make a movie and you put yoursoul into it, like all of us have done, is thatpeople respond to it well. The fact that audi-ences have come away moved and excitedand entertained and stimulated is extraordi-narily flattering."

A veteran of eight years of dancetraining (from the ages of 4-12),Portman still needed to work out fornearly 14 months to into tip-top shapefor the physically demanding. Portman'steachers included former New York CityBallet company member Mary HelenBowers and choreographer BenjaminMillepied (the father of Natalie’s baby-to-beand soon to be husband).

So, what exactly did Portman put herselfthrough while preparing to play a ballerina?

"Mary and I did about two hours [ofdancing] a day for about six months," recallsthe actress. "That was really just sort ofstrengthening exercises, getting me ready todo more so that I wouldn't get injured.

"Then at about six months, we starteddoing five hours a day. I was swimming amile a day, toning and then doing threehours of ballet a day. Two months beforeshooting, we added the choreography. So, bythe end, we were doing eight hours a day."

Portman says the intensity of the prepara-tion allowed her to better get under Nina's skin.

“THE PHYSICAL DISCIPLINE HELPED FOR

THE EMOTIONAL SIDE OF THE

CHARACTER BECAUSE WORKING OUT

EIGHT HOURS A DAY, YOU GET THE

SENSE OF THE MONASTIC ELEMENT OF

A BALLET DANCER'S LIFE.”

Natal i e Por tman

"You don't drink. You don't go out withfriends. You don't have much food. You areconstantly putting your body throughextreme pain. I came to understand the self-flagellation of a ballet dancer."

Amazingly, in the midst of her intenseworkout regime, Portman went off toIreland to shot a romantic comedy calledHer Highness with James Franco and DannyMcBride.


"They were out having fun every night,and I was the little good girl; no drinking,waking up at five to do my workouts, andnot eating," Portman told EntertainmentWeekly. "I was the really unfun one."

Still, despite all of the sacrifices shemade, Portman calls Black Swan one of thebest experiences of her career.

"My relationship with Darren feltalmost telepathic," she raves. "I never

had that with any director before.Darren could say half a word and Ifelt like I could understand him, and I

could say half a word and he couldunderstand me. We were in some strangezone of focus that allowed us to share thisattention."

The idea for Black Swan began withAronofsky more than a decade ago. Duringthe making of Requiem For a Dream, hekicked around ideas for a script called TheUnderstudy. A few screenwriters later,Aronofsky's idea was honed into BlackSwan by scriptwriter Mark Heyman, whoalso worked on The Wrestler.

According to Aronofsky, Black Swanwas hard to get financed despite theacclaim — and Oscar nominations — whichThe Wrestler racked up.

"Two weeks out, the money fell apart,"says the director. "But we were very luckybecause we got Fox Searchlight to come inafter we were on our hands and knees beg-ging. We had so little money, so every singleday was difficult.

winner

Having to push back the productionforced Portman to keep on practicing — anddieting.

"I didn't realize until recently that everytime we [delayed our start date], Natalie wasgoing, 'another three weeks of carrot sticks andalmonds! I'm gonna kill you!' So she really wastortured pretty badly because we had such ahard time getting the money for the film."

As tortured as Portman was, she was ableto shake off the role the day the productionwrapped.

"As soon as I finish a scene, I'm back tobeing me," she says. "I want to be myself again.I'm not someone who likes to stay in character.This clearly had a kind of discipline that lentitself to me being more like my character whilewe were shooting the film than any past expe-riences. But even so, when it's over, it's over.I'm back to my regular life."

On the last day of filming, Portman kickedoff the ballet footwear she'd grown to detest— "pointe shoes are torture devices; they feltmedieval to me," she declares — and she wentback to eating her favorite fattening foods.

"I believe the first meal I ate afterwardswas pasta," she says. "For breakfast, lunch anddinner."

Portman took a drastic turn away from thedramatic with her next 2 features — springcomedies, No Strings Attached and YourHighness, but it’s back to drama with hernewest role in, Thor, a Hollywood action block-buster where the mythilogical God of comicbook fame finds his way into 2011 society.


VALENTINO.COM

fine art


He was an eager artist, riding high on the success of anaward he had won for a historical painting at the famedParis Salon of 1847. She was a young actress at the storiedThéâtre du Palais-Royal, surely flattered by the attentionsof the up-and-coming (and perhaps a tad smitten) artistand his offer to paint her portrait, his first such commis-sion. They even agreed upon a price. The actress,Mademoiselle Durand, was to pay Jean-Léon Gérôme twothousand francs for the artwork.

Miss Durand selected a black silk taffeta ball gowntrimmed with lace, a sumptuous satin scarf and a head-dress of flowers, and sent the ensemble to the artist’s stu-dio. She sat for the artist, enduring several long modelingsessions while Gérôme painstakingly worked on the can-vas. Her patience exhausted, Miss Durand stopped show-ing up to their appointments.

Undeterred, Gérôme continued to paint without hismodel. He presented the completed portrait to the actress(perhaps adding a theatrical unveiling to the occasion),expecting her accolades and his two thousand francs.

Miss Durand offered neither praise (“It doesn’t lookanything like me,” she pouted), nor payment.

In response, the artist did something quite modernindeed. He sued Miss Durand.

And so it was that the artist, the actress, the painting —and their lawyers — appeared before a tribunal. Aftermuch deliberation, it was decided that although the paint-ing showed both charm and a talented hand, it did not, infact, resemble the sitter. It was also decided that althoughthe young actress was not in a position to either pay for orreceive the portrait, she would pay the artist two hundredfrancs as reparation for his time and trouble.

For Jean-Léon Gérôme, it was an inauspicious – and mostdisappointing – debut as a portraitist. In fact, it was a long,long time before he undertook to paint another portrait.

See the portrait that appeared before the courts. Jean-Léon Gérôme’s Portrait of Mademoiselle Durand is featuredin the exhibition The French Connection, on view at the ArtGallery of Hamilton from May 21st through September5th. 123 King Street West, downtown Hamilton.www.artgalleryofhamilton.com

in the Black DressivaD

spotlight


PHOTOS COURTESY OF


Photos Courtesy ofLUISA CERANO

spotlight



spotlight

30] M I L L I M A G A Z I N EPhotos Courtesy of

LUISA CERANO

local business connection


Picone Fine Foodspecialty food shop located in Dundas, Ontario.

Our story begins with our grandfather, Joseph Picone Sr., whogrew and sold vegetables door-to-door with a community serviceethic to the first families of Dundas. In 1915, he established a storefront. 96 years later, in the same location, 3 of his grand daughterscontinue to evolve the family business maintaining a communitycentered approach. With this ethic, we support the local economyby sourcing from small production farming and local culinary arti-sans; stimulate a local food culture by sharing our knowledge andpassion about food; and build strong community ties through com-munity investment.

Picone Fine Food has carved out a niche dedicated to promot-ing sustainable food products that support local and organic farm-

ing and local small production culinary artisans. Over the years wehave successfully cultivated direct trade business relationships withover a dozen farmers in our region. Through research we sourceand build alliances with locally sustainable food producers such as,De La Terre Artisan Breads from Vineland, Ontario; Best Baa Dairy(a limited production sheep dairy) from Fergus, Ontario; and Teal’spure pork sausage, using locally raised hogs from Caledonia,Ontario- a product we have carried since their inception in 1915.Using ingredients from our ethical suppliers, Picone Fine Food fea-tures in-house daily prepared and baked goods created by our ownlocal culinary talent.

Picone Fine Food

Picone Fine Foods is an intimate retail venue for small produc-tion farmers and local culinary artisans. Because we promote andfeature local farmers and culinary talents, we contribute to thegrowth and sustainability of these industries. Having cultivateddirect trade relationships with these farmers and culinary artisans,we are the bridge that connects the community to the farmers thatfeed us.

We are passionate about food and people. We research, advocateand provide ethical, conscious food choices for our community.Sharing this knowledge with our customers develops a curiosityand discussion that stimulates an interest in the culinary arts andfood politics.

We engage our customers with information about local foodpolitics, such as the raw milk debate; and we feature locally hand-crafted alternative raw food, vegan and non-GMO specialties. We

recognize the diversity of our ever changingcommunity. We provide alternative nutri-tional food choices for special dietary needssuch as, wheat-free, gluten- free, dairy- free,and a wide range of quality ethnic foods suchas japanese, indian, and kosher.

We inspire our customers with unusual ingredients and mealpreparation ideas. For example when customers ask us what seaasparagus is, we explain where it comes from and share suggestionson how to prepare and serve it as well as pairing options. Our pas-sion for food is infectious and we work hard at stimulating a foodculture, which draws like-minded people into Dundas making it adestination town.

Our extensive community outreach profile includes promotingand fostering developmental initiatives in local arts and culture;community service organizations; and youth and seniors programs.We do this because we rely on our community for a thriving busi-ness- without our community, we would not have a business.

Picone Fine Food is a long time supporter of the arts. We sponsor the annual Dundas Art Studio Tours, and we give ongoing donations to art openings and artist talks at the DundasValley School of Art and The Carnegie Art Gallery. We are also thegallery’s keyholder, and volunteer depot enabling the art gallery tomaintain operational hours by their volunteers. This exemplifiesour trusting relationships and commitment to supporting otherlocal businesses.

Picone Fine Food is a close affiliate withDundas Community Services (DCS) organi-zation. DCS promotes and advocates for theneeds of the Dundas community. Mrs. ElsiePicone (our mother, and business associate)is a founding member and volunteer for over40 years with DSC. Throughout this time, Picone Fine Food hasbeen an integral part of their fundraising initiatives.

For 40 years, we have been supplying daily food donations toThe Good Shepherd Centre in Hamilton. With the help of ourdonations, The Good Shepherd Centre prepares meals for thehomeless and at risk living in downtown Hamilton.

For the past 2 years, we have also been giving bi-weekly fooddonations to The Welcome Inn, which is a centre for facilitating re-integration of the unemployed back into the workforce. In addi-tion, we support our seniors with the Meals on Wheels programand health and fitness programs out of McMaster University andHospital. We also give regular donations to The Rotary, The Lionsand The Civitan service clubs.

We enjoy sponsoring local youth athletic teams, and variousyouth arts programs. We are also proud to be one of the few busi-nesses that hire local students providing some of their first employ-ment experiences. Our commitment to community developmentwas honoured when Picone Fine Food was recognized by the Cityof Hamilton to be awarded the first recipients of the Business ofthe Year Award 2010 by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce-Dundas Division.

At Picone Fine Food, we are passionate about food and people.Our community centered approach is a philosophy that connects usto our customers and has sustained our success for 96 years. Wechoose to invest in our local economy by sourcing regional suppliers,thereby bridging a direct connect between the community and thefarmers that feed us. By sharing our knowledge and passion for food,we impact a community awareness in food culture. Through invest-ing in community development, we support a strong community.

As we embark on our centennial anniversary, Picone Fine Foodis an example of a successful and influential small independentbusiness thriving amongst powerful corporate giants. We thank ourcommunity for their on going loyalty and with gratitude we thankour grandparents for instilling in us the values of investing in ourcommunity that in turn invests in us.

local business connection


travel to France b y E T H A N G I L S D O R F


If you want,Nice can be sim-ply about sun andsea. The Baie desAnges, that arc of

smooth stones against the Mediterranean'sazure expanse, seduces most visitors into ahappy nap-swim-eat routine.

But if you explore the back streets ofOld Nice, the city reveals pockets of otherpleasures. Yes, there are the markets, restau-rants, and shopping. But even more reward-ing can be unexpected encounters withlocals eager to share the area's culture andhistory.

Going back to the fourth century BC,when Phoenician-Greeks sailed over fromMarseille to establish this trading port,Nice's seafaring roots have encouraged for-eign affairs. Romans showed up and builtbaths and arenas, then Dark Ages invadersplundered the city.

Rebuilt by the 14th century, a fortifiedNice, allied with the Italian counts of Savoy,upset French kings, who blew it apart again.In 1860 the city became part of France.

Shortly thereafter, the British turnedNice into a luxury destination, and painterssuch as Matisse discovered the Riviera's sun-shine. The grand quai-side casinos still speakof this golden age, even as most visitorsnowadays pass them by, opting for budgetrather than palace hotels, dressing in tanktops rather than formal gowns, and travelingby Rollerblade rather than Rolls-Royce.

By chance, the dates of my visit coincid-ed with the annual Festa de San P ire.Fishing boats garlanded with flowers andcoloured lights lined Castel Beach while astatue of Jesus was carried from a church inthe old city into the water. After a pagan-like burning of a boat effigy, young folkloricdancers took the stage with middle-agedcrooners belting out songs such as "TotalEclipse of the Heart."

Just before this blessing of the fleet, Iwas enjoying my favorite post-beach Nicoistradition: a plate of "socca," a chickpea cr pebaked on a mammoth copper pan in awood-fired oven. In line at Ren Socca, mypreferred takeout joint, I struck up a con-versation with Jean-Pierre and MaguyMouret, Nicois who now live in Grenoble."You have to eat it hot," said Maguy, recall-ing a childhood memory of eating socca toward off the winter cold. Between bites, herhusband spun tales about battles before thenow-gone city walls. They gave me a quicktour of their personal history. "This is whereI was born," Maguy said as we walked downthe rue St. Francois. "This was bombed bythe Allies in the war." The walk was quite acontrast to my usual Nice afternoon of care-free sunbathing.

While I have visited this fifth-largestFrench city probably 10 times, this was thefirst time I ducked into the free PalaisLascaris, a fresco-festooned 17th-centurypalace with vaulted ceilings and quirkyobjets d'art.

New Discoveriesin Old Nice, France

travel to France


The premises were all but deserted,except for a small French-language tourgroup that allowed me to tag along. Theguide told us stories about the Flemish tap-estries, regal portraits, silver ex-votos andreliquaries, and a reconstructed apothecaryon the ground floor. This same Baroquemansion, in ruins then, had shelteredMaguy's cousin with her five children dur-ing World War II.

At the market on the Cours Saleya, thegastronomic belly of Old Nice, you canstroll by the stalls and soak up the flashycolours of zucchini blossoms and buckets ofgreen tapenade. Food is such a serious mat-ter that a cannon rings out each day to markhigh noon and lunchtime.

You can learn more about the food sceneby hiring Rosa Jackson, a Canadian gourmetwho runs Les Petits Farcis ("stuffed vegeta-bles"), a market tour and cooking class busi-ness. "I want to give people an opportunityto shop and cook as if they lived here,"Jackson said.

Nicois specialties include an onion,anchovy, and olive tart called a "pissaladi re,"the sweet Swiss-chard pie "torte de blette,"and a corn-and-almond cookie called"estouffadou." Yet the city's traditions haveceded some ground to hipper restaurantssuch as Terres de Truffes, a truffle-themedbistro serving risotto, foie gras, and smokedbrisket.

All you need for a long weekend is with-in walking distance of Old Nice, that trian-gle of crooked streets defined by the Quaides Etats-Unis to the south, Boulevard JeanJaur s to the north, and the looming Collinedu Ch teau (Castle Hill) to the east.

If you have a few extra days and crave ataste of small-town Cit d'Azur, Nice is anideal base for exploring coastal villages suchas the 1,400-foot-high Eze, as well as CapFerrat with its 6-mile coastal path.

No need to rent a car: Take the localtrain that hugs the sea from Cannes to theItalian border. You can make a day trip andbe back in Nice in time for supper.

Relaxing at a cafe along the CoursSaleya, it's easy to understand why Nice,which combines the chic C te d'Azur withthe feel of an easygoing Italian town, attractsfamilies, retirees, and party-going collegestudents.

For me, just watching the water turnfrom milky-blue to iridescent gray at sunsetis reason enough to return. That, and a plateof hot socca, a glass of wine, and an unex-pected encounter make Nice live in all thesenses long after one returns home.

WHERE TO STAY

Hotel La Perouse11 Quai Rauba-Capeu33 4 93 62 34 63www.hotel-la-perouse.comTucked into the Colline du Chateau, thisaffordable four-star perched above the quaitraffic noise has a private pool garden,restaurant and many windows with seaviews. High-season rooms $265 and up.

Many of the shops sell typical -- andavoidable -- Provencal-themed tourist itemssuch as straw shopping baskets and chirpingceramic cicadas. Look for anomalies such asthe Espace Loas (Haitian Art Center, 36 rueDroite) or the Water Bar (rue de la Loge) forsampling designer mineral waters. In the oldcity, amid mostly pedestrian-only alleys,mustard- and tomato-coloured buildingspredominate, punctuated by clock towersand steeples of churches that seem moreItalian than French.

One Sunday morning, I turned an aim-less amble through the cool, shady streetsinto a hunt for the city's best homemadepasta. In less than an hour, I had found fourshops displaying tortelloni and panisses(chickpea flour disks) like precious colouredseashells.

After all, Nice is only 12 miles from theItalian border. This also explains the profu-sion of gelato shops (the best beingFenocchio on Place Rossetti, with dozens offlavors including tomato-basil).

Outside the old city, there's the endlessboardwalk to the west. But don't neglectNice's lesser-known eastern end. You'lleither have to take the route around the chteau hill, along the Quai Rauba-Capeu (lit-erally, "cape of the flying hat," because ofthe winds), or climb over it; choose thelatterfor panoramic views. Down the other sidelies the restaurant La Zucca Magica and theplacid Port Lympia, where yachts moor andmassive ferries embark for Corsica.


WHERE TO EAT

Fennocchio2 Place Rossetti33 4 93 80 72 52The city's best gelateria, with more than 50flavors, overlooking a spacious square and astatue of Nice's patron saint. Open daily9am-midnight. One scoop $2.40, twoscoops $4.20, three $5.40.

La Zucca Magica4 bis, Quai Papacino33 4 93 56 25 27No fuss, five-course Italian meal so fresh andfabulous you'll forget it's all vegetarian.Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday-Saturday, 12:30-2:30 pm; 7:30-10:30 pm.Fixed price dinner menu is $32.50 (withoutwine); lunch $20.

Chez Rene Socca2 Rue Miralheti33 4 93 92 05 73Grab a plate of the famed chickpea crepe(or other Nicoise treats like fried squashblossoms), then grab a table across the streetand order a pitcher of rose wine. Linger withthe locals at this neighborhood spot in busi-ness for 40 years. Open daily (closed Monand January) 9am-11pm (until 9pm off-sea-son); prices: portion of socca $2.40; otherdishes $1.80-3.60, glass of wine: $2.60

Ethan Gilsdorf is the author of "Fantasy Freaksand Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for RealityAmong Role Players, Online Gamers, and OtherDwellers of Imaginary Realms" (Lyons Press). Hecontributes regularly to The Boston Globe, NewYork Times, National Geographic Traveler, and TheChristian Science Monitor.

www.gemycoutureaporter.com

winery of the year


A winery established less than 10 years ago has scooped up thetop place finish at the prestigious Canadian Wine Awards, with 18medals and the coveted designation as Canada’s Winery of theYear. It is the first time an Ontario winery has been namedCanada’s Winery of the Year.

Tawse Winery of Vineland Ontario, (www.tawsewinery.ca)located on the bench of the Niagara Escarpment along Ontario’spopular Wine Route, won five gold, three silver and 10 bronzemedals. No other winery has won as many gold medals in a singleyear through the Canadian Wine Awards.

In addition, Tawse won the White Wine of the Year Award forits 2008 Robyn’s Block Chardonnay. The chardonnay received ascore of 93 out of 100 - the highest ever achieved by a table winein this competition.

The Canadian Wine Awards have been held annually since 2000by Wine Access Magazine, and involve stringent, international-cal-ibre competition with blind tasting by wine experts. Tawse Winerysubmitted 25 wines for judging.

“We’re extremely pleased and honoured to be named Canada’sWinery of the Year,” says Moray Tawse, Toronto financier andowner of the winery he established in 2001 out of a life-long pas-sion for wine. “Our goal is to make great wine and it’s a good feel-ing to have our efforts recognized. I think the recognition is alsogood for our entire region and will encourage people to try Niagarawines.”

Mr. Tawse gives the credit to his winemaker, Paul Pender, andthe winery’s organic and biodynamic method of grape growing,

which does not use pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers,and incorporates long-standing farming practices based on therhythms of nature.

“If you’re feeding your vines on chemicals and fertilizers, it’skind of like a human being fed on junk food,” he says. “Our vine-yards have been farmed organically since 2001 and with biody-namic principles since 2006. You can taste the difference.”

Mr. Tawse also praised the “incredible complexity” of the lime-stone, clay and shale soil at the winery’s location, part-way up theNiagara Escarpment, between the small towns of Beamsville andVineland.

“When you make wine, vineyard location is critically important.The terroir we have here is very much like the region of Burgundy,in France. That’s what inspired me to invest in vineyards here.”

The five gold medals won by Tawse were for the 2008 Robyn’sBlock Chardonnay; 2008 Quarry Road Chardonnay; 2008 WismerLakeview Vineyard Riesling; 2009 Riesling and 2008 LauritzenPinot Noir.

Anthony Gismondi, editor of Wine Access Magazine, describedthe Robyn’s Block Chardonnay, winner of the White Wine of theYear Award, as a “masterpiece of well integrated pear fruit, toastyalmond barrel notes and mineral complexity. It has penetratingacidity and outstanding length.”

The first of the certified organic & biodynamic wines will bereleased in the spring of 2011.

For more information, contact the winery directly at(905) 562-9500

delicious dining


I didn’t think I ever wanted to be a restaurant owner so how —8 months in to an extremely successful opening — did I ever gethere? This is how the story goes:

In May of 2006 the executive chef of the Ancaster Mill, JeffCrump and I — at that time the Pastry Chef of the Ancaster Mill— began writing a cookbook, and to be honest, I didn’t know I wasto be an author either. We had started to document our new rela-tionship with a local organic farm, namely, ManoRun in Copetown.We took pictures, wrote stories, and spent the next year writingabout the pros and cons of trying to source most of our food for therestaurant locally and sustainably. What started off as a fairly mod-est project turned into a beautiful, hard cover, 310 page, full colourcookbook published by Random House in Canada and Ecco HarperCollins in the US. We named the book Earth to Table: SeasonalRecipes from an Organic Farm. And to our surprise, the amount ofpositive feedback we’ve had has been a little overwhelming. Ourextremely approachable philosophy on food is a pretty sticky idea.To a lot of people it just makes really great sense. The major thingwe do differently is educate ourselves on where our food is comingfrom, make certain we feel good about the source, and prepare itwith conviction. This perspective is not new or genius. It doesrequire a little more work and a few more phone calls, but the endresult is food that tastes delicious and to be honest, that was thegoal. What ended up happening was that we found ourselves beingpart of something even greater: a sustainable system that nourishesour community, our traditions, and our environment.

This philosophy is the platform for our new restaurant, Earth toTable: Breadbar.

After we wrote the book, I realized that I had been the pastrychef at the Ancaster Mill for 10 years. It was about time that I tried

something else. At the same time, Jeff was feeling a bit of an itchhimself. He wanted a pizza place and I wanted a bakery. What webuilt was both under the same roof. It took a number of people topoint out to us that bread and pizza use the same equipment, usethe same ingredients, and pretty much the same skill level of chef— it only made sense. We had the complete support of AaronCinacone (owner of the Ancaster Mill), and we decided togetherthat the new bakery/pizza place would stay in the LandmarkGroup of Restaurants. We would use the kitchen as a commissaryspace for bread to be sent back to Ancaster Mill, Spencer’s and thesoon to be Cambridge Mill.

As for the restaurant, the contemporary space with bright redwalls, a large communal table in the center of the room, and miss-matched chairs is being well received by our customers — and letme tell you, the place is busy! While February and March are dev-astating months for most restaurants, we are reaching record highsin sales. We love being a part of the Locke street community, andtruly feel supported as a new business. Our philosophy sings everyday over the pass with the words, “good ingredients matter.” Thefood is simple, but prepared with care and conviction, which canbe tasted in every bite.

You can find us this summer at the Ancaster Farmers Market(Wednesday’s 3pm-7pm) and the Locke Street Farmers Market(Thursday’s 3pm-7pm) sellingbread, pies, and muffins. We alsooffer take out, catering, birthdaycakes, and wedding cakes. Nowthat we know Breadbar is a suc-cess, who knows what will benext!

Earth toTable A conversation with Bettina Schormann

RICH AND SKINNY

technicolour dreams

b y L E S L I E C . S M I T H

Spring is well supplied with a wide array of psychedelic hues

This is your brain. This is your brain in spring mode. A jumble of colours that makes you feeldizzy yet somehow energized and gloriously happy. Shots of saturated shades, hopped-upneons, acid hues and oversized floral fixes.

You can’t help yourself. You’ve gone colour cold turkey for nearly two years now. Wornnothing but grays, navies and blacks, with a little of that white stuff just to take the edge off.Now to hell with the consequences. You’re jonesing for variegated substances, you need to getthat good ol’ chromatic buzz on.

technicolour

46] M I L L I M A G A Z I N E Photo Courtesy of LUISA CERANO

technicolour dreams


it’s fun

it’s reds, blues, greens,

achingly bright tints ofyellow and orange, fancyjewel tones, juicy citrushues, even tinges thathint at darker desires –burgundy, tobacco, chocolate.

Photo Courtesy of LUISA CERANO

Photos Courtesy of LAFAYETTE 148

One of the best ways to trip out on thesly is by dressing real demure, in street-levelshades such as olive and ecru, and thenblowing their minds with a purse pigmentedin sulphur yellow or a handbag in popsiclestripes of orange, ice-blue and lime. And youcan get almost the same blast from a busyfloral print. What could be more innocent-looking than a bunch of blossoms, for heav-en’s sake? Noobs just don’t seem hip to howmany colours you can stash in those things.

playful

fashion meets service


“Please stay on the line and the next customer service personwill be with you.”

How many times have you hear that unpleasant refrain. Wesomehow have been so worn down by service mediocrity we thinkthat waiting in lengthy lines for homogenized service is acceptable.

When it comes to a retail store, the experience is no different.Big box stores that now dominate our retail landscape are perva-sive and growing. In some cases their prices are no less than in yourlocally owned shop. We believe that prices will always be better atthe big box, so we search the aisles ourselves and wait in line topay. What's clearly not better is customer service. Large scaleretailers lately have made the “service” message more prominent.But what do they mean by service and what do you expect?

Self service is wonderful for grocery stores and gas stations, butwhen it comes to your clothing it is quite another matter. In thefashion industry, consumers are bombarded with retailer claims ofselection and service. Thankfully the days are gone when snootysalespeople who size up an individual by their dress, hairstyle orany other myriad options the arrogant and ill-informed sales per-son would have done before (dominated the sales floors of thenation). But in fact they cannot match the levels provided by theindependent retailer. In our store, for example, we offer a largevariety of brands, similar to (but clearly not as extensive as) largercompetitors'. However when a consumer enters our doors, theyare greeted with respect and dignity.

Fashion takes its inspiration from many places. Design teamswork feverishly to create new and desirable looks that best repre-sent their customer and current times. However many of the teamslive and work in places far from our Niagara peninsula. It is up tous, the retailer in collaboration with the consumer, to create aselection that is both current, stylish, fashionable and appropriatefor our lifestyles and climate. A highly trained sales team can dothat. Self serve in fashion stores leaves many people questioningwhy the photo they saw in Vogue or GQ is unavailable or why theycan't squeeze into a collection that only manufacturers to a maxi-mum of half their size.

Fashion brand names give consumers a great deal of confidencein terms of quality and consistency of design acumen. However.they design with a worldwide audience in mind. That means a localretailer will interpret the best of a collection to represent their cus-tomer taste the best. The sales professional will then ensure thatthe customer gets the best available to them.

The good news for consumers in this scenario is that the serviceis free. The same fashion may be available in a department storeand a local boutique and will be sold for the same price. Thatequates to a pretty good value. The local store will normally offerexcellent service to try to win your long-term business. The depart-ment store will offer a wide variety of fashion items, but you willbe left to your own devices to find how best to coordinate the out-

fit. Without coordination, we often make purchases of clothingthat remain in the closet for years before realizing that it's too hardto wear. Clothing is an investment. It's not so much an investmentin money terms as it is in your image. The way you dress speaksvolumes about you and, when properly attired and fitted, has theadded benefit of making you feel your best.

So next time your thinking the changing season demands a lookat the new fashions, try stopping in a boutique first. You'll be gladyou did.

theTrue Value

of Service Appeared in Bay Observer, October, 2010

fashion and fit


If the shoe fits wear it. That cliché is as old as any modern dayeuphemism we know. Elements of fashion come together in manyways, but probably the most subtle yet important way is with fit.

A properly fitted garment can come about in many ways. Themost assured way for men to achieve a perfect fit is by a bespokeprocess whereby measurements are taken, muslin mockups made,and fittings had. Tailors work meticulously to ensure that any anom-aly our body exhibits will be compensated for and disguised to deliv-er a perfectly symmetric garment. In the women's fashion world,bespoke is replaced by haute couture. The worlds greatest designerswork individually with women who wish to find an exclusive styleand the perfect fit.

Over many years, and especially in the 20th century, hand-madeclothing became accessible to only the most wealthy in our society.The rise of the great middle class created an opportunity for manu-facturing of clothing and accessories that had the look and feel ofpersonalized fitting and would appeal to a mass market. What wasonce exclusive became available to many. Looking back at some ofour great icons of style like Audrey Hepburn or Cary Grant, we canall realize how we admired their personal style, but what we don'tgive credit to is how the perfect fit allowed us to look beyond.

As the apparel industry grew and clothing production and con-sumption moved around the globe, tailors became pattern makerswho orchestrate mass production of garments. Together with design-ers and merchandisers they inspect each style for the proper fit to

ensure the integrity of its design and comfort. Before the items go tothe factory, samples are created and fit models are hired. These mod-els are known less for their appealing faces and more for the symme-try of their bodies. But here's the rub. The fit models are the “typical”form for the target market. This begs the question, are you “typical?”

Most likely you are not. Not many of us are. We are all built ofdifferent dimensions in height and weight. Proportions differ fromone individual to another. Yet when we want to purchase clothes,often we don't want to spend the time or money to finish off the gar-ment to get the right fit. Often stores don't even offer the skills thatare required to adjust a garment to its best fit. Tailors are the unsungheros of local execution of fashion and style and are instrumental inthe achievement of an investment clothing item.

These skills are becoming a lost art, and as their labour availabili-ty wanes, so goes our chance to wear clothes that make us better.Fully one third of our company's employees work in our atelier. Wedon't do alterations, we fit garments. The customer who leaves ourstore expects that the comfort and confidence of fit will be there.Look around and notice jacket shoulders that slouch past the arc ofthe arm, or pants that sag in all the wrong places. I always thinkabout my grandfather, Sam Netkin. He was a man of impeccabletaste and had a great relationship with Hamilton downtown's LouDavidson. Both these men were admired for their great style. All ofus have this in us. But the key in my mind is not only to choose theright garment, but to get it fit right.

If the Shoe Fits...Appeared in Bay Observer, November, 2010

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and fit


Food and wine are part of today's fashion mosaic. Many of us

are fortunate enough to enjoy the best the world has to offer,

whether in our own homes, local restaurants or when we travel.

We have many fine food retailers and restaurants in our area and

new ones are always popping up. In the food business today, and

keeping with a green and environmentally friendly theme, the

trend in food is returning to the old adage, “think globally — act

locally”. Food and wine affectionados tend to enjoy the nuance

differences in taste that distinguish a good taste from a great one.

Recently a restaurant in the countryside of Denmark replaced Il

Bulli as the world's top spot. The restaurant's name is Noma, and

they specialize in creating meals from local sources. This trend has

been developing for some time. In San Francisco in the 1980's two

women coined the phrase “locavore.” It's defined as those who

seek meals that are prepared with locally grown foods (within let's

say 100km from the eatery). Noma is the purest of these as they

gather ingestibles from the area's farms and forests and prepare

exquisite meals without exceeding the local limit.

Visually, fashion is the similar. While style is driven by design-

ers with a worldwide audience, in the Golden Horseshoe we have

our own style, climate and lifestyle that dictates what will work

best for us. What differentiates great design and quality from the

average is originality, design, fit, material and workmanship.

Sometimes the differences and subtle. But make no mistake, the

difference between a great design and one of leeser quality is the

same as the difference between a Grand Cru from a great house in

Pomerol and a lesser Brouilly.

Similar to the food business our fashion stores are made up of

“ingredients” if you will, from around the world. We search the

world for the best designs we can find. However we always stock

our store with Canadian designers like Hamilton born Lida Baday,

Pink Tartan and James Younker. We celebrate their Canadian roots

and support their wonderful expression of fashion. Furthermore

our company supports Ontario based fashion wholesalers and

importers who find great products and bring them to us so we can

buy them in “bite size” portions. We support Hamilton based busi-

nesses with our purchases. We support our local charities through

volunteering and financial contributions.

Small business is the backbone of our consumer culture and

economy. Forty-five percent of Canada's GDP is generated by

small and mid-sized businesses. Between 1983 and 2003 small and

medium sized business accounted for 78% of new job growth. The

owners and their employees are the mainstay of our cities. They

support our cities, pay taxes, coach our hockey teams, attend PTA

meetings etc. Putting money in the hands of your local retailer will

surely benefit our community. Spending outside will likely not.

What they ask in return is to be considered as a first option

when thinking about purchasing. Think about being a locavore

and a local supporter.

Locally FashionableAppeared in Bay Observer, December, 2010

reach new heights in the Air Delfina Back Zip by cole haan

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Milli - Magazine - Issue 2

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