DISTILLERY DISTRICT
Distillery offers intoxicating, historic environment
October 24, 2009
Kenyon Wallace
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Walking the brick-lined streets in Toronto's Distillery District, it's easy to forget that you're in the heart of the largest city in Canada.
Earlier this year, when I first visited the site, which started out as a grist mill in 1832 and grew to be one of the largest whisky distilleries in North America before the turn of the 20th century, it was hard to believe the more than 40 Victorian-era limestone and lowrise red-brick industrial buildings had sat derelict for almost 20 years.
Sandwiched between Parliament St. in the east, Mill St. in the north, Cherry St. in the east and the railway tracks in the south, the former Gooderham and Worts distillery was designated a national historic site in 1988. It had been mainly used as a movie set since the company's owners closed shop in 1990.
But in 2001, that all changed when two friends, Mathew Rosenblatt and John Berman, laid their eyes on the remarkably preserved 5.2 hectare property, just a 10-minute walk from Union Station.
"We looked at each other and thought right away this would make a great walking district," says Rosenblatt, a real estate broker, who along with Berman, a lawyer, planner David Jackson and architect James Goad, set up Cityscape Development Corp., a private firm specializing in developing historic properties.
"When we walked into the first building, we said, 'Wow, this would make a great art gallery or restaurant.' Then we walked into the next building and thought the same thing," Rosenblatt recalls. "At least 60 per cent of the entire concept of the Distillery was born in the first five minutes."
They bought the property that year for $10.75 million and, along with Dundee Realty Corp., restored and developed the Distillery into a pedestrian-only district, featuring art galleries, restaurants, shops, schools, and now, a new condominium building. Construction has already started on two more residential towers slated for completion in 2012.
With so much to explore, it was with great relish that I accepted an invitation to stay in the Distillery District for three days in mid-September and write a first-person account of what it's like to live in this unique environment.
At its core (apart from being an arts and culture centre), the Distillery District is really a small town within a big city. Rosenblatt put it best when, during our tour, he characterized the Distillery as "big city sophistication meets small town charm."
Indeed, the area offers all the amenities and services one could need, with the added bonus of having one of the city's best theatre companies and more than a dozen art galleries just steps away.
Living
Cityscape and Dundee put me in the guest suite at Pure Spirit, a 32-storey condominium building on Mill St., the first of three residential towers being built in the Distillery. Completed earlier this year, Pure Spirit consists of lofts and condos ranging from 450 to 1,500 square feet, many of which offer stunning views of the downtown and Toronto islands.
I particularly enjoyed taking a dip in the west-facing rooftop swimming pool while admiring the city's skyline. The guest suite, while only 645 square feet, didn't feel small with its 12-foot ceilings and large living area. The sleeping area featured two sliding frosted glass doors that create a bedroom when closed, again giving a more spacious feel to the condo.
While Pure Spirit is sold out, units are still available in the Distillery's next two projects: Clear Spirit, a 40-storey tower scheduled for completion in March 2012, and Gooderham, a 35-storey tower to be ready in November 2012. Both will be on Tank House Lane, next door to the Mill Street Brewery and across from the Young Centre for the Performing Arts.
Clear Spirit features courtyard units with one- or two-bedrooms plus dens, and tower units with one- and two-bedroom options ranging from 538 to 1,609 square feet and priced between $279,400 and $1,195,000. Renowned architect firm architectsAlliance has designed the exterior of the building, while Chase Architecture and Ava Janikowski Architect Inc. is handling interior design.
Next door, the same design teams are handling the Gooderham, which offers a similar selection of floor plans, ranging from 493 to 2,077 square feet and priced between $261,900 and $1,439,700. Both towers will feature wraparound balconies and rooftop pools offering stunning views of the city.
Of the modern designs of the buildings, Berman says: "We think it complements historic buildings much better if you go ultramodern and try to contrast it. We didn't want to make it too imposing or too heavy."
The buildings will also be registered with the Canadian Green Building Council, a non-profit organization licenced to administer the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. Each suite will feature measures such as double-glazed windows, low-flow fixtures, aerated faucets and dual flush toilets to reduce energy consumption and water use.
Just east of the Distillery District, construction has already started on the redevelopment of the West Don Lands, a 32-hectare area bordered by Parliament St. to the west, King St. to the north and the Don River to the east. Once complete, the neighbourhood will feature 5,800 residential units, a million square feet of employment space, a school, two childcare centres and the 7.2- hectare Don River Park.
"The people that are able to buy now in the Distillery are soon going to find themselves in the hub of the entire development of the West Don Lands," says Berman. "They are going to be the lucky few who are going to be able to live in the Distillery and everyone else will be living around it."
Arts and Culture
When Berman and Rosenblatt discovered the Distillery District, their first instinct was to create a commercial walking neighbourhood that would evolve, always giving residents in the GTA reasons to keep coming back. One way to do that, says Rosenblatt, is to make arts and culture central to the area. To date, the Distillery's dozen galleries and its performing arts centre – home to the Soulpepper Theatre Company – have done just that.
"We wanted something that people could come down and consume and feel that they can keep coming, that there's always going to be something new," says Rosenblatt.
The Engine Gallery on Distillery Lane serves as an example of the ever-changing face of the area. Every month, the gallery has solo exhibitions to showcase and promote paintings, photography and sculptures by local and international artists.
The Thompson Landry Gallery, just down the street, was established to show contemporary art as well as paintings by the great masters of Quebec, such as Jean-Paul Riopelle and A.Y. Jackson.
"I think people do appreciate the mandate, having a place where they can come to for everything Quebec," says co-owner Joanne Thompson.
The gallery now has two sites within the Distillery: one in the old stone distillery complex, featuring four-metre limestone walls, and the other in the cooperage building, which opened in June 2009. The new gallery is attached to A Taste of Quebec, a specialty food boutique that sells artisan cheeses, smoked meats and pâtés.
"Our clients are art lovers but also fine food and cheese lovers so it works better than we thought it would," says Thompson.
Perhaps the best-known artistic attraction at the Distillery is the Soulpepper Theatre Company. Founded in 1998 by 12 Toronto actors who dreamed of performing relatively unknown classical plays for larger audiences, Soulpepper moved from Harbourfront to its permanent home in the Distillery in 2005. The company inhabits the Young Centre for the Performing Arts – formerly Tank Houses 9 and 10 – which is a joint project with the George Brown College theatre school. To date, more than 250,000 people have attended performances in the new facility.
"We like to think of ourselves as the anchor," says Soulpepper's artistic director, Albert Schultz. "People tend not to drive across the city to go to a restaurant because there are restaurants in every neighbourhood. They tend not to drive across the city to go to a gallery. What they tend to do is go in to galleries and restaurants as part of a larger experience."
Soulpepper, while based on classical notions, tends to delve into the work of 20th-century playwrights such as Samuel Beckett, Tom Stoppard and Harold Pinter.
"We're trying to do plays that history has passed down to us, but at the same time, our programming tends to be a little gutsier than it has to be if you're trying to fill giant theatres," says Schultz, one of the founding members of Soulpepper. "Also, one way we're different from other theatre companies is that we have at least two theatres going at any time."
While living in the Distillery, I attended Soulpepper's performance of Jean Anouilh's Antigone. Featuring Liisa Repo-Martell in the title role and R.H. Thomson as Antigone's uncle Creon, this poignant reworking of the famous Greek tragedy was an interesting exploration of the clash of youthful idealism with adult responsibilities. The actors' performances were impressive, particularly that of Thomson, who seemed born to play Creon. The next major show, Parfumerie by Miklos Lazslo, starts Nov. 26.
Restaurants and cafés
The Distillery District boasts 10 restaurants and cafés with a wide variety of offerings. My favourite way to start the day was to sit with a good book and a double cappuccino beneath the soaring ceilings and massive chandelier of Balzac's Coffee.
Located in the old pumphouse (which could send three million litres of water throughout the site in the event of a fire), Balzac's roasts its own beans and offers up a variety of pastries and cookies. There's also a gallery showcasing local paintings on the second floor.
On sunny days, I recommend the patio.
The Brick Street Bakery is also a good breakfast spot, offering homemade breads, pastries and pies. Located near the main gates of the Distillery, it's a great people-watching place.
If you're looking for something more substantial, a light lunch perhaps, Café Uno serves up panini sandwiches and offers barbecued hamburgers or chicken breasts most days. They also serve excellent gelato.
A definite highlight for a beer lover is the Mill Street Brewpub. Before sampling one of the 14 craft beers on offer, visitors can take a tour of the brewery to learn how the beer they are about to drink is made. I enjoyed the Tankhouse Ale, a dark, spicy beer made with five different malts. The food selection is similar to many pubs in the city, if not a little pricey.
Next door to the Mill Street Brew Pub is the Pure Spirits Oyster House, located in a 130-year-old barrel shipping room. Try the Dungeness Crab Mac 'n' Cheese for a twist on an old staple. The oyster selection is varied. I asked my server for a selection of oysters from around the world and was served some from P.E.I., Washington state, and British Columbia. Each offered unique textures and flavours, but my favourite, by far, were the Kumamoto oysters from Washington. Plump and sweet with a creamy finish, these oysters are a perfect way to begin lunch.
When the Distillery first opened, the developers were looking for restaurant tenants but found it difficult to persuade established Toronto restaurateurs to take a gamble on their vision.
"One well-known owner said, 'Call me in 10 years when you have your first tenant.' It was devastating," recalls Berman. "So we thought we'd do the restaurants ourselves. We just didn't see the challenges."
Thus, the Distillery Restaurant Corp. was born. The company owns Pure Spirits Oyster House, and my favourite, The Boiler House.
I had the pleasure of eating dinner here twice during my stay in the Distillery and, as a result, was able to sample a wide range of menu items. While cocktails and martinis are a little pricey, they are delicious. The Tangerine Mohito, made with mint and chunks of tangerine, is refreshing and a twist on an old classic.
The live jazz every Thursday through Saturday nights makes for a great ambience.
For starters, I recommend the tuna tartar with fresh capers or the pan-seared diver scallops on a bed of double-smoked bacon and navy bean ragout.
The grilled Ontario provimi veal, served on a bed of black truffle pappardelle, is tender and flavourful. The added touch of a seared fois gras on top makes this dish to die for. The marinated Cornish game hen with mashed potatoes, braised leeks and roasted shallots is a highlight, as is the crispy tuna on a bed of veggies.
The wine list is extensive, offering a nice selection of reds and whites from Canada and around the world.
Shopping
One clear advantage of living in the Distillery is the opportunity to spend extended amounts of time wandering in and out of the more than two dozen shops. You won't find any chains or big box retailers here.
"We could have had bigger chains, but that's not really what we wanted," explains Rosenblatt. "Our shops are filled with people who have their own passion for their businesses, who are more than happy to tell you about their products, which are high quality but not necessarily expensive."
Take, for example, Lileo, an apparel shop for men and women that specializes in denim, as well as footwear, books and accessories. It even has a smoothie bar, Livia.
Syd Beder, who co-owns Lileo with his partner, Arlene Pastor, says Galileo Galilei, the 16th-century Italian physicist and astronomer who broke with conventions of the day by claiming that the Earth was not the centre of the universe, inspires the philosophy behind the store.
"We're not afraid of price point, and we've tried to be very ecological," says Beder, 56.
"All of the garments and accessories generally have a little hang tag on them telling you a little history so you can actually learn something about the garment and the designer, like a piece of art. We've tried to blend old and new and really keep the flavour of the Distillery."
Down the street, visitors looking for any household appliance or accessory will find Bergo Designs, a shop occupying a former laneway now covered with skylights.
Owner Robyn Berman (wife of Cityscape partner John Berman) calls her 5,000-square-foot store a "gallery of industrial design." You'll find furniture, kitchen accessories, small appliances, watches and even a fireplace shaped like a UFO.
"I think most of the stuff is based on my taste. If I don't like something, it's not going to be selling in the store," says Berman, 38, who travels to Europe and attends trade shows to find the latest styles.
One of the most popular stops for anyone wandering around the Distillery District is Soma, a chocolate microfactory where visitors can see how the tasty treat is made from scratch.
Co-owner David Castellan, a former pastry chef, says he came up with the idea of opening his own chocolate-making establishment after taking a course in California several years ago that taught how to make chocolate from scratch.
Castellan and his wife, Cynthia Leung, opened their facility in the Distillery in 2003. They import beans from places such as Mexico and Papua New Guinea.
The centrepiece of their factory is a vintage Melangeur, manufactured in Barcelona 80 years ago. Its two giant granite rollers pulverize the cocoa nibs into a thick brown paste. Add a little sugar and vanilla and voilà, you've got chocolate. But that's just one way – the old-fashioned way – to make chocolate, says Castellan.
"Sometimes we age the chocolate for six or seven weeks, to smooth it out a little more," he says.
If you visit Soma, which offers handmade truffles, pralines and gelato, you must try the Mayan hot chocolate. It's a delectable mixture made with melted dark chocolate, chili peppers, ginger, orange peel and Madagascar vanilla. The chili gives the aftertaste a nice sharp kick, so be warned.
If you're a light sleeper, the Hastens store sells some of the most expensive – and best-made – mattresses in the world.
You can try out a $70,000 bed made from all-natural materials designed to last a lifetime. I guess there's no price too high for a good night's rest.
For more on condominium living in the Distillery District, go to www.liveatthedistillery.com or call 416-361-1322.
Toronto Star