14 Days of Valentines in RiversideTO – Day 8 #FebruaryMonthOfLove #GrammyAwards

One of the things we love in #FebruaryMonthOfLove is Awards Season.  Sunday Feb 8th, the Eighth day of Valentines  is the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.   Did you know that Riverside has a connection to this year’s Grammy’s – Rapper Drake  is nominated for 4 Grammy Awards.   Drake got his start as an actor on the TV Show “Degrassi the Next Generation”.  What is the connection to Riverside?…Well, this great East Toronto hood is home to home to the iconic Degrassi Street!

On February 8th, we continue our daily #FebruaryMonthOfLove blog as we cheer on Drake  strutting down the red carpet, while looking back in Love history on this day to a different type of musical performance ..the Italian premiere of the famous Opera Aida in 1872.

Love Happened in History on February 8, 1872
Aïda, the Italian opera by  Giuseppe Verdi  premiered in Italy at La Scala in Milanon this day in 1872.  Aida met with great acclaim almost 150 years ago,  and continues to be a staple of the standard operatic repertoire.  As of 2007, the Metropolitan Opera alone has given more than 1,100 performances of the opera, making it the second most frequently performed work by the company behind La bohème.  Doomed lovers! Shiny Egyptian costumes! Elephants! We’re talkin’ opera, love and great fashion statements!!

Make your own Love History on Feb 8th!

With Drake, The Grammy Awards Red Carpet, and the Italian Premier of Aida as our inspiration,  we continue  the 14 days of Valentine’s  song……

On the 8th day of Valentine’s my true love gave to me…

An Italian Dinner at the newly opened Il Ponte Restaurant at 625 Queen St E.  Speaking of Italian Premiere’s here is a sampling of an opening review from Yelp:

 “the decor is beautiful and a nice attention to detail. I’m giving these guys 5 stars right off the bat simply for the outstanding friendly service. You feel welcomed and at home from the minute you walk in this place. The waiters and owners greet you, ask your name, shake your hand and generally make you feel like they really appreciate your business. That alone will keep me coming back as a regular and just what this area needs.   Now on to the food and drink. We ordered a bottle of wine, that was very reasonably priced and was great. And started with the Calamari which was perfect and I highly recommend. (Slightly too large a portion, which we couldn’t finish and if we had might not been able to eat anything more. But new places are still working on portion sizing so this is expected.)  For the main we shared the whole sea bream as we were not super hungry. The owner brought it out and served it to us table-side carefully separating the delicious fish from the bone. It was cooked to perfection,,,, “

And my true love also gave to me some  Red Carpet Worthy Duds, from Clothing shops in the Hood that inspired the famous TV Show Degrassi the Next Generation and Launched Drake’s Career.  Get  some vintage finds from Common Sort at 800 Queen St East (just West of Degrassi)  and some original items designed and tailored right in their Toronto Showroom across from Queen & Degrassi  at Bergstrom’s Originals at 781 Queen St East .

Common Sort is a great place to come browse for those that prefer pre-selected quality items when second hand shopping . Everything is in great shape and on point with style and vintage trends

Bergstrom’s Originals s a line of clothing that has been designed with the real lives of our customers in mind. Made in Toronto, Canada, the line embraces colour, print, retro-modern design and quality tailoring. The result is unique and inspiring garments that make you feel like an ORIGINAL ! Designer Christina Bergström combines her civil engineering background with her native scandinavian roots to create quality, streamlined garments with a nordic flair. Christina’s inspirations include; midcentury modern architecture, interior design, and her customers. She believes in local Toronto production strategies, affordable prices, and clothes that are wearable. She has been designing and building her brand since 1998 – that’s 3 years before Drake got started on Degrassi The Next Generation!  And..if you can’t get to Queen & Degrassi – you can shop on-line at here – act now, there winter clearance is on, and there are savings of up to 50% on selected items.