December 5, 2024

Dear reader,

Let me start this by saying that I’m in the throes of a brutal sinus infection. I get one every December, like an annual tradition. To me, nothing says the holidays like the lighter-fluid burn of oregano oil and the stinging saltwater blast of HydraSense. This is all to say that, due to a couple of sleepless nights (one of which involved a constant loop of Taylor Swift’s “Christmas Tree Farm” running through my Nyquil-addled brain), what follows could very well be the product of a fever dream.

On Tuesday morning, the Toronto Star reported that, prior to leaving the city after her last concert, Taylor Swift popped by Inter Steer, a long-standing Polish bar on Roncesvalles. When a colleague shared a link to the news, I was devastated. Inter Steer is one of my favourite bars, and if Swift really did throw back a bottle or two of Zywiec there, it would never be the same. I mourned the loss of a quiet neighbourhood spot for a minute or two, then reached out to Courtney Shea—writer, reporter and diehard Swiftie—to contact Inter Steer’s owner for a Q&A. But the staff member Shea got on the line had no idea what she was talking about.

Then we started going down a few internet rabbit holes, and things got stranger and stranger. What started as an assignment for a lighthearted Q&A turned into a full-on investigative report. In today’s Table Talk, you’ll get to read it and decide for yourself whether the T-Swift sighting really happened.

Also in this week’s newsletter, how the grandson of Toronto baker Dave Silverstein found his way back to bread. Plus, what’s on the menu at Maven, chef Shauna Godfrey’s new restaurant with eastern European and Jewish roots (hello, pickle martini).

For more of our food-and-drink coverage, visit torontolife.com or subscribe to our print edition.

—Rebecca Fleming, food and drink editor

It makes for quite the news—world-famous pop icon hangs out at charming but random local Polish tavern! The stars really are just like us! It seems almost too good to be true, which raises the question: Is it? We decided to get to the bottom of it via this exclusive investigation.

Growing up, Ryan Silverstein never went a day without fresh bread—that’s how it goes when your grandfather is Toronto’s don of dough. But it wasn’t until recently (after a stint as Drake’s personal manager) that he found his own way into the bakery business. Read his story here.

What started life as Godfrey’s Supper Club, chef Shauna Godfrey’s pandemic-times pop-up, is now Maven, a sit-down restaurant with eastern European and Jewish roots. Go for the freshly baked challah buns, bagel-inspired potatoes, salami skewers and chicken schnitzel—stay for the pickle martinis.

Winning the holiday potluck is as easy as strolling in with half a dozen of these soft-baked delights by Toronto’s favourite cookie artisan Andrea Christensen. Her delicious creations come in a rotating lineup of fancy flavours like almond croissant, chocolate knafeh and tiramisu. They’re just one of the items in our annual holiday gift guide.

In the latest issue: the tech titans, political heavyweights, culture crusaders, business big guns and everyone else who matters now. Plus, the stars of the Toronto Sceptres, a Q&A with the legendary Vince Carter, the ultimate holiday gift guide and more. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? Subscribe today.

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