EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSIE

I am suffering train lag. Last Sunday we hit the rails to Stratford to visit pals actor Graham Greene (a recent Order of Canada recipient) and his charismatic wife/muse Hilary. There was no theatre involved except for the theatrics of wining and dining and walking and shopping and more wining. The day after we returned, we high-tailed it to the Sky Yard patio lounge at the Drake Hotel for the “Peace” installation by journalist Rosie Levine, Now magazine’s iconic chronicler of T.O.’s nighttime scene for decades.  Her stamina was legendary. 

And tireless Tom Sandler has been busy photographing bold face from the feet up. Here are more examples of his foot-where.

Tom Sandler shot these Tin-Man shoes at a pal’s 85^th birthday party.

Which do I like more? These cool lace-ups or the pedicure?

Additional Sandler footage: Just when I thought I was so over the ubiquitous Valentino rockstud shoes, I am seduced by these in leopard.

And who can resist neon polka dot socks with brogues?

Studded suede, block heels and red toes? You got it all going on, hot mamma.

Marquee outside the Drake Hotel for Rosie Levine’s show of photos of famous folk from Gordon Lightfoot to Mick Jagger flashing the peace sign. Appropriately she staged it on the International Day of Peace.

Uncharacteristically Rosie Levine is not flashing the peace sign, probably because she is otherwise occupied gripping a glass of champers.

Partygoer Coco all decked out in her peace paraphernalia.

CP24 Breakfast TV host Steve Anthony, moi and party promoter Kid Rock (a.k.a Keith Corren) let our fingers do the talking.

All-knowing Oprah rules in the lobby of art dealer Sandra Ainsley’s Annex loft.

Is it just me or does the dude on the menu cover of Pan resto on the Danforth look like Jeff Bridges with Medusa curls and unruly facial hair?

Graham, Hilary Greene and Rob Salem prepare to dig into pre-dinner cocktails and snacks on the patio of the Greene’s stunning Stratford home. It is so sprawling, we could have squatted there and they wouldn’t have noticed.

Horse graffiti on a Stratford side street en route to picking up lunch at York Street Kitchen.  Screw the diet. Their sandwiches are beyond amazing.

Security at the Dollar Store. The pup looks menacing but he is Mr. Softie.

A herd of elephant pants congregated at a Global March for Elephants and Rhinos event to commemorate World Elephant Day.

And yes, they come in blue.

CIBO CIAO CHOW

Wednesday night Cibo Wine Bar opened its third Toronto location at 133 Yorkville Ave. with a tasting-menu dinner where the Italian food was washed down with yummy Ripasso. The sautéed mushrooms were especially rhapsodic. OMG! The food just kept coming and we just kept eating. I have a food hangover.

Our genial server was a ringer for a mini Greta Gerwig. And how much did we love the red Chuckies on the wait staff? Rob wore his black ones, just to be more formal.

Major kudos to Nadia Di Donato, creative director of Liberty Entertainment Group, who designed this resto and all of Liberty’s venues since Rosewater Supper Club. The décor is fabulous -- from the industrial light boxes on the banquettes to the cool curtain of wine bottles. Imagine the hours of fun with a curtain of wine bottles!!!

It’s a Traci Melchor sandwich at Cibo. Or should I say a Traci panini? Cibo is Italian after all.  I suck face with Traci while legendary event planner “Party” Barbara Hershenhorn manages to restrain herself.

Here I am toasting Cibo owner Nick Di Donato, president and CEO of Liberty Entertainment Group. Why is this man smiling? Because he gets to go south in winter. He is opening a third Florida Cibo location next month.

Mr. Cibo, Nick Di Donato, catches up with fashionista Suzanne Boyd, editor of Zoomer mag, for whom black is always the new black. 

Patrick Di Donato, executive vice president of Liberty Entertainment Group, talks Blue Jays with elated fans (fresh from the winning game) Tanya and Steve Anthony.

With apologies to Dean Martin, here’s pizza pie in your eye. A Cibo chef flips pizza dough in the kitchen. Ever tried to shoot a pie in the sky? Not easy (as pie.) Sorry, I’ll stop now.

Here I am trying not to look dowdy beside celebrity stylist Cristina Ehrlich whose red-carpet clientele includes Penelope Cruz and Greta Gerwig (see intro above). Ehrlich was in town to deliver styling tips for fall/winter dressing keyed to items available at Marshalls. Her five top trends: pussy- bowed blouses, over-the-knee boots, oversized boyfriend coats, culottes and fringe. Sorry, but I just can’t do the pussy-bowed thing (my cats won't let me).

These are two cool dudes we encountered on the subway en route home from Cibo. They could have been Straight Out of Compton. TTC can be very interesting at night. Getting off the Main Street bus, a passenger who looked somewhat hippie-dippyish, asked the driver to give him extra time to exit because his backpack weighed 200 pounds. I just had to ask him why it weighed 200 pounds. He responded, “Because it is full of lead.” Before I could ask him why he was carrying 200 pounds of lead, he heaved the backpack on his shoulders and scurried away as fast as one can with 200 pounds of lead can scurry.