News   Mar 27, 2024
 1.2K     1 
News   Mar 27, 2024
 1.1K     2 
News   Mar 27, 2024
 637     0 

World Cup Venues?

N

nassauone

Guest
Alright, the greatest tournament on the planet is rapidly approaching and I am lucky enough to have some time in the days to indulge in live game action.

Each coutry has a hot spot for their supporters to hit up. I know of a lot (like all of Little Italy for the Italian games. Ditto for the Portuguese and Greeks in their respective hoods) What about other countries?

St. Clair is off of my list still as I am stinging from their anti-ROW campaign. No one up there is getting a cent from me.

I'll start:

Fox anf Firkin (John and Adelaide) Big time Dutch supporters haunt.

Duke of Gloucester (Yonge across from Church of Scientology) All English.

Mcveighs (Richmond and Church) English - though its an Irish joint.

St. Tropez (King and Peter area) France.

What about Argentina? Mexico?
 
Elsewhere Pub just north of Yonge and Eglinton is also a nice place to watch the English matches... great atmosphere and some fine fish and chips too.
 
I will not miss living at Yonge & St. Clair during the world cup. No hordes of Italy and/or Brazil supporters speeding around, honking and waving flags.
 
Elsewhere Pub just north of Yonge and Eglinton is also a nice place to watch the English matches... great atmosphere and some fine fish and chips too.

Scallywags at St. Clair & Yonge is also good.

I wish Canada was in the World Cup.

Oh well, I'll root for my native homeland of Ukraine.

Then my birthplace, Poland.

Then everyone else.
 
Little Korea on Bloor west of Bathurst will no doubt be packed with Asian fans clad in red. I was there in 2002 watching South Korea play Italy in the knockoff round, running back and forth between Little Italy and the Koreans. When the Koreans pulled out a surprise win I ran from College back up to Bloor to watch the celebrations. This is what is great about a multicultural city like Toronto... you can enjoy the World Cup even though you may not enjoy soccer.
 
Multiculturalism just wouldn't work without you, wylie. Keep up the good work.
 
Argentines tend to keep to themselves. The best bet is maybe a small Spanish bakery somewhere that may have a few tables and chairs, and even then I only know of a place on Wilson, and one at Weston and Finch, although I'm sure there are others. Other than that, we blend into other crowds, depending on the match. I will most likely be at Scallywag's, Elsewhere and the Flatiron and Firkin. Possibly a couple of Portuguese joints along Dundas, and I may catch a match or two up in Woodbridge.
 
Can't imagine a match in Woodbridge. They may take it way too seriously up there and considering I tend to mock the Italian team every chance I get....might be better for my health to stick to College!
 
man why couldn't india ever get into a world cup!? A billion people and a crap as soccer program. Aside from them my team is and always will be england (go arsenal!) As long as the italians don't win i'm happy,lol
 
Hemingway's in Yorkville is also large into the Dutch.
 
Found this article linked to the Star. I agree with some of what he points out about ethnic allegience in Toronto. Not singling out Portuguese community.


Portuzilia: Futebol, and the Crisis of Ethnic Identity


It's as cliched as it is possible to be: The World Cup isn't about sport, it is about tribalism. It is about old world vs new; about stallwart Europeans and South Americans vs upstart Asians, Africans and Americans; about ye olde enemy and the new world order. Sides are chosen, colours are flaunted, victories celebrated, defeats mourned, drunkeness encouraged.

In a city like Toronto, without its own surrogate soldiers marching as to war, allegiances are found in the lands of ancestors - or, at the very least, in the lands with a common language. These mercenary decisions are advertised via the now ubiquitous for every playoff series in North America car flags.

Fluttering from the rear of the family station wagon, or as a personalizing touch to a company vehicle, in Toronto these flags mean "My great grandfather was Polish - so from now until the end of the tournament, or until Poland gets ousted, I too am Polish." Of course, the link is often far more precarious than even that - a favourite player, a fondly remembered holiday, as a favour to a local merchant.

As a sports fan, I see these as perfectly legitimate reasons, all. As the holder of an Irish Passport who spent time living in England, I have supported both these sides in international competition - and at alternating tournies, flown their flags. However, there is one flagging scenario I cannot condone, one that I think may be unique to Toronto.

Portugal, for the uninitiated, have had "needs more effort" inscribed on their international football report card forever. The current "golden generation" of Portuguese internationals won a prominent junior tournament and have nothing international to show for all their high-flying, big earning club careers since.

Brazil on the other hand, share only one thing with Portugal on the football field - a language. They win often, with flair and really hot female supporters.

Interesting then, how Toronto's sizable Portuguese population and small Brazilian population seem to reverse proportions just around the time the World Cup comes around.

In fact, just yesterday, I saw a car flying both the Portuguese and the Brazilian flags. I can only assume it will be the standard trooping of the colours, with the Portuguese beating a hasty retreat as they are ignominiously dumped from the tourny.

Again, it's not that I have a problem with supporting more than one team. Only that I think it only right to support only one team at a time.
 
I was looking at an apartment on St. Clair yesterday, and the superintendent was Argentinian, his wife Chilean, and one of the maintenance crew Brazilian (who also spoke Spanish). So the talk in the rental office, naturally, was of the World Cup and not of utilities or parking. I hadn't used so much of my sporadic, gringo Spanish since I was with my Argentinian ex.

The apartment didn't work out either.
 
National Post

Link to article


Whose game?
The World Cup demonstrates 'the flexibility of the Canadian identity' as our citizens cheer passionately for foreign nations


Natalie Alcoba, National Post
Published: Saturday, June 03, 2006

Don't be fooled by the multiplicity of national colours in the window of Pins N Flags on Spadina Avenue -- there is only one allegiance here and that is to the World Cup of soccer.

For about a month now, and for another month still, the most-watched sporting event in the world has driven and will drive sales here.

All soccer gear, from flags to dog tags to ballcaps to wristbands, has been pushed to the front of the small store. The owners have strategically stocked up on jerseys for fan favourites and championship contenders such as Italy, Brazil and Portugal. New orders are placed every hour.

"Everything else is dead for us," says owner Veena Gupta, who has operated the family business with her husband, Sat, for 14 years. "For now, we only sell soccer-related stuff."

The products come from the Far East (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong), but will end up on the backs and cars and around the wrists of local soccer fans who embrace their complex identities during the month-long tournament.

The FIFA World Cup, which starts Friday in Germany, is a decadent showcase of the Beautiful Game -- 90-minute dramas played out on grassy stages with heroes and villains, storybook endings and gut-wrenching heartache.

For many, the event is laced with nostalgia.

It conjures memories of barefoot children playing soccer on Trinidad's beaches and passionate Portuguese men chucking plastic cups at television screens.

Many Italians can tell you where they were when the Azzurri beat West Germany in 1982; a father remembers tossing his baby boy up in the air after Argentina's 1978 victory; and, everywhere you look, the newest soccer fans proudly sport the colours of countries they have never seen.

Soccer, for this month at least, is as much about patriotism as it is about sport.

"For a lot of us, it is our link to home," Andrew Cashin says, an England supporter who was born three years after the country basked in its only World Cup victory, in 1966. Born and raised outside of Liverpool, he grew up dreaming that the jubilation would repeat itself. "We want to have our own memories, we want to have our own, 'Do you remember when?' " says Mr. Cashin, who lives north of Toronto and is chairman of The Official Liverpool Supporters Club.

This instinct to revert to one's ethnic origins speaks to the "flexibility of the Canadian identity," says academic Peter Donnelly.

"Citizenship is not an either/or situation," says the University of Toronto professor in charge of the school's Centre for Sport Policy.

He says many Torontonians boast a "complex identity," both fiercely Canadian and proud of their roots.

Soccer fans relish the opportunity to cheer for a country they left behind or were raised to love from afar. It makes the city a "wonderful laboratory" to observe how different nationalities coexist, Mr. Donnelly says.

He will, undoubtedly, attend at least one street party.

World Cup fever manifests itself in similar fashion regardless of ethnic enclave: "When the games are going on, everything is quiet. The street looks deserted," says Lino Colangelo, who owns and operates Ital Records on St. Clair Avenue.

Afterward, jubilant supporters of the winning team spill onto city streets, honking car horns, blasting music and spreading the kind of joy that comes from a team inching closer and closer to the finals.

Torontonians in the throes of soccer mania make for good business.

"Whether they win or lose, they still feel patriotic," Mr. Colangelo says. He has stocked his store predominantly with Italian paraphernalia, but includes gear for other touted teams.

There is a certain amount of risk involved in catering to a sporting event like the World Cup, which is deliciously difficult to predict.

Pins N Flags, which counts Canadian souvenirs and international pins among its year-round products, has already ordered about 1,000 World Cup jerseys for local team favourites, but will watch to see how the tournament develops. "When we see things are going well for one team, we order more in," said Ms. Gupta. She said it is largely a guessing game, which can leave vendors scrambling to provide flags for underdog winners or, conversely, with a pile of unpopular jerseys.

All told, the World Cup will generate about $50,000 in revenue for Pins N Flags.

It will do wonders for the city's restaurants and bars, some of which have labelled themselves nation-specific headquarters.

Cafe Diplomatico, in the heart of Little Italy, has gone all-out, buying advertising airtime on The Fan 590 and commissioning posters to promote its various events. The Toronto institution has teamed up with Puma and Amsterdam Beer and spent a hefty budget to outfit the venue with 10 television screens on the patio and one large screen inside.

At the end of the tournament, all 10 televisions will be given away to customers.

And while the cafe is located in a neighbourhood most popular with Italians, Portuguese and citizens of the Hipster Republic, those who pull up a chair hail from all nationalities.

Of course, there can only be one winner, so coalitions emerge as teams get knocked out. Italians may side with an Argentine team, or vice versa; if Brazil wins, everyone seems to celebrate.

For some fans, this World Cup marks the first time they will cheer for their own country.

Henry Doodnath, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, is pumped to be able to wear his own colours inside and out of his Etobicoke restaurant, Caribbean Breeze, as the island country makes its World Cup debut.

"Everybody is so proud and so happy to be in the World Cup," says Mr. Doodnath, who usually supports Brazil because the team's short passes remind him of soccer at home.

"We don't care if we win. We're just happy to be in the World Cup."

BLOOR STREET WEST (SOUTH KOREA)

Korea Town, which runs along Bloor Street from Bathurst to Christie, will be sprinkled with Korean bandanas worn in support of the South Korean team, affectionately known as The Reds by their legion of supporters, in turn affectionately known as The Twelfth. (Each team has 11 players on the field.)

For authentic Korean atmosphere, try Cafe Chodae 325 (666 Manning Ave., just north of Bloor). It's a great little table-barbecue place with equal room on the patio and inside. Which is a good thing, because the TV sits at the open window so patio-goers can enjoy the soccer along with their Soju cocktails under a full awning. Although they usually open at 5 p.m., they'll be open for all the South Korea games.

Owner Sean Lee said the neighbourhood gets very loud when South Korea's in the World Cup, but "the neighbours understand."

Clinton's (693 Bloor) might not have Korean street cred, but it does have the biggest TV in Korea Town. During the 2002 World Cup, Clinton's drew a massive crowd for South Korea's final game of the tournament, which was at 7 a.m. The bar has since installed bay windows that face out on to Bloor, where the street will no doubt be taken over should South Korea make it to the second round.

DUNDAS/COLLEGE (PORTUGAL)

Little Portugal, which runs along Dundas Street West and also includes much of College Street from Crawford to Dufferin, will be chaotic during the World Cup.

Nova Era Bakery (770 College St.) is one of seven bakeries owned by the same family, but you'll want to be at the College Street location for Portugal's games. Only this Nova Era serves beer, and it features a huge patio where the action will be projected onto a massive screen visible to passersby. Manager Benvinda Dias expects the cafe to be packed for the games.

''The staff obviously gets into it, too," she said. "We watch the games when we get a chance; it's a laid-back operation we run here." While you're there, try one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the city or some of their rich custard tarts.

The tension will be as thick as the layer of dust that sits atop this bar's two big-screen televisions at Portugal Billiards (1197 Dundas St. W.) when Portugal takes the field against Angola on Sunday, June 11.

When Portugal gets knocked out, the area turns its allegiance to Brazil.

YONGE & STEELES (IRAN)

When Iran qualified for the World Cup, Toronto's Iranian community celebrated in Thornhill. Expect the same should Iran make it past a tough group stage.

The most popular spot, 1001 Nights, says they won't be showing the games this year, so the action will move to Karoon Restaurant (5 Glen Cameron Rd.). Tucked away in a commercial plaza just off Yonge, north of Steeles, Karoon's wide-open banquet feel is perfect for their pull-down screen setup. "This is huge for the Iranian community in Toronto," says owner Shahab Shoghi. "I think we are going to close down Yonge Street."

RONCESVALLES VILLAGE (POLAND)

Roncesvalles will be a sea of red and white -- for Poland's flag, not Canada's.

At Chopin Restaurant (165 Roncesvalles Ave.), owner Anna Pindoir is planning a barbecue stacked with Polish sausage for Poland's opener against Ecuador at 3 p.m. on Friday.

Another authentic option along Roncesvalles is a hole in the wall called Inter Steer (361 Roncesvalles Ave.). The owner is Polish and in the afternoons (i.e., game time) most of the clientele is as well. Inter Steer has standard cable, so it might not get all Polish games, but as one regular said, "All it takes to get it to a channel is having four people who can agree on it." So if you and three friends make it in, you should be fine.

EGLINTON WEST (TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO)

Rivalries between the island nations will likely be put on hold as local Caribbeans throw their support behind Trinidad and Tobago's team, known to fans as the Soca Warriors.

When the Soca Warriors enter into battle at the World Cup for the first time, you'll want to be at Roti King (1688 Eglinton Ave. W.).

With a satellite feed, all of the Trinidad games will be live. And this place has some of the area's best and cheapest roti. If you're not that hungry, they have cheap beer and doubles, a sort of mini-roti that comes in pairs. "It's going to be big time in here," says owner Ganesh Harricharah, who is planning a party for next Saturday's opener against Sweden.

A little farther west is JJ's Place (1885 Eglinton Ave. W.). Your feet will stick to the floor and the tables might wobble from the daily domino competitions, but JJs Place is a truly Trinidadian bar that touts itself as having the best jerk chicken and oxtail in town. JJs will be showing Trini games on a couple of modest TVs.

CORSO ITALIA

In a scene of spontaneous celebration when Italy won the World Cup in 1982, some 300,000 people poured onto the streets of the Corso Italia strip along St. Clair Avenue West.

This year, a stretch of St. Clair will be closed during all Italian games. With plenty of great cafes, bars and restaurants to choose from, the best place for Italy's matches will be A.C. Ranch Sport Bar (1220 St. Clair). It's been here 35 years, and has room for about 200.

A.C. Ranch has a satellite feed (all games will be live), a small patio and three big-screen TVs -- all you really need to enjoy a good game of soccer. Owner Rino Castrignano is also planning a barbecue, plus there are specialty coffees and an ice-cream bar. Twelve staffers will be working, as opposed to the normal four. "It gets unbelievable here during the games," Mr. Castrignano says. "We're an Italian bar, but we get all kinds of people. And there's always lots to talk about after each game. Controversy, opinions; everybody has some input."

Mexican fans who crave Corso Italia's intensity have Mi Casa Cafe & Restaurant (1261A St. Clair W.), a tiny Mexican outpost in the heart of Italian territory. It has four wall-mounted flat-screen TVs. Mi Casa was a busy place during Mexico's warm-up games, and there will likely be a shortage of chairs once the big games start.

For more information about the area during the World Cup: www.stclairkickit.ca.

THE DANFORTH

Greece did not qualify for the World Cup, so the Danforth will be much more subdued than when Greece won the Euro Cup in Portugal two summers ago. ''We all love soccer anyway, so we'll be watching,'' says Christos Maras, one of the managers at Cafe Frappe (519 Danforth Ave.). The cafe, at the corner of Fenwick, will have TVs set up inside and on its patio throughout the World Cup.

ETOBICOKE (SERBIA & MONTENEGRO)

Zam Aleksandra's Restaurant and Bar (1340 The Queensway, Etobicoke) is a favourite of Toronto's Serbian community, especially when there's soccer on. It has two floors and will be showing games on both. With big-screen projectors and room for 180 people, finding a good spot to see the games shouldn't be a problem. Zam has the Balkan mainstay veal and pork dishes, and you'll want to try a glass or two of Sljvica, a plum brandy, or Loza, a type of grappa.

LE SAINT-TROPEZ (FRANCE)

In the heart of the theatre district, one spot will be full of French fans watching all the World Cup drama unfold. Le Saint-Tropez (315 King St. W.) is one of Toronto's best French restaurants -- and it has big-screen TVs. Le Saint-Tropez has a large garden patio where, should France have a good tournament, the Champagne will flow.

AND LASTLY ...

The Goethe-Institut at 163 King St. W. will be showing Germany's games. Entry is free, but there is no food or drink available and they will not be showing the opening game on Friday to the public.
 
another from the Post

Link to article


Orange you glad I didn't say Ghana?
Let's cheer for the dutch: plucky, lovable, yet with a decent shot at winning
Martin McSkimming has made Hemingway's into an unlikely oasis for Dutch soccer fans. Although that pint sure doesn't look like a Grolsch.


Adam McDowell, National Post
Published: Saturday, June 03, 2006

It's not your fault that you're too unfamiliar with soccer to choose a World Cup favourite or that you don't have a compelling connection with one of the 32 qualifying countries.

So the Post is helping non-aligned Torontonians by choosing a default bandwagon for them to jump on.

Namely, the Netherlands.

Anyone can support the Dutch. Just look at Martin McSkimming. A New Zealander by birth, McSkimming owns Hemingway's, a popular Yorkville bar and restaurant. During international competition, Hemingway's plays host to hordes of fans wearing orange, the colour of the Netherlands' national soccer team.

How did a Kiwi-owned bar come to be the home of the Dutch? "Well, I'm still working on that," McSkimming says.

"I'm not a soccer man," he continues. "About five years ago, the Dutch had a big game. It was the European Cup or something like that. And Roel Bramer, who used to own the Amsterdam [Brewing Company] said, 'Do you want to be the home of the Dutch? They haven't got a home to go to.' "

"I said, 'Absolutely,' " McSkimming recounts. "Because we didn't have any allegiance ... We'll be one place the orange sweaters can hang out at."

Need more convincing? Here are four irrefutable reasons to band behind the Netherlands.

- The European middle power is often overshadowed by a bigger, stronger neighbour, Germany. The countries are bitter soccer rivals -- a heartbreaking World Cup final defeat at Germany's hands in 1974 left orange fans blue. Canadians can sympathize with a David-and- Goliath struggle.

- The Dutch actually have a chance this time (unlike several other small, otherwise adorable nations, such as Ghana). Boasting a strong, young team, the Netherlanders are rated second- or third-most likely to win the tournament, depending on who you ask. This is a team that should stay in the hunt until the late rounds.

- Like many Canadians, the Dutch put funny stuff on their fries. For us, it's cheese curds and gravy. For them, it's mayonnaise.

- The Dutch have a dead-simple cheer anyone can learn: "Hup hup Holland!" It means, "Go go Holland!"

Following a pre-Cup "friendly" against Australia tomorrow, the first meaningful chance to hop onto the orange wagon comes on June 11 when the Netherlands play Serbia-Montenegro, giving you plenty of time to find an orange shirt that doesn't look ridiculous.

Overall, more than 85,000 Torontonians claim Dutch ancestry, more than the number claiming Korean, Pakistani or even Greek heritage. But it's not as if there's a Dutch neighbourhood for them to gather in.

For uptowners, the Court Jester at Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue was named as a denizen of the Dutch in the Globe and Mail last week. However, when called upon to confirm that the Jester will be supporting the Netherlands in the World Cup, manager Irene Zelden was surprised.

"Really? No kidding," she said. "It's news to me. We're not huge on the soccer here, but we will be playing the World Cup on the big screen."

After thinking about it for a minute, Zelden agreed to paint the Jester orange -- sort of.

"Put down whoever you feel. We'll support whoever's bringing the biggest crowd."
 
The Star

Link to article

World Cup-crazy city can't lose
Enclaves of pumped-up fans stand ready to out-emote foes in GTA street theatre
Parties and pathos follow all World Cup wins, losses around clock
Jun. 8, 2006. 05:37 AM
CHRISTIAN COTRONEO
STAFF REPORTER

Some spirits will soar, others will sink, and more than a few will be slurped.

But in this soccer-crazed city, the 2006 World Cup means it will probably happen all at the same time.

Representing all 32 national teams, Toronto is the rare city that cannot lose when Germany hosts the World Cup starting tomorrow — from the throngs of Portuguese fans that stream down Dundas St. W., flags a-fluttering, to the German fans cheering on their perennial powerhouse in an industrial hub of Etobicoke.

Indeed, if there's a front row for the German cheering section, it's at the copper-plated bar of the Musket on Advance Ave., near Kipling. That's where a group of old friends — and fans — are already warming up over tall glasses of Hacker-Pschorr beer.

"We also serve German petrol here," jokes regular Detlef Hinze. "That comes in little shots."

A dimly lit restaurant of dark, brooding wood, crowned by a couple of crossed muskets, the Musket has certainly been here before. About 350 locals soaked up the big-screen spectacle here in 2002. Germany lost to Brazil in the final, when Ronaldo potted a pair of goals to help crown his team World Cup champions.

"We were cheerful until we lost," deadpans Hinze.

But even that match testified to the city's patchwork loyalties; where one fan is disappointed, another is delirious.

"Remember how happy our neighbour was?" asks another German fan at the Musket.

This year, TVs will be installed throughout the bar, and along the patio in addition to a massive screen in a back conference room.

"We'll be back there, screaming like hell," says Steve Brundl, plant manager at the neighbouring Dimpflmeier bakery.

Brundl is even making sure his baking staff gets their fix.

"I put some TVs up at work," he says. "You have to."

"That means we'll get no work done," he adds with a grin.

This year marks the fifth World Cup for the Musket. And these friends, for the most part, have been taking in games here the whole time.

Have things changed much since then?

"You guys got older," declares a woman at the bar, pointing to the corner cadre.

"Yeah, we're fading away," Hinze replies.

There will be at least one empty stool this year. A long-time member of their soccer circle died just weeks before the tournament began.

"Eddie's gone," Hinze says. "Eddie died."

Gerhard Wembacher may be sharing a pint with his old friends today, but when the World Cup begins, he's flying to Germany for an even better seat.

He will join some two million German fans and one million foreigners converging on the country's 300 stadiums and sporting complexes. Over the course of the next month Germany will host 64 matches.

Of course, on this side of the Atlantic, you won't be able to kick a soccer ball down College St. without having to apologize sincerely to an Italian or Portuguese soccer fan. Or find an empty stool at TriniPort sports bar, where owner Dexter Brown is readying his bar for an event that's nothing short of historic.

It's Trinidad and Tobago's first ever ticket to the World Cup. Brown will boast two TVs over the bar and a big-screen model on a stage to chronicle every kick of his native country's Soca Warriors.

"It's an honour for my country to be in the World Cup," he says. "I'm a big soccer fan. I study the game. Soccer, for me, is life."

At Gettoni Sports Bar at 2298 Keele St. in North York, loyalty is a little more complicated.

The Argentine bar walks a fine line between cheering for its home team and Italy, which has traditionally enjoyed strong ties with the country.

Indeed, the words "Amici Come Sempre," meaning "Always Friends," adorn the front window and a pair of soccer players, each in their country's respective uniforms race along the side.

So who do patrons cheer for?

"Both," says an older man, in front of the club, dangling a cigarette from his mouth.

The happiest Armageddon, of course, is when the two teams collide.

Gettoni anchors a sprawl of South American pride, in the middle of a strip mall that also boasts an Ecuadorian electronics store and a Colombian restaurant. Here, drinks range from sambuca to an Italian soft drink called Chinotto. Everyone seems to know each other's name. No one wants to give it away to a stranger.

But South America's famously fervent fan base eases up a little bit at another Argentine club several kilometres west of here.

World Cup season is an up-and-down affair for the family owners of Sky Ranch restaurant on Dufferin St., near Castlefield — up Dufferin, horns a-blaring, and down Dufferin, for more of the same.

Sometimes, Cristina Barenbaum, whose family owns the place, even joins the parade. At least, when Argentina wins.

During the last World Cup, Barenbaum even blared traditional music outside.

"I made a little party in the parking lot," she declares.

The people who come through these doors have decidedly mixed allegiances, from Germans to Italians to Portuguese. Patrons remain faithful, at least, to the food of Argentina, supping on meat pies and Triple-A steaks and sampling the country's rich wines.

The fare will be decidedly different at Le Saint Tropez Bar and Grille at 315 King St. W., famed for drawing the French quarter of the city's soccer fans. And at 1,001 Nights, a nightclub on Steeles, just west of Yonge, the crowd will be blasting its support for Iran's national team.

Soccer worlds come together on June 14, when the consulates general from Germany and Poland host a World Cup party to mark the clash of their respective teams on the field. The do at 1686 Ellesmere Rd., in Scarborough will feature German and Polish loyalists, cross-sampling each other's food and froth.

Guess who's bringing snacks.

"We supply the pretzels and the buns," says Steve Brundl, still at his stool at the Musket. "The deal is only on if we're winning. Once we lose, that's it. They're cut off."
 

Back
Top