Tom's Top 10 - Dining and Entertainment Listing - Restaurant / Night Clubs Guide to Newmarket / Aurora

Twenty years ago, as Entertainment Editor in Newmarket at Cover Story Newspaper York Region, I wrote a Tom's Top Ten List of Eateries / Dining Out guide section and listed my fave restaurants, often writing about the places listed through my food review-like diners column "Local Flavour" and about entertainment in "At The Clubs" including the York Region and Newmarket area nightclub listings.

Tom's Top 10
Here is a list of Tom's Top 10 hospitality establishments that combine entertainment and dining out within 10k radius of Newmarket.

Tom's Top 10 considers reputation, menu diversity, value, hospitality, quality and dancing / entertainment. They are in no particular order. 

Ole!

1 - Made In Mexico Restaurant & Cantina Tequila 185

Restaurant and Cantina,Tequila185, 185 Main St South 905-235-7722
#Tom Bits : Yeepa! Features home made food - even the tortilla's - that's the difference. Restaurant is upstairs, downstairs is the Night Club, Tequila 185. Fri, Sat features various from DJ to bands to comedy. 

2- The Sociable Pub   
The Sociable Pub
905-235-7782 17380 Yonge St Newmarket, Authentic Maritime Pub, Stick to your bones ribs...Live Entertainment weekends as well as Open Mic last Tuesday of every month. Friendly. Couple owned.

3- Villa Risi Ristorante - 
16995 Yonge St - 905-836-8062

Casual Italian fine dining with piano bar. Live Rythym &Blues weekends. Valentines & Special Menu Days.

Casual



4- Big Daddy's Rock & Roll Emporium,
446 Davis Dr 905-898-0001 Tom Bits : Former long time steak house location. Built-in stage, fair size. Theme nights, old time rock & roll with dancing venue. Reputable chicken wings.  Live Bands or DJ entertainment weekends.Definitely not upscale.

Tom's Top 10 Dining

5- Fionn MacCool's 17315 Leslie St 
905-898-7899
Restaurant  / Pub
Live Entertainment Thurs, Fri, Sat
Thursday $5 Craft Beer Night.
Home style pub food mm-made in-house!


Best Karaoke

6- Cynthia's Chinese Restaurant 
16715 Yonge St. 905-836-8113
Tom Bits: Newmarket's original karaoke restaurant & Tom's Top 10 list member. Now 3 restaurants and wear traditional imperial Chinese robes but not much else has changed, except their wine list has grown to exceptional! Still good food and service, but have added more entertainment to the slate Now Featuring Can G accompanying keyboards with Classic Rock, Rythm n Blues, Oldies, Latin and Soft Jazz Music.

More Great Karaoke!
7 - Friday nights Wild Wings 340 Eagle St  905-836-5454


Special Events / Halls -   

Stellar Hall 1220 Stellar Dr unit 205 905-830-9441

Special events, dinner theatre, full hall rental and staffing with on site catering availability. Tom Bits :Events hall, Renovated, gorgeous, reputable #Great Food. 20 years experienced hospitality. Dj Dances, Live Entertainment,  Dinner Theatre, Mother's Day Brunch, New Year's Eve Dinner & Party - 2015 / 16 - $75, includes Open Bar.

Edge of Town Live Weekend Entertainment 
8- King Richards Pub - 15570 Yonge St Aurora - 905-727-2337 - Live Entertainment Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Daily Specials.

Sat Nights Only now for Dancing here

9- Aurora - Dancing
The Graystones Restaurant & Lounge
14889 Yonge St 905-727-9561
New sign, but nothing much else has changed. Graystones Aurora is actually only open Saturday nights for 30+ Dancing w DJ, except on the rare occasion, although the restaurant part is open all week long. Odd quirk. Been that way for years. Popular Sat singles haunt.  Small town service. I remember reviewing the wiener schnitzel  for " Local Flavour"."T'was supoib" then. $5 Cover - $10 after midnight.

MorAurora!
10- Aw Shucks Steak Oyster Bar & Bistro
15230 Yonge St Aurora 905-727-5100
Tom Bits : 3rd year in roomy, beautiful  completely renovated, historic location. Hardwood Floors, outdoor upper level, heated patio. Seafood and steaks the house specialty.   

Live Entertainment weekends No Cover. Friday's are A.S.'s best night.
Boonie Pick, King City

Hogan's Inn 12998 Keele St, 905-833-5311
Tom Bits : A regular on Tom's original Top Ten eatery picks for CoverStory York Region 20 years ago. Longtime, infamous cuisine. Upscale dining. Beautiful, historic cobblestone house and setting. Features fine dining upstairs and the Hunt Pub downstairs with Live Entertainment such as Rhythm & Blues sensations Bad Dog

Taxi Service in York Region call 310 - 310 - 3

Toms Top TO Pick
#PartyAdviserGuru Val  of Parties Without Borders and Toot's Capital fame tells me.

You can check out her other TO picks here!
Tom's Top 10 Video!

Watch for TPE's Tom's Top 10 Restaurants, Pizza and  Tom's Top 10 Live Entertainment

Invite TP to visit and sample your hospitality and we'll cover you in an industry blog!

Or we can feature just you! We guarantee to rank highly in Google searches by people looking for restaurants or clubs of YOUR TYPE!

Tom The Temp

At The Clubs Newmarket and Video Highlights of Tom's Top 10 Entertainment

Stellar Hall & Event Centre Feb 14 and 15th Dance Events

Wow what a week in entertainment and action! Tom's Top 10 New Years Eve Guide was so successful it made sense to keep the service for people searching online for an area Dining and Entertainment Guide. In the 1st week the listing  has received 200 views from people searching for those terms! Now that is targeted search marketing! Just punch into your computer - " Dining Entertainment Newmarket" or " Entertainment Guide" or " Toms Top 10" or any combination therein and a Tom's Top 10 listing pops up onscreen! Powerful stuff.

Meantime, my vision for Tom's Top 10 fits in with TPE Productions, with all the promotion, band / event bookings and video productions involved.TPE plans to put together interesting videos of the various hotspots and the action happening onstage, as well as continue to add fun new additions like TP's industry comics and other tombits to keep things interesting.

I'm looking forward to a couple of events upcoming such as the TPE DRYDance Production, a dance at Stellar Hall Sat Feb 15 featuring The Yappers fresh from playing The famous El Mocambo and dance music DJ style between sets A la carte menu available. Stellar Hall & Events Centre is also featuring a Feb 14 Valentines Night Special Dinner, Dance and Show with award winning dance troupe @ only $70 per couple.

TPE is also putting on a show at Big Daddy's Rock & Roll Emporium Fri March 14 for The Opening Face off Party featuring Clean Fill Wanted and The Yappers. $5 cover charge. I caught a show there last week and it featured a young up and coming band called This Side Up which TPE captured on video. Drum  and guitar work worth seeing!

TPE is involved in organizing the Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road hockey Challenge and working towards a suitable location to hold the event, with construction presently hindering the original proposed spot. TPE is working with cooperative partners such as Newmarket Councilor Joe Sponga and Newmarket sports store owner Gerry Ertl as well as Highwayy 11 Cruisers Car Club member Danny Fachino, PACC Vice Chair Dan Philion and other interested parties and hopefully we can solve this dilemma - soon!

I managed to pop into a number of places in the past few weeks like Villa Risi Ristorante, and caught some great singing / piano act! Col Mustard's for karaoke, Pirates Cove, Big Chris BBQ, and Stellar Hall and you can catch some of what I captured on our Tom's Top 10 Entertainment highlights video!
Want to be in a TOM's TOP 10 LISTING? Search Toms Top 10 and give us a call!
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Search "At The Clubs Newmarket" For More Tom's Top 10 Video Highlights!

The Yappers Live at Stellar Hall Sat Feb 15 Tickets $12 Advance $10 289-221-0928

Tom Out

New Year's Eve Restaurant Party Guide Newmarket - Last Minute Club Listings

So you broke a promise you made to yourself last year to have your New Year's Eve planned and reservations booked to avoid any confusion of what to do at the last minute. You were going to already have made plans to stay local and cab it, or have a designated driver picked out who comes along. The third wheel as it were perhaps, or maybe that's you! Get a cab anywhere in York Region 1-800-668-0001

Either way it's all moot because once again you've procrastinated your face off and put yourself in a precarious position. You know restaurants and pubs / clubs will be busy likely and don't want to waste any more time and so you're now willing to concede the formal sit down dinner even, need be.



2015-16 New Year's Eve Party Guide!

Well you are in luck my friend because this 2015-16 Last Minute Guide link to party spot, restaurant, entertainment & bars is just for you! All of the choices are within a 10 mile radius of Aurora / Newmarket and all provide a top notch experience with walk-in options for no reserve for the entertainment / later evening portion or bar area only cover charges - although we do advise where possible you reserve to ensure entry.


Best Deal Choices -

My fave deal for group bookings would be Stellar Hall, based on their experience with larger parties and New Year's Eve value with a $75 per, all inclusive with open bar deal!
Call TP for more info @ 289-221-0928 

For my personal walk-in choice - including having the best opportunity of gaining entrance as a " walk-in" patron -  it would be the Fionn MacCool's @ 17315 Leslie..$20 includes midnight toast and Live Entertainment. 
Book@905-898-7899

Watch for TPE's GTA Top 10 Dining and Clubs  Listings Coming in 2016.
Great Staff + Great Time = Happy New Year!

Amber Changing, Everglo, Salads play Stellar Hall

What a great live show put on at the Stellar Hall Saturday!

Sat Dec 15 2012 - The 1st entertainers of the evening were for an all ages show featuring great young talent from acoustical / folksy to borderline punk - a great range - and some really solid acts. The Amber Changing Reunion show was really something and had the room buzzing, with some die-hard love-struck male fans seemingly fawning over the lead vocalist a bit.Wow, this new generational role-reversal thing may be going slightly too far! Ha! We're not worthy! We're not worthy!
Speaking of the room, with the production company supplied back-drop stage framing acting as a sound

Josh right has some Salads and friends!

blanket along with the detailed sound check done, the audio has never been better in "The House". Just a fantastic venue for sound / bands/ theatre.

Using two stages, one smaller suiting the duet acoustical sets, was perfect, almost acting as atmospheric ambiance in between the louder / bigger bands on the main-stage while giving time for instrument switches between acts as well without a lull, or having the audience's attention kept on it whilst the changes occurred. Well done.





The unique evening featured an after 9PM 19+ show as well headlined by THE SALADS who'd returned to Newmarket to play for the 1st time in 3 years and they did not disappoint.


You can tell how comfortable they are onstage, with their cross-stage banter & manner, even if it did seem to at times be devised so they can have quick guzzles of their chosen beverages! Ha.


At any rate, the sparse crowd on a night when freezing rain likely dampened attendance a bit, was treated to an electric, energizing show that almost embraced their in-between banter as a comedy act. The bits are fairly humourous, and I loved the wacky cartoon-like voice the guitarist uses for a 'skit" where he claims to be gay  but perhaps the banter was slightly overused - not than any of the salad heads noticed - as they were too busy soaking up the fun,  bobbing and weaving to the tunes when they did play, which of course they did, and with fervour.

When the red breasted double-neck guitar was broken out & the song announced, you could hear a slight murmur in the room and as he hit the first note recognition leaped into play & the crowd fevered itself to its highest pitch yet!

I really liked their energy and it's obvious they enjoy playing and being onstage which subliminally reigns in the crowd. The lead singer has enough of a rasp to keep it edgy, and the tunes get heavy enough for my liking enough to raise my energy level and solicit a grin - and not from the humour. 
The Salads stood apart from all the other acts on the night with their professionalism and you can tell how at ease they are onstage now with the experience of hundreds of shows under their belt, while their antics and wit paint them as kind of intellectuals but oddballs, an image that works for them! Really good show.

I chatted up a few of the guys at the end of the evening and let them know I was the one who identified and booked their local  promoter Josh who had a reputation of putting on good shows with no problems of patrons destroying the place - Ha and on that I must say, again, I was right! Hey man, hate to toot my own horn but someone has too! 

See you next time!.
TP Out!

Rockin Deli Night Sat Feb 25

     Building towards two events at once can be a bit of a juggling act, especially if you are by nature a bit of a perfectionist. Right now among some projects, we are a little behind in launching our "screener" for a documentary for which I hate missing deadlines, even if they are my own self imposed ones. I'm behind because I put off firming up the host band for our "Open Stage" portion of Rockin' Deli Night which concludes with a DJ and the latest in dance. But I'd had some discussions with Newmarket 's THE JAMSPOT owner and operator Max -  and wanting to keep things local as I know there is a ton of talent here - had confidence Max would turn me on to the right hosts given time. Gulp..but I was running out!

    Max is a consummate pro too, not wanting to recommend just anyone, and taking the time to understand what I was looking for. But I think he also realizes that we can work together here and create a cooperative  atmosphere with enough rooms for everyone to play in whether they are jamming or putting on live shows. THE JAMSPOT can also hold smaller shows as well and is ideal for CD Release parties too, but THE JAMSPOT's  big feature is the custom built sound proofing built in. Bands love it for good reason. And they are going to love playing at Deli house Caterings Rockin' Deli Night location at 1220 Stellar Dr in Newmarket as well, as it renowned for its good sound as it's original build use was for a concert hall for big name acts way back in the 50's and 60's. Later on it was also a succession of night clubs including " Club Spotlight" which featured the latest in lights and booming city-like sound for the time. Rockin' Deli Night takes a walk back into that era and even offers prime rib as dinner - optional of course!

   Funny story. I was writing a column, " At The Clubs", for CoverStory Newspaper in York Region back in the day and one night while covering a band at none other than the Rockin' Deli located on Yonge St in Newmarket, I was attacked by about 4 or 5 guys outside. They jumped me in the parking lot for, as far as I could tell, wearing leather pants! That's just a theory mind you as I was new to living here then having spent the previous 10 years or so living in cities, so pleated leather pants may not have resonated with some locals - a fact that was pointed out to me by none other than a local! ha! I'd never have thunk it. I still have the pants somewhere, scrapes and all! Ha! Anyway these guys were so drunk they couldn't sustain any damage, as whenever they went to kick me I'd roll their friend who was now lying on the ground with me (from tackling me) in front of the kick! Ha..I got hit a few times though and the doorman watched the whole thing from inside not bothering to do or say anything. Afterwards they let me in to recoup and several years later I dated the bartender who had been working that night as she remembered the incident when I relayed it to her...I should have known better when she did nothing as these guys attacked me that night, that she'd be, er ah ...interesting. She went on to have a Glass Tiger member's kid..oh well..that one's another story for another day. Ha! Now who I should have gone after was my flaxen haired co-worker Mcgurksky or something like that who had showed sympathy for me and who also was a single parent at the time like me. Her and two other girls were like the Charlies Angels sales force on the CoverStory YR team, and likely sold the jaw-dropping men ads before uttering a word. Mgoo was beautiful and hard working, but one of those women who leave you tongue tied whenever you tried to say anything to her, let alone make a play. Man, what an idiot I was. Why did I pick her to be the "nice guy" to! Ha!

  At any rate Max came through with some outstanding musicians to host the first Rockin' Deli Night on Sat Feb 25 called Sean Bourke Band! The trio's members have played with a number of bands over the years - some having played alongside The Good brothers or The Goods as once known - ironically through a time period when I interviewed the band for a TV show I produced and Co-hosted called "Out and About" - and Teenage Head to name a couple so the array of tunes they can play will be phenomenal, and any vocalists or accompanying "Jammers" can get in on the action! Everyone knows I like a good show and this one is a shaping up!

  Speaking of shaping up, the 8th Annual Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road Hockey Challenge is shaping up with the new addition of Newmarket Mitsubishi as tournament sponsor! The now longest running street hockey tournament in Ontario features live entertainment, music, comedy play-by-play with TP's own "Gripes" as featured in the poster campaign.

This year's TP imposed theme slogan for the road hockey event is

WE WANT YOU! BACK ON THE STREETS!

And uses a Don Cherryesque character dressed in Canadian red and white stripes and mirrors the US army recruitment poster for "Uncle Sam".

    The 2012 event will be held again in the downtown Newmarket area including spots around the Newmarket Community Centre and the new Riverwalk Commons. With public skating already an attraction there we expect the road hockey activities to take off in a big way for 2012 and plan to utilize the outdoor stage for live entertainment for a "halftime show' and for the end of the event shows, including a variety of talent. We may maintain an open stage during the event combined with our canned music, but either way it'll be a fun event!
   This year youths can sign up for the free event online as well in advance @ www.tpeproductions.com

Pick up games and an Opening Face-off Party for us Oldtimers too T.B.A.! 

Car!