Marketplace Update

I am selling the Nike Air Max 1 Premium Quickstrike "Patta". This sneaker released on November 28, 2009. This shoe had a lot of hype from sneaker heads and I myself love it. I regret not grabbing myself a size 8 and now these are just sitting in a box receiving no love.

They are a size 9. These were worn in between five to ten times. The only reason why I am selling them is because they are a size too large for myself. They come with the original box, white laces with red tips and the anatomical arch supports. The market price right now is around $430, I am selling mine for $325 CAD.

To purchase, e-mail hellosaskatoon@gmail.com

View the rest of the Marketplace

Love the North

Village Guitar and Amp Co.

"Our goal is to provide premium gear - guitars, amps, and pedals, to discriminating players and collectors."

- Guitar and Amp Co.

"We're not interested in stock tones here, we want originality."

"We shoot for exceptional service and repair work for the discriminating player."

"Village Guitar also specializes in aging instruments to make them feel, play, and look like a classic."

Village Guitar and Amp Co. is a boutique guitar shop recently established (432 20th St.) by Saskatoon's own Todd Peters and Dan Canfield. Together they wield seasoned experience in Saskatoon's music industry, as well as exceptional service. They strive to provide premium musical equipment (new and used) and insight to serious players and collectors, while also providing repair options and music lessons.

Village Guitar and Amp Co. is a refreshing addition to Saskatoon's music industry. Not only does it present a quality alternative to the hustle bustle and sub-par service of some of the larger music retailers in the city, but it is also a great venue for small shows and local events.

Support local business.

http://www.villageguitarandamp.com

http://www.facebook.com/villageguitarandampco

info@villageguitarandamp.com

One Year Anniversary: Naked and Famous "Skinny Guy"

It's been a year since I have been wearing my "Skinny Guy" broken twill denim. I purchased them in Calgary at Holt Renfrew, but you can purchase them in the city now at Luna + Hill on 3rd Ave. The purpose of raw denim is to personalize your own denim. Most raw denim is recommended to be worn for six months without washing. Why buy pre-ripped costly denim when you can do it all on your own? You can treat your pair of jeans like a project, it's always neat to see change and the end result. These costed me $140 which was quite affordable and justifiable for the quality and look in my opinion.

Buying Guide
For Naked & Famous, all of their pants are a 34" leg inseam (can be hemmed). For the waist, I went with one size below my true fit. All fits and brands have different buying instructions, it is pretty standard to size down 1 or 2 from your true waist size. There are tons of different fit and colour options from each brand. I chose the broken twill because it is known to fade a bit nicer than their other washes. They will feel awkward at the beginning, but don't worry it only gets better.

One Year Ago
When I originally started wearing them I could barely do up the top button. It took me quite some time to put them on because the legs were very narrow. I never hemmed them but instead chose to use a double cuff. They were incredibly stiff and uncomfortable.

Taken One Year Ago

Now

They feel much better, the legs and waist stretched out nicely. I don't use a belt anymore and instead let them sag a bit. I still use a double cuff but my right one was done quite poorly and has a small tear in it. Because the jeans are long, there is a bit of a buckle at the knee as well. There is also a random tear behind my left knee located in the honeycombs. They have a couple of scars from activities like jumping soccer field fences. The photos beneath were taken with flash to show you exactly where they have faded and how they have worn. They were shot today.

How I Wore Them
Although my movements were restricted, I did everything I could to personalize my denim. I chose to ride my bike, skateboard and do weird stretches in them. There is now a noticeable Blackberry outlined in the front right pocket and my wallet is outlined in the back right.

Plans for the Denim
Right now I like the deep indigo colour of my denim but think that a single soak will not only clean them but look good (my girlfriend and mom will be happy). I hope to give them a nice long bath after the Spring because it will be mucky and wet. The plan is to follow The Madbury Club's instructions of letting them sit in a tub for a few hours. After this happens I may choose to hem them, but this is undecided.

Conclusion
So far, I am very happy with the way my Skinny Guy's have turned out. Naked and Famous produces very affordable raw selvedge denim, while still keeping things creative. I am always interested in seeing how other raw denim wearers' pants turn out, please feel free to post a picture of your jeans on our Facebook page. Mine still have a long life ahead of them and I am excited to see how they will turn out.

Love the North

Felix Cartal - Black to White

This guy is on a hot streak.



This album is gonna be my 2012 "You're a Woman, I'm a Machine" in which every song is gonna be A++++.

Apply: Photographer

We are interested in have a new member to join hello saskatoon, specifically a photographer. The role of a photographer will be simply to share photos that they have taken. I go to a few websites daily. What attracts me to them is not only their well written posts but the visual experience they provide for you. We feel that a photographer could diversify our posts and interest our readers.

If you are interested in applying to write with us on our blog, all you have to do is send us your resume.

Be sure to include:

-Summary of yourself
-Education
-Writing experience
-Computer skills
-Hobbies and interests
-Aspirations
-Things you can offer to the blog
-What photography experience you have
-What camera you use
-A portfolio of photographs


E-mail us at hellosaskatoon@gmail.com

Love the North

Just a Taste: Bliss Fine Food

Bliss is located on Broadway Avenue. I would describe it as a quiet dining bistro. They really know how to present themselves, lights are dim, a white tulip is at each table, waitresses are kind, impressive canvas paintings are around the room and the food is presented beautifully. The meals begin at $22 and reach up to $30. You can view the menu and pricing here.

Food
Aashna ordered the salmon meal which had a sugar crust, orange soy glaze, lime crème and preserved lemon. She described it as being the best salmon dish she has ever had in the city. I had one piece and it was delicious, that sauce in the picture below made it so tasty. She wasn't lying. I ordered the short rib "Wellington" which is a 12 hour braised boneless short rib in a thin pastry with mushroom duxelle, sweet and sour shallots and green peppercorn sauce. It was really good, the vegetables were all fresh, my first time eating quinoa (side dish) was good and the beef was great. For dessert we ate a London Fog (Earl Grey tea latte) crème brule. It was a unique flavour and the best crème brule that I have ever had.

Summary
I recommend this restaurant for a special occasion or date. This place is great for a one on one dinner, it's a very good place to converse. The food looks nice and tastes better. Servers do everything they can to help you enjoy your meal. I have nothing negative to say about Bliss.

Love the North 

We Follow: The Karleidoscope

The Karleidoscope is Tumblr page made by my friend Mitch. It has a ton of funny pictures, GIFs and videos (not always safe for work). I go on daily to stay updated and have spent countless amounts of time on it (usually when I should be doing homework). If you are upset or having a gloomy day, go on and have a laugh.

Love the North

Pac Div- Top Down

NSFW

Just a Taste: Souleio Foods

This was my first time eating at Souleio foods, Aashna has been speaking very highly of it the past week. She has every right too, this place was awesome. It is a fresh deli with a miniature market within it selling organic products such as wines, cheese, vegetables, meats and other neat items. I have heard that it was very similar to a Calories or Christies Bakery.

I ordered a Pork Belly sandwich, it was a braised and fried pork belly with a homemade spicy sauerkraut and honey mustard. Aashna went with a Turkey sandwich which contained herbed turkey, habanero, cranberry mayo and lettuce. I can't get specific on the Turkey sandwich, but she seemed to enjoy it. My dish was very good, the cole slaw had a sweet poppy seed dressing and the sandwich was delicious. I love spices and the sauerkraut and honey mustard did the trick. If you don't like fatty meats, this may not be the best choice for you. The cinnamon bun with cream cheese was a great way of ending the meal as well. It was quite large and the icing was fabulous (do people still say that?).

Love the North 

Saskatchewan Jazz Festival

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited about this year's Saskatchewan Jazz Festival.

If you are unaware, the Sask Jazz Festival is a yearly event that brings acts from all across the globe to our chilly little city for a few weeks between June and July.

Two years ago the Sask Jazz Fest brought The Roots (and to this day, that remains the best show I've ever been to), last year they brought hip hop legends De La Soul and Arrested Development and this year they are bringing Feist.

Feist headlining is one of the best pieces of news I've heard all year. Ever since I saw her in Regina in 2008, I've been yearning to see her perform again (I have a slight crush on her, alright?).

But who's to say that she's going to be the showstopper? It's still early in the year and who knows who else will be pumped out on the line up.

So, come the end of June, wear some sunscreen, grab a beer at the gardens and see a free show. The Jazz Fest is all pos-vibes.





Keep up to date with the Jazz Fest on their Homepage, Twitter and Facebook Page.

Luna + Hill

Luna + Hill is a new clothing store on 208 3rd Avenue S. They have been open for around five months. Our friend Evan Neufeld told us about this joint and recommended it as being a unique fashion and denim shop in Saskatoon. The shop looks very nice and has an artsy/Canadian feel. They are interested in carrying Canadian-made, organic, sustainable, charitable, local and hand made products. I had the chance to speak with one of the owners, Amy. She was very knowledgable of their products, loved what they carried and was friendly.


If you are interested in buying some new raw denim, this place is a good place to look. They carry Naked & Famous and Nudies. They carry awesome fits and cool washes for both men and women. I am currently wearing the Naked & Famous "Skinny Guy" and I can say that they are a great price for the quality and look.


Check them out next time you hit down town!


View their website.


Love the North

THE BLaST RADIUS/ GRIZZLY DEN - The Mini Ramp

Here's a video of some of my friends (Tyler Abrahamson, Jeff Currie & Ryan Spencer) ripping up a mini ramp! The weather has been nice and it's the perfect time to enjoy some beers and board with the guys. I have yet to use my board this year speaking of that.



Love the North

Supreme "Pizza Face"

Today the Supreme Spring/Summer 2012 look books and previews were released. I am really impressed with the camp camps, henleys, plain tees and button ups, but expected better graphics on tees and hoodies. Tell us what you think of the line.

SUPREME

Love the North

Just a Taste: Asiana Wok

Asiana Wok is located on Acadia Drive in College Park. They serve Vietnamese, Chinese and a bit of Thai food. I ordered the Special Vermicelli with Jasmine tea. Firstly, I love the fact that each individual receives their own tea pot. It makes Asian meals so much better with Jasmine. 

The vermicelli came with peanuts, chicken, fresh vegetables and a spring roll. It was good, the peanuts were whole rather than crushed.  I couldn't take my mind off of how tender the chicken was the entire time (I usually order pork). The spring roll had the egg roll type of pastry around it. It was something you would see at a buffet, but don't let that fool you. The filling was savoury and I wish I had more than one. If you're in the area and need to grab a quick lunch, stop in.

Love the North

Hudson's Canadian Tap House Grand Opening

On Friday February 17,  Hudson's Canadian Tap House opened. It is located where John's Prime Rib was. Hudson's Canadian Tap House is meant to be a fun and comfortable joint. It opened that night at 8 pm, but Jason and I managed to get VIP for 5 pm. VIP consisted of two beverages on the house, along with appetizers. Mayor Don Atchison gave a speech and a few members of the Roughriders attended as well.

The Environment
It's really nice inside of the bar. Booths are located along the two rooms, tables are also present on the empty floor. There are two rooms, and each have a large bar. They both have a large amount of televisions to watch games and many bartenders to keep you from staying thirsty. Service within the restaurant was great, everyone was friendly and was having fun.

Food and Drinks
We aren't able to a full Just a Taste because we only sampled the appetizer menu. Waitresses walked around with trays in areas with a first come first serve method. I tried a wrap, boneless chicken wings, chicken wings, deep fried shrimp and sliders. All were good, but I must say that my favourites were the shrimp and the sliders. Rumour has it that these burgers give Earl's a run for their money. And because Earl's makes great burgers, I now have high expectations.

They have many drink options, they do a great deal of marketing with their Beer's Across Canada. Rather than serving many different kinds of imported beers, Hudson's serves 13 premium beers from across the country. I had just a taste of Evan Neufeld's (the photographer of the "GREAT" photo) Granville Island Cypress Honey Lager. It was better than Sleeman's Honey Brown in my opinion, and yes you got it, it was made in British Columbia! I also had a Snowbird martini which was Grey Goose vodka, Hpnotiq, pineapple juice and 7-Up. It was awesome, Jason recommended that one to me. He also had one called the Johnny Canuck which was even better! Hudson's has a large selection of caesars and I ordered one called The Henry. It was delicious, it had a much more bite than your average caesar.

This place is going to be really busy for the next little while, but I recommend you to try it out! Come out with some friends, grab a booth and get your food and drink on.

Thank you to Tyler for the VIP tickets, much appreciated.

Love the North

WDYWT: Ryan T.

Giorgio Armani Glasses

The North Face Plasma Thermal Jacket

Hurley Hoodie

CottonOn V-Neck Shirt

Transformers Autobots Belt Buckle

Levi's Denim

Nike Delta Force Low (?)

This shot was taken by the weir. Ryan and his friends often go on midnight McDonald's runs and hang out here.

You can get to know him on Twitter.

Who's next?

Love the North

Updated Marketplace: New Era Caps

Click this link to check out the Marketplace.

Just a Taste: Nutana Cafe

Nutana Cafe is located right on Broadway Avenue, it is most commonly known as "Norm's". It was recommended to me by a lot of people. There are some things I have heard through Urbanspoon and my peers, some hilarious and some not so funny. Firstly, they told me to never ever ask for a menu. I disregarded that and asked for a menu anyways. The menu was quite small. Secondly, I have heard it is normal to just order the special on the white board. That I also did not do. My dad and I ordered pork salad rolls and two Doug's Specials.

The salad rolls were good, possibly the largest ones I have ever eaten. They were not cold rolls because they were warm and fresh when we received them. The sauce had a nice taste as well, but was too thin. No spoons were provided so it made them quite difficult to eat.

The spring rolls on the vermicelli were very good. I usually buy them annually at the Fringe. The vermicelli itself had satay chicken and pork, which was not what I read on the menu but I do recall it being the special (I was a bit skeptical). I usually don't like the satay because it takes the taste away from the fish sauce and does not have as nice as a texture as the lettuce and bean sprouts. It reminded me a lot of Hao's Garden to be honest. This is funny because after I heard that the two owners are brothers.

With all of the praise that this restaurant was given by everyone I knew, it did not reach the standards in my mind. It was still alright, but does not quite compete with some of the Vietnamese restaurants I have written about. Everyone has their own opinion, I have mine and you will have yours. That being said, try Nutana cafe out and let me know what you think of it.

Love the North

Jordan IV- White Cement

This Saturday (February 18, 2012), the White Cement will release at selective Nike dealers. I saw these in person already and they look super clean. The IV is one of my favourite silhouettes in the Air Jordan line. If people are going to be hyped up like I have seen on the internet, I would recommend going to your local store early (I still want to experience camping out for sneakers).


"May the IV's be with you"- Bobby Hundreds

Love the North

LINderella

The ultimate underdog story continues as the Knicks win their sixth straight since Jeremy Lin has been putting up big numbers.




Stay classy Saskatoon,
Jason Tran

Volta Bureau - Hope

I honest to goodness cannot get enough of this song. It's like the 21st century's "Music Sounds Better With You"

Volta Bureau - Hope from benjamin brewer on Vimeo.

Saskatoon Indoor Skatepark Fundraiser

Ages 19+

Love the North

Açaí Bowls by Tiffany Tanaka of Fresh Cafe

This is an article I just saw on Hypebeast. It is a fresh fruit treat that you could eat for breakfast or for a snack. To learn how to make it hit the link.

Love the North

Nerdiest Thing I Own: Connor

Good morning Internet,

Today's "Nerdiest Thing I Own" is brought to you by our friend Connor. I would like to say that this collection is the most gangster of collections that we can all relate to. Check it.

The nerdiest thing I own hands down is my pokemon card collection. I have somewhere around 600 or 700 cards, which includes:

• 4 separate decks for battling, each with their own type (fire, fighting, psychic/grass, and water/lightning)



• Around 300 extra pokemon cards, divided into separate types
  



• 65 trainer cards (not including the ones I use in the battle decks) and 43 cards that I can't even use because they're stage 1 or 2 pokemon and I don't own the previous evolution
  

What makes this collection even nerdier is that these aren't my old pokemon cards that I've been saving since I was a kid or anything. My mom threw away all of my old pokemon cards. All of these cards I've purchased within the past 3 years, probably at least $300 worth. I can't even say that I was an obsessed kid, just a grown man that likes to play pokemon. S'all good!

Awesome.

You can follow Connor on twitter at @connoriswhite.

What's the nerdiest thing you own? Send them to jsenglow@gmail.com.