Like it or not, your social prowess is just as important as your ability to write flawless legal arguments. Precedent’s food and drink intel makes sure you know how to wine and dine a sophisticated client. We’ve hunted down the best off-the-beaten-path boutiques to show you how to find a suit that everyone else covets. And our Act their Age Quiz tells you how to prevent your bosses from guessing you weren’t even born when Back to the Future knocked their socks off

16-20. Tackle challenging foods

16. Oysters
Oysters are one of the only foods that are acceptable to eat live. Slurping them out of the half shell — liquor and all — is a heavenly experience. But for the uninitiated, the thought of swallowing a phlegm-like wad of fleshy raw shellfish can prompt an instant gag reflex. To ease into things, opt for small and simple East Coast oysters, such as the P.E.I. Malpeque. But to appear a real connoisseur, enjoy it nearly naked, chew don’t swallow it whole and drink up that bivalve’s briny bathwater.
Find it at: Rodney’s By Bay, 56 Temperance Street

17. Nose to Tail
Embrace your inner gastronaut because, depending on the restaurant, you might come across anything from tail to tongue, brains to bone marrow, or skin to snout when sampling this trendy approach to eating. Newbies should start with something mild that doesn’t resemble an actual organ, such as beef tongue that arrives sliced, duck liver pureed into an innocent-looking mousse, or anything deep-fried.
Find it at: Beast, 96 Tecumseth Street

18. Bottarga
This coveted Mediterranean delicacy, aka poor man’s caviar, is the roe sack of, typically, grey mullet or tuna that has been cured and dried using sea salt. Intensely fishy and salty, it can be found on only a few menus in the city, served as a slab simply sliced and drizzled with olive oil and lemon. Not up for a whole plate? Look for it grated onto pasta or seafood, and into salads and sauces.
Find it at: Aria, 25 York Street

19. Foie gras
Considered a delicacy by some, foie gras is buttery and rich with a mild, musky flavour. It often stars on menus simply seared, best eaten bite by bite with whatever chutney or pickle it’s paired with to cut the richness.
Find it at: Canoe, 66 Wellington Street West

20. Ceviche
Although not always called ceviche, you’ll find various incarnations of raw, marinated seafood — from squid to shrimp to halibut — in restaurants of all ethnic persuasions. “Cooked” in an acid such as vinegar or citrus juice, it keeps its raw taste and mouth-feel. Look for dishes where ceviche is served with something crispy to complement the texture. Quality is key. If it smells fishy, send it back.
Find it at: La Bella Managua, 872 Bloor Street West

Web exclusive: Here are two more dishes that are complicated to eat

Charcuterie
The trend of serving platters of pickles and preserves with cured, smoked and dried meats, sausage, terrines, pates, galantines, roulades, rillettes and more is still going strong. Familiarize yourself with at least the most common French names, which refer to specific methods of preparation, to avoid the embarrassment of asking the server to describe 10 charcuterie items in detail before ordering, and to avoid being unpleasantly surprised by the sudden realization that head cheese is not in fact a cheese. Flavours range from mild to spicy, featured meats typically include pork, poultry, game, horse, beef, lamb and even seafood. These platters are best shared so as not to render oneself speechless in a fat-induced coma.
Find it at: Black Hoof, 928 Dundas Street West

Injera
Looking like a trampled sea sponge, injera is actually a yeast-risen flatbread with a slightly sour taste. Its main function is to be a carrier for an array of deliciously spiced (but not always spicy) Ethiopian dishes, both meat and veggie. Be prepared to share. Ethiopian restaurants offer many mixed platters for two people or more, which are typically eaten with your hands or by using injera to scoop up salads and stews. Liberal use of wet nappies is required and double dipping is a definite no-no.
Find it at: Lalibela, 869 Bloor St. West

21-25. Talk boozy to me

21. Syrah or shiraz?
Both names actually refer to the same dark-skinned grape that produces spicy red wines. The first pronunciation (see-rah) is what it’s called in France, the wine’s country of origin. But the Aussies massacred the word and Canada and South Africa jumped on board, so here, it’s called Shiraz.

22. Cask conditioned ale
This old brewing style is undergoing a revival. Once it’s opened, cask ale has to be consumed fairly quickly, since it’s unfiltered and unpasteurized, having undergone a secondary fermentation inside the cask. It’s typically served at cellar temperature and it’s not as bubbly, since there’s no artificial injection of carbon dioxide. Many beer bars have one or more cask ales on rotation.

23. Pernod
No, Pernod is not a new pear-infused vodka; it’s an anise-flavoured liqueur, the distant cousin of absinthe. Pronounciation matters: it’s per-know, not pair-nod.

24. Mescal
Like tequila, it’s a distillate of the agave plant native to Mexico. But while tequila is produced only from what’s commonly called the blue agave in several Mexican states, mescal can be made from any subspecies of agave plant in most any region and it has a smokier flavour — look for it in cocktails or straight up at Toronto tequila bar Reposado.

25. A real martini
Ask for a classic gin martini at most bars these days and you’ll get the cheap ‘n’ lazy version, aka the dirty martini: a drink clouded with oodles of olive brine and garnished with at least three ridiculously huge olives, which take up valuable volume better used for booze. To get the classic version, specify that you’d like it dry (a ratio of five to one, gin to vermouth), with a single olive, brine shaken off first. And sorry Bond, but to appreciate the drink in all its glory, we’ll take that stirred, not shaken.

26-27. Act their age

If you want to be taken seriously, it’s best not to flaunt your youth and remind senior associates that you could have been the toddler they babysat in high school. Take our quiz to see if you act your age, or theirs.

• You came of age along with the kids from Degrassi
  a) During the original run with Spike and Joey Jeremiah
  b) During the 2001 reboot featuring Spike’s and Joey’s kids
• When 9/11 happened, you were
  a) Studying for the LSATs
  b) Studying to get your driver’s licence
  27. Pro tip: Nothing will date you more than talking about where you were when significant world events occurred.
• The first rock concert you ever went to was
  a) The Pixies, touring for Doolittle in 1989
  b) The Pixies’ reunion tour in 2004
• When you see someone wearing circle-frame glasses, it reminds you of
  a) John Lennon
  b) Harry Potter
• When you think reality TV, you think
  a) Cops, Supermarket Sweep, The Real World: New York
  b) Jon & Kate Plus 8, Jersey Shore, The Real World: New Orleans
• As a kid, the present you most desperately wanted was
  a) A Cabbage Patch Ki
  b) A Furby
• Wayne Gretzky’s unpenalized high stick on Doug Gilmour is
  a) The greatest injustice ever perpetrated against Leafs Nation
  b) Something you heard people talk about, so you looked it up on YouTube

THE VERDICT

If you answered mostly As, you’re still young and hip (and the Pixies, they’re still cool), but are probably just starting to sprout a few grey hairs and are totally in the right to strangle the articling student who talks (seriously) about how Walkmans are now “vintage.”

If you answered mostly Bs, you were probably born in the mid- 1980s, and though you’re more than capable of kicking ass at your new gig, you’ll have to work hard to make sure your cohorts don’t see you as the office baby. Don’t reference how much you loved the Spice Girls in Grade 6, and at the very least, spend some quality time with Google to make sure you understand any Star Wars references and know who shot J.R.

28-33. Find unique workwear

Let’s face it, lawyers have to wear a uniform. But there is some room for individual style. We hunted for under-the-radar stores to help you look, well, more like you and less like the rest of ‘em.

28. Holt Renfrew Last Call
Located in Vaughan Mills mall, this designer haven is a must-visit for those who are into labels for less. Find tailored blazers from Hugo Boss and D&G and wrap dresses from Diane von Furstenberg, all at a hefty discount.
1 Bass Pro Mills Drive, Vaughan

29. J.Crew
The first Canadian location of this south-of-theborder favourite just opened. The Yorkdale Shopping Centre store carries beautiful cashmere and herringbone suiting along with sheath dresses and pencil skirts. The shop is womenswear only, but men can order everything online.
3401 Dufferin Street, j.crew.com

30. Judith & Charle
Tailored suits, colourful shift dresses and beautiful silk blouses by the husband and wife team behind Teenflo in Canada surpass the basics of mainstream retailers for quality and fit. Designs take a cue from the runway but remain office appropriate.
First Canadian Place, 100 King Street West, and at Bayview Village, 2901 Bayview Avenue, or shop online at judithandcharles.com

31. Indochino
Buy everything from a three-piece suit to a tuxedo on this custom-suit site where all clothes are handcrafted and delivered within three weeks. Just get your measurements right before ordering.
indochino.com

32. Brooks Brothers
From Oxford non-iron dress shirts for both men and women to sophisticated pea coats, this preppy-yet-posh retailer outfits professionals for every occasion.
200 Bay Street, brooksbrothers.com

33. GotStyle
This menswear store is a one-stop shop for guys to get gussied up. They sell business, evening and weekend wear by international designers, as well as made-to-measure offerings and shoes.
62 Bathurst Street, gsmen.com