The best Philly cheesesteak in Toronto is a sinfully greasy, lowbrow import from south of the border that owes its deliciousness to the simple and straightforward combination of griddled rib eye, oozing cheese (preferably provolone and/or Whiz) and a soft squishy bun.

Purists and expats might argue that the only acceptable preparation options are wit' onions or wit' out, but, here in Hogtown the addition of a fried egg, onion ring or even kimchi is something to be celebrated...then devoured.

Here is a list of where to find the best Philly Cheesesteak in Toronto.

See also:

The best sandwiches in Toronto
The best late night sandwiches in Toronto

10 years after the release of The Postal Service's seminal Give Up, I was able to fufill one of my biggest live music dreams: seeing Mates of State play three times. But they were only the opening band at The Air Canada Centre on Monday and I was there to see The Postal Service, even if it was under the guise of seeing the beloved duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, the geniuses behind pop masterpieces Like U Crazy, For the Actor, Whiner's Bio, My Only Offer,Palomino, Blue and Gold Print... ah hell let's face it, there's way too many to list.

...Anywho, The Postal Service took the stage after a glorious Mates of State set facing some serious competition. The husband and wife opener managed to untangle the individual realities of the audience into a shared experience bigger than any of us would have been able to experience on our own accord, even if we lived a thousand years. And this was despite some pretty glaring level issues for the first few songs.

The Postal Service managed to keep its audience, which was not a particularly hard trick seeing they were the headliners. Ben Gibbard did spirited karaoke while riffing on his axe and even drums for some reason. Meanwhile producer Jimmy Tamborello did something with his laptop computers. The two were backed up by scene stealing Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley and solo fame) on guitar and Laura Burhenn (of The Mynabirds) on drum pad and synth. I admired their efforts to bring a little live music to the set but there was enough noodling that they could have been called "The Pasta Service" — AM I RIGHT?

Although I will say that Lewis' guitar solo gave me a level seven boner chills.

It was certainly a nostalgic night. Fans sung along with hands held as their eyes glittered with recollection. I couldn't help taking a stroll down memory lane myself. Thinking about all the times that Mates of State blend of romanticism and stark emotional reality underscored important moments of my life... about the previous two Mates of States shows... even about all the laughs I got off Kori's parenting blog Band on the Diaper Run.

I had to sigh several times, which is hard to do when you are singing along to The Re-Arranger.

All in all, the crowd got its money's worth. Then the Postal Service went on and it was an excellent bonus.

More Photos:

Photos by Roger Cullman

Long a Trinity Bellwoods mainstay, White Squirrel Squirrel Coffee Shop has expanded beyond the modest selection of baked treats on offer at the original cafe with this new Queen West snack shop. The menu is eclectic to say the least, but if you stop during breakfast/brunch, try the "Sabich," an Iraqi breakfast sandwich of cucumbers, roasted eggplant, pickled mango, and two six-minute eggs in a pita.

Read my review of White Squirrel Snack Shop in the restaurants section.

Toronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest restaurant openings and closings in Toronto and also gives a preview at some of the places coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

OPEN NOW

• The Clubhouse sandwich shop opened quietly this week at 455A Spadina and is offering a selection of sandwiches like oyster po boys.
• Douce France, a Parisian café and confectionary shop is now open at 2471 Yonge Street (north of Eglinton Avenue).

OPENING SOON

• Amsterdam Brewing Co. has revealed that it'll open the Amsterdam Brewhouse on July 1st at 245 Queens Quay West. For more on the new venture check out our previous post.
• Poor John's Cafe is set to be replaced by a new late night snack joint called Food and Liquor (great name), which avoids the Parkdale restaurant moratorium via a liquor licence transfer. Smart. (via the Grid)
• Hey Lucy is opening a third location in Cabbagetown at 229 Carleton Street. Poised to open in mid-July the new location will boast an 80-seat patio.
• Hudson Kitchen is soon to open at 800 Dundas Street West with chef Robbie Hojilla (formerly or Ursa, Woodlot) in the kitchen.
• It appears The Boiler House is undergoing more than just renovations, El Catrin, a new urban Mexican concept is soon to open in its place at 55 Mill Street.
• Ascertained from the liquor license posted in the window, I can report that Destingo is taking over the massive site, formerly a furniture shop at 739 Queen West.

OTHER NEWS

• Newly opened La Casa del Cafe is changing its name to Los Cafe Taleros.

Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to liora@blogto.com

Aqualina Bayside is just a portion of a much greater development beginning to take shape on Toronto's waterfront, near Queens Quay and Lower Sherbourne. These condos, which will go on sale in the fall, mark the first residential phase of what will essentially be a pre-packaged neighbourhood. The $1.1 billion project will include about 1,900 condos and affordable rentals, as well as offices, retail and other commercial pursuits. Developers Tridel and Hine also say they're going to include greenspace and other open communal spaces wherever possible.

While the expected completion date for these units is sometime in 2016, it'll likely take about a decade for the whole development to take shape. Aside from the size of the Bayside project—they say it'll span two million square feet—and its mixed-use nature, many of the details have yet to see the light. However, you can watch this weird imagination-land video, complete with inspiring music where it feels like you're flying around in an adobe after effects dreamworld, here.

SPECS

Address: 200 Queens Quay E.
Floors: 13
Total number of units: 363
Types of units: Range from one-bedroom to three-bedroom.
Unit sizes (in square feet): 560 to 2,100.
Ceiling heights: N/A
Starting prices for available units: low $300,000s
Developer: Tridel and Hines
Amenities/building features: Rooftop with gardens, open spaces, "the fastest internet in the city"

THE GOOD

As it stands, this stretch of the waterfront is still rather empty and under-used. It has sort of a barren wasteland feel to it, so it's technically a good thing that some life will be infused into the area. It'll be an especially good thing if the units actually turn out to be family-oriented and affordable, as the developers say. If they do this right, it could be a project after Jane Jacobs' own heart. Could be.

Though it sounds a little too good to be true, the concept is off to a good start. George Brown's waterfront campus is right next door, and Corus Entertainment is next to that on the other side. The first floor of the George Brown campus is open to the public, trying to inspire a neighbourhood feel. The school is thinking of expanding its waterfront campus, too, which would bring more life to the area.

While renderings of specific units have yet to be released, they're sure to have stunning views, and it sounds like green space will be top of mind within the development.

THE BAD

Because this whole stretch is being built all at once, and by the same developers, Bayside has the potential to come out the other side looking like a cookie cutter project. Forcing the existence of an entire neighbourhood will likely yield less-than-natural results, and the final outcome may take on some of the atmosphere Liberty Village is often criticized for: people coming home to their condos and hermitting, without much neighbourhood fun going on.

Many of the buildings will have the same feel. Developers say the project will be "defined by a series of distinctive prismatic cubes made of glass and steel, featuring facades accented by angled fenestration." Hmm. I'm not too sure about the warmth/visual appeal of this.

The other drawback here is transit. Those who live and work at Bayside will be relegated to taking the bus for the foreseeable future, as funding for the East Bayfront LRT is still a thing of smoke and mirrors.

OUR TAKE

This project could either be very, very good, or very, very bad. On the one hand, you have a thriving, diverse area right along the water, with lower-income families, busnesses and higher-end condos all swimming along in harmony. On the other you have a cold, isolated series of "units."

ADDITIONAL IMAGES

What do you think? Can this project work as well as developers say it will?

Read other posts in this series via our Toronto Condos and Lofts Pinterest board.

If you're as sick of whack slow music as I am Cellphone offers good reception. It's fast, it's eerie, it's cool, it's now, and most importantly, it sure gets your head boppin'.

I recently chatted with the fearsome foursome over email to get some insight to this can of nuts called "Cellphone." Be warned they are a beast with four heads: I asked them separately a series of questions that ended up highlighting each unique personality. Mike: the Party Dude. Alex: cool but rude. Jay: builds machines (brain) and Eric: a giant rat (jk).
Using these unique responses I was able to use my trained writing ability to present a cohesive yet individual Q & A with Toronto's Cellphone.

Hi guys! Please state your hometown and role in "Cellphone."

Eric: Newton Massachusetts, I play guitar and synths.
Mike: Ft. Lauderdale FL, I play bass and lead vocals.
Jay : Toronto, I play Guitar, Synthesizers and Vocals
Alex: Toronto, I am a synthesist and a programmer.

As I understand it you fellows met in college. How did Cellphone come to be?

Alex: We are four best friends.
Eric: Me and Mike recorded a couple punk songs drunk last summer and the rest just fell in place.
Mike: Alex and Jay both joined the band shortly after the first demos were made.
Jay: Half true, Eric and I met in our university residence, and we met Mike and Alex later on through mutual acquaintances.
Alex: It just kinda had to happen.

That's really fascinating. If I put a gun to your head and made you pick one band/performer you'd aspire Cellphone to be who would it be?

Jay: If you put a gun to my head I'd probably tell you to just end it all already.
Mike: Ted Nugent fronting Manowar.
Jay: Seriously, though... Probably U2's The Edge.
Eric: Rihanna.
Alex: Animal Collective.

Ok, ok, we're getting off topic, let's get deeper into what makes "Cellphone" tick. A lot of your songs incorporate "funny" voices, allusions to shit and some fairly goofy synthesizer noises. Is "Cellphone" a funny band or are these elements much more cerebral?

Eric: Cellphone is not funny; life is funny.
Mike: We essentially started off as a joke.
Jay: It's true. Our self-titled debut tape consists of what could be considered unorthodox vocals and synthesizer sounds. There is definitely an element of humour (or paradox) on that record, born from an awkward self-awareness of our musical infancy.
Mike: We produced our first release within the first month of being a band, so we kinda used our initial goofball instincts. Since our first release we have gotten a lot less jokey, but we still want to keep our music fun to a certain extent...
Alex: That question sucks.

To continue this introspective bent: do you personally feel Cellphone has an agenda beyond the music itself: an aesthetic something you want to celebrate or condemn? A mood you want to propagate? Or even a philosophy?

Mike: Things you will never have, places you will never go, people you will never meet.
Jay: I don't think we have an agenda, we aren't Anarchists and we're not N'Sync - although we do value some qualities of both.
Eric: It would be cool to get some billboards up. I would like that.
Jay: We just want to create something routed in classical pop principles.
Mike: Cellphone is a demented brotherhood with a slight case of boy band syndrome.
Alex:Hounds of Hate is probably my favorite band

Deep, man, deep. Now's lets talk about our favourite town: Toronto. What other Toronto bands do you enjoy?

Eric, Alex, Mike:THE SOUPCANS.
Mike:Man Made Hill, Ell V Gore,Sexy Merlin, Hussy, S.H.I.T.
Jay: I don't listen to a lot of music at the moment, listening almost exclusively to Metallica and Moroder.

So, based on your personal life experiences, do you think there is something about the Toronto scene or Toronto artists that is unique or a pain in the ass?

Eric: Sometimes there is too much cool and not enough attitude.
Mike: There are Canadian versions of other bands and it's kinda weird
Jay: The Toronto Scene has its ups and downs, just like any major city. I feel that here people are on two sides of the spectrum: they are either afraid to stray outside of the comfort zone of what has been sanctioned "cool", or they wander so far into dissonance that they lose sense of the most basic constituents of music. We take pride in synthesizing the most attractive elements from all types of music that we enjoy and consider "significant" and then modifying sounds and flavours to fit the mood of the song
Alex: The blues scale can [another fellatio reference]

Luckily you have many opportunities to see these charming young fellows (and Alex) during NXNE:

Thursday June 13th: Pretty Pretty Records showcase at Black Box Theatre @ 10pm.
Friday, June 14th: Wavelength NXNE concert series at Creatures Creating Gallery @ 1:00am.
Saturday, June 15th: Hot Tar the Vice NXNE Party @ 360 Dufferin St. Parking Lot.

At midday tomorrow train number 5736, currently the oldest in the TTC's subway fleet, will make its final run round the Yonge-University-Spadina line. The H5 model, noticeable for its yellow interior highlights and narrow doorways, has been sold with several other preloved Toronto trains to a new rail project in Lagos, Nigeria. This is a better fate than what faced the H4. Retired about a year and a half ago, it's last stop was the scrapyard.

The H5 fleet entered service in 1976 and were the first in the city to feature built-in air conditioning. Originally fitted orange and brown vinyl seats, a major overhaul program in 1997 brought the now standard red fabric seats to the aging trains and tweaked the interior layout.

In the past the trains have experienced problems with the control systems, axels, and rust. Several cars were destroyed in the deadly Russell Hill accident on August 11, 1995.

After tomorrow, the only trains running on the TTC will be H6, T1, and the new Toronto Rockets. The retired H5s are being stored in the United States in preparation for a major refurbishment program ahead of their shipment to the EKO Rail project in Nigeria.

Speaking a few months ago, Michael Schabas, one of the partners overseeing the African rail project, said it would be "a few more years" before the H5s enter active service. Surprisingly, the heat isn't expected to be an issue for the old trains. "You may be surprised to know that Toronto actually gets hotter than Lagos. But it gets less snow," he said.

The train will make a complete circuit from Wilson to Finch and then call it a day at the Downsview yard.

Are you happy to see dated the H5s go? Are you pleased the trains will find new life overseas? Will you take the final ride?

Here's a couple of (poorly) Photoshopped images from EKO Rail that show what the trains are expected to look like when they've been refurbished and repainted.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Images: TTC

The Cronenberg Project is about to take over the TIFF Lightbox. A portion of the venue will morph into a shrine honouring the great Canadian filmmaker. The main aspect of the exhibit will be a film called "David Cronenberg: Evolution," which, predictably, traces the artist's development. There's also an "experiential virtual museum," which sounds kind of scary, and which will include "a full retrospective of Cronenberg's films."

There will be pieces on display from various films, including costumes, props, art work, and set design drawings. Film geeks can drool over the helmet from Videodrome, surgical tools from Dead Ringers, and leg braces from Crash, amongst others.

The virtual exhibition will include essays, academic writing, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Cronenberg's many collaborators.

The show will run from Nov. 1 until Jan. 19, 2014, and once TIFF is done with it, the exhibit will pack its bags for some international travel. Stay tuned for dates and locations.

Dundas West, home to dive bars and indie cafes, is now home to a new event venue-meets-club. Focused on live music, drag productions and burlesque shows, it's a bit of a do it all type place. So will this new lounge have to lipsynch for its life?

Read my review of Mojo Lounge in the bars section.

Photo by Neil Ta in the blogTO Flickr pool

Toronto police knew about the existence of video allegedly showing Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine months before newspaper reports first surfaced. The Globe and Mail says a "source familiar with the investigation" for the information. The news came as police raided 39 addresses and arrested 28 people, several at the Dixon Rd. apartment building where it was reported the alleged tape was kept.

Talking about the co-ordinated operation, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair avoided saying whether Rob Ford came up as part of the investigation. He did say, however, that police are "aware of that picture" of Ford with murder victim Anthony Smith and that Mohammed Khattak, another pictured man, "form[s] part of this investigation." More information is expected today.

Ford on the other hand says he's got nothing to hide.

Also in Fords, the mayor and his brother said earlier this week they would like to see Metro Hall, the King Street office complex built to house the now-defunct Metro Council, sold as a surplus asset. Opened in 1992, Metro Hall once housed 1,800 city staff and 32 Metro councillors. A real estate agent says there would be "good demand" for the building. Should the city sell?

The designs for the new St. Lawrence Market North complex just got a whole lot less fancy. The squat concrete building opposite the current market is planned for demolition some time in the near future and the complex that will replace it looks, well, boring at best. The design has been simplified and many of the unique details removed. Should the city show off with this building?

Ayden Byle has been leaving his Cedarvale neighbours cryptic chalkboard messages, and everyone seems to love it. Byle started leaving the notes in his Atlas Ave. window when passers-by would peer inside while he was moving and the trend stuck. A sample of the messages includes: "One simple hello could change everything," and "Is there any better place than here?" Byle says he has even scored a few dates from his celebrity.

The Humane Society has a new rooftop oasis for its resident dogs and cats. The charity turned its rooftop space at its Queen and River offices into a space with potted plants and shrubs where the animals can enjoy nature while they await new homes. Even hamsters will be allowed to use the space, apparently.

Getting a patio in Toronto can be notoriously difficult. Strict rules covering the width of the sidewalk, the location of street furniture, and the amount of "encroaching" allowed by store awnings often make for a costly and ultimately fruitless application by bar and cafe owners. The CBC explains a common Toronto phenomenon: the micro patio.

Finally, visitors to Sneaky Dee's can now enjoy a "Fucked Up Breakfast" of enchiladas, poached eggs, rice, beans, and salsa. No, the name isn't a testament to the quality, it's a tie-in with shouty local punk rock band Fucked Up. Another plate, the "Queen of the Heart Attacks" with meat, eggs, toast, poutine, mushrooms, and tomatoes, is also available.

IN BRIEF:

• Lead found in drinking water in Toronto school video [CBC]
• Elevator workers forced back to work under rarely used labour law [Toronto Star]

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Ben Roffelsen/blogTO Flickr pool.

The photos of the week collect each of the editor-selected photos of the day into one post for a contest to be decided by our readers. Sponsored by Posterjack, the photographer whose image receives the most votes will be awarded with a voucher code for a 24"x36" poster print of their work.

All the rules and fine-print can be found in the original announcement post on the blogTO Flickr page. One thing to add, however, is that the voting period ends at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, after which the winner will be contacted with the good news.

For those photographers whose images are featured below, please feel free to give us a little information about your shot — i.e. where and when it was taken — in the comments section. Who knows? Maybe your description will sway voters in your favour!

Lead photo by Jonathan Castellino.

2.
Photo by Neil Ta.

3.
Photo by Guo Gareth.

4.
Photo by indian nomad.

5.
Photo by cookedphotos.

6.
Photo by ZensLens.

7.
Photo by dialeleven.

It was a night to remember on Wednesday at the National Ballet's annual fundraising gala, this year dubbed MAD HOT BALLET: Dangerous Love. The theme was a Carmen-inspired soiree featuring dance programmed by Artistic Director Karen Kain, sangria, tapas and other Spanish inspired food and libations. The gala raised over $1 million for the National Ballet.

Check out all the looks in our Style section.

Toronto Food Events rounds up the most delicious events, festivals, pop-ups, winemaker dinners, supper clubs and other food related happenings in Toronto this week and next. You can find us here every Friday morning.

THIS WEEK

• Beach BBQ & Brews Festival is on this weekend (June 14th to 16th) at Woodbine Park. The festivities include a free ribfest, father-son/daughter cook-offs, craft vendors and live entertainment.
• The Group of Seven Chefs head to Oakville for their Beer + BBQ Bash on Monday, June 17th at 7pm. Guest Chef Anthony Walsh (O&B Group) joins in to serve up twists on BBQ served with Beau's beer. A shuttle bus ($10) will leave from Beast Restaurant (96 Tecumseth Street) at 6pm to the Compass Restaurant (2340 Ontario Street).
• Now in its fourth season, the Open Roof Festival film & music series takes over new venue on the waterfront at Moonview Lot (175 Queens Quay Boulevard East) and now boasting a line-up of local food vendors at each event. Opening night kicks off Thursday, June 20th with indie band, The Sheepdog screening their debut documentary The Sheepdogs Have At It alongside food vendors Fidel Gastro and Crepe it Up.
• The Stop's (sold out) Night Market takes over Honest Ed's Alley (581 Bloor Street West) on June 18th and 19th for two installments of all-you-can-eat and drink fun.
• Round four of The Sausage League takes place Wednesday, June 19th featuring a face-off between Museum Tavern and Origin at Marben (488 Wellington Street West). Diners can vote for the winner between two sausage dishes priced at $25 (including two beers).
• TIFF's Food on Film wraps up the screening series on Wednesday, June 19th with molecular gastronomy expert, Kent Kirshenbaum on El Bulli: Cooking in Progress. Tickets are $35 for the screening and discussion held at the Bell Lightbox (350 King Street West).
• The Toronto Zoo hosts Seafood for Thought on Thursday, June 20th from 6pm to 8:30pm. The outdoor event will feature seafood tastings from chefs like Ted Corrado, (Drake Hotel), Lora Kirk (Ruby Watchco) and David Friedman (Red Fish), plus there will be wine and beer pairings and animal encounters. Tickets for the fundraising event are $85 and proceeds support the Toronto Zoo's Conservation Fund.

UPCOMING

• TO Food Fest is back for it second year on Sunday, June 23rd from 1pm to 6pm at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto (5183 Sheppard Avenue East). Admission is free for the daytime that brings together restaurants and food vendors from across the GTA.
• Just in time for berry season, The Depanneur (1033 College Street) and Christine Manning host a workshop on Jams with a Kick - Preserving with Booze on Monday, June 24th at 6:30pm. Tickets are $40 and include at least one take-home jars and recipes.

This new Parkdale women's boutique feels like a grown-up tea party. With candy-coloured lace and florals galore, you can look as sweet as sugar.

Read my profile of Sylvie & Shimmy in the fashion stores section.

Cheap wine lists in Toronto are not something you'll find in abundance, but with a little digging there are deals to be had various restaurants around the city. Truth be told, if you're really looking to save on wine costs, it's best to take advantage of a free corkage deal— of which there are plenty to choose from. That said, sometimes one wants to choose from a restaurant's list, which often feature wines that aren't stocked by the LCBO. In such instances, the restaurants below are a good bet. While I'd say that only one has a truly cheap list altogether, the others offer weekly specials that are worth taking advantage of.

Le Paradis
It's a French-only thing, but Le Paradis' wine list is a rarity in Toronto: it's both cheap and full of excellent wines. Your best bets are wines from the Languedoc region (there's usually a decent bottle of Minervois to be found), but offerings from the Rhone are also worth a look. The "house wine" runs $6.50 for 5oz and ain't half bad.

Gusto 101
Gusto's wine list has plenty of bottles to choose from in the $40 range (which isn't too bad for Toronto), but it makes this list for it's wine on tap. At a buck an ounce, it's one of the best deals in town. If you like the sound of that, you can also find it at Rock Lobster Co.

Globe Bistro
Globe does wine well. Along with the fantastic selection of Ontario wines, the restaurant offers 50% off all of its general list bottles on Sundays. This is a great way to try to some hard to find wines at bargain bin prices (at least relatively speaking).

Gladstone Hotel
The Gladstone also offers half-priced wine, but on Tuesdays. And although it's not the longest list out there, you'll find plenty of worthwhile New World offerings. Quick math: the cheapest bottle on the list is $45, so you're drinking that for $22.50 on Tuesdays (I only did up until grade 10 math — be proud of me).

Czehoski
Czehoski gets in on the fun Wednesdays, with the much-loved 50% off special. It's an eclectic little list here that's worth trying. Come for the excellent steak frites, stay for the wine — or, really, vice versa.

BONUS

Enoteca Sociale
Enoteca often runs a 50% off deal on their Enomatic wine selection on slower days (Mondays), but it's unpredictable when this deal will be on, so let me tell you about another one. You'll have to arrive early, but between 5pm and 6pm, the restaurant offers $4 wine, beer and cocktails. Hmmm. Is it completely unreasonable to think that I could get 10 drinks for 40 bucks? That's six minutes a drink. Easy!

Know of a good deal on wine in Toronto? Let us know in the comments

Photo by *Lemur* in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Thanks to the New Listerine UltraClean for sponsoring our wine-soaked adventures.

The photos of the week collect each of the editor-selected photos of the day into one post for a contest to be decided by our readers. Sponsored by Posterjack, the photographer whose image receives the most votes will be awarded with a voucher code for a 24"x36" poster print of their work.

All the rules and fine-print can be found in the original announcement post on the blogTO Flickr page. One thing to add, however, is that the voting period ends at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, after which the winner will be contacted with the good news.

For those photographers whose images are featured below, please feel free to give us a little information about your shot — i.e. where and when it was taken — in the comments section. Who knows? Maybe your description will sway voters in your favour!

Lead photo by Jonathan Castellino.

2.
Photo by Neil Ta.

3.
Photo by Guo Gareth.

4.
Photo by indian nomad.

5.
Photo by cookedphotos.

6.
Photo by ZensLens.

7.
Photo by dialeleven.

Ontario Craft Beer Week arrives on Sunday for their fourth annual excuse to drink for a week tribute to the great beers that this province has to offer. There are over 30 participating Ontario brewers hosting 150+ events across the province and as you can imagine given that this city is the centre of the universe, a large number of them are occurring right here in Hogtown.

The week will offer all manner of beer and food pairings, brewmaster's dinners, pub crawls, brewer collaborations, celebrations of cask ales and one-offs and much, much more, so, while it's tempting to try to attend all the events (and I applaud your moxie for thinking of it) it would quite literally be impossible (not to mention detrimental to your health).

So to help you plan your week of libations, I've taken the liberty of selecting a few highlights in order to whittle the comprehensive list of every event happening in Ontario to a manageable two or three local events each day so all you have to worry about is ironing your drinking pants.

Sunday June 16

Beach BBQ and Brews Festival
Kick off your Ontario Craft Beer Week with a family friendly event that will feature BBQ, live music, and, obviously, copious amounts of craft beer. Bonus: Beer drinking dads can spend one last say with the kids before embarking on a week of drinking!
WHERE: Woodbine Park, East Corner of Lakeshore Blvd East and Coxwell Avenue. Toronto, M4C 4E6
WHEN: June 16, 2013, 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
HOW MUCH: Free Admission, individual vendor prices will vary

Monday June 17

Neustadt Beer Tasting and Tap Take-over at Get Well
People who know beer have long known Neustadt Brewery as something of hidden gem when it comes to Ontario's craft beer scene; however, with this event at Get Well featuring six different Neustadt beers on tap and representatives on hand to chat about the beer, it seems likely the secret is about to get out. Get yourself to Get Well on Monday so you can tell people you've been drinking Neustadt beer since before it was cool.
WHERE: Get Well Bar, 1181 Dundas St W Toronto, M6J 1X4
WHEN: June 17, 2013, 6:00 PM - 2:00 AM
HOW MUCH: Free Admission, pints will cost you (Pacman is free!)

Cruisin' the Danforth - Multi-Brewery Pubcrawl
Hosted by reps from Great Lakes Brewery, Steam Whistle, King Brewery, Cameron's and Wellington Brewery, the Cruisin' the Danforth pubcrawl will feature specialty beers and one offs from each brewer along the way with stops at Relish Bar & Grill, Sarah's Cafe, Sauce, Morgans, and The Only Cafe. Expect prizes, loads of great beer, and, if you're lucky, a shirtless Troy Burtch, Great Lakes sales rep and Danforth pub crawl expert.
WHERE: Various Locations on the Danforth
WHEN: June 17, 2013, 6:00 PM - 2:00 AM
HOW MUCH: Free Admission, but it's probably wise to bring cash for drinks at each bar

Tuesday June 18, 2012

King Brewery Tap Takeover at the Mugshot Tavern
Check out the beers from King Brewery, a great brewery just north of us in Nobleton, as they take over the taps at Mugshot Tavern. Among other goodies, you'll have a chance to try an un-filtered version their excellent pilsner.
WHERE: The Mugshot Tavern, 1729 Bloor Street W Toronto, M6P 1B2
WHEN: June 18, 2013, 6:00 PM - 1:00 AM
HOW MUCH: Free Admission

Beau's Meal with a Mentor
Two great brewers, a four course meal, and a great venue on the Danforth: Beau's brewmaster Matthew O'Hara will be cohosting the dinner at The Auld Spot with his mentor Michael Hancock, the man responsible for the beers at Denison's brewery. In addition to a menu that actually features some form of pork for every course (including "boarchetta" and bacon for desert), the evening will afford you an opportunity to get the inside scoop about Hancock's latest venture, starting up Side Launch Brewing Company in Collingwood, Ontario.
WHERE: The Auld Spot Pub, 347 Danforth Avenue Toronto, M4K 1N7
WHEN: June 18, 2013, 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
COST: TBD

Wednesday June 19

Over The Tap Takeover
Toronto's own Great Lakes Brewery, aka the Canadian Brewing Awards best brewery in the country for 2013, is joining forces with Beaus, the all-natural brewers from Vankleek Hill, to bring 36 beers and two cask offerings to Bar Hop, one of my personal favourite bars in the city. If that's not enough for you, rumour has it that Beau's will be bringing the beer they brewed in collaboration with Tom Green, a man who once drank milk directly from a cow's udder on TV, so...I'm sure it's gonna be tasty. Plus, the name of the event makes me think of a movie about arm wrestling.
WHERE: Bar Hop, 391 King Street West Toronto, M5V 1K1
WHEN: June 19, 2013, 1:00 PM - 2:00 AM
HOW MUCH: Free Admission, pints of Tom Green's beer will cost you

Cask Night at An Sibín Pub
Say what you will about the authenticity of the Irish Pub that replaced the Real Jerk, but it's hard to argue with an evening sampling one-off cask offerings from Ontario craft brewers. I feel like this night might go a long way to soothing sore Queen East residents bitter that their go to jerk spot was ousted by landlords. Why don't we all go give An Sibin a chance and drink some great Ontario cask ale?
WHERE: An Sibín Pub, 709 Queen Street East Toronto, M4M 1H1
WHEN: June 19, 2013, 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
HOW MUCH: Free Admission

Beau's and Relish Bar & Grill Pick Up the Bill
I know this list already includes a couple offerings from Beau's, but I feel I'd be remiss to leave this one off for one simple reason: Free shit. For this one, Beau's and Relish Bar & Grill are offering up complimentary samples of Lug Tread as well as food from Relish's Chef Joanne Clayton. There's also going to be pints of the "Pan Ontario" beer, a barrel-aged collaboratio between Beau's, Flying Monkeys, Great Lakes, Amsterdam and Wellington (for sale. The Pan Ontario ain't free).
WHERE: Relish Bar & Grill, 2152 Danforth Avenue Toronto, M4C 1K3
WHEN: June 19, 2013, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
HOW MUCH: FREE!

World Sauntering Day at Sauce
I'm not going to lie to you. This event is on the list mainly because it references "world sauntering day," which is not only fun to say, but is apparently celebrated on the 19th of June each year with the intention of reminding us to slow down and take it easy. Sounds good to me. So why not saunter your lazy ass to Sauce for some Cameron's and Flying Monkeys beers?
WHERE: Sauce, 1376 Danforth Avenue Toronto, M4J 1N9
WHEN: June 19, 2013, 4:00 PM - 12:00 AM
HOW MUCH: Free Admission

Thursday June 20

The Pilsner Punchout!
We beer snobs occasionally overlook less bold and easier to drink styles like pilsners and it's a shame given that we actually have some really great examples brewed right here in Ontario. Case in point, King Brewery in Nobleton and our own Steam Whistle Brewery. On Thursday, the two brewers will go head to head and if you miss your chance to try King Pilsner unfiltered at Mugshot on Tuesday, you can try it here against the even more rare unfiltered Steam Whistle--a delicacy that the "good beer folks" brewers have been known to take home for themselves.
WHERE: An Sibín Pub, 709 Queen Street East Toronto, M4M 1H1
WHEN: June 20, 2013, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
HOW MUCH: Free Admission

Black Oak Board Games Roadshow at The Only Cafe
It's a little known fact among massive nerds Cattan enthusiasts that the folks at Black Oak have been combining two great things on a semi-regular basis at their brewery: namely board games and craft beer. For OCB week they're taking their show (and Monopoly and Snakes and Ladders) on the road to The Only Café, one of the city's best beer bars. There will be a fantastic line-up of Black Oak beers, the sound of rolling dice and, probably, people with the longest road going home winners.
WHERE: The Only Café, 972 Danforth Ave Toronto, M4J 1M1
WHEN: June 20, 2013, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
HOW MUCH: Free Admission

Exploring Beer Cocktails and Mixes
If you've ever been curious about ways to ruin a perfectly good beer, this event hosted by Certified Beer Sommelier Doug Appeldoorn will show you how to do just that with fruit, herbs, and other commonly available ingredients. Plus the event takes place at Grapefruit Moon so there's guaranteed to be limited seating. What fun!
WHERE: Grapefruit Moon, 968 Bathurst Street Toronto, M5R 3G6
WHEN: June 20, 2013, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
HOW MUCH: Free Admission

Friday June 21

Mill Street Brewery's Strange Brew
Billing itself as a "celebration of craft beer, rock n' roll, and the unusual" Strange Brew will feature performances by Dwayne Gretzky and other musical acts, as well as (I shit you not) sideshow weirdos, a mind reader, and a bearded lady. Oh yeah, there will also be beer from Black Oak, Lake of Bays, Mill Street, Neustadt and Steam Whistle. See if you can drink enough to hit on the bearded lady.
WHERE: Strange Brew, 50 Edwin Avenue, Toronto, M6P 3Z5
WHEN: June 21, 2013, 8:00 PM - 2:00 AM
HOW MUCH: $20.00

Ontario Craft Brewery Tours
It might seem like focusing on how it's made is an unnecessary exercise in cutting down on your time spent drinking it, but there's something to be said for taking an educational visit to a few of our city's breweries to appreciate the work that goes into bringing delicious local beer to our glasses. Ontario Craft Brewery Tours offers just that, taking those who are interested in where beer comes from before it hits our bellies on a behind the scenes look at three of Great Lakes Brewery, Black Oak Brewery, Steam Whistle Brewery, Mill Street Brewery, or Amsterdam Brewery.
WHERE: Ontario Craft Brewery Tours will pick you up at Union Station
WHEN: You can contact the organizers about arranging a tour on pretty much any day you like but tours typically run from 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM
HOW MUCH: $55.00

Saturday June 22

Session Toronto
If you're going to hit up only one event for Ontario Craft Beer Week, for my money it should be this one. The official closing festival of the week will feature live music, food trucks, a selection of special collaboration beers in addition to a great lineup of offerings from 21 Ontario brewers (and one from BC but that's OK), and it all goes down in the excellent event space (there's an ATM now!) at Wychwood Barns.
WHERE: Wychwood Barns, 76 Wychwood Ave Toronto, M6G 4C6
WHEN: June 22, 2013, 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
HOW MUCH: $50

Sunday, June 23

Summer BBQ and Cask at the Granite Brewery
Really? You're still drinking? OK, well, we need to talk about your problem, but first I guess we may as well hit up the Granite Brewery for one last hurrah. Along with a menu that includes BBQ, vegetarian options, and tacos, Granite will be celebrating the start of summer with some limited-edition cask offerings including Summer Ale, Galactic Pale Ale, and an Extra Special Bitter. Send what's left of your liver off in style before next year's OCB Week rolls around again.
WHERE: Granite Brewery, 245 Eglinton Ave East Toronto, M4P 3B7
WHEN: June 23, 2013, 2:30 PM - 6:00 PM
HOW MUCH: Free Admission, food and drinks will cost you

Ben Johnson also writes about beer over on Ben's Beer Blog.

Every Torontonian has a TTC horror story: trapped on an overflowing platform unable to board an already full train, packed tight in a stationary car for a delay to clear, paying a fare only to find the line is out. I could go on, but you already know how it goes.

After finally getting released from a queue behind a disabled train only to be stymied a few moments later by a passenger assistance alarm, I thought it worthwhile to dig into the TTC's official records on outages - technical faults, track fires, belligerent riders, weather, the whole lot - in the hope of getting a bigger picture of what a year of problems looks like on paper.

It turns out, maybe not surprisingly, that passenger assistance alarms were most common type of stoppage. The yellow buttons inside the cars were pressed 1,459 times in 2012, an average of almost 4 per day. The lost time over the course of the year added up to 118 hours and 14 minutes. Each time TTC staff were forced to respond it took an average of 4 minutes 51 seconds to get things moving again.

The TTC counts incidents that involve the police separately, labeling them "security incidents."

Just behind passenger alerts was the TTC's own train problems. The rolling stock - a technical name for the trains - needed emergency repairs 1,323 times in 2012, causing 109 hours and 49 minutes of delays.

Frustratingly, the problem that created the worst wait times is almost entirely preventable. 330 small fires, litter problems, and unauthorized people at track level stopped the subway for a total of 106 hours and 37 minutes in 2012. Each incident took an average of 19 minutes to resolve - longer than breakdowns and assistance alarms.

In total there were 4,842 outages on the subway in 2012 that caused more than three weeks of delays (509 hours and 35 minutes to be precise.) The average delay across all types took 6 minutes and 31 seconds to clear, which is longer than the 4-minute average headway between trains. Normal scheduled service often takes longer to resume.

Are you surprised by these figures or do they match your experience of using the subway? Could the TTC do more to prevent track fires or is it up to the rider to use the garbage cans? Sound off below.

Note: The average wait time listed in the last chart was calculated across all lines from the most recent service summary report between March 31 and May 11, 2013. The delay data is from 2012.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: tapesonthefloor/blogTO Flickr pool.

The top patio furniture stores in Toronto are many and varied, and they are speckled throughout our fair Hogtown. Long has it been a sign, nay, an emblem, of genteel living to have one's own small plot upon which to sit, gaze and reflect on one's success. Living in Toronto, land of expansive lawns and green space, denizens often scratch their coiffed heads and ponder, "But whence to venture in order to furnish the outdoor portion of my living space?"

Aside from the patio furniture store options detailed here, there is always the ever-joyous Canadian Tire, Ikea, Home Depot, Target and Urban Barn chains to name a few of the omissions. For those in the vicinity of Richmond Hill, I'd also recommend checking out General Products which bills its store as having the largest selection of quality patio furniture in the country.

Here is a list of the best stores for patio and outdoor furniture in Toronto.

CB2&Crate and Barrel
Relatively new to the Canadian market, these sibling stores feature a wide variety of highly original outdoor furnishings. An umbrella can be had for a mere $529, and tables that are really cement blocks can be had for just $599! There are retro papasan style chairs in bright colours, as well as your traditional outdoor chesterfield. Said items are accessible to you wherever you live in the city: there's a Crate&Barrel (the higher priced and more house-owner oriented offering of the two stores) at Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Square One, and a distribution centre in Mississauga. For downtown dwellers in condos and apartments, there's the more affordable CB2 at Queen and Bathurst.

Andrew Richard Designs
This shop at Adelaide and Parliament has as many designs for outdoor furniture as indoor options. You can walk in and find virtually anything your bougie, cricket playing self desires. You can outfit your lawn to look like a living room! A kitchen! A bedroom! Yes, you can buy an outdoor canopy bed. That sounds awesome, actually. Pricing is on the higher end of the spectrum, but you're investing in quality pieces. There are plenty of teak pieces, and classic Muskoka chairs can be had for $795 to $895. Or you can just get a local to make it for you for like $100.

DOT Furniture
This chain store (there's a DOT Furniture at Dupont and Davenport among other GTA locations) carries a selection of outdoor dining sets, accessories, and crucial outdoor lounge seating. You've got your "resin wicker sectionals," your loungers, and even your "resin teak." Items in that department will run from about $225 to $550. Sale items from DOT are more affordable, as well, depending on what you're looking for to complete your fantastical outdoor oasis.

West Elm
West Elm sells all of the standard outdoor patio accoutrements, as well as a few fancy extras. Outdoor drapes are available for about $60, for example, so one can stealthily fence in one's hot tub. Or what have you. They also sell outdoor rugs for the low, low price of $600. Reasonable! Other cool options include outdoor stemware, lanterns, and various planters and lounge chairs. West Elm can be found in Liberty Village.

Restoration Hardware
Restoration Hardware deals in patio furniture of many different backgrounds, including wicker, teak, fabric, and metal. "Special savings" lounge chairs start at $595. (I found my patio lounge chairs on the side of the road for free...but then I am a dirty hobo who isn't too hung up on appearances). Many of the pieces available at Restoration look pretty much identical to one another, with the exception of some cool hanging egg chairs ($625-$860) and some amazing canopied day beds ($3,840 to $6,395). Restoration Hardware can be found at Yonge and Eg.

InsideOut
If you walk into InsideOut (or simply visit their website from the comfort of your pajamas), you can find absolutely any item you need for life out-of-doors. They've got barbeques and accessories, gazebos (starting at $599), bar stools, porch swings ($449), fire pits...you name it. This is the holy land of patio furniture, and is a bit more affordable than some other spots, too. You can check out InsideOut in Mississauga, Vaughan, and Markham, as well as the location just west of Dufferin and Eglinton Ave W.

Fresh Home & Garden
In my humble opinion, Fresh, just north of the Distillery District, has some of the prettier patio furniture on offer. They sell outdoor bar carts, tables and seating that look like they're straight out of a super-modern fusion sushi restaurant, and the more traditional chairs and loungers one would expect to find. Fresh carries a number of higher-end European imports (la-de da).

Design within Reach
At Design within Reach, you'll find "streamlined, modern designs." There are little cafe tables for nibbling biscotti (what a pointless food) that can be had for less than $200, lounge chairs that look like they're straight out of the '80s but also the future that cost about $1,000, and Adirondack chairs for around $200. This King and Spadina shop is an exciting one, folks, and the price tags are somewhat palatable, depending on what you're looking for.

Hauser
Hauser's patio furniture is like the more basic girls in high school who all want to be Regina George. Read: it looks like indoor furniture, but isn't quite, obviously. That said, like those less-pretty girls, The new Mount Pleasant area shop has a lot to offer. Furniture comes in teak, aluminum, and stainless steel finishes. But outdoor sofas, though pretty, will cost around $1,950. They also sell lovely outdoor tents for around $4,000.

Indoors & Out
Indoors & Out at Yonge and Eglinton sells basic, normal-people, weather resistant wicker patio furnishings. They've got chairs, sectional couches, small tables and stacking chairs. They also carry a series of all-weather cushions for your excitement.

Jardin de Ville
Crazy? Wanna prove it? You can spend no less than $11,000 on an outdoor dining set in this blind robbery Toronto furniture store at King St. E. and Sherbourne. Bitches be getting serious about their patios in here. There are also daybeds for $500, on the other hand, and a totally startling number of possibilities and finishings. They also have air conditioning that feels like an arctic breeze, so that's pretty great.

Kiosk
Kiosk, located at King St. E. and Parliament, carries everything you need to construct a full-on outdoor living room. Aside from the regular seating and dining tables, they sell pergolas, lighting, coffee tables, and "carpets." Sounds just like grandma's house. Be prepared to empty your wallets though.

Casualife
Casuallife deals exclusively in outdoor furnishings, and their stock runs the gamut of patio life necessities. They have locations in Markham and in Mississauga, and they sell heaters, umbrellas, and custom cushions, and their furniture comes in full sets, just like indoor meubles. if you still have yet to spend too much money on places to sit outdoors, hit them up: they've got a 10 to 25 per cent off sale happening until June 23.

Studio B
Outdoor furniture from Studio B, just east of King St. E. and Parliament, promises to provide "a lifetime of durability." Here, you'll find giant sectionals, side tables, coffee tables and all-weather cushions in a variety of scintillating neutrals. Prices are steep so might want to hold off until they have sales on the floor models.

Moss
At Moss, located on the Danforth, you'll find full-on outdoor bar setups. This is the necessary kind of patio furniture, folks. I'll sit on the ground as long as someone can make me a drink. They also, of course, provide the standard giant sectional couches, daybeds, and chairs, as well as a series of umbrellas and fire pits.

What did we miss? Add your favourite Toronto patio furniture store to the comment thread below.