Buck-a-shuck oyster deals in Toronto might not be as plentiful as, say, cheap wing nights— but there's enough of them to keep any bivalve lover well fed. There's a deal somewhere in the city every day of the week, and there's even free oysters to be had on Fridays if you know where to look. While a portion of these specials are limited to happy hour, there are many that run throughout service for those that prefer to dine later in the evening. Now you never have to pay market price for an oyster again.

See also:

The Best Oysters in Toronto

MULTI-DAY

Bar Neon offers buck-a-shuck on Beau Soleils Tuesday - Sunday, 5-7pm (beginning at 6 on Saturdays).
Bestellen runs its oyster deal every day for an hour between 6-7pm
Biff's Bistro will set you up with buck-a-shuck at the bar from 5pm onwards every day.
The Shore Club gets in on the fun on weekdays between 4-7pm.
Strada 241 has buck-a-shuck at the bar from Thursday to Saturday, 5pm-12 am at the bar.
The Saint looks to draw early week dinners with buck-a-shuck Sunday to Tuesday from 5pm onwards.
Globe Bistro will set you up with $1 oysters Tuesday to Sunday between 4pm and 6pm.
Goods and Provisions offers its oyster special Tuesday to Thursday, from 6-7pm.
Nome Izakaya does its dollar oysters on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 6pm onwards.
Pangea wants to lure you to its bar on Wednesdays and Thursdays with $1 oysters starting at 4pm.

MONDAYS

Czehoski does bivalves for a buck from 4pm onwards.
The Yukon offers buck-a-shuck on Mondays from 6 to 10pm.

TUESDAYS

Bar Hop extends your oyster dollar on Tuesdays from 5pm until close.
Delux does $1 bivalves from 6pm until close.
Japas offers Fanny Bay or Malpeques on Tuesdays from 5pm onwards.
Boehmer does buck-a-shuck at half-priced wine on Tuesdays starting at 5:30pm.
Hole in The Wall does $1 oysters on Tuesdays starting at 6pm.

WEDNESDAYS

Riverside Public House offers $1 oysters on Wednesday along with various cocktail specials.

THURSDAYS

La Societe draws a crowd with its buck-a-shuck deal on Thursdays, staring at 5pm in the bar or at the downstairs patio.
Salvador Darling will be offering $1 oysters all day on Thursdays starting in September.

FRIDAYS

Brazen Head puts the happy in happy hour with free oysters on Fridays starting at 5pm (while supplies last).
Fynn's of Temple Bar offers the same deal, but starting at 6pm for the King West crowd.

SUNDAYS

Skin and Bonesmakes Sundays a bit better with $1 oysters all day
The Farmhouse Tavern has a variety of Sunday specials, including buck-a-shuck between 5pm and 6 pm.
Crush Wine Bar offers $1 oysters between 5:30 and 8pm.

Know of buck-a-shuck oyster deal not on the list? Tell us in the comments.

With research by Haley Steinberg

Fan Expo hit the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this weekend, bringing with it a host of actors, cult comic book authors, and some legitimately elaborate costumes. From manga characters to the Duff Beer dude from the Simpson's, the cosplay was, as it usually is, the most entertaining part.

Check out 12 of the best costumes from Fan Expo 2013 in our Style section.

La Carnita's Andrew Richmond shows some love to our neighbours to the south at this newly opened sophomore effort on King West. The highly anticipated new restaurant and bar celebrates low-brow cuisine with novel updates on iconic American comfort foods.

Read my profile of Home of the Brave in the restaurants section.

The top patios for a rainy day in Toronto have got you covered when the weather goes awry. Offering a silver lining in unfavourable conditions, these patios boast prime views, booze and grub that'll bring cheer to even the gloomiest of days. Not to mention, there's something magical, ephemeral and deliciously lazy about watching the rain come down from a protected spot with beverage in hand.

Here's our list of the top patios for a rainy day in Toronto.

See also:

The Toronto Patio Guide web site, iPhone and Android app
The top 50 patios in Toronto for 2013
The best patios in Toronto
The best rooftop patios in Toronto
The best backyard patios in Toronto
The top 10 patios with the best views in Toronto
The top 10 patios for cheap drinks in Toronto

The Pilot Tavern
This storied tavern in Yorkville can be enclosed when the forecast turns foul. Wait out showers amidst rooftop vistas while droplets patter down on the canopy above.

Valdez
This vibrant, Mexican street party-inspired restaurant on King West boasts a rooftop patio that can be covered with retractable panels in foul weather. Even in the rain the fiesta goes on, and if anything, only adds to the atmosphere.

Gusto 101
The retractable glass roof at this Italian restaurant on Portland Street offers a chance to enjoy rainy days in a warm, dry cocoon. Regardless of the weather, this is prime spot to settle in for a family style feast or late night snack.

Food & Liquor
The partially covered patio at this newish Parkdale snack bar is best enjoyed at night under twinkling lanterns. Snag a spot on a rainy night and it's an intimate little backyard retreat where you can kick back with you know... food and liquor.

Drake SkyYard
This popular rooftop yard is primed for all seasons. Whether it rains or shines, consider this West Queen West institution a go-to for its bustling nightlife, custom cocktails and delicious food.

Big Crow
This backyard BBQ pit from chef Anthony Rose is all-weather ready and when it rains, the heavenly scents of wood, fire and meat collect inside the tented yard. Slide into the long communal picnic tables and brighten grey days with pitchers of summery cocktails and platters of grilled meat.

Hemingway's
Retractable canopies make the patio at this Yorkville bar resistant to rainy spells. In the winter the outdoor space is heated making its rooftop terrace a top spot year round. Provisions like 24 tap beers and solid pub staples make it a perfect place to bunker down.

Patria
Shielded from the elements by surrounding condo towers, the patio at this upscale Spanish tapas restaurant on King West is a flurry of activity, even in stormy weather.

Joey Don Mills
It's easy to forget the corporate underpinnings of this Don Mills destination when the rain starts to pour. Thanks to a rather fine looking wood and glass enclosure, the spacious patio is every bit an indoor/outdoor space. The best seats are the booths by the restaurant wall, as the patio is nicer to look at than the mall grounds.

Museum Tavern
The patio at this second floor brasserie on Bloor is shielded by a concrete overhang. On rainy days it offers a perfect perch overlooking the Royal Ontario Museum to stay high and dry (literally, not figuratively).

Want more patios? Download the blogTO Patio Guide app for Android and iPhone.

Lead photo of the Pilot

Photo by Stephen Sokolov in the blogTO Flickr pool

Toronto events on August 27th, 2013

FILM | The Gladstone Film Festival
The first annual Gladstone Hotel Film Festival takes place tonight. This evening's screening event will share the festival jury's pics, made up of Toronto-made short films, and will be followed by an awards ceremony in the Gladstone's Melody Bar. Among the many films chosen for screening tonight is Taz Rabadi's The Beard, a film that has already been a part of the CBC's Short Film Face Off. Rabadi's film tells the story of an elderly Sikh who has faced violent persecution, and must recover from this attack. Come out and support Toronto's film making community tonight.
Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West) 6:30PM $5

MUSIC | JF Robitaille, Pink Moth, Lou Canon
Montreal-based singer/songwriter JF Robitaille holds a CD launch tonight at the Rivoli for his new album, Rival Hearts. His 2011 debut album, Calendar, put him firmly on the radar as a talent to watch, and this followed his being plucked from 'obscurity' by Nona Hendryx a few years earlier in NYC after a performance there, and signed to her label Rythmbank (shut down a few years later), which released his first EP The Blood In My Body to amazing critical response. Critics are already giving Rival Hearts a thumbs up, and have compared Robitaille's sound and approach to Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen. Also on tonight's bill are Pink Moth, and Lou Cannon.
Rivoli (332 Queen Street West) 8:30PM $8

BOOKS & LIT | Cary Fagan
Toronto author, Cary Fagan, launches his new novel, A Bird's Eye, this evening at the Free Times Cafe. This is Fagan's sixth adult novel (he also writes children's fiction), and his last work, My Life Among the Apes, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Fagan's work has also received the Toronto Book Award, World Storytelling Award, and many others. A Bird's Eye is set in mid 1930's Toronto, and explores the life of a Jewish immigrant family in Kensington Market, an area that has been the subject and 'backdrop' of novels by Alvin Rakoff and other Canadian authors.
Free Times Cafe (320 College Street)

BOOKS & LIT | Queen Gallery Poetry Night IX
The August edition of the Queen Gallery Poetry Night is upon us. This monthly poetry series takes place on the last Tuesday of every month, presenting music and art with an open-stage format to a discerning Toronto audience. Tonight's featured guest is Michael Mirolla, a novelist, poet and playwright, and publisher (Guernica Editions). Mirolla, whose novel, Berlin, was a Bressani Prize winner and a National Best Books Awards finalist, has been writing since high school, and is constantly experimenting with new forms and approaches to his craft. Bänoo Zan hosts this event tonight.
Queen Gallery (382 Queen Street East) 7PM (6:30 signup) PWYC

Also Of Note

Anton In Show Business

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Photo of the Gladstone by apieceofglass on Flickr

Rob Ford's former chief of staff Mark Towhey says he contacted police at the height of allegations the mayor was filmed smoking crack cocaine. Towhey made the call to cops when he "came into some information that I thought may be useful to them," he told Newstalk 1010's Jim Richards yesterday. When asked, Towhey said he didn't know if a recording exists. Ford denies there is a video and says he doesn't use cocaine.

The provincial government will announce changes to use of force options available to police later today following the death of Sammy Yatim. It's likely the new rules will allow all officers to carry stun guns if their force permits it. Ontario's ombudsman and police Chief Bill Blair have launched separate investigations in to the shooting on board a Toronto streetcar last month.

The residents of Toronto's Ward 3 won't be going to the polls to replace former deputy mayor Doug Holyday. City council voted 22-11 in favour of appointing someone to fill the vacant council seat, despite Rob Ford speaking out in favour of a byelection. Did council make the right call?

Doug Holyday has already endorsed local Tory Peter Leon to fill the empty seat and former MP John Nunziata, brother of speaker Frances Nunziata, has also expressed interest in the appointment.

Residents of Trinity-Spadina filed the most complaints for noise, garbage, graffiti, and rooming houses, according to data published by the Star. The two wards, ranked first and second, submitted a total of 3,715 complaints to municipal licensing and standards. Etobicoke-Lakeshore came third with 1,309 while Don Valley East filed the fewest, just 134.

A Beck taxi driver says he was removed from duty for accepting Hailo and Uber smartphone fares. Sheikh Imran says the company cancelled his radio service, kicked him off the dispatch system, and refused access to his rented taxi. Company policy forbids drivers forbid fares from other sources. Should they?

Do you remember Sparkles, the nightclub at the top of the CN Tower? From 1979 to 1991 one third of the observation deck was turned into a shiny, neon dance club during the early morning hours. The Grid has excellent (and embarrassing) pictures from inside the club during its heyday. Think 80s leather and big hair.

IN BRIEF:

• Police recover bikes, footage in slayings of O'She Doyles-Whyte and Kwame Duodu [Toronto Star]
• 'Rebranding' in the works for Toronto city museums [Metro]
• Elderly woman's nose reattached after attack in Toronto elevator [CBC]

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

Image: Marika van Velsen/blogTO Flickr pool.

This Week in Home Video previews all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and on-demand titles hitting the street this week, plus lost gems, crazed Cancon, outrageous cult titles and the best places to rent or buy movies in Toronto.

NEW RELEASES

The Great Gatsby (Warner Bros.)

Baz Luhrmann's patented overblown fever dream of F. Scott Fitzgerald bathed in glorious hip-hop scored 3D widescreen visual mayhem. Utterly bananas and all the better for it, you can imagine the inventor of cinema Eadweard Muybridge dying of a light induced erection if he were ever to watch the first scene. While Tobey McGuire is hopelessly mis-cast, titans of hotness Leo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan are more than able to carry it across the finish line, although it is one exhausting eye workout.

Extras include "The Greatness of GATSBY," which follows Luhrmann's Sisyphus esq quest to realize Fitzgerald's vision (Not doubt F. Scott would be feeling the J-Hova); Deleted scenes and an alternate ending, and most bizarrely a trailer for the 1926 version of THE GREAT GATSBY. Sadly, no references to the still untouchable Robert Redford/Bruce Dern '70s version, surely the definitive?

Pain & Gain (Paramount)

Taking a much deserved breather from big dumb robot movies, Michael Bay reverts to his awesome BAD BOYS style of film making with this criminally underrated action drama that has correctly been described at Goodfellas with juice monkeys. So nice to see Markl Wahlberg playing to his strengths again, with Rock and Anthony Mackie in tow and a bruising, bone crunching presentation that affirms Bay's greatness as modern auteur (stop laughing in the back). Highly recommended ode to male aggression and the absurdity of life itself.

Epic (20th Century Fox)

Good fantastical family fun from the creators of ICE AGE, featuring the lush vox of Amanda Seyfried, Beyonce Knowles, Colin Farrell and Christoph Waltz and a classic good versus evil story to warm the hearts of even the most jaded movie viewers. Extras include cool animated shorts like "Birds, Bugs and Slugs: Forest Explorer", "Rot Rocks", "Bugs of Camouflage" and "Mysteries of Moonhaven Revealed".

TV

The Walking Dead - Season 3 (Anchor Bay)

678 minutes of zombie wasting, survivalist horror drama that introduces fan favourite The Governor and a chilling and claustrophobic prison setting. What started out as a bit of joke has evolved into truly compelling television, with the latest series approaching un-missable but not yet Breaking Bad-esqe status. Series 3 continued the trend of killing off most of the major characters so as usual spoilers are best avoided and a weekend binge marathon are highly recommended. Roll on season 4! Extras include cast commentaries.

Boardwalk Empire - Season 3 (HBO)

Season 3 finds Enoch "Nucky" Thompson facing new competition in the person of Gyp Rosetti, who builds a new strategic bulkhead between New York and Atlantic City in an effort to siphon off the alcohol business, while Nucky proves his brutal mettle in a series of increasingly violent encounters. Extras include some nice commentaries, vintage newsreels from the era, and a great shout out from Martin Scorcese on his Season 3 ruminations.

Sapphire & Steel: The Complete Series (Shout Factory)

Frankly bonkers Sci-Fi from the UK which plays like WAITING FOR GODOT made by the 1970s DOCTOR WHO team: A couple of time travelling agents show up to repair various faults in the time stream that unleash ghosts, allow people to become trapped in paintings and shuffle into the sky with faceless monsters. Creepy music, glacial pacing and the Shakespearean calibre British supporting cast make this Masterpiece Theatre for the cult TV aficionados.

Ultra Q (Shout Factory)

Classic 1965 anthology show that was Japan's answer to THE TWILIGHT ZONE, only with added Kaiju Eiga. If you can imagine PACIFIC RIM with no budget on a weekly basis crossed with atmospheric Sixties weirdness shot through sharp B&W filmstock, this TV curio is for you! Loving recused from oblivion by (who else?) the soul savers at Shout Factory.

CULT CLASSICS

Dark Angel (Scream Factory)

Ultraviolent tough-as -leather early 90s Dolph Lundgren vehicle better known under its amusing VHS title - I COME IN PEACE. A natty alien visits LA injecting heroin into unsuspecting denizens while harvesting their endorphins and it's up to the dollar store Schwarzenegger to stop him. Ludicrously over the top fun best served with pizza, cold beer and a strong stomach.

Q The Winged Serpent (Scream Factory)

Larry "IT'S ALIVE!" Cohen's bizarre bank robbery gone wrong meets giant flying dragon movie. Fans of Quentin Tarantino will surely enjoy the unhinged performance from David "KILL BILL" Carradine, as well as many elements which were "borrowed" and incorporated (homage?) in RESERVOIR DOGS. Also featuring a top flight turn from the finest LAW & ORDER actor of them all - Canadian libertarian Michael Moriarty, and Richard "SHAFT" Roundtree... The stuff of cult movie legend!

Schizoid/X-Ray (Scream Factory)

Grisly double header of low budget 80s slashers: X-RAY finds buxom '70s Playboy playmate Barbi Benton being stalked in a hospital, while SCHIZOID finds the always maniacal Klaus Kinski dealing with his therapy group getting butchered one by one. Rare as hen's teeth VHS shockers like this never looked so good, and fans of offbeat cinema will find much to cherish here. Another winner from the Scream Factory!

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Walt Disney)

Childhood favorite finally unleashed in HD from the notoriously vault happy Disney, re-mastered and stuffed full of extras to keep even the most ardent Pooh philes busy all day. "Ev'ry Tumbly is Rumbly" for the golden memories of adolescent this one unleashes.

STILL FRESH

• Olympus Has Fallen
• Oblivion
• To the Wonder
• Girls: Season 2
• Swamp Thing
• Seconds
• The Muppet Movie
• A Boy And His Dog
• Sword in the Stone

TIFF MELTDOWN - ED HARRIS

With the Toronto International Film Festival within striking distance, now's as good a time as any to recall one of the more interesting pressers from the last decade.

Almost 10 years ago legendary gooner Ed Harris came mighty close to having a meltdown during the TIFF presser for David Cronenberg's awesome A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE.

Was it performance art? A publicity stunt? Or is Harris genuinely a mad man? The mystery has never been solved...

Lead still from The Great Gatsby

We've got ourselves another closure this week. The Junction location of Westown Chinese Food clocked in with a total of 12 infractions. Disappointing conditional passes were also given out to Booster Juice (where I'm forced to wonder what's actually in that Funky Monkey smoothie), Marble Slab Creamery and the Fox & Fiddle. And, Amaya Express, a repeat DineSafe offender, is once again on the hit list for a variety of violations. Come on, guys.

Here's a round-up of this week's DineSafe offenders.

Westown Chinese Food (2701 Dundas Street W)
Inspected on: August 19
Inspection finding: Red (Closed)
Number of infractions: 12 (Minor: 3, Significant: 6, Crucial: 3)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to prevent gross unsanitary conditions, operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated, operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder

Booster Juice (257 College Street)
Inspected on: August 19
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Fox & Fiddle (15 Fort York Blvd)
Inspected on: August 20
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 5 (Significant:3, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated, operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder

Amaya Express (1168 Queen Street E)
Inspected on: August 20
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 11 (Minor: 2, Significant: 7, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder, operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Happy Panda (2692 Eglinton Avenue E)
Inspected on: August 22
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Marble Slab Creamery (2032 Queen Street E)
Inspected on: August 19
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated

New Sushi Island (571 College Street)
Inspected on: August 19
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Top Tea (768 Yonge Street)
Inspected on: August 22
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 3, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated

Falafel House (760 Yonge Street)
Inspected on: August 21
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 4, Significant: 5)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

The top Canadian films at TIFF are a consistent indicator of future success. It should come as no surprise that the festival is the premiere platform for launching the most critically acclaimed Canadian films of the year. For the last two years, eight of the films selected for Canada's Top Ten features were TIFF alumni, and you can be sure most of this year's crop will be films playing in the festival this September.

This year there are 32 Canadian features spread across nine different programmes. Since there are probably enough non-Canadian films you'll want to see to make it impossible to see all of these, I've pared the selection down to five priorities, excluding some of the more anticipated films because they'll be coming out in cinemas not long after the festival. (Don't take it personally, Dolan, Vallée, and Egoyan.)

The picks below are films that either I've seen and know are good, are coming from filmmakers with a great track record, or look like interesting projects and seem to be worth taking a chance on.

Gerontophilia [VANGUARD]
I know what you're thinking. I was thinking it, too. The idea of Bruce LaBruce tackling a story involving a pretty Québécois boy and his bed-ridden, octogenarian lover is enough for anyone familiar with the provocative filmmaker's filmography to buckle an eyebrow. But it's pretty harmless, really; "Like a gay Harold and Maude," exclaimed a sweet old lady at the press screening I attended. Misguided as that sounds, she's kind of right.

Gabrielle [SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS]
Gabrielle just picked up an Audience Award at the Locarno film festival, and it's easy to see why. Telling the story of a girl with Williams syndrome (a genetic disorder marked by cognitive underdevelopment) and her relationship with another mentally challenged boy named Martin, the film pulls on the heart strings (think I Am Sam territory). Already predicted to run along a similar trajectory to success as Monsieur Lazhar, the film is impressive in the way it effortlessly draws out great performances from its (almost entire) cast of actually disabled individuals, allowing them to tell their own story themselves, in a way.

Une Jeune Fille (A Journey) [CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA]
Catherine Martin directed the very good 2010 film Trois temps après la mort d'Anna (Mourning for Anna), and this film was inspired by Robert Bresson's Mouchette and is already drawing comparisons to Agnès Varda's Vagabond. In the film, a teenage girl, who has just lost her ailing mother, "flees an unbearable home life for the rugged beauty of Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula."

Sarah Prefers to Run [DISCOVERY]
The only Canadian film to screen in Cannes' Official Selection this year, Chloé Robichaud's feature debut is a controlled and methodical film about a controlled and methodical young woman. Sarah is interested in pursuing an athletic career as a runner, and decides to move to the city and enroll in McGill to begin the next phase of her training. It soon becomes clear that she is so goal-oriented, though, that she's cornered herself into an ascetic lifestyle, which has made her allergic to any form of genuine social or sexual connections with her peers. This is a confident and effective character study.

Burt's Buzz [TIFF DOCS]
Jody Shapiro is probably best known as Guy Maddin's regular producer. After some gigs working as the cinematographer on a few films - including Maddin's My Winnipeg - Shapiro took a stab at a solo directing effort. The result was TIFF10 alum How to Start Your Own Country, a weird, curious, and highly original documentary about "communities" of micro-nations (the title is fairly literal, actually). This sophomore feature looks just as idiosyncratic and fascinating. Not really about bees per se, it's a portrait of Burt Shavitz, the founder of Burt's Bees health products.

Thanks to Grolsch for sponsoring our coverage of TIFF13

Lead still from Gerontophilia.

Sitting on arguably the best lot in Swansea, 2 Brule Gardens boasts nearly an acre of land, plenty of privacy, and some pretty enviable views from the banks of the Humber River. Despite the secluded setting, amenities are close at hand — Bloor West Village is only steps away and access to the Queensway, Lake Shore Blvd and the Martin Goodman Trail are just a straight shot south. The property is huge, so ridiculously huge, in fact, that the only way to get a clear photograph of it is from above. Fun game: try to pick out this big boy from the sky the next time you're flying into or out of the city.

The Tudor exterior (wrought iron gates, leaded glass windows, timber framing and all) is enough to fulfill any dreams of living in the English countryside. There are high-end renovations found throughout the house, but some original details have been retained. On the main floor, built-in bookcases, arched windowsills and coffered ceilings nod to the house's original look.

Yellow kitchen cabinets and hand-painted tile backsplash in the kitchen might not float your boat, but it's hard to deny the appeal of wood beams in a bedroom or a home office outfitted with a turret. Plus, you can always float a boat — or canoe, or dinghy — right in the Humber if you're so inclined thanks to direct trail access. Just don't swim in the river. That's pretty weird. Use the saltwater pool instead.

SPECS:

• Address: 2 Brule Gardens
• Price: $4,298,000 (price drop alert!)
• Sq Ft: 6,710, plus 1,560 in the basement
• Bedrooms: 6
• Storeys: 3
• Bathrooms: 7
• Parking Spaces: 6
• Taxes: $30,503 (2011)

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Saltwater pool with stone terrace
• Front yard fountain
• Chandelier that automatically lowers for cleaning
• Refinished oak and pine floors
• Multiple fireplaces

GOOD FOR

A large family looking for space, history and an enchanted forest setting within the city limits. This house suits a buyer who appreciates a mix of character and renovated finishes, and doesn't mind being cut off from the rest of the cul-de-sac by a winding driveway and set of gates. If you take pride in owning the best house on the block, best house in the whole neighbourhood even, 2 Brule Gardens is worth the investment.

MOVE ON IF

You aren't a fan of constantly mowing the lawn and balk at the thought of a fall season full of raking. With so much well-treed land to tend, this property demands hands-on maintenance (or a hearty landscaping budget.) At the very least, you'll need to clean out that pool.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Read other posts in this series via our House of the Week Pinterest board.

Writing by Leslie Bank

There's a new bakery in the city's east end bringing a fresh twist to French pastry. Some of their specialties have Asian twists, like green tea flavouring, and their treats are less sugary than those you'd find in your typical North American bakery.

Read my full review of mon K Patisserie in the bakery section.

One hundred thousand people. That was the official number of attendees given for Fan Expo 2013. One hundred thousand people swarming the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in nerdy shirts and elaborate costumes, bags of merch in one hand, cameras in the other. Parents, grandparents, children, humans of all shapes, sizes, races, creeds, coming together to celebrate the flights of fancy of yesteryear, today, and tomorrow.

And is it not just the best feeling in the world?

So went Fan Expo 2013. With the MTCC's North and South buildings overtaken to accommodate the throngs of fans, it not only allowed for more vendors and guests to get set up, but also freed up a lot of space for people to move around. Prior years had seen fans confined to one of the two buildings, and the word "sardines" sprung to mind more often than not. This year, however, was certainly the biggest and most spacious Fan Expo I've been to. But was it worth the price of admission? At a whopping $115.00 for a full weekend pass, and daily passes ranging from $25 to $50, it has to be. Right?

Let's do the tally!

SPORTS

YEP. This was the year when Fan Expo first put in a Sports section. At first, I was worried about what this would mean. Terrifying images of muscular jocks strong-arming their way through the convention halls, delivering wedgies to whoever was in sight filled my mind. However, as I walked through the Sports Zone in the North building, I couldn't help but feel like they belonged there. Gazing out at the sea of trading cards, rows of signed baseball bats, posters, pins, books, and guides made me realize that, really, sports fans aren't that different from the rest of us enthusiasts. So, it was a treat to have them show up, and it's going to be grand seeing them each year! Plus, who wouldn't want to pose with a cardboard cut-out of the Stanley Cup?

OUT AND ABOUT

Walking through a convention Fan Expo is always a treat in itself. Retailers from all over set up shop in the South Building's Dealer's Room, from Silver Snail and Labyrinth to Hamilton's Big B Comics and Mississauga's Gotham Central. There, fans could find any comic, figure, fake weapon, accessory or shirt they wanted. More were found in the North Building, close to the Sports Section and the areas occupied by the Doctor Who Society of Canada, the Toronto Steampunk Society, the 501st Legion, and replicas of KITT and KARR from Knight Rider and the 1989 Batmobile. One was also likely to come across scores of cosplayers gathering for one photo-shoot or another, and people lining up for autograph sessions with Fan Expo's many special guests.

Plus, how could you say no to the booths set up by big companies? Demos for upcoming video games and the new Playstation 4 surrounded one section. Showcase had a section promoting their new shows, and Rue Morgue had fake fetus bottles and a make-up space for anyone wanting to turn into Frankenstein for the day. Plus, Lego had a massive display that included a giant Yoda and a Shire roughly the size of a Winnebago. It even had a bench. That you could sit on. You could sit on Lego. Move over, Ikea, I'm having my friends' kids furnish my new apartment.

For me, though, it's all about the Artist's Alley. It's all about getting the chance to meet amateur and professional creators, seeing their work and chatting with them about the arts world. This year saw a plethora of artists, musicians, and filmmakers, including (and this is the part in a conversation when I would take a very, very deep breath): writers Brian Evinou and Phil McClorey; sculptor Luis Arellano; Sanya Anwar of 1001; Ricky Lima and Shane Heron of Black Hole Hunters Club; illustrators Ted Rankin, Brian Hoang, Lamin Martin, Tyrone and Alana McCarthy; the teams behind Spinnerette and Heroes Of The World; the creators of the webseries Ghouligans, One Hit Die, and Guidestones; and the, The, THE animator of He-Man, She-Ra, Scooby-Doo, and Thundarr the Barbarian, Tom Cook himself. That last one was particularly spellbinding. I admit; I almost asked to elope with him.

EVENTS

If you don't have the money to line up for an autograph session with any of the big name stars, then there's plenty else to do while skulking around Fan Expo. Game tournaments of the board, card, and video variety were everywhere, LARP troupe Nero hosted a miniature arena in the South building, and there were screening rooms for up-and-coming films and webseries, such as One Hit Die and Rue Morgue's flagship film The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh.

And, of course, there were the panels. During my time there, I had the chance to attend several of these. I bore witness to two sketch-duels - one between Lee Bermejo and Ryan Stegman, and another between Yanick Paquette, Stephen Platt, Andy B, and Cary Nord - some Q&A sessions with The Birthday Massacre, Mike Mignola, and Yuu Asakawa, as well as some fan-run panels. Of the latter, that included panels about the Lolita and Steampunk movements, and an AMV (Anime Music Video) Gameshow.

One of my favourites of the bunch, however, was the Women In Comics panel, hosted by such industry veterans as Sara Richard, Louise Simonson, Kathryn Immonen,Becky Cloonan, Amy Chu, and Ellie Pyle. Our intrepid panels covered everything from women in the comics industry to women in mainstream comics, and how current and future writers and creators can break away from the old values established and maintained in major companies. Sadly, the wave of misogyny permeating in the convention circuit and the comics industry is a toxic one indeed. As such, this panel in particular was the breath of fresh air an unfortunately macho industry needs. Oh, yes, and support the Sweaters For Starfire campaign Sara Richard proposed at the panel.

...FOOD?

Some local eateries decided to make some themed foods for the event. Crowds gathered outside the Cashew and Clive to try new cinnamon buns: The Princess Leia, The Darth Vader, and the Cinna-brain. I tried out the Cinna-brain while I was there, and found it a nice surprise. Strawberry sauce spilled over the white-glazed bun, evoking the image of blood and pus, and blended together in a maliciously delicious combination. Meanwhile, Hank Daddy's Barbecue provided con-goers with The Rebel Burger and The Imperial Burger. I had the chance to try the Rebel, a bizarre combination of cheese curds, granny apple slices, and honey mustard served on a bright green bun. Sadly, it did nothing to increase my midochlorian count. I'm crying as I write this.

OVERALL

Okay, yeah, the insane prices and the two-hour line-up might be a deterrent for people who are short on money and time, but even if you exist outside the One Percent of geeks, there's a chance you'll have fun at Fan Expo. There's certainly plenty to do, even if it's just for one day (which might be favourable for the cash-strapped). So, if you have a weekend free next year, save up and give it a shot. It just might be worth it.

MORE PHOTOS

Primary photos by Matt Kozovski / third photo by Jackman Chiu

This new Queen West restaurant is all about Canadian cuisine, but only insofar as that means an eclectic menu that showcases the multicultural underpinnings of this city. Named after Queen Street's original moniker when John Graves Simcoe divided up the Town of York, the food here is as diverse as the street upon which it's located.

Read my review of Lot St. in the restaurants section.

The worst intersections for cyclists in Toronto might surprise you. Ever since Adrian Verster's girlfriend was injured in a cycling accident, the PhD Biology student and data head has been crunching more than 25 years of GPS tagged statistics from the Toronto Traffic Safety Unit on injuries involving bicycles in the hope of finding the safest route around the city.

The fruit of his labour, published online this week, is a list of the worst intersections for cyclists based on the number of reported accidents, falls, collisions, tires pinched by streetcar tracks - anything that's brought a ride to a sudden and painful end.

"I spend a huge amount of time crunching data, plotting stuff, et cetera," Verster says. "We live in a world where there's so much data readily available and you can do so much stuff with it."

The raw data appears to show an even scattering of scraped knees, skinned elbows, and, in some tragic cases, loss of life. Verster's treatment shifted each accident to the nearest major intersection in an attempt to make some sense of the carnage.

The number one blackspot since 1986? Lake Shore Boulevard East and Carlaw Avenue.

This intersection is unusual because there appears to be a good safety infrastructure in place. The fully separated Martin Goodman Trail is controlled by dedicated traffic lights and a set of seldom used rail tracks is buried beneath rubber covers.

"Bloor and Queen Street are really high up the list and that I found not surprising because they are two major bike commute routes that don't have bike lanes. The kinked intersections I did find more surprising, I wasn't expecting to get that back."

Verster is referring to several non-standard intersections that feature jogs or unusual bends in his complete top twenty-four: namely Queen and River, Avenue and Lonsdale, Bloor and Parliament, Bloor and Castle Frank, Broadview and Gerrard. Streetcar tracks, a perennial threat to cyclists, feature sporadically in Verster's list.

THE COMPLETE TOP 10

1) Lake Shore Blvd. E and Carlaw Ave.
2) Queen St. W and Niagara St.
3) Queen St. E and River St.
4) Bathurst St. and Davenport Rd.
5) Avenue Rd. and Lonsdale Rd.
6) Bloor St. W and Brock Ave.
7) Bloor St. W and St. Thomas St.
8) Lake Shore Blvd. W and Jameson Ave.
9) Bloor St. E. and Castle Frank Rd.
10) Bloor St. E and Parliament St.

Are you surprised by the top ten? Which intersections did you expect to make the list?

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

Image: Sebastian Ip/blogTO Flickr pool.

If you have ever headed to Bellwoods on your fixie to drool over plaid-clad dudes and their dogs, have I got a treat for you. The best thing ever has maybe just been invented: earlier today Reddit userbrazilliandanny posted a Bellwoods-themed bingo card. Forget B-13, okay? If you've got a fedora, a beard, or something "vintage," you basically win here.

Sure, it might not be the real thing, but it is one accurate satire. What's more, is it provides something to do other than keep busy hiding one's tallboy. And, further, couldn't bingo be classified as ironic, now? (Alanis, where you at?).

Toronto Public Health released today the results of their investigation into the outbreak of food-borne illness at the CNE and as it turns out it wasn't all Epic Burger and Waffles' fault for making dozens of CNE-goers sick last week. But it was the cronut burger's fault. Or, rather, the maple bacon jam topping on the burger supplied by local bakery Le Dolci. Alas, while Le Dolci figures out how something called the Staphylococcus aureus toxin made it into their fancy jam, Epic Burgers will re-open today ready to feed jam-less burgers and waffles to the masses.

Of course, there are plenty of other, less well publicized gastronomical delights to choose from inside the wonder that is the Food Building at the CNE. Look a little closer and you'll find healthy options from organic and halal-certified kitchens, or a stall set up by your favourite local fast food place in the city. Here's a round-up of 20 stalls in the CNE Food Building worth hitting up when the hunger pains strike.

San Francesco Foods
You can find these classic Italian sandwiches in the east, west, and north end of the city on any given day, and they've brought some of the most well-loved menu items to the CNE. You've got veal, chicken, steak, or eggplant sandwiches ($7), or the new porchetta with mustard garlic aioli and parmesan ($8).

Taqueria Burrito Bar
In case you already spent your CNE dough gambling, this Yonge and Bloor taquiera has brought their 99 cent taco to the Food Building. You get a soft-shell corn tortilla stuffed with pulled pork or chicken and shredded lettuce, and you can choose the spiciness level. There's also a long list of mix and match burritos, nachos and burrito bowls, with meat, veggie or fish options and tons of toppings. Each other dish goes for $7.99.

Bouchards' Poutinery
Bouchard's exhibits an unabashad—nay,proud—love for poutine, whipping up a cheesy list of Canadiana-inspired snacks. The standout, I would say, is the Lumberjack ($8.50-$10), which includes three strips of Canadian bacon and a sunnyside egg.

Bua Thai
Midtown fave Bua Thai claims to specialize in authentic Thai meals. You can get, for example, a pad Thai and a spring roll for $5.99, or a mango salad for the same price. In short, everything on the menu looks pretty accessible to even the most stringently western palate. Make of that what you will.

Spread Nutellerie
This stand has been causing a buzz this year since before the CNE even opened. And I want to eat the food they serve every single day for breakfast and as a midnight snack, thighs be damned! The "skyhigh," for example, features Nutella on French toast with cream cheese, icing sugar, strawberries and banana ($9.75). I defy you to not want to eat this.

The Colossal Onion
The Colossal Onion literally sells massive plates of just onions for $10. You can get your onions deep-fried, in ring form, or, it appears, fresh and dippable. There are also oniony nachos sprinkled with tiny chopped veggies, and those look the most meal-like of anything on the menu.

Just Cone It
Upon first glance, I thought this booth was serving up some seriously whack ice cream cones. Then I saw the "pizza cone" ($7.50) and realized it wasn't so. The cones are actually baked dough, and the standout, I would say, is the dirty bacon cone ($6.50), which is stuffed with bacon and nutella.

Far East Taco
KImchi fries with pork or bulgogi ($7.96). Beef dumplings ($4.42). Need I say more? You've also got a choice between tacos or bao, and are you ready for the toppings? Spicy pork and kimchi, fish, fried tofu, chicken...everything on this menu looks just as fantastic as the item before it, and I want to eat all of it as I write even though it's first thing in the morning.

WildChild's Kitchen
WildChild's is a health nut's haven. On its menu, you'll find refreshers like fresh-squeezed juice, (honeydew, cucumber, lemon, $5.50, anyone?) and creative ice lollies (strawberry, lime and mint is just one example). They also serve up fresh vegan, gluten free nachos, salads and wraps.

Dutch Frites
Want some bitterballen? Sounds like a formidable weapon, right? Well, it's just beef poppers, six for $5, but still. Awesome. The other chef's special when I visited were spicy Dutch poutine ($7.95) and stroopwaffel, which is a sort of cookie drizzled with caramel and cinnamon.

Daytona Chicken Wings
Daytona has been operating out of the CNE for nearly 25 years. He proudly sells halal-certified, trans-fat free, baked-not-fried chicken wings, and he is happy to educate anyone who asks, especially creepy reporters.

gr
gr serves up fresh Greek-style yogurt, with plenty unique toppings to choose from aside from the traditional nuts and berries. There's a PB & J flavour ($6.19) and a Mediterranean-style yogurt salad ($7.09), but I have to say the standout is what they brand as a kids meal: it has Oreo cookies, Smarties, chocolate sauce and honey ($6.19).

Bacon Nation
A pretty unambiguous business model. But if you're going to clog all of your arteries at once, this place just might be worth it. Try, for example, the peanut butter and bacon milkshake ($6.65), or the beer-battered, bacon-wrapped hotdog on a stick. There's also a mix of sandwiches on the menu, which feature bacon mayo or Nutella.

Thyme & Olives
Thyme & Olives is a Lebanese-style bakery that stands as a beacon of health amidst the madness. They make traditional tabbuli salad ($4.50), the enviable veggie stuffed grape leaves (6 for $5.50), and plates of hommus served with pita for $4.50.

Hula Girl Espresso
Bring The Kids to the CNE Day? Need a damn coffee, asap? Hula Girl is conveniently set up smack in the middle of the building, and she sells a series of sandwiches in case you suffer from blood sugar issues as well as caffeine addiction.

Ghazale
Ghazale is a small chain of restaurants serving up Middle Eastern street foods in the city. At their CNE booth, you'll find all the classics, with their halal-certified chicken or beef shawarma ($6.49) or made-from-scratch falafel ($4.49) as faves.

Philthy Philly's
If Homer Simpson made a sojourn to the CNE, this would be his first stop. You'll find all forms of cheesesteak sandwiches, all under $10. I would personally go for the "supreme," which includes some nutritional value in the form of mushrooms and green peppers. Extras include such delicacies as "Cheese Whiz" and bacon.

Pull'd
If you like your CNE with a side of MEAT, make a beeline for Pull'd, toward the back of the buiilding. I might suggest trying the "Jack's" sandwich ($12). Though repeated grammatical idiosyncrasies that are meant to be funny are actually undeniably annoying and should be punished by severe beatings, this thing has it all: pulled pork snuggled in between three pancakes and covered in Jack Daniels-infused syrup.

Thai Chef Cuisine
Thai Chef Cuisine, as you might be aware, also exists outside the confines of the CNE food building.You will basically different varieties of pad thai here (chicken, veggie and shrimp, all under $10), as well as their tom yum soup with veggies ($2.75) or shrimp ($3.50).

Jake's Lobster
Jake's Lobster knows the beauty of keeping things simple. They dish out lobster rolls ($13, made from fresh Atlantic lobster) and "chowdah fries" ($8) which is basically what it sounds like: clam chowder served liberally over a helping of french fries.

What do you like to eat at the CNE? Add your alternative suggestions to the comment thread below.

Top photo from Pull'd

Photo by Francisco Sliva in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Toronto events on August 28th, 2013

CULTURE | Exotic Elegance: Dixie Evans Week
Did you know it was Dixie Evans Week? Well... it is. Dixie is known as the "Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque", and the new burlesque movement holds her legacy dear. Tonight at the Gladstone Hotel, Dolly Berlin presents a celebration of this important figure, and "sensuality" in general! There will be an extravagant lineup of performers who are versed in classic burlesque, but add a modern edge to the proceedings. Performers tonight include Coco Framboise, El Toro, Tanya Cheex, and many others. Tonight's hosts are Darryl Scorpio and The Wolfman. Shake it, but don't break it, folks!
Gladstone Hotel Melody Bar (1214 Queen West) 7:30PM $15 (general admission)

MUSIC | Dwarves, The Queers, Atom Age + Brutal Youth @ Horseshoe
Dwarves are back! Yes, the return was indeed heralded with the release of their 2011 album, The Dwarves Are Born Again, which found this '80s Chicago garage/punk outfit returning to their roots, but it bears repeating, because tonight TO will get a dose of the unbridled energy and potential chaos this band brings with them. The band was notorious for onstage antics that were seen by some as extremely crude, offensive, and just plain dangerous. Those days are said to be gone, but you never know - proceed to this show with caution! Also on the bill are The Queers, from Atlanta, Oakland CA's Atom Age, and local noisemakers, Brutal Youth.
Horseshoe Tavern (370 Queen Street West) 8:30PM $15.50

ART | Southeast Asia, Figuratively Speaking
Southeast Asia, Figuratively Speaking, an exhibition of eleven South Asian artists, opens today at The East Gallery. This show's central theme is the exploration of the human figure, and there are many different approaches to this theme among the eleven artists presented. Some look inward to their own anatomy, some backward to their past, some take a global or political approach. Contributing artists include Dinh Thi Tham Poong, Hour Seyha, Pen Robit, Heng Ravuth, Oeur Sokuntevy, Nguyen Minh Thanh, Ha Tri Hieu, Lim Khim Katy, Yan Naing Tun, Ngo Van Sac, and Vu Thu Hien. The regions represented in this group show are Vietnam, Cambodia, and Burma. Southeast Asia, Figuratively Speaking runs until October 6th.
The East Gallery (334 Dundas Street West) 9AM to 11PM

BOOKS & LIT | Chrysalis Zine Issue 4 Launch/Anniversary party
Tonight, Chrysalis launches its fourth issue with a shindig at Tequila Bookworm. Chrysalis is a quarterly publication that features art and literature from a wide spectrum of contributors working in a variety of formats: poetry, prose, photography, visual art, and more. This isn't a regular zine launch party, however - this gathering also celebrates the publication's first birthday, so things could get a little crazy... In addition to artwork by Neal Armstrong on display, and readings by Sarah Varnam and others, there will be an open mic. Be sure to arrive at 8pm if you want to participate onstage.
Tequila Bookworm (512 Queen Street West) 8:30PM $8 (includes Issue 4)

Also Of Note

Kinnie Starr CD release
Artscape Street Party: Circus

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Photo by Carl Heindl

The owners of Epic Burgers and Waffles can rest easy. The illness linked to their cronut burger stand at the CNE has been traced to the maple bacon jam the company bought and slathered on top of the buns, not the meat patties. The stand, closed since news of the illness broke, re-opened today minus their most famous menu item. The company says it has ended its relationship with the jam supplier.

A sudden torrential downpour yesterday evening caused local flooding and lead to a dramatic rescue in the Lower Simcoe St. underpass. Firefighters had to wade in to the murky water and pull the occupants of two stranded Beck taxis to safety. It's the same tunnel where a Ferrari was photographed semi-submerged during July's rainstorm.

Want to join Rob Ford, Doug Ford, and the rest of the gang at City Hall? Toronto is now accepting applications for the vacant seat in Ward 3. To be successful you must be a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years of age, resident of Toronto, and not prohibited from voting or holding office. Oh, it probably helps to be well connected enough to win the vote from a majority of city councillors, too.

A "large" rooster, countless dead pigeons, and cat feces all prompted complaints to Toronto's licensing and standards division in 2013, according to the Star. The newspaper has compiled an interactive gripe map that shows complaints by type and location.

Another source of trouble seems to be Play nightclub at Queen and Ossington. Neighbours say loud music from Wednesday to Saturday makes living close by "a nightmare." Play was the source of the second most number of noise complaints after Seven44 Restaurant & Lounge on Mt. Pleasant Road.

A tiny park tucked down a laneway of Spadina Ave. is named for a rock legend. The Jimi Hendrix Sculpture Garden, located between the Miles Nidal Jewish Community Centre at Spadina and Bloor and a condo to the south, contains a bronze statue of two clasping hands, entitled "People Helping People." When the chill city wind blows between the two buildings you can bet it cries Mary, or something like that.

Toronto's grey traffic signal boxes, a magnet for graffiti, posters, and vandalism, are about to become a good deal more festive. The city has commissioned a group of artists to hand paint 20 of the roughly 2,200 boxes in the hope of deterring future destruction. Another 100 will be covered in a stylish decal. Should the city expand this program?

IN BRIEF:

• Woman killed after being struck by vehicle near Humber College [CTV News]
• Cyclist struck by vehicle in Scarborough [Global News]
• Blue Jays manager John Gibbons not bothered by critics [CBC]
• Alfonso Soriano hits two homers to lead Yankees to 7-1 win over Blue Jays [CTV News]

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

Image: syfractal/blogTO Flickr pool.