A new comic book takes the typical superhero tropes and smacks them right down in the middle of Toronto. Cartoonist Jason Loo has set up a Kickstarter page for issue 1 of his new graphic novel, which follows The Pitiful Human-Lizard from the Financial District and Y&D Square to Parkdale as he works some awful day corporate job by day and fights crime by night. Yeah, all the cliches abound - but with streetcars! And Dufferin Street! And failure. I'm sold, though I'm not sure how much of an audience the book will find outside TO.

The first tale of Lucas Barrett, the "struggling superhero making the best out of his shortcomings," will be printed in an edition of 1,000 copies if the Kickstarter meets its goal of $4,500, to which it's well on its way. A $5 pledge gets you the PDF, while for a mere $15 you can get the book delivered to your door, shipping included. Not a bad deal at all. Head over to Loo's Kickstarter page here, or watch his video about the book below.

More info at Kickstarter

Free events in Toronto this week give a lot of love to fans of film and the literary arts (including a very serious debate series on which one novel all of Canada should read, and an entire weekend of free French film screenings) but there's also the odd pancake dinner and open bar. It's a great time to be alive and broke.

Here's how to publicly interact with various aspects of humanity on a budget in Toronto this week.

Toronto New Music Alliance presents New Music 101
The Toronto New Music Alliance (TNMA) has hooked up with the Toronto Public Library to bring you a free peek into the world of contemporary music and composers. On Monday, March 3 New Music Concerts and junctQn keyboard collective will give demonstrations. Programming will continue on March 10th and 17th (also free). Monday, March 3, 7pm, Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street).

Canada Reads 2014 Debates
What is the one novel all of Canada should read? Jian Ghomeshi hosts, Stephen Lewis defends The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, Wab Kinew defends The Orenda by Joseph Boyden, etc (check out the website). From Monday to Thursday you can stop by the debates at the CBC at 10am - it'll be a stimulating break from trolling online job listings. Reserve tickets by emailing canadareads@cbc.ca. Monday, March 3 - Thursday, March 6th, 10am, CBC/Radio-Canada Canadian Broadcasting Centre (250 Front Street West).

Pancake dinner, featuring pancakes!
You have to hit up a church which might be weird depending on your background, but St. Stephens is pretty and a pay-what-you-can pancake dinner is always a pay-what-you-can pancake dinner. Tuesday, March 4, 7:30pm, Church of St. Stephen in-the-Fields (103 Bellevue Avenue).

Blue Coffee Reading Series #5
This installation of Blue Coffee's fiction and poetry live reading series will feature Jimmy McInnes, Patrick Connors, and Jack Hostrawser. It'll be hosted by Leigh Beadon. It's PWYC, so throw those literary types whatever change you don't need for laundry this week. Monday March 3, 7pm, Magpie Taproom (831 Dundas St. West).

Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids 13
Got book reports, diary entries, poems, letters from camp, or that novel written by a child for adults that at age nine you were sure would break the big time? (Did anyone else do this? Did anyone finish theirs? Does anyone know where mine is?) Sign up here to read 'em live in front of strangers, or just show up and enjoy the show. Monday March 3, 7:30pm, The Garrison (1197 Dundas St. West).

CINSSU's Grease Sing-A-Long
What's better than a Grease Sing-A-Long? If you didn't just mumble "...anything?" then the answer is clearly a Grease Sing-A-Long with a Grease costume contest. Get to this one early if you want a seat. Thursday, March 6, 6pm, Innis Town Hall (2 Sussex Avenue).

Feminist Art Conference - Art Exhibition Opening Reception
Beaver Hall Gallery will host an opening reception with spoken word performances, a feminist stand up comedy troupe, music, and free food. Oh, and open bar. Check out all the artists here, or better yet stop in for a drink. Thursday, March 6, 7pm, Beaver Hall Gallery (29 McCaul Street).

If Walls Could Talk
A huge juried illustration centric art exhibit with a focus on the experimental is opening up in the 2nd Floor Gallery at the Gladstone. The show runs until March 30th, so if you miss the opening you have a month to stop in. Opening reception: Thursday, March 6, 7pm, Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. West).

FAC Film Screenings at OCADU via STUDENT UNION
On Friday as part of the Feminist Art Conference at OCAD you can see two documentaries for free: Carol Jacobsen's Censorious! and Jennifer Siebel Newsom's Miss Representation. Panel discussions will follow. Friday, March 7, 6pm & 9:30pm, OCAD Room 109 (100 McCaul St).

Coven
Co-hosted with The Beguiling and Drawn & Quarterly, Henhouse will host a night for indie comic lovers at the Toronto launch of animator Diane Obomsawin's graphic novel On Loving Women Jaime les Filles, illustrated tales of "coming out, first love, and sexual identity." Friday, March 7, 9pm, Henhouse (1532 Dundas St. West).

Sound Image 2014: Music Photo Contest & Opening Night Party
Analogue Gallery's 3rd Annual Sound Image Music Photography contest and exhibition goes down next weekend. Only one photo will win the prize and glory - and full disclosure, some of our own photographers have concert shots in the show. The opening is RSVP only - click attending on the Facebook event or contact the gallery by phone (416 901 8001) or email (celia@analoguegallery.com). Friday March 7, Analogue Gallery (673 Queen Street West).

Bag Heads - Works by Shea Chang
This is just a chill little Huntclub art opening, but Shea Chang's graphite portraits are combined with collage and the results are lovely. You have until March 21 to see the exhibit. Friday, March 7, 7pm, Huntclub (709 College St).

B.T.R.O Project
Hey rap fans, head to May on Dundas West on Saturday to take in a free hip hop show. B.T.R.O Project, aka Beats Timian Rhymes Oso, will be joined by special guests and DJ Steelo. Doors are at 8pm and music starts at 9pm. Saturday, March 8, 8pm, May (876 Dundas St. West).

Healing Power Records at the Tranzac 2
Drumheller and Body Help are on this month's Healing Power showcase, a micro label which merges Toronto's underground dance, lo-fi, and experimental jams together whenever they can. Show 'em some love. It's PWYC, so show 'em whatever's sitting on your dresser, too. Unless all your money is in a wad on your dresser. Then do whatever seems rational. Saturday, March 8, 9:30pm, The Tranzac (292 Brunswick Ave).

CINSSU & The Consulate of France present: Contemp French Cinema Fest
Wow Toronto, look at all these free films. They're actually good, too! The Minister and Rust and Bone show on Saturday, then Blue is the Warmest Colour on Sunday and Rubber and The New Faces of French Animation on Monday. Click here for showtimes. March 8 - 10, Innis Town Hall (2 Sussex Avenue).

Video Vengeance #4 - Kingdom of the Spiders
Freak out with Kingdom of the Spiders on VHS in a bar full of people who are also totally freaked out! William Shatner, spiders, and a free raffle are awaiting you at KITCH. Sunday, March 9, 7:30pm, KITCH bar (229 Geary Ave).

Also check out these regular free events in Toronto

• Elvis Mondays at the Drake
• Art Gallery of Ontario free evening, Wednesday, 6-8:30pm.
• CINSSU's Free Friday Film Screenings
• Canadian Opera Company's Free Concerts series
• While nearly all art galleries in the city are free to enter, it's worth noting The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA) is always pwyc.
• The ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) also offerings discounted tickets on Fridays ($10).

Do you want everyone to know about your kinda random free or pay-what-you-can event? Submit it to our event section. (You can also submit your for-money events here, greedy-pants.)

Photo by 2013 Sound Image winner Tobias Wang

It's been less than a decade since Daniel MacIvor's A Beautiful View premiered with Tracy Wright and Caroline Gillis to critical acclaim in Toronto. Volcano Theatre has remounted the show for an Ontario tour, proving that great stories will continue to be told and re-told.

Under the direction of Ross Manson, the play maintains its compelling narrative impact. We are reminded just how skilled MacIvor is as an expert storyteller. While the staging, and its accompanying lighting, sometimes runs astray, working against an improved treatment, there's still much to enjoy here in the unfolding of a complex friendship.

After first meeting in a sporting goods store, two women (Becky Johnson and Amy Rutherford) stop and start into a unique bond marked by casual fun and ultimately love. Theirs is a deeply human relationship full of white lies, flaws, and misunderstandings that balance the laughs and musical forays. When a transgression within the friendship is revealed, the women attempt reconciliation in the shadow of their darkest fears.

The play considers the complexities of friendship and works to explore the trappings imposed by social labels. Certainly void of melodrama, a raw, stripped down quality in its place, MacIvor injects dialogue so relateable that the friendship almost feels familiar. No easy feat within the two-hander, relationship chronology convention. The occasion of the remount reminds us just how engaging the play can be and where it stands in the playwright's long list of memorable work.

Manson's staging is less successful, tending to overcomplicate some of the scenes with stylized movement and overwrought lighting. While the foreshadowing of the danger to come is haunting, the alleyway presentation, while usually a more focused stage space, feels, in this instance, less dynamic. The play would have benefited from more sexual and flirtatious energy between the two women to better drive the climax home.

Still, the powerful narrative arc is full of energy and complexity in the hands of Johnson and Rutherford. The two actors capture the trepidation of first friendship, the intimate, intertwined bond that develops with love, and the gray areas in between.

Of the two, Johnson finds the most variation in her portrayal of the awkward, musically-inclined pursuer. Her vulnerability is made palpable. Rutherford is slightly more reserved but, given that her character seems to hold the upper hand throughout, this quality ultimately works in her favour.

While it cannot be said that the remount improves upon the original, MacIvor's nuanced and compelling story still shines through.

--
A Beautiful View, written by Daniel MacIvor and directed by Ross Manson, runs at the Factory Theatre until March 9.

Photo by Vic Pahwa in the blogTO Flickr pool

Today in Toronto lit fans can make a morning journey to the CBC where Jian Ghomeshi hosts day one of Canada Reads, a week-long debate over which book every Canadian should read (how authoritarian). In the evening The Garrison hosts the hilarious Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids, and Blue Coffee returns to the Magpie. There's also some great live music to choose from, with Mexican Summer bands Quilt and Weyes Blood at the Drake, Ringo Deathstarr at Silver Dollar, and White Denim at The Horseshoe.

• Canada Reads 2014 Debates Hosted by Jian Ghomeshi
• Mexican Summer @ The Drake Hotel
• Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids 13
• Blue Coffee Reading Series #5: Jimmy McInnes, Patrick Connors, and Jack Hostrawser
• Ringo Deathstarr with Purple, Beliefs, Tess Parks at The Silver Dollar
• White Denim at The Horseshoe Tavern
• Toronto New Music Alliance presents New Music 101: 2014 Events

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

Photo by Ryan Bolton

This Week in Music rounds up the latest news, releases and concerts coming to Toronto.

NXNE adds more bands to bill, looks like a good festival now
Still not a fest people outside of Canada will travel to, but better than last year (who wants to go to Canada, anyway). Swans, Spoon, Le1f, Perfect Pussy, Tim Hecker, Glasser, Spiritualized, tUnE-yArDs, Ryan Hemsworth, Sleigh Bells, Oneohtrix Point Never, Fuck Buttons, Low, Small Black, METZ, and more have been added to the line up.

The Junction Music Festival 2014 Call For Submissions
Last year's Junction Music Fest looked like a swell little time, and submissions are now open for this year's festival.

New in Toronto music

‪Hieroglyphics by Maylee Todd‬

Temporary Gateway by Slowpitch

The Riverbend by Owen Pallett

Bloodlines by Kashka

Crater by Gord Downie, The Sadies, And The Conquering Sun

Mexican Aftershow Party by Kevin Drew

This week on Bandcamp

• Up and coming Toronto R&B star Shi Wisdom has released a lovely EP called Intervention which you can find on Bandcamp here.
• The Toronto Homicide Squad (just the band name not the real deal, sadly) have released the tracks from the Nein Bullets cassette for free download on Bandcamp.

Hot tickets

Sound image 2014 / March 7 / Analogue Gallery (673 Queen Street West)
Not a concert but the culmination of many, many Toronto concerts, Analogue Gallery's 3rd Annual Sound Image Music Photography contest and exhibition goes down next weekend. Only one photo will win the prize and glory - and full disclosure, some of our own photographers have concert shots in the show. The opening is RSVP only - click attending on the Facebook event or contact the gallery by phone (416 901 8001) or email (celia@analoguegallery.com).

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - March 7 / Sound Academy / $62
I'd probably go to this if it wasn't at Sound Academy, and the fact I'm still tempted says a lot about the show (all of this says a lot about Sound Academy, bleh). This is Japanese Harajuku pop superstar Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's first world tour. I can't lie, I wish the world looked like this video - I haven't seen colours like that since the wilds of highschool.

Long Winter / March 7 / The Great Hall / 7pm / PWYC
Last one! Cancer Bats, S.H.I.T., Greys, You'll Never Get to Heaven, Ravi Naimpally, JM, Pick a Piper, Brr, Grounders and So Young will play at the Great Hall. There will be dance performances, puppets, art, film, food, and 7"'s. Celebrate the end of one hell of a winter.

Trust / March 8 / Adelaide Hall (250 Adelaide St W) / $21
What was a duo of Robert Alfons and Maya Postepski has now become a solo, and to at least some degree this has changed the Trust sound - I think it's only gotten sparklier and weirder (Kate Bush would be proud), and Alfons was the one carrying the band live anyway. Be the judge for yourself by streaming Joyland here (it officially drops on March 4th) or at Adelaide Hall on March 8th with Mozart's Sister.

Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton / March 6th / Coda / 10pm / $20
Stones Throw Records enjoys a cult-like following among underground hip hop heads, and for good reason. The label (founded by Peanut Butter Wolf) has been home to legendary acts like J Dilla, Madvillain, Aloe Blacc and many more, and is the subject of a new film called Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton, which screens March 6 at the Bloor Cinema. As you may have already guessed, the event of the same name later that night at Coda is the official afterparty, and features DJ sets by Peanut Butter Wolf, J. Rocc, Jonwayne, and Knxwledge.

A Tribe Called Red / March 7th / Hoxton / 10pm / $25
Ottawa DJ collective A Tribe Called Red have been enjoying an extremely busy year thanks to the success of their second album Nation II Nation, which got them nominated for two Junos this year. Their reworkings of powwow music with club friendly beats has a timely political undercurrent, but their gigs are still full on parties.

More concerts: Just Shows

Recently announced concerts

• Mindless Self Indulgence / April 1 / The Phoenix
• The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart / April 26 / The Horseshoe
• Shlohmo / May 3 / Opera House
• Eels / May 27 / Winter Garden Theatre
• Die Antwoord / June 5 / The Danforth

What we got up to this week

• Underground Toronto music label nears its 100th release
• Vortex Records to open new shop on Queen West
• Isaiah Rashad and Tre Mission touch up Tattoo
• The top concerts in Toronto March 2014
• The top 5 dance parties in Toronto March 2014
• The top 10 songs from Toronto bands February 2014

Still from Hieroglyphics by Maylee Todd

Once a pop-up placeholder for a condo project on Spadina, this street food take-out counter has moved into permanent new digs on Queen West. Former fans will happy to know salads, poutines and sandwiches are still available for lunch, only now from dinner hour on, it's all about cocktails, craft beers and bar snacks.

Read my profile of Come and Get It (Queen St.) in the restaurants section.

If there was any doubt about how Rob Ford was going to be handled when he appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live, last night's brief pre-appearance should clear things up. Addressing the audience, Kimmel confirms that the Toronto mayor will be a guest tonight before Ford comes out on stage, seemingly confused about the timing of his appearance. It's an awkward enough moment, even if it's clearly staged. It's also a sort of promise that tonight's interview is sure to be filled with hijinks and embarrassing moments for Ford.

Arguably, the real fun last night took place during Kevin Spacey's interview with Kimmel, when the House of Cards star takes a few pokes at Ford much to the delight of the host and audience. Kimmel thanks Spacey for sharing a dressing room with the mayor, to which he responds "he threw up all over it." These are just appetizers for tonight's appearance, but it'd be fair to say we're getting hungry.

This newly opened lunch counter and juice bar wants to make lunch the healthiest meal of the day and offers a subscriptions service that will deliver smoothies, soups, salads and breakfast bowls straight to your office desk. A take-out counter means locals can pop by for a boost of fresh veggies too.

Read my profile of The Goods in the restaurants section.

Months after unveiling the design for its new wayfinding and route signage, the TTC has taken the next step by installing it at Bloor-Yonge Station, where the Commission will try it out and gather customer feedback. St. George Station is soon to follow, which will perhaps prove even more of a litmus test of the new markers given the mess that the wayfinding is there. Aside from a cleaner design in general (and a healthy return of the original "Toronto Subway" font), the new signage ushers in a significant change as pertains to the naming of subway lines, which will now be numbered in addition to the older nomenclature (e.g. Yonge-University-Spadina).

There's a compelling argument to be made that this is the, ahem, better way, as it's not immediately clear to new users of the system when, for instance, the University portion of the line gives way to the Spadina section. By using three markers - number, name and colour - the new maps and signage should make the system easier to navigate. Perhaps even more importantly, as the TTC slowly adds additional lines like the Eglinton Crosstown, a numeric and colour-based list of routes is easier to keep track of.

What do you think of the changes? Is this a step in the right direction?

The best spas in Toronto offer a luxurious escape from day-to-day life, provided you're willing to fork over a healthy amount of cash for that urban getaway. Most of Toronto's top relaxation destinations are situated in high-end hotels studded around the downtown core - suitable, given the luxe surroundings and often-elaborate treatments on the menu.

Whether you're looking for a tension-busting massage, a glow-boosting facial, an exotic 30-ingredient body treatment, or just a really good sweat in a steam room, these spas will serve it up (with a side of herbal tea).

Here are the best spas in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Spa to get a Facial in Toronto
The Best Manicure in Toronto
Cheap manicure pedicure bars in Toronto
The Best Waxing Salons in Toronto

The top new menswear stores in Toronto are proof that the city's retail landscape has undergone a major sea change. Just three years ago, we described local men's clothing offerings as "sparse," adding with touch of resignation that it was a truth acknowledged by fashion fans and shop owners alike.

Now, skip ahead to February of 2014, which saw two international menswear chains launch Toronto stores within just days of one another. The arrival of Loding and Suitsupply are just the crest in a wave of new retail options for Toronto fellas with a love of cashmere sweaters, pocket squares, or perfectly-cut tees. The shift is so palpable that even Holt Renfrew has taken notice; the high-end department store announced plans to open a men's-only boutique on Bloor this fall.

It's a change that's being felt on the ground floor of the fashion world, too. At MADE Clothing Co.'s launch event for their brand-new custom-suiting studio, everyone I spoke to (guy or gal, bespoke suit or blue jeans) agreed that male shoppers finally had a level of choice that would allow them to tailor their wardrobe just so.

All of the stores on this list have been around for less than a year (and most since the summer); at this rate, I can't wait to see how sharp the men of Toronto will look a year from now.

Here, in no particular order, are the top new menswear stores in Toronto.

Loding
Parisian import Loding is a reliable source of quality basics, and we mean reliable: The cufflinks are always $50, the shirts are always $90, the cashmere sweaters are always $200. That's perfect for the kind of no-nonsense gent who wants to pick out five of the same perfectly-fitting piece and call it a day. (Fun fact: Nota Bene restaurateur Yannick Bigourdan was brought on board to help open the store after repeatedly lobbying the chain's owners to open up in Toronto; he's amassed a huge collection of their shoes.)

Suitsupply
A favourite of menswear aficionados the world over, Suitsupply has finally landed on Canadian soil. The hip, contemporary atmosphere gets guys in the door, but their made-to-measure suiting offerings (with over 600 available fabrics), well-trained staff and one-stop shop approach is the fuel behind that international fan base. If you're not looking for a custom suit ($799 and up), there's a slew of ties, pocket squares, socks, shades and other extras.

Surmesur
Suits made with 3D body scanning technology? It's a reality down at Queen and Jarvis's Surmesur, the first Toronto location in a popular Quebecois chain. After your measurements are taken via airport-style scanner, you can choose the details of your suit on a touch screen. Best of all, the sci-fi approach is surprisingly inexpensive, with suits starting at $325. The future is now. (Or, rather, in three weeks, which is how long it takes for your finished ensemble to arrive.)

MADE Clothing Co.
MADE's been around since 2011, but the custom clothier finally has found a home in a studio at Queen and Berkeley. The airy space, stocked with an assortment of accessories like patterned socks and cufflinks, is the perfect spot to enjoy a fitting (and a nice glass of scotch). What really sets them apart, though, is their use of Canadian tailors in their made-to-measure suits -- an anomaly among budget-friendly custom clothiers (suits start at $895).

Da Zooo
Technically, this out-there boutique at King and Bathurst caters to both men and women, but their edgy-clean aesthetic and killer selection of designers -- from Rick Owens DRKSHDW to Vivienne Westwood to Maison Martin Margiela -- makes the men's half of the store more than worth a visit. Bargain-hunters can check out their 613 King in-house line, which fits right in with the look of the store at a fraction of the cost.

Salt Chuck
Sure, the world may not know how snappy your underwear looks, but you do, and isn't that what really counts? Harbord St.'s Salt Chuck specializes in skivvies, designed in-house by B.C. native Tiffany Ho. But if you're not in the market for moisture-fighting, motion-friendly underwear in fun patterns (around $30 each), Ho's mixed in tons of sporty basics by designers from North America (Lifetime, Publish) and Europe (Minimum, Weekend Offender).

Lost & Found
The beloved Dundas West combination men's boutique and coffee shop found a new home on Ossington last fall. The selection favours quality heritage-influenced pieces manufactured in North America -- think rugged boots, broken-in button-downs, and century-old Filson jackets. This may very well be your grandpa's menswear, but nobody's complaining.

Working Title
Working Title is mega-minimal, from the spare, white-and-grey interior to the tightly-edited racks of clothing, but there's plenty of depth to be found at the Davenport and Avenue boutique. The mega-modern sister store to Lost & Found features basics from Scandinavian lines like Patrik Ervell and Svensson alongside a selection of art books and indie magazines, with a gallery space in the basement.

John Varvatos
The sprawling, glossy John Varvatos location at Yorkdale, stuffed with splashy extras like boutique amplifiers, may be worlds away (figuratively and literally) from some of the core's indie boutiques. But the quintessentially New York designer's work, which celebrates all things rock-and-roll -- think skinny suits, leather jackets, and distressed everything -- would fit right into any downtown gent's wardrobe.

Leatherfoot
Of course, nothing goes with a bespoke suit like a custom shoe. Leatherfoot, which stepped into a space on Bellair St. in Yorkville last summer, offers made-to-order footwear (starting at $765) with the leather, soles and finish of your choice. Their off-the-rack options are no slouch, either -- they're a handy source for tough-to-find high-end brands.

Lead photo from Lost & Found

Photo by Ben Roffelsen in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto Canadian writer and sound poet Paul Dutton will be celebrated at a special tribute performance at Supermarket that will assemble members of TO's experimental music and literary scenes. Houston rapper, Riff Raff hits The Hoxton, and Elvis Monday teams up with Jaymz Bee to put on a fundraiser for former Sire recording artist, Meryn Cadell. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Celebrate Paul Dutton at 70
• RiFF RAFF @ The Hoxton
• Elvis Monday: Benefit Concert For Meryn Cadell
• CINSSU and Dignitas Youth present "Triage: Dr. James Orbinski's Humanitarian Dilemma"

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

Photo of Riff Raff by Matt Kozovski

There were no closures this week on DineSafe, but two College Street establishments seem to have come pretty close. Ryoji Ramen & Izakaya and the neighbouring Urban Thai each racked up a whopping 10 infractions for a laundry list of things like failing to ensure food isn't contaminated or adulterated.

Here's the rest of this week's most dubious DineSafe offenders.

Wide Open (139A Spadina Ave)
Inspected on: February 26, 2014
Inspection finding:Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Ryoji Ramen & Izakaya (690 College Street)
Inspected on: February 25, 2014
Inspection finding:Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 10 (Minor: 2, Significant: 6, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated. Employee fail to wash hands when required.

L-Eat Express (410 Adelaide St W)
Inspected on: February 25, 2014
Inspection finding:Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Yummy Pizza (1745 Dundas St W)
Inspected on: February 24, 2014
Inspection finding:Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Crucial: 3)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated. Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder. Operator fail to maintain hazardous foods at 60C (140F) or hotter.

Dundas Spring Garden (434 Dundas St W)
Inspected on: February 27, 2014
Inspection finding:Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

McDonald's (1185 Dupont St)
Inspected on: February 26, 2014
Inspection finding:Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

Urban Thai (638 College St)
Inspected on: February 26, 2014
Inspection finding:Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 10 (Minor: 4, Significant: 4, 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.

Sweet Everythings (125 Jefferson Ave)
Inspected on: February 27, 2014
Inspection finding:Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 3, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Foundry's electronic music series is about to enter its second year in Toronto, and will bring together an array of international and homegrown talent for a month of dancefloor ecstasy to the raw concrete factory floors of Toronto's historic Tower Automotive Building (recently used for the Promise Heart Party).

Boasting enough artists to send one into a weeklong YouTube vortex, we've picked ten unmissable acts (five Canadian and five international) that you'll want to catch over the course of the festival.

INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS

DJ Harvey
With a career stretching back to the halcyon days of the Paradise Garage, Harvey Bassett got his start by making a reel-to-reel edit trying to emulate an acetate version of South Shore Commission's "Free Man" that legendary disco figure Larry Levan was spinning at the time.

Decades progressed, and Harvey continued keeping things weird, smashing several thousand dollars of equipment at a New Years party in Australia or talking about the tragedy of finding great disco records in AIDS hospice warehouses, left behind by their deceased original owners.

For those wondering what to expect, this oft-quoted Harvey-ism sums it up: "You can't understand blues until you've had your heart broken, and you can't understand disco until you've had group sex on ecstasy".

Shed
Looking at René Pawlowitz's press photo, you can sense something that's deficient in many other techno producers these days: a sense of humor. Willing stereotypes by having a self-depricating laugh at himself in interviews, Pawlowitz has no problem with taking on fluid, changing identities - be it the anonymous white label anthems of the WAX series, or the dusty, chord-driven techno of his Head High moniker. Known for live sets that merge the energy of 90's raves with a contemporary thump, this is the kind of show that's guaranteed to have you pouring sweat.

Four Tet
As Kieran Hebden grows older, his output seems to be infused with a grisly dancefloor sensibility referencing his raving days of yore. You can hear this longing for the past in pirate-radio referencing jungle stomper "Kool FM," or his choice to re-release overlooked 2-step anthem "First Born" by Krazy Bald Heads on his TEXT Records label.

As an avid producer who's worked with everyone from Percee P to Omar Souleyman, what's most exciting is the way that Hebden can synthesize his decade-spanning influences into something uniquely danceable.

Anthony "Shake" Shakir
One of the foundational members of Detroit's techno scene, Shakir has perhaps remained the most obscured until several years ago when Rush Hour re-releasing a compilation of his Frictional Records work catapulted him back into the spotlight.

These days, Shakir is keeping his international and inter-generational ties tight, remixing South African new wave Shangaan Electro artists BBC for Honest Jons Records, and collaborating with Detroit's Kyle Hall on a series of crunchy, loose-slung house tracks that capture the vibrancy and energy that pioneered Detroit dance music from the start.

Cosmin TRG
Romanian-born, Berlin based Cosmin Nicolae's career came to a high point this year with his sublime Gordian LP, boasting enough stylistic shifts to keep music journalists scratching heads looking for definitions.

Spanning dubstep, techno curveballs and the experimental limits of house, it was a work that proved you don't have to pick one camp and stick to it. Minimalistic and hypnotic, Nicolae's live sets are sure to engage intellectual dance music fans while providing enough spinal-cord-shuddering bass to please the rest of us.

CANADIAN ARTISTS

Purity Ring
After listening to their Polaris-nominated debut Shrines, it's clear that Megan James and Corrin Roddick care deeply about pulling influence from different worlds, offering tracks that takes equal inspiration from trippy, stuttered New Jersey club music as they do Nosaj Thing-esque electronic experimentalism.

Their extensive range of collaborations (including Detroit hip-hop sensation Danny Brown and Megan James' vocal work with Brooklyn-based dancehall label Mixpak and rising dancehall star Popcaan) shows that the breadth of their taste, which will hopefully translate to their DJ sets.

Kevin McPhee
You know how the story goes: Local Toronto artist makes x-rated explicit thumping house track with hotly tipped anonymous UK producer Gerry Read; world takes notice. Okay, maybe that's not the way most people gain notoriety, but it's certainly worked for McPhee, whose productions have since jumped all over the map with effortless ease. One minute he's creating Soundstream-referencing loopy house, the next he's throwing bongos over a gritty Anthony Naples track and completely flipping the vibe.

Operating as 1/3rd of Toronto's How Does It Make You Feel techno collective, his recent Toronto-based Boiler Room set might be an omen of how great he'll be at Foundry.

Invisible City
Self-described "Unintentional party music", the duo of Brandon Hocura & Gary Abugan are devoted to unearthing gems from all corners of the Earth. While some labels would be happy to make a quick dollar off an unauthorized repress, the Toronto label actually fly out to Trinidad to get in contact with artists whose music they're re-releasing.

The results this year have been two glorious re-issues: Charmaine Forde & Michael Boothman's hauntingly emotional Touch EP, and Stephen Encinas' "Disco Illusion" and the calypso-influenced "Lypso Illusion" instrumental on the flip - arguably one of the most in-demand disco records of the year. Masters of warming up the room, this duo compliment DJ Harvey's eclecticism perfectly.

Blue Hawaii
On Youtube someone once described Blue Hawaii's music as the kind of stuff that Mila Jovovich would go-go dance to in the movie "5th Element," and I've yet to find a better descriptor for them. As energy-infused as an Adderall-guzzling MPC drum machine, the Montreal duo's tendency to drop tunes like Joy Orbison's edit of Donnel Jones' "U Know What's Up" in the middle of a Boiler Room set full of originals is promising for a night of kinetic dancing.

Gingy
Omnipresent in the Toronto dance music scene, Brian Wong's music first caught the ear of Turbo Recordings boss Tiga when his production partner Bordello played one of his tracks at a rave - the following week, Tiga was championing their tracks across the world, booming them out over Amsterdam soundsystems.

Most recently, this has led to the excellent "All Day" release on Turbo's warehouse series, whose aesthetic recalls the art of retro-rave posters. Sampling B Beat Girls' "For The Same Man (Nasty Version)", it's a muscular jacking house jam that shows Wong's flexibility for blending hard-edged thump with an inviting accessibility for those new to the genre.

Foundry runs from March 14 - April 6 at 158 Sterling Rd. See the full line up here or on their website.

Writing by Brendan Arnott, photo of Foundry 2013 by Conrad McGee-Stocks

Located above the familiar black and white striped staircase of the Black Market on Queen Street, this small, brightly-lit record shop's blank white walls hold wooden shelves that protrude out into the limited floor space in this... alcove - for lack of a better term. The small shop boasts a collection of perfect quality vinyl, including rare micropressings.

Read my review of Good Music in the services section.

229 Winnett Avenue is wee. With a lot size of 12.5 ft wide, it's just slightly bigger than 128 Day Avenue (Toronto's tiniest, aka "The Little House").

Sandwiched between two tall detached homes, the detached cottage appears especially small, although one can find a few similar bungalows scattered throughout this Oakwood-Vaughan neighbourhood. The house has been recently upgraded with a new front deck, storage shed in the rear, and a fresh (if plain) three-piece bathroom. If you're looking at condos -- with a condo-sized budget -- but dream of owning a home, this could be a clever alternative. Just watch your head on the ascent to that loft bedroom.

Although the house is small, it doesn't read as cramped. The cathedral ceiling offers some extra space and strategically placed skylights bring in some much-needed natural light. The bathroom, living space, and master bedroom are all move-in ready, but the kitchen cabinets and lighting could benefit from a bit of a facelift. The house is close to Cedarvale Park and the ravine system, but it's a hike on foot to amenities on Eglinton or St Clair West.

SPECS

• Address: 229 Winnett Ave.
• Price: $329,000
• Lot Size: 12.5 x 79.5 ft
• Bedrooms: 1 + 1
• Bathrooms: 1
• Parking: n/a
• Taxes: $1,444.29 (2013)
• Walk Score: 78

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Newly renovated bathroom
• Cathedral ceiling with loft bedroom
• Wrought iron spiral staircase

GOOD FOR

Good for a first-time buyer with a tight budget, or a condo-dweller looking to trade in big windows and a view for some grass and privacy. Things that might help this sale go down smoothly include existing apartment-sized furniture, a Metropass (there's no parking), creative storage ideas and an open mind.

MOVE ON IF

This house can fit a single buyer or a couple, at most. It's hard to imagine a child could fit into this space (storage is at a premium, as well) and that metal staircase is an accident waiting to happen. Space is the big deterrent here: if you think a condo is going to be too small for your needs, this tiny house probably won't be the right fit either.

MORE PHOTOS

Jimmy Kimmel didn't pull many punches in his interview with Rob Ford last night. For half an hour, the late-night talk show host roasted the mayor on everything from his crack cocaine use to his bizarre drunken behaviour and decision to attack the Toronto police chief in the aftermath of the crack video scandal.

"I feel like I've been waiting for this night my whole life," Kimmel said at the start of the show, which you can watch below (if you can stand it.)

Ford, wearing a black shirt and bright red tie, sweated and laughed nervously through the half-hour segment, often talking as though he was in front of a local audience. He said that he had saved the taxpayers a billion dollars and helped build a subway.

During the show's most uncomfortable exchange, Kimmel had Ford stand in front of a large TV and watch a series of videos that included his drunken rage at the home of a friend and his rambling, expletive-laden Jamaican patois rant at Etobicoke's Steak Queen restaurant.

Ford maintained he didn't know whose throat he was threatening to rip out and insisted he often speaks in patois with his Jamaican friends when they are in "a private setting."

The mayor also continued to bait Police Chief Bill Blair, urging him to release the crack cocaine video. "They followed me around for five months and came up empty-handed. I just want him to come clean with the taxpayers," he said.

"I want the world to see this video ... I keep saying show the video."

Kimmel finished the interview, which had top billing ahead of Gonzo the Muppet, by urging Ford to seek help if he was an alcoholic. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, and I think it's a good example for other people who might be in a similar situation."

"I'm just a normal, average. hard-working politician that's real, and I guarantee you call me and I will go to your front door," Ford replied.

"You are not the average politician, my friend," Kimmel said.

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

Toronto ComiCon 2014 will soon descend once again upon the city's unwashed masses. Whether you're a veteran con-goer, have never been to a convention in your life, or just need a weekend-long respite from the horrible weather, here's your primer for what to expect at this year's event.

GUESTS

Anyone for a live-reading of a 6Teen script, featuring the show's cast and creators? How about special guest appearances by Morena Baccarin, Giancarlo Esposito, Eliza Dushku, and Jon Heder? If that doesn't wet your whistle, Hobbystar's called in a slew of artists, from Marco Rudy and Chris Sprouse to Meaghan Carter and Leo Leibelman. Master cosplayer Lee Scion, Panty and Stocking voice actresses Jamie Marchi and Monica Rial, and authors like Stephen B Pearl and Jen Frankel are all expected to be present, unless someone were to "accidentally" tamper with their GPS' or reroute their flights (I'm looking at you, Craig).

Don't believe me? Check the link.

UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE ...STAND?

Maybe you don't want to meet a person. Maybe what you're looking for are people, communities, or geeky secret societies. Con-goers can expect entire sections of the showroom floor to be taken over by the likes of the Ontario Ghostbusters, The 501st Legion, the Horror Writers Association, and the Doctor Who Society of Canada. I personally will try and arrange a Nerf-fight between The Toronto Steampunk Society and the Toronto Browncoats.

Other leagues of extraordinary gentlemen (and ladies) will include representatives from Rue Morgue, the Animation Nation Army, and Ad-Astra, and we can expect to see the return of The Epic Nerd Show and Illusionoid.

THE CONSTELLATION AWARDS

This year, the Toronto ComiCon will be hosting the nominations' announcements for the 2014 Constellation Awards. The Constellation Awards are the Canadian awards ceremony for all things pertaining to excellent sci-fi in television and film. Now in its seventh year, the Constellation Nominations will be presided over by several special guests and, if this page is to be believed, attendees are expected to "take home some hardware." Whether that relates to swag-bags or the chance of winning your own ED-209 has yet to be revealed.

(WORK)SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP

As always, Toronto ComiCon will be the place where vendors and artists will congregate to sell their goods. However, the real joy is the ability to attend Q&A sessions, have your portfolio reviewed, or see any number of workshops and seminars about geek culture topics and themes, industry insight, and how-to guides for cosplay and illustration, or professional and amateur sketch duels. Check the Attractions page for more details, and watch this space for the official schedule.

The Toronto ComiCon runs from March 7th to March 9th. The hours of operation on the 7th are from 4-9pm, and the convention will be open from 10am to 6pm on Saturday and from 10am to 5 pm on Sunday. For ticket prices and information, please check the website.

Lead photo: Mahou Shoujo and Madoka Madoka by Brett R on flickr