The top chicken and waffles in Toronto are great for when you want it all. Savoury or sweet? Opt for both at once when you order up this soulful Southern staple. Then the real conundrum becomes 'syrup or gravy?' (Again, there's no real reason to choose.)

Here are my picks for the top plates of chicken and waffles in Toronto.

The Huntsman
This College St. tavern offers gluttonous plates of fried chicken and waffles ($14), slathered with maple syrup and crowned with a quenelle of whipped butter, as part of their brunch menu (offered until 4pm).

School Bakery and Cafe
Stacks of fluffy, golden waffles are a menu staple week-round at this Liberty Village brunch spot, but on weekends they whip up the classic combination with buttermilk fried chicken ($19). Instead of the usual maple accompaniment, the dish is served with Tabasco pepper honey and cool-and-crunchy cabbage slaw.

Triple A Bar
At Jarvis and Adelaide, this Southern smokehouse is known to swing both ways, serving the classic dish with both gravy and syrup. Priced at $14, it's not the most generous portion, but it still satisfies. The chicken itself is gently seasoned and crispy-skinned, while the fluffy waffles soak up all the maple syrup.

Roux
In the Junction, fried chicken goes by the nickname "Yardbird" ($16) and is available with a choice of Southern-style accompaniments for dinner. Don't be tempted by the grits or mash options - it's the sugar-dusted waffles that are most memorable, especially when topped with fruit compote and finished off with bourbon maple syrup.

Harlem Underground
Harlem specializes in comfort foods from the Southern states and no visit is complete without an order of crispy fried chicken with golden waffles. The restaurant's two locations (one on Queen West, the other on Richmond East) both serve the dish topped with scotch bonnet-coriander-lime syrup and white chicken gravy. At brunch, the dish will run you $14; a dinner portion is $16.95.

Home of the Brave
Straddling the realms of savoury and sweet, the crispy fried chicken and sourdough waffles ($16) at this King West BBQ joint are accompanied by a dollop of sour cream, a scattering of green onions and a pot of spicy maple to apply as desired.

The Drake Hotel
At brunch, the West Queen West institution serves up Southern-fried chicken thighs on top of herb waffles ($17). For contrast, the savoury dish is doused in maple syrup and dressed up with cherry jam and creme fraiche.

The Gaberdine
This popular weekday destination in the Financial District will send you back to the office in need of a nap. Fried chicken 'n' waffles ($26) come smothered with hot sausage gravy while crunchy iceberg lettuce and a drizzle of buttermilk dressing offer a contrasting cool component.

Spin
Go ahead and bet your table tennis opponent an order of these delicious chicken and waffles ($21) - the portion size feeds two, so it's a win/win situation all around. The buttermilk fried chicken and cornbread waffles are good, though it's the accompanying thyme honey and tart pickled watermelon that make the dish sing.

Farmer's Daughter Eatery
Feeling adventurous? Try the Frog Waffles ($12) at this spin-off to the Junction's Farmhouse Tavern. The creative spin on the Southern-fried staple still tastes just like chicken, but it's done with crispy seasoned frogs' legs over buckwheat waffles, drizzled with a sweet butter, red wine and maple syrup reduction.

BONUS

Hogtown Vegan
The "unchicken and waffles" ($14) at this Bloorcourt restaurant will satisfy even a vegan's hankering for sweet and savoury soul foods. Made with deep fried soy cutlets and fluffy waffles, the dish is then smothered in a butter-less maple butter.

Did I miss any? Leave your favourite spots for chicken and waffles in the comments.

Photo via the Drake Hotel on Flickr

Don't throw away those tokens just yet--most TTC riders will not be using an electronic fare card for some time yet. A new status report due to be presented to the Metrolinx board later this week says Presto, the division of the transit agency responsible for rolling out Ontario's contactless smartcard system, still doesn't know when readers will be fully installed on the subway, streetcar, and bus systems.

The document says next generation Presto readers will only be fitted to new streetcars as they enter service, starting with the 510 Spadina in August this year. The 511 Bathurst, 506 Dundas, and 509 Harbourfront routes are due to follow in what's being called the first wave of installations.

According to the most recent available rollout schedule from the TTC, that means Presto still won't be available on the majority of subway and streetcar routes until at least 2019, more than a decade after the card readers debuted at Union Station.

The existing streetcar fleet will not be retrofitted with readers.

At time of writing, just 14 subway stations have basic Presto facilities, most of them downtown on Line 1. 12 new stations with streetcar connections are due to be added as the new streetcars appear, as will the remainder of the stations south of Bloor, excluding Wellesley, the document says.

Current subway Presto devices sell only single fares, but the next generation readers, due to be installed with the new streetcar devices, will offer senior, student, and child discounts. New subway fare gates that will eventually "replace select turnstiles at select subway locations" are also in the works.

The report also provides a first look at the fare vending machines that will be installed on all new streetcars while Presto is phased in (the design of the new low floor vehicles means drivers will no longer be responsible for handling fares or issuing transfers.)

The Single Ride Vending Machines will accept Presto, tokens, cash, debit, or credit payments. There will be two on each new streetcar.

Wave 2, which will see the rest of the streetcar, subway, and bus routes equipped with Presto, is "ongoing," and there is no fixed schedule for it to begin.

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

Image: Chris Bateman/blogTO.

38 Ferrier Avenue is a detached home located just north of Danforth Avenue in the Playter Estates neighbourhood, which offers tons of space in a great location. The home couldn't be more convenient to the subway, schools, shops, and restaurants. Inside, the home feels spacious thanks to an open concept renovation and large windows at both the front and rear. The kitchen opens on to a large backyard. And while the yard could use some work, there's plenty of potential here.

The newly added master bedroom is definitely one of the highlights of this house. It offers way more space than you would expect from a house in this neighbourhood, while the three piece ensuite bathroom is a nice surprise. Downstairs, the basement doesn't offer enough space for a rental unit, but with a separate entrance, it's perfect for a guest room with privacy. It also could be good for teenagers sneaking in (or out) so buyer beware!

SPECS

• Address: 38 Ferrier Avenue
• Price: $979,000
• Lot Size: 25 x 100
• Bedrooms: 3
• Bathrooms: 3
• Parking: 1
• Taxes: $4,880
• Walk Score: 98

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Bay windows on first floor looking out onto front porch
• Open concept renovated first floor
• Separate entrance to basement
• Location minutes from Chester subway stop, schools, shops, and restaurants

GOOD FOR

Families who want a neighbourhood feel. This three bedroom detached house offers plenty of space for a family with a couple kids. And this family friendly neighbourhood is packed full of baby and maternity stores alongside the Greek fare we all know and love. Souvlaki and onesies are a well known great combo.

MOVE ON IF

The interior of the home benefits greatly from the renovations and addition to the rear of the home. Unfortunately, the curb appeal suffers. Though the mature tree out front blocks the upper addition, through the leaves you can see it's not quite original. And it's all siding from the back. But to be honest, I'm just nitpicking at this point. You can't have it all!

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

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

Writing by Isabel Ritchie

Outside it was bright and beautiful, a perfect summer weekend, but last Saturday at least a couple of hundred people stayed inside to watch other people make coffee. Saturday was day two of the Central Canadian Barista Championships and the cupping room and event space at Propeller Coffee's new storefront were full of coffee fanatics.

Besides the public's apparently unquenchable thirst for specialty coffee, it's events like this, a regional leg in a national coffee-making competition, that drives the constant expansion of the indie coffee market, as roasters and coffee shops challenge their employees to maintain their creativity and hold each other to high standards.

The format is simple enough: Each barista competitor has a fixed amount of time to showcase their skills in front of a panel of judges, four of which are "sensory" - concerned with the taste and presentation of each drink - while two others are "technical," and hover around the barista with clipboards, scrutinizing their setup and skill. There's a fair amount of showbiz involved in the contest; baristas will dress the judges table with tablecloths, and no one starts the timer to begin their presentation until the DJ has cued up their presentation music.

Competitors have a fixed amount of time to describe the creative process that led to their drink, a spiel that they'll accessorize with sensory aids to accentuate flavours or aromas in the drink. They also have to prove their basic barista skills by pulling an espresso and presenting a cappuccino complete with foam art while they talk. Over the half dozen presentations I watched on Saturday afternoon I saw coconut milk and peaches, honey and berries and marshmallow among the ingredients used.

Baristas from all over Southern Ontario competed in the two days of judging, from local favorites like Sam James, Lit, Crema, Jimmy's and Snakes & Lattes, and indie shops in Orangeville, Guelph and Kitchener. For all of them, the championship was clearly a big deal, as they radiated nerves while they set up and waited their turn with each panel of judges while Michael Potters from Parachute Coffee emceed.

During lulls in the action, the public could move to Propeller's cupping room, where samples of different roasts could be appreciated to a loud chorus of slurps, and the long bar in the main room had meat pies from Kanga and beer from Nickel Brook Brewery. And while the periphery of the room was full of people from the city's coffee business network, the chairs up front were filled with friends and family of contestants as well as the curious public who obviously thought there'd still be plenty of sun to enjoy while they watched the aproned competitors work their Zuccarini-supplied machines.

In the end, it was Chris Tellez from one-man roaster and coffee evangelist Working Coffee who took first place, alongside three other baristas who'll head off to represent this part of the country in the national championship at the International Centre this September - an event worth remembering if you're one of an apparently growing number for whom coffee is more than just a drink.

The Ontario Municipal Board has made another controversial decision in favour of a Toronto developer. A proposal for a substantial student residence at College and Spadina is getting the go-ahead despite vocal opposition from local residents and city staff.

The 25-storey building will be built at 245-251 College, a few buildings west of Lillian H. Smith Library on the south side of the street. The original proposal called for a 45-storey block but, through the course of negotiations, the height was reduced by close to half.

As it stands, the student residence will stand about 80 metres with 230 units and 759 beds. The developers do not plan to include any vehicle parking and instead plan to install some 300 bike parking spaces.

The current density restrictions for College, east of Spadina, limits buildings to 2.5 times the square footage of the lot. The building plans approved by the OMB green light 12.1 times density, significantly more than the recommended limit.

"The proposed density would result in a development that does not respect and reinforce the existing physical character of the neighbourhood," a City of Toronto report said prior to the decision. "The proposed density of 12.1 times the lot area represents an overdevelopment of the site ... the proposed density is not appropriate for this site."

Last week, the board, which has authority over the City of Toronto's own planning department, approved 109OZ, a controversial mid-rise Ossington Ave. condo locals feared would give big box retailers a foothold on the strip. The OMB cut the height and divided up the ground floor retail space into sections no larger than 500 square metres, but the decision still left a bad taste for some Ossington area residents.

The College Street decision could also have an effect on other student buildings currently in the planning stage. A proposal to demolish the Hotel Waverly and relocate the Silver Dollar on Spadina Ave. for a 22-storey tower is currently the subject of an OMB hearing.

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

Image: Diamond Schmitt Architects

NXNE 2014 brought St. Vincent, Juicy J, Mac DeMarco, Swans, Run and Jewels, Ratking and more to Yonge-Dundas Square for free - plus a few locals like indie darlings Alvvays. Toronto's largest multi-venue music festival briefly rebranded the unfortunate Horseshoe Tavern (where Perfect Pussy would smash their bass moments before Spoon pushed them offstage for a surprise set), partied on Toronto Islands with Future Islands, put on a record sale at Edward Day Gallery, got serious at Massey Hall, and took over a streetcar. The unaffiliated Great Heart Fest brought relaxed, folky vibes to Trinity Bellwoods again, and 159 Manning threw the house parties of the summer.

Check out our 50 favourite photos from NXNE 2014 in our photo gallery

NXNE 2014 has come and gone and a pattern has developed - we saw you at Lee's, Yonge-Dundas, the Horseshoe, and in line for Future Islands. 800 bands played NXNE and as anyone could have guessed, a small fraction of those are dominating the talk from media and fans alike - but if you scour enough reviews, here's hoping you find something unexpected. This year we'll remember Perfect Pussy freak outs, Michael Gira yelling about buildings, and Killer Mike passing blunts. Our admiration for METZ is stronger, and we're drinking Bud Lite and speaking on suspicious Interactive panels (on which we have many opinions) in our dreams.

Here are our top highlights and lowlights - with some crossover, naturally - from NXNE 2014.

Check out our 50 favourite photos from NXNE 2014 in our photo gallery

NXNE: GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS

Manning house parties
Tim McCready's house parties have grown up to be an official part of NXNE, and from the basement to the backyard, the BBQ vibes on the two Fridays of NXNE 2014 were fresh and fun. Check out our photo gallery from 159 Manning here.

Putting bands on a streetcar
Not all the corporate sponsorship was bad. A water-flavouring company paid respect to Toronto by turning one streetcar into a traveling venue where any wristband holder could hop on at one of three stops to get a free ride and a show all in one. Highlights were Reggie Watts' one man show, Wintersleep crammed into the back of the car, and the fact it actually sounded good. Front man Paul Murphy summed it up perfectly: "this is by far the weirdest show we've ever played." MF

Romance (we're suckers for love)
Shout out to the boyfriend who surprised his his girlfriend by bringing her a stuffed lion to Courtney Barnett's show a the Silver Dollar. Just cute. RA

NXNE SUCKS Interactive Panel
NXNE announced the lifting of the radius clause (which didn't allow any band playing NXNE to play in Toronto 45 days before the fest) moments before the beginning of a filler Interactive panel cheekily titled WHY NXNE SUCKS I was involved with. Post radius knock-out there was still plenty to talk about - but, as planned, no one from NXNE was on the panel to answer questions.

But this is a highlight! I don't regret SUCKS - it's given me a lot to think about in regard to what a corporate festival is: public? (receives government funding); private? (corporation of investors); an internship? (few bands get compensated financially); a university? (experience! learning!). Yes, someone on the floor compared playing NXNE to interning. Yes, Pop Montreal's rep compared paying to play NXNE to paying to apply to university. I also don't regret using Kevin Hainey (Inyrdisk)'s "human garbage*" quip that he texted me about Healing Power Records' NXNE experience, because I've realized: what art needs these organizations? Not any work I care about.

Post panel, NXNE co-founder Yvonne Matsell was telling a member of Golden Teacher, a Glasgow band who'd been crashing on my floor until my landlord kicked them out for sunbathing nude, that although NXNE undercut their fee and refused to give them a hotel room, they should "get out and promote themselves." Interesting advice to give a band playing Yonge-Dundas Square and Exclaim's showcase at Lee's. When I told Matsell so, she turned to me and said quite patronizingly that I had said loads of inaccurate things during the presentation.

"Like what?" I asked. "I can't remember," she answered. "Tell me one thing I said that wasn't true" I replied, to which Matsell answered that she could not remember because she is, quote, "old."

NXNE's ongoing PR nightmare solidified a couple of key things for me. While advice like building a complex similar to the TIFF Lightbox to host year-round all-ages shows and workshops to properly train volunteers, and booking less acts with a higher degree of respect and curation are a few ideas I hope they'll consider after the panel, the real solution is a thriving and self sustaining underground music community whose members understand that sponsored music events and festivals (and radio stations, and labels, and bands) are in tune with something totally other than its own goals.

Toronto has a strong underground that can boycott and ignore these entities - without wasting too much effort. In future I'd recommend questioning NXNE through actions separate from NXNE, not by wasting time engaging with their brand. A music festival is a concept, and, at this scale anyway, it's a flawed concept. Bands don't have time to set up and properly showcase their craft. Performers become interchangeable commodities - not artists.

So, start another fest? Toronto may not even understand why it needs artists, so it doesn't necessarily just need more festivals. We need more ideas and more non-commercially driven art events where good work is showcased and encouraged, and good community foundations are bolstered not by any corporate interest or by a civic governing body, but by talented and passionate people who see art and music as more than a consumer experience opportunity / brand interaction.

If some music fans want Instagramable Bud Lite exclusives, then by all means let festivals like NXNE and CMW exist forever. But a ton of wonderful people in Toronto appreciate music and artists in a very different way, and at blogTO we'll keep trying to tell you about them.

One piece of good news - due to good old hard business, NXNE will no longer be working with Sonic Bids. Not because Sonic Bids fucking sucks, but just because NXNE are mad at them or something. Good ends, good ends.*

*This post has now been slightly amended as to the Sonic Bids decision, but the final paragraphs on Billboard still read: "The main topics were the radius clause, the use of Sonicbids to apply (which charges both to join and submit), the increased wristband price, the denial of media accreditation to key music bloggers, and a call for greater transparency (despite the fact that NXNE is a for-profit company).

No one from NXNE let it be known that two of those criticisms had already been addressed." Curious. Oh, and hey Billboard - we totally knew about the radius clause pre-panel, but thanks for pretending you were there ;)

Not bored yet? Aaron Levin (of Weird Canada) has written something heartfelt about his experience on the trapanel here.

*Hainey and I are now starting band called Human Garbage, fyi. Definite highlight. Thanks NX! AJ

NXNE: GENERAL LOWLIGHTS

SxSW-style Sponsorships
Having been on the other side of enough events, I know that sponsorship is a necessary evil if you ever want to expand, but after looking for the Horseshoe on several schedules and finding it listed under "B" for Budweiser, a little part of me died. The claim was that this year NXNE would import some of SxSW, but I'm not sure they brought the best parts. (see also: Highs - Mio Squirtcar) MF

SxSW-style anything
SxSW is in Austin. SxSW is for Austin. Why do randos in suits want Toronto to be a city in Texas? Who are these people? What is going on? Toronto, you're a strong city with a huge and diverse music community that is, yes, a little too clique-y and divided, but could easily build festivals with like, you know, a unique identity that would attract good art and good business from around the world. What's all this kid cousin nonsense? Just saying. AJ

HIGHS AND LOWS BY THE DAY

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 - HIGHLIGHTS

The oOohh Baby Gimme Mores / Horseshoe Tavern
They were a last-minute addition to the line-up and energetically tore through their half-hour set of dirty dance-punk and garage rock. Lots of crowd-participation ensued as they threw out coloured LED's, toy-tambourines and started a limbo-contest in the middle of the dance-floor. An unforgettable moment at the end of their set was Dave Bookman announcing that they will be playing the Made In America festival this summer courtesy of Live Nation and Budweiser. POK

Buzz Records Showcase: Dirty Frigs, TEEN TITS//WILD WIVES, Greys / Smiling Buddha
Dirty Frigs were a discovery - raw garage rock mixed with some psychedelia and tons of attitude. Singer Bri Salmena delivered a vocal growl that had the whole room paying swift attention. TEEN TITS//WILD WIVES can be jarring, abrasive, and utterly confusing - but they executed a spectacular set of technically flawless chaos, cementing themselves as one of the best and most unique bands in the city. Greys' headlining set was exactly what we've come to expect - a sweat-soaked, brutal assault of dissonant riffs, pulsating rhythm, and throat-shedding vocals. Fans reacted by moshing from the first to last note in gleeful semi-violence. POK

LOW / The Horseshoe, 12 am
Fan: We love you
Alan: I love you more. And I will fight you. I will fight you to prove how much I love you.

Seeing Alan Sparhawk handle himself in front of a crowd reminds me exactly what's missing from a lot of the blog-famous set: experience. He's spent years honing his craft, from his music to his stage-side manner. There is nothing about him that seems manufactured and you only get that from logging the miles. Hopefully you got to share this experience with him. ESP

Har Mar Superstar, Lee's Palace, 12am
The man also known as Sean Tillman put on a sexually charged show on NXNE'S first big night of music. The floor at Lee's was packed with diehards dancing while Tillman gradually took his clothes off to the same screaming and adoring fans. Not bad for someone who's been likened to Ron Jeremy. His old school, upbeat R&B was a nice change of pace from what the festival usually puts out. After being called out for an encore, he finished the show with a few soulful solos that harkened back to Motown. JT

Autre Ne Veut / Tattoo, 12 am
Less raspy than at last year's Wrongbar show, Brooklyn r&b weirdo Autre Ne Veut was back gutting himself onstage, while the crowd at front sang along to favourites from Anxiety and throngs of industry types and randoms by the bar loud-chatted obliviously, waiting for Sleigh Bells to come out. I'd like to think Arthur Ashin and his band won over a few of those randoms with that raw manoeuvre of tearing his vocal chords out through his mouth with his fist, and I had to admit that a festival set can still be a great set, crowd chatter or not. Tattoo was another winner: on the stairs I had a clear view of the show from the back. Rare. AJ

Sleigh Bells / Tattoo, 1 am (secret guest)
This not-so-secret set brought the hurricane-heavy sound of Sleigh Bells to a far smaller setting than their headlining slot at Yonge- Dundas Square the next night. Officially a duo but expanded to a crack 5-piece band, lucky fans were treated to a stadium-sized experience with barely 300 people in attendance. Alexis Krauss took full advantage, whipping the audience into a frenzy and crowd surfing at times during the set. POK

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 - LOWLIGHTS

Sleigh Bells / Tattoo, 1 am (secret guest)
I seem to recall a point when music was actually dangerous. Not just loud. I remember when heavy had nothing to do with a neon Anarchy symbol placed haphazardly on a leather trucker hat. Not sure what happened to Sleigh Bells from the time when MIA was waving their flag to the time they took the stage at Tattoo. I blame it on standing too close to the smoke machines. Inhaling that stuff daily must take its toll. ESP

THURSDAY, JUNE 19 - HIGHLIGHTS

Future Islands and Pusha T on VICE Island / Toronto Islands
I was freaking out about the idea of getting evicted and took double the anxiety medication I normally would have. I also ate some strawberries in the forest. I had tunnel vision for Future Islands and I don't remember how I got home - it was the most VICE Magazine experience of my life. Please, let it be the last. Check out our slideshow (photographed by someone who was not totally spaced out) here. AJ

Pissed Jeans / Virgin Mobile Mod Club, 10pm
When Matt Korvette proclaims that there are "too many iPhones, not enough notepads taking in what they're seeing here," little does he know that I'm actually writing this review in Notepad on my iPhone. Things aren't always as they seem, are they? [Editor's note - I do this too. Sorry bands! -AJ] I mean, when I headed to the Mod Club I was simply going there to see some punk rock. I had no idea I was going to witness a future where nuclear fallout inexplicably fuses Nick Cave, Mark Arm, and the ghost of Iggy Pop into one radioactive super-mutant. I've seen the apocalypse, and it doesn't look bad at all. ESP

Lindi Ortega / Harlan Pepper / Lee Harvey Osmond / The Horseshoe, 10pm
Lee Harvey Osmond hogged most of the stage time at the Horseshoe on Thursday. A packed venue was already filled with people on their feet from NQ Arbuckle's 9pm country rock when LHO started. There was much cheer and love for Lindi Ortega the moment she was called up, Tom Wilson referring to her as the "sweetest thing" - having just met her. Performing two songs, she showed every reason why she's graduated from Toronto indie darling to Nashville star. Hamilton's Harlan Pepper showed off a lot of youthful talent, and was happy to be there for the ride. Also: Midway through NQ Arbuckle's 9pm set (with Miranda Mulholland on fiddle), the fifty-something couple sitting to my right eating tacos asked me, "is this where Jim Cuddy is playing?" RA

HSY / Adelaide Music Hall, 11pm
I can't really explain the goofy grin on my face. Certainly what I'm hearing pouring off the stage has little to do with "feel-good" vibes, but still I can't help but get that sunny-day feeling deep in my stomach. I imagine that a glass eater at a carnival sideshow probably gets elated testing his physical bounds. HSY is like a one-two punch in the gut with a fistful of feedback in one hand and some monstrous riffs in the other. And I'm still smiling like that didn't hurt one bit. ESP

Fuck Buttons / Adelaide Music Hall, 12am
"Fuck guitars. They are limiting. We need to express the limitless." I imagine that's what's going on inside Fuck Button's collective head. That these thoughts somehow come out sounding like an unexpected mix of intelligent house with a splash of Richard D. James for flavour (and then run through Steve Albini's cocktail blender) leaves my mouth watering. ESP

THURSDAY, JUNE 19 - LOWLIGHTS

The Pizza Underground / Lee's Palace, 11pm
Although Lee's was packed for the pizza party parody, there just wasn't a lot to like from an outsider's perspective. They didn't cover the songs well at all, while their interludes about pizza dragged on and on and on into an oblivion of randomness. Maybe I don't understand the irony of it all - if so, I'll take that as a point of pride. JT [Editor's note: I have no idea why one of our writers attended a Pizza Underground show.]

FRIDAY, JUNE 20 - HIGHLIGHTS

A L L I E / 159 Manning, 3pm
I met r&b artist A L L I E in the bathroom lineup at 159 Manning and she mentioned that she was playing in a few minutes. Having never heard of her and proximity being the ally of most of the bands at this one-of-a-kind house party, I headed straight to the living room to see her in action. It will stand as the most surprising set I caught during the fest. That's the great thing about the shows at the Manning house - they're unpretentious, friendly and impeccably curated. I really wish I could have hung out there all day because something tells me that it wouldn't have mattered one bit if I knew all the bands or not. It was going to deliver. ESP

Swans / Yonge and Dundas, 7:40pm
Swans were easily the most divisive act at Yonge and Dundas but I found them absolutely compelling. A mass exodus occurred once their full deafening power was unleashed, including a little girl on the verge of tears (an image I'm sure the band would love). Over an hour, they played four epically long songs and seemed genuinely displeased to have to finish. Singer Michael Gira's intense stage antics involved inciting the crowd to "bring these buildings down" and engaging in some seriously awkward pelvic thrusting. Despite their menacing front, their psychedelic drum-heavy drones and improvisations reveal them to secretly be a bunch of early Pink Floyd loving hippies. DB

Greys / Horseshoe Tavern, 9pm
I'm in a "getting to know you" phase with Greys, and so far I like who's sitting across the table from me. Personable with a brooding intensity that could be a deep, dark secret or just a bit of indigestion, it's the type of instability that's hard to read but undeniably intriguing. I look forward to many more stolen moments together. ESP

Spiritualized / Massey Hall
It was magic. We reviewed it here.

St Vincent / Yonge-Dundas, 9:10pm
St Vincent was the clear highlight of the night and the festival so far for me. Playing a generous hour-and-a-half set, she covered almost all of her fantastic self-titled album. While every song was great, "Birth in Reverse" particularly stood out. In the past few years, Annie Clark has improved by leaps and bounds to become one of the most magnetic performers in rock music. She combined her amazing stage presence with odd choreographed dance moves and poetry, serious guitar chops and an amazing voice. DB

Benjamin Booker / Horsheshoe, 11pm
After making its American network television debut little over a month go, this New Orleans-based band put on a show chock-full of throaty vocals and southern twang. Booker's mix of grunge, punk and blues played well at the Horsehoe and even matched the intensity of local noise punk group Greys who played just prior. Look for big things after Booker's debut eponymous album drops in August. JT

Golden Teacher / Lee's Palace, 11pm
Golden Teacher, like I said, almost got me evicted in an incident that almost led to my having to explain #noiselife to a cop. But co-fronted by a member of Blue Sabbath Black Fiji and back-boned by Ultimate Thrush and Silk Cut, I still didn't feel weird handing my keys to a six person electronic/psych/dance ensemble from Scotland. By the time they'd finished their set I wished I could hand them the deed to a traveling cloud palace to carry wild and sourceless, utterly weird energy so wholly unfamiliar to a fest like NXNE to every corner of the earth. Their antics were cramped on the Lee's stage, but that didn't stop the enraptured crowd from screaming - Toronto was screaming. AJ

Swearin' / Horseshoe Tavern, 12am
From the brief notes I've read about Swearin' (and the brief notes I heard on Friday night) I get that they're a throwback to that guy-girl indie dynamic we saw from bands like Superchunk - it seems like people are trying hard not mention THE band that undoubtedly influenced them the most: The Pixies. Not sure what the missing ingredient is in the Swearin' formula but maybe that's the thing that keeps that particular comparison off critic's lips. I mean, we do treat the Pixies as gospel and nobody wants to be a blasphemer. ESP

Danny Brown / Mod Club, 12am
Just himself and his DJ - no entourage or hype-man, Danny Brown proved he's one of the best MC's in the biz. He effortlessly tore through a 40 minute set with what seemed like endless reserves of energy. The crowd responded with call-backs, near-constant stage-diving, and doing what they were told when instructed to 'light it up." POK

Perfect Pussy / Horseshoe Tavern, 1am
Perfect Pussy faced the difficult task of crawling out from under the hype and truth be told, its hard for me to say if they did it or not. What I witnessed was certainly enjoyable mayhem, but there were sound issues from the get go that certainly frustrated one guitar player - the shredded corpse of his guitar provided ample evidence of that. Singer Meredith Graves was virtually inaudible even though it was more than obvious that she left her guts out on the stage. This was my one chance to see them this time out but I'm hoping they found better sound at their other showcases. ESP

FRIDAY, JUNE 20 - LOWLIGHTS

Eagulls / Yonge and Dunda, 5:30pm
Eagulls were a decent opener - but extremely derivative. Their sound was a punkier version of the early Cure albums, while the singer's look was a spot-on imitation of Echo and the Bunnymen's Ian McCulloch, with that particular English swagger that combines "I'm really into this" and "I'm too cool to be there". While I tend to favour this sort of thing, it all seemed way too familiar. Entirely indecipherable lyrics didn't help their cause either, though whatever the singer was saying seemed really meaningful to him at least. DB

Swans / Yonge and Dundas, 7:40pm
Swans sounded great as I walked up from University. A few furrowed eyebrows, but unlike Dorian (above) I saw no children crying, unfortunately. Michael Gira yelled something about tearing buildings down and I kinda smirked. Once I got into the pale throngs of gentle malcontents who could talk your ear off about Death in June if you (erroneously) let them, however, the whole thing fell apart. NXNE booked Swans in 2014, not 1995 (if only!). The band is about as old as the festival, and maybe in another 20 years, they'll be putting some band whose craft and vision I respect now on a (heavily branded) hovercraft at Y&D. Wowee. AJ

Lee's Palace, about 11:40pm
One member of Golden Teacher attempted to use a microphone after their set to ask the crowd for a place to crash. Lee's sound technician pulled the cable from the mic while it was in the musician's hand. Harsh noise. AJ

Oneohtrix Point Never / Great Hall, 12am
Video issues :(.

SATURDAY, JUNE 21 - HIGHLIGHTS

The Double Cuts, Whitney Rose, NQ Arbuckle, Ferraro, Sam Cash & The Romantic Dogs, Zeus / Cameron House outdoor stage, 2-9pm
Western swing act, The Double Cuts, started the outdoor stage show at the Cameron House on a warm Saturday afternoon. With double fiddle they had the audience dancing in the street. Whitney Rose's opening line was in reference to her dress: she always wanted a Marilyn moment and, if it happened on the windy stage, "I apologize. Or, you're welcome." NQ Arbuckle had all the same country rock as at the 'Shoe, with a little more charm and more stage banter. He chatted his way through a dead monitor (no vocals). Sam Cash & the Romantic Dogs slowed things down enough so people could dance to Springsteen's "Hungry Heart," and Toronto classic rock band Zeus closed out the show to a crowd of well over 300 people. RA

Rhye / Massey Hall
An hour of pure sonic bliss. Like much of the crowd, I didn't know what I was getting into with Rhye. Singer Milosh's voice was sublime, enhanced by the perfect acoustics of Massey Hall. The amazing band, including a drummer, keyboardist, cellist and violinist, oscillated between jazzy slow jams and Radiohead-ish noise. The crowd was clearly enamoured with Milosh, with a surprisingly rowdy cheering section in the balcony. DB

Run The Jewels / Adelaide Music Hall, 1am
Entering to a cranked "We Are The Champions," El-P called it like it was: "This shit is like Best of the Best 11... except instead of two fit guys fighting to the death, you get two out-of-shape, drunk, stoned guys who'll just get confused and walk away." They hit the gas after and never looked back. MF

Run The Jewels / Adelaide Music Hall, 1am
El-P and Killer Mike's dynamic duo destroyed Adelaide Hall with rap perfection. They stalked around the stage, delivering lightning-fast tag team raps, smoking joints passed to them from the crowd and generally getting everyone as ramped up as possible. Focusing on tracks from their self-titled album, the rap was both complex and instantly accessible. Easily the wildest crowd at NXNE, the first few rows were definitely feeling sore the next day. DB

Fresh Snow / Lee's Palace, 10 pm
Its summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Some might say even longer than one of Fresh Snow's jams. The similarity lies in the rays of sunshine beaming down for that extra minute. The heat that radiates through the boundaries that nature imposed on us through that particularly brutal winter. Fresh Snow has the calm/storm dynamic perfectly honed and can tell a crowd in need of release when they see it. ESP

Eagulls / Lee's Palace, 11pm
George Mitchell of Leeds has done his homework. Or maybe its just something in his DNA but he's certainly channeling the spirits of many a charismatic British front man. With a voice that sounds like a juiced up Robert Smith, his swagger is more Ian Brown. As a group they are infinitely more brash-sounding than either of those bands, but it's Mitchell's cold indifference that adds the "fuck you" top note. ESP

METZ / Lee's Palace, 12am
I can't believe I was actually considering skipping this show. I've seen Metz a handful of times over the past year and thought I'd give something else a try. Glad I resisted that instinct and went with the tried and true because damn if they aren't getting better each and every time I see them. And I'm not talking marginally better either. This is a whole new game, and Metz are running away with it. ESP

Pistol George Warren / The Dakota Tavern, 2am
A soul-country party band from Sudbury sounds as contradictory as fitting all nine of them on-stage at The Dakota. But it worked. And they work with infectious energy, exuding joy, smiles, sunshine and hi-fives with every song. A must-see every time they're in town. POK

Perfect Pussy / Soybomb HQ, 3:30am
Telephone Explosion and Pleasence's Summer Melt owned the night of the longest day of the year. Unsponsored rooftop vibes and a vocal-lessly mixed Perfect Pussy made for a Unique User Experience, sans wristband. Great use of 10 bucks. The local lineup was stellar and Cleveland's Pleasure Leftists tore it up as well. AJ

SATURDAY, JUNE 21 - LOWLIGHTS

"Going home it felt like the Beast in that Seinfeld episode." The Rivoli, 9pm
10 minutes before South Dakota's Rachel Ries sound-checked there was a horrid smell in the Rivoli. I won't even guess what it was or where it was from. How many people were subject to it? 12 at most; though there were only 12 people in the room at that time thankfully. The 40 or so people there for Rachel's set were spared a little by the A/C turned on. Still, it was a night when you wished the ceiling of the Riv opened up. RA

METZ / Lee's Palace, 12am
Seriously, METZ were great, but the photographer in the pit throwing elbows and hitting people with his mini tripod thing was way uncool. Hope that guy gets a clue before someone really messes up his face/vision, which I would assume he relies on to take "wicked shots from the pit." AJ

The Sharp Things / The Dakota Tavern, 1am
Whether you want to call it a bit of NXNE mis-programming or lost in advertisement, New York City's "symphonic rock ensemble led by songwriter and pianist Perry Serpa" was not exactly that. Serpa played solo and on acoustic guitar (he started with a "four-minute warning"). An entirely symphonic experience, and his 1am set was drowned out by the conversation of a full room of people waiting for Pistol George Warren. RA

SUNDAY, JUNE 22 - HIGHLIGHTS

Record Fair / Edward Day Gallery
The bands in the courtyard almost made up for the sad fact that MOCCA is closed on Sundays - and it was pretty fun to see Paul Lawton (WHY NXNE SUCKS panel, Ketamines, Mammoth Cave Records), Weird Canada, and Joe Strutt (Mechanical Forest Sound, of media pass denial Twitter fiasco fame) tabling at NX. Endearing and eerie. Pleasence, Buzz, Hand Drawn Dracula, Paper Bag, Telephone Explosion, Dine Alone and way more were also on hand, making the fair a who's who of Torontonians who are or could be really ace local DJs. Pansy Twist Distro had zines on the table, which just drove home the fact that the zine fair (also on Sunday) should have been combined with the record fair. AJ

Rat King / Yonge-Dundas Square, 7pm
As a fan of their music, I was disappointed with the show Rat King put on: they didn't command the stage like industry veterans Run the Jewels and Juicy J did afterward. The volume at Yonge-Dundas also seemed low, with both subsequent performers asking for the monitors to be cranked up. There was still a lot to like here though - they're still very young, passionate and possess a gritty and grimy style that suits their name. JT

Run the Jewels / Yonge-Dundas Square, 8pm
If anyone came out to see Run the Jewels you now know that not only can Killer Mike rap, the dude has some killer dance moves. EL-P, the brainchild behind the former Def Jux Records is the second half and producer of the super duo Run the Jewels. While both showcased their wicked cadence and rhyme scheme, I was even more impressed and also surprised with their raucous stage presence. For any fans out there, they also did happen to mention Run the Jewels 2 is on its way shortly, so get excited. JT

Courtney Barnett / The Silver Dollar, 10pm
It was the third night of sold out shows for Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett. Followers were told on her Facebook page to arrive early as people had waited to get in the two previous nights. Courtney didn't take the stage until 10:15, taking one last drink before everyone cheered her on. There was a lot of telecaster, and a lot of sweat in the room - the way the 'Dollar should be. Small rooms with fans who want to be there could be a winning festival formula. RA

SUNDAY, JUNE 22 - LOWLIGHTS

Broken Pencil x NXNE Mini Zine Fair! / 22 Gould
Would have loved to have checked this out, but I generally put in a six hour work day and a minimum hour of park hangs on Sundays, so the record fair / Edward Day concert won out. NXNE: bridge the record show / zine show gap next year. Does anyone know if you need Sonic Bids to sell zines? AJ

Check out our 50 favourite photos from NXNE 2014 in our photo gallery

Thanks to MiO for sponsoring our coverage of NXNE 2014

Contributions by Evan Sue-Ping, Matt Forsythe, Jacob Thompson, Dorian Barton, Ryan Ayukawa, PO Karim, Aubrey Jax. Photos by Matt Forsythe and Irina No

Want to meet new people in Toronto? It's often a strange roll of the dice. As we flow around Toronto, from home to work to school, there's no predicting how the fates will carelessly mush us, their helpless playthings, together over the course of a day. Think about the strangest way you ever met a friend or an old flame: Jury duty? A CPR class? A single shy glance on the TTC? (Ah, shy glances on the TTC.)

Of course, by and large, we meet the people in our lives through pretty pedestrian channels: Classes, work, mutual friends. But sometimes, your social life needs a little bit of a jump-start. Let's say you've just moved to town, or, you're feeling stifled by your existing social group, and you lack a school/job/pre-established friends that can do all that heavy lifting for you.

Basically, there's a hole in your weekend schedule (and, possibly, in your soul) that needs filling, and it's not going to happen while you're sitting around, waiting for someone to invite you to lunch.

Fortunately, Toronto is a huge city, with lots of rec leagues to join, skills to learn, cultural events to check out, and people to meet. Start practicing your handshake now.

Here are my picks for the top 20 ways to meet new people in Toronto.

Take a fun class
Nothing like sparks a conversation like a bemused look that says "are we really learning to do parkour / throw a battle-axe / ride a unicycle right now?" Points for skills that involve teamwork. For a whole list of ideas, check out our summer-specific and year-round lists of new wacky skills you can learn.

Go to a networking event
If it's business contacts you're looking for, there are networking events happening every single day in Toronto (check out Eventbrite for proof), with all kinds of industries represented - mostly in the business and tech fields, though Six Degrees of Social Innovation at CSI Toronto is a popular draw for those in the social change sector. For lower-impact networking events, check out Here's My Card: Mixers For Awesome People, which features liberal amounts of colouring and decorating things with stickers, or Beerworking, which features beer. Lots of beer.

Work up a sweat
Some fitness classes are better for meeting folks than others - if you're busy huffing and puffing while someone barks orders at you, it might not leave a lot of room for chitchat. Martial arts classes are good, however, because you will inevitably have to divvy up into pairs and punch one another. Also worth a shot: Yoga, boxing, spinning classes, and specialty fitness classes.

Practice a language
This is a good one for shy types, because you are literally forced to speak to other people. Every Wednesday, Torontonians of all native tongues get together for the TorontoBabel meetup at the Rivoli to shoot the breeze (and maybe some pool). On any given night, over a dozen languages are represented, from French to Portugese to Farsi to Mandarin, with all skill levels welcome.

Stake out your local karaoke night
Weekly karaoke nights in Toronto tend to draw a lot of regulars, making for a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. The performative nature of karaoke makes everyone in the room a little more aware of one another, which helps bust down that everyone-keeps-to-themselves thing people like to bag on Torontonians for. Say hi to some new folks, wow the crowd with your favourite number. Eventually, someone is gonna need a duet partner for "Islands In The Stream".

Join a choir
Time to get that singing voice out of the shower. For indie snobs worried about having to sing Gershwin medleys: Choir!Choir!Choir!'s Soundcloud looks like the best mix CD ever created by man ("I'm On Fire" next to "Heart Shaped Box" next to "September Gurls"). They meet Tuesdays and Wednesdays - evidently, they got so popular they had to create two separate groups. Meanwhile, Singing Out! is currently seeking LGBT folks (and allies) to help them belt out everything from show tunes to pop songs to challenging contemporary and classical choral works. (There will be drag.)

Go to a drink tasting event
Want to meet people with taste as excellent as yours? Toronto's top whiskey bars often hold tasting events, wine classes are common - and don't even get us started on beer events. There are also tons of women-specific and woman-friendly drinking events - notably, the Society Of Beer Drinking Ladies - if that's an atmosphere you crave.

Join a sports league
If you're the team-sports type, there's absolutely no shortage of relaxed rec leagues in the city. In the warmer months, there's a whole gamut of summer sports leagues - I can personally attest to the people-meeting joys of Toronto Kickball. There's also roller derby, and a ton of soccer leagues, and these wacky sports. (Unicycle hockey, anyone?) Toronto's YMCA locations also play host to scheduled pickup games.

Get some Internet friends
I realize I'm supposed to be getting you away from the computer and into the world, but the Internet is just as good a place to meet folks as any (the key here is to transition those friendships successfully into meatspace). Sometimes, those communities make it easy: The r/Toronto subreddit hosts monthly meetups for frequent posters, and a Toronto-based startup called Spot has created an app that makes it easy for university students to find folks on campus for study groups or pickup games. (On a personal note, can someone organize a blogTO commenters' meetup? I will attend in a fedora and trenchcoat.)

Go gaming
Nobody is ever allowed to call geeks antisocial ever again. Gamers, you've got options: hang out at A&C World, join Toronto Area Gamers for board and tabletop games, check out the Bit Bazaar fair or Games With Friends gaming events at the Bento Miso co-working space, or join Toronto Gaymers to meet fellow queer gaming enthusiasts.

Get crafty
We tend to think of crafting as more of a solitary exercise, but when you're learning a new skill, you and your fellow newly-minted makers can bond over how difficult it is to thread a damn sewing machine - and boom, instant friendship. DIY spaces all over town host courses that range from knitting to metalwork, and The Workroom holds a weekly stitch 'n' bitch night once a month where crafters can bring a project, show off something they made, or just stop by.

Buy some comics and zines
Toronto has a vibrant indie publishing scene, and even if you can't draw, write, screenprint, or hand-bind books, you can still get in on the fun. Zine fairs like Canzine and Zine Dream can be a great place to meet new folks - odds are, someone will be exhibiting a zine or indie comic about your hometown/your favourite band/a shared wrenching life experience/pizza. If you've ever held one-tenth of a shred of interest in comics, block off the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) on your calendar - in addition to the tons of tables at the Reference Library, there's usually a slew of mixers and parties happening the same weekend. And if you're the fashion-loving type, WORN Fashion Journal's issue launch parties are always a great time.

Go to a costume party
Granted, you'll see more of these around Halloween than during the rest of the year. But costumes make for a fantastic instant icebreaker - I mean, you already know that person shares your affinity for Andy Warhol / David Bowie / Hal Johnson or Joanne McLeod, because they're freaking dressed up like them. Of particular note: Church St.'s legendary Halloween block party.

Go to a trivia night
You were king of the Reach For The Top team in high school, and by God, your knowledge of what that plastic thing on the end of a shoelace is called will bring you glory once again. Toronto has a number of popular recurring trivia nights: Faves include Simpsons Trivia, Trivia Nights at the Drake Hotel, and Brass Facts.

Become a volunteer
While volunteerism sees a big spike around the holidays, there are tons of organizations in need of your help year-round. Check out Volunteer Toronto for tons of short-term (like one-day events) or recurring opportunities. Some of the city's biggest volunteer draws include recurring cultural events like TIFF, Hot Docs, World MasterCard Fashion Week and NXNE.

Hire a matchmaker
If a romantic connection is what you're after, and you're among the literally zillions of people who have decided that online dating is lame, it might be time to hire someone to do the heavy lifting for you. Friend Of A Friend, a matchmaking enterprise launched by Toronto writer Sofi Papamarko, has set up over a dozen happy couples since its inception a year ago. (And look at it this way - even you don't find true love, you've at least met more people in the city, right?)

Slow dance like it's 1999
As nerve-wracking as middle-school slow dances were, there was something beautifully direct about them: You walked up to someone, asked them dance, and then the two of you spent the next three minutes rotating slowly on the spot. Easy. The Queer Slowdance, hosted by Chat Perdu Productions, aims to bring back that sweet-if-awkward magic in a low-pressure, queer-positive environment (no one is obligated to dance with anyone else). You can also volunteer to be a designated dancer and try to gently pry those wallflowers from the sidelines. Want more ideas? Balfolk and Contra dancing are good options too.

Get a local
Go for a walk. Find that weird dive bar near your house. You know, the one that's one smallish room, with the same 2.5 people always tending bar, and the flyers for cheap live shows, or dance nights, or projector-screen video game tournaments plastered an inch deep on the door. (Cafes also work.) Pop by a couple times a week (the drinks are cheap, so it ain't an expensive investment), trade names with the barkeeps, slide your way into a conversation. Before you know it, you'll be like Norm from Cheers up in there. Really, just get to know your neighbourhood. All it takes is a little patience.

Team up with a furry friend
I'm a cat person, and we are known to hate pretty much everyone. Those who prefer walks and playing fetch to long periods of staring can head down to Toronto's dog parks and let your four-legged friend do the ice-breaking for you. Another option: Check out Sniffr, an app that connects dog owners (perfect for setting up play dates), or head on down to Woofstock.

Go to an all-ages show
This one's for the kids whose love of music is as strong as their drivers' license is incriminating. No, you can't get into most of the rock bars in town, at least not without some subterfuge (disclaimer: we are not advocating stooping to subterfuge). But AA shows happen constantly in Toronto, whether at blockbuster venues like the Danforth Music Hall and Sound Academy or DIY spaces like Double Double Land and 918 Bathurst - and unlike the rest of us, you're not so crusty and jaded that you can't say hi to the kid next to you wearing your favourite band's T-shirt. Check out our comprehensive list of ways to find all-ages shows in Toronto.

Do you have any more ideas? Leave them in the comments below.

Photo by Mark Beauchamp in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto the WorldPride Human Rights Conference (June 25-27) begins at U of T, and comedian James Adomian is in town for Laugh Out Proud. The Open Roof Fest will present the music of Os Tropies and a screening of The Grand Budapest Hotel - if you love Open Roof's concept, enter to win a season pass right here. While the huge mass gay wedding at Casa Loma is tomorrow, a smaller LGBT mass wedding will take place today at 3pm at Toronto Botanical Garden. Bring a hanky. Don Pyle will screen Will Munro's Dirty Load (2007) plus An Afternoon at New Rose with the Viletones (1978) and more at the Fort York Public Library. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Politics: WorldPride Human Rights Conference (U of T)
• Comedy: James Adomian (Yuk Yuk's)
• Big Weddings: My Big Fab Gay Garden Wedding (Toronto Botanical Garden)
• Film: Open Roof Festival (99 Sudbury)
• Games: Punk Rock Bingo (Beaver)
• Party/Pride: Discos & Divas (The Phoenix)
• Film: City's in Flame (Fort York Branch, Toronto Public Library)

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

Photo: Open Roof Fest

Toronto's favourite gluten-free bakery has a new home. Today marks the soft-launch of Bunner's Bakeshop #2 - this one arriving at 244 Augusta near Baldwin where Bungalow West used to be. Expect the usual assortment of their award winning muffins, cinnamon buns and all things celiac friendly fresh out of the oven. The official opening (the one where they have balloons?) is slated for next week.

Photo via Bunner's on Facebook.

Newly opened on West Queen West, this lunch counter is offering fresh, fast and affordable Vietnamese favourites - all perfectly packaged for picnicking at Trinity Bellwoods. The menu is still expanding, but already features a line-up of banh mi, bao and summer rolls.

Read my profile of Nam Sandwich Shop in the restaurant section.

When it comes to ice cream, Toronto is rich with options, and they go well beyond the big boys like Greg's or Ed's Real Scoop. House-made ice creams are being whipped up city wide - and I'm not talking plain old vanilla, but cross-cultural delicacies and weird and wonderful flavour combinations.

Here are 10 ice cream shops in Toronto you might not know about.

Ali's Roti
House-made ice creams in tropical flavours like coconut, mango and soursop are favourites on the menu at this West Indian eatery in Parkdale. Sold from a freezer in pre-packaged cups, a small costs $1.65 and scales up to a medium for $4 or a large for $7.

The Chocolateria
The salted caramel ice cream at this artisanal chocolate shop on Roncesvalles comes highly praised, but other noteworthy flavours include mint avocado and the "kitchen sink," a chocolate base that's loaded with chopped treats from around the shop. Also of note is an ever-changing vegan feature flavour that's done with coconut milk in place of dairy. Kiddie sizes up to double scoops sell between $3.20 to $4.90, while a pint will set you back $7, and a 32oz tub goes for $13.

Delight Chocolate
Near High Park, this chocolate shop has earned a reputation for all natural, organic ice creams in a seasonal assortment of flavours. When available try a scoop of apricot in a house-made waffle cone ($4.80), or get adventurous with flavours like white chocolate with Brazilian pink peppercorn and lime, Quebec blue cheese, oatmeal stout or duck confit. Pints are available for $10.95.

Bakerbots
Off the beaten path, north of Bloor near Ossington Station, this not-so-secret bakery has proved so popular it's spawned a dedicated ice cream-centric offshoot. House flavours change up pretty regularly, but look forward to six to 10 unique flavours like London fog or orange cardamom sold for $2.25 to $6.20 a scoop. Better yet, have it sandwiched between a fresh cookie.

Film Buff
Part movie rental shop, part ice cream parlour, there are two locations on opposite sides of town (one on Queen East, the other on Roncesvalles) that offer heaping single scoops of ice cream for $3.50. Choose from 16 or so flavours like birthday cake, New York cherry cheesecake and pomegranate sorbet.

Sweet Escape Patisserie
Tucked into the Distillery District, this sweets shop house-makes ice creams and sorbets in a rotating selection of classic and whimsical flavours. Recently the freezer has been stocked with flavours like birthday cake, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and a vegan soy latte. A small order is two scoops ($3.81), while a large is three scoops ($4.80) - or grab a pint to take home for $10.

Lingan Cream House
Extra-creamy house-made ice creams and sherbets come in flavours like mango, pineapple and vanilla at this Sri Lankan snack shop in Scarborough. Try a mango milkshake for $3.50 or a cream sherbert sundae for $2.50, or take home a two-litre tub for $15.

Hibiscus Cafe
Dairy-free ice creams from this Kensington Market cafe are made in house with a base of almond milk, mung bean paste or coconut milk. Popular flavours include black sesame, pistachio, earl grey and chai tea, which are available a single scoop at a time for $3, or doubled up for $5.

Iqbal Ice Cream Parlour
Operating during irregular hours outside Iqbal Halal Foods on Thorncliffe, this tiny hut scoops up ice cream in flavours like mango and pistachio while also offering cold treats like rose faluda and kulfi, a denser, creamier frozen treat made with condensed milk.

Momofuku Milk Bar
It's hardly under the radar, but Momofuku makes this list for sheer novelty's sake - and because frozen treats are still new to the second floor Milk Bar. Here you'll find spirals of soft serve in flavours like cereal milk or double double (a.k.a. coffee) for $5.25.

Did we miss any? Leave your favourite under-the-radar spots for ice cream in the comments.

Photo via Momofuku Milk Bar

One week away from Rob Ford's return to the mayor's office and the campaign trail, the Toronto election is as tight as it's ever been. In a new poll conducted by Forum Research, the mayor has clawed back a little from the historic low his approval rating had hit in the company's last survey. While one needs to bear in mind the accuracy of the poll (three percentage points, 19 times out of 20), Ford's improved numbers do underline the degree to which he remains a competitive candidate in the race.

The projected share of votes between the frontrunners breaks down as follows: Chow: 34 per cent, Ford: 27 per cent; Tory 24 per cent. Those numbers mirror Forum Research's poll from April 14th, roughly three weeks before the mayor checked himself into rehab amid a second drug-related scandal. In other words, if Forum's numbers are to be trusted, Ford is every bit the contender he was prior to his absence.

Ford's approval rating is also up in this poll, rising from 28 per cent to 32 per cent. That's still well below the 46 per cent he enjoyed prior to rehab, but there's plenty of opportunity for the mayor to win Ford Nation back upon his return on June 30th. For additional insights from the poll, head over to Forum's website.

Photo by Roger Cullman Photography.

Canada Day Fireworks in Toronto are typically the showiest of year, and 2014 has plenty of options spread across the city. Along with the hundreds of small community celebrations in parks and and backyards around town (get your fireworks here), Canada Day witnesses a swell of official ceremonies, including what is always a hugely popular event at the Harbourfront in Toronto.

Of particular note is that this particular celebration goes down on June 30th, the day before the official holiday. That's a really good thing if you plan on taking psychedelic drugs and want to use the next day to recover. It's also good if you have kids that will be staying up past their bedtime. Everybody wins!

Here are your best bets for Canada Day fireworks in Toronto for 2014.

Harbourfront Centre
Like last year, Harbourfront hosts its fireworks show on June 30 (10:30-11pm), dubbing its celebration "Canada Eve." In addition to fireworks, Harbourfront will be hosting an array of other Canada Day celebrations from June 27 to July1. The pyrotechnics will be fired from two barges in the harbour and will last for just over 20 minutes.

Ashbridges Bay
The Canada Day fireworks at Ashbridges Bay are scheduled to take place just after 9:30 pm on July 1. Always one of the most popular shows, it's best to arrive early to secure a good viewing location.

Centennial Park
The fireworks celebrations at Centennial Park overlap with the tail end of Toronto Ribfest (June 27 to July 1). The show goes off at 10pm on Canada Day. Arrive early and clear the place out of remaining ribs.

Downsview Park
The fireworks spectacle at Downsview Park is scheduled to take place shortly after 10pm on the birthday of our fair nation. Viewing from both the Meadow and Festival Terrace will be available. Bonus: free parking.

Mel Lastman Square
The fireworks at Mel Lastman Square (beginning at 10:15pm) will serve as the grand finale to Canada Day festivities that get underway at 5pm. Musical entertainment includes JUNO award-winner Justin Rutledge.

Canada's Wonderland
Canada's Wonderland fireworks show goes down on July 1st at 10pm, and features over 6000 little explosions as one of the biggest shows around. Admission to the park is $39.99 when purchased in advance and $47.99 on the day of.

Mississauga's Celebration Square
The Celebration Square festivities will begin at 4pm on July 1 with a host of food trucks and live music. DJ 4Korners will be on the decks throughout the day and the main stage will feature performances from Trouble & Daughter,Tyler Shaw, JUNO Award-winner JRDN, and Alyssa Reid. The fireworks get underway at 10pm.

Stan Wadlow Park
East York has host of Canada Day events planned for July 1st, including a parade that leaves Dieppe Park and head to Stan Wadlow Park at 10:30am. After a day of live music and other entertainment, the fireworks get underway at 10pm.

Richmond Green Park (Richmond Hill)
Richmond Green Park's fireworks will begin at 10pm after a full day of community celebrations (gates open at 11am). Activities include a retail marketplace, art exhibition and a Bavarian-style beer garden. Those fireworks are gonna look great!

Bayfront Park (Hamilton)
If you live in the far west end or just want to check out booming Hamilton, there's also an impressive display planned for Bayfront Park on Canada Day at 10pm. There's also an aerial show at 8pm that sounds promising.

100 years of Toronto Star photographs will be available through the Toronto Public Library starting later this year, thanks to the newspaper's decision to donate more than a million historical images from its internal archive.

The Star and the TPL announced this morning the entire photograph catalogue, from the 1900 to 1999, will be available in the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre at the Toronto Reference Library starting this month. Part of the collection--it's not clear how much at this stage--will be viewable online at a later date.

Among the images, many of them capturing important Toronto moments and landmarks, there's Joe Carter celebrating the Blue Jays 1992 World Series win, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau sharing an umbrella with the Queen in 1977, a streetcar overturned in a snow storm, and Christmas queues outside Honest Ed's.

The collection will be available to the public starting July 7. The long process of digitizing a portion of the images, all of which were taken in the pre-digital era, is currently underway.

Here is a sample of some of the images:

"First baseman Joe Carter leads the celebration of the 1992 Blue Jays World Series win," Mike Slaughter.

"Torontonian June Callwood, award winning author, broadcaster and social activist at her typewriter in 1966," Norman James.

"Pianist Glenn Gould relaxes in a recording studio ten years after retiring from concert hall performances," Ron Bull.

"A streetcar was overturned at the corner of Mutual and Queen Streets in the snowstorm of 1944. One passenger was killed and 50 injured," Alexandra Studio.

"Urban writer and activist Jane Jacobs standing outside her home on Spadina Road just north of Bloor Street in 1968," Frank Lennon.

"Traffic moves southward along Avenue Road at Davenport during the morning rush hour in November 1958," Ron Laytner/Frank Teskey.

"Construction workers put the last stone into place on top of the Toronto Star building at 80 King Street West in 1928," Alexandra Studios.

A construction worker bolts structural members for Skydome's retractable roof in 1988," Mike Slaughter.

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

Men's street style in Toronto is in constant flux as the city's fashion community and menswear retail scene continue to expand. With a growing Fashion Week that features strong showings from local menswear designers (including Klaxon Howl, Sid Neigum, and Christopher Bates) and a burgeoning reputation as a harbour for thread-wealthy boutiques, Toronto's gents are drawing from local resources to establish their own fashion go-tos.

Here are 10 styles that define men's street fashion in Toronto.

Dapper gentleman (top)
Otherwise known as "mad style" (à la Don Draper), these gents dress head-to-toe in timeless silhouettes and tailored staple pieces. Slim, deep blue suits are topped off with skinny ties and freshly shined shoes. They know how to keep their whites crisp, what to do to maintain the perfect cuff on a dark-wash denim, how to fold a pocket square, and just how fitted a fitted jacket should be.

Clean-cut hip-hop
Think back to deep-style hip-hop of the 90s - patterned bomber jackets, tracksuits, chinos, camouflage. Set against a modern backdrop of minimalist, skater, and boyish hipster influences, these types prefer a more tailored look, opting for an easy-going, put together, and ultimately fresh approach.

Modern rockabilly
The term "rockabilly" comes from the combined genres of rock'n'roll and "hillbilly music" - who'd have known, right? These Torontonians are clad in leather jackets, fitted, cuffed trousers, white T-shirts, slicked-back, undercut hair, and worn-in attire. In the 21st century, Modern Rockabilly is the badass version of comfortable, the retro variety of vintage, all-encompassed by the cool attitude of streetwear.

New-school funk
You'll always notice this look when it walks - or rather, struts - into a room. It's a style with undeniable 70s influences (see: Earth, Wind & Fire, Al Green), clean-cut vintage finds, thrown in with a warmth and rich personal flair that says "oh hey, girl" (though it has far too much class for a line like that).

Edgy avant-garde
Avant-garde is the conversation starter of styles. It's not often that you find someone who plays well with interesting silhouettes, open androgyny, and experimental fashions. Although the avant-garde guy typically dons all black attire, it's this blank canvas that makes their ultramodern aesthetics and thought-provoking use of clothing stand out all the more.

Boho skater boy
A regular of Bonnaroo (going to Burning Man next year, bro), beach bonfires, and the occasional art school soirée, he's the teen-at-heart giving a nod to adulthood via buttoned-to-the-neck, short-sleeved tropical-printed shirts and khakis. On most days, though, his wardrobe consists of modern skatewear: ironic t-shirts or brand-heavy tank tops, beat-up sneakers, holey jeans, and five-sided caps. Oh, and Urban Outfitters. So much Urban Outfitters.

Bay St. casual
They just barely border on too cool for the Financial District, repping a sensibility that's entrepreneurial and fresh. They're a business-savvy private school boy grown up and wrapped in red trousers, slim-fit shirts, pea coats, and the like, toting the latest issue of GQ. He's an old-fashioned drinker who's nowhere near old-fashioned; a condo-price talkin', jet-settin' alpha male.

New-age minimalist
A minimalist's closet must look much like that of Homer Simpson's pared-down wardrobe: a selection of single-shade pants, shirts of the same size and shape, and an infinite collection of repeat shoe styles. Those bare-bones aesthetics are expressed in black and white monochrome ensembles, served with a side dish of a "use less" mentality. They're sensible and practical. This is the Alexander Wang generation - get used to it.

Boyish chic
Boyish chic is where clean-cut and polished preppy meets a hint of feminine prints and colours: Orange bermuda shorts and a teal polo shirt? Yes, please. Paisley paired with stripes? In perfect moderation. Often shy with a hint of sass. Never underdressed.

Pop art eclectic
Not all personal styles are representative of a single genre or look - eclectics borrow pieces from different genres, mix high and low, and reference a variety of cultures and time periods, all of which ultimately create a look that's all their own. Key looks to the pop art eclectic include bright colours, fun silhouettes, playful accessories, and super fun pop culture references.

Writing by Alex Brown. Street style photos by Mauricio Calero.

People watching in Toronto is one of my go-to activities -- and all the better when it's on a patio with a cold drink. Torontonians are utterly fascinating human beings. They have tacky floral pants, screaming toddlers, various bits of drama unfolding, and sometimes, cute dogs. Look at it this way: you could either people watch, or look at your phone. People are fresh and new, and sometimes hot. Your phone isn't going anywhere.

These are the best patios in Toronto for people watching.

The Rivoli
The Rivoli is one of three prime Queen West patios for taking in the street scene, joining the Black Bull and the Horseshoe as perfect midday drinking perches. If forced to choose between the three, the Rivoli has the edge on account of its size (bigger that the 'Shoe) and street position (the Black Bull is technically a side patio, where the Rivoli is right on Queen).

La Société
Settle in to the lower patio or a railing spot on the upper level, order a cocktail, and spy on the many bags marching by that cost four times your monthly rent! La Société does classic Parisian bistro cuisine, offers hookah pipes on the lower level, and does some impressive cocktails. This is, by far, the number one people-watching zone on the so-called Mink Mile.

Cabana Pool Bar
Watch the muscle-tanked dudes saunter by and contemplate signing up for a little plastic surgery at Cabana Pool Bar. If you're lucky, you might even catch a mermaid model floating by in a small bubble! But seriously, you can get some solid (if expensive) cocktails here, and chill with friends in private, flowing white cabanas, poolside. And, really, there's people watching, and then there's people watching those clad in only a bathing suit. It's a different experience altogether.

One Restaurant
This might be the best place in Toronto to spot a Bugatti or Ferrari in Toronto. Mark McEwan's tribute to the well-heeled has the type of patio just filled with people who have good skin, the type that only truly rich people have. Gaze out at all the action on Yorkville Avenue as the premium cars cruise by and everybody tries their best to look like their bank account boasts seven figures.

Bellwoods Brewery
Wanna pine after hot men with beards? Here's your patio. Located on Ossington just south of Dundas, the picnic tables at Bellwoods have room to squeeze in all your nearest and dearest. The focus, obviously, is on the Bellwoods beers, but there is also a rotating variety of snacks on offer, from bread and cheese to corn and meaty treats.

Lee Restaurant
King West is where the beautiful people are -- or at least that's a prevalent myth. Test it out by scoping out the street from the confines of Lee's patio, which offers front row seats to all the action near King and Portland. There's plenty of shade, the coleslaw is amazing, and the bartenders will keep your head warm and fuzzy if you so choose.

Embassy
Despite its diminutive size, Embassy's patio might be one of the best in Kensington for taking in the vibrant street action. Score a seat here for Pedestrian Sundays, and you're set. Situated on Augusta Avenue, the neighbourhood's main drag, the north-facing patio provides a great angle from which to people-watch as you sip on a Blanche de Chambly.

The Rhino
The Rhino's patio might be the best people-watching spot in Parkdale. Wedged between the bar and the building to the west, it feels covered enough to be inmate, but its street-central position means you can gaze out at folks rushing to the LCBO, lining up for Grand Electric, or showing off their tightest jeans and plaid combinations. Bonus points for an absolutely huge beer selection.

Museum Tavern
Another shoutout to Yorkville is in order. Museum Tavern offers up the unique opportunity to spy not only on some of the city's most conventionally beautiful people, but cars, too! Maybe pick up a sugar daddy or two while you're at it? The trick is to sit near the outside of the elevated patio where you can see a parade of tourist going to the ROM or people out to shop it up with their platinum cards.

Statler's
There are, alas, only 14 precious seats on Statler's patio, but there's no better perch from which to spy on all the action going on in the Village below. Those who get to watch Pride from here are lucky ducks, indeed. The beer list isn't anything to write home about, but with this prime viewing location, who cares?

BONUS

Future Bakery
The Annex is pure people watching gold. Watch mini-adult students say "like" a lot as they grow into their souls. Watch yoga moms haul their kids around on leashes. Watch cute old people milling about and having a nice day. Or fighting, either or. Enjoy these shenanigans over a piece of their famous cheesecake, a cheap brunch, or a pint.

See also:

• Toronto Patio Guide
• The top 10 patios to chill on in Toronto
• The top 10 patios with the best views in Toronto
• The top 10 patios to pick up at in Toronto
• The top 10 patios for cheap drinks in Toronto
• The top 10 patios for World Pride in Toronto
• The top 10 patios to watch World Cup 2014 in Toronto

Photo of the patio at the Rivoli

The best hair salons in Toronto are the secret to setting off great personal style. The names on this list are masters of all kinds of techniques: long and short cuts, subtle to radical dye jobs, services for folks of any gender. (Prices for cuts have been provided below to give an idea of price range.) They may each have their own flavour of style, from classic to edgy to retro, but all of them have a reputation for sending clients out the door looking like their best selves.

Here are the best hair salons in Toronto.

See also:The best barber shops in Toronto

It's raining again, and that means another round of weather-related chaos for Toronto and the GTA. At time of writing, the Don Valley Parkway is underwater south of Bloor, as are southern parts of Bayview Ave and the GO rail line. There are pockets of localized flooding across the city and parts of the subway system are still drying out from an earlier influx of water.

Toronto Hydo is reporting at least seven separate outages, four of them in a band from Northern Etobicoke through North York into Scarborough, just south of the 401. Downtown, 3,500 customers are in the dark north of the Danforth, south of O'Connor, between Pape and Donlands. Lights are also out in an area bound by St. Clair, Bathurst, College, and Ossington and in parts of Cabbagetown.

A map of the outages is available here.

At one time, both Lawrence and Wilson subway stations were partially underwater (there was a scenic waterfall at the former,) though the TTC is now reporting full service has resume one Line 1 (that's the Yonge-University-Spadina line.)

The rain, though not particularly heavy, was deposited by a slow-moving storm system that made its way south over the city. The downpour started in earnest around 9 p.m. and rain is still lingering close to the lake. Expect tomorrow to be humid. Best skip the trails in the Don.

The special weather statement issued by Environment Canada has now been cancelled.

Here are the best pictures of the evening's action.

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

Image: James Bingham/Twitter