Rose City Kitchen has been dishing out upscale takes on pita wraps and Middle Eastern-influenced poutines on Queen West; the restaurant's food truck, a partnership with Gourmet Bitches, tailed close behind. You'd think that would be enough for one year - but it looks like the restaurant/food truck is set to expand to the Financial District, bringing not one, but two new concepts with them.

A new Rose City Kitchen location is slated to open at 36 Toronto St. (near Church and Adelaide) in October or November. Shontelle Pinch, the woman behind Rose City's food truck, adds the space will also host Smash, a new juice bar, and Clockwork, a coffee shop. "All of our concepts are going in one place," says Pinch, adding that multiple locations may be in the works.

Photo by Jesse Milns

The owners of a sprawling industrial complex at the corner of Eglinton and Don Mills are hoping to redevelop part of the site into a new residential area of high rise towers and townhomes, office, and retail space in time for the arrival of the Crosstown LRT.

According to Urban Toronto, the Celestica electronics property is a little over a quarter occupied with buildings, the rest of it composed of massive amounts of surface parking and blank storage areas.

The property was originally developed in 1951 as the headquarters of IBM Canada. The computer company spun-off its electronics manufacturing division in 1994, forming Celestica, the current owners of the site. The company makes telecommunications equipment, aerospace products, and navigation systems.

Celestica would not move as part of the current proposal, though its current buildings would be demolished. Large swaths of unused land, much of it surface parking, will be given over to a small village of roughly eight mixed-use buildings, a community centre, and hockey arena. Several new streets, including a short westward extension of Wynford Drive, are shown in the preliminary report due to go before the city's Planning and Growth Management Committee tomorrow.

The electronics company would re-locate to a new facility on the east side of the property and the remainder of the land re-zoned for mixed use.

An underground stop on the Eglinton-Crosstown LRT is due to be built on the southwest corner of Eglinton and Don Mills, potentially increasing the value of Celestica's fallow land.

What do you think of the proposal?

QUICK STATS:

Max height: 40 storeys
High rise buildings: 8
Residential units (all 3+ bedroom): 2,897 (294,950 square metres)
Office space: 77,136 sq. m.
Retail space: 9,105 sq. m.
Institutional space: 7,089 sq. m.
Parking: 930 vehicles

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

Toronto must have a growing appetite for cold brew coffee. How else to explain the growth of this beverage category out of nowhere. Following up on the launch of several coffee shop created varieties last year, an independent outfit has recently released a new brand currently for sale at Boom Breakfast, Cheeswerks and Fresh restaurant locations.

What's more, STATION Cold Brew Coffee Co. sells their cold brew in four sizes including an 8oz ready to drink stubby, 32oz concentrate, 64oz growler and a 30L keg. So now you can host that cold brew coffee party you always dreamed of (or install a tap at your office.)

Prices for the cold brew varies but the 8oz stubby can be had for between $3-$4 a bottle depending on where you buy it. STATION plans to sell kegs to restaurants, cafes, offices and direct to consumers via their web site or contact Mitch at 416.523.2054.

The pilot project that's brought bike lanes to a number of downtown streets like Adelaide and Richmond is surely a positive sign for those who believe that Toronto is behind the times when it comes to cycling infrastructure. But the matter of just how the city has installed these has been cause for discontent.

First there was confusion when the lanes were initially painted but no signage was installed. That's forgivable given the time that it takes to roll out such a project, but since the so-called completion of the pilot project, a bigger issue has emerged -- that of just how separated these bike lanes really are.

The term separated is, it would appear, somewhat murky. At present, Transportation Services has opted to "crack down" on vehicles parking or entering the bike lane, but has not installed bollards to prevent them from doing so. As Cycle Toronto rightly points out, that can lead to some dangerous situations on these high volume streets.

The addition of new bike lanes is a step in the right direction for a city looking to ease congestion, but there's a legitimate question to be asked about whether physical separation should be mandatory on busy streets such as those in question. What do you think? Is a painted line enough, or should there be a more significant barrier to stop vehicles from entering bike lanes?

Custom cookie bakers in Toronto are capitalizing on the popularity of the sugar cookie as the latest confectionery craze. If you're savvy on social media, you'll notice that from Instagram to Pinterest, decorating sugar cookies has evolved into a serious art form. With her popular book, Decorating Cookies, American blogger Bridget Edwards has been a trailblazer in getting people to play as much attention to cookies as they do to cake.

Now, many bakers and confectionary artists specialize only in cookies. As with many things, Toronto's been a bit tardy in catching on with the times; there are only a handful of Toronto artists that focus solely on cookies, but there's a good batch that can do some awesome things with butter and sugar. (Keep this list on hand for your next big party - they'll be talking about those cookies for weeks.)

Here are my picks for the top custom cookie bakers in Toronto.

See also:

The best cookies in Toronto
The top 10 cookie companies in Toronto

The Sweetest Tiers
The Sweetest Tiers is a Toronto-based Etsy store focusing on made-to-order cookies. Owner Anna's use of glitter sets her creations apart; she also uses icing transfers to make flowers and bows, creating a cool raised effect. Her most popular cookies are her golden monogram cookies, which also make use of her signature icing transfer technique. Bonus: she can also make red velvet sugar cookies with real cream cheese icing (plus detailed designs on top).

Hello Baked
Hello Baked's Jessica Lee prides herself on designer cookies - all it takes is one look at her Instagram feed to see why. The attention to detail is incredible - for example, just have a look at her recent bride-to-be cookies. They look like a fashion illustration, and the detailing with gold icing just elevates the cookies to a whole new level of chic. As an added bonus, Jessica maintains a regular blog keeping her customers and followers in the loop on the latest in cookie trends.

Decadent Cookie Favours
Decadent Cookie Favours' signature style consists of criss-cross patterns, bows, polka dots and soft colours. Their sophisticated aesthetic will suit almost any occasion but if elegant is not what you're looking for, they also produce work outside of their signature style. Just like any other cookie decorator, Decadent Cookie Favours can whip up amusing custom cookies upon request, like pizza slices or a box of crayons.

Dolce
Dolce is another Etsy shop based out of Toronto specializing in custom cookies (and with their glowing reviews, it's a good bet that you'll be satisfied, too). Cookies are organized into various themes and are sold by the dozen. Apart from clean work, you can expect a touch of whimsy at Dolce - check out their spa-themed cookies to see what I mean. If you're looking for a theme not seen on the page, custom orders are definitely possible.

The Cocoa Cakery
The Cocoa Cakery's amazing work extends beyond just cakes. Christina, the owner, sets herself apart with her hand-painting skills, which give her cookies a watercolour effect. The Cocoa Cakery also surprises with unique cookie designs - how neat are these handpainted breakfast-themed cookies,

Bake Them Pretty
Sometimes when someone can make pretty awesome cakes, you can trust that they can make some pretty awesome cookies too. Tolinda Trinh started off as a self-taught cake artist and has fulfilled many unique requests for cake orders. She's since expanded to other confectionary arts and recently opened up Bake Them Pretty, a full service custom sweets shop on Harbord. She describes herself as a perfectionist, and it shows in her carefully detailed work.

Pretty Sweet
In the past while, Pretty Sweet has enjoyed quite a bit of (well-deserved) press coverage. What started off as a small business evolved into a popular GTA food truck by the same name and now a brick and mortar cupcake shop, the Pursuit of Frosting, on Eglinton West. Along with cakes and cupcakes, Pretty Sweet specializes in decorated cookies. I had the pleasure of having one of her decorated cookies at a bridal shower; not only was it perfectly adorable, it was buttery heaven.

Made With Luv Cakes
Made With Luv Cakes don't just do cakes as their company name might suggest. They offer a wide range of sweet services that include dessert tables and the likes. Their cookies are really quite unique though. Reminiscent of cameo brooches, their signature cookies feature things like colourful gems (yep, these jewelled cookies are edible) and Victorian roses - both of which are made from chocolate. To finish off the era inspired look, the cookies are embellished with delicious looking golden icing.

Mad Batter Bakers
Known for years around the GTA for their gingerbread, Mad Batter Bakers offers cookies for all occasions. Their cookies have a home-made look, which is fitting for them, since people often tell them that their cookies have become a family tradition in their homes. If you're looking for something cute and simple - or craving awesome gingerbread - Mad Batter Bakers are the ones to call.

iBakery
Located in the Junction, iBakery's owner Jackie stands apart for her amazing illustration skills; from Yoda to Monsters Inc., she can brilliantly replicate popular characters. Her skill set doesn't end there though. Armed with a steady hand, she also creates beautiful, handcrafted, custom logos for businesses with careful attention to lettering.

What did I miss? Add your favourite custom cookie company to the comments.

Writing by Manal Aman. Photo of Pretty Sweet by Rowell Photography.

Today in Toronto the SummerWorks Performance Festival (August 7-17) begins with an overwhelming program of stellar theatre, comedy, music, art, and more. Check out our full preview here for the lowdown on what to see including a production by Unintentionally Depressing Children's Tales and more.

A gang of quirky opera singers are touring the country by bike, and you can catch them at Heliconian Hall (one of our top picks for under-the-radar classical music venues). Stop by Steel Bananas' fiction and artist book launch featuring live readings and Jasmyn Burke (Weaves) playing music for you as STRANDS. Check out art openings at Huntclub, OnlyOne, and Cooper Cole. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Theatre/Art/Music: SummerWorks
• Opera: Bicycle Opera Project (Heliconian Hall)
• Film: Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival - MISAFF
• Film: Trash Palace - The Fool Killer (Revue)
• Culture: Kultura Filipino Arts Fest
• Queer: Launch Party for Queer West Fest (1602 Dundas West)
• Music: United Nations (Sneaky Dee's)
• Music: Invasions, Auras, Ooo Baby Gimmee Mores (Horseshoe)
• Art: As a Body (Cooper Cole)
• Art: Grown (OnlyOneGallery)
• Art: Neighbourhoods (Huntclub)

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

Photo via Unintentionally Depressing Children's Tales

The top open choir groups to join in Toronto know you might not be ready for center stage, but you do owe the world your golden voice. You were made to create harmonies that can melt the heart, so maybe it's time to join a choir and find your inner songbird. Don't worry - you don't have to don robes, learn hymns, or belong to a congregation to sing choral-style in the city - though if that's what you're looking for never fear, Toronto has many choirs to choose from. We're a little partial to pop songs, bar meets, and flash mobs, ourselves.

To take singing in the shower to the next level, check out Toronto's top 5 choirs to join.

Choir! Choir! Choir!
Toronto's new favourite past time: all you need to do is show up, pay a small fee, and sing, no past experience required. Choir! covers music that spans different decades and genres (Leonard Cohen, Daft Punk, Tegan and Sara) and have performed in all types of venues around Toronto. There is no formal intake process, if you are interested just join one of their scheduled meetings and sing along.

They meet on Tuesday nights at No One Writes to the Colonel (College and Bathurst) and Wednesday nights at the Monarch Tavern (College and Grace). Read our profile here, then contact them through their website and check out their diverse songbook. Show up before 7:30 to make sure you get a spot close to the stage.

Newchoir
If you want something a bit more rock and roll check out Newchoir. Music director Scott Pietrangelo describes it as a "true community choir" where all are welcome. Their past performances include live performances with rock bands and even flashmobs. This is power rock's choral equivalent. They rehearse weekly on Monday evenings (7:30-9:30) at St. Simon the Apostle Church on Bloor Street East. Make sure you sign up here, before showing up.

Forte - The Toronto Men's Chorus
Performing songs ranging from pop to Broadway musicals, listening to this all men's choir is certain to put a smile on your face. While all men are welcome, many members are part of Toronto's diverse gay community. They do have a formal intake process, however, they emphasize that it is not intended to intimidate people from joining. Regular rehearsals take place at St. Andrew's United Church in Toronto. Take a look at their intake information here and to learn more, and be sure to check out their beautiful harmonies on the music samples page.

Common Thread Community Chorus
This choir has a mission: to make the world a better place, all while making beautiful music, of course. Their goal is to help community organizations raise funds and raise awareness. Folksy and friendly, you can join this choir without auditioning. It is easy as one, two three to get involved. Just fill in their membership form and they will get in touch about the next steps. Their meeting place is at Cecil Street Community Centre close to College and Spadina. Rehearsals usually start in September after Labour Day. For more information take a look at their website.

Univox
Young, fresh and fun. Univox is a meeting place for young adults (from late teens through their thirties) for the love singing. If you are simply a choir enthusiast or if you are a seasoned choir participant, Univox welcomes you. The choir meets on Tuesdays from 5:45 - 8pm at Dovercourt Baptist Church (shoot them an email for detailed information on how to join at membership@univoxchoir.org). See them perform Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" below.

Writing by Naomi Grosman. Photo of Choir! Choir! Choir! by Chandler Levack

Road closures in Toronto for the weekend of August 9 and 10 rounds up the key transportation shut-downs affecting the city, including street and TTC closures.

KEY ROAD CLOSURES IN TORONTO

Danforth: Broadview--Jones. Taste of the Danforth Danforth Ave. will be closed between Broadview and Jones in both directions from Friday, August 8 at 11 a.m. to Monday, August 11 at 1 a.m.

TTC CLOSURES

504 King, 505 Dundas: Broadview. The 504 King and 505 Dundas streetcars remain unable to reach Broadview subway station due to construction on Broadview at Danforth. The 504 is turning south at Dundas and Broadview and returning to King via Queen and Parliament. The 505 is diverting via Parliament, Gerrard and Broadview. Both routes are being completed by shuttle bus.

510 Spadina, 505 Dundas: Spadina. Traffic remains restricted at Spadina and Dundas due to water main and TTC streetcar track replacement work. Monday, August 11 to Saturday, August 30, one southbound lane and one northbound lane will re-open on Spadina, allowing 510 replacement buses through. The 510 Dundas streetcar will return to its normal route at the same time.

ONGOING CLOSURES

Over and above the special closures this weekend, construction projects across Toronto result in numerous other road restrictions across the city. For a comprehensive list of such closures, you can consult the official map maintained by the City of Toronto (also available as a PDF.)

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

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

OPEN NOW

• Sea Witch is now open at 636 St. Clair Ave. West, offering a menu of fried fish, chips in a cone and halibut-topped poutines.
• Mamakas, a new Greek taverna opens to the public on Tuesday, August 12 at 80 Ossington Ave.
• The Well, a new restaurant and bar, is now open at 121 Ossington Ave. In addition to beers and bites, expect to find boardgames on hand as well as regular programming of DJ nights and comedy shows.
• Montreal's build-your-own-poutine palace, Poutineville opens next week on Thursday (August 14) at 296 Brunswick Ave. in the Annex.

RECENTLY REVIEWED

• Kadbanu
• Sorella Toronto
• Raw Chemist Juice Bar

OPENING SOON

• Greenhouse Juice Co. (5 Macpherson Ave.) has unveiled expansion plans to open two more stores in the coming months - one in Leslieville at 2 Strange St., where its commissary already resides, as well as another at Yonge and Briar Hill. The organic cold-pressed juice company has also launched an online store, complete with doorstep delivery.
• Local 1794, a new public house, is in the works at 1794 Danforth Ave.
• Ronnie B's Southern Kitchen & Taps is taking over the former address of Omi at 243 Carlton St. Expect Southern dishes like gumbo, po' boys and chicken and waffles plus live jazz music on Sundays.
• As previously reported, Bellwoods Brewery is expanding with a second location soon to go in at 950 Dupont St.

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

A new addition to the back of the TIFF Bell Lightbox, this 400-seat restaurant has been hotly anticipated for months thanks to a pair of big-name owners: film producer/director Ivan Reitman and chef Jonathan Waxman. While the food is confident and restrained enough to let the locally-sourced ingredients shine, the interior is a weird mix of breezy California elegance forced to contend with kitschy film memorabilia.

Read my profile of Montecito in the restaurants section.

The top spa and salon treatments for men in Toronto will make any fella feel like a million bucks (while only spending maybe about one-thousandth of that). Facial treatments, body scrubs, manicures - you don't have to be some Bay St. boardroomer to treat yourself like a king, and tons of Toronto's spas and salons have either geared themselves toward an all-male clientele, or introduced services that cater to men and their specific needs. (That includes men's skin, which differs from women's in a number of ways.)

Sure, there might be some outmoded people out there who will give you hell for spending more than $12 a month on a grooming regimen. But I'm willing to bet those naysayers are walking around with raggedy cuticles and blackheads the size of Jupiter, while you and your moisturized beard and glowing complexion are killing it. So go ahead. Pay someone to spruce you up. You won't regret it - I promise.

Here are my picks for the top spa and salon treatments for men in Toronto.

Bode Spa
This men's-only Yorkville spa, an offshoot of the original in Ottawa, tempers its classy, super-sleek atmosphere with a dash of friendly unpretentiousness. The list of treaments include their "wildly popular" one-hour "bacial" ($150; to get rid of your bacne, obviously), as well as a "beard burn" facial ($110) for razor-damaged skin. If you're new to skin treatments, skin products, or skin anything, they'll do a 45-minute consultation ($25) assessing your skin's needs and the best way to care for them, then send you home with some product samples.

Mankind Grooming
This salon/barbershop, with locations on Richmond and Eglinton, is geared exclusively toward guys, with a wide-ranging menu of services. Their "Alpha Male" treatment ($45) includes: a haircut and style, shampoo and conditioning treatment, a scalp massage, a paraffin hand wax treatment and hand massage, a hot towel and facial toner, and free touch-ups for the next two weeks. As a woman who's been conditioned to pay $60 for a wash, cut and style, I'm kind of jealous. A straight razor shave is $55, and if the word "pedicure" freaks you out, you can go in for some "foot detailing" ($30)

Saul's Beauty Shop
This pretension-free salon opened on Dundas West earlier this year. Their menu of facials, spray tans and waxing are available to all, with identical pricing to boot (though there are a couple of ladies-only waxing options). Favourite treatments among the fellas include a $25 "emergency zit killer" service, which zaps a zit in about 15 minutes' worth treatment, as well as their free beard-conditoning add-on to any facial. (After all, why pay for a full facial when it only gets to half of your face?)

Novo Spa
In addition to their hot-stone massages and cranberry body scrubs, Yorkville's Novo Spa has a whole slate of specialty services geared toward men, including a number of waxing offerings, a manicure and pedicure, and a 75-minute facial ($115) using Eminence Organic skin care products. (You can still get that hot stone massage, though.) They're also big on couples' treatments, if you'd like to use your anniversary as an excuse for a spa day.

ManCave Barbers Lounge
This Annex barbershop is the latest to reinvent the golden-age barbershop with a bro-hangout atmosphere. They offer all the classics - straight razor shaves, cuts, styles, grey blending - but shake things up with their 007 package (see what I did there), which includes a cut, style, paraffin hand treatment, a hand and arm massage, and a mini facial treatment with a hot towel for $39. Oh, and like Garrison's Barbershop, you also get complimentary drinks with your treatment.

The Ten Spot
The Ten Spot's no-muss philosophy on beauty and skin care will likely appeal to low-maintenance dudes. Their facial for gents ($75) focuses on men's skin concerns, including beard ingrowns; the relatively in-and-out procedure packs cleansing, exfoliations, steaming, blackhead extractions, massages and mosturizing (among other things). The salon's other specialties are waxing and manicure/pedicure services; they've got you guys covered there, too. Points for convenience: The Toronto-bred chain now boasts 10 (!) locations around the city.

Elmwood Spa
A stalwart fave of spa-goers in Toronto, Elmwood markets its men's offerings toward guys in need of de-stressing and relaxation (the complimentary use of the whirlpool and steam room goes a long way). Their men's essential facial ($109) promises to clear blackheads and alleviate ingrown hairs (plus a bonus hand massage and your choice of foot or scalp massage). If you want to make a day out of it, they also offer package deals that include including 50-minute massages, a facial, and a "MANicure".

Pure + Simple
This chain of spas has locations on King West, at Yonge and Eglinton, and in Yorkville - as well as a following of guys who love what the place does for their skin. Fans rave about their facials, which use their own all-natural products; their Pure Man facial ($105) will steam, exfoliate, and de-gunk pores. (Plus, you get a shoulder, scalp, arm and foot massage.)

Original Grooming Experts
Another shop in the upscale-barber category, this Richmond St. shop aims for the middle ground between a luxurious spa experience and that 50-year-old Greek barbershop you've been going to your whole life. All the traditional barbershop offerings are there, but their haircuts ($45) come standard with a hand-smoothing paraffin wax and a hot towel treatment. There's also the "hangover package" ($19), which includes a shampoo, hand wax treatment and hot towel face wrap. (Does this work? Someone try it and report back to me.)

Hammam Spa
If you're in the mood for something particularly luxurious, head underground to Hammam Spa, a grotto-like spa at King and Portland, for their men's facial ($130). They use Dermalogica's wide, wide range of products to tackle your skin concerns, steam and exfoliate, throw in a face, arm, neck and hand massage, then send you off to bask in the heat of their namesake hammam steam room. There's also men's manicures ($30) and pedicures ($45), which focus on shaping, buffing and callous removal; paraffin treatments are extra.

See also:

The Best Barber Shops in Toronto
The Best Spas in Toronto
The top 10 places for manscaping in Toronto

Did we miss any? Leave your favourite spot for men's salon or spa treatments in the comments.

Photo of ManCave by James C. Lee.

Why is the streetcar so damn slow? A new study by Toronto transportation services on the 504 King line has an answer -- one that might be a little surprising. Although traffic and bunching play their part, an efficiency report on the 504 line suggests that passenger loading is the primary culprit. With only two entry and exit points, vehicles often remain at stops for minutes while passengers pay their fare and exit the vehicles.

The arrival of the new streetcars later this month will help alleviate this problem given that they have four doors through which riders can board and leave the car. Unfortunately, these new vehicles won't be on the King line until 2017 (the cars are slated to start service on the 510 Spadina line).

This is both good and bad new for the TTC. On the one hand it allows them to tout just how helpful the new low-floor vehicles will be, but on the other, it sounds a whole lot like riders are being blamed for slow service. If only we could be more efficient about getting on and off the cars, things would be so much better, so the argument seems to go.

The reality, of course, is that there really is a problem with the current streetcar design on busy routes and that the TTC should probably investigate ways to expand its Proof of Payment system beyond the Queen and Lake Shore lines (and, you know, actually have people whose job it is to ensure that people have a Metropass or transfer. The new streetcars are coming soon, but they won't be rolled out across the city for years.

Correction: The original version of this post attributed the study in question to the TTC, when if fact it was conducted by Toronto Transportation Services.

Photo by Ben Roffelsen in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Occasionally I'm forced to write posts on this site that make me wither a little inside, but this one especially hurts. The Kromer Radio sign is finally coming down, and it's going up for auction.

As a long-time fan of the sign, I've been pining after the "Radio" portion for years, knowing it would likely come to auction block and holding out hope in my heart that I would be smoking rich before that day. No such luck. When the Kromer Radio sign goes to the highest bidder on August 15th, I'll still scrounging by in $30 worth of thrift-store clothing. The radio tolls, but not for me.

Kromer was founded in 1957 and moved to its now shuttered (but thankfully Walmart-free) Bathurst location in 1974. The Kijiji listing for the upcoming auction pleads with buyers to keep the "Radio" portion of the sign in tact, so at least someone seems to truly care about the future of this historic six foot high neon sign - minimal and way cooler than the Sam's sign, if you ask me.

The helpful ad also offers a link scrabblefinder.com where buyers can make endless anagrams from "Kromer Radio." A sample from the auctioneer's creative muses: "from the word Kromer one possible solution is painting the words LESS IS on a wall (maybe 1 foot high) accompanied with the 4 foot letters MORE mounted directly beneath." While it hurts to spread the news of this auction to those of more means than me, I look forward to your anagrams. Please just don't let this beauty end up in a wood paneled grilled cheese restaurant.

RSVP for the August 15th auction here. If you'd like to donate the sign to blogto, comment below with your PayPal info.

The city's numerous and often overlooked privately owned publicly-accessible spaces--public parks and green spaces located on private property, POPS for short--are finally being mapped and labeled by the city.

At the end of July, Iceboat Terrace in CityPlace became the first POPS in the city to receive a plaque marking it as space open to the public. The silver and black markers show the opening hours and reminders that normal bylaws still apply.

In November 2012, city council voted to identify and mark the city's privately owned publicly-accessible spaces, which are often provided by developers as a result of negotiations with the city. The spaces are open to the public but remains the property of the building's owner. There are more than 100 in the City of Toronto as of 2014.

Some POPS are relatively easy to spot: the concrete plaza at TD Centre, the park-like area at Queen and Shaw by CAMH, and the outdoor area behind College Park and the new Aura condo tower. Others less so: a public walkway from Carlton Street to Granby and a fenced off park beside the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Building on Bloor.

A full, interactive map is available in PDF form.

The city is retroactively applying plaques to POPS, but in future all new spaces of this kind must be marked. The space outside the condos at 300 Front Street West is next on the list.

Are you pleased the city is taking steps to catalogue and mark these spaces?

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

Photo by Meteor54

Bacon-infused beverages, bacon funnel cakes, bacon shakes, and an entire restaurant devoted to bacon; short of binding a book made out of the crispy stuff and printing War and Peace on it, it seems like this city has run out of ways to reinvent everyone's favourite pork product.

But just when you think you've seen it all, the Leslieville Farmer's Market is set to bring back its Baconfest competition for the third year, with 40 vendors putting their best bacon-infused recipes head to head.

The competition, set for August 17 at Jonathan Ashbridge Park, is set to include local spots like County Cocktail and Skin + Bones as well as the Junction's Indie Ale House, and a few sweets purveyors, including Be Good Gelato.

Some of the snacks will feature vegetarian bacon, and all will be available for your snacking pleasure at the event, in addition to being judged by the expert panel on creativity, presentation, taste, ingredient sourcing, and "baconness". Can you truly judge bacon, though? It's beautiful just the way it is.

Photo from Rashers on Facebook.

Today we're opening up voting in our latest Best Of poll. Now you can have your say in 7 categories including Calzones, Fries, Manicures and Lighting Stores.

Take the best of poll here

Voting in the poll ends at 9pm this Monday August 11th.

Photo by Vic Gedris in the blogTO Flickr pool.

When we highlighted ten of our favourite under-the-radar venues for classical music last weekend, it was revealed to us that we actually didn't get intimate enough. Warning to all citizens of Toronto: your regular looking neighbours may be hosting classical concerts in their homes.

About to begin their second season, Pocket Concerts have been "breaking down artificial barriers" by booking musicians from the likes of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, the TSO, and The National Ballet Orchestra to play to tiny crowds of 25-60 people in living rooms across the city since 2013.

You can invite Pocket into your home by applying here. While Toronto is no stranger to the house party and everyone I know has been kicked in the head at a basement punk show one too many times, Pocket Concerts likely aren't leaving a trail of noise complaints, hearing loss, brain damage, and suspiciously broken bathroom mirrors in their wake.

In exchange for this bougie-er kind of salon, however, the price rises from the "whatever, I used to live here" to $5 range and starts at $12 for children. Then it's $27 for under 35-year-olds and $42 for everyone else, meaning it's actually cheaper for under 35-ers to attend the TSO. But then you're not "breaking the barriers" so I guess it's a toss up.

The next show, er, I mean concert, is August 22, 7pm, at 743 Queen Street East. Stay in touch with them via mailing list, Twitter, or Facebook.

Photo via Pocket Concerts

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

THIS WEEK

• The Krinos Taste of the Danforth celebrates 21 years with its annual Greektown takeover this weekend. Starting at 6pm tonight (Friday, August 8), the street festival runs until Sunday, August 10 offering free activities, live entertainment, and of course, food.
• The Roundhouse Craft Beer Fest is on this weekend, August 9 and 10 from noon until 7. Get your sampling mug at the gate for $25 and spend the afternoon enjoying $1 pours from 23 indie small-batch breweries.
• The first ever Sunday brunch-themed Toronto Underground Market takes place on Sunday, August 10 at 99 Sudbury from 11am to 4pm. Tickets are $15 for the afternoon of cold brew coffee and breakfast standards done street food-style.
• Cold Tea (60 Kensington Ave.) hosts the team from Shoto for an afternoon Momofuku-style BBQ on Sunday, August 10 from 3pm.

UPCOMING

• Momofuku Daisho (190 University Ave.) hosts their second annual Summer Party on Monday, August 18 from 8pm. Tickets are on sale now for $50 with proceeds going to The Remix Project.
• The 19th Annual Eat to the Beat culinary fundraiser is happening on Tuesday, October 22, at 7pm at Roy Thomson Hall (60 Simcoe St.). The event will feature the talents of 60 female chefs, with all proceeds going to Willow Breast & Hereditary Cancer Support. Early bird tickets are on sale now for $150 each until September 13 ($175 after).

Photo of Taste Of The Danforth 2013 by Jesse Milns.

Do high school reunions still happen, or did Facebook kill the vibe? "How's your cat since that last pic you posted?" "So you really got into inspirational quotes after rehab, hey?" etc. Not my cup of tea. In fact, I prefer a damn fine cup of coffee.

So the only reunion that matters this year will be later this month at Fan Expo (also prone to throngs of extreme cat lovers, come to think of it): the massive comic convention will host a rare but mini ensemble of the original Twin Peaks cast. So far Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer), Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey Horne), and Ray Wise (Leland Palmer) are slated to attend. I swear there's this guy who works at No Frills in the Junction who probably looks more like Leland than Wise at this point, but - okay, no spoilers.

Fans will have a chance to meet the stars of the cult TV drama at a live q&a, autograph session, and photo op. Here's a glimpse at the July Twin Peaks reunion in LA - well, one spoiler, everyone looks adorable. No word if anyone else is going to show, but Chris Isaak will be in town the day before Fan Expo - excuse my lack of tact here, but, fire, walk with me.

While the obvious inspiration for this will be the Entire Mystery Blu-ray, does this string of reunions signal a coming remake? Another season? Another rumour? We'll have to wait for the convention - or maybe a cryptic dream giant.

Fan Expo runs from August 28-31 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The Twin Peaks reunion is part of their Horror programming.