This stucco Summerhill home located at 23 Macpherson Ave has all the pieces of a perfect Toronto house. Four bedrooms, four bathrooms (including a first floor powder room), a finished basement, and two parking spots - it checks off all the "must haves." And then there's the location - steps from Rosedale subway station. It's hard to get a more convenient and desirable spot than that.

Zooming in, this house has got some great unique elements too. The kitchen includes a bright breakfast area with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto a back garden. The master bedroom is also a highlight. Spacious, with a large bathroom, large closets, and walk out to deck (though this is conspicuously not pictured in the listing). No matter the state of that deck, though, there is potential for great outdoor space in this urban home.

SPECS

• Address: 23 Macpherson Ave
• Price: $1,199,900
• Lot Size: 17.92 x 120 ft
• Bedrooms: 4
• Bathrooms: 4
• Parking: 2
• Taxes: $7,577.13
• Walk Score: 97

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Prime location adjacent to Yonge St and Rosedale subway station
• Open concept living/dining rooms
• Large master bedroom with ensuite bathroom and walk in closets
• Renovated kitchen with breakfast nook

GOOD FOR

People looking for a little slice of Summerhill. No one can argue that this isn't one of the more sought after neighbourhoods in Toronto. Highly walkable, well served by transit, tree-lined streets -- and you can't forget proximity to the best LCBO in the city. You can have your choice of beverages in the large back garden!

MOVE ON IF

You're looking for something with a little more modern flair. Though this house has been spruced up and carefully staged, some of the renovations appear a bit dated (see parquet flooring and kitchen backsplash). If you were hoping for something a little more traditional, or a little more on current trend, look elsewhere. But then maybe you're just being picky -- this house is move in ready.

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

Thanks to Bosley Real Estate for sponsoring our House of the Week.

There are few truly secret places in a city the size of Toronto, but we nevertheless remain fascinated by that which is under the radar, under appreciated or just out of plain sight. Such is the case with this list. Toronotophiles might not find many surprises here, but those whose interest in the city's history and streetscape is more passive, will likely discover a host of intriguing new things to explore. Even as we have published similar lists in the past, the city is continually revealing itself, and it remains impossible to exhaust its various hidden pleasures in but a few posts.

Here are 10 "secret" things that you might not know existed in Toronto.

See also: 10 quirky things you might not know about Toronto

North Etobicoke is home to a stunning Hindu temple
Quite possibly one of the most stunning buildings in Toronto, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto is constructed out of an unthinkable amount of Italian carrara marble (apparently some 24,000 pieces) and stands as a gleaming white beacon when lit up at night. The temple was constructed using traditional methods and took 18 months to complete.

Air India Memorial
Hidden just to the west of the mouth of the Humber River, the austere Air India Memorial can be one of the most tranquil places in the city. I first happened upon it on a rainy bike ride. When I arrived, the rain had just subsided and a peculiar silence fell around me. It was both completely fitting and emotionally profound. The memorial features a sundial pointed at Ahakista, Ireland, where the plane went down as well as the names of the 329 victims on board.

The Redway Road staircase
I once wondered if this was the strangest staircase in Toronto, as it seemingly goes from nowhere to nowhere. I've later discovered that, in fact, this meandering set of wood steps offers passage for employees of the North Toronto Sewage Treatment Plan who take the TTC, sparing them the walk down the super steep Redway Road. Take a trip down these steps in the fall, and you'll be treated to spectacular displays of colour.

Toronto has an abandoned psychiatric hospital that's now a college campus
Opened in 1890, most of the Kivas Tully-designed buildings from the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital remain standing at the edge of Mimico where the institution operated until 1979. Ghost stories abound on account of their Gothic Revival architecture and the fact that many of the were uninhabited for so many years before being taken over by Humber College. Note: An earlier version of this post implied that most of these buildings were still abandoned, when they are in fact part of the Humber's Lakeshore campus.

There's a secret lookout near Broadview and Danforth
More than a few Torontophiles know about the Chester Hill lookout, but it makes this list for the degree that it still feels so random. You'd probably never come across it unless someone told you exactly what it is. But once you get there, it starts to make sense. This is one of the most beautiful views of the city, stretching across the lush Don Valley before the skyline rises atop the Bloor Viaduct. Bring someone to kiss.

Enwave deep water cooling tunnels
Few people know that there's an extensive series of underground tunnels that pump water deep from Lake Ontario to be used to cool major office buildings. The system draws near freezing water from the depths of the lake, which is then pumped as far north as Queen's Park. Notable buildings that derive cooling from the system include the TD Centre, the Air Canada Centre and the Royal Bank Plaza.

Toronto is home to many private streets
Most people are vaguely aware that Toronto has private streets or have heard of Wychwood Park, the best known of these types of enclaves. What fewer people know is that there are actually lots of private streets in Toronto. From the insular Percy St. in Corktown to the oh-so English-looking Melbourne Place (one of my personal favourites) to the mansions of Elmsley Place.

Centennial Park has a 12,000 square foot conservatory
One of those places that likely gets a little less attention than it deserves because it's not located downtown, the Centennial Park Conservatory is a sprawling 12,000 foot greenhouse that feels like a natural paradise when you step inside. Featuring both a tropical house and an arid house, it's simply a stunning place to escape to on a cold winter day when icy cold urban Toronto is getting you down.

There's a terracotta house in the Junction
Located at 20 Jerome St. at the eastern edge of the Junction (sometimes referred to as West Bend), this house is covered in mismatched terracotta tiles. Built by businessman J. Turner Sr. in 1905, the story is that the tiles were used as a sort of advertisement for his building company, which was sitting on a surplus of terracotta after the material went out of fashion.

There's a hidden cemetery at Yonge and St. Clair
Five years ago it was a bit easier to spot St. Michael's Cemetery, but thanks to condo construction, it's now completely obscured from the street. Yet at 10 acres, it's not exactly small. Dating back to 1855, it's the city's oldest Catholic cemetery, and a remarkably serene place to quietly explore. Alas, these days the gates are almost always locked on account of misuse and vandalism.

Lead photo by Ian Mutto

Photo by low earth blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto Diner en Blanc, one of September's most anticipated food events, will light up the night with their pop-up's premise of everyone wearing white while eating dinner, which seems dangerous. And a little baffling. The secret location is TBA.

The free art bus is running to Blackwood Gallery in Mississauga for Falsework, a must-see exhibit for those who believe they should get paid for sharing on Facebook. By the hour! Back-wages! If school buses make you dizzy, there are plenty of art events downtown, including Design Exchange opening their Politics of Fashion show and Ryerson Image Centre hosting their fall openings. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Food: Diner en Blanc (IT'S A SECRET)
• Art: Falsework & Furnishing Positions (Blackwood Gallery)
• Fashion/Art: Politics of Fashion Opening Reception (Design Exchange)
• Art: Opening Reception: Ryerson Image Centre Fall Exhibitions (Ryerson Image Centre)
• Music: ManifesTO w/ Isaiah Rashad, Tasha The Amazon, Tre Mission & DillanPonders (Revival)
• Lit: Pivot's Return (Press Club)
• Beer: Beerworking (Project OWL)
• Film: Little Terrors (Carlton Cinema)
• Lit: She of the Mountains book launch (Gladstone)
• Fashion: Toronto Made Launch (Unlovable)

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

The Manifesto Festival is back for its 8th year in Toronto. From September 17-21, the city will celebrate hip hop arts and culture over a wide spectrum of artistic styles including musical performances, live painting showcases, DJ battles, dance competitions, and of course educational workshops and panels. If you want to catch a glimpse of both internationally respected stars and a breadth of talent that call Toronto home, your time is now. Here's a day by day round up of Manifesto's 2014 line up stand-outs.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th

Red Bull - Sound Select Presents
Revival (783 College Street) - 9pm - 1am - 19+
$10 cover - FREE W. RSVP
Tonight's gig at Revival will be headlined by TDE's newest recruit Isaiah Rashad (who blessed Toronto earlier this year). The crowd will be warmed up by some local talent including rappers Tasha The Amazon, Dillon Ponders and Canada's leader in grime, Tre Mission. Doors open at 8pm and the evening is totally free if you RSVP - entry isn't guaranteed though. This one will be jammed, so arrive early.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th

Manifesto Art Show
Steam Whistle Roundhouse (255 Bremner Blvd) - 7pm - 2am
$15 advance
Don't forget that Manifesto creates a platform for more than just music. This year's live art event looks better than ever before: the evening will feature work by more than 20 Canadian artists, as well as live painting by L.A.'s tattoo/graffiti legend Mister Cartoon, Columbia's Kno Delix, and hometown street art hero Skam. While they paint, musical selections will come from veteran DJs Wrispect, Mensa, and Ariel.

FRIDAY, SEPTERMBER 19th

Rumble In Regent - Toronto Soundclash
Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas Street East) - 9pm - 2am
$10 advance
Toronto's DJ community is set to battle with twelve DJs grouped into six distinct styles. Sweet Touch Foundation's DJ Riccachet take on party pleaser James Redi in Classic Hip Hop; DJ Grouch fires up against BBQ-guru Skratch Bastid in Old School & 80s; DJ Crsb & DJ Bambii battle through Trap & New Jack Swing; Paul Chin faces a mystery guest spinning Future Beat & Boogie/Disco; dub Connection and Choppa Chop (of Big Toe's HiFi) gets the floor bumping with Reggae & Dub; DJ Spoonz matches DJ Royale in Soul & R&B. Winners are determined by crowd reaction.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th

Live At The Square - Free Concert
Yonge Dundas Square - 12pm - 11pm
All ages & Family Friend
Before the summer leaves us entirely, what better way to spend the day than at Y&DS? Headliners include r&b sensation Ryan Leslie, rapper Bishop Nehru, and new kid on the block Raury, who recently caught Kanye's attention. The daytime stage will be graced by a slew of local acts including Tanika Charles w/ Slakah The Beatchild, Allie, Ain't No Love, Marlon James and Birthday Boy. Look out for dance competitions Canada Pro 1 vs. 1 Bboy Championship and Last Style Standing. Vendors selling goods and grub from local retailers and artists will be on hand.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st

The Summit - Keynote, Workshops & Panels
George Brown Waterfront Campus (51 Dockside Dr) - 12pm - 7pm
$10 advance
What Manifesto would be complete without its educational component? After four days of the arts it's time to learn a thing or two from professionals and creatives alike. During his keynote address, you'll have an opportunity to hear from Ryan Leslie about how he carved his path to success. Mister Cartoon will be in the building as well, delving into his impressive life and artistry. Other panels and workshops will focus on topics like songwriting, tour life, women in the industry, dance, and the business of art.

Photo via John Kivellote and Rose Joy Kivellote.

The King East Design District is the name given to a loose collective of Toronto furniture design stores and home showrooms centred, fittingly, around King East (between Church St. and Parliament St.). Though we have tons of local and national homegrown design talent to draw from in Toronto, international designers have by and large chosen to converge on King; some of Italy, France, and Scandinavia's best and most enduring designers are all located within a short walk of one another, and all available for the cherry-picking (or, for those with more limited budgets, the appreciative ogling).

Here are my picks for the top furniture and design stores in the King East Design District.

Klaus by Nienkamper
Industrial design and fine art merge at Klaus, where nearly every item - from a life-sized horse lamp by Moooi ($9250) to a collection of artful household objects from Eclectic by Tom Dixon - would look as perfect parked in an all-white gallery, next to a placard of an artist's statement, as it would beside your TV unit. Grounding the three-floor store full of mad statement pieces: the in-house line of modern, no-nonsense sofas and chairs.

RADform
Nothing's quite as it seems at the RADform showroom, hidden away in the George Brown campus. The practical is tucked imperceptively into the whimsical: Stately vases ($232, from Ibride, a line exclusive to RADform in North America) disassemble into sets of serving dishes, toy submarines ($100) hide soap dispensers and cotton-ball holders for your bathroom counter, and stacks of giant playing cards or headless dog sculptures (about $400) make for sturdy seating or shelving. You'll also find overstuffed industrial-chic sofas and chairs (which hide pull-out beds under the felt slipcovers, natch).

Trianon
The window-shopping afforded by this flamboyant decor shop at King and Sherbourne alone is enough to brighten a dreary day. Taking its name from a little retreat in the estate of Versailles, the store mixes custom pieces (goose-feather lighting fixtures, anyone?) with real-deal antiques. Check the tags for a piece's backstory: "Chicken wire armoire, hand painted walnut, early 1900s, France, $7500." While not all of the prices seem immediately justifiable, if you've ever wanted to liven up your place with an authentic Louis XIV chair reupholstered with penguin-print fabric, or perhaps a 1940s buffet lacquered bright yellow, this is your spot.

Ital Interiors
The product offerings at Ital Interiors - which, true to the name, focus on imports from Italian brands like Molteni & C and Flexform - are selectively-chosen and sparsely-displayed, in a restrained colour palette of greys and taupes. Despite that, the King and Berkeley showroom manages to read as remarkably inviting, from a showpiece Living Divani modular sofa (made of natural leather that feels like butter to the touch) to a jawdropping Boffi grey-marble sample kitchen.

Studio B
This massive showroom on the sleepy stretch of King east of Parliament is segmented by designer, with rich indoor pieces, like Holly Hunt leather-wrapped desks and gloriously-grained wooden shelving units, a stone's throw away from inventive outdoor furniture like nylon rope-back outdoor sofas by Kettal. Along the western edge of the showroom, there's a large selection of design classics by Walter Knoll and Herman Miller.

Calligaris
Devoted to the eponymous Italian brand's wares, Calligaris' aesthetic is colourful and vibrant while still rooted firmly in functionality. Hits of teal and mustard, and light retro touches like lozenge-shaped tables and cocoon-like chairs, are offset by clean-lined sofas and coffee tables in wood, glass and steel finishes. (Basically, this 100-year-old company makes what all your brightest, wackiest IKEA pieces want to be when they grow up.)

Kiosk
This cavernous open showroom boasts three concrete-and-glass floors of furniture from a surprisingly-tight selection of mostly European brands. B&B Italia rules much of the first floor, which features sculptural-yet-cozy furniture like the Husk armchair ($4066); you can also check out some lighting from Flos. Further up, there's a wealth of iconic pieces from Ligne Roset, including the French company's Ottoman and Togo sofas. Odds and ends live downstairs, including Artemide lighting fixtures by Issey Miyake tucked into a far corner.

UpCountry / Andrew Richard Designs
UpCountry's showroom, spread over two huge floors, follows the beat of its own drummer (Charlie Watts, perhaps, or Keith Moon). Mixed in with the KEDD's standard modern aesthetic, you'll find clubby, antique-like items like studded leather chairs and beat-up storage trunks, and a hearty dose of British iconography from the U.K.'s Timothy Oulton. Head to the back and you'll find the equally-massive Andrew Richard Designs, arguably the city's best-known resource for outdoor furniture. The eponymous local designer uses a patented synthetic weave called Solartex (with a few touches of wood, steel and even outdoor leather) to fashion everything from sleek sectionals and dining sets to mid-century modern-style tables and Louis XV armchairs.

Suite 22 Interiors
Suite 22 Interiors, located on Richmond St., is the brand-new downtown outpost of the four-year-old Italian modern furniture showroom in Markham. Though the atmosphere inside is bright and relaxed, their design cred is serious - sofas by Arketipo, modular couches and storage by Lago, and cheeky seating and shelving by Casamania all make an appearance, rounded out with Kartell accessories and Spectral entertainment units with built-in speakers from Germany.

Ma Zone
And now for something completely different: Ma Zone is all about colour, whimsy, and - refreshingly, for the area - value-oriented design buys. They have something for everyone, though everything may not be for everyone - does anyone really buy blown-glass knick-knacks anymore? The appeal of their kitchenware selection, however, is undeniable - handsome bottle-shaped spice grinders from MENU, anthropomorphic kitchen gear from Alessi, and sleek cookware from Iittala. I bet a set of polka-dot forks and knives would offset that poured-concrete dining table nicely.

Did I miss your favourite? Leave your picks for the top KEDD design stores in the comments.

Photo of Klaus by Dennis Marciniak.

The El Mocambo, one of Toronto's most iconic live music venues, looks to finished according to the venue's Facebook page and reports on social media. A Facebook post by co-owner Sam Grosso says of a November 6th show that "its [sic] all coming to end and were going to finish off with a blowout of a show all for a good cause." Oddly, however, this show is now taking place at the Hard Rock Cafe.

The venue was originally put on the market back in March at an asking price just shy of $4 million. Current speculation is that a computer store is set to takeover the space, but we've yet to receive confirmation from the owners that this is the case. It does, however, sound like one of the city's longest running concert venues is done, which would also put one of the city's most iconic signs in jeopardy.

The sign was meticulously restored back in 2012. If the El Mo is indeed done as a live music space, someone needs to save this bit of Toronto history. We will update with more details once we get in touch with the owners.

Photo by Chris Luckhardt in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Cask Days, Toronto's annual festival celebrating cask-conditioned craft beer, returns to the Evergreen Brick Works this year on October 24 and 25. With the festival now in its impressive 10th year, you'd think there wouldn't be much more to attending one of the city's biggest beer events than simply showing up and having a good time - but you'd be wrong. There are, in fact some rules to making the most of your Cask Days experience. Rules that I made up. Here they are.

1. Don't complain about the cold.
It's Canada. It's October. You're outdoors. We all know it's cold, so dress appropriately and suck it up. There are propane heaters scattered around, and lots (and lots) of beer around to warm your cockles. Bring your mitts and pour some beer in your complain-hole.

2. Know the lingo.
This isn't a Bud-Light-girls-and-fist-bumping-bros beer festival - this is mother-effing Cask Days, so be prepared to talk the talk. You're drinking cask beer (or real ale): unpasteurized and unfiltered beer served directly from a cask firkin (i.e. those little kegs) in which the beer has fermented, aided by the yeast that remains in the beer, allowing for more subtle carbonation and more complex flavours and aromas. So if you complain that your beer is flat or cloudy, you will probably be asked to turn in your drinking pants and leave.

3. Be prepared to drink a lot.
There are going to be over 300 different beers available from over 150 brewers, with more than a dozen based right here in the city (not to mention one of the best lineups of cider for any regular Toronto event). No matter how civilized your intentions, you're probably going to feel like an (alcoholic) kid in a (beer) candy store. That's OK. Just plan accordingly: for the love of god don't drive to the Brick Works (there's a shuttle bus included with your admission), drink lots of water before and after the event, and schedule your day after appropriately.

4. Eat something
Part of the fun of filling your belly with beer means making sure there's some decent eats in there to soak it all up. More vendors will be confirmed in the next week or so, but so far, Cask Days' organizers have you covered with food from Porchetta & Co, Hopgood's Foodliner, and Hogtown Charcuterie. And with so many beer nerds around, there will be no shortage of people available to tell you why your beer and food pairing choice is so wrong, you philistine.

5. Skip the usual suspects.
The organizers of Cask Days work hard to bring in beer from across Canada and the UK, so try some new beer, damn it. This year, they've also partnered with Cask Ale LA to bring in a selection of 40-plus firkins of the best beer California has to offer, many of which will be in Canada for the first time ever. The list of announced Cali brewers (thus far) includes Stone Brewing Co,Green Flash Brewing Co., Magnolia Brewing, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, and Modern Times Beer. It's OK to put down the Ontario pale ale (for today) and get a little crazy.

6. Don't get too crazy.
Cask Days is interesting because it showcases a lot of beers that are unique, but in my experience, there's always one or two beers that are overly "experimental" simply for the sake of being experimental. Sure, these wacky beers are the ones people will talk about ("A beer with pencil shavings?!"), but they are also generally the ones you won't finish. If you find yourself curious about the cucumber and mint IPA, back away. Save the token.

7. Pretend you're not just there for the beer.
The Morana family, this event's organizers, are also the owners of barVolo, the proprietors of Keep6Imports, and the reason we get to celebrate frigging Zwanze Day in Toronto. They don't just work hard to bring you shit-tons of fantastic beers - they give you stuff to look at and listen to at Cask Days when you run out of things to talk about with your friends, including an art gallery showcasing beer label design and work from featured artists Troy Lovegates and Mister Sleeep. And naturally there will be a soundtrack of "raw vinyl beats," because cooking your beats is so 2009.

8. Patience you must have.
Over the weekend, 5000 people will visit Evergreen Brickworks for Cask Days and, as is mandatory for beer festivals, there will be exactly one toilet. OK, not really. But when you have that many people vying for limited important resources - like beer, food, toilets, and the ATM (of which there really is only one) - there's bound to be at least some lining up. Bring cash, have patience, be courteous, and remember that we're all there to have a good time. And if you're hardcore about not missing a second of drinking time, consider taking matters into your own hands...

9. Don't wear a T-shirt emblazoned with the name of your favourite brewery.
Just don't be that guy.

10. Hurry up and buy your ticket.
Cask Days is not only virtually the undisputed king of Toronto beer events, it's also one of the largest cask-conditioned ale festivals in North America. So tickets are going fast. Session Two, which runs Saturday October 25 from 1-6pm, is already sold out but you can still get tickets for Session One, Friday 7pm-12am ($35), Session Three, Saturday 8pm-1am ($35), and "Last Call For Cask!" Sunday 12pm-6pm where, if you have a festival glass, you can soak up the dregs and bring the kids for just $5.

Ben Johnson also writes about beer over on Ben's Beer Blog. Follow him on twitter @Ben_T_Johnson.

What would you say to a ban on children in Toronto restaurants? The idea recently surfaced around our proverbial water cooler when a commenter complained that she was turned away from El Furniture Warehouse on account of her children. We followed up with the restaurant, which claims that it does not have an anti-kids policy but is merely mindful of who can and can't enter based on underage drinking.

It would probably be a PR disaster for a restaurant to come right out and say that it was banning children, but I can also imagine that this would be a very attractive rule for many Toronto diners who simply don't want to have to deal with kids crying, whining, and dumping food on the floor. I won't even mention the servers, who I'm quite sure would love to be free of that hassle.

We sent the question out to our Twitter followers this morning. Here's a little sample of the responses. Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments. Would it make sense to ban those under a certain age after a certain time?

@blogTO Nope! If its a matter of behaviour, kids are sometimes better behaved than adults.

— Jordan-na (@jordashna) September 17, 2014

@blogTO This is a democracy, so why not? I'm sure parents can find other restaurants to patronize if some chose this option.

— Peter Obradovich (@sweetpetetweets) September 17, 2014

@blogTO Yes. Every one except McDonalds.

— MMiotts (@MMiotts) September 17, 2014

@blogTO YESS. Until the age 16.

— dazaspaz (@dazaspaz) September 17, 2014

@blogTO if they want to, why not? There's adult-only vacation resorts, lounges, areas of cruise ships, spas, gyms, etc...

— Zack Fraser (@ZackFraser) September 17, 2014

@blogTO Why not? If I'm paying a few hundred dollars for a nice dinner, why should it be ruined by a screaming child?

— Miss Mel Payne (@missmelpayne) September 17, 2014

@blogTO would you ban senior citizens, or teenagers, or boomers from an establishment? Needs to be defensible across the board.

— Sam Nabi (@samnabi) September 17, 2014

@blogTO No, but I'd be all for an asshole ban.

— janeschmidt (@janeschmidt) September 17, 2014

@blogTO Yes - the ones owned by horrible pieces of shit who would like that fact known probably should?

— Gourmet Spud (@gourmetspud) September 17, 2014

That was fast. Though he's hardly said a word since replacing his brother as a candidate for mayor, Doug Ford's campaign has already got a parody website. The site popped up a few days ago and is getting steadily more popular. The slogan? "Elect Doug Ford: The Less Likeable One." Oh boy.

The site is as bare bones as it gets, featuring choice quotations from the elder Ford's time as a city councillor. But there really are some gems in the collection. Take, for instance, Ford's views on racism: "You can be racist against people who have a drinking problem. You can be racist against people that eat little red apples." Or what about his plans for the Port Lands? "The Ferris wheel is just a cash cow." And don't forget his solemn statement that the day his brother was stripped of his mayoral powers that it was "the worst day in Canadian history for democracy."

Check out the site for more DoFo-isms.

The best Afghan restaurants in Toronto tend to be concentrated in downtown, Scarborough and western fringes of the city. Whether offered in family-style restaurants or fast food establishments, grilled meats remain a specialty in Afghan restaurants,, often served in wraps or on platters with salad, naan and sometimes rice.

For those uninitiated, Afghan cuisine shares similarities and influences with flavours of the Middle East, Turkey and India. Open a menu and you'll likely discover a long list of kabobs (mainly chicken, lamb and beef), along with dumplings, puff pastries and Afghanistan's national dish, qabili pulau, a rice dish garnished with raisins, carrots and heaped over tender chunks of meat.

Here are the best Afghan restaurants in Toronto.

See also:

The best Persian Restaurants in Toronto
The Best Kebabs in Toronto

More than 35 years after it opened to the public, the Eaton Centre remains the largest shopping mall in Toronto. The massive galleried retail centre was built in phases, starting with the Dundas Street end in the mid 1970s. The first section of mall, the nine storey, 93,000 square metre anchor store, opened in 1977. The main section of the Eaton Centre, with the high glass roof, was completed in 1979 and filled with lush plants and babbling water features.

T. Eaton Co.'s historic store at Queen and Yonge, the Eaton's Annex, and several other smaller company-owned buildings vanished from the super block during construction of the Eaton Centre (early proposals nixed in the 1960s called for the demolition of Old City Hall and the Church of the Holy Trinity, but a concerted preservation effort ensured Eaton's wasn't able to redevelop the area as planned.)

Eaton's, the company that financed the mall and held the prime retail position in the building, folded in 1999. Sears Canada bought out its remaining assets before vanishing from the Eaton Centre late last year. The new anchor tenant is going to be Nordstrom.

This is what the Eaton Centre looked like during the salad days of the 1970s and 80s.

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

Images: City of Toronto Archives

Rob Ford has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that will require chemotherapy and possible radiation treatment or surgery.

"The diagnosis is a malignant liposarcoma," said Dr. Zane Cohen, an expert in colon and rectal surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital, who is leading the team caring for the mayor. "It arises from the soft tissue structures ... it has sixty different cell types, and that's what makes it a very rare tumour and a very difficult tumour, however we are optimistic about this tumour."

Cohen said the cancerous mass, which is about 12 cms in size, is located in the fatty tissue of the mayor's abdomen. A smaller, 2 cm nodule was found "in the buttock behind the left hip."

"We think it's a fairly aggressive tumour," Cohen said. He told reporters that the mayor will undergo three days of chemotherapy followed by a "wash out" period of 18 days, after which he will be temporarily discharged before receiving a second round of treatment. Despite the aggressive nature of the tumour, Cohen said he was confident in the hospital's treatment plan.

"I think he will have more good days than bad."

Ford was first hospitalized last week after complaining of abdominal pain. A subsequent CT scan at Humber River Hospital revealed the presence of a tumour, and Ford was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital for further treatment and a biopsy.

The mayor quit his re-election bid a day after moving downtown, allowing Doug Ford to take his place on the ballot Friday, moments before the 2 p.m. registration deadline. Rob said he would run for city councillor in Ward 2 against popular candidate Andray Domise instead.

"I can't begin to share how devastating this has been for Rob and our family," said Doug Ford in a written statement. "He is an incredible husband, father, brother and son and he remains upbeat and determined to fight this ... your kind words and well wishes mean everything to him right now. Rob will beat this."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement following news of the diagnosis. "The thoughts and prayers of all Canadians are with Mr. Ford and his family at this difficult time. We wish him a speedy and complete recovery and are certain that he will take on this fight with all of his characteristic tenacity and energy."

Ford was treated for appendicitis in 2009. In office, Ford was hospitalized with kidney stones in 2011 and a throat problem that aggravated his asthma in 2012. Liposarcomas, which comprise about one percent of all cancers, are not associated with organs and often develop within "muscles, tendons, connective tissue, fat, blood vessels, nerves, and joint tissue," according to the Mount Sinai Hospital website. "The exact cause of soft tissue sarcoma is not known."

The Toronto Sun reported on Tuesday that Ford had been handling a limited amount of paperwork from his bed. "I'm feeling pretty sick," he told confidant Joe Warmington. "You have got to carry on."

Despite being present at the hospital, Ford's brothers Doug and Randy, mother Diane, and wife Renata did not appear at the press conference.

It's not clear whether Ford will continue with his bid for councillor in Ward 2 or take a formal leave of absence from city hall.

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

Image: John Tavares/blogTO Flickr pool.

Photo by Subjective Art in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto the JFL42 comedy festival including the likes of Nick Offerman and Lena Dunham begins its assault on your tender funny bone. Toughen up with our preview here. Trampoline Hall's Sheila Heti will launch her new book Women in Clothes (with contributions by Dunham) with a clothing swap and reading at gravitypope.

Weird Things' gallery on Bathurst is showing art by Tonetta (theTonetta), and down the street you can check out the Manifesto art exhibition at 918 Bathurst. The Aga Khan Museum of Islamic art will open its doors to the public, and one of the best dance parties of the month will go late at Adelaide Hall with Andy Stott. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Comedy: JFL42
• Art: Manifesto art exhibition (918 Bathurst)
• Art: Aga Khan Museum public opening
• Party: Andy Stott + Demdike Stare (Adelaide Hall)
• Art: September Group Show (Weird Things)
• Lit: Women in Clothes (gravitypope)
• Lifestyle: Fall Home Show (Better Living Centre)
• Theatre: Buddies' 2014/15 Season Launch Party (BIBT)
• Music: Walk of Fame (Massey Hall)

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

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

• Remy's at 115 Yorkville Ave. shuttered this summer to undergo a complete revamp and reopened this week (at least part of it) under the name Montage Yorkville. The rooftop patio is the first to open while a private members club called the Green Room and a downstairs dining room are slated to open in the coming weeks.
• Nuit Social is now open at 1168 Queen St. West the former home of Happy Child. The new spot is focused on cocktails, craft beers and sharable plates like charcuterie, cheese boards and olives.
• Muncheez Deli Creperie (7181 Yonge St., Unit 21) in Markham at Yonge St. and Steeles Ave. is now open and serving up made-to-order savoury crepes packed with cold cuts.

RECENTLY REVIEWED

• Saturday Dinette
• Branca
• New Toronto Fish and Chips

OPENING SOON

• Little Fin (140 Yonge St.), the latest seafood-centric concept from the Chase Hospitality Group, has announced its opening date will be October 6.
• The Wedding Cake Shoppe at 859 College St. is soon to be rebranded with a wider audience in mind. The bakery is set to reopen as the Bake Shoppe on Saturday, September 27, and will offer nostalgic desserts like mini pies, cookies, whole cakes and pop tarts.

CLOSED

• The outpost of ACME Burger Co. at 532 Church St. is dunzo.

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

Photo from our profile of Bricco.

The TTC wallet wasn't enough for you, eh? Perhaps you're a more "discerning" person, with "refined" tastes, and you "require cards other than a Metropass" to get you through your day. Looks like a Toronto designer has come up with, and is currently crowdfunding, the solution to your cash-and-card-related woes: The TRIBE wallet, which is actually more of a souped-up money clip, made with "aerospace-grade carbon fibre" (because you might need to fly this thing, you never know), a little elastic, and either brushed steel or 24K gold.

Your cash and cards get wedged between the two carbon-fibre plates, with the elastic expanding to fit; if you're looking for a specific card, you can pinch the bottom of the wallet to fan your cards out for easy browsing. As a bonus, the wallet doubles as a phone stand, and can be upgraded with RFID blockers and a bottle opener. It's a well-engineered design - and it's already a popular one, with the $8,000 campaign currently standing at $26,000 and counting.

Lest you think they're content to just stick with selling good design on its own merits, though, the TRIBE Kickstarter's promo video bends over backwards to remind backers that this is a Luxury Product for Influencing Tastemakers. Suggested pairings include: rows and rows of gold bars, faceless sexy dancer ladies, French manicures, excessive cleavage, Luxury Cars™, and wearing your clubbing attire to eat sushi on a rooftop patio at 3pm. Get yourself cleaned up, you hopeless schlub, then head to Kickstarter to preorder your a TRIBE of your own, starting at $45.

Photo via TRIBE Kickstarter.

Toronto's transit infrastructure is so badly in need of expansion that at least one group is taking matters into its own hands. LineSix Transit, a reference to Drake's moniker for Toronto, is a crowdfunding initiative for transit expansion in Toronto. If you fund it, the people will ride... so the thinking goes. That's especially true when the financial support comes tied to seats on the bus, as is the case here.

The first iteration of the route will extend from Liberty Village to Union Station, with a pilot between October 6th and 10th. Service runs in the morning (only), with each person who pledges $25 or more getting a guaranteed spot on the bus. The crowdfunding goal is a modest $2,500 for the pilot, of which $1,400 is already accounted for.

While I think that afternoon service would be more useful (and popular) than service from Union in the morning, this little experiment should serve as a valuable testing ground to see if there's an appetite a DIY approach to transit expansion. What do you think? Could this be a way to improve commuter service in Toronto?

Photo by Ben Roffelsen in the blogTO Flickr pool.

While the decor is decidedly sparse, this humble take-away shop is home to some delicious South Indian staples. The menu features made to order dosas, hearty curries and ample vegetarian selections that are easy on the wallet and incredibly satisfying.

Read my profile of The Tiffin Box in the restaurants section.

Last night, at beerbistro, a few dozen representatives of Ontario's beer scene, assorted media, and beverage enthusiasts gathered for the 2014 edition of the The Golden Tap Awards, which bills itself as "Ontario's most democratic beer awards event."

Organized by beer-guy-about-town, Cass Enright, the awards lay claim to that title because they are chosen by the general public so, while something like the Ontario Brewing Awards--chosen by a panel of judges--might be considered the Oscars of Ontario beer, The Golden Tap Awards are essentially the industry's People's Choice Awards.

As has historically been the case, Toronto was well represented at the 2014 Golden Tap Awards, with our centre-of-the-universe-bars, brewers, and events scooping up a rather staggering 13 of the 16 voted awards. Notably, Great Lakes Brewery was named Best Microbrewery in Ontario, unseating Vankleek Hill's Beau's All Natural Brewery, who had previously taken home that distinction every year since 2009.

In addition to the voted awards, the Golden Tap Awards recognize a small selection of achievements that may be overlooked by a voting process that tends to favour obvious or outspoken candidates. These awards, called the Editor's Circle Awards, also featured some local content, toasting George Millbrandt, the owner of C'est What for his years of support for Ontario beer and Nickel Brook Brewery in Burlington for seriously upping their beer game in the last few years.

Here is complete list of last night's honourees:

• Best Microbrewery - Great Lakes Brewery
• Best Brewery for Cask-Conditioned Ale - Great Lakes Brewery
• Best Brewpub or Tied House - Bellwoods Brewery
• Best Cidery - West Avenue Cider
• Best Regularly-Produced Beer - Beau's Lug-Tread Lagered Ale
• Best Seasonal or Specialty Beer - Great Lakes Brewery's THRUST! An IPA
• Best Cask Ale - Granite Brewery's Hopping Mad
• Best Bar for Draught Beer Selection - Bar Hop
• Best Bar for Packaged Beer Selection - Bar Volo
• Best Bar for Cask Ale - Bar Volo
• Best Beer Event in Ontario - Cask Days
• Best Beer Writer - Ben Johnson
• Best Bar Staff - Bar Hop
• Best Newcomer - Side Launch Brewing
• Most Innovative Brewery in Ontario - Bellwoods Brewery
• Best Packaging Design & Label Artwork - Beau's All-Natural Brewing

Editor's Circle Awards

• Buster Rhinos& the Durham Craft Beer Festival
• The Society of Beer Drinking Ladies
• Beau's Oktoberfest
• George Milbrandt & C'est What
• Nickel Brook Brewery

Brewmaster's Choice Award (favourite beer as chosen by the province's brewers)

• Lone Pine IPA from Sawdust City Brewery

Ben Johnson also writes about beer over on Ben's Beer Blog. You can follow him on twitter @Ben_T_Johnson.

Photo from Great Lakes Brewery's Facebook page