Charities in Toronto offer a wide range of services, like support, shelter, food, and mentorship to those in the city who need it most. From preventative measures for our youth to recovery assistance for those who have fallen on hard times, these organizations help make our beautiful city a better place. Head to their websites to find out more about how you can donate or volunteer with these organizations.

Here are 10 under the radar charities in Toronto.

Frontlines
Since 1987, Frontlines in Weston has been a place for youth to come in, hang out, and feel safe. The organization still maintains a strong presence, attracting disadvantaged youth seeking mentorship opportunities and offering up the skills and knowledge needed to prosper.

Sistering
Located in Bloorcourt village, Sistering is an organization devoted to women who have fallen on hard times and are looking for a safe place to drop in to. Here these women are able to get a hot meal, a shower, take part in support and recreational programs, and much more.

Parc
To help those who deal with poverty, addiction, mental health and other issues, Parc opened its doors over 30 years ago and still remains a pivotal part of the Parkdale community. There are four main programs at Parc consisting of a drop in program, an outreach program (working more one on one with staff), a peer outreach program, and affordable housing options.

St. Alban's Boys & Girls Club
St. Alban's Boys & Girls Club, with its main location on Palmerston near Dupont, is a great place for youth to come and join in on any number of programs they have on offer. Programs range from tutoring and mentoring, to aquatic and recreational activities. Adults are also welcomed to drop in for meditation and fitness classes.

Dixon Hall
Dixon Hall in Corktown aims to create opportunities for everyone from high-risk youth and isolated seniors to immigrants and the homeless. One of their signature partnerships, Out of the Cold provides shelter to the homeless community in Toronto - something that's much needed particularly when the winter's deep freeze begins to set in. There are currently 19 different faith groups in Toronto that provide this service, with Dixon Hall being the main point of contact.

The Peer Project
The Peer Project (also known as Youth Assisting Youth) in North York matches children aged 6 - 15 with youth volunteers aged 16 - 29 to provide mentorship and guidance to potentially at-risk children. With prevention being the main goal, there are various programs including one on one mentorship and Saddle Up (a therapeutic horse riding program).

One More Wear
The One More Wear Foundation, located near Dufferin Grove, accepts donated clothing for those living in poverty. With an aim to aid those looking for employment or simply looking to pursue their goals, they offer job seminars and workshops on top of helping people to feel more confident in their clothing.

Barbra Schlifer Clinic
The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic in Little Italy is a place where women can free themselves from violence. Offering counseling, legal representation, and language interpretation, this clinic is run by skilled women for women to help end violence and rebuild lives.



Microskills
While its head office is situated in Etobicoke, Microskills helps individuals in communities all throughout Toronto to make better lives for themselves. Their programs help with settlement, employment or self-employment, and enabling people to become more self-sufficient and economically stable.

What other Toronto-based charities do more people need to know about? Add them to the comments.

Writing by Chynna Wilson. Photo via PARC on Facebook.

Spike Lee must have gotten tipped off about Toronto's mania for all things that come with the suffix "pop up," including Drake's success, because on Saturday his The Spike & Mike Pop-Up arrived in Toronto, only the second city to play host to the transient shop. At Livestock on Spadina, fans lined up to meet Lee and grab merch celebrating the 25th anniversary of Do The Right Thing.

In the spirit of the holidays, fans had to make a purchase in order to get an autograph from Lee. On hand were tees, books, baseball caps, and street signs for "Do the Right Thing Way." Backpacks designed in collaboration with Sprayground and "Defend Brooklyn" and "40 Acres and a Mule" (Lee's production company) swag was also up for grabs.

In line, ages ranged from young kids to older fans, all waiting to get a signature on their memorabilia - sneakers, Knicks gear, posters, artwork, basketballs, vinyl, DVDs and even one short film script from film student (Lee wrote/commanded "Make a great film").

Winnie Harlow from America's Next Top Model showed up to say hi to Spike and pick up a shirt, and Nav Bhatia, aka the Sikh "Raptors Super Fan," also came out to meet his counterpart -- the "Knicks Superfan" -- and talk b-ball.

Lee was good in spirits despite his beloved Knicks poor performance this season. He was happy to be in Toronto ("It's Always Good to Come to Toronto"), and there's now some talk of taking the pop up, which has its original stand in Brooklyn, to Atlanta, Chicago, and other cities.

More photos of the Spike Lee pop up in Toronto:Photos and some writing by Alejandro Santiago

This beer bar opened in the late spring, and quickly became a hit for Bloorcourt locals looking to imbibe on interesting brews not readily available at other bars in the area. While the place has an inviting neighbourhood vibe, the beer really is the thing here, with a rotating selection on draught and a large stock of bottles that you won't find at the LCBO.

Read my review of Wise Bar in the bars section.

The top events in Toronto this winter should add some excitement to your brand new Pug Puppies calendar (not that it needs it). Look forward to a huge art installation at Union Station, a merging of fine dining and indie music, and festivals for film fans, fringe theatre lovers, and geeks. If you didn't know about the Pug Puppies calendar, sorry for spoiling the surprise.

Here are my picks for winter's can't-miss events in Toronto.

See also:50 things to do this winter in Toronto 2015

Canada's Top Ten (January 2-11, TIFF)
TIFF excites the city each year, but it's our homegrown talent that fills our hearts with pride the most. The nominees for best Canadian picture are Denis Villeneuve's Enemy, Michael Dowse's The F Word, and Xavier Dolan's Mommy. In addition to these major films, the festival will Canadian docs and feature interviews with Naomi Klein, Avi Lewis, and Agent Johnny Utah (you know, Keenu Reeves). DF

Next Stage Theatre Fest (January 7 - 18)
The Toronto Fringe's annual Next Stage fest is a must-hit for indie (/punk?) theatre fans, as is the beer tent. Tickets and schedule are available via Next's website.

Villa Toronto (January 16-23, Union Station)
Co-organized by Raster Gallery in Warsaw and Art Metropole, over 20 contemporary art galleries will take over Union Station for Villa Toronto, a major contemporary art festival that's previously been held in Tokyo and Reykjavik. Concerts and other events will run in conjunction with the fest. Read more here. DF

Toronto Design Offsite Festival (January 19-25)
Each winter, design installations and unusual prototypes get rolled into public spaces for Design Offsite. This year's fest features screenings, panels, window installations, and more; check out the festival's site for the growing lineup. A highlight each year is the Gladstone's Come Up to My Room exhibit, which gives designers free rein on the hotel's rooms on the second and third floor. DF

Eat and Greet the Band (Starts January 24)
Dinner and a show? Collective Concerts and Rose & Son's is kicking off a series of pre-show dinners where fans will have the chance to mingle and munch with their favourite musical acts. The first event happening Saturday January 24 at the Phoenix will feature a menu from Big Crow tailored to the tastes of Canadian alt-country trio, Elliott Brood. LI

Winterlicious (January 30 - February 12)
The prolific prix-fixe festival returns at restaurants citywide. 2015's menus have been released by the City of Toronto. Over 200 restaurants are participating, including Spice Route on King who plan to recreate an Asian street market. LI

Roundhouse Winter Craft Beer Festival (January 31, Steam Whistle Brewery)
The second annual Winter Craft Beer Festival hosted by Steam Whistle Brewery returns to the Roundhouse Park from 11am to 5pm. Over 20 breweries and 5 food trucks have already confirmed they'll be in attendance, and the first 500 people through the gates will get a 2015 festival toque. Tickets are on sale now for $20 (+$5 at the gate). LI

Winterfolk Music Festival (February 13-15, The Danforth)
Winterfolk's 13th will give Toronto's down home music fans the chance to see 150 urban, blues, rock, jazz, country, folk and roots music artists performing on multiple stages in the Danforth and Broadview area. Performers are TBA.

Wavelength 15 (February 13-15)
Get in the know with Toronto's weird scene at Wavelength. For the first time ever the fest will stretch across multiple venues as it celebrates its 15th year with a theme of Past, Present and Future. The line up is TBA, but expect some local favourites and a lot of up and coming talent. If you can't wait, check out Class of 2014 at Silver Dollar.

ComicCon (March 20-22, Metro Toronto Convention Centre)
Hobby Star's Toronto Comicon is baby brother to Fan Expo, but it's one of the year's biggest fan events. The schedule is TBA, but eager geeks should expect entertainment, vendors, speakers, and much more.

What did I miss? Leave the winter events you're most looking forward to in the comments.

Contributions by Derek Flack, Liora Ipsum

The best kebabs in Toronto are juicy, plump, and imparted thoroughly with marinade and the char-broiled flavours of an open flame. While recipes vary by country of origin, you'll find these succulent skewers on menus of Persian, Turkish, North Indian and Middle Eastern influence.

Here are the best kebabs in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Afghan Restaurants in Toronto
The Best Persian Restaurants in Toronto

While many suburbanites now call Toronto home, a huge number would deny the fact they were ever spawned North of Bloor. Regardless, there are often tell-tale signs that prove otherwise.

Here are 10 signs you grew up in Brampton.

1. You swear the burgers at Sonny's are way better than anything in Toronto. And if you've ever been there at 3am you've witnessed drunk dudes drinking ketchup from the dispenser.

2. You used to hang out at Bramalea City Centre's food court after school to see your friends from other schools, but you had to try and "borrow" a bus ticket from someone else to get there.

3. You went to Silver City Movie Theatre in Trinity Commons every Friday night, not to watch a movie but to hang out, gossip and show off new outfits.

4. You remember the "old" Shopper's World including the best Pizza Hut there ever was (it had a SUNDAE BAR). There also used to be a Jumbo Video where everyone would score free popcorn and rent video games.

5. You had a birthday party at McDonald's on Queen St. or Main St. as a child. As an adult you visited the same McDonald's and wait 20-minutes in line only to have the cashier kiss their teeth at you and give you the wrong order. Other birthday party destinations include Laser Quest and Discovery Zone.

6. You've attended at least half a dozen birthday parties at Professor's Lake Recreation Centre and one dance at Loafer's Lake.

7. You've gone ice skating at Gage Park and attempted to spend New Year's Eve there. Other forms of entertainment were the Century Gardens waterslide or the Balmoral Rope.

8. You know that at the Dairy Queen on Queen St the lines are ridiculous in the summer and you are going to be served by a 14 year-old with braces who doesn't put close to enough Oreo in your Blizzard.

9. You know how to properly spell and pronounce 'Chinguacousy'.

10. You were born at Peel Memorial Hospital and will never call is William Osler Health Centre.

What signs did I miss? Add your suggestions to the comments.

Photo via Sonny's.

Writing by Sabrina Tricarico.

The Guvernment has been counting down its last days since this past summer, and today they released their final plans for the doomed club, including Knife Party, Armin van Buuren, and Toronto's Deadmau5. The epic three day funeral will take place on January 2015's final weekend, Jan 23-25. Special guest eulogizers are said to include DVBBS, Zeds Dead, Cosmic Gate, and Danny Tenaglia.

After 17 years in Toronto the venue, Canada's largest and longest running nightclub, will be sorely missed, and while INK has hinted that they have a big plan for Toronto's dance scene, there's no word yet as to what's in store. The Guvernment building itself has been sold to developers, and the running suspicion seems to be that eventually the condo crowd will be bragging to their friends that they live in RPM. I'll back out of this post before people start talking about how I hate fun, but you can read more about the history of the storied venue here.

Learn more about the Guv and Kool Haus's final plans on their website.

Photo via A brief history of the Guvernment Nightclub

The 25th annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice kicked off winter with a bang (or, really, a blaze) on Sunday evening. Mildish temperatures brought hundreds out to witness wild pyrotechnic displays, huge puppets and various shadow play. The parade weaved its way through the Market before settling in at Alexandra Park for the night-defying display of fire breathers and spinners. As usual, it was a feast for the senses and an excellent way to forget that the cold is upon us.

Check out all the flame-filled action in this photo gallery.

Photo by andreas_marx in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto it's the last day of The Bloor's generous take on the holiday spirit, as they screen holiday classics including Elf, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and Die Hard (all today and tonight). At Round, you can belt out all your holiday stress (or cheer? I guess?) while dressed in your dapperest. Snacks will be on hand, but be be warned: there will be a group rendition of "Do they know it's Christmas." For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Holiday: Holiday Classics at the Bloor (Bloor Hot Docs CInema)
• Party: TR@MP $T@MP (The Beaver)
• Music: Karaoke Cult Annual Black Tie Party (Round)
• Open Mic: Open Mic Year End Clearance Farewell Party (751 Lounge)
• Art: Vera Frankel + pop up piano bar (MOCCA)
• Film: 2001: A Space Odyssey (TIFF)

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

What's open and closed Christmas Day in Toronto 2014

GENERAL

Closed

• Government offices and banks
• Libraries
• No mail delivery

TRANSIT

• The TTC will operate on Sunday service schedule with a start time of 9am.

FOOD

Closed

Major chains and grocers like No Frills, Fresh Co., Loblaws, Metro, T&T, Galleria Supermarket and Whole Foods, Pusateri's, Bloor Street Market and Galleria Supermarket will be closed, with a few confirmed exceptions listed below.

Open

• Arz Fine Foods (1909 Lawrence Ave. East) - 10am to 6pm
• Rabba's (various locations) - open 24 hours
• Food Depot (155 Dupont St., at Davenport) - open 24 hours
• Bloor Superfresh (384 Bloor St. West) - open 24 hours
• Kitchen Table (10 Queens Quay West) - 9am to 11pm
• Kitchen Table (389 Spadina Rd.) - 10am to 8pm
• Kitchen Table (595 Bay St., at Atrium on Bay) - 8am to 9pm
• Kitchen Table (705 King St. W.) - 9am to 11pm

DRINK

Closed

• All Beer Stores and LCBO stores will be closed.
• Wine Rack - all locations closed
• Local breweries like Steam Whistle, Mill St. Brewery, Amsterdam Brewhouse and Brewery, Bellwoods Brewery are closed

MALLS & ATTRACTIONS

Open

• The Pacific Mall (4300 Steeles Ave. East) - 11am to 8pm
• Ripley's Aquarium of Canada (288 Bremner Blvd.) - 9am to 8pm
• Movie theatres citywide are open - see show times for details

Closed

• Malls citywide are closed, including Eaton Centre, Vaughan Mills, Dufferin Mall, Yorkdale, Sherway Gardens, Fairview Mall, Scarborough Town Centre, Bayview Village
• The Art Gallery of Ontario
• The Ontario Science Centre
• The Royal Ontario Museum
• The Toronto Zoo

Did I miss anything? Add it to the comments below.

Photo by Tony Wei-Han Chen in the blogTO Flickr pool

This week on DineSafe, a convenience store at Queen East and Jones gets shutdown for gross unsanitary conditions. Familar names like Origin and Hogtown Vegan get yellow cards for far less severe infractions.

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

Hogtown Vegan (1056 Bloor St. West)
Inspected on: December 17, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant:2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Tara Inn (2365 Kingston Rd.)
Inspected on: December 16, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Origin (107 King St. East)
Inspected on: December 15, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Paramount Fine Foods (253 Yonge St.)
Inspected on: December 16, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 8 (Minor: 1, Significant: 6, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to wash hands when required.

Sashimi Island (635 College St.)
Inspected on: December 15, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Minor: 1, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Store hazardous foods at internal temperature between 4C and 60C.

Boom Breakfast Co. (174 Eglinton Ave. West)
Inspected on: December 18, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Leslieville Diner (1186 Queen St. East)
Inspected on: December 19, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

J&C Variety (1170 Queen St. East)
Inspected on: December 19, 2014
Inspection finding: Red (Closed)
Number of infractions: 1 (Minor: 1, Significant: 4, Crucial: 3)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to prevent gross unsanitary conditions. Operator fail to handle approved eggs as required. Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Rice bowls, smoothies and grains with unpronounceable names are enjoying a major moment in Toronto, but Fresh predated the entire trend; the local chain has been slinging vegan bowls and fresh juices for over a decade.

Now, Fresh is getting in on the massive local trend for cold-pressed juices adding some bottled cold-pressed options onto their existing roster.

For the uninitiated, cold-pressed juicing uses a hydraulic process that applies very little heat to the ingredients, with the aim being to preserve as many nutrients and enzymes as possible. (It's all the rage with health-conscious folks, and features at many of the city's new juice bars.)

Starting Sunday, Fresh will be be bottling up eight cold-pressed juices and four nut milks nightly for grab-and-go the next day at all four of their locations, plus some other vendors (to be revealed in the New Year); the 8-oz. and 11-oz. bottles will go for between $6 and $11.

In the meantime, the trend looks set to continue, with even more cold-press bars in the works for 2015. Press onward, juice lovers.

Photo via Fresh.

Though this vintage shop has been in pop-up mode in Parkdale for the past few months, they finally have a home to call their own up the road on Queen St. Stop by for well-priced vintage basics for guys and gals - and more than enough weird, wacky pieces to punch them up.

Read my profile of 96 Tears Vintage in the fashion section.

If you haven't caught on yet, we've started a quarterly series where we round up the top remixes released by Toronto-based producers during that past season. For those who would like to play catch up, be sure to look back at our spring and summer editions. Some new names popped up this season, which just goes to show how deep our pool of talent is.

Here are my selections for the top five remixes released in autumn 2014.

Odesza - Its Only ft. Zyra (Free n Losh Remix)
This talented duo flexed their ability to put their signature spin on a more modern tune. In this remix of Odesza's "It's Only" they've developed some beautiful soundscapes that ooze of serenity, accompanied perfectly by Zyra's vocals, effectively creating theme music that would be fitting to any fairy tale. The sparse production leaves enough room to breath during the verses but becomes heavy when it needs to be (insert swooning Kenny G esque saxophone in chorus).

T.I. - No Mediocre ft. Iggy Azalea (Grandtheft Remix)
He's baaaaack - that's three for three so far for Grandtheft in our quarterly remix round ups. He's been quite the globetrotter this fall, having played shows across the USA, Australia, China, Singapore, Indonesia and Japan, to name a few countries. This flip bangs in a club setting, thanks to production riddled with 808s, sirens and other heavy synths. Excited to hear more from him in the New Year. 4/4?

Jack U - Take U There ft. Kiesza (Pusher Remix)
This might be the most moving remix on our list, crossing modern sub-genres from beginning to end. He's chopped up Calgary's own Kiesza's vocals and surrounded them with intricate trappy drums and blaring neon synths the reek of the future bass scene. If you aren't familiar with Pusher yet, you can check him play alongside Thugli and Grandtheft on January 30th at The Hoxton.

Marian Hill - Got It (Kill Them With Colour Remix)
This production duo spans across the country, with one member living in Toronto and another in Victoria. They have an impressive catalog of remixes and originals with various styles. The popularity of trip hop may have come and gone a while ago, but KTWC have grabbed onto some of the elements and sprinkled them over Marian Hill's Got It. The result is an R&B remix that might leave you dazed.

KDrew - Tonight (Hunter Siegel Remix)
US based label Good Game Records called on producer Hunter Siegel to transform KDrew's single Tonight, the first song off his Signals EP. He manipulated the vocals into something deep and eerie, then turned it into a soulful house track that has undoubtedly captivated dance floors whenever played.

What did I miss? Leave your favourite remixes by Toronto DJs and producers from fall 2014 in the comments.

Photo of Iggy Azalea by Jesse Milns

All this month, we're making playlists about the spirit of select Toronto neighbourhoods. Our third playlist takes a look at classic Queen West.

While it's now known more for shopping, Queen West used to be a lot more wild, and for many years was widely recognized as the epicentre of the Toronto live music scene. Some venues are long gone now, like the Bamboo, the Big Bop, and the 360, but a few of the originals are still around, and are often still booking a similar mix of sounds as they did back in the day.

People often talk about the feel of Queen West music scene of the 80s and 90s, but it's harder to pin down the actual sound. Country and roots rock were always big parts of what people love about the Horseshoe and the Cameron House, but punk rock and new wave are just as big a part of the history of the strip, not to mention the big reggae bass lines booming out of the Bamboo for many years.

If anything, Queen West's musical heyday was defined by the exciting friction between those scenes and sounds, and the unique cross pollinations that occurred.

Which 10 tracks would you use to celebrate Queen West? Make your own Spotify playlist and tweet us the link, or leave it in the comments below.

Image by Aldrin Taroy

Owing to the increasing number of brewers in the city, every year vetting the ever-growing output of craft beer made in Toronto to find the very best becomes a more and more difficult task. Thankfully, my constitution and my inability to deal with emotions make me uniquely suited to the task of consistently consuming large quantities of alcohol in my quest to find the beers that rise above the others.

Here are the fruits of my trauma-suppressing labours -- the top local beers of the last year.

Bellwoods Brewery's Motley Cru
The name given to the beer that Bellwoods opts to release on their birthday in April each year, the ingredients and process of this second installment had nothing to do with the first Motley Cru--and little to do with any other beer either. A blend of IPAs, Motley Cru was barrel-aged with funkifying Brett Lambicus yeast for 14 months before it was dry-hopped and then bottle-conditioned with fresh champagne yeast for another two months. The taste was simultaneously woody and fruity with vanilla, juicy peach, and even smoke and cherries. This a beer that you crack, smell, and sip, and then put your fist through some drywall in rage because you didn't buy more.

Great Lakes Brewery's THRUST! An IPA
People sometimes complain about Ontario's craft brewers and a perceived propensity toward "overly-hopped" beers. THRUST! An IPA is the beer that proves there is no such thing. This beer was hops on hops on hops and its execution proved how amazing that can be in the hands of an adept brewer. The Gold winning entry for the American IPA category at the 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards has citrus, mango, and stone fruit in the aroma and the flavour is big, juicy fruits balanced with resinous pine. The finish is perfectly bitter. If you can drink this and still talk shit about hoppy beer, you probably don't deserve to drink beer.

Amsterdam Brewery's Reserve Saison
Released around thanksgiving, this blend of several saisons from Amsterdam's cellars might be one of the best arguments yet that this province's beer can be as complex and interesting as its wines.Barrel-aged on lees, the dead yeast cells left over from wine fermentation, Reserve Saison is an absurdly delicious beer with aromas of fruit and funk that's equal parts tart, sweet, and smooth--but with an added richness and aromatic complexity that's rare in most barrel-aged sours. If you're looking to convert a wine lover to beer, this would do it, but let the winos sip their chardonnay and keep this one for yourself.

Indie Alehouse's 99 Luftballoons
This beer has been made prior to 2014, but this year's batch (there's one keg left, on tap now at Indie) was aged in chardonnay barrels about 6 months longer than previous batches, and for my tastes, the added depth makes it somehow so much better than previous iterations that it's practically a different beer. With notes that sound almost disparaging, this thin, low carbonation, tart beer manages a remarkable refreshingness while still being full of vaguely puckering flavours like oak and sour apple. Don't let the pre-2013 reviews on ratebeer and beeradvocate scare you off, this is a killer beer.

Bellwood's Brewery's Skeleton Key
If you told me you wanted to include anything related to rum in my beer, I'd probably run from you just as fast as I ran from the principal after the last time I drank rum and vomited on the gym floor at a high school dance. Fortunately, the folks at Bellwoods know how to make rum work and this beer, released in October, ended up mind-meltingly delicious. An imperial stout that was aged in rum barrels for an entire year with ginger, allspice, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, and juniper berries, Skeleton Key is about as rich, warming, and deep a stout as you're ever likely to find-- even though the sum'bitch weighs in at a plank-walking 13% alcohol.

Honourable mentions:

Left Field Brewery's Sunlight Park Saison - A near-perfect summer sipper made with grapefruit and named after the city's first baseball stadium.

Great Lakes Brewery's Limp Puppet - When the province started trending toward low-alcohol "session" beers, Toronto's residing hop king said, "Sure I can do that, too" and absolutely murdered the concept of hoppy beer you can drink all day.

Nickel Brook's Uber - In case you've been living under a rock, take note: Nickel Brook's brewer Ryan Morrow is seriously upping the Burlington brewery's beer game these days. Exhibit A: this near-perfect Berliner Weisse.

Sawdust City and Bar Hop's Blood of Cthulu - An imperial stout brewed in a collaboration between Gravenhurst's Sawdust City Brewery and staff from Toronto's Bar Hop, Blood of Cthulu features raspberries, cranberries and tart cherries and tasting notes that include the phrase "black as the blood of a malevolent demi-god." That's probably all you need to know.

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

Photo from Bellwoods Brewery

Yes, the top-notch, high-quality steaks are superb at this swanky and sleek new spot in Yorkville from the team behind Weslodge, Patria and Byblos. But so too are the Asian-American sharing plates, like seared scallops with oxtail dumplings, spicy hamachi in a yuzu vinaigrette and a whole branzino cooked in ponzu brown butter. The signature cocktails are worth a try too.

Read my profile of NAO Steakhouse in the restaurants section.

The top concerts in Toronto from 2014 were, to some extent, impossible to pinpoint, even beyond differing palates and opinions: with multiple concerts going on across the city every day, there's no way to see every mind-blowing, sweat-dripping, bone-chilling live performance. Summer overwhelmed us with concerts and festivals, but as we sit back now in the cold of December, the range between the shows we remember most fondly speaks volumes about the diversity we enjoy as a city.

Here are our picks for the 10 shows that meant the most to us in 2014.

Kraftwerk(March 29, Sony Centre)
This is how it feels when robots cry. Emotions were strong at Kraftwerk's Toronto show, with metal bodies thrilled to the mainframe by the rare appearance of the German electro gods. 3D visuals were very... Krafterwerkian, for better or for worse, but they included a CN Tower shout out. All in all our reviewer gave it 9.5 Tschernobyl melt-downs out of 10.

Death From Above 1979's come back shows
The return of DFA1979 seemed largely self propelled this summer, but they did a good job of stirring up local enthusiasm with two secret pop-up shows - the first at their pop up merch/tattoo shop at the old Edward Day Gallery Space, and the second in the former Sonic Boom space in Honest Ed's. Whether Toronto is chanting "DFA" or "Tina Fey," it's clear mosh pit-happy fans will always show up in force for these dudes.

Wild Bengal Tigers (May 15, The Music Gallery)
The Music Gallery ran a tight ship of exploratory music, and Emergents IV, Jason Doell& Germaine Liu's Wild Bengal Tigers, was a demonstration of why the city needs non-traditional spaces like this. A half unpacked kitchen lay out on stage, and instruments and objects lined the pews to the door. The minimalist performance was enchantingly physical - and surprisingly musical. AJ

Slowdive (October 28, Danforth Music Hall)
We'd been holding our collective breath for Slowdive to reunite for 20 years. The English shoegaze pioneers did not disappoint the sold out crowd, and their material showed zero signs of sounding dated (Pygmalion was released in 1995). Solo at the Dakota in 2013 Neil Halstead had said, a twinkle in his eye, that a Slowdive reunion wasn't out of the question. Hearing his warm vocals paired with Rachel Goswell's angelic voice made it feel like things had come full circle. WL

Tanya Tagaq
Of a handful of Tagaq's Toronto appearances this year, I first made it to her Lula Lounge show with Lido Pimienta, where the two respectively, then together, won over every person in the room. Inuit throat singer and Bjork collaborator Tagaq, shrieking "colonizer, colonizer," is a Francis Bacon painting come to life, CanCon style, and her rise in 2014 to her current position as Canada's most important musician was capped by fall's Polaris win (after she won over yet another room). AJ

Double Cuts, Whitney Rose, NQ Arbuckle, Ferraro, Sam Cash & the Romantic Dogs, Zeus (June 21, Cameron House)
While Sam Cash, NQ Arbuckle, and Whitney Rose all had showcased shorter sets as second billing at the Horseshoe the night before, the Cameron House NXNE outdoor stage was their moment in the sun this summer. The swing-danceable Double Cuts opened the weather-perfect afternoon for extended sets, and rockers Zeus closed out the day to a crowd of 300+. RA

Run the Jewels (November 26, Danforth Music Hall)
After stellar NXNE sets, Run the Jewels made a triumphant return in fall despite fire that stranded their intended openers. Killer Mike and El-P were in full force delivering passionate, politicized lyrics. Songs touching on police violence hit especially hard just days after the Ferguson grand jury verdict. The rowdy crowd knew every, word and the sense of community was palpable. DB

Constantines (October 2, Danforth Music Hall)
A lot of bands are bringing polish to their live shows. Constantines just pour on the raw energy, and every band member matches Bry Webb's electrical current. It's unadulterated. It's authentic. It gets your hands in the fucking air. Reunited after a four year hiatus, Constantines didn't disappoint at summer fests (they were standouts at Field Trip), but they're at their best playing to diehard fans in a theatre. RB

The Space Lady (November 15, Double Double Land)
Double Double Land's 5th anniversary was Kensington's most magical night of the year. The Space Lady docked in from San Francisco to cap off to the venue's birthday weekend, playing psychedelic covers and a few touching originals for a packed house. I haven't seen this many smiles at a Toronto show since the Induced Labour reunion. AJ

Token photog's pick: The Weeknd (September 21, Molson Amphitheatre)
This was probably the best show I saw all year. It was just an epic show: the band was tight, girls were taking off their panties and throwing them on stage, there were clouds of ganja, everyone sang along to every syllable, and it rained all night but no one left. He's like MJ with a dirty mouth. AS

See also

The top 10 dance parties in Toronto during 2014
The top 10 Toronto music videos of 2014

What did we miss? Let us know your top 10 live shows of the year in the comments.

Contributions by Ryan Bolton, Wini Lo, Dorian Barton, Alejandro Santiago, Ryan Ayukawa

Kraftwerk photo by Roger Cullman, Honest Ed's and Cameron House photos by Matt Forsythe, Tanya Tagaq by Alejandro Santiago

Here's a tip: If you're going to mug a restaurant owner carrying a till's worth of cash, don't pick the dude who runs a place called "Barberian's." Steakhouse owner Arron Barberian was forced to lay a beatdown on a would-be mugger Monday morning, after a man approached him from behind and attempted to grab his cash.

In a pair of videos posted by the restaurant to YouTube, Barberian grabs him by the shirt and manages to kick and shove the man before swinging him into the pavement. The man eventually manages to flee. (The cash, which fell aside in the tussle, is seen being picked up by a bystander, who returned it.)

The restaurant posted the video to social media, keen to brag about Barberian's brawling capabilities. If nothing else, it serves as a warning to anyone else who wants to get some of those steakhouse dollars for themselves. The man is his own security system. (At least he's got the wrestling name already sorted.)

This is why you don't mess with the Boss!!! El Hefe Arron Barberian gave a wanna-be-robber the gears this morning https://t.co/yvxZnkp7Rk

— Barberians Steak TO (@barberiansTO) December 23, 2014