The top art galleries in Hamilton speak to a city in the midst of a cultural renaissance. There are more galleries tucked into this relatively small urban centre than you'll find anywhere else in the country. While not all galleries stand the test of time (it was sad to see Manta close), the fact that so many have opened in a short span of time highlights the demand in the city for arts programming.

Part of the vibrancy of the arts scene can be chalked up to the bi-monthly art crawls, which brings masses of people out to the James St. North District. Less heavily invested in big commercial sales as Toronto's galleries, the art spaces here are open and inviting with a palpable sense of community.

Here are my picks for the top art galleries in Hamilton.

Art Gallery of Hamilton
Hamilton's primary public art gallery (open since 1914) might fly under the radar compared to institutions in Toronto, but this is a serious art centre with impressive holdings and consistently exciting programming. The recent Cezanne still life exhibition is but one example of the marquee shows featured here. The upcoming Robert Burley exhibit also exemplifies the quality of work displayed here.

Hamilton Artists Inc.
An artist-run centre since 1979, Hamilton Artists Inc. is one of the anchors of the James St. North art scene. Specializing in the work of local and Canadian artists, this is space that showcases both mid-career and established artists. A renovated outdoor courtyard should only increase the popularity of the gallery this summer.

McMaster Museum of Art
Fans of Canadian art will find a visit to McMaster worthwhile. The gallery is home to a permanent collection of over 6,000 works that trace a long artistic tradition, while regular programming ranges from exhibitions featuring the work of Canadian icons like Tom Thomson and Lawren Harris to photographers like Alexander Rodchenko to the rising stars of the contemporary Canadian art scene.

Centre 3
Started as the Print Studio in 2004, the original goal was to provide printmaking services to local artists. As the Hamilton art scene blossomed, so too did the space, becoming a digital arts hub in addition to a traditional printmaking facility. Education is a major part of Centre 3's mandate, with a range of courses and workshops on offer alongside the exhibition programming.

Earls Court Gallery
One of Hamilton's most established commercial galleries, Earls Court opened back in 1973. It now occupies a sprawling space on Ottawa St. North. While framing services are still offered at the gallery, the exhibition calendar is robust, featuring lots of landscape work from Canadian artists.

b contemporary
Part of the thriving James St. North scene, b contemporary shows mid-career artists, many of whom have a connection to the Hamilton arts community. The mix of work displayed here is diverse, ranging from painting to sculpture to photography. The gallery also offers framing services.

Gallery 4
Located in the Central Library, this gallery is actually one of the oldest to call the James St. North district home. It's an arts space that shows to work of emerging local artists in a public setting with a steady flow of traffic. Occasionally more established artists will show experimental work here as well.

HIStory + HERitage
Toronto history fans should be jealous of this institution, as it's a gallery that's specifically dedicated to showcasing Hamilton's history (something that Hogtown lacks). It's a relatively small space, but the curators do a good job of keeping the programming diverse so that it appeals to both tourists and locals alike.

James North Studio
This is a lively artist-run gallery that shows work in a variety of disciplines. The art is both affordable and accessible and the people that run the space are the furtherest thing from pretentious. Stop in here to see the work of emerging artists.

Carnegie Gallery
Located in Dundas just outside of Hamilton, the Carnegie Gallery takes its name from the beautiful former library it calls home. The focus is more on arts and crafts than other galleries on this list, but it's a highly engaged arts space with juried exhibitions on a monthly basis, and a well-stocked shop featuring the original work of local artists.

What did I miss? Add your suggestions in the comments.

Writing by Veronika Mann. Photo of Centre 3 by Jesse Milns.

The top stores to buy a sofa in Toronto offer options that balance style, comfort, and functionality. Customizable and modular pieces are in, with many of us wanting specific fabrics, colours, and layouts to suit our needs. As the epicenter of the home, a sofa is arguably the most important piece of furniture you'll buy. Thankfully, there's no shortage of options when shopping for the perfect one.

Here are my picks for the top stores to buy a sofa in Toronto.

EQ3
With their products "mostly made in Canada," the Winnipeg-based company has their own line and also carries Herman Miller. Top sellers from their collection of sofas include Oskar, Reverie, Salema, and Solo. For many of their pieces, the legs and configurations can be tailored to your liking, plus they have 80 fabrics and 50 leathers to choose from.

Pavilion
The clean and simple modern furniture at Pavilion is designed and, for the most part, made in Canada. Offering their own ready-to-go line as well as custom made pieces, they have a selection of couches scaled to fit city-living.

Shelter
The 20,000 square foot showroom frequented by home-savvy, fashion-forward young professionals is filled with an eclectic mix of quality, modern furniture, about 90 per cent of which are exclusive to the store. For a clean-look at a better price point than high-design boutiques, Shelter is definitely worth checking out.

CB2
The more affordable sister-line to American retailer Crate and Barrel, CB2 offers fun and functional modern pieces catering to the condo crowd. Hailing themselves as "affordable modern," CB2 carries a wide variety of styles for big and small spaces alike.

Suite 22
New to downtown, Suite 22's stock is almost all Italian-made and features very unique pieces from top designers around the world. They're the only ones who carry Lago, a line using glass legs to create an innovative, floating look.

Mjolk
While they don't have a huge selection, the pieces they do carry are so beautiful that Mjolk is worth highlighting. Selling mostly Danish furniture, the sofas all have a handcrafted element to them, like a wooden base.

Klaus
With impeccable taste and a history dating back 48 years, the family-run store imports select brands from Europe and has their own revered line, Niemkamper, which is manufactured in Toronto and exported all around the world. They can make pieces to order and everything from dimensions to colour to fabric can be tailored to your specifications.

BoConcept
Frequented by condo owners looking for affordable luxury with a focus on both design and functionality, Danish line BoConcept's sofas are for the most part modular and all customizable. Rather than trying to visualize the final product based on a tiny sample, they have a wall of full-size swatches, allowing you to cover most of the couch and really get a sense of the look and feel.

Elte Market
The more affordable sister-store to Elte, frequented by designers and home owners alike. The huge, urban loft-like showroom has a plethora of options on display including a giant, orange, semi-circle sectional.

Stylegarage
Having settled into their warm and spacious new home on Ossington, Stylegarage continues to offer their own custom made-to-order line, as well as ready-to-go options from sister-brand Gus. On the custom side, they offer a wide selection of modular, reconfigurable pieces and hundreds of leather and fabric options to choose from.

What did I miss? Add your suggestions for top stores to buy a sofa in the comments.

Photo of Shelter Furniture by Dennis Marciniak

As if poutine in its purest form isn't already an indulgence, Toronto has given birth to some pretty tricked-out versions. Among the most over-the-top is this O.G Loaded Poutine ($12.50) from The Original Gyro Grill.

It's not just some snack, but rather an entire meal of meat and potatoes, complete with its own side of tzatziki.

The family-run takeout counter in the Annex builds the dish over a massive pile of golden fries. It's generously dusted in salty feta then doused in a sweet and savoury house gravy before being finished with jalapeños rings, a drizzle a chipotle sauce, and then, a medley of chicken, pork and lamb gyro meats.

If that's too extreme for your tastes, fear not; feta poutine with a choice of just one type of gyro ($7.50-$8.95) is available too. Go with the lamb. It's the priciest of the three, but easily the most succulent.

Thanks to IBM for sponsoring this post. IBM Watson's cognitive system helps chefs create new recipes and helps businesses cook up new ideas.

Know of any Toronto restaurants doing interesting takes on poutine? Let us know in the comments.

Bestival, a UK music festival with a "summer of love" meets renaissance fair vibe, has announced its moving over the Atlantic and embracing Toronto's already bulging music festival market June 12-13, one weekend after Field Trip returns to Fork York, one week beforeNXNE, and just over a month before Bonnaroo's offspring WayHome Festival launches its first year near Barrie. This is just getting ridiculous.

The line up for the Isle of Wight Festival's Toronto version is TBA, but the UK installation's September line up includes some interesting stuff amid the regular fare, from The Chemical Brothers to Dean Blunt. The festival told the New York Times they'll be building a temporary space on the island to hold up to 20,000 people daily.

Last year NXNE had a successful time running their own boats to and from Vice Island, and while All Caps is gone, Electric Island throws regular summer parties across the water - but this will be the largest event on Toronto Islands since Virgin Festival.

Tickets to the four day UK Fest aren't cheap (200 British pounds is nearly 400 Canadian dollars), but we'll have to wait and see how much gouging the promoters think they can get out of already festival saturated (see 2014's stacked summer) Ontario fans.

Will you be shelling out to dress up as a hippie like it was the mid 90s again to see a bunch of bands and hang out in a yurt? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Victor Frankowski via onthewight.com

It's another beautiful -25 C day here in Toronto, the latest in a possibly record-breaking cold snap that appears set to go on and on and on for the rest of the month and into March and oh god, everything is terrible. But as you try to make the best of a gross situation by posting selfies of yourself bundled up to your eyebrows or covered in beardsicles, why not do something to help those most vulnerable to the weather?

That's the idea driving a new social media campaign, concieved by Torontonian Allie Kosela. Last week, she posted a be-parka-ed selfie tagged "#subzeroselfie" to Instagram, adding that she would be sending a cash donation to the Yonge Street Mission, which gives food and shelter to the homeless. The campaign is slowly gaining traction on social media, with over a dozen locals taking part; to get in on it yourself, it's as easy as taking a pic of your shivering self and donating to YSM online.

Photo via Allie Kosela on Twitter.

The best bespoke tailors in Toronto know that clothes really do make the man. Though fabulous off-the-rack or made-to-measure options are readily available here in Toronto, there's a finesse of fit and detail that only comes from bespoke. With an infinite number of fabric and design choices before you, you're sure to stroll back out of the tailor's shop (or, in the case of local mobile tailor Gents & Blokes, out of your own place) looking your finest.

Here are the best bespoke tailors in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Place to Buy a Suit in Toronto
The Best Menswear Stores in Toronto
The Best Tailors In Toronto
The top 10 stores for women's suits in Toronto

Today in Toronto it's all about the free burgers on King West. Big Smoke Burger's location on King will celebrate its grand reopening with free burgers, fries, and fountain drinks between 11am-2pm. For every buck you donate to the Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs, they'll match your donation dollar for dollar.

At the ROM, see Thomas Allen Harris's documentary Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People. Coach House are launching their first book club, so if you've read Tamara Faith Berger's Maidenhead head over. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Food: FREE Big Smoke Burger with a side of charity (Big Smoke Burger)
• Lit: Coach House Book Club #1: Maidenhead (Coach House Books)
• Art/Film: Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People (ROM)
• Film: Masters Series with Katerina Cizek (Camera)
• Music: Somewhere There and AIM Toronto presents: Audiopollination (Array)
• Comedy: Wheel of Improv has a Threesome (Comedy Bar)
• Art/Film: Maggie Hennefeld: Death from Laughter, Female Hysteria, & Early Cinema (Mercer Union)

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

Another week has passed without any DineSafe closures in Toronto. Among those handed yellow cards this week, it seems that Jelly Modern Doughnuts can't seem to catch a break - the same site was dinged last month by health inspectors and is back on this list again for issues of equipment maintenance.

Here are a few more lowlights on DineSafe this week.

Cedar Juice (163 Sterling Rd.)
Inspected on: February 9, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Jelly Modern Doughnuts (181 Bay St.)
Inspected on: February 9, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Congee Me (4419 Sheppard Ave. East)
Inspected on: February 9, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Feta & Olives Mediterranean Grill (595 Bay St.)
Inspected on: February 11, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 3, Significant:2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Store ice in unsanitary manner.

Dumpling Queen (649 Yonge St.)
Inspected on: February 12, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated. Operator fail to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.

Tokyo Sushi (373 Eglinton Ave. West)
Inspected on: February 12, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 3, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Masa Sushi (15 Charles St. East)
Inspected on: February 12, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 2, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

The idea is so cool, it's shocking nobody thought of it earlier - but Bruce Domoney, a veteran musician and guitar repair tech, has just concocted the city's first ever hybrid cafe and instrument repair shop. Pull up a seat at their repair table (right next to the coffee counter) and get your six-string set up just the way you like it - or just grab a cappuccino and soak up the chatter.

Read my profile of Coffee Guitar in the services section.

Extreme cold may have us feeling a little down on Toronto - or at least favouring Toronto, Australia - so this weekend it might help your sanity to plan on not the season's blockbusterart exhibits, but a smaller Toronto love-in in Yorkville.

This Saturday at Mira Godard Gallery, warm up to the frozen city again with local artist Peter Harris' "Night Watch - New Paintings" exhibit featuring nighttime scenes Toronto and of course, the TTC. (You might remember Peter Harris from our "15 iconic paintings of Toronto" post earlier this year.)

Of his new work painting mundane views of the city including restaurants, gas stations, municipal buildings, streetcars, buses, and parking lots, Harris states: "I've chosen to paint these ubiquitous subjects at night, using the darkness like a stage curtain, creating spaces that highlight my subjects with almost reverential illumination while isolating them from the background."

As the power of Toronto's fancy booze begins to no longer take the edge off of the weather, it might be art that holds us over until spring.

"Night Watch - New Paintings" runs at Mira Godard Gallery from February 21 - March 14, 2015.

Images via Mira Godard Gallery: "The Last Streetcar (Front/Rear)" 2014, oil on canvas, 32 x 34 in.; "The Last Streetcar (Profile)" 2014, oil on canvas, 32 x 84 in.

Women are increasingly breaking into male-dominated labour fields, but many are still viewed as all-male strongholds - including the world of auto body repair. Toronto auto body technician Hilary Noack wants to change that - a lofty goal that she's hoping to put in motion by opening Toronto's first all-female auto body shop.

Noack's new venture is called Ink&Iron, and she's launched an Indiegogo page to get the business off the ground. Their fundraising target is $20,000, which would cover first and last months' rent, materials and renovations, and a promotional budget.

In addition to employing some of the skilled female mechanics she's met over her decade in the industry, Noack hopes to turn out quality work at a good price and encourage more women to join the trade. "I'd like to focus on recruiting and training other young female apprentices in a nurturing and uplifting environment so that they can be the best they can be." Check them out on Indiegogo to get involved.

Photo via YouTube.

Mardi Gras starts today, but if a trip to New Orleans isn't in your cards this year, get your fix of Southern and Cajun delicacies at this three year old restaurant. On the menu are po'boys, steamed crawfish, fried chicken, and an impressive roster of $10 lunch options.

Read my profile of Billy Jack's Po' Boys in the restaurants section.

Visitors to Toronto Shoppers Drug Marts this Family Day found large sections of the stores taped off. "Due to Family Day this aisle is closed today. Sorry for the inconvenience," signs read. "This section is closed in accordance with Ontario's statutory by-law ... products behind this tape cannot be sold," said another blocking access to loaves of Wonderbread.

So what gives?

The problem was due to a conflict between Shoppers Drug Marts' expansive selection and the city's strict holiday retail rules. According to the Toronto by-law that restricts sales on Family Day, Christmas Day, and other mandatory holidays, pharmacies are only allowed to remain open provided "no other goods are available for sale except as sundries."

Sorry, no magazines or laundry detergent for you.

Supermarkets and grocery stores in designated tourist areas--the Eaton Centre and Bay Queen Street Store, Downtown Yonge BIA, Bloor-Yorkville BIA, Queen's Quay Terminal, and The Distillery--and small convenience stores (under 2,400 square feet) with fewer than four employees were allowed to remain open.

So were stores that sell "tobacco, antiques, handicrafts, gasoline/motor oil, nursery stock, flowers, fresh fruit, books, newspapers, and periodicals." Also small art galleries. LCBO and Beer Stores were, of course, closed.

In other words, instead of closing its non-compliant stores down, Shoppers did an ad hoc modification to bring them inline with the by-law, yellow caution tape and all. It didn't look pretty, but it appears to have accomplished the company's goal.

Is it time the province and the city allowed more stores to open on stat holidays? If we can't get beer in corner stores, surely we should be able to buy some laundry detergent from the local Shoppers, no?

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

Temperatures dipping down to minus 20 Celsius don't tend to conjure visions of public art exhibits, but that's exactly what was installed this weekend at the eastern Beaches. Winter Stations is the result of a design competition to adapt Toronto's empty lifeguard towers to a more-winter friendly aesthetic and use.

The five winners and their teams bundled up and got down to work making their designs come to life on what was the coldest weekend of the year, a few of which were put to use right away. Passers by huddled around a fire, popped inside another installation as a reprieve from the cold, and generally looked bemused at the prospect of winter-themed art on the beaches.

Check out all the stunning designs in this photo gallery.

The best breakfast sandwiches in Toronto are the perfect start to any day - especially busy weekdays. These handheld creations compact the joy of brunch in between two slices of bread (or bagels, or English muffins) for easy eating while you make your morning commute.

Here are the best breakfast sandwiches in Toronto.

See also:The best peameal bacon sandwiches in Toronto

Photo from The Stockyards from @shurbur24; Brick Street Bakery from @socialfreakzoid; Dough Bakeshop from @wehavenocake

The 87th Academy Awards will dole out controversial* golden statues again this Sunday, February 22. Since your invitation the Hollywood glitz got lost in the mail, and seeing as how you never tip your doomed Canada Post employee, let's call it even. You can find a billion ways to stream the Oscars online with the cat, but why not get glammed up, pull on a thrifted fur coat with cigarette burns in the pockets (how did that happen?) and watch it with other human beings and, often, the chance of winning prizes?

*Sadly, Drake's short film wasn't nominated, for several reasons.

Here are my picks for where to stargaze and gamble from afar in Toronto this Sunday.

Bloor Cinema
Pretty straight forward: pretend you're part of the glitz with big screen magic at the Bloor. They'll sweeten the deal with trivia, contests, prizes and "surprises" because they know leaving the house in this weather is harder than losing to Driving Miss Daisy. Admission is free.

Innis Town Hall
At U of T's Innis Town Hall, write your Oscar predictions down on a slip of paper hope to win tons of prizes. I'm not sure if you win prizes for accuracy, hilariousness, or both - best to ask an usher. Admission is free.

The Royal Cinema
The Royal on College is also getting in on the give-away fun, with prizes galore and the traditional x-ing of the ballots. Various packages for the night are available - learn more here.

The Fox
This screening at the Fox on Queen East, starting at 7pm in time for the red carpet glamathon, is free, but they encourage you to bring whatever donations you can for the AIDS Committee of Toronto.

Revue Cinema
On Roncesvalles, the Revue is hosting their own free Oscar bash. Along with the screening and the "best dressed" award that you could win (dressing up is strongly encouraged), they'll have a special photobooth, trivia fun, bingo, and more. Prizes include a Champion Membership to the cinema.

Drake Hotel
On West Queen West, the Drake Hotel is a great spot to dress sharp and watch the night unfold. Hosts Christine Aziz and TIFF Programmer Magali Simard will facilitate cinematic trivia and more, while a "special bubbly menu" is on offer. Admission is free.

Hunters Landing
The Oscars are coming back to CityPlace at Hunters Langing. Aside from full sound for both the red carpet and the event and wall projections, there will be "paparazzi" on site. Your Oscars Bingo cards and ballot predictions could win you a pair of Maroon 5 or Raptors tickets.

Carlton Cinema
There will be prizes galore at the Carlton's live telecast screening on Sunday, and they've put together an ultra cheesey video preview just for you. Admission is free with a non-perishable food item.

Big Picture Cinema
Watch the Hollywood drama go down for free at the Big Picture Cinema on Gerrard. Don't forget to make potentially life crippling wagers with your seat neighbours.

3030
If the bar scene is more your thing than a big old cinema, 3030 in the Junction will have a big screen with full sound and "BYOPool." The bar won't be hosting its own competition, so this will be the kind of anarchy the Oscars deserves.

Where will you be watching the Oscars? Please refrain from mentioning your cat.

Lead image:Carlton Cinema Oscars® Telecast Promos

Don't hold your breath for the sale of booze and non-Ontario wine at grocery stores any time soon. The LCBO has put plans for express kiosks in supermarkets on hold indefinitely as the government conducts a review of how alcohol is sold in this province.

The initial plan, conservative as it was, was a first step towards more customer-friendly buying options in the province. And while the pilot project was to target primarily areas outside of the GTA, the idea that the LCBO was going to try out a wider distribution model was enough to get people excited.

Today's news, however, isn't necessarily a step in the opposite direction. "In light of the work currently being done by the premier's advisory council on government assets, the provincial government has asked the LCBO to put a hold on the LCBO Express Stores initiative," Media Relations Co-ordinator Heather MacGregor told the Toronto Star.

In other words, those looking for a more competitive model of booze sales will have to pin their hopes upon a panel led byTD Bank chair Ed Clark, whose been tasked with better monetizing provincial assets. That's not much to go on, but Clark has hinted that he'd like to see an expansion of LCBO operations.

What do you think? Was the LCBO Express Kiosks just a token initiative anyway?

Winterlicious has wrapped up another season, the wining and dining is over - this brand new collection of locally produced food porn is the only thing left in the wake.

We challenged our readers to share snaps of their most exciting eats, drool-worthy dishes and highlights from throughout the bi-annual prix fixe fest. Now we ask that you vote for the best candidates from this year's most delicious looking photos.

Show some love to your favourite Winterlicious food porn by voting in the poll below. See all the submitted photos in our Winterlicious stream.

1. Lead photo by iamnatalietaz at Canoe.

2. Photo by plastikpeople at at Momofuku Daisho

3. Photo by zharamian at Luma

4. Photo by georgeyuephotography at Luma

5. Photo by dorbalcita at Mildred's Temple Kitchen

6. Photo by frankJXL at Momofuku Daisho

7. Photo by cheryltheory at One Restaurant

8. Photo by wyauu at America

9. Photo by modernpicasso_ at Cluny

10. Photo by _alteredstate_ at Lil Baci

VOTE BELOW

Our winners are up for three prizes:

1st place: a $200 gift certificate to Weslodge
2nd place: a $100 gift certificate to Church Aperitivo Bar
3rd place: a $50 gift certificate to Trevor Kitchen & Bar

Voting ends end of day this coming Sunday February 22.

If you've ever been admonished for spending an entire dinner checking your phone, you might be the type of person that could benefit from a new time-out app developed by a Toronto startup. The straightforward app allows heavy phone users to make their phone inaccessible for a period of time they decided upon.

"Flipd is a unique Android app designed to help heavy phone users become less distracted and attached to their devices," explains team member Alanna Harvey. "It functions like a lock screen on a timer - the user decides how long they want to Flip Off for and are then 'locked out' of their phone except for emergency calls and sends automated texts."

It's such a basic idea, but by giving problematic phone users the ability to be proactive about locking themselves out, personal experience tells me that the idea is a good one. If my phone is near me during a lull at dinner (or really whenever), it's nearly impossible to fight the urge do a quick email/Instagram check.

Flipd is currently in beta with an expected launch of February 20th. An iOs version is set to launch in the summer. What do you think? Would this get you out of trouble?

Food Network's You Gotta Eat Here! has immortalized several Toronto restaurants, including Uncle Betty's Diner, Phil's Original BBQ (RIP) and Dr. Laffa, in its three years on the air.

Now, host John Catucci (our less rage-inducing answer to Guy Fieri) has made a pilgrimage to St. Clair West brunch fave Emma's Country Kitchen.

For the episode, Catucci joined chef Rachel Pellett in the kitchen to walk through the making of their Emma's Benny, walnut french toast (from house-made bread), and apple cheddar fritters. The whole menu was, unsurprisingly for any St. Clair West brunch devotee, a resounding hit (though it might be a little terrifying to learn how much butter goes into those benny biscuits).

Check out the episode, which also features the original Montreal location of Poutineville, on the Food Network website.