The best sushi takeout in Toronto is always ready to please you and your ravenous friends who are impatiently waiting at home for your return. While the places depicted here have physical locations almost as tiny as a TTC streetcar during rush hours, they more than make up for it with the quality (or price) of their food. Perfect for those birthday surprises or impromptu Wii gaming nights, nothing says "Let's eat!" like a white styrofoam box of maki with a little dollop of wasabi on the side and an always too-few amount of soy sauce packets.
Here are best options for sushi takeout in Toronto.
See also:
The best cheap sushi in Toronto
The best splurge sushi in Toronto
The best AYCE sushi in Toronto
Posted by Darren "DKLo" Susilo. He hangs out on the twitter and his own mansion.
Competition was fierce this year at 
If you're not sure what he's talking about, you just have to think of traditional deli foods like Matzah balls, Gefilte fish, borscht, and such. While the event was sponsored by the National Post's 
Other standout entrants were Rossy Earle of 
And then there was Ellie Callahan (manager of 
"It was kind of heartwarming to see that happen," said Zane, who was also a bit surprised by the conservative win. "You've got the new guys with their newfangled latkes, but it was the tried and true that actually took the day. It was a classic, simple, latke recipe."
On December 14, 
Photos by Brian Chambers
SHOPPING | 
Toronto's 
It's that time of year — you know, when holiday music can't be escaped and everybody wants to tell you what they thought the best of the 2012 was. We'll get in on the fun soon enough, but in the meantime, the 
After spending years in radio broadcasting, Ontario native Davy Love decided to try the kitchen--an inevitable course, according to those around him. He opened 
Where did you learn to cook?
Where are some of your favourite places to eat British food in Toronto?
RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS
This new dance club has opened in a building that's seen a fair bit of turnover, most recently the short-lived occupancy of The Rochester. However, with its upstairs dance space and a downstairs lounge (aptly dubbed Bite), a long list of promoters already on board, and a refreshing no-pretensions vibe, it might be here to stay.
This week on DineSafe was a bad one for Asian fare. The updated list of offenders includes Chinese, Japanese, Korean and fusion restaurants, many of whom got a few too many ticks on the "significant infraction" category following recent inspections. Among them is Hue's Kitchen on Yonge — a restaurant that's no stranger to the poor DineSafe report — and a couple of places at 
As we reported back in September, 
The new space, located near burgeoning Leaside Village, seems uniquely poised to bring craft beer to a segment of the city that likely didn't have too much direct access before. Given that the location is walking distance from the absolutely massive Longos, it's clear that the folks at Amsterdam are hoping to generate some more of the foot traffic they enjoyed at their previous location on Bathurst. 
But foot traffic is clearly not their only hope with the new space. With the addition of four humongous 160 hectolitre fermenters, Amsterdam has more than doubled their capacity and, while they're hesitant to admit it, it seems obvious that their new capabilities are geared at making a play for much, much wider distribution. "We're going to make a lot more beer here," van Delft says. "We're going to be able to supply that growing demand for good-tasting local beer in Ontario." 
And they're already using that new capacity to full advantage. When I visited, brewer Morgan Wielgosz was in the brewhouse completing a batch of Amsterdam Blonde while nearby Graeme Johnston was using the facility's canning machine to complete a double run; meaning he and Amsterdam staff had canned two full pallets of cans that day--roughly 48 hectolitres of beer or the equivalent of 400 cases. 
As for the rest of the required utilities, considerable modifications were required to transform what was previously a warehouse for storing shipping containers into a brewery. "We cut all the drains, laid all the piping, tiled the place, and did all the electrical," van Delft says. "We also had to install the CO2, and we did all the floors."
The space also features two massive refrigeration areas that were also custom built. One is used for chilling beer during the brewing process and the second houses pallets of beer cases and rows of kegs. It's got so much beer in it, it's surreal. Being inside it was a bit like being in an alcoholic's version of Wonka's factory. 
On the public side of things, the new brewery also features a massive walk-in fridge retail area and a tasting room that can accommodate groups of up to 20 people who may want to sample Amsterdam's wares. For groups larger than that or private functions, Amsterdam also has an event space that can be rented out for parties--an option that Van Delft says is growing in popularity among Leaside Villagers looking to host interesting holiday parties. 
Indeed, when I visited, a local roofing company was using the space and getting decidedly festive among Amsterdam's barrel-aging program which is currently sharing the space (though the whole "craft" thing might be a uphill battle with this crowd given the frequency with which party-goers asked their bartender what tasted the most like Labatt Blue). 
Ultimately, it's a unique space and a good beer experience, but the vibe is still very "Amsterdam Beer," just way, way bigger. And while it's clearly a good move for Amsterdam, it's perhaps a little bittersweet for people like me who live downtown and might miss having this much access to their damn good beer. Van Delft, however, has heard this already, and has an answer for me: "I just keep telling people not to worry," he says. "We'll be back downtown in May."
They might look like the exclusive domain of condo dwellers and office workers, but hidden on roofs and behind gates are several hundred privately owned public spaces - POPS for short - that the city should do more to advertise, according to councillor Josh Matlow.
Most of our POPS were created using Section 37 agreements, clauses that trade condo developers extra floors, for example, in exchange for a parkette or other beneficial public feature. The others were built around office towers and high-rise apartments in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Despite the city's success at creating the spaces, argues Matlow's motion, it doesn't do a stellar job of pointing them out.
Volunteer opportunities during the holidays in Toronto are not limited to the popular 
Protein shakes, coffee, yogurt and... Coke? Yes, Coke made with natural cane sugar, imported from Mexico, that is. This new cafe and health food store offers a few better-for-you-takes on common indulgences, including organic, preservative-free energy drinks, homemade ginger ale, and refined-sugar-free baked goods. 
East end cyclists rejoice. The city announced this morning it has officially wrapped up construction work on Toronto's first set of separated bike lanes on Sherbourne Street, declaring a new by-law in effect for rogue parkers on the stretch between Bloor and Queens Quay.
BOOKS & LIT | 
There could be 
Since its opening in 1952, numerous renovations and adaptions have altered the look of the Yonge line between Eglinton and Union. Gone is the uniform TTC font and original Vitriolite tiles - the reflective glass wall panels the system shared with the Woolworth Building in New York - and in their place is a mish-mash of typefaces and tiling jobs that give the stretch a strangely disconnected look.
Photographs and concept drawings in the City of Toronto Archives show the stations as they were originally intended: minimalist, utilitarian, and clean. The "bathroom modern" look, as it was derisively known, would be repeated in a slightly altered fashion on the Bloor-Danforth line a decade or so later.
This Cabbagetown go-to for hard-to-find and unusual grocery items, delicious olives, deli meats and cheeses has been in business since 1980, and shows no signs of slowing down. Featuring lunch specials, coffee, and breakfast sandwiches, this small shop is packed with unexpected goodies.
