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Today in Toronto: New Ideas Festival, Food on Film, New Chance, The Children's Hour, Prince Charming

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Today in TorontoFood on Film at TIFF starts with Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala on The Lunchbox. Today in Toronto The New Ideas Festival will begin its run from March 11-29. New Ideas is juried theatre fest runs for three weeks, with the program of new and experimental plays and performances changing each week.

Then Healing Power Records co-founder Vic Cheong, aka New Chance, will release her dreamy new tape Ear Rationelle tonight at a listening party at Art Metropole. 150 tapes were produced, with art by Eunice Luk and a pretty amazing logo designed by Jesi the Elder. For more events, click on over to our events section.

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

10 key Toronto intersections as they were 50 years ago

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toronto archive yonge st. clair50 years is a long time in the life of a city. For Toronto, the decades since 1965 (ish) have delivered immeasurable change: the development of the suburbs turned farmland into tracts of housing, the transit entered one of the biggest periods of expansion it is history, and downtown saw the first of many modernist skyscrapers appear at key intersections.

In many of these photos, the changes are astonishing (it took me several minutes to identify a point of reference, the Crown Life building, in the picture of Yonge and Bloor below.) Dundas and Spadina, now the heart of Chinatown, shows now sign of Asian influence. Instead, a Jewish deli and a raunchy burlesque theatre mark the intersection.

This is what 10 major Toronto intersections looked like 50 years ago.

Yonge & St. Clair (top photo)
Yonge and St. Clair looking towards the subway station loop. Like many of the intersections in this series, intensification has heavily altered the view. The buildings at the north and southeast corners have been replaced by new structures: The St. Clair Centre and One St. Clair East. When this photo was taken, streetcars could continue east along St. Clair and up Mt. Pleasant Rd. to Eglinton.

Bloor and Yonge
toronto archive yonge bloorYonge and Bloor looking east before the completion of the Bloor-Danforth subway line and the heavy intensification that followed. When this photo was taken, Bloor-Danforth streetcars connected with the Yonge line via a pair of bays in the middle of the street. Steps on each side led down to the ticket hall and platform area. The Crown Life building is one of the few structures that remain.

401 & Allen Rd.
toronto 401 archiveThe 401 and Allen Rd. interchange in 1967. Construction of the "Toronto Bypass" began in 1946 and the road opened in phases starting around a decade later. "Provincial highway bypasses may end to traffic tie-ups," the Globe and Mail wrote in 1952. The site today has been heavily altered.

Bloor & Bathurst
toronto archive bloor bathurstBloor and Bathurst in 1960 looking west towards the Alhambra theatre and Honest Ed's before the discount store took over the remainder of the buildings at the corner of Bathurst. Our Man in Havana starring Alec Guinness and Once More, with Feeling! are playing at the now-demolished theatre.

Dundas & Bathurst
toronto archive dundas bathurstDundas and Bathurst looking east along Dundas in 1965. The stores shown here--a Knob Hill Farms store, Bathurst Lunch, and Cheap Paul factory furniture outlet--were demolished to make way for the Charles R. Sanderson branch of the Toronto Public Library.

Sheppard & Woodbine
toronto archive sheppard 404Sheppard and Woodbine in 1965, prior to the construction of the Don Valley Parkway. Today, this location is part of the Sheppard and Highway 404 interchange.

Six Points
toronto archive six pointsConstruction of the Six Points Interchange at Bloor, Dundas, and Kipling in 1961. This photo is taken from the rail tracks south of the main intersection, looking west. Revitalization work in the Six Points area that will see the tangle of over and underpasses heavily altered began in October 2014.

Spadina & Dundas
toronto archive spadina dundasSpadina and Dundas looking northeast in 1968. The Victory Burlesque, located in the former home of the Standard cinema, is advertising Kelly Barton "plus an all star curvy parade." Shopsy's deli and an old LCBO are visible just up the street. The view today is much different: the streetcar has its own right of way and the bawdy old Victory is an RBC branch.

Yonge & Dundas
toronto archive yonge dundasYonge and Dundas before the square circa 1973. John Lennon's Mind Games album is being advertised atop the Brown Derby Tavern, a popular music venue that closed and was demolished shortly after this photo was taken. All of the buildings on the right side of the image were cleared to create Yonge Dundas Square in 1998. Today, the view is somehow more intense than it was 42 years ago.

Yonge & Eglinton
toronto archive yonge eglintonYonge and Eglinton in the heyday of the bus bays in 1967. The once bustling surface connection area is now boarded up in anticipation development after the completion of the Eglinton-Crosstown LRT. When the Yonge line opened in 1954 this was its northern terminus.

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

Images: City of Toronto Archives.

New bakery does home-style tarts and brownies

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sleepy baker toronto"Homemade" is a term that gets thrown around a lot when it comes to bakeries, but at this new spot at Queen and Coxwell, they really mean it. At the heart of the family-run business are recipes handed down to the family matriarch and head baker from her grandmother, and you can taste love and nostalgia (not to mention copious amounts of butter) in every single bite. Little wonder they're already getting picked up by high-end grocery stores.

Read my profile of Sleepy Baker in the bakeries section.

Guu opening its third izakaya at Yonge and Sheppard

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guu izakayaGuu is expanding again, with a new location set to open this spring at Yonge and Sheppard. In the time that's intervened since Guu Sakabar opened in the Annex back in 2011, the owners of the franchise have been busy opening other restaurants around Toronto (like Kinton Ramen, JaBistro, and Kintori Yakitori), so this represents something of return to the Kinka family's roots.

According to Post City, the space promises to be big with 150 seats split between the restaurant and the patio. No stranger to North York, Guu's owners have already entered the market with a Kinton Ramen location in late 2014. Yonge and Sheppard is condo central, so I wouldn't be surprised if this location was even busier than the downtown outposts. In any case, get ready for plenty of okonomiyaki, kimchi udon and karange, North Yorkers.

Photo via Guu's Facebook page

Body Blitz opening two dedicated facial bars in Toronto

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blitz facial barIt looks like the facial is going the way of the manicure and the wax in Toronto. Thanks to up-and-coming outfits like The Ten Spot and Saul's Beauty Shop, the procedure is quickly morphing into what can be a manageable and speedy addition to a skincare regimen (instead of a luxury reserved for those with tiny dogs in bags and entire days free to lounge in a spa).

The latest to get on board with the trend is Body Blitz, who have announced they'll be adding two facial bars - one on West Queen West and one in Leslieville - to their existingpair of water circuit-focused spas. Blitz Facial Bar will focus on quick, multi-step facial procedures done in an open-air setting (no slippers or private rooms here).

At the heart of the menu of services will be the Blitz, a 30-minute facial that will ring in at $50 or less. Look for the locations at 1133 Queen St. East and 803 Queen St. West to open this spring.

Legendary burger joint is a perfect '70s time capsule

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Apache Burger TorontoThis iconic burger joint is about as authentic as they come, from the interior to the menu of mass-produced products. It's the kind of place that has hardly changed in almost 50 years, and as you might imagine, this is both a blessing (because it's an undeniably cool place) and a curse (because burgers have gotten a lot better since the '70s).

Read my profile of Apache Burgers in the restaurants section.

What Mirvish Village used to look like in Toronto

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toronto mirvish villageThe eccentric, larger than life "Honest" Ed Mirvish made a mark on Toronto like few others could. As the owner of Honest Ed's, the delightfully ramshackle, wildly popular discount department store at Bloor and Bathurst, the American born son of a struggling businessman amassed considerable wealth and influence that he used to immeasurably improve the city's cultural scene.

He became "a first rate Toronto booster," as Allan Levine writes in his book Toronto: Biography of a City, buying and renovating the Royal Alexandra Theatre, establishing the King West entertainment district, and laying the groundwork for the Mirvish Village artist colony--a happy accident borne out of a parking lot.

toronto mirvish villageBorn Yehuda Edwin Mirvish to Jewish parents in Colonial Beach, Virginia, the young Ed came to Toronto by way of Washington D.C., where his father, David, briefly operated a grocery store. North of the border, David Mirvish Sr. tried his luck again with a store at Dundas and Bathurst, which Ed took over while still a teenager in 1930. Unfortunately, despite the family's best efforts, the business failed like its U.S. predecessor.

When Ed married Hamilton artist Anne Macklin in 1940, he pooled their wedding gifts, an insurance policy, and a bank loan to fund the pair's first solo venture: a discount womenswear store on the south side of Bloor St., a short walk west of Bathurst, named Sport Bar. By expanding into surrounding stores and offering a variety of discount merchandise, Ed and Anne were able establish what would become the basis of the Honest Ed's empire.

toronto mirvish villageAs Honest Ed's grew in size and scope, Mirvish made a habit of buying up properties adjacent to the store. The homes on the east side of Markham St. were supposed to be razed for a parking lot that would have served the main store, but the city would only allow it to be built if the properties remained intact.

toronto mirvish villageRather than build an expensive place for customers to store their vehicles, Mirvish, at the request of Anne, converted the buildings into small commercial spaces in 1964. Artists looking for affordable studio rentals, galleries in need of display space, and restauranteurs looking for a cheap place to open a kitchen were invited to take out a lease (never mind that the area was still zoned for residential use only.)

Ed and Anne's son, David, opened a gallery at number 596 that he would operate at that location until 1978, while Anne made 581 her studio. The artist colony was advertised as the Markham Street Bazaar.

toronto mirvish villageThe concept was soon expanded to include the homes on the west side of Markham St., but not everyone was happy. Residents of neighbouring Palmerston St. called the village "a sickening deterioration of the district" in a letter of complaint to the city.

Despite the occasional word of complaint, Mirvish Village only grew in popularity, and by the early 1980s when these photos were taken it included outdoor public art, gathering spots, even a set of custom made gas lamps. A 1969 magazine advertisement called it "a little bit of Paris in our bustling metropolis."

toronto mirvish villageThe new owners of Mirvish Village and the Honest Ed's store, Vancouver-based developer Westbank, plans to retain much of the original bazaar concept in their plans for the site. Markham St. would be closed to auto traffic and turned into a partially covered outdoor market and event space. 14 of the homes at the south end of the street will be folded into the design and a new laneway of micro retail spaces added nearby, lead architect Gregory Henriquez announced last week.

Ed would have surely been pleased about that.

MORE IMAGES:

toronto mirvish villageCorner of Markham and Lennox streets, looking north towards Bathurst. The blue walled building is Honest Ed's.

toronto mirvish villageA similar view taken slightly further north, showing signs for Upper Canada Antiques and Carlo and Adelina's Place, an Italian restaurant.

toronto mirvish villageWalkers heading south on Markham. The stores in the background are on the west side of the street.

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

Images: City of Toronto Archives


10 gorgeous photos of the Toronto Islands in winter

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Toronto Islands WinterAs the first signs of a spring thaw hit Toronto, one of the first major transformations takes place on the Toronto Islands. A rugged winter wonderland if there ever was one, the above zero temperatures free the ice-crusted trees and make the ferry's passage from the mainland much easier. These are welcome changes, but one of the casualties of the seasonal change is the beauty of the place.

Here are 10 photos of the Islands looking beautiful this winter (hopefully for the last time).

The top 25 diners in Toronto by neighbourhood

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diners torontoDiners in Toronto may be long past their glory days - and yet, these nostalgic eateries endure across the city. Toronto's greasy spoons are reliable sources for all-day breakfasts (with bottomless drip coffee to boot) and homestyle comfort foods ranging from sandwiches to steak dinners that won't break the bank. They're not fancy, but they're familiar - and that's why we love them.

Here are my picks for the top diners in Toronto by neighbourhood.

THE ANNEX
In business since 1955, Vesta Lunch is a divey, retro diner that serves hungry patrons 24 hours a day. The backlit menu boards feature classic greasy spoon fare like all day breakfasts, souvlaki dinners, and fish and chips.

THE BEACHES
The Beaches location of Sunset Grill is the original that's since spawned an empire of breakfast joints. Their French toasts, waffles, and egg-focused creations are all equally beloved among diners.

BLOOR WEST VILLAGE
Bloor Jane Restaurant is a hockey themed eatery that specializes in triple-decker deli sandwiches, burgers and hot plate specials.

CABBAGETOWN
Chew Chew's Diner is a railway-themed greasy spoon where the all day breakfast menu boasts an abundance of choice. Find over a dozen variation on eggs Benedict, 20 types of omelette, and classic egg breakfasts.

diner torontoTHE DANFORTH
The Bus Terminal Diner is a Toronto institution that's been slinging greasy breakfasts, triple-decker grilled cheeses and homestyle comfort foods since 1948. Its interior has seen some recent improvements, but not to fear - the iconic checkered floors, chrome and sparkling vinyl upholstery is familiar as ever.

DUNDAS WEST
The Lakeview is a refurbished diner open around the clock. The expansive menu has been updated and upgraded in recent years, but still very much adheres to the genre, offering tasty, hangover-crushing foods like all-day brunch, tuna melts, clubhouse stacks, and an abundance of poutine options.

ETOBICOKE
Slide into a booth at The Grille at pretty much any hour of the day to enjoy everything from breakfast to late night eats. This dine doubles as a bar, too - so if you'd like a beer with your all day breakfast, you're in luck.

KING EAST
The bright red exterior of the George St. Diner is hard to miss. Inside, the charming retro lunch counter slings full Irish breakfasts, sandwiches, salads and daily blue plate specials.

KING WEST
Fancier (and pricier) than most, the Thompson Diner replicates the classic diner experience with all-day and late night service.

LESLIEVILLE
While Jim's Restaurant and Gale's have both withstood the test of time in this part of the city, Okay Okay Diner on Queen East is a local fave for all day breakfasts and lunches featuring triple-stacked sandwiches and souvlaki platters.

diner torontoLITTLE ITALY
Mars Food in Little Italy has recently revamped its menu, but thankfully, the interior retains all its original chrome, vinyl and Formica charm. Open late into the night on weekends, it's an ideal spot for pancake breakfasts after last call.

MISSISSAUGA
Zet's near the airport is open 24/7 making it a prime pit spot for pilots and other airline crew. The menu boasts big souvlaki dinners, charbroiled burgers and all-day breakfasts served on packed plates with with home fries, toast and a choice of bacon, ham or sausage.

diner torontoNORTH YORK
The Times Square Diner is a resilient, turquoise-clad greasy spoon in Wilson Heights where menu staples include thick milkshakes, pork chop dinners, and hot open faced sandwiches smothered in gravy.

QUEEN WEST
Avenue Open Kitchen is a longstanding luncheonette in the Garment District. Here they do brisk business on workdays dishing out short order standards like three egg breakfasts, smoked meat sandwiches and hearty daily specials foods like chicken soup or mac and cheese.

RICHMOND HILL
Tables outfitted with juke boxes and ultra-cheap breakfast specials are among the main attractions at Three Coins Open Kitchen in this Toronto suburb.

SCARBOROUGH
Satisfy nostalgic cravings at The Amazing Ted's Diner, which has been kicking it old school since 1954. The menu boasts familiar greasy spoon fare like egg and pancake breakfasts.

WEST QUEEN WEST
UFO Restaurant is a remnant of simpler times on West Queen West. Here early birds are rewarded with full breakfasts at a discount, though you'll find the food quite wallet-friendly at anytime of day. In terms of dinners, ribeye steaks and pork chops are both priced under $9.

WOODBRIDGE
Galaxie Diner on Highway 7 is home to huge thick milkshakes that are best had with specialties like the triple-decker club or dirty old school burger.

YONGE & COLLEGE
Fran's at Yonge & College is an institution, and while some might say its past its prime, most would be sad if it ever closed. She's kind of like an old friend that's been there for you at your worst (or drunkest), welcomed you without judgement, and fed you eggs at 3am.

diner torontoYONGE & DUNDAS
The Senator is one of the longest-standing continually-operated restaurants in Toronto. The landmark excels at classic comfort foods including staples like meatloaf and liver and onion entrees.

YONGE & EGLINTON
Good Bite has been serving this neighbourhood since the 1969, dealing in homestyle favourites like corned beef hash and hot turkey sandwiches doused in gravy and served with sides of peas and fries.

YONGE & LAWRENCE
Hazel's deals in your standard dirty diner fare while majoring in hangover crushing breakfast foods. The aptly named Hangover Cure is one such heart dish featuring a burger patty topped with a fried egg over a pile of beans.

YONGE & WELLESLEY
The Coach House Restaurant and Tavern is a bastion for cheap eats on Yonge St. Find breakfast specials (including some pretty fluffy waffles) listed alongside cheeseburgers and souvlaki dinners - none of which will break the bank.

YORKVILLE
Avenue Diner is an old school greasy spoon at Av and Dav where you'll find basic breakfasts, saucy hot sandwiches and good old fashioned milkshakes.

See also:

The Best Greasy Spoons in Toronto
The Best Diners in Toronto
The Best Old-School Burgers in Toronto

What did I miss? Disagree with my selections in the comments.

Popular pizzeria opens new location inside Toronto bar

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north of brooklyn get wellThe restaurant-in-a-bar trend continues to pick up steam in Toronto. Churchill has Luther's, Monarch Tavern has Baju - and now, Get Well is about to play host to the third location of North of Brooklyn Pizzeria.

Starting this weekend, you'll be able to wash down your New York-style pies with the Dundas West bar's lineup of craft brews and cocktails. The new pizzeria's kitchen will be turning out pizzas by the slice and for takeaway; North of Brooklyn even promises to offer delivery to a large area of downtown out of the new location.

To celebrate the grand opening, they'll be offering $1 slices from 5pm onward on Sunday (March 15) and Monday (March 16).

Photo via the North of Brooklyn web site.

Toronto to host snowboard rail jam and block party

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Snowboard block partyA snowboard rail jam and block party is set to liven things up at Church and Shuter this spring, just as many of us will be thinking that we can finally retire our winter sports activities for another year. Sure, the timing might seem a bit curious, but I can assure you that the whole street party element will be made much more palatable by the late March weather.

Toronto snowboard shops will battle it out on the rail with other Ontario stores, while music will be supplied by Thugli and Rich Kidd. No word on the food element yet (update: we're told that food trucks will be on site), but given the sponsor, I suspect there will be plenty of beer to go around. Alas, that means the under 19 crowd is out of luck, but if you're looking for a way to say goodbye to winter once and for all, this might be the way to do it.

This End Up is over and out

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this end upThis End Up is closing its doors this month after a three year run. The sandwich spot and late night snack/cocktail bar opened on Dundas West in early 2012 and was part of a wave of eateries near Dufferin that tried to walk the fine line between bar and restaurant.

A note posted to their web site broke the news and says the last day of service will be March 16th. That means there's less than a week left to have one last go at their kimchili cheese fries or their $14 version of the Big Mac.

Will you miss This End Up? Let us know in the comments.

New renderings reveal massive tower on Stollerys site

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Stollerys condo renderingsDeveloper Sam Mizrahi is thinking very big when it comes to the future of the Stollerys site at the southwest corner of Yonge and Bloor. How big? Well, if approved as proposed, the structure would become the second tallest in the city behind only the CN Tower. The One, as it's been dubbed, would feature 8 storeys of luxury retail topped by 72 floors of residential units.

The design by Foster Partners and Toronto's Core Architects is as bold as its projected size. Framed by what's being described as a steel exoskeleton, the massive building would feature column-free floors, which Mizrahi believes will be highly attractive to marquee retailers.

Other noteworthy features include plans for winter gardens (indoor/outdoor spaces), a huge public atrium in the retail section, and significant expansion of the sidewalk space at Yonge and Bloor to confer status on the building and keep pedestrians moving at the busy intersection.

The development is part of a radical transformation of the area, which also features the 70+ storey One Bloor and nearby 50 Bloor West projects. There's really no place in the city better suited to such density, but the proposal still requires approval from the city. As to the design, let us know what you think in the comments.

RENDERINGS
the one condo bloor westthe one condo bloor westthe one condo bloor westthe one condo bloor westthe one condo bloor west

The Smell Of Spring


Today in Toronto: Sound Image, Hyperdub Tour, Andrew Zukerman, Holy Mountain, OCADU Zine Fair

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today in TorontoToday in Toronto from 11am - 6pm in OCAD's lobby you can browse zines, comics, art prints, and more by students and local artists. There will also be on site button making, because what would a zine fair be without buttons? Later on, The Ruvue is screening The Holy Mountain, and Hyperdub Label head and founder Kode9 is playing at Coda.

For art opening hoppers: the voter-curated Sound Image exhibit will be showcasing Toronto's best music photographers starting tonight, until March 29. (Look for our own music photogs' work on the walls). At Weird Things on Bathurst, a fantastic show of collages is going up including work by Toronto musicians Meg Remy (US Girls), and Andrew Zukerman (Fleshtone Aura). For more events, click on over to our events section.

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

Rich Aucoin photo from Sound Image by Matt Forsythe

Toronto Restaurant Openings: Anti Vice, Euro Bite, Loga's Corner, Neo Coffee Bar, Rebel & Demon

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Lucky Red Shop TorontoToronto 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

  • Anti Vice a new juicery is now open at 853 College St. - expect to find fresh pressed juices, teas and snacks.
  • Euro Bite, a new Balkan style fast food joint, has opened for business at 582 Parliament St. and is serving up weiner schnitzel on a bun, paprika dusted egg salad sandwiches and a variety of sweet crepes.
  • One Pizza is now open in the multi-storey building at 169 King St. East where Ole Ole (and Kultura before that) used to be.
  • Chelo & Co., the new Persian take-away at 811 Queen St. West is open and serving up falafel, koobideh and chenjeh sandwiches along with tradition stews like ghormeh sabzi.
  • Loga's Corner, a new spot for Himalayan and Nepalese cuisine, is now open at 216 Close Ave. in Parkdale.
  • H Bar is open in Sweet Lulu's former space at 859 Queen St. West.

RECENTLY REVIEWED

OPENING SOON

  • Lucky Red, the newest incarnation of Banh Mi Boys' Chinatown spinoff, celebrates its grand re-opening on Tuesday, March 17. Look forward to drinks and all-new menu items like Korean nachos.
  • Barista Bruce Ly of Voodoo Child and pastry chef (and gelato maker) Masashi Nakagome of Manic Coffee are teaming up and opening their own spot. Neo Coffee Bar is in the works at 161 Frederick St. and set to open this spring.
  • Rebel & Demon, a new modern bistro, is soon to open at 241 Spadina Ave. in the heart of Chinatown.

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

Photo from @luckyredshop

The evolution of Bloor St. between the 1970s and 1990s

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toronto bloorBloor Street has undergone drastic changes over the last 50 years. Boosted by completion of the Bloor-Danforth subway in 1966, the downtown portion of the east-west artery has in just a few decades gone from low-rise commercial district to the tony home of the brutalist Manulife, Holt Renfrew, and Hudson's Bay centres.

Outside the core, change has come about much slower. Stores have switched hands, but west of Spadina and east of Sherbourne (save for Honest Ed's) the Bloor of the 1970s is still recognizable more than 40 years later.

Here's a look back at what Bloor St. used to look like.

toronto bloor janeSouth side of Bloor at Jane in the mid-1990s. All three of these stores are still open, although Brown's Sports and Cycle has changed its signage.

toronto bloor durieBloor and Durie. Queen's Pasta Cafe is still going strong.

toronto beresford bloor"Smacks" hamburgers and ice cream at the southeast corner of Bloor and Beresford. The location has since been taken over by Pizza Pizza.

toronto bloor runnymedeThe Runnymede theatre in 1989 when Black Rain and Fat Man and Little Boy, a movie about the Manhattan Project, were playing. The historic building is now a Shoppers Drug Mart.

toronto bloor gwendowynneThe Toronto Public Library branch at Bloor and Glendowynne. It's still there, of course, though the cyan signage has been removed and the exterior tastefully renovated.

toronto honest edsHonest Ed's in the 1960s (I know, I know. It's not the 70s, 80s, or 90s, but it's interesting to compare with the image below.)

toronto honest edsHonest Ed's in its final and current incarnation shortly after 1982, when the current signage was installed.

toronto bata shoeLooking north over Bloor on St. George outside the Bata Shoe Museum in the 1990s.

toronto bloor spadinaStores on the northeast corner of Bloor and Spadina in the 1990s--note the "Wraptors" restaurant, which is now the home of the Pizza Pizza. Curiously, that franchise has occupied four of the six available retail locations since the 1960s, as evidenced by the image below and the view today.

toronto bloorVarsity Restaurant, Varsity Books, and a very early Pizza Pizza location at Spadina in the 1970s.

toronto bloorThe former Scouts Toronto headquarters on the north side of Bloor, east of Spadina in the 1970s.

toronto bloorRochdale College in 1970. The towers housed an experimental school that offered its students free education and co-op living. Though the organization soon became mired in scandals over the use of drugs among students, the presence of bikers gangs and squatters, Rochdale alumnae would go on to found Coach House Press and the Hassle Free Clinic. The school closed in 1975 after defaulting on its mortgage but the building remains under the ownership of Toronto Community Housing.

toronto bloor st georgeLooking northwest at Bloor and St. George circa 1996.

toronto bloor bedfordAerial view of the intersection of Bloor and Bedford in the 1990s. Those now-closed Harvey's and Swiss Chalet franchises have history: they were the first Toronto locations of the now ubiquitous fast food brands.

toronto romThe Royal Ontario Museum from the air before the addition of Daniel Libeskind's Michael Lee-Chin Crystal.

toronto colonnadeThe Colonnade on Bloor, looking west in the 1990s.

toronto bloor archiveThe University Theatre in Yorkville before its interior was demolished and the building abandoned. Return of the Jedi, "the smash of 85," is showing, according to the sign. Today, it's a Pottery Barn.

toronto bloorLooking west along Bloor over Bay. The brutalist Colonnade near Avenue Rd. is visible in the distance. The building at the corner has since been replaced by a concrete office tower.

toronto bloorThe Bloor Building at the southwest corner of Bay and Bloor before construction of the Manulife Centre.

toronto bloorThe cantilevered north tower of the Manulife Centre at Bloor and Bay. Designed by Clifford & Lawrie Architects, the precast concrete development included a roof garden, a 51st floor swimming pool in the southern residential tower, shops, restaurants, and a cinema. Also worth nothing: the northbound Bay trolley bus.

toronto bloorThe facade of the Holt Renfrew store near Bay. One of two large concrete walls on Bloor St.

toronto bloor archiveLooking west on Bloor just east of Yonge. The construction hoarding is announcing the impending arrival of the Hudson's Bay Centre.

toronto bloor archiveThe same Royal Bank of Canada building looking north from Yonge.

toronto bloor archiveThe northwest corner of Yonge and Bloor used to be the home of the Pilot Tavern--"home of good food," according to its sign. The buildings at the corner were demolished to make way for Two Bloor West in the early 1970s.

toronto bloor archiveStollery's and the southwest corner of Yonge and Bloor before the arrival of the Hudson's Bay Centre and Two Bloor West tower.

toronto bloorHudson's Bay Centre under construction.

toronto bloorThe old Royal Bank of Canada building at the northeast corner of Yonge and Bloor shortly before its demolition. Parts Hudson's Bay Centre were constructed around the structure. It was eventually placed by a low-rise concrete pavilion.

toronto bloor"Hotel Plaza," now the Toronto Marriott Bloor Yorkville Hotel. When the complex opened in 1975, high-wire performer Jay Cochrane walked between the HBC and hotel towers without the use of a safety harness, writes Jamie Bradburn at Torontoist.

toronto bloorWest along Bloor from Church. The bunker-like face of the Hudson's Bay Centre would become the source of criticism from architecture critics.

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

Images: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Telegram fonds, F0433, ASC05296.

New York organic burger chain opens in Toronto

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bareburgerThis burger shop is everywhere in New York, but for their expansion into Toronto, they decided to bring in a little local flavour, thanks to some craft brews (and even Toronto-made ice cream). The menu of massive and meaty burgers - with options ranging from vegan to game - remains, however, mercifully untouched.

Read my profile of Bareburger in the restaurants section.

5 legendary Toronto restaurant feuds

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toronto restaurant feudsRestaurants, in many ways, can be like families - with dynamics that can be nurturing or volatile. As an outside observer and potential patron, it's not all bad: these rivalries between eateries and chefs often result in price wars and offer diners a chance to decide for themselves who does it better.

I've rounded up five of the Toronto food scene's most legendary feuds - all well-publicized instances where a line in the sand has been drawn, either by competing directly for the same clientele or by getting lawyers involved.

Paoletti's vs. Dante's
When restaurant namesake Dante was ousted by the new management, he started from scratch by opening a new establishment ... directly across the street. Paoletti's takes the family name for this new take-out and delivery spot, and is serving up the same family pizza recipes as always. The new spot knocks a couple bucks off what has always been considered pricey pizza in an effort to win back its longtime clientele.

King Place vs. King Palace
These two Pakistani eateries have deceivingly similar names and almost identical menus. The two restaurants are in no way affiliated, and are the perfect example of sparring exes. The restaurants only share similarities because King's Place proprietor (and ex-partner at King's Palace), the self-appointed Mr. Butt, replicated the original restaurant to a tee after parting ways in 2012.

Burrito Boyz vs. Burrito Bandidos
Joe Vassallo and Ian Angus ended their partnership in 2008 when Burrito Boyz was just a fledgling franchise with three locations. Since the split, both Burrito Boyz and Burrito Bandidos have continued to offer what is essentially the same product, and both are thriving. Burrito Boyz now boasts over 20 locations while Burrito Banditos has five outposts - personally, I'm not sure I've eaten at either since 2008.

Dufflet vs. Sweet Olenka's
The Toronto Star reports that Dufflet has staked its claim on the term "cakelet" and sent a cease and desist letter to Sweet Olenka's for trademark infringement. Even though Olenka's spelled theirs "cakelette" (in reference to its diminutive size), and the cake products aren't even all that similar, they bowed to the pressure, renaming the dessert the "cakester."

Pai vs. Khao San Road
Nuit Regular gained acclaim in the kitchen of Khao San Road but since leaving has gone on to open her own empire of Thai restaurants (including Sabai Sabai and Sukhothai). According to local lore, the Financial District location chosen for Pai is no accident, but rather a strategic play to court the same customers who once lined up down the street for her pad thai.

Did I miss any? Leave your picks for Toronto's biggest restaurant feuds in the comments.

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