Toronto Comicon 2015, the sister con to fall's blowout Fan Expo, is about to descend on the city. From March 20-22, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre will be filled with sci-fi and fantasy actors, comic book artists, and homemade costumes done with varying degrees of finesse. Thinking of making a visit? Dust off your sonic screwdriver and check out my list of highlights.

Celebrity guests
Though the lineup of famous folks attending isn't as sprawling as your average Fan Expo, a few guests should pique the interest of visiting fans: Doctor Who's Karen Gillan (making up her missed Fan Expo 2014 visit), Firefly's Morena Baccarin, Chad Coleman of the Walking Dead, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s J. August Richards, and much of the cast of Deliverance. Unfortunately for all you Sixteen Candles fanfic writers, Anthony Michael Hall (also of Edward Scissorhands and The Dark Night) had to cancel.)

Q&As and panels
Most of the celeb headliners will be taking part in panels and Q&A discussions with fans between autograph and photo sessions. Of particular note: A Q&A with the voices of Sailors Moon, Jupiter and Mars (plus Tuxedo Mask), and a panel featuring a trio of actors from Orphan Black. In between, artists will battle it out in live sketching competitions. Check out the events schedule for more info.

Shopping
Collectors will want to swing by the merch area at the door, where they'll be hawking exclusive variant covers for Star Wars #1, Southern Cross #1 and Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #1. The merchandise floor will also feature an indie pavilion featuring small-press comix and an artist's alley where up-and-comers will be plying their trade

Workshops
Bring home some knowledge from the con, instead of another armload of stuff that's going to crowd out your bookshelves (or, more likely, in addition). For the cosplayers, there are workshops on how to style wigs or build a costume from scratch, as well as a meetup for cosplaying Whovians. Take a pic with some Stormtroopers or Boba Fett in their photo booth area (probably cheaper than paying a visiting celeb for a pic).

A dance party
If you painstakingly recreated an Adam West-era Batman costume for this year's con, you'll fit right in at their retro dance night afterparty (which, technically, happens in the middle of the event on Saturday the 21st). Dance to '80s and '90s tunes, snag some door prizes, and find your Robin at the Velvet Underground. Tickets are $10.

Photo by Christian Bobak

You have a job and some extra cash; you're ahead of the game in every respect but one: you have no one to spoon. You hear that new Carly Rae Jepson song and your eyes water. Is it just dust from the condo boom, or is it finally time to take proactive measures to retaliate against your lifestyle of loneliness? You could try your luck finding tenderness for free, or take the fast track with Toronto's newest Cuddle Team.

Spoonlighting's new site follows the format and sells cuddles by the hour - $65 for the first hour, $120 for two hours (a buck a minute), or $180 for a three hour marathon - that's nearly half of Satantango. If your cuddler falls asleep, I'm not sure about protocol in regard to elbowing them awake. Cuddlers employed by the site include pet lovers, cartoon fans, a food hobbyist, a cinephile (oh my), and at least one versatile big spoon/little spoon crossover talent.

Before you click through, eager mortal, how does Spoonlighting rate against relatively new Cudle Me? Not great, now that the competitor has dropped their rates from $80 per hour to $60 (see our upcoming post: Is the Cuddle Business in Toronto in Trouble?). One bonus of Spoonlighting, however, is you get to see the faces of the people you're going to be cuddling, rather than the anonymous, shame-filled stylizedportraits of their competitor.

Would you pay to have someone to subject to Bela Tarr movies? Let us know in the comments.

Two white journalism students at Ryerson were asked to leave a meeting organized by the Racialized Students Collective.

The March 11 meeting advertised by the group on Facebook was billed as a place for "Racialized students who are interested in action and awareness-raising for a more inclusive campus." The callout said, "This is a space to voice concerns and barriers affecting students of colour."

Trevor Hewitt and Julia Knope told the organizers that they were there to cover the meeting for a class assignment and that they had no personal experience with being racialized. At that point they were asked to leave the meeting.

"I could tell that they were upset so I told them that they could contact me after to talk about this," said Chrys Saget-Richard, one of the coordinators at the Racialized students Collective.

Saget-Richard says carving out spaces for marginalized students is a priority for the collective. "Our goal is to create room for people who are racialized where they don't have to explain themselves, spaces where they can tell their story without being policed."

For Saget-Richard this is not possible if the spaces include journalists reporting on a story or people who don't share the same experiences of racism.

Trevor Hewitt, a third year student at Ryerson who just started studying journalism, says he understands the need for safe spaces for students of colour and thinks the story has blown up out of control.

He says he was under the impression that all meetings organized by campus groups were open to all students.

"I was bummed I couldn't write the story about the collective," says Hewitt and adds, "Maybe I should have looked into it a bit more, I'm not denying that, but I was just frustrated, I wish it was more clear to me that this meeting was not open to students who didn't self-identify as racialized."

The incident was first covered in an article by the Ryersonian. The article titled "White students barred from funded RSU student group event," sensationalized the incident. A Reddit thread soon followed.

"The idea that this is reverse racism is silly," says Al Donato, a third year journalism student and employee with RyeAccess.

She explains that students from various marginalized groups need safe spaces from time to time, spaces that allow them to talk openly with others from their community.

"I facilitated a queer person of colour student social this year where a lot of heavy personal stories were shared, the kind of things we don't get into when white straight students are around," explains Al Donato.

Donato notes that campuses across the city have similar policies intended to create safe spaces for marginalized groups of students. In fact the Ryerson Centre for Women and Trans People clearly posts a sign on their door indicating that their space is intended to be a "safe space for self-identified women and trans people."

"I think this is irresponsible journalism," says Donato.

Rajean Hoilett, President of the Ryerson Student Union, says the article in the Ryersonian took him aback.

"The article doesn't make a strong attempt to prioritize or give voice to radicalized students, like many other conversations it prioritizes the voices of white students," says Hoilett.

Hoilett points out that the article shows a photo of the two white students and does not bring in the voices of any of the members of the collective until the tail end of the piece.

Emily Rivas the arts and life editor at the Ryerson says she was not personally involved in the story but hopes that the dialogue continues in a constructive way. "I hope that from the Ryersonian perspective we can follow up with the Racialized Students Collective to give them the opportunity to speak more about what happened."

Follow Sima Sahar Zerehi on Twitter @SimaSaharZerehi.

Thousands gathered at Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday to protest Bill C-51, sweeping legislation proposed by the Harper government in the name of fighting terrorism. Protesters wore Guy Fawkes masks, carried signs warning of "Big Brother," and spoke about the potential loss of civil liberties.

The group was well-behaved but also enthusiastic. Rain might have led to lower attendance in general, but those who were there delivered their message with vigour. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May was in attendance, as was NDP MP Andrew Cash, both of whom took turns at the microphone rallying the crowd.

Take a look at all the action and protest signs in this photo gallery.

The 7th annual Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake Off took place at Daniel's Spectrum on Sunday, and it commenced with an all-out feeding frenzy as attendees tasted and voted on favourites from across multiple categories.

The two hour event saw professionals and amateur bakers face off in divisions devoted to cupcakes, savoury goods, confections, cookies, brownies and bars, and truffles and balls. Winners were announced in the second half of the event, awarding bragging rights, prize ribbons and gift baskets to the crowd favourites.

Have a look at all the treats from the Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake Off in this photo gallery.

Spring is in the air, and cyclists have come out in droves to mark the changing of the weather from frigid to bearable. Naturally that means that bikes are are once again a fixture on Toronto streets, which makes this new poster from Sly Eye all the more apt.

There are plenty of functional stereotypes that define neighbourhoods, be it strollers on Roncesvalles or the beard and plaid parade on Dundas West. But what if the bikes were made to tell the story? Is it possible to classify Toronto neighbourhoods by bike type? Well, these folks have tried, and the results are both humorous and apt.

It's baskets for the Beaches, Bike Share for the downtown, a battered commuter for Parkdale, and deep-rims for Queen West. It's almost frustrating being so predictable as a city, isn't it? Not sure about the choice for Yonge and Eglinton, but overall this looks pretty good.

What do you think? Can you pick out a Toronto neighbourhood by its bikes? The Bicycle Identification Poster retails for $30 and is 16" x 24".

The best Korean BBQ restaurants in Toronto take grilled meats to new heights. Choose from classics like steak, ribs and pork belly to adventurous eats like pig intestine - all cooked with an abundance of sweet and savoury sauces. (Pro tip: Stay away from wearing your Sunday best, unless you're on a dare which consists of eating that nice shirt you just got.)

Here are the best Korean BBQ restaurants in Toronto.

See also:

The best Korean restaurants in Toronto
The best bibimbap in Toronto

Posted by Darren "DKLo" Susilo. He hangs out on the Twitter and his own mansion.

Photo by Sebastian Ip via the blogTO Flickr pool.

It's tough to imagine a Joe Fresh without Joe Mimran. The fashion magnate, already with a long list of successes such as Club Monaco and Alfred Sung under his belt, became a household name when he launched the ubiquitous Canadian line of cheap-and-cheerful threads in 2006. But now it looks like the two will finally be separated, with Mimran announcing he's handing the reins over to the company's current president, Mario Grauso.

"As I step back from my day-to-day responsibilities, I'm happy to pass the baton to Mario and his team -- experienced hands committed to our shared vision," Mimran told the Financial Post.

The move caps off a period of upheaval and change for the brand, which saw explosive growth in the years after launching and has garnered steady sales and a loyal following, both in trendier standalone stores in big cities and in supermarkets like Loblaws in suburban centres.

The company's image took a major hit after a 2013 factory collapse in Bangladesh, which killed over 800 people and injured 3,000 - a catastrophe still top of mind for many would-be shoppers. In the aftermath, they also began re-evaluating their position in the Canadian and international fashion landscape, bowing out of showing at World MasterCard Fashion Week (instead, they screened a five-minute "documentary" on Canadian fashion).

They've also been courting star power, flying in Solange Knowles to DJ the event and tapping megamodel Karlie Kloss to be the face of the franchise.

Grauso's role, too, seems to be part of that transition; according to the Post, Mimran brought him on board to help bolster the brand's bid to become a worldwide fashion player. Grauso vows Joe Fresh will retain their familiar branding, aesthetic and price point - good news for their legions of Canadian fans.

Photo by Mauricio Calero

Photo by Phil Marion in the blogTO Flickr pool

St. Patrick's Day events in Toronto started over the weekend, but there are plenty of parties to be had this Tuesday night at Mill Street Brew Pub, Smiling Buddha, and many more. Check out more in our guide here, and our list of the best pubs in Toronto here.

If you're interested in Pleasuredome, tonight is a great night to meet the experimental media collective turns as they celebrate their twenty-fifth year with a meet and greet at the The Cloud of Unknowing exhibit at Trinity Square Video. Read our full interview with Pleasuredome. For those seeking a quiet night, TIFF's I for Iran series will screen The Garden of Stones. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Green Sequins: St. Patrick's Day Toronto
• Green Party: I'rish You Were Here (Smiling Buddha)
• Green Eats: St. Patrick's Day Brewmasters Dinner (Mill Street Brew Pub)
• Art: Tech Walk Thru of The Cloud of Unknowing (Trinity Square Video)
• Games: miniPong (May)
• Music: Craft Spells (Hard Luck)
• Film: The Garden of Stones (TIFF)

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

Photo courtesy of Steam Whistle Brewing Company

There are no closures to report on DineSafe this week, but a few beleaguered establishments are back on the list. Multiple repeat offenders Amaya Express and Liberty Shawarma on Spadina both received yellow cards this week.

Here's a few more restaurants that found themselves on DineSafe this week.

Amaya Express (100 King St. West)
Inspected on: March 10, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 8 (Minor: 2, Significant: 6)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

La Tortilleria (198 Augusta Ave.)
Inspected on: March 10, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Liberty Shawarma (4K Spadina Ave.)
Inspected on: March 10, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 8 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Maintain hazardous foods at internal temperature between 4 C and 60 C.

Tappo Wine Bar & Restaurant (55 Mill St.)
Inspected on: March 10, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 2, Significant: 6, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Employee fail to wash hands when required.

Wrapido (729 Bloor St. West)
Inspected on: March 11, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 1, Significant: 5)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Jack Astor's (2 Bloor St. East)
Inspected on: March 12, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Note: The above businesses each received infractions from DineSafe as originally reported on the DineSafe site. This does not imply that any of these businesses have not subsequently corrected the issue and received a passing grade by DineSafe inspectors. For the latest status for each of the mentioned businesses, including details on any subsequent inspections, please be sure to check the DineSafe site.

For local lovers of gourmet groceries, this news is the pits: Olive & Olives has shut down both of their Toronto locations. At the Montreal-based chain's Riverside location, a notice dated March 14 (posted below) states that the property had been repossessed by the landlord, and shoppers reported on Twitter the same day that their Market St. location opposite St. Lawrence Market had also been shuttered.

The owners remained mum on the reasons for the chain's failure in the city, but thanked supporters for their well-wishes on social media.

The company, which still boasts six locations around Quebec, arrived on Queen East in 2011, with the St. Lawrence location following as part of the Market St. revitalization in 2013. The chain focused - as the name might suggest - on jarred olives and top-notch olive oils, (with some commanding a price tag as high as $55.95), as well as artisanal vinegars and gourmet gifts.

Did you give olive your love to Olive & Olives? Let us know in the comments.

Sometimes bands have (what they think are) intriguing stories about how their members met; some bands started up because they share a family tree. There is certainly potential for sibling squabbles while collaborating on music together (Noel and Liam Gallagher), but quite a few family bands in musical history have found success and camaraderie performing together - along with Haim and Tegan & Sara, there's the whole Hanson still touring thing.

Here are 10 Toronto bands that prove talent runs in the family.

Brave Shores
Brave Shores are electopop brother and sister duo Jay and Stefanie McCarrol. The two released their debut EP of infectious and catchy tunes last fall. If "Never Come Down" sounds familiar, the song ran in a Bell Canada commercial for Sony Xperia, which is how the band got their start. They play an upcoming CMW show May 8 at Mod Club.

Overnight
Originally from Halifax, Carla and Lynette Gillis were part of all-girl band '90s Plumtree. The Gillis sisters went on to relocate to Toronto and started a band called (appropriately) SISTER, now known as Overnight, who recently released their debut album Carry Me Home. Got that? (You may know Plumtree as the band with the song that inspired Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim. The title of the song? "Scott Pilgrim.")

Doomsquad
Doomsquad are sibling trio Trevor, Jaclyn, and Allie Blumas who started the band as something of a joke several years back. Since then, it's turned into a serious music project with several EPs and a supporting gig for 2014 Polaris winner Tanya Tagaq last fall. The band are working on their followup to spooky-cool atmospheric full-length Kalaboogie.

The Sadies
The Sadies are one of Toronto's best live bands (their studio albums do them no justice). Brothers Dallas and Travis Good descend from a mind-boggling musically-rich lineage: dad Bruce Good, his twin brother Brian, and their younger brother Larry formed The Good Brothers in the '70s. Mom Margaret often joins The Sadies on stage with the Good Brothers - as The Good Family. Phew.

Magneta Lane / LOLAA
Remember Magneta Lane from the early '00s? Story goes that as teens, sisters Lexi Valentine and Nadia King decided to learn to play instruments and form their own rock band with friend French. Their last release was 2013 EP Witchrock, but the sisters have started another band called LOLAA. Here's hoping that Valentine retains that sassy swagger whatever direction LOLAA takes.

Tasseomancy
Twins Sari and Romy Lightman began their band under the name Ghost Bees, later renamed Tasseomancy (the tea leaf reading type of fortune telling). Their debut EP featured a photo of their Russian-Jewish great-great grandmother, a tea-leaf reader, and the band's ethereal experimental folk sound is fitting with that folkloric mystique. The sisters have also been backup singers for Austra.

The Folk
Originally from Guelph, The Folk are a five-piece now based in Toronto. Fraternal twins Sara and Emma Bortolon-Vettor have been playing music together since high school. Despite the name, The Folk, who released their full-length album We All Say last year, are decidedly not straight-up folk music, but a mixture of 70's-ish and 90's rock and yeah... not just folk.

Common Deer
Common Deer consists of not one set of siblings, but two: Adam (cello, guitar) and Sheila (piano) Hart-Owens, and Liam (percussion) and Connor (guitar) Farrell. Violinist Graham McLaughlin is the lone fifth member. With a classical background, Common Deer have timeless, orchestral elements mixed with contemporary rock. They will be doing a free show at 3030 in April.

The Beaches
The Beaches are a four-piece (from The Beaches) that began when all the members were still in their teens, and sisters Jordan and Kylie Miller playing music together prior. The young rock 'n' roll band has a formidable amount of snarl and have released two EPs - most recently The Heights.

The Balconies
Power pop (with a flair for 80's hair metal) trio The Balconies are fronted by powerhouse singer/guitarist Jacquie Neville, with her brother Steve on bass and Liam Jaeger on drums. The band's debut album Fast Motions came out last year (fun fact: their early self-titled EP was produced by Zeus' Carlin Nicholson).

Zords
Synthpop trio Zords consists of brothers Adam and Mike Pereira and Drew Shannon. The band promises a forthcoming EP soon and currently have a handful of dreamy, atmospheric tunes on Bandcamp, plus a moody, stylized black and white video for "Dancing Eyes."

See also

The top 10 Toronto folk music families
The top 10 Toronto couple bands

Photo of Tasseomancy by Maya Fuhr via Facebook

The history of the Irish in Toronto is a long and tumultuous one. The earliest European settlers to the the Toronto area were predominantly from England and Scotland, but immigration from what would become the Republic of Ireland began in earnest in 1847, or "Black '47" as it would come to be known.

That year, much of Ireland was starving as a result of a disease that destroyed large tracts of potato plants, the country's principal food crop. Faced with indifference from the rest of the United Kingdom, those that could fled the country aboard steamships bound for North America.

The vessels that carried roughly a million Irish across the Atlantic were called "coffin ships" for a reason. Hellish conditions that bred typhus, dysentery, and lice, were common. Coupled with a lack of food or water, hundreds died during the six-week crossing. Many were buried at sea or at the quarantine station on Grosse Isle in the St. Lawrence--the first port of call in Canada.

Those that made it Toronto still faced an uphill battle. In 1847, 38,560 Irish--roughly twice the existing population of the city--stepped from ships, many of them sick with deadly typhus, a disease spread by bites from infected lice. The diseas was characterized by a severe fever that, without an effective treatment, frequently resulted in death.

863 Irish immigrants died of typhus in Toronto in 1847, almost all of them in "fever sheds" set up on the grounds of the town's hospital at the corner of King and John, where the TIFF Bell Lightbox is today. Bishop Michael Power, the founder of St. Michael's Cathedral, ministered beside selfless nurses and doctors before succumbing to the disease himself on October 1, 1847.

Many of the bodies were buried in long trenches at St. Paul's graveyard in Corktown (it would have taken too long to dig individual pits.) Most were moved by their next of kin in the decades that followed but, as archaeological surveys have revealed, there are still remains under the schoolyard and highway ramps next to the St. Paul's property.

A harrowing memorial to the famine and Black '47 stands in Ireland Park near the foot of Bathurst St. 675 names of those that died are engraved in limestone as a permanent reminder of that summer.

Within five years of the 1847 migration, roughly a quarter of Toronto was Irish Catholic. As Allan Levine writes in his book Toronto: Biography of a City, the sudden rise of Catholicism resulted in a push back from the city's established Protestant population. Signs reading "No Irish Need Apply" on the outside of businesses were common.

Levine writes that "irrational fears about the power of the pope to usurp Protestantism across the world; highly exaggerated notions that all Irish Catholics were supporters of Fenianism, the early IRA-style anti-British radical militant movement based in the United States ... and the linking of Irish poverty with widely held stereotypes of Irish Catholic social ills and immorality" were also factors in the anti-Irish sentiment of the late 1800s.

George Brown, the founder of the Globe newspaper and the namesake of the modern day college, was also publicly sceptical of Catholicism. "Rome means tyranny, and has for its mission the subversion of the civil and religious liberty of the masses," he wrote in 1857. At the height of the typhus crisis, Brown's Globe suggested the newcomers would soon "sink down into the sloth to which they had been accustomed at home." Headlines in the paper called them "the curse of the land."

The bulk of Toronto's Irish population settled in the east end of the city, east of Parliament, west of the Don River. Conditions were often harsh and poverty widespread. Poverty, alcoholism, crime, and overcrowding were common. The Irish history of Corktown, named after County Cork in the southwest of Ireland, Cabbagetown, and Macaulay Town north of Queen, west of Yonge, is reflected in the names of many of the streets: Sackville, Trinity, Erin.

Today, the majority of Irish businesses are still located in the east end. As you might expect for a country famous for its beer, whiskey, and hospitality, food and drink is well represented.

Ceili Cottage near Queen and Greenwood, named for the Irish word for a traditional dance party, should be high on anyone's list of places to find quality Irish food, a selection of imported beers, and, of course, world classes shucked oysters. (Behind the pub, there's a school of Irish dance should you find yourself taken by the urge to jig.)

At Queen and Broadview, An Sibin, which roughly translates as "the speakeasy," is now operating out of the old home of the Real Jerk, serving up a slightly rowdier brand of Irish hospitality compared to the Ceili Cottage. The Roy at Queen and Booth is also worth a visit.

On the Danforth, the pairing of Dora Keogh and Allen's, has been drawing crowds for decades. If it's good Guinness you're after, your best bet is the Galway Arms in Etobicoke.

Irish culture in Toronto goes beyond food and drink, of course. The Irish Design House in Riverside stocks a variety of crafts and fashions from Ireland. For the homesick expat, there's a plethora of stores that stock treats and other goodies from Ireland and the United Kingdom. Now in its fifth year, the Toronto Irish Film Festival, which just wrapped last weekend, showcases the best of Irish cinema.

Be sure to check out as many of these as you can this St. Patrick's Day.

Photos by Sam Javanrouh, Toronto Archives, Jesse Milns.

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

Irish pubs and bars in Toronto seem to be at almost every major street corner, which is a good thing come Saint Patrick's Day when Torontonians search deep in their family trees for the creds to dress in green and drink like the Irish.

Here are my picks for the best Irish bars and pubs in Toronto by neighbourhood.

See also:The best Irish pubs in Toronto

ANNEX
The Pour House Irish Pub in the Annex is usually frequented by university crowds in search of cheap eats in a relaxed setting. There's also live music every Saturday if you want a little more action at your pub.

BEACHES
What sets Murphy's Law apart from other Irish pubs in the city is it's epic rooftop patio with a breathtaking view of the Beaches. With two floors and a second patio on street-level this pub is a good east-side destination for large groups looking for a few brews over a bowl of Irish Stew.

CABBAGETOWN
Stout Irish Pub in Cabbagetown offers a good selection of microbrews on tap. They have a large menu of pub classics with an Irish twist, like their Irish nachos. Vegetarian and gluten free options are available as well.

CORKTOWN
Black Irish Whisky is an Irish pub with a serious seafood leaning. From their $20 lobster boils, to their shuck & f#ck $1.50 oyster specials, this is a place where you can get a decent meal along with your favourite Irish brews.

CLUB DISTRICT
Grace O'Malley's, on Duncan Street, a stone's throw from Adelaide and John is the clubbiest spot on this list with live music and a cover charge. Hungry? Try their Halifax donair with a Guinness.

DANFORTH
Dora Keough, next door to Allen's is the place to go if you want a more authentic Irish pub atmosphere. The venue has a cozy feel with a massive wood-burning fireplace that keeps the place toasty.

ETOBICOKE
The Galway Arms is rooted in family tradition, carried to Canada from Galway County. So if you're in the mood for a no-fuss Irish pup this place is worth checking-out. The menu is classic pub fare. Get the steak and mushroom potpie or Irish O'poutine served with curry sauce.

FINANCIAL DISTRICT
The Irish Embassy is a popular spot in an old bank building on the corner of Yonge and Wellington. The menu is more refined than your classic pub fare but you can still find dishes that pair well with a pint like mini Irish sausage & crisps.

HIGH PARK
Whelan's Gate has been the local Irish pub for over twenty years under various managers. The menu has a nice selection of Irish and local micro-brews but make sure to try one of their whisky cocktails. For a complete Irish experience pop in on Tuesday night for their live music Irish session.

KING EAST
Tucked away on Colborne Street away from the hustle and bustle of King, P.J. O'Brien is an Irish watering hole with a touch of sophistication. Also owned by the Quinn family who run The Irish Embassy, so you can expect the same elevated pub menu and after work professional crowd.

KING WEST
Fynn's of Temple makes their own infused bacon vodka so be sure to try their breakfast Caesar made with this stuff and topped with bacon rimming salt and a pepperette. They have regular specials every day of the week and live music on Wednesdays.

LESLIEVILLE
Ceili Cottage has an unforgettable warmth and charm, with its relics from Toronto's past, such as beams from the Distillery District and a pew and communion table from a Presbyterian church in the Junction. Come for the oysters but stay for the beer and live music on Tuesday nights.

LIBERTY VILLAGE
Brazen Head is a massive Irish pub with multiple patios including an impressive one on the rooftop. You can come here for brunch, lunch or dinner for no-fuss pub classics. Personally I'm a fan of the $3 tacos on Thursdays and the $4 Ceasar bar during Saturday and Sunday brunch.

LITTLE ITALY
Mullins has a number of locations across this city, with the Little Italy spot serving an older crowd looking for a traditional tavern with a comfy atmosphere. Check out their game nights, Irish whiskies and selection of classic pub grub.

MOUNT DENNIS
Irish Rose on Weston Rd. off Eglinton is an unassuming family-owned pub, made for a post-work pint and snacks. This place is a real neighbourhood hub complete with game nights, Karaoke and hearty meals like their home-made Stew with Irish soda bread.

QUEEN EAST
McVeigh's is a family run venue on the corner of Church and Richmond. This pup dubs itself as an ambassadors of Irish music and hospitality for over 53 years. Six days a week, the pub hosts live acts playing celtic and traditional Irish music.

RIVERSIDE
Unlike the quaint dark spaces usually associated with Irish pubs, An Sibin's high ceilings and second floor loft create an airy almost cavernous feel. Their menu takes pub favourites and improves them with original twists like their chips and curry accompanied with a pot of creamy yellow curry for dipping or their Guinness stew with slow cooked beef in red wine.

SCARBOROUGH
The Old Stone Cottage located in a picturesque historic building from 1867, is another pub to visit for the venue. The space includes a spacious side-patio to lounge on and a stone fireplace for cold nights. Expect classic pub fare and an amble wine selection.

UPPER BEACHES
The Corner House Irish Pub on Gerrard is all about comfort food and a laid back attitude. Drop by on a Friday for their $12 Fish & Chips. The newish pub regularly hosts live music acts and features a patio for those who need some fresh air with their pints.

YONGE & EGLINTON
Scruffy Murphy's is a typical Irish pub with a standard menu and beer list. Perhaps the highlight of the pub is their front facing patio with ample seats for sipping on your Guinness while you people watch in midtown.

What did I miss? Add your suggestions for the best Irish bars and pubs in Toronto in the comments.

Follow Sima Sahar Zerehi on Twitter @SimaSaharZerehi.

This salad bar originally opened in the Cumberland Terrace food court a few years back, but has proven so popular that a second location now graces the same area. Here you'll find the same dizzying array of fresh ingredients and one of the city's best Cobb salads, but now with later hours and more modern digs.

Read my review of Salad Days (Yonge and Bloor) in the restaurants section.

If you're in need of a caffeine boost or a good, solid stretch, this new yoga studio will have you covered. The compact space at Dundas and Carlaw packs in both a cute little cafe and a studio where some of the city's top instructors ply their trade.

Read my review of Yogaville in the fitness section.

The owl has landed: Drake dropped the initial line up for OVO 2015 today, which will be expanded from a two day event to all three days of the long weekend, from August 1 - Sunday August 3. The Forest Hill's Drive Tour on the 2nd includes J. Cole, Big Sean, YG, Jeremih, Bas, Cozz, and Omen plus, comedian Kevin Hart will headline an ACC show on the 1st (the other two nights are back at the Molson Amphitheatre). Drizzy, of course, is back to headline the final night.

It's more info than we usually get and OVO's Twitter post called it "the lineup for the entire weekend," but I'm guessing that doesn't include the secret guests that Toronto's come to expect.

Why the three day expansion? Maybe because every song from Drake's new mixtape charted on Billboard, maybe because this is the 6th OVO, or maybe just because somebody out there loves us. Looks like it's too too late for your city after all, Aubrey.

Tickets for OVO 2015 are on sale Friday, March 20.

Who will the secret special guests at OVO 2015 be? Let us know in the comments.

The best sweet potato fries in Toronto might be a simple addition to any menu, but they serve as the perfect alternative to your average French fry, which occasionally get boring given their ubiquity. A deep fryer does wonders for this root vegetable - crisping the exterior and accentuating its natural starchy sweetness, so that once seasoned, they achieve an addictive balance of sweet and salty.

Here are the best sweet potato fries in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Fries in Toronto
The Best Poutine in Toronto
The Best Onion Rings in Toronto

Photo by Oscar Flores in the blogTO Flickr pool