688 Woburn Avenue is a newly built modern dwelling in the Bedford Park neighbourhood, on the market for $2,858,000. While it's not the coolest house on the block, the chic four bedroom scores major points for its unique selling features. There is a back-up generator, a wireless thermostat, a snow-melting system and a dog bathroom.

With six bathrooms, perhaps Sparky has his own private potty area, instead of just utilizing the backyard like all the other neighbourhood pups. Sorry, no bathroom photos are posted.

On a street of knock-downs, the Woburn property fits right in with its boxy grey facade and interior eye candy. The entrance way showcases a fake stone wall, leading to an open concept walnut living room and fireplace. The kitchen is like one big red lollypop with its bright cherry backsplash, glossy finishings and carefully staged matching decor.

The second floor master features a fireplace, more walnut finishes, his-and-hers closets and an ensuite with a freestanding tub. Will the dog potty increase the value of the property? Not likely, but take a look inside anyways.

SPECS

• Address: 688 Woburn Avenue
• Price: $2,858,000 
• Lot Size: 40x130 FT
• Bedrooms: 4+2
• Bathrooms: 6
• Parking: 4
• Taxes: 10,231 

• Walk Score: 77

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Approx 4,000 square feet
• Smart Home System
• Gas fireplace
• Glass wine cellar
• Sound proof media room

GOOD FOR

A power outage. A back-up generator would prove useful as Toronto Hydro becomes less and less reliable. This is a good selling feature when all your neighbours are in the dark.

MOVE ON IF

You want a landscaped backyard. For $2.8M, you might expect a manicured yard, but all you're really getting is a nice deck and a place to barbecue.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
Read other posts in this series via our House of the Week Pinterest board.

Thanks to Bosley Real Estate Ltd, Brokerage for sponsoring our House of the Week. All content and editorial selected and written by blogTO.

Today in Toronto, against Drake's wishes (omg) select Cineplex theatres will screen Drake's Homecoming: The Lost Footage for one night only. The film is about Bill C-51. Just kidding, the unsanctioned movie is about Drake, and contains footage once believed to be lost from Drizzy's 2009 Sound Academy show pre-Young Money-signing, plus interviews about early Drake lore. Apparently at Yonge Dundas it's in theatre 10, not theatre 6, because someone messed up.

The AGO's free every Wednesday evening, yeah, but this week is special as you can catch the public opening of LA watercolour painter Silke Otto-Knapp's Land lies in water exhibit. At 7pm, see a traditional hula Kahiko dance telling stories of Hawaiian volcano goddesses in Walker Court. For music the Tranzac is the place to be, first for an early show then for a late evening gig. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Drake: Drake's Homecoming: The Lost Footage (select Cineplex theatres)
• Art: Silke Otto-Knapp - Land lies in water (AGO)
• Music: Piano Party 2 ft Isla Craig & Ali Berkok (Tranzac)
• Music: Josh Cole, Colin Fisher, Brandon Valdiva (Tranzac)
• Fearless: Liquid Karaoke (Bambi's)
• Comedy: Go to Your Room (120 Diner)
• Lit: BookThug launch for Alice in Plunderland (Videofag)
• Lit: ChiSeries Toronto (Round)

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

Lead image is a photo of Drake looking, perhaps, unimpressed

This newly opened take-away is serving up grilled kebabs, fragrant stews and easy to eat lavash wraps. The decor is still a work in progress, but the flavours are rich and well developed, prepped by a chef who's been in kitchens her whole life.

Read my profile of Chelo & Co. in the restaurants section.

A $1 million home is the new norm in Toronto's pricey real estate market. Depending on the neighbourhood, a million will get you a small starter home in the city, a fixer-upper or a bungalow, just begging for a knock-down. Add in the land transfer tax, down payment and mortgage fees, the cost for a semi or detached in the 416 isn't as luxurious as it used to be.

Here's what $1 million buys you in six Toronto neighbourhoods.

Mount Pleasant and Davisville
The property pictured above is a renovated three bedroom semi in the Davisville neighbourhood, previously owned by the Toronto Community Housing Corporation, and later flipped. It's an expensive area with homes typically priced above the $1 million mark so this one's likely to go over. The house sits on a narrow lot size of 17x100 feet with two bathrooms, a backyard and 1 car parking. Asking: $950,000.

St. Clair WestLocated in the Bathurst and St. Clair Avenue West area, this million dollar baby is like owning a large condo in a great neighbourhood. The home is 20x140 feet with two beds, two baths and laneway parking. It's small, cozy and cute near the popular Wychwood Barns, and listed for $975,000.

RiversideThis three bedroom Victorian with a basement apartment is located near Eastern Avenue and the Don Valley Parkway. The three storey home has a lot size of 19x90 feet, and includes multiple walk-outs, a large backyard but no parking. The home could use a few upgrades, unless you love the '80s style glass bricks in the bathroom, reminiscent of a dental office. Asking: $999,000.

Little ItalyA renovated cottage on Clinton Street near Harbord claims to be 3,000 square feet (but seems smaller). It's a wide property at 25x125 feet with a scatter of bedrooms, some on the main floor and basement, with parking in the back. Around the corner on Palmerston and Markham, a large Victorian will cost you over $2 million. This property is listed for $999,900.

Pape VillageIn the east end near Broadview, this renovated two bedroom features three bathrooms, a walk-out deck and an attached garage. It's close enough to the hub of the Danforth with slightly cheaper pricing. It's 50x130 feet and listed for $979,000.

Long Branch Long Branch in South Etobicoke is a neighbourhood on the rise for its new upscale developments, shopping and restaurants. A few years back, this newly built two bedroom would have cost half the price for the same 25x132 foot property. Today, it has the feel of a suburban home with a garage and driveway. Asking: $978,000.

Would you pay $1 million for these properties? Have your say in the comments

Yonge and Bloor could be about to become even more densely clustered with high-rise residential towers now that a 61 storey building is on the cards at Yonge and Cumberland streets.

Hot on the heels of Sam Mizrahi and Foster Partners' plan for what could become the tallest building in the country, a developer is proposing a mixed-use building opposite the Toronto Reference Library that would include 531 residential units and a large, two-storey retail space on Yonge St.

"8 Cumberland" by Phantom Developments, a company behind the proposed Jade Waterfront building on Lake Shore Blvd. W., would require the demolition of several stores on Cumberland St., including Thomas Hinds Tobacconist. The retail portion of the tower would be created by knocking together several stores on Yonge St. built between 1867 and 1874, resulting in a single retail space suitable for a major retailer.

(Say goodbye to the Pizza Pizza, Quiznos Sub, Big Smoke Burger, and other restaurants on that strip.)

Phantom estimates the tower will top out at 193.55 metres, a little below the roof of the nearby Four Seasons Hotel, and contain 413 one-bedroom and 118 two-bedroom units. The developer is asking the city to alter the zoning by-law for the site, which currently limits the height of buildings on the block to a maximum of 18 metres.

The blueprint was produced by Page + Steele IBI Group Architects, the designers of the downtown Delta hotel tower and Yorkville's Prince Arthur Complex, and proposes heavy use of glass and stone cladding. Judging from renderings, the exterior will be distinguished by dark vertical lines that look like falling Tetris pieces.

The re-zoning application is currently under review and must be approved by city council before any work can go ahead.

Name: 8 Cumberland
Height: 61 floors (193.55 metres)
Units: 531 (413 one-bedroom, 118 two-bedroom.)
Retail/non-residential space: 1,414 square metres
What's hot: Setting the tower back 10 metres from Yonge St. will give the historic stores a little breathing room, though it should be back further (20 metres,) according to the planning guidelines.
What's not: That cladding.

What do you think of the proposal?

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

Images: Page + Steele IBI Group Architects

In 1965, the Toronto Transit Commission was putting the finishing touches on its first (and to date only) major east-west subway. Running just under 13 kilometres from Woodbine to Keele, the $206 million first phase of the Bloor-Danforth line consisted of 20 stations, two bridges, two yards, and was mostly built without the use of tunnel boring machines.

Matching the existing look of the Yonge line, the platforms were modern and spare in style. Basic tiled walls, no public artwork.

On a 31-acre site south of Danforth Ave., west side of Greenwood, the TTC built what was then the largest transit yard in the city. Apart from storage space for 244 individual subway cars, the complex included shops for painting, cleaning, and maintaining rolling stock, as well as equipment for manufacturing replacement parts.

Before the Greenwood yard, Yonge line subway trains had to be lifted off the tracks and carried over ground to the TTC facility at Bathurst and Davenport for any repairs that couldn't be completed in the basic facilities at Davisville.

The Greenwood site was originally a clay quarry and later a garbage dump. According to Transit Toronto, the TTC had to remove a layer of waste about 23 metres thick before construction of the yard could begin. (At one point the city considered building a sports stadium over the yard, but later balked at the potentially exorbitant cost. Loblaws likewise expressed an interest in covering the site with a supermarket.)

In total, the Greenwood and its much smaller sister at Dundas West station contain about 16 kilometres of track--roughly two-thirds the total length of the east-west subway line today.

The yard opened with the rest of the subway in February 1966 and is still in operation today, though it's since been dwarfed in size by the Wilson complex that serves Line 1.

Here's a look back at Greenwood yard when it was brand new.

A colour photo of the newly finished Greenwood yard. Note the bright red, English-built Gloucester trains on the storage tracks. The famous cars were used from 1954 until 1990.

Two H1 series trains over a maintenance pit. These trains were bought specifically for the Bloor-Danforth line in the early 1960s and were used during the opening ceremonies. The last one was retired in 1999.

When trains are in the yard the only way to get inside is via one of these gangways, which act as mobile platforms.

The Greenwood yard also accepted trains from the Yonge line as this train displaying Eglinton roll sign illustrates.

A machinist at work inside the Greenwood shops.

Though Keele was briefly the western terminus of the Bloor-Danforth line, an extension to Islington station was already under construction when the line opened in 1966.

These sunken bays allowed workers to access the underside of subway trains.

This frightening looking device allowed trains to be moved around the yard from right to left instead of just forward and backward on rails.

Four vehicles await service within the shelter of the indoor shops.

Trucks--the proper name for a set of wheels--are unloaded from a flatbed truck after delivery to the Greenwood yard.

Trucks in storage prior to installation.

A spray painting bay occupied by a red Gloucester subway car.

The red Gloucester cars had already traveled more than 5,750 kms before entering service. Built in England, shipped across the Atlantic to Montreal and carried by rail to Toronto, the steel-bodied fleet of 104 cars ran for more than 36 years before being removed from service.

These rollers work just like a car wash, scrubbing off muck and grime from the exterior of the subway.

A Japanese-made work locomotive used for pulling equipment to work sites within the subway network. The canary yellow vehicle lasted until 2009.

Later numbered RT-13, this subway crane car was also made by Nippon Sharyo Siezo Keisha Ltd. Its heavy lifting capability was used to move concrete track bed panels within the confined space of the subway tunnels.

An H1 without a roll sign or lights outside one of the service buildings.

A small platform used by drivers at the entrance to the subway portal. From here, trains head north via a complex, split-level intersection beneath Danforth Ave. to enter service.

View of the extensive outdoor storage space at Greenwood. During rush hour, few trains remain in the yard. At night, it's close to full.

Specialized pieces of track for the Greenwood yard were also made in Japan by Nippon Sharyo Siezo Keisha Ltd. In this photo, many of the wooden sleepers that keep the metal rails in place haven't been fixed in place.

When the Scarborough RT opened in 1985 Greenwood also took on responsibility for major repairs of the SRT vehicles. Because there's no direct link between the RT and subway tracks, cars are lifted off the tracks at McCowan and moved via road.

One of the defining features of the Bloor-Danforth line when it opened was "interlining," which allowed riders in the east and west to access downtown without changing trains thanks to an $8 million Y-shaped intersection between Museum, St. George, and Bay stations. The analogue "next train" displays on the Bloor-Danforth platforms (and, of course, the abandoned Bay Lower station) are relics from the six-month experiment.

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

Images: City of Toronto Archives.

That one month of summer heat is right around the corner, but Toronto will get an early taste of the south this year. Fat City Blues, a new bar that bills itself as "an ode to the rich culture and vibrancy of New Orleans," is set to open next weekend on College Street.

Originally slated to start up in February, the bar promises live entertainment featuring local blues and jazz acts Thursday through Saturday - to start. The plan is to eventually book live music every night of the week - exciting news for Toronto's (relatively) limited jazz and blues scene.

Along with classic New Orleans cocktails, the bar will serve authentic NOLA fare including po' boys, oysters, and a crab boil served "southern picnic style" indoors and on the 40 seat patio. There's one catch to your ears and taste-buds' trip down to N' Orleans, though. The space may be haunted by the ghosts of 890 College past, including the Huntsman Tavern, Mitzi's, and Red Fish.

Can the brains behind the new Bourbon Street-syled bar (Small Town Food Co owners Cameron Hutton and Steve McKeon, along with Simon Ho of The Drake Hotel) save the doomed College Street spot with Creole decor, live music, and (their words) voodoo? We'll see.

Fat City Blues' opening weekend is March 26-28. The musical schedule so far includes Tyler Yarema, Robert Davis, and Patrick Tevlin.

An acrimonious split left Chris Hammell, the co-founder of Kensington's legendary Crows Nest Barber Shop, without a chair. Undaunted, he carved out spaces for himself around town (including the back patio at Town Moto) before settling into his own brand new space at Dundas and Ossington.

Read my profile of Town Barber in the fashion section.

It's been an interesting few months for the east side beer scene in Toronto, with Louis Cifer landing on the Danforth last fall and Left Field previewing their Gerrard and Greenwood brewery recently. And it looks like there's a new addition - Danforth Brewery, a two-man brewing company set to launch later this year.

Granted, for now, it looks like the east-side connection is in name only. They're still seeking a contract brewing facility to produce their new brews, including a west-coast style IPA called Danforth West. It might be a little while before we get to taste the stuff, but Danforth beer lovers (myself included) are thirsty already.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated that Danforth Brewery would be contract brewing at Cool Beer Brewing Co. Etobicoke.

Barre classes are seriously all the fitness rage right now. With workouts that promise to sculpt, lengthen and strengthen your muscles, all the while incorporating cardio to burn those calories, it's no wonder the barre is so popular - you'll look and feel like a ballerina in no time flat. (Tutus optional).

Here are my picks for the top barre classes and studios in Toronto.



Barre3


The newest barre studio to move across the border and hit Toronto's trendy King West neighbourhood is Barre3. Here you'll get a total-body, 60-minute workout and a solid stretch - perfect for building long lean muscles. For $190 a month for unlimited classes, get your money's worth by going as often as possible.

Spynga


While Spynga may be the place to be for spinning and yoga, they also have a fantastic list of barre classes as well. Located just south of St. Clair West on Bathurst, you'll probably leave here exhausted - particularly if you try their original Spynbarre class that starts with spinning and ends with barre work. My legs feel wobbly just thinking about it. 


The Extension Room


Home of the Extension Method, the Extension Room in Corktown combines classical ballet with athletic conditioning for a workout that goes beyond the barre. Choose a class based on what area of your body you wish to sculpt, or feel like a prima ballerina with their various levels of ballet classes.

Barre Beautiful


Located on Yonge just south of Eglinton, the boutique-style Barre Beautiful will challenge you during their 35- or 55-minute classes. Their Cardio Barre class will get you sweating, or if you want to stick with the classics, they also offer straight-up ballet. Feel free to ask about their complimentary Postural Analysis (because we could all use better posture). If you think you'll hit the barre on the regular, an unlimited monthly pass is $99.



Barreworks


While the classes may be a little more expensive than some ($199 for a month unlimited), you definitely get what you pay for with great quality and a huge variety of classes. With two Toronto locations (midtown and Queen West), Barreworks has some great options for classes depending on what you want to work on, but their one-hour Mixed Level classes are among the most popular.

Did I miss any? Leave your picks for barre studios in Toronto in the comments.

Photo of the Extension Room.

Macaron Day is coming up on Friday, March 20 in Toronto and this year there are over a dozen patisseries, confection shops and cafes participating. Stop in for a free macaron (unless otherwise noted) while quantities last at the following sweet shops.

Note well, most of the participating shops will also donate 25% of sales for the day (or more) to the Red Door Family Shelter or another charity of their choice.

Here is where to celebrate Macaron Day in Toronto.

La Bamboche
The free flavour on offer at this patisserie on Avenue Rd. is being kept a secret until the day of. Expect a Japanese-inspired feature as well as nine traditional offerings for sale including chocolate, caramel sea salt, and pistachio.

Patisserie 27
Six original flavours including chocolate, caramel, passion fruit, lemon, raspberry, and coffee will be on offer for free from this patisserie on Jane. Expect to find inventive varieties for sale too, including casis, yuzu lemon, poire William, and coconut.

Patricia's Cake Creations
This bakeshop and cafe on Dundas West in Etobicoke will be serving up free chocolate mint and cinnamon bun flavoured macarons, and will have about thirteen additional flavours available for sale.

MoRoCo Chocolat
The sweet boutique in Yorkville will have a choice of chocolate, salted caramel and vanilla available for free, plus nine additional flavours for purchase.

AGMacarons
Expect to find over 25 macaron flavours for sale at this Etobicoke confection shop on The Queensway. On offer for free will be blackberry white chocolate, cotton candy, and lemon poppy seed macarons.

Rahier Patisserie
Lime is the free macaron flavour on offer at this French patisserie on Bayview. Another 13 macarons will be available for sale in support of a good cause.

Daniel et Daniel
The Cabbagetown retail outlet will have about a half dozen flavours to pluck a freebie from. Expect choices to include raspberry, Earl Grey and chestnut.

Bobbette & Belle
This fanciful pastry shop with locations in Midtown and in Leslieville will offer a choice from about a dozen assorted flavours on offer - expect selections like salted caramel, raspberry, and pistachio.

Petite Thuet
The bakery cafe in Rosedale is offering a free selection from their usual assortment of flavours including raspberry, blueberry, lavender, lemon, cookies and cream, and pistachio macarons.

The Rolling Pin
The bakeshop on Yonge at Lawrence is really embracing the day and offering a multitude of creative flavours. Enjoy your choice of free PB&J, Bounty bar (choco-coconut), strawberry balsamic, and Nutella banana, or purchase the special S'mores macaron featuring a house-made marshmallow torched to order - a limited edition on sale for a good cause.

Aren't We Sweet
The candy shop in St. Lawrence market is offering a choose of any of the 13 flavours on hand. Select from a standard assortment including dark chocolate, mango, raspberry caramel, coffee, rose, and pistachio

Cakestar
The bakery on Lake Shore Blvd. plans to put out a rainbow of macaron colours and flavours. Choose from seven varieties available including the feature flavour, a chocolate black forest macaron with cherry cream.

Le Dolci
This sweet shop on Dundas near Trinity Bellwoods is whipping up special flavours for the occasion, they'll be giving out cherry chocolate and salted caramel macarons.

Butter Avenue
Butter Avenue's two locations are both offering one free macaron per customer. Expect unusual flavours like orange spinach, guava plum, and molten chocolate marshmallow. Unlike the rest, 35% of the day's sales will go to the North York General Hospital Foundation.

Nadege
Celebrating Jour du Macaron, Nadege isn't offering any freebies, but will donate 50% of macaron proceeds to the Sick Kids Foundation. Look forward to a blueberry vanilla flavour in the hospital's signature blue, as well as, 23 other flavours including rare and interesting selections like Camembert and Guinness.

BONUS

Ruelo Patisserie
Locations in North York and in Richmond Hill are both participating in Macaron Day, offering free flavours like fleur de sel caramel, blueberry lemon, vanilla, green tea sesame, and wasabi grapefruit along with their usual roster of 20 or so varieties for sale.

What did I miss? Share additional Macaron Day specials in the comments.

A unique DIY art space is coming to Chester Station this spring. The long vacant kiosk will be revitalized by a number of local artists into a space that functions as a both a newsstand and an art gallery. The group has started a crowdfunding campaign to get the project of the ground, which has just passed the halfway point of its $4,000 goal.

Calling the kiosk an alternative newsstand, the collective behind the project explains that they will stock commuter mainstays like newspapers, gum, and drinks, but they will also "commission artists' projects that speak to issues of transit, mobility, accessibility, city life, and civic engagement, and address various questions about how news is transmitted in a time of rapidly changing technology."

That means you can expect regular art shows/displays and events along with a variety of zines and art books on offer over and above the standard newsprint offerings. It's an intriguing idea, and one that should help to enrich the experience of commuting through Chester Station. If the concept catches on, it might be nice to see such spaces in other stations across the TTC (a similar space is coming to Union Station). The kiosk opens on May 1st.

The best coffee in Toronto doesn't come with a chance to win a new car, nor, is it the diner-grade stuff that's so bad they give it away in bottomless quantities. However, the best drip in town is still considerably cheaper than an espresso - and it's way quicker than waiting for frills like steamed milk. Find it at independent cafes that take care to use fresh, (mostly) locally-roasted beans and the ideal water-to-grounds ratio in order to create a perfect cup.

Here is the best coffee in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Cafes in Toronto (West Side)
The Best Cafes in Toronto (East Side)
The Best Cappuccino in Toronto
The Best Americano in Toronto

Photo by Nick Kernick in the blogTO Flickr pool

Today in Toronto Open Show's international multimedia series is back for a third appearance in Toronto - read more here. Carbon Paper will pull off a huge undertaking: their super cool pop up library will feature a huge collection of all-Canadian publications and magazines, with a stacked schedule of events between March 19-29. The opening is tonight. You can also see a show of Daniel Rotsztain's "All the Libraries" drawings.

Toronto feminist org Dames Making Games are hosting a gaming workshop totally free of charge on Thursday evening - just register first. At TIFF, the I for Iran series, curated by Iranian filmmakers, is screening a can't-miss retrospective until until April 3rd. Tonight you can see Abbas Kiarostami's 1974 film The Traveler. Culty Trash Palace will screen forgotten William Castle film Let's Kill Uncle at Cinecycle. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Lit: Shelf Life (Ryerson Artspace at the Gladstone)
• Games: Dames Making Games with Merritt Kopas (Ryerson Transmedia Zone)
• Shopping: March Dundas West Third Thursdays
• Art: All The Libraries (Autumn)
• Film: I for Iran: The Traveler (TIFF)
• Party: Spooky Bitch (Beaver)
• Film: Trash Palace: William Castle's Let's Kill Uncle (Cinecycle)
• Music: Emergents III (Music Gallery)
• Art: Draw Nudes with Local Dudes (Double Double Land)
• Film: Childsplay (Royal)

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

Photo by Nam Phi Dang via Open Show

The best restaurants in Pickering show some surprising culinary depth. The suburb may not be the coolest destination, but it does have a vast selection of food options that range from fancy sit-downs to 'mom and pop' places. Whether you live in the area or visit from time to time, make sure to keep this list handy.

Here are my picks for the best restaurants in Pickering.

Big M Burger
Big M is kinda like the Johnny's Hamburgers of Pickering. Established in the 1960s, this spot has a long-standing relationship with the community. It's the kind of place that grown folks mention when they reminisce about their younger days. The parking lot also tends to be a chill-out spot for bikers and people with cool cars.

Stars Pizza
Stars Pizza is one of the few family-owned pizza places that have managed to stay popular amid the bigger chains. Located in the Pickering Markets - which is only open on weekends - Stars has a loyal following of customers. The pizza usually comes right out of the oven, topped with the kind of oily, gooey cheese that is so fresh it strings apart in your hands.

Port Restaurant
If sit-down dining is your thing, then Port might just be the place. Located right on Frenchman's Bay, the restaurant provides a perfect view of the docked boats on the harbour. Dishes range from fish to steak or kale chips. This is the kind of tranquil spot where you can relax, watch the harbour, and enjoy a glass of wine.

The Apple Fritter Factory
It all started out of one man's garage. The Factory's founder, known as Wolfgang, began making homemade apple fritters and funnel cake using Pennsylvanian Dutch batter (using a 100-year-old recipe). Now, his operation is based out of the Pickering Flea Market. With year-round treats like the signature apple fritters, fried Mars bars and funnel cake fries, this might be the most fun dining experience in town.

Khawar Supermarket and Cafe
An Afghani grocery store in the heart of Pickering - say what? This little grocery store sells your usual grocery items, plus a number of Middle Eastern brands and staples like saffron, Turkish coffee or vine leaves. But the best, by far, is the fresh Afgani bread baked on the spot - or maybe the butcher in the back who sells raw and freshly-grilled kabobs.

Silverspoon
Silverspoon is definitely Pickering's finest Indian and Pakistani food joint, not to mention the Hakka Chinese dishes. Butter Chicken. Naan. Curries. Palak paneer. Daal. Need I say more?

Makimono
Makimono is a sleek sushi joint with a sweet all you can eat sushi deal and buffet. One of the main places to go to for sushi, Makimono also has locations in Ajax and Woodbridge.

Casa Verde
Located in historic Pickering, Casa Verde is small and unassuming from the outside, yet so authentically Italian on the inside. This little restaurant serves a variety of pasta that tastes just like your nonna made it.

Jazzberry Tea House
Jazzberry serves good food - but what really makes this place special is the vast selection of looseleaf tea. In a suburb where coffee shop chains are the norm, this is one of the few independent tea houses. (Plus, I'm a sucker for creating my own loose tea cocktail.)

Belaggios
Belaggios' veal cutlet sandwiches are the bomb. Breaded veal, marinated with Italian tomato sauce, topped off with fresh bread - yum. Apart from that, Belaggios is a cute little spot that serves pasta, gelato and a bunch of things - but really, it's all about the veal sandwiches.

Hy-Tea
This place may not be the trendiest But it is perhaps the most quaint spot in all of Pickering. Located on Wharf St., with an outdoor patio facing Pickering's waterfront, Hy-Tea is a small, independent café and restaurant owned by two really awesome women.

Photo via Silverspoon on Facebook.

This new gastropub at Danforth and Coxwell boasts an in-house smoker used to smoke game meats like wild boar and venison and also has a wood fire oven to turn out pizza that feature more adventurous toppings like wild boar meatballs. With 23 Ontario microbrews on tap (plus one cider and a rotating cask), this newcomer has the potential to be a staple neighbourhood local.

Read my profile of Local 1794 in the restaurants section.

Toronto Fashion Week is about take over the David Pecault Square tents, and once again, fashion media are dusting off their least practical shoes and steaming out their statement blazers - though, according to at least one thinkpiece, peacocking street style may be finally going the way of the dodo (good news for me and my black sneaker collection).

Outside the tents, the outlandishly-dressed may or may or may not continue to preen and parade for photographers; inside, however, the times are most definitely a-changin'. There's a little extra breathing room for new designers on this week's schedule, as two of Fashion Week's hugest reigning brands are now out of the picture: a now Joe-lessJoe Fresh (now aiming to focus more on a global takeover than their continued domination at home), and Target (for obvious reasons).

Here's what else to expect at this season's shows.

Never-before-seen labels
Menswear line Jaan Choxi is about to debut at fashion week - it's so new, there's only one teaser image (a gent in a sleek black suit) out there hinting at what to expect. However, right now you're more than able to feast your eyes on the pop-art streetwear of Atelier Wonder - their neon-and-glitter-studded pieces are basically Tumblr: The Fashion Line, and I am all over it.

Retailers on the runway
You might have shopped for high-end yogawear at Lole or edgy indie labels from around the world at Parloque; now you'll get to see their wares on the runway as both brands show at WMCFW for the first time. The latter will be unveiling their 111 house line; the former will hopefully take their activewear in daring new directions (and not just use the runway as an advertising opp).

Returning rookies
After Hayley Elsaesser's boldly printed, sequined and silver-streaked collection last season, she'll be one of the week's hottest tickets (mark my words). Others to watch are Helder Diego (formerly BLAK.I), who put forth a strong effort at last fall's Mercedes-Benz Start Up competition; Edmonton-based minimalist Malorie Urbanovich, and Tatsuaki, whose uneven S/S14 show hinted at some major promise.

Sid Neigum's victory lap
I'd be remiss not to mention Neigum's stellar past few months: he swept WCMFW two design competitions last season, and after years of trying to get stocked in Canadian stores, TNT, Jonathan and Olivia and The Room all began carrying his designs. A lot's been leading up to his opening night show - but given his unique talent and vision, it's bound to be one to remember.

Fashion Week fixtures
As we begin another Fashion Week season, we pray: that Rudsak and Mackage somehow keep finding fresh new takes on the leather jacket; that Kim Newport-Mimran keeps blasting out of Pink Tartan's ladies-who-lunch comfort zone; that Klaxon Howl tops last season's live drum accompaniment (which, given the success of Whiplash, now seems weirdly prescient); that Mikhael Kale stays super fierce; and that Stephan Caras doesn't try to smother us with the draperies again. Amen.

What are you looking forward to at Fashion Week? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Mauricio Calero.

Bloor Street East between Jarvis and Sherbourne has seen relatively little in the way of high-rise residential development since the 1970s--until now. The oxymoronic "Rosedale on Bloor," a pair of condominium towers planned for the south side of the street beside the new National Post headquarters, could add new life what's long been a staid stretch of downtown.

The proposal has been with the city since Dec. 7, 2012, but an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board set for early next month could trigger construction some time this summer.

As proposed, the complex would require the demolition of four buildings on Bloor St., including a six-storey condo building and a parking lot on Selby St., a block south.

In its place would rise two residential towers: the main, 155-metre (49 storey) anchor building facing Bloor, and a 41-metre (12 storey) structure with accessible from Selby just to the south. A one-storey building would link the pair.

The units will be mostly one- and two-bedroom, but there will be a small number of three-bed designs, too. 1,395 square metres of retail space is listed in the specifications. The architects are Page + Steele IBI Group Architects, the firm behind the recent Minecraft-esque condo proposed at Yonge and Cumberland.

The by-laws currently allow the site to be used for residential purposes, but there's a height limit of 30 metres for any new buildings. The developers will therefore have to convince the Ontario Municipal Board to make an exception before work can proceed.

(Normally Toronto's own planers and city council would make this decision, but because staff did not respond to the application within the set time limit, permission to surpass 30 metres will now be granted by the province.)

In November, the city's Design Review Panel responded negatively to the proposal, criticizing the latest incarnation of the Bloor St. facade, its relationship to the heritage building at the corner of Sherbourne St., and the narrow separation distance between the two towers.

What do you think of the design?

Name: Rosedale on Bloor
Height: 49 and 12 floors (155 and 41 metres)
Units: 345 one-bedroom, 233 two-bedroom, 4 three-bedroom (582 total)
Retail/non-residential space: 1,395 square metres
What's hot: Potentially good news for an overlooked staid section of Bloor St. E.
What's not: Nothing at all interesting about the design. It's pretty much a copy and paste of Page + Steele's proposal for Yonge-Dundas Square.

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

Images: Page + Steele IBI Group Architects.

Tribute nights in Toronto are important - sometimes it's just not enough to go out and hope you'll hear your favourite legendary artist played over the loud-speakers. Frankly there are icons that deserve more attention than a fleeting track woven into an X-Tendamix.

Every Halloween, Death to T.O. gets Toronto's favourite indie bands to play as temporary tribute acts to their musical heroes, and someday that Slayer party may reign in blood again.

Here are my picks for the top 5 Toronto entities that pay respect to the legends.

Can't Stop Esther/Jackson Family Values/Purplelectricity/GAGA 4 GAGA - DJ doctor BAGGIE
The sixteenth edition of the the Madonna marathon, Can't Stop Esther will happen this March to celebrate the release of her new album, Rebel Heart. Host DJ doctor BAGGIE also organizes tribute parties to the Jacksons, Lady Gaga, and Prince.

Smiths is Dead
First Wednesday of the month, you can drink to forget your problems while Morrissey reminds you about all of his (people eating meat, not having anything to wear, etc.). Smiths is Dead plays The Smiths and Morrissey exclusively, all night at Unlovable.

Steers and Queers: Night of a Thousand Dollys
Every year during Pride, revelers don their rhinestone and bolo-tie best and pay homage to the original Queen of Cuntry, Dolly Parton. Night of a Thousand Dollys features burlesque performances, a Dolly look-a-like contest, a full Dolly Parton choir, and of course lots of Dolly and God-fearing country played over the loudspeakers. Part of the Pride at the Gaystone event series.

Björk Party
The Beaver will be hosting their very first (and hopefully recurring) Björk Party this month. There was also a Björk karaoke event at Holy Oak that had passed by the time of this writing - also hopefully not the last.

Depeche Mode Party
The PANIC! retro parties at Velvet Underground have become an institution in Toronto, and regularly feature tributes to artists like Siouxsie & the Banshees and David Bowie with special 'spotlight' events. The latest installment of the Depeche Mode Party this May promises all-you-Gahan-dance with originals, remixes, and requests all night.

BONUS

Tribute bands at The Linsmore Tavern
The Linsmore Tavern has come a ways since this review - new management, new TV's, and new beers on tap. Tucked into their monthly schedule of dad-rock bar bands and blues jams are recurring live-band tributes to Tom Waits, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, and The Police.

What did I miss? Leave your suggestions for your favourite tribute nights in the comments.

See also

The top 10 themed dance parties in Toronto
The top 10 cover bands in Toronto

Photo by Kyle Burton