With the Toronto Blue Jays home opener about to kick off, hope springs eternal for a return to the post season, but so too does it for better food at the Rogers Centre. Sure, the stadium's offerings are a hell of a lot better better than the SkyDome's McDonald's days, but despite some fancy names and descriptions, the ballpark's menu leaves much to be desired. It's as if the city's diverse food scene is not allowed inside.

Let's take a tour around other MLB ballparks to get a sense of what we're missing.

Arizona Diamondbacks - Churro Dog
Given baseball's longstanding obsession with hot dogs, this re-imagination of the ballpark classic just makes sense. A sweet tooth's dream, this sucker consists of a churro wrapped in an eclair, which is topped with frozen yogourt and whipped cream.

Tampa Bay Rays - Cuban Sandwich
Tropicana Field has a host of delicious food offerings, but none so appetizing as its Cuban sandwich, which features smoky ham, pork, and Genoa salami laid on Cuban bread spread with Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard.

Miami Marlins - Ceviche
One of the problems with the food at the Rogers Centre is that it doesn't adequately represent the diverse cuisines on offer just outside its gates. Case in point: the simple ceviche served at Marlins Park isn't classic ballpark food, but it's light and refreshing while also representative of the city's food culture.

Chicago White Sox - Bana Split Sundae
The savoury eats aren't anything to turn your nose up at US Cellular Field (think chicken and waffles sandwiches and bacon on a stick), but the highlight is surely the three pound banana split sundae served in a helmet.

Baltimore Orioles - Walk Off
Camden Yard's waffle fries have been a hit with the fans since being introduced a couple of seasons ago. They make the perfect accompaniment to the Walk Off, a gourmet take on the classic ballpark frank that's made up of a Roma sausage topped with Old Bay crab dip.

Texas Rangers - Choomongus
When Rangers fans have to suffer through a snoozer of a game at Globe Life Park at least they have the option of occupying themselves by feeding on a massive, two foot-long Korean Beef sandwich. Fan camaraderie is fostered by group efforts to finish this monster.

Houston Astros - Chicken and Waffle cone
Now this is just smart. You want chicken and waffles but you don't want to make a mess all over yourself while you watch the game. The solution is simple at Minute Maid Park: serve the chicken in the waffle!

Milwaukee Brewers - Nachos on a stick
Miller Park is home to nachos on a stick (yes, you heard that right), which are composed of beef and refried beans rolled in Doritos, before being deep fried into one crispy and easy to eat treat. Hungry yet?

Minnesota Twins - Pizza-Adorned Bloody Mary
Who says you have to drink beer at the ballpark? Given how much Toronto loves its Caesars, perhaps we could steal some inspiration from this pizza-adorned Bloody Mary they serve at Hrbek's Pub in Target Field.

Cincinnati Reds - Stuffed Quail
Mr. Red's Smokehouse at the Great American Ballpark won't offer you humble chicken wings. Nope, here you can get your hands on stuffed quail. Perhaps it'd be easier to sell premium tickets at the Rogers Centre if the food was this refined.

What would you like to see offered at the Rogers Centre? Add your favourite ballpark foods in the comments.

Photo by Ryan in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto Last Gang Records will celebrate Moon King's LP Secret Life with a release show at Smiling Buddha. Lee Paradise and Blunt Chunks are also on the bill, so you really can't go wrong.

Then, the stories, the podcast, the legend: Tell Me Something Good is back at the Gladstone during the week of the Feminist Porn Awards - this edition of Toronto's erotic storytelling competition will be red hot. Earl Sweatshirt is sold out, so if you're gripping tickets count yourself lucky. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Music: Moon King LP Release (Smiling Buddha)
• Hot Stuff: Tell Me Something Good (Gladstone)
• Film: Silent Film Fest: Blind Husbands (Innis Town Hall)
• Film: All That is Left Unsaid (Jackman Hall Theatre, AGO)
• Music: Audiopollination (Array)
• Film: Peeling Back the Layers (Jackman Hall Theatre, AGO)
• Music: Earl Sweatshirt (Opera House)

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

Moon King photo by Matt Forsythe

A six week streak of no restaurant closures in Toronto continues this week, though city health inspectors doled out yellow cards to several popular establishments. Most eyebrow raising of all, Magic Oven in Liberty Village received its third conditional pass since August.

Here are the rest of the worst offenders this week on DineSafe.

Queen's Pasta Cafe (2263 Bloor St. West)
Inspected on: April 7, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 3, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Rol San Restaurant (323 Spadina Ave.)
Inspected on: April 7, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

The Pint House (678 Yonge St.)
Inspected on: April 7, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

La Tortilleria (1009 Dufferin St.)
Inspected on: April 7, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Magic Oven (127 Jefferson Ave.)
Inspected on: April 8, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 3, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Regina Pizzeria Trattoria (782 College St.)
Inspected on: April 9, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Smoke's Poutinerie (772 College St.)
Inspected on: April 10, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 3, Significant: 3)
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.

Being at a music festival is plenty of fun on its own, but perhaps you'd like to enjoy a high-tech, out-of-body experience between sets? Field Trip 2015, set for June 6-7, is bringing something new to the summer festival circuit - an opportunity to test drive the Oculus Rift virtual reality system, which will send festival attendees "flying" high over the festival grounds.

The virtual reality experience, created specifically for the festival (and set, appropriately, to the music of Kevin Drew and Andy Kim), will use four Oculus headsets to simulate the experience of soaring over Fort York. Organizers promise the experience will be free for all attendees (though you'll probably miss a set or two waiting in line for it).

If you prefer non-simulated sensory experiences, the fest has also announced a promising-sounding food component to this year's fest. The 2015 edition will feature a fleet of more than 20 food trucks, including Caplansky's, Food Dudes, Fidel Gastro's, Buster's Sea Cove and a host of others.

In addition, a "VIP restaurant row" will bring 416 Snack Bar, Rodney's Oyster House, and Anthony Rose (of Rose & Sons, Fat Pasha and Big Crow fame). It's very possible the summer's best food fest won't be at a food fest at all.

Photo via Wikipedia.

A Toronto-based startup wants to let you build your own custom electronics. Currently incubated at the Cossette offices in Liberty Village, Wattage is a four-person team composed of members with expertise in digital design, hardware, platform architecture, and electronics.

Jeremy Bell, the co-founder and CEO of Wattage shows me around part of their workspace full of lots of electronics across four desks along with some some custom Wattage boards and prototypes the team has created to showcase and test their product.

Wattage is a platform that bridges the worlds of electronics, hardware, and software to help you become an inventor.

Several years ago, when Bell was a partner at a design firm called Teehan + Lax, he had the idea of abstracting electronics to make custom manufacturing more accessible for people. He mentioned the idea to colleague and Director of T+L Labs, Peter Nitsch, who would later become one of Wattage's co-founders.

About a year ago, Bell and Nitsch left their jobs at T+L and raised a $200,000 seed round from Cossette to start building Wattage. Today, the company has launched its alpha and is set to release its beta later this year.

To make something programmable that's unique to you, and something you would be proud to showcase in your living room is no easy feat. Wattage's WebGL and threeJS powered browser interface let's you pick choose, and shape the custom electronic you want without having to worry about how to bring the idea to life electronically.

An example that Bell is fond of using to illustrate a Wattage use case is that of a podcast radio. Instead of streaming podcasts from your phone to your home speaker system, you could create a custom Wattage piece that let's you program a radio that downloads your favourite podcasts and plays them when you get home.

Wattage electronics can be customized using sensors, screens, lights, displays, and Bluetooth and WiFi for easier connectivity with your mobile device.

While products like Raspberry Pi, and Arduino boards have tried to make electronics more accessible, they are targeted towards an audience that is well-versed in technology. Other products in the market, like Little Bits, a DIY electronics kit, is limiting in its possibilities.

Bell and the Wattage team want to bring bespoke electronics to the masses, and with their beta launch later this year, they will be one step closer to the dream. Wattage aims to focus on the end product, letting the software take care of everything else.

Digital fabrication, says Bell, is going to be the future of manufacturing. 3D printing technology has made waves lately with products like Mink, the 3D printer that prints makeup, and ChefJet, that prints edibles like sugar, chocolate, and candy in all sorts of shapes and colours.

But when it comes to manufacturing something that's more of an appliance than an object, 3D printing on its own tends to fall short. Wattage is using a combination of laser cutting, 3D printing, and custom electronic boards to make designing your own electronics accessible.

Using Wattage's platform, you can pick and choose the colour, materials, size, and components you want in your dream electronic device right in your browser.

Once you hit "buy" the Wattage software spits out all the required files for manufacturing and it gets sent to Hot Pop Factory, a Toronto-based 3D printing creative shop, where these parts are laser cut, etched with their unique IDs and mounting holes, and packed for shipping, complete with custom instructions on how to assemble them.

The beta version will ship in parts so you can assemble, program, and plug and play it yourself. In the future, Wattage hopes to be able to operationalize and make the assembly of the pieces feasible so they can ship you a programmed, assembled piece of hardware that you designed.

Outdoor art fairs in Toronto are a great way to enjoy the summer sun while taking in some local culture. We live in a creative city full of starving artists willing to sell their work for slightly more than the cost of the material it took to create them. If what currently passes for art on your walls are movie posters left from your college days or a famous painting of sunflowers, you might want to scope out the local talent at one of these fairs.

Here's a round-up of outdoor art fairs in Toronto this spring and summer.

Kensington Market Art Fair (KMFA) - Every Sunday from May 31 to October 25
Perhaps there's no better location in the city for an eclectic outdoor art fair than Kensington Market with its colourful characters and eccentric vibe. The KMFA is a curated fair organized by the Keep Six Exhibits in conjunction with Pedestrian Sundays (PSK). Forget your car and stroll around the market in search of various original two and three-dimensional art works.

Riverdale Art Walk - June 6 and 7
This is a two-day juried art exhibition featuring both established and emerging artists in various retail spaces and Jimmie Simpson Park along Queen East's art district. This fair in Riverdale/Leslieville has grown to now include 130 participating artists, local community groups, entertainers and vendors.

Liberty Village Art Crawl - June 13
This is the third annual Liberty Village Art Crawl showcasing original art, photography, jewellery design, furniture, and fashion. The event will also include DJs and food trucks. Bring along your wallet and your negotiation skills; a few of the artists may just be willing to cut you a deal.

The Beaches Arts & Crafts Show - June 13 and 14
The Beaches Arts & Crafts Show is all about handmade products created by artists, artisans and designers from across Canada. You can have your pick of visual art works, jewellery, leather pieces, clothing and home and garden decor. Even if the art doesn't impress you, the beachside setting at Kew Gardens will.

The Entertainment District Art Crawl - July 10
If the Liberty Village Art Crawl has peaked your interest, but you prefer to hang in the Entertainment District, you can go to this event organized by the same group. You'll get the same chance to see one of a kind products and unique pieces by artists and artisans but this time you'll be surrounded by theatres and concert halls.

Artfest at the Distillery - September 4-7
The Distillery is one of the nicer venues for an outdoor art event on this list, especially because of the many venues to eat and drink immediately nearby. Art hunting can be exhausting. So after you check out work from local artisans, head for a French-style lunch at Cluny or Mexican at El Catrin or just pints at the Mill Street Beer Hall.

Cabbagetown Art & Crafts Sale - September 11 to 13
An arts fair in Cabbagetown just makes sense. After all, this heritage neighbourhood has been home to many famous Canadians in the arts. This is a large juried festival that includes 180 artists and craftspeople so be prepared for large crowds to flock to Riverdale Park.

The Queen West Art Crawl (QWAC) - September 12 and 13
The Queen West Art Crawl is a weekend long festival at Trinity Bellwoods. The fair includes a juried selection from more than 250 artists and artisans. If you're planning to picnic at the park during the art crawl, you need to show up early because the event is a huge neighbourhood draw and choice spots go fast.

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition (TOAE) - September 18 to 20
The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition (TOAE) wants to school you in art appreciation at the same time as giving artists some much needed face time with prospective customers. This fair, located at Nathan Phillips square for over 50 years, is a humongous gathering of artists with up to 400 participants in 14 categories, offering hand-made originals to the 100,000 visitors attending the exhibition every year.

Danforth East Arts Fair - September 19 to 20
The Danforth East Arts Fair at East Lynn Park, located on the south side of the Danforth between Coxwell and Woodbine is a family friendly neighbourhood event. In addition to the art, you get children's activities, tons of great food and other pop-up entertainers that help to set the artsy mood.

What outdoor arts fairs are happening in your neighbourhood? Add them to the comments below.

Follow Sima Sahar Zerehi on Twitter @SimaSaharZerehi

This new sandwich shop has been packing in Kensington Market dwellers since it opened a couple of weeks ago. Here you'll find halal steak sandwiches, poutine, and other snack-y classics like chicken tenders. There's also a few healthier vegetarian options, for those who might have a shirtless volleyball games scheduled in the near future.

Read my review of Top Gun Steak in the restaurants section.

Toronto fans of Game of Thrones are mighty spoiled right now. Not only has the 5th season of the wildly popular HBO show just got underway, but this city of pop-up shops even has one dedicated to Westeros right now. And now for the icing on the cake, a "rave" this Friday headlined by none other than Kristian Nairn, a.k.a Hodor.

Cleverly dubbed "Rave of Thrones," the Phoenix subs in for Westeros. The venue will somehow be divided into the seven "kingdoms" for the purposes of dialling in the theme and so that organizers can sell tiered tickets (White Harbour and Gulltown are already sold out).

Costumes are "highly encouraged," which makes them almost compulsory for anyone hoping to be the centre of attention on this night. I doubt you'll be able to get a drone by the door staff, but it sure would be heroic to have a "dragon" to shock and astound fellow guests.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Photo via Winteriscoming

17 Douglas Crescent, a five bedroom house near the Moore Park neighbourhood, was plucked right out of a 1980s movie. In a good way. Asking $3,395,000, the two-tone property that resembles an office building from the outside offers some star power--the home was designed by world renowned architect, Francesco Scolozzi, who also designed the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Inside, the "Scolhouse" feels more like a contemporary art gallery with its glass atrium and floor-to-ceiling windows. This house is all about natural light--an overhanging skylight and a living room that overlooks a private ravine.

The house was built in 1988 which (somewhat) explains the minimalist bathroom, kitchen and overall decor. Regardless, the house is stunning as is the backyard, making you feel like you've been transported out of Toronto and right into cottage country. There are no other houses like this in the area, making it either a hidden gem near Bayview Avenue or a very hard sell.

Love it or hate it? Have your say in the comments.

SPECS

• Address: 17 Douglas Crescent
• Price: $3,395,000
• Lot Size: 44 x 130 FT
• Bedrooms: 5
• Bathrooms: 4
• Parking: 5
• Taxes: $14,175
• Walk Score: 32

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Approx. 5,500 square feet
• Skylights
• Built-in barbecue
• Multi-tiered deck overlooking ravine
• Rough-in for sauna and wet bar

GOOD FOR

Finding your zen in the backyard. It's the ideal spot for entertaining and backyard parties, regardless of potential raccoons and wildlife lurking in the ravine.

MOVE ON IF

You don't want to renovate. The house could use a facelift. The bland kitchen and the bathrooms disappoint, especially for the hefty asking price.

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.

Photo by sevres babylone in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto you can draw Miss Piggy live at Round for Toons on Tap. Rubens would have loved to attend, so have a toast to him at the bar. Burger Brawl, a series of midnight showdowns, starts tonight at 11pm for the inaugural battle, which will see the Good Son kitchen face off with Lisa Marie followed by the headliner battle between head chefs Vittorio Colacitti and Matt Basile. Admission is $15.

Find the Others will play new venue Burdock Music Hall on Bloor - a must-hit spot if you haven't yet, especially for beer lovers. Drunk Feminist Films presents 50 Shades of Grey for the most hilarious event of the week, but sadly it's long sold out. Stay tuned for their next screening. There's always Randy Bachman - there really always is Randy Bachman. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Food: Burger Brawl (Good Son)
• Art: Collapsing Constellations (YYZ Artists' Outlet)
• Drink: #DrinksDemos: Always Be Closing (Project: OWL)
• Art: Toons On Tap - Session 69: Miss Piggy (Round)
• Film: Li Wen Man You Dong Hu Li Wen at East Lake - Luo Li (Jackman Hall Theatre, AGO)
• Music: Find the Others (Burdock Music Hall)
• Drink: Drunk Feminist Films (Revue)

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

Record Store Day in Toronto is, for lovers of the physical musical-medium, like Christmas - except the majority of the loot comes in 12"x12" dimensions (ok, not to exclude 7" and 10" releases), and instead of scrambling under a tree, you're lining up at an ungodly hour and crawling over other shoppers for that special green-vinyl pressing. Imagine more of a Jingle All The Way situation than Charlie Brown's Christmas.

For those of us who love the festivities, on April 18, Toronto's stores are hosting a great selection of Record Store Day releases, live music and sales.

Once a struggling commodity, vinyl has seen one of the biggest comebacks since the polaroid camera (or the brass cocktail set?). While majors struggle to break new singles and artists with attention-grabbing videos and surprise campaigns, Jack White's Lazarettosold 75,700 vinyl copies in 2014, and
The Wall Street Journal claims vinyl sales have increased by 49% since last year.

That doesn't mean vinyl is out of the woods yet. Despite some big names selling wax, we've seen the shuttering of some independent, local vinyl labels, as well as the resurgence of the cassette (e.g. the success of Burger Records).

Record Store Day has its fair share of cons, especially for smaller labels. Those accustomed to flipping casually through the shelves can be overwhelmed with the crowds of people who use RSD as their lone dalliance into a cultural practice many exercise year round.

Let's not get started with the inflated mark-ups that record speculators throw up on Ebay, sometimes even before the record itself hits the shelves.

Complaints about interlopers aside, overall Record Store Day is a positive trend in the way we consume music. The necessity of listening to an A-Side, then stopping whatever you're doing to manually flip to the B-Side, is a lot more engaging than hitting shuffle on an iPod. Or a Pono, eh Neil?

As Parkdale Platters owner Chris Gibson puts it, "as a shop keep, I would like every day to be Record Store Day." For many of us that's already true - and what better way to embrace vinyl culture than to invite those unaware of the joys of record collecting into our world for a day?

For an expansive, if not slightly out-of-touch (RIP Of A Kind; Greek World Music??), list of participating Toronto record stores, check out Record Store Day's registry. Alternatively, our list of top 20 record stores by neighbourhood may come in handy for those looking to celebrate Record Store Day in your own locale.

IN-STORE PERFORMANCES AND SALES

• The Wooden Sky's Gavin Gardiner will be performing at Cabin Fever Collective at 7pm.
• Performances by Comet Control, MIMICO, Harrison, Anamai, Carl Didur at Sonic Boom throughout the day.
• June Records will be opening an hour earlier (9am!), and features 10% off on all non-RSD merchandise.
• Evening "after-party" at Chinatown fun-haus 8-11 featuring Mmm Mmm (Sexy Merlin/Man Made Hill), Soupcans, and more. $8.

RECORD STORE DAY RELEASES BY TORONTO ACTS

• Tess Parks and Anton Newcombe - Cocaine Cat 10" coloured
• Sloan - Alternates 12"
• Death From Above 1979 - Trainwreck 10" picture disc (500 copies)

RECORD STORE DAY HIGHLIGHTS

• Swans 12" EP
• Steve Reich Music For 18 Musicians (1998) 2xLP
• Various Artists The Darjeeling Limited Original Soundtrack (coloured vinyl)
• Bernard Herrmann Psycho 7"

How will you celebrate Record Store Day in Toronto? Let us know in the comments (on anon if you're an Ebay re-seller).

Photo of Sonic Boom by Matt Forsythe

The latest in Ontario booze news is that beer sales are still a go in supermarkets but that wine will have to wait. The Star reports that the April 23rd provincial budget set to be tabled by the Liberals will outline a shift in beer sales involving some 300 odd supermarkets, as was initially leaked about a month ago.

Wine, however, has proven to be a more complicated matter. With beer, the government is able to auction off new licences to the highest bidding supermarkets, but the plan with wine has been to repurpose licences currently held by the Wine Rack and the Wine Shop, which total 268 across the province.

Apparently there are concerns that the expansion of these licences to accommodate supermarket sales could run into problems with international trade agreements (the Wine Rack, for instance, is a U.S. company). As the Star's anonymous Liberal source says, "wine needs some time."

In other words, it doesn't sound like the this hiccup has lead the government to stray from its plan of expanding wine sales across the province. It merely has to come up with a way to make this happen that won't lead to problems down the road.

You can now have limited edition vinyl pressed at Sonic Boom's new Spadina digs. No, it's not Record Store Day* yet, but this isn't an exclusive, one-day deal: after all, real music fans are at record shops year round.

Andy March of Monotype Audio Disk Cutting (and Toronto label Craft Singles and band Crosss, one of the city's loudest musical offerings), is producing what is actually a pretty dainty craft product: full colour lathe picture discs which hold about 7 minutes of music per side.

March says he'll press between one record to a run of fifty, and that the discs play in mono at 33rpm. He'll ship to "anywhere," which may draw the interest of some labels based outside Toronto.

Pressing happens live in store Friday - Sunday, 10am - midnight. All you have to do is bring in your music and your picture and wait for the magic to happen in mere minutes. A one-off single pressing costs $14.99, with larger runs priced at varying levels - talk it out in shop, or email Monotype Audio ahead (larger pressings will take more time).

Your music-loving friend who has everything now doesn't - unless they heard about this before you did.

*Monotype do promise "a special limited something something" for Record Store Day.

Photo: Matt Forsythe

Toronto butcher shops are an integral part of our neighbourhoods, and any self respecting meat eater can tell you that the quality and knowledgeable service they provide is invaluable. These meat mongers are a cut above your average grocer; they know the provenance of each animal and dispense cooking tips too.

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

See also:The Best Butcher Shops in Toronto

THE BEACHES
Queen East's The Chopping Block is home to a fine selection meats including air-chilled chicken breasts and beautiful Frenched racks of lamb. You'll find prepared foods at the back of the store, including ready to heat schnitzels, cabbage rolls and lasagna.

BLOOR WEST VILLAGE
Take a number at the Bloor Meat Market and wait your turn at this old school butcher that has been in business since 1929. Locals love the enticing cuts of meat and sage advice offered by the friendly and knowledgeable staff.

BLOORCOURT
Find a smorgasbord of chops, tenderloins and ground on-demand meats at Vince Gasparro's Meat Market on Bloor. Aside from the ample selection at the butcher counter, look forward to buffala mozzarella brought in seasonally from Italy, unfiltered olive oil, prime Parma Prosciutto, free-range eggs and much more.

CABBAGETOWN
St. Jamestown Steak & Chops on Parliament prides itself on carrying high quality cuts at excellent value. Find everything from hand-made specialty sausages to house marinated meats and kebabs, while the adjacent deli serves up soups, slow roasted ribs, and a fantastic chicken schnitzel.

CASTLEFIELD DESIGN DISTRICT
Speducci Mercatto is a full service butcher counter that deals in premium products and makes its specialty dry aged Tomahawk rib steaks and triple A ribeye steaks. The market carries cured meats from Paganelli's, while the cafe crafts panini and serves up prepared foods like its signature speducci and spit roasted pork.

DUNDAS WEST
In business since 1974, Nosso Tahlo is the neighbourhood go-to for traditional cuts of beef, pork and poultry in Little Portugal. Deli meats and cheese here are never prepackaged but rather sliced to order, and the shop also carries traditional Portuguese specialties like chuorico sausages and bacalau.

THE DANFORTH
The Meat Dept. brings in the majority of its meat from Ontario and Quebec, but can also offer products not found anywhere else. Skilled butchers on staff will happily accommodate requests for the extraordinary and can just as easily supply everyday staples like organic deli meats, prepared foods, gourmet sauces and condiments.

DANFORTH EAST
Stock in Trade is a compact butcher and food store where the display case shows off selections of pork, chicken, beef, rabbit and lamb. The shop engages in whole animal butchering and will happily produce custom cuts and special orders. Sandwiches and prepared foods are worthwhile, most notably, the house-made pastrami and porchetta.

EAST YORK
Fresh From the Farm is grocer on Donlands that partners with Ontario's Amish and Mennonite farmers to provide organic and/or hormone-free foods. The one-stop shop carries an ample selection of roasts and steaks, ground meats and offal, alongside locally sourced eggs, dairy, produce and prepared foods.

ETOBICOKE
Medium Rare is boutique butcher where beef is aged on the premises and is offered alongside a range of sausages, charcuterie, sauces and grab-and-go foods like meat pies, gourmet entrees and slow smoked barbecue.

THE JUNCTION
Gourmeats on Dundas West isn't your average meat market. The butcher case might be stocked with your standard cuts, but customers are encouraged to have orders packaged in any of the many house marinades so that mealtimes are made easy and exciting.

KENSINGTON MARKET
Bubbling with activity, Sanagan's Meat Locker is a local favourite for beautifully butchered cuts, housemade sausages, and charcuterie. The recently spruced up St. Andrew Poultry deserves a nod too. Prices here are a tad cheaper and the shawarma at the food bar is top notch.

LESLIEVILLE
Rowe Farms isn't a single farm, but rather a team of farmers that have banded together to
promote conscientious farming. The meat purveyor operates multiple retail locations and has distribution deals with grocers across the GTA, but the outpost in Leslieville is a popular source for fresh pork, lamb, beef and poultry as well as frozen convenience foods like meatballs, burgers, and chicken wings.

LIBERTY VILLAGE
Bespoke Craft Butchers is a neighbourhood food shop committed to selling grass-fed beef and lamb, certified organic chickens, and heritage breed pigs. Aside from top notch cuts of raw meat, find the shop stocked with cured meats, cheese, breads, house-made marinades, and condiments.

LITTLE ITALY
The butcher case at Grace Meats is stocked with traditional cuts, while the store is packed to the brim with deli meats, cheeses, and pantry items like imported pastas, sauces, spices, and marinades.

MARKHAM
Famu at Steeles and Victoria Park specializes in Japanese cuts as well as traditional North American cuts. This place is a best bet to find waygu steaks, plus ready to eat foods like curries and chicken katsu are available for purchase too.

MISSISSAUGA
Paramount Butcher Shop is the halal butcher from the Middle Eastern restaurant chain of the same name. Here you'll get to choose from fresh and marinated halal chicken, lamb, veal, beef and goat, plus a range of grocery items including cheese, sauces, marinades, pickles and olives.

NORTH YORK
Eddystone Meats boasts a huge meat counter along with a line of cheeses, olives, and ready-to-eat hot table selections. The shop specializes in porchetta and makes delectable hot sandwiches.

OSSINGTON
Cote de Beouf is a Parisian-style butcher shop devoted to showcasing local Ontario and Quebec product. Aside from groceries, find fresh and frozen take-away foods and the occasional in-shop dining experience where you can sample the goods along with a glass of wine.

QUEEN WEST
The Healthy Butcher operates multiple locations and each is committed to selling fresh, locally grown meat from cattle that graze in large pastures, and chickens with access to both indoors and outdoors.

RIVERSIDE
Butchers of Distinction opened in 2013 and prides itself on offering direct farmer-to-customer service. The shop engages in 'whole animal' butchery, with all meat cutting, trimming and aging done on site. In addition to raw cuts, find ready-to-heat and serve foods prepared in house including roasted, smoked and barbecued meats, stocks, soups, salads, side dishes, and pies.

RONCESVALLES VILLAGE
Custodio's Meats & Eats is a whole animal butcher shop specializing in local meats from small family farms in Ontario. The butcher here brings in whole hogs, entire chickens, and complete beef and lambs to offer high quality, sustainable, humanely raised meats that aims to give customers the peace of mind of knowing where their meat comes from.

ROSEDALE
Ollife works directly with the best farmers and individual producers from Ontario, Saskatchewan and PEI to source beef, game, poultry and lamb. Staffing some of Toronto's finest and most sage butchers allows for custom butchery and informative customer interactions.

SCARBOROUGH
Kostas Meat Market and Deli on Ellesmere at Warden is a Greek butcher that's home to a wide selection of meats at fair prices. Not to be missed are house specialties like souvlaki skewers and tzatziki.

ST. CLAIR WEST
Roast is a premium butcher shop where top grade, organic and/or naturally-raised raw meats are available alongside a wide array of fine foods and chef-prepared meals for take-away.

ST. LAWRENCE MARKET
Choosing just one favourite butcher in St. Lawrence Market is almost an impossible task, and while some of the meat counters have various strengths, Whitehouse offers a broad selection that includes typical varieties like aged beef, fresh pork, lamb, milk fed veal and naturally raised poultry, as well as, specialty items like game meats (venison, wild boar, and rabbit) and birds (pheasant, partridge, duck, and quail).

UPPER BEACHES
Close to the Bone is a craft butcher shop that offers certified organic beef, pork, lamb and chicken that are naturally raised without hormones or chemical enhancements. Also find sausages, cured meats, and a range of pantry items.

WEST QUEEN WEST
Cumbrae's retail outpost on the west side is a marvel to behold. A shrine to meat, stocked with premium cuts of beef, pork and poultry supplied by a network of Ontario farms. A wall of packaged prepared foods is a blessing for those that don't like to start from scratch, while whole rotisserie chickens and sandwiches are ready to eat immediately.

YONGE & EGLINTON
The Butcher's Son, inspired by old world butchers, is helmed by chef and owner Vito Rizzuto who stocks his shop with superior, restaurant-style cuts, Expect to find a wide range of beautifully marbled top cuts of beef, traditionally raised chicken, Ontario pork and lamb, and a superb selection of game meats such as duck, quails, venison, elk and more.

YONGE & LAWRENCE
The Friendly Butcher has been in business since 1996 dealing in traceable, locally raised products from Ontario farms. The onsite production kitchen stocks the shop with easy meal solutions too, expect to find prepared foods like steak sandwiches, potato latkes and chili.

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

Lead photo from the Cumbrae's by Jesse Milns.

If you own a food truck or just wish you saw them more often, here's a glimmer of hope to brighten up your Wednesday: city staff are recommending that council loosen the restrictions governing trucks in the city.

A staff report released yesterday advises that the city should consider relaxing some of the heavily-contested food truck laws unveiled last spring, which allow food trucks access to a few scant curbside parking spots downtown - after they pay $5,000 for a permit. The three-hour parking limit in pay-and-display spots - which, food truck operators complained, was heavily truncated by setup and takedown time - would be increased to five hours.

The report also advises rolling out partial-season six- and nine-month permits so that operators can access those spots during the summer and still save cash during the colder months.

Caplansky's owner Zane Caplansky, an outspoken advocate for looser truck rules, told the Globe and Mail the report was "a step in the right direction".

He added, however, that the report still doesn't address the reason why the permit-approved spaces are so scarce in the first place: The rule that stipulates food trucks must be parked more than 50 metres away from an existing restaurant (which blacks out most of the downtown core).

Get ready for the upcoming Toronto food trucks season - download the Toronto Food Trucks app for Android or iPhone.

Bars and pubs near the Rogers Centre and the ACC give Raptors, Jays and Leafs fans a place to eat, drink and convene before and after the game. There's an option for every group size, budget and craving, whether you're after exotic taps or domestic bottles, nachos or steak, a cozy pub or a raucous sports bar. Head to these places if you're looking to celebrate a victory (or drown some sorrows).

Here are my picks for the top bars and pubs near the Rogers Centre and the ACC.

See also:

The top 20 restaurants near the Rogers Centre
10 restaurants to eat at near the ACC

Real Sports Bar
Not long after they opened, ESPN dubbed this York St. bar the best sports bar in North America. It's easy to see why: with 199 screens (including one two-storey monster), there isn't a single seat in the house, including the bathrooms, that doesn't have a clear view of a TV. The 100 beer taps don't hurt, either.

Amsterdam Brewhouse
In addition to a full slate of taps, bottles, casks and seasonal offerings from their namesake brewery, Amsterdam features a lovely lakeside open-air setting for a pre- or post-game beverage. The menu does typical mains with a few nice nods to the nearby ballpark, including a pretzel with beer-infused mustard.

Underground Garage
While it is neither underground, nor a garage, this King St. bar offers plenty in terms of atmosphere. That atmosphere, in case you were wondering, is divey: drinks are strong and inexpensive, and there's plenty of live music.

Bar Hop
This King and Spadina spot is the beer snob's choice spot near the ballpark (since you know those $10 plastic cups of Keith's just ain't gonna do it). The beer list is a detailed seven or so pages long, the atmosphere is dark, cozy and warrenlike, and there's Belgian frites to quell those postgame munchies.

Town Crier
Does the phrase "50 taps of beer" entice you at all? Then head up John from the Rogers Centre to this cozy subterranean pub, which tops off the impressive beer selection (including plenty of Belgan and Bavarian picks) with some decent English pub grub.

Office Pub
If the Town Crier's full up, don't fret; these guys offer revolving daily drink specials, an upstairs karaoke bar, some pretty worthwhile wings, and a menu of adventurous poutines (including one built on fried ravioli).

The Loose Moose / Antler Room
The Moose, long a Front St. destination for fried food and boozed-up, sports-related yelling, cleaned up its act a couple of years ago with a made-over lower-level space. The Antler Room offers an industrial-rec-room vibe and a menu of updated bar favourites. (Screech rum shots are $2.65 - how very Canadian.)

The Ballroom
Did the home team lose their fourth straight game? At this multi-floor lounge on John St., frustrations out on a bunch of pins or a ping-pong ball, or just quaff a pint or two on their rooftop or curbside patio.

Thoroughbred
This small-plates-and-cocktails spot would be more at home on College or Dundas than the Club Districy - but, lucky for you, discerning diner, those inventively-plated oysters, sweetbreads, and smoked duck breasts are within a 10-minute walk of the Rogers Centre on Adelaide.

Miller Tavern
The downtown location of this York Mills pub lies at the foot of Bay St., offering quality seafood, steaks, prime rib roasts, and comfort food dishes. Head here if you're looking to splash out a little (the cheapest main is a burger at $25).

Earls Kitchen + Bar
Head north after the game to the Financial District, where the only Toronto outpost of the Canadian restaurant chain offers solid takes on crowd-pleasing dishes like burgers, pizzas and salads in a slick, banker-friendly atmosphere. (Even if you're not a Bay Streeter by day, you'll still dig the $4-and-up daily drink specials.)

El Caballito
The upstairs sister bar to King West taqueria Los Colibris, El Caballito focuses on mezcals and tequilas (for slow, considered sipping straight-up or in cocktails - this is a no-shooting zone). They also offer some Mexican snacks carried over from downstairs, including tacos with hand-formed tortillas.

Beerbistro
King and Yonge's Beerbistro adds a touch of refinement to your pre-game drinking and dining options - say, a prelude to date night at the ballpark. Their 120-strong list of beers flows into the menu, infusing dishes from soup to mussels to fondue.

PJ O'Brien
Tucked just off Yonge and Wellington, this long-standing Irish pub is a slightly longer schlep from the Rogers Centre but the welcoming atmosphere (complete with private booths), comforting menu and free-flowing Guinness make it worthy of an extra jaunt.

Bier Markt (Esplanade)
The bar chain's Esplanade location offers Bavarian culinary influences (plenty of spatzle and schnitzel) along with yet another huge beer selection, complete with suggested pairings for each item. It's an after-work joint for the Financial District crowd and has a bit of a meat-market rep, but hey, sometimes you just want a flammekueche.

Did I miss any? Leave your favourite bar or pub near the ACC or the Rogers Centre in the comments.

Photo of the Loose Moose by Jesse Milns

Along with hosting one of the best spring street festivals in Toronto, Dundas West has quietly been home to a monthly series that draws together and highlights the diverse set of businesses along the street, from restaurants and bars to art galleries.

"Hermann & Audrey began Second Fridays in the Lacuna Artists lofts of Chicago about a year ago and after seeing the success that it had, we wanted to replicate the event in Toronto as well," explains organizer Lauren Wood when asked about the origins of Third Thursdays. "It's also a reason for us to get to know the neighbours, to collaborate on something and create the neighbourhood we want to live in."

While Second Fridays is a gallery-focused event, the Toronto version is a more diverse affair. This month's edition, for instance, features food and drink specials from Churchill, Junked Food Co., Midfield Wine Bar, The Federal, Hogtown Cure, and Cafe Bar Pasta alongside art shows at Hermann & Audrey, The Black Cat, Narwhal Contemporary, and the Belljar.

Throw in live music at The Garrison, Lula Lounge and Milk Glass plus fashion and design-oriented events at Bodega 13, Easy Tiger and Life of Manek, and you have an excellent cross section of the new businesses that have appeared on the street over the last few years.

"At The Black Cat Artspace we plan to have one of our openings fall on the Third Thursday every month and have noticed more casual visitors from outside of what can sometimes be a pretty tightly knit art scene," notes owner Andrew Williamson (who also shoots for blogTO).

That's the idea in a nutshell, it would seem: 1) to get neighbourhood folks out to enjoy nearby businesses, but 2) also to showcase what Dundas West has to offer for those who don't visit regularly. It's a way of putting the street under the spotlight. The next installment of Third Thursdays goes down tomorrow.

Photo by Andrew Williamson and Lisa Kannakko, respectively

A new Italian restaurant is coming to Dundas St. West, but unlike its neighbours Campagnolo and Enoteca Sociale, there will be no bone marrow, pancetta or even poultry on the menu. Ufficio is to be an exclusively pescaterian restaurant devoted to vegetarian dishes and seafare.

I got a sneak peak at the first draft of the opening menu from consulting Chef Craig Harding (Campagnolo) and already I'm salivating in anticipation of starters like carciofi fritti (fried artichokes with parsley and lemon mayonnaise) and sardina affumicato (smoked sardines with crispy potatoes and agrodolce).

Look forward to whole fish grilled over charcoal and promising pasta mains like celeriac agnolotti with chestnuts and taleggio fonduta.

Expect the drinks menu to feature "Euro-modern" cocktails designed by the Martini Club and a wine list featuring plenty of organic and sustainable selections from Le Sommelier and Stem.

The restaurant aims to open in July where The Grove (1218 Dundas St. West) used to be and is currently being designed by Commute and branded by Biography.

Photo of Craig Harding.