Toronto is a pretty well caffeinated city already, with tons of standout java options on both sides of Yonge St. - but if the recent glut of new cafes is any indication, our thirst for a good roast is far from being fully sated. Some do house-roasted coffee or homemade baked goods, while others turn into bars after hours - but all are worthy additions to their respective neighbourhoods.

Here are my picks for the top new cafes in Toronto this year (so far.)

The Common (Annex)
With two existing Common locations already serving as neighbourhood hubs on College and in Bloor West Village, this brand-new Bloor and Brunswick location completed the trio this spring. As with the others, the atmosphere is convivial, the drinks are offered with no posted menu, and the Harmony-milk lattes are super-rich (and delicious).

Milano Coffee
This B.C.-based coffee shop chain and roastery is known around the west coast - and internationally - for its prize-winning espresso blends, which feature a careful mix of up to 14 beans each. At their tiny second-storey cafe in the Financial District, you can try tasting flights of their espressos, or sample still others as drips and pour-overs.

Remarkable Bean (Leslieville)
After two successful decades in the Beaches, the brother-sister team behind Remarkable Bean decided to expand westward this spring with a second roastery-cafe. Their organic, fair-trade bean blends are roasted up fresh daily, and their baked goods (including their legendary savoury breakfast muffins) are all-butter and all-delicious.

Odin
As the easternmost stretches of King St. emerge from construction-induced slumber to prepare for new condos and the Pan Am Games, this brand-new cafe - the brother to Thor on Bathurst St. - is ready to take up the charge. In addition to doing coffee and baked goods, they also offer fresh-pressed juice and, later in the day, a lineup of draft beers.

Tucana Coffee
Tenille Clarke, a barista who trained at Pilot and honed her skills at Crafted, struck out on her own with this brand-new spot at Dundas and Gladstone. It's small, casual and homey - plus, they make a great cortado, and you can grab a Flagship muffin without going all the way over to Parkdale.

Oakwood Espresso
Tony Cavaliere fixed espresso machines for roughly two decades before he started working one full-time at his tiny new cafe at Oakwood and Rogers. Head here for traditional espresso drinks, authentic Nonna-made Italian baked goods, and a community-hub vibe.

Cafe Novo (Kensington)
A rent hike forced this High Park favourite out of the area, but it looks like the west side's spot is Kensington's gain. The all-white space is open and peaceful, a nice contrast to the hubbub of the neighbourhood, and their array of snacks and healthy lunches will keep visitors of all kinds happy.

Black Cat Espresso Bar
There's plenty of cafe competition at College and Dufferin, but Black Cat proprietor Justin Manuel, who overhauled the cafe with his own two hands before opening this past winter, sets the spot apart through some exceptional housemade baked goods, including cinnamon buns, shortbreads, and breakfast sandwiches.

Northern Belle
Cafe by day, bar by night, this new Dundas West spot from the owners of Northwood has been busy 'round the clock since opening this spring. They offer baked goods from the likes of Tempered Room and offer pour-overs and their own in-house cold brew - but we'd suggest sticking around for the cocktail menu.

Coffee Guitar
Bruce Domoney parlayed years of guitar-restoration experience into this Bloordale cafe and repair shop, where staff are pulling shots and steaming lattes for customers when they're not doing setups on their six-strings.

Did I miss any? Leave your picks for new cafes in the comments.

Photo of Northern Belle by Jesse Milns.

Inspired by the vibrant street foods and marketplaces of Bangkok, this newly opened Thai restaurant is serving up a collection of snack foods including grilled skewers, salmon laab, and wok-fried specialties. Just move on if you consider pad Thai a must - you won't find that on the menu here.

Read my profile of Soi Thai in the restaurant section.

This unit in the new Hive building at 51 Lady Bank Road is extreme architecture on the Queensway. Priced at $629,900 for a two bedroom, the beehive-style loft is a standout one in an area amongst older developments, where modern architecture is a rarity.

The boutique building by Symmetry Developments and Teeple Architects, who have designed a range of cool projects around the city, initially received a lukewarm reception for its bold design in "boring Etobicoke" (a reader's opinion, not mine).

The end result, however, looks more like a hip loft on West Queen West with its angular façade and zinc cladding. The unit is spacious at 1,300 square feet, with two bathrooms and 10′ ceilings. The building features a parking stacker system (a car elevator), a first for the area. Basically, park your vehicle, hit a button and your car is raised to make room for another.

Cool stacker and all, the unit isn't selling. Originally listed for $649,900, the owners dropped the price about three percent. Is the Hive too much...sorry...buzz for the neighbourhood? Check out the photos below.

SPECS

• Address: 501, 51 Lady Bank Road
• Price: $629,900
• Square feet: 1,300
• Bedrooms: 2 plus den
• Bathrooms: 3
• Parking: 1
• Taxes: Not assessed
• Maintenance fee: $786.54/monthly
• Walk Score: 85

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Bedrooms with separate living quarters
• Kitchen with 10' island
• Locker included
• 200 sq. ft balcony
• Pre-wired alarm system

GOOD FOR

Privacy. The bedrooms have their own ensuite and are located at separate ends of the unit. An ideal layout for those twenty-somethings still living with the folks or empty nesters craving their own space.

MOVE ON IF

Not a great walking area. Even with a high walk score of 85, the Queensway, just east of Islington, is more of a driving neighbourhood. The highway is closeby and while the condo/loft is walkable to a few big box stores, no one's travelling on foot to the nearby Costco or IKEA (unless you're only going for the $1 breakfast).

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Thanks to Zoocasa for sponsoring our Condo of the Week. To find your dream condo visit Zoocasa.com

The Kentucky Derby is one of the great days on both the horse racing and cocktail drinking calendars. A southern tradition since 1875, upwards of 165,000 people descend on Churchill Downs for a day of racing and mint juleps. Despite being an American race, one of Canada's great sporting stories, Northern Dancer, is a famous winner (1964), while another Canadian, Mine that Bird, won the Run for the Roses in 2009.

If you can't pop down to see the action unfold in person, here are my top ways to get into the Derby spirit this Saturday in Toronto.

Get a wager on
If you're the gambling sort, then your best bet is to watch the Derby and have a flutter at Turf Lounge. Bay and Adelaide would normally be a dead zone on the weekend, but this is the premier destination for the Derby. With over 60 screens tuned to the race, you won't miss a second of the action.

Go to a Party
Sauce on the Danforth host their annual Kentucky Derby party. Starting at 4pm on Saturday, Sauce will be serving up mint juleps and finger sandwiches to get you in the spirit for the races.

Dress for the occasion
Get yourself a Derby hat from one of Toronto's best milliners, Lilliput Hats. A Toronto institution since 1990, Karyn Gingras' shop has been hand-making stunning hats on-site since day one. With a range of classic and fancy styles, as well as all sorts of fascinators for ladies who would like something in true Derby style. Prices start at $60.

Host a mint julep party
Make mint juleps at home! Pick up supplies from BYOB, including the quintessential julep cup. These copper ones are absolutely stunning, even if they'll set you back a hefty thirty bucks a piece. Still, if you're not the gambling sort, you'll have some extra money in your pocket anyway.

Ride it yourself
If you'd rather replicate the action on the turf than the action in the window, horse riding lessons are available at Sunnybrook Stables. Although classes are normally an eight week affair, individual fifty minute private lessons can be booked for as little as $95 per session. Advanced riders can just straight up lease a horse and try to hoof it to Churchill Downs themselves.

What did I miss? How do you plan on celebrating the Kentucky Derby in Toronto. Let us know in the comments.

Toronto's luxury real estate market is the strongest in the world, according to a report from Christie's International Real Estate. Where other luxury markets across the globe are shrinking, our fair city was the lone one to show an increase in the rate of luxury home sales in 2014.

The report, which will be of most interest to the 1%, ranks the top property markets in the world. New York, San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles, Dubai, London, Paris and Sydney all showed slower sales in 2014, where Toronto was up by 37 per cent. Yes, the real estate market in this city is raging bull, from the top the bottom.

Apparently the only factor that prevented 2014 from being the best year on record for the Toronto market was inventory. If there had been more homes available to sell, analysts say the market would have shattered previous records. I guess you're going to have to reconsider that mansion you have on your wish list.

Munenori Kawasaki might not be in the big leagues this season, but he's still drawing a hell of a lot of attention. And not just for his fielding. The Jays shortstop prospect is making waves for his new body fat gymnastics routine. Yes, that's about as bizarre as it sounds.

Kawasaki is already known for his dance moves, but his latest video routine for a Japanese beverage company takes it up a notch. If you can figure out what he's doing, you're a better reader of interpretive dance than I am. In any case, life in the minors has never seemed so good.

Weekend events in Toronto will get your mind off of your humdrum office existence and allow you to explore the city in the midst of its spring rebirth. There's more photography shows than you could ever hope to attend, a massive food truck fest in Hamilton, documentaries galore, and even a Kpop convention. Forget about work. Forever.

Here are my picks for the top events happening in Toronto May 1-3, 2015.

Contact Festival (May)
Beginning on May 1 and covering more or less the whole month of May (depending on the gallery), Contact Photography Festival is the largest photography in the world, which is pretty impressive even if only a fraction of it will interest most. Galleries great and small participate, with the opening at MOCCA as a highlight every year. Check out our full preview here.

FOOD

Sew Hungry (May 1, Hamilton)
"Hamilton isn't Toronto," you say, but then a kind friend gives you a ride to one of spring's most delicious food truck fests.

Tranzac Spring Feast (May 3, The Tranzac)
This fundraiser dinner for the Tranzac, an integral artist run cultural space / concert venue / library / studio / non profit in the Annex, will feature dinner by chef Emily Zimmerman plus a huge line up of entertainment - and you get to say you supported the arts without breaking the bank (tickets are $20-25).

MUSIC

CMW (May 1-10)
Canadian Music Week is back with The Jesus and Mary Chain, Joey Bada$$, Death Cab For Cutie, Alvvays, Billy Talent, Metz and hundreds more playing in venues across the city. The main thing is the music industry conference, but there are film and comedy components, and the Indies Music Awards. See our full preview here. MF

Kpop Convention (May 2, Metro Toronto Convention Centre)
Kpop fans already have May 2nd burned into their calendars. The inaugural one day convention of all things Korean pop music will be headlined by boy band NU'EST, with panels, games and activities, dance workshops, merchandise vendors, fanclub booths, celebrity meet-and-greets, and more. MF

FILM

Hot Docs (April 23 - May 3)
North America's largest documentary film festival is back, and as always there are way too many films to chose from, especially since many of these docs are otherwise hard to find. From the political to the eclectic, find this year's program online here, and see our preview of must-sees here.

Toronto Jewish Film Festival (April 30 - May 10)
As if one film fest wasn't enough, you're also going to be scouring the listings of the annual Jewish Film Fest this weekend. The multi-venue fest has a ton of screenings and events planned over the next 11 days - check it all out here.

Star Wars Day 2015: Empire Strikes Back Screening (May 2, Smiling Buddha)
Of course, a Smiling Buddha event is on here (how was that 5,000 person attending screening last Saturday?) In preparation for May the Fourth, Empire Strikes Back will be screened for free at 2pm. Don't freak out, only 39 people are currently attending on Facebook.

COMICS & LIT

Free Comic Book Day (May 2)
Yes, it's a thing: unlike RDS, on Free Comic Book Day the releases themselves are free to take. Many shops will have in-store events too, including Dr.Comics.

Authors For Indies Day (May 2, Type Books)
At Type on West Queen West this Saturday, 17 authors will be working as "guest book sellers," sharing recommendations and more. Check out the list here, or just pop in for something to read while you're hanging out at the park.

FASHION & DESIGN

Inland (May 2-3, 99 Sudbury)
After a strong debut last fall, the Canadian fashion fair is back at 99 Sudbury May 2 and 3. No crocheted stuffed animals here - just sleek, sharp pieces from 80 Canadian fashion designers that would be at home next to any designer finds. NM

Spring Mirvish Village Sidewalk Sale Fest (May 2)
Head to Markham St. & Lennox St. in Mirvish Village for everything from vintage clothes to books to lampshades as some try to de-hoard while others search for treasures. Of course there will be good eats, plus live entertainment.

For more events this weekend click on over to our Events section. Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit it for free using this form.

Contributions by Shazia Khan, Matt Forsythe, Ben Boles, Liora Ipsum, Ben Johnson, Sima Sahar, Zerehi, Natalia Manzocco

Photo by Jesse Milns

Yonge and Gerrard is already home to Canada's tallest condo in the form of the Aura Building. If KingSett Capital gets its way, the existing skyscraper will soon have some company at the intersection. Urban Toronto reports that the developer has submitted an application to the city to build two towers at the southeast corner of the intersection at 62 and 73 storeys.

Designed by Quadrangle Architects, the tower podium would preserve the facades of two heritage properties at the corner, before soaring upwards with a combination of retail, office, and residential space.

Mixed use developments are all the rage in Toronto, and for good reason. This is a high traffic section of the city with tons of potential for retail and commercial development in addition to the residential portion of the project.

It's a smart looking building at street level, though it's worth noting that it's just a proposal. The height of the towers could be contested and the current design will likely undergo some changes along the way. In any case, things are looking up (way up) at Yonge and Gerrard.

Photo by bigdaddyhame in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Road closures in Toronto for the weekend of May 2 and 3 rounds up the key transportation shut-downs affecting the city, including street and TTC closures.

KEY ROAD CLOSURES IN TORONTO

Gardiner Expressway: Highway 427--Carlaw. The Gardiner will be closed in both directions Friday, May 1 at 8 p.m. until Sunday, May 3 at 6 a.m. for Spring maintenance.

Various downtown streets. Numerous roads will be closed for the GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon on Sunday, May 3, 2015. Full list and a map. Bloor Street, Danforth Avenue, Queen Street, and Dundas Street will remain open for the duration of the event. Police will be at major intersections to direct traffic. Expect some delays.

TTC CLOSURES

Line 1: Union. Trains will bypass Union Station in both directions on May 2 and 3, 2015 due to ongoing platform construction work. Union will be open for access to the streetcar platform.

Various downtown bus and streetcar routes. The 6 Bay, 14 Glencairn, 26 Dupont, 65 Parliament, 75 Sherbourne, 97/320 Yonge, 127 Davenport, 172 Cherry Street, 504 King, 511 Bathurst, 511 Bathurst replacement buses, and 310 Bathurst all-night buses will be on diversion Sunday, May 3, 2015 from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon. Full details here.

Over and above the special closures this weekend, construction projects across Toronto result in numerous other road restrictions across the city. For a comprehensive list of such closures, you can consult the official map maintained by the City of Toronto (also available as a PDF.)

Toronto Food Events rounds up the most delicious events, festivals, pop-ups, winemaker dinners, supper clubs and other food related happenings in Toronto this week and next. You can find us here every Friday morning.

THIS WEEK

• SEW Hungry in Hamilton is on today, Friday May 1 from 11am to 3pm, and then again from 4pm to 8pm. The food truck rally is free to attend and takes over Ottawa St. from Main St. to Barton St.
• THR&Co. (97 Harbord St.) hosts their ongoing dinner series, Sunday Gravy, this Sunday, May 3. Join in on a three course family style dinner featuring an Asian BBQ inspired menu for $30. Expect highlights like Korean short ribs and General Tso tofu.
• Beerbistro (18 King St. East) is offering a three course Pilsner Urquel paired dinner for $55 on Tuesday, May 5 at 7pm. Reservations are required.

UPCOMING

• Craving a burrito? Order anything off the menu at Toronto Chipotle locations on Tuesday, May 12 between 11am and 9pm and, 50% of the day's proceeds to Habitat for Humanity (so long as you mention this fundraiser).
• The Saint (227 Ossington Ave) presents an An Ode to Beef on Tuesday, May 12 with house Chef Jesse Vallins joined in the kitchen by Chef Richard Turner (Hawksmoor, London, UK) and Matthew von Teichman (Grandview Farms). Tickets are on sale now for $85 per person.
• Also on Tuesday, May 12 from 6pm to 8pm, Lisa Marie (638 Queen St. West) hosts New York's Big Gay Ice Cream for Big Gay Bingo. Tickets are $45 and include an ice cream treat and a signed copy of their debut cookbook, Big Gay Ice Cream: Saucy Stories & Frozen Desserts.
• Beast (96 Tecumseth) hosts a Rock Stars Dinner at 7pm on Tuesday, May 12 featuring a collaboration between Chef Scott Vivian and guest Chefs Shaun Hussey and Michelle LeBlanc (Chinched Bistro), Mike Barksy (Bacalao), Terrence and Courtney Howell (Grates Cove Café), Katie Hayes (Bonavista Social Club), and Five Brothers Cheese. Tickets are $104.
• (re)Discovering Flavor on Wednesday, May 13 at Jump, (18 Wellington St. West) will see Chefs Anthony Walsh and Luke Kennedy (Jump Restaurant) join forces with Chef Jair Tellez (MeroToro) and Mark Shatzker, author of The Dorito Effect.Tickets on sale for $120.
• Kanpai Snack Bar (252 Carlton St.) presents a Tawainese street foods at 7pm on Wednesday May 13 featuring Chefs Ike Huang and Trevor Lui along with guests, Chefs Tawfik Shehata (The International Centre), Chef Nuit Regular (Pai) and Jim Poris (former editor of Food Arts Magazine). Tickets are $50.
• Last, but not least, Actinolite (971 Ossington Ave.) hosts a Nordic Dinner on Wednesday, May 13 from 6pm. Tickets are $150 and will feature a seven course tasting menu with wine pairings by Anders Selmer from Fiskebaren, Copenhagen.

The Charlotte Room, one of Toronto's nicest destinations for a game of billiards or pool, has abruptly shuttered. Initial reports were that the pool hall would close towards the end of next month after the landlord jacked the rent, but up until last night owner Rob Torres was hopeful a new deal could be reached.

Alas negotiations fell through and The Charlotte Room, which has occupied its space near King and Spadina for the past 17 years, was forced to pack it in by today, May 1. Torres hasn't had much time to formulate his next move, but scouting for a new location has already started. Hey, I hear Andy Pool Hall is for rent.

Will you miss the The Charlotte Room? Let us know in the comments.

Pop quiz, hotshot: Can you name the very first Canadian hip-hop music video as listed in the MuchMusic archives? Hint: It's not Michie Mee, Maestro Fresh Wes or even the Dream Warriors.

It's Master T and the Super Hip 3's colossal MuchMusic Groove, a part station promo, part party-anthem that helped prime the airwaves in 1988 for the oncoming storm of local Toronto rap and hip-hop artists who were about to blow up the dial.

Back in 1987, Tony "Master T" Young was but a "lowly camera-dude" working at Much, shooting interviews for the Power Hour and hoping his breakthrough acting gig would turn up soon. After doing some stunt double work in the Toronto-shot Police Academy 3 and cameoing in the opening to the Power Hour (that's the future Master T holding a tape in his hand, watching music video director/Electric Circus creator Joel Goldberg crooning on the monitor), Tony wanted to step it up.

This era at Much flourished under an almost supernatural creative pulse, one tenet of which encouraged staff to go off-site on Fridays to shoot promotional spots and fun station idents. While many absconded to the pub, Tony and his fellow cameraman Gord McWatters forged on making many memorable Much spots including the creation of a "Spy" character played by Tony who would chase or be chased by agents attempting to steal the soul of MuchMusic in a briefcase (shades of Pulp Fiction, years before its release).

Visionary MuchMusic/Citytv creator Moses Znaimer famously had an open door policy, and one of Tony's earliest memories is pitching him the idea of doing a short video to mark the stations historic move from 99 Queen St. East to the majestic 299 Queen St. West digs.

Featuring appearances from Kim Clark Champniss, Erica Ehm, Chis Ward, Mike Williams, Laurie Brown and a freshly minted Steve Anthony, this short rap promo assuaged any concerns that moving would affect the madcap MuchMusic ethos. Quite the contrary, it promised a vast new canvas from which the "Nation's Music Station" could continue to broadcast a high quality flow of music content and attitude.

Perhaps the most important event to come out of this short was the moniker Tony Young adopted - Master T. "At that time I was like, what do I call myself? I was looking at a character generator, and at first it was Much Master T, then we shortened it to Master T, and it just stuck" Tony recalls.

After the success of the Spy promos and the 299 Queen St. West spot, Tony and Gord were encouraged to shoot a full length video, but with few resources and a full-time job the task seemed daunting. After getting Znaimer's blessing, Tony and his then girlfriend (now wife) Paula came up with the lyrics, done in the then popular party hip-hop stylee and focusing on the Much environment, the personalities and behind the scenes staff.

They roped in a talented band who worked at Much and gave them silly names - Steve Vogt (Steve Snare), Dave Murphy (Lo-Tide) and Richard Oulton (Richie Baby) were christened "The Super Hip 3", led by Master T and supported by Lady P (Paula), Tony's brother Basil (DJ Mix Master Baz) and Gord as the shifty manager (Dutch).

Once again Much's on-air talent were enlisted, including Moses Znaimer himself seen dancing in his office during the video. Sensing something very cool was in the offing, everyone pitched in and many hands made light work. "The MuchMusic Groove" was born.

The video premiered during a special party at the Beverly Tavern, the now long gone local watering hole for the 299 Queen Street gang. The sanctioned $400 budget was spent on chicken wings and pitchers of ice cold beer, and off the back of its roaring reception the video was placed into what Much termed "B-rotation," which meant it was aired almost every day (you might even recall seeing it on Soul in the City).

In his biography Much Master T: One VJ's Journey, Tony says "It's a frightening thought, but there were virtually no rap videos being submitted at the time. This was the very first Canadian hip-hop video to enter into Much's library."

Not only that, the video was later used as an educational and promotional piece when industry people visited the building. Morale amongst those in front of and behind the camera noticeably improved. Not bad for a lark done during down time.

Rather mysteriously, at some point in the 1990s the master tape simply vanished. "The MuchMusic Groove" became the stuff of hushed legend, with some viewers beginning to question if it had ever existed in the first place.

By this point, after hosting X-Tendamix, fronting the MuchMusic Dance Mix CDs, then finally becoming a full blown VJ, Master T was firmly established as one of the key driving forces behind MuchMusic's mega-success. Sadly, not even he held a copy of this important piece of Much, ergo, Canadian music history.

After years of searching, Retrontario.com successfully located a copy of "The MuchMusic Groove" earlier this year. Those involved in the making will surely be happy to see it back out in circulation, as will people who missed it the first time around if only to remind us all of how progressive and free-wheeling the halcyon days of MuchMusic really were.

"Don't touch that dial, don't nobody move...."

Master T of course made waves last summer when he spoke out on the #GivethembacktoMoses movement based on viewer's frustrations with the current incarnation of Much, a fetid wasteland of missed opportunities and Simpsons reruns entombed in the mortuary that 299 Queen Street has become.

Master T will soon be seen on FevaTV's Sooooo Special with Master T, where he has interviewed legends such as Billy Ocean, KC and Shaggy. FevaTV stands for First Entertainment Voice of Africa Television, showcasing entertainment programming from Africa and the African diaspora in North and South America, the Caribbean and Europe, and is spearheaded by Robert Onianwah.

While we will probably never see a TV station populated with the likes of the characters who appeared in these videos, we can at least keep the old spirit alive online, and "get on up and move to the MuchMusic Groove".

Special thanks to Tony "Master T" Young & Mr. X

Retrontario plumbs the seedy depths of Toronto flea markets, flooded basements, thrift shops and garage sales, mining old VHS and Betamax tapes that less than often contain incredible moments of history that were accidentally recorded but somehow survived the ravages of time. You can find more amazing discoveries at www.retrontario.com.

Cinco de Mayo might fall on a Tuesday this year, but the celebrations in Toronto are already underway and run all week long. The festivities in honour of Mexico's vibrant culture involve all manner of taco-eating, tequila-drinking, and piñata-smashing, and that - no matter your heritage - is a victory for us all.

Here are my top picks for restaurants and bars to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Toronto this year.

SEE ALSO

• The Best Mexican Restaurants in Toronto
• The Best Margaritas in Toronto
• The Best Tacos in Toronto

Valdez
Cinco De Mayo is a weeklong event at this King West restaurant. The festivities kick off with a rooftop fiesta tonight (Friday, May 1), followed by seven days of celebrations. The main event is a street party featuring guest chefs on Cinco de Mayo proper, Tuesday, May 5.

Steam Whistle
The brewery hosts a Cinco de Mayo party tonight, Friday May 1 from 8pm. Tickets are $10 for a night of DJs, prizes, piñatas, beer and tequila.

El Caballito
The Mexican joint on King West celebrates a couple days early with a fiesta happening on the patio on Sunday, May 3. Tickets are $25 for the Day Drinking session starting at 2pm which includes admission, a cocktail, Mexican munchies and entertainment. Tickets for the fiesta starting at 8pm are $20 for a cocktail and entertainment.

Cold Tea
Toronto's favourite hidden bar hosts its first Sunday afternoon BBQ of the season from 3pm on May 3. El Jefe of Valdez takes over the grill.

The Drake Hotel
86'd Monday hosts its annual Guacamole Smackdown on Monday, May 4 at 8pm as four-time champ, Chef Steve Gonzalez (Valdez) along with visiting Mexican chef Dannie Masterson judge the avocado-mashing match.

El Catrin
The party starts at 6pm on Tuesday, May 5 at the Mexican restaurant in the Distillery District. Look forward to a patio fiesta featuring a live DJ, tequila tastings, drink features and Mexican eats.

La Carnita
Both east side and west side locations of get in on the Cinco de Mayo action on Tuesday, May 5 with Tromba Tequila cocktails on special, soft shell crab tacos (lead photo), and limited edition art prints from Taka Sudo.

Drake One Fifty
Chef Donnie Masterton (of The Restaurant in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico) takes over the kitchen at The a Drake One Fifty for one night only on Tuesday, May 5. Expect modern interpretations of classical Mexican dishes available a la carte, plus tequila cocktail pairings and accompanying Latin grooves.

Milagro Cantinas
Celebrate at any of Milagro's multiple locations with $5.50 drink specials including Jimador Margaritas, Herradura Reposado and Spearhead pints. Reservations are a must!

Fonda Lola
The taqueria celebrates Cinco de Mayo with a fish taco eating contest, menu features like double decker tostadas, and pinatas on the hour.

BONUS

The Distillery District
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Sunday, May 3 with amigos, La Carnita and Dillon's Distillery who are teaming up to offer tacos and cocktails made with every spirit in the Dillon's line-up.

Thanks to Mucho Burrito for sponsoring this post.

What did I miss? Add more Cinco de Mayo events to the comments.

May is looking to be a very busy month for concerts in Toronto. Festival season gets underway, but in addition to the beginning of what will be a very busy few months for major music events, there's a host of one-off concerts worth your time and money.

These are the Toronto concerts I'm most looking forward to in May 2015. For additional suggestions, check out our roundup of dance parties and our top picks for CMW.

Feast in the East (May 2nd, Jam Factory Co.)
Feast In The East celebrates its four year anniversary with Garage rock, Experimental Pop and .. lasagna. The all ages event features seven piece instrumental outfit Eucalyptus, Sisters My Suitor, Solo drum compositions of Steve Kado and Garage punk trio The Soupcans. A $10 advance ticket gets you through the door with lasagna.

Buffy St.Marie (May 7th, Koerner Hall)
Back in Canada fresh off her support slot for Morrissey, legendary Cree signer-songwriter Buffy St.Marie stops by the gorgeous Koerner Hall early on in the month. Tickets start at $35.

National Drone Day (May 9th, Various Spaces)
National Drone Day comes but once a year, and the folks over at Weird Canada are making sure it's well represented across our fine country. Described on the website as 'a Canada-wide celebration of experimental, ambient, and drone music', NDD has Toronto events at both Ratio and the Tranzac.

Final Blocks Party (May 9th, Tranzac)
After 12 years and over 70 releases, Blocks Recording Club is calling it quits, but not without a final gathering. Slated to play the event are Nifty, Austra, The Barcelona Pavilion, Bob Wiseman, The Phonemes, Hank, Matias, Ninja High School and Les Mouches! Maybe there will be a game of Manhunt after?

Marker Starling (May 10th, Lula Lounge)
Fresh off a new album, Rosy Maze, Marker Starling (who played under the name Mantler for many years) brings his smooth, almost Steely Dan-esque songmaking plus a nine-peice backing band to Lula Lounge.

Babymetal (May 12th, Danforth)
Hybrid electronic-metal/idol group Babymetal bring their entertaining live show to the Danforth Music Hall in May. Fronted by three teenage girls and backed by a legit six piece metal band (who are also members of Cross Hard, DELUHI, and the Blue Man Group among others), the group has energy to spare.

Vessel & O/H (May 14th, Double Double Land)
Bristol-based producer Seb Gainsborough brings his post-punk influenced techno offering Vessel to Toronto in what's sure to a be a dark and sweaty Thursday night at Double Double Land. Ontario Hospital (O/H) is direct support with Linus Booth and Andrew Ross getting the room started.

Primal Scream (May 15th, Danforth)
Get your rocks off as the Scream return to Toronto for the first time since 2009 (due to last year's cancellation). If the set lists continue as they have of late, expect representation across most of Primal Scream's albums, from Screamdelica up to last year's More Light.

Melt-Banana (May 17, Lee's Palace)
Japanese grind innovators Melt-Banana are still touring strong off the strength of 2013's Fetch and are planning another stop at Toronto's Lee's Palace. If it's anything like their last visit, expect core duo Yasuko Onuki and Ichirou Agata to play a spastic, deafening set all on their own, save for the drum machine. SK

Boys Noize + Tiga (May 21st, The Hoxton)
Boys Noize Records celebrates its 10 year anniversary of putting out accessible, party-ready dance music at the Hoxton with sets by Tiga, Djedjotronic, SCNTST, Ryme and naturally, Boys Noize.

Raekwon (May 22nd, The Phoenix)
Less than a month after the release of his sixth solo full length, Fly International Luxurious Art, Wu-Tang member and Ice H20 Records label founder Raekwon hits the Phoenix this month.

Sebadoh (May 27th, Lee's Palace)
Lou Barlow led Sebadoh's return to Lee's Palace in late May in front of their brand new release, a cover of Rush's 1981 track, Limelight. You can get the limited 7" picture disk, which features a bubbly Canadian celebrity's mug on wax here.

Bonobo DJ Set (May 29th, The Hoxton)
Brighton-born electronic musician Bonobo comes through Toronto to play a special DJ set at the Hoxton to top off a busy month of live music. Watch out for guests Bruce Trail, Sunclef and a live set by The Kount open the night.

What did I miss? Add your May concert picks to the comments.

With contributions from Aubrey Jax and Shazia Khan. Photo via Babymetal

Formerly the Sister (and Mitzi's Sister) before that, this Parkdale eatery and live music venue has gone back to its roots with a rebrand that honours the tradition of the establishment and its neighbourhood. The menu's also been updated with a selection of house-made gastro pub-style items, including a fine burger.

Read my review of The Tennessee in the restaurants section.

The best splurge brunch in Toronto goes above and beyond basic bacon and eggs making it more than worthwhile to indulge on occasion. These minted menus boast seafoods, foie gras, truffles and so much hollandaise. Don't skimp on the sparkling cocktails either - you're best to be adequately day drunk when the cheque arrives.

Here are the best restaurants for a splurge brunch in Toronto.

See also:The top 50 brunch restaurants in Toronto

If you look close enough, you'll find this cheap and cheerful Tibetan spot on a sleepy side street just south of Queen. You'll want to head here pronto for some steamed momos, freshly made parathas and surprisingly good coffee.

Read my profile of Loga's Corner in the restaurants section.

It's the 100th year for OCAD University's Graduate Exhibition, so there's little surprise that this is the biggest version of the show in the school's history. Almost a thousand students at various stages in their development are displaying work, some of which is just stunning.

Perhaps Toronto's artistic future is brighter than recent art fairs would make it seem? In any case, this is a sweeping exhibition with plenty of promising artists who will be worth tracking over their careers.

Check out 30 of my favourites from the 100th annual OCAD Grad Exhibition.

Star Wars Day is this Monday May 4th and since they're calling it the year of Star Wars, Toronto is going all-out geek for this year's festivities. Whether you're a Padawan or a Jedi Master (or aren't even really much of a fan), the city promises a memorable day and night full of cosplay opportunities, episode screenings and more.

Here are my picks for the top ways to celebrate Star Wars Day in Toronto this year.

May the Fourth be with You at Smiling Buddha
At Smiling Buddha you can cosplay as the character that's closest to your heart and geek out on franchise-themed food and drinks. Performances by Nerdy Girl, Fan Fiction the Show and Han Shot First will help you channel your inner nerd. Cover is $5. Doors open at 8pm.

Craft beers and costumes at Duke's Refresher
In order to get into this bash, you'll need to pay attention to Duke's social media on the afternoon of May the 4th, where at some point they'll post the secret passcode you'll need for admittance. Doors open at 7:30pm, and once you're in (wearing your best Wookiee costume) sit back enjoy the musical stylings of DJ Whaleskin and Tupperware Remix Party, and the legendary flicks being screened on the bar's multiple TVs.

Star Wars 3D Printing Meet-Up
To kick the nerdiness up a notch, if you're a 3D printing fanatic, there's a meet-up happening on Star Wars Day for all interested in both the craft and the films. Bring your finest 3D-printed Star Wars-related creations and prepare to mix and mingle with your fellow tech geeks (over pizza and drinks, of course).

May the Fourth Be With You at the Toronto Public Library
Sorry, adults - this one's just for the kids. If you have little ones aged five to 12, dress 'em up like an Ewok (or something) and bring them to the Fort York location of the Toronto Public Library, where they can be kept busy for 45 minutes with Star Wars-themed games, activities and a contest.

Imperial March
Consider this the rad after-party to your day-of festivities. Happening on Saturday May 9 at the Rockpile, this event also calls for cosplay - Vader himself will be the costume judge - and will feature a ton of DJs. Tickets are $25 for 19+ and $30 for all ages, but you get $5 if you're wearing a decent costume. Doors open at 9:00pm.

Did I miss any? Add your Star Wars day picks to the comments.