How to celebrate Robbie Burns Day in Toronto
Among Robbie Burns' achievements are the fact that he penned some of Scotland's most famous and memorable poems, became a cultural icon and a beacon to liberalism, and was even recently chosen by his people as The Greatest Scot of all time.
More importantly though, his many achievements have given us an excuse, on his birthday, to gather to drink scotch excessively and feast on haggis. So in that spirit, here are 8 places around the city you might check out if you're looking for a reason to dust off your kilt and listen to some poetry while you eat sheep heart, lungs, and liver stuffed into a stomach. Mmm.
Allen's
Burns' Night at Allen's seems slated to be a rather spirited tribute to The Ploughman's Poet on Friday January 25th. For $65 you'll get a three-course meal kicked off by a traditional address to the haggis and accompanied by The Scarborough Pipes and Drums, songs by Diane Raeside, and highland dance performances. For reservations call: 416-463-3086
The Irish go Scottish
All the various Irish pubs owned by FAB concepts (Foggy Dew, Murphy's Law, Brazen Head, Pogue Mahone, Ned Devine's in Milton, The Pour House) will be forgoing their "traditional" Irish ways in order to pay tribute to Robbie Burns on Friday January 25th. They'll all be hosting a traditional Burns' supper and scotch nosing (though interestingly, roughly half of the locations are offering it for $45 while the other half are charging $39.99) and all will have a feature menu with Scottish pub fare and even some Canadian/Scottish hybrids like sausage poutine. Sláinte.
Auld Spot Pub
The Auld Spot Pub will be celebrating Robbie Burns' day on Friday with some passed haggis, a traditional address, highland dancers, live bag pipers and, in truly Scottish style, drink specials.
The Caledonian
Toronto's only Scottish restaurant and Whisky Bar will be hosting a full week of events to commemorate The Bard. Tonight things kick off with a Highland Park whisky tasting with proceeds going to The National Trust for Scotland and events culminate in not one but three Burns dinners on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Highlights include a Scottish folk band on Thursday, Highland Dancers on Friday, and Bagpipers and Burns Poems on Saturday. Vaguely disgusting mental image: organizers are expecting to go through several hundred pounds of haggis throughout the week.
Costs vary depending on the night. Call here for reservations: 647-547-9827
Mill Street Brew Pub
Given that Mill Street's traditional Robbie Burns supper on Thursday January 24th features five courses and a different beer paired with each course, you can bet this is where I'll be to toast Scotland's favourite son. In addition to a great line-up of Mill Street beers, there's a silly amount of good food on the menu; including ancho chile rubbed beef tenderloin served alongside the traditional haggis and deep-fried mars bars for desert. Bonus: The main course will be paired with Mill Street Tartan Ale, a strong scotch ale brewed at their Ottawa location just for this event. Cost: $59.99. Call for reservations: 416-681-0338
The Monk's Table
Toronto Star beer columnist Josh Rubin will once again be hosting the Burn's Supper at the Monk's Table and for $35 they'll be offering a three course meal with beer pairings and a single malt to properly toast a reading of Ode to a Haggis. Call for reservations: 416-920-9074
McGugan's
Leslieville's Scottish bar, McGugan's, will feature a four course Robbie Burns' Dinner and scotch tasting. $50 gets you a meal that includes traditional fare like a scotch egg and haggis as well as three drams of whisky and a pint of Tennents. Given that the McGugan clan's motto is "Victory or death" one can only hope the event is a successful one.
St. Andrew's Society of Toronto
If you want to go ultra-traditional, spend Friday evening at the University Club of Toronto with the St. Andrew's Society, an organization dedicated to celebrating Scottish heritage. The cost is a steep $125, but that includes a $25 charitable donation and you'll not only be piped in to enjoy the toast to the haggis, but also witness an invited guest speaking about Burns, hear the traditional Toast To The Lasses, and also the ladies' chance to rebut, aka the Toast to the Laddies. Obviously the cost covers a traditional meal and a wee dram, too. Download a registration form here.
Got a Robbie Burns Day event worth sharing. Let us know in the comments.
Photograph by Leon Melville
Though they've been performing since 2007, 
It was cold enough outside that as I walked into the venue, the sudden wave of heat — not to mention the smell of sweat and spilled beer — from the restless, sold-out crowd felt overwhelming. After the openers, there were a few minutes of silence while the audience sort of baked, many having neglected the $3 coat-check. But just as tempers started to fray and I heard one couple start to argue loudly by the bar, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan got onstage, started a long, drawn-out wash of an intro, and sent out the dragon. 
The whole atmosphere of the place changed in an instant while the crowd just sort of froze in excitement as the (paper-mache? Cardboard? What else can you build a dragon out of?) creature wound its way through them. It was amazing, really — it's not often a band has the audience eating out of their hands before the first song even begins. I guess a dragon'll do that, though.
According to sources, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan were testing out some new material with this set, but I mostly noticed tracks from their last album. To begin, they kicked into "Reverse Crystal Murder of A Spider" and later on played "Hoshi Neko" as well. 
Singer Ruby Kato Atwood's voice is quite arresting. Though noticeably low in the mix for part of the show, her versatility (she can go in a moment from ethereal to piercing, a jarring switch the band uses to full advantage) really stood out. The rest of the band was note-perfect as well, though, even the most complex parts of YT//ST coming off with well-practiced ease. 
Given that Friday night's show sold out, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan may start booking some larger rooms. I'd like to see them try a residency; there's a lot of speculation and excitement surrounding the news that the band is recording a follow-up to YT//ST, and I think their audience would really respond to the opportunity to watch them gradually build a performance around the new material. 
Montreal's CTZNSHP opened up the show alongside local Toronto rockers Planet Creature. CTZNSHP played a set marked most by its intensity, guitarist Scott Steven Delaney hammering away at his Duo-Sonic under singer Jesse David LeGallais' rough, anthemic lyrics.
CTZNSHP should be back for NXNE and Planet Creature play tons of shows downtown, but with the unmitigated success of YT//ST, all eyes are on Yamantaka // Sonic Titan as they re-enter the studio and exactly when they'll book more shows in Toronto remains an open question. We hope it's soon, though; their epic showmanship left the crowd at the Garrison speechless, and surely eager for more. 
Written by Adam Brady / Photos by 
The best Chinese food delivery restaurants have one common noble purpose, which is to come to your rescue when you don't have the energy to slog through the winter snow to get that egg drop soup. Aside from solving critical first-world problems, it's always nice to know that, when you have an attack of the munchies, you can either call these places up or order online (a ridiculously convenient option in this era of the Interwebs). 
Recently opened across from Ici Bistro at Harbord and Manning, this Southern-style barbecue joint takes its meat very seriously and it shows. With mean corned beef and pulled bork — not to mention bacon-infused bourbon — the city's barbecue cred just went up a notch.
Toronto Design Offsite Festival (TO DO) takes over design shops and galleries around the city this week with a jam-packed roster of design-focused exhibitions, discussions, and events that explore the current trends and future predictions for the industry. Though it's especially geared towards local and national designers and trends, this year's festival has also attracted some phenomenal international artists to the city to display their wares. 
THEATRE | 
The 
All the rage in Montreal since opening in a massive space that used to be home to a shipbuilding operation, this gallery quietly opened a Toronto location in the spring. One of a number to choose the industrial lands around Bloordale and the Junction Triangle as home, it might not be as sprawling as its Montreal counterpart, but it's downright huge as far as Toronto spaces go, and given the programming so far, it looks set to become a major player on this city's art scene.
This week on DineSafe, FV Foods, a Filipino grocery store, took top (dis)honours. No stranger to the DineSafe conditional pass list, FV Foods was among this week's worst performers and reeled in 11 infractions in total. Also caught by the DineSafe police was Philthy McNasty's on Eglinton East, perhaps giving new meaning to its otherwise lighthearted (but ill-conceived) name. Here is a look at DineSafe this week.
Recently reduced in price to a palatable (right?) $3,788,000, this Bayview Village home is nestled among the East Don green. And just as long as you bring a little green of your own, you'll be privy to its private tennis court, imported Italian staircase, and 24kt gold-plated fixtures. Because polished chrome is for chumps, after all. And while this home isn't exactly walking distance to shops and restaurants, it does have room for seven cars — you can probably find a ride.
Standing naked by the window (without fear of reproach from neighbours). Exercising in the gym, the tennis court, by walking to the kitchen to the second bedroom ensuite. Good for owners of multiple vehicles and children. Good for those who love natural light and loathe climbing stairs to retire for the evening.
You worry about getting globs of toothpaste on your gold-plated faucet in your six-piece master ensuite. You are allergic to trees. You own pets that can't walk properly on polished floors. Your children have dreams of running a successful lemonade stand.
If you had the dough, would you buy this home? Let us know where you stand in the comments below.
As with the division of opinion over egg whites in a cocktail (
One camp, led by one of the USA's great bartenders and cocktail historians, Dale Degroff, insists that the drink be prepared not only with the addition of a splash of soda water, but also with muddled fruit. In particular, a maraschino cherry and an orange slice. Degroff insists that anything else is just "sweetened whiskey."
At Toronto's 
Ingredients and Instructions
If you are interested in making your own bitters, Jeff reminds us that it's not an overnight process, and to set aside at least two weeks to allow the flavours to mingle. If you want to try his concoctions, including Apple Cinnamon Bourbon Bitters, and Cranberry Orange Rum Bitters, get down to County General at 936 Queen St. West.
You wouldn't know it by the excellently curated and quality acts, but this was Miranda Tempest's first time producing a show. Normally a performer with 
As a show built for nerds and Whedon enthusiasts, it did not fail to deliver on memorable characters and creative performances. As a show also built for burlesque lovers and spectacle perusers, it married the talent with the technical to give us the best of all worlds (even Whedon-worlds). Knife-throwing, fire-eating, belly-dancing, and various styles of burlesque all appeared in the form of Drusilla, Willow, Inara, and other characters. Flaming hula hoops, a Dr. Horrible duet, belly-dancing, and beautiful vocal work made the show much more than the sum of its parts.
Some of the most memorable acts came on towards the end of the show. An obscure reference to 
The mouth-faced girl from Cabin in the Woods (Bre Poisonne) performed a burlesque in a tutu to "My Body Is a Cage" by Arcade Fire, and somehow managed to make it seductive despite her lack of face (even her pasties were mouths!). And then we got to see River of Firefly (
Despite being early in the show, one Firefly character's burlesque was still my favourite act. Jayne Cobb (Dr. Tease) strutted on the stage to to a Jayne-themed version of "Everyday I'm Hustlin'" with his bright orange toque and machine gun, making credits rain like an interstellar gangster as he whipped out his machete and took off his clothes (note for all Whedon-lovers: Dr. Tease and 
If you're looking to get yourself a nerdgasm, the next show will be Miyazaki-themed performances in about three months. Time to get the Mononoke outfits ready!
This new Gerrard and Coxwell area grocery store from the sister duo behind McCarthy's Irish Pub has Irish pantry staples on its shelves and Irish tea brewing, but where it really shines is through its array of pre-prepared dishes such as sausage rolls, potato cakes, and Guinness and beef pie.
The Financial District is always a sure bet to find dapper looking men and women in Toronto. While traditional (and conservative) suits might be the style of choice, some bankers, lawyers and other Bay Street workers find a way to demonstrate a bit of flair with their daytime work wear.
Today we're kicking off a new round of voting for 15 new Best of Toronto categories. We have a wide range of categories in which to select a favourite including 24 hour restaurants, wings, ribs, brunch, crepes, hotels, skating rinks, indoor swimming pools and more!
MUSIC | 
According to 
It's a made-to-order cookie counter, a tea cafe, and a frozen yogurt shop all in one. This hybrid Yonge Street arrival merges some of Toronto's favourite snack options (but where are the cupcakes, whoopie pies and donuts?!), proving you can have your froyo, cookies, and loose leaf teas, too.
