Sterling Road isn't exactly a picturesque section of Toronto, but tucked away in this former industrial hotbed are hubs of creativity like art galleries, circus training centres, off-beat furniture shops and recording studios. Amongst them is Candle Recording, an intimate studio run by Leon Taheny and Josh Korody. Walking into the space last week, I felt like I had entered someone's cozy living room.

Taheny has been entrenced in the local music scene for the past seven years — starting with a bang when he worked with Owen Pallet (then "Final Fantasy") on his Polaris winning record He Poos Clouds. He's been a member of numerous bands and is most recently the other half of Brian Borcherdt's Dusted. Korody, on the other hand, studied recording arts at Fanshawe College, set up shop in his parents' basement and eventually made it to Toronto in high demand. He's currently involved in the bands Beliefs and Breeze.

With the studio on the cusp of its first anniversary, I dropped by to chat about what they've been up to and what's in store for year two.

How'd you get started in the recording industry?

JK: I started my recording career at Fanshawe College, when I asked the Toronto band The Mark Inside to play on campus and if they wanted to record with me for free because I didn't have any experience. We recorded two songs live off the floor and with some stressing out and help from a few friends in the program we miraculously were able to get levels and print it to tape. After watching a band play live in front of you through the control room glass and hearing it back through the board and tape machine just knowing that you made it come through...that's when I knew I wanted to keep doing this.

LT: Before this current studio, I had been producing and engineering professionally for about seven years. My first projects were with bands from the Blocks Blocks Blocks Recording Club. I had the pleasure of mixing and mastering records for Barcelona Pavilion, Les Mouches, Hank, The Phonemes, and many more. At the same time, I was assisting my friend Al P (MSTRKRFT) in the studio with The Sick Lipstick, Death From Above 1979, The Panthers, and Fox the Boombox.

Toronto's music scene was undergoing change...cool new bands were popping up everywhere, and I was fortunate enough to be learning my craft while some amazing musicians were also learning theirs! I began producing Final Fantasy with Owen Pallett when I was 21 — it was my first ever proper production. The two of us stuck together for a few more recordings, and won the first ever Polaris Music Prize for our second LP, He Poos Clouds. I began to work with other amazing bands like Ohbijou, The Wooden Sky, and one of my favourites, Bruce Peninsula, as well as countless others.

How did the two of you connect?

JK: After I graduated I bought as much gear as I could afford and started recording hardcore bands in my parents' basement in Niagara. Eventually it just made sense to move to where the excitement was, so I started recording some great Toronto bands with my portable recording rig — the first two were Burning Love in their rehearsal space and Great Bloomers at Tim (the guitarist's) cottage. I was getting too much work and I needed to find a cheap but vibey studio to rent, and that's when a friend of mine recommended I meet Leon.

What artists are you working with at the moment?

LT: Well, we're booked up until July. We just finished Dry River Caravan from Ottawa — it's the first full production record we've done — over two weeks of recording and over two weeks of production. It'll be the first real show of acoustic instruments in here. We also just finished recording the new Austra record a couple weeks ago.

What about future projects?

LT: We're about to start with Kat Burns from Forest City Lovers and Elaine Canning, who is a harpist.

Brian Borcherdt and I are also starting on a new Dusted record soon — it's gonna be different, but we're trying to keep the mood the same — the idea that not much is going on. Total Dust was very obviously and purposefully a first step record and now it's cool to know what everyone liked about it and what we liked, and we're just going to roll with that.

What do you think sets Candle apart from other recording studios?

LT: I would say that Candle allows us to feel much more comfortable in our own environment while we work our hardest to make the most creative and interesting music at all times. It's always exciting to give great bands such as Austra, Tokyo Police Club, or Maylee Todd a tour of the studio and immediately book a session based on how it feels. It means the hours of brainstorming Josh and I do on every element (even down to where the chairs are placed) has paid off. As soon as they walk in, people can see the care we take in making Candle Recording the most comfortable and professional space we can — and that's exactly the kind of reaction we've always hoped for!

JK: The most common and positive thing people say when they come in is "I just want to live here!"

For a full list of their gear and clients please visit their Facebook page.

Photos by Denise McMullin

This new comic book store set in an old chiropractor's office in Parkdale is owned and operated by an artist and comic enthusiast. The somewhat "guy-themed" stock ranges from toys and collectibles, to pocket watches and cufflinks, to both old and new comic books and graphic novels, but there are plans to introduce themed jewelry.

Read my profile of West End Comics in the bookstores section.

While a standard tribute to The Ploughman Poet typically involves consumption of Scotland's eponymous beverage, this year, as with last, I opted to forgo the more traditional drams of scotch and instead enjoy a Robbie Burns Supper with the folks at Mill Street Brew Pub.

As one might expect, along with attention to some traditional touchstones--Burns' poetry, haggis, bagpipers--the draw of the Brewmaster's Burns dinner at Mill Street is the beer; five beers, actually, one paired with each course of the meal. And as I learned last year, part of the fun of the banquet-style dinner is hearing the thoughts of those nearby on the beers, and so, when we sat, I checked the place-setting name cards to see who I'd be talking beer with for the evening and noted that to my left would be "Joel Manning."

Yes, I'd somehow been seated next to Mill Street's Brewmaster, Joel Manning, former president of the Canadian Brewing Association, and a brewer for almost 25 years. My notes on the beer then better be on point.

I was also joined by Mark, who shall heretofore be referred to as "T-Bone," because that's what he asked me to call him, and my photographer Paul, who always has interesting things to say about his beverage. In the interest of being thorough, I've included T-Bone's and Paul's thoughts on each beer, as well.

First Course

The food: Smoked duck sausage, served with what I'll call an apple salsa (a detailed menu wasn't available) and a cranberry chutney.
The beer: Mill Street IPA
The verdict: Though Manning explained the history of IPAs to the assembled revellers as a high-alcohol, hoppy beer brewed to endure the long voyage to India, this version fell a little short of that big flavour. In an Ontario industry fairly flush with hop bombs at the moment, this relatively tame 6.5% ABV IPA doesn't really stand out.

What it does have going for it is some uniquely traditional terroire. That is, this Ontario-made IPA has the distinction of being made with English yeast, British hops, and British yeast. As Manning noted, the only thing Canadian about it is the water that was used. It's a perfectly nice little IPA, but don't expect fireworks.

T-Bone's thoughts: "It's hoppy, but not enough legs to get to India."
Paul's thoughts: "Yum. It reminds me of going to someone's garage workshop in Newfoundland. Sawdust."

Second Course

The food: Cullen Skink, a traditional thick soup made with smoked haddock, potatoes, onions and, in this one, tomato.
The beer: Father John's Ale, a southern English ESB
The verdict: Manning first brewed this beer in 1993. It was born out of an attempt to impress Manning's soon-to-be father-in-law, John. It was a pale amber colour with considerable Czech aroma hops, making it a fairly floral beer with big and semi-sweet flavour. As Manning's father-in-law noted on first trying a pint, "It's a beer a man can take his coat off to."

T-Bone's thoughts: "This is hoppier than the IPA. Rounder. Fuller."
Paul's thoughts: "Mmm. Reminds me of something. I used to pick wild strawberries with my cousin, but they'd always be in a field of grass somewhere by the bay."

Third Course

The food: A traditional scotch egg.
The beer: Black Watch Scotch Ale
The verdict: This was a great, traditional, mahogany-coloured pub ale that had a caramel aroma with a little smokiness, and a nice taupe head. The taste had notes of coffee grinds and roasted malt, but with a subtly bitter finish. This was definitely my pick for the best beer of the evening.

T-Bone's thoughts: "This is a lovely, complex beer. Dark and slightly bitter; goes awesome with a scotch egg."
Paul's thoughts: "I don't mean this to seem negative, but for some reason I'm reminded of the bathroom at Hard Luck. The toilet was constantly flushing and the door was very narrow. This beer reminded me of that. Very interesting."

I managed to display some level of beer nerd cred at this point when, upon hearing the tasting notes that Joel Manning offered the room regarding the Black Watch Scotch Ale, I let him know that I was tasting none of the things he pointed out and suggested that perhaps he had given his notes regarding the Tartan Ale, which was next up, instead. This was in fact the case. Aside from T-Bone, no one else in the room seemed to notice. To test the room's level of attention, Manning and I discussed the idea of him taking the mic with a bottle of absinthe in hand and offering tasting notes for Mill Street Organic just to see if anyone would call him on it. He opted not to do this.

Main Course

The food: A honking piece of beef tenderloin served with neeps and tatties and a dollop of Haggis.
The beer: Tartan Ale
The verdict: This beer was brewed specifically for Robbie Burns' day at Mill Street's Ottawa location and was a sweet, boozy strong Scotch ale. The aroma has notes of currants and the taste was caramel, biscuity, rich malts with some hints of fruit. It was smooth, warming beer, and well-paired with the main course.

Speaking of warming, Manning let me know that the beer's label was a tribute to bagpiper John Sempill. Sempill had been the official piper for Manning's Burns' dinners until last year, when, upon calling Sempill to procure his services once more, the brewer learned that he had passed away. As a way of honouring him, Manning opted to use the Sempill family tartan on the beer's label.

T-Bone's thoughts: "Sweet yet dark. Slightly heavy, hint of smoke."
Paul's notes: "Reminds me of burnt brownie in a square pan, and my mom is wearing Christmas oven mitts. She's giving me the burnt ones instead of throwing them out. This doesn't taste anything like brownie though." (It's probably worth noting that this is the point in the evening Paul admitted to feeling a little drunk.)

As with last year, this was the part of the evening where Manning delivered a lengthy speech on the importance and cultural significance of Robbie Burns. His enthusiasm for the subject matter was obvious, but fell somewhat short of infectious--through no fault of his own. Quite simply, after four beers and four courses of a large meal, it would seem that nothing short of a live cock fight would have held the attention of the assembled guests, and yet Manning endured.

In fact, there was something quite admirable in Manning's insistence at finishing all five pages of his prepared script, despite an audience that grew increasingly insolent as he progressed. As he noted to me privately, "Someone has to explain why the fuck we're here." I definitely agree with the sentiment, but I also agree with Paul, who aptly noted, "He should really deliver this speech first."

Dessert

The food: Deep-fried Mars bars and vanilla porter ice cream
The beer: Vanilla Porter
The verdict: Mill Street's Vanilla Porter is one Toronto's great seasonal beer treats. However, while I remember it being dark and rich, the one I was served this year seemed thinner than in previous years. It also seemed lighter in colour. Manning, however, assured me that it was the same as in previous years but, owing to the fact that our glass sizes were less than a full pint, it probably seemed lighter.

Regardless, it was still a very tasty beer with rich roasted malt flavour and obvious hints of the organic vanilla extract that was added. It's a complex, smokey, sweet, and rich brew and beer fans will be happy to learn that we can expect to see it in cans around November.

T-Bone's notes: "Not a traditional porter, but the vanilla finish is light and flavourful."
Paul's notes: "Reminds me of eating chocolate at my aunt's house. I picture a box and her gold couch. That couch was so soft you'd fall asleep instantly."

Ultimately, the evening was a great success. The food was fantastic and the beers equally good and well-paired. The tributes to Burns--including the Selkirk Grace, the Ode to a Haggis, and a closing rendition of Auld Lang Syne--were fitting and entertaining. I've even come to see trying to pay buzzed attention to Manning's lengthy speech on Burns' as part of the fun. Because, although most of us gather each year for the novelty of eating haggis, drinking, and listening to the piper, it's important to remember, as Joel Manning did in the opening line of his speech, "Robbie Burns is awesome."

Photos by Paul Aihoshi

As I walk into a packed Ryerson Image Centre on a chilly night, I quickly realize I'm not the only person who braved the cold to check out the gallery's latest lineup. In its second set of exhibits since opening last September, the Ryerson Image Centre delves deeply into human rights issues with four shows that kept me thinking long after my visit.

Of the four exhibits, Human Rights, Human Wrongs, is arguably the most anticipated, as it features 316 photographs from the Centre's infamous Black Star Collection. With the photos starting circa 1945, the exhibit touches on important moments in time including the Second World War and the Civil Rights era. But be forewarned, due to the explicit nature of some of the photographs, this exhibit also comes with a viewer advisory warning.

With this in mind, I entered the exhibit bracing for the worst, but I emerged an hour later pleasantly surprised. Admittedly, some photos made me squirm, but seeing the images en masse is what's really imprinted in my memory. Together, the photographs tell the stories of the 20th century, both good and bad. Days later I'm still grappling with the question, do human rights factor into our human wrongs?

Across the hall in the Student Gallery, Dominic Nahr reminds us that injustice is alive and well. Nahr's six large-scale photographs on display are part of his Captive State series. In 2011, Nahr, a TIME contract photographer, traveled to Somalia with TIME's Africa Bureau Chief Alex Perry, to document the drought that claimed the lives of 150,000 people. The resulting photographs tell the story of a nation in turmoil.

Like Human Rights, Human Wrongs, the subject matter Nahr deals with isn't always pretty, but the eloquent nature of Nahr's photographs makes it bearable. There is no shock value here, only Nahr's desire to share these scenes so they are never forgotten.

Contributions from Clive Holden and Alfredo Jaar round out the exhibits, with Holden riffing on the importance of fame in American culture in Unamerican Unfamous, and Jaar examining the way Africa is portrayed in North American culture in The Politics of Images.

With the exception of Nahr's show, which is on display until March 10th, all exhibits run through April 14th.

Writing by Erin Lucuik. Photos by Morris Lum

Death Row Meals Taco Throwdown II was an epic battle tucked into a tortilla that proved Toronto's taco chops once again. Rock Lobster Food Co. hosted the second annual event. Their Ossington restaurant took on 6 competitors and 80 hungry judges for the sold out match up.

SupiCuCu's Rossy Earle was first up with Tacos de Tasajo en Sofrito, with refried beans, avocado, and crema de queso fresco paired with Beau's Ale. This modestly plated taco bursted with complex flavour. Every bite surprised, and the creamy and satisfying refried beans made me forget that meat was not the main event in this entry.

Though meat was not forgotten for long when Fidel Gastro's creation, TacoZuna!, appeared. Chef Matt Basile took his food truck status to the next level with a Tempura Fried Chicken and Banh Mi Slaw Taco, with wasabi aioli and hoisin sauce. Big props go to presentation, and the flavour met expectations. The crisp Vineland Estates Riesling served with it cleansed the palette for the next tasty entrant.

A fellow food truck competitor El Gastrónomo Vagabundo was next up with their Late Night Lamb Sandwich served with Vineland Estates Cabernet Franc. Adam Hynam-Smith's creation of braised lamb shank with garlic labneh, chili mint relish, and fried rosemary was an eccentric interpretation. The competition was filling out, as were our stomachs.

Next up was our host's Rock Lobster's Dr. Seuss Taco paired with Tequila Tromba Sunrise. This combo racked up points for originality for Chef Matt Petit. The inventive creation of scrambled duck eggs and spinach, topped off with pork belly and hollandaise dared traditionalists. The taco was surprisingly light, and the creamed spinach nicely complimented the crispy pork.

Rounding out the competition was Fonda Lola. Andres Marquez served up deliciously spiced Tacos el Pastor paired with Sailor Jerry and Coke. Gourmet Bitches' chef Shontelle Pinch prepared our last taco of the day, The Mystery Machine Taco served with a Forty Creek Sour. These flavourful last morsels satisfied our final taco fix. We knew the matchup was tight as we were all left guessing who would be crowned Taco Throwdown Champion.

THE RESULTS

• Champion: Fidel Gastro's
• Second place: El Gastrónomo Vagabundo
• Third place: Rock Lobster Food Co.

Writing and photos by Terri Tu.

This week on DineSafe, it looks like city inspectors paid a little visit to the food court in Gerrard Square. Fortunately for those who frequent the spot, only two stalls were marked with conditional passes, though I'm sure Tropical Joe's and El Greeko wouldn't call the situation "fortunate." Also on the DineSafe low list this week is perpetual offender Farm Fresh Market, which seems to have snuck in one additional conditional pass before the end of January. Well done. Here's a look at DineSafe this week.

ChaLau Dim Sum (476 Yonge St)
Inspected on: January 23
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2, Crucial: 0)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

El Greeko (1000 Gerrard St E)
Inspected on: January 22
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 1, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Inadequate food temperature control

Farm Fresh Supermarket (4466 Sheppard Ave E)
Inspected on: January 23
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 3, Significant: 2, Crucial: 0)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Hot Wings (563 Queen St W)
Inspected on: January 21
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 4, Significant: 4, Crucial: 0)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Kom Jug Yuen (371 Spadina Ave)
Inspected on: Jannuary 21
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 0, Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to protect food from contamination

Tropical Joe's (1000 Gerrard St E)
Inspected on: January 22
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 0, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Inadequate food temperature control

Tru-Valu Restaurant (1155 St. Clair Ave W)
Inspected on: January 21
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 2 (Minor: 0, Significant: 1, Crucial: 0)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

W.B. Chinese Cooking (1883 Mcnicoll Ave)
Inspected on: January 17
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 10 (Minor: 4, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to protect food from contamination

Not all LCBO locations are created equally. Sure there's some consistency when it comes to main brands of booze on offer, but given varying floor space, the selection varies considerably from store to store. Then's there's the Vintages issue — you know that fancy wood-paneled area that the wine snobs flock to? The best stores have sprawling Vintages areas, where you can buy wine and spirits that the LCBO buys on a one-off basis (as opposed to the perpetually replenished regular stock), not all of which is particularly expensive. Variety is the spice of life, guys — especially when it comes to liquor, so those little stores that only have a shelf or two of Vintages offerings can get pretty boring.

There are, of course, other factors to be considered. Line-ups (here's looking at you Atrium on Bay), the general seediness of the location (Hi, Galleria Mall) and the hours of operation (would everyone suddenly become an alcoholic if more locations were open past 9pm?).

Because we hate science, we decided to conduct a Twitter poll to get to the bottom of this all important question: what are the best and worst LCBO locations. Here are some general observations:

Best candidates

Summerhill / Scrivner Square
Queens Quay
Bayview Village
St. Lawrence Market (post-reno)

Worst candidates

Galleria Mall
Spadina & Baldwin
Atrium on Bay
North York Centre
Maple Leaf Gardens
Gerrard and Pape
All of them (blah, blah, blah monopolies)

What do you think? Got a candidate to add to these lists? Let us know in the comments.

On a well-to-do road by Yonge and St. Clair, this single-family home (yes, it is a home) is just brimming with shiny surfaces, big windows, and an incredible number of sinks. I know — when can I move in, right? One year new and equipped with the seemingly mandatory large-home elevator (because three floors can be a feat), 71 Balmoral will surely appeal to your inner urban...ish side.

SPECS:

Address: 71 Balmoral Ave
Price: $3,995,000
Size: 5,324 sf
Storeys: 3
Bedrooms: 4+1
Bathrooms: 5
Parking spaces: 4
Property taxes: $18,030.60

NOTABLE FEATURES:

Elevator
Heated floors
7-piece master ensuite bathroom with gas fireplace
Sauna
Wine cellar
Sub-zero fridge/freezer
6-burner range with griddle
Double oven
Omni Smart Home control system
Statuario marble and white oak hardwood
Built-in speaker system

GOOD FOR:

Hosting the next group of Big Brother contestants, a digital marketing firm, or anyone with a zealous affinity for pot lights. Good for those who don't like to share bathrooms or methods of ascending floors. Must love marble.

MOVE ON IF:

Glass and steel don't say "homey" to you. You think exposed brick should go back to 1988. You don't spend a lot of time in the bathroom. You think $4 million, at the very least, should buy you an exercise pool.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

If you had the dough, would you buy this home? Let us know where you stand in the comments below.

More bad news for local media and Toronto's city coverage in general this morning. The National Post has decided to cease publishing its weekend Toronto section effective immediately, ending the feature's gradual decline from what was once a 40-page pullout magazine.

Post Toronto, a compact pull-out containing short local features and movie listings, appeared for the last time in October 2012. Much of its content, including Robert Cushman's theatre review and Shinan Govani's scene column, was tacked onto the back of the Weekend Post section. As of Saturday, the former Post Toronto content will be shifted elsewhere at the expense of several smaller features.

"It didn't make editorial sense to us to have Toronto coverage in the "A" section and Toronto coverage also in the back of the Weekend Post," says Ben Errett, the paper's managing features editor.

"Both of them are labelled 'Toronto,' so readers would be understandably confused as to why, when the paper is shrinking, as all papers are, [there are] two sections with the same name and marginally different content across a three* four-section paper."

In the interest of disclosure, I should note that I contributed a weekly news digest to Post Toronto on behalf of blogTO. The future of that column, titled Neighbourhood Watch, is still undecided.

Errett declined to say whether the decision would result in any job losses, though there's evidence the editorial team will be reduced. The plan to remove the section entirely was finalized last November.

Recent, well-publicized financial troubles at Postmedia, the National Post's parent company, led the company to halt its wire services, centralize editing of smaller publications, and stop printing some local Sunday editions in a bid to save around $40 million and slash the company's operating expenses by $120 million.

"That's print media in the year 2013," laments Errett.

"There was a time in my tenure here where it was a standalone magazine, and then it obviously it became a broadsheet section, and then it became a couple of pages of a broadsheet section. So I guess it was lacking a bit of the 'oomph' compared to having a book in your hand versus finding a couple of pages tacked onto the back of another section. We thought this was a better reading experience overall."

This Saturday's edition will be in four parts: news, Financial Post, Weekend Post and Post Homes.

-

Note: An earlier version of this post erroneously stated Post Toronto's final edition was this weekend. The last time the Toronto section appeared as separate pull-out pages was October 2012.

*The quote from Ben Errett in paragraph four has also been altered at his request as he mistakenly said the National Post is a "three-section" paper. It contains four sections in Toronto.

-

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

Photo: Chris Bateman/blogTO

In a possible preview of "next week on DineSafe," a local redditor appears to have snapped an, um, unappetizing photo (see below) of New Seaway Fish Market. Yep, those would be rats.

The thread, which appeared on the Toronto sub-reddit yesterday has sparked the type of conversation that always seems to come up when these little guys are spotted at a Chinatown or Kensington Market establishment: is the presence of vermin just par for the course for neighbourhoods whose streets are lined with produce or does a sighting like this indicate gross neglect on the part of the individual business owner?

The individual who posted the photo claims to have informed Toronto Public Health of the issue, so stay tuned to see how the store performs on its next inspection. They've had some issues with DineSafe in the past, but nothing on this level.

Lead photo by fortinbras on Flickr

The 2013 edition of Winterlicious continues for another ten days and just in time for Toronto's annual foodie frenzie comes a new web site hacked together as a side project by a couple of developers. Behold The 'Licious Map, a map-based web site that plots all the restaurants serving up Winterlicious deals. The restaurants can be easily sorted by meal type (dinner or lunch), price range, location, ratings and other options like vegetarian/vegan, accessibility or whether the kitchen sources food from local suppliers.

The site was created by Jonathan Ng, a Computer Engineering student from the University of Toronto, and his friend Godfrey who is a CompSci graduate from SFU. They previously created a similar map for the DineOut event in Vancouver.

What do you think? Is this something you would use?

A group of concerned Torontonians took to Twitter Saturday night after learning of a "Cowboys and Indians" party at a Parkdale bar. About 15 to 30 people came dressed for the event, decked out either in cowboy gear or "Indian" getups with faux headdresses and war paint.

The Rhino was the inadvertent host of the party, later issuing a statement clarifying that it did not invite or endorse the party in any way. Nevertheless, many have pledged to boycott the bar over its supposed tolerance of "racist" dress, citing comparisons to black face and referencing the ongoing Idle No More protests.

Clearly, the lesson learned from this situation is that businesses should deny service to anyone who has the potential to offend others with his or her presence. That may include a patron purporting an unpopular political option, wearing a t-shirt with a swear word on it, or someone who tells a "How many X does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" joke in poor taste. Better safe than sorry, right?

Photo by Jamie Hedworth in the blogTO Flickr pool

Toronto events on January 30, 2013

MUSIC | High Lonesome Wednesdays with Crazy Strings *15th Anniversary Show*
The Silver Dollar has been hosting a regular night of "underground" music for a decade and a half, every Wednesday night. No, I'm not talking about a subgenre of electro, or a shade of Death Metal you've never heard of, but rather bluegrass! Yes, this traditional acoustic music has quite a following that is largely off the mainstream radar, and High Lonesome Wednesdays (a name coined as a tip of the hat to Bluegrass pioneer Bill Munroe) has been championing it for 15 years, and has established a considerable and loyal following in the process. Tonight, join this event's resident band, Crazy Strings, along with special guests Doug Paisley, Simone Schmidt, Kristine Schmitt, and others.
The Silver Dollar Room (486 Spadina Avenue) 8:30PM $5 ($3 students)

BOOKS & LIT | Pivot: Eisenstein, Latosik, Lindsay
The Pivot reading series returns to The Press Club tonight, with three creative minds ready to share their work with you. Paula Eisenstein's first novel, Flip Turn, was published by Mansfield Press at the end of last year, and she has also published shorter pieces in various journals. Jeff Latosik in the recipient of the 2011 Trillium Award for Poetry, as well as the P.K. Page Award and other accolades. Also reading tonight is James Lindsay, a music writer who is also an emerging poet, and whose work has been published in Mansfield Press' Rogue Stimulus anthology, and various journals. Jacob McArthur Mooney is tonight's host.
Press Club (850 Dundas Street West) 8PM PWYC

CULTURE | Pal-Sac: Valentine's Day Edition
These days, we're inundated with messages of varying forms throughout our waking hours, and these communications are desgned to be effortless and utilitarian. That's why it really does mean something to receive a handwritten note or card in the mail. Yes, it's retro, but genuine, meaningful, human interaction never goes totally out of fashion, does it? Pal Sac is an acronym for post a letter social activity club, and it meets tonight at The Holy Oak, where you can relax with a beverage and some snacks, and write a valentine for a special someone or a family member. All that you need will be provided, just show up ready to make someone's day.
Holy Oak Cafe (1241 Bloor Street West) 7PM

FUNDRAISER | GFC presents...JEAN-PIERRE w/ Sean Blackthorn ft. Brother, Brother
Greenhope for Children is a Canadian charitable organization, whose goal is to bring education and scholastic supplies to children living in poverty worldwide. Tonight at The Piston, GFC hosts a fundraising event celebrating Jean Pierre Ntwari, a Rwandan recipient of a scholarship from the organization, who is slowly but surely making his way through school, and sticking with it. Musical guests Sean Blackthorn with Brother, Brother and This Wanderin' Lovr will play and you are encouraged to come out and enjoy an evening of music, while contributing to a good cause.
The Piston (937 Bloor Street West) 9PM $5

ALSO OF NOTE

Yours Truly: Common Ground 02
BASSMENTALITY w/ CASPA (UK) + HYDEE & GRiMESKEE
Double CD Release Show: Matthew Bailey & Graham Nicholas

MORE EVENTS THIS WEEK

For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:

• This week in food
• This week in film
• This week in fashion
• This week in theatre
• This week in comedy
• Hot Ticket

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

Photo by Pata Gata in the blogTO Flickr pool

With all of the new churchconversions popping up around Toronto, you'd think cathedral living was a new city fad. Not so. The St. George in midtown was, indeed, ahead of the curve, turning the Eglinton United Church into 33 shiny loft homes. And now, you can have one of them (for the cost of a semi-detached anywhere else). Rejoice in this two-bedroom, two-bathroom, three-storey condo.

SPECS:

Address: 65 Sheldrake Blvd, Unit 303
Price: $699,999
Size: 1,200 - 1,399 sq ft
Bedrooms: 2 + 1
Bathrooms: 2
Storeys: 3
Parking Spaces: 1
Exposure: West
Year Built: 2005
Monthly Maintenance: $658.90
Building Amenities: Outdoor/indoor common area, security system

NOTABLE FEATURES:

• Cathedral ceilings
• Gas fireplace
• Hardwood floors
• Stainless steel appliances
• Granite countertops
• Skylights
• Private balcony with gas bbq
• Limestone bathroom floors
• Full-sized washer and dryer

GOOD FOR:

Those who like a little visual interest for their $700,000. Good for barbecue-lovers, sunlight-fiends, and those who want a little space between the bedrooms (master is on main floor, second bedroom is on third). Well-suited to individuals who find hilarious irony in doing naughty things in a church.

MOVE ON IF:

You think churches are for praying, or you want a yard. You believe "integrated appliances" are the new "stainless steel," and thus this design is blasphemous.

Additional photos:If you had the dough, would you buy this home? Let us know where you stand in the comments below.

St. James Town is more than just huge apartment complexes and that No Frills that has seen better days. While the density has the potential to overwhelm local spots, some St. James Town restaurants and shops have carved themselves nice little niches and continue to thrive.

And now, with new bike lanes, condos, and street redevelopment, St. James Town is poised to catch even more eyes, though the existing spots in the area have already garnered local attention of their own. (But if I'm being totally honest, most of them could use a new coat of paint.) Here are some of the beloved spots in and around St. James Town.

Mr. Jerk (209 Wellesley St East)
Granted, it doesn't really look like much, but Mr. Jerk arguably has some of the best jerk chicken in the city, as well as oxtail, jerk pork, and maybe roti too. The heat is definitely there without being overwhelming, and the price pretty much can't be beat. Lack of proper seating is a definitely drawback, so Mr. Jerk operates mostly as a grab-and-go spot.

A Submarine (565 Sherbourne Street)
The go-to spot for a late-night, after-the-bar, still-sort-of-tipsy snack. I'm confident that few would be able to give a sober review. In any case, A Submarine must be doing something right with its classic cold cut subs and gyro options, especially since you can probably pay for them with the little money you have left in your pocket at the end of the night. The sub menu here is actually quite extensive, and includes pizza subs, breaded chicken, corned beef, and tuna.

Nijo Sushi (345 Bloor St East)
Tucked away at the foot of one of the buildings on Bloor, Nijo may be small but reviews are persistent and mighty. While most customers generally opt for take-out, Nijo does have some space to sit down and enjoy a spicy tuna roll or two. Sushi portions are usually quite generous and the staff are very efficient and friendly.

Pinoy Ako (8 Howard Street)
This is the place with a barbecue and a small crowd outside its front door during warm weather days. Pinoy Ako is a Filipino grocery store and catering shop that has won over the crowd with its barbecue pork and chicken, though it also offers other traditional prepared foods such as lumpia, baloot, and pancit bihon. And banana ketchup (yes, you read that right) to take home.

Liyu Whole Foods (10 Howard Street)
I don't really know about whole foods, but Liyu sure does have an impressive collection of Ethiopian music and movies. The store is a bit of a mishmash of a number of different things, including bagged spices, dry goods, photocopying services (?), and on occasion, hot eats. More of a gathering place than anything, Liyu has one little table inside for snacking, talking, or watching the news on the flat screen TV.

Downtown Kabob Grill House (583 Sherbourne Street)
Downtown Kabob Grill House is fairly new St. James Town arrival, but it is already winning over locals for its chicken wraps and steak kabobs. The menu here includes a few "fusion" options, including jerk chicken and Persian spaghetti, but regulars seems to swear by the classic charcoal-grilled meats. Open late most evenings, too.

Westown Chinese Food (464 Sherbourne Street)
One of two Westown Chinese Food restaurants in Toronto (the other is in the Junction), this spot offers a more Western take on Kung Pao chicken and Szechuan shrimp. But with free local deliveries, huge portion sizes, and pretty cheap prices on most everything in the menu, Westown generally suffices for those inevitable hot and sour soup cravings.

The In Cut (7 Howard Street)
This is where bodybuilder Jay Cutler gets his hair cut when he's in Toronto. And yes, there is documented proof. Aside from the odd Olympian, The In Cut tends to trim the 'dos of St. James Town locals — typically more men than women, but the ladies do, indeed, occupy these chairs. Cuts, as promised, are usually on trend.

Photos by Jesse Milns

The best wine bars in Toronto are, increasingly, living up to their name. For so many years, this city was short on places that made good on this designation. For the record, a wine bar should be 1) a bar and 2) the type of place that focuses its energy on offering an interesting selection of by-the-glass options. While Toronto has generally had a good supply of establishments that covered the latter of these two criteria, it's only in the last couple years that we've seen the rise of wine-first watering holes.

All of this sounds rather nit-picky, of course. Why get so caught up in names? Well, really, because it's nice to have places to drink wine that aren't stuck up and snobby. Wine is booze, too! So having the option to indulge in some interesting stuff without the pressure to order an expensive meal is just a good thing for us pretentious types without the wallets to support our egos. As for the places on this list that are still food-focused, well, you're nice too. But it's about time that the city had a bit of both. And now we do.

Here are the best wine bars in Toronto.

Having started with a sour, before moving onto the Old Fashioned, it was only a matter of time before my focus for examining Toronto's cocktail scene started touching on interpretations of another of the grand classics, the Manhattan.

Listed as one of David Embury's six basic drinks in the seminal bartending guide 'The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks', the Manhattan has been re-imagined a thousand times over. Legend has it that the drink first appeared in 1874, when a bartender for New York's Manhattan Club created one for a party thrown by Jennie Churchill (apparently pregnant with Sir Winston at the time).

Embury's recipe calls for a mixture of American whiskey, Italian sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters, though in different quantities than many bartenders would use today. Like with the Old Fashioned and the sour, however, the status of the drink has seen it transcend slavish adherence to a single recipe, with mixologists the world over taking the basic idea behind the drink, and transforming it in untold ways.

Nowadays, like the Martini, the Manhattan has been transformed into something more like a style of cocktail: the bitterness of whiskey being tempered with a sweeter component, so argues André Dominé, author of modern manual 'The Ultimate Bar'.

The cocktail list at Brockton Village's cocktail and sandwich emporium This End Up has both a classic bourbon Manhattan and a reinterpretation: the Pacifier ($14), using Buffalo Trace bourbon, Cherry Heering (as the sweet component), and Scrappy's lavender bitters.

Co-owner Karen Young charged bartender Bryn Bratton Wall with the creation of an all-bourbon cocktail menu for a party she was throwing, and the Pacifier has stuck around as a regular feature at the establishment.

Each ingredient has been hand-selected for the manner in which it can complement the other flavours in the drink. For example, Bryn keeps a small selection of lavender bitters at hand, but opts for Scrappy's formula - the elevated herbal notes play well with the liquorice finish of the Buffalo Trace.

She starts by adding 1½ oz of bourbon to a Yarai mixing glass, ½ an ounce of Heering Cherry liqueur and a just a dash of lavender bitters. (this is quite a strong flavour so no more than a dash is needed). Ice is then added, and the drink is stirred thoroughly before being strained into a chilled coupe glass. (chill by adding water and ice to glass).

INGREDIENTS

1½ oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
½oz Heering Cherry Liqueur
1 dash Scrappy's lavender bitters
No garnish

Bryn's play on the Manhattan is just a one of the cocktails you will find on her inventive list that is broken down into easy to identify categories.

• Sweeter, including The Monk 'n' Roll ($9) made with house-made rye liqueur (spiced with cloves, star anise, and citrus), Yellow Charteuse, orange, and lemon.
• Boozier, including a Shrub Soda ($16) made with soda bulliet burbon and her vinegar shrub (peaches, peppercorns, balsamic and apple vinegars, and rock sugar).
• Tarter, featuring Tatayal ($12) made with Pitu cachaca, chilled rooibos tea, vanilla, and whiskey bitters.
• Finally, she has a list of Serious Cocktails, with more classical approaches Gin Mare Martini ($18) made with gin mare, carpano bianco and Puglia olives.

Photos by Morris Lum

Some Italian restaurants have a constant stream of pizza starved lunatics lining up for hours to grab a traditional Napoli style pizza, but this place at Yonge and Lawrence flies under the radar despite having a decent selection of Italian restaurant staples, seafood and steaks, and a wood burning pizza oven.

Read my review of Trio Ristorante Pizzeria in the restaurants section.

Photo by ronnie.yip in the blogTO Flickr pool