Toronto's Kensington Market is full of delicious treasures. Whether you're craving a mid afternoon snack or a full meal, there's a spot for pretty much all your cravings.

Here are my picks for some of the best cheap eats in Kensington Market.

Doners at Otto's Berlin Doner
This German-style sandwich shop serves up some epic street foods. Berlin döners are available in your choice of chicken, veal and lamb, fried halloumi, or gemüse. All sandwiches get topped with a yogurt sauce and a harissa-like hot sauce, plus red cabbage, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and lettuce.

Belgian-style fries at Moo Frites
Belgian-style frites are all the rage in Toronto thanks to this small fry shop. While their fries are delicious with only salt as a dressing, I'd opt for a more unique offering like the War Frites. Freshly cooked fries get topped with peanut butter, mayo and onion.

Arepas at El Arepazo
This is where to go for a taste of traditional Venezuelan food. Arepas are offered in a variety of different meats, veggies, cheeses and sauces.

Fried green tomatoes at Trinity Common
Fried green tomatoes are a staple on the menu at Trinity Common. Slices of unripened tomatoes get buttermilk-dredged and cornmeal-crusted. They're then deep fried and served alongside green tomatillo salsa and queso fresco.

Fish tacos at Seven Lives
You can find the best tacos in Toronto in the heart of Kensington Market. This taqueria deals in fish and seafood tacos done SoCal or Tijuana-style. A menu favourite is their the Gobernador.

Smoked salmon sandwich at Fika Cafe
This Swedish cafe serves an opened face smoked salmon sandwich with whipped chive cream cheese and cucumbers on homemade toasted buttermilk seeded rye bread.

Tofu at Cosmic Treats
This all-vegan restaurant dishes out an array of vegan comfort foods. A must-try is their southern fried tofu and mixed root vegetable fries. The tofu is seasoned with southern spices, coated in panko breadcrumbs and served with BBQ sauce for dipping.

Fish and chips at Fresco's
If you're a fan of traditional fish and chips, then a visit to Fresco's is in order. While the shop also serves up great poutine and po'boys, the star of the show will always be the fried to perfection fish and chips.

Tortas at Torteria San Cosme
Found on the corner of Baldwin and Kensington Avenue is this Mexican-style sandwich shop. They have a variety of torta offerings including their Cubana, which is loaded with smoked ham, adobo pork, gouda, sliced avocado, tomatoes, chipotle sauce and spicy dijon.

Pizza at Mare Pizzeria
Kensington's biggest and best slice can be had at this Baldwin St. pizza parlour. Mow down on a slice of pepperoni on one of the few bar stools or if it's nice outside walk around Kensington 'za in hand.

Jerk chicken at Rasta Pasta
Kensington Market locals know to come here for their fill of homemade jerk chicken. All jerk chicken is served alongside rice, beans and coleslaw for a complete meal.

Chicken and waffles at The Dirty Bird
Scrolling through your Instagram feed you've surely seen this chicken and waffles spot once or twice. Order up The ODB and chow down on boneless dark meat piled on top of a maple buttered waffle and dressed in a sweet and tangy sauce.

Burgers at Top Gun Burgers
This burger joint is an offshoot of Top Gun Steak. If you're brave enough ask for their Invader burger. It comes with three beef patties, two grilled cheese sandwiches and fried onions. It's Halal too!

Crepes at Hibiscus Cafe
This hidden gem of gluten-free, vegan and all organic eats is nestled in the heart of Kensington Market. The cafe is best-known for their sweet and savoury crepes, all made with homemade vegan buckwheat batter.

Pupusas at Emporio Latino
Those in the know head to the back of this Latin American grocery store on weekends to find ladies making cheap and tasty El Salvadorian street food. A freshly made pupusa filled with e pork, cheese and refried beans will set you back a mere $3.

What did I miss? Share your favourite cheap eats in Kensington Market in the comments.

Photos by Hector Vasquez, Jesse Milns and Ike Ford.

April showered Toronto with new restaurants. From barbecue and burgers to AYCE Italian and Asian fusion spots, there are plenty of new ways to indulge this spring season.

Here are my picks for the top new restaurant openings in Toronto this April.

Adamson BBQ
This newly opened food hall is doing Central Texas-style barbecue for lunch on weekdays only. It's far from downtown and the hours are limited and inconvenient, but I still urge you to go. Play hookey and eat platters piled with beef brisket, succulent smoked chicken, sausages, ribs and pulled pork.

Doomie's
The Hollywood-based restaurant caused a commotion when it introduced vegan Big Macs to Toronto last summer at Vegan Food Fest. Now its has a permanent Parkdale outlet to fulfill meatless fast food cravings.

The Chicago Don
The all-you-can-eat Italian restaurant opened on Bloor this month and offers unlimited helpings from an eight course menu. Servers come around to each table every 10 minutes with a new dish. Expect selections like fried calamari, pasta with Alfredo sauce, pizza and tiramisu.

Village Pizza
The folks behind Hub Coffee have opened this new pizzeria where selections include the Thanks, Obama, a pie topped with barbecued Spam and pineapple. Aside from pizza, there are a couple salads and a bar menu featuring tall cans, house wines and Wild Turkey and Fernet.

Burgatory
The food truck opened its first bricks-and-mortar restaurant this month on College Street where Hey Meatball used to be. The menu is all about sinful, signature creations, like the Envy Burger loaded onto a brioche bun with red onions, tortilla chips and chimichurri sauce.

Junction Local
This eatery on Dundas West is dishing up southern-style comfort food peppered with Creole influences along with local craft beers, new world wines, tequila and bourbon. Find, fried green tomatoes, smoked chicken drumsticks and jambalaya with gnocchi on the menu.

Daiko
For a menu of mash-ups, head to this Asian fusion restaurant in Parkdale. There's foie gras momos, butter chicken chat-e-dillas and mussels malabar on the menu along with classic cocktails and a decent selection of wines.

Flaming Bull
This new Annex spot showcases modern Chinese and Taiwanese cuisines. Set menus start at $38 per person and feature dishes like kimchi pork, rice teppanyaki, beef noodles and mango panna cotta.

Real Mo-Mo's
Real Mo-Mo's is an eclectic bistro that draws inspiration from across the globe. Find dishes like Tibetan dumplings and Aussie-styled kangaroo sliders sharing the menu with bitterballen and shrimp panzanella.

Hangry Burger
This fast food joint at Yonge and College is slinging out gourmet burgers like the Meltdown loaded with sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, crispy shoestring onions and roasted garlic sauce. Make it a combo with add-ons like poutine, onion rings and sweet potato fries.

Photo of Adamson BBQ by Hector Vasquez.

What a time to be alive at Toronto's Ryerson Univerity. That's because for the second time this school year, Drizzy made a surprise appearance at a concert for Ryerson students, this time at the 6 themed year-end show.

When the RSU announced its Sunday extravaganza, it hinted it would be bringing out an all-star guest artist to accompany DJ Esco (Future's official DJ) on stage. And it clearly followed through.

A video posted by [🌊]] (@c.sugrim) on May 1, 2016 at 4:10pm PDT

Despite the drizzly weather, students - as well as members of the public - crowded a makeshift concert venue in a vacant lot at Wellington and Blue Jays Way to watch Drake turn the six upside down (and yes, it's a nine now).

A video posted by Ryerson Students' Union (@ryesu) on May 1, 2016 at 3:42pm PDT

Back in September, the RSU wowed the class of 2019 with their very own Drake concert. I wonder what's in store for the incoming first years.

Welcome back to #Ryerson, @Drake. 🙏
(PC: 4ovo1anny6 on Instagram) pic.twitter.com/0chGNdmJVS

— Ryerson Student Life (@RUStudentLife) May 1, 2016

DRAKE AT A RYERSON EVENT TWO TIMES IN A YEAR? RYERSON > ANY UNI

— umar (@AhoyItsUmar) May 1, 2016

PSA: Whenever Ryerson ever says 'special guest', they mean Drake

— Kamran Dhanani (@kamrandhanani) May 1, 2016

drake really is the unofficial mascot of ryerson wow move over eggy

— Taylor Henderson (@tayhenderson_) May 1, 2016

Photo by @RUStudentLife on Twitter.

Today in Toronto Canadian Music Week returns, bringing shows to venues across the city. Today you can catch multi-musician showcases at Bovine Sex Club, Cameron House, Sneaky Dee's, Supermarket, The Paddock and more. If you'd rather see something a little more thought-provoking head to Bloor Cinema for a Hot Docs Film Festival flick or two.

For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Spanish Film Festival (Revue Cinema)
• The Three Musketeers - of Comedy (Bad Dog Theatre Company)
• Cate Le Bon (Horseshoe Tavern)
• CONTACT Photography Festival (Various Locations)
• Hot Docs Film Festival (Bloor Cinema)
• Canadian Music Week (Various Locations)

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events section.

Photo of LIGHTS who performs tonight as part of CMW.

Avocado toast is all the rage these days but it's just one of the many breakfast and lunch options available at this growing chain of healthy eateries.

Read my profile of iQ Food Co. in the restaurants section.

Opera Peep Show, an innovative pay-as-you-go method of enjoying the opera, stole hearts and hit high notes this past week at the historic Campbell House Museum. It was brought to Toronto by Liederwolfe, an experimental opera collective from Montreal.

The Opera Peep Show was set up like a real peep show, but with less voyeurism and slightly more culture. After entering Campbell House and purchasing tickets ($20), guests were given a drink ticket, a golden key, and instructed to make their way downstairs.

In the basement, there was a bar on one side with wine, beer and light snacks, and a lounge on the other. In the lounge, patrons trade in their golden key for a coloured key (white, purple, blue or green) to one of the four rooms upstairs where the opera was happening.

A concierge was on hand to help decide which room was best suited for you depending on whether you are were opera fanatic (most of the people there) or an opera newbie. One room was included in the ticket price, and additional rooms could be purchased for $15 (or all rooms for $30).

After choosing the room(s) you wanted to visit, the coloured keys were loaded on a keyring. Guests waited in the lounge until the next performance and when the time came, a concierge gathered guests, took their keys, and brought them to the specified room for the 15-20 minutes show.

Each of the four rooms was presented by a different opera company and had a unique style of performance. The green key opened the door to Essential Opera, serving up classic and contemporary favourites.

The blue key, on the other hand, was for Urbanvessel, who presented an interactive installation that involved audience participation.

The purple key granted entrance to see Liederwolfe perform a few different opera favourites, and the white key was for re:Naissance, who performed Shakespeare re:Imagined, dramatic scenes from Shakespeare set to lute music.

While each room was great, there were two absolute standouts. The first was Lonely House from the opera Street Scene, performed by tenor Joshua Wales from Liederwolfe, who was so fantastic and moving that audience members broke into applause in the middle of Liederwolfe's set.

The second highlight was the entire blue room's performance, an interactive Carrie Bradshaw-esque tribute to boots, performed by Christine Duncan and Jean Martin on percussion from Urbanvessel.

As someone whose only experience with opera has been when the word is preceded by "soap" (and even then, only in reference to the relationship between Dr. Phil and Lindsay Lohan), this was a really cool way to be introduced to an art form that can come across as daunting and elitist.

The short pieces were perfect to get just a taste of what each company was like, and provided enough variety that I was never bored, even when the performances were in other languages.

For me, the most successful aspect of the evening was the ability for audience members to become active participants in the opera.

Rather than have patrons come in, sit down and simply view a production, the act of choosing which rooms to visit, the order in which to visit them, and then the participatory features of each room took opera from something that you watch happen to something that happens to you.

It made the music feel very accessible, very personal, and much more fun than I expected.

As I left, I found myself deleting the critically acclaimed Crazy Town album, The Gift of Game, to make room for Street Scene (Original London Cast Complete Recording). The Opera Peep Show worked the way all peep shows do - it got me hooked and I wanted more.

Photos by Hector Vasquez.

It's only May and we've already been privy to the introduction of doughnut cones, cinnamon bun ice cream sandwiches and now we can add ice cream tacos into the mix. Booyah has officially opened its doors after being closed all winter and this season they are bringing a new hybrid ice cream treat to Toronto.

Booyah's ice cream taco comes with three scoops of ice cream in any three flavours, whipped cream, two toppings and your choice of either chocolate or caramel sauce. All of this gets loaded into a homemade taco shaped waffle shell.

Photos by @booyahinc.

The top dive bars in Toronto are fun, unfussy, and definitely not fancy. Sometimes, you just need to put on an old pair of jeans, meet up with some friends, and head to your favourite no frills watering hole for a drink that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Here are my picks for the top dive bars in Toronto.

Swan Dive
This Dundas West dive bar has games, books and a pool table, plus fun events like movie nights. In addition to cocktails, they serve pints (starting at $7.25), tallboys (starting at $6), and for the penny-pinching patron, they offer small cans of PBR for $4.

Wide Open
This hole-in-the-wall at Spadina and Richmond offers some of the best drink specials in the city. Though the space is narrow and tends to get full quickly, you can't beat the $2.75 drinks on Thursdays (between 5 and 8 p.m.) and $5 Jim Beam shots (all the time).

Thirsty and Miserable
This cash-only Kensington Market bar has a great selection of beer. Though the space is small and it can be difficult to get a table, it's cheap and the servers are well-known for their friendliness. Go for the beer; stay for the conversation.

Bovine Sex Club
This historic dive, famous for its rock roots and scrap metal sign, has been around for a quarter century and sports a tiki-themed rooftop patio. The Bovine often hosts great live music for ridiculously reasonable cover prices ($5-10).

Baby Huey
This Ossington bar is on the fancier side of dive with interesting decor and DJ beats. They also let you order in fast food so you don't have to leave your Corona to get some KFC.

Ronnie's Local
Ronnie's Local is one of the essential Kensington market watering holes. Though the inside is small, dark, and not always the cleanest, the front patio is hot in demand during the warm weather, so be sure to get there early.

Linsmore Tavern
This no-frills Danforth pub has been around for more than 80 years and has darts, a pool table, big screen TVs and live music. With a traditional tavern vibe and minimalist beer menu, the Linsmore is just the right amount of seedy.

Lipstick & Dynamite
Lipstick & Dynamite serves up books, games and vegetarian/vegan food, including brunch. Located on West Queen West, this unpretentious bar has a great beer menu (pints and tall cans are $6.50) but don't expect an appletini - they have a strict no martini policy.

Sneaky Dee's
This Toronto-famous institution is known for its cheap food, cheaper drinks, and crowd-sourced graffiti on the walls. Some of Canada's best indie bands have at one point or another graced the stage at the upstairs music venue.

Green Room
This classic student bar in the Annex draws regulars for its affordable food and drink menu. The small patio is the perfect place for $3 bar rail when you don't feel like studying.

What did I miss? Add your favourite Toronto dive bar to the comments.

Justin Bieber had more fun this weekend than you did. The pop star took his private jet to Toronto for his father's engagement party, showed off his new 'do, bought a panther necklace from Cartier, and, as if that wasn't enough, he got to hang out with a real life tiger.

Oops. As glamorous as it all was, the Siegfried & Roy routine has landed Bieber in hot water with PETA, who issued a scathing letter in the wake of an Instagram photo that depicts him petting the giant cat.

"Justin Bieber is lucky not to have had his throat torn out by this stressed captive tiger," writes PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. She also alleges that the cat in the photo is from the Bowmanville Zoo, which is currently embroiled in controversy after a video appearing to depict its owner whipping a tiger surfaced on YouTube.

"...PETA urges everyone to stay far away from cruel and dangerous big-cat photo ops and also why we're asking Justin to vow that this will be his last time promoting these types of abusive outfits, Lange continues."

There's been no comment from the Bieber camp regarding the matter yet. I guess we all know what song is playing on repeat right now, though.

Toronto's river system has been profoundly altered by the growth of the city over the last century. From straightened channels to buried creeks, development has tended to envelop the city's waterways in concrete. Nowhere is this more dramatic than at Black Creek, a sub-watershed of the Humber River that winds down from Vaughan to just north of Dundas St. West before joining the larger waterway.

Black Creek has many different faces. In some areas it remains natural, in others it culverts under major roadways, and in the section southwest of Weston Rd. and Humber Blvd. North it follows a concrete channel that seems wholly bizarre in Toronto.

It's been noted elsewhere by Jake Tobin Garrett that this portion of Black Creek is something like a mini-version of the LA river, that famous concrete waterway that's played host to so many iconic moments in cinema, from Chinatown to Terminator 2.

I've been intrigued by this strange hybrid waterway since I first drove by it over a decade ago on the way to York University. At the time, I merely parked and looked down at it from the bridge along Weston Rd., but it's actually quite easy to access its concrete banks when the water levels are low.

You wouldn't, however, want to try this in the midst of a rain storm. The whole reason that Black Creek looks like this is because of severe flooding during Hurricane Hazel. Its concrete banks, which spread well beyond the river on either side, are designed to better manage stormwater. During heavy rain, the waterway will rise well above its central channel and rush along the artificial shore.

This is some of the most polluted water in the city, given the various industrial sites that the bottom portion of the waterway runs through. And yet there's a strange beauty here that's difficult to articulate. As much as nature has been tamed by the stark concrete channel, the degree to which it has reclaimed a small existence here is a testament to its ability to endure.

"It's horrific and beautiful at the same time, in the way that weird, concrete urban things often are where nature has started to reinsert itself in all the little nooks and crannies," Garrett offers in eloquent summary of the strange aesthetic intrigue this place possesses.

As Toronto imagines dazzling new ways to reclaim its waterways, it's worth pausing over Black Creek. City planners would resist the creation of such an eyesore these days for good reason, but there's something about its ambivalent paved banks that speaks to the odd beauty of concrete and the interstice that joins the built landscape and nature.

Photos by Derek Flack.

Patios in Mississauga benefit from close proximity to the lake and the vibrant neighbourhoods in which they reside. From Mexican fiestas and red sauce Italian joints to live music venues and whisky bars, here's where to eat and drink al fresco next time you're in 'sauga.

El Jefe
The colourful Mexican cantina in Port Credit is the perfect spot to soak up the sun while savouring a few cerveza. Against the backdrop of a vibrant graffiti mural, the patio decked out with string lights offers an ideal spot to mow down on Corona-battered blooming onions, tacos and chimichangas.

Door Fifty Five
Accordion doors open up right on the bustling stretch of Lakeshore Road East in Port Credit. At the centre of all the action, the front patio outfitted with high tables and stools is a lively spot to enjoy flights of whisky and good old southern style fare including beef brisket, ribs, fried chicken and waffles and blackened shrimp with gumbo cheddar grits.

The Wilcox
The gastropub at the corner of Hurontario and Eglinton offers a patio surrounded by lush greenery. Settle in for a selection of craft beers and upmarket pub grub including spicy Viet-style wings, Scotch eggs and tri-coloured nachos.

Goodfella's
The Streetsville pizzeria and friggitoria deals in Southern Italian fare including wood fired Neapolitan pies, fried artichokes and arancini. The 30-seat patio, sheltered by a tomato red canopy and outfitted with wrought iron furniture, is in view of Streetsville's main stage, offering the best possible seats to catch live performances throughout the summer with a negroni and/or cannoli in hand.

Snug Harbour
The seafood bar and grill boasts a waterfront patio next to the picturesque Port Credit Marina. In the summer months, find the place populated with rollerbladers and boaters enjoying a glass of wine (or two) and selections from the oyster bar while overlooking the lake.

Photo via @amsterdambeer on Instagram.

A favourite Toronto spot for peameal bacon and other pork-centric sandwiches is coming to 182 Ossington Avenue. Rashers, which currently serves up breakfast and lunch fare from its sole, original location in Leslieville, is putting the final touches on the space that was once home to a Vietnamese coffee shop.

The space will be much larger than their east-side location and include plenty of tables for eat-in dining. No word yet whether the restaurant will expand beyond their sandwich-only menu. They're known for their peameal but also have won plenty of fans for their takes on grilled cheese and BLT.

Photo by Jesse Milns.

Mother's Day is fast approaching, and in Toronto that means reservations for brunch are filling up. The annual celebration falls on Sunday, May 8 this year and while flowers and gifts are surely appreciated, chances are that mom just wants to spend some time with you... perhaps with a mimosa or eggs Benny?

Here's where to take mom for brunch this Mother's Day in Toronto.

Luckee
Susur Lee's dim sum restaurant will offer a four-course brunch menu for $55 per person. Two seatings are available for brunch between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. featuring soba salad, dim sum, a choice of entrees, and a dessert platter.

Maman
The French cafe in the Financial District hosts a Tea Party Brunch in honour of moms everywhere on Sunday. The three-course menu with tea parings is priced at $50 per person and includes a free gift (a special Maman cup with lavender seeds). Reservations are required.

Frank at the AGO
The brunch buffet at the art gallery restaurant is priced at $85 per person (or $25 for kids under 10). Available from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., expect breakfast staples along with indulgent selections from the oyster bar, carving and seafood stations and dessert tables.

Daisho
Celebrate Mother's Day at Momofuku's second floor restaurant with a shareable spread of bagels with scrambled eggs, spicy lamb sausage, trout gravlax and more for $25 per person. There are also a la carte options including buttermilk pancakes, steak and eggs, and more. Brunch is on from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., reservations required.

Thoroughbred
The multi-level restaurant on Richmond is doing a Mother's Day edition of its weekly Low Tea brunch. Served from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the restaurant show moms love with complementary Mom-osas upon arrival. Reservations required.

Kasa Moto
This Japanese restaurant in Yorkville offers an elegant setting for brunch served between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. On the menu, breakfast bento boxes, crispy rock shrimp omelette, and bincho grilled skirt steak and eggs.

Globe Bistro
Enjoy a three-course prix fixe brunch with mom on The Danforth this Sunday. Priced at $29 per person, the menu opens with fresh scones and house made preserves followed by a choice of salads or granola parfaits, mains like quiche, clafouti or mushroom gnocchi and dessert.

Drake One Fifty
An elegant $38 prix-fixe brunch menu is on offer at The Drake's Financial District location. On the menu from 11 a.m., there's fresh oysters, smoked salmon bennies with dill hollandaise and Amaretto-scented French toast. Reservations are a must!

The Chase Fish & Oyster
The seafood-centric restaurant near Yonge and Queen hosts Mother's Day brunch from 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.. The a la carte menu features highlights like king crab cake Benedicts, selections from the raw bar, and a crispy breakfast sandwich with smoked ham, cheese and a fried egg.

Mildred's Temple Kitchen
Priced at $27.50 per guest, the prix fixe brunch at this Liberty Village brunch spot starts with fresh squeezed juice and scones, plus a choice of pancakes, huevos Monty or Benedict-like creations built on croissants.

Cresta
Celebrate moms in the St. Lawrence Market area with an AYCE buffet priced at $50 per person. Look forward to an omelette station, pancakes, waffles, sausage and bacon in addition to mussels and clam pasta, a beef carving station, ratatouille more.

Photo via the Drake 150 on Flickr.

Toronto witnessed the closure of a number of notable businesses this month. From long-established bakeries, iconic video stores and local butchers that'll truly be missed to short-lived eateries that proved nothing more than a flash in the pan, these casualties joined the deadpool in April.

Here's a roundup of Toronto businesses that closed this past month.

Queen Video
The video store closed its original location on Queen West this month after six weeks of liquidation sales. The location in the Annex remains open.

Cafe Bar Pasta
The Italian restaurant known for its scratch-made pastas and sleek interior quietly shuttered in April. It faced fierce competition on a stretch of Dundas West dominated by restaurants like Campagnolo and Enoteca Sociale.

Custodio's Meats and Eats
Roncesvalles' butcher shop specializing in whole animal butchering and an abundance of prepared foods abruptly shuttered this month with no notice or explanation provided.

Easy Restaurant
The College Street breakfast joint quietly closed in April meaning Little Italy residents have lost an excellent source for all day Huevos Divorciados. The location in Parkdale is still operational.

Frangipane
The beloved bakery on Dupont, Frangipane">closed up shop in April after 11 years in business. Owner Claudia Egger bid farewell to loyal customers via a note stating that she's decided to "focus on creating custom cakes, pastries and confections for special occasions and events".

Gyutaro
The Annex restaurant only opened last fall and had established itself in the neighbourhood as a source for cheap and filling Japanese comfort foods. The Bloor Street restaurant was unfortunately gutted by fire mid month and shows no signs of reopening anytime soon.

LAN Sushi
The sushi bar in The Junction shut its doors for good mid-month. Messages on Facebook suggest that the Japanese restaurant is merely relocating, though a new address has yet to be confirmed.

The Longest Yard
The Midtown pub bid long-time patrons goodbye with a farewell lobster boil before closing its doors on May 1st. The pub has occupied the corner of Mt. Pleasant and Belsize for over 30 years, but now owners intend to focus on the second location of the business in Etobicoke.

Paganelli's Risotteria
The windows at this Italian restaurant near St. Lawrence Market have been papered over. The restaurant with ample parking and sunny front patio didn't make it to see another tourist season.

PO Box 1192
The short-lived Leslieville snack bar is closed for good after defaulting on rent payments to the tune of almost $70,000 according to the notice of distress in the window. The bar aimed to introduce old school hip hop, daytime dance parties and a menu of $10-or-less snack foods when it opened last fall, but it never seemed busy... or open.

The Old Laurel
Davy Love's British pub and venue for Premier League football is on the move again. The pub outgrew its outpost near Christie Pits and moved to West Queen West in 2014 and then relocated again to an address on College Street last fall. The pub served its last pint on April 3rd and is set to reopen again in a yet to be announced new home.

Sparrow Restaurant
The sister spot to the Kennedy Public House ceased operations this month after nearly two years in business in Bloor West Village.

Did you spot a Toronto business closure this month? Let us know in the comments.

Photo of Cafe Bar Pasta by Jesse Milns.

Summer music festivals are about to get under way all across Ontario. Looking for an excuse to get out of Toronto? There's festival for just about anyone only a short car ride away on any given weekend. Last year, the seasonal lineup was bolstered by the arrival of WayHome, and it only looks to get better this year.

Here are my picks for the top music festivals outside of Toronto this summer.

Sound Of Music
Location: Burlington
Dates: June 11, 16-19, 2016
Venue: Various
Drive time: ~45 min.
Type of music: Various
Burlington's Sound of Music Festival continues it's tradition of keeping the past alive, filling their line-up with veterans like The Cult, Headstones, Soul Asylum, Sass Jordan, I Mother Earth and more. More recent acts like the OBGMs, Dirty Nil and Mother Mother are there to keep things new and fresh. Like last year, the majority of the festival is still free, with a ticketed kick-off concert (The Cult).

Mariposa Folk Festival
Location: Orillia
Dates: July 8-10, 2016
Venue: Tudhope Park
Drive time: ~1.5hrs
Type of music: Folk
No other festival in Ontario has a legacy like Mariposa Folk Festival: 56 years young and they're still sticking to their folk roots. While 2016 may not have names like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and Emmylou Harris (all past performers), you know Mariposa will keep things inline with what they do best.

RBC Bluesfest
Location: Ottawa
Dates: July 7-17, 2016
Venue: Lebreton Flats Park
Drive time: ~4.5 hrs
Type of music: Various
No one is fooled by the Bluesfest moniker anymore - everyone knows it's actually one of the biggest music festivals of the year in our nation's capital. Over the span of 10 days, Alessia Cara, City and Colour, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duran Duran, Brad Paisley, Future, The Lumineers, Wolf Parade, Billy Idol and more will do their best to put your blues to rest.

Wayhome
Location: Oro-Medonte
Dates: July 22-24, 2016
Venue: Burl's Creek Event Grounds
Drive time: ~1.5 hr
Type of music: Various
WayHome delivered on its promise of bringing something bigger than we'd ever seen in Ontario last summer, and there's no reason this year won't be even better. LCD Sound System, Arcade Fire, The Killers, Major Lazer, M83, Haim, Metric and Chvrches only scratch the surface of the bands playing over three days.

Hillside
Location: Guelph
Dates: July 22-24, 2016
Venue: Guelph Lake Island
Drive time: ~1 hr
Type of music: Various
Once again going toe-to-toe with WayHome, Hillside is sticking to what it does best: promoting Canadian music in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere while keeping an eye on the environment. Buffy Ste. Marie w/ The Sadies, Donovan Woods, Kid Koala'a Vinyl Vaudville Show, Jennifer Castle, Land Of Talk, Holy Fuck, Nap Eyes, PUP and more are on hand to entertain over three days.

Electric Eclectics
Location: Meaford
Dates: July 29 - July 31, 2016
Venue: Farm outside Meaford
Drive time: ~2.5 hrs
Type of music: Electronic
The avant-garde festival from a farm outside Meaford, ON keeps doing eclectic like only they can. The preliminary lineup is out (Anamai, Bile Sister, Not The Wind, Not The Flag and more), with acts like HSY and Jennifer Castle widening the range of bands involved. Stay tuned for more artists and headliners to be announced soon.

Boots and Hearts
Location: Oro-Medonte
Dates: Aug 4-7, 2016
Venue: Burl's Creek Event Grounds
Drive time: ~1.5 hrs
Type of music: Country
After last year's successful transition to Burl's Creek (they made it clear WayHome was the test run for the "real show"), you can expect the second largest country music festival in the world to get even more comfortable in their new accommodations. Dierks Bentley, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton will help you break in your new 10-gallon hat.

Supercrawl
Location: Hamilton
Dates: September 9-11, 2016
Venue: James Street North
Drive time: ~1 hr
Type of music: Various
Hamilton's SuperCrawl has made a name for itself thanks to consistently intriguing lineups at the low, low price of free. Even without a lineup announced yet, there's little doubt it'll be worth the trip -- last year brought out Hayden, Daniel Lanois, Monster Truck, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, and more.

Havelock Country Jamboree
Location: Havelock
Dates: Aug. 18-21, 2016
Venue: Havelock
Drive time: ~2 hrs
Type of music: Country
In their 27th year, the Havelock Jamboree is still expanding. The Band Perry, Scotty McCreery, The Road Hammers, Terri Clark, Sammy Kershaw and more will be performing on new, larger twin stages. Not to worry though, the family-friendly camping experience is still intact.

Centre Of Gravity
Location: Wasaga Beach
Dates: Aug. 19-21, 2016
Venue: Wasaga Beach
Drive Time: ~2 hrs
Type of music: EDM/Hip-Hop
Before EDM was a thing, Wasaga Beach was home to an action sports and music festival called Wakestock. Monster Energy's Centre Of Gravity looks to bring a similar vibe back to Wasaga, except music is the big deal this time, with a side of sports. Tiesto, Ice Cube, Hardwell, Atmosphere, Showtek, Ty Dolla $ign and more will be on stage.

Writing by Matt Forsythe. Photo of WayHome by Jesse Milns.

Today in Toronto head to the TIFF Bell Lightbox to catch a talk on talk on gender representation in the documentary industry led by cinematographer Kirsten Johnson. Once you've learned a thing or two, make your way to Massey Hall to catch Tori Kelly in concert.

For more events, click on over to our events section.

• CONTACT Photography Festival (Various Locations)
• Hot Docs Film Festival (Bloor Cinema)
• Canadian Music Week (Various Locations)
• Bob Mould Band (Horseshoe Tavern)
• Book Launch: Congratulations on Everything by Nathan Whitlock (Burdock)
• Through The Lens of a Female Cameraperson (TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Lapsley (Mod Club)
• Tori Kelly (Massey Hall)

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events section.

Photo via Tori Kelly on Facebook.

A locally based Chopped Canada Champion didn't want to travel along the traditional path and open a restaurant. Instead, he started a gelato company with his girlfriend. He now churns out creamy, uniquely flavoured and delicious creations using mostly locally sourced and seasonal ingredients.

Read my profile of Death in Venice Gelato in the restaurants section.

This week on DineSafe, city health inspectors shutdown New Sushi Island for a whole slew of worrisome infractions. Crucial citations include failure to prevent a rodent infestation, failure to protect food from contamination or adulteration, and, get this; an employee smoking while working with food. Yuck!

See which other establishments got conditional passes on DineSafe this week.

Brick Street Bakery (55 Mill Street)
Inspected on: April 26, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Forno Cultura (609 King Street West)
Inspected on: April 26, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

Kiva's Restaurant & Bakery (1027 Steeles Avenue West)
Inspected on: April 26, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Louis Authentic Gyro (449 Danforth Avenue)
Inspected on: April 26, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to wash hands when required.

Rose City Kitchen (406 Queen Street West)
Inspected on: April 27, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 1, Significant: 5, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Employee fail to wash hands when required.

Capitol (597 College Street)
Inspected on: April 28, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Chine (327 Spadina Avenue)
Inspected on: April 28, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

New Sushi Island (571 College Street)
Inspected on: April 29, 2016
Inspection finding: Red (Closed)
Number of infractions: 13 (Minor: 6, Significant: 4, Crucial: 3)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to prevent a rodent infestation. Fail to protect food from contamination or adulteration. Employee use tobacco while working with food.

Pho King Fabulous (2409 Yonge Street)
Inspected on: April 29, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Note: The above businesses each received infractions from DineSafe as originally reported on the DineSafe site. This does not imply that any of these businesses have not subsequently corrected the issue and received a passing grade by DineSafe inspectors. For the latest status for each of the mentioned businesses, including details on any subsequent inspections, please be sure to check the DineSafe site.

Here's a bit of real estate eye candy near Yonge and Lawrence. A newly built two level residence at 5 Jedburgh Road is one of many modern knock-downs that now dot the elite Bedford Park neighbourhood. The asking? This one's listed for a cool $1,739,000.

Who needs a fireplace when your house is made of wood? The wood-themed dwelling blends nicely from the cubed exterior to the open interior, boasting similar materials and a chestnut kitchen. The oversized wood doors and ceilings make it feel spacious, along with generous room sizes and a walk-in closest.

The housing market in mid-town is a pricey one, especially in this area, geared for families and an older generation. With limited post-war bungalows still standing (and there are just a few), the lot itself is still worth well over a million.

SPECS

• Address: 5 Jedburgh Road
• Price: $1,739,000
• Lot Size: 34 x 118 FT
• Bedrooms: 3+1
• Bathrooms: 4
• Parking: 5
• Taxes: $ 7,690 (2015)
• Walk Score: 82
• Listing agent: Robert Greenberg, Harvey Kalles
• Listing ID: C3474555

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Approx. 2,000 square feet
• 11 ft. ceilings
• Skylight
• Fireplace
• Finished basement with separate entrance

GOOD FOR

Plenty of storage. Purchasing a brand new house allows for additional storage, a front closet and custom built-ins. Plus, you get four sizeable bathrooms, which you don't get in a typical century old Toronto residence.

MOVE ON IF

You need additional privacy or a garage. While the yard is completely fenced-in, the property is located on a corner lot and backs onto a high-traffic street.

Worth the asking? Have your say in the comments.

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

Toronto creatives can rejoice at the arrival of a new market geared toward typography and design this year. Dubbed Pixel & Bristle, the recently announced event aims to celebrate the work of local designers, illustrators and typographers.

The inaugural edition of the event will go down at the Drake Hotel on June 25. The idea is to make it an annual event.

The selection of vendors is still underway, but the plan is to showcase a variety of design-art, from posters, prints and cards to mugs, coasters and bags. Naturally, there will also be food and booze to help inform those purchasing decisions.

Admission is free, so this could prove an excellent opportunity to decorate your apartment or just to get a sense of what's going on in Toronto's design community.

Photo by Jason Cook in the blogTO Flickr pool.