Seafood at brunch in Toronto is like the cherry atop a sundae. The already indulgent meal is only made better with platters of chilled shellfish, fresh shucked oysters and succulent lobster smothered in hollandaise.

Here are my top picks for where to find a seafood-centric brunch in Toronto.

Ufficio
When brunching at this pescatarian Italian restaurant on Dundas West, start with an order of salted cod croquettes and the house Caesar, a tequila-laced take on the classic spiked with pickled jalapeño and garnished with a poached prawn. To eat there's uova in camicia con bernaise featuring poached eggs with mashed avocado and smoked salmon atop grilled sourdough.

The Chase Fish & Oyster
Ultra indulgent Sunday brunches at this restaurant feature seafood platters topped with selections like oysters, clams, chilled crab and salmon deviled eggs. The list of entrees is equally luxe, with options like King Crab Cake Benedicts, crispy oysters fried up with bacon and eggs, and a salmon pastrami served with a spread of crème fraiche, caviar, soft scrambled eggs and rye bagels for self assembly.

The Commodore
Satisfy cravings for seafood at this Parkdale restaurant where brunch is served weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. On the menu there are octopus frittatas specked with spicy chorizo, and hearty plates of shrimp 'n grits studded with bacon and finished with anchovy brown butter.

Pearl Diver
Panko fried oyster omelettes, lobster Bennies and shrimp po'boys are among the tempting brunch offerings at this seafood bar in the King East neighbourhood. Too hungry to wait your order to land on the table? Order a few rounds of oysters to tide you over.

Hopgood's Foodliner
The East Coast inspired eatery on Roncesvalles serves up selections from the raw bar at brunch along with a menu of morning foods that includes smoked salmon buns dressed with cream cheese, radish and capers, and, garlic shrimp with brioche and poached eggs doused in hot sauce and horseradish.

What did I miss? Add your favourite seafood brunch in the comments

Photo of The Commodore via Dineandfash on Instagram.

Some of Toronto's best burger joints are taking an already stellar dish to new heights with the addition of some cheesy grilled buns. If you're already a fan of both grilled cheese sandwiches and burgers these meaty morsels of deliciousness are for you.

Here are my picks for must-try grilled cheese burgers in Toronto right now.

The Executive Chef Signature Series at Shamrock Burgers
This double decker grilled cheese ($12.99) features a behemoth 8oz patty with bacon stacked between grilled cheese sandwiches.

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse at Burger's Priest
Found on the chain's secret menu, this burger comes with two beef patties, two cheese stuffed deep fried portobello mushrooms and your choice of basic toppings all between two buttery grilled cheese buns.

The Cowlorie at Holy Chuck
This cheese filled burger concoction consists of a double cheeseburger, bacon, and caramelized onions all sandwiched between two grilled cheeses.

Grilled Cheese Burger at Thompson Diner
This 24 hour diner near King and Bathurst boasts a variety of different burgers on their menu including their epic Grilled Cheese Burger. Two grilled cheese sandwiches surround a sirloin burger, maple smoked bacon, lettuce. tomato and chipotle aioli.

The Burgernator at The Burgernator
The Kensington Market burger joint's namesake burger puts three beef patties, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms and Burgernator sauce between two grilled cheese buns. Yum!

What did I miss? Add your favourite place to grab a grilled cheese burger in the comments.

Photo of Shamrock Burger by Jesse Milns.

Scarborough has some of the best parks in Toronto, including the city's biggest green space in the form of the Rouge Valley. Given the area's lower density, many of the parks in the east end boast a more natural landscape than seen in downtown Toronto, featuring ponds, bluffs, and thick tree canopies.

Here are my picks for the top parks in Scarborough.

Guild Park and Gardens
One of the most tranquil spots in all of Toronto, Guild Park is perhaps best known for its collection of remnants from the city's lost architectural monuments of the 20th century (well that and being the site of Drake video). Formerly an artist colony, the 88 acre site features plenty of lush green space and the historic Guild Inn.

Colonel Danforth Park
The paved trails that wind along Highland Creek at this park near Lawrence and Meadowvale make for one of the nicest walks in the city. It can be very quiet here, particularly on weekdays when you might not see a soul around for long stretches of time. It's not big on amenities aside from washrooms and a dog park, so the idea here is to soak up the natural setting.

Milliken Park
The pond at the heart of Milliken Park is what makes this north Scarborough spot a special place. From the right angle, it can feel like you're sitting at the deck of a cottage. Snag a seat at one of the pond-side benches early in the morning and watch the swans do their elegant choreography across the water as if putting on a show for you.

Rouge Park
A true jewel in the city's inventory of parks, the Rouge has everything from a sandy beach to a campground, to glorious hiking trails. Its remarkable to have such a diverse green space so close to the heart of the city. There are over 1,700 species of flora and fauna to be found here.

Cathedral Bluffs Park
Not to be confused with Bluffer's Park, the similarly named Cathedral Bluffs Park is the portion of green space that sits above the Bluffs and beach below. This is one of the most stunning views in all of Toronto. On a warm summer day, the vista can seem almost tropical, but there's more to look at than just the lake. The various walls of the Bluffs themselves are a remarkable site.

Add your favourite Scarborough park in the comments.

Photo of Milliken Park by Benjamin Hsu in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Whenever someone visits Toronto for the first time, they like to do all the touristy things. Take in a Blue Jays game, visit the CN Tower, maybe wander over to St. Lawrence Market or venture to the Toronto Island.

The same goes for professional athletes. When they have a little bit of spare time in Toronto, just like an ordinary citizen, they like to take in the sights and sounds of the city.

The Los Angeles Dodgers did that very thing ahead of their series against the Toronto Blue Jays. They spent the day on Thursday simply being Toronto tourists. Nobody enjoyed their time in the Six more than Yasiel Puig.

If you've followed Puig's Twitter feed the past few days, it's littered with several of the Toronto tourism staples. He started his vacation by salmon fishing with his teammates on Lake Ontario.

Great day fishing with @Adrian_ElTitan time to eat. #PuigandTitan#LetsEat#Salmon🍣#chingondaypic.twitter.com/8Me1H5nB1k

— Yasiel Puig (@YasielPuig) May 5, 2016

Did anyone know there were actually salmon in Lake Ontario? Apparently it's full of trophy fish like this one. According to this tweet, Puig was planning on using one of these fish to whip up some sushi.

First catch for Puig, Wow #PuigHungry#Sushi#FishDay🎣🎣🐟🍣🍣pic.twitter.com/mrDrRW9rDI

— Yasiel Puig (@YasielPuig) May 5, 2016

Later that night, Puig and several of his teammates witnessed Game 2 of the Raptors/Heat series. There must be something about baseball players bringing good luck to the Raptors. Just a few days prior, the Blue Jays saw the Raptors take down the Pacers. And this time, several of the Dodgers players saw the Raptors narrowly defeat the Heat in overtime.

.@YasielPuig and @kenleyjansen74 are courtside for tonight's Raptors-Heat game in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/vf9AIqmmcQ

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 6, 2016

Then mere hours before he was to suit up to take on the Blue Jays on Friday night, Puig took part in the CN Tower EdgeWalk. Nothing like leaning off one of the world's highest freestanding structures to get you amped up for playing a game of baseball.

Walked around the #EdgeWalk at the CN Tower today, 1,168 ft in the air! 😱#PuigNotScared#niceview#niceday🤗🇨🇦pic.twitter.com/olf9DhDQ9V

— Yasiel Puig (@YasielPuig) May 6, 2016

Lastly, Puig opted to head to Ripley's Aquarium to visit a few more of his underwater friends. Except this time, he caught a glimpse of an unsuspecting Puig fan right behind him.

I ran into Puig at the aquarium #PuigMeetsPuigpic.twitter.com/DoTFIfeUlm

— Yasiel Puig (@YasielPuig) May 7, 2016

Wait until that poor kid finds out that Yasiel Puig was mere feet away from him the whole time.

Athletes like Charles Barkley have always raved about Toronto as one of their favourite cities to visit on the road. Yasiel Puig might have just taken this a step further and have inadvertently become Toronto's next great tourism ambassador.

Writing by Ian Hunter.

Despite numerous pronouncements of the end of the Galleria Mall when the property was sold to developers Freed and ELAD Canada last August, not much has changed at the site in the interim. The plan was never to buy the shopping centre and tear it down the next day.

On the contrary, the redevelopment process always figured to be a slow one given the size and complexity of site. The first public consultation was held in January before a second session this past week. In this time, a few priorities and some very early renderings have taken shape.

First posted by Urban Toronto, the artist concept drawings of the redevelopment don't show the actual designs for the mall's replacement, but serve to help imagine what revitalization might look like. What's important to note here is the presence of woonerfs, outdoor public space, a revamped Wallace-Emerson Park and Community Centre, and the scale of the residential buildings.

While the specifics are subject to change, if this is the general thinking, I'd say that's an auspicious start. Less obvious from the drawings is the plan to keep a significant amount of retail on the site. Urban Toronto quotes Joe Svec of Galleria Developments as saying the plan is to maintain or expand the existing square footage of retail, much of which will be smaller stores.

It's still the early days of the process, and there's sure to be a different set of designs floated before the developers take their plans to the city for approval, but the conceptual work shows a mixed-use development that might manage to keep some of the mom and pop retail in the neighbourhood even as the built environment undergoes profound change.

What do you think about the preliminary plans for the Galleria Mall redevelopment? Let us know in the comments.

All renderings are concept drawings and do not reflect the final design (via Galleria Developments.

Free events in Toronto this week range from tailgating at the ACC in support of the Raptors' play-off run to quirky art shows about 1970s malls to one of the year's biggest comic book celebrations. There's no need to stay at home in your sweatpants if your bank account is dry.

Here's a roundup of free events in Toronto this week.

Jurassic Park Raptors' Fan Zone Party (May 9, 11, and 13)
Now that the Raptors are through to the second round, fans at Jurassic Park, the aptly named area on the west side of the ACC, has become even more frenzied than before. Starting around two hours before tip-off, the tailgating gets underway during both home and away games, though the atmosphere during the latter is always a bit more exciting.

Wendy Chun on Habitual New Media (May11)
Broaden your understanding of the rapid ways in which media and technology are shaping our lives with the immensely intelligent Wendy Chun, who serves as the Chair of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University. The subject of her upcoming book and this talk is how technology is at its most important to us not when it's novel, but when it becomes habitual.

Rodney Graham at Contact 2016 (May 12)
One of the great things about the Contact Photography Festival being spread out over a month is that big openings still take place well after the fest has gotten underway. This is a case in point as Canadian artist Rodney Graham opens his show Jack of All Trades in which he stars in self-portraits related to a variety of professions.

Gallery Galleria (May 12-17)
The notorious Galleria Shopping Mall is turned into a big art gallery for this event featuring nine artists tasked with responding to the "mall's current ecology, varied economies, and aesthetic eccentricities." The next decade will see massive change here, and these works try to assess what will be lost when the mall is razed. Opening reception May 13, 6-8pm in the Centre Court.

Toronto Comic Arts Festival (May 14-15)
Toronto's biggest comic book festival is back for another year at the Reference Library. In addition to the main fair - which is always free - there is a host of affiliate events taking place across the city.

Have a free event you'd like to plug? Submit it to our Toronto events calendar using this form.

Photo by Christian Bobak.

Today we're opening up voting in our latest Best Of poll. Now you can have your say in 20 categories including cheap sushi, pubs, microbreweries, cafes, Italian restaurants and more.

Take the best of poll here

Voting in the poll ends at 1 p.m. on Tuesday May 10.

Today in Toronto start your week with a comedy fundraiser for Fort McMurray or take in a talk from Tony Award winning playwright Tony Kushner, artist Melanie Smith or Wild author Cheryl Strayed. There's also the monthly TechToronto meetup and an afterparty.

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

• TIFF Books on Film: Cheryl Strayed on Wild (TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Artist Talk: Melanie Smith (Jackman Hall)
• Drag Race at the Gladstone (Gladstone Hotel)
• Make It Rain! Fort McMurray Fundraiser (Comedy Bar)
• Mayhew Mayhem (The Central)
• Seneca Coalesce 2016 (Steam Whistle Brewing)
• TechToronto Meetup and Afterparty (RBC Waterpark Place and Amsterdam Brewhouse)
• Tony Kushner in Conversation (Panasonic Theatre)
• World War II V-E Day Commemoration Ceremony (Toronto City Hall)

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

Photo via the movie Wild

One of the main problems that cyclists and drivers encounter when sharing the road is poor communication with one another. Only a small percentage of riders use the official hand signals for turning and stopping, and I suspect that even fewer drivers understand the less obvious signs for a right turn and stopping.

A Toronto startup aims to address this problem with a new gesture-controlled device called Six. It translates traditional hand signals into LED lights that are easier to see and read. In a nutshell, this product gives cyclists indicators that are on par with that of a car in a package that's roughly the size of a cellphone.

The product must be paired with currently available wearable technology like Android Wear, the Apple Watch, or Myo. Users can then choose between three styles of signal from the classic car indicator to more stylish options like "Knight Rider" and "Blue Steel." Regardless of the style, the aim is the same: to make bike signals more legible to drivers and other riders.

The product is currently on Kickstarter with a decent background video on how the idea was hatched and where it will go should funding goals be met.

The SEW Hungry food truck festival returned to Ottawa Street in Hamilton this past Friday. The annual ambulatory feast has become the unofficial kick-off to summer food festival season and is graced by trucks from Toronto, Hamilton and across Southern Ontario. I paid a visit to check in on the state of food truck culture in the area, which by all accounts is thriving.

Check out all the glorious eats in this photo gallery and take note of which food trucks to follow as summer heats up.

The impending summer traffic nightmare in Toronto begins early this year with major work on Queen West. The street will be reduced to one lane of traffic in either direction between Bathurst and Spadina until October 9.

The loss of traffic lanes will be painful enough, but the more significant issue will be diversions to the 501 and 301 streetcars, which will have to cut down to King St. between Shaw and Spadina during the construction period. There will be shuttle buses serving the stretch during the streetcar diversions, though that will only increase vehicular congestion.

The work being done on the street is not, however, TTC related. The lane reductions are part of plans to replace water mains and reconstruct the road surface in the area. Anyone riding a bike through this stretch will know that the latter has been needed for sometime.

In other words, it's standard-issue road repairs, but its effect will be felt particularly strongly because of other road closures/restrictions downtown this summer.

Photo by Michael Harvie in the blogTO Flickr pool.

TOT the Cat Cafe has become the centre of controversy as allegations from an apparent ex-employee made the rounds on Facebook this weekend before lighting up the Reddit Toronto forum.

Of the various concerns, it's alleged that the cats are not properly fed and provided with adequate water. The initial Facebook post also indicates that the Toronto Humane Society (THS) removed the cafe's cats in the wake of safety concerns.

When reached this morning, the THS confirmed that they did remove the cats from the facility sometime last week and is not working with TOT at this point. Executive Director Barbara Steinhoff notes that there were a number of discussions leading up to this action based on concerns about TOT's ability to meet the THS's strict protocols.

The THS was also not comfortable with the minimum purchase price set in place to enter the "cat room" and the conditions set by TOT that in the event a cat was adopted it would only be released to the new owner after the THS supplied the cafe with a replacement cat.

When reached for comment, founder Kenneth Chai notes that he's aware of the rumours circulating, but doesn't know who or how they were started. He states that his ultimate goal is to help cats and that despite the conflict of interest between TOT and the not-for-profit THS, the cafe serves as the only way to generate income to keep operations running.

Chai further asserts that feedings are on a schedule and that sometimes the cats (like humans) do get sick especially under the stress of a new environment.

When asked to address concerns that the cats have no place to de-stress, he points to the design of the cafe outfitted with cages for each cat and hiding places under benches and on wall mounted planks. He says that cats are independent creatures and "when they don't mind being pet, they'll expose themselves".

TOT is not yet willing to make any formal announcements regarding new partnerships with charitable agencies in the works. At the time of publishing there were two cats in the cafe available for adoption, but Chai isn't willing to reveal where they've come from at this point in time.

No matter where you like to eat oysters, there's a good chance they came from here. The Toronto institution is approaching three decades in business and between the delightful selection of molluscs, seasonal seafoods and lobster rolls, it's easy to see why it's been such a enduring success.

Read my profile of Rodney's Oyster House in the restaurants section.

Summer day camp in Toronto in the 1980s and '90s was at once a blessing and a curse. While you occasionally did fun things, you never really wanted to be there. In some ways it was like an extension of the school year, which seemed completely unjust because some kids got to leave the city for overnight camps. Still, kids who were city-bound in the summer did get to do some very cool things.

Here are 10 signs you went to summer day camp in Toronto.

1. You remember holding onto a rope while riding the TTC with a group of peers while the other passengers alternately smiled and groaned at your presence.

2. You can still recite the names of at least half of Toronto's historic museums because you spent boiling hot summer days inside their un-air conditioned walls. Mackenzie House? Check. Spadina Museum? Done that. Black Creek Pioneer Village? Yup, got sun stroke.

3. At one point, you spent a week overnight at the Toronto Island Natural Science School, where you were hazed by fellow students and terrified by instructors who claimed the ghost of J.P. Radenmueller haunted the dorm rooms.

4. You went to Fort York on multiple occasions, but never could figure out what all the fuss was about. The most noteworthy thing was that there was no shade.

5. If you were really lucky, you got to spend a few days at the Adventure Playground near Bathurst and Fleet. St. where you could use your own hammer, saw, and other highly dangerous tools by today's standards. It was the best.

6. You learned to sail at Ashbridges Bay, but were horrified when you found out that you were required to capsize your Laser in Lake Ontario as part of your safety training.

7. Your (not-for-profit) camp arranged for a night of camping at Snake Island, where you stayed up all night under the towering Toronto skyline. Beat that, Muskoka.

8. At one point or another you paid a visit to the Olympic-sized pool at Woodbine Beach, where you remember jumping off the highest diving board. 10 metres is way higher than it seems until you're hanging in mid air.

9. Even as as you were wickedly envious of kids who went to overnight camp up north, you'll never understand the nostalgia they have for things like Birkenstocks, friendship bracelets, and awful camp food.

10. No matter what activities you did, you pined for the day when you'd no longer be required to go to day camp and tried to convince your parent(s) that 12 years old was an appropriate age to be left unattended all day.

Share your memories of summer day camp in Toronto via the comments.

Photo via the Toronto Archives.

Drake has finally topped the Billboard 100 as a lead artist for VIEWS' single "One Dance." He's been in this territory before but Hotline Bling never got higher than second spot after being released exclusively on Apple Music.

Previous number one hits for Drizzy came in support of Rihanna on tracks like "What's My Name?" (2012) and "Work" (2016). It's hard to believe that a song like "Hold on, We're Coming Home" didn't top the charts back in 2013, but it's highest position was fourth, even if it did make Pitchfork positively gush.

Critics have been less than dazzled by the VIEWS album as a whole, but I suspect he'll challenge for the top of the charts again with upcoming singles i"Controlla," "With You," and the Rihanna-supported "Too Good."

Toronto food tours can be rather gluttonous and predictable affairs, but the latest concept to enter the fray tries to combat the bloat-factor by bringing a cycling element into the mix. Cycledine is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: groups of 10 (or less) ride to a series of restaurants across the city, thereby indulging and burning calories all at once.

Tours take four hours and include three course menus at three restaurants for $90. Booze is not included in the price, though you can you add drinks to your meals to the extent that you feel safe riding onto the next destination.

The company describes itself as "Toronto's first cycle-based experiential dining tour," a tag that's sure to attract a demographic that believes dining should be a primarily social experience. You'll have to bring your own ride, but with two guides per tour, the mixing and mingling should be well taken care of.

Affiliated restaurants are yet to be named (and aren't disclosed prior to each tour), though Cycledine assures prospective customers that they've established relationships with "many popular and prominent Toronto restaurants." It all sounds rather auspicious for those who like to ride and imbibe at the same time.

Photo via Cycledine's Facebook page.

The popular Union Station outdoor market that was one of the highlights of last summer won't be returning to the same location this year. Front Street Foods has announced they will be setting up a few blocks north instead on the Podium of Adelaide Place at Adelaide and University.

This year the market will open a month earlier and run June 13 to August 5. Like last year the vendors will be a mix of upstart food entrepreneurs along with restaurants and food vendors that are a familiar face at events like this. The vendor application process has only just been opened so a final list will be announced closer to the start date.

The shift of venues will no doubt disappoint many, particularly those who funnel in and out of Union Station each day. The new spot is bound to be more of a draw for Financial District lunch goers though the market will be open through the dinner hour each weekday.

Jian Ghomeshi won't be back in court in June after all. The CBC is reporting today that the crown is expected to drop the criminal charge that would have seen the former CBC Radio host stand trial on another sex assault charge this June.

As the CBC Reports, in the wake of the earlier Ghomeshi acquittal, Crown attorney Michael Callaghan has revisited the evidence and decided there's not enough reasonable likelihood of a conviction to continue.

As the National Post previously reported, the trial was expected to be much different than the first since it was alleged to involve something that happened in the CBC offices back in 2008.

Photo by Jeremy Gilbert in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto Pearl Jam arrive for a two-night run at the ACC, and Vetiver take over Lee's Palace. Indie, tropical and haus are this Tuesday's music genres of choice, and there are talks worth checking out with storytelling journalists or the future of collaborative communities at Tokyo Smoke.

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

• Indie night (The Piston)
• Tropical Tuesday (Junction City Music Hall)
• Robots VS Unicorns presents: Hidden Planet (The Royal)
• Haus Musik (918 Bathurst)
• Botticelli in the Fire & Sunday in Sodom (Berkeley Street Threatre)
• Pearl Jam (Air Canada Centre)
• Pongapalooza (Spin)
• Vetiver (Lee's Palace)
• Future Of speaking series (Tokyo Smoke)
• Take it off Tuesdays launch night (Remington's)
• Pressgang storytelling: changes (Handlebar)

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

Photo by Jesse Milns.

Two of Toronto's most popular lunchtime options just came together in an exciting and intriguing new way thanks to Toronto's first sushi burrito food truck. What is a sushi burrito? Think of it as maki sushi the size and shape of a burrito stuffed with ingredients like shrimp, crab, chicken and a variety of vegetables.

The just launched truck won't confuse anyone with offerings from Japango, Sushi on Bloor or any of Toronto's finer sushi spots. Raw fish enthusiasts might want to sit this one out. But for those looking for wallet friendly sushi (minus the raw fish) in a convenient handheld form this might do the trick.

To find out when you can catch them next visit Toronto Food Trucks or download the Food Trucks app on Android or iPhone.

Photos and research by Hassan Mohamud.