University of Toronto students may not need to veer off campus to search for healthy and delicious food. That's because UofT will not be renewing its contract with Aramark. Instead, starting this summer, it'll be handling all on-campus food services itself.

As Metro News reports, this will enable the university to provide students with more variety as well as with healthier food options.

Back in 2013, Ryerson University severed ties with Aramark. The school now stocks a slew of affordable, made-in-house meals in on-campus dining halls and residences.

According to Metro, UofT will offer the more than 200 affected Aramark employees jobs at the university.

Photo by Saphoto Co via the blogTO Flickr pool.

A new website has ranked the 100 worst landlords and apartment buildings in Toronto, information that should prove very useful for prospective renters in this city. The criteria for both sets of rankings is based on open data from the City of Toronto that tracks violations issued by city inspectors.

The ranking comes via the site LandlordWatch, which is run by Yale Fox, a TED Fellow and CEO of Rentlogic, with the help of ACORN Canada, a low and moderate family-income social justice advocacy group. The purpose of the ranking, Fox says, is to "level the playing field between renters and landlords."

The secondary purpose is to put pressure on Toronto's Licensing and Standards Committee, which is set to consider a staff report on licensing system for landlords in this city. One of the proposals in this report is to implement a DineSafe-like ranking system that would allow renters to screen buildings and landlords in a transparent manner.

Both Fox and ACORN strongly advocate for a such a program, and LandlordWatch offers a little glimpse of the potential of a ranking system of this type, even if an official City of Toronto version would look quite different. The ultimate point is to empower renters by making information about landlords and their buildings as easy to access as possible.

LandlordWatch's list of worst landlords in Toronto

1. Toronto Community Housing (452 violations)
2. Havcare Investments Inc. (174 violations)
3. BNAI Fishel Corporation (170 violations)
4. Arsandco Investments (145 violations)
5. Q Reit Sub LP (134 violations)
6. Akelius Canada Inc. (92 violations)
7. Gupta Rakesh and Gupta Swarash (90 violations)
8. 2021349 Ontario Limited (90 violations)
9. IMH 15 Eva Ltd. (83 violations)
10. 2255761 Ontario Limited, Bell-Am Apartments Limited

LandlordWatch's list of worst apartment buildings in Toronto

1. 500 Dawes Rd. -- Havcare Investments Inc. (174 violations)
2. 1501 Woodbine Ave. -- Arsandco Investments Inc. (145 violations)
3. 104-105 West Lodge Ave. -- Bnai Fishel Corp. (138 violations)
4. 275 Bleecker Street -- Toronto Community Housing Corporation (130 violations)
5. 15 Eva Road -- IMH 15 Eva Ltd. (83 violations)
6. 34 Heydon Park Road -- Gupta Rakesh, Gupta Swarash (82 violations)
7. 650 Parliament Street -- Parwell Investments Inc. & Bleeman Holdings Inc. (79 violations)
8. 126 Bellamy Road North -- 2255761 Ontario Limited, Bell-Am Apts. Ltd. (76 violations)
9. 125 Lawton Blvd. -- Alexander Robertson (73 violations)
10. 20 Pell Street -- Raimondo Puopolo Corp. (64 violations)

For the full lists of 100 worst landlords and buildings, check out LandlordWatch.ca.

Photo by AshtonPal in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Guess who's back again? Toronto BuskerFest. The festival, which supports Epilepsy Toronto, will return to the city even without a major corporate sponsor.

Back in October 2015, Scotiabank announced it'd no longer be funding BuskerFest (as well as Nuit Blanche, Caribana and the CHIN Picnic).

BuskerFest, however, will look a little different this year. Instead of taking over parts of Yonge Street, the 17th annual event will go down at Woodbine Park, a rather unconventional choice for a festival dedicated to showcasing the world's best street performers.

Along with featuring a slew of artists, acrobats and daredevils, this new venue will include a beer garden. You can see it all for yourself over the Labour Day long weekend, from September 2 to 5.

Photo via BuskerFest.

Toronto's unofficial spokesperson, Drake, is making the rounds on the American media circuit to promote his latest (and greatest?) album Views. On Saturday night, he crushed it on SNL as both the host and musical guest and today, he made an appearance on popular daytime program The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Drake chatted with Ellen about his stint on SNL and basked in the glory of his first number one hit single on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

Later, Drake - along with Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman and Oscar winner Jared Leto - played a few rounds of everyone's favourite drinking game Never Have I Ever.

Ellen grilled the two artists (and actors) and you can watch the whole game unfold below.

Photo via @theellenshow on Instagram.

Loud music, affordable drinks and an enticing menu of small plates are what's in store at this snack bar. It's among a handful of new spots that are injecting some much-needed nightlife on Toronto's east side.

Read my profile of Pinkerton's in the restaurants section.

Be like Ellen and carry around Drake in your pocket. It's easy to do thanks to Toronto-based web developer Andrew Gardner. That's because he created a miniature 3D-printed version of our city's favourite rapper.

Gardner's bringing the Views album cover (and subsequent meme) to life with his Tiny Drake, which he's currently selling through the custom 3D printing company Shapeways.

A photo posted by Tiny Drake (@tiny_views) on May 18, 2016 at 6:10am PDT

These Tiny Drakes start at a cool $37.64. But if you're feeling extra indulgent, you can grab yourself a 14-carat gold-plated Drake for $627.43.

Caffe Brasiliano is slated to close on June 17, some 50 years after it first opened on Dundas West. It started as a smaller space on the north side of the street, but booming business led to a move to its current location back in 2004. Its popularity certainly hasn't waned since then (if anything it's even busier), but the Conners family, owners of the business since the late 1990s, are bidding goodbye.

Reached by phone earlier today, Kenny Conners Jr. explained that it's the right time to move on. "The family's been working six days a week since I can remember. My father retired a few years ago, and it's time that my mother gets a break as well."

The space won't be vacant for long. Conners tells me that Craig Harding from nearby Campagnolo is set to open a new brunch/lunch-focused concept after Brasiliano closes up shop. At least that sounds like a worthy replacement. Brasiliano is held dear by the neighbourhood, and this will take the sting out a little bit.

What will also lessen the blow is that Brasiliano's coffee will still be available via a new business from Kenny Jr. He's teamed up with James Morris of Bon Mots (who happens to be one of the cafe's loyal regulars) to re-brand the bean-sales portion of Brasiliano's business into a new venture known as Kenny for Coffee. He'll sell the beans through his website and via his office at 835 Dundas St. West.

Kenny Jr. characterizes the starting of the new business as a bittersweet moment. I'm sure longstanding customers of Brasiliano will feel the same. Those who know the place well have only good things to say about the Conners family and the hyper-friendly service they offered over the years. The food was cheap but hearty, the banter was always fun, and the coffee was is excellent.

The former Dark Horse Espresso Bar space at Queen and Euclid has been sitting empty for quite some time now. But that's all about to change because American eyewear company Warby Parker is moving in, reports Retail Insider today. It's expected to open later this summer.

The company, which sells both prescription glasses and shades, started as an e-commerce business but has since expanded to bricks-and-mortar locations. This incoming West Queen West store will mark its first foray north of the border.

Photo via Warby Parker on Facebook, not a shot of the Toronto store.

The Purpose World Tour landed in Toronto tonight and it looks like our city has a case of Bieber fever. We not only got two concerts, but we're also playing host to a Purpose pop-up shop. And to thank the Biebs, a group of local students just gave him the ultimate gift.

Since Bieber is a big fan of skateboarding, the MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainments) Live's artist gifting program teamed up with the Oasis Skateboard Factory - a TDSB program where students earn credits by running their own skateboard business - to create 14 custom decks for the internationally renowned pop star.

Thirteen of the decks are art pieces that pay homage to each track on the Purpose album; Bieber will actually be able to ride deck, well skateboard, number 14.

The Oasis Skateboard Factory crew also built Biebs a custom skateboard rack so he can proudly display his new collection.

Drake reps Toronto all around the world, but it looks like our city's number-one-hit rapper might be looking to settle down long-term in the 6. That's because according to the Globe and Mail, the One Dance singer is looking to build a palace of sorts at 21 Park Lane Circle in the exclusive Bridle Path neighbourhood.

While Drake's publicists haven't confirmed this yet, the Globe points out that numerous individuals associated with the Toronto-born superstar are involved with the plans for this 21,000 square-foot abode.

As the Globe writes, the crew behind this dream house are looking for certain zoning bylaw exemptions - it's not easy to build a 17-metre high mansion (a max of 11 metres is allowed in the area right now) with a basketball court, rooftop hot tub and an indoor pool.

According to the Globe, here are some of amenities he's dreamed up:

• A basketball court and gym
• An indoor pool in the basement
• A covered terrace for a hot tub on the roof in front of a large projection screen
• A bar flanked by special chambers for chilled wine and champagne
• A spa and massage room
• A music and screening room
• A room set aside for important artifacts‎
• A jersey museum‎
• A grand foyer flanked by powder rooms‎
• A two-storey great room‎
• A library‎
• A piano room‎
• A room marked for Drake's various awards‎
• A security suite‎
• A grand master bedroom with its own steam shower and two dressing rooms‎
• A 34-metre-wide driveway‎

The designer is slated to be Ferris Rafauli, the same guy who outfitted Drake's members-only Sher Club at the ACC.

There's a small house currently sitting on the two-acre plot of land, which a company from Nova Scotia bought for $6.7 million. That'll be torn down and Drake and Conrad Black might just become neighbours.

Photo via @champagnepapi on Instagram.

Today in Toronto Dragonette is at an opera party, smooth French pop buzz boy Breakbot is in town, Shi Wisdom and a live band hit up Hapa Izakaya, and there's a fundraiser party for French Pride. There will plenty of time to rest on the long weekend, so get ou and have some fun today.

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

• National Caesar Day (various)
• Fleurecent Thursdays (Wildflower)
• Lucky Bastard Social Club (Supermarket)
• In Difference: a group exhibition (White House Studio Project)
• Franco Fierté fundraiser (The Garrison)
• Operanation - Queen of the night (Four Seasons Centre)
• Liive Thursdays: Shi Wisdom, Oman Lunan, The Recipee (Hapa Izakaya)
• Breakbot (Velvet Underground)
• HS Doc Club presents: The Punk Singer (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)

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

Photo of Dragonette by Arabellelim from the blotTO Flickr pool.

Toronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest restaurant openings and closings in Toronto and also gives a preview of what's coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

OPEN NOW

• El Rey, Grant van Gameren's new mezcal bar, is now open at 2A Kensington Ave.
• Tio's, a new Mexican joint from the owners of Uncle Betty's Diner is now open at 2584 Yonge St.
• Le Baratin has replaced Bivy at 1600 Dundas St. W. and is now serving up classic French fare from chef Jean Regis Raynaud.
• Seven Lives Paleteria is now open and is dishing out colada sundaes and Fruit Loop popsicles at 72 Kensington Ave.
• Halo Brewery is now open at 247 Wallace Ave.
• Salad shop, Freshii is now open in The Beach(es) at 2032 Queen St. E.
• Tende Cafe, a new Tibetan and Indian joint has opened at 393 Jane St.
• La Cubana has opened a backroom-bar dubbed La Habana at 92 Ossington location. You can visit Thursday through Sunday and look forward to Cuban cocktails, beer, mojitos and more.

RECENTLY REVIEWED


• Street Shak
• The Peasant Table
• Hot Black Coffee
• Macho Radio Bar
• Wutai Vegetarian Restaurant

OPENING SOON


• Henderson's Brewing taproom and retail store opens June 4 at 128A Sterling Rd.
• We already knew Valdez was moving, but now we know where. The Latino Street Food Gang has already closed up shop at its original outpost and will be crossing King Street to open a four-floor restaurant at 485 King St. W.
• Nodo is expanding. The restaurant is set to replace The Crest Gastropub at 794 St. Clair W.
• De Frantic Monkey Cafe Bar is slated for a June opening at 799 College St.
• Frosty Rolled Ice Cream is in the works for 280 Augusta Ave.
• Shawarma Frenzy is coming soon to 1011 Pape Ave..

Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to liora@blogto.com

Photo by Jesse Milns.

In the east end, $899,000 buys a two bedroom, two bathroom loft in a former 1930's Coca Cola bottling plant. The eighth floor unit at 90 Broadview Avenue really pops out at you, featuring a light-infused space in the trendy Queen East neighbourhood.

Toronto-based Core Architects, who also designed this place, revamped the converted warehouse into a nine-storey residence with multi-level glass walls and sleek interiors. At 1,135 square feet, the loft feels spacious with floor-to-ceilings windows and sliding doors.

There are a few interesting features like the gas fireplace, separating the living room and bedroom, a his-and-hers walk-in closest, and decorative ceilings concealing the exposed ductwork. Also, the view from the 300 square foot patio is quite spectacular.

SPECS

• Address: #827 - 90 Broadview Avenue
• Price: $899,000
• Square feet: 1,135
• Bedrooms: 2+1
• Bathrooms: 2
• Parking: 2
• Taxes: $4,374.75
• Maintenance fee: $687.46/monthly
• Walk Score: 86
• Listing agent: Graham Bell, Keller Williams
• Listing ID: E3484345

NOTABLE FEATURES

• 11 ft. ceilings
• Double glass sliding doors
• Gas fireplace
• Master with walk-in closest
• 300 sq. ft. terrace

GOOD FOR

Parking. Not that you'll ever need a car at Queen and Broadview, but two-car parking might prove useful for visitors. The building also includes an on-site car wash so there's no excuse for a filthy vehicle.

MOVE ON IF

You can't live without exposed brick and vaulted ceilings. This loft looks and feels more like a high-end hotel-suite rather than a hipster industrial pad. Sorry to burst the bubble but those ceilings barely soar.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
Like this loft? 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.

The most beautiful indoor spaces in Toronto tend to take a back seat to those found outdoors, but that's a shame given our climate and the wonderful examples of architecture and interior design. This list isn't composed exclusively of public places, but priority has been given to buildings that are easy enough to enjoy with minimal expenditure of cash.

Here are my picks for the most beautiful indoor spaces in Toronto.

The best Latin American restaurants in Toronto represent the culinary traditions from across Central and South America. Find churrasco, ceviche, pupusas and arepas at these spots in addition to bar menus that read like a summertime hit-list; sangria, mojito, cerveza? Sí, por favor!

Here is the list of the best Latin American restaurants in Toronto.

Justin Bieber fans were in for a treat yesterday and today. Hosting a 2-day pop-up shop at men's contemporary boutique, Nomad (819 Queen Street West), Bieber fans were in full force, with exclusive access to Purpose tour merch and Canadian themed Bieber shirts. Line-ups were snaking around the block, and passersby's didn't shy away from yelling Bieber-related remarks.

While beliebers were eagerly waiting a surprise appearance from Bieber himself, he was a no show - for day one at least. The pop-up is open again today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and anticipation is high he'll make an appearance.

Store owner Jesar Gabino - who has hosted similar events with Drake and The Weekend - tells me "there's a possibility he'll show up tomorrow. We won't know until he literally shows up at that door."

The possibilities are high. Bieber made an appearance a few weeks ago at a similar pop-up store in Manhattan, and one can only assume he'll follow suit on his home turf.

The Purpose tour merch is on point, which can be expected as Jerry Lorenzo of menswear label Fear of God designed the line. There's a variety of long sleeves, tees, crew necks, muscle shirts and jackets ranging from $40 - $100, with Purpose records on sale for $25 (no cover) and $30 (with cover).

Toronto beliebers can be excited, as the line includes a blue Maple Leafs hoodie ($90), with the Purpose tour date within the white maple leaf on front, and a "6" on the back; one can assume giving kudos to theSix.

The baseball tee ($65) also dons Canadian influences, with "My Mama Don't Like You" across the front, a red maple leaf below the lyrics and blue sleeves to top it off. There's a white long sleeve ($65) with "Sorry" on the front, down the sleeves, and Bieber's bleach blonde face on the back.

The line itself is a mix of song lyrics, Bieber's face, "Staff" shirts, and heavy-metal inspired fonts reading "Purpose Tour." There's a definite 90's vibe to the line (yes you can get a muscle shirt with "Mark My Words" on the back), with wearable styles that make you want the apparel even if you aren't an avid belieber.

Fans were waiting in line as early as 7 a.m. (with some rumoured to have camped out), but once the shop opened, fans didn't wait longer than an hour to get in. Security issued tickets to ensure the store didn't get overcrowded, and everyone in line was calm, enthusiastic and thrilled to be there.

There were a variety of people with tickets to Purpose at the ACC, and some simply wanting in on the merch action (or to snag a glimpse of Bieber.)

So is Biebs going to make an appearance at Nomad today? Fans can only hope, yet we certainly hope it'll bring him more joy than his set did last night

Photos by Hector Vasquez.

Victoria Day fireworks in Toronto are like a massive, colourful and extremely noisy signal in the sky to Mother Nature that the city is ready for summer.

The biggest of these fireworks displays takes place at Ashbridges Bay rain or shine, starting at 10:15 p.m. on May 23. This is the official City of Toronto show.

If you are a hardcore fan, head to Canada's Wonderland on Sunday May 22. Their fireworks show starts at 10pm and you can watch for free if you already paid to get in that day... otherwise it'll cost you $47.99 to get to see this sky spectacular. This one boasts a soundtrack and over 6,000 different explosions.

For a more curated experience, the Toronto Picnic Club has organized something called Charcuterie & Fireworks. $50 gets you a picnic basked from Brandy Aleksander and starts at 4:30 p.m. on May 23 at Balmy Beach Park. You're basically watching the Ashbridges Bay fireworks with a food bonus.

Though the CN Tower won't be shooting things into the sky, they'll be lighting the Drake album cover meme purple and gold in honour of Queen Victoria herself.

On an unofficial tip, Trinity Bellwoods has had a pretty amazing DIY fireworks display the last two years, and some troublemakers always seem to light something up in Christie Pits, so check those public spaces out if you don't feel like leaving the neighbourhood.

Know of a community fireworks event you'd like to share? Tell us about it in the comments.

Photo by Cyclonic Niloy from the blogTO Flickr pool.

No, it's not another bait-and-switch event. This time, Union Station is pairing with TD Bank Group to throw a free party at the Union Station Plaza, which backs on to Front Street.

If you stop by between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on June 2, you'll get to see Canadian artists Shawn Hook and Francesco Yates perform. Apparently, this will serve as the kick-off event for a summer-long roster of free, outdoor programming in front of Union Station.

We already know that there's going to be a food market on site, so stay tuned for more details about this burgeoning public space. For now though, you can pop by the free concert on June 2, which will also feature food trucks - including Fidel Gastro's, Heirloom and The Pop Stand - as well as free lemonade.

Photo by Jesse Milns.

It may be summer '16 in Toronto, but it won't feel that way on Queens Quay. That's because the TTC is bringing its vintage PCC streetcars back to the 509 Harbourfront route every Sunday from May 22 until Labour Day weekend.

This piece of Toronto history will be free to ride, which really ups the ante if you're looking to travel from Union Station to somewhere near the Fleet Street loop (i.e. Exhibition Place or the Amphitheatre).

If you can't catch a PCC on the 509 route, you can always rent one out. You can charter these streetcars, which date back to 1951, for a cool $1,881.45.

Starting this Sunday, and every Sunday this summer, ride the PCC streetcar on the 509 Harbourfront - fare-free! #TTCpic.twitter.com/hOBnyeYqpK

— Brad Ross (@bradTTC) May 18, 2016

Photo by detsang via the blogTO Flickr pool.

There's plenty of historical buildings to lease in Toronto at any given time, but every once in a while a true gem hits the market. Such is the case with this old fire hall in the Port Lands at 39 Commissioners St. Built by architect J. J. Woolnough in 1920s, its designation was Fire Station 30, but was also referred to as the Ashbridges Bay Fire Hall.

The building was used by Toronto Fire Services until 1980, though only in an administrative capacity in its later years. That means its oversized bay door has been bricked in, but you can still clearly see its outline. In fact, the structure has been maintained quite well given its age.

The real estate listing suggests that the building would be well-suited as a funky office space, brewery, or restaurant. It'd probably be a risky proposition as the latter, but there's certainly an allure to the other ideas, most notably the brewery. Fire Hall 30 would be a good name for a beer, and a tap room with a fire pole would have plenty of cachet.

The Port Lands is an area that's set to see a ton of change over the next decade, and this historic building might be an intriguing way for an enterprising business owner to make a mark before the area explodes.

Historical photos via the Toronto Archives.