This September Best Buy Canada and its Geek Squad Agents will roll into Toronto with the Best Buy Campus Tour to bring free tech support and the latest back-to-school solutions directly to where students are located, with stops at Ryerson, UofT and York University. To celebrate we've teamed up with Best Buy to give three lucky readers a $500 gift certificate.
Get all the contest details here.
One of Toronto's most well known Chinese bakeries has opened a third location that shows off more of what it can do. Beyond the usual baked goods are fresh dim sum offerings and a unique take on the ice cream sandwich.
Read my profile of Lucullus Bakery in the bakery section.
Instead of a tinfoil hat, throw on a Blue Jays snapback and check out these baseball-themed crop circles. No, they're not the result of an M. Night Shyamalan plot twist, but rather, they pay homage to Jose Bautista's 2015 bat flip.
The Hunter Brothers Farm in Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick has been creating epic-looking corn mazes for 16 years. Previous designs have included nods to Harry Potter, the Montreal Canadiens, and the Beatles.
But for 2016, they chose to honour the Blue Jays' 40th season. Along with depicting Bautista, the maze - located in a massive six-acre field - features the Blue Jays logo and the phrase, "Ok Blue Jays," from the seventh inning stretch song.
Now let's just hope that Bautista and Co. do something worthy of commemoration in the upcoming post-season.
Photo via Hunter Brothers Farm.
Sick of skyrocketing prices? Frustrated with fusion? We've got a super traditional Filipino restaurant for you that serves a smorgasbord of all the basics you need for a last summer blowout on an open-air patio for just fifteen dollars a person. Just don't forget to save room for halo-halo at the end.
Read my profile of Tinuno in the restaurants section.
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
RECENTLY REVIEWED
OPENING SOON
Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to liora@blogto.com
Photo from Lena by Jesse Milns.
There's no shortage of luxury in this Theatre Park penthouse. Nestled on King West, there's endless access to restaurants and potential celebrity sightings - though you'll likely want to bring the party upstairs. This entertaining-approved penthouse is chock full of custom finishes to impress your guests, arguably justifying the hefty $5,475,000 price tag.
The interior is lavish with upgrades - including the custom Italian kitchen cabinets, high-gloss black bathroom counters and marble finishes throughout. My personal favourite is the unique walnut panelled library with direct patio access, offering a classy touch to an otherwise modern penthouse.
The wrap-around 2,000 + square foot patio is perhaps the biggest selling point, nearly doubling the square footage and offering multiple places to entertain and take in the South-facing view. And with a putting green and a hot tub on either end of the patio - why would you ever need to waste your money on King Street?
SPECS
NOTABLE FEATURES
GOOD FOR
Those looking to befriend celebrities over cocktails or anyone who wants to work on their short game.
MOVE ON IF
You're looking for a private pool. While the building has access to a beautiful one, it's not really the same if you can't take advantage of a sneaky skinny dip.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
What do you think about this Theatre Park penthouse? Let us know in the comments.
Fictional films often monopolize the attention at TIFF each year, but some of the best movies you can see fall among the documentaries. With a range of subjects that include everything from true crime to a sweeping history of the universe, this year's crop of TIFF docs look especially promising.
Here are 10 documentary films to see at TIFF 2016.
ABACUS: Small Enough to Jail
Famous documentarian Steve James' (Hoop Dreams) latest work looks at the financial crisis of 2008 through an unexpected lens: the story of the Abacus Federal Savings of Chinatown, the only bank that faced criminal charges. If you haven't heard of the bank's story, that's one reason to look forward to this: the joy of these documentaries is being told vital stories we didn't know before.
Amanda Knox
Most of us are familiar with the case of Amanda Knox, a student abroad in Italy who was accused, convicted, and ultimately acquitted of the murder of her roommate in 2007. With unprecedented access to the those who reported, investigated, and processed the case, Amanda Knox should be appealing fodder for any lover of true crime stories.
Beauties of the Night
What happens to showgirls when they enter their later years? Made over the course of eight years, Beauties of the Night looks at several Mexican burlesque performers who continue to thrive and live colourful lives inside and outside their careers. In a world obsessed with youth, a reminder that beauty is ageless is well worth checking out.
The Cinema Travellers
Considering how far some movies travel to screen at TIFF, it's appropriate one of them would be about traveling movies. The Cinema Travellers shows us the inner working and struggles of "traveling tent cinemas" in India, which journey to small villages to bring the magic of cinema to those who can't easily access it. This doc should prove a welcome love letter to why movies matter.
Gimme Danger
Director Jim Jarmusch's second film at TIFF (Paterson, starring Adam Driver, being the other), Gimme Danger shines a light not just on the 1960s Rock N' Roll band The Stooges. It also looks at their front man, Iggy Pop, and the path his career has taken. Essential viewing for any music fan.
I Called Him Morgan
The music world is not without its tragedies - Kurt Cobain, Buddy Holly, Marvin Gaye. I Called Him Morgan looks at one not everyone may be familiar with: the death of jazz musician Lee Morgan. Shot by his wife during a club performance in 1972, the documentary won't just trace the events and relationship that led to that tragic night, but the history of jazz as well.
The Ivory Game
A vital doc about a vital issue: the struggle in Africa to stop the illegal ivory trade that threatens to devastate the elephant population. The Ivory Game isn't just a superficial glance at the issue, but an investigate deep dive into who buys, finances, and enables the industry that threatens one of Earth's most beautiful animals.
Voyage of Time: Life's Journey
Film director Terrence Malick (Tree of Life, The Thin Red Line) ventures into the documentary genre for the first time in the most ambitious way possible: a history of the universe. Malick has long had an eye for the profound and the beautiful, which makes this a no brainer to put on your must-see list.
Karl Marx City
Along with co-director Michael Tucker, Petra Epperlain takes a deeply personal journey with Karl Marx City. Returning to the former German Democratic Repbulic where she was born, she investigates her own family - not just her father's suicide in 1999, but the rumor he was a member of the infamous Stasi. The prospect of a documentarian exploring her own past, should make for intriguing viewing.
The Skyjacker's Tale
Over forty years ago, eight people were murdered on a golf course in St. Croix. Those responsible were convicted with one exception: their leader, who hijacked a plane and escaped to Cuba. The Skyjacker's Tale digs up this forgotten bit of history to tell the story of the fugitive, the case, and the island politics that may have led to the murders in the first place.
Which documentary are you most looking forward to seeing at TIFF 2016? Let us know in the comments.
Film still from Amanda Knox
If you sweated your way through August 2016, you probably weren't alone. That's because last month was the hottest August ever recorded in Toronto.
The estimated mean temperature was 24.4 C, beating out the previous record-holding August (1959), which had a mean temperature of 23.8 C. In fact, as City News reports, last month tied July 2011 for the title of hottest month ever recorded at YYZ.
Along with a steamy August, all summer felt pretty balmy and dry. While it's a bit cooler out today, the warm weather will likely continue next week. So even though you might start sipping on PSLs soon, don't put your shorts and sandals away just yet.
Photo by NickyJameson in the blogTO Flickr pool.
Labour Day weekend events in Toronto will make you happy you stayed in town. Festivals, food gatherings, a couple of cool concerts, and a small mountain of dance parties (both indoors and outside!) take over the city to ensure you have a good time in between all that napping or weekend shift work.
Here are my top picks for Labour Day weekend events in Toronto.
FESTIVALS
The Ex (Until September 5, CNE Grounds
Hurry up and get down to the Ex and eat some crazy-ass food or nostalgic goodies from some of the longest standing vendors, and burn off the calories at these 10 essential activities.
FanExpo (Until September 4, Metro Toronto Convention Centre)
Geeks and nerds and freaks for days! FanExpo Canada is a monumental gathering of planet Earth's coolest, most imaginative people. We made a list off 13 things you really, really should not miss. Just bring those credit cards.
ArtFest (September 2-5, Distillery District)
From 11a.m. to 6p.m. all long weekend is this sprawling art fest all over the Distillery. Painting, photography, sculpture, fine craft, live music and food all over the place. This is an easy one to spend a couple hours strolling. The official website has more detail.
Buskerfest (September 2-5, Woodbine Park)
Let's get own to funny business. Clowns, acrobats, and show-offs gather at Woodbine Park to entertain you! There will be over 100 performers, but this time, on the beach! Don't worry, there'll also be lots of food and drink.
Toronto Pignic (September 3, Greenwood Park)
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. check out this day for Guinea Pigs, their owners and enthusiasts at Greenwood Park. There'll be a market, awards, speakers, communal guinea pig pens, piggy paparazzi, piggy Pigasso and a piggy pageant. All proceeds go to the Toronto Humane Society and Piggles guinea pig rescue.
TDOT Fest (September 4, Yonge-Dundas Square)
This is a free nine hour Urban Music Festival downtown featuring the vocal stylings of Karl Wolf, Girlicious' Natalie Mejia, Juno Award Winner Rich Kidd and Juno Nominated artists August Rigo to name a few.
MUSIC
Desiigner (September 2, The White Haus Nightclub)
Full disclosure, I have never been to this nightclub and don't know anyone who has, but Desiigner will be live in the house alongside over 10 local DJs. It's going to be a wild night of hip hop, and if you're lucky you'll get to hear "Panda."
SHOPPING
Dirty Talk night market (September 2, Round)
hop and explore as you sip your favourite cocktail and bounce to the beat at this hopping night market. Live art shows will continue through the night as Round is then transformed into a full out party.
Farewell Summer Vintage Arts Market (September 3, The Make Den Sewing Studio)
A market featuring art, clothes and handmade goods by artists and vendors from around the city inside this cute Bloor Street West studio. There's also a backyard patio party with cheap and fun booze.
FOOD
Pizza Party (September 2, The Yukon)
This Parkdale bar provides the music and you provide the 'za! It's literally a Bring Your Own Pizza party, with the added bonus of beer taps available to you and wallet/mouth.
Downsview Rib Fest (September 2-5, Downsview Park)
This four-day ribfest attracts thousands to Downsview Park. There's loads of musical entertainment including a show from "Male Country Artist of the Year" nominee Marshall Dane, as well as beer and rib eating contests.
DANCING
Electric Island (September 4-5, Hanlan's Point)
This year's final celebration of electronic music, video art and general dancing beside a clothing optional beach goes down this weekend with a two-day extravaganza. Members Only, Claude Von Stroke, Bicep and Nicole Moudaber and many more will spin.
Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events section and have a great weekend!
Photo by Tim Sandik from the Sunnyside Pavilion Facebook page.
The photos of the month for August in Toronto show off a city that's soaking up the fullness of summer, from stunning lake views to the arrival of the CNE. In only a month, our next instalment of these photos will likely show the first signs of fall setting in, but for now you can almost feel the heat coming off the screen in this snapshot of what was the hottest August ever in this city.
These are my picks for the top photos from the blogTO Flickr pool last month.
August was a hot month for restaurant openings in Toronto, and while it may have seemed like every new one focused on poke, the real standouts are far more diverse. Toronto gained new spots for Moroccan street food, Filipino comfort food, pizza, South American standards and brunch.
Check out my picks for the top restaurant openings in Toronto this August.
Lena
The new O&B restaurant at Saks serves up Argentinian dishes inspired by chef Anthony Walsh's mother-in-law. Family recipes that made it onto the menu include salt cod fritters, pan di miga and a roasted chicken dish dubbed pollo dona aurora.
Lasa
Filipino food goes mainstream at this casual new St. Clair eatery from the folks behind Lamesa. Find lechon kawali, silog for one and halo halo on the menue.
Salt & Tobacco
Cabbagetown's new pizza joint serves thin crust pies from its takeout counter on Parliament. Nine signature pizzas are on offer, including the Cabbage Pizza topped with black Tuscan kale, fior di latte, onions, n'juja, spicy peppers and pecorino.
B'saha
This new eatery on College Street specializes in Moroccan street food from the souk. The menu offers merguez sausages on a bun dressed with harrisa mayo, mixed grill feasts and steaming tangine suppers.
Montgomery's
Chef Guy Rawlings and wife Kim Rawlings have opened this restaurant on Queen Street West where the eclectic menu boasts steamed artichoke with verjus butter, goose creton, and chicken backs with string beans.
The Dime
This new dive bar is the latest offering from the team behind El Furniture Warehouse and Queen Street Warehouse. The space is complete with a patio, while the $4.95 menu ensures you can afford to eat before your start drinking.
Pizzeria Via Mercanti Gerrard
This pizzeria already operates locations in Kensington Market and on Elm Street, but has now expanded to the east side. Pizzas are the main event, but the menu is also stocked with antipasti plates, fried seafood, fresh salads and more.
Dirty Food
This catering company turned bricks-and-mortar eatery in the Junction fixes up plates of gourmet comfort food for brunch. Grilled cheese sandwiches stacked with fried green tomatoes, peanut butter and bacon waffles, salmon Johnnycakes, and more are on the menu.
Bar Mar
Peruvian-Spanish food is the focus at this restaurant on Mount Pleasant Road. Hot and cold tapas are the way to start, followed by hearty Basque seafood stews and braised rice dishes topped with duck confit.
La Carnita
The fourth location landed on Eglinton West this month along with Sweet Jesus and a new bar, Good Fortune. Midtown can now skip the commute to dine on overloaded tacos, creative cocktails and souped up cones.
Photo from Pizzeria Via Mercanti by Jesse Milns.
Leslieville finally has its brand new mural. And like the last one at Queen and Jones, this piece of street art by Elicser also features poet and songwriter Alexander Muir.
Leslievillians first learned they'd be getting a new mural in July 2015. This happened without any community consultations and many were displeased. But eventually, Councillor Paula Fletcher, along with the BIA and the Leslieville Historical Society, brought three potential mural designs to the public, who were able to give feedback on each one.
Elicser's colourful and graffiti-inspired piece won the competition, and it's now sitting pretty in its rightful home amidst the Leslieville streetscape. You can go check it out today.
What do you think of the new mural? Let us know in the comments.
August was a tough month for some well established Toronto businesses. Among the notable closures were restaurants with decades in business, highly regarded cocktail bars, and one of the city's most sex-positive retailers.
Here are the notable Toronto businesses that closed in August.
The Saint
The Ossington tavern shuttered at the onset of August to make room for a new collaboration between the King Street Food Company and chef Brandon Olsen. The new restaurant called La Banane is expected to debut this fall.
The Whippoorwill
The Bloordale restaurant quietly shut down this month as the owners turn their attentions to their young families. Rumour has it a new Playa Cabana-related restaurant is set to take its place.
Lucky Red
This snack bar in Chinatown posted farewell on their Instagram earlier this month. This was the second incarnation of the Banh Mi Boys spin-off.
Furlough
The European bistro and cocktail bar from the folks behind BarChef suddenly shuttered this month. The high turnover address was previously home to Ursa and Bar One before that.
Shala-mar
After over 25 years on Roncesvalles (+ a location on Donlands in the '80s and on Davenport the decade before that), this Indian restaurant has bid adieu to its loyal following of lamb vindaloo lovers.
Linwood Essentials
This cocktail bar at Queen West and Shaw right near Furlough held a final blowout before month's end following a two year run.
Come As You Are
The sex-positive shop said goodbye to Queen West following its final day of business on August 28. The co-op had established itself over two decades and while its retail outlet is closed for good, the inventory is still for sale online.
Castles Board Game Cafe
This board game cafe in Chinatown has called it quits and spent the final day in August papering up the windows for whatever comes next.
Lead photo of Come As You Are by Jesse Milns.
The top parties in Toronto this September don't all revolve around TIFF. Don't worry. If you're not a fan of film fest fiestas and all the networking and gawking that goes at them, there's plenty of opportunities to dance the night away without a pesky celebrity getting in your space.
Here are my top picks for parties in Toronto this September.
Baregyal (September 4, Mod Club)
Selectors, Lissa Monet, Jayemkayem, Dre Ngozi, Kyeazy and Mars Foerever, spin a party for for WOC, which calls for Black Women, WOC, binary non-binary, and respectful men to celebrate. It's an inclusive dance party billed as a "non-stush bashment," and if you don't know what that means, you don't know what you're missing.
Horse Meat Disco (September 3, Coda)
Whenever UK Disco crew Horse Meat Disco sends representatives from the DJ collective, it's an event. They are masters of disco and tend to create legendary sets wherever in the world they land. Locals Scooter McCreight and Kris Steeves open the night.
Electric Island (September 4-5, Hanlan's Point)
I've you've never been to an Electric Island party, now's the time! The final two days of the season have arrived and the lineup is killer! It's the kind of dance party you can jump into and go full out or sit back in the grass and whispering trees and just take it all in. There are also good food trucks and libations.
Wet Banana (September 8, Remington's)
There are a lot of TIFF parties, but none of them are as non-pretentious and wild as this one. That's mostly because it happens in a men's strip club on Yonge Street. Now in its second year, Wet Banana is a dance party on the second floor of Remington's where dancers come up and visit (regular shows keep happening on the ground level). Open 'till 4a.m.
Business Woman's Special: Hello Dolly! (September 10, Round)
Dolly Parton is finally in town at a cool venue (i.e. not a casino) and to help celebrate post-concert, there's an after party at Lipstick and Dynamite, but it's the following night that the folks at BWS go all out with Dolly party and soon-to-be legendary performance from Fay Slift.
Beam Me Up: Four years of disco (September 10, The Piston)
A Digital Needle celebrates four years of disco dancing at the Piston! Or really, their amazing musical existence in the city in general. Beam Me Up is the city's premiere disco party with rare sounds from all over the planet. These boys will push your dance floor buttons.
A Club Called Rhonda (September 15, The Drake Hotel)
The entire Drake hotel is transformed into a "pan sexual palace," with two stages and three floors of pure party from the L.A. party pusher. Expect to take Friday morning off thanks to this one with multiple DJs, performances and sexy people.
Surface II (September 24, Artscape Sandbox)
Five galleries gather under one roof to show you what they've got, while DJs from the Bedroomer Collevtive - Silky Conrad Łojko, beat sampras, Kare and Internet Daughter - spin. It's an event celebrating the independent gallery movement.
Forms Festival (September 29, The Great Hall)
Endless City's Forms Festival happens at the newly renovated bottom level of The Great Hall on West Queen West. Forms is a fest of emergent culture that celebrates artists and thinkers who take risks and challenge convention. This night is a wild collection of electronic DJs Sergio Levels, Laurel Halo , Kara-Lis Coverdale , Jeremy Gara, and Brigitte Bardon't.
MORE Boy Problems: a Carly Rae Jepsen Queer Dance Party (September 30, Gladstone Hotel)
A few months a go, two guys threw a Carly Rae Jepsen dance party at The Steady, and it was such a huge hit they've had to move it to the Gladstone. If you're a fan of Jepsen's perfect, Polaris Prize nominated album, the B-Sides release or just the pop darling in general, this is the place to be.
Did I miss a wild party you're excited about in September? Let us know in the comments.
Photo of Electric Island by Hector Vasquez.
Toronto Food Events rounds up the most delicious festivals, pop-ups, winemaker dinners, supper clubs and other food related happenings in Toronto this week and next. You can find us here every Friday morning.
THIS WEEK
UPCOMING
Know of a Toronto food event coming up? Email liora@blogto.com
Photo from AwesTRUCK 2015 by Jesse Milns.
Amongst Chinese restaurants and bubble tea places enclosing a parking lot, a little food magic can be found. If you've been searching high and low for the place that serves the most scrumptious cheesecake, craziest waffles, and of all things, pork belly, this is it.
Read my profile of Sweet Esc Dessert Cafe in the cafes section.
Looking for a rice cooker, washing machine, smiling Buddha, plastic bucket or ninja face mask? Your search ends here at this Chinese superstore that has it all.
Read my profile of The Best Shop in the design section.
It seems like there's a new video showing a bike accident nearly every week. In the latest one, we can see a cyclist getting doored by a truck on Adelaide Street West - a street that actually has separated bike lanes.
As CBC News reports, Chelsea Mobishwash was biking to work on August 26 when the truck opened its door in front of her. She was able to obtain video footage of the incident from a nearby store and posted it on YouTube.
Mobishwash is now trying to promote safety measure for cyclists and says there needs to better bike-related infrastructure in the city.
Photo by Martin Reis via the blogTO Flickr pool.
Summer unofficially comes to an end this weekend in Toronto, but road closures do not. It's mercifully light weekend, but you'll still need to navigate carefully to avoid get stuck in traffic around a few key areas. Oh, and if you live on the east side and rely on the subway, it's going to be a rough one for you, unfortunately.
The big road closure this weekend comes on the holiday Monday, when the annual Labour Day Parade goes down from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.. University Avenue will be closed between Queen Street West and Armoury Street, and Queen Street West will be off limits to cars between Dufferin Street and Exhibition Place.
Other events will cause lane restrictions but not outright closures. Fan Expo will close the curb lanes surrounding the Metro Convention Centre, while Buskerfest will close Coxwell Avenue's northbound curb lane between Eastern Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard from 6 p.m. on Saturday to late Monday on Monday night.
As has been the case for the last month, watch out for roadwork on College between Havelock and Shaw streets, Queen Street between Spadina and Bathurst, Richmond between Church and York streets, and Shuter from Yonge to Sherbourne streets.
There will be no subway service between Pape and St. George stations on September 3, 4 and 5 as the City of Toronto does structural work on the Bloor Viaduct and the TTC continues its maintenance efforts on its track and signalling system.
Check out all the road closures and restrictions in the city using this map.
Get ready because you'll soon be able to buy wine, along with beer, cider and all of your other groceries in Ontario. That's right, the province is bringing both domestic and internationally produced wine to up to 70 grocery stores on October 28, 2016 and announced its list of retailers today. It includes both massive and smaller, independent chains.
Many Ontario supermarkets already have in-store wine boutiques, and starting this fall, up to 70 of these will be able to expand their offerings and share the regular checkout counters.
Eventually, 300 supermarkets across the province will be licensed to sell wine. However, like with the introduction of beer at grocery stores, the roll out will start slowly.
Here's the list of retailers licensed to sell wine. There's no word on store locations just yet.
Photo by Hector Vasquez.
