Matt Lindzon and Zach Fiskel are ready to take their chimney cakes (kürtőskalács) off the street and inside to kiosks around the city. After successfully running their Chimney Stax Baking Co. food truck and appearing at events like the CNE and the Toronto Christmas Market, they're now set on bringing freshly baked rotisserie bread to the masses.

To get the ball rolling, they tried their luck on CBC's hit series Dragon's Den. For Lindzon, appearing on Dragon's Den is a dream come true. He's seen every single episode of the 11 season show, so being a part of it seems almost surreal.

"As an entrepreneur it's been my dream to have a business that I could take to the show and successfully pitch in front of the Dragons," he says.

After presenting the Dragons with their delicious chimney cakes they get three offers before securing a deal with Dragon Joe Mimran - he gives them $125,000 for 25 per cent of the business as well as an equal seat at the table until he gets his investment back.

Lindzon and Fiskel are now working with Mimran to open their first kiosk inside the newly renovated Yonge Eglinton Centre. They plan to open on December 2, just in time for the holiday shopping season, and will serve sweet and savoury chimneys as well as chimney sandwiches.

In fact, Lindzon first discovered chimneys at a Christmas market in Austria. He was on a businesses trip for another venture and after seeing the chimneys spinning as they baked, he texted Fiskel, "We're doing this." And the two MBA grads will return to their roots at the Toronto Christmas Market starting this weekend.

But it's the kiosks that'll be their focus next. Lindzon notes that the food truck was a way for them to prove their concept. "We never imagined spending the rest of our life in a truck," he says. "I always imagined the business as the next Auntie Anne's Pretzels," he later continues.

Of course, Chimney Stax has some competition in the city. Eva's Original Chimneys and its doughnut cones will also be getting a bricks-and-mortar location. But Lindzon knows it keeps his business moving forward. "They kind of keep us on our toes," he says. "And push us to be better and make sure we're delivering the best product we can at all times."

The Village by the Grange food court is a busy place during lunch time, full of OCAD students, office workers and anyone else who stumbles upon it. Aside from the huge neon sign that hangs above the doors, you might not even know this huge food court at the corner of McCaul and Dundas West existed, right beside the AGO.

Take a step inside and see what this hidden food world has to offer.

Fiesta Burrito
Fiesta Burrito is putting a spin on the traditional burrito, by giving it a Korean twist. Change up your burrito or bowl by adding their Korean barbeque beef or spicy pork. They also have a ton of other burrito filling options.

Karine's
Who doesn't like an all day breakfast? Karine's is dishing up a variety of breakfast and lunch options including waffles, eggs, soups, salads and smoothies. They have a ton of vegetarian and vegan choices as well.

Mean Bao
Dim sum, hotplates and Bao or steamed buns will fillings, are flying off the counter here. With fillings like pork belly and braised beef their Baos are definitely the most popular item here with other interesting fusion food options as well.

Manpuku
This spot in the food court is less of a hot table style take-out spot and more of a sit in restaurant, although they do have to-go options as well. Among their variety of home-style Japanese eats, udon noodle soups are what's popular at this spot including their curry udon soup and the Niku beef udon.

Bon Gung Sushi Cafe
If you're in the mood for sushi, Bon Gung has you covered. They offer a variety of ready made maki but also hot meals such as teriyaki or ramen, with chicken katsu being their most popular.

Pho Express
Noodle soups are a great way to warm up during the winter months. If you aren't in the mood for soup, they have veggie and meat plate combinations. For 14 years they've been serving up chicken and pork dishes as well as their different flavours of pho.

Helena's Magic Kitchen
This comfort food kitchen makes home-style foods such as meatloaf, pierogies or stuffed chicken breast. If you opt for the combination plate you'll get a little bit of everything. They've been cooking up their variety of quiches for 11 years at the Grange. You'll have to check it out yourself to see what's so magical about this place.

The Fresh Italian Eatery
As the lone Italian food stop in the food court, The Fresh Italian Eatery is the place to go for Italian comfort food with a menu full of hot Italian sandwiches and pastas. Their eggplant or chicken parmesan sandwiches are their most popular items.

C&L Tea House
With tapioca or without and what flavour of tea are the only questions you have to answer here. OCAD students must really like bubble tea, as this place has been pumping our their famous mango teas for seven years now.

Coffee Exchange
This coffee joint is the go-to spot for your caffeine fix at the Grange. They've been serving up lattes, coffees, espresso and a variety of baked goods for a long time now. Bagels and coffees are the go to option for customers here.

Cheery Garden
Although they are hidden away in the corner of the food court, their bright green exterior entices you closer. While their most popular dish is mango chicken, they serve up other Thai dishes as well.

Est West
Whether you're in the mood for a sandwich or a mixed plate of noodles and veggies, Est West has you covered. Fillings such as chicken breast or tuna have been their most ordered sandwiches during their six years at the Grange.

Shawarma & Falafel Place
Shawarma wraps literally have a bit of everything in them, so what's not to like? Make it a plate instead with a side of rice or potatoes for a more filling option. Create your own wrap with the classic chicken shawarma, falafel or beef shawarma and mix and match with their variety of toppings.

Tasty Chinese Food
Sometimes you're in the mood for Chinese food but don't want to fuss with navigating complicated take out menus. With everything laid out in front of you at Tasty Chinese Food, choose what you're in the mood for whether that be noodles, mixed veggies or the staple honey garlic chicken.

Souvlaki House
There are few better things than a full souvlaki dinner. Souvlaki House doesn't just accompany your chicken souvlaki or gyro with the same old rice and potatoes. They've added other options for sides such as beans, fries, soups, poutine and of course Greek salad.

Thai Bright
Noodles, chili chicken or a variety of veggies on a bed of rice are some of the options they have on offer at Thai Bright.

Wafflian
Let your sweet tooth take over and indulge at Wafflian. With a range of sweet and savoury crepes, shaved ice and delicious cupcakes, this place is one to check out for dessert. Oreo cupcakes, strawberry Nutella crepes or waffles are just some of the flavour options here.

Wow Kfood
This Korean food spot has ready to-go sushi rolls available as well as a variety of hot dishes like bulgogi - a marinated beef dish, interesting options such as deep fried squid or the classic mixed rice dish - bibimbap.

Photos by Hector Vasquez.

Toronto is super photogenic. Sure, we might be biased, but if the various Instagram accounts dedicated to Toronto skyline and streetscape porn are any indication, it's clear we live in a pretty good-looking place.

One such Instagram account that caught our attention is mindz.eye. It's amassed nearly 70,000 followers and features colourful and dream-like photos of Toronto as well as other cities around the world.

But that's because Michael Sidofsky, who's behind the account, has been on a travel kick lately. So far this year, he's been to New York multiple times, Chicago, Paris, San Francisco and Barcelona. And while he says it's refreshing to shoot other cities, there's nothing like capturing his hometown.

Sidofsky, 35, got his first camera is 2014. Since then, he's been dedicated to his craft and recently launched his own photography business. He also works as a retouchers and graphic designer.

For his own photos, he uses Lightroom and Photoshop to create more vivid images. "I edit my photos just to bring them to life," he says. "I think everyone can take the same photos around cities and at landmarks and at travel destinations, but what really makes them your own is how you process them."

Unlike other popular Toronto Instragrammer - bora.vs.bora, for instance - Sidofsky doesn't stitch photos together. Instead, he works with single images. Each one takes on average 30 minutes to edit.

His favourite local landmark is the Gooderham Building because it has lots of character and he often shoots in the centre of the city. "I walk through the Financial District, like a lot of other photographers, and look for new ways to capture it and look for people on the street that seem interesting to me and use the city as the backdrop," he says.

As for making it big on Instagram? For him, the key is engaging with the local community as well as prioritizing which photos you throw online. "Quality over quantity," he says. "Try to only display your best."

Take a look at some more of his work:

Photos by @mindz.eye.

Street art in Toronto is generally looked upon favourably. We have street art tours, alleys, laneways and high-profile murals that showcase the best local and international artists. It's a far-cry from the late Rob Ford's crackdown on graffiti.

That's why one local business owner Craig Small of Juggernaut was perplexed when he got a letter from the city, telling him to remove a piece of street art he commissioned from his property.

The municipal code on graffiti defines street art murals as, "A mural commissioned or approved prior to its creation by a property owner or occupant, where the primary purpose is to aesthetically enhance the surface it covers and the general surroundings."

Small and his business partner commissioned local artist Kestin Cornwall to paint a mural on their property at 18 Croft St. Cornwall decided to depict Drake, who Small calls an ambassador for the city.

Cornwall completed the mural on Sunday and by Wednesday, Small had received a graffiti advisory notice from the city. Why do they reserve the right to deem what is appropriate on private property? I have a huge issue with that," says Small.

We reached out to the city for comment and Elyse Parker, director of the Public Realm Section at the Department of Transportation services told us via email that she was looking into this incident.

He thinks this is especially ironic, considering his neighbours at the ad agency J Walter Thompson caught wind of Cornwall's mural and filmed it for Tourism Toronto.

While aware of the graffiti advisory, Small doesn't want to take the mural down. "We don't plan to remove it," he says. "If the city wants to come after us and take it further, bring it on."

Photos via Craig Small.

Today we're opening up voting in our latest Best Of poll. Now you can have your say in 10 categories including AYCE sushi, dim sum, diners, hot chocolate, Greek, jerk chicken, seafood, Thai restaurants and more.

Take the best of poll here

Voting in the poll ends at 11:55 p.m. on Tuesday November 22.

Today in Toronto there's a wild Monday night party celebrating six years, and if you haven't been, you're missing out on one of the city's great party monsters. FML happens every Monday of the year in the Church Wellesley Village and always features DJs, drag shows and an eager industry or school night crowd.

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

• FML Six Year Anniversary (Flash)
• In conversation with Robbie Robertson (TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• PlusTen Music Video Screening Series (Camp4)
• Eat, Buy, Repeat: The Second City's Guide to the Holidays (Second City)
• Adam Gontier (Velvet Underground)
• CFM (Baby G)
• Tom Waits appreciation congregation (Linsmore Tavern)
• Fire & Grace (Burdock)
• Our Beautiful City: Urbanized (Hot Docs Cinema)

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

Photo by Andrew Kounitskiy for FML.

Where an old junk store on a busy Toronto corner with a weird but eye-catching sign advertising a weird mix of toys, electronics and gifts used to be, there is now a chic new coffee house. Their local offerings include coffee and canned cold brew from Pilot and cold-pressed juice from Village Juicery.

Read my profile of Safehouse Coffee in the cafes section.

While we here in Toronto love our meat, sometimes we don't give each cut all the admiration it deserves. One brand new sandwich shop in town is here to change all that, with innovative fusion treatments of oxtail, tongue, and cheek.

Read my profile of FAMO Sandwiches in the restaurants section.

Toronto may have been double digits on Friday but things took quite the turn over the weekend. As predicted, yesterday marked Toronto's first snowfall of the year. Not only did the city get a fresh dusting of snow, it was absolutely frigid as severe winds gusted. While it may have been a miserable feeling, it did made for some spectacular photos.

Here's what the arrival of winter weather in Toronto looked like.

Photo by @fugediaboutit.

Photo by @claudto.

Photo by @moshe.sakal

Photo by @jamesdavidmarch.

Photo by @emmshoot.shots.

Photo by @stilez.

Photo by @jamaalism.

Photo by @ashtontekno.

Photo by @mindz.eye.

Photo by @seasonsyyz.

Photo by @thrumikeslens.

Lead photo by @aaartistry.

As winter-like weather descends on Toronto, a big question on the city's collective mind is how bad will it get this year? We've already heard early reports that a nasty season is in store for the city and other parts of the country, but as December 21 creeps closer, climatologists have been honing their forecasts in anticipation of the official start of winter.

For better or worse, the upcoming season is predicted to be a "classic Canadian winter." What does that mean? Well, according the Weather Network, we can expect "widespread temperatures near or below seasonal normal, along with an active winter storm season... For southern Ontario and Quebec, a snowy winter is on the way, with considerably more precipitation than last year."

The silver lining is that we're not looking at a brutal winter, just one that is forecasted to be considerably worse than what we experienced last year, which was relatively mild, historically speaking. There will, however, be plenty of nastiness in store with above average precipitation called for in the Toronto area.

Obviously long term forecasting is tricky business. How can meteorologist predict what's going to happen in February if they can't get the 48 hour forecast right? The key to these reports is that they confine themselves to highlighting major trends. In this case, a weak La Nina event is the driving factor in winter projections for 2016/2017.

So there you have it. If you're a glass-half-full type, you'll take solace in the fact that forecasters don't expect us to get shelled by winter weather this year. If, on the other hand, you're of the glass-half-empty variety, you'll likely despair at the prospect of a winter that's going to dump a lot more snow on us than we dealt with last year.

Photo by Kevin Konnyu in the blogTO Flickr pool.

There are plenty of modern houses in Toronto as well as refurbished historical buildings that blend the storied past with contemporary design. But sometimes, a property comes on the market that's charmingly stuck in the past.

The latest such house is 54 Church Street in the Weston neighbourhood, which straddles North York and Etobicoke. According to Bosley Real Estate, who's listing the property, the house dates back to 1869, or right after Confederation.

However, it doesn't look like it's been updated since about the 1940s. It features lots of floral wall paper, so if you're not into big, bold prints pretty much everywhere, you should probably move on.

With three bedrooms and two bathrooms, this two storey house is listed for $569,000; that's well below the price of a detached home in Toronto.

What was it like to live in this Victorian house during Canada's early days? While the walls won't talk, you can probably find solace in the wooden details scattered about, or the four parking spots. You might need a car to get around in the northern part of the city.

Sure, this house might need a lot of work before it's ready for 2016, but it's certainly fun to look at right now.

Today in Toronto summer's big music festival comes downtown for one night only. WayHome for the Holidays is a benefit show for MusiCounts and lets you keep calm and come together with friends before the holiday rush with music from The Darcys, Bear Mountain and The Beaches.

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

• WayHome For The Holidays (The Phoenix)
• 14th annual Regent Park Film Fest (Daniels Spectrum)
• Rupaul Drag Race Trivia (WAYLA)
• Martha Wainwright (Mod Club)
• Gordon Lightfoot (Massey Hall)
• Meow Meow with DJ Snowball (Holy Oak)
• MoFlow Yoga (Calii Love)
• Virtual Space (Regent Park)
• sk8ordie@hotmail.com 1 year anniversary (Comedy Bar)
• Boards and Boots Date Night (Landsdowne Brewery)
• Mike Todd Album Release Party (Dakota Tavern)
• A Tribute to Nelson Mandela's Dream (Koerner Hall)

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

Photo from Bear Mountain's Facebook page.

A new bakery cafe in an unexpected location is giving hippie food a whole new meaning. Supported by a strong background in baking and Israeli cuisine, one woman is passionately bringing healthy food with vegan options and authentic desserts to Toronto.

Read my profile of Mika Fresh in the restaurants section.

On the upper floor of a building, past the wafting scents of Chinese restaurants, loud house music booms until the wee hours of the morning and fun-loving dancers slam cheap drinks. With themed techno, EDM and house DJ nights, this hidden dance hall also has pool, darts, and shot specials before midnight.

Read my profile of Sound Xchange in the bars section.

Food lovers in Toronto shouldn't be too difficult to please this holiday season, as there are exciting and scrumptious options aplenty. Whether they like to cook or eat (or just stare at food), there's a host of food-focused gifts to grab from Toronto spots this year.

Here are some holiday gift ideas for the Toronto food lover on your shopping list.

Culinary gift box
Why cobble together your own gift box of goodies when Present Day Gifts has already done all the work? The Culinary box ($65) is geared towards food enthusiasts, with a curated selection of Canadian artisan pantry staples, including Kozlik's mustard, Vancouver Island Salt Co.'s all-natural garlic sea salt and H.O.T. sauce from Damien's Handmade Sauces.

Short Stack cookbook
Fans of the Short Stack series (a magazine-cookbook hybrid, each eye-catching volume offers a variety of recipes focusing on one key ingredient) will definitely want its first cookbook with 150 new recipes featuring 18 essential ingredients, from apple to winter squash. Individual editions ($16 each) can be found at Northwood General.

Cheese/charcuterie cutting board
Who doesn't need a quality cutting board or way to display one's good taste in cheese and/or charcuterie? No two boards are ever the same at Seesaw Cafe, as each depends on the type of wood owner Katie Reed uses to make these beauties ($45-$60). Another option: a Toronto-shaped serving board ($88) from the Spacing Store.

Sweet or Spicy stuff
More pre-assembled gift sets await at the Drake General Store. For those with sweet teeth, there's the Hey Sugar Sugar ($44.95), with Turkish Taffy, Squish gummies, caramel corn, maple syrup and a chenille lollipop patch; those who crave heat may enjoy the Hot Holiday ($49.95): 2 hot sauces (jalapeno, habanero), spiced nuts, a chili pepper lolly and enamel pin.

Onigiri-making kit
Forget sandwiches. Let food lovers assemble their own onigiri with this mould ($25) made from magnolia wood in Japan. Get it from Abokichi along with special nori wrappers ($17) and Okazu ($10 each) for a DIY onigiri starter kit.

Bobbette & Belle recipe book
Popular patisserie Bobbette & Belle has released a book ($20) containing over 100 of owners Allyson Bobbitt and Sarah Bell's favourite recipes, like Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies and Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie. From cookies and (cup)cakes to loaves, scones, tortes and macarons, this is baking heaven (and hopefully you will be duly rewarded with a taste).

Gelato delivery membership
Discerning dessert snobs need a Death in Venice gelato home delivery subscription (4 pints/month for $40/month). Go with the chef's choice and be prepared to blow minds with seasonal, next-level flavours (and plenty of vegan sorbet options) that have included Mexican Chocolate Mole, Turkish Coffee and Pecorino & Porcini Mushroom (trust me, it's delicious).

Food/Art subscription
Gendai Gallery has been running a year-long seasonal food-art project called MMMMM...Gendai Kitchen, where subscribers receive four limited edition, culinary-themed art multiples ($250 + shipping) that "explore the social, historical and material dimensions of cooking and eating practices from critical, convivial and culturally specific perspectives."

A T.O. Z Foods of Toronto prints
What better way to display one's 6ix food pride than some prints from this A T.O. Z Foods of Toronto collection ($10-$30) by Sali Tabacchi? If you choose only one, go with the Complete Alphabet (16" x 20" for $30; also available at Good Egg).

Toronto tea towel
Tea towels are a kitchen necessity, so they may as well gather compliments while they're there. This blue Toronto tea towel (US$18) from Brika is printed with eco-friendly ink on a linen-cotton blend, and will certainly get the job done.

This post is brought to you by Stella Artois, the perfect beer to serve your guests this holiday season.

Know of a cool gift idea for the Toronto food lover out there? Let us know in the comments.

The best hot chocolate in Toronto will warm you up on a cold winter day, or even on a day that just feels wintery. Many of these local spots serve up rich and creamy drinking chocolate that's a few steps above the sugary sludge you probably remember making at home or grabbing from an arena vending machine when you were a kid.

Here is the best hot chocolate in Toronto.

Toronto has been over the traditional mall Santa for some time now. Sure they're still out there, but everyone really wants to sit on Fashion Santa's lap. That's why many were shocked to learn Yorkdale Mall replaced him with someone new this year.

Model Adam Martin will be replacing Paul Mason for the 2016 holiday season and Torontonians are not taking this news lightly. Word is still out on what exactly happened but it seems like a foolish idea seeing as the city had really fallen for him.

A statement on the mall's website says Martin will bring a "whole new edge" to the season, but Twitter does not care. Here's a snap of what the city is saying about the change.

Today in Toronto the largest Christmas tree in Canada is going to be lit up inside the Eaton Centre. And just to add a bit more to the cool factor, Choir! Choir! Choir! will be performing Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" live at the unveiling. Oh, and it's also American Thanksgiving.

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

• C! C! C! Lights Up The Tree! (Eaton Centre)
• Black Boys (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre)
• Get Lo (Clinton's)
• Bored (Unlovable)
• Gilmore Girls trivia (The End)
• Spooky Bitch: Garbage edition (The Beaver)
• Machine Gun Kelly (The Phoenix)
• Nerd night, holiday nerdtacular (Tranzac Club)
• PartyNextDoor (Rebel)
• PartyNextDoor pop-up shop (5 Brock)
• Free lunchtime yoga (Sony Centre)
• One of a Kind Christmas Show (Enecare Centre)
• Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival (Yonge-Dundas Cineplex)

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

Photo by Jamie Hedworth.

The Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway might be annoying to drive on, especially during rush hour - or any time of day, really. But at least they're free to take. For now, that is.

Mayor John Tory will make an announcement later today supporting the push for tolls on both the DVP and the Gardiner. Apparently these tolls would help the city raise about $300 million per year. This money, as the Toronto Star reports, would go towards transit infrastructure projects, such as the Scarborough subway expansion.

This announcement will come after the city releases a staff report recommending new initiatives to help the city reduce its hefty infrastructure deficit. These include the tolls as well as new taxes on hotel and Airbnb stays.

Earlier this year, the city put out a request for proposals to look at how it would implement a tolling system on the DVP and the Gardiner.

The province of Ontario is currently looking at how High Occupancy Toll lanes (HOT) work on a 16.5 kilometre stretch of the QEW as part of a two to four year pilot project.

Photo by tomms in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Spin studios are popping up in neighbourhoods around the city this year, and one of the newest ones likes to keep its riders in the dark. Go here if you love the idea of sweating to great tunes under a disco ball.

Read my profile of Spinco Toronto in the fitness section.