This week in theatre rounds up the most noteworthy live theatre playing right now in Toronto. It includes just-opened shows as well as productions that are about to close.

Nijinsky / National Ballet - Four Seasons / 7:30pm / 2:00pm / $25-$100+
Celebrated for his sensational grace and informed interpretation, Vaslav Nijinsky's performances helped form the highest standards for today's contemporary male dancers. John Neumeier's ballet is an homage to the Russian master which explores the characters which were a part of his life, alongside the adulation, genius, and madness that defined his waking hours. Skylar Campbell, Guillaume Côté, and Alexandre Riabko share the title role.

Iceland / Factory Theatre / 8:00pm / 2:00pm / $32-$42
Arguably the best new Canadian play presented at last year's Summerworks Festival, Nicolas Billon's Iceland documents the traumatic events of an afternoon in a condo for sale in Liberty Village. Peer longer and you'll find that the play is a complex drama about fear and anxiety borne out of one of the world's most disastrous financial crises. The playwright's handle on reveal in his monologues, along with Ravi Jain's subtle staging, builds the narrative to a quiet crescendo.

pomme is french for apple / Young Centre / 8:00pm / $15-$30
Returning to the Young Centre after its initial workshop is pomme is french for apple, by Liza Paul and Bahia Watson. Described as a "distinctly West Indian exploration of the absurdity of women's lives," the show features a vaudeville-inspired look at women in peril, in pleasure, and in every stage in between. The talents and charm of the two leads helped make this show a critical darling at last year's Fringe Festival.

LEAR / Harbourfront Studio Theatre / 8:00pm / 4:00pm / $15-$30
Shakespeare's King Lear is gender inverted in Philip McKee's LEAR, featuring Clare Coulter as the aging and waning monarch. Coulter is sure to command the stage in this pared down 80-minute familial struggle, having recently played the matriarch in MacIvor's Was Spring. Originally imagined at Harbourfront Centre's performing arts residency HATCH, it's now a full presentation at World Stage.

Bent / Hart House Theatre / 8:00pm / 2:00pm / $15-$25
Martin Sherman's 1979 play Bent was a significant catalyst to research and understanding of the persecution of homosexuals during the Nazi regime. The title draws its inspiration from a slang term used to refer to gays in some European countries. If you're unsure about the origin of the pink triangle as a symbol of gay pride and remembrance, Sherman's play will help fill in some context.

Photo of pomme is french for apple by Siddiqui

It's true that beer and dancing go hand-in-hand, so with that in mind the marketers behind Bud Light have decided to bring Sensation, an international electronic dance event featuring acrobats and carnival floats, to Toronto this June. To introduce the event (and stoke the flames of anticipation), Andrew Richard Designs hosted a private soiree on Thursday featuring music, white-clad mermaids, and a slew of fashionable, music-minded partygoers.

Check out all the looks in our Style section.

Photo by the Lazy Photographer in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Toronto events March 4, 2013

MUSIC | Unknown Mortal Orchestra with Foxygen & Wampire
What a lineup at Wrongbar tonight! Unknown Mortal Orchestra, one of several happening bands on the Jagjaguwar label, hits town tonight, touring on their latest release, II. This self-produced release just dropped last month, and has received mixed reviews, but even P4K can't deny that some tight poppy gems are part of the package. Also on the bill are Foxygen; this California-based outfit has a variety of noble influences that range from psych rock to the experimental, but always holds melody as a top priority. Portland, Oregon-based Wampire is also on the bill tonight.
Wrongbar (1279 Queen Street West) 7PM $13.50

BOOKS & LIT | An Evening with Andrew Pyper
Tonight at The Gladstone Hotel, a special reading and discussion with novelist Andrew Pyper. Pyper's latest and sixth novel, The Demonologist, will be the focus tonight, and it is a thrilling tale of a Columbia professor, David Ullman, a widely recognized expert in "demonic literature," who accepts a lucrative offer to travel to Italy to witness and analyze some paranormal activity. As a result, he must use his expertise to rescue his daughter and confront the possibility that the "demonic" might actually be real, and not merely an academic exercise. Russell Smith of The Globe And Mail will interview Pyper, and Becky Toyne is the host of this event.
Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West) 7PM Free

CULTURE | Trampoline Hall
Yes, it's time for another Trampoline Hall, that quirky and captivating night of speakers pushing their collective envelopes by speaking about esoteric topics that are deliberately chosen for being outside of their area of expertise. Tonight, Amy Langstaff curates, with Christina Bagatavicius delivering "Hoarding The Best: Life As A Maximizer," David Jamieson on "Metacognitive Mismatch and Relationship Strife," and Sheila Murray tackling "Brown's Town, My Dad's Town." Head scratching and copious laughter are known side effects of this event. It also sells out regularly, so do arrive early, or grab tickets in advance.
The Garrison (1197 Dundas Street West) show starts at 8PM $5-6

SOCIAL | Here's My Card IV: A Mixer For Awesome People
They do say that "what" you know is important, but "who" you know is the clincher. Networking is important, but how do you get started, and with whom should you be networking? Simply put, the answer is "awesome people." That's exactly who you are promised to encounter at "Here's My Card IV" tonight! Presented by 42 Plus One, this is a mixer for those who want to be linked up with other standup folks and build their circle. Hey, it's worth a try, and gives you a very professional-sounding excuse for going out for a few early evening drinks on a Monday.
No One Writes to the Colonel (460 College Street) 7PM

ALSO OF NOTE

Indians (4AD) & Night Beds (Dead Oceans) @ The Drake Hotel
Illustrated Men & Friends

MORE EVENTS THIS WEEK

For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:

• This week in food
• This week in fashion
• This week in film
• This week in theatre
• This week in comedy
• This week in music
• Toronto concerts, March 2013

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Photo courtesy of Foxygen

Toronto's chief planner wants new separated bike lanes built downtown. Jennifer Keesmaat says she wants cycling to become a viable means of transportation by giving drivers and bikers the space they need. The latest figures show roughly a third of all downtown travel is made on foot or by bike. Can Toronto create a functional cycling network or are we doomed to argue the point until nothing gets done?

Rob Ford's friendship with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and finance minister Jim Flaherty doesn't seem to have any tangible benefit for Toronto, reports the Star. Ford has gone fishing at Harper's cottage and takes weekend trips with the Flaherty family. Should Ford use those connections to win new money for transit and other project?

Ever wondered how to track a fish? The National Post has you covered. Steven Cooke, a biologist at Carleton University, is catching, slicing open, and inserting microchips inside fish in the Toronto harbour. But don't worry - it's all in the name of science.

Talk about a tight squeeze. A 24-year-old Queen West partygoer had to be rescued by firefighters Saturday night after he climbed inside a safe for a dare. Alcohol was, not surprisingly, a factor. Later the same night a 20-year-old woman suffered minor injuries when she was struck by a streetcar.

An ailing cat rescued from a certain death on a freezing cold night is now "80% healthy" thanks to online donations. Tigress, a stray, was discovered by Alex and Vicky Ba in North York. A campaign to cover the cost of bringing the kitty back from the brink raised $2,270. Tigress is now looking for a new home.

There's a mystery yarn bomber, rouge knitters that have been known to cover trees and bike racks, leaving little hearts near Ossington Ave. and Essex St.. University of Toronto's Bissell Bombers have denied responsibility.

Turns out even vegan organic sweet potato muffins can be high in calories. An offering from Urban Herbivore was found to contain 986 calories and 38 grams of fat, half of the average daily intake recommended for women. Also in food, a the five-second rule didn't apply to a tray of jerk chicken dropped on the floor at the Toronto South Detention Centre. The food made several staffers sick.

Pothole fix season starts next week in Toronto. Though the city patches damaged roads during the winter, the inevitable damage from the freeze-thaw cycle means workers generally get diverted to snow removal. The team will more than triple in size now the worst of the winter weather is over. The city fixes roughly 200,000 potholes every year. Let's hope Dufferin gets the attention it deserves.

York Street will be closed for roughly 10 months starting today to make way for a new PATH tunnel. The construction project is part of the Union Station revitalization work. A tunnel is being built under the street that will connect to a new exit portal between York and University.

IN BRIEF:

• Accused in subway attack back in court today [CP24]
• Toronto saw greatest benefit from FedDev Ontario money [CBC]
• Woman hurt in collision with TTC bus on Royal York Road [CBC]

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: "The Feeder" by Tony Wei-Han Chen/blogTO Flickr pool.

March signals the slow start of spring, the arrival of early spring sniffles, and the inevitable slush that accompanies the thaw. But there's nothing mushy about the poetry events coming forward as winter gives up its icy grip, and the only thing that'll be sick at these shows (hopefully) is the artistry on the stage. There's a lot coming, so take a look and see what might strike your fancy.

HOT TICKETS

WORDSPELL SPOKEN WORD FT. ANDREA THOMPSON AND AFRAKAREN / MARCH 6 / 8:30PM / FREE TIMES CAFÉ / $6 & UP
This month, WordSpell Collective has brought together two women with powerful voices that will shake you to your very roots. Afrakaren, just about to embark on a residency in Banff, brings a ferocity that will singe your cerebral cortex, while spoken word legend Andrea Thompson is one of the most accomplished spoken word artists of the era. Here's a taste of Thompson in her slam days, in a clip from the award-winning SlamNation documentary.

EDDY DA ORIGINAL ONE & AL ST. LOUIS BORN DAY CELEBRATION & SHOW / MARCH 9 / 8PM / 227 LOUNGE / $15-$25 ADV
Two longtime spoken word producers and performers join forces to bring you a show that serves not only as a birthday party, but also as a showcase for artists sharing word and song. Hosted by Kerry Lee Crawford from G98.7's "Steps After Dark" and backed by The SoulMates Band, this night of poetry, music and comedy will create a sonic explosion between your ears. You can get dinner and a show at 8pm, or come later for the show only.

TORONTO POETRY SLAM - SEMI-FINAL #1 FT. MAGPIE ULYSSES/ MARCH 10 / 8PM / THE DRAKE HOTEL / $5
The Toronto Poetry Project presents the first of three slams that will determine who will form the 2013 Toronto Poetry Slam Team. In this first encounter, eight poets (David Delisca, Serafina, Patrick de Belen, Optimus Rhyme, Sabrina, IF, Anto Chan, and Iyah) face off for one of four coveted slots in the TPS Finals next month. BC poetry veteran Magpie Ulysses makes her first appearance in the region on her eastern Canadian tour. Though the fireworks start at 8pm, the venue will be slammed. Don't arrive at showtime if you want to get in the door.

SLAMMED: A NIGHT OF SPOKEN WORD POETRY / MARCH 13 / 7:30PM / THE ARBOUR ROOM AT HART HOUSE / FREE
Speaking of Slammed, three of Toronto's hottest female poetry slammers -- Lishai, Serafina and Britta B -- combine forces for a night to remember on the University of Toronto campus. The sign-up sheet opens up at 7:30pm, so if you want to share you can do so too. But this combination of featured poets is simply too good to pass up and too hot to ever try and hold back.

ONTARIO SPOKEN WORD CIRCUIT PRESENTS MAGPIE ULYSSES / MARCH 16, 17, 23 & 24
The OSWC is a consortium of five spoken word groups that stage monthly spoken word events in London, Guelph, Hamilton, Burlington, Mississauga, Toronto and York Region. Thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts, they will bring a high-profile artist each month to perform at the venues on the circuit. This month, two-time national slam champion Magpie Ulysses makes the trip east from Nelson, BC. She appears at Bill Brown's 1-2-3 Slam (March 20), Burlington Slam Project (March 21), YorkSlam (March 27) and We Flip Tables! @SaugaSlam (March 28).

SOULSTICE MUSIC & POETRY FT. LILLIAN ALLEN, JAHBUDAH & RITALLIN / MARCH 23 / 9PM / WATERFALLS INDIAN TAPAS / $10
Toronto's seasonal music and poetry showcase series returns to Kensington Market with the Juno Award winning dub poetry pioneer Lillian Allen and the sounds of reggae produced by Jahbudah. Lillian is promoting her recently released album Anxiety, but there's no need to be nervous about seeing one of Canada's most influential poetic voices. She will be joined by 2012 national slam champions Ritallin on the mic and Patrick de Belen as host.

SPOKEN WORDS 4: A NIGHT OF STAND UP COMEDY & SPOKEN WORD / MARCH 26 / 7PM / LULA LOUNGE / $20 ADV
Up From the Roots Entertainment presents a line-up of the real and the really funny, when the 2012 national slam champion team of Dwayne Morgan, Patrick de Belen, Lishai and Ritallin get together with comedians Dave Merheje, Arthur Simeon, Jean Paul and Cedric Newman for a full evening of playing with language just for kicks, laughs, and lessons. A must-see for people who enjoy the power of voice to move souls.

TORONTO POETRY SLAM - SEMI-FINAL #2 FT. ROBBIE Q / MARCH 30 / 8PM / THE DRAKE HOTEL / $5
The second of two slam-offs to determine the final eight from this season of slam poetry at the Drake, slammers Kliggy, White Noise Machine, Emilee Nimetz, Millado, Philosofly, Ida Sophia, Britta B and Valentino Assenza will be gunning for one of the four tickets to April Finals. The event's feature is none other than Louder Than A Bomb lead organizer and legendary performer Robbie Q. Telfer, coming all the way from Chicago.

OTHER SHOWS AND EVENTS

Sunday Poetry / March 3, 10, 17, 24 / 11:30am / Ellington's Music & Café / free

Love Jones Sunday hosted by Aria Zenua/ March 3 / 8pm / No One Writes to the Colonel / $10

Roots Lounge Open Mic & Poetry Slam / March 3 (Scarborough Edition at Yvonne's Coffee Haus, 7pm) and March 17 (Downtown Edition at Harlem Restaurant, 8pm) / $5

R.I.S.E. Poetry Movement / March 4, 11, 18, 25 / 6pm / Tropicana Community Services / $3

UTSEC presents Bedslam / March 5 / 7pm / The Arbour Room at Hart House / free

The Art Bar Poetry Series / March 5 , 12, 19, 26 / 8pm / Q Space / PWYC

Livewords / March 7 / 7:30pm / Black Swan Tavern / free

Wonder Women IV in Concert / March 8 / 8pm / The Gladstone Hotel / $10

Lizzie Violet's Cabaret Noir / March 10 / 7pm / Q Space / PWYC ($5 suggested)

Emilee Nimetz Goes to Canadian Indies Slam Fundraiser / March 12 / 9:30pm / Grapefruit Moon / $10

BAM! The Toronto Youth Slam ft. David Delisca / March 13 / 6pm / The Central / $5

Toronto Wordstage / March 13 / 7:30pm / Q Space / free

The Beautiful and the Damned hosted by DM Moore/ March 14 / 7pm / Glad Day Bookshop / PWYC

SPEAKout Poetry Open Mic Night ft. Hyfidelik the Gypsy Sun / March 16 / 6:30pm / I Deal Coffee / $5

Nik Beat, Salt Circle, Brandon Pitts & Jacqueline Valencia / March 16 / 7pm / Video Fag / free

Poetry & Prose at The Literary Café ft. Vanessa McGowan & Saskia van Tetering / March 17 / noon / The Moonshine Café (Oakville) / free

Hot-Sauced Words ft. Al Moritz, Sandy Pool & Catherine Owen / March 21 / 8pm / Black Swan Tavern / PWYC

P.O.I.T. (Poetically Organized Invitational Tournament - Canadian Indies Slam Fundraiser)/ March 22 / 8pm / Black Bull Tavern (Burlington) / $10

Plasticine Poetry hosted by Cathy Petch / March 23 / 6pm / Pauper's Pub / free

Howl at Q Space ft. Patrick Connors, Joani Paige, Gabrielle Bowen & Mindi Sainte / March 24 / 7pm / Q Space / free

Loose Leaf Poets & Writers / March 25 / 7pm / The Maple Leaf House Grill & Lounge / free

Sufi Poets Series II: I Know Not Who I Am / March 29 / 7pm / Beit Zatoun / $10

For more listings, head on over to the events calendar or check out the Cytopoetics Events spoken word blog for local info updated weekly during the month.

Have a spoken word event coming up that you'd like us to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO events calendar.

Photo courtesy of Lillian Allen

This Week in Music rounds up the latest news, releases and concerts coming to Toronto.

IN THE NEWS

Bud Light's Sensation Festival coming to Toronto

It was announced a few weeks ago that Bud Light's Sensation Festival, one of the largest EDM music festivals in the world, was coming to Canada for the first time. This past Friday, the city, venue, and date were finally revealed - Saturday, June 1, at the Rogers Centre.

Like previous Sensation Festivals, an all-white dress code will be in effect, and this year's theme sounds interesting enough - "Ocean of White," an undersea theme that will result in a "wondrous world of nocturnal sea life where flames shoot from the ceiling, acrobats rappel down from the roof, giant jellyfish hover above the dance floor and carnival floats part the crowds." Tickets are on sale March 8, and more info can be found here.

Fucked Up announce final "Long Winter" lineup

Back in February, local punk rock heroes Fucked Up revealed that they'd be offering one more installment of their annual Long Winter music and visual art series. Last week, the lineup was unveiled, and it's a bit of a doozy. The all-ages show will feature sets from The Sadies, recently reunited instrumental group Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Burning Love, Emma McKenna, the Skeletones Four, Petra Glynt, and more.

The evening will also see DJ sets from Electric Field, Austra, Egyptrixx, and Light Asylum among others. We're also looking forward to the food! This has been one of the roughest winters in recent memory, so this night of music and art should be the perfect way to warm up.

THIS WEEK'S HOT TICKETS

MONDAY MARCH 4 / THE JAMES HUNTER SIX / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 368 QUEEN W / $22.50 / 19+

Since bursting onto the scene in 1986, British R&B/soul singer James Hunter has carved out a decent little career for himself. Aside from being nominated for a Grammy in 2006 for his solo album People Gonna Talk, he's also worked with the incomparable Van Morrison - truly no small feat. Now, he's touring with his band, the James Hunter Six, in support of their album Minute by Minute. If you're a fan of R&B and soul, this one's definitely worth your time.

FRIDAY MARCH 8 / HALF MOON RUN / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 368 QUEEN W / $10.50 / 19+

I predict that you're going to be hearing quite a bit from these Montreal-based alt-rockers, who are currently touring in support of their latest album Dark Eyes. The album, and the band itself, have received near-universal acclaim - their three-part harmonies, especially, have drawn considerable praise. The band was recently signed by Glassnote Entertainment Group, the same label that houses Mumford & Sons, the Temper Trap, Phoenix, and Two Door Cinema Club.

RECENTLY ANNOUNCED CONCERTS

• AUSTRA / THE DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / MARCH 23 / 8PM
• THE NATIONAL / YONGE & DUNDAS SQUARE / JUNE 14 / NXNE - FREE SHOW
• BRUNO MARS - MOONSHINE JUNGLE TOUR / MOLSON AMPHITHEATRE / JULY 6 / 8PM

For more concert listings, check out our live music roundup for March.

WHAT WE GOT UP TO LAST WEEK

• Whitehorse pay tribute to Massey Hall with new EP
• Major Lazer get hot and heavy at Sound Academy
• Pretty Pretty Records celebrates Toronto's dark side
• Swedish House Mafia hit up Toronto on farewell tour

Photo of Half Moon Run courtesy of Rog01 on Flickr

This two-for-one waffle and cupcake bar opened a couple of weeks ago inside a food court at Dundas Street West and McCaul. With its range of sweet treats, it has already drawn in nearby students, office workers, and residents looking for a sugar fix. Plus, it provides a perfect solution for those days when you just can't decide between a decadent cupcake or fully loaded Belgian waffle.

Read my profile of Wafflian in the bakery section.

The 2013 Toronto Comicon is coming to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this weekend to the joy of fans across the city. A baby brother to Fan Expo, the TCC belongs to the ever-expanding Hobby Star network. Though it clocks in at about half the total time of Fan Expo, the TCC makes use of its time to provide quality guests and entertainment to the masses. It also provides a Glossary of Convention Terms that I didn't know existed--are we seriously calling convention newbies "Neos" now?

Here's what to expect at the 2013 Toronto Comicon.

THE CAST OF STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION

YES. ALL OF THEM. Well, okay, except for Wil Wheaton, John De Lancie, Whoopi Goldberg, or Denise Crosby, but whatever. Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and Gates McFadden are all coming to the March Comic Con. Tickets are going fast, so act quickly before all is lost.

Oh, yeah, and these people

We can also expect appearances from a slew of other actors, artists, and writers. In addition to the Star Trek cast's attendance, fans can also expect Michael Hogan, Sean Astin, Laura Vandervoort, Torri Higginson, and Daniel "Baby Fett" Logan, as well as voice actors like Kristin Fairlie and Mike McFarland. Comic artists Mike Del Mundo, Ty Templeton of The Comic Book Boot Camp, Leonard Kirk, Amy Chu, Anthony Del Col, famed Lucasfilm artist Robert Bailey and the legendary Mike Zeck will all be present for autographs and high-fives.

What's that? You'd like to know who else is coming? Check out the full list of expected guests.

The Gang's All Here

As with last year, several geek organizations will be in attendance, hosting booths and photo shoots for you to enjoy and partake in. Representatives of the 4000-strong 501st Legion will be going once more into the breach, but they won't be alone. Joining them will be the Doctor Who Society, the Toronto Zombie Walk, Rue Morgue Magazine, Toronto Steampunk, Ontario Ghostbusters, and the Toronto Browncoats. Cast and crew from the webseries Pretty in Geek and Clutch will also be present.

Events, Workshops, and, er, Shops

Ever wanted to make a plushie? Get your artwork reviewed by comic industry veterans? Attend a workshop on making it in the industry? Well, this would be the place to do it! Watch this space to see how the schedule at Toronto Comicon will be opening up.

Or maybe you just want to buy a little somethin'-somethin' for yourself or a friend. Well, no con would be complete with a retail space, an artist's alley, and an Indie/Small Press Pavilion, so check them out when you can! See the full list of attractions here.

The Epic Nerd Show

This one's a bit off-site but it looks promising. Hosted at Comedy Bar, this event on Saturday night will feature improv troupe The Monkey Toast, a live podcasting of sci-fi comedy group The Illusionoid, and the Nerdy Variety Hour of Drunkenness. Lord knows what last one's about but, hey, if all this piques your interest, get the tickets at the door and check it out.

The Toronto Comicon will be running from March 9th to March 10th, from 11 AM to 6 PM on Saturday, and 11 AM to 5 PM on Sunday. A ticket for both days will cost $40.00 while single-day tickets will cost $25.00 for Saturday and $20.00 for Sunday.

Photo of the 2012 Comicon by sniderscion in the blogTO Flickr pool.

The best boutique hotels in Toronto are often cultural hubs as much as hotels. These spots often host pop-up galleries, exhibits, and special events, along with creative innovation in the form of their ever-evolving suites and sensational dining menus. These boutique hotels do "intimate" in a way that blows their colossal-sized counterparts out the water, though that personal attention and cozy appeal usually comes at a bit of a premium price.

Here is the list of the best boutique hotels in Toronto.

See also:

The best hotels in TorontoThe best luxury hotels in TorontoThe best hostels in TorontoThe best hotel bars in Toronto

The Toronto Film Noir Syndicate is the latest venture for film buffs Shirley Hughes, Greg Woods and David Faris. Practically invisible, hidden far in the back room of Dominion on Queen, the TFNS showcases some of film noir's best hidden gems. The films of choice, which during
this series have an inflection on the femme fatale, are accompanied by period music, a collection of vintage trailers and a golden age film noir television episode as a preshow. The projection space creates the desired atmosphere of a classic speakeasy. These three cinefiles are about creating an all-encompassing underground film-going experience for
the modern day film-lover.

One of the perks of living in a city as savvy about cinema as Toronto is the accessibility to tons of otherwise forgotten films. However, the word might not always get out about these underground screenings. Despite the "under the radar-ness" and exclusivity of the TFNS, these three film buffs aren't looking to shut you out. They are actually hoping to spread the word on this once dominating genre.

So in a city where you can see any style or genre of cinema at virtually any time you please, why should you be interested in film noir if you haven't been before? While it may not be your cup of tea, there's a good chance you're already interested in the genre. Whether you're aware or not, blockbusters such as Drive (2011) and The Dark Night Rises (2012) and television series such as Twin Peaks are all in some way influenced by film Noir — and that's only to mention a scant few.

The TFNS doesn't, however, exist merely for educational purposes. Shirley, Greg and David truly want you to be entertained by this memorizing period of film. With one installment left on May 25, you've still got an opportunity to head out to grab a beer and tune into Gun Crazy (1950), a film noir masterpiece. I must advise you get there before the screening time at 7:30 p.m. though because the series is gaining popularity.

Writing by Lisa Benedetto

Spurred on by a friend that promised me this restaurant serves one of the best bowls of soon tofu in Koreatown, I paid a visit to see if her taste was to be trusted. Well, we're probably going to get into a fight now — because while I'll freely admit that the portion sizes are generous and the prices fair, I'm not sure it beats out similar options in the same neighbourhood.

Read my review of Tofu Village in the restaurants section.

At SlurpTO Noodlefest, a handful of Toronto's rising top chefs came out to prepare their own personal takes on the ultimate in Asian winter comfort food, the noodle soup.

But what really set the 10 or so booths from Toronto's rising culinary community apart were the street food inspired accompaniments, which were composed of dishes were priced between four and six bucks. Having spent time teaching English in Taiwan, I've acquired a deep respect and passion for bizarre bits of easy-access food that can give you so much joy in convenient little packages.

Here are some of my highlights.

A-OK Foods (930 Queen St. W), the sister establishment to Ossington's Yours Truly offered a sweet tofu wrapped rice Inari, which reminded me of my go-to snack when I lived in Taipei. You could buy them three for a dollar at any 7-11 or Family Mart, staples in Asia. Fish has an unfortunate gag reflex on my body, but I had a nibble and was surprisingly impressed. The salted cod was incredibly subtle and the rice had a slightly eggy taste with a peppery finish. Although not a slurpable, their Salt Cod Inari Pockets were one of the hits of the show.

A-OK's Szechuan chicken and cold buckwheat soba noodles proved more of an acquired taste for the Western palate. Those not familiar with the tingly Szechuan 'ma la' peppercorns might have been in for a shocker. They seem to set your taste buds on fire, numb your tongue, and cause everything, including water, to taste sour until the pepper has run its course.

At Leslieville's Skin + Bones Wine Bar (980 Queen St. E) booth, we feasted on an unlikely Taiwanese snack that I was used to seeing awkwardly translated into English as 'chicken butts' but what Chef Matthew Sullivan preferred to call by its more noble name, chicken tails. Basically deep fried, to the point of rendering the chicken fat, slathered in a green onions and oyster sauce mixture, they burst in our mouths like chewy chicken soup pillows. Forget about bacon or guanciale, this is the new decadence. Also notably decadent was the square of cold pressed egg yolk, that accompanied their warm soba noodles. If you didn't know any better, you'd think it was processed cheese.

Which leads us Splendido and The County General's combined table where they were serving up mini pork belly Big macs with good old Kraft singles slices. I've never been much of a fan of the Mickey Dee's staple, but after one of these guys, Big Macs have been ruined forever. It was like eating the most incredibly moist and supple pat of butter, lost in a creamy Thousand Island tsunami.

Splendido's (88 Harbord St.) opulent style of dining could never allow room on the menu for ramen, but if they did, they might taste a little like the creamy porcini-brothed, whole truffles shaved into bowls of joy garlicky joy that were presenting with slow cooked eggs that poach literally in their shells.

Mobile food specialists, Babi & Co, presented thick yellow egg noodles bucked the clear light broth trend with their rich Balinese shrimp and pork gravy-like soup, or Mie Udong. Floating about were tender barbecued pork belly chunks, crispy lardons, shallots and a miraculously tender shrimp that had absorbed all the soup flavours like an epic culinary sponge.

GwaiLo, another pop up food and catering specialty booth has seen temporary serving spots like the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel. Chef Nick Liu served his mother in law's South African Hakka style rice noodle with a sweet-brothed crispy pork hock and press pork hock with Asian pear and pickled onions for contrasting tartness.

Matching in sweetness was the St. Catherine's food truck, El Gastronomo Vagabundo's Thai Tom Yum soup with a duck broth and cherry tomatoes, perfectly balanced in the elements of spicy, salty and sour, and one of the liveliest broths of the show.

Hawthorne Food & Drink (60 Richmond St. E.) served a slow cooked duck confit pho but what really had my eyes popping were their pork and chickpea momos created by visiting Tibetan-Indian chef Tashi, who had cooked for the Dalai Lama on multiple occasions. The chickpeas had been slow cooked to the point where it matched the pork's chewiness in a textural sweet spot.

Their neighbors just up the street, Richmond Station (1 Richmond St. W.), run by Chef Carl Heinrich winner of Canada's Top Chef Season 2 delighted crowds with his mother-in-law's Vietnamese jungle pho recipe. What better way to honour his family than serving it with on the spot snipped up bird eye chilies and tender beef flank. The freshly cut oils diffused immediately into the guinea hen broth -- I think I might bring my own pair of scissors next time I hit up my local pho joint.

After all this, was there room for dessert? While Sabai Sabai were sold clear out of their famous veal medallion Tom Yum soup, however there was still plenty of mango coconut sticky rice available. A staple in Thai street food, the slightly coconut milk creates a delicate contrast with the sweet rice and mango, leaving taste buds lusting for more.

By the end of the day, everywhere I looked, chefs were swapping dishes, and I can only imagine the level of scrutiny they were experiencing as the young masters decoded each other's recipes. Apparently over 100 restaurants applied and many that were approved were left on curator Suresh Doss's (of foody haven Spotlight Toronto) waiting list, so in case you missed out on the sold out event, there's always the possibility of a sequel.

Photo by PJ Mixer in the blogTO Flickr pool

Toronto events on March 5, 2013

MUSIC | Erykah Badu
Grammy Award-winning neo soul artist Erykah Badu is back in Toronto to relive her glory days. Performing from her 1997 acclaimed debut album Baduizm, Badu will sing her early hits, including "On and On." A little political, a little eccentric, Badu will hit the stage at 9:15PM after opener DJ A1. Tickets are still available through Ticketmaster.
Kool Haus (132 Queens Quay East) 8PM $70

PARTY | The 2nd Official Bourbonite Regret Society of Toronto Party
Everyone has nights they regret so why not add a little bourbon into the mix? The Official Bourbonite Regret Society of Toronto gathers for their second party tonight at The Piston to celebrate the release of The Old Salts latest EP The Blue Collar, and bourbon-fuelled regrets. The Most Loyal, Mikey Chuck Rivers and Gavin Slate will also perform. Doors open at 8PM. Come make memories you'll later regret.
The Piston (937 Bloor Street West) 8PM $5

FILM | Road Map to Apartheid
Cinema Politica returns to the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema with Eron Davidson and Ana Nogueira's provocative 2012 documentary Road Map to Apartheid. In collaboration with Israeli Apartheid Week, this thoughtful doc, narrated by Alice Walker, compares the policies of white South Africa and Israel as part of the ongoing discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Tickets are available at the Bloor box office.
Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor Street West) 6:45PM $10

PHOTOGRAPHY | Private Parking
Photographer Matthew Dupuis opens his latest exhibit Private Parking at Village Vinyl, an exploration of rock 'n roll culture and street art. Documentary photos of musicians like Metric, Scorpions and Dylan Rudd will be on display at the New Toronto record shop after hours. Doors open to the public at 7PM.
Village Vinyl (2925 Lakeshore Boulevard West) 7PM Free

ALSO OF NOTE

• Art Creates Change: Sonia Boyce, "Good Morning Freedom"
• Pivot
• Vintage Bridal Trunk Show

MORE EVENTS THIS WEEK

For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:

• This week in food
• This week in fashion
• This week in film
• This week in theatre
• This week in comedy
• This week in music
• Toronto concerts, March 2013

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Photo courtesy of Erykah Badu

Toronto residents like the idea of setting term limits for city council, according to a new poll. The figures from Forum Research estimate 61% of people support limiting how long a mayor can remain in office, fewer people - 58% - want to put an expiry date on councillors. Naturally, some local politicians don't like the idea. What do you think - should city councillors be forced from office?

Also in councillors, there will be a vote next month to decide whether our elected officials should open their private records to the public. If approved, councillors' schedules could be published online. Do you agree with coun. Paula Fletcher when she says "people should be able to know what I'm doing with my time while I'm on the city dime."?

A test model of Toronto's new streetcar will get its first road test later this month. The longer, low-floor Bombardier vehicles have a significantly higher capacity that the existing streetcars. The TTC unveiled the first of the 204 vehicles at its Hillcrest facility in November. The time, date, and route of the test haven't been confirmed.

The Toronto Star is cutting 55 jobs in a bid to shore up its business. The company says declining ad revenue is behind the decision to outsource copy editing and page design to a company jointly owned by the Star's parent company Torstar Corp. and the Globe and Mail, among others. According the Globe and Mail, the cost of outsourcing the work is just over half that of keeping it in-house.

Are one of your great-grandparents N. E. Waring or Hilda MacLeod? If so, Joel Cormier and Ashley Cameron want to hear from you. The pair found a stash of letters from the first world war in their attic and are hoping to track down the relatives of people shown in photographs and referenced in the writing. The letters discuss in detail the horror of the conflict.

Finally, do you own a Canada Goose jacket? So does everyone else, apparently. This makers of this song, which the the text says only took two hours to shoot, aren't too crazy about Toronto's sartorial uniformity. Warning: some of the lyrics are possibly not suitable for work, depending on where you work.

IN BRIEF:

• Suspects arrested after reported Tasty Pizza robbery [CBC]
• Police cite white minivan taxi in sex-assault probe [Globe and Mail]
• U of T names Meric Gertler as next president [Toronto Star]

Image: "Chinatown" by Acid_Punk/blogTO Flickr pool.

A few ex-pats from Toronto look to have grabbed the title of most energy efficient light bulb. University of Toronto graduates Gimmy Chu, Tom Rodinger and Christian Yan have created the NanoLight, an LED light bulb that uses almost half the 20 watts other manufacturers need to pump out the equivalent of a 100 watt incandescent bulb, with no heat sink. While they've built everything so far with their own money, the NanoLight team has turned to Kickstarter for the final push to get the bulbs manufactured.

I spoke to Gimmy Chu, now working in San Diego, about the funny-looking bulb and how the project came together.

So how did you three get started on the NanoLight?

Two of us were doing our undergrad at U of T and the other one, Tom, was doing his PhD at U of T. We were all part of the solar car team and Tom was actually the lead engineer on the team. He designed all of the electronics within the solar car.

We got together about three years ago, and our initial initiative was to build a solar power generator. We wanted a consumer-grade solar power generator and we wanted to create a really energy-efficient light bulb to go with it. As we went down that path of developing the solar generator, we realized what a big invention we had created with this super energy-efficient light bulb. We decided, 'hey, we shouldn't just make this for solar purposes, let's make it universal for all kinds of light fixtures.' And that's when we made it compatible with the standard light bulb socket.

We still have this solar product that's under development and almost ready for the market, it was just, we were developing two products at the same time and we realized we would just go with the light bulb instead. There's a much bigger market for it and there's a lot more benefit in releasing something that everyone can use, rather than solar products --- that's a much smaller market.

When did work start?

We started working together probably three years ago. We actually come from all different backgrounds. Tom did his PHD and he was working in the biotech industry in Vancouver, while I've been working as a technology consultant on various clients around North America for the last seven or eight years. Christian, he actually manages a manufacturing facility in China. The three of us remained friends throughout the years and we got together about three years ago and just decided to take all of the knowledge and experience we have and apply it towards real-world products.

Tom left his job about a year, a year-and-a-half ago to dedicate time to creating these products. I travel to Asia maybe once every two or three months to push the manufacturing side of things forwards. I work around the clock. We're working day and night. In the end we're definitely excited about all of the support we're getting, and to take many years of work and bring it all together to actually create something.

Have any of the big bulb manufacturers shown interest in the technology?

Not yet. We've had a lot of exposure to people in the lighting industry, and there's a lot of buzz around there because we are a much smaller company than they are --- it sounds a little strange that three engineers from Toronto are able to come up with such a technological breakthrough, but the LED industry is still quite young and all the different companies are coming up with their own innovations in that area.

Where did the design for the bulb come from?

We wanted to find a way to make an omni-directional light bulb. We had to find a way to have the bulb shine light in all directions, that's kind of a demand for most existing light bulbs out there. Most LEDs, when an LED cell sits on a circuit board, it shines light directly away from the circuit board. At a maximum it's 180 degrees of light, and it's actually more like a flashlight. But by creating a bulb that actually shines in all directions it mimics the classic incandescent bulb.

What is the biggest challenge?

The challenge for us is being able to establish the company. We are a small company with very limited resources. So far it's been 100 per cent self-funded. All the time and and energy we put into it has been our own expense. That has been the biggest challenge, and we're really excited to receive all the pledges from Kickstarter and actually start production on our light bulb.

When will people be getting their bulbs?

The first set are expected to ship out in May, and then we have orders going all the way through to September, and pretty soon we'll be looking at going into December as well. We haven't reached out to any of [the big-box retailers] yet. We have distributors reaching out to us, but at the moment we're looking to fulfill our Kickstarter orders and once we have our manufacturing process down, we're going to start working with distributors around the world to get the light bulb in more places.

Why use Kickstarter?

We liked the idea to be able to reach the end consumers and the people that are actually interested in new, innovative ways to solve problems, and a lot of those types of people are on Kickstarter working for new technologies and interested in supporting what they believe in, and I think that was really the reason for us. At the same time we really needed a way to get our product out there and see what people actually think about it. It's been a great platform for us because through that, we were able to see that people were actually interested in this and we were able to get a lot of media coverage from it as well.

What happens now?

I think we're going to continue developing more and more products. For now our goal is to help facilitate the transition to LED light bulbs. In the next few years incandescents are being phased out, CFLs are being phased out, so the only real alternative is LED lighting. The focus of our company is really to continue to innovate and create solutions for some of the world's problems, and not just around the lighting industry but also in solar and alternative energy solutions.

Writing by Greg Burchell

Cupcakes are pretty nice. Vodka can do even nicer things to your brain. Hmmm. What would happen if you combined the two? By way of further proof that we've reached the end of history, a new bakery/bar in Toronto is doing just that: vodka martinis garnished with tiny little cupcakes.

Read my profile of Bite Bar to find out how it all works.

This week on DIneSafe didn't call for any closures, but it did see a healthy collection of restaurants teetering on the edge of acceptability. Yonge south of Bloor was hit with a couple of conditional passes, with Wrap & Roll, Dumpling Queen, and Papaya all handed their respective yellow cards. The Friendly Greek — no stranger to the DineSafe low list — again found itself with a less-than-stellar report, as did Moonlight Restaurant over on Dundas West. Here's a look at some of the DineSafe highlights from this week.

Culture's (200 King St W)
Inspected on: February 26
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 0, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to ensure/provide for proper employee hygiene/handwashing, inadequate food temperature control

Dumpling Queen (649 Yonge St)
Inspected on: February 28
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 11 (Minor: 4, Significant: 6, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to protect food from contamination

Moonlight Restaurant (2198 Dundas St W)
Inspected on: February 25
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 3, Significant: 5, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Inadequate food temperature control

New Sun BBQ (3833 Midland Ave)
Inspected on: February 28
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 0, Significant: 3, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Inadequate food temperature control, failure to ensure/provide for proper employee hygiene/handwashing

Papaya (545 Yonge St)
Inspected on: February 26
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 8 (Minor: 2, Significant: 5, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Inadequate food temperature control

Paprika Restaurant (3450 Bathurst St)
Inspected on: February 26
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 3, Significant: 0, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to protect food from contamination, inadequate food temperature control

The Friendly Greek (551 Danforth Ave)
Inspected on: February 28
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 8 (Minor: 3, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to protect food from contamination

Wrap & Roll (519 Yonge Street)
Inspected on: February 27
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 10 (Minor: 2, Significant: 6, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to protect food from contamination, inadequate food temperature control

Down a whopping million dollars since its listing back in October, this Yorkville-area home is now being offered for a bargain basement $6,950,000. Complete with an excessive amount of natural light, ceiling height, and bathrooms, 21 Boswell Avenue is certainly suited to those who like to make a statement. Or those who like their home to make a statement — whatever. Here's what you'll get for 13 per cent off.

SPECS:

Address: 21 Boswell Ave
Price: $6,950,000
Lot size: 50x93.50
Storeys: 3
Bedrooms: 4+1
Bathrooms: 6
Parking spaces: 4
Ceiling height: 17ft
Taxes: $29,534.36 (2012)
Exterior: Stucco
Pool: In-ground

NOTABLE FEATURES:

Rooftop garden
Heated drive
Built-in sound system
Oak/ heated limestone floors
Aluminum kitchen cabinets
Floating rolled steel and limestone second-floor catwalk
Custom maple bathroom vanities
Sauna
Games room
Wine cellar
Electronically controlled blinds
Built-in garage
Salt water pool
Central vacuum

GOOD FOR:

Very tall people, very artsy people, those who appreciate extreme open-concept. Good for wowing dinner guests with a dramatic interior reveal and showing off those 20x8 canvas works of art. Good for those who consider themselves the oddballs on the block.

MOVE ON IF:

You have a toddler, rogue pets, a Roomba. Move on if you care not to see your own reflection in the kitchen cabinets/island/various ceilings. Move on if you're looking for cozy or anything resembling traditional charm.

Additional photos

If you had the dough, would you buy this home? Let us know where you stand in the comments below.