Hidden bars and restaurants in Toronto are as elusive as ever, but you’re not going to let the most mysterious ones of all get away from you unexplored, are you? You’re just as sly as these bars are and you can memorize all the secret handshakes, coded knocks, passwords and roundabout directions for entry you need to.

Here are my picks for the top new hidden bars and restaurants in Toronto.

SP184

In the alley behind Superpoint there’s a door marked simply SP184. Step through the door under the bright and colourful light and into a bare-bones industrial hangout where DJs spin, shots flow freely and beers from Burdock to Coors flow even freer. You can sit down and order pizza on a Friday or Saturday night or have your own private event here.

The Cloak

Inside Marben on Wellington, this bar is entered through a doorway marked by a neon sign and then a flight of steps must be traversed. A grand variety of gin cocktails are served in this speakeasy along with communal punches, “resurrected liquors” and a whole range of bevvies inspired by IndoChine and the Spice Route using spices and teas.

Pai Market

Hidden inside powerhouse Thai restaurant Pai (run by the same folks behind Sabai Sabai and Sukhothai), Pai Market serves a revolving but limited menu of such specialties as red curry chicken, stir-fried bamboo shoots, and deep-fried garlic chicken exclusively for weekday lunch.

Escobar

Freshly moved across the street (it used to be inside Valdez), this secretive spot can be found on an upper level of Baro. There’s an elevator to get up there, but you’ll have to know the daily-changing password to sample the cocktails and take selfies with the neon get into this place.

Attico

This tapas bar is located in the mezzanine of one of Toronto's most breathtaking buildings on Peter, offset just a bit from the hub of Queen and Spadina. Order a drink and select from the plates of smoked fish crostini, mushroom tartlets, and duck empanadas floating about.

The Palisades is one of those rare streets in Toronto that offers a sweeping view over parkland with the city in the distance. Located above High Park, residents cultivate a distance from the concrete and steel of the metropolis, but are also just a few minutes walk from Line 2. In other words, it's pretty much ideal.

This home at 36 The Palisades, which is featured in a Property Brothers episode, has been recently rebuilt to take full advantage of the unique view it enjoys. In place of the early 20th century home that once occupied the site, the current iteration boasts a modern design sensibility without ever pushing into industrial territory.

In addition to the view of the park, the backyard is home to a mature stand of trees, which makes the lot private as can be. So even while the ample windows cast the space in light, there's no concern about showing your business off to the neighbours. 

It'll take deep pockets to enjoy all the features this house has to offer, though. Listed at $2,795,000, it's not the type of property that you can hope to get a deal on. The structure is new and the location is superb. On the flip side, it's sure to gain in value even if the market cools off a bit. 

SPECS

• Address: 36 The Palisades
• Price: $2,795,000
• Lot Size: 56 x 69 feet
• Bedrooms: 4
• Bathrooms: 4
• Parking: 3
• Taxes: $8,499
• Walk Score: 56
• Transit Score: 88
• Listing agent: Gary Tautt, Remax
• Listing ID: W3668796

NOTEWORTHY FEATURES

• Stunning view of High Park
• Heated garage with basement access
• High end appliances
• Italian tile
• In-floor heating

GOOD FOR

An active family. Looking at the view of High Park is one thing, but getting out there and using it is the real joy. Thanks to a convenient set of stairs, residents can be hiking the trails in just a minute from this location.

MOVE ON IF

You think the price warrants more space. You're sinking a lot into the unique location here, and if that's not a huge selling point, you can get more house for your investment elsewhere. Despite the convenience of a walkable subway station, this neighbourhood is not particularly walkable, which might also prove troublesome to potential buyers.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Thanks to Bosley Real Estate Ltd, Brokerage for sponsoring our House of the Week. All content and editorial selected and written by blogTO.

Restaurants for New Year's dinner in Toronto range from affordable to pricey. You can choose to eat early and party hop or grab a late seating and count down to 2017 as you dine.

Here are my picks for the top restaurants for New Year's dinner in Toronto.

The Ace

The Roncesvalles favourite is a tight little spot, but it's very much worth it if you can make it inside. They have a prix fixe dinner on the big night, which includes mains like seared filet of beef with truffle mashed potatoes and complimentary glasses of bubbly. Reserve your table for 10 p.m. or later and join them for the countdown. 

Bar Begonia

This Parisian-style spot on Dupont is doing an early dinner starting at 7:15 p.m., and then clearing the tables for a special NYE cocktail party at 9:30 p.m. They're taking reservations now and your $50 ticket includes champagne and canape's throughout the night.

Beast

This cozy dining space on Tecumseth is heavy on carnivorous offerings and will be hosting a family-style dinner at $75 per person. It starts at 6:30 p.m., making it a great spot to start off. The menu includes lobster, duck, oysters and pickerel.

Birreria Volo

This snacking and beer spot and will celebrate NYE from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. with a no-ticket, no-dress code night of drinking and eating. They're opening different bottles from their cellar every hour a with small-plate menu that's drool worthy.

Boralia

The four-course set tasting menu at this Americana restaurant on Ossington is $75. It features lobster spaghetti, a venison rack and a dessert to die for. Lucky for you, they're still taking bookings in advance.

Byblos

This Middle Eastern spot features both a three-course and four-course spread, which comes with a wine pairing option. There's also a four-course vegetarian option and a simpler a la carte menu until 7:30 p.m. if you want to eat earlier.

Chantecler

Parkdale's French bistro-style resto promises "no prix fixe gouge a thon." Instead, they're offering their full menu from 6 to 11 p.m., with sharing plates and some specials including, oysters Rockefeller and lobster bisque.

The Chase

The rooftop wonder known as The Chase will have three NYE dinner seatings at 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., with a menu including venison tartare, grilled atlantic lobster and Hokkaido scallops. The first seating is $90 a person; the second and third are $125 each.

Carbon Bar

This Queen East gem will be serving a family-style feast with three seatings. The first and second seatings are set at $59 and $79 per person, but it's the $99 final seating, which carries into the New Year that you really want to bite into. The price includes champagne at midnight.

The Commodore

This Parkdale fish restaurant has been getting top marks this past year for its menu and decor. They'll be open on NYE with a super simple and classic set up serving oysters and half price sparkling wine. Book a table in advance and celebrate new beginnings on the lighter side (other menu items and drinks will also be available).

DaiLo

Chef Nick Liu's NYE tasting menu is a work of art. The menu is $75 per person with the option of adding wine pairings for another $50 per person.

Doma

French-inspired Korean is on the menu for the end of 2016 at this College Street hideaway. They have a special set menu for $75 and you'll get a glass of bubbly, an amuse bouche and a three course pre fixe dinner. You can tack on a $35 for drink pairings. There are two seatings available at 5:30 p.m and 8 p.m and the menu features duck, beef striploin, fish, shrimp and loads more.

El Rey

Kensington Market's mezcal bar and restaurant from Grant van Gameren and his talented team are doing a NYE tasting menu for two at $50 per couple. There will also be a DJ to help ring in the New Year.

The Emerson

This Bloordale Village restaurant's fun vibe and menu get one last chance to shine in 2016 with a special NYE Year of the Rooster party. They're serving a four-course dinner at $65 a person with two seatings through the night. DJ Dolo Rock will be spinning. Be sure to call and book in advance.

Figo

You've probably walked by this gorgeous spot at Adelaide and John, with its soaring ceilings and open kitchen and thought one day, I want to hang out in there. Well hang out for NYE! Chef Anna Chen has planned a four-course prix fixe menu at $85 a head. Steaks, pizza with truffles and pumpkin and ricotta cheesecake will make for a delicious night.

Harvest Kitchen

This charming Harbord Street spot is hosting a very special NYE feast. It's call Good Food for Good, and it's a family-style vegetarian dining experience with consciously-sourced ingredients. Proceeds will go to the not-for-profit Building Roots TO to help raise awareness on food insecurity in Toronto. Tickets range from $50 to $80.

Her Father's Cider

Toronto's first cider bar is throwing a NYE party that features a five-course tasting dinner with cider pairings. It's $75 and with pairings it's $120. There are various seating times available and it's reservations-only for this one, so hurry up and book a spot.

Kasa Moto

Make a reservation now for a delicious family-style dinner at this Yorkville spot. Okay, it's $120 a person, but that includes champagne and some delicious signature Japanese dishes, like Wagyu beef carpaccio and a whole grilled sea bass.

Lamesa

Celebrate with a five-course Filipino-style feast for $65. There are vegetarian options available, and while menu details haven't been released yet, this comfort-food zone is going to be fun. Make sure to reserve in advance.

Lavelle

Lavelle is throwing a full-out black and white affair party for NYE. You can get a table starting at 8 p.m. for $165 a person. It's a 10-course menu that includes sparkling wine and party favours. Bottle services packages start after dinner with DJ ESP.

Loka

Toronto's first Kickstarter-funded restaurant takes care of both meat-lovers and vegetarians during its NYE feast. It's $75 a person with two seperate five-course menus available.

Mamakas

What might be Toronto's most gorgeous Greek restaurant is celebrating NYE simply by adding some one-off additions to its regular menu. Celebrate the loss of 2016 inside this 86-seat bright Ossington hot-spot. Reserve your seat and make sure you're in the middle of everything for the big night.

Maple Leaf Tavern

This is an old bar with a contemporary finish and it features afamily-style, $65 per person NYE menu, including rib eye, suckling pig and a w hole oxtail brioche, which is pre-order only and feeds four.

Mascot Brewery

On the ground floor, Mascot will be serving a four-course prix fixe dinner, which will flow right into the party upstairs at Odd Thomas. Seatings starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets start at $50.

Miku

This Janapanese restaurant from Vancouver deserves the hype. It's so yummy and impressive and its NYE dinner will not disappoint. It's a five-course, chef's choice menu of sashimi, entrées, famous aburi sushi and a decadent NYE dessert. There'll also be a photobooth and it's $140 a person.

Miss Thing's

It's a tiki disco and dinner party at Miss Thing's in Parkdale! Chef Japser Wu has created a p rix fixe dinner at $50 per person, which includes complimentary free entry to Tiki Disco 2017. You can get advance tickets now.

Montecito

Seating starts at 5 p.m. for this $75-a-person dinner. You'll need a reservation. The Late Night Affair party - with canapes, oysters, DJs, party favours and an open bar - starts at 10 p.m. It's for $85 basic entry and $110 for premium.

Noorden

Have a private Rijsttafel party, for groups of six or more, on the big night. Prices start at $48 a person. It's a traditional and elaborate Dutch meal and they're the only place in Toronto that does it. Food's available from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and then they're open late to ring in the New Year with cocktails.

Oyster Boy

The city's oyster experts are open NYE for take out from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call ahead and impress your friends by picking up oysters to shuck at home or (slightly less impressive to friends) pre-shucked platters. Prices vary, but again, call ahead for this one. 

Patria

Celebrate Spanish style with Patria, which is serving a special a la carte menu available until 7:30 p.m., followed by a three and four course prix-fixe with vegetarian menu options. Make sure to reserve a spot for this one.

Planta

Need to finish off your year with a plant-based meal? Planta's $55 meatless evening is for you. This Bay Street resto will serve family-style for NYE.

Smoke Signals

It's a NYE Carolina cookout at Smoke Signals with a night of "Whole hog and low country cookin." There are two seatings at 6 and 9 p.m. and it's $55 a person and that includes bubbles. You should expect a lot of meat and mouth-watering sides.

Thoroughbred Food & Drink

Located in the heart of the Entertainment District, Thoroughbred will be ringing in the New Year with tasting menus and a wild dance party. Supper is $55 or $75 per person and both come with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine. The restaurant will transform into a dance floor around 10 p.m. with DJ Boots Boogie and Forte spinning until 3 a.m.

Ufficio

There is one seating at 7 p.m. at this elegant Italian spot. You can reserve a spot in advance at this shrine to seafood and know that you'll eat like a king and queen of the sea. It's been called one of the city's most beautifully designed restaurants, so the setting for 2017 is just right.

Weslodge

It's an a la carte menu before 7.30 p.m., followed by a three-course prix fixe dinner for $75 a person at this glammed up downtown lodge on King West. The Saloon will be serving things like butter-poached lobster, braised rib and rum-soaked ginger bread.

While this Toronto bank robber might not have the most ominous-sounding name, Toronto Police are currently searching for a clean-cut looking man nicknamed the Lunchtime Bandit.

The man is said to be in his 20s, between 5'10" and 6'. He's wanted in connection with five bank robberies that occured along Yonge Street between November 21 and December 17.

Lunchtime Bandit has hit 5 banks along Yonge St in 4 weeks https://t.co/wR5kaUAn3g Call @TorontoPolice 416-808-7350 if u know him pic.twitter.com/JEoncULHEi

— Kevin Masterman (@tpspix) December 20, 2016

They allege that the man entered the banks and waited in line like a regular customer. When he approached a teller, he handed them a note, which demanded a specific amount of money and warned he was armed with a gun.

As CP24 writes, police described the man as "preppy" and said that the notes were "well-written."

All of the robberies happened along Yonge Street, between Davisville and Lawrence Street West, at around noon to 1 p.m.

In the wake of the horrific attack on a Christmas market in Berlin, which left 12 dead and 50 injured, the Toronto Christmas Market has heightened security in the Distillery District.

According to City News, Toronto Police don't believe the market's under threat. However, there are now concrete barriers surrounding the area as well as more paid-duty police officers patrolling the festive space. 

"We are deeply saddened by what happened at the Christmas Market in Berlin. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and with the people of Germany," said Mathew Rosenblatt, the market's executive producer, in an email statement to blogTO.

He noted that safety-related consultations happened before the market opened and continued throughout its run. 

"We have been speaking with our security team to evaluate the protocols that we have in place to protect our visitors," he continued. "These conversations continue today and we are making adjustments and enhancements to some of our current measures in light of yesterday’s event, for the benefit of our visitors, exhibitors and retailers."

Toronto is about to be home to a sprawling British-style pub at the bustling corner of Richmond and Peter streets. Called the Anne Boleyn, the new venture is headed up by Chantelle Gabino and the group behind Parts & Labour and is expected to open in February 2017. 

Located at the bottom of Tableau Condos, this is going to be a big space with somewhere around 250 seats. That number could potentially swell in the summer if they manage to get permission to open a patio in the intrguing outdoor area under the table-top podium of the building (which seems like it would be the perfect place to drink in a rain storm). 

According to a Toronto Star profile of Gabino, who's Parts & Labour's GM, the restaurant/bar will be outfitted with "plenty of brass and mohogany" and will even feature a library-like space. In other words, it will add a whole lot of warmth to a structure that right now lacks just that on the ground level. 

From what can be gathered from the shell of the pub prior to renovations, architect Steven Fong will have plenty of opportunities to design a dramatic space, given the soaring ceilings and the floorplan. Don't expect a beer hall here. There's likely to be plenty of intimacy despite the size.  

As for the food and drink, you'd expect the British inspiration to be more than just a marketing ploy, which is good if you miss a place like the Bristol (which kinda lives on as Janie Jones).

There's plenty of appetite for nouveaux pubs in Toronto, and based on the track record of the folks behind this one, you can expect it to be bursting at the seams when it opens its doors in a few months.

Epic hot chocolate drinks are the newest thing in Toronto, just in time for the the frigid weather. While the city has plenty of places serving up excellent cups of hot cocao, some local shops are taking the winter staple to new heights with wild ingredients and preparations.

Here are my picks for Toronto's most epic hot chocolate.

Peace Treats

If crazy milkshakes ain't your thing, opt for one of Peace Treats' over-the-top hot drinks. On the menu this winter you'll find their S'more Money, S'More Problems hot chocolate which is loaded with toasted marshmallows, chocolate and graham cracker bits.

Sweet Jesus

The shop may be famous for their epic soft serve, but come winter time they pull out all the stops on their drink menu. They have multiple hot chocolate options on the menu but a real standout is their 'The New Basic,' a spiced sweet potato hot chocolate.

MoRoCo Chocolat

This shop dishes out all your favourite chocolate baked goods and confections. If you're looking for something to warm you up, order their flavour-infused hot chocolate and smother it with their homemade marshmallows.

A photo posted by Joanna Sable (@joannasable) on Dec 5, 2016 at 6:44pm PST

Grey Tiger

The cafe and cocktail bar serves up one outrageous adult hot chocolate. This offering is spiked with booze and topped with stout whipped cream, roasted marshmallow and chocolate coffee dust. Yum!

Teddy Story

Drinks at Toronto's first teddy bear cafe are anything but basic. They serve flavoured hot chocolates like toasted marshmallow topped with mini marshmallows and drizzled with chocolate syrup

A photo posted by blogTO (@blogto) on Dec 20, 2016 at 3:51pm PST

Toronto is just pushing through its first true cold spell of the season. While we have milder weather to look forward to, the last week of frigid temperatures and high winds have laid the groundwork for what is always one of the city's most incredible natural art shows: waterfront ice sculptures.

You need a cold spell and some decent waves for the good ones to form, but once they do, natural sections of the shoreline become surreal places complete with twisted and jagged ice that looks decidely alien. 

"Shopping Cart, December 2016" by Ossington.

The Leslie Street Spit is probably the best spot to see these formations thanks to the rugged shore dotted with bricks and rebar, but areas around the Scarborough Bluffs and Humber Bay are also coldly beautiful as well. 

This year's ice sculptures have yet to be rigourously documented because it's still so early in the season, but you can expect the photos above will be joined by loads more over the course of winter as brave photographers bundle up and venture out to capture these icy artifacts on our shore. 

Have a look at the photos below from previous years to see what's in store.

"Save Me from the Cold" by Gary Cummins.

"Ice Fog V" by ~EvidencE~.

"Calm" by WKeefe.

"Ice Land Spit Series IV" by ~EvidencE~.

"Frozen Etheral" by *CityPines*.

"-40 Windchill Leslie Spit" by ~EvidencE~.

"The Ice Queen" by Frank Lemire.

Toronto has more food trucks on its streets than ever before. You can indulge your cravings for ice cream, cupcakes, Ethiopian food and stuffed chicken wings thanks to these mobile restaurants that show up and park all across the city both at the curbside and pre-planned events and festivals.

But lately, it seems like many of the four-wheelers are putting on the brakes to open bricks and mortar eateries. It started with food truck-turned-restaurants such as Gourmet Gringos and Fidel Gastro's (which runs Lisa Marie) and continues as more and more trucks continue to announce their plans to open up permanent locations.

Kristin Butler says the transition was inevitable. She and her husband run Eva's Original Chimneys, a truck that serves Hungarian kürtőskalács, a type of pastry. After they debuted their so-called doughnut cones this year, customers ate their concept right up.

“We have to be open every day to meet customer demand. So that’s what really pushed us to open a storefront,” says Butler.

Their store, which is slated to open this February, will be located at 454 Bloor St. W., in the Annex - an area Butler chose thanks to its high foot traffic. 

She says this location will serve as their homebase and commissary and will also let Torontonians and visitors grab a doughnut cone whevever a craving sets in. 

“We get a lot of messages on Instagram, and even a lot of emails saying, 'Where can I find you today? Where can I find you today"? notes Kristin, who even gets inquiries from out-of-towners who are coming to the city for a few days. Soon, she'll be able to give them a definitive answer.

Toronto's other kürtőskalács truck is also going the bricks and mortar route. After the founders of Chimney Stax, Matt Lindzon and Zach Fiskel, appeared on Dragon's Den, they teamed up with Joe Mimran and are in the process of opening kiosks in places like shopping centres in Toronto and beyond.

Fellow food truck Burgatory also opened a restaurant this year, along with others, like the M.E.N.U. Food Truck (which opened Pokito with Bake Code) and Sushitto.

Alexei Van Peteghem, who runs Burgatory with his mom, says that with their restaurant, the food truck helps augment business and vice versa.

The food truck business is seasonal, but now they can remain active all year round. They never sold curbside and Van Peteghem says he can now be pickier about which festivals and events chooses to attend.

Sebastian Galluci, on the other hand, is just getting out of the food truck business now. He's in the process of selling his truck Che, which he ran for two seasons, and is looking at spaces in order to open up his own Argentinian-style snack bar.

"In my opinion, I think a food truck is a great way to start a business and get out there and meet people. I mean, you can be anywhere, right?” he says.

This past weekend he took over the kitchen at Churchill for a two-day pop-up. On Friday, he says he sold out by 9 p.m. Now, he plans to travel around Argentina in January, visiting family as well as plenty of restaurants for inspiration.

“For me," he says, "the food truck was like a stepping stone. My goal was to open a place."

It seems like that was the end game for many of his fellow food truckers too.

Today in Toronto is the winter solstice and there are several super cool events to help celebrate the longest day of the year, the main one being Kensington Market's festival of fire and drama. The 27th annual Winter Solstice Parade of Lights and outdoor party is like watching your favourite children's book come to life on the streets, and you won't find a friendlier crowd anywhere in the city.

The Toronto Sexual Assault Action Coalition (SAAC) is planning a demonstration on Friday outside of the College Street Bar to show solidaritary with survivors of sexual assault.

Earlier this week, Carasco Enzo Dejesus, 31, and Gavin MacMillan, 41, were arrested and each charged with with forcible confinement, sexual assault as party to the offence with any other person and sexual assault.

Toronto Police allege that on the evening of December 16, a 24-year-old woman was given alcohol and illegal drugs and was forcibly confined and sexually assaulted at a bar in the College and Manning area.

As the Toronto Star previously reported, MacMillan was listed as the owner of the College Street Bar in the same area.

Earlier this week, the SAAC started a petition, urging College Street Bar to participate in anti-harrassment and anti-sexual assault training, among other requests. 

According to the event description, the demonstration on Friday will be a peaceful one.

"With the holidays fast approaching we must stand in solidarity for the survivors of sexual assault and violence that may feel alone, isolated and need our support. Lend your voice, body and heart to our peaceful demonstration of solidarity for the survivor of the College Street Bar assault," it reads.

It continues, "We will be gathering outside of College Street Bar with our words and signs of solidarity. There is no room for silence, there is no room for complacency. Let's come together and build a community of support and hold this place and the people responsible for this horrid crime accountable."

A milestone in the PRESTO rollout has been quietly achieved this month. Every TTC subway station now features at least one entrance equipped with card readers or fare gates for the new payment system that's expected to take over the entire transit system by 2018.

There is, of course, plenty of work left to be done before everyone will happily use the green card, but amidst various news of delays to the rollout, it's worth noting that it's becoming far more feasible to ditch tokens as we head into 2017.

The next step is to ensure that PRESTO is available at each and every entrance to stations across the system, something which is still months away. A host of bus routes across the network also await the installation of PRESTO card readers.

It would also be marvellous if they could fix all of the malfunctioning reload machines, but let's be generous and mark the achievments that have been made. The TTC is slowly entering the present.

If you've ever been on the streetcar when transit officers board, your heart probably starts thumping as you get nervous, regardless of whether or not you paid your fare.

However, as the Toronto Star reports, the TTC is will now start to use undercover or plainclothes officers in order to curb fare evasion on Toronto streetcars.

Between January and June of this year, fare evasion rates sat at just under three per cent. And in the same time period, transit fare officers inspected more than 1 million riders.

The Star notes that these undercover officers won't be responsible for catching fare evaders or writing tickets, instead they'll signal to uniformed inspectors about passengers who haven't paid.

That means it'll be harder for you to weasel your way out of a ticket and a fine, which could cost you $245.

The Toronto real estate market is bonkers. It keeps getting hotter as prices, especially prices on single-family detached houses, continue to rise.

A house this weekend, for instance, sold for more than $400,000 over asking and it wasn't even located in Toronto proper.

The 2,670 square-foot home in Vaughan, at 10 Hinda Lane near Dufferin and Steeles, was priced low at $699,900, reports the Toronto Star today. About 800 people visited the open house last weekend and around 50 made offers.

It sold for $1.1 million in original condition, free of renovations since about 1984. Though as the Star notes, the owners did replace the furnace. 

Wow.

Do you want to build a snowman? Clearly, Da Mao, one of the giant pandas at the Toronto Zoo wants to. Although he seems more intent on destroying his new friend when it really comes down to it.

Zookeepers built a snowman for Da Mao, apparently for "enrichment" purposes. Just as other Toronto Zoo videos show, our guest pandas seem delighted by the snow, seemingly more than anyone else in the city.

News of this snowy confrontation traveled around the world and was picked up by the likes of BBC, among other international outlets.

Will someone take me to the Toronto zoo so I can see the Pandas playing in the snow?

— Walt Chrisney (@Chris_Waltner) December 21, 2016

If you need to make your day a little bit cuter, watch the whole video of Da Mao meeting a snowman. You might just want to head outside and make one too. 

Hawaiian poke restaurants in Toronto have taken the city by storm. In case you haven’t been immersed in the number of new places serving this dish, it’s pronounced “poh-kay” and is derived from Hawaiian terms for cutting, chopping, or slicing crosswise, which produces the cubes of raw fish that star in poke.

Here are my picks for the top Hawaiian poke restaurants in Toronto.

North Poke

This colourful casual Kensington Market eatery does poke the traditional Hawaiian way, butchering fish in the shop and serving it marinated rather than 100% fresh. This brings out the flavours in their ahi and albacore salads with flavours like togarashi, ponzu and ginger. Bonus: try their cheap, quick but made to order spam musubi.

Pokito

This place allows you to mix and match to your heart’s desire as well, funneling you through an assembly line process where you can order a bowl or burrito stuffed with fresh salmon, tuna, scallops, or tofu, topped with quirky pineapple chow, lemongrass garlic corn, or Hawaiian guac.

Big Tuna Poke

Signature Big Katuna tuna bowls and Ninja salmon bowls are on offer here, and if you’re sensing a pattern, you’re right to assume they offer customizable options too. Situated on Bloor in Koreatown, not only do they offer high quality fish but there’s a vegan poke bowl here too.

Poke Guys

This casual spot near City Hall does simple poke well, offering marinated fish salads in options of just poke or signature or custom poke bowls. You won’t find any crazy burritos or other super unconventional poke creations here, but this spot does have a tofu version. Sauces like creamy togarashi and garnishes are free of charge.

Calii Love

This is arguably the other side of the poke spectrum, California style. There’s an emphasis on customizability with mixing and matching any ingredients, and the freshest, highest quality fish is emphasized. The love is emphasized here too, with a menu based on emotions.

New Year's Eve party ideas will take your party from a good time to something out of this world. Guests will not only be Instagramming like crazy, but  they'll keep talking about your shindig until 2018 after you dazzle them with these options.

Here are some entertainment ideas to make your NYE party a memorable one.

Invite a LED lit robot performer over

It's 2017! We live in the future! So why not have a dancing robot at your NYE party to lighten up the dancefloor? TI Bots have eight and 10 foot LED robot performers for hire and they include 1,000 LED lights and bilt-in hand lasers.

Fool your guests with an illusionist

Ray Chance is the current king of magic and illusions in Toronto. You can hire him for your party and he'll put on a full energtic show. Your guests will be his helpers and his amazing mentalism tricks will blow their minds before the countdown comes.

Hire an acrobatic bartender 

It's NYE, there's no way anyone is going to be impressed with a regular rented bartender; you need someone who can throw bottles around and pour drinks like it's gymnastics at the Olympics. Blackout Flair are champions behind the bar and have been crowned the top flair bartenders in Canada.

Keep the party going with a breakdancing crew

Your Private Dancers are a trio of Toronto break dancers who take street dancing into your living room or dance floor. They'll even work with you to create a custom routine for your party and help your guests learn a trick or two.

Bring the house down with a bongo troupe

If your party is fun, but it needs to be lit, consider hiring Bongo & B. They're a bongo-playing troupe who will drum out all kinds of genres of music for you, and also bring a DJ if you need. They're a full live entertainment and dance party package.

Rooftoppers in Toronto have quite a following online, and they're also responsible for capturing some of the most gorgeous shots of Toronto, but at what cost?

A new video, uploaded to YouTube by Canadian gymnast Casey Rogan, shows just how far rooftoppers are willing to push the limits.

In the nearly three minute clip, a group of unidentified individuals start to scale a building - the still unfinished L Tower condo - and then they start to climb an icy crane.

You can clearly see how high there are and for anyone even remotely scared of heights, this video will give you the heebie-jeebies.

Of course, the video comes with a "do not attempt warning," but I think most of us would rather keep our feet firmly planted on the ground, thank you very much. 

After its shaky debut last year, Winter Brewfest will return to Toronto on March 24 and 25 at the Enercare Centre's Heritage Court.

It promises to be bigger and better for its sophomore season with 150 different types of craft beer from Ontario and Quebec plus a host of food trucks in the 80,000 square-foot space.

Like many festivals, this one's going cash-free for 2017 - attendees will get an RFID bracelet and will get to tap it to pay for beer samples ($2 or $3 each) and food. There will also be a cicerone (beer sommelier) on site to help recommend suds. 

After Winter Brewfest last year, many festivalgoers left negative reviews for the event. They were miffed because it was too expensive and lots of breweries ran out of beer fairly early.

The Brewfest organizers responded and said they'd take all the feedback into consideration for 2017. We'll see what happens when March rolls around. 

Do you rely on printed schedules at TTC bus stops? You're going to have to get used to Toronto without them because the TTC's is phasing them out as part of a cost-saving initiative.

As Inside Toronto reports, the TTC thinks it can save money by not posting schedule and route updates. Instead, riders can use apps, such as NextTTC or even Google Maps, to plan out their trips.

TTC replaced the bus schedule at dufferin and orfus Rd with a sign that says "mobile apps......" . Rude

— Granola (@bagladyShan) September 27, 2016

As well, users can find out when their next bus will arrive by via text or they can call the TTC customer information line.

TTC got rid of the schedules at each bus stop but didn't upgrade with the digital schedule, instead it says to download apps.

— C.Jolie 🇰🇪 (@itsCJolie) November 14, 2016

Some, as Inside Toronto notes, are miffed because this move creates a barrier for those without access to a smartphone, or even a regular cellphone. 

This is a fair point, but how often do the TTC's surface vehicles run on time anyway? The printed schedule could always break your heart if you took it as gospel.