Toronto is about to be home to a new Vietnamese snack bar. The new spot will be called Pinky’s Ca Phe and is headed up by the team behind popular late night eats spots Oddseoul and Hanmoto.

A photo posted by Pinky's Ca Phe (@pinkys_caphe) on Dec 24, 2016 at 9:52am PST

It'll be located at 53 Clinton St. which was previously home to Fuel House. Before that it was Olivia's at 53.

The spot is a quirky Victorian home that's been converted into a cosy restaurant. The previous owners felt like the off-the-main-drag location proved challenging, but Leemo Han has already proved adept in a similar situation at Hanmoto.

The restaurant is nearing completion on renovations and is slated to open sometime this month.

The New York Times has just ranked Canada the #1 place to visit in 2017. Now, Toronto is the biggest city in our fine nation, so we're going to go ahead and take some of the credit for this honour, particularly considering the fact that we were was ranked a top travel destination last year by the same publication. 

The scope of the recommendation to visit Canada is wide, citing our national parks (free this year), natural wonders, events in celebration of the country's 150th birthday (plenty of which are happening in Toronto), and of course, our cosmopolitan areas.

Canada is our No. 1 pick for 52 Places to Go in 2017. Walk along these bridges for some incredible views. https://t.co/vKBxJyLFhp#Daily360pic.twitter.com/fZNOrUqVA8

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 4, 2017

If you dig into the Times criteria explaining the list, you'll also find a glowing endorsement for Toronto's culinary scene:

"Canada has it all (O.K., maybe not tropical beaches). It’s a world unto itself, with Vancouver Island surf breaks, culinary delights in Toronto and Montreal, and natural glories of parks like Banff in Alberta."

In general, the Times recommends that it's time for Americans to ditch the stereotypes they hold about their neighbour to the north, particularly because the exchange rate makes it so cheap for them to do so. 

"Canada remains a terra incognita for Americans and much of the world. It’s a great time to correct that, as the country celebrates its 150th anniversary this year... and currently offers a generous exchange rate with the United States dollar."

Well put.

Christmas may have come and gone, but Casa Loma's still celebrating, probably because school doesn't start again until next week. But things might now be a little less festive at Toronto's famous castle - and not only because it's January.

Reindeer were on site as part of Casa Loma's ongoing When You Wish Upon A Star winter wonderland event. However, according to CBC News, the reindeer, which were there since December 29, have to be removed. 

After receiving complaints about the reindeer, the city's animal service department reportedly charged Tiger Paw Exotics, the reindeers' owner on December 30. The company apparently violated the prohibited animal section of Toronto's municipal code - it says you can't keep certain animals, including reindeer, in the city.

If you were hoping to see Rudolph and friends in Toronto, you might have to wait and scan the skies next Christmas. 

Today in Toronto we get a great big dose of hope and excitement as Canada's World Junior Hockey team head to the gold medal game against team USA in Montreal. Unless you're adventurous and can head to Quebec to watch it live, we suggest catching all the action at one of the city's best sports bars. 

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

Open now

• Coffee shop/French bakery/weekend wine bar The Porch Light, from the owners of Bud's Coffee Bar, is open at 982 Kingston Rd. in the Upper Beaches.
• Hotmess Tex Mex has just opened at 615 College St. in Little Italy.
• Poke wraps and bowls are now being served at Poke Wrap, just across from Ryerson at 354 Yonge St.
• Mac-A-Tak, a "mac & cheese boutique" with elevated versions of everyone's favourite comfort food, has replaced Scratch Kitchen at 3472 Yonge St. (north of Lawrence).
• Ethiopian restaurant Shalom has replaced Spice House Indian Cuisine at 587 Parliament St. in Cabbagetown.

Recently reviewed

• Super Arzon Food Market
• Lake Inez
• Hopscotch

Opening soon

• Isaan Der, an "authentic northeastern Thai" spot is set to open in the former Baan Thai space very soon at 2961 Dundas St. W. in the Junction.
• Allwyn's, a fave in the city for its jerk chicken, will be opening a second location early next week in the food court of 4750 Yonge St. (just south of Sheppard) in North York.

Closed

• The original Starving Artist location on Lansdowne Ave. is no more, but no worries, the St. Clair West and College St. spots are still there, and another outpost will open in Davisville at 505 Mount Pleasant Rd. in February.
• Dundas West's L'Ouvrier has quietly shuttered.

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

Toronto's real estate market continues to soar, and 2016 was a historic year. The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) announced that for the second year in a row, we smashed a record for home sales.

TREB released its 2016 numbers today. There were 113,133 home sales last year - that's up 11.8 per cent in comparison to 2015. The average price of home in Toronto (including condos and semi-detached houses) rose to $740,685, or up more than 12 per cent since the previous year.

“A relatively strong regional economy, low unemployment and very low borrowing costs kept the demand for ownership housing strong in the GTA, as the region’s population continued to grow in 2016,” said TREB president Larry Cerqua in a news release.

It continues to be a seller's market out there as the demand for new listings far outweighs the supply of houses on the market - according to CBC News, the city hitting a 15-year low in December.

And we saw this play out in real time last month when an unremarkable suburban house in Vaughan garnered 50 offers before selling for $400,000 over asking.  

You might want to bundle up if you're heading outside today in Toronto. That's because w're currently sitting under an extreme cold weather alert. 

#ExtremeColdWeatherAlert has been issued for Toronto today. Details: https://t.co/CHvap8h4dK

— Toronto PublicHealth (@TOPublicHealth) January 5, 2017

Toronto's medical officer of health issues these warnings when temperatures are supposed to dip below -15 C or -20 with the wind chill.

According to Environment Canada, it's going to stay pretty chilly until early next week, but luckily, there's not too much snow in the forecast, so at least there's a silver lining despite the plummeting temperatures. 

Even though it's supposed to be -6 today, it'll feel much colder out. And as the Weather Network's forecast shows, it's the same story for the rest of the work week.

In an extreme cold weather alert, Toronto Public Health encourages Torontonians to check on vulnerable friends, family members and neighbours and to dress warmly when heading outside. It's also a good excuse to stay inside and bundle up with a hot chocolate and a good book. 

Toronto might have a raccoon problem, but it looks like the city's squirrels are getting in on the mischief too.

A YouTube account called StopThatSquirrelDropThatBar boasts two videos showing squirrels stealing chocolate goodies from a convenience store near Broadview Station. 

In the first video ("Kinder Bueno Kleptomanian"), uploaded on October 10, 2016, a squirrel steals a Kinder Bueno that was apparently worth $2.

In the second video ("Crunchie Caper") - which was uploaded yesterday but filmed on November 19, 2016 - a squirrel takes a Crunchie worth $1.80. If nothing else, these furry creatures have great taste in candy. 

According to CTV News, the videos originally appeared on Reddit when someone involved with running the store asked for advice on how to deal with these scheming, evil marauders. 

Winter might have put a temporary stop to these chocolate heists, but here's to betting that the furry-tailed bandits strike again come spring. 

Weekend events in Toronto will help us slowly move into what is sure to be a wild new year. There are several top-notch dance parties, a couple of noteworthy movie events and there's also the massive art party known as Long Winter happening at the Gladstone Hotel.

The top winter music festivals in Toronto will help banish the cold and heat up your fingers, toes and hearts with all kinds of music at various venues and parties. While we wait for confirmation whether or not Montreal's Igloofest will indeed take over Nathan Phillips Square next month, these fests are the perfect cure for the winter blues. 

TTC riders have started to get accustomed to WiFi in subway stations. While it might be annoying to take the time to log in on station platforms, at least there's a way to get online as you're waiting for a train or when you're stuck at station thanks to an inevitable delay.

Already, BAI Canada has rolled out TConnect - the TTC's WiFi network - at more than 40 stations across Toronto. There's also cellular service available at a host of stations, though only Freedom Mobile users can access it. The infrastructure is ready to go should a major carrier show interest in providing service within the TTC. 

And as TTC spokesperson Brad Ross recently hinted on Twitter, the subway tunnels are next.

@petrimoulx@tconnect As I indicated, coverage in tunnels will follow station rollout.

— Brad Ross (@bradTTC) December 31, 2016

While Ross doesn't have specifics, the work that's been done during the subway station rollout puts us closer to the next stage. According to Ross, it's likely that sometime in 2018 WiFi will start to be installed in the tunnels. 

This will undoubtedly be both a blessing and a curse; no one wants to sit next to someone who's streaming a video or Face-timing without wearing headphones.

As MobileSyrup previously reported, there are multiple challenges involved with these projects, including dated infrastructure and finding time to wire the trains during off-hours. Each train needs to be outfitted as a hotspot and additional wiring has to be installed throughout the vast tunnel network. 

Getting the entire system up and running will likely stretch well beyond next year.

Toronto is lagging behind in its wireless capabilities on the subway. Transit systems in cities around the world, including Montreal, already have some sort of wireless network in their underground tunnels. BAI Communications, for instance, just completed its rollout of WiFi to all 279 undergroundsubwaystations in New York City.

Things move slowly here, but there's light at the end of the tunnel.

We all know and love Winterlicious as a time to sample menus from some of Toronto's tastiest restaurants. Now a group of Italian restaurant owners and chefs are bringing a similar concept to Toronto this season in the form of an Italian restaurant week. 

The inaugural Giro d'Italia will take place January 26 to February 5. The 10 day food event will bring together some of Toronto's best restaurants to celebrate the cuisine of 10 different regions all across Italy.

Each restaurant will serve a four-course prix fixe dinner menu for $45. While some of the restaurants will serve a special three-course lunch menu for $30. Participating restaurants include Ardo, Enoteca Sociale, Quanto Basta, L'Unita, Zucca, Local Kitchen, Bricco, Locale Mercatto, Campagnolo and Asacari Enoteca.

Reservations area open and can be made by contacting each restaurant.

Palace Pier is one of Toronto's oldest condos, dating back to 1978 well before these buildings became commonplace in the city. At the time, it stuck out like a monolithic beacon hovering atop Humber Bay and a strip of still picturesque motels along Lake Shore Boulevard.

Designed as luxury residence to take advantage of proximity to the lake and skyline views, it proved a harbinger for things to come in the area. 

Palace Pier was joined by its sister building Palace Place in 1991, both which now stand as a sort of gateway to the Humber Bay Shores condo neighbourhood. This renovated unit offers a good example of what drew people to the area in the first place. While just a tad dated decor-wise, it's all about the view.

When you live in one of the top floors of these buildings, it seems as though you're in the midst of Lake Ontario at all times. It looks quite calming, and the unit has been designed with enough windows to take advantage of this rare feature. 

The Palace Pier complex has excellent amenities, including a pool and fitness facility with squash and tennis courts. Factor in the age of the building, and you have a recipe for some very steep condo fees. In this case, you'll be shelling out almost $3,000 a month to live here. 

SPECS

• Address: 2045 Lake Shore Boulevard W. #4301
• Price: $1,500,000
• Bedrooms: 3
• Bathrooms: 3
• Parking: 2
• Walk Score: 61
• Transit Score: 75
• Maintenance Fees: $2,898.56
• Listing agent: Andrea Morrison
• Listing ID: W3636353

NOTEWORTHY FEATURES

• High end appliances
• Steam shower
• Two underground parking spots
• Panoramic lake views

GOOD FOR

Someone who loves the idea of being surrounded by the lake. While Humber Bay is a short drive to downtown, the idea here is that the area is an escape from the concrete of the core in favour of natural beauty. Three bedrooms makes this unit family-friendly as well.

MOVE ON IF

You're a buyer who can't stand the idea of such expensive condo fees. If you're not going to use the amenities regularly, it'll hurt even more to shell out so much each month, especially when some of that money could go towards paying off your mortgage quicker in a building with lower fees.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Thank you to Bosely Real Estate Ltd, Brokerage for sponsoring our condo of the week. All content and editorial written and selected by blogTO.

If snakes make you squeamish, you might want to turn back now. That's because the city of Toronto removed 20 "extremely dangerous and venomous" snakes and 18 dead snakes from a house in North York on Tuesday, January 3.

The city apparently got a tip from the Canada Border Service Agency that a bunch of snakes from Asia were making their way to an address in the North End of the City. 

"The person in possession of the snakes has been charged with 20 counts of keeping prohibited animals, contrary to the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 349, Animals," reads a city of Toronto news release. Each offence has a maximum fine of $5,000.

In addition to a golf course and a Swiss Chalet, North York now also has venomous snakes.

— MEME Nogueira (@ass_dad) January 5, 2017

The snakes are currently being held by Toronto Animal Services and they include cobras, rattlesnakes, vipers and puff adders - basically the type of creatures that probably still give you nightmares. 

Toronto food trends usually change with the seasons, but sometimes they last longer than a few months. As we start 2017, it's time to look back on some of the food trends that emerged last year to try to predict what'll fill our plates (and bellies) for the next 12 months. 

Here are my picks for 5 food trends you'll be seeing a lot of in 2017.

Upscale plant-based food

After Planta and Awai opened last year, it seems like vegetarian and vegan fare is about more than just grain bowls and soy-based meat substitutes. Both of these restaurants use vegetables creatively and are upping the ante when it comes to plant-based dining in Toronto.

Cold-pressed cocktails

Speaking of Planta, this eatery introduced cocktails made with various types of cold-pressed juice. With the number of juice bars in the city, it only seems natural that we'll see more of these fruit and veggie-based libations in the near future.

Charcoal

You might have seen activated charcoal at the city's various juice bars as well as in cosmetics. But more and more frequently, it's been making its way onto restaurant menus. Check out the carbon crust at Masseria, for instance. 

Jackfruit

According to Pinterest, Jackfruit is plenty trendy. The starchy fruit, which is native to southeast Asia, is often used as a meat substitute (at restaurants such as Smoke Signals, for instance) but it can also come in sweeter dishes - check out the jackfruit and banana-stuffed spring rolls at Lola's Kusina if you want to try it.

Mash-ups

It seems like 2016 was the year of over-the-top everything and outrageous food mashups (think sushi burritos, jacked up milkshakes and rainbow bagels). And it looks like that'll continue into 2017, largely thanks to the power of Instagram. Though we'll probably also get some more thoughtful food combinations, like at the newly opened Lake Inez and Doma.

Toronto loves its secret bars and venues, and now we've got another secretive, underground music venue to add to the list.

It's called Duggan's Basement and you guessed it, it's in the basement of Duggan's Brewery in Parkdale at 1346 Queen Street West. It officially opened this past summer with an indie rock music series, but it's since expanded to include more shows and events.

"We're still rolling it out with primarily music, but we're hoping to have a comedy night in the future," says Molly Davis, events and promotions manager at Duggan's. "It's got a cool, speakeasy vibe for sure."

You can't access the underground concert venue from inside the bar; instead, you have to walk around the back of the building, and head down some ominous stairs. It can hold about 80 people and there's a great sound set up, a stage, lighting and a cash bar.

The next show is happening January 14, so sneak down to check out what's hot.

Toronto's Ontario Place might be undergoing a massive revitalization, but it's not only the old amusement that's due for a makeover. The iconic Molson Canadian Amphitheatre is also getting a new look for 2017 and it starts with a name change.

The Molson Canadian Amphitheatre is now the Budweiser Stage. This marks a partnership between Labatt Breweries of Canada and Live Nation - the Budweiser brand will be associated with music events and venues across the country.

“We’re also thrilled that the iconic venue for musicians at Ontario Place will carry the name Budweiser Stage, and that music fans will now be able to enjoy Canada’s most popular beer at the country’s premier music venue," said Todd Allen, Labatt's vice president of marketing, in a news release.

This name change includes a bunch of venue upgrades, including a refurbishment, more concession stands and cashless payment options as well as an enhanced pre-show experience.

Since it opened in 1995 and replaced the old Forum, as the Globe and Mail reports, the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre hasn't changed its name. We'll just have to wait and see what music fans think of this new moniker because we all know how Torontonians feel about their beloved venues. 

You might want to consider staying indoors this weekend in Toronto. That's because with the wind chill, it's going to feel like -20 C at some points over the next few days.

According to the Weather Network, we can expect temperatures of -10 C tonight, but with the wind chill, it'll feel more like -20 C. And on Sunday morning, it's supposed to go down to -13, but it might feel closer to -23 C.

For now, the city of Toronto is keeping an extreme cold weather alert in place. Be sure to bundle up if you're heading outside and check on vulnerable friends, family members and neighbours on these super cold days. 

Luckily, there are lots of hot and sweaty dance parties and concerts scheduled for this weekend, so there are lots of way to keep warm as the temperatures outside plummet. 

We may have had mild weather conditions over Christmas, but now Toronto has slowly turned into the icy cold place that we expect in January. Yesterday marked the first extreme cold weather alert of the year and conditions won't be letting up as it'll feel like -20 at times this weekend.

While it may be a misery to go outside, it's always fun to scroll through your Instagram feed and find the beauty in the cold. Here's a roundup of Toronto looking like an icy winter wonderland.

A photo posted by Scott Day (@scottday10) on Jan 4, 2017 at 10:17am PST

A photo posted by Marissa Bronfman (@marissabronfman) on Jan 6, 2017 at 6:02am PST

A photo posted by TRAVEL ❅ WANDER ❅ DISCOVER (@vincentdemers) on Jan 5, 2017 at 2:30pm PST

A photo posted by A Great Capture (@agreatcapture) on Jan 6, 2017 at 6:20am PST

A photo posted by Blog Gaby no Canada (@gabynocanada) on Jan 5, 2017 at 2:03pm PST

A photo posted by Guido Gutiérrez Ruiz ✈ (@guigurui) on Jan 5, 2017 at 1:21pm PST

A photo posted by ryan vu (@ryanvu_) on Jan 4, 2017 at 5:26pm PST

A photo posted by Burhan (@burhannra) on Jan 5, 2017 at 7:56pm PST

A photo posted by Alexandra ✖️ Toronto (@alexandramack22) on Jan 4, 2017 at 5:57pm PST

A photo posted by Heather (@heatherralice) on Jan 5, 2017 at 6:26pm PST

For a lot of creative people in Toronto, when something doesn't exist, they make it happen. This is how new food trends emerge, how music genres come to be, and in the case of Mike Haliechuk and crew, how the Long Winter music and art series began. 

Long Winter is now five years old. It's a concert and art party that celebrates a variety of different media and gives experimental artists a chance to showcase their work. Since its early days, it has taken over a multitude of spaces, including the Great Hall, the AGO, the Polish Combatant's Hall, The Galleria Mall, and now the Gladstone Hotel.

"My band Fucked Up, we wanted to book a local show for ourselves after we came back from a tour," says Haliechuk. "We wanted something a bit more interesting, so we got a bunch of friends together and did a sort of multimedia concert and then we ended up playing four more that year and it went on from there."

Toronto was in need of something to make the city feel alive in the cold winter months, so this party was born. It's now a monthly tradition and it happens from November to March. In a city where traditional party spaces aren't the only nightlife game in town, Long Winter thrives as an inclusive event that exists to make people happy. 

"Toronto has a lot of arts and music and we’re just a reflection of that," says Haliechuk. He believes Long Winter has lasted because of its loyal army of volunteers, festival staff and the fact that the event is relatively cheap and easy to get to.

Haliechuk doesn't see Long Winter going extinct anytime soon. 

"I feel like Toronto is moving more towards non-traditional venues and inter-arts programming, which I think is good," he continues.

"Toronto was a very stale city culturally for a long time. When I was growing up, there weren't many venues, there weren't many bands, but I think now more people are starting to move here, there’s more money, there’s more interest and it feels like we’re coming to a critical mass where Toronto is going to become a very interesting place arts-wise, to make work."

The next Long Winter event is tonight, Jan. 6, at the Gladstone Hotel. It's $10 in advance or pay-what-you-can at the door.