Food trucks in Toronto have mostly kept pace with the types of food offered at brick and mortar restaurants. From BBQ to Ethiopian, sushi burritos and beyond, you can get pretty much anything from a truck these days. 

Here's a round-up of Toronto food trucks by type of cuisine.

Asian

Each winter the folks at ME.N.U Food Truck travel to Asia and bring back some new recipes to their food truck. Here you'll be able to order everything from rice balls to Asian poutines to roti tacos.

Barbecue

When it comes to smokehouse grub the Hank Daddy's Barbecue truck know what they're doing. Ribs and their infamous pulled pork parfaits are just some of the favourite offerings available.

Ice cream sandwich from Baked Three Fifty. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Baked Goods

Customizable cookies and cupcakes are the speciality on the Bake Three Fifty truck. They also do ice cream sandwiches if you need a cool down.

Brazilian

Made In Brasil is an extension of Toronto restaurant Mata Petisco Bar. Similar to the restaurant the truck takes you on a journey south of the border with its South American fare.

Breakfast

What's the perfect start to day? Tater tots of course! The Egg Man is serving them up poutine style with hollandaise sauce or as a side to your bacon breakfast sandwich.

Burgers

Burgatory serves a range of burgers named after the seven deadly sins. There's the Greed Burger with bourbon BBQ sauce with double smoked bacon and Pride Burger which is offered veggie style.

Canadian

When it comes to Canadian classics BeaverTails has it down pat. BeaverTail pastries grace the menu along with killer poutine. 

Jerk chicken from Jerk Brothers. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Caribbean

Satisfy cravings for jerk chicken and Jamaican patties with the Jerk Brothers food truck. They're often found at University and Dundas so if you're in the area on lunch stop by.

Carnival

A cheat day favourite is the Festival Fun Food truck. They're dishing out all your favourite carnival fare including funnel cakes and deep fried candy bars.

Chimneys

Hungarian chimneys most certainly deserve their own category. Whether you want them savoury coated in garlic and herbs or filled to the nines with ice cream and toppings Eva's Original Chimneys can assist.

Churros

I Love Churros are from the folks behind Pancho's Bakery. Just like the popular Mexican bakery the truck serves churros stuffed with your choice of filling. They sometimes have their churro cones available too.

Coffee

The tiny blue Jacked Up Coffee truck will keep you caffeinated all day long with their lattes.

Poutine from Untamed Chef. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Comfort Food

Sometimes just some good 'ol fashioned comfort food makes the perfect lunch. Untamed Chef does just that with their menu of sandwiches, poutine and fried foods.

Deli

Toronto's top deli boasts a food truck by the same name. Caplansky's smoked meat sandwiches, brisket sliders and smoked meat poutine are all must tries.

Dumplings

feasTO is your number one option for delectable dumplings. They offer them in flavours off pho beef, Thai green curry and lemongrass chicken.

Donuts

Tiny Toms Donuts is busting out donuts topped with icing sugar or cinnamon sugar from their various trucks that can be found at almost any truck festival. 

Ethiopian

The Spicy Ethiopian is Toronto's first and only Ethiopian food truck. While you may think this cuisine isn't ideal to eat on the go you'll be proven wrong once you see the perfect packaging this truck provides.

Fish & Chips

The people behind Road Grill now boast a second food truck, Crispy Craves. Here you'll be able to chow down on golden fried fish and crispy french fries.

French Fries

Prince Edward's Fries has been slinging french fries from their truck for years. They're served with a variety of spices or poutine style.

Chicken strips from Fully Loaded T.O. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Fried Chicken

Fried chicken sandwiches and chicken strips are among the many menu items available on the Fully Loaded T.O truck. At events you'll be able to score some of their giant stuffed chicken wings.

Greek

Loaded Greek fries, salads and pita wraps are just a few of the options available on the Pappas Greek on Wheels food truck.

Grilled Cheese

When the words grilled cheese are stated one food truck comes to mind, Gorilla Cheese. While the truck may be from Hamilton they frequent the Toronto event scene.

Indian

Tdots Naansense brings Indian cuisine to the streets of Toronto. A must-try menu item is their deep fried butter chicken mac and cheese.

Pasta from Pronto. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Italian

Traditional Italian fare is what the Pronto food truck does best. They boast a rotating menu of pastas, zucchini fritti and savoury tiramisu.

Korean

K-Bop serves a menu of Korean rice bowls. Offerings include bacon-mayo bop, jeyook bop, bulgogi bop, dak bop and japche bop.

Latin

If you're on the hunt for Latin American comfort food look no further than Que Rico. Chimosa fries and pollo loco chicken sandwiches are just a few of the items available.

Mediterranean

If you're looking for Mediterranean cuisine with a twist look no further than Alijandro's Kitchen. This truck is the only one where you can take down a fawaffle, a falafel shaped into a waffle cone.

Mexican

El Trompo Movil is an extension of the Mexican restaurant El Trompo. Similar to the restaurant they serve a menu of Mexican sandwiches, tacos and street corn.

Poutine

Fries, cheese curds and gravy are taken to another level on the Wickedly Sinful food truck. They top their poutine with everything from steak and fried eggs to crispy duck skin and kimchi.

Duck sandwich from Heirloom. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Sandwiches

Heirloom is all about providing local and sustainable food. The menu is constantly changing but often feature epic fried chicken sandwiches, pork banh mi and gust busting grilled cheeses.

Seafood

When it comes to seafood one truck stands out above the rest. Buster's Sea Cove is where to get your fill of fish tacos and lobster rolls.

Sushi Burritos

What's food truck season without chowing down on some sushi burritos. Sushiburri is bringing the handheld curbside with services in North York and downtown.

Fish tacos from Food Dudes. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Tacos

Four words, Cap’N Crunch fish tacos. The Food Dudes loads their tasty tacos with cereal coated fish, guacamole, lime spiked red cabbage slaw, smoked sour cream, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and hot sauce.

Venezuelan

The Arepa Republic is Canada’s first food truck specializing in Venezuelan areas. Get them stuffed with meat, beans or cheese.

Waffles

The Wafel Bar make Liege waffles and top them with icing sugar and ice cream.

Love it, or hate it, the Rogers Centre might be in need of a makeover and it looks like one's in the works for this 28-year-old stadium.

The Rogers Centre is one of the most outdated stadiums in Major League Baseball, and according to the CBC, that's why Blue Jays' president Mark Shapiro is hoping to revamp it.

Apparently the Jays have already chosen an architect for the project, but further details haven't been released yet. The CBC estimates that the team will spend between $250 to 400 million on this major league facelift.

While he was the president of Cleveland's MLB team, Shapiro oversaw Progressive Field's renovation, which included more bars, restaurants and a pedestrian pathway. The Blue Jays will likely share more details about what's happening with our stadium by the end of the baseball season.

Hopefully the renos coming to the Rogers Centre will be more exciting than what's been happening on the field lately.

The best all-day breakfast in Toronto serves up morning staples like eggs or pancakes well into the afternoon. Nothing beats having the option to eat bacon and waffles in a restaurant at 2 p.m. (particularly on a weekday), and these places exist to help satisfy that urge.

Here is the best all-day breakfast in Toronto.

Dundas West might feel busier than ever these days, but one restaurant is getting ready to pack it in.

Bent, the restaurant celebrity chef Susur Lee opened with his sons Levi and Kai Bent-Lee, announced today that it would be shutting down.

It'll mark its closure with a two-day prix fixe tasting event on May 19 and 20.

“This marks the beginning of a new chapter for my family of restaurants,” says Lee in a news release. “Big things are coming, Bent was a chapter of growth and learning for my boys. Now it’s time to focus on the future.”

Earlier this month, Lee's family of restaurants was in the news when Fring's had its liquor licence suspended.

The Broadview Hotel is just about ready for its big reveal. Formerly the home of Jilly's stripclub, the late 19th century building has undergone a massive makeover at the hands of DesignAgency, which is now in its final stages before a June opening date.

Broadview Hotel Lobby. Image by Norm Li.

We got a first look at the immaculately restored exterior a few months ago, but the interior has remained something of mystery. In anticipation of the launch of the new hotel, a fresh set of images and virtual tour has been released to show off the interior of the project.

The rooftop patio. Image by Norm Li.

There are a number of stunning spaces to look forward to when the hotel opens, but the various rooftop areas probably take the cake. The eponymous restaurant features a huge skylight that'll make it possible to dine under the stars without even going outside.

The second floor Lincoln Terrace. Image by Norm Li.

Should you want to venture outdoors, on the other hand, there will also be a rooftop patio with a view of the Toronto skyline as well as what's being called the Lincoln Terrace, which will be located on the second floor beside the 3,000 square foot event space. 

The intimate tower event and dining space. Image by Norm Li.

Perhaps even more novel is the dining space in the Broadview's tower, which will play host to intimate gatherings of up to 30 guests for cocktails and just over 20 for seated dinners. 

As we reported before, the food program at the new hotel and event space will be run by executive chef John Sinopoli, who's part of the team behind Ascari Enoteca, Hi Lo, and the soon-to-open Gare d'Est.

The ground floor will operate as a cafe by day and a cocktail bar at night. Image by Norm Li.

In addition to the Rooftop Restaurant and tower space, there will also be a cafe and cocktail bar at ground level that'll operate day and night. It'll be casual but slick, reminiscent of the Drake, which the whole venture is bound to be compared to even if the overall style is quite different.

What the hotel rooms at the Broadview will look like is yet to be revealed, but it's pretty easy to get a picture of the design sensibilities from the dining and event spaces. Bookings for accommodations are now being taken for September 2017.

The 3,000 square foot Lincoln Hall event space. 

What emerges most of all from the latest peek at the renovations is that Streetcar and Dream, the co-developers behind the project, have made good on their desire to make this a hub destination. 

When you combine the cafe/bar, restaurant, and event spaces, the formula suggests a very busy dining and entertainment hub that will likely have a major impact on Riverside for years to come.

The hotel coming to Exhibition Place might actually be complete in time to catch the tail end of the CNE this year. Hotel X, from the upscale Library Collection of properties, has been in the works since 2009 and was originally slated to open in May 2015.

Construction started in 2013, but crews soon discovered the soil on site was contaminated. The opening date got pushed back to July 2016 and then it got moved again.

In February, the Toronto Star revealed that the project switched construction companies and that there were at least five certified liens remaining against the property. At that time, the hotel was still projected to launch in May.

Now, an account supervisor from Siren Communication, which represents Hotel X, says the hotel is expected to open its doors in late August or September of this year. There's no word yet on what's causing the additional delay. 

When it's finally up and running, Hotel X will include a 30-storey tower, 404 suites and luxurious amenities, such as a cinema, a rooftop pool and two restaurants from byPeterandPauls.com.

Maybe you'll be able to check it out by the end of this summer.

What new real estate record did Toronto break today? As prices for houses soar to new heights, it seems like all anyone can talk about is real estate.

It's much too early to tell whether or not the 16 measures outlined in the Fair Housing Plan will help cool the market down, and in until that happens, it seems like prices keep creeping upwards.

According to a report from the Building Industry and Land Association (BILD), the average price for a new detached home in the GTA hit $1,783,417 in March, up 67 percent since last year.

The report also looked at the availability of newly built homes. Over the past 10 years, there's been a 98 percent drop in the number of detached, single family homes on the market - in March 2007 there were 11,802 available; in March 2017 there were 233.

As BILD suggests, this all might be pushing more people towards condos. In March, the GTA saw a record number of condo sales with 4,500 suites sold, compared to the 3,820 sold in May 2016, the previous record-holding month.

Apparently 80 percent of the new homes sold in the GTA last month were condos in high and mid-rise buildings.

One of the measures implemented yesterday was a 15 percent Non-Resident Speculation Tax (NRST), so we'll have to see how that shakes things up. 

Toronto's newest large-scale developments are bringing more to the city than just clusters of condo towers plopped down on a site with few amenities. More and more, these projects are being envisioned as master plans with significant attention to community features and retail space.

One of the better examples is Bloor & Dufferin, a new development from Capital Developments and Metropia, which will completely reshape a site that's currently home to defunct public schools Kent School and Bloor Collegiate.

Students of the latter school will find a home in the refurbished Brockton High School to the southwest at Croatia and Brock Street at the outset of the new school year, while the existing structure will be demolished to make way for the mixed use development.

Kent School reimagined as a community hub. Image courtesy of Bloor Dufferin Development Limited Partnership.

According to the early plans, Kent School, which has been around since 1908, would be refurbished to serve as a community arts hub. Right now, plans call for a space that's at least 30,000 square feet. 

A new park planned for the north side of Croatia Street. Image courtesy of Bloor Dufferin Development Limited Partnership.

Beside it, concept renderings show a park and public square, which would act as a community gathering point, something that the neighbourhood currently lacks beyond Dufferin Grove Park.

What the new development would look like facing Bloor Street. Image courtesy of Bloor Dufferin Development Limited Partnership.

Surrounding these community amenities would be a series of condos with retail at grade. It's common, of course, to put retail at the bottom of residential towers, but the architects and planners here (which include some impressive names) envision greater integration via the creation of two new streets. 

Looking south down the newly proposed High Street. Image courtesy Bloor Dufferin Development Limited Partnership.

They would roughly correspond to the locations of Russet and Pauline avenues and extend them south, though likely with new names (one of them has already been pegged as "High Street").  

One of the various public spaces planned around the site. Image courtesy of Bloor Dufferin Development Limited Partnership.

Right now, the defunct schools act as a wall between Bloor Street and the area to the south, so the addition of retail-lined thoroughfares would completely revamp the Bloordale neighbourhood. 

Public consultations for this project have just begun, so plenty can change before there are shovels in the ground, but right now the concept plans promise an exciting revamp of a site that's currently just a black hole in a vibrant neighbourhood.

Toronto's real estate market might start to cool off soon thanks to the Fair Housing Plan, which the provincial government introduced yesterday. Right now, however, it's still red hot out there.

According to the Toronto Real Estate Board's most recent report, the average price for a detached home outside of Toronto (i.e. the 905 area) is sitting at just over $1 million. So what will seven figures get you in the GTA?

$1,130,000 in Stouffville (lead image)

Stouffville's a pretty idyllic place to live, though the town north of Markham is growing. For just over a million, you can get four bedrooms in this home at 184 Alderwood St.

$1,150,000 in Brampton

Not only is this house at 10 Whitmore Crt., 5,000 square feet, but it also comes with an in-ground pool and seven bedrooms (two are in the basement). 

$1,100,000 in Hamilton

The plus side is, this house is right on the water. Here's what the realtor has to say about it: "No room sizes available due to condition of the home. Attention investors! Potential redevelopment along Renfrew Ave. Buyers to do their own due diligence."

$1,098,000 in Markham

This adorable house at 103 Drakefield Rd., is probably in need of a major interior refresh, but that's just because it looks a bit dated. However, it's located right by the pretty Milne Conservation Park.

$1,098,000 in Ajax

Who needs to live in Toronto when you can own a theatre room with a fibre optic star ceiling in Ajax? This house at 7 Grogan St., has it all.

$1,089,000 in Vaughan

This 2,000 square foot pad at 19 White Beach Crescent isn't too far out of the city. It's located in a neighbourhood with lots of young families and it's close to Canada's Wonderland to boot.

$1,049,000 in Burlington

You'll probably want to move to Burlington after taking a peek at this five bedroom house at 1410 Halifax Place.

$1,049,000 in Richmond Hill 

This two bedroom bungalow at 42 Fergus Ave., is right by Lake Wilcox and it looks like a cottage right near the city. Once sold, it'll probably become a tear down.

$1,035,000 in Oakville

Unlike the mega mansions in Oakville, this 1,042 square foot house at 2122 Bridge Rd., is modest, but well-renovated. It even has a bean-shaped salt water pool in the backyard.

$1,000,000 in Mississauga

This house at 615 Brown's Line is being advertised as a tear down - the listing doesn't even feature interior photos.

Outlet malls near Toronto might be a bit of a mission to get to but they are well worth the trek once you see the deals. These are the destinations where you'll find big name brands at rock bottom prices.

Here are the top outlet malls in and around Toronto.

Vaughan Mills 

With over 200 stores, Vaughan Mills is the GTA's all-star outlet mall. Everyday shops like Laura, Winners, and Suzy Shier are accompanied by heavy-hitters like Saks, Michael Kors and Armani Exchange. 

Heartland Town Centre

Mississauga's Heartland Town Centre has a couple of major points of appeal thanks to varied selection of box stores in fashion, home and electronic products. Bargain-hunters go for the outlet stores of Aldo, Harry Rosen and Gap.

Toronto Premium Outlets

Shoppers looking for a more upscale outlet experience should head to Halton Hills. The Steeles West location draws crowds eager to get their hands on lower-priced goods from big brands like Kate Spade New York, Coach, Tory Burch, Michael Kors and J. Crew.

Orfus Road Outlets

The outlets found at Dufferin St. and Orfus Rd. are a must-visit for bargain hunters. It boasts a cheese outlet, Stitches, Nine West, Suzy Shier, Roots 73 and more.

Dixie Outlet Mall

Welcome to your average savings haven. You'll recognize stores like Aldo, Dynamite, Fairweather and Guess amidst a number of uniquely named stores Quilts Etc. and @GADGETS. 

Canada One

Here you'll discover sportswear outlets from Nike, Adidas and Reebok. It's set up in a strip mall fashion, so come prepared with good walking shoes.

Outlet Collection at Niagara

The stores here range from a selection of sporting goods stores for outdoorsy people, including Columbia, The North Face, and Eddie Bauer. Well-priced high-end stores like Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss are just a few more reasons that keep customers coming back.

RioCan Colossus Centre

Located on Weston Road in Woodbridge, the Colossus Centre has a healthy mix of outlet stores. When it comes to deals, there's a Roots 73, Marshalls and Guess.

Tanger Outlets

Although it's an hour from downtown Toronto, the outlet mall in Cookstown is worth the drive for their consistent store-wide deals and varied outlet selection. Buyers make the trip for factory stores of Banana Republic, Crocs, Guess, Polo Ralph Lauren and Nike.

Factory Outlet Plaza

This North York bargain stop's two outlet stores offer crucial savings on key household items, food and kitchenware. Stock up on cooking necessities and urban dishware at Corning. When you're done there head over to Almost Perfect for low-priced frozen foods.

Bars to see drag shows in Toronto are a guaranteed good time. While there's definitely a concentration in the village, there are a couple off the yellow brick road that feature queens and shows that will make you blush more than usual. This city is bursting with drag talent and these bars host everyone from newbies to legendary performers.

Here are my picks for the top bars for drag shows in Toronto. 

The Beaver

The West Queen West staple hosts some of the city's darkest drag. The House of Filth was born here, as were the queens of Hotnuts, Jenna Syde and her Spooky Bitch parties and everything in between. Drag show aren't always regular, so check the Facebook page before heading out if you want guaranteed wigs, hair and heels. 

Blyss Nightclub

Blyss is run by the same owner as Zipperz (RIP) and to it he brings the same campy, over the top vibe. This is a drag club for more unique shows and theme nights. Weirdos, retro nights, alt-rock, drag burlesque and weekly residencies with the city's top names and (usually) no cover make this spot an essential stop on your hunt for drag divinity. 

Buddies in Bad Times 

This place turns into a wildly busy nightclub on the weekends. Drag Queens take their places on a long flight of stairs located in the middle of the dance floor. The DJs spin top 40 pop, dance, and house, entertaining hundreds of gay boys and, typically, about a dozen ladies. Cover on the weekends is between $5 and $10.

Crews & Tangos

Every night of the week at this Church St. mainstay some of the city's finest drag talent stomps the main stage. It's a hub of drag culture in the city, where seasoned queens have residencies and aspiring drag babies try to land a recurring gig. There's no cover on weekdays, and it's $5 on weekends.

El Convento Rico

This College St. club is the stuff of drag dreams. It's been around for well over two decades and is a staple of Toronto's drag scene. Its welcoming atmosphere brings out a diverse crowd of all ages and sexualities, generally those who are looking for a healthy dose of Latin music. On the weekends, Queens take over the stage just past midnight.

Woody's

The Cheers of gay bars in Toronto, there is a drag show here pretty much every night of the week, and it takes a lot to become a "Woody's Girl," so you're getting the city's best. Thursday and Sunday nights are best for variety and talent, but there are best butt and chest contests every weekend for cash, cheep pitchers and no cover, ever. 

Statlers

OK, this neighbourhood favourite does host open mic and live music nights, but interspersed and often just later on the same night are some great drag nights that include drag bingo and variety shows. A great spot for seasoned queens to get their glitter-painted hands on a mic and host with games, light insults and lip synching. 

There are small towns all over Ontario worth exploring, but a select few are destinations unto themselves. Be it on account of an exciting culinary scene, historical architecture, or natural beauty, these are places where you can escape city life and soak up the quaint culture of this province.

Here are my picks for 5 small towns worth visiting within a two hour drive of Toronto.

Fergus/Elora

Technically two different towns, Fergus and Elora are so closely linked that one must make sure to visit both when in the area (it's less than a 10 minute drive between them). Elora tends to get more tourists for its vibrant arts scene and well-known gorge, but Fergus has some great pubs on the Grand River and is home to the Highland Games in August.

Paris

My pick for the prettiest downtown area in Southern Ontario, Paris is defined by 19th century structures that hug the Grand River. The town has been remarkably well preserved, and many of its best restaurants and shops are housed in buildings over a century old. 

Stratford

Niagara-on-the-Lake might get the lion's share of attention as a festival town, but Stratford is more down to earth and accessible. Once a railway junction, the town is now known as an arts and culture hub, around which has grown a decent and affordable culinary scene.

Port Hope/Cobourg

Similar to the relationship shared by Fergus and Elora, Port Hope and Cobourg are so close that visiting both is the best bet. Port Hope has a more charming downtown strip, used bookstores and vintage shops, while Cobourg boasts one of the nicest beaches on Lake Ontario. If you have a bike, you can ride between the two towns in about 20 minutes.

Creemore

Aside from being the home of the eponymous craft beer brand, this town is a culinary treasure of delights, from Creemore Kitchen to the nearby and much raved about Eigensinn Farm. Yes, food is a big deal around these parts, but Creemore is also a good alternative for cyclists wanting to head to Grey County and the hills around Collingwood.

Before the resurgence of vinyl, Toronto lost a whole lot of record shops in the 1990s and early 2000s. From massive country-wide chains to truly independent operations, the old stores were places where you might actually snag a deal or rejoice at stumbling upon an import.

Nostalgia for record shops is particularly deep because these are the places that provided the soundtrack to our earlier lives. Here are 10 lost but not forgotten record shops in Toronto.

Sam the Record Man

Before Sam's became the de facto example of iconic Toronto retailers lost to changing trends in media consumption, it was a record shop - and a good one at that. As much as the signs and location were hallmarks of the flagship store, during the good years the selection was too.

A&A

When A&A bit the dust in 1993, it wasn't on account of the digitization of music and video. On the contrary, Sam's won the battle for market share when the two Toronto-based shops expanded all across the country. At one point the company had over 250 stores, many of which were absorbed by Music World.

Ed's Record World

There was a time when the area around Yonge and Eglinton was teeming with record and book shops, though none were as popular as Ed's Record World, which closed in 2007 after having moved a couple blocks south on Yonge St. Before its demise, it was stacked with hard-to-find imports, and much-loved owners Ed and Jonathan were fixtures.

Tower Records

Tower Records made a brief foray into the Canadian marketplace when it opened a flagship location at Yonge and Queen streets in the Jamieson Building (now home to an Atmosphere sports store) back in the mid 1990s. There was lots of talk that Tower would kill local competition at that time, but by 2001 the experiment was over.

Peter Dunn's Vinyl Museum

The Vinyl Museum had locations all over the city, but the one at 355 Yonge St. right near A&A and Sam's was probably the best-known. Lots of tales still circulate from these stores, including the owner's tendency to inscribe biblical verses on record sleeves. The Vinyl Museum shuttered in 1999.

The Record Peddler

The Record Peddler was another one of Toronto's independent music shops that boasted multiple locations. The main one on Queen West closed at some point in the 1990s only to return again in a different spot. The last store closed in 2001, but the business moved online where it still exists in the form of an Ebay store.

Records on Wheels

This store is somewhat famous for what it ultimately became, which is eOne Entertainment. Yes, this massive distribution company has its roots as a record shop at 629 Yonge St. Run by Vito and Don Ierullo, the shop eventually moved further south before shuttering when the company became ROW Entertainment, the precursor to eOne.

Hits & Misses

When Hits & Misses closed in 2012, it was a hit to punk and hardcore record collectors in Toronto, who had been frequenting the shop (in various locations) for 20 years. Vinyl was just starting to make its big comeback, but the niche focus and Queen West rent conspired to force the longstanding shop to close.

Vortex

Vortex started life in Kensington Market before becoming more popular on Dundas near Church. The only location that I ever shopped at was Yonge and Eglinton, which lasted until the end of 2015. When owner Bert Myers announced his retirement, thousands of record collectors shared stories about his legendary stock and helpfulness.

HMV

While HMV was never really a record shop per se, it was where many of us bought our tapes and CDs. There's probably less nostalgia for the hundreds of mall locations that closed across the country in 2017, but the flagship store at Yonge and Dundas was the promised land for music fans.

Record Store Day is a special occasion to celebrate local record shops, and the seemingly Teflon vinyl format.

There's a lot of noise about why vinyl is still en vogue, whether it's the undying physicality of the medium, those liner notes, the human need to hold a piece of the artist, or just the intrinsic visual and aural artistry of dropping a needle onto a wax cylinder.

The record store is no different. For a long time, it enjoyed an unparalleled reputation as a defining temple of cool, a vast library of street credibility spilling over with crucial music you had never heard, and couldn't afford, or had heard and couldn't afford to live without.

People of all types flocked there to learn and discern, to hear music, and talk about music, and buy music. Like the beloved video rental shops of days gone by, recently the Record Store has taken on an almost ethereal place in the hearts and minds of many, and that is why Record Store Day is so essential.

In honour of Record Store Day, here are a few nostalgic TV spots from beloved Record Store chains no longer with us.

Discus, Music World, A&A, Sam The Record Man, Tower, Cheapies, Flipside: How many people found the vinyls or cassettes or CDs that soundtracked their lives there?

Peter Dunn's Vinyl Museum was a true Toronto oddity, a place full of the most incredible selection of wax, but also dotted with bizarre paraphernalia, including records covered in bible verse (apparently these were the ones Peter did not like).

Sadly it was closed in the late 1990s, but to this day you can still find many records with Peter Dunn Vinyl Museum slip covers floating around good thrift stores.

Speaking of thrift stores, the granddaddy of great record shopping and more important amazing discoveries was Goodwill. As Macklemore gnomically states, "one man's trash that's another man's come up."

While for many the idea of music existing as a physical object has been abandoned, and a fully digital musical caboodle selected and downloaded from a virtual store has been cheerfully embraced, it's encouraging to see the interest in Record Store Day.

As the digital waves break, so will follow the analogue undertow.

Revel Food is reminding us that pop-ups are supposed to be parties. Unlike other “parties,” pop-ups and takeovers saturated with hashtags, ceremony, and disparate activities and events bringing in too many vendors, ideas and concepts, Revel Food events function more like old school salons.

Dave Le and Katie Bradley of Mr. Flamingo and Cote de Boeuf, where the event I attended took place, put together nights of (what else) revelry at fun local establishments that incorporate their Southeast Asian feasts and different forms of entertainment.

For a $60 ticket reserved through email for one of two seatings of less than twenty, guests were entitled to a three-course meal accompanied by three sets by professional opera singer Cassandra Warner for this event entitled “Opera and Fried Rice.”

The pair started out doing pop-ups under the name Dinner Dinner a couple years ago. Revel Food began at the Beaver where they did a la carte cooking off their patio, followed by the queer bar’s legendary Sunday night karaoke.

They don’t want to stick to one format necessarily, and this event was their first time doing a set menu with set entertainment. Eventually, they hope to open a brick and mortar, somewhere boisterous and loud in the Revel spirit, doing small plates.

The feature cocktail was called “Thuy’s Fizz” ($12) a refreshing and almost too downable gin-based concoction with yuzu, cucumber syrup and soda.

Our first course was a salad of crisp fans of daikon speared through to a juicy cube of pomelo on a swipe of creamy avocado puree, topped with chilis, crispy shallots, wonderfully awakening mint and basil and a lemongrass dressing.

The following course was the namesake fried rice, but topped with unexpectedly lusciously fatty slabs of gochujang glazed pork belly. This was garnished with crunchy lotus root chips and sweet tropical charred pineapple, served with their own delicious, tangy hot sauce. A couple vegetarians were served the rice topped with a fried egg.

The final course was a beignet with a Vietnamese coffee ice cream, sponge toffee, smoked condensed milk and powdered sugar. This may have been one slight stumble: my beignet was relatively chewy, not airy, even moreso combined with the hard toffee, and I didn’t taste smoke. The coffee ice cream was great though, creamy and familiar.

Since Revel isn’t lucrative enough to pay rent on a physical space yet, right now their pop-up system works on a trade-off between food and bar sales with restaurants. Woodhouse has pitched in by offering restaurants a few cases of beer for free if they buy more to furnish the event. At $7 a can, it’s just another example of Revel's symbiosis.

I couldn’t believe how well-timed, engaging and organized the entire pop-up was from start to finish in the nascence of such a new project, and I can’t wait to see how well other events and a future brick-and-mortar restaurant might go.

Horseback riding in Toronto is a hobby not enough people are taking part in. While you may not think a city like Toronto has options for this type of activity you'll be surprised to learn that there a variety of stores selling equipment and places to saddle up.

Here's a round-up of places to buy gear and ride in and around Toronto.

Gear
 

Greenhawk Harness & Equestrian Supplies

An Avenue Road institution since 1985, Greenhawk has expanded to become the largest equine supplier in Canada. The store has an array of products for horses and their humans, and is a go-to destination for anyone in the market for show wear.

Baker's Harness and Saddlery

Baker's is a one-stop-shop for tack, apparel, and custom gear. In business since 1919, this shop has withstood the test of time, proving that quality products never go out of style. They also do repairs, ensuring you've got a leg up in the saddle for years to come.

Pony Up Equestrian

Aurora's Pony Up caters to those in the first stages of their equine love-affair with their colourful shirts, bright breeches, and pint-sized boots. For those already head-over-haunches, the shop features a well-stocked selection of show apparel, helmets, gloves and more.

Horseback riding locations
 

Sunnybrook Stables

Located in the urban oasis that is Sunnybrook Park, these stables offer English riding instruction for both children and adults. Sunnybrook Stables also offer summer camps and year-round clinics to both build and improve your skills in the sport.

Riding Academy at the Horse Palace

This is an easy commute for urbanites looking for an equine retreat. Offering private, semi-private, and group lessons for adults and children, the Horse Palace provides the downtown rider with top-notch amenities and a variety of mounts.

Failbrook Trail Ranch

The ranch offering both trail riding and lessons can be found an hour west of the city in Georgetown. A great option for school groups, birthday parties, or a company retreat, Wildwood provides safe and exciting experiences for riders of every age and level of expertise.

The Ranch

With a wide selection of activities for horse enthusiasts of all kinds, The Ranch in Oakville is only a half hour drive from the city. If you already have a horse, The Ranch also provides boarding facilities, and boasts hours of trails just a trot away.

Looking for a restaurant in Toronto for a large groups? Avoid places that impose a dreaded fixed-menu and instead head to these spots that allow you and your friends to dine hassle-free.

Here are my picks for the top restaurants for large groups in Toronto.

Home of the Brave

ThisKing West restaurant's large booths are perfect for groups. The drink menu features whisky, slushies and jello shots to go along with American fare like ribs, corn bread and steak and collard greens.

Wvrst

For a good time, this German inspired beer hall on King West never disappoints. It has long communal tables perfect for large groups to stake their claim. You'll find a good selection of beer on tap and a menu filled with artisanal sausages. 

Sukhothai 

The Dundas West location of this Thai joint is perfect for a humble meal with friends. Not as large as some of the other spots on this list, try giving them a call ahead to see what the seating situation is like.

Baro

This Latin American restaurant on King West is a towering four-storey half dining, half party establishment with a rooftop patio. It's a good option no matter whether you're looking for a bite to eat, a place to grab drinks or a night out with friends.

Kinka Izakaya

The Annex location of this Japanese favourite is a blast from the moment you enter until the second you step back onto the street. It’s a great group atmosphere with long tables and plates meant for sharing.

Byblos

This Middle-Eastern inspired restaurant in the Entertainment District impresses with its airy ambiance and divine food. Their round, leather booths are perfect for groups of eight or less, as is the menu, which revolves around a number of small and large mezzos.

La Carnita

The Eglinton location of the Mexican chain is their biggest one to date. What sets this location apart from the rest is Good Fortune bar in the basement and its connection to Sweet Jesus next door. Drinks, tacos and dessert make an excellent group outing.

Fishman Lobster Clubhouse

If you and your group of friends are all fans of seafood a visit to this Scarborough institution is in order. The massive restaurant hosts large tables and boasts a menu of seafood platters of lobsters, king crab and much more.

Gio Rana's

A favourite Leslieville joint, well loved for its lively atmosphere and hearty Italian offerings, Gio Rana's is perfect for a casual group outing. Dig into Italian staples like gnocchi smothered in rich Bolognese sauce. Wash it all down with red wine.

The Carbon Bar

This is where to go near Queen and Church for sophisticated but casual dining in a chic retro modern environment. The huge restaurant boasts giant booths, tables for large groups and a menu of snacks and platters that are great for sharing.

Whether you love it, or love to hate it, those on the city's west side have some pretty strong feelings about Dufferin Mall, and one Instagram account has been capturing all of those emotions for the past two years.

Italian horror film. 🍝👻 Who can come up with the best Title? Directed by: @okaynoworries 📽 #italian #spaghetti

A post shared by The Mall With It All. (@thedirtyduff) on Mar 26, 2017 at 1:03pm PDT

But it hasn't always been easy for @thedirtyduff, which has nearly 12,000 followers. The Instagram feed started its life as @dufferinmallofficial, but got a cease and desist letter when the folks from the mall found out about it. Everything seems kosher since the name change.

Official Winter Heel Of The Dirty Duff 👠 @teganpatmore

A post shared by The Mall With It All. (@thedirtyduff) on Dec 13, 2016 at 12:55pm PST

With photos captured in and around the shopping centre, @thedirtyduff parodies official mall Instagram accounts.

The founder, who wishes to remain anonymous, says they started the account as a social media experiment after shopping at the mall's beer store one day. They were in the middle of a marketing program and were obsessed with studying social media analytics.

Still can't afford to be the dlx witch. 😹 @pammypam

A post shared by The Mall With It All. (@thedirtyduff) on Nov 2, 2016 at 4:14pm PDT

"I was like, I wonder how much more of a following you actually get if you talk to the people that are following you," like the way we chat over the phone. They spent hours following people back and commenting on their follower's photos.

Good for nothing Joe... 💉 @ronbat

A post shared by The Mall With It All. (@thedirtyduff) on Nov 20, 2016 at 11:22am PST

"I found that the more I engaged with them, the more they engaged with me and it just started blowing up," they explain, noting they reached about 5,000 followers within a few days. Media coverage also helped boost the account's visibility.

A right of passage. @mattymatheson There comes a time in every humans life... That they will never forget, never be ashamed of, never speak poorly of.... The first time they went to #thedirtyduff

A post shared by The Mall With It All. (@thedirtyduff) on Sep 7, 2016 at 3:54pm PDT

Since then, the account's featured much more user-generated content - those who visit the mall near Bloor and Dufferin often send in funny photos, including chef Matty Matheson.

🔈🔈 audio on. 🔈🔈 Tonight we mourn the passing of @HMV_Duff_rip ☠️ @onawired

A post shared by The Mall With It All. (@thedirtyduff) on Mar 21, 2017 at 5:24pm PDT

For the most part, Torontonians have responded well to the account. 

PupperMan is now regional manager at GNC. Stop by to ask him about what muscle milk is right for you. 🐶👨@word.docx

A post shared by The Mall With It All. (@thedirtyduff) on Jan 22, 2017 at 8:44am PST

Some followers, however, have complained that certain photos seem to make fun of those who shop at the Dufferin Mall, so the account manager's now more mindful of what they post.

Most of our customers roll up to the mall in something like this. #stylecaptured @joes_nofrills_dufferin #mallswithwifi

A post shared by The Mall With It All. (@thedirtyduff) on Feb 27, 2015 at 12:03pm PST

But the founder does most of their shopping at the Duff and thinks because it's super affordable, it plays an important role in an expensive city like Toronto. 

The way it should always be. @ellegeedeee

A post shared by The Mall With It All. (@thedirtyduff) on Jan 14, 2017 at 2:55pm PST

"Every town has a mall that just has what you need and there’s nothing really special about it and they don’t try to make it special at all," they say. "But I’ve always found that I favour those malls."

Pronto is one of Toronto's newest food trucks, outfitted in black with gold filigree, and roaming the streets of Toronto serving up quality Italian fare.

George-Brown-trained chef Daniel Selvaggi loves burgers and fries but he's turned his focus here to expertly prepared linguine, fried appetizers and tiramisu.

There's a touch of class here top. It’s evident as soon as you step up to the truck and see a little patio table and chairs set up in front. This isn’t going to be your average street side experience. 

The sauces are complex, there are miniature tubs of parmesan to cans of San Pellegrino to drink.

Zucchini fritti ($6) are thick wedges of steamy zucchini well battered in crunchy breading, dusted with a healthy amount of parm and served with a zesty red pepper dipping sauce.

Pasta pomodoro ($10) is a simple tomato and basil sauce on linguine. This is a crave-able comfort dish with slick noodles perfectly cradling sweet and savoury red sauce with a hint of herb.

Pasta primavera ($11) is for veggie and olive lovers. The bitter, rich flavours of sun dried tomato, tender zucchini, arugula, and sharp Moroccan olives all mingle with a chunky and satisfying bow tie pasta.

Pasta carne ($10) is probably my favourite. Fat mezzi rigatoni perfectly traps the beef and pork sauce within short tubes, making it addictively scoopable.

Tiramisu ($5) is excellent, sure to improve any annoying work day. The powdery top yields to a rich creamy base studded with lady fingers, the whole thing shot through with great coffee and cocoa flavour.

Selvaggi has been bringing his luxury cuisine to events like Equinosh and Luke Hayes’ L.U.S.T. for years, as well as Muskoka’s Taboo Resort, so it’s no surprise that he’s content in a rolling kitchen. He probably just misses getting in the canoe.

The top free events in Toronto this week include the always impressive Contact Photography Festival, as well as a series of student shows. But don't forget about the High Park cherry blossoms and Raptors tailgate parties.