A popular family-run restaurant at the corner of Dundas and Mutual is now closed forever after many years of dishing out huge, inexpensive meals to Ryerson students and old school brunch fans.

Mutual Street Deli, known for its friendly servers and bottomless cups of coffee, first opened in 1957 according to a 2010 feature by City News.

"My father, myself, my brother work here, my mother just left," said co-owner Spiro Boulieris at the time. "My grandfather opened it in 1957. My father’s been here since 1962... We have customers who have been coming here for 45 years."

Mutual Street Deli, a good little greasy spoon on Dundas Street East, is no more. Closed for good just before Christmas. pic.twitter.com/dwpvA5MAne

— Sean Marshall (@Sean_YYZ) December 31, 2017

Loyal customers have been raving about Mutual Street Deli online for years.

"We turned down a free breakfast at the Sheraton to go to my favourite breakfast spot in Toronto," wrote someone only a few weeks ago on an unofficial Facebook page for the restaurant. "Just can't beat the Mutual Street Deli."

"A place my mum came in the 60s," wrote another woman on Facebook. "The best Montreal smoked meat sandwiches in Toronto," said someone else. "Nom nom nom."

I was having a bad morning until #mutualstreetdeli bought me a coffee! Random acts of niceness are great and so is the mutual street deli!

— Jamie Barraclough (@whalgun) September 19, 2017

The longstanding restaurant announced its closure just before Christmas with a festive sign inside the front door.

"To: Our valued customers," reads the note, which was written in red and green ink. "Please be advised, effective Dec. 23 the deli will close. We would like to thank you for your support and wish you a happy holiday season."

The deli did not provide a reason for its closure, but Sean Marshall pointed out on Twitter a few days ago that a zoning bylaw variance notice had been posted on the door as well.

"Interesting: the building owners want to build an expansion," he wrote," to add eleven new separate dwelling units here."

That means condos.

Events in Toronto today will let you pay tribute to a hockey great, give you a sneak peek at the future of theatre, and let you experience stand-up comedy like you've never seen it before. You can also walk through 40 years of Toronto music history. 

Snowboarders take note: Next Tuesday should be a lovely day to ride – if you can dig yourself out of the driveway. 

The arctic air mass that's been terrorizing our region is finally expected to move along early next week after one more brutally cold snap on Friday and Saturday.

By Sunday, temperatures could go all the way up to -5 C (and that's after dropping to just -27 C on Friday.) Monday's forecast is even better. With a high of -1 C, the air should feel downright tropical on Jan. 8.

Just kidding. The air won't feel very warm at all if meteorologists are right. It'll be filled with snow!

Yes, Sunday and Monday will be significantly warmer than anything we've experienced over the past few weeks, but according to the Weather Network significant precipitation is on the way. 

Up to 10 cm of powder could slam the city on Sunday, with an additional 3 cm falling on Monday.

The good news is that Tuesday will still be mild enough to actually go outside comfortably.

If the forecast can be trusted, the snow will have stopped by Jan. 9, the sun will be shining (for at least a few hours) and, at long last, Toronto can enjoy some of that "winter wonderland" stuff we've been reading about.

If you’re ever strolling around the Bloor and Lansdowne or Dundas West area and happen to catch a whiff of a chocolatey scent, you’re not imagining things: there’s a Nestle factory just down the street on industrial Sterling Road.

It’s one of the oldest confectionery factories in Canada operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to produce Nestle’s core four candies: Smarties, Coffee Crisp, Aero and the most popular, Kit Kat.

The factory is totally peanut-free, employs over 500 people as part of the local economy and uses about five and a half thousand tons of milk and ten and a half thousand tons of sugar each year to make some of our favourite sweets.

Tiny, rainbow-coloured and quintessentially Canadian Smarties are more complicated to make than you might think. So much so, there’s a control centre from which each step of their creation is monitored.

Smarties start with liquid chocolate centres made from sustainably sourced cocoa which are cooled down to solid by a machine. “Naked” Smarties are conveyed up into drums which smooth out the centres.

It takes many hours to add the signature coating, a sugar solution which is sprayed on and let dry hundreds of times to achieve Smarties’ crispy shell.

Lastly, colour is added and then the dull finished Smarties are given a shiny coating of carnauba wax.

After being boxed automatically, the last step all Smarties go through is still being packaged by hand.

Those beloved Kit Kats start out as wafer sandwiches with cream in the middle, which are then dropped into a chocolate mold and go through a cooling tunnel.

They’re moved around on conveyor belts where they can be checked for quality control.

Bars that don’t meet the standard are discarded and then crushed up to make the filling for future Kit Kats.

The in-demand Kit Kats are packaged automatically.

If Sterling smells vaguely of freshly unwrapped Kit Kats, then the fifth floor of the factory, where Coffee Crisp is made, smells like a thousand fresh pots of coffee being brewed all at once.

Similar to the other candy, Coffee Crisp starts out as naked wafer sheets cut into small pieces by an automated saw.

The Coffee Crisp wafers then go through an enrober machine that coats them in two layers of chocolate.

They’re cooled off so the chocolate solidifies in a controlled way and doesn’t develop an unappetizing grey patina called “bloom.”

Nestle is a Swiss company with headquarters in Geneva, but they’ve been in Canada for 130 of their 150 years in business and now employ about 5,300 Canadians in total.

So if you’re wandering around the area I affectionately call Nestleville (also home to Henderson Brewing and Drake Commissary) and suddenly smell chocolate, now you know why.

The natural beauty of this city's waterfront is unparalleled. Even in the midst of a brutal cold snap, Toronto's lakefront landscape has ways of surprising us with its frozen grace and allure. 

The inner harbour partially frozen. Photo by ThetaState.

Where else in the world can you go ice fishing just months after dancing to steel drums in the sweltering sun? 

Near the R.C. Harris Filtration Plant. Photo by Phil Marion.

Thanks to modern technology and talented photographers, the entire world can enjoy Toronto's ever-changing views from the shores of Lake Ontario, 365 days a year.

A frozen tree monster. Photo by George Hornaday.

Locals, too, can appreciate the magic in our own backyards without ever having to leave the house – which is nice for nature lovers who are prone to frostbite during blistering, weeks-long coldspells like this one.

The view from Polson Pier. Photo by George Socka.

To the brave, camera-wielding, cold weather artists of Toronto: thank you for capturing the magic of our icy waterfront during record-breaking low temperatures.

Pretty ice formations. Photo by Alex Meoko.

Thank you for the stunning shots of frozen spray and fog rising from the lake at sunrise.

Winter lake fog. Photo by Jack Nobre.

Thanks for going to the (presently) ironically named "balmy beach" so that I don't have to freeze my eyeballs off to see this.

A frozen pier. Photo by Phil Marion.

The sights are picturesque, but boy are they ever cold-looking.

Looking down at the Scartborough Bluffs. Photo by ossington.

As beautiful as these pictures look now, I'm sure we'll all appreciate them even more in July.

In case you haven't caught wind of all the hype surrounding Yayoi Kusama's upcoming Infinity Mirrors exhibition at the AGO, now there's another huge reminder of its coming arrival to greet bundled up TTC commuters. 

The Spadina Station tunnel, most famous for its now extinct moving sidewalk (or movator as some call it), has been decked out in Kusama's signature polka dots, which gives the 150 metre passageway a surreal look that aptly references the artist's work.

A post shared by Sahiro (@sahirotsukioka) on Jan 2, 2018 at 2:20pm PST

It also, quite frankly, livens up what is normally a rather drab section of the subway with its predominant brown tones. If there was an area on the TTC ripe for public art, this would be it. 

A post shared by Vincent L (@dynamitepenguin) on Jan 2, 2018 at 9:37am PST

You'll also find the polka dots at St. Patrick Station, which is fitting given its proximity to the AGO. Here the cladding is outfitted on the narrow tunnel that leads from the mezzanine level to the stairs up to the street.

A post shared by Eng C. Lau (@engclau) on Jan 2, 2018 at 11:01pm PST

In both cases, the effect of the wall design is almost disorienting. I suspect this is the whole point, as the polka dot tunnels cleverly gesture to the experience of looking through one of Kusama's Infinity Rooms.

A post shared by Lexie (@lexie_buchanan) on Jan 3, 2018 at 8:55am PST

Not everyone, however, is a fan. In a post to the Weird Toronto Facebook group regarding the Spadina tunnel makeover, someone characterizes the new cladding as "a Kubrick-esque nightmare."

I don't know — given how humdrum the winter commute can be, that description actually sounds rather intriguing to me. 

If you liked the super wolf moon that ushered in January, you're going to love the moon that ends it.

NASA reports that the second full moon of January, slated to rise on the 31st, will be "extra special." They're calling it a  a "super blue blood moon."

"The January 31st supermoon will feature a total lunar eclipse," reads the space agency's blog. "The moon will lose its brightness and take on an eerie, fainter-than-normal glow from the scant sunlight that makes its way through Earth’s atmosphere."

Because of the way our atmosphere blends light, an eclipsed moon often appears redder than usual. This is where it gets the nickname "blood moon."

"Blue moons" are what celestial buffs call the second full moon to rise in a month. They tend to happen every two and a half years – we're just lucky enough this year to see a blue moon / blood moon / supermoon hybrid.

Jan 31st we’ll be experiencing a Super Blue Blood Moon holy SHIT

I CANNOT HANDLE THIS MUCH PRAISING pic.twitter.com/vz5G1nnLhQ

— I-Jen Versio (@TheLunari) January 3, 2018

Experts say that the total blue moon eclipse on Jan. 31 will be the first skywatching event of its kind in more than 150 years.

"Before 2017, there was an 8 percent partial eclipse on Dec. 31, 2009, but, for a total eclipse of a Blue Moon, we have to go all the way back to March 31, 1866," writes Space of the upcoming celestial phenomenon.

"After this year, the next time that a Blue Moon passes through Earth's umbra will be on Dec. 31, 2028, and, after that, on Jan. 31, 2037. Both of these eclipses will be total."

The best time to view the upcoming Supermoon eclipse in Toronto will be at (and before) 7:30 a.m. on January 31, when the moon is close to the horizon. The moon will actually set just a few minutes later before reaching maximum eclipse, but it'll still look red before it disappears. 

Experts recommend going to a high point, or an unobstructed area with free sight to the west and northwest for your best view of this rare eclipse. 

The City of Toronto is scrambling this week to protect its growing homeless population as deadly cold temperatures persist throughout the region. 

"I am deeply concerned for the health and safety of residents experiencing homelessness," said Mayor John Tory at City Hall this morning in response to the mounting situation.

"It is important that we increase the capacity to provide low-barrier services to ensure that people have safe, warm places to go."

.@JohnTory I’m seriously terrified for my patients who sleep on the street if they have no choice. We have to #openthearmouries. This is a matter of life and death. #topoli#sdoh

— Ritika Goel (@RitikaGoelTO) December 31, 2017

In an effort to respond to what has become a crisis, the city is adding 40 more shelter beds to its new winter respite centre at The Better Living Centre. This brings the total number of beds within the the Exhibition Place facility to 150

The city said in a press release today that another 60 shelter beds will become available within 10 days at the new Salvation Army Hope shelter.

These spaces, as well as the Better Living Centre spaces, are part of 291 additional beds Toronto plans to open for vulnerable residents this year.

Last night 535 people slept at Out of the Cold and overnight drop-ins. Not real shelter. I hope @ombudsmanTO will visit each site because it will look very different than last year. pic.twitter.com/e0KgAocK6I

— CathyCrowe (@cathyacrowe) January 3, 2018

But even with all of the extra beds, more needs to be done in order to solve the problem.

Demand for permanent shelter services has risen more than 30 per cent in just a year, according to city officials. This demand, coupled with a long and bitter stretch of winter weather, has resulted in local shelters reaching a reported capacity rate of 95 per cent.

The situation is bad. Eighty homeless people died last year alone.

last night in this deadly cold, every shelter bed in toronto was occupied and people were being turned away. meanwhile, the moss park and fort york armouries, which we've used in emergencies before, sit empty.

mayor @JohnTory, OPEN THESE SPACES IMMEDIATELY #OpenTheArmouries

— here for dafonte (@DesmondCole) December 31, 2017

Advocates, citizens and politicians have become increasingly vocal about the need for more shelter space in recent weeks, with many calling upon the city to let the federal government open up Toronto's armouries.

Tory had initially maintained that the armouries, like Fort York and Moss Park, "would not be safe or an adequate option for shelter space."

The City of Toronto confirmed in its Tuesday press release that this has changed, as did Tory himself on Twitter. 

Almost a month after my motion asking to open the federal armouries to shelter the homeless was defeated, I'm happy to know Mayor Tory has reconsidered his position on the Moss Park Armoury. We've lost time and now need to work fast to get this done. #OpenTheArmourieshttps://t.co/s9HAmJ8wqS

— Kristyn Wong-Tam (@kristynwongtam) January 3, 2018

"We have been in touch with armed forces personnel since December," wrote the mayor on Twitter.

"Based on City staff advice yesterday," he continued, "We will be requesting from the Government of Canada confirmation that the Moss Park Armoury be made available as a 24-hour respite centre for up to 100 beds until April 15."

Nice one, Sarah Polley. Nice one, activists. Nice one, people of Toronto.

This winter has been a mess of snow and ice, but it's far too early to tell how it'll rank against the worst seasons we've had in the past. Yes, it's been face-freezingly cold earlier than we might expect based on last year's balminess, but taking a long view it might not seem so bad. 

Trying to identify the "worst" winter is, however, difficult. Some were snowy, some were cold, some were both, some featured massive one-off snowstorms while others were a matter of attrition with snow falling for weeks on end.

In recent memory, the winter of 2013/2014 was certainly the worst. The season started with a crippling ice storm and turned into one of the coldest on in the last quarter century. Still, if you look back further, there's plenty of competition out there. 

A streetcar dashes through the cold in 2008. Photo by Stephen Gardiner.

Prior to 2013/2014, the most obvious candidate for worst winter was the 2007-2008 season, when 194 cms of snow - just 13 cms shy of the all-time record - fell during a single frigid season. What made that year so unusual was that it followed two extremely dry winters when just 60 cms fell from November to March.

For comparison, the winter average is around 115 cms. Still, if we're defining worst in terms of snow, then it'd foolish not to mention the winter of 1999, which lives on infamy thanks to the mega-storm we received in mid-January. 

The army digs out Toronto, rendering the city the butt of jokes for years to come.

The blizzard of Jan 14-15 1999 was the final nail in the coffin in what had already been an usually white few weeks. A total of 118.4 cms of snow fell over 14 days that month, piled into waist-high drifts that shut down the subway and airport and forced numerous businesses to simply give up and stay closed.

It probably would have been okay if the snow had melted between storms, as it often does in Toronto, but each successive storm added to the pile. After a monster storm deposited another 27 cms, pushing some drifts over a metre high, mayor Mel Lastman called in 400 soldiers to help with the shovelling.

It's a moment that the city will never live down. Yet, it wasn't actually the worst storm in Toronto's history. 

The Great Snowstorm of 1944 wreaked havoc on Toronto. 

Winter storms don't come much worse than the one that buried Toronto starting on Dec. 12 1944. Beginning in the early hours of the morning, hours of heavy snow piled into half-metre drifts that buried downtown buildings up to the first-floor windows.

Phones rang off the hook in the coroner's office as men all over the city suffered coronaries trying to tackle the snow. At Queen and Mutual, a streetcar tipped onto its doors, killing one and injuring 43.

Eaton's and Simpson's, rival Queen Street department stores, were closed by weather for the first time in their histories.

21 people died in Ontario as a direct result of the storm that had the city drafting schoolboys and garbage workers to help clear streetcar tracks. With that level of tragedy, it hardly matters what the rest of the season was like when evaluating the worst winter in the city's history. 

Snow was a constant presence during the winter of 1937-1938.

Still, there are other candidate for the title, reaching back further. The winter of 1937-38, for instance, still lays claim to the title of snowiest on record.

More than two metres of snow - 207.4 cms to be precise - dropped on Ontario that year and wild weather in Toronto caused highway pile-ups, bus crashes, and damage to the boats on the waterfront. In January, a powerful storm halted practically all streetcar service; hundreds waited in freezing shelters for vehicles that would never arrive.

Ice-boating was as popular as ever in 1912.

If all that snow sounds bad, it might seem less awful when compared to the coldest winter season ever recorded in Toronto, which can be traced back to 1912. 

It takes a lot to freeze Lake Ontario. Its southerly location relative to the other Great Lakes, extreme depth, and impressive width mean the lake stays mostly ice-free through even the coldest of cold snaps - but not in 1912.

A perishing blast of arctic weather - the worst of the last 114 years - caused the lake to freeze a metre thick near Toronto, allowing skaters to reach Rochester, if they desired. There were even races between cars and iceboats on the Toronto Bay.

No winter has delivered a freeze as long and intense as the one experienced in January and February 1912. For 56 days the temperature was below -10. To make matters worse, 143 cms of snow fell over the same period, more than we've had so far this year.

I think we have a winner.

Don't shoot the messenger, but... well, you read the headline. It's going to be colder than Mars this weekend.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for The City of Toronto ahead of what is expected to be our chilliest weekend this winter so far.

Bitterly cold northwesterly winds could make temperatures feel as low as -37 C on Friday night, according to meteorologists, and they won't let up until Sunday – at which point we'll get pummeled with snow! Yay.

"Cold snap from late Thursday through Saturday," reads Environment Canada's statement. "Extreme cold warning criteria of minus 30 is expected to be met in many places Thursday night into Friday and again Friday night into Saturday."

In other words, don't make plans outside this weekend. You will literally get slapped in the face by wind until you cry. Trust me. It's a thing. 

Thanks to the frigid weather that's descended on Southern Ontario, one of the most popular winter attractions north of Toronto is now open for the season. As of December 31, the Arrowhead Park skating trail is up and running. 

That's pretty exciting news for winter day trippers in general, but it gets even better when you consider one of the regular events that's returned for 2018: Fire and Ice nights. 

We were bundled up tonight for Fire and Ice @ArroPark in -20C. The pics don’t show how beautiful it was skating through the forest under the moonlight with tiki torches pic.twitter.com/YvtyfxQOnu

— Tina McAuley (@TinaMcAuley2) January 2, 2018

These are pretty much exactly what they sound like. The picturesque trail through the woods is lit up with a series of torches, and skaters can dart through the forest lit by firelight for a thrilling and romantic experience. 

The first Fire and Ice night took place on New Year's day, but there's a robust schedule in store for the remainder of winter. The torches are lit for 6 p.m. and skaters can circle the trail in until 9 p.m. 

Here's the rest of this year's schedule:

• Saturday, January 6, 2018
• Saturday, January 20, 2018
• Thursday, February 1, 2018
• Saturday, February 10, 2018
• Thursday, February 22, 2018
• Saturday March 3, 2018
• Saturday March 17, 2018

If you haven't already booked a cabin in the park, your best bets for an overnight stay in the area are Deerhurst Resort and Hidden Valley, which are both just a short drive away. 

One thing to note if you're planning a trip to the park for Fire and Ice, you'll want to get there early, as it often takes some time to pay your park fee and find a parking spot. Vehicle permit fees cost $17 on weekdays and $20 on weekends.

Looking for a swanky place in Toronto? Four out of the five most expensive condos for sale right now can be found in Yorkville. The fifth is on the waterfront near what will be our city's very own high-tech, Google-approved neighbourhood of the future.

Here are the most expensive condos listed for sale in Toronto right now.

$13,900,000 for four bathrooms at The Four Seasons

A rare vacancy among the city's most exclusive residences, this sprawling suite 50 Yorkville Ave. is swank. The wild pops of colour and modern decor might not suit every millionaire's taste, but those views from the floor-to-ceiling windows are befitting of Drake himself. 

$12,900,000 for a Yorkville penthouse

No, the $37 million "divorce" penthouse didn't drop in price, but you can live down the street in this elegant, three-bedroom condo for less than half the price. It has over 2,200 square feet of outdoor living space alone – and two dishwashers.

$12,800,000 for brand new digs across from The ROM

Call me old fashioned, but an eight figure condos should always come with a dramatic foyer. This two floor, 7,010 square foot penthouse across from The ROM has a private elevator, four stone terraces and what the realtors describe as "a grand circular staircase."

$11,750,000 for 7 bathrooms on Cumberland

This massive condo in the Renaissance Plaza building actually used to be three separate suites. Now that it's one big unit, it has south, west and east exposure, enough patio space to suit a mid-sized restaurant, its own exercise room, and six bedrooms and a seven bathrooms. 

$6,400,000 for 6 balconies on the waterfront

If you want multiple terraces and an outdoor pool right atop the waterfront, this penthouse at 118 Merchant's Wharf is for you. It's got everything you need to live a life of full luxury, including a private elevator to take you between the condo's two gigantic floors.

The co-founder of one of Toronto's best known and most influential theatre companies has stepped down today in the wake of multiple sexual assault allegations. 

Artistic director Albert Schultz (pictured at left) has relinquished his responsibilities with Soulpepper at the request of its board of directors who are now engaged in an investigation of the allegations directed towards him by multiple actresses at the company. 

"Four lawsuits have been commenced against Albert Schultz as well as the Soulpepper Theatre Company," reads a press release distributed by Alexi Wood of St. Lawrence Barristers, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs.

"The actresses claim that while they were under contract with Soulpepper, they were sexually assaulted and harassed by its Artistic Director, Mr. Schultz, and that Soulpepper did nothing to protect them." 

According to the Globe and Mail, the actresses named in the suit are Patricia Fagan, Kristin Booth, Diana Bentley and Hannah Miller. Collectively, their separate civil suits "seek damages totalling $4.25-million from the theatre company and $3.6-million from Mr. Schultz." 

“Mr. Schultz abused his power for years," continues the lawyer's statement.  "My clients fully intend to hold him and Soulpepper Theatre Company accountable." 

A report from the CBC indicates that a number of actors and one director at Soulpepper planned to resign if Schultz didn't step down as artistic director. Schultz's wife, who is also the company's executive director, has also stepped down for the duration of the investigation. 

Associate artistic director Alan Dilworth has taken on the role of acting artistic director at Soulpepper.

The best hotels in Toronto fit the bill for whatever you may be looking for, whether its recommendations for visiting friends and family or even a restorative staycation. From the latest boutique spot with amazing views to the epitome of luxury, there’s something for everyone on offer in this city.

Here are the best hotels in Toronto.

A newly renovated second floor apartment right across from Trinity Bellwoods Park is about as desirable as rentals come in Toronto, which partially explains just how pricey units in this area are.

When they come nicely furnished and complete with a sizeable patio, that's when you enter into the luxury domain. This recently listed apartment at 919 Queen St. West above the Siista'r comes in at a hefty $3,750. 

There's no denying how nice it is, though. The clean lines of the kitchen rival anything similar you'll find in a condo rental at this price, and the large faux fireplace is quite the centrepiece in the living room. The overall apartment might not be huge, but the finishes are top notch.

Specs

• Address: 919 Queen St. West
• Apartment type: Above store
• Rent: $3,750
• Furnished? Yes
• Utilities: Included
• Air conditioning? Yes
• Bedrooms: 1
• Bathrooms: 1
• Parking: Yes
• Outdoor space: Patio
• Laundry? On site
• Pet friendly? Not specified

Good For

I don't know many people in the market for a $3,750 one bedroom apartment, but ex-pat workers with a rent subsidy or someone who needs a luxe place to hole up for a six months might be drawn by the slick interior and the neighbourhood amenities.

Move On If

You expect a three bedroom apartment for this price. Or perhaps West Queen West just isn't your thing. 

Events in Toronto today let you dance like it's already the weekend, have an out-of-body musical experience, up for your fashion game on the cheap, and plenty more. 

The much-loved Caplansky's Deli on College Street shut its doors for good this week after more than a decade of smoked meat supremacy.

Sorry Beyoncé. Sorry Geddy Lee. Sorry, people of Toronto. I know. It sucks.

Owner Zane Caplansky announced the news on Facebook and Twitter yesterday by sharing a sign he'd posted in the restaurant's window.

"I am heartbroken to announce that this, our first deli location, is closed," it reads. "I am making this decision with tremendous sadness and reluctance. I have spent ten years of my life bringing traditional deli to Toronto."

College St is closed. pic.twitter.com/VebuOkx5K1

— Caplansky (@Caplansky) January 3, 2018

Caplansky wrote that, while staff and managers at his delicatessen "could not have been better," the business had been struggling after a 2016 dispute (and subsequent legal battle) with the building's landlord.

"The deli fought to regain the business we lost after the landlord locked these doors without warning in 2016," he explained. "We never really recovered from that blow."

The popular deli's College Street location, opened in 2007, is now closed – but there's good news for Toronto's legions of hardcore Caplansky's fans.

The deli's Yorkville and Pearson International Airport locations will remain open, as will the company's wildly successful food truck.

Caplansky says he will direct his short-term efforts toward ensuring that the other arms of his business "continue to have access to the high quality Caplansky’s deli products" that people in Toronto and beyond can't get enough of.

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

Open now

• Vit Beo, a Vietnamese late-night eats spot, has opened at 858 Bloor St. W. in Bloorcourt.
• As has Filosophy Pastry & Espresso Bar at 912 Bloor St. W.
• Woodfire Sandwich Co. opened on New Year's Day at 3797 Lake Shore Blvd. W. in Etobicoke.

Recently reviewed

• MyMy Chicken
• Antikka
• Bar Raval
• Beaver Cafe

Opening soon

• A new Chinese noodle restaurant called Landing Noodles will be taking over the former TOT the Cat Cafe space at 298 College St. just west of Spadina.
• Although it's already been open in soft-mode, the Victory Cafe's rebirth on Bloor St. in the Annex will be celebrated with a grand opening party on Jan. 5.

Closed

• Stasis Preserves is closing its deli & pantry on Roncesvalles and focusing on its preserves line and wholesale business. Fresh City Farms will be taking over the storefront.
• Caplansky's original College St. location has closed its doors for good. 

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

The figures are in for home sales across Toronto last year and, while the average selling price was up, the total number of sales were well down. 

Realtors in the city reported 92,394 sales through MLS in 2017, according to the Toronto Real Estate Board – about 18.3 per cent less than the record number of homes sold in 2016.

The average cost of a home in 2017 was up 12.7 per cent over the previous year at $822,681, though much of that growth took place between January and April.

"This annual growth was driven more so by extremely tight market conditions during the first four months of the year," reads a real estate board report released Thursday. "In the latter two-thirds of 2017, fewer sales combined with increased listings resulted in slower price growth."

TREB president Tim Syrianos blamed government policy decisions, like Canada's mortgage stress-test and the province's new 15 per cent tax on foreign home buyers, for "much of the sales volatility in 2017."

"The Ontario Fair Housing Plan, which included a foreign buyer tax, had a marked psychological impact on the marketplace," he said in the report. 

"Looking forward, government policy could continue to influence consumer behaviour in 2018, as changes to federal mortgage lending guidelines come into effect."  

Starting this Sunday, commuters will no longer have to pay double fare for a journey that involves both the TTC and GO Transit or the UP Express.

Someone who arrives downtown by GO train, for example, will be charged just $1.50 to continue their trip using a TTC subway, bus or streetcar.

That's literally half price for PRESTO card users (who, it should be noted, are the only riders eligible for the program).

"This discount is available exclusively for PRESTO users who pay as they go with their card balance," reads a website explaining how it works. "It is not available if you use a PRESTO monthly pass, cash, paper tickets, tokens or a Metropass on your PRESTO card."

Save even more with PRESTO! Starting January 7 you can save up to $1.50 when you use your PRESTO card and transfer between @TTCnotices and @GOtransit or @UPexpress. Lean more at: https://t.co/6UnlUfzsxJpic.twitter.com/M0sI0Dqdva

— PRESTO card (@PRESTOcard) December 18, 2017

Card holders don't have to do anything to get a lower fare. Discounts will be applied automatically, in both directions, for all adult, senior and student card holders. 

For adults transferring from the TTC to GO or UP Express vehicles, $1.50 will be shaved off the cost of secondary fares, which range in price based on distance travelled.

Students and seniors will save $0.55 when moving between transit services in both directions.

Metrolinx recommends using its Triplinx route planner starting on Jan. 7 to find out how much your particular journey will cost from start to finish.