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Sunday, May 31, 2015

Today in Toronto: Irvine Welsh on Trainspotting, The Damage Done, Negroni Week, SINGular Sensation

today in torontoToday in Toronto the drinkers out there will be treated to Negroni Week. If that's not your thing, you can head to Revival Bar to see an all-Torontonian lineup take the stage and belt their hearts out.

For more events, click on over to our events section.

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


by Alice Prendergast via blogTO

After the storm

toronto skyline fogPhoto by Jeff Mann in the blogTO Flickr pool.


by Derek Flack via blogTO

10 new stores and restaurants on Dundas West

dundas westDundas West is proving itself as one of Toronto's most dynamic streets with a ton of new stores and restaurants opening up in the last few months. From 24 hour diners to ice cream to home decor crafted in Portugal there's lots to like here.

Here's a round-up of new stores and restaurants to check out on Dundas West.

Saudade
This adorable shop carries a collection of Portuguese designers and brands with a little something for everyone. Stop in on your next tour of the neighbourhood and check out their wares. Stop by for hand woven blankets, soap, kitchen items or other unexpected finds perfect for gifting.

Old School
24-hr BBQ. That may just be the best and most dangerous sentence I've ever heard. Next time you're craving some delicious meat head to Chef Brad Moore's newest brainchild at any hour of the day. I predict this will change the late-night snacking game in the neighbourhood.

Scoop Shop
This is the perfect summer retreat not far from Trinity Bellwoods. Custom make an ice cream sandwich with any two of their delicious fresh baked cookies and your choice of ice cream flavour. Yum!

Oh My Lard
BBQ served the way it was meant to be out of an upcycled shipping container at Market 707. Get your hands on one of their pulled pork sandwiches ASAP. It'll change the way you think about BBQ.

Tucana Cafe
This floral and cozy coffee shop is a must visit while you're strolling through the neighbourhood. Stop by for a cortado and why not treat yourself to a yummy vegan cookie while you're here.

Loveless
Show some love to Unlovable owners' newest offering Loveless. This place has a similar laid back feel as it's older counterpart. There's patio seating in the summer and coffee, cocktails or beer all the time.

Northern Belle
Northwood's little sister, is your best bet for classic cocktails in the neighbourhood. While you're here take a look at their menu and put together a nice little charcuterie snack for yourself.

Solita
Do you know what you're having for dinner tonight? Head to Solita for all the best Italian ingredients and fixings. Don't feel like cooking? Why not pick up one of their soup, deli or pasta specials. Also, there's some great cannoli to be had here.

Souppe Shoppe
Inspired by the diverse flavours from around the city, this Market 707 container offers a list of soups with local and fresh ingredients. I was lucky enough to try some of their Gazpacho and I highly recommend it. Get some before they sell out.

North of Brooklyn at Get Well
I was already a huge fan of Get Well but they've made it even better by inviting North of Brooklyn Pizzeria inside to keep them company. That's right friends, you can now get slices and full pies of this delicious pizza here until last call.

What did I miss? Add your favourite new places on Dundas West in the comments.


by Hannah Jack via blogTO

Ontario One Team One Mission Wrap Party!

Begins: 2015-06-06T13:00:00 Ends: 2015-06-06T16:00:00 Where: {'city': u'Mississauga', 'journal_activity_id': 446792764, 'country': u'CA', 'changed': datetime.datetime(2015, 5, 16, 12, 50, 43), 'venue': u'HILTON MISSISSAUGA/MEADOWVALE', 'zoom': u'13', 'longitude': u'-79.742727', 'state': u'ON', 'postal_code': u'L5N 2L3', 'address_1': u'6750 Mississauga Road', 'address_2': u'', 'longaddress': u'6750 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5N 2L3', 'latitude': u'43.601084', 'is_saved': True, 'organizer': 8041845L, u'id': 10285907, 'user': 77218729L} Organized by: Barb and Matt Houser
by via Toronto Networking Events

Get ready to indulge at Toronto's newest 24 hour diner

old schoolOpened by the folks behind School in Liberty Village, this new diner marries modern decor with American classics like fried chicken, barbecue, and massive stacks of pancakes for brunch.

Read my profile of Old School in the restaurants section.


by Liora Ipsum via blogTO

The best spots for tea in Toronto!

The best spots for tea in Toronto!


Quaint Tea Rooms in Toronto
www.toronto.com
These quaint tea rooms are the best in Toronto.
by torontodotcom via torontodotcom's Facebook Wall

Take a look at what's happening in Toronto this June!

Take a look at what's happening in Toronto this June!


Must-See June Events in Toronto
www.toronto.com
Toronto.com rounds up the top picks for the month of June including Luminato, Toronto Jazz Festival and Bestival.
by torontodotcom via torontodotcom's Facebook Wall

Check out the views from Toronto's best rooftop patios.

Check out the views from Toronto's best rooftop patios.


Rooftop Patios in Toronto
www.toronto.com
Toronto.com portal
by torontodotcom via torontodotcom's Facebook Wall

The top concerts in Toronto for June 2015

toronto concerts juneThe top concerts in Toronto this June manage to squeeze themselves into an already jam-packed schedule of music festivals, so, so many music festivals. Get ready for another round of Field Trip, Toronto Jazz Festival, Luminato, Digital Dreams and NXNE (courting controversy and generally making a mess as per usual), plus the addition of UK import Bestival this month.

In news of regular-size gigs, the British are coming (Ride, Paul Weller, Starsailor) as are some, uh, quirky pairings (Fall Out Boy with Wiz Khalifa, Robert Plant with The Pixies).

Nostalgia acts abound as always, but my favourite one flying under the radar is The Ataris, who'll be all tucked away in The Cave playing one of their old albums in its entirety (but not the one with "Boys of Summer" on it, which is a fascinating decision to me. C'mon guys).

Here are the top concerts to get excited about for June.

Drake (June 2, ACC)
Drizzy fans who missed out on OVO tickets got a second chance at happiness when he announced this show, part of the impromptu six-date Jungle Tour that will also feature rapper Future as an opener. Hopefully (or maybe hopefully not), Madonna's sweet musk will still be on him.

Lana Del Rey (June 3, Molson Amphitheatre)
Gorgeous sad sack Lana Del Rey is embarking on her first official concert tour in support of last year's Ultraviolence, and in her classic quirky fashion, managed to add some weirdness by making Courtney Love her opener. Sadly, us Torontonians will be deprived of their cosmic chemistry since Love's not on the latter half of the tour, but luckily Grimes is taking up the mantle.

Briefcasefest (June 5 and 6, Hard Luck Bar)
This burgeoning two-day blitz of local metal is moving to the Hard Luck Bar for its third year, but you can still expect the same abundance of inventive and experimental heavy music for crazy cheap. Day one brings Philadelphia's Starkweather to rub shoulders with locals such as Godstopper and IRN; day two welcomes the black metal vibes care of Akitsa, Volur, Occult Burial and more.

Wavelength 666 featuring Fresh Snow (June 6, Silver Dollar)
The Wavelength series has reached its momentous 666th show, but since Briefcasefest's stolen away all the satanic black metal that day, Wavelength's commemorating the dark milestone with less evil (but still kinda evil) electro-influenced music care of Fresh Snow, Corpusse, Several Futures and more.

Colin Stetson with Sarah Neufeld (June 9, Great Hall)
Saxophonist Colin Stetson and violinist Sarah Neufeld took time out of their main gig with Arcade Fire and paired up for collaborative LP Never Were the Way She Was earlier this spring. The evocative, film-like quality of their instrumental compositions will make for an intense experience at The Great Hall.

Sound Seance (June 12-14, Geary Lane)
It looks like the Geary Lane progenitors successfully cut through all that red tape threatening to shut the venue down, because their next concert experience is officially a go. This new weekend fest in the vein of Montreal's Suoni Per Il Popolo will feature tons of avant garde tunes from Suuns, Wrekmeister Harmonies (featuring members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor), Expo 70 and Mimico among others.

Dashboard Confessional and Third Eye Blind (Echo Beach, June 15)
Get out the Kleenex and pull on a T-shirt over a long-sleeved shirt, because two bands from your youth are coming back to make you revisit some pretty heavy emotions. After a five-year break, Chris Carrabba is dusting off the old Dashboard Confessional moniker for a new tour that will be co-headlined with Third Eye Blind, which totally makes sense somehow.

KEN Mode and Fight Amp (June 16, The Shop at Parts + Labour)
Two awesomely loud bands are about to launch new releases with a joint tour that will bring them to The Shop. Winnipeg's KEN Mode puts out fourth LP (and Steve Albini-produced!) Success on the day of this show, while Fight Amp's Constantly Off comes out the week previous.

Rush (June 17 and 19, Air Canada Centre)
One of Canada's biggest musical exports is ending the spring (and their career, maybe) with a bang. Rush's 2015 tour is reported to be their last, so do everything you can to squeeze your way in to the ACC to catch the legendary rockers play one last time. Maybe.

Spoon (June 23 and 24, Phoenix)
Around this time last year, Spoon was cavorting around town for NXNE, treating fans to both free Yonge-Dundas and secret club sets. Clearly the indie rock icons love making summer plans with us, as they're back again for two nights still going on the strength of 2014's They Want My Soul.

New Kids on the Block with Nelly and TLC (June 28 and 29, ACC)
This summer blockbuster of a concert features some of pop's biggest heavy hitters of the nineties and early aughts. Entitled The Main Event, NKOTB's new tour brings along Nelly and TLC for a megahit-laden night that'll harken back to the days when butterfly clips were cool and music was profitable.

See also:
The top 10 music festivals in Toronto for spring 2015
The top 10 music festivals in Ontario for 2015

What did I miss? Tell us about your favourite upcoming Toronto concerts this June in the comments.


by Shazia Khan via blogTO

The top 10 new restaurants for fried chicken in Toronto

fried chicken torontoFried chicken, be it Southern style, Asian style or even Toronto style, is hot right now on menus across this city. There's a lot of finger-licking fried chicken to be had, whether you like it by the bucket, with waffles, or as entree over mashed potatoes.

Here are 10 new restaurants where you'll find fried chicken on the menu.

The Dirty Bird
Northern fried chicken dusted in maple sugar is specialty at this new fast food joint in Kensington Market. Order three pieces of bone-in chicken with fresh-made buttered waffles and a side for $14, or try the budget-friendly two-piece combo with a choice of fries, slaw or 'tater salad for $7.

Bar Fancy
Fried chicken ($16) at this Queen West snack bar boasts four big pieces of delicious, fried bird per order. Expect a salty crackling skin and moist juicy meat inside served alongside slices of Wonder Bread, pickles, lime, two sauces (habanero and mayo) and plenty of wet naps.

R&D
The modern Chinese restaurant on Spadina bills General Sanders' fried chicken ($25) on its menu. This version embraces sweet, salty and spicy flavours all at once - expect crispy deep fried poultry glazed in Kung Pao sauce and served with Hong Kong style bubble waffles and sichuan maple syrup.

McRamyun
This Baldwin Village eatery specializes in Korean ramen, but the Mc Chicken Wings ($5.45 for 3 pcs, $11.45 for 7pcs) coated in crispy crushed noodles is not to be missed. This take on KFC (Korean Fried Chicken, that is), is a house fave and comes accompanied by two sauces - a garlic mayo and a spicy gochujang for dipping.

Nine Restaurant & Tapas Bar
KFC, Korean Fried Chicken ($13) is a standout at this Asian tapas bar on lower Roncy where morsels of crispy battered poultry are served glazed in w sweet and spicy chili sauce, and accompanied by crunchy pickled daikon.

Lucky Red
Deep-fried five spice coated fried chicken ($7) is served two pieces at a time at Banh Mi Boy's licensed spin-off in Chinatown. Douse it with the house hot sauce then rely on the sides of pickled kohlrabi and fennel to cool things down.

Kanpai
TFC, short for Taiwanese fried chicken is the main attraction at his Cabbagetown snack bar. Sprinkled with chilli peppers, cilantro and scallions, and served with chili hot sauce, a three-piece order of crispy bone-in chicken goes for $8, a while a bucket will set you back $19.

Old School
The Colonel's Bucket ($19) features boneless nuggets of juicy chicken in a crispy golden coating topped with knob of vanilla butter. Smother it with Tabasco honey and enjoy with sides of slaw, potato salad and a biscuit.

Concession Road
JFC, or Japanese fried chicken ($19.50) is on the menu at this St. Clair restaurant. The dish features Mennonite-farmed chicken marinated in sesame oil and sake before being crusted in cornmeal, deep fried, and served with a tomato and preserved lemon mayo over mashed potatoes with seasonal veg.

The Tennessee
The new Parkdale pub and live music venue serves up Tenny Fried Chicken ($13) featuring drumsticks marinated in a secret sauce then dredged and deep fried to a crisp. Every order includes a side of hush puppies, and organic greens to make it a meal.

Photo from Lucky Red by Jesse Milns.


by Liora Ipsum via blogTO

The top 5 free events in Toronto: June 1-7 2015

free events torontoFree events in Toronto this week will have you shopping without dropping a dime at the Really Really Free Market. You can simultaneously de-clutter your apartment and refill it with trinkets you never knew you needed. There are also two free art exhibitions on offer, a reddit-board inspired exhibit at Steam Whistle gallery and a contemporary/surrealist show at TAC Art/Work Gallery.

Here's what to do in Toronto when your credit card is maxed out.

Really Really Free Market (June 6)
Everything is up for grabs at the Really Really Free Market; no strings attached. Do some spring cleaning of your own and donate all your excess bits and bobs. Free vegan food will also be served on site by Food Not Bombs.

Sonder at Steam Whistle Gallery (June 3)
Steamwhistle Gallery is hosting a new exhibition and it kicks off on Wednesday. Head over around 7pm to check out the opening reception for a Reddit-board inspired art collection. There will be refreshments, light snacks and a DJ on the scene as well.

Cosmo MusicFEST & EXPO (June 6)
Cosmo MusicFEST is an east end music festival happening this Saturday. 90's alt band I Mother Earth and Winnipeg rockers The Mohrs will be taking the stage. Guitar legend Steve Vai will also be in attendance and is hosting a meet and greet.

New Contemporary Art Show (June 3)
This exhibition features Canadian new contemporary artists who incorporate surrealist elements into their work. On display are Tara Krebs, Steven Chmilar, Nicholas Di Genova, Sarah Joncas, Troy Coulterman and Jamiyla Lowe.

Urban Nirvana's 4 Year Anniversary Party (June 5)
Do your body a favour and head to Urban Nirvana for their fourth anniversary bash. There will be free yoga classes and complimentary thai massages offered over the course of the evening.

ONGOING FREE EVENTS IN TORONTO

Elvis Mondays (Mondays, The Drake)
Toronto's longest running indie showcase, William New's free show has put thousands of bands on stage. It's at the Drake Underground every Monday.

Free Nights at the Horseshoe (Monday/Tuesday, The Horseshoe)
The Legendary Horseshoe has a storied history, and hosts free indie rock shows in the early week with Shoeless Mondays and Dave Bookman's Nu Music Night on Tuesdays.

AGO Free Evening (Wednesday, AGO)
The Art Gallery of Ontario's free evening runs from 6-8:30pm. It can be a little crowded, but sometimes the people watching is as good as the art (sometimes).

Aga Khan Free Evening (Wednesday, Aga Khan Museum)
The brand new Aga Khan Museum for Islamic art has launched Free Wednesdays from 4-8pm.

CINSSU's Free Friday Films (Fridays)
The Innis Town Hall is back with free movies every Friday. Follow the Cinema Studies Student Union or check out our event section.

Canadian Opera Company (Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre)
September through to early June, catch free classical shows at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts "most Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon, and some Wednesdays at noon or 5:30 p.m."

MOCCA (Tuesday - Sunday)
While nearly all art galleries in the city are free to enter, it's worth noting The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA) is always PWYC.

Have a free event you'd like to plug? Submit it to our event calendar using this form.


by Alice Prendergast via blogTO

Treat yourself to brunch at America Restaurant in Trump International Hotel & To...

Treat yourself to brunch at America Restaurant in Trump International Hotel & Tower, Toronto


Brunch at America Restaurant
www.toronto.com
A luxurious brunch buffet is available every Sunday morning at America Restaurant, in the Trump Tower.
by torontodotcom via torontodotcom's Facebook Wall

May flowers

toronto flowersPhoto by BruceK in the blogTO Flickr pool.


by Derek Flack via blogTO