The top 10 iced tea in Toronto

The top iced tea in Toronto is a mixed bag of endlessly varied flavours. Depending on the type of tea and optional sweetening, fruity blends, citrus infusions or even milky add-ins, this versatile chilled refreshment is an ultimate summer pick-me-up.

Here are my picks for the top places to get iced tea in Toronto.

Smoque N Bones

This BBQ joint near Trinity Bellwoods blends its sweet tea with muddled oranges, bitters and a house-made black tea syrup infused with star anise. The Southern-style brew is shaken and served over ice in mason jars for $3.50.

Momofuku

The noodle bar offers a refreshing iced green tea ($5) made with cold brewed sencha and lemongrass. Served over ice, the brew will cool you down, but be warned, it does nothing to alleviate the heat of the extremely spicy noodles.

Northwood

The house iced teas at this Christie Pits cafe are cold brewed by steeping for over 16 hours to form a concentrate that's then chilled and diluted to taste. Choose from roobois, earl grey and sencha variations, served unsweetened, for $3.

Grasslands

The vegan restaurant on Queen West serves a chilled brew of steeped hibiscus tea ($5) blended with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice for natural sweetness and lip-puckering tartness.

Cafe Belong

Nestled in the heart of the Evergreen Brick Works, this restaurant and cafe offers an effervescent jasmine iced tea ($3) sweetened with simple syrup, fresh lime juice and soda. Order it to go at the counter and bring it along as you trail through the Don Valley.

The County General

The popular spot at Queen and Shaw does a classic homemade iced tea ($3) that's steeped from Red Rose bags overnight. It's served unsweetened, though the bar is happy to add a little honey syrup to taste, or opt to make it an Arnold Palmer ($3.50) mixed with cinnamon limeade. Spike either drink with rum or bourbon for $5.

Kupfert & Kim

The vegan lunchonette in the PATH keeps batches of house-made iced teas on tap. Expect to find flavours like lemongrass, lemon and mint, or apple, rosehip and hibiscus ready for quick grab-and-go.

Swan Restaurant

The drinks list at this Queen St. diner includes a refreshing and not-too-sweet raspberry-and-lemon iced tea. Order by the glass in small ($3) or large ($5.25) sizes.

Sabai Sabai

This Church and Dundas spot for Thai tapas offers two traditional orange-coloured cha-yen cold teas. Priced at $5, one is sweetened with condensed milk while the other stirs in palm sugar and fresh citrus juice.

Swish by Han

Icy options at this Wellington restaurant include the tart and tangy Yuzu tea ($3) over ice, as well as a thirst-quenching iced honey and mint tea ($5).

What did I miss? Add your favourite iced tea to the comments below.

Thanks to Pure Leaf for sponsoring our coverage of iced tea day in Toronto (coming up on June 10th).

Photo by cliph in the blogTO Flickr pool

by Liora Ipsum via blogTO

Free events in Toronto: June 2-8, 2014

Free events in Toronto this week come via big names like the Luminato Festival and Etsy. Full disclosure: lounging on a cardboard beach may or may not be fun - I haven't tried it yet. There are also live music shows, lit events (sexy and regular), and dance parties to be had, plus some kitten petting. Never say no to free kitten snuggles.

Here's how to hang out on the cheap in Toronto this week when the park is too crowded.

Balcony and Terrace Container Gardening: Secrets of Success

Horticulturalists Toronto Master Gardeners just want you to have the best container garden you can. Monday, June 2, 1:30pm, Toronto Reference Library Beeton Auditorium (789 Yonge St. Toronto).

Collecting Art in 2014: A Panel Discussion

One way to get out of being broke long-term could be to invest in art. If you ask me, all it takes is hanging out with some grimy under-appreciated artists in the market and hoping some of the artists giving you cardboard paintings for beer make it big, but in case you don't want to take my advice, this panel is free to attend. Tuesday, June 3, 7pm, 1313 (1313 Queen St. West).

Smiths Tribute feat. Slapback

Moz won't come to Canada but for PWYC you can squint until it's real at Holy Oak this week. Tuesday, June 3, 10pm, Holy Oak Cafe (1241 Bloor Street West)

Tell Me Something Good: Sexy Storytelling Slam

Miss playing truth or dare? Inspired by Bawdy Storytelling in California, Tell Me Something Good invites you to stop by and throw your name into their (sexy?) hat -- a lucky few will be selected to speak. And yes, warm up games include truth or dare. Wednesday, June 4, 8pm, Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West).

DOC NOW Festival 2014 Screenings

11 films in four programs will screen for free as party as Ryerson's DOC NOW Fest. Check out more about these screenings here. June 4-5, 6:30pm, Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (504 Bloor Street West).

Spring Fling

The Piston is giving the last weeks of spring a rush of fun with The Order of Good Cheer (who are releasing an album), Dine Alone Foods, Collective Arts Brewing, and Gooch's World Famous Smoked Meat. For PWYC you can show up to win prizes, see bands, dance to DJs, and see surprise guests. June 4, 11, 18, 25, 9pm, The Piston (937 Bloor St West).

Pivot Finale

Pivot is closing up shop for their 2013-14 season. Angela Hibbs, Aisha Sasha John, Jim Johnstone, and Suzannah Showler will read. It's a good cheap date for literary types, but donate whatever you can to these poor authors. Wednesday, June 4, 8pm, The Press Club (850 Dundas Street West).

Cardboard Beach

If you live or work downtown and fantasize about running away (but not too far away) to catch some rays, art has your back. Luminato will install a fully licensed temporary beach at their hub at David Pecaut Square from June 6-15, where the world's largest disco ball hung last year. The catch? Unlike Toronto's admittedly decent existing beaches, this "oasis" will be entirely made of cardboard. Parties will take place at the beach (with food!) so check out Luminato's website for more. June 6-15, Luminato Festival Hub at David Pecaut Square (55 John Street)

IsKw Live in the Stacks

All ages event Live in the Stacks is back bringing the music IsKw, a Cree/Dene/Irish alternative r&b/trip hop artist, to the quiet old library. Friday, June 6, 8pm, Spadina Road Library (10 Spadina Road).

SlowPitch Live at The Film Buff East

We've featured sci-fi loving turntablist SlowPitch in our breakout band series, and here's a chance to see him work those decks live and for free while browsing films, and maybe splurging on an ice cream if it's hot. Friday, June 6, 7pm, Film Buff (1380 Queen Street East).

Etsy Craft Party

This free all ages crafting event will supply all the art supplies you need to jazz up your old photos, if that's what you're into. Friday, June 5, 5pm, Textile Museum of Canada (55 Centre Avenue).

Entranced Island 2014

Finally, a free music event on the island that isn't in support of "men's equality." Local trance DJs will entertain you in a non-political, non-sketchy environment, as Toronto goes back to its friendly, normal self. If you can donate $10 for the DJ set up, please do. Saturday, June 7, 11am-10pm, Hanlan's Point, Toronto Islands.

Riverdale Art Walk

Scope some art in the east end: over 130 artists will show work in (almost) every medium you can imagine. Saturday, June 7, 11am-6pm, Jimmie Simpson Park (870 Queen St East).

Toronto Etsy Street Team 5th Annual Springtime Market

Etsy is taking over Toronto this weekend, which is good news for those who love all things crafty. Vendors will be set up in Church of Saint Stephen-in-the-Fields on Saturday, where there will also be swag giveaways and free craft workshops. Saturday, June 7, 11am-5pm, Church of Saint Stephen in the Fields (103 Bellevue Avenue).

Puppy and Kitten Weekend

Need some tips from puppy and kitten experts? Groomers, trainers, veterinarians, and (ugh) breeders will be offering free demos and info at Pawsway - oh, and there will be puppies and kittens there. Cuddle said baby animals, roll your eyes at the breeders, and remember to adopt from rescues and shelters, y'all. Saturday, June 7, 12-5pm, Purina PawsWay (245 Queen's Quay West).

Also, check out these regular free events in Toronto

• Elvis Mondays at the Drake


• Foosball Battle Royale, Monday, Disgraceland


• Art Gallery of Ontario free evening, Wednesday, 6-8:30pm.


• IFOA Weekly, free for supporters, students, & youth under 26, Wednesday, Harbourfront Centre


• Skin of My Nuts Comedy Show, Thursday, Sonic Espresso Bar


• Canadian Opera Company's Free Concerts series


• 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.


• The ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) offers discounted tickets on Fridays ($10).

Do you want everyone to know about your kinda random free or pay-what-you-can event? Submit it to our event section. (You can also submit your for-money events here, greedy-pants.)

Photo still of Straight Guys from Doc Now

by Aubrey Jax via blogTO

The top 10 bike rental options in Toronto

The top bike rental options in Toronto make it easy to explore the city by bike. The verdant trails of the Don Valley, the extensive ravine system, endless waterfront, and Toronto's downtown are all accessible on two wheels - no car or transit fare required. And, thanks to an impressive selection of rental places, there's no need to travel with your own bike and associated clunky hardware.

For the casual rider hopping from cafe to bar, there's the recently rebranded Bike Share Toronto (formerly Bixi) which offers convenient short-term loans in the downtown core. If solo riding isn't your thing, there are a multitude of companies that offer everything from slick road bikes, to tandems, and even goofy quadricycles, just so long as you don't take yourself too seriously.

Here are 10 great options for bike rental in Toronto.

BIKE SHARE TORONTO (FORMERLY BIXI) - VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Toronto's troubled public bike share network was re-born in 2014 as city-owned "Bike Share Toronto." It's basically the same concept as before: 80 stations located in the centre of the city offer simple, if inelegant, bicycles with the flash of a credit card. Bikes can be picked up and dropped off at any location, making Bike Share Toronto a good option for explorers. Note that there are no pick-up/drop-off locations outside downtown. Prices from: $7/half hour (credit card pre-authorization required.)

TORONTO ISLAND BICYCLE RENTAL - CENTRE ISLAND

The best thing about renting a bike in Toronto's offshore park is the potential for hilarity. Located near the pier on Lakeshore Ave., the island's only rental company offers tandems and weird, two- and four-seater "quadricycles"--little buggy things. Regular bikes are available, but that's not as much fun. ID is required for every rental. Watch out for the wildlife on the boardwalk. Prices from: $8/hour (deposit required.)

COMMUNITY BICYCLE NETWORK - 761 QUEEN STREET WEST

Rent one of the Community Bicycle Network's yellow beach cruisers and you will be re-living a piece of Toronto cycling history. Long before Bike Share Toronto arrived on the scene, BikeShare loaned canary-coloured bicycles from 16 hubs across central Toronto. The system is now defunct, but the bikes ride on for $25 a day up to $75 a week. Prices include lights, a lock, and a basket. A single vintage CCM tandem is available for $35 a day, $105 a week. "It's old, it's cranky and fun to ride," says the company's lead mechanic. Prices from: $25/day (deposit required.)

SWEET PETE'S BIKE SHOP - VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Pete Lilly, aka Sweet Pete, offers road, hybrid, mountain, and children's bikes from three locations: one at the Evergreen Brick Works in the leafy Don Valley, 1204 Bloor St. between Dufferin and Lansdowne, and 517 Bloor St. in the Annex. The Brickworks and Annex locations offer online bookings, which beats showing up to find the early birds have snagged all the best rides. Prices from: $10/hour (deposit required.)

BATEMAN'S BICYCLE COMPANY - 29A BARTON AVENUE

What beats a bike reservation? Delivery, of course. Bateman's Bicycle Company (no relation) will drop off the bicycle of your choosing--hydrid, road, mountain, tandem, or even cargo--for $25 each. Serious cyclists in town for a road or mountain bike event can enter a Bateman's bike for $100. Rentals are by the hour (weekend only,) day, week, or month. Lights, helmets, and locks are available, too. Prices form: $20/hour (credit card pre-authorization required.)

CURBSIDE CYCLE - 413 BLOOR STREET WEST

The Annex's Curbside Cycle provides cyclists with a straightforward rental package: quality Canadian Devinci bikes fitted with a bell and set of lights, a sturdy Abus lock, and a skid lid for a flat $40--$10 for an additional 24 hours. It's first-come-first-served and the store recommends arriving early in order to maximize the fun. Note: the bikes no longer come with the front basket as the picture indicates, apparently. Prices from: $40/day (deposit required.)

WHEEL EXCITEMENT INC. - 249 QUEENS QUAY WEST

Queens Quay is set to be a building site this summer, but Wheel Excitement Inc., on the south side of the street, just east of Rees, is still renting out Diamondback and Fuji bicycles. As well as rollerskates, Wheel Excitement loans its bikes by the hour up to a maximum of 48 hours, which is good news if you plan on doing some late-night riding. Helmets come free, locks are $5 extra. Prices from: $15/hour (deposit required.)

THE CYCLEPATH (DANFORTH) - 1520 DANFORTH AVENUE

An East Danforth stalwart, Cyclepath offers city or full suspension mountain bikes for between $40 and $75 for a full day, or $175 to $350 for a week--no road bikes, tandems, kid's bikes or trailers, however. Staff ask that customers call ahead to confirm they have the right sizes available. Things like a lock and helmet are extra. Prices from: $40/day (deposit required.)

MIKE THE BIKE - 5 OXFORD STREET

Located in the heart of bicycle-friendly Kensington Market, Mike the Bike (warning: he's not actually an anthropomorphic bicycle) has bicycles for a super cheap $20 a day, $60 a week, $80 for two weeks, or $100 a month. The bikes are pretty basic (don't expect disc brakes or carbon fibre frames) but the fleet should be good enough for casual puttering around town. Locks are available for a $1 a day. Prices from: $20/day (deposit required.)

EXCLUSIVE SPORT RENTALS - 8575 KEELE STREET, VAUGHAN

Not all cyclists want to be confined to the city. Exclusive Sport Rentals, located just outside the city limits on Keele Street, rents an impressive range of road and mountain bikes to riders on a mission. The gear can be taken on lengthy road rides or down the muddy trails of the GTA for up to a week without breaking the bank. Pick-up is a little out of the way, so you will need a car. Clip-on pedals, locks, and even car racks are available. Prices from: $49/day (deposit required.)

What did I miss? Add your favourite places to rent a bike in Toronto to the comments below.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

by Chris Bateman via blogTO

Get to know a Toronto startup: Tab

We've all been there: the uncomfortable scenarios that can arise when paying the bill at a restaurant. The mess of trying to split a bill between 15 people after a few too many margaritas. Discreetly paying for a friend who's had a rough week. The awkwardness of pulling out the velcro wallet you've had since high school when paying the bill in front of your date.

Mobile payment startup Tab has a brilliant solution. Currently used by a number of Toronto restaurants with several more slated to join, this iPhone app is a mobile wallet that aims to improve your dining experience.

Here's how it works: if you're dining in a restaurant partnered with Tab, let your server know that you're using the app. In the app, check into the restaurant and indicate who in your party you'll be paying for. When you're ready to settle up, a few swipes of your smartphone and Tab will pay your bill using the credit card number you set up in your profile.

Founded by Adam Epstein, Fahd Ananta and Mike Kimel, Tab launched in April but has been running a pilot program with select restaurants since March. I spoke with Adam about how their mobile payment solution is improving the dining experience for Torontonians.

What inspired the founding of Tab?

Every member of the Tab team is passionate about food and dining out. Whether it be from personal experience or countless interviews with prospective users and restaurants owners, it was quite glaring that the current process of managing payments in restaurants was a problem yearning for a better solution.

Everyone has recognized that these awful wireless terminals at the table need to go and and are an awful way to end a meal. With Tab, we actually get technology out of the way, so with two taps you can put your phone in your pocket and enjoy your company and meal.

The Tab experience isn't just about disrupting payments in restaurants, though. Since our smartphones know a great deal more about us than the cards or cash in our wallet, we are creating a personalization layer to the dining experience, and you'll see more of that as our product develops.

Which Toronto restaurants are currently customers?

We are currently operational in 16 restaurants: Blowfish, Hudson Kitchen, Happy Hooker, Thompson Diner, Valdez, Gusto 101, The Citizen, Weslodge, Patria, Brassaii, Byblos, The Chase, The Chase Fish and Oyster, Irish Embassy and Playa Cabana Hacienda. Our newest restaurant is Table 17, and we'll be adding at least four more restaurants in the next 10 days.

Mobile payments is a hot market right now. Who are you competing with?

It certainly is a hot market, and we believe very strongly in the paradigm of the smartphone as a wallet. There are many different companies focusing on mobile payments en masse like Square or PayPal, or focusing on mobile payments specific to their brand like Starbucks and recently Tim Hortons.

No one has focused specifically on the dining experience, however. Since we're focused on this one vertical, we believe that we can create a much more immersive product, experience and community. To date, that belief has been reaffirmed by both our users and participating restaurants.

How does your company make money?

Restaurants are charged a processing fee lower than the usual fees charged by wireless terminal providers. There are no fees charged to the guest of a restaurant paying with Tab.

What's coming up next for Tab?

More restaurants! Our initial group of restaurants were strategically focused on downtown Toronto and now we're working on expanding to more areas of the city. That'll be reflected in the next few restaurants that start accepting Tab, like Table 17. We've also been working hard to get our Android app ready, which will be released by the end of June.

by Anna Starasts via blogTO

Is Miller Street destined to become an art gallery hub?

Following Jessica Bradley's move to this mostly industrial street nestled between the Junction and the Junction Triangle, this gallery (once operated by Leo Kamen) has followed suit by opening up in a large warehouse space. With three exhibitions under its belt (including a recent Contact show), the gallery is building momentum -- so much so that it wouldn't be surprise to see more arts spaces set up shop on Miller St.

Read my review of Katzman Contemporary in the galleries section.

by Staff via blogTO

North York rises

Photo by jp1958 in the blogTO Flickr pool.

by Derek Flack via blogTO

Pig themed scavenger hunt coming to Toronto

BigPigTO, a pig-centric scavenger hunt, is enlisting over 30 of Hogtown's finest pig-focused restaurants, pubs and food trucks to offer deals on food and drink items throughout June and July.

Presented by Big Pig Production Co., in collaboration with Toronto Underground Market and Hogtown Brewers, the new initiative will brand participating businesses with a Big Pig vinyl sticker. All you have to do is spot the pig and mention it when ordering to bring home discounts and deals on your bacon. Enter to win prizes - like tickets to upcoming TUM events or Hogtown Brewers monthly prize packs - by hamming it up for the camera and tagging your photos with #BigPigTO.

Look out for deals like Lisa Marie's deep fried pork belly chow mein pizza (plus a can of Hogtown Ale) for $17, or, add bacon to any poutine at the Two Bite Saloon for just $1. Other participating restaurants include Smoque N Bones, Fancy Franks, Hogtown Pub & Oyster and Hey Meatball, plus food trucks Hogtown Smoke and Stoke Stack BBQ.New restaurants, contests and prizes will be announced all summer long.

by Liora Ipsum via blogTO

Festivals and Special Events in Toronto for...

Find out what's happening in Toronto in July 2013. Festivals, trade shows, charity fundraisers and other annual events.

by via About.com Toronto: Most Popular Articles

Pig out this summer with BigPigTO

BigPigTO, a pig-centric scavenger hunt, is enlisting over 30 of Hogtown's finest pig-focused restaurants, pubs and food trucks to offer deals on food and drink items throughout June and July.

Presented by Big Pig Production Co., in collaboration with Toronto Underground Market and Hogtown Brewers, the new initiative will brand participating businesses with a Big Pig vinyl sticker. All you have to do is spot the pig and mention it when ordering to bring home discounts and deals on your bacon. Enter to win prizes - like tickets to upcoming TUM events or Hogtown Brewers monthly prize packs - by hamming it up for the camera and tagging your photos with #BigPigTO.

Look out for deals like Lisa Marie's deep fried pork belly chow mein pizza (plus a can of Hogtown Ale) for $17, or, add bacon to any poutine at the Two Bite Saloon for just $1. Other participating restaurants include Smoque N Bones, Fancy Franks, Hogtown Pub & Oyster and Hey Meatball, plus food trucks Hogtown Smoke and Stoke Stack BBQ.New restaurants, contests and prizes will be announced all summer long.

by Liora Ipsum via blogTO

How's the new Spanish-tinged menu at Marben?

Revisiting this restaurant after any amount of time away will likely conjure a sense of deja vu: the interior seems familiar though more comfortable than ever; the menu is not as meat-centric as it once was and has picked up a Spanish accent. While I can't pin down every difference, the patio is as glorious as ever and the bar menu is just as enticing...likely why my last visit is a little foggy in the first place.

Read my profile of Marben in the restaurants section.

by Liora Ipsum via blogTO