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Tuesday, April 30, 2019

K-pop group BTS spotted eating in a Korean restaurant in Toronto

BTS just released a video of themselves exploring Ontario, and apparently the band really liked the honey garlic pizza from a Korean restaurant in Toronto (meaning you, a BTS fan, now also like honey garlic pizza). 

new video from the K-pop megastars was released on the streaming site V Live this morning, showing the seven-member band traipsing around town a few days before their Hamilton concert last year. 

The 32-minute video showed the band exploring Niagara Falls before heading to the Korean restaurant Ssangkye Braised Chicken House on Steeles. 

According to Ssangkye's owner, Noah Yoo, he had no idea that the biggest band in the Korean pop world would be dropping by his restaurant. 

"One guy called [that day] and booked a table for 35 people," says Yoo. "I thought, 'Probably some Korean group travellers are coming." 

"But when they arrived in the plaza, I realized it was Korean idols that were coming." 

The band stayed for about two hours, and as you can see in the later part of the V Live video, spent their time eating chicken, fighting over the last slice of honey garlic pizza, making fun of V, and talking about pancake batter. 

"They ate a lot," says Yoo, who remembers the band ordering enough for about 12 people. 

You also probably knew this already, but according to Yoo, the BTS boys were a pretty cool bunch of dudes. 

"Usually [K-pop stars] know they are famous...most of them are not really acting good...but these guys, they were really nice."

Swoon. 


by Tanya Mok via blogTO

Moosehead plans to launch cannabis-infused beer in Canada

Cannabis-infused beer isn't just for fringe craft brands: another one of Canada's oldest dad beers is getting in on the game.

Moosehead is partnering with Canadian company Sproutly to develop, market and produce non-alcoholic beverages made using Sproutly's natural water soluble cannabinoids called Infuz2O. Apparently the beverages will be easier to produce and their effects will be easier to predict, and they should actually taste better, too.

"With the anticipated legalization of edibles in Canada later this year, Moosehead has made the strategic decision to enter the cannabis beverage market," said Moosehead CEO Andrew Oland.

"As one of the oldest brands in Canada and a leader in the beer category, we believe we are uniquely positioned to be a leader in the cannabis beverage category."

The Canadian beer brand has been around for over 150 years, and oversees alcohol brands like Twisted Tea, Angry Orchard cider, Estrella Damm and Hop City craft beer.

Though their newest product may not get you drunk, it seems poised to bring a whole new meaning to the slogan, "The moose is loose."


by Amy Carlberg via blogTO

This is what Eglinton West will look like once the LRT is built

Construction on the long-awaited Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) project may be messing up traffic something fierce, but midtown Toronto should at least get some pretty new green paces out of the deal.

New planning and streetscape renderings were unveiled for the western part of the line during an April 12 meeting of the City of Toronto's Design Review Panel and, I must say, they're pretty good... at least compared to how Eglinton looks right now.

eglinton west lrtCity planners did acknowledge at the start of their presentation that Ontario Premier Doug Ford's recently-unveiled transit plan for Toronto could impact the relevance or even usefulness of their Eglinton West LRT Planning and Streetscape Study.

If it doesn't, this is what the City and urban designers Perkins + Will are proposing for streetscaping along the Eglinton West LRT.

eglinton west lrtAs Urban Toronto explains, much of the space running along Eglinton West is seen as an undeveloped greenway with trees and natural forested areas on both sides of the road.

These grassy patches were once slated to become roadways themselves, but will more likely now hold parks, wide sidewalks, bike lanes, murals, lookouts, seating and other public realm improvements.eglinton west lrt"Perkins + Will are aiming to preserve and capitalize upon the greenway character of the boulevard by preserving and enhancing the public realm on either side of the street," writes Urban Toronto

"The new LRT would travel down the centre of Eglinton, taking up one lane in each direction in its own right-of-way. Its design is inspired by the under-construction above-grade eastern portion of the Crosstown LRT through Scarborough and the Golden Mile."

eglinton west lrtEnclosed, heated shelters will be available for commuters at each of the stations along the line, should it come to fruition as planned.

"Eglinton will become Toronto's central east-west Avenue – a green, beautiful linear space that supports residential living, employment, retail and public uses in a setting of community vibrancy," reads an early vision statement for the planning and streetscape study.

"Its design will balance all forms of mobility and connect neighbourhoods and natural valley systems to the larger city and the region."


by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO

A ranking of Ritual vs. all the other meal pick-up apps in Toronto

Ritual and all the other meal pick-up apps in Toronto don't deliver, but they do let you skip the lines, which comes in handy during lunch hour.

There's only a handful of social ordering apps available in the city (Ritual being the most popular one by far), with the main difference being restaurant selection, app interface, and convenience.

Here's a ranking of all the meal pick-up apps in Toronto.

Ritual

Download: Free
Membership fee needed: No
Number of Toronto restaurants offered: 1,000+

Definitely taking the lion's share of meal pick-ups in the city, Ritual focuses exclusively on ordering ahead (unlike other apps, which also do delivery). 

This Toronto-based app took the industry by storm when it launched in 2015 and has been a particular favourite for office workers, thanks to corporate programs and its handy Piggyback feature.

The app is pretty simple: just make an account, link your payment method, and browse you area for restaurants near you. You can browse under categories like Healthy Eats or Indian which a available within a nine minute walk. Interface-wise, it's really easy to scroll around to find what you want.

Pros

The Piggyback feature (which lets people pick up their friends orders, sort of like Uber's fare splitting option) and the Ritual Rewards program, which lets you rack up points for discounts and even free coffee. Ritual also has a yearly month-long 'Lunch for $1' promo.

Cons

There's been some security concerns revolving around Ritual's Piggyback feature, which allowed nearby users to find employees listed under their place of work. 

food pick up apps toronto

MealPal

Download: Free
Membership fee needed: Yes
Number of Toronto restaurants offered: 75+

This is less of a pick-up app as it is a lunch subscription service: the whole point is that you can eat a meal every day for less than $7. 

Choose between two 30-day plans: the 20 Meal Lunch offers you up to 20 meals, with each meal costing around $5.99 before taxes and fees. The 12 Meal Lunch gets you 12 meals in the month, and comes up to around $6.39 per meal. 

Pros

MealPal's a pretty convenient option if you're not the type who likes to pack a lunch, ever. You can also pause your plan, which comes in handy if you go out of town. 

Cons

Committing to a subscription fee takes away from the spontaneity of deciding what you want to eat that day. Plus, restaurants only offer a limited number of lunch options daily. You're also only allotted one lunch per day, and Toronto doesn't offer dinner plans right now. 

DoorDash

Download: Free
Membership fee needed: No
Number of Toronto restaurants offered: 16

This delivery app just introduced its DoorDash Pickup last year, letting customers order ahead. Just download the app and scroll down to the bottom until you see the 'Try Pickup' section. You'll get access to most things on the menu, at no extra cost. 

Pros

If you already have DoorDash downloaded on your phone for its delivery function, the pick-up option is just an added bonus. 

Cons

There's only 16 options offered in the entire city right now—13 of which are Popeyes (those biscuits, am I right?) To be fair, they're still expanding, and there are a couple locations of Ajisen Ramen and one T-Swirl Crepe. 

food pick up apps toronto

Foodora

Download: Free
Membership fee needed: No
Number of Toronto restaurants offered: 800+

This super-popular delivery service teamed up with Grabb Mobile Inc. to offer order-ahead capabilities in 2017. 

Now that they've merged, Foodora now offers a pick-up feature for restaurants in Toronto. Just download the Foodora app, create an account, and toggle the button that lets you switch between delivery and pick-up modes. 

Pros

Again, if you're big on delivery apps, it's pretty likely you already have Foodora on your phone. This pick-option just expands your options, with the same filter capabilities as before. 

Cons

Unlike Ritual, there aren't enough perks for users (like a tempting point system) to convince us to keep coming back. 

Maegan

Download: Free
Membership fee needed: No
Number of Toronto restaurants offered: 35

Few people know about this app: it offers both delivery and pick-options, and while it's rarely anybody's go-to for either, there are actually a couple of notable businesses here worth signing up for.

Pros

There are few busy restaurants offered on the app, including Pai and the Crawford location of Fresh, which is convenient when you want to skip the line. 

Cons

Maegan has been around for at least three years, but it doesn't seem like it's done much expanding beyond its roster of predominantly Burger's Priest locations. Its functionality is so-so; not the worst, but it's definitely not the sleekest app on your phone. 


by Tanya Mok via blogTO

5 places to find cherry blossoms in Toronto beyond High Park

Cherry blossoms in Toronto aren't confined to High Park. In fact, there are collections of sakura spread all over the city as well as Mississauga. Those looking to avoid the gong show that is a peak-bloom visit to Grenadier Pond can head to any of these spots for a more peaceful version of this spring ritual.

Here are some other places to find cherry blossoms in Toronto beyond High Park.

Robarts Library

The sakura stand at the University of Toronto library is relatively small at 70 or so trees, but it's absolutely gorgeous at peak bloom, as the trees create a canopy over the short path that leads through the green space from Harbord to Huron.

Centennial Park

The gardens here boast the second largest collection of cherry trees in the city behind High Park. There's over 400 trees here in various places from the area to the northeast of the park conservatory to the sections near Rathburn Rd. and Centennial Park Blvd.

Broadacres Park

There are 100 cherry trees planted at this park in Etobicoke that date back to 2002. The stand can be found at the southwest corner of the park near Elderfield Crescent and is one of the least trafficked places to view sakura in the city.

Trinity Bellwoods Park

Probably the second busiest place to soak up the beauty of cherry blossoms in Toronto, the path that runs southeast from Trinity Circle has a lovely collection of young sakura. The best time to head here is during the work week, when the park is relatively quiet.

Toronto Island Park

There are roughly 30 cherry trees on Centre Island. It's one of the smaller collections worth mentioning, but the surrounding area is beautiful and you can make the trip across the harbour part of the celebration of spring in Toronto.


by Staff via blogTO

The top 10 new snack bars in Toronto

New snack bars in Toronto give us fresh places to enjoy eating with others. Not only do the cuisines on these menus range from soul food to Balkan, they're typically accompanied by cocktails that are just as tasty.

Here are my picks for the top new snack bars in Toronto.

IST Snack Bar

This new Parkdale spot serves fusion takes on Indian and interactive cocktails. 

Superfly

A list of spritzes accompanies oysters and steak tartare at this new snack bar replacing Electric Mud in Parkdale.

Project Gigglewater

This Dundas West cocktail bar serves elegant little sharing plates within a speakeasy-style environment.

Apres Wine Bar

The snacks are as elegant as the extensive wine list at this West Queen West bar.

Bar Noce

This lounge at the back of Noce across from Trinity Bellwoods serves affordable snacks and a variety of negronis.

Councillor

West Queen West has this chill bar for classic cocktails, pizza, burgers and wings.

Bar Buca Eglinton

This new extension of the Bar Buca empire at Yonge and Eglinton serves upscale snacks like burrata buried in shaved truffle.

Casa La Palma

This semi-hidden lounge above La Palma on Dundas West does a menu of veggie- and seafood-forward small plates.

Blua

Balkan snacks like cevapi, ajvar, and feta fries bolster a menu of innovative cocktails garnished with flowers at this dreamy Junction bar.

Sakai Bar

Dundas West has this understated spot for beautiful Japanese small plates.


by Amy Carlberg via blogTO

High Park cherry blossoms peak bloom is about one week away

Those planning to head out this week to see the High Park cherry blossoms finally bloom might be in for a rough surprise. 

Initial estimates of a late-April bloom have been pushed back, as a brief bout of cold weather renders the blooms unlikely. 

A new update from Sakura Watch, Toronto's resident cherry blossom expert, says the new expected date for a pink-flooded High Park may be next week from May 7 to 12, after beginning to open between the 3rd and 5th. 

While the buds' delay might be delayed, those concerned for the health of the plants need not worry. Sakura Watch ensures that the buds are healthy and cold-resilient, but will just need a bit more time for a bloom. 

It's supposed to be fairly warm over the next few days heading into the weekend, possibly giving the buds enough of a kick to start opening up. 


by Staff via blogTO

High Park cherry blossoms peak bloom now forecast for next week

Those planning to head out this week to see the High Park cherry blossoms finally bloom might be in for a rough surprise. 

Initial estimates of a late-April bloom have been pushed back, as a brief bout of cold weather renders the blooms unlikely. 

A new update from Sakura Watch, Toronto's resident cherry blossom expert, says the new expected date for a pink-flooded High Park may be next week from May 7 to 12, after beginning to open between the 3rd and 5th. 

While the buds' delay might be delayed, those concerned for the health of the plants need not worry. Sakura Watch ensures that the buds are healthy and cold-resilient, but will just need a bit more time for a bloom. 

It's supposed to be fairly warm over the next few days heading into the weekend, possibly giving the buds enough of a kick to start opening up. 


by Staff via blogTO

Thousands storm Queen's Park to protest Doug Ford's cuts to health care

An estimated 8,000 outraged Ontario residents are marching on Queen's Park in downtown Toronto today to voice their opposition against the PC government's deep and sweeping cuts to health care services across the province.

Organized by the Ontario Health Coalition, today's protest takes aim at Premier Doug Ford's plan to restructure the health care system under something called Bill 74 or "The People's Health Care Act."

"Ford's Bill 74 — a massive healthcare system overhaul that would open the door to selling off our public healthcare to private corporations — has moved into a crucial phase," explains a petition which asks that the bill be amended to prohibit private, for-profit healthcare groups.

"The new legislation Doug Ford worked to keep secret from the public will sell vital health care services to private for-profit corporations," reads an event description for today's rally at Queen's Park. "[And] impose costly mega-mergers that put our local services and hospitals at risk... IF WE DON’T STOP IT."

Healthcare workers and supporters arrived by the busload from all over Ontario this morning to fight back against Bill 74 and other changes they fear are problematic, such as cuts to OHIP and the dissolution of all 14 of the province's Local Health Integration Networks into a single agency.

"For the first time, more than 150,000 health professionals, nurses, support workers, doctors and tens of thousands of patient advocates are joining together in a health action day, unified in their deep concern that the Ford government intends unprecedented health care privatization," wrote the Ontario Health Coalition in a statement about their widespread initiative.

"In hospitals and other health facilities tens of thousands will wear a sticker that says 'Stop Health Privatization' and will distribute leaflets warning about the Ford government's health care restructuring plans."

Here in Toronto, protesters gathered at Sick Kids hospital before setting off for Queen's Park around noon.

They are currently on the lawn of the legislature building shouting and showing off their vibrant protest signs.

Even the famous CNE protest rat is on hand to lend its support for the cause.

Traffic has been blocked off by police in several areas surrounding Queen's Park on account of the protest.

"Blame for today's Toronto core gridlock rests squarely on Doug Ford," wrote one demonstrator. "Massive healthcare protest closed University Avenue from Bloor to College — same time same place tomorrow!"

Unfortunately for protesters, Ford himself will not be around to see the action in person. He is currently in New York City promoting Ontario as "Open for Business."


by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO