The top 10 new pubs in Toronto

New pubs established themselves across Toronto in the past year. These destinations for drinking and dining offer cozy vibes, craft brews, and hearty comfort foods that make them feel like a home away from home. Toronto's pub scene only gets better over time.

Here are my picks for the top new pubs in Toronto.

Bar Hop Brewco
The two storey brewpub on Peter Street represents loads of local craft brewers with 36 beers on tap and a rotating selection of casks. To eat, there's a menu from chef Mark Cutrara featuring atypical bar snacks like chicharron in ranch seasoning, roasted pig's head nachos, and whole roasted branzino tacos.

Old Laurel
Davy Love, the heart and soul behind The Bristol Yard, and more recently The Bristol, branched off on his own this year to open this two-floor College Street pub that deals in hearty English eats like traditional breakfasts. It's a great place to catch the morning broadcasts of European football.

Lansdowne Brewery
The microbrewery and brewpub on Lansdowne between Dundas and College forgoes the old-timey pub vibe in favour of a contemporary, but still comfy setting. Look forward to beer-friendly foods like pickled eggs, deep fried pickles, and burgers.

Queen St. Warehouse
Dubbed a premium dive bar, this outpost from the El Furniture Warehouse family opened on Queen West earlier this year. Highlights include a menu of pub grub priced at a steady $4.95, along with similarly priced shooters, pints starting at $5.75, and cocktails like the Red Eye Corona ($11.50), which features an upside-down bottle of cerveza presented inside in a spicy Caesar.

The Craft Brasserie
This massive beer hall in Liberty Village boasts over 100 beers on tap along with a menu of pub standards with a twist. Not sure where to start? Try a flight of 5 oz beers and knock back a couple orders of galbi smoked wings, asada fries, and adobo short ribs.

Refinery Public House
Situated on Lakeshore West, this Etobicoke watering hole deals in beer, wine and spirits accompanied by a menu featuring skillet nachos, maple poutine, and pan seared pierogi. In addition to the food and drinks, look forward to live music, trivia, and student discount nights.

The Thirsty Duck
This public house in Leslieville styled after a Halifax bar might be new, but inside it feels reassuringly worn in. The menu will satisfy nostalgic cravings of east coast transplants with dishes like shrimp toast, donairs, and deep fried pepperoni.

The Wickson Social
The owners of The Oxley and The Queen and Beaver introduced this neighbourhood gem recently. Menus for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch include a roster of comfort foods like slow roasted lamb with curried aioli and a hand chopped burger.

Dominion Pub & Kitchen
The newest local in Corktown is this reinstated pub on Queen East. Behind the bar you'll find two dozen taps pulling craft beers as well as over 20 bottled brews to be enjoyed with a menu of pub standards including wings, nachos, pub pies, and more.

The Grover
The pub in the Upper Beaches has been around since 1982, but new management took over this year and revamped everything about it. Now sporting a new look, new staff and new menu, the neighbourhood local is as good as new.

Photo of Bar Hop Brewco.

by Liora Ipsum via blogTO

The top 10 new restaurant openings in Toronto for December 2015

Toronto restaurant openings in December were a diverse bunch that included a couple new French concepts, snack bars, a noodle house, a new all day breakfast option and a slick pub. Entering the new year, it just spells more temptations to derail post-holiday diets and health-oriented resolutions.

Here are my picks for the top Toronto restaurants that opened in December.

Shameful Tiki Room
Tropical cocktails, spam maki, tuna poke and fish tacos are all on the menu at this new tiki bar that's arrived in Toronto by way of Vancouver.

The Wickson Social
This handsome new public house is pouring pints of craft beer and serving up a hearty menu of eclectic comfort foods at the base of one of Toronto's most promising condos. The hand-chopped burger is a must.

Chabrol
The new Southern French restaurant from the folks behind Cava is now open in Yorkville and serving up riesling-poached foie gras, tartine of rabbit and chestnut soup with sheep's milk crème fraîche.

Bar Begonia
Anthony Rose's fifth restaurant on Dupont Street opened just in time for the holidays. Look forward to a menu featuring absinthe frappes paired with tartare and gaufrette potatoes.

Magic Noodle
The chain famous for hand pulled noodles landed at 93 Harbord Street this month and is serving up noodles in a range of thickness, Shanxi style burgers, sizzling squid skewers. For now the hours are listed from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., but with any luck they'll stretch late into the night or even become 24 hours like in Scarborough.

Jamie's Italian
Jamie Oliver's first Toronto outpost opened in Yorkdale Mall this month. The restaurant has introduced a signature menu of casual Italian fare that's already proved popular across the pond. Look forward to fresh pastas, cured meat planks, while fish preparations and more.

Hollandaise Diner
The new diner in the Danforth does all day breakfasts, specializing in poached eggs and perfectly silky emulsions of butter and eggs. The menu boasts signature creations and DIY eggs Benedicts plus classic two egg breakfasts, mix and match pancakes and frittatas.

Bugigattolo
The compact Italian kitchen in Liberty Village is doing breakfast, lunch, and dinner that
At this compact Italian in Liberty Village, chef Quin Josey credits some dishes to his nonna while others draw from inspiration from his previous experiences at Bar Buca. Pizzas and pastas are among the highlights, including the comforting lasagne alla zucchini.

Kupfert & Kim
The chain of vegan eateries already dominates daytime eating in the PATH. The newest and biggest location on Spadina is the first above ground and not only is there a dine-in option, but it's also licensed and serving brunch.

Bar Batavia
The new cocktail lounge and snack bar opened this month above the Little Sister food bar in midtown. The dimly lit joint primarily deals in tipples, but you'll find a menu of Indo-Dutch snack foods on offer as well.

What was your favourite new restaurant that opened last month? Give it props in the comments.

Photo of Jamie's Italian by Hector Vasquez.

by Liora Ipsum via blogTO

The top 5 new gyms in Toronto

Gyms that opened in Toronto in 2015 have provided some great options for new workout spaces. These new facilities offer options from group training to indoor obstacle courses - all of which have the potential to inspire you to stick to your future fitness goals.

Here are my picks for the top new gyms in Toronto for 2015.

F45 Training
F45 Training is my favourite workout in the city. The gym offers a HIT circuit training with different workouts at each station for an impressive and sweaty 45-minute workout. The Liberty Village studio is the first of its kind in Canada after amassing a huge following in Australia.

Pursuit OCR
An indoor obstacle course for adults? That's one way to sweat and get in shape. The playzone is a 10,000 square foot facility north of Queen and Dufferin with 19 obstacle courses including a ball pit.

Anchored Social Club
This Leslieville gym has a slightly different approach to the team workout. It gets down to the nitty gritty of a workout and uses your body strength as a gauge. The weights consist of makeshift items like bags of rice and a giant handmade climbing wall. Owner Ben Dussault is behind the minimalist gym, and trains people to rely on their own strength.

Planet Fitness
Planet Fitness opened inside the Galleria Mall on Dupont. If you want a basic workout without the excessive price tag this is your place.There are no group classes or swimming pools, but memberships are only $10 per month. This gym is ideal if you're a fitness beginner, and don't mind that the elliptical isn't hooked up to a TV.

Forme Fitness
Owned by personal trainers the Smits Brothers, this 5,500-square foot facility near Queen and Broadview focuses on resistance training and metabolic intervals. The trainers also offer one-on-one training as as well group classes, nutrition counselling and monitoring. Forme is also the first gym in Canada with an indoor 3 lane turf track.

Did I miss any? Add your favourite new gym in the comments.

Photo of F45 Training.

by Lori Harito via blogTO

The top 5 brunch restaurants on the Danforth

Brunch restaurants on the Danforth are scattered all along the east-end corridor - from Broadview and the heart of Greektown to Woodbine and the burgeoning East Danforth neighbourhood. These eateries elevate
traditional brunch items through their use of quality ingredients and their ability to add a
unique flare to old favourites.

Here are my picks for the top brunch restaurants on the Danforth.

The Wren
The Wren's menu takes its inspiration from Southwestern comfort food and Mexican cuisine. Popular brunch items include the Huevos Tostadas ($11 or $14.50 with chicken tinga) and the Brisket Hash served with cornbread ($13). Wash it all down with a mimosa ($8) or a Caesar with an odd price tag ($7.08).

Melanie's Bistro
The brunch menu at Melanie's boasts plenty of seafood options. Get the Newfoundland Breakfast Special ($14) which comes with pan-friend cod cakes, poached eggs, herbed hollandaise and toast. While there's classic eggs benny on offer, there's also a version with panko-crusted crab cakes ($15).

Hollandaise Diner
If you're after customizable brunch, look no further than Hollandaise Diner. With the "Build A Benny" option (starting at $11.95), you can replace the classic English-Muffin base with grilled tomato, baked polenta, grilled cheese, bitter greens or even meatloaf. There are eight kinds of toppings and four different takes on the traditional dish.

Cafe Fiorentina
The eggs benny ($15) at Cafe Fiorentina features two farm-fresh duck eggs and super-tender beef tongue but is also sometimes served with lobster, pastrami, rabbit and duck confit.

Patisserie La Cigogne
Owner-chef Thierry Schmitt opened the Danforth outpost of Patisserie La Cigogne following the success of his original operation on Bayview Avenue. Both locations offer all-day breakfast and brunch, seven days a week. A popular item is the Croque Madam, which consists of brioche layered with ham and cheese and topped with a fried egg ($9.50).

What did I miss? Add your suggestions for the top brunch spots on the Danforth in the
comments. Photo of Hollandaise Diner.

by Jeanie Tran via blogTO

The top 5 free events in Toronto: January 4-10 2016

The top free events in Toronto will help you stick to your New Year's resolutions about being more frugal. While you could easily shell out big bucks to see live music performances, there's plenty to do that won't cost a dime. Instead of putting a dent in your chequing account, ride the subway without pants, check out a few free comedy skits, or show off your dance moves at the Harbourfront.

Here's a roundup of free events in Toronto this week.

Festival of New Formats at Comedy Bar (Jan. 2-6)
Comedy Bar's Festival of New Formats brings Toronto's funny men and women to the stage for five nights of performances at the beginning of January. You'll get to catch experimental sketch, improv and stand-up shows without dropping a dime. It may not have the star power of JFL42, but you'll probably get in a few laughs.

JS Code Club Hack Night (Jan. 6​)
The JS (JavaScript) Code Club is hosted by OK GROW! an app development studio that opens the doors of its downtown office on the first Wednesday of every month to seasoned developers and newbies alike. The club offers a spot for developers to talk shop and facilitates collaboration with a Code Club Project Board app that helps match developers to projects that interest them.

Do Right On Ice (Jan. 9)
Head to the Harbourfront Centre on the night of the 9th for another DJ Skate Night. This week's instalment will feature music by Do Right Music label head, John Kong. You may not be downing shots on the dancefloor, but it's much more cost effective and probably just as fun.

No Pants Subway Ride & Dance Party (Jan. 10)
Let's be real, nobody actually likes wearing pants - and this Sunday you won't have to. On January 10th join hundreds of Torontonians as they drop their drawers, dance and travel around the city on the subway. If you don't plan on getting in on the action yourself, it's still quite the spectacle - just don't get creepy.

Japanese Movies at the Bloor Cinema (Jan. 10-24)
Bloor Hot Docs Cinema is hosting free screenings of Japanese films throughout January. If you're not fluent in Japanese, no worries, all flicks will feature English subtitles. The series kicks off this Sunday with a screening of The Floating Castle.

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

With contributions from Rose Behar.

by Alice Prendergast via blogTO

Soon to open Bandit Brewery will make sour beer

Toronto's west side is dotted with locally owned craft breweries and in 2016, it's going to get one more.

Bandit Brewery is slated to open some time in the next few months, but co-owner Shehzad Hamza won't give an exact date just yet. Though, he does say that both he and his business partner Stephane Dubois were inspired by Europe's laid back beer gardens.

The 2125 Dundas St. W. space will lets patrons mingle over small plates as they sip on craft beer made on site. And, Hamza hopes to introduce Torontonians to brews, like sours and barrel-aged varieties - they may not have tried elsewhere yet.

"We like those experimental types of beer that not many people get to taste because they're pretty one off, they're pretty rare," Hamza says.

While the Roncesvalles space isn't ready just yet, Bandit made its debut with at the West End Brew Project: #WECollab event. It collaborated with the Junction Craft Brewery to create a Black IPA called Raccoon Roll.

Photo via Facebook.

by Amy Grief via blogTO

The glory days of the Toronto airport hotel strip

Driving along Dixon Rd. near the Toronto airport these days, it's not hard to imagine that the place was once a hotbed for motor hotels, that strange hybrid structure of the 1960s that combined the modern economy of design witnessed in the conventional motel and the amenities traditionally affiliated with the hotel experience.

There are, after all, hotels everywhere around here. The airport hotel strip isn't in danger of disappearing anytime soon, even as it's profoundly changed over the last 30 years. Where once you'd encounter unique motor hotels with novel ideas as to how to lure business travellers, now the corporate chains reign supreme. The rooms are nice enough, but the character has fled.

Two airport hotels in particular come to mind when I think of the glory days here: the Regal Constellation and the Valhalla Inn, both of which were demolished within the last five years as relics of their former selves. While both were worse for wear when they met the wrecking ball, back in the '60s and '70s, these places were palaces of kistchy pleasure.

In their heyday, both hotels boasted exotic pools, which were a central attraction. Where the Constellation's watery oasis included islands and live plants, the Valhalla was even more outlandish with its underwater windows that opened to the cocktail bar below.

It's like they took the most famous pool in Las Vegas and transported it Toronto (with a few upgrades to boot).

Then again, if I was judging based solely on kitsch potential, the former would take the cake for its purchase of a Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft to serve as a cocktail lounge in 1996. Things were already getting desperate at this point, but what's remarkable to remember is that both of these hotels came from significant architectural pedigree.

The Valhalla was designed to be a Norse paradise by George Robb, and despite the more over-the-top features, always had a certain elegance to its layout. Sure, the Mermaid Bar had underwater windows to the pool, but the bar itself was majestic. Meanwhile, the original Constellation was designed by Bregman + Hamann before the eyesore of a tower was added later.

The Constellation has always shared something in common with the Inn on the Park, both thanks to its ample use of field stone and the manner in which the hotel shelters the Miami-like outdoor pool and lounge area. In other words, these were serious places, built by architects with serious ambition.

Although a little further afield, you might throw the Ascot 27 Hotel into the mix here. It opened in 1960 near Highway 27 and Rexdale Blvd., still close to the airport but more importantly to the new Woodbine Racetrack (1956).

It too was designed by George Robb, and featured a cathedral like entrance marked by soaring stained glass windows. It was less outlandish by amenities, but offered lovely views of the Humber Valley.

Back when the Valhalla closed its doors, Rick McGinnis eloquently summed up why these relics couldn't hold on in today's hotel economy. "Today, business trips are more crowded, the expectations to produce more keen and technology has woven a more robust tether to employers and clients, so their room is their office, boardroom and bedroom."

The appetite for exotic features just isn't there. Comfort has replaced recreation on the priority chart. Nevertheless, it's a testament to the design of these places that they hung on for as long as they did. The airport strip is certainly a less interesting places for their loss.

Photo of the Regal Constellation's aircraft cocktail lounge by Steve Tournay. Postcards via Chuckman's Collection.

by Derek Flack via blogTO