On a clear Tuesday evening, a twenty-ish, canvas-shod scruffster shuffled east from Bathurst onto Wellington and, looking either very lost or very uncomfortable, turned hesitantly into the gated patio of Marben Restaurant. He exchanged a few words with a sleek, formidably stiletto'd woman, and, miraculously, slipped inside. Sneakers allowed at this swankest of James Chatto-approved eateries? When it's an Omy Gallery party, well, yeah.......

Snappy Answers runs every Saturday afternoon. Send your questions, be they tough or trivial, to snappyanswers@torontoist.com. At work the other day a co-worker stated he was off to Club Wicked. Can you tell me how they get away with "sex" in that club? I understand he stated it was because it is registered as a "private club" but would like to know more. I'm sure one of your "roving reporters" would love to take this......

Photo by David Topping. Torontoist has a major crush on missed connections, and this one made our day: West Queen West, Drake/Beacs - m4w last weekend, at the drake. Or maybe it was the beaconsfield. You are very stylish, wearing an outfit from american apparel. it was colourful. i was skinny, wearing jeans and a t-shirt with my favourite band on it, with a vintage sweater over top. we talked for a bit, and......

Thinking of getting a tattoo? Great idea! (Unless you’re thinking of getting a Chinese character and you’re not Chinese. In that case, please don’t. First, you will look like a walking cliché. Second, you will probably end up with something like “horse penis” when you meant to get “passion and love.” Kind of like these people.) As fun as tattoos are though, they’re also not a decision to be taken lightly. An excellent place......

A museum of ceramics may not be everyone's cup of tea [rimshot], but the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art is one of Toronto's favourite buildings. Garnering an unprecedented positive rating of 81.5%, the structure took top honours in the third annual Pug Awards, which were announced today. The Pug Awards, despite their frustrating website, had Torontonians vote on 22 new buildings with a simple thumbs-up, thumbs-down rating. 40,000 votes later, the brilliant Gardiner came......

Remember Jean Chrétien? We haven't heard much about the former prime minister in some time (dude's been off the map ever since Paul Martin forced him off it). Well, Mizalaina of the Toronto LiveJournal community spotted Chrétien earlier today in downtown Toronto, and has one hell of a story to go along with it: So an hour ago I'm walking north along York St. I hear a crash ahead of me and see a......

The ongoing investigation of a crooked optician’s shop by consumer complaints reporter Peter "Watch it, Buddy!" Silverman of CityTV’s Silverman Helps has ended in a spectacular dust-up. According to CityNews, the owner of King West Opticians, Adam Plimmer, physically attacked Silverman then locked himself inside his shop in a standoff until he was eventually arrested by the police and charged with assault and assault with a weapon. The sensational footage (released by CityNews to YouTube,......

Students at Toronto area colleges and high schools are coping with the shootings at Montreal's Dawson College. The murders also has parents of high-school age children worried. Students in the GTA are doing better on provincial math and reading tests sadly those in Toronto-proper need more work. Sean Penn apparently missed that no smoking sign. The actor was caught smoking at a TIFF press conference and now the province is investigating whether the hotel should......

Tall Poppy Interview - Jason & Bertrand, Amuse-Bouche Chefs & Owners...

The swanky upstairs cooking school at Nella Cucina, that new-ish culinary emporium in the Annex with the soaring sightlines and glossy (but serious) cookware, is finally up and running. Classes will feature local guests like Frank The Butcher –not a Gangs of New York extra but a bona fide butcher –chocolatier Jenn Stone, and Massimo Capra, he of Mistura’s beet risotto nonpareil. But the fledgling school’s biggest get yet is surely Susur Lee, who needs......