Toronto's extensive work on the silver screen reveals that, while we have the chameleonic ability to look like anywhere from New York City to Moscow, the disguise doesn't always hold up to scrutiny. Reel Toronto revels in digging up and displaying the films that attempt to mask, hide, or—in rare cases—proudly display our city. Pawn shops, weird strip clubs, eavesdropping traumatized accountants—Queen East has it all. Just because Toronto is capable of playing nearly any......

Torontoist is ending the year by naming our Heroes and Villains of 2007––the people, places, and things that we've either fallen head over heels in love with or developed uncontrollable rage towards over the past twelve months. Get your dose, starting Boxing Day and running into the new year, three times a day––sunrise, noon, and sunset. Now in its fourth season, Food Network Canada's Restaurant Makeover—wherein both established and struggling restaurants are overhauled with a......

We don’t think we’ve ever lead with the same film two weeks in a row, but there’s a first time for everything. Did you get a chance to see Blade Runner: The Final Cut this week? We did. It was amazing. We really can’t think of a film we’d rather lead with (and there’s some good stuff this week). If you didn’t get a chance to see it, consider yourself massively lucky, because it’s still......

Just because you're being indulgent doesn't mean you have to ignore environmental, human rights, and health concerns. That's the philosophy of the Kakayo Chocolate Company, a fantastic new truffle shop that opened last week. Located at 1584 Queen St. East, right at the edge of the Beaches, Kakayo is a truffle shop with morality in mind. Not only can you fulfill your cravings for delectable, high-quality chocolate, but you can do it ethically. Founder......

Each week, Torontoist shows off the most interesting, creative, and cool submissions to our Torontoist Flickr Pool. We're especially partial to photos that show our city in a new light, highlight a recent event, and remind us why we live here. Join the Flickr pool and show us what you've got. Brickworks PondBY METRIX X The Beach, TorontoBY HARALD BENZ Windows XPBY SEVENNINE King and SimcoeBY CHARLES DH CROSBIE ShaftedBY TAYLOR ZHOU Old City HallBY......

Whether you associate the myriad back alleys that criss-cross Toronto with crime and filth or art and beauty, Graeme Parry's laneway tours are sure to be a treat. Each of the free cycling tours explores a neighbourhood from behind, uncovering the beautiful and unexpected sights along the way. Riders will see laneway houses, hidden gardens and parks, colourful graffiti, and many other under-appreciated bits of our urban fabric. This is your chance to explore the......

Each weekday for the next two weeks, Torontoist is facing off local memes and blog drama in a tournament-style ladder and you, the reader, decide the outcome. View the full ladder here. Some highlights from yesterday's matches: Jane Jacobs makes Yonge-Dundas look square (107-95): The usually untouchable Jacobs was thrown off her game early on by anti-gun rallies, massive video billboards and a late-game PR stunt by a chewing gum company, but pulled ahead......

Have you found a great place to buy vintage jackets? Have you just eaten the best vegetarian pad Thai this side of the Mekong River? Do you want to use the Internet to tell more than just the six people on your LiveJournal friends list about your amazing discoveries? Look no further, consumers of indie culture. Torontoist reader Peter has told us that 9tomorrows has launched its Tupalo service in Toronto. Plugging into the......

Okay Adbusters, we get that it's Buy Nothing Day, but what's the harm in supporting some local designers and craftistas who make their own merchandise from the comfort of their hip Cabbagetown apartments? This evening from 7-10 PM, Six Shooter Gallery is hosting the launch of Twitch Design's winter line. Designer Sarah Doucet isn't just sister to alt-country rocker Luke Doucet, but a jewelry maven whose creations are best described as "handcrafted art pieces-de-resistance". And......

The Raptors took the Cleveland Cavaliers 91-90 last night in a game that saw fresh faces fill in for injured key starters. Leading candidates in the election thingy debated crime, transit and garbage as usual last night for the co-sponsored benefit of The Toronto Star and CityTV, and maybe for voters, too. Quoth The Star: "The debate got so scrappy on so many issues that at one point Miller and Pitfield even disagreed on what......

Police shoot a man dead in a confrontation in Scarborough early this morning. A 25-year old suspected street racer who was severely injured in a crash last week has died. An elderly woman was dragged 12 metres by a streetcar in Etobicoke. Thankfully she survived. She spent half-an-hour under the car as emergency workers used equipment to lift the streetcar off of her. On Queen East the first "the Beach" signs have just gone up.......

So Torontoist hasn't actually read Ulysses but does that mean we can't celebrate Bloomsday? Of course not. Tomorrow is the real-life anniversary of the fictional day chronicled in Joyce's Ulysses (the book told the story of one day in the life of Leopold Bloom). Events include re-enactments of scenes from Ulysses, readings, and a singalong all along the Beach and various neigbhourhoods on Queen East. The day culminates with an event at the appropriately named......

The worst thing about having a pass for NXNE is using it. I got my perspective of the festival working the door at The Boat for the Maple Music showcase. The job was to bow for the “delegates” or “pass-holes” as they walked passed a growing line of wristband holders, or “audience.” It’s crystal clear to me that NXNE is set up by the industry, for the industry; audience and musicians are afterthoughts. On......

In due time, you'll be able to fold a map of city in half, with Yonge Street as the crease, and witness the more or less symmetry in Starbucks locations on Queen Street. One Starbucks is on Queen West in Beaconsfield, site of the infamous "Drake you ho this is all your fault" tag of last year. The other is planned for Queen East in Leslieville, home of the infamous commenter Joe Clark. More......

There’s no need to turn up the volume at Kubo Radio because they are cranking out the Asian fusion eats, treats, rock, soul and kung fu all at once. In fact it’s a bit hard to even keep up.  Our very cute waiter sports a tee that says “Dim Sum Fooey” and in between taking orders and serving a full house, he still manages to find the time to dance with his co-worker in the......

This weekend, TOist headed eastbound for brunch at Bonjour Brioche, a French-style eatery that’s a favourite with the Queen East crowd.  With its lovely French-inspired décor, great atmosphere and delicious food, it’s well worth the wait to get in – there’s usually a lineup on weekends, but  spring is (hopefully) just around the corner, which means Bonjour’s roomy side patio will open soon.   There are too many items on the menu worth raving about......