Black Skirt

2009/06/30

Once 3 Charles East oozed elegance — Black Skirt changes all that

The Accidental Barkeep: Katie Sketch

2009/06/25

How former Organ singer Katie Sketch wound up running one of the city’s hottest lesbian bars, the Henhouse

Can we taco?

2009/06/22

Taco Hell is other people — all of them hungry hungry hipsters, crowded around the communal noshing block at Queen West designer diner Oddfellows. Yes, starting this Sunday at 6pm, the fellas are bringing back their punnily named infinite taco night. At just $20 for all the Mexican heat you can handle, there’s only one circle in this hell, and it’s gluttony.

Reggie’s Old Fashioned Sandwiches

2009/06/17

Reggie’s Old Fashioned Sandwiches put a new spin on T.O. fast food

Do the Calimocho

2009/06/17

It’s not too early to start your weekend drinking, and it’s also not too late to declare an official drink of the recession, is it? If your answers are no and no, imbibe a Calimocho immediately. Learn how to make this delicious, red-wine-based drink — the ultimate elixir for broke and creative partiers.

LunDin calling

2009/06/16

Spice Route may have arrived late to the Asian-fusion party, but they’re making up for it by pioneering the new brunch — a.k.a. the LunDin. It’s a 15-course, all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of tantalizing bites, served every Sunday between noon and 10pm.

Linda

2009/06/10

The old resto on Gould dazzled — but in nice new digs in Don Mills, the cuisine disappoints

Smoke’s Poutinerie

2009/06/03

What seems to be a perfect idea — poutine! poutine! poutine! — turns out merely passable

Watusi

2009/05/20

Food makes it worth dancing over to this Ossington bar

Drink up! It's our Bar and Patio Guide

2009/05/13

The EYE WEEKLY staff share their favourite places to enjoy spirits in the sun. Plus: we select the Toronto Patio Hall of Fame; the best new patios; recommendations for a rainy day; and places where the nosh is as good as the slosh.

EYE WEEKLY patio pick #1: Sweaty Betty's

2009/05/13

The countdown to our May 14 Bar and Patio Guide concludes with the bar that first put the "awe" in Ossington: Sweaty Betty's

Darren O'Donnell eats the street

2009/05/12

Recent EYE WEEKLY cover subject Darren O’Donnell held the closing awards ceremony for his Parkdale gentrification project, Eat The Street, last night. The Parkdale Pumas, a group of trained restaurant critics and students at Parkdale Public School, awarded the following Queen West restaurants a series of acclamations after a month and a half of research and tasting. Here are the results of their “brutally honest” take on fine dining.

EYE WEEKLY patio pick #2: Ronnie's Local 069

2009/05/12

The countdown to our May 14 Bar and Patio Guide continues with a Kensington Market classic: Ronnie's Local 069.

EYE WEEKLY patio pick #3: Victory Cafe

2009/05/11

The countdown to our May 14 Bar and Patio Guide continues with a bar that knows it's a winner: the Victory Cafe.

EYE WEEKLY patio pick #4: Cadillac Lounge

2009/05/08

The countdown to our May 14 Bar and Patio Guide continues with Queen Street's big daddy: the Caddy.

EYE WEEKLY patio pick #5: The Gem

2009/05/07

The countdown to our May 14 Bar and Patio Guide continues with the most appropriately named pub in all of Toronto: The Gem.

Not-so-grand hotels

2009/05/06

A pair of new name-brand dining rooms in the Entertainment District are nothing to write home about

EYE WEEKLY patio pick #6: Il Gatto Nero

2009/05/06

The countdown to our May 14 Bar and Patio Guide continues with a charming Little Italy institution that puts lie to both College's outdated status as a hipster haunt and its current rep for being Richmond Street without the super-clubs: Il Gatto Nero

EYE WEEKLY patio pick #7: The Roof Lounge

2009/05/05

The countdown to our May 14 Bar and Patio Guide continues with a place where you can live out your Mad Men fantasies, take in a breathtaking view of the city and pay $16 for a glass of house wine: The Roof Lounge at the Park Hyatt.

EYE WEEKLY patio pick #8: The Drake Sky Yard

2009/05/04

The countdown to our May 14 Bar and Patio Guide continues with perhaps the only place in town where Yorkville chic sidles up effortlessly next to faux-ho street cred: The Drake Sky Yard

EYE WEEKLY patio pick #9: The House on Parliament

2009/05/01

The countdown to our May 14 Bar and Patio Guide continues with a Cabbagetown institution equally beloved for its beer and bacon: The House on Parliament.

EYE WEEKLY patio pick #10: La Hacienda

2009/04/30

EYE WEEKLY's annual Bar and Patio Guide hits the streets in two weeks, but with the warm weather already upon us, we just couldn't wait to enjoy our spirits in the sun. Before revealing our comprehensive guide to Toronto bar-hopping on May 14, we'll be counting down our Top 10 favourite patios every day here at EYEWEEKLY.com. We begin with our No. 10 selection: Queen West Tex-Mex mainstay La Hacienda.

Baldini

2009/04/29

You’d think that with over six years experience as a dad, I would have managed to learn this one basic rule of parenthood: namely, that dining out with small tots – especially anytime after 6:30pm – is almost never a good idea (unless the restaurant is equipped with video arcades or indoor gymnasiums.).

Highway 61

2009/04/22

There’s a lot to like about Highway 61, a new barbeque hut in the well-heeled environs of Leaside. It’s a straight-up, no-nonsense ode to ol’ style southern BBQ with Texan-sized portions of slow-cooked meat at prices you won’t need a government bailout loan to afford. But then, from out of nowhere, things skid off the road.

Meat matters

2009/04/15

Eating less meat and animal products not only leads to better health and possible weight loss: it also happens to be one of the single most effective ways an individual can reduce her carbon footprint.