While the city has been playing a guessing game regarding the opening date of Pizzeria Badiali’s second home in Mirvish Village, we did some digging. A recent liquor license application for the 581 Markham St., site suggests the ovens will be firing up much sooner than the public anticipated.
But it’s not just about the timeline, we also got the scoop on the space. We sat down with co-owner and world-ranked pizzaiolo Ryan Baddeley to get an exclusive look at a space designed to be more than just a slice shop. From European-inspired interiors to a massive increase in seating, here is exactly what you can expect from the Annex’s newest landmark.
.
What, if anything, can you tell us about the new location?
We’re very excited for the new space, it’s designed by Future Studios and takes inspiration from old European cafes and restaurants, with lots of beautiful tiling and wood accents. It will be the same slice shop concept as our Dovercourt location but will also have more indoor and outdoor seating
How do you think the pizza scene has changed in Toronto since Badiali opened?
@pizzeriabadiali/Instagram
I think that we’ve influenced a few great new shops to open and serve great slices. It was definitely something that was lacking in the city previously, and I think it has definitely become more accessible in a lot of neighbourhoods.
What’s your personal favourite Badiali slice or pie?
I’m a classics guy. I love a simple margherita. When it’s done right, the balance and juiciness of the cheese and sauce is so satisfying. But also we have a winter special, the Norcina, which is a creamy white pie with sausage and mushroom that’s high on umami – and addicting.
Reflecting on Badiali’s success, what’s been your proudest moment?
It’s pretty tough to choose, especially with our beautiful upcoming new space, but probably our recent collab with Miss Vickie’son the vodka pizza flavour. Beyond serving some great pizza, this was just never something I ever could have dreamed of.
Outside of Badiali, what are your favourite pizza spots in Toronto?
I’m a huge fan of a lot of Toronto pizza spots. I love Bar Sugo and think Terroni still makes a great pizza. For a slice, I recently tried Nice Slice, which was great.
Are you pro or con pineapple on pizza?
Definitely pro because sometimes it’s just what you want and that’s okay. It doesn’t have to be more than that.
What’s the best soda with pizza and why?
Hands down, Brio. Beyond being an iconic Toronto soda, it’s just really delicious and pairs so well with pizza.
A Toronto hospital just received a major honour: it was crowned one of the top hospitals in the entire world! University Health Network’s Toronto General Hospital was named the second-best hospital on the planet, receiving the highest ranking a Canadian hospital has ever seen.
Toronto General has been considered one of the top three hospitals for the past two years, but this year it ascended from number three to the number two spot — rubbing shoulders with powerhouses like the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic.
This is according to the annual World’s Best Hospitals list, a ranking of over 2,500 hospitals in 32 countries by American publication Newsweek. The scores were based on recommendations from medical experts, hospital quality metrics, patient experience data and patient surveys.
The report from Newsweek notes that the number of hospitals worldwide is approaching 216,000 this year, making Toronto General’s achievement more incredible than ever.
Two other Toronto hospitals cracked the top 30: Mount Sinai Hospital, in spot 27 (up from 32 in 2025), and Sunnybrook Health Science Centre in spot 30 (the same ranking as last year). No other cities in Canada had hospitals in the top 50 ranking.
Other Canadian hospitals that made the full 250-hospital ranking include Toronto’s North York General Hospital (67), Montreal General Hospital – McGill University Health Centre (89), St. Michael’s Hospital – Unity Health Toronto (116), Toronto Western – University Health Network (128), Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital (133), Vancouver General Hospital (156) and Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (158).
Read below for the top 30 hospitals ranking:
Mayo Clinic- Rochester, U.S.
Toronto General – University Health Network, Canada
Cleveland Clinic, U.S.
Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Sweden
Massachusetts General Hospital, U.S.
The Johns Hopkins Hospital, United States
Sheba Medical Center, Israel
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
Universitätsspital Zürich, Switzerland
Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
AP-HP – Hôpital Universitaire Pitié Salpêtrière, France
Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Germany
The University of Tokyo Hospital, Japan
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, U.S.
Rigshospitalet – Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark
Einstein Hospital Israelita, Brazil
LMU Klinikum, Germany
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, U.S.
Les Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG), Switzerland
Universitätsklinikum AKH Wien / Medizinische Universität Wien, Austria
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Switzerland
Hockey is having a bit of a moment — so comedian and actor Dave Foley travelled across Canada and beyond to find out why. In the new Crave docu-series Hockey Fanatics, Foley travels to different cities to explore what hockey fandom really looks like on the ground, from the rituals and rivalries to the beloved communities that form around the game. Foley, a lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan, brings genuine curiosity (and a lot of joy) to the show, using hockey as an entry point to talk about belonging, identity and collective passion.
Here, Foley discusses how he became involved with the project, what surprised him most about hockey culture, and how fandom can bring people together — even as the sport continues to grapple with issues of inclusivity and toxicity.
How did you come aboard Hockey Fanatics?
Well, it was the guy who came up with the idea — Alex Scrymgeour. He was pitching it around and it eventually got to my agent. They called me and said they were looking for a host. I happen to love hockey more than just about anything else — including my children, really.
The only thing in the world that truly excites me is when the Leafs score.
Since you’re such a big hockey fan yourself, I wonder if there was anything that surprised you about hockey fandom while making the show?
How strong the fan base in Nashville was! I had been there 10 years earlier, and nobody in that town even seemed to know they had a team. So, going back, I wasn’t sure what it was going to be like. The city’s grown a lot, and it’s a really fun town. The arena is a great place to see a game, and the fans are really into it, even when the team is losing. That’s a true hockey town.
You travelled all over Canada on the show. Was there a particular episode that stuck with you?
L–R: Mike Myers, voice of the Maple Leafs, Joe Bowen, Dave Foley. Courtesy Bell Media
Doing the Toronto episode was a big one for me. I got to do it with my buddy Mike [Myers], and we were both like giddy children when we got to go into the dressing room and meet some of the players. We were completely starstruck [seeing] Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly, all of them. That was pretty special.
Sports fandom runs deep and strong. What do you find special about the community it builds?
There’s something powerful about collective attention. This might sound a little esoteric, but there’s something called the Global Consciousness Project. It’s a Princeton University experiment studying whether human emotional responses to world events [can affect the output of a worldwide network] of random number generators, and they found that focused attention actually changed the results. Then they wondered what would happen if a lot of people were paying attention to the same thing. They had these generators set up all over the world, just before 9/11. [When that day came,] all of the computers deviated from randomness at the same time.
So, there’s a strange power that comes from collective attention. I think we all feel that when we’re in a movie theatre, when we’re at a concert. When I was a kid, watching The Who and everyone in the arena starts singing along to “Tommy,” there was an energy, and sports does that as well for us. It takes us back to our roots of living in small communities, sharing attention, and experiencing things all together.
That’s incredible, I hadn’t heard of that! It reminds me of Heated Rivalry, and the global fandom around it. When we look at the face of hockey today, there’s that progressive show and its joyous fans, and then, still, the toxicity behind the sport. How do you reconcile those two sides?
Hockey has made huge strides in inclusivity in terms of race and ethnicity; it’s no longer just guys who look like me. I mean, bigger and stronger than me, but equally white. Years ago, I had the privilege of presenting at the NHL Awards with Willie O’Ree, the first Black NHL player. In Hockey Fanatics, we also talk to Mark Fraser, who’s involved in community outreach and inclusivity in Toronto. But when it comes to the bigger question — especially around masculinity — you have to ask whether hockey or any professional sport has really accepted homosexuality. It’s still a very traditional, masculine culture. Statistically, there are gay hockey players, just like there are gay construction workers or doctors. But we haven’t seen that openly represented yet, so there’s progress to be made.
You’ve had such a long and varied career — comedy, acting, now documentary. Does this kind of work scratch a different itch for you?
I’ve always enjoyed traveling for work and meeting people from different places. Stand-up gave me that, and this show definitely did, too. Hockey is really just the starting point for conversations. I’m more interested in people’s lives and who they are.
Being such a passionate Leafs fan, is there a Toronto-centric hockey memory that really sticks with you?
On my ninth birthday, my dad surprised me with tickets to see the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Philadelphia Flyers. My uncle was playing for the Flyers at the time, and it was the first NHL game I’d ever been to, at Maple Leaf Gardens. That’s always stayed with me.
Has getting to make Hockey Fanatics and go behind the scenes changed how you feel about hockey?
Not in the least. I enjoy it exactly the same way. I’ve just gained some great connections — and easier access to tickets at different arenas. That’s a nice bonus!
Nothing can stand in the way of a restaurant owner determined to bring their vision and quality bites to the city. If anyone is proof of that it’s Naveen Chakravarti.
Last month, the restaurant owner opened Neon Tiger, an eclectic and high-energy bar and restaurant serving up Pan Asian and Indian dishes, after months of battling cancer and other health issues.
Chakravarti first purchased 108 Ossington Avenue back in the summer of 2024. Just a month later, his trendy Korean restaurant OddSeoul, also located on the strip, closed due to a devastating fire in the kitchen. A month later, he was diagnosed with cancer.
So, he spent months creating a whole new restaurant while rebuilding another — all while going through chemotherapy.
“I would go to chemo for two days, lie in bed, try to go by the restaurant for an hour or two hours a day. Sometimes I would sleep there, I would throw up there — it wasn’t good,” he says. “But we made it, and got it done. It’s a lot of mental energy and physical energy trying to heal your body but at the same time trying to keep your financial life afloat.”
Charcoal chicken
In January 2025, just two weeks after Chakravarti finished chemo, he opened 108 Ossington as Please and Thank You. The cocktail and snack bar saw four months of success before Chakravarti’s health took another turn for the worse.
“One day I was walking, and I couldn’t breathe — my heart just gave out on me,” he says. “I had to go to the hospital again and they found out I had organ failure in my heart.”
After months away to focus on his health, Chakravarti finally felt ready to reopen the doors of 108 Ossington — this time with a new concept and refreshed menu. The son of immigrants, he says the shift toward Pan-Asian flavours reflects a deeper connection to his South Asian roots, something that became even more meaningful as he navigated his recovery.
From tandoori shrimp and lobster curry to short-rib biryani, the menu is made up of Indian mains and branches out across Asia with dishes like dumplings and chimichurri steak. The drink list mixes playful twists — think a banana-espresso flip — alongside staples like Kingfisher beer. With a $12 beer-and-shot combo and $8 mocktails, accessibility is clearly part of Chakravarti’s reset.
“We want to give people good value for their money because Toronto in general has become very expensive,” he says.
If the name, retro signage and neon-soaked atmosphere — complete with regular live DJ nights — of Neon Tiger sound familiar, it’s because Toronto has seen it before. Chakravarti first launched the concept on Dupont and Avenue in 2021. It ran for about a year before an unexpected roof collapse forced it to close — another setback that speaks to his resilience— before resurfacing in West Queen West in early 2023.
When Auston Matthews nabbed Olympic gold with Team USA this past weekend, Toronto hockey fans barely had time to react before the Maple Leafs captain popped up in a very different arena: the White House.
Team USA’s 2-1 overtime win over Canada at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games on Sunday delivered the Americans their first Olympic men’s hockey gold since 1980. Celebrations continued on Tuesday, when about 20 Team USA members visited Washington to tour the White House and greet President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
The visit lands at a prickly moment in Canada-U.S. relations. Beyond last year’s “51st state” rhetoric, Trump has recently returned to tariff talk, including a proposed 10% global duty on imports slated to run for 150 days. Add in his repeated jabs at Canada, including renewed annexation talk and a social post poking at the U.S.-Canada hockey rivalry, and it’s easy to see why this visit feels a bit complicated for Leafs fans.
Matthews is American, but he’s also the face of the Leafs, so the political baggage attached to Trump’s invite has turned what might have been a straightforward photo-op into an online culture-war debate (or maybe more of a massacre, looking at a few of the tamer comments from a recent Reddit thread):
“Matthews has always been as vanilla as they come as a person. Expecting him to stand up for anything is beyond his capabilities as a person. Take the hockey out of him and there’s not much left substance wise.”
“Matthews has lost much of my previous respect. How do you smile, shake the hand and be Trump’s prop when you know he’s an evil dictator…”
“This is questionable behavior as a Maple Leaf at best. His contract should be reviewed…”
“No moral code. Not surprising. And not someone who should represent a team in a city that values diversity and inclusion.”
“This guy is in Canadian commercials sometimes, yes? Reach out to the companies and let them know how disappointed you are in their spokesperson. I have no ideas what products he shills, which suggests his endorsement might not be the most effective”
Others brought up the Martin Luther King Jr. quote Matthews has tattooed on his chest, noting that it clashes with his meeting with Trump. In a post on Threads, one user wrote:
“If Auston Matthews doesn’t understand why many people are upset at him, or wonders what he SHOULD be doing right now, he can just read what he’s tattooed on his own body. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.- Martin Luther King Jr”Every person, both in that room and outside, should heed these wise words.”
The Leafs, for their part, are back on the road, with a game in Tampa on Wednesday.
One of downtown Toronto’s longest-running Japanese restaurants is preparing to say goodbye. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Nami Restaurant announced that it’s closing after “well over 40 years in business.”
Nami has been serving authentic Japanese food since 1984 and has been a fixture on Adelaide St E for generations of office workers and date-night regulars.
In its closure message, Nami thanked its “many guests and loyal staff” and reflected on just how many life moments have unfolded inside its dining rooms, like “countless first dates, birthdays, Bay Street power lunches,” as well as office parties and every celebration in between.
“We welcomed the Japanese Royal Family in our Tatami Room, as well as Hollywood, music and sports royalty – from Meg Ryan, Russell Crowe, Meryl Streep, Carrie Fisher, Billie D Williams, Pat Morita, Jean Claude Van Damme and many, many others, to U2, The Rolling Stones, Whitney Houston, to Hideki Matsui, Endoh Tsubasa, Yusei Kikuchi, and catered for the LA Angels and Lakers,” the post reads.
For plenty of diners, though, Nami’s name is practically synonymous with one dish: sushi pizza! The restaurant says it was invented by chef Kaoru Ohsada in the 1980s and is now considered a must-try Toronto (if not Canadian) dish.
Nami was originally designed by famed architect Raymond Moriyama (who also designed the Ontario Science Centre and the Toronto Reference Library), so walking into the restaurant is like arriving in Kyoto, with kimono-clad servers and private booths.
Apart from the innovation of the sushi pizza, Nami is known for its traditional Japanese menu, with black cod, wagyu steaks and sukiyaki among the guest faves.
“Nami’s chefs served up the finest sushi and sashimi at the Sushi Bar or else expertly grilled seafood and steaks at the Robata Bar (the only one of its kind in Toronto as far as we know, and which has been a favourite of Toronto chefs over the years),” the post states. “Thank you, Toronto, for supporting us and loving us over the years. We were proud to have been a downtown Toronto landmark– with our iconic blue wave out front and Samurai greeting you at the door.”
The restaurant didn’t share a reason for the closure, but the news has surprised and saddened longtime diners who’ve treated the spot as a special-occasion standby for decades.
“I am so sad to hear you are closing. I am also happy I ate there during winterlicious. After having many occasions in the back room over the years I appreciate the hospitality over the years. Toronto will miss you and i hope you reopen soon!” One Instagram user wrote, while another summed up the shock all of us are feeling. “This is a big surprise. I never thought Nami is going to close. All of our family members will miss Nami[.] All the best to everyone who supported Nami Japanese Restaurant.”
Even though the restaurant is closing, Nami says its legacy will live on with a new product and merch line, including T-shirts, tote bags, postcards, and cool items like a Nami Cookbook and the first-ever Nami Sushi Pizza Maker! The restaurant is directing fans to its website for more details.
In the meantime, guests are invited to send Nami their pictures and stories, sign the guestbook and drop by for a final meal before March 7, 2026.
Toronto’s Stephen Amell, best known for his breakout role on Arrow, is back in his old stomping grounds for a new project—and this time, he’s bringing a darker, funnier edge. In our feature interview, he opens up about stepping into the morally complex world of The Borderline, returning to familiar Canadian collaborators, exploring the Thousand Islands on location, and even what first inspired him to pursue acting.
For viewers coming to The Borderline for the first time, how would you describe the series and its overall tone?
We got a great sound bite from our friends at The Social today, where they called it a morally messy show. It’s a show where you might assume the cops are the good guys and the criminals are the bad guys — but maybe that’s not the case.
What initially drew you to the role of Henry Rowland?
It was offered to me, and that in and of itself was intriguing. And I was drawn to working with Christina Jennings and the folks at Shaftesbury Films. I had worked with them before relocating full time to L.A. I was on [TV series] ReGenesis way back when, and we’ve always stayed in touch.
So it’s a bit of a homecoming?
It felt like an interesting and opportune time for me in my career to also do a Canadian project, and it was exciting to step on as an executive producer.
What’s it been like to be working up here?
I loved being up here. We shot this in the fall of 2024. I stayed in downtown Toronto, and then we went all over — Gananoque, Cobourg, Bradford. I stayed out in Paris for a little bit. And I went to a bunch of Maple Leafs games. It was really nice to be back.
It’s also cool to showcase the Thousand Islands region, which isn’t often seen onscreen.
Yeah, it’s beautiful out there. I had never been, and I would highly recommend it.
And you’re working alongside a great Toronto actor in Tamara Podemski.
We have mutual friends and realized we know some of the same people. She was great. I like the dynamic between her character, Erica, and Henry. It’s funny because I’m looking at her like, “You’re wrong,” and everything she’s saying is correct.
What separates TheBorderline from other crime dramas audiences might be watching right now?
You come for the violence and stay for the comedy. As the season continues, it gets darker and more out of control. The humour ramps up. That’s not something I’ve been known for with the characters I’ve played over the past 15 years or so. Approaching things with a lighter touch was a lot of fun.
Stephen Amell stars in the new series ‘Borderline’
Do you remember the moment you first thought acting might be something you could pursue as a career?
I break my career into two parts: 2004 through 2009, when I was primarily here, and 2010 until now. I had some success in those first five years, mostly in Toronto, but I wasn’t seeing a pattern. I’d get some big jobs and lose out on small ones. Then I had a moment where I realized I just really like acting, so let’s stop worrying about the type of project or whether it’ll put you in the spotlight — just do it because you love it. When I did that, success came quickly behind.
What was your first job ever?
Working at Muskoka Lakes Golf and Country Club when I was in second grade.
And what about the worst piece of career advice you’ve received?
Moses Znaimer told me to focus on a career (other than acting) — and that I’m not going to make it.
What is your most treasured possession?
My wife and I have a little property on the lake in Austin, Texas, and I’ve always dreamt of having a house on the water, so technically that’s a possession.
Toronto is about to get a serious taste of beloved Canadian band Arkells as they takeover the city. The rock powerhouse is announcing a special three-night run in the city as part of their “Between Us” tour, hitting three great local venues that promise a wildly varied live experience.
The shows are set for June 17 at Lee’s Palace, June 18 at HISTORY, and June 19 at RBC Amphitheatre, giving fans the chance to experience the band in settings ranging from sweaty club intimacy to an up-close rock show, and finally to a festival-style outdoor performance.
“When you’re in a band, all you can do is try to meet the moment. Ask yourself: what do you like, and what’s important to you?” says Arkells singer Max Kerman. “For us, we like small little sweaty shows, and the chance to swing for big ones, too. And we want a chance to stretch out and play songs from across our catalogue. With the Between Us City Takeovers, we can do all that. And we can’t wait for the challenge of it all.”
The final night at RBC Amphitheatre will feature Half Moon Run and Cailin Russo as special guests. Arkells are also partnering with PLUS1, ensuring that $1 from every ticket goes to organizations improving health access for marginalized communities.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m., with an artist pre-sale starting tomorrow, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. Looking for that all-important early access, sign up at arkellsmusic.com, and tickets will be available through Live Nation.
The band’s highly anticipated new album, Between Us, is set for release on April 17.
Celebrity style used to mean pulling head-to-toe designer looks straight from the runway or donning the most expensive plain white T you’ve ever seen. But these days, when the coolest A-listers step out now — on the red carpet or just to grab a coffee — they’re doing it in vintage. And stars keep trusting Toronto to source their ’90s Chanel and Prada. These are the city’s archival and vintage sellers who are keeping celebs dressed to impress.
Olivia Rodrigo wearing a 1998 silk and rubber tank top and 2000 lip print silk skirt, archival Prada from Smoking Vintage. Courtesy @smokingvintage/Instagram
Before opening a permanent shop at 514A Annette St. in 2024, Smoking Vintage founder Alex Dacosta was already known for her archival sourcing skills — Emma Chamberlain counted herself among the many fans of the online shop. Now, with a moody, intimate boutique that features a cosy ’80s couch at the back and vintage fashion magazines and design books, Dacosta can offer a more personalized shopping experience to interested buyers, celebrity or not (the shop is open by appointment only from Monday to Thursday, with regular hours Friday to Sunday). Those interested shoppers include Olivia Rodrigo, Tate McRae, Laufey and apparently even Bella Hadid.
Partners Madeleine Kalisz and Isabel Kamin started sustainable fashion brand and vintage showroom Rebalance Vintage out of their studio apartment in 2020. Personally sourcing their vintage from rag houses around the GTA, the pair has an eye for what the stars want. Hailey and Justin Bieber seem to have an entire collection of baseball caps from Rebalance (including a vintage Leafs one Hailey wore to a game), and the Jonas Brothers’ tour wardrobe consisted of a ton of graphic T-shirts, leather jackets and hats from the shop. Bad Bunny, Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski have all been spotted in vintage streetwear from the couple.
Best friends Alex Maxamenko and Christian Ferguson have been sourcing second-hand fashion inventory in Toronto since before they could drive — eventually dropping out of university to build an empire of rare archival vintage online. In 2024, that manifested into a physical shop: 20 Maud (located at 20 Maud St.). Offering private appointments, tiered monthly memberships for stylists and a truly staggering amount of rare vintage pieces, it’s no wonder they immediately attracted an A-list crowd. Scottie Barnes is a frequent customer, often wearing his finds during his Raptors tunnel entrance. NBA star and Toronto fashion darling Shai-Gilgeous Alexander has also been known to stop by the shop, as have a whole host of rappers and artists.
Before archival vintage was what everyone was talking about, there was Shrimpton Couture. Started in 2006 by Toronto’s Cherie Balch, the brand is considered the world’s leading online vintage store. Sourcing pieces from every era you can imagine (we’re talking as early as Edwardian), and featuring designers like Pierre Balmain, Versace and Christian Lacroix, Shrimpton has it all. Her eveningwear pulls are all over every red carpet, from Rihanna and Jennifer Lawrence to Tracee Ellis Ross and Kaitlyn Dever.
After two straight summers without one of Toronto’s biggest street-festival weekends, Taste of the Danforth should be back on track for a 2026 comeback (with a little help that, quite literally, started as a riff at a podium).
At an Ontario Line-related announcement last Wednesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford briefly veered from transit talk into festival nostalgia, telling the crowd: “Do you know what I miss? I miss the Taste of the Danforth.”
tastedanforth on Instagram
Ford went on to say he’d commit provincial dollars to “revitalize” the event, while nudging Mayor Olivia Chow to contribute too (though he didn’t say how much funding would be available).
Mayor Chow, who was standing alongside Ford, backed up the idea, calling the festival “a weekend of phenomenal music, great food, dancing.”
“Let’s bring it back this year because I’ve missed it the last two years,” Chow said.
On Wednesday night, organizers confirmed that the popular summer event is scheduled for Aug 7 to 9.
“The Taste of Danforth is back on track for 2026. We can confirm that it will be happening this year,” Tony Pethakas, the chair of the Greektown on the Danforth business improvement area, told CP24. “We’re super excited about everybody coming to visit us at this year’s Taste.”
@mezesdanforth/Instagram
Taste of the Danforth has always been huge by Toronto standards, stretching about 1.6 kilometres along Danforth Ave, with 100+ participating businesses lining the strip, allowing visitors can eat their way along the route (think tasty bites like souvlaki, gyros, shish kebab and baklava) from longtime Greektown staples like Messini Authentic Gyros, Astoria, Athens Pastries and Mezes.
Spectators can also expect live music and performances throughout the weekend, including programming on the festival’s stages and street-festival extras, from plate-smashing and sports-zone activations to kids’ fun areas, dance lessons and carnival-style rides.
The festival has been a summer fixture since 1994, but the last few years have been a sort of stop-start cycle. Taste of the Danforth was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, then called off again in 2022 as organizers struggled with a changed streetscape (especially reworking the route around CaféTO patios along Danforth Ave). It returned in 2023, but the comeback came with a steep price tag: BIA officials later said the festival ended in a $257,000 loss.
With new funding now possibly on the table, there’s hope that this family-friendly street party can return as a regular summer staple once again, and it seems that Torontonians can’t wait to welcome it back.
Traditional baking classes have a habit of being more stressful than they’re worth. You’re usually stuck trying to keep up with an instructor’s rigid pace or waiting around for the person at the next station to finish measuring their flour. A new studio at CF Markville is looking to solve that by ditching the classroom lecture for something called “co-baking.” Bakebe, a concept that originally took off in Hong Kong, has opened its first Canadian location in Markham and the setup resembles a high-end communal kitchen, not a conventional classroom
The idea is built around total autonomy. When you walk in to Bakebe you’re handed an iPad loaded with an app that acts as your personal mentor. It breaks down Michelin-levelrecipes into step-by-step visuals and videos, allowing you to move at your own speed without the social anxiety of falling behind. You grab your own ingredients from the supply stations and use professional-grade equipment that most people don’t have the counter space for at home. It turns what is normally a chaotic DIY project into a streamlined, tech-guided afternoon.
The real draw, aside from the tech, is the no-mess part. You can create an intricate ‘Fortune Cat’ cake or a ‘Mermaid Atlantis Gem,’ then leave the cleanup to the staff. There are on-site instructors walking around to act as a safety net if your batter starts looking suspicious, but they generally stay in the background to let you actually learn the tactile side of things.You get a professional-looking cake from scratch, without the usual sink full of dishes.
For anyone in the GTA who has tried to follow a YouTube tutorial only to end up with a kitchen disaster, the Bakebe studio offers a legit middle ground. You’re paying for the access to the space, the professional tools and the refined recipes that have been reverse-engineered for beginners. Whether it’s a date or a solo hobby session, it’s a rare chance to feel like a pro baker for two hours, minus the commitment of buying a $600 stand mixer.
If Bakebe feels like your vibe, grab your apron and book a station at the CF Markville studio to see if your decorating skills actually live up to the iPad’s expectations.
Country fans in Toronto are even sadder than usual with the news that superstar Charley Crockett won’t be hitting the stage here as planned. The Nashville singer-songwriter has been forced to cancel his entire Canadian tour after being denied entry into the country due to a 2014 felony marijuana conviction.
In an Instagram post, Crockett wrote, “Everybody’s got a past. Mine’s still haunting me. I’ve been advised that it would jeopardize my freedom to try and enter again.”
Crockett has played shows in Toronto many times over the last few years, including a sold-out show at Danforth Music Hall.
He first tried to enter through Vancouver, then Kelowna, but both attempts were rejected. Officials, reportedly, warned that another attempt could put him at risk of serious legal consequences.
The Canadian leg of his tour was set to kick off in Edmonton on Feb. 23, with stops in Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Niagara Falls through March 6. Toronto fans who purchased tickets will be able to claim refunds at their original point of purchase.
“Canada’s such a beautiful country full of some of the best fans in the world… I aim to be back one of these days real soon,” Crockett added.
Crockett was set to perform at History on March 2.
.
