When I was a kid, a trip to the Purple Onion meant crossing at least one of two railway lines to find a lone diner sitting in the middle of them at Keele & St Clair. At the time, there wasn't much of anything else to visit in the area - unless you like railways and stock-yards -- but still every weekend the place would be packed with working-class people, kicking back with a coffee and Purple Onion's steak & eggs.

Today, the area has been completely redeveloped, but the Purple Onion couldn't quite wait it out. Owners made a move to the thriving Junction community a little while back and re-opened on busy Dundas West.

Read the full review of The Purple Onion in our restaurants section.

When going for dinner in Chinatown, it's so easy to stick to a few fave places and ignore the rest. Sometimes though, it's nice to try someting new... and that's where my head was when I walked up the front steps of House of Gourmet.

I was up for something different, and after a couple conditional pass signs in windows along Dundas, I remembered House of Gourmet. It's a big place, right in the heart of Chinatown, but I'd never really stopped there for a simple dinner. It was always some grand party where I didn't get a chance to eat much or order dishes I wanted. The menu is pretty varied though and the service fast, so I figured I'd see how they'd do with my favourite eats.

Read the full review of House of Gourmet in our restaurants section.

Review contributed by Paul Lancaric. All photos by Tanja-Tiziana.

On a recent road trip spanning Toronto to California, I was introduced by friends to Great Northern's music. We listened to their infectious album for most of the trip, driving through the Midwest, the Rockies, and along the coast of California. The music became the soundtrack for an amazing trip - so imagine my excitement when I found out they were playing a show right here in one of my favourite Toronto concert venues, the Mod Club.

This weekend, the Carlos Bulosan Theatre (167 Augusta Ave) presents, Tales from the Flipside 2008: Claim Your Baggage. The two-day Flipside Festival features four plays written by members of the theatre's play creation group.

Touch, by Reese Baguio is one of the featured plays taking the stage both Friday and Saturday night. I spoke with Reese earlier this week about the show...

Q: "Girl meets girl. Girl loses girl. Drag queen gets her a stripper... chaos ensues." With a tag line like that, I'm already sold, but tell me a little more about the storyline here.

A: Touch is about a young woman named Alex, the proverbial girl next door, who is secretly attracted to the girl next door. Very much hindered by her conservative upbringing, she struggles to navigate the world as a new lesbian. With the help of her misguided mentor and friend, Richmond (a flamboyently filipino drag queen), she tries to find love, and more importantly, learn how to... breathe.

Come one, come all. Ladies and Gentlebloggers, tonight the Gladstone Ballroom hosts a rare treat. It's not every day the circus rolls into town, and even less, anything like this.

The Hobo Homos present an evening like nothing you've ever seen on Queen West (even on a rowdy night): Abnormals Anonymous-- a celebration of circus freaks and social deviants!

Promising a colourful queer carnival, the Hobo Homos have gathered local talents ranging from burlesque dancers to contortionists and all kinds of deviations in between. Come for the candy apples, stay for the strippers...

Standing at the chilly corner of Eglinton West & Avenue Rd, the bright lights of Yitz's deli appear like a mirage in the midst of another blizzard. No surprise, of course, as nothing could be more appealing with all this winter weather than good ol' stick-to-your-ribs comfort food.

Shuffling through the sausage-handled doors and past the bustling bakery entranceway, my friends and I settle into the back of this 35-year-old Toronto landmark and order up favourites from all over the menu.

Read the full review of Yitz's Deli in our restaurants section.