When the Leslieville Cheese Market entered the neighborhood in 2006 it marked the beginning of a long debate: Was the gentrification of Leslieville sanitizing its charm? Would it become the next hipster hangout or West Queen West?

As the neighborhood continues its transition and more shops appear, the Leslieville Cheese Market's merits continue to be fiercely debated. Neighbours either salivate at the proximity to fine food or criticize the prices.

Holt's Cafe, located on the third floor of Holt Renfrew, conjures up images of ladies who lunch and celebrities stopping in after wearily spending the equivalent of my annual salary in one afternoon.

Read my review of Holt's Cafe in the restaurants section.

The Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair is taking place this weekend at the Harbourfront Centre. The largest vegetarian festival of its kind, you can find an array of delicious multicultural food that would delight even the most ardent meat lovers.

Organized by the Toronto Vegetarian Association, food is nominally priced so that you can try a bit of everything. After trying the faux chicken nuggets on a stick I returned to the King's Cafe table to question the contents as it was unbelievably better than any meat analog I've tasted. They confirmed it was indeed soy.

Grazie is always busy and its popularity is marked by a nightly line-up of hungry diners waiting out the door. The restaurant only takes reservations for lunch and that's when I found out for myself whether this midtown mainstay lives up to its hype.

Read my review of Grazie in the restaurants section.

Many pubs in the city not only pride themselves with what they have on tap, but also what comes out of their kitchen. Last weekend I checked out Mad Monty's to see if this self-proclaimed groovy pub was a worthy lunch option at Yonge and Eglinton.

Read my review of Mad Monty's in the restaurant section.

Any restaurant kitchen can create a great dinner menu but a great lunch special can be tricky as a barrage of diners arrive with only one hour to eat. Consistently ranking as one of the top Thai restaurants in Toronto, I had to see if Satay on the Road could live up to its legendary status during the lunch hour rush.

Read my review of Satay on the Road in the restaurants section.