My fears that the drive all the way to Tanchikee Restaurant, in the belly of the suburbs, might be met with with a dumbed down version of Cantonese for Canadian palates were squashed by friends in-the-know. After feasting on lobster, pigeon, oysters and beef, I can honestly say that it was definitely worth the drive to Richmond Hill for an exceptional meal.

Read the full review of Tanchikee Restaurant in the restaurants section.

The year of the Ox quickly bears down upon us, promising us 365 days of prosperity through fortitude and hard work, though from all indications this year'll more likely leave our fortunes bull-trampled like so much china shop debris.

While I'm not sure it'll help your cosmic standing or your bottom line, I do know that one thing Chinese New Year always offers is a ready made excuse to eat really well and shamelessly nurse at the glorious gilded bosom of one of the world's mother cuisines.

Grabbing dim sum is de rigeur and sure there's plenty of great places to eat downtown (this is my personal fave) but if you're feeling especially adventurous, Chinese New Year is a great reason to gather some friends, pile into a car and head off to the burbs for some serious noshing.

Admittedly, until I came across a post describing one in a food blog awhile back I had no idea that the Aussies even had a burger let alone that it included thick slices of pinapple and the utterly bizarre addition of braised beet. What I discovered is that it may just be the best, strangest, most sublime thing since Aussies crossed a duck, a wolverine and a scorpion and called it a 'Platypus'. And look no further than the recently opened scene stealing Cabbagetown starlet, The Gourmet Burger Company for one of finest specimens of this chimeric concoction on this or any other continent.

Read my full review of The Gourmet Burger Company in the Restaurants section.

Smoke's Poutinerie seems to have filled a void in our need for French fries smothered in all things that smother.

I headed down to the first location of the budding spuds 'n' curds franchise, to see if there was indeed any fire behind the rumours of first rate poutine in Hogtown. What I got was a lesson in yummy, greasy, salty, meaty, artery-clogging, deliciously gluttonous gut-raping excess.

Read my review of Smoke's Poutinerie in our restaurants section.

It's Friday night and you're feelin' a bit peckish. Y'wanna order something but you don't know what. Thai? Pizza? Chinese? Nah, all of those have been done to death.

How 'bout a little schadenfreude?

Is a morbid appetite piqued somewhere deep in that reptilian part of your brain at the chance to dine at the same table (in a metaphysical sense, natch) with Ted Bundy or Aileen Wuornos? Well for a paltry $20--the state allotted maximum for an inmate's last meal you can nosh death row and eat a replica of the final meal consumed by a death row prisoner courtesy Last Meals Delivery Service.

Eating pizza is a lot like having sex: great anytime of the day including first thing in the morning, even if it's bad it's still pretty good, and if it's great you want more immediately.

Anyone who's lived in this city for long enough has probably had more pizza partners than is usually healthy and has probably fallen for the odd one. I know I've had my share. Whether it was the local fave in undergrad or the trendy fling that comes with more discerning tastes, I've eaten my share of pie but never really found one I could commit to, never one that captured my heart--until now.

Read the full profile of Pizzeria Libretto in our Restaurants Section.