Just about every neighbourhood has a Thai restaurant (or three) to choose from, making it no easy task to select the best Thai food in Toronto. That doesn't stop us from trying, though.

Of the many cuisines in Toronto, Thai is among the richest in terms of range of fare and quantity of restaurants. Most offer up your typical list of noodles, rice and curries, with favourite standbys like pad thai, green and red curries and assorted spring rolls. Many try to set themselves apart, perhaps offering more regional authentic fare, a wine program or chic decor.

But which restaurant's cuisine reigns supreme?

In a short stretch of Dundas West in the heart of the Junction there are three little Thai restaurants. In the middle of the pack is the unassuming Baan Thai. After a recent visit, I discovered that the food recalled memories of Thailand.

Read my review of Baan Thai in the Restaurants section.

There are some (ok, many) among us who still need a gift for Mother's Day (this Sunday, you know). Dandelion Mud Pie, Toronto's newest entry into the green retailing market, makes it easy for us to give the gift of green. No, not American dollars, but green gift baskets, featuring eco-friendly products perfect for Mom.

Really, what mother doesn't deserve some products perfect for pampering? You can choose from various gift baskets, each in ready-to-give form, so that not only are the products eco-friendly, but no trees are sacrificed for wrapping paper.

Choose from baskets featuring products to help Mom rest and relax or pamper her feet or body.

Each basket is $30 or $35, which is a bargain compared to a nice bouquet of flowers. Plus the selection of teas, lotions and scrubs won't whither away by the next weekend.

For the sweet smell of R & R, grab the Rest & Relax basket, filled with a lavender tea and an eye pillow, along with a handmade tea cup. The Foot Treat and Body Pamper baskets feature appropriate salts, scrubs, lotions and (non-edible) butters. The latter even includes a small bar of dark chocolate, for added enjoyment.

The Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation is releasing a study today that highlights Toronto's deficiencies in bike-friendliness. Toronto ranks 7th of 11 cities studied in bike lane distance, with both Vancouver and Montreal finishing ahead of our fair city.

Toronto has 214 km of bike lanes to Montreal's 180 km and Vancouver's 106 km, but as a proportion of land mass, the order is reversed. The study also examined cycling budgets for cities. Although doubled to nearly $6 million this year, Toronto is still spending just $2.36 per person, which compared to $16.67 per person in London or $4.09 in New York illustrates how much Toronto is lagging behind.

The study does not specifically address the bike-friendliness of drivers, but as a bike shop employee told my wife during a recent bike purchase, "Here, the cars actually aim for cyclists."

"It Never Really Goes Away" and "Life Without the Big C," to be auctioned, by SALI TABACCHI, Mega Advertising Super Design.

Buy local art, win a new notebook computer, and party to Quadrasonic's Alvaro C and Kid Conga at the Peridot Resto.Lounge Saturday night, all for a good cause. Art for Awareness is hosting its first art show, auction and party Saturday, with proceeds benefiting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.

Over 30 Canadian artists have donated works to be auctioned off, and there will be numerous raffle prizes, including a laptop computer and various gift certificates. The event takes place Saturday night, April 26th, at the Peridot Resto.Lounge. Details are on the group's Facebook page, but the basics include a $10 cover, 7pm start and a reminder to bring your chequebook.

Twice the size of last year, the Green Living Show returns to Toronto on Friday with over 300 eco-friendly exhibitors and a star-studded lineup of special guests. Headlining the show is former U.S. President Bill Clinton, with his talk "Embracing our Common Humanity." Other speakers include a Kennedy, a Hollywood actor, politicians and numerous green leaders, plus the show will be filled with exhibitors large and small.

All of the speakers, exhibitors, events and activities are included in the admission price, $12 at the door, with the exception of the Clinton talk, which requires a special $135 ticket. The show, which runs this Friday through Sunday, offers discounts online for pre-purchases and multi-day passes.

Every aspect of green living will be on display, with exhibitors, live presentations, and seminars that will appeal to everybody, and especially the eco-minded. Expect representatives from every sector, and plenty of free ideas, materials and samples.