A newish gelato destination on Eglinton West looks strikingly like a boutique hotel lobby. There are chandeliers, clocks showing times from around the world and sleek designer furniture. But it's all just a footnote as the real stars here are the homemade gelato and freshly prepared panini and baked goods.

Find out more in my review of Hotel Gelato.

When it comes to Mexican food, few places in Toronto can trump this restaurant on Augusta in Kensington Market. In a city with too much Tex-Mex substituting for real south of the border eats it's refreshing to find a menu heavy on tacos and chorizo instead of enchiladas and chimichangas.

Read my review of El Trompo in the restaurants section.

There's new place to grab brunch in Kensington Market. Found in the old Heart on Your Sleeve location at the corner of Bellevue and Nassau, this new restaurant makes a great plate of steak and eggs complete with buttery biscuits and cinnamon-spiced sauteed apples.

Read my review of The Bellevue in the restaurants section.

Despite discovering I'm lactose intolerant (hello lemon gelato!) I managed to recently discover a new favourite ice cream shop just off Yonge Street at Macpherson. Around for 17 years, this tiny shop barely registers on Google which gets me thinking Rosedale locals have been keeping it something of a secret.

Read my review of My Favourite Ice Cream Shop in the restaurants section.

It started with a small bakery in the basement of a church in Riverside and has expanded into a storefront that specializes in fantastic handcrafted, organic breads like spelt and sourdough.

St. John's Bakery is a social enterprise, and it's clear that the spirit and mandate of the St. John the Compassionate Mission is reflective in their bakery operations. Employing people from all walks of life, the bakery aims to involve community and the results go well beyond bread, cookies, scones, sweet breads, cakes and tarts.

See my review of St. John's Bakery in the baked goods section.

This weekend, thousands of Torontonians flooded High Park to catch a glimpse of our cherry trees in bloom. Despite the cold and windy weather we endured on Saturday, the bout of humidity we got at the end of last week was enough, and by Sunday every tree in the park was flowering.