Taking over Bloom Cafe's old space in Baldwin Village is Etsu, a Japanese and Korean restaurant that offers reasonably priced and consistent takes on sushi, tempura, teriyaki, katsu and noodle dishes. Over and above this standard fare, there's also one menu-item in particular that peaked my interest. Etsu's signature dish is a slow-cooked chicken soup that has to be ordered 24 hours ahead of time! With an advance-billing like that, I just had to try it out.

Find out more in my review of Etsu in the restaurants section.

Having been in business for almost a decade, Crêpes à GoGo holds true to its expert roots in the art of crêpes-making. The sunny shop that sits on Yorkville Avenue just off Yonge Street, and has a wide a selection of sweet, sweet and savoury, and savoury crêpes to delight palate. For dessert, their specialty is delightful "finger crêpes" that can each be devoured in three bites flat.

See my review of Crêpes à GoGo in the restaurant section.

With stories of endangered Atlantic halibut being sold under misleading labels, tilapia doubling up as red snapper and white tuna, and freshness ever an issue, it's important to be able to trust the place where you buy your fish and seafood. Although I'm no expert, I want to know where my selections come from, whether they're wild or farmed, and that I'm going to get the items as advertised. So I dropped by Bill's Lobster at Gerrard and Broadview for a little 101 on what to look for when visiting a fishmonger.

Find out what I learned in my profile of Bill's Lobster in the grocery stores section.

Wilco is so much more than an American alt-rock band. They're also, oddly enough, the inspiration for sandwiches here in Toronto.

Last fall, Chad Comfort opened a cozy sandwich shop in Koreatown that pays tribute to the Chicago-based band - by naming menu items after their songs. "How To Fight Loneliness," for example, is a recipe that calls for the solace found in the harmonious coming-together of chicken, apple and bacon.

Delicious in-house baked bread and cookies, and soup from scratch also make it a warm and wholesome visit.

Read my review of Sky Blue Sky (which is, incidentally, the name of one of Wilco's albums) in the restaurants section.

Valentines Day is only a couple of weeks away meaning it's not too early to start scoping out some of the lesser known Toronto chocolate shops to see what sweets await inside. On Dundas West I visited a little store where the owner makes fair trade, hand made truffles in delicious flavours like vodka and candied grapefruit peel.

Rear my review of Odile Chocolat and start your sweet tooth cravings now!

The Yonge and Lawrence area has never been short on dining destinations but when it came time to stock up on fresh baked goods like croissants, cakes, tarts and eclairs local residents needed to look elsewhere. No more. Last year Patisserie Sebastien opened its doors and, wow, do they make good stuff here.

Read my review of Patisserie Sebastien in the bakery section.