The restaurant scene in Toronto might have taken a while to come into its own, but it's now become one of this city's chief calling cards. There's perpetually a new one opening up, boasting the newest culinary trend and having the got-to-have-it-right-this-second meal, even if its time in the spotlight only lasts a month or so. Our social life revolves around them, for dates, work parties, nights out and those days when throwing some pasta into boiling water is far, far too much effort.

Until fairly recently (in the grand scheme of things), eating-out wasn't as commonplace as it is today. Going way back, it was a luxury reserved for the upper class, but even 30 or 40 years ago, there just wasn't the embarrassment of choice we enjoy today. The number of restaurants in our city was just a tiny fraction of the amount that now line the streets. And, being Toronto the Good, staying in was the order of the day for most families in the 1950s and '60s.

Weekend events in Toronto is our guide to events happening every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Watch for it here on Fridays around midday. Here's what's happening in Toronto this weekend, April 13-15, 2012.

Walking into Whippersnapper Gallery, I was immediately disoriented by my surroundings. Instead of the typical white walls of an art space, I found myself standing in a call centre. After doing the mental double check to make sure I hadn't stumbled into a room where people were frantically trying to make their quota before the long weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting the artist and gallery co-ordinator, who filled me in on what's going on with this new exhibit.

SPUD's name has become synonymous with Toronto graffiti culture, as those traversing the city may find it peppered on walls and bridges all around them. Recently though, his work has popped up in galleries for a solo and group shows, moving his art from weather-beaten brick to canvas.

Through Rob Ford and his notorious war against graffiti in the city, SPUD found his first major muse. In March, he had his own show, Censored, at Don't Tell Mama Gallery. The show engendered a discussion regarding the limits of public expression and posed difficult questions about whether graffiti is a form of vandalism or a form of art.

Flowers sprouting out of the ground isn't anything unusual, but this spring they're sprouting out of the pavement in Kensington Market, thanks to Cora DeVries.

When a water main burst in front of her bakery, the city repaired it, but left a gaping hole in the pavement. In an attempt to beautify, Cora, owner of Miss Cora's Kitchen, put some spring flowers in the wounded sidewalk. "It makes people happy. They're stopping to look and take pictures," she said on Thursday.

Ka-ching. Toronto might be getting a casino, after all — or at least the GTA. At a press conference earlier today it was announced that the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) plans to open a casino somewhere in the Toronto Area, though the specifics have yet to be determined.