Each year, around the first weekend of May, when the cherry trees bloom, people come to High Park to picnic and make merry under them. The trees look amazing, laden with white flowers, and there's something really special about so many people - young, old, families, hipsters, dogs, neo-hippies, former ravers, Japanese folks, shutterbugs - all coming out to play together. There's even ambient electronic music! Bring your own blanket/wine/bbq/devil sticks/funky get-up/dog/hula hoop/dancing shoes.

I love everything about this place. From the tile floors to the damask-upholstered benches, the local seasonal flower arrangements and the milk bottle water pitchers. But I especially love the food. The menu is nearly all local and seasonal. They churn their own butter and butcher their own meat. And because of all this, what you get is unbelievably flavourful food that actually reminds you what all food ought to be like, with every bite. It's what your grandma ate, but fancier.

They churn it themselves! So creamy! And perfect with the rustic baguettes they serve.

Cowbell impresses with most every one of its offerings, but it was this mouth watering dessert that really put the meal over the top. Creamy and smooth as silk with that delicious marscapone tang, and just enough sweetness, it was really something. Chocoholic that I am, I was loathe to actually trade off desserts with my partner half way through, as planned (he got the chocolate terrine/mousse/souffle trio). We traded back for last bites. : )

My BF used to go to Camarra's as a kid. He recently pointed it out, with nostalgia, on a drive through the city. The very next day, a Featured Faver included Camarra as his number one pizza in the city. It was time to give it a try. And it still stacked up. Wonderful, soft, crispy-edged crust. Delicious sauce (buy it bottled to take home). Amazing signature topping combos, and no option of toppings you wouldn't find on a traditional pie in Italy. Cozy surrounds. And an amazing waiter. Go.

Really cute, hip clothes and accessories in a real range of current styles, for unbelievably low prices. And you can shop online too, with free shipping for orders over $75. Too good.

I love classic bowling alleys. This one's got 5- and 10-pin options, rock'n'bowl glow-in-the-dark weekend bowling, and plenty of junk (and beer) at the snack bar to keep your twinkle toes moving, frame after frame. We went by on a Monday afternoon, and happily found it was "Monday Madness" - bowl for 50 cents a game (after per person fee and shoe rental). Good clean fun.

Choose your perferred greens and build out, selecting 6 tasty toppings from among a couple dozen. Seasoned and grilled tempehs and tofus, toasted nuts and seeds, a variety of steamed, raw and grilled veggies and sprouted pulses and seeds- all so flavourful, colourful and nutritious. The lemon tahini dressing is always my fave. And everything's organic. The place is cheery, and offers great views of Kensington. And the take-out containers are bio-degradable.

I love Kensington, especially once the weather gets warm. And a sunny morning or afternoon on the patio of the Moonbeam is the perfect way to celebrate the return of spring. Have some great java, one of their vegan or standard baked sweets, or a savoury boreka, and enjoy the great people watching.

I've only tried one variety so far - a flavourful and lean organic link in a soft bakery fresh bun, dressed up in mapley condiment. So delicious - it reminded me of eating really good sausage and pancakes with maple syrup. Sooooo country Canadiana good. I'm going back for more.

I would move in to the lobby of Le Germain if I could. I would revel in all the extra Asian-inspired cubby storage, and throw the most kick-ass dinner parties in the elegant dining area, just adjacent. I just love all the clean lines, bright open space, natural materials, and comfortable modern furniture in soft neutral hues. They also have the most unusual and gorgeous flower arrangements. Also great? The whimsical ski-like wooden markers that divide the space.

This is such a super spot to hold a medium-sized meeting with colleagues. No institutional meeting rooms or awful throwback conference facilities here - you get beautiful gourmet luncheon and cocktail/hor d'oeuvre service, and professional pow-wow facilities with 5-element flair. Our area was sleek, peaceful and comfortable, yet perfectly suited to talking shop. The service was great. The thoughtful extra touches many. The food, delish.

Comprised mostly of ground almonds, these sweet, chewy treats are irresistably delicious. One of the best cookies around for nut-lovin' sweet-tooths.

I've always had great service from the folks at Flight Centre. I'm a traveller who likes to do a lot of research myself, but then consults a professional to help expand my horizons, price things out the best way possible, and find the answers to all my remaining questions in a jiffy. Kate Perrier at the St. Clair and Bathurst branch has been really amazing. She's a well-seasoned traveller who understands my travel personality really well. It's always a pleasure working with her.

Yes, you sit in a drafty portable at picnic tables (blame the never-ending reno), and yes, you must eat from paper and styrofoam using plastic utensils. But Lahore's south Asian homestyle cookery is so good, you'll have a hard time remembering the annoyances. Feast on remarkably delicious grilled meats and fish, savoury curries, perfect pilau, flatbreads, lassi and ice cream. And enjoy the prompt and friendly service.

Now I can live out all my road-tripping and large-item hauling dreams on a part-time, economical, relatively green basis. Living downtown, I prefer cycling and TTCing it where possible, but here and there, a girl needs a car or van, and Autoshare makes that possible on an hourly or daily basis, keeping hundreds of new vehicles parked around the city for easy and immediate access by members, around the clock. It's super convenient, and a great alternative to owning a car.

Brainchild of the inimitable Dan Misener (of CBC radio's GO!), GURTTWaK is a delight. Last night's installment touched my funny bone, my heart, and the deepest recesses of my memory, and made me see we may all be connected by a collective cache of duotanged diaries, illustrated compositions, and laminated juvenalia masterworks, and the honest and unselfconcious imaginations and insights preserved within them.

A delicate, flavourful chicken broth with three perfect orbs of thin, tender, shrimp-stuffed dough, this is the kind of soup my dinner companion's Bubbie would have made if she were Chinese (he said). That means it's really good. My Bubbie is a Granny, but I'd have to concur. This is an outstanding dumpling soup to rival any that helped to set your standards for all soups to come. Delicious, and without any of that MSG umami so typical of garden variety wonton soup.

They say a great creme brulee is the mark of a great chef and so a great restaurant. I can't say I've met too pots de creme I didn't like, but Celestin's is outstanding. Flavoured with the merest hint of vanilla, torched to reveal its candy coating, and garnished with fresh framboises and a slender choconut crisp, it was heaven in a ramekin.

I hadn't been to Demetre's in years, but apparently they have about a dozen locations now, all churning out homemade ice cream and ice cream treats, along with an assortment of baked goods, coffee drinks and other sweet indulgences. I opted for the "O.C." - a real mikshake made from homemade honey ice cream and oreo cookies, served in a fudge-lined glass (!) and topped with real whipped cream and cookie pieces. In case there was any doubt, that turns out to be good.

The oldest vegetarian restaurant in the city (some say Canada), Annapurna serves up a tried and true assortment of wholesome North American grain-and-veg classics, along with a widely recommended roster of Indian dishes, fresh baked goods, homemade soups, juices and delicious chai. I love the cheery storybook wall murals of lotus flowers and figures in yogic repose. And the sweet-faced sari-ed women who tend to the customers and fill the place with good vibrations.

South Indian cuisine, culinary category of the dosa, is not always easy to find in Toronto amid the abundance of northern-style curry shops, but I had some luck at Annapurna this weekend. They serve up a perfectly crispy and perfectly portioned lentil crepe, generously filled with potato masala, made even tastier with the additon of sambal and coconut chutney.

It's nothing fancy, but this is real down-home Nicaraguan, as any of the Nicaraguan regulars will tell you. Be sure to inquire about specials not listed on the menu, and expect even more of those to be available on busier weekend nights. FYI: the deep fried pork with cabbage salad is actually more like a generous helping of original pork rinds. i.e. crispy pig fat/skin (though the slaw with yucca was delish). If you get it, share it. With like everyone at the table.

This little Nicaraguan joint knows how to make a perfectly delicious mojito.

Three plump scallops seared to sweet and caramelly perfection atop a cloud of buttery cauliflower puree? Such a wonderful flavour combination. Try this dish.