I went to Toronto for the first time in the fall of 2010. I expected it to be colder but I wasn't exactly thrilled that Toronto's fall was like New York's winter. So I was happy to spend a good amount of time indoors in galleries and museums. AGO was one of them and as a huge Frank Gehry fan I was even happier to spend an almost ridiculous amount of time staring at the AGO building. And then I walked towards the back and into the glorious Galleria Italia. All empty on a weekday, the play of wood and light was simply beautiful. It will make you smile, adore the sun, and just stay.

At Bar Chef, owner Frankie Solarik’s mad-scientist bartenders wear porkpie hats that recall a classic speakeasy. But they mix modern potions. They inject their martinis with green olive–flavored foam and serve punch bowls such as the Jimmy Cliff, which combines thyme-infused rum, lime, vanilla syrup, and ginger beer. 472 Queen St. W., (416) 868-4800, barcheftoronto.com. This appeared in the September/October 2011 issue. Photo courtesy of Bar Chef. 

Frank Gehry was born in Toronto, but his dramatic 2008 renovation and expansion of this Beaux-Arts museum was his first Canadian commission. He first discovered art on childhood visits to its vast collection, which spans the world. Now the museum features a restaurant, Frank, in his honor. —Charlene Rooke Art Gallery of Ontario. 317 Dundas St. W., (416) 979- 6648. Photo by P. Spiro/Alamy.

Somewhat hidden in the nether regions of Kensington Market, Anice is a charming boutique literally dripping with gems. The inviting space is home to baubles for the bod, with one-of-a-kind pieces incorporating both the vintage and the new. Brittany––the lovely owner––has a great eye and will transform old metal belts into necklaces, or add charms to bracelets for added flair. If you don't know what to do with a broken heirloom, she'll help bring it back to life, even teaching workshops so next time you can work at home. Despite the mish-mash of materials, the pieces are quite delicate and very easy to wear. Great for gifts.

It doesn't get more laid back and cool than this new drinking spot from a group of Toronto bar veterans. Taking over a cheesy, skeezy bar in Kensington Market, the light renovation here kept the charm and dropped the cheese. This is the place to chill with your friends on a weekday. BONUS: The music selection here is pretty solid (not always the case in Toronto).

Former Toronto food truck superstar, Banh Mi Boys, opened up a shop at the buzzy intersection of Queen and Spadina (ironically, it's beside a McDonald's). In addition to their popular banh mi sandwiches and steam bao is one unusual dish: Kimchi Fries. It's not quite a poutine but could very well be a multicultural version of the Quebecois dish. Pickled, spicy kimchi is topped on hot, crispy fries. Add some mayo and green onions and voila! Kimchi Fries. I'm pretty sure there is no other dish quite like this in the world. It is delicious and addictive!

Cold Tea, located in a clandestine location through Kensington Mall (or through an alley off Augusta Avenue) is everybody's little secret. You're greeted by a dim sum cart when you pass the red light leading through the mall. Ripped printed green wallpaper and a cool font with the bar's name is on one wall. The Chinese lady preparing the dim sum wears a tuxedo-esque outfit complete with red bow tie. Inside the back area of the bar is encased with a leather banquette. Chairs and tables are removable for dancing; a cool mural by artist Mango Peeler adorns one wall and on another the letters "TBD" b/c the walls of art will rotate monthly. Various DJs play on a regular basis and famed Toronto chefs will make an appearance with a special dish or two on the back patios in the summer. What to drink? They have the standard Rolling Rock and PBR but also some very inventive cocktails from some of Toronto's best bartenders including the "Sake To Me" - Ginger, Beer, Sake and Blood Orange. The ingredients are all mixed into a flavour punch yet it feels like a speak easy cocktail. This place has gotten quite popular among the Toronto Hipster set that the owners have opened up a new bar on Dundas West called Mr. Pong's, a spin-off of an old Chinese take-out joint.

Toronto is little bit obsessed with tacos right now, with full service, hyper designer or hipster restaurants opening every month. Proving that sometimes simple is best, SEVEN LIVES is basically a "barely there" food stall in the middle of multi-ethnic Kensington Market. What this place lacks in design and ambiance is more than made up for by the best fish and seafood tacos this far north of Mexico - verdad! p.s. it's hidden and a little hard to find the 1st time, but you shall persist.

on one of those (too many for my taste) freezing days nothing warms me up more than a cuppa hot + spicy Mayan chocolate. MMMMMMMMM! I also would suggest the Bicerin (pictured above) when they happen to have it on their menu. Heaven!

I fell in love with Korean food during a 3 month stint in Seoul so back in Toronto in the depths of winter you will find me here once a week (at a minimum) for their delicious and insides warming soup. Korean cuisine is well represented in Toronto and there are restaurants all over therefore everyone and their grandma has their personal favourite, this is mine.

The Thompson Toronto’s rooftop lounge and pool both offer a broad view of the skyline and Lake Ontario. The lobby welcomes with modern furnishings. The Counter, a 24-hour diner, serves poutine, the Canadian greasy-spoon favorite made of French fries, cheese curds, and gravy. —Charlene Rooke From $179. 550 Wellington St. W., (416) 640-7778, thompsonhotels.com. This appeared in the September/October 2011 issue. Photo by Michael Weber.

Seven Lives is a relatively new addition to the city's taco scene, which has been dominated by Grand Electric and La Carnita. Tucked into a food court, his Kensington eatery is far more low-key. Owner Sean focuses on So-Cal and Tijuana style tacos (he learned the chops when living a stone's throw from the Mexican border) and picks include a surf 'n' turf number with steak and shrimp, and the so-called Gobernador which pairs shrimp with smoked marlin. Best of all? Nothing costs more than $7 and it's all pretty filling.

Toronto’s international film festival, held every September, drew half a million attendees last year. Dozens of movies have been shot here. But the cinema isn’t the only reason to visit “Hollywood North” this fall. Modern buildings by architects Frank Gehry and Daniel Libeskind stand out against the city’s Victorian brick architecture. Boutiques crowd Kensington Market and King and Queen streets. And you can play outside: September temperatures average 70 degrees, and parks make up 18 percent of city land. —Charlene Rooke This appeared in the September/October 2011 issue. Photo by Paul Lapid.

If anyone comes to Toronto looking for some good, healthy Southeast-Asian food, go no further then Hue's Kitchen (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/hues-kitchen-toronto). Ok - the decor is cheesy, and the menus are a bit tattered, but the curry tasted exactly like Thailands’. So if you have $10 and a craving for curry, give this place a chance.

The Tour Guys take you on a guided tour of Toronto's Graffiti Alley. As you wind through the alley as well as other points of graffiti in back areas of downtown, you'll get an overview of the history and language of graffiti. It's a great insight into a subculture in our beloved T Dot. There are a lot of talented artists here. Our group also discovered a shop called Bomb Shelter that sells the aerosol paint cans. If you're lucky, the guides may even show you where the remains of Banksy's art is. Tours run from the spring to mid September.

having celebrated their 30th birthday this year, this much written about and visited restaurant/bar/pool hall/live music venue has withstood all the changes that have happened on this once, long ago, cool strip. Now the domain of GAP, HMV and H&M, The Rivoli is the last indie business standing and still going strong. They, along with their sister venue The Queen Mum were serving Pad Thai before it became fashionable and hosted many a up-and-coming music/comedy star (i.e. Mike Myers, the Kids in the Hall). Needless to say, I still love to shoot some pool, check out some comedy and live music and suffer the comically bad wait service because well - it's the Rivoli!