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🦝 Italian Food, Speakeasies, and Puppy Adoption

🦝 Italian Food, Speakeasies, and Puppy Adoption

What's happening in the West End July 24th to 28th.

Xavier W
July 24, 2025

Happy Thursday Toronto and welcome to this week’s West End Raccoon.

Hopefully you’re all enjoying the new POO inspectors on the TTC. I’ve personally been altering my diet to stay on their good side. Lots of fibre, lots of water, and absolutely no corn.

For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, the TTC recently changed the name of the fare inspectors to Provincial Offence Officers (POO Inspectors for short). We might need to circle back to the branding team on that one.

Let’s get into it.

Featured Events

(Full list of events at end of newsletter)

🎭 Dream in High Park

8PM All Weekend @ High Park

Canadian Stage is back with the 42nd year of "Dream in the Park", a theatre series bringing the classics of old to High Park audiences. This summer's act is "Romeo & Juliet", written by the immortal bard William Shakespeare (Or maybe by Emilia Bassano. Or maybe by a cabal of old British men). I don't want to spoil any of the plot but let's just say this is a good one for fans of romance and fans of thumb biting. Bring a blanket, pillow, or a low-profile chair to sit in. $32 Tickets

🐶 Dog Adoption Event

Saturday 11AM @ Peach Berserk

A lot of dog events these days huh? From a reader: "Meet your dream dog! We will have 18 different adoptable dogs over the three hour event. Chat with fosters, buy merch and support dog rescue! Admission price is by donation." Details

West End Updates

N.L. Ginzburg Opens in Little Italy

Carmelina Imola and Zachary Kolomeir are the acclaimed Toronto restauranteurs behind Bernehardt’s, Vilda’s, and Dreyfus. Last week they opened their newest eatery by College and Euclid. N.L. Ginzburg, named after famous Italian anti-fascists, will be serving up Italio-Jewish cuisine from Tuesday to Saturday every week.

This is a fancy, date night type of place. I’d give you some menu highlights but it’s fancy enough that the menu is written in Italian. I recognize the words “ravioli” and “tagliatelle”, if that’s helpful. More info and reservation link on their Instagram.

A New Speakeasy Has Opened in Toronto

Here’s one you may not have heard before: “A New Speakeasy Has Opened in Toronto”. Is that the most common headline in Toronto history? Between 2015 and 2020 it was impossible to take five steps without seeing it. However these days it has become much less frequent. Let’s take some time to appreciate and savour this new spot:

Bitters & Bloom Bar has just opened a few blocks down from N.L. Ginzburg in the space above J's Steak Frites. They’ll offer an internationally inspired cocktail menu that draws inspiration from France, the Caribbean, and classic Canadiana. The Canadian influence comes through clearly via a caesar with a ketchup chip rim. More details in this article.

Closures Closures Closures

TTC closure update! Line 2 will be closed between Kipling and Keele on Saturday. Line 1 will have a closure all weekend between St George and St Andres. Shuttle buses will be available :)

West End Breakfast Battle

Welcome back to the West End Breakfast Battle where we’re working to crown our neighbourhoods best brekky. Last week we had our first elimination round, and the results were as follows:

1) Skyline Restaurant DEFEATS Masa Deli with 73% of the vote.
2) The Federal DEFEATS The Ace with 50.6% of the vote.

Congratulations to our winners. That narrow margin of victory shows the importance of each an every vote - if you’re in line, stay in line!

Our next match-up, for a place in the semi-finals, will feature the delicious breakfast sandwiches of Gold Standard (both locations considered) against the old-school Roncesvalles grill Ari’s Place.

Gold Standard - CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Ari’s Place - CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Fancy House of the Week

Today’s featured house is 59 Baby Point Ave. This 3+1 bed 4 bath was fully renovated in 2019, so the whole place is filled with that beautiful pre-pandemic energy. Remember when when only young people went on TikTok? The star of this house is the master bedroom with a 4-piece ensuite and a walkout balcony. 3.5 million, listing here.

Events

If you have an event you’d like included in the West End Raccoon, please submit it here.

Thursday and Friday

Music in the Garden @ Toronto Music Garden - Thursday & Saturday
Free outdoor concerts in a park next to the lake. Thursday night features a Cyberpunk pianist and on Saturday afternoon there'll be a Flamenco performance. Details

Bloordale Beach Exhibit Tour @ Urbanspace Gallery - Thursday 5PM
Free tours through an exhibition showcasing the West End's favourite tourist attraction. Details

Triple Gallery Opening @ Gallery 1313 - Thursday 6PM
A reception for the opening of three art exhibitions. Painting, sculpture, poems and more. Details

All Levels Yoga @ High Park - Thursday 630PM
PWYC yoga in the park, open to beginners and enders alike. Details

Ontario vs. The World @ Bossanova Wine - Thursday 730PM
From a reader: "A blind tasting of wines from other parts of the world, and Ontario, to showcase what our homegrown talent is capable of producing." $75

Art Battle @ Great Hall - Thursday 730PM
This is like a gameshow type thing where different artists will compete live to create the best painting from a blank canvas. The crowd then has a chance to take home the paintings they produce. $35

Paddle-in Concerts @ Humber River - Friday 6PM
Take the kayak out for a floating concert near the mouth of the Humber featuring Blues artist Sarah Beatty. $40

ROM After Dark @ The ROM - Friday 730PM
CETWEOK! After Dark is a gala/club night that takes place in that big open area in the ROM. Have your very own night at the museum as you sip martinis next to a dinosaur skeleton. This Friday's event is being run in collaboration with the Bahamas Tourism office and will feature some fiery Caribbean influences. $40

Superkick'd Wrestling @ The Great Hall - Friday 8PM
Local Toronto wrestling show. I’d recommend this to people who like it when one guy smashes another guy into a table. $33

Jim Heineman Tribute @ 106 Ossington - Friday 9PM
From a reader: Concert tribute to a foundational pillar of the Toronto Jazz scene. $25

Winery Hoedown @ Paradise Grapevine - Friday to Sunday
For one weekend only this trendy wine spot is turning into a country honkytonk, complete with a mechanical bull. There'll be nightly a cash prize for the best country outfit. Details

Saturday

Sailing Expedition @ Humber Bay - Saturday 9AM
Want to learn how to sail? This group is setting out on the high seas for a day of history-inspired fun and are down to take on some beginners. C'mon - don’t tell me you're a landlubber. Details

Wetlands Walk @ High Park - Saturday 10AM
Guided tour through the wetlands of High Park where you'll help park rangers test the stability of the habitat. PWYC

Artisan Market @ Trinity Bellwoods - Saturday 11AM
It's an outdoor market! In 3 months you won't be able to go to these any more, sooooo…. Details

Farmer's Market @ George Chuvalo NC - Saturday 12PM
Celebrate the extension of the railpath by walking to this community block party mixed with a farmer's market. At 2pm there'll be a Jam Making Workshop with cookbook author Camilla Wynne. Details

Curatorial Tour @ Museum of Toronto - Saturday 2PM
The Museum of Toronto is currently running an exhibition called: "52 Women Who Shaped Toronto". Hear from Rosemary Sadlier, one of those 52, on this free museum tour. Details

Bastid's BBQ @ The Bentway - Saturday & Sunday
Good eats and good tunes will abound at this music/food festival. Headlining: DJ Premier and A-Trak. $96 weekend tickets

Video Dance Party @ Junction Underground - Saturday 8PM
No cover club night featuring music video hits from the 80's through the 00's. Details

Hairspray (2007) @ Sorauren Park - Saturday 9PM
Free outdoor screening of the Broadway adaptation (which was filmed in Roncy). Concession stand and pizza oven will be up and running. Details.

Sunday and Monday

Bird Photography Lessons @ Bloor West Village - Sunday 9AM
"Learn how to catch those great bird life images. Interesting techniques, tips, concepts, settings, and capturing birds in flight, portraits, and composition." All skill levels welcome. $52

Visualizing the Junction Triangle @ MOCA - Sunday 11AM
Walking tour through the neighbourhood to learn about its history and artistic influences. $19

Humber River Social Walk @ Old Mill Station - Sunday 4PM
Big group of people meeting for a social walk next to the river. Enjoy the weather and meet some new besties. Details

Rockabilly Swing Dancing @ Dovercourt House - Sunday 6PM
Starting with swing lessons, then the dance floor will open up for the rest of the night. $20

Board Game Designer Night @ Snakes & Lattes - Monday 6PM
A gathering for those interested in creating their own board games (or playing other people's creations). $20

🎵 Live Music Report 🎵

🎵 LASER MOUNTAIN (Noise/Metal) @ Junction Underground - Thursday 8PM
🎵 David Picco (Acoustic) @ Blue Bird Bar - Thursday 8PM
🎵 Ellevator (Post-Rock) @ Burdock Music Hall - Thursday 830PM
🎵 Peter Elkas (Rock) @ The Bell and Beacon - Thursday 930PM

🎵 Hooper (Indie) @ Burdock Music Hall - Friday 845PM

🎵 Cross North Wind (Irish Strings) @ The Local - Saturday 2PM
🎵 Vincent Wolfe Trio (Jazz) @ NeuLokal - Saturday 530PM
🎵 Peter Mathers (Spanish Guitar) @ Old Mill - Saturday 630PM
🎵 Batchata Swing @ Rosario's - Saturday
🎵 Grocer (Indie) @ The Garrison - Saturday 8PM
🎵 Seu Quartet (Jazz) @ La Rev - Saturday 8PM
🎵 Turkish Night @ NeuLokal - Saturday 9PM

🎵 Don Valley Drifters (Bluegrass) @ The Local - Sunday 2PM
🎵 HMLT (Collab/Indie) @ 915 Dupont - Sunday 6PM
🎵 Siobhan Bodrug, Francis Baptiste (Rock) @ The Bell and Beacon - Sunday 8PM
🎵 Maxwell Stover Trio (Jazz) @ The Local - Sunday 9PM

🎵 Sean McCarthy (Jazz) @ Steadfast Brewing - Monday 7PM
🎵 Takaayla & Waryaa (Pop/Rap) @ Burdock Music Hall - Monday 8PM

Thank you!

Thanks for reading the West End Raccoon! I hope you all have wonderful weekends and don’t run afoul of the poo inspectors.

As always, if you know a friend or family member who might be interested, please share the newsletter with them: www.westendraccoon.ca

Have a great weekend, and talk to you next Thursday!
Xavier