Red Label Hair Co.

Rated this place:

2190B Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON

By LISA: Red Label Hair Co. is the most friendly, courteous and talented salon in the Bloor West area. As a small town girl on the hunt for a new salon she could call her own, I fell in love with Red Label after my first cut and colour. A client since it opened in 2004, I have never had a bad cut or colour. Not only do owners Vince and Dimitri know my hair and how to tame my nasty cowlick, but they have a knack for putting me at ease. Their great sense of humour doesn't hurt either. It's one of my favourite places to be pampered.

House On Parliament

Rated this place:

456 Parliament Street, Toronto, ON

A must-visit in Cabbagetown: By PAUL – A popular spot on Parliament Street, 'The House' is a true gem. Excellent food (a definite step up from regular pub fare), whether it's the core menu items or their daily specials, and reasonably priced. Several beers on tap. Patio. Open for breakfast on weekends late morning (after 11:30). Note: As it's a popular spot, they don't take reservations.

Royal Meats Barbeque

Rated this place:

710 Kipling Avenue, Etobicoke, ON, M8Z5G5

Best burgers in the West!: By CARRIE – If you've got a hankering for the taste of meat straight from the grill, there's no better place to get your fix than Royal Meats Barbeque. They'll grill up a 1/2 to a full pound burger, chicken breast, steak or shish kabob sandwich for you, when you walk through the door. A little pricier than most regular burger joints, you won't be disappointed with their light lepinya buns that are topped with anything you want including a house-made red-pepper and feta spread. Sides include great salads, fries, sweet potato fries and soup.

Ma Maison

Rated this place:

4243 Dundas St. W., Etobicoke, ON, M8X 1Y3

Authentic French Patisserie: By CARRIE – Pain au chocolat, madeleines, Opera cake, you'll find it all here at Ma Maison. House-made patés and jams are also fantastic. A great place to grab lunch (various quiches and salads are on the menu) and a great cup of coffee, or snag a loaf of the freshly baked bread. At Christmas, you can also find traditional tourtière to take home. Ma maison is my choice for the best pastry west of the Humber River.

Artizano's Bakery

Rated this place:

1020 Islington Avenue, Toronto, ON, M8Z 6A4

Fresh change from corporate coffee: By GRACE – If you've been to Artizano's, you will most likely have noticed how different it is from your standard corporate coffee houses. This place has lots of homemade-quality food and cafe offerings, from all the sticky goodies in the pastries section, to the loaves of fresh bread and tasty lunch combo options. Coffee ain't bad either! I particularly enjoy the atmosphere that seems to say "Stay awhile - what's your rush?"

Trixie

Rated this place:

2313 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON

The Village Lifestyle: By LISA – Trixie is my favourite women's clothing store in Bloor West Village. I love the friendly atmosphere and the ever-changing selection of items. I feel guilty if I shop anywhere else! What is most impressive is the sales staff, who take the time to get to know you and your style. They're also very good at enticing you out of your comfort zone to try pieces that might be a little more daring. Not only will they remember your name, but also what's already in your closet. It's evident their love of fashion. It certainly doesn't hurt that the prices are reasonable too.

Yellow Cup Cafe

Rated this place:

225 The East Mall, Etobicoke, ON, M9B6J1

Yellow cup gets a green light: By GRACE – These guys have a pretty decent all-day breakfast, with various bagel options plus the standard egg and bacon fare.

Centennial Park Conservatory

Rated this place:

151 Elmcrest Rd, Etobicoke, ON

Great floral displays: By GRACE – The Centennial Park Conservatory staff work hard all year round to create lovely floral displays with poinsettias, mums, lilies, hydrangeas and geraniums, among hundreds of other flower and plant varieties. It's a great break from the winter blahs to take a little tour of the tropical greenhouse!A particular holiday treat is the Christmas at the Conservatory celebration with brilliant poinsettias and choral groups who sing traditional Christmas carols. Located at 151 Elmcrest Rd., on the west side of Centennial Park, the 2,000 square metre Conservatory complex consists of a large tropical house, two-wing display houses, six growing houses, a potting shed and a bulb cellar. The Conservatory recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Great plant shows and sales!

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

Rated this place:

61 Claireville Drive, Toronto, ON, M9W 5Z7

An architectural wonder: By GRACE – The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, with its intricate hand-carved marble work is an amazing architectural sight to behold. What's even more impressive is the story behind the Hindu temple's construction: that tones of white Turkish limestone and translucent Carrara Italian marble were carved by hand by craftsmen in villages in India before being transported to the north Etobicoke location; that the $40-million mandir is the first of its kind in Canada to be build to ancient Indian Vedic engineering principals, without the use of structural steel or nails; and that the building has been built to last 1,000 years. Also onsite is the Canadian Museum of Cultural Heritage of Indo-Canadians and the haveli, a community centre built of Burmese teak.