Toronto has tortillerias, tratorias, tavernas and tapas. And now, an authentic izakaya finally joins the mix.

Izakayas are Japanese watering holes where the after-work crowd goes to nibble on small bites and knock-back sake before heading home to dinner. Guu Izakaya is the first Toronto outpost of the popular Vancouver-based group of restaurants.

It’s loud and lively and bursting with character. Cozy up at one of the four communal tables and dig into kakimayo (giant oysters with garlic mayo, spinach and cheese, $6.80), gindara (miso-flavoured cod, $9.50), and okonomiyaki (Japanese-style pancakes, $6.50). Wash it all down with a mug of Sapporo.

Lineups are snaking out the door, so we suggest bringing a bag of turtle shell senbei for the wait.

Guu Izakaya, 398 Church St, Toronto, 416-977-0999, www.guu-izakaya.com

Just when we thought we’d cracked our no dough diet, the tease of slow roasted beef brisket on a springy white bun became too much to take.

Black Camel’s brisket takes five days to prepare and is so tasty, tender and moist we could have gone for a second.

Just as tempting are the seared steak and roasted pulled chicken sandwiches, and for the veggie there’s a delicious roma tomato, red pepper, arugula and eggplant option.

Of course, we could eat the fillings sans bread, but where’s the fun in that?

Tip: Sandwiches sell out fast, so check Twitter for updates and daily specials. 

Black Camel, 4 Crescent Rd., Toronto, 416-929-7518, www.blackcamel.ca

Cooking at home has never been more hip, and however good you think you are, there's always something new to learn.

We’re turning up the heat in our kitchen with lessons from top city chefs at Nella Cucina.

From mastering knife skills to making sauces and stocks to creating simple dishes using only five to eight ingredients (Cooking on the Fly with Nella Cucina’s resident chef Joanne Lusted, $75), there’s plenty to pick up at this local culinary institution.

Anthony Sedlak, Michael Smith, Susur Lee and Christine Cushing have all taught at Nella. Look out for Massimo Capra’s four-to-five-course demo of Italian favourites ($120).

Buon Appetito!

Nella Cucina, 876 Bathurst St., Toronto, 416-922-9055, www.nellacucina.ca

Hearty, simple and thrifty, nothing beats a bowl of soup as a winter-warmer.

Herewith, a few of our favourite city slurps:

Mexican Black Bean, Urban Herbivore ($5), www.fressenrestaurant.com

Matzoh Ball, Caplansky’s Delicatessen ($4), www.caplanskys.com

Onion soup gratinée Les Halles, Thuet, ($10), www.petitethuet.com

Orochong Ramen, Kenzo Ramen, ($7.95), www.kenzoramen.ca

Sherried Beef Stroganoff, Soup Market, ($6.25), www.soupnutsy.ca

With heure d'hiver starting and temperatures dropping, it's time to think about heart (and belly) satisfying dishes.

Serving up scrummy French-inspired comfort fare such as a truffled fonduto of melted cheese and poached egg and a pork and shrimp burger that is to die for, Union looks set to satisfy our tums all season long.

We start with a charcuterie plate ($15) of house-brined corned beef, pork rillette, country rabbit terrine and homemade sweet pickles before tucking into roasted chicken ($14) and melt-in-your-mouth ribs ($18). For dessert, we can’t resist the warm apple crumble served with a dollop of homemade vanilla-maple ice cream.

Now this is one union we're happy to join.

Union, 72 Ossington Ave., Toronto, 416-850-0093, www.union72.ca

Buttery, salty and enduringly delicious, the grilled cheese sandwich remains unrivaled in the land of simple gastro-pleasures.

Add some jalapeno peppers, spinach and a dash of black olive pesto, and what you’ve got is a more sophisticated version. With a tag line that reads, “Just like you, the sandwich grew up,” this is what the folks behind The Grilled Cheese are striving for.

With combinations such as old cheddar, grilled portobello and roasted garlic or dill havarti, basil pesto, sundried tomato and onion, the offerings ($6) are simple and wholesome with a side of originality.

The space is small and cozy, with a decidedly Alpine feel. A moose clock hangs on one wall while mason jars stuffed with pickled veggies line another.

Open just in time for winter, it doesn’t get much better than rich, gooey cheese sarni on a cold, blustery day.

The Grilled Cheese, 66 ½ Nassau St., Toronto, 647-347-7762.

The days are short and the air is crisp, but that’s no reason to turn into a hermit. Rally up the girls and head to the hottest city in La Belle Province for a weekend of food, fun and frivolity.

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Spoil yourselves with plush duvets and Frette bathrobes at Hotel Nelligan. The perfect mix of traditional charm and modern convenience, this Montreal favourite is sure to please. Plus, the location, among the cobblestones of Old Town is ideal. 106 Rue Saint-Paul W., Montreal, www.hotelnelligan.com

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Montreal is known for it’s playful street style, but if it’s your inner diva you want to indulge, head to Mona Moore. This glam shoe boutique boasts the sexiest styles in the city. Go gaga over Rick Owens black leather woven boots ($2595) or splash out on a pair of Dries Van Noten cognac leather pumps with black stamped crocodile heels ($745). Stepping into these on Monday morning will make the trek back to work almost pleasant.  1446 Sherbrook St. W., Montreal, www.monamoore.com

eat
A day of hopping from shop to shop calls for a deluxe dinner. Pamper your taste buds with a trip to L'express, the ultimate French bistro. Kick off with a bottle of red and a jar of cornichon followed by its famous steak-frites topped with salty herbed butter. Save room for dessert. The rich chocolate tart is to die for. 3927 Rue St. Denis, 514-845-5333 (Reservations recommended).

do
Spend an evening watching the best in new French-language cinema at Cinemania Film Festival. The annual rendez-vous of film buffs takes place November 5-15. This year’s lineup is still under wraps, but previous years have featured works by both acclaimed filmmakers and up-and-comers. www.cinemaniafilmfestival.com

It’s not just French women who don’t get fat. Italian women gorge on garganelli and guzzle Chianti and still stay svelte. The secret? They keep everything piccolo (Italiano for “small”).

The guys behind the Local Kitchen and Wine Bar have portion size just right. Little white dishes come laden with butter-soft gnocchi coated in taleggio and rapini. The breaded olives stuffed with rabbit are scrummy and the Ontario buffalo mozzarella is to die for.

All ingredients are sourced from local farmers using sustainable methods. Arctic char is fresh from Georgian Bay and the mozzarella is from Thunder Bay.

The atmosphere is decidedly local too. Vintage community newspaper covers one wall, a wild boar’s head hangs above the door, and old milk crates substitute as wine shelving.

“If I owned a restaurant, it would be exactly like this,” says the diner to our left.

What better compliment?

Local Kitchen and Wine Bar, 1710 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-534-6700, www.localkitchen.ca

The sand is tinged with specks of pink coral and the houses are painted lilac, yellow and aquamarine. With its lush green vegetation and crystal blue waters, colour reigns on the island of Bermuda.

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The new Tucker’s Point Resort oozes colonial charm. Large, airy rooms are decorated in bold florals, soft stripes and pastel ginghams. Sip Rum Swizzles poolside, play crocket or have your fingers and toes painted pink at the spa. From US$300 a night, 60 Tucker’s Point Dr., Hamilton Parish, Bermuda, 441-298-4000, www.tuckerspoint.com

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Rent a scooter and explore the island’s glorious beaches; Horseshoe Bay, Elbow Beach and John Smith’s Bay are the best along South Shore for powder-soft sand and stunning waters. Tobacco Bay near St George’s is good for snorkelling.

eat
The Lobster Pot (6 Bermudiana Rd., 441-292-6898) is a local institution with a nautical décor and some of the best seafood in town, while the elegant Seahorse Grill at Elbow Beach (441-239-9303, www.mandarinoriental.com) is perfect for a romantic dinner à deux. Tip: Bermuda is pure old-world charm and locals love to get dressed up when they go out. Some restaurants have a dress code so pack a pretty frock or two.

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Don’t forget to stuff your suitcase with bottles of pink sand, Bermuda rum cake and Outerbridge’s famous Original Sherry Pepper Sauce.

All those school dinners of soggy scampi and rubbery sole put us off seafood for years. But these days, we can’t get enough of it.

For the freshest, loveliest pick of the sea, we head to the recently renovated Pisces Gourmet, where thick slabs of seabass, salmon and swordfish await. Crustacean lovers will be clamouring for the B.C. Dungeness crab and East Coast lobsters.

On our last visit we snapped up some East Coast halibut as well as some fine Ontario pickerel to barbeque. The selection of sauces, marinades and oils is hard to resist, and for the preoccupied cook, there are plenty of pre-made delights like marinated skewers of salmon and tuna and veggies.

Now that’s a catch.

Pisces Gourmet, 1097 Yonge St., Toronto, 416-921-8888.