Did they totally jump the gun by making the brand shift announcement but not being ready to actually show a change in their stores? The store flyer has already had announcements from the new ownership, welcoming customers to "see the changes" made already. Excuse me, but it looks about the same to me. Same stale feeling with mediocre product offerings and cellophane everything.

Owner Naveen Polapady and his team of chefs will serve up a full day of delicious food from the Malabar, India. And for only $20, hungry patrons can experience a celebration of food preparation and presentation from Malabar's unique culinary region.

In its fourteenth year, the feature country is France, which is evident with several free and tutored tasting events targeted to the Bordeaux area. Joseph and I took a look at the show this year to give you an idea of what to expect this time around, and how to get the best bang for your buck.

I guess I always thought there was some unwritten rule that Bloor street was where all the fast food chains congregated and sleepy Harbord was left for the plucky indies like Mama B's, Pizza Gigi, Harbord Fish & Chips and Flip Toss and Thai Kitchen. In fact, in the past year the stretch on Harbord between Spadina and Bathurst has been tracking more upscale if anything. We've seen the arrival of the Harbord Room, Tati Bistro and Loire clustered in a block that already draws foodies for Splendido, Messis and 93 Harbord.

A couple of weeks ago, we gave a heads up on where to party if Obama wins (and watch the returns), but there's more.

Rasputin Vodka Bar is airing results, Canada Votes Obama is holding their shindig at Wayne Gretzky's, and the Department of Culture is inviting folks to the Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar. Both of the latter events are free.

It's hard to believe, but after two years of nearly non-stop campaigning, today America will choose their leader for the next four years.

The protest, as many might recall, was triggered by former employees of that Amato location claiming ill-treatment by management and that they had not been paid for their work. Well, yesterday, after the case had finally gone to trial, courts sided with the plaintiffs and fined the local pizza chain $300,000 (one of the largest fines ever for unpaid wages) for failing to pay six former employees.

But there's a style of latte emerging in Toronto that I am not loving. It's not even a latte. It's best described as a warm(ish) milky(ish) coffee. These "lattes" (oh yeah, I'm whipping out the scare quotes) were so thin, that serving them with a spoon was an insult. "I defy you to try and use this."

Checking out the menu on their web site, it looks like they won't be holding back. I counted 15 different poutine varieties including the Montreal Poutine (shaved Montreal smoked meat, Kosher dill pickle slices and French mustard on the side), Butter Chicken Poutine (slow roasted chicken breast and spicy curry sauce) and Traditonal Veggie Poutine (rich vegetable gravy, Eastern Township cheese curds).

Serving dinner and late night drinks, The Black Hoof has a number of beers on tap, wine and a short menu that features foie gras, a prosciutto tasting, and cabbage and bone marrow soup.

The Black Hoof will be open from Thursday through Mondays from 6pm and will be serving food until 2am on weekends. Here's a look at the complete menu:

Her new book, Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes by Jennifer McLagan, makes a compelling argument that fat has been at the center the human diet for all but the last 30 years of so. I agree that avoiding it mostly leads to subbing in carbs and trans fats which are far worse for your health.

Furthermore, not all fat is created equal. There is a difference in the fat that comes off grass-fed (how we used to, and should raise animals) and grain-fed animals. So instead of fearing fat you're better off spending the time and effort finding a good source of meats. I like how McLagan alludes to a healthy person needing to eat healthy animals.

Your book seems to be getting quite a bit of mainstream media attention despite the obviously taboo subject (see: cover). Besides being a great book, what do you attribute this to? Is it that other writers such as Michael Pollan have laid some groundwork for people to re-evaluate their low-fat ideals, that people are frustrated with conventional dietary wisdom not working for them personally, or are people just intrigued by your ideas because they intuitively know that fat is flavor (and want more of it!)?

A sign currently posted to the front door reads "This establishment is closed by order of the Medical Officer of Health under the authority of section 13 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act"

With Swatow now temporarily shuttered, that means only three places in our Best Late Night Chinese Food options are still open for business. Whatever happens - don't let Rol San be next!

According to Jesse Ship, Arts Editor of Format Magazine, it just might. He took what he says is a photo of a rat in the window of this popular Chinatown restaurant on his way to work this morning.

In his words: I was just walking past happy Seven today on Spadina and snagged images of a rat in the window on my cell phone, sitting right next to the health inspector sign. The restaurant wasn't open yet.

Here's a closer look: Update! A video that confirms this is a rat has now been posted on Vimeo. It's embedded below.