It’s that time of year again. No, not back to school, or end of summer… film fest season. Remember when it was about the films? Nowadays, TIFF is more about the celebrities who attend and where they stay - and eat. So this week at NOW, they check out a couple of swank haunts with Steven Davey visiting The Drake, apparently the hot destination this year. Drake, you ho, I can live with the Charbucks, but when you overrun my ‘hood with celebrities, that’s another story. Davey enjoys chef Rose’s “nouveau comfort food”, and points out what locals already know - stick to the dining room because the cafe is pretty mediocre.

Also in NOW, Graham Duncan makes his way through the ladies shoe department at Holt’s to lunch at Holt’s Cafe, an excellent spot to celeb-watch in between films. Duncan’s also got a selection of wines in his Drink Up column including the pinot noir from Flat Rock. And Wayne Roberts has a piece on how all of society’s confusion about how food should look is really the fault of food writers and photographers. Apparently our goals of making food look appealing is causing your silly little brains to believe that food grows with its own shrink-wrap packaging and is all gorgeous and beautiful and blemish-free. You know - like how everyone in the fashion industry is responsible for giving teenage girls anorexia.

Over at Eye, our own Corey Mintz makes us proud with his first review for the weekly. He visits 7 Numbers and enjoys the hearty, homey Italian fare of Rosa “Mama” Marinuzzi.

Billy Munnelly of Metro is enjoying the end of BBQ season with some unexpected reds, while Aonghus Kealy looks at the debate over unfiltered beer. To quote a brewmaster of old (who was NOT known for his cloudy beer), “Those who like it, like it a lot,” but most beer drinkers are still stuck in the belief that beer should be clear.

Also at Metro, Sandy Caetano looks at the exciting world of oysters, and Rick McGinnis visits Fuzion on Church Street, where poor chef Patrick Wiese is still carrying the Oprah albatross around his neck.