The book lists 365 restaurants where you can get breakfast for under $5, lunch for under $10 and dinner for under $15, including a beverage and taxes.
A few examples: tacos filled with chicken cooked in a chipotle sauce ($5.99) at Mexitaco, 828 Bloor St. W.; lamb braised in a green pepper butter sauce with ginger and rosemary ($8) at Cottage on Danforth, 1220 Danforth Rd.; grilled chicken breast sandwich with wasabi mayo and watercress ($7.82) at Shanghai Cowgirl, 538 Queen St. W.; sticky rice balls encrusted with black and white sesame seeds ($5.95) at the Rivoli, 334 Queen St. W.; okra cooked with herbs and spices in a tomato curry ($8.95) at Udupi Palace, 1460 Gerrard St. E.
It's the third edition of the book, which rates restaurants on their prices, food quality, cleanliness and ambience (ranging from "it's a dive" to "first-date quality"), and lists closest public transit stops.
On the web: cheapeatstoronto.com.
AGO OFFERS FREE GENERAL ADMISSION UNTIL JUNE
TORONTO -- The Art Gallery of Ontario, in the midst of a major reconstruction project designed by architect Frank Gehry, is offering free general admission until June.
With about half of its space open to visitors, the gallery has waived the usual $8 ticket price.
"We are operating at limited capacity," said spokesman Matthew Ross.
"Our Eaton gallery currently is open, showing some favourites of our permanent collection, and our Henry Moore sculpture centre is open. There are also several contemporary art spaces throughout."
Visitors will still have to pay to see special exhibitions, like Frank Gehry: Art and Architecture, on view until May 7, and David Milne Watercolours, until May 21.
The gallery isn't quite the sedate experience it used to be.
"You do hear some jackhammers, I can't deny it," said Ross.
The reconstruction project is scheduled for completion in 2008.
"We're still in the demolition phase - we haven't even got into the rebuilding phase," Ross said, adding that more of the permanent collection will come back out for public viewing in June.
CN TOWER WANTS YOUR STORIES FOR ITS CONTEST
TORONTO -- This June the CN Tower celebrates its 30th birthday.
As part of the celebration, the public is invited to share stories about the tower, "from childhood memories, romantic marriage proposals, memorable meals, spectacular events, and an ongoing allure with construction details and fascinating facts about Canada's engineering wonder," said Jack Robinson, CN Tower general manager, in a statement.
The contest is open for submissions through April 30. Stories will be posted on the CN Tower website and later this fall in a special anniversary book featuring 181 stories - one for each floor in the tower. Prizes will be awarded to the top 30 entries.
For contest details and to read some of the entries, go to www.cntower.ca/30years. You can e-mail your story through the website, or snail-mail to the CN Tower, 301 Front St. W., Toronto, Ont., M5V 2T6.
Stories must be less than 500 words, can be in English or French, and can include photos. Any story or photo that is submitted will not be returned and can be used for promotion.
The CN Tower at 553 metres high is an unmistakable landmark on the Toronto skyline. It has three observation levels, a theatre, rides, an arcade, shopping and dining, and gets two million visitors annually. It is described in Guinness World Records 2006 as the tallest free-standing tower in the world.
BOOK LISTS 10 FAVOURITES IN VARIOUS CATEGORIES
WASHINGTON -- Quick, what's the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon in New York? Or Madrid? St. Petersburg? Istanbul?
The answer depends, of course, on your personal tastes. But if you're looking for advice - or just want to compare your top 10 lists with a couple of world travellers - National Geographic has just published The 10 Best of Everything: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers, by globetrotting writers Nathaniel and Andrew Lande.
The book lists the father-and-son team's 10 favourites in many categories, from the best U.S. national parks to the best steak houses around the world. But the most appealing section of the book may well be The 10 Best Things to Do on a Sunday Afternoon. The Landes are highly opinionated, but half the fun of reading the book is coming up with your own recommendations and engaging in an imaginary debate over the choices.
In Berlin, the authors' personal choices include lunch at the Hotel
Adlon, strolling the Tiergarten public park, and visiting the Charlottenburg Palace, the Film Museum and the Old Masters at the Picture Gallery (Gemaldegalerie).
In Rome, "if you have time to visit only one museum," the Landes recommend the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme's collection of Greek and Roman statuary, mosaics and frescoes. Also on the list: visiting an outdoor cafe in the La Pace neighbourhood, touring the Catacombs of San Callisto, checking out the Pasta Museum, and lunching at the Roman Garden in the Hotel d'Inghilterra.
In London, the Landes believe a perfect Sunday should include tea at Claridge's, a matinee at the Palace Theatre, a stroll around fashionable Chelsea, visits to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew and the National Gallery, and a boat ride on the Thames.
When in Madrid, row a boat at the Parque del Retiro, lunch at La Terraza del Casino, shop in the Salamanca district and visit the Prado museum.
In New York, the Landes' must-sees include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Frick Collection, a walk in Central Park and a boat ride past the Statue of Liberty to Ellis Island's Immigration Museum.
In St. Petersburg, enjoy a caviar brunch at L'Europe restaurant in the Grand Hotel Europe, attend mass at St. Nicholas Cathedral, see the ballet at the Krov Mariinsky Theatre, and of course, visit the State Hermitage Museum.
And when in Istanbul, the Landes recommend visits to the Blue Mosque, the Aynalikavak Summer Pavilion, the Topkapi Palace, a boat ride on the Bosporus and lunch at the Park Samdan.
TRAVEL VIDEOS CALLED VLOGS NOW POSTED ONLINE
NEW YORK -- There are travel blogs and travel podcasts, and now, increasingly, there are travel "vlogs" and other types of online travel videos.
Some are slick and standard travelogues. Others, while professionally produced, are unconventional and artsy. But many are by true amateurs who just want to share their images of a place.
Travelocity's Video Gallery offers professional, narrated videos in a traditional travelogue format with titles like An Introduction to Cape Cod or Exploring Atlanta. Most are under two minutes, and they are reminiscent of the types of feature segments you might find on a television travel show.
At Turnhere.com, you'll find charming videos that feel like mini-independent films with moody soundtracks, quirky narrators and offbeat subjects. Themes range from Miami's South Beach and a nighttime walk on Hollywood Boulevard to a longshoreman's bar in the Brooklyn neighbourhood of Red Hook that has lately become a hangout for trendy artist-types.
Short amateur videos of a minute or less on a variety of travel themes are also increasingly available online. Recently featured on Youtube.com were clips of the annual monarch butterfly migration, and a demonstration from Brazil of capoeira, a martial arts-like dance.
At Video.Google.com, type "travel" into the search box and you'll get everything from ads for a travel agency to a lurching, colourful video shot while riding in a pedicab in China.
Flyingmonk.com offers longer videos about cultural attractions around the world, accompanied by soundtracks of local music. You can buy the videos, borrow them from the public library or watch trailers three to four minutes in length of various destinations on the Flyingmonk.com website.
© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.
The 2006 edition of 
2006 guide names new spots for frugal gourmets.
