Friday night's yours — music, food, and clear skies.

It's Friday morning and you've got that feeling — 16°C right now, mainly clear all day, and the sun's not dropping until 8:12 PM. UV's running high at 7, so if you're out on the Canal or catching lunch on a patio, you'll want sunscreen. Perfect end-of-summer stretch ahead.

Food's worth your attention today. If you haven't made it to Westboro yet, Little Bones is drawing people in hard with upscale tacos and tequila cocktails — the kind of spot that fills up fast on Friday nights. Over in Little Italy, the whole stretch keeps getting better; 16 standout restaurants now, so there's no shortage of options if you want to wander and graze. Arlo on Somerset just made the exclusive 50 Best Discovery guide, the first Ottawa restaurant to land it — Somerset's basically turned into a proper dining destination these days. And if Chinatown's your neighbourhood, Kozhi just opened there.

City's been dealing with a lot weather-wise lately — three extreme events hit people hard — and the transition to a personalized recovery model for affected residents just rolled out. Worth knowing if you or someone you know's been caught in it.

There's some heavier stuff in the news too: police are investigating a targeted shooting on Belisle Street in Vanier South, and there are shifts happening around social assistance eligibility and data centre policy at the provincial level. Not the cheerful stuff, but good to stay aware.

For tonight, you've got real options. Club SAW's running an Under the Stars festival pass starting 7:25 PM, then a full lineup after — The New Hires, Scary Bear Soundtrack, Elle Sherlock, Linhri — the indie rock energy's strong. If folk's more your speed, Rainbow Bistro's got you covered. The 27 Club's running late-night electronica for the sleep-deprived crowd. Music starts at 6 PM and doesn't quit, so pick your vibe and get out there. It's dry, it's clear, and you've got the whole evening in front of you.

This weekend's got comedy (Amit Tandon Saturday), a Barbra Streisand tribute Saturday night, and the usual late-night chaos after. But that's tomorrow thinking — tonight's the move.

Get out there. See you around.