This week has been a flurry of exciting events: the annoucement that the iPhone6  is available for pre-order tomorrow, TIFF stars continue to populate our restaurants and bars, and a very iconic American burger is coming your way later today. Let’s get started!

Open:

Essen
1282 Dundas St. W.

Quinta quickly, and quietly, became Essen just in time for TIFF. Chef and owner Leor Zimmerman's Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine includes wonton tacos and Jewish ramen with egg noodles, giant matzoh balls, diced carrot and celery, soft egg and brisket kerplach. The menu reveals delicacies such as cabbage rolls, Dr. Pepper braised beef brisket, schnitzel and a dessert named “Puff Daddy.”

With the recent success of Peoples Eatery and Anthony Rose’s Fat Pasha, and items like the above ramen, Essen is poised to do gangbusters.

Butter Avenue
3467 Yonge St.

Macarons are still a hot dessert ticket, so why not open another bakery to bring them to the people? This one is near Queen and Spadina, an area at least not yet saturated with cupcakes, et al. Being so close to Urban Outfitters, American Apparel and other clothing destinations, it delivers a serious sugar hit for those suffering from post-shopping fatigue.

Murgatroid
568 Parliament St.

Locally-sourced products and homemade dishes are at the heart of this new sandwich shop in Cabbagetown. The menu changes whenever product does, so you know you’re getting the freshest ingredients. Everything is made in house with the exception of their sandwich buns - made daily by  Blackbird Bakery Co. using 150-km sourced stone milled flour.

Enjoy a local brew or wine with lunch and be sure to stop by on the weekend for a Cajun-style brunch with Mardi Gras cocktails!

Jars of their organic & 100km housemade pickles and preserves should be available to take home soon.

Pop-Ups:

One of the world's most iconic burger chains, In-N-Out Burger from the States, arrives in the city today, outside of Ganzi Osteria of all places. From 11am – 3 pm it’s first come, first serve (wristbands will be in effect). It's going to be h-u-g-e. So figure out what you want before you leave the house: the Double Double, Animal Style and Protein Style. That is, if you can get one before they run out. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more up-to-the-minute news throughout the afternoon.

Loka Snacks gets a temporary home this Saturday night out back at the always packed Leslieville bar, Hi-Lo. Chef Dave Mottershall (formerly of The Chase), will be serving up an array of exhilarating dishes, including Veal Carpaccio with red eye mayo and frites; Molasses Hot Sauce Hearts; Smoked Marrow Bones with duck fat crostinis; and Crispy Wild Boar Head with pickled blueberries and grabiche. See you there! And please save me some boar head...

Menu Additions/Changes:

For those who like their burgers on the extreme side, The Works is offering stuffed burgers, available for a limited time. They include the Hot Magma, filled with jalapeno, banana and chipotle peppers, and then topped with cream cheese, more banana peppers, green onions homemade Sriracha mayo and a crispy onion ring.

New menus have launched around the city, including Lisa Marie and Lamesa.  Our #FallMenuWatch will be starting soon, with mouth-water details and up-close pics. Get ready!

And big menu news - Colette Grand Café  now serves brunch! Starting this Sunday from 10am-3pm, experience a buffet brunch like never before: omelette stations, carving stations, seafood towers, Salmon Wellington, fresh crab and shrimp, and salads, to name just a few. Drinks will include fresh juices, coffees, mimosas, and other cocktails. Sunday Brunch is $54 for adults and children under 12 eat for $27. 

Closed:

We broke the news on the weekend that Swish by Han on Wellington closed. Papered windows indicate something else is “Coming Soon! :)” Add it to the long, sad laundry list of places that have shuttered in recent weeks.

Events:

It’s Toronto Beer Week (like you needed an excuse to drink this weekend). Check out all the details in this week’s article.

Both locations of Mexican Amigos (York Mills and Richmond Hill) are celebrating Mexican Independence Day this weekend. Starting tomorrow, enjoy a special menu, mariachi band, live entertainment and much more (ooh, all-you-can-eat Mexican brunch!).

Regent Park’s gem restaurant Paintbox Bistro, is the place to be this Saturday night. Juno award-winner, extraordinary artist and woman Jully Black, gives a special performance at 9pm. Featuring music from her latest release, ‘Made in Canada,’ and introducing her new Motown sound, you will be on your feet and dancing in no time. This is a spectacular opportunity to see Jully in an intimate setting at a much lower price than big concert halls. And proceeds from this the event will be donated to the Archie Alleyne Scholarship Fund. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9. There’s limited seating, so go and get your tickets before it’s too late. 

This Sunday, head out to the Spadina Museum for Not Far From the Tree’s City Cider event. Enjoy dishes from Richmond Station, Momofuku, 416 Snackbar, The Drake, Dock Ellis and Ryerson, while listening to music, sampling Ontario craft ciders and taking part in various activities, including pressing your own cider! The day’s events happen from 12pm- 5pm. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the gate, and free for kids under 12.

Head out to either the Ukrainian Festival in Bloor West Village or the Polish Festival happening this weekend in Roncesvalles. My advice? Try and fit both in - the food alone is worth it.

And in case that’s not enough, there are a bunch of places around town to get your TIFF on:

- Best places in Toronto to see a celeb

- Famous faces you might see dining at One in Yorkville

- Colette Grand Cafe has got TIFF-worthy cocktails (recipes included)

- And while the Devour! Food Film Fest launch wasn't technically a part of TIFF, it sure was star-studded.

We’re working hard to bring you the newest restaurants and latest news before anyone else (you should see what's coming up for fall - so exciting!), so be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, so you’ll know as soon as it happens, and check here every Thursday for the week's list of openings, closings and events.

And you might just get away with sangrias and patios this one last weekend without a sweater or coat.

One last thing - don’t forget to cast your vote for your favourite restaurants! Voting ends September 30th.