Open/Closed for the week of April 13-19

Patios are quickly taking over the sidewalks again (this is a very good thing) and Cabbagetown is hot this week with openings and news.

And check it out, I’ve got openings from A-Z. Well, H-Z actually, but still impressive.

Here’s the very latest.

Open:

Hiro Sushi
171 King St. E.

The king is back. Hiro Sushi is open after an extensive – and gorgeous - renovation. The newly opened sushi spot now boasts a stunning knife shop in front and exquisite dining area in back. Should you wish to sit at the chef’s table, however please remember to remove your shoes first. More details to come soon.

Little Schmiddy’s Hot Meat House
584 Parliament St.

Offering locally-sourced meats that are free of hormones and antibiotics, this Cabbagetown spot has everything from steak and mashed potatoes to bacon garnishes for your Caesar. And despite having meat in their name, there are vegetarian options as well.

Local Public Eatery Leaside
180 Laird Dr.

LPE Leaside opens their doors tomorrow. Get your beer and wings/nachos/fish tacos/burgers on, but do it quietly – this is a family neighbourhood.

Saucy Affairs & Catering
284 Avenue Rd.

The infamous Greg Couillard is back in the city! This new catering company at Ave & Dav also includes Chefs Glenroy Anderson and Liliana Ojeda Martinez, specializing in global cuisine.

Thai Room Parliament
243 Carlton St.

Doors open to the fifth location of The Thai Room in Cabbagetown tomorrow. Eat in, take out or get it delivered.

Track and Field Bar
860 College St.

If you’ve ever wanted to play bocce or shuffleboard, now you can do it with a drink in hand at Track & Field Bar. This sure-to-be-hotspot is set to tomorrow at 5pm.

Yutaka Japanese Cuisine
157 Dundas St. W.

It might look sedate on the outside, but the interior includes both a sushi and robata bar. I’ll have a closer look for you soon.

Za Pizzeria
402 Bloor St. W.

Are you bored with Toronto’s pizza scene? Well, this oughtta shake things up a bit – pizza on the BBQ! And it’s fast.

Almost!

Rose City Kitchen was set to open their second location at 36 Toronto St. this past Monday, but it was delayed. Don’t fret though - they are opening up early next week and we’ll have the full scoop for you on our social media throughout the weekend, so stay tuned!

Closed:

Bywoods on St. Clair has closed. Taking over the spot, Pukka’s new French restaurant. More on that soon.

Events:

All week long, the east end is getting into the wine with Riverside WineFEST.

Check out Marketlicious - From now until the end of the month, you can enjoy pre-set lunch menus from Market Street restaurants, all of which come with a patio!

Tonight head to the inaugural Spring Fling "Sip, Savour & Enjoy" event supporting The Kidney Foundation of Canada at Artscape Wychwood Barns from 6-11 pm. This event brings together "the best food, wine, beer and spirits in Toronto for an unforgettable tasting experience." If that’s not enough reason to go, there’s a live art battle between painters.

On Monday we’re heading to The 2015 Almanac Dinner. Are you coming?! We'll have live coverage all night on Instagram and Twitter, so make sure to follow us.

News:

THR & Co. unveiled a fab new dinner menu this week. Highlights include Squid Ink Cavatelli, Slow Cooked Beef Cheek and Roasted Bone Marrow Salad. Drool.

Sparrow launched its new spring menu on Wednesday, featuring a weekly foie gras creation and dishes including Seared Scallops & Braised Pork Belly with potato beignets!

CC Lounge launched Prohibition Hours this week, making it practically impossible to go home straight after work. Drinks + appetizers are now $4 -$7, weeknights from 4 - 7pm.

Alexa Clark, co-chair of Second Harvest’s Toronto Taste has harvested maple sap from a local farm and dropped it off to some Toronto restaurants for them to incorporate into their dishes. The restaurants are Richmond Station, Honest Weight and Lisa Marie. More to come.

Tabülè announced their third location will be in the new Canary District. Other food and drink additions slated for the new development - Pizza e Pazzi Authentic Neapolitan and Dark Horse Espresso Bar.

One last item about Cabbagetown - When you return your bottles to The Beer Store at Gerrard and Ontario, take them to the donation window - the refunds are given to community groups and organizations.

Tickets are now on sale for the second annual Taste of Toronto, taking place this summer at Fort York from July 2 – 5. American Express Cardmembers can purchase tickets early through an exclusive presale under the Front Of The Line program. The general public can purchase tickets starting on Monday at 10 am. Culinary folks on the impressive roster this year include: Adrian Niman of Rasa, Victor Barry of Splendido, Cory Vitiello of The Harbord Room and THR&Co. and Damon Campbell of Bosk.

In the March issue of Runner’s World, they profile a specialty store, Shoes & Brews. Are they onto something? Could Toronto be next?

And lastly:

Want to know where to go that’s just opened? We’ve got the top 5 brand new restaurants in this week’s Best Of!

Take a peek inside stunner The One Eighty.

Want to make a healthy, organic dinner at home, but don’t have time to shop? Check out Fresh City Farms.

This month’s Drinks column offers recipes for refreshing cocktails using cucumber, rose and sour sop.