Toronto Restaurants by Stephanie Dickison

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Open/Closed: week of November 9-15, 2017

Stephanie Dickison

You’ve got to be kidding – a whopping 16.5 (you’ll see) spots to eat, drink and work (really), have opened.

Good thing there’s ice cream and pizza.

Here’s the very latest:

OPEN

Known for his character macarons and Masterchef Canada Top 5, chef Christopher Siu opens the doors to his new Scarborough DaanGo Cake Labs (3380 Midland Avenue, Unit 11) on Saturday.

The grand opening for Dry Aged (104 Lakeshore Rd. W.) in Mississauga also takes place on Saturday, with BBQ samples all day, and the first 50 folks are going home with a free dry aged steak and aged Parmigiano Reggiano.

On the menu at Futura Granita + Gelato (964 St Clair Ave. W.)? Handmade granita and gelato, natch.

Get your poké on at Lahuna Poke in Brookfield Place (181 Bay St.), Concourse Level.

You can now visit Lambretta Pizzeria (11192 Queen St. E..) eastside, at their second location in Leslieville.

Calii Love’s “sister,” Love Child Social House (69 Bathurst St.) opens Friday at 6 pm. The co-working space offers two monthly memberships plans, with discounts off food and beverages, as well as drinks during happy hour. There’s also a drop by and use rate per day, but it doesn’t include other services. There’s a barista onsite selling coffee, tea etc., as well as ELXR cold press juices, kombucha on tap, and booze is available starting at 11 am. Foodwise, there’s croissants, pastries, ready-made salads and sandwiches.

Yonge and St. Clair is about to get a serious revamp – finally – and Mary Be Kitchen (21 St Clair Ave. W.) is part of the welcome change, with build-your-own healthy meals ($9.90-$14.95) and affordable wine (5oz. $7.95) + beer (16 oz. $6.95). The dine-in or takeout made-for-winter dishes – Red Lentil Dahl, Braised Chicken Chili, Maple-Roasted Carrots & French Lentils, Tumeric Rice – and brunch on weekends will be a saving grace this season.

MoRoCo Chocolate has popped-up at Bayview Village (2901 Bayview Ave.), just in time for the holidays.

Mr. Gao Skewerhouse (1170 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W., Unit 18 &19) has expanded. The Hamilton resto specializing in stir-fries, clay pot stews and charcoal barbecued skewers has opened a second eatery, this time in Mississauga.

Building your own pasta box is easy at Pastucci’s (759A The Queensway) – select your size, pasta, sauce and toppings. And mangia!

You probably know Pearl Morissette wine, but did you know they just opened a restaurant? The Restaurant at Pearl Morissette (3953 Jordan Rd.) is out of town – in Jordan Station, ON – with a fixed menu that changes, inspired by seasonal French cooking. The set menu is 5+ courses ($78 pp, including gratuity), with lunch on weekends (3 courses, $48 pp, including gratuity). And get this: their wine list isn’t just their own label either.

In case you thought the grilled cheese trend was over, Stuff’d (Market 707 – 707 Dundas St. W., Unit 1A) is here to change your mind. In addition to sandwiches, there’s Crispy Golden Tots with dipping sauce.

Speakeasy-themed bar, Suite 114 (116 Dundas St. W.) opens tomorrow.

Superpoint Express (269 Dunn Ave.) has expanded with a new bar open from 5 pm daily. Because beer and wine was made to go with pizza.

Can you eat ice cream in the cold? If so, Sweet Jesus’ (4416 Bloor St. W.) new spot in the Annex is for you. Open now, the grand opening is Saturday. If you’re the first 75 in line, you get a “free item.”

Another co-working space, WorkWell Cafe (49 Spadina Ave. Suite 100), has opened, but this game changer at Spadina and Front has no membership fees. Instead, it’s a very reasonable pay-as-you-go ($5/hour) with unlimited Americanos and teas, “fast WiFi” and “plugs at every seat.”

Young Animal, Chef Adisa Glasgow’s Trinidadian fare, is now available inside Laylow Beer Bar & Eatery (1144 College St.).

NEWS

Alexandra Feswick appointment as Executive Chef at  The Drake Hotel’s Drake Devonshire Inn begins December 1st.

Chef Akira Back was recently awarded a Michelin star for his restaurant in South Korea. He’ll be here in Toronto at the Bisha Hotel next year.

Trinity Bellwoods Business Improvement Area is holding an Apple Pie Contest on Sunday at the Fort York Food Bank. Slices are $5, with proceeds going to the Food Bank.

Enjoy classes and workshops by top chefs from Italy during The Extraordinary Italian Taste, November 14 to 17.

Indie Week Music Festival is here, and these folks will be open until 4 am, November 7 to 12:

Please support local businesses whenever possible. 

Life moves fast. Catch up on previous editions of the OPEN/CLOSED.   

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