Open/Closed: Toronto Restaurant News July 23-29, 2020

🕒 9 min read

Many regions in the GTA are moving onto Stage 3 tomorrow. While dining rooms remain closed for a while longer here in Toronto, there are still a slew of new options for delivery, takeout and patio eats. 25, in fact,

Here’s the very latest: 

OPEN

Corktown’s newest arrival, “trendy and urban pub” Adda Bistro (366 Queen St. E.), specializes in modern Indian fare. Choose from a variety of dishes, including: Chili Cheese Olive Naan ($3.99), Kerala Vegetable Stew ($12.99), Smoked Dal Makhani ($14.99), Chicken Dak Bungalow ($16.99), Mustard Fish Tikka ($16.99), Railway Mutton Curry ($18.99), and Gulab Jamun Cheesecake ($7.99).

Speaking of Indian food, an Amaya outpost landed in The Junction (2865 Dundas St. W).

bbq Chicken & Pub known for their signature Korean fried chicken, just set up shop in North York (5906 Yonge St.). 

Big Crow BBQ (176 Dupont St.) is back.

No need to choose between bubble tea, ice cream rolls, and bubble waffles anymore. Bubblelicious (514 Queen St. W.) at Queen and Portland has got you. 

African grill house Cassava Cuisine (685 Lansdowne Ave.), just steps away from Lansdowne station, is serving up traditional dishes such as Egusi ($11) - Nigerian stew of mashed and spiced melon seeds, beef tripe, chicken and goat; Abacha with Mackerel ($10) - Abacha-African salad comprised of grilled and chilled mackerel. shredded cassava and African eggplant; Whole Grilled Tilapia, Mackerel or Catfish ($20); Roast Chicken ($11 half/$21 whole); and Asun or Grilled Goat ($18). 

Hot dog season is upon us. Instead of regular ballpark franks, chow down on rice flour-battered varieties from global brand Chung Chun Rice Dog. The second T.O. location launched in Koreatown (615 Bloor St. W.) on June 10. 

Cool Runnings Restaurant & Bar added another spot to their roster, this time in Scarborough (3095 Eglinton Ave. E.).

Graze on globally-inspired dishes at Est2020 Restaurant & Lounge (3603 Langstaff Rd., Unit 8) in Vaughan.

The Islands Caribbean Cookshop moved into Yonge Sheppard Centre (4841 Yonge St., Unit 205) on May 23. This marks the second location for the Caribbean eatery. 

Plant-based Mexican eatery La Bartola (588 College St.) kicks off on Saturday.

Head to Leela’s Roti & Doubles newest venue in Scarborough (2573 Victoria Park Ave.) for delectable fireside Trinidadian cooking. 

Maezo Indian Cuisine (250 Dundas St. W., Unit 2) vacated their Richmond and Bay digs for a spot at Dundas and University.

A few blocks east, Maizuo Noodle and Crepe (209 Dundas St. W.) is all about hand-pulled noodles and Beijing crepes. 

And just east of that, you’ll find traditional Lan Zhou hand-pulled noods inside the latest Mogouyan Hand-Pulled Noodles (124 Dundas St. W.). 

Nightowl in Little Italy (647 College St.) is temporarily closed, so head east to their new locale in Riverside (725 Queen St. E.) replacing Jasper Dandy. 

Punjabi By Nature (782 Queen St. E.) made its debut in Leslieville this week. The fifth site for the North Indian restaurant takes over from former pizza/brunch joint, The Peasant Table.

Reyna Bazaar (356 King St. E.), conveniently located next next to Reyna on King (354 King St. E.), just debuted. Discover Mediterranean food products (olive oils from Greece, Spain and Italy; dry goods including bomba rice, premium pasta, tapenades, spices, salts; cheese, Iberico ham), plants, jewelry, and much more. Coming soon: homemade gelato and boozy freezies.

Caribbean restaurant Roywoods debuted at Square One (100 City Centre Dr.) this weekend. Get your hands on callaloo, oxtail, curry goat, shrimp and jerk wings pre- or post-shopping.

“Toronto's biggest outdoor picnic” has arrived at 229 Richmond St. W., courtesy of Rendezviews, a new venture by The Fifth and The Ballroom.

Shuyi Tealicious boats +3500 locations worldwide. The chain, which specializes in all the teas (milk, fruit, yakult, and cheese) just added the Annex (417 Bloor St. W.) to its lengthy list.

Wing joint St. Louis Bar & Grill (1 Baldwin St.) has moved into Baldwin Village, previous home of Mo’Ramyun.

Tanuki Restaurant (3160 Steeles Ave. E., Unit 1) in Markham launched last week with a menu unlike any other: Screaming Yokai Marinated Mushrooms and Buddha Palm Pig Knuckle, for starters. Stay tuned.

The Junction’s Tumi Dumpling House (2904 Dundas St. W.) boasts an array of dishes – Braised Eggplant ($13), Mapo Tofu ($14), Wild Mushroom Chicken Hot Pot ($16), Stir-Fried Lamb with Cumin ($16) – in addition to dumplings, rice, noodles, and Chinese pancakes.

Twisted Indian Wraps (60 St. Clair Ave. E.) just arrived at Yonge and St. Clair. It’s the seventh location in Ontario, with more to come. 

CLOSED

Bbs Diner (76 Lippincott St.) bid farewell earlier this week.

Queen West’s Café Crepe (246 Queen St. W.) stuck it out for 18 years. 

The Grand Elvis (176 Dupont St.) opened in December, but it was not meant to be. Find out what replaced it above.

Jasper Dandy (725 Queen St. E.) replaced Boots 'n' Bourbon, and just swapped places with… see above.

Sunday was the last day for gelateria L’arc En Ciel (376 College St.).

N’Awlins Jazz Bar & Grill (299 King St. W.) survived the Entertainment District for 25 years before calling it quits due to COVID.

The Orbit Room (580A College St.) is moving on. 

Prairie Girl Bakery’s outlet at First Canadian Place (100 King St. W.) is done.

After 24 years, beloved west end spot Universal Grill (1071 Shaw St.) has shuttered due to COVID. 

NEWS

Inspectors charged one establishment this weekend for violating the province's Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. 

The Ontario Medical Association is not on board with bars reopening right now.

Mayor Tory asks for more restrictions and safety measures for bars and restaurants.

Don’t expect cannabis cafés for a while.

The folks of The Tempered Room allege…. a bunch of things.

Hemant Bhagwani was the first restaurateur to go public about suing his insurance company due to COVID. Now Chef Anthony Rose and Robert Wilder are working on a possible class action/multiple party suit. 

Fresh Slice and The Halal Guys are both expanding across Canada.

Maker Pizza is also adding to their empire.

The folks behind Honeycomb Hospitality - owners and operators of downtown restos including Baro,  Dasha and Petty Cash - have launched Project Safety Box, a customizable box of PPEs including masks, gloves, sanitizer and other essential items. Boxes start at $39, with five medical-grade face masks donated to Sinai Health with each box purchase. 

Farmhouse Tavern has a new owner.

Whoa. Danny Meyer is back on board with tipping.

ICYMI

Add these 20 essential Black-owned eateries to your must-visit/order from list. 

The Ultimate Guide to Ice Cream + Frozen Treats just got a whole lot bigger.

Have you signed the petition to Cap All Third-Party Delivery App Fees yet? Do it now and help restaurants, bars, cafes and other foodservice businesses survive this crisis.

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