🕒 8 min read

Your mission this long weekend, if you choose to accept it, is to try something new every day. Stuck for inspiration? I’ve got 18 places for you to start.

Here’s the very latest:

OPEN

Shoppers at Vaughan Mills (1 Bass Pro Mills Dr.) can take a break and refuel at Amaya.

Introducing Venezuelan eatery The Arepa Republic’s (76 Densley Ave.) new food truck, The Funky Patacón. Visit them tomorrow at Food Truck’N Friday in Etobicoke (Markland Wood, 4258 Bloor St. W.) alongside their other truck and and a great lineup of vendors.

Bubble Baby (258 Queens Quay W.) celebrates their grand opening Sunday with what else? Bubbles squared, aka bubble tea and bubble waffles.

Sure the The Bullger (424 Danforth Ave.) offers burgers and steak sandos. But you’ll also find chicken, veg, and extreme options (Red Bull Burger: two grilled cheese buns, three beef patties, beef bacon, cheddar, Bullger sauce) on the menu. 

I’ve been keeping you up to date on all the Carlo’s Bakery Express Cake ATMs. The latest dessert depot just landed Tuesday at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (220 Yonge St.). And stay tuned – more news ahead in The Tip Off, exclusively available in the TR newsletter. 

Chen Chen’s Hot Chicken moved lakeside, inside Loch and Quay (390 Queens Quay W.).

Also new to the waterfront, Cuppa Tea (89 Queens Quay W., Unit 105).

Grape Glass by Grape Witches (1247 Dundas St. W.) officially opens Saturday. Pro tip: Swing by earlier this week for drinks and snacks onsite, or to take home.

Gui Gui Korean BBQ (5935 Yonge St.), the “first Korean-style skewers spot in Toronto” boasting an “exclusive” 360° rotation machine, held grand opening festivities Tuesday. 

You heard it here first: The highly-anticipated Haidilao Hot Pot (5328 Highway 7) softly opened Tuesday.

Impact Kitchen (88 Queens Quay W.) moved into the RBC WaterPark Place building just prior to the pandemic.

Infused (1564 Queen St. W.) debuts in Parkdale on Monday with Caribbean and North American cuisine featuring plant-based and pescatarian fare made with “fresh ingredients from local farmers' markets.” 

Juicebox Bar (1166 Dundas St. W.) has replaced SoSo Food Club at Dundas and Ossington. The new wine bar offers “fun wines at affordable prices.”

Expansive South American resto Marked (132 John St.) by the folks behind COC (Coffee Oysters Champagne - 214 King St. W.) has landed smack dab in the Entertainment District. Doors opened yesterday. 

The ROM is right across the street from Pi Co.’s (180 Bloor St. W.) latest outpost.

Tuck into an array of items from rolls and udon to full-on boat trays at Tatsu Sushi (791 Queen St. W.).

Tut's Egyptian Street Food (567 King St. W.) takes over where Bac Ky Vietnamese Canteen once stood at King and Portland. Despite the trendy digs, sammies are a mere $3.99 each.

Etobicoke’s The Waffle House (3426 Lake Shore Blvd. W.) pairs waffles with chicken, shimp and lobster.

CLOSED

The Chase Fish and Oyster Bar (10 Temperance St.) has packed up to make room for vegan Mexican spot Planta Cocina, set to open in a few weeks.

Daiko Indian Kitchen and Nepali Street Food (1564 Queen St. W.) left Parkdale for Etobicoke (666 The Queensway).

Daoming Food (5418 Yonge St.) was ordered to close after failing a Public Health Inspection on August 31.

The Ellery (1870 Danforth Ave.) has shuttered for good. 

JOEY Restaurants at Yorkdale closed temporarily earlier this week due to COVID-19, while two diners who tested positive for COVID-19 visited the Sherway Gardens location (and The Keg) outpost.

One of the “Restaurant Row” originals, Kit Kat Italian Bar & Grill (297 King St. W.) lasted a whopping 31 years. 

After close to a decade, Leslieville Pumps (929 Queen St. E.) is on the move. Just a few doors east actually (913 Queen St. E.). The last day in the old location was Monday. 

The sign for Nomads Restobar (701 Queen St. E.) in Riverside has been removed, and the eastside address is no longer listed on the website. The Port Credit location remains open.

The Office Pub (117 John St.), a part of the Entertainment District for nine years, can’t afford to stay because of a “greedy landlord.”

Two years in, SoSo Food Club (1166 Dundas St. W.) has called it quits.

That’s it for Table 21 Kitchen & Wine Bar (2956 Bloor St. W.) at Royal York.

EVENTS 

Head to the The Caribbean Food Market at stackt market tomorrow. 

Mark your calendar: Kanto Night Food Fest by Tita Flips happens Fridays.

Soul Food Sundays in the Park start this weekend.

Relish 2.0: The Virtual Foodie Event is on all month at Cloverdale Mall.

Scarborough Town Centre’s STC x Street Eats Summer MRKT Series returns this weekend with Eats Night Market.

NEWS

Square Boy’s Tom Syrbos has passed away.

Hold onto a little history. Golden Thai, which recently closed, is having a liquidation sale of items including food and furnishings at 105 Church St. tomorrow 10am-5pm.

That was close. The Paddock was set to close, but good news - they’re staying put!

Restaurant Meal Kits by Loblaws and The Burger's Priest, Fresh Restaurants, Fat Lamb Kouzina, General Assembly Pizza, Kinton Ramen, La Carnita, and Sala Modern Thai are available for delivery. 

Restaurant and bar break-ins have been on the rise during the pandemic, but the robber who entered Markham’s Unionville Arms Pub and Grill recently, left empty-handed.

Head’s up. The LCBO is closed Mondays, including this holiday Monday, so shop your local bars and restaurants instead. 

ICYMI

This would have been the last weekend of the CNE. And it kinda still is. So celebrate with some of the fair’s iconic food.

Top Toronto bartenders are doing wonders with gin.

In order to support chefs during this time, the monthly At The Pass series is now WEEKLY. Know someone in Toronto or GTA who should be featured? Submit their name for consideration. And before you inundate me with DMs, yes you can nominate yourself.

This winter, restaurants, bars, cafes and other foodservice businesses will be relying on takeout and delivery like never before. Sign the petition to cap all third-party delivery app fees to help keep their doors open.

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Hear of a place that’s about to open or just closed? Have an upcoming food or restaurant event? Need help to spread the word about your business without spending a lot? Get in touch.