Open/Closed: Toronto Restaurant News February 18-24, 2021

🕒 9 min read

As I mentioned in the newsletter on Tuesday, there’s more opening in Toronto and the GTA than ever before. In fact, I’m working around the clock to track it all down, and most weeks I discover more than I’m able to include.

The 27 below are all I could fit in this week.

Here’s the very latest:

OPEN

Last month, I told you about the new owners of The Ace (231A Roncesvalles Ave.). Update: They quietly launched offerings for Valentine’s last week, and a tantalizing Prix Fixe Menu ($60/pp) yesterday, available ready to eat or to be reheated.

Appa's Original Kitchen (30 Karachi Dr., Unit 72) in Markham has seriously enticing items across the board, starting with Mac & Cheese Kottu ($9.99) Hot Butter Cuttlefish ($13.99) and on spesh Sri Lankan Lamprais ($19.99).

Psst. Bellows Barbecue’s front door is in back of Etobicoke’s longest running bar, The Old Sod (2936 Bloor St. W.).

The folks behind food truck FullyLoaded TO launch their first brick-and-mortar spot tomorrow. The new HQ, Birdies Fried Chicken (263 Coxwell Ave.) at Coxwell and Gerrard, will be open for pick and delivery. Customers are encouraged to order online.

Chat Bar, the “first izakaya-style Chinese Chuan’r spot in the GTA,” boasts locations in North York, Scarborough, and Markham. The latest addition for the BBQ skewer co: Chinatown (307 Spadina Ave.), just north of Dundas.

You may know Encounter Tea from their spot that opened last year in Pacific Mall (4300 Steeles Ave. E., Unit E65) – the first in Canada. The stunning new shop at College and Spadina (439 Spadina Ave.) offers access for those in the downtown core.

New on the scene from a familiar face, Frankie's Nashville Hot Chicken by Lone Star Texas Grill, the Tex-Mex joint known for their fajitas (hands up if you remember the days of peanut shells on the floor!). Pickup and delivery is available from 19 locations across Ontario including Etobicoke, Oakville, and Richmond Hill.

Did you know Fresh Slice is a Canadian company? And they offer heart-shaped pies year-round, saving your bacon if you flaked out on Valentine’s this year? Find their latest outpost Midtown between Eglinton and Davisville (2025 Yonge St.).

HansommChef, chef/sommelier SuSu Han’s line of small batch ‘farm-to-jar” kimchi & k-pickles ($12-$15), debuted in December.

Chef Alijah Casellas opened his first Kxngs Table (371 Bradwick Dr.) in Vaughan on Monday. Expect sumptuous selections including: 96-hour marinated Some Fiyah Jerk Chicken ($14), The KXNGS Fisherman Sandwich ($18) and Macaroni & Cheese ($11) brimming with five types of cheese and Ritz crackers.

Lagom Bakery hasn’t opened just yet, but you can pre-order a Celebration Cake to tide you over.

If there was ever a time for a Central-Italian Abbruzzese pasta pop-up, it’s right now. La Pecora by chef Mike Sala (1100 Queen St. W.) has been online mid-December, but the weekend popup shop just premiered Saturday.

Mac’s Pizza requires you to try your luck every Wednesday at 4pm, when orders for their pies ($19-$22 ea.) go live. With just 30 available per week, they get snapped up like that. Fingers crossed for the next drop.

The viral “Fries Before Guys” Man vs Fries kicks off 75 virtual locations in the U.S. and in three cities north of the border, including the 6ix, on Tuesday. On the heart-stopping menu: Burrito stuffed with carne asada vs pollo asado, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, straight-cut fries, cheese, sour cream, guac, and secret sauce, with a side of queso; NYC style cheesecake dipped in sweet pancake mix, deep-fried, sprinkled with powdered sugar, served with a side of chocolate; OMG Cookies – aka 4 Double Stuf Oreos enveloped in a thick crust of pancake mix, sprinkled with powdered sugar, served with a side of chocolate.

Nihao Dumplings (361 Spadina Ave.) at McCaul offers affordable comfort fare made for this weather, from dumplings and noodles to congee, soup and buns.

Add Patterson’s Pizza in Markham to your list of must-try pies. The Neapolitan-style ‘za made with 72-hour fermented sourdough is available via pre-orders on Wednesdays at 3pm, with pop-ups on the weekend.

Canadian breakfast chain Pür & Simple, with +20 locations coast to coast, adds two more to the roster on Tuesday: Vaughan (9100 Jane St.) and North York (79 Billy Bishop Way).

Slayer Burger started up in September, quickly following up with a second location. The “we don’t follow trends, we set them” eatery set up shop at Queen and Broadview (739 Queen St. E.), replacing long-standing Lucky Star. The menu consists of five burgers (3 beef, 1 chicken, 1 veg), alongside an eggless pasta, salads, sides and milkshakes.

Stefano's Sandwiches drop today. The new concept by Ufficio (1214 Dundas St. W.) focuses on an array of delectable vegan sandos for pickup and delivery, including a Vegan Fried Chicken Sandwich ($13) made with plant-based chicken from Spain, and All Day Breakfast Sandwich ($13) featuring Just Eggs (made with mung bean protein), and pinto bean sausage. You’ll also find hearty dishes that require cutlery (Plant-Based Lasagna $15), and a luscious dessert, by way of Vegan Tiramisu ($9).

You’ve got to be on their mailing list to find out when the next dates are, but I can tell you that popup sensation Sunny’s Chinese is happening sooooon, so you’d better act fast. In the meantime, peep my fun interview with Sunny’s sous, Braden Chong.

Toro Toro (3175 Rutherford Rd., Unit 40) practically broke the internet with their Valentine Boxes last week. Missed out? You’re in luck: the Vaughan resto softly opens for full service today.

The patties at North York’s Yonge Burger (6178 Yonge St.) have recognizable monikers that give a nod to ‘hoods across the city: Yonge & College, Sheppard & Yonge, Yonge & Queen.

EVENTS

Taste of Oakville kicked off Monday.

You’ve got until the end of the month to get in on the National Chowder Chowdown Festival.

NEWS

Le Sélect Bistro has been acquired by Allied Properties.

Quebec’s Foodtastic Inc scooped up Second Cup from Aegis Brands.

Slurpees and Sauvignon? 7-Eleven put in +60 applications to sell booze in stores across the province.

Left Field Brewery is now a certified Living Wage employer.

After 27 years, the quarterly print version of Saveur Magazine has come to an end.

Pringles new burger-centric flavour, Wendy's Baconator, is available for a limited-time.

ICYMI

You can now dine inside restaurants across Ontario. Where exactly? It all comes down to what colour zone you’re in.

Chef Marvin Palomo of 7 Enoteca and XOXO Sauce TO shares his biggest influences, advice for those just starting out, the advice he thankfully didn’t follow, and more In this week’s At The Pass.

Act fast. The BlackBox is only available for purchase until tomorrow.

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