OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News May 20-26, 2021

My iconic OPEN/CLOSED is THE most comprehensive resource of restaurant openings (virtual/brick-and-mortar/popups/allll the things) and food/drink news in the city. No one does it bigger or better. Watch for the drop every Thursday. #ifyouknowyouknow

🕒 15 min read

It’s the long weekend, news of when patios can reopen just arrived, and I’ve got 21 new spots for you to visit, order from, and support. Things are finally starting to look up.

p.s. This is a long read. You should def grab a snack. 

Here’s the very latest:

OPEN

Pastry cook Kristine May Garcia spent time in various restaurants and bakeries, and was working at a hotel prior to the pandemic. Cut to last summer when a friend asked if she wanted to sell ube pandesal - Filipino bread roll made with purple yam. They did it for a month together, and when the friend opted out, Garcia decided to go it alone, this time selling silvanas - a cashew meringue cookie with buttercream filling rolled in cookie crumbs, followed by other Filipino desserts including ube cake and frozen brazo (five-layer pastry). As Békri Cakes & Pastries grew, a bigger space was required, so she rented a commercial kitchen. Her hard work has paid off: Starting today, her Silvanas are available at Korean bubble tea chain, Palgong Tea.

Beat the heat this weekend with a visit to Kensington’s new Boho Gelato (160 Baldwin St., Unit 2).

Bullseye Burgers N' Fries (940 Pape Ave.) in Pape Village does much more than their name suggests. Cheesesteaks, chicken sandos, salads, breaded pickles, shakes, and ice cream, for example. 

After five-and-a-half years in Mississauga, The Cold Pressery (4310 Sherwoodtowne Blvd., Unit 5) shuttered last December. Five months later, the vegan café set up shop in Eva's Original Chimneys (53 Lakeshore Rd. E.) in Port Credit with coffee , tea, smoothies, and breakfast bowls.

Core Restaurant (896 Queen St. E.) debuted in Leslieville Spring ‘18. The finer dining establishment boasted seasonal dishes, five-course tasting menus, and curated wine dinners. Two months after the pandemic hit, owner/chef Hyun Jung Kim transformed it into a Korean kitchen featuring comfort fare including crispy fried chicken. For the third iteration, Kim has created Core Bubble Tea. With boba notably scarce in the nabe, this reimagination should prove popular.

In need of a caffeine fix? Creek Coffee & Co. (370 Old Kingston Rd.) in Scarborough (Highland Creek Village, to be exact) has got you covered.

Richard Yeates spent the last decade “working with and learning from great chefs in the city of Toronto” at restaurants including George, Actinolite, and Skippa. About six months into the pandemic he decided to finally follow his heart and embark on his own into the culinary world with Eat Rich. “I realized that the opportunity to make this my life was right now and I figured it was the time to take the leap of faith.” His weekly home-cooked dinners, complete with donuts (!) don’t fall under any one cuisine. “My menu is ever-changing and inspired by creativity and freedom to finally express my own choices,” he shared. “I have a Caribbean heritage, which I do like to incorporate into my menu,” but for now, he prefers to keep it broad and dynamic. (Which is especially appealing in lockdown when moods and palates are all over this place). This week’s comfort food dinner ($23): Gourmet 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and Homemade Biscuit – can be paired with Honey Glazed and Blueberry Filled Donuts ($4 ea/$12 for 4).

Long story somewhat shortened: Philip Haddad has been on my radar for years. At least as far back as 2017 when he was testing loaves and notifying people through his then-insta @harbordst.bread they could come by for some of the test-runs. The clamouring for his epic creations was deafening. I remember long text chains flying around from folks trying to ascertain how and when to secure a loaf. The ‘coming soon’ in the profile gave everyone a glimmer of hope. When Donna’s debuted in 2018, pastries by Haddad were in the works for the menu while everyone waited his upcoming spot – by then dubbed Emmer & Ash - with bated breath. Fast forward almost three years later to present day 2021: Emmer (161 Harbord St.) finally debuted this weekend. And of course sold out almost immediately. The team is back this weekend – Thursday to Sunday – so finger’s crossed you secure some of the coveted items.

Canadian chain Fresh Burrito launched a new location near Sugar Beach (16 Richardson St., Unit 3) that’s already garnered a 5-star rating on Google. 

Hielito Bits (247 Augusta Ave.) landed in Kensington Market with a slew of Mexican paletas (ice pops) made with real fruit juice. Want to take your frozen dessert to the next level? Get yourself a Raspado: shaved ice with a hit of real fruit syrup (lime, tamarind, strawberry, vanilla or berries), topped with HB Chamoy, Tajin, or gummies, finished with a paleta. The pop-up is on until October 15. 

Doris Yeh, founder of Katcha Baked Goods, is a university student who loves to bake and values health and wellness. Last year when the pandemic struck, she realized “the importance of having a healthy lifestyle.” Unsatisfied with current information (“We still don't have enough exposure to proper nutritional knowledge.) and how food is categorized (“We still value food as good or bad, such as cookies/chocolate is bad food, salad/apple is good food.”), she recognized the disparity and launched the brand to help change the perception. As a student, she often relies on caffeinated drinks/products to start her day, so she wanted to incorporate these into her items: cookies and bars are primarily composed of oats and plant-based milk, sweetened with fruit and a bit of brown sugar, with the amount of oil usually required cut back “as other ingredients provide the necessary fat content for the products.” The home-based bakery launches Wednesday, for pickup only.

Liven up your pantry with European delicacies from La Spesa Food Market + Specialties (1700 St. Clair Ave. W.). Doors opened April 22. 

No need to fire up the barbecue this weekend - Lebanese Garden at College & Bathurst (366 College St.) does meat and veg fresh off the grill.

This isn’t NH Bakery’s first rodeo. The “best bakery in Canada” has been around since 1996, and just nabbed a spot in Parkdale (1416 Queen St. W.).

The long weekend calls for two things: frozen treats and drinks. And when they’re conveniently available together ? In the same luscious mouthful even - aka Aperol Spritz, Mojito, Pina Colada gelato? See you at On Third Thought Gelato + Wine Bar (6 Markham St.). 

Pi Co.’s slinging Neapolitan-style pies a stone’s throw from Sugar Beach (16 Richardson St., Unit 4).

Heading to or passing by Malvern Town Centre (31 Tapscott Rd.)? Be sure to swing by Scotchiees Caribbean Cuisine (NE side, located near the back entrance) for an exciting lineup of enticing fare including oxtail, ackee and saltfish, curry goat, fish (fried, escovitch, brown stew, or steamed) steak, and rotisserie jerk chicken. 

Following a show-stopping debut on College last week, Shawarma Royale unveils new digs in Oakville (407 Iriquois Shore Rd.) this Saturday.

Neighbourhood fave Sushi on Gerrard returns to its former ‘hood. (TR Newsletter subscribers got the head’s up last month.) Find them at the corner of Greenwood and Gerrard (1289 Gerrard St. E.), previously home to Brickyard Bistro. Doors opened Friday.

Food shopping just got a lot more exciting, thanks to Tienda Movil (1237C Woodbine Ave.) in East York. The Latin American supermarket carries products from local restaurants such as St. Clair West resto El Sazón Mexicano, and makers including Mi Gusto Es (I told you all about them a few weeks back), and Hielito Bits (see above). 

Yuzu No Ki Cafe & Patisserie at Markham’s J-Town (3160 Steeles Ave. E., Unit 4) does French desserts and pastries with a Japanese twist. Some recent offerings include: yuzu-glazed muffins, The Lumière (blueberry confiture, blueberry yogurt mousse, cheese mousse, milk glaçage, streusel cookies), and The Violetta (purple sweet potato cream, candied purple sweet potato cubes in a frangipane tart, crème diplomat, crème Chantilly).

CLOSED

Brew pub and bottle shop Batch House (75 Victoria St.) bid adieu.

Friday marked the last day for The Big Slice at 1154 St. Clair Ave.  W. Don’t worry, they’re relocating not far away. Stay tuned.

Portuguese eatery Moliceiro Restaurant (217 Ossington Ave.), est. 2016, has permanently closed.

EVENTS

 Missing your favourite restaurant that shuttered during the pandemic? Bid on a keepsake plate or purchase a print at The Last Dish Auction while supporting Toronto Restaurant Workers’ Relief Fund.

NEWS

This afternoon, Premier Doug Ford released a three-step plan for the province reopening. Note: Restaurant patios are included in Step 1. 

All the big outdoor food festivals have been cancelled for the foreseeable future including The CNE, Taste of the Danforth, Taste of Lawrence, and Scarborough Ribfest.

Police say it was a loud party; King West resto Baro claims it was a meeting. 

Missing bartenders? Virtual event 24 Hour Bar might help.

Congratulations to Christopher Siu of Daan Go Cake Lab and Daan Go Café, winner of Season 7 of MasterChef Canada.

ICYMI

Lev Bakery may be new on the scene, but is steeped in tradition. Think: Jewish classics with a modern touch (organic grains, seasonal ingredients, natural fermentation) and whole lotta love. No wonder items have been selling out since day one. Back then (October), it was all done in a home oven. Now with production moved to a new commercial baking space, an expanded wholesale program, and local partners, it’s easier than ever to get your hands on the city’s buzziest babka and bread. Get to know owner/baker extraordinaire Yoni Kamil in this week’s At The Pass. 

If you’ve been reading the iconic OPEN/CLOSED (if not, you’re missing out), you’ll have seen the flurry of arrivals of late: +110 IN APRIL ALONE! In amongst the brunch boxes, fried chicken sandos, and porch pies, you’ll find a cornucopia of ice cream (and other must-have cold confections made for days these) from new spots including those above. Discover all +150 destinations in The Ultimate Guide to Ice Cream + Frozen Treats in Toronto/GTA.

I’m not a ‘podcast person’ but I was hooked on 'Meatball Thoughts’ from the get-go. 

If you haven’t already subscribed to the TR Newsletter, now’s the time. This last week included exclusive bonuses for cocktail lovers, and next week? Well, just you wait. Plus you get The Tip Off, a sneak peek at the upcoming Open/Closed (because who doesn’t want to be the first to know?), and fab deals and special offers from restaurants and local businesses (because who doesn’t want to save money?), all exclusive to subscribers. 

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Life moves fast. (I wrote about +110 new arrivals in April alone.) Catch up on previous editions of the OPEN/CLOSED.   

Things change quickly these days. Follow Toronto Restaurants on Instagram and Facebook for breaking news, updates, interviews + more.   

Hear of a place that’s about to open or just closed? Have an upcoming food or restaurant event? Get in touch.

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