OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News May 6-12, 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

 🕒 13.5 min read

Brace yourself. This week’s 22 arrivals are accompanied by some big closures. Luckily, a few are reopening elsewhere in the coming weeks.

And last week’s theme of a little bit of everything continues, so switching up your usual takeout orders just got a little easier - because couldn’t you use a little easier in your life rn?

Stay tuned. More news ahead in The Tip Off, exclusively available in the TR newsletter.

In the menatime, here’s the very latest:

OPEN

A French-Moroccan inspired kitchen is just what you need to get outta your fast food slump. Atai Bistro’s (3047 Dundas St. W.) pop-up menu features just a few items: two flatbreads (Smoked Eggplant $15, Short Rib $18), Basteeya ($28) - braised chicken pie with almonds, phyllo, and brown butter hollandaise - and don’t sleep on the Mezze Platters ($30). 

The influx of fried chicken joints in the GTA these last few years has been intense, never mind the insanity that’s occurred during the pandemic. Blissful Bird, currently operating out of Snakes & Lattes (489 College St.), is doing plant-based fried ‘chickun’ (gluten-free flours, pea protein, non-GMO tofu, herbs and spices) to fill the gap for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone looking to take a break from the standard poultry version. Doors opened Friday.

Pop-up food delivery service Brindle Toronto specializes in meal kits and pastry boxes at the moment. Behind the operation: Nicole Douglas, who studied pastry at George Brown and has trained and worked at restaurants and pastry shops in Toronto, Niagara, and Vancouver; and Carlos Los de Veyra, who has worked in restaurants in Toronto and Vancouver training in Italian, French and Japanese cuisine.

CC’s Szechuan Sauce by Catherine Chen is just what your pantry needs rn. The homemade condiment with a kick is made from a family recipe in small batches without any salt or sugar. Aaaand it’s vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free. Chen - “Everyone calls me CC” - didn’t go to school for culinary studies. In fact, up until 2018, she’d spent more than a decade in the legal industry; currently, she runs MyShoperon, an early stage startup to solve the package receiving problem for condo and apartment buildings. She learned how to cook from her dad from a young age, and says, “travelling to Latin America and the Middle East opened my eyes about their amazing cuisines.” As of today, she’s made and hand delivered 1,000 jars.

Classico Macha, a contemporary Mexican pop-up by Abraham and Abel Páez, currently at Project Gigglewater (1369 Dundas St. W.), The industry pro siblings are making from-scratch tacos, burritos, bowls, quesadillas, as well as taco kits and signature sauces, including homemade macha, a Mexican salsa made with peanuts, oil, and secret spices inspired by the traditional salsa macha from Oaxaca and Veracruz. They use artisan crafted corn tortillas from sustainable family farms in Mexico, available in three varieties - yellow, blue, and pink - all boasting unique flavours. 

Earlscourt BBQ (1278 St Clair Ave. W.) was forced to shutter at the end of 2019 due to a fire. After nearly 17 months, they’re back, currently accepting pre-orders for weekend pickup. 

Just a few blocks away, FBI Pizza (1248 St. Clair Ave. W.) debuted the first Toronto location on Wednesday. This marks the third outpost for the brand, joining Etobicoke and Woodbridge.

hanamaru market & bento (862 Pape Ave.), a small Korean and Japanese grocer on Pape near Mortimer, has a winning combination of prepared foods including bentos and sushi, fun snacks, and pantry essentials. See you there.

Mississauga’s Hee Sushi 1710 Lakeshore Rd. W.) debuts Tuesday.

While Hola Luna’s (1357 Dundas St. W.) menu offers a holy trinity of tacos, flatbreads, and nachos, I’m particularly transfixed by the Duck Soup ($8). And the dog logo, obvs.

Honey (5977 Dixie Rd.) in Mississauga does serious comfort fare by way of Braised Brisket (Sandwich $15, Mac $19), Lasagna (Momma’s OG $19, Cee’s Veggie $17), Wings ($19) and more.

Maru Japanese Bistro kicks off service tomorrow in the digs formerly occupied by The Green Wood (1402 Queen St. E.) in Leslieville.

I experience an overwhelming sense of déjà vu on the regular doing the OPEN/CLOSED. Didn’t I just write about a new Monkey Sushi? Yep. But the chain isn’t stopping there - a satellite just dropped in Markham (3623 Hwy 7, Unit 115).

After what is perhaps the longest winter in recent history, your palate needs serious livening up. Say hello North York’s Mr. Fish (5321 Yonge St.) that specializes in sour, spicy fish stews, many featuring sauerkraut. Also on the menu: braised dishes, salads, and fried nibbles.

Oh Snack! (78 Gerrard St. W.) at Gerrard and Bay has a long list of affordably-priced Hong Kong meals, snacks and drinks.

North York just got a new Turkish Grill. Introducing: Ocakbasi Restaurant (4544 Dufferin St.) at Finch and Dufferin.

Korean bubble tea shop Palgong Tea debuted at Yonge and Bloor (53 Bloor St. E.) this week.

Rikos Kitchen (1603 The Queensway) in Etobicoke launched earlier this week with comfort fare made for lockdown life: tacos, pizza, and wings.

Scoops Ahoy! in East York (2714 St. Clair Ave. E.), brought to you by Rise and Dine Eatery, is a “neighbourhood sweet tooth shack” featuring all your summertime needs: ice cream, gelato, mini doughnuts, Slush Puppies, and assortment of Greek delicacies. 

Psst. Dan Ewing and Brett Feeley are two “COVID underemployed dads” who have been spent the last year baking and making a ton of pizzas. Since sourdough has had a resurgence due to the lockdowns, they thought, “Why not sourdough pizza? It’s big in the U.K. but not here.” After a lot of practice, and consulting with sourdough and pizza pros in the U.S. and Canada, Slowhand Sourdough Pizza was born. Their first sourdough Detroit style pop-up is happening this weekend in Riverdale, with pre-orders required by today at noon. Missed out? Keep your eyes locked here.

Mike Won left his six-figure job during the pandemic to work on SuLee Kimchi with his sister Su Jin. The traditional Korean kimchi venture is inspired by and dedicated to their mother who passed away in 2018 (the logo features her signature). She cooked in restaurants for upwards of 30 years, specializing in Korean cuisine. She also had her own eatery near Yonge and Finch a few years ago with Su Jin, who has 25 years experience and owned a sushi restaurant in Newfoundland. The siblings launched the biz on April 4, offering free delivery across Toronto/GTA. Mike says, “Our hope is to one day open up a storefront to showcase a broad range of Korean dishes and expose people to dishes that are not commonly represented today, apart from what’s most popular such as pork bone soup, K-BBQ, Japchae, Kalbi etc.”

Stephen Payne started his hot dog biz back in 2014, known until recently as Kungfu Dawg. After two stands, numerous pop-ups, and seven years, the newly minted Woofdawg Hotdog landed its first brick-and-mortar home (1357 Dundas St. W., shared with Hola Luna) to showcase the Toronto-made original recipe with natural casing hot dogs.

CLOSED

Agincourt Bakery & Italian Kitchen Ltd. (3059 Pharmacy Ave.) in Scarborough has closed after 37 years. But hang tight - it’s not forever. Tony, Dora, Enza, Rocky, and Anthony will be back. Stay tuned.

Buro 53 (53 Bloor St. E.) has been replaced by a bubble tea shop. See above.

Kravingz (1710 Lakeshore Rd. W.) has permanently closed due to the pandemic. A post regarding the closure reads in part, “Like other mom and pop shops, the lockdowns have failed us.”

The building that housed Little Nicky’s Coffee (375 Queen Street W.) has been demolished.

After nearly five years, Los Guaca-Moles (690 Euclid Ave.) said farewell to the home in Koreatown.

Love Chix isn’t at 1588 Dupont St. anymore, but you can still get your chicken fix at their spot nearby, Century Park Tavern (33 Powerhouse St.).

Maiz Arepa Bar (490 Queen St. W.) closed down last week, though three other locations remain: Yonge & Lawrence,  Roncesvalles Village, and The Junction.

Scarborough Buffet (1221 Markham Rd.) is moving to new digs. Stay tuned.

EVENTS

You’ve got until tomorrow to get in on La Pizza Week.

Taste of Mississauga continues until Monday.

Farmers’ markets are opening across the province. For Toronto markets, check out the City’s guide and Greenbelt website for now.

NEWS  

Aldo Lista, founder of Old Credit Brewery, passed away.

Pfft. Croissant cubes are so last week. Brioche cubes have taken over. Get them at east side croissanterie La Beau Lab, and read about accomplished pastry chef Olga Spivak in At The Pass.

Workers walked out of the Nestle chocolate plant in Toronto. 

CaféTO curb lane installations are set to start Saturday, while outdoor dining remains prohibited.

There’s been a spate of break-ins lately, including Bluebird Bar and Tondou Ramen.

JIANGSHI: Blood in the Banquet Hall by Banana Chan and Sen-Foong Lim is a new role playing game about a Chinese family running a restaurant in a Chinatown in the U.S. in 1920 faced with adversity including societal backlash, anti-Chinese laws, and jiangshi - hopping vampires. (As if regular vampires aren’t terrifying enough.) Eep. 

Does Quebec own poutine?

ICYMI

Joachim (Joe) Hayward, co-owner and chef of one of the city’s new gems, Crosley’s, is charmingly candid about everything: the last thing he ate, what he really thinks about a long-standing motto, and why a certain ingredient has to go. He also imparts important advice that applies whether you’re industry or not - though chefs will want to heed the last bit in particular. Discover more in this week’s compelling At The Pass.

Did you know? Toronto’s downtown Chinatown is home to 125+ restaurants, cafes + bakeries? That the area boasts an array of cuisines including Caribbean, Mexican and Indonesian? That one restaurant’s roots goes back to 1751? There are a myriad of incredible eateries - many small, family-owned and run - to discover and support. See for yourself in the epic Toronto Restaurants Food + Drink Guide to Chinatown.

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Life moves fast. (There were +110 new arrivals in April alone.) Catch up on previous editions of the Open/Closed.  

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