OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto/GTA Restaurant News May 16-22, 2024
The OPEN/CLOSED is THE most comprehensive resource of the latest restaurant openings – virtual, brick-and-mortar, pop-ups, allll the things - and food/drink news in the city. No one does it bigger or better. Watch for the drop every Thursday. #iykyk
🕘 8.5 min read
This week’s lineup is a doozy. From casual street fare to one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, you’ve got a wide range of options to choose from - depending on how deep your pockets are.
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Here’s the very latest:
OPEN
Vietnamese street food and drinks are at the heart of Etobicoke’s new Bun Mi (822 The Queensway). Think banh mi, bao, salads, smoothies, and juices.
Cafe Roma (807 St Clair Ave. W.) moves into Black Tulip’s former space with an array of Italian fare: Antipasti, pizza, pasta, whole Branzino, and rib eye are just the beginning.
ISO Sichuan cuisine? Check out Chinatown’s latest addition, Cheng Du Street Food (405 Dundas St. W.) Pro tip: In the mood for offal? You’re in luck. Look to dishes boosted with bullfrogs, beef aorta, and pork kidney.
Annex stalwart Fresh Kitchen + Juice Bar (326 Bloor St. W.) didn’t go far. Find the healthy eatery just two blocks west (386 Bloor St. W.). Doors opened yesterday in what was Famoso’s sole Toronto location.
Etobicoke restaurateur Jenny Giddes (Kitchen on Sixth, Bramble, Merlot) debuts a sexy li’l number tonight for dinner, drinks, and tête-à-têtes. Introducing: Heron (3008 Bloor St. W.).
Lili Kitchen (287 Dundas St. W.) satisfies your craving for kebabs, wraps, burgers, and salads in Sumac’s recently vacated digs across from the AGO.
Feast mode: ON. L’Olivo Buffet (454 Eglinton Ave. W.) boasts a spread that takes you from first thing all the way to din-din. Did you know? The buffet takes over the space formerly home to “Toronto’s largest" sweets shop, Kandy Krazed, now just up the street (426 Eglinton Ave. W.).
Fine dining destination LSL (2066 Avenue Rd.) debuts tomorrow. What to expect: 1. French-inspired cuisine. 2. Japanese ingredients. 3. Omakase tasting-style menu by illustrious chefs Didier Leroy (Certified Master of French cuisine), Christian Le Squer (Paris-based chef of three-star Michelin Le Cinq at the Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris), and Masaki Saito (Owner/chef of Sushi Masaki Saito, the sole two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Toronto). Price: $680 per person (Deposit required to book: $340), with wine pairing available (+$300 pp). Needless to say, with this culinary star power and only nine seats, it will be one of the hardest resos to secure in the city, and a shoo-in for this year’s Michelin. TR Trivia: The price tag? Same cost per guest as Sushi Masaki Saito. Note: While getting dressed for such an occasion, skip spritzing any scents. The restaurant requests “guests refrain from wearing perfume, cologne, or other fragrances as they may interfere with the flavours of our cuisine.”
Martine’s Wine Bar (293 Palmerston Ave.), the latest offering by restaurateur Grant van Gameren whose downtown destinations include Michelin Star Quetzal, Michelin Bib Gourmand Bar Raval, and Michelin Recommended Bar Isabel, allures from the get-go. It’s got good bones after all: Home to beloved Woodlot for years, followed by van Gameren’s burger joint Harry’s Charbroiled since 2020 before upping sticks to Coxwell last November. Helming the kitchen: Chef Luke Haines (Bar Raval, Bar Buca).
Purpel hit the ground running this spring and it appears there’s no stopping the acai bowl and smoothie shop. Find the latest in Liberty Village (61 Hanna Ave.) and launching soon at The Well’s new food hall, Wellington Market (486 Front St. W., Lower Ground Level).
In search of authentic Greek street fare on a budget? Look no further than Real Greek Gyros (731 Queen St. E.) at Queen and Broadview, next to The Opera House. A super stuffed Souvlaki or Gyros on a Pita for $10? Here for it. Pro tip: Save room for the Orange Cake ($6).
Hot sandos coming through: Grilled Steak with Chimichurri, Tzatziki Grilled Chicken, and Vietnamese Sweet Beef, for starters, courtesy of Slammie Sammies opening today across from Trinity Bellwoods Park inside Opera Bob's Public House (1112 Dundas St. W.). The new sandwich pop-up shop operates Fridays and Saturdays.
Tiarrés Brunch 'n Cakes softly opens today in the Beaches (1980 Queen St. E.). This marks the second location for the brunch restaurant formerly known as Sophie's Kitchen.
Yo Doner Restaurant (250 Dundas St. W., Unit 109) does bowls, poutines, and wraps in the hospital district at Dundas and University.
CLOSED
After nearly a 12-year journey, Sandra and Carlo Flores’s Cafe Con Leche Espresso Bar (1571 Dupont St.) comes to an end June 30. Stay tuned: Monte Bakery is on the approach.
While the Chinatown edition of Taiwanese eatery Four Four South Village (405 Dundas St. W.) has concluded, two remain downtown: Yonge and College (474 Yonge St.) and Scarborough (3280 Midland Ave., Unit 23).
Fresh Kitchen + Juice Bar (326 Bloor St. W.) set up shop down the street. Details above.
Shannon Nocos’ Filipino bakery Make Kwento (1105 College St.) is on the move. Last day for right now is May 26.
Then and Now Restaurant (1316 Queen St. W.) made headlines when it launched last year as a no-tipping venture. Owner Eric Wang shared a heartfelt message on Instagram yesterday the Asian fusion eatery in Parkdale is closing June 1.
NEWS
Hotelier Klaus Tenter died. Starting his career in Toronto at The Omni King Edward and Sheraton Hotels, he went on to work extensively in the field, including as General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, where he earned the nickname, “The Mayor of Yorkville."
Restaurant and shop break-ins continue, with a recent uptick in the east end.
Loblaw agrees to sign Canada’s Grocery Code of Conduct.
The City says “95 per cent” of curb lane cafés - aka CaféTO - will be ready by the long weekend.
The latest food recalls: Frito Lay SunChips Multigrains Harvest Cheddar Snacks and Original Munchies Snack Mix recalled due to Salmonella, Perth County Ingredients Spray-Dried Hi Whip Cage Free Albumen recalled due to Salmonella, and Expanded recall: Frigidaire and Kenmore Elite Freestanding Electric Ranges recalled due to fire and burn hazards.
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