OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News April 4-10, 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
🕘 9 min read
After what feels like a never-ending winter, livening things up with new flavours and concepts for spring is definitely in order. You’re in luck. This week’s 13 arrivals offer everything from satiating seafood to southern French fare and boasts fun activities including bowling, boardgames, and a journey to a certain restroom. Brace yourself: Almost as many closures (10) lie ahead.
Psst. Want the inside track on what’s happening? In addition to subscribing to the TR Newsletter, keep your eyes peeled on the website (the #TRrending section is a good place to start) and follow Toronto Restaurants on Instagram and Facebook for breaking news and updates.
Here’s the very latest:
OPEN
The Ballroom Bowl Yorkville edition (1 Bloor St. E.) marks the second 10-pin bowling alley accompanied by food and drinks from the folks behind the long-running joint on John.
Neighbourhood fruit and veg markets are where it’s at. Bloor Fresh Market (868 Bloor St. W.) just landed in Bloorcourt with an array of fresh produce, pantry items, and other household necessities including snacks.
Jannat Doner Kebab (179 Parliament St.) is the latest eatery to open on the NW corner of Queen and Parliament. In addition to JDK’s titular items, the menu provides tastes from across the globe including Indian (Hydrabadi Dum Biriyani), Italian (Margherita Pizza), and Canadian (Classic Poutine).
O&B (Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality), one of the city’s largest restaurant groups, has really kept me hopping this last while - five openings in five months - and they’re not done yet. The activity continues with La Plume. Doors open today, at where else these days - The Well (453 Wellington St. W.). The brasserie specializes in southern French fare. Here, that includes a tartare bar, selection of steak frites, and whole bird “rotisserie program.” Psst. The interior by Solid Design Creative includes a washroom stall that leads to “boudoir-inspired speakeasy” Bonne Nuit.
Hot tip: A new destination for lobster rolls, fish and chips, seafood boils and other aquatic treats just landed in Thornhill. See: Lobster Boil Seafood House (180 Steeles Ave. W.).
ISO Lanzhou beef noodles in the downtown core? Moolan Noodles softly opened at Yonge and Gerrard (374A Yonge St.). Did you know? The addy has been home to a number of Asian ventures, including: Jeneral’s in 2022, Mogouyan Hand Pulled Noodles also in 2022, and holding court for a number years prior to the pandemic. Hot Star Large Fried Chicken.
Pat’s Jamaican Jerk (1030 Bloor St. W.) moved into Butter Chicken Roti’s former stomping grounds in Bloorcourt. On the menu: Jerk chicken, patties, and other good stuff your life could use right now.
Pearl Chinese Cuisine’s long-running Bayview haunt has new digs. Luckily the new outpost (291 York Mills Rd.) isn’t far from the previous one. Pearl Harbourfront Chinese Cuisine Group launched their second venue at Bayview Village in 2011. The local chain currently has five locations boasting authentic Chinese fare including dim sum.
Today marks Ricky + Olivia’s grand opening in Leslieville (996 Queen St. E.). Focused on partnerships and pop-ups since 2018, long-time duo chefs Olivia Simpson and Ricky Casipe have transformed Wayla Bar into their first restaurant offering R+O’s signature style of casual eats with elevated ingredients and techniques.
It turns out Scotty Bons Caribbean Grill’s expansion in Scarborough a few months back, was just the beginning. Check out their recent addition in West Hill at Morningside (4502 Kingston Rd.).
Soup in Casserole lands right at the corner of Yonge and Finch (3 Finch Ave. E.), complete with warming bowls of soups and stews
Twilight Cafe added to its porfolio in 2022 and continues the momentum with a third boardgame cafe and brunch spot, this time in North York (16 Park Home Ave.), just south of the eatery above.
CLOSED
“Avengers-themed” homemade burgers were the focus of Scarborough’s Avengers Burger (1189 Brimley Rd.) that debuted during the pandemic.
Beachcombers (1980 Queen St. E.) arrived in the Beaches in 2022, replacing 2020’s Riptide Beach Pub. Stay tuned: Tiarrés Brunch ‘N Cakes (formerly Sophie’s Kitchen) is on the way.
The Black Bull Tavern (298 Queen St. W.) was in business for nearly 200 years, serving brews and bites since 1833. Doors closed yesterday.
Chachu's Pakistani fusion fare was available in York (1708 Eglinton Ave. W.) and Queen and Parliament (179 Parliament St.) for a brief time. It also occupied part of Avengers Burgers fairly recently. Locations remain on the Danforth, in North York and Ajax.
This week Fahrenheit Coffee announced their Leslieville cafe located at Omnia Coffee Roasters inside Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co. (1347 Queen St E.) will be closing at the end of the month. (OCR however, is staying put), but their message includes a glimmer of hope they’ll continue elsewhere: “Stay tuned for some exciting news!”
Speaking of coffeeshops, HotBlack Coffee’s newest cafe in The Andore House (15 Charles St. E.) is suddenly shuttering. Earlier today, the T-dot chain announced Sunday is the last day. The post reads in part: “ It was a sudden decision and it is with heavy hearted that we did not have enough time to properly say good-bye to our regular customers of this location.”
On the heels of a recent closure, another Playa Cabana has wrapped things up. Playa Cabana Bar Esquina (8 Eglinton Ave. E., Mezzanine Level) arrived at the height of the pandemic at a corner that has been under construction on and off for years. [UPDATE: Great news! Playa Cabana Bar Esquina is re-opening May 3 with “a new menu and “extensive wine list.]
The Yorkville location of Pusateri's Fine Foods (57 Yorkville Ave.), the store’s second, has come to a close after 20 years. The upscale grocer continues with three locations - Avenue Rd., Bayview Village, Eaton Centre - and one on the way in Little Italy (899 College St.).
The Greek streak at Dundas and Bathurst has come to an end with the recent shuttering of Souvlaki Plus Burgers (761 Dundas St. W.), previously home to Gyro Bar Souvlaki Kitchen (aka Gyro Bar Greek Kitchen). Next up: Shawarma, courtesy of Felfel Mediterranean Cuisine.
NEWS
The folks at Rodney’s Oyster House (469 King St. W.) are asking for your help for a “longstanding member of the Rodneys crew at the original location on Adelaide Street.” A GoFundMe has been set up to help with living expenses for James Duthie who has been unable to work for more than a year while waiting on a double lung transplant.
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