OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News December 14-20, 2023

The OPEN/CLOSED is THE most comprehensive resource of 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

🕘  11.5 min read

Think things were hectic last week? Strap in: This week I uncovered over 30 establishments, more than half in closures.

Pro tip: If you haven’t already subscribed to the TR Newsletter, get on it. In this week’s edition, there’s an exclusive offer for subscribers to help with holiday shopping for all the food-lovers in your life.

Psst. Want to be the first to know what’s happening? In addition to the newsletter, keep your eyes peeled on the website (the #TRrending section is a good starting point) and follow Toronto Restaurants on Instagram and Facebook for breaking news and updates. 

Here’s the very latest:

OPEN

Since its arrival late last year, celebrity chef Vikram Vij and Eat Up Canada’s Bombay Frankies has largely been an out-of-town adventure. The latest outpost filled with frankies, salads, bowls, and kulfi debuted Friday in Etobicoke across from Sherway Gardens (197 N Queen St., Unit C), right next to one of Eat Up’s other ventures. Details below.

Mercado had an eventful fall last year - shuttering, then moving into their former Casa Portuguesa spot (682 Caledonia Rd.). Great news: Casa Portuguesa has returned with its classic homemade Portuguese fare, this time south of the 401 near Yorkdale (180 Bentworth Ave.).

All about grilling your own food and AYCE spots? Head to Chako BBQ & Izakaya’s new digs in Scarborough (14 Lebovic Ave.). This marks the fifth branch, second in Scarborough, for the Asian chain.

“Toronto’s first keto restaurant” Ketodelia Restaurant (3187 Yonge St.) just added a second location. Shop gluten-free, sugar-free, and low carb items at Jane and Annette (403 Jane St.).

LA LA Bakeshop, known for its buns, croissants and cakes, softly opens in Mississauga tomorrow. Discover the modern Vietnamese bakery’s third destination inside Oceans Fresh Food Market (4557 Hurontario St.). Bonus: To celebrate, enjoy 10 per cent off your order this weekend.

Italian sandos are the name of the game at Little Italy’s new La Bella Sangweech in Little Italy (584 College St.). That’s not all. Keep reading.

Psst. Last Call Cocktail Club just launched behind La Bella Sangweech (584 College St.).

Lima Charlie (189 King St. E.) has replaced what was forever Gabby’s across from George Brown College. Don’t worry, pub classics are still in effect, including mozza sticks, burgers, wings, pizza, salads, fish and chips, and chicken tenders.

Los Compas Tacos (140 Spadina Ave., Suite A101) moved into a former weed shop at Queen and Richmond. Grand opening is happening Saturday, complete with free tacos (4pm-6pm) and mariachis.

I told you Maverick’s Donuts Parkdale (1618 Queen St. W.) was on the way. Doors opened Friday.

There’s a new Mexican resto, tapas and agave bar in town. Mezcantina kicks off service at Church and Bloor (640 Church St.) on Saturday with an array of tacos, enchaladas, botanas, and especialidades - house specialities.

Old Flame Brewing Company launched in the Distillery District (45 Tank House Lane) around this time last year, however closed temporarily in May. Newsflash: OFB’s back, just in time for The Distillery Winter Village.

In addition to coffee, cakes, Korean Street Toast, and bingsu, Yonge and Finch’s The Peachy (5650 Yonge St.) offers lattes you don’t see everyday. See: Super Sweet Corn, Real Sweet Potato, Mugwort, and 5-Grain.

After “coming soon” for over a year, Hawaiian concept Pokeworks finally arrived in Etobicoke in a former Panera Bread (197 N Queen St., Unit B) p.s. Stay tuned. Another is slated for March at The Well. Did you know? The poké bowl co. is part of Eat Up Canada’s portfolio - recent additions include MightyBird and frankie eatery noted up top.

Find Italian fishmonger Rimini De La Mare by new resto Rimini Rimini in Leaside (1543 Bayview Ave.) where De La Mer’s seafood shop stood.

ISO an aesthetic cafe to fill your feed? Look no further than The Tiny Cloud Café at College and Spadina (439 Spadina Ave.).

Turkish bakery Solmaz Patisserie debuts a second location in Etobicoke today at Sherway Gardens (25 The West Mall, Unit 1108) teeming with lokum (aka Turkish Delight) and baklava.

“High-vibe, come-as-you-are, open to all walks of life” LGBTQ+ bar and resto The Well (not to be confused with the new mixed-use development downtown of the same name) was hatched in Hamilton and over the years has grown throughout the province: London, Windsor, Waterloo (coming soon) and until recently, here on Church St. Confetti bomb: They’re back in the 6ix, now on the Queen West strip between Bathurst and Spadina (482 Queen St. W.).

CLOSED

Forest Hill Village’s Aroma Espresso Bar (383 Spadina Rd.) has closed up shop. Coming soon: Café Landwer.

GTA born and raised Burrito Boyz has been adding to the fam lately, but after nearly two decades, said goodbye to its long-standing home in the Entertainment District (224 Adelaide St. W.). The reason for the closure? A common refrain these days: “The upcoming condo development on this piece of property.”

Dice launched in Yorkville (162 Cumberland St.) during the pandemic. The fruit bar and cafe’s moving online for now.

Salvadorian pupusa destination El Pulgarcito’s digs in Scarborough (20 Nugget Ave.) have come to an end.

Encounter Tea’s Chinatown location (439 Spadina Ave.) is home to another cafe concept now. Details above. It turns out ET’s venture in Markham at Pacific Mall (4300 Steeles Ave. E., Unit E65), has also shuttered. Both launched during the pandemic.

While the King East Gabby’s (189 King St. E.) may already be gone, 12 locations are up and running.

Halaleez Chicken & Gyro (1733 Eglinton Ave. E., Unit 5) came on the scene last year. It temporarily closed for “winter maintenance” until earlier this year, however it’s been marked as permanently closed on Google.

Sam and Wan’s authentic Thai restaurant MongKut Thai Gold landed in Greektown in 2002 - originally as Mong-Kut Thai at 596 Danforth Ave. (now Simone’s Caribbean Restaurant), followed by a spot across the street (471 Danforth Ave.). After 21 years of service, the couple announced they’ve decided to “take a break to return home to be with family for an extended period of time.” Opening soon in its place: Menali Kitchen – Nepali MoMo, Indian, and Hakka Cuisine. Did you know? MongKut was the first Thai resto on the Danforth.

Mr and Mrs Bao’s Vaughan outpost (9200 Weston Rd., Unit 12) debuted in 2019. Husband and wife Julia Hou and Steven Mao started the biz in 2017 with a food truck, eventually growing to brick-and-mortar establishments - five locations as of 2022 - but faced multiple break-ins last year. A food truck and location by the name of Mingle by Mr. & Mrs. Bao remains in London, Ontario, along with a Hawaiian venture, Poke Poke. They launched a Kickstarter campaign but the project failed to meet its funding goal last month.

Peter Pan’s wine bar and shop next door, Peter Pantry (371 Queen St. W.), arrived Fall ‘21. Doors close for good January 1.

That’s a wrap for Sausage King by Bespoke Butchers at St Lawrence Market (93 Front St. E.). While the local links shop has drawn to a close, Bespoke Butchers continues operations in The Annex, on the Danforth and in Leslieville. Did you know? Sausage King was a fixture at the world-famous food hall for decades under various owners including Oliffe Butcher Shop, who acquired it in September 2011, followed by Bespoke in 2019.

One week after I reported the closure of TuckShop Kitchen’s Leslieville outpost, owners Robb Eng and Jake Taylor announced the remaining and original outpost (1640 Dupont St., Unit 3) is shuttering Friday December 22. Being awarded a $20,000 grant earlier this year by Desjardins and starring in their commercial wasn’t enough to keep doors open. They cited the pandemic’s emotional and financial toll as the driving force for the closure.

CHANGES

Recent arrival Le Conciliabule Lab (350 Berkeley St.) goes by the name Bisou now.

NEWS

Convenience stores finally got the go ahead to sell beer and wine, however it’s not coming into effect just yet.

Toronto City Council approved CaféTO program improvements “to better support restaurants, diners and a longer outdoor patio season.”

The complete 2024 Winterlicious lineup, 211 restaurants in all, has been released.

Have you been keeping up with the food recalls? The latest additions: Certain Little Gourmet Organic Mealtime Bowls recalled due to pieces of wood. And last week’s Cantaloupe recall has been updated to include Loblaw banner stores: Loblaws, Superstore, Zehrs, Valu-Mart, Fortinos, and Your Independent Grocer. [UPDATE 15.12.23: Golden Mushroom Enoki Mushroom recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes.]

Please support local businesses whenever possible. 

Life moves fast. Catch up on previous editions of the OPEN/CLOSED.   

Things change quickly. Follow Toronto Restaurants on Instagram and Facebook and subscribe to the TR Newsletter 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. 

Need help promoting your business? Get started now. 

Enjoy this? Like, follow and comment on Instagram and Facebook. Forward and share using the icons below. #supportlocal  

Open/Closed, NewsStephanie Dickisontoronto restaurants downtown, toronto restaurants with a view, best toronto restaurants, coolest restaurants in toronto, toronto restaurants michelin star, best restaurants downtown toronto, best restaurants in downtown toronto, downtown toronto restaurants with a view, toronto restaurant guide, best restaurants in toronto downtown, best restaurants toronto 2023, michelin star restaurants toronto, best restaurants in toronto, restaurants near me, fine dining toronto, restaurants near scarborough toronto, restaurants near etobicoke toronto restaurants near north york toronto, trendy restaurants toronto, new restaurants downtown toronto, best Italian restaurants toronto, hot new restaurants toronto, new restaurants toronto, hot restaurants downtown toronto, restaurants in toronto, restaurants in toronto area, toronto destination, toronto destinations, toronto Michelin restaurants, bib gourmand restaurants in toronto, restaurants and bars downtown toronto, restaurants and bars toronto, toronto restaurants and bars, toronto restaurant consulting, toronto restaurant consultants, restaurant consulting toronto, digital marketing strategist, digital marketing strategist toronto, toronto digital marketing strategist, best restaurants in downtown Toronto right now, best restaurants in downtown Toronto, toronto restaurants fine dining downtown, toronto restaurant news, Toronto Restaurants Hospitality Consulting Services, Toronto Restaurants Hospitality Consulting Services Stephanie Dickison, new toronto restaurant, restaurant news toronto, toronto food event, new restaurant in Toronto, new restaurants, new restaurants in Toronto, new restaurants in GTA, new restaurant near me, new restaurants near me, La Bella Sangweech, Vikram Vij, chef Vikram Vij, celebrity chef Vikram Vij, Eat Up Canada, Bombay Frankies, Sherway Gardens, CF Sherway Gardens, Mercado Takeout, Mercado, Mercado Negro, Casa Portuguesa, Chako BBQ & Izakaya, Ketodelia Restaurant, LA LA Bakeshop, La La Bakeshop, Oceans Fresh Food Market, Oceans Fresh Food Market La La Bakeshop, La La Bakeshop Oceans Fresh Food Market, Last Call Cocktail Club, Last Call Cocktail Club La Bella Sangweech, La Bella Sangweech Last Call Cocktail Club, Lima Charlie, Lima Charlie's, Gabby’s, Gabby’s Restaurant, Gabby’s on King, George Brown College, George Brown College CHCA, George Brown College CHCA School of Continuing Education, Los Compas Tacos, Maverick’s Donuts, Maverick's Donut Company, Maverick's, Mezcantina, Old Flame Brewing Company, Distillery Restaurants, distillery, Distillery District, Distillery District brewery, Distillery District breweries, The Distillery District, Historic Distillery District, restaurant in Distillery District, restaurants in Distillery District, The Distillery Winter Village, The Peachy, Pokeworks, Panera Bread, The Well, The Well Toronto, MightyBird, Rimini De La Mare, Rimini Rimini, Rimini Rimini Restaurant, De La Mer, De La Mer Bayview, De La Mer Leaside, De La Mer closed, De La Mer closure, The Tiny Cloud Café, The Tiny Cloud Cafe, Solmaz Patisserie, The Well Bar, The Well restaurant, The Well Restaurant & Bar, donut shop, GTA donut shops, GTA donut shop, Toronto donut shops in Toronto, Toronto donut shop in Toronto, doughnut shops, doughnut shop, doughnut shop in Toronto, doughnut shops in Toronto, The Well Restaurant & Bar Hamilton, The Well Restaurant & Bar London, The Well Restaurant & Bar Windsor, The Well Restaurant & Bar Waterloo, The Well Restaurant & Bar Toronto, The Well Restaurant & Bar Church St., The Well Restaurant & Bar Queen St., The Well Restaurant & Bar Queen West, Aroma Espresso Bar, Café Landwer, Cafe Landwer, Cafe Landwer Forest Hill, Cafe Landwer Forest Hill Village, Burrito Boyz, Dice, Dice Fruit Bar and Cafe, Dice Yorkville, El Pulgarcito, El Pulgarcito closed, Encounter Tea, Encounter Tea closed, Pacific Mall, Halaleez Chicken & Gyro, MongKut Thai Gold, Simone’s Caribbean Restaurant, Mong-Kut Thai, Menali Kitchen – Nepali MoMo Indian and Hakka Cuisine, Menali Kitchen, Mr and Mrs Bao, Julia Hou, Steven Mao, Mingle by Mr. & Mrs. Bao, Kickstarter campaign, Poke Poke, Peter Pan, Peter Pantry, Sausage King closed, Sausage King by Bespoke Butchers, Sausage King by Bespoke Butchers closed, St Lawrence Market, Sausage King St Lawrence Market closed, Bespoke Butchers, Oliffe Butcher Shop, TuckShop Kitchen, Robb Eng, Jake Taylor, TuckShop Kitchen closed, Desjardins, Desjardins grant, Le Conciliabule Lab, Bisou, convenience stores in Toronto, Convenience stores, convenience stores, Toronto convenience stores, Convenience stores to sell beer and wine, Toronto City Council, oronto City Council approved CaféTO program improvements, oronto City Council approved CafeTO program improvements, 2024 Winterlicious, Winterlicious 2024, Winterlicious, food recalls, Food recalls, latest food recalls, Certain Little Gourmet Organic Mealtime Bowls recalled, Certain Little Gourmet Organic Mealtime Bowls recall, Little Gourmet Organic Mealtime Bowls, Cantaloupe recall, Loblaw banner stores, cantaloupe Loblaw banner stores, Loblaws, Superstore, Zehrs, Valu-Mart, Fortinos, Your Independent Grocer, Golden Mushroom Enoki Mushroom recalled, Golden Mushroom Enoki Mushroom recall, Golden Mushroom Enoki Mushroom, advertise, Advertise with Toronto Restaurants, advertise with Toronto Restaurants, Advertise in the next newsletter or Open/Closed., Advertise in the next newsletter or Open/Closed, Advertise your heated patio, Advertise your winterized patio, advertise your products on Toronto Restaurants, Advertise your gift cards on a budget, Advertise your bar on a budget, Advertise your private dining space on a budget, Advertise your bistro on a budget, Advertise your bakery on a budget, Advertise your brewery on a budget, Advertise your restaurant on a budget, advertise your products on a budget, Advertise your food store on a budget, Advertise your bottle shop on a budget, Advertise your holiday menu on a budget, Advertise your holiday event on a budget, Advertise your holiday menus on a budget, Advertise your holiday events on a budget, Advertise your holiday product on a budget, Advertise your holiday products on a budget, Advertise your private event space on a budget, Social Media Consulting, Social Media Consulting for Restaurants, TR Consulting & Services, Menu Consulting, Restaurant Consulting, Toronto Restaurant Consultants