My iconic 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

🕘 12.5 min read

This week’s edition, brimming with 24 arrivals and nine closures a week before Christmas, is the kind of frenzy you can expect in the weeks/months to come. The breaking news alone, is staggering. So follow Toronto Restaurants on Instagram and Facebook and subscribe to the TR Newsletter because you don’t want to miss a single thing.

In the meantime, here’s the very latest:

OPEN NOW

A Ria Restaurante - not to be confused with Aria Ristorante (25 York St.) - has landed in Mercado’s old spot in Corso Italia (1370 St Clair Ave. W.) with an array of Portuguese fare.

IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) has nearly 6,000 destinations in over 100 countries with 17 brands (including Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants found throughout Toronto/GTA). The first Avid Hotel in Canada was announced Monday. Avid Hotel - Vaughan Southwest (6800 Hwy 7), under the ownership of PI Cap, boasts 119 rooms with features including blackout roller shades, your choice of soft or firm pillows, indoor pool, and 24/7 gym. Food and drinks are limited to grab-and-go options, the hotels’ signature "Good all Round" breakfast bar, and fresh coffee.

Psst. Chinatown’s secretive new spot Bitter Melon (431 Spadina Ave.) is “a bite out of the unconventional” with dinner items ranging from $7 (Corn Dog) to $35 (Foie Gras on Toast) and all drink prices ending in .88. At the stove: Executive chef Hermawan Lay (Clio). Behind the bar: Daniel Désir.

Cheatmeal’s Halal Indo-fusion fare has landed at a food court in Don Mills via Cheatmeal Xpress (16 Mallard Rd., Unit 202).

York University students, this one’s for you: Canada’s first Korean hot dog brand Chung Chun Rice Hot Dog debuts tomorrow (95 The Pond Rd., Complex 2, Unit 10). Bonus: Hotdogs are budget-friendly at $2.99 a piece. Maximum two per person. Regular price for further purchases.

Shop fresh produce and pantry essentials at Danforth and Coxwell’s new Daily Goods Market (1540 Danforth Ave.).

El Mariachi Tacos & Churros brings its famed Mexican fare to Port Credit (121 Lakeshore Rd. W.), where Ombretta Cucina + Vino stood until recently. 

Corso Italia’s The Hashtag (1201 St Clair Ave. W.), a “modern yet classy, rocking yet sassy” restobar, offers pub classics (burgers, wings), and international fare by way of kebab wraps, hakka fare and momos. Looking to save? Drinks are budget-friendly: A Martini Bianco Vermouth is just $6.99, with other cocktails coming in at $9.99 ea. Did you know? The space was formerly home to Shunoko.

Calling all Japanese cream buns fans: Hattendo softly opens at CF Markville (5000 Hwy 7, Level 1, Unit 1012) today. Enjoy 10 per cent off and no tax on six or more signature cream buns with special holiday box.

Love Filipino fare? Dream about all-day breakfast? You’re in luck. Hermie and Chris of Orilla’s Hermie’s Diner launched an outpost nestled in the heart of Riverside at the corner of Queen and Broadview (701 Queen St. E.) yesterday.

Grand opening celebrations for Scarborough’s modern kerala bukateria Idukki Gold (1960 Lawrence Ave. E.) took place at the end of October. The South Indian eatery offers enticing winter warmups including Kappa and  Meen Curry (tapioca with spicy fish curry made with malabar tamarind) and Nei Choru and Chicken Fry (ghee rice and spicy Trivandrum-style chicken fry).

In addition to homemade pastas, dig into Italian eats such as Portofino Pesto Soup and Muffuletta Sando at Il Forno Antico, a part of Etobicoke Eats (20 Lockport Ave.) which has grown to 30+ virtual kitchens.

Isabelle's opened in Vancouver earlier this year. The concept by Freehouse Collective (formerly The Donnelly Group) touched down in Toronto, joining their other watering holes: Belfast Love, Walrus Pub, Death & Taxes, and Gift Shop. The after-supper club above Belfast Love (548 King St. W.), featuring "elevated cocktails, dancing and table service," opens tonight at 10pm. Naturally, TR Newsletter subscribers got the intel first.

Oshawa’s Kachiguda Junction has found a home in Greektown (505 Danforth Ave.). This marks the second location for the Indian bistro.

Take note. Grand opening for Kappo Sato (575 Mount Pleasant Rd.), took place Tuesday. A part of the Zen Japan Group (Zen Japanese Restaurant, Zen Sanuki Udon, Zen Japan Mart), this is the first dedicated to Kappo-style cuisine, a traditional Japanese style of cutting and boiling. Mastering it usually requires 10 to 15 years of steady training. Chef Takeshi Sato is more than ready. While this is his first restaurant as proprietor with ZJG’s chef/owner Seiichi Kashiwabara, his experience is extensive, including: a Michelin-star Japanese restaurant in Tokyo, the role of official chef of the Japanese Consulate General in Toronto, and since 2013, head chef of Zen Japanese Restaurant. Choose from two Omakase menus ($260 | $320) offering 12 dishes including Wagyu, sushi, sashimi, grilled dish, tempura, and rice cooked in a copper hagama pot.

Mado Restaurant and Café entered the scene last year with a lineup of Turkish meals and desserts. Following a splashy debut at Square One this summer, a downtown location (144 Yonge St.) was just added. Insider tip: Save room for the ice cream baklava sandos.

Mellis Chocolate opened in North York (5418 Yonge St., Unit 10) just in time for the holidays. Shop handcrafted chocolates in captivating flavours - Buckthorn Vanilla, Egg Nog, Kir Sake, Maple Pine Nut, Mulled Wine, Yuzu Meringue - made without any artificial flavours, essences or preservatives. Customizable all-chocolate fortune cookies are also available.

Chef Matty Matheson’s one-day only holiday pop-up on Saturday features his line of Matheson Cookware with Castor Design (you know their interiors: Oddfellows, Parts & Labour, and P&L Burger) and other items at 132 Ossington Ave. (formerly motorcyclist heaven Town Moto for a decade) is happening Saturday 11am-7pm.

ISO Halal Pakistani and Indian fare? Look no further than Naan Karahi & BBQ (1330 Gerrard St. E.) in Gerrard India Bazaar for what they say is the “best karahi ever in GTA.” 

Old Avenue Restaurant and Bakery (1923C Avenue Rd.) quietly opened last week. The cuisine: Southern Caucasus (think Azerbaijani cuisine with some Georgian dishes). The setting: Grandmacore at its finest. 

Osmow’s shawarmas and other Mediterranean fare has landed in Woodbridge at Weston Rd & Hwy 7 (7600 Weston Rd., Unit 45).

97 Harbord St. has good bones and history: It’s been home to FLOCK, THR & Co., and Messis. And now Parquet. The new French destination in Harbord Village is heavy with talent including executive chef Jeremy Dennis (Burdock, Chantecler, Woodlot, Montgomery’s), and maître d’/sommelier Lexi Wolkowski (Brothers, Bar Raval) with interiors by Solid Design Creative (Canoe, Dasha, Koukla). Fun fact: It’s helmed by lawyers (Daniel Bernstein and Matt Cohen). 

Speaking of French food, French bistro Taverne Tamblyn (1426 Danforth Ave.) has moved into Sarah’s Cafe and Bar’s old digs in the east end. Expect daily menus featuring traditional French fare. Owner Ben Gundy has industry chops: He was President of Summerhill’s Olliffe Butcher Shop  for over a decade, and executive chef at Toronto restaurants including Jacobs and Co. Steakhouse and Brassaii, to name a few.

Attention boba lovers: Tru Bubble Tea softly opes in Oakville (337A Kerr St.) tomorrow, 12 noon to 10pm.

CHANGES

Boutique pastry shop Petit Paris (1879 Gerrard St. E.) just launched their first ever dine-in experience, starting with brunch, with evening bistro meals to begin in the new year.

CLOSED NOW

Last month I let you in on Kim Ng’s The Good Goods at Asian food hall Superfresh (384 Bloor St. W.) in the Annex coming to an end on Sunday.

Markham’s Iki Shokupan (1271 Denison St., Unit 47) has temporarily closed “to reflect on our business and how we can continue our commitment to all of our dear friends and customers.”

While King’s Karahi (1330 Gerrard St. E.) has shuttered, the new eatery in its stead is still karahi focused. Details above.

As I reported earlier this month, Saturday is also the final day for Little Sister Baking at Market 707 (707 Dundas St. W.).

TR Newsletter subscribers are already in the know. Get yourself to Alana Nogueda's stellar Port Light on Bloor (946 Bloor St. W.) before doors close on December 22. Luckily, her Shameful Tiki Room is here to stay.

On Monday Shawarma City announced they are “forced to shut down our business by December 20th” due to “a new condo construction development.” The owners of the two-year old Scarborough restaurant (1035 Markham Rd.) hope to relocate “when the right location is found In the near future.”

An Indian restaurant has moved into Spice 505’s recent home in Greektown (505 Danforth Ave.).

Saturday’s the last day for Kimberly Alke’s stellar Cabbagetown’s home goods shop Spruce Toronto (455 Parliament St.) filled with kitchen, bar, and pantry items. While the brick-and-mortar is coming to a close after ten years, a relaunch IRL “sometime soon” is a possibility, and online with a “few pop-ups throughout the year” is in the works.

Vancouver’s Tractor Everyday Healthy Foods took a chance on Toronto in 2019. The first in the 6ix (and sixth overall) at 151 Yonge St. closed during the pandemic, reopening in June 2020 for a short time.

NEWS

Vito Caputo, a beloved employee of Toronto's independent grocery store Fiesta Farms, passed away.

Trevane "Tre" Sanderson, currently chef de partie at Vela, is the winner of Top Chef Canada’s tenth season.

After last week’s recalls, the watch continues with Everland Organic Coconut Chocolate Bark recalled due to undeclared milk, and Taynton Bay Spirits brand Pickle Vodka recalled due to elevated levels of copper. [UPDATE: 12.18.22. Alpha Plant-based Breakfast Sandwich – Meatless Sausage recalled due to undeclared milk, and Scotian Isle Baked Goods brand Chicken Pot Pie 5in. recalled due to undeclared egg.]

ICYMI

It’s been a whirlwind for Mann Bijlani lately. After popping up in May, Florette officially opened on Queen West last month. He sat down to share his favourite dish to make right now (drool), the inspiring book he’s currently reading (*adds to cart*), his biggest influence (all the feels), where to get the best slice in the 6ix and much more in this month’s compelling At The Pass. 

Please support local businesses whenever possible.

Life moves fast: I wrote about 100+ new arrivals in November alone. 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.

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