OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News December 7-13, 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

🕘 7.5 min read

Whatever your budget and/or mood, this week’s arrivals cover all the bases - from fast casual comfort fare to sophisticated selections. And the closures continue to pile up.

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Here’s the very latest:

OPEN

O&B’s latest destination isn’t only one of its splashiest - it’s also one of the highest. Aera debuted Tuesday on the 38th floor of The Well (8 Spadina Ave.), the new neighbourhood complex everyone’s talking about. “Reinvented classics” of elevated American fare are at the heart of the steakhouse vibes menu, e.g. Wedge Salad ($21), Shrimp Scampi ($28), Stuffed Chicken Breast ($39), 8oz Australian A8-9 Wagyu ($40), in addition to sushi ($8-$30), Caviar ($165), and Seafood Tower Raw Bar ($250).

Souvlaki and all the trimmings are the focus of Chefs Hall’s newest occupant, Aphrodite’s Taverna (111 Richmond St. W.).

Obsessed with Korean corndogs? Arirang Hotdog is in soft opening at Bathurst and Wilson (320 Wilson Ave.).

Following additions last summer, local coffee chain Dark Horse Espresso Bar embarks into retail with an outpost inside Indigo at Manulife Centre (55 Bloor St. W.)

Psst. Diavola Pizza (3 Glebe Rd. E.) is dishing out Roman style ‘za on a side street in Midtown.

Doors opened Friday for Corktown’s new F Mondays Coffee (368 King St. E.) in Tandem Coffee’s former digs. On the agenda: Coffee and carefully selected books.

Hot tip: Glass Kitchen (505 HWY 7 E, Unit 98-99) softly launched yesterday. Chef Keith Pears’ expansive eatery in Markham designed with Hexagon Studio is the latest spot for modern Asian-fusion fare.

Hand-rolled Montreal bagels are happening round-the-clock at Yonge and Eg, courtesy of Kettlemans Bagel (40 Eglinton Ave. E.). This marks the third location in Toronto/GTA, ninth in Canada, for the Ottawa bagel shop.

Head to Kyushu Yakitori Izakaya just north of Steeles (7181 Yonge St. Unit 31-32) for authentic Japanese eats.

Maestro's Gourmet Pizza softly opens in Leslieville (903 Queen St. E.) tonight. Note: Takeout only. The local pizzeria boasts four locations in the province - two in east Toronto- offering a variety of styles using four-ingredient dough (flour, spring water, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, Mediterranean sea salt), resulting in a crispy crust and minimal bloat.

Mr. Puffs is relatively new to the scene here, but since its entry, has been making serious moves. Hey Vaughan: It’s your turn to get your fix of MP’s loukoumades - aka Greek doughnuts - at Major Mac and Dufferin (1440 Major MacKenzie Dr. W.).

Osmow’s continues its journey across the GTA with an outpost downtown at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (220 Yonge St., Unit F019).

The Rooster Rotisserie and Grill’s time-honoured spot at Bloor and Ossington (942 Bloor St. W.) has been temporarily closed for years now. Good news: The restaurant is up and running at Yonge & St. Clair (1395 Yonge St.), complete with signature Portuguese dishes including their famed roto chicken, roasted fish, and homemade lasagna. Grand opening festivities took place Tuesday.

Wanas Shawarma in Greektown (449 Danforth Ave.) has an assortment of Syrian fare: mixed bbq plates, Syrian style wraps, salads, and the like.

CLOSED 

The last day of operations for Bar Catalina (231 Lakeshore Rd. E.) is December 23. Chef Humberto Sanchez has sold his Spanish eatery that debuted a few years ago, but not all is lost. “We have a plan for a re-opening at a new location somewhere down the line,” the announcement reads in part. “We plan to be back and better than ever.” In the meantime, you can visit sister restaurant Cafe Panchita (152 Lakeshore Rd. E.) and the Gourmet Guyz food truck.

Earlier this week, The Gaslight in The Junction Triangle (1426 Bloor St. W.) announced after nearly a decade, doors are closing at the end of the year.

Hermie’s landed at Queen and Broadview (701 Queen St. E.) almost a year ago, but the location wasn’t meant to be. The Filipino and Canadian resto is on the move, heading soon to Leaside (1595 Bayview Ave.).

Leslieville’s OK OK Diner (1128 Queen St. E.), established in 1952, announced immediate closure earlier this week, but hints it’s not the end.

My Roti Place at Yonge and Davisville (3 Glebe Rd. E.) may have wound things up, however 20+ Ontario locations are open to serve you.

The final day to get in on all the goodness of The Tuck Shop x Breadhead (1265 Dundas St. W., entrance on Dovercourt) is December 31. p.s. Stay tuned for a new concept launching Spring ‘24 by Lucy Kirby and team.

Speaking of tuck shops, home of the handhelds TuckShop Kitchen’s Leslieville venue (1022 Queen St. E.) - two blocks from OK OK Diner - shuttered November 29. The OG location (1640 Dupont St. Unit 3) remains.

NEWS 

David Illiatovitch-Owen, owner of recently shuttered local fish markets De La Mer, died after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 48.

The 2024 grocery forecast? Expect to pay more.

Yesterday, 13 leading organized labour organizations representing the brewing sector from the brewery to distribution and retail joined together to publish an open letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Honourable Chrystia Freeland. In the letter, the beer sector unions urge the government to cancel the upcoming automatic 4.7 per cent federal beer tax increase. Beer Canada says, “Raising beer taxes by nearly five per cent when Canada already has the higher beer taxes in the G7 would harm consumers, workers across beer’s added-value supply chain as well as the hospitality and tourism sector.”

In the latest recalls: Good Enoki Mushrooms recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes, GE 30” Knob-Controlled Electric Radiant Cooktops recalled due to burn hazard. [UPDATE 08.12.23: Fresh cut cantaloupe products recalled due to Salmonella, Kopi Thyme Sauces and Soup Bases recalled due to potential presence of dangerous bacteria.]

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.

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