OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News January 6-12, 2022

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.

🕘 10 min read

Happy New Year. 2022 is off to quite a start: 15 arrivals, some closures you need to know about, and the end of indoor dining for at least the next 20 days. In order to help support local hospitality businesses facing new COVID-19 restrictions, I launched #ShareTheLoveTO.

It’s been a helluva rollercoaster, but grateful to be on this ride with you and for your continued support of my one-woman owned + operated restaurant news outlet. Stay tuned for exciting new features, interviews, giveaways + collabs coming your way soon. In the meantime, please support local businesses whenever possible - including this one, so like, share, follow, comment on Instagram and Facebook and subscribe.

- Owner/Founder Stephanie Dickison

Here’s the very latest:

OPEN

After a ton of delays, waiting, and cake ATMs, Carlo's Bakery by celebrity chef Buddy Valastro and featured on the TLC hit show Cake Boss, softly opened its first brick-and-mortar destination in the GTA Tuesday in Port Credit (167 Lakeshore Rd. W.). Psst. TR Newsletter subscribers got the news first, get in on it if you haven’t already.

Cha Miao² (aka Cha Miao Miao) in Scarborough’s Skycity Shopping Centre (3276 Midland Ave., Unit C119) is a relative newcomer. The outpost inside Dine & Dim (633 Gerrard St. E.) in East Chinatown is a more recent development. In addition to pearl milk tea and fruity yogurt slush selections, drinks boosted with enzymes are on offer. What does that mean exactly? The tea shop’s website describes an enzyme as “A type of protein that helps the body’s metabolism. It not only improves blood cleanliness, but also slows organ ageing and reduces blood lipids and cholesterol.” Cheers to the new year.

The Cupcake Shoppe has moved on up – up the street (2587 Yonge St.) from their previous Midtown location. Find their sweet new bakery near Blythwood.

Sparkling new Danforth Convenience (323 Danforth Ave.) near Chester Station boasts home essentials (toilet paper, tomato sauce, yogurt) a wall of snacks, and array of mood-boosting plants and flowers that are going to come in handy these next 20 days or so.

Hamilton residents are well-versed in DoughBox Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta. A few months back, Fern Colavecchia and Tony Visca expanded the fam with an outpost Mississauga. It’s your turn, Oakville (162 Lakeshore Rd. E.).

East Coast Donair (314 Parliament St.) brings the iconic Haligonian treat to Regent Park.

It was quite the year for imPerfect Fresh Eats, rounded out with another location downtown. The future continues to look bright, as a spot just debuted at Yonge Sheppard Centre (4841 Yonge St.).

Burgers, halal birds swaddled in Guyanese sweet buns, Cajun spiced spuds, and biscuits with birthday cake dip make up the dreamy menu at Leguan (3092 Mavis Rd.) in Mississauga. Note: Available weekends only.

Machi Machi softly opened in Richmond Hill (280 West Beaver Creek Rd., Unit 3) a few days before Christmas, marking the fifth outpost of the modern tea shop in the GTA.

Waffles come in many shapes and sizes. At Members Only Waffle House, they’re shaped like penises. After a viral pop-up at Queen and Bathurst last summer, modern, sophisticated digs - swathed in pink, no less - have arrived in the Entertainment District (252 Queen St. W.).

I’ve been covering the evolution of build-your-own pasta chain Pastucci’s since 2017. The journey continues with number four in the Hospital District at Dundas and University (525 University Ave.).

After years of extensive restoration of the hotel by Greg Sorbara and family, The Royal Hotel in Picton (247 Picton Main St.) officially opened today. At the stove: Executive chef Albert Ponzo, a fixture at Toronto’s Le Sélect Bistro before packing up for the County.

After two debuts in May, Shawarma Royale lands in Scarborough’s West Hill nabe at Morningside and Kingston Rd. (4459 Kingston Rd.).

Thai Jalearn must love Etobicoke – and vice versa – because a second outpost just debuted (3583 Lake Shore Blvd. W.).

If this week calls for anything, it’s a donut (or seven). Hot tip: Fresh, scratch made brioche donuts with Belgian chocolate from Unholy Donuts (95 Maitland St.) at Church and Wellesley are a good call.

CLOSED

Khao Gaeng in Etobicoke (3583 Lake Shore Blvd. W.) should have definitely be on your radar. Think: Thai comfort food by way of rich curries, aromatic stir-fries and addictive noodles. Not long after their fourth anniversary (15.12.21), doors closed for good (31.12.21) and was acquired by Thai Jalearn 2 (01.01.22). Luckily it’s not the end of the road for this dynamic team, so stay tuned. In the meantime, read this inspiring interview with chef/owners Nina Chaiwisescharoen and Rida Kongkaew.

Merchants’ Restoration Café (2 Matilda St.) was all set to relocate when the pandemic and ever-changing real estate landscape altered that. Thus, the brick-and-mortar destination in Riverside shuttered mid-November. Stay tuned.

There’s already something where Pure Pizza stood (315 Parliament St.). See above.

The Landsdowne outpost of Saint Island Pies (1665 Dundas St. W.) may be done, but not the crew. Watch this space.

NEWS

On Monday the provincial government announced that indoor dining is prohibited as of Wednesday January 5, after many restaurants and businesses were set to reopen after the holidays.

Stay tuned. More to come. In the meantime, follow Toronto Restaurants on Instagram and Facebook for breaking news and updates.

ICYMI

If you haven’t already subscribed to the TR Newsletter, now’s the time. Get The Tip Off, a sneak peek at the upcoming OPEN/CLOSED (because who doesn’t want to be the first to know?), and fab deals and special offers from restaurants and local businesses (because who doesn’t want to save money?), all exclusive to subscribers.

Nominate your favourite chef. Know of a line cook, commis, burger flipper, bread maker, etc., who should be featured in At The Pass, the renowned series showcasing the best chefs in Toronto and GTA including Mississauga, Etobicoke, Oakville, Scarborough, Markham, East York, North York, Richmond Hill, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge)? Submit their name for consideration. It’s time these talented, passionate, hard-working folks got a bit of the spotlight. And yes, you can nominate yourself.

Show your support for local businesses with the Toronto Restaurants #ShareTheLoveTO Campaign on Instagram and Facebook.

Support local businesses whenever possible.

Life moves fast - I wrote about +100 new arrivals in December alone. Catch up on previous editions of the OPEN/CLOSED.

Hear of a place that’s about to open or just closed? Have an upcoming food or restaurant event? Get in touch.

Attn Industry: You don’t need to spend a gazillion dollars to promote your business. Customers are hungry to discover new places. Make yours one of them without spending a ton. *Prices have been reduced to help local businesses during this time. Limited space available.