OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto/GTA Restaurant News May 9-15, 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
🕘 7.5 min read
This week offers an exhilarating mélange of cuisines and destinations (including some hidden haunts that won’t stay that way for long), and as always, a litany of continued movement, news and closures to get up to speed on.
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
Hidden brunch alert: Alma + Gil moved on from Dupont (1543 Dupont St.). Discover the pop-up in Little Italy inside fine dining restaurant, Ficoa (585 College St.).
Drinks, then dinner, then what? If the answer’s dancing, the Fashion District’s new Bodega On King (510 King St. W.) has got you covered.
Hot tip: Crying Tiger (74 Gerrard St. E.) opened this weekend in Plearn Cafe’s recently vacated digs. Stay tuned: The new Thai adventure by the team behind Plearn and Som Tum Jinda, is about to get a sibling: Le Lert.
Further down the road, booze-free cocktail bar and restaurant Free Spirit @ Riverdale Hub awaits in Gerrard India Bazaar (1326 Gerrard St. E.). Inside the social enterprise and green building, find flatbreads, salads and boards for dinner with additional cafe fare available earlier in the day. And while libations may sound intoxicating - Smoked Rosemary Old Fashioned, Spicy Margarita, Espresso Martini - you won’t find a lick of liquor here. Bonus: Staff are paid a living wage, thus no tipping required, and proceeds from the restaurant “help address barriers for equity deserving groups in our communities.”
Chef Jayden Park’s Gateau Ghost, previously a popular pop-up venture (who can forget the Ghost Pops and Madeleine Ice Cream Sandos of Summer ‘23?), moves to a brick-and-mortar model, taking over the stunning space that was Barocco X Nino (947 College St.). Grand opening is Wednesday.
With almost 20 variations, curries are certainly the main attraction at The Grand Indian Dining (507 Queen St. W.), however appetizers, biryanis, tandoor specialities, breads and desserts are strong contenders for tempting tastebuds.
Canada’s west coast has been in on Greta Bar’s fun and games for years, so it’s about time Toronto got a chance. The city’s newest arcade bar put down roots at King and Portland (590 King St. W.). On the agenda: Video games paired with global street fare (think KFC Wings, Birria Grilled Cheese, and Jerk & Dragon Fruit Dry Ribs), tipples, and even bottle service.
Bloordale’s latest addition, Ibet Sushi (1260 Bloor St. W.), offers everything from premium rolls and udon to bento boxes and party trays. Find it where Brock Sandwich once stood.
Persian Cafe Shisha Bar (10711 Yonge St.) in Richmond Hill is the latest spot for shisha, cocktails, kabobs, and live music.
Playa Cabana Bar Esquina (8 Eglinton Ave. E.) is back. Doors reopened Friday, with new menu in effect.
The Purple Bakeshop (780 Burnhamthorpe Rd., Unit 11) - aka your one-stop shop for Filipino desserts - adds another Mississauga outpost to its roster with Erin Mills Town Centre (5100 Erin Mills Pkwy).
Psst, Another secret destination just landed downtown. For the pizzeria hidden inside a hotel, see: Raff’s Pizza at The Annex Hotel (296 Brunswick Ave.).
Turkish and Mediterranean eatery Taksim Döner debuts today in North York (5908 Yonge St.). Grand opening special: Chicken Döner Sandwich and can of pop $6.99. Conditions apply.
9 Mile has been on my watchlist for some time. PSA: The Jamaican restaurant at Bloor and Landsdowne (1334 Bloor St. W.) just celebrated its grand opening.
CLOSED
Alma + GIl left Dupont (1543 Dupont St.), but brunch is still on offer. Details above.
East York’s long-running bakery in Pape Village, Hansen's Danish Pastry Shop (1017 Pape Ave.), has shuttered.
When one nightclub door closes - Juliet (510 King St. W.) - another opens. In the same space even. See openings above for info.
You’ve got until the end of the month to get in your goodbyes at The Oakwood Hardware Food & Drink (337 Oakwood Ave.).
NEWS
Hundreds of workers go on strike at Nestlé's Toronto plant.
A boycott’s brewing against behemoth grocer Loblaw and its other businesses including pharmacies, fashion and beauty brands, and financial services.
Chef Denis Garnoskov has been through it. A GoFundMe campaign has launched to help him reopen his restaurant, Stop.
Speaking of fundraisers, U.S.-based food critic Keith Lee visited Biscuits to Baskets (49 Beatty Rd.) and onsite Backyard Brewed Espresso Bar in Ajax as part of his epic food tour in Toronto and Scarborough last month. Per the “Keith Lee Effect,” people flocked to the property in droves. However, not all were on board with the home-based chocolate shop and cafe operating out of a shed in a backyard. A zoning complaint was filed and the biz is “being forced to move.” A post on their social media reads in part, “…it has come to our attention that our back shed is not a suitable space for business as it’s separate from the main house. This flew right under our radar and had not been addressed to us until now.” Keith Lee approved tees have been created to help raise money for the move, with all proceeds to go towards “the opening of a new home for our business in or near Ajax, Ontario.”
Food recalls: Western Family Yogurt covered pretzels and Milk chocolate covered pretzels recalled due to Salmonella.
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