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

🕘 11.5 min read

After last week’s slight lull - 14 is nothing to sneeze at (and a bigger pull than the rest), however it’s still slow in my world - this week ramps back up: Introducing 22 arrivals and a whack of closures, not to mention a slew of fests and events and important news to get caught up on  And stay tuned – more news ahead in The Tip Off, exclusively available in the TR Newsletter. 

Pro tip: Make sure you’re following on Instagram and Facebook - exciting news and announcements coming soon.

Here’s the very latest:

OPEN 

Beachcomber’s (1980 Queen St. E.) pre-opening menu this weekend feature comfort food classics with a twist, including Mac & Cheese Wedges ($13.95), Pretzel Twist & Dip Trio ($13.95), Plant Burger ($16.95), Nashville Chicken Sando ($16.95), and Calamari Po Boy ($18.95).

Newmarket is outside my usual radius, but Canada’s first Bombay Frankies, a fast casual Indian street food resto chain created by B.C. celebrity chef and restaurateur Vikram Vij (Vij’s, My Shanti, Sutra)  and Eat Up Canada - a Master Franchisee for Pokeworks, “the world’s largest and leading fast casual, premium poke brand”  - kicks off Tuesday. Too far? Just wait. Four more are planned to launch in the GTA next year. 

Grab drinks and check out performances by up-and-coming DJs and artists at Boombox (647 College St.) in the heart of Little Italy.

Today’s one-day pop-up of Cali’s Bopomofo Café’s at Markham’s Kiu Japanese Restaurant (169 Enterprise Blvd.) is likely to be crowded with fans. If you can get in, get your hands on Bopomofo’s Honey Walnut Shrimp Burger, Mapo Tots, and bubble tea alongside Kiu’s Albacore Tuna Tacos and Beef Cheek Maze Udon from 12-8pm or sold out. 

D Spot Dessert Café has been rapidly expanding across the GTA this year. The latest debuts Sunday in Markham (3000 Hwy 7, Unit A14) 1pm-midnight. To celebrate the grand opening, customers receive a free waffle (1 per person) and free t-shirt (while supplies last). 

Earla’s Kitchen (477 Oakwood Ave.) at Oakwood and Vaughan specializes inauthentic Grenadian cuisine. Think: Grenada’s national dish Oil Down ($17) and staples including Chicken Roti ($12) and Goat Head Soup ($10). (If you were a TR Newsletter subscriber, you’d be digging in already.)

ISO a HK style café? Gold Spring Restaurant (8360 Kennedy Rd.) just debuted in Markham with an array of dishes including afternoon tea, baked rice specials, light meal lunch sets, and dinner options including 10 oz New York AAA Striploin, Fish Fillet, and New Zealand Lamb Rack.

I’ve been tracking Gong Cha’s tea shops for years. Find the latest on the east side in The Beaches (1918A Queen St. E.).

When one door closes, another opens. Good Behaviour’s shop in Gerrard India Bazaar (1324A Gerrard St. E.) debuts tomorrow 11am-9pm, replete with subs and ice cream. 

Good Taste Casserole Rice (5205 Yonge St.) in North York is celebrating its grand opening. This marks the third outpost for the Chinese eatery where you can tuck into ‘Four Treasures” such as barbecue eel, preserved pork, duck, and ribs over rice.

Hi Yogurt has been hoppin' lately. This time they’re brightening up grocery shopping with their signature yogurt shakes at FreshCo Don Mills (2395 Don Mills Rd.) and month-long specials.

From the folks behind Etobicoke’s Pizzeria Oro Di Napoli (2312 Lake Shore Blvd. W.) and downtown’s Cafe Oro di Napoli (75 Jarvis St.) comes La Casetta (900 Millwood Rd.), nestled in the heart of Leaside. On the menu: Wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas made with 72-hour fermented dough, homemade pastas, and much more. Grand opening festivities took place yesterday.

I let you in on Josh McIlwaine's #iykyk pandemic hit Mac's Pizza last winter. What began out of an apartment quickly grew to a weekly pop-up, followed by a spot inside Shaker’s Club. If you subscribe to the TR Newsletter, you got the scoop last month that a spot of MP’S very own was secured at Bloor and Dovercourt (759 Dovercourt Rd.) in Village Pizza's former digs. Attention pizzaphiles: Doors opened yesterday.

Big City Jerk and Green Destiny just arrived at Queen and Parliament (356 Queen St. E.). Migente Cocina joins the mix with a lineup of Ecuadorian empanadas, ceviches, soups and sandos, mains, sides and desserts.

I’ve been keeping you in the loop about Beauty Oziegbe’s stellar Naija Jollof for years now. Check out her new restaurant and lounge in Cabbagetown, (507 Parliament St.), long-time home of Peartree, followed by LJS Khasos Restaurant + Bar.

Nav’s Grocery (89 Queen’s Quay W.) at the waterfront boasts a wide range of products including Canadian and Indian brands and is open seven days a week.

The North Taiwanese Cuisine (360 Hwy 7, Unit 3)  has landed in Richmond Hill with “authentically Taiwanese” fare: thick rich soups, crunchy popcorn chicken, and fluffy bao are just the beginning.

Ossington Coffee & Bakery (739 Ossington Ave.), conveniently located across from Ossington subway station, boasts Ethiopian treats made fresh on-site daily. Stop in for coffee and pastries including samosas and patties. (Note: TR Newsletter subscribers got the jump on this one too.)

The latest addition to the Playa Cabana fam takes over what was once East Thirty-Six and Lucien in the St. Lawrence Market ‘hood (36 Wellington St. E.) with an array of Mexican fare and tequila.

Avomango Smoothie with Coconut Milk is just one of the popular options at BBT shop Rainbow Tea in Markham (3623 Hwy 7, Unit 108).

Seafood boil restaurants had a moment in the 6ix years ago, but the craze of dining on boil-in-bag fare eaten while wearing plastic gloves seems to have cooled. Quebec chain Seau de Crabe’s is all about it. They’ve set up shop in Mississauga (670 Eglinton Ave. W., Unit 4) for you to “choose your catch.” Selections include buckets of shrimp, mussels, alongside an assortment of fish, crustaceans and sides.

Catching a movie or concert at Queen and Coxwell? Shawarma Factory (1608 Queen St. E.) is the latest fast casual option in the area.

CLOSED 

Turkish street food chain and home of “Toronto's 1st fusion döner kebab,” AMOR Fusion Doner & Kebab switched monikers last year. Changes continue as the brand shuttered the Queen and Coxwell location (1608 Queen St. E.).  The second – and only remaining - location in the Village (556 Church St.) that debuted in 2020, is ready to serve you.

Chef Howard Dubrovsky’s Bar Sybanne (229 Ossington Ave.) landed on the strip back in 2017. While this chapter is officially closed, a new concept is in the works. Stay tuned.

Chantecler closed due to a fire in November '19, but that didn't stop owner/restaurateur Jacob Wharton-Shukster. He launched Le Phénix across the street in January 2020. The temporary French resto quickly became an award-winning destination that felt like a forever spot. Psst. Doors are closing December 31, so get in while you can. Good news: Chantecler is returning early next year. In the meantime, get to know Chef de Partie Manek Singh. FYI, TR Newsletter subscribers are already on it. The next one, too.

Chef Craig Wong’s seafood wine bar Mignonette atop his successful Caribbean-Asian resto Patois (794 Dundas St. W.) debuted in 2020. TR Newsletter subscribers also already. For those catching up, the concept, harkening back to his fine dining days (Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, Heston Blumental’s The Fat Duck), has temporarily closed (open for private events only). Stay tuned for "new tings" coming 2023.

Next door to Leaside’s new arrival La Casetta, Millwood Melt (902 Millwood Rd.) packed it in after 11 years.

Following the closure of the Riverside location earlier this year, the remaining Nightowl (647 College St.) has shuttered. The party ain’t over though. See above for details. 

Riptide Beach Pub (1980 Queen St. E.) debuted in the Beaches in 2020.

EVENTS

From fall fairs to Halloween haunts, the TR October Fests + Events Calendar is your one-stop-shop for food and drink fetes in Toronto and across the GTA. Get the complete lineup now. Pro tip: Be sure to check back often as new events are added weekly.

NEWS

Felice (Phil) Gintoli of Ponesse Foods at the St. Lawrence Market (93 Front St. E.), has died. Known as "The King of the Berries" to many, Phil worked in the market for more than 40 years. Ponesse Foods will be closed Sunday October 16. A book for condolences is available at the Market's main entrance on Front Street.

Negroni sbagliato is having a moment thanks to TikTok.

Luxury clothing brand Balenciaga follows the divisive Trash Bag with a Lay’s Bag, bringing serious couch potato vibes to the runway.

The recalls continue: Add Certain Circle K/Couche Tard Sandwiches and Optimus Gemini 2-Burner Gas Stove to the list. [UPDATE 10.18.22: Enoki Mushroom recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes.]

Please support local businesses whenever possible.

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

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