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

I told you things were ramping up: 21 arrivals and 10 closures this week is just the tip of the iceberg. My findings for the next drop are already piled high, so if you haven’t dug into last week’s edition or earlier tomes yet, get on it because the rush to open before the new year is in full effect.

And stay tuned, more news ahead in The Tip Off, exclusively available in the TR Newsletter. 

Here’s the very latest:

OPEN

TR readers got the scoop on the The Auld Spot Pub (347 Danforth Ave.) earlier this summer. Update: Head in and check out the freshly reno’d digs by Jaspal Singh, owner of Sher-E-Punjab next door (351 Danforth Ave.) with grub by chef Omkar Sant, fresh from Richmond Station.

The second Toronto outpost of Montreal-based Au Pain Doré (81 Front St. E.) has replaced Starbucks, steps away from the St. Lawrence Market. What’s on offer at the bakery café chain? Croissants, quiche,  tarts and sandwiches, for starters.

Psst. Markham has a new Japanese bistro and tapas bar. Azabu (5 Glen Cameron Rd., Unit 23A) softly opened last night. 

The pandemic has proven insanely busy for Café Landwer. The progression continues with the sixth Toronto/GTA branch of the café restaurant chain that began in Berlin in 1919 debuted inside Yorkdale Mall (3401 Dufferin St.) yesterday.

From cutting chai to railway cutlets, Oakville’s ChaiPani – The Indian Streetary (2501 Third Line, Unit D10) celebrates Indian street food. Grand opening festivities took place September 2.

Chicago-style Italian beef is having a moment. (See: Italian Beef destinations Marq's Chicago Beef of May '21 and recent addition Frank Ranalli’s Italian Beef.) Chicago’s (111 Lakeshore Rd. W.) in Mississauga puts the spotlight on the Windy City’s famed sandos and hot dogs, accompanied by fresh cut fries, milkshakes and ice cream.

Chito’s Pizza Dufferin outpost (3616 Dufferin St.) temporarily closed due to fire in May. PSA: The fam’s back in business, with a lineup of pizza, shawarma, lahmacun, and their famed shawarma pizza.

Seafood wholesaler Coast to Coast Seafood (1220 Davenport Rd.) at the corner Of Oakwood And Davenport provides both industry and the public with a selection of fresh, frozen and live seafood from fish to lobster, oysters to caviar.

Italian café and coffee roaster Ditta Artigianale (612 Richmond St. W.) officially opened its first Toronto café today, following a soft launch last Monday. This marks not just the first location in the 6ix but internationally for the Florence-based, third-wave specialty coffee roaster.

East enders have a new stop for BBT: Great Fruit Bubble Tea (2596 Danforth Ave.) at Danforth and Main.

North York’s Loocha% (5 Northtown Way, Unit 14) isn’t your typical café. From Salted Egg Yolk Milk Tea to Pistachio Basque Cake, offerings come with a twist. Take their “Dirty Coffee” for instance, consisting of three layers: “The top layer is Espresso, the middle layer is evaporated milk, and the third layer is ‘Eosbock’ which we extract. Many babies don't know what Eosbock is. “[Editors note: Commonly known as eisbock] “Eosbock is actually a frozen purification process, through the milk freezing process can purify the essence of milk. This process preserves the most valuable parts of the milk, doubles the nutritional content, and makes Eosbock richer in flavor and smoother in texture.”

Smash burgers are the name of the game at Toronto’s Matt’s Burger Lab. Attn Etobicoke: You can get your hands on chef Matt Yilmaz’s items including the Veggie Burger ($11), Fried Egg Smash ($11), Bacon Chicken Tenders Smash ($16), and Churros ($8), without driving downtown (290 The West Mall).

One Pound (1960 Yonge St., 2nd Fl.) in Midtown is all about sponge cakes made with Swiss meringue buttercream: Blueberry Cream Cheese, Earl Grey, Ferrero Rocher Hazelnut, and Strawberry Shortcake, to be exact.

Petti Fine Foods (3077 Dundas St. W.) in the Junction helps solve mealtime dilemmas with an array of fresh and frozen pasta, frozen meat, sides (frozen yuca fries), desserts (chocolate hazelnut cookies, gluten-free apple pie), and pantry items.

Pokito’s been serving up poke bowls since 2016. The latest spot for their Hawaiian fare: Chef’s Hall (111 Richmond St. W.).

TR Newsletter subscribers were the first to hear about Ramen Buta-Nibo (547 Danforth Ave.), the first Jiro-style (aka gatsuri-style) ramen restaurant in Toronto, opening soon in Greektown, "supervised" by nearby Ryus Noodle Bar (786 Broadview Ave.). This just in: Doors softly opened today.  

Yvonne Robertson has added a new member to her Uptown premium tea and wellness shop. Robyn Coffey moved her dessert destination Robyn’s Cookies from 3215 Yonge St. in with Sahara & Co (953 Mount Pleasant Rd.). Shop tea, cookies, candles, bath salts and more all under one roof.

After a few delays, unusually named Shawarma Moose (898 College St.) debuted yesterday in the space formerly home to The Portuguese Chicken Guys, who are relocating.

Ugly Delicious (199 Baldwin St.), not to be confused with chef David Chang’s Netflix series, specializes in smash burgers made with a signature blend of Wagyu and premium AAA beef. The focused menu offers a few variations on the classics including The Ugly Delicious ($60) boasting seven patties, American cheese, and all the fixins. Doors open this weekend. 

Wings Up came on the scene this summer and shows no signs of slowing down: The High Park branch - and 26th location - launched yesterday (1733 Bloor St.. W.). Bonus: Enjoy the opening special: 15 per cent off all online and walk-in orders when you use code HIGHPARK15 until November 13. Conditions apply.

Young Tea (990 St Clair Ave. W.) combines boba and other beverages (Honey Lemon Kumquat Tea, Taro Slush, Avocado Smoothie, Viet Coffee) with Vietnamese fare by way of banh mi, grilled meat and vermicelli, and variety of fresh and crispy rolls

CLOSED

“Toronto's most authentic hummus restaurant,” Abu Hummus launched in Kensington Market (199 Baldwin St.) July 2020. A year later, a Thornhill outpost debuted. Both have shuttered.

Boutique Bar (506 Church St.) is on the move. You’ve got until Monday to soak up memories in the Village.

COPS east end pop-up (aka Matilda x East Room Cop-Up) comes to an end on Sunday. Insider tip: Don’t panic. A new location is launching nearby (89 Lewis St.) next week. Get a preview November 4, complete with a free 6 pack of doughnuts. 5pm until sold out.

D Lish Cupcakes (833 Queen St. W.) has been a fixture in the 6ix for over a decade. Monday is the final day to say goodbye.

lOOCHA%’s Markham outpost (3623 Hwy 7,Unit 108) may have closed but “dirty coffees” are close by. Details above.

Juliana Social (387 Broadview Ave.) opened at the edge of East Chinatown in July 2019. Currently, windows are papered over and a note is posted to the door: “To our lovely community, The Time to move on is sadly upon us and we will be closing the café. Our last day open will be Oct 12th. We want to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your encouragement through the opening of the café and the pandemic which followed shortly after. You kept our spirits high. It was a wonderful experience getting to know the neighbourhood, and we truly appreciate you! Look forward to something exciting here at 287 Broadview in the new year… Lots of love, Juliana’s.”

I gave you the head’s up weeks ago: Saturday’s the last day to visit Ombretta Cucina + Vino (121 Lakeshore Rd. W.) in Mississauga.

Original Grill (547 Danforth Ave.) in Greektown stuck it out for a while. To discover what’s in its place, see above.

The closure of Thor Espresso’s King West spot (35 Bathurst St.) on Halloween “isn’t goodbye,” and their outpost with Odin Coffee Roasters at Queen and John (180 John St.) remains open. 

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

No injuries were reported after a fire at Gusto 101 (101 Portland St.) on Friday. Doors reopened Saturday.

The Competition Bureau, an independent law enforcement agency that “protects and promotes competition for the benefit of Canadian consumers and businesses” announced a study into grocery prices. One expert however, has reservations.

Experiencing “huge drops in traffic and shoppers” (“as high as 70 per cent”) due to a host of city repairs and extensive construction and other projects, Cabbagetown businesses have had enough.  

York Region is reminding residents and businesses of a food recall warning “after recently receiving a report of a York Region resident being hospitalized due to a suspected aconite exposure.” 

In other food recall news, UNREAL brand dark chocolate coconut minis have been recalled due to Salmonella. And household cleaners Pine-Sol Scented Multi-Surface Cleaners have been recalled due to risk of exposure to bacteria.

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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