OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News October 14-20, 2021
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. #ifyouknowyouknow
🕒 12.5 min read
Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs played the Montréal Canadians at Scotiabank Arena to 100 per cent capacity crowd of approximately 19K while restaurants remain stalled at a 50 per cent cap. Rumblings are that this may change Monday. Fingers/ladles crossed.
In the meantime, I’ve got 24 arrivals for you sink your teeth into.
Here’s the very latest:
OPEN
Amano Trattoria (9 Church St.),”inspired by” sister venture Amano Italian Kitchen, debuts Tuesday with an assortment of handmade pasta, traditional style pizza, and assaggini boards.
Greg O’Brien has been in hospitality for 15+ years, most recently at Beckta Dining & Wine in Ottawa. Then COVID-19 hit. Off work and at home, trying to figure out what to do, he and wife Sarah workshopped ideas over cocktails every day 4pm, finally dreaming up Bar from Afar, a delivery-based speakeasy style cocktail kit operation, with mixer kits that allow customers to choose a variety of spirits - as opposed to the usual gin or vodka based boxes. Demand in the country’s capital was high. Then requests from the 6ix started to appear. After pop-ups in the GTA last spring were “super well received,” O’Brien tells me, they launched the biz here two weeks ago at King and Niagara (229 Niagara St.). The commercial kitchen where syrups and purees are made, remains in Ottawa.
The Benue arrived at the corner of Christie and Davenport (440 Christie St.) just before Christmas, but with the windows papered up, the Nigerian eatery went largely undetected outside the pickup/delivery zone. Pro tip: Don’t sleep on these soups, stews, savoury snacks (Sausage Roll, Meat Pie, Scotch Egg) and mains such as Asun ($20) Roasted chunks of goat meat, tripe, and cow skin garnished with scotch bonnet peppers and onions; Peppered Snail ($22.99) ssautéed with onions and peppers, drizzled in a spicy sauce; Turkey ($12.99) Grilled turkey wing and drumstick smothered in a flavourful tomato-based sauce; Party Jollof Rice ($9.99) infused with spices, tomatoes, and smoky flavours.
The Black Lagoon Pop-Up helmed by industry vets Kelsey Ramage (Supernova Ballroom, Dolly Trolly Drinks) and LA-based Erin Hayes (Westward Whiskey, LiveWire Drinks) has finally arrived. The “Toronto Halloween pop-up of your nightmares” pops off today in Bloorcourt (866 Bloor St. W.), running through to Allhallows Eve, natch.
Café/bottle shop Boxcar Social officially opens in the lobby of at The Waverly at College and Spadina (484 Spadina Ave.) tomorrow at 8am. This marks the fourth locations for the local hotspot for wine, whisky and third wave java.
Since Gong Cha’s inception in 2006 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the tea company has grown to 1.1K shops across 20 countries. The newest addition: 451 Danforth Ave. in Greektown.
Johnson Family Bakery specializes in naturally leavened artisan bread and Swedish pastries. The home baked goods by trained chef Charles Johnson can be found inside The Dizzy Gastro Sports Pub (305 Roncesvalles Ave.) Thursday to Sunday, in addition to home delivery.
Hot tip: Konjiki Ramen and accompanying Saryo Café softly launched today at Yorkdale (3401 Dufferin St.). Note: A limited menu will be available for a few days while staff is trained. Did you know? The first North American location of the Tokyo Michelin guide recommended Japanese ramen restaurant by Mr. Atsushi Yamamoto opened in Toronto in December 2017. A second debuted downtown earlier this year.
Psst: MIMI Chinese (265 Davenport Rd.) doesn’t open ‘til next week, but resos are happening today. Discover more about this exciting venture from the talented folks behind Sunny’s Chinese.
Tucked away in an industrial block in Vaughan/Woodbridge is Muncho Gusto (271 Jevlan Dr., Unit 17) with a focused menu: tacos, burrito, burger, nachos, pizza fries and meat-stuffed quesadillas (Cheeseburger, Philly Cheesesteak).
First came the Nani's Gelato food truck featuring Parry Sohi’s handmade, small batch artisan Asian and Italian gelato. Next, he secured a spot near Yonge & Bloor Summer 2020. Adding to the brand’s immense success, a shop in Mississauga (6039 Erin Mills Pkwy) just debuted.
Nusa Dua [N2] Kitchen & Bar (56 Bathurst St.) at Bathurst and Wellington does a mix of traditional Indonesian with fusion fare added in for good measure. For instance, Balinese famous grilled fowl Bebek Betutu ($31.99) Half duck, rice and sambal matah; Nasi Goreng ($17.99) Indonesian style egg fried rice studded with shredded chicken, topped with sunny-side egg; Rendang Wrap ($15.99) Beef rendang, purple cabbage, and yellow rice wrapped in tortilla; Tempeh Satay ($16.99) Grilled tempeh skewer (3) served with peanut sauce and white rice.
Oddseoul (90 Ossington Ave.) is back, this time with a new owner and some new menu items. Come thru.
Find Shelley Delight in the food court at Scarborough’s Parkway Mall (85 Ellesmere Rd.) “specializing in, but never limited to, Caribbean cuisine” by self-taught chef Michelle Berry. Berry, known as Shelley, is the creator behind Shelley Cares Foundation, a registered not-for-profit charitable organization established in 2018 “guided by a mission to positively impact local communities by confronting poverty and hunger,” currently partnered with the Toronto Public Library to provide 10 wi-fi hot spots “to low-income families, seniors, or individuals who face barriers in accessing internet connectivity in their homes, especially at this time.”
Soft Dough Co.’s pop-up at The District Kitchen in Square One (100 City Centre Dr.) commences today with Basque cheesecakes, cinnamon buns, madeleines, cream cakes, coffee and tea.
The Source Bulk Foods has been expanding its footprint across the GTA this last while. I was the first to tell you about the zero waste bulk store from Australia’s outposts in Roncy earlier this year. Doors opened yesterday in Leslieville (901 Queen St. E.).
Bubble tea shop Suntea offers a wide range of selections, some that appear as much snack as sipper: Purple Sticky Rice & Tofu Milk Tea, Ovaltine Crunch & Boba Milk Tea, Cheese Cream Matcha. See for yourself at their new satellites at Yonge and Finch (5373 Yonge St.) and Markham East (5990 16th Ave., Unit 222), following an unveiling in Richmond Hill (280 West Beaver Creek Rd, Unit 12) in March.
Sweet2th materialized in Oakville (300 Lakeshore Rd. E.) with a boatload of sweets in the form of candy, chocolate, ice cream, gelato, and crepes, just in time for Halloween.
It’s been a minute (nearly two years) since Track & Field – est 2015 - charmed crowds with their libations/lawn games combo housed n a subterranean spot at College and Ossington ( 860 College St.). T&F is back, this time in a new spot - Little Italy (582 College St.) where Mad Crush Wine Bar and later The Peacock Public House once stood - with new games and ‘Snack & Field’ menu by chef Matt Basile, founder of Fidel Gatro’s. Doors open tomorrow.
Aromatic Egyptian sandos paired with dukka dusted fries at a price you can afford – what’s not to love? Thus, it’s no surprise last year’s arrival Tut’s Egyptian Street Food at King and Portland has been such a success. The second outpost quietly opened in Little Italy (617 College St.) last week where Masalawala Indian Canteen was.
Twisted Indian Wraps’ roti and naan wraps, Indian burgers and tacos and keto bowls have been popular at the Yonge and St. Clair eatery that debuted July 2020. Mississauga just got one to call its very own (1560 Dundas St. E., Bldg C3, Unit 2).
CLOSED
TR Newsletter subscribers got the intel first - Adam Skelly, owner of controversial chain Adamson Barbecue, has permanently closed all three locations.
There’s already a new concept where The Elm Tree (43 Elm St.) stood. See above.
Ryus Noodle Bar’s west end location (669 Queen St. W.) closed May 9, however the Broadview and Danforth spot (786 Broadview Ave.), complete with patio, is here to stay.
Thindi’s last day at World Food Market (335 Yonge St.) will be October 27. Operations are moving to the cafe location on College (400 College St.).
EVENTS
TR Newsletter subscribers were the first to know about Irene Matys - local farm-to-table advocate, food stylist, recipe developer, and on air expert on The Marilyn Denis Show - taking over the Cheese Boutique Food Truck Sunday to cook her favourite Cypriot street food made with hyper local ingredients. BONUS: All proceeds - 100% - will go to support Lighthouse 4 Grieving Children, an organization in Oakville providing a safe place for grieving children, youth, and families to support each other as they move through their grief.
Vegandale Festival takes place Saturday at Fork York.
NEWS
Verify Ontario, the vaccine confirmation app for businesses, launched today on Apple and Google.
Filming of Dan Brown’s ‘The Lost Symbol’ took over the Patrician Grill earlier this week. Fun fact: It’s a popular setting for film and TV shoots.
Noma is the best in the world, again. Did you know: It’s the majority of top picks for restaurants to visit in my acclaimed chef series, At The Pass.
Stay tuned – more news ahead in The Tip Off, exclusively available in the TR newsletter.
ICYMI
Khao Gaeng in Etobicoke should definitely be on your radar. Think: Thai comfort food by way of rich curries, aromatic stir-fries and addictive noodles. In this week’s At The Pass, chef/owners Nina Chaiwisescharoen and Rida Kongkaew share their latest cookbook purchases, fridge essentials, favourite locals + much more. Read the inspiring interview.
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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