OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News September 9-15, 2021
Photo courtesy of Maha's Fine Egyptian Cuisine.
My iconic OPEN/CLOSED is THE most comprehensive resource of restaurant openings (virtual/brick-and-mortar/popups/allll the things) and food/drink news in the city. No one does it bigger or better. Watch for the drop every Thursday. #ifyouknowyouknow
đź•’ 11.5 min read
This week’s roundup, robust as ever with 20 arrivals, is hotel heavy, with a good sprinkling of burgers, bubble tea and other essential comfort fare to get you through the back-to-school/back-to-work/where-are-all-my-sweaters crunch.
Here’s the very latest:
OPEN
Trinity-Bellwoods newest burger joint just dropped. The Bullger Burger & Steak took over neighbourhood fixture Churrasqueira Vila Verde Restaurant (869 Dundas St. W ), marking the third location for the local halal chain. The first debuted on the Danforth exactly one year ago, with a second closely following last winter.
Cango Sushi’s slogan was made for times like these: "Don't Think, Just Enjoy!" Find them in Little Italy at College & Ossington (808 College St.).
Daily Ritual Café debuted inside The One King West Hotel & Residence (1 King St. W.) Tuesday. Menu items currently include Eggs Benedict ($14), Mortadella Focaccia ($10.99), Tiffin Box ($29), and Action Packed Bowl ($11.99) - a bean-heavy rice bowl with sliced chicken breast, mixed greens, chia seeds and smoked chipotle dressing. Customers can also shop a selection of small grocery items, many from local providers.
ISO fish noodle soup and bubble tea in the downtown core? Head to Deer Garden Signatures (770 Bay St., Unit 1) at College & Bay.
Across the street, find Japanese eatery Gorudoya (761 Bay St.) next to Asian-fusion resto Lemon Tree S&S. Fun fact: Lemon Tree S&S’s other location can be found in my West Queen West Patio Guide.
The fifth outpost of burger/burrito/taco/rice bowl Grillies in Scarborough at Lawrence and Markham (3478 Lawrence Ave. E., Unit C) is open 24 hours, a rare feature pre-pandemic, and especially scarce in covid times.
I reported on incoming 1 Hotel Toronto (550 Wellington St. W.) two years ago. How time flies. Doors opened last month, including dining destination 1 Kitchen Toronto and Flora Lounge. Next up: Harriet's Rooftop, the first Canadian location for The h.wood group, the folks behind L.A. hotspots Bootsy Bellows, Delilah, The Nice Guy. Los Angeles is also home to a Harriet’s rooftop lounge. With a menu developed by Chef Derek Powers Jr., open concept sushi bar and poolside bottle service, it’s set to be one of the season’s buzziest destinations. Doors open Wednesday.
I first alerted you to the Annex branch of Hey Noodles (526 Bloor St. W.) back in July. The Bloor and Bathurst offshoot opens Saturday. [UPDATE Sept 10.21: The opening has been delayed due to construction. Stay tuned for further details.]
Impact Kitchen - known for its keto, paleo, and vegan options. –launches in Liberty Village Wednesday. This marks the fifth location for the health-centric fast-casual brand that debuted in 2015.
From ready-made prepared meals (Hambagu Steak Patty Special, Korean Bento Lunchboxes) to Asian pantry staples and cookware, K-Chon Korean Shopping Village (7500 Woodbine Ave.) in Markham takes the drudgery out of grocery shopping.
La Diperie landed in Leaside just a few weeks ago. It turns out the ice creamery has also set up shop in Port Credit (150 Lakeshore Rd. W.).
It’s been a minute since a new Mean Bao came on the scene. Say hey to the Kensington Market outpost (376 College St.).
Not Just Noodles (570 Yonge St.) has sat at the corner of Yonge and Wellesley for just about forever, so a change was long overdue. Lucky for you, the modifications work in your favour: the name remains unchanged, as do many of the menu items. The space was renovated, a new sign and some dishes added including Japanese fare and Thai selections including Pad Thai, with new owners and management on board.
The Ocaso Tacos pop-up at stackt market (28 Bathurst St.) by Ration Food Lab ensures every day is Taco Tuesday.
Psst. Park Hyatt Toronto (4 Avenue Rd.) has a luxurious new look and feel thanks to world-renowned designer Alessandro Munge of Studio Munge. The hotel’s 17th-floor cocktail bar The Writers Room boasting Ask The Dust - a revisited and improved White Negroni, Lamb Tartare, Uni Cream Puff; and a “new culinary destination” - yet to be revealed – are sure to set hearts aflutter. Doors open Wednesday.
If the mere mention of Stuffed Peppers, Mozzarella Sticks, Chicken Parm, and Cannoli gets your pulse racing, Roncy’s newest occupant is for you. Brought to you by The Commoner* team, Sienna's Italian American Kitchen (403 Roncesvalles Ave.), opens tomorrow. *Take a closer look at The Commoner College location in The Reveal.
Mediterranean eatery Tahini’s has largely been making a mark outside of the GTA – London, Hamilton, Whitby and Barrie. But all that’s changed with the new Etobicoke location (2257 Islington Ave.), with more on the horizon.
Berlin street food ghost kitchen Wolf Down (950 King St. W.) debuts tomorrow, with plans to expand across Canada and the U.S. What to expect: The menu’s tiny by design (Döner in the form of sando, salad or rice bowl), all items are one price ($14.50), and they’re open daily until 3am. Did you notice? They share the same address as other ghost operations including recent arrival Vera’s Burger Shack and the MrBeast Burger Pop-Up that took place in February.
Calling all chicken wing lovers: Wow! Wing House’s downtown (772 College St.) and Vaughan (9587 Weston Rd.) locations will sate your cravings.
CLOSED
Yorkville gem Chabrol (156 Cumberland Ave.) has shuttered for now. When I inquired about the closure, Executive Chef Doug Penfold replied, “We are not planning a reopening until at least sometime in 2022. We need to wait and see how the post covid world impacts high end dining.” Fingers crossed for its return next year (which btw, isn’t that far away).
I let you in on Core Bubble Tea (896 Queen St. E.) back in April and its subsequent opening in May. While it may return next summer, for now, service ended Labour Day. Core Korean Kitchen (same address) luckily remains, complete with patio. Learn about its founder, Chef Hyun Jung Kim.
Affordable drinks and grub and were the name of the game at Nirvana Restaurant (434 College St.) at College and Bathurst.
Siri Kitchen (808 College St.) arrived in Little Italy last summer, but has already been replaced. See above for details.
EVENTS
Explore Asian cuisines at 100+ participating venues with promotional deals for $10, $20, and $30 at this year’s AsialiciousTO. Launching Saturday, with the Asialicious Carnival kicking off festivities tomorrow.
Pro tip: Don’t sleep on Soft Dough Co.’s Dessert Bar pop-up at The Annex Food Hall (384 Bloor St. W.) Friday and Saturday. Dig into Alice’s bestselling Basque Burnt Cheesecake and Madeleines, as well as new items Tiramisu and German Apple Cake.
Toronto Veg Food Fest Popup 2021 is happening Saturday at Locomotive Hall at Steam Whistle Brewery.
If you read my chef series At The Pass, you’ll notice Negronis are by far the drink of choice. Starting Monday, get in on the action yourself during Negroni Week.
NEWS
Restaurants Canada is seeking sector-specific support from the next federal government to “ensure foodservice businesses can help create a million jobs in recovery and prevent labour shortages from becoming a long-term crisis.”
Yesterday, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole announced his plan to introduce a “Dine and Discover Program” that will “provide a 50 per cent rebate for food and non-alcoholic drinks purchased for dine-in from Monday to Wednesday for one month.”
April Brown and Sarah Sklash, founders of The June Motel in Prince Edward County and Sauble Beach, recently made the pages of Architectural Digest and have a new show, Motel Makeover, on Netflix.
Actor Tia Mowry stopped by Maha’s earlier this week.
And stay tuned, lots of exciting projects in the works. In the meantime, If you haven’t already subscribed to the 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.
Life moves fast - I wrote about +110 new arrivals in August alone. Catch up on previous editions of the OPEN/CLOSED.
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