Open/Closed for the week of August 15 – 21

 Aaaand we’re back to 11 restaurant openings this week. That, and a slew of events including the opening of The Ex.

p.s. I’ll have a closer look at all the new CNE foods for you tomorrow.

Here’s the very latest:

Open:

Canis Restaurant
746 Queen St. W.

Chef Jeff Kang (formerly of Bosk) and GM & Sommelier Adam Ashukian opened their Canadian restaurant last night.

Focusing on seasonal ingredients, the menu includes Ricotta Stuffed Pasta ($17) with maitake and corn; Sablefish ($26) with pea, celery and artichoke and Duck for Two ($55) with onion and wheat berry.

Stay tuned.

Habiba 
1225 Queen St. E.

Leslievillers can now get Middle Eastern to go.

Leña Restaurante
176 Yonge St.

Chef Anthony Walsh’sLeña is slated to on Wednesday. The South American restaurant named after his mother-in-law Elena covers three floors at the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store at Yonge & Richmond.

I’ll have a closer look for you soon.

Meow Cat Café
556 Mt Pleasant Rd.

Cat lovers rejoice! This uptown café comes complete with all sorts of feline cuteness.

Mnandi Pies  
707 Dundas St. W.

You now have a place to get hand-crafted Zimbabwean-style meat pies made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. 

Mnandi Pies celebrate their grand opening at their new home at Market 707 on Saturday from 11am-8pm.

Pizzeria Via Mercanti   
1499 Gerard St. E.

The Indian Bazaar just got a new pizzeria offering an array of Italian dishes from antipasti to panini, pizza and pasta, and if you still have room, dolci.

Poke Guys  
112 Elizabeth St.

Poke bowls are all the rage, so if you’ve got a hankering for the Hawaiian snack, you’ve got a new place right downtown to get it.

Pray Tell 
838 College St.

Officially open to the public tonight at 5pm, Pray Tell is a new snack bar designed and built by Nickie Minshall and Dustin Keating of Track & Field, with chef/partner Sonia Mondino (previously of Home of the Brave, Patois) at the stove.

Stay tuned.

Radical Road Brewing Co. 
1177 Queen St. E.

Craft brewery? Check. Taproom? Check. Great menu?

- Jamaican Curried Lamb Ribs ($16) with mango chilli glaze, toasted cashews and green onions
- BBQ Braised Beef ($19) with cola BBQ sauce, mac & cheese, greens and corn bread
- Gnocchi ($16) with wild mushroom ragout

Yessss.  Bottle shop soon to come.

Salt & Tobacco  
521 Parliament St.

Cabbagetown’s newest pizzeria opens on Monday.

Thai Mango
641 Dupont St.

Say hello to your newest destination for Pia Meuk Tod (Thai Calamari), Sriracha Shrimp, Curry Pad Thai, Oodles of Noodles with Lamb or Scallops, and Red Snapper in Tamarind Sauce.

Closed:

Riverside takeout spot Appetite has closed.

Byzantium on Church closed this weekend after over 20 years on the strip.

La Maquette is no longer a restaurant, but is available as a private event space through Berkeley Events. 

Joe’s Smokehouse BBQ at Queen and Leslie is gone after just a few months. In its place, Habiba with Middle Eastern takeout.

You’ll have to get your grilled cheese elsewhere now. Cheeseworks has closed after what they call "5-gouda years."

Wilbur Mexicana is temporarily closed due to HVAC system repairs. They’ll re-open next week.
 
News:

There are eight fantastic new reasons to go to Centennial College now. Their beautiful new culinary arts centre is home to eight new certificate courses:

Baking arts
Culinary arts
Healthy baking arts
Healthy culinary arts
Hotel operations
Restaurant operations
Wine appreciation
Wine, beer and spirits appreciation

Find out more.

Events:

Tonight head to the Queen West Night Market.

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) opens tomorrow. Be sure to check back then – I’ve got all the new foods debuting this year. You don’t want to miss it.

Starting tomorrow and lasting all week long, fire up your tastebuds at the Hot & Spicy Food Festival at Harbourfront.

Albert Campbell Square at the Scarborough Civic Centre is home to Scarborough Afro-Carib Fest on Saturday will food and beer.

Taste of Manilla   s the biggest Filipino street festival in Canada. Celebrations take place Saturday and Sunday in "Little Manila" at Bathurst and Wilson.

Saturday and Sunday, Sweetery Toronto takes over David Pecaut Square.

This Sunday, satiate your sweet tooth at the Toronto Bakers Market. 

Also on Sunday, it’s the Wild Blueberry Festival  at Evergreen Brick Works. The day will be packed with fun for the whole family, with games, contests, prizes and lots of wild blueberry-inspired food.

Be sure to also check out our August calendar of events for what’s happening later in the month. 

And lastly:

In this week’s Reveal, we take you inside Rolltation, Toronto’s first sushi burrito restaurant where unexpected ingredients and a love of Toronto combine.

Check out Hibachi Teppanyaki & Bar, where you get dinner and a show.

Wine or beer for a BBQ is fine, but these cocktails were made for summertime grilling.

You deserve a little getaway. So get out of the city and spend the weekend in wine country.