Open/Closed for the week of February 6-12
Slogging your way through February?
These 11 new spots around town will brighten your day.
Here’s the very latest:
Open:
1077 Bloor St. W.
A restobar dedicated to the 90’s is now open near Dufferin.
Enjoy pub fare (Ham & Cheese Waffles, Sloppy Joe on Cornbread, and Deep-Fried Cauliflower & Broccoli, for example) while listening to 90’s music.
440 Christie St.
Need a caffeine fix in Davenport Village? The co-owners of Lil' Baci have got you covered.
In addition to coffee, enjoy sandwiches and soups paired with local craft beers, wine and cocktails, as well as vintage board games and records.
The new spot opens Wednesday.
9340 Bathurst St.
The first North American outpost of the popular Israeli chain opened in Vaughan earlier this week.
Hours are 7:30am-10:30pm for now.
454 Bloor St. W.
You’ve known and loved Eva’s Chimney cakes and cones at festivals and events for years.
Now the freshly baked Hungarian pastries have a permanent home in the Annex.
Doors open Sunday.
179 Enterprise Blvd.
Markham’s new Louisiana-inspired seafood restaurant has got to be the biggest one yet - boasting 220 seats over 6,800 sq. ft.
It even has a sports bar built in, complete with 18 Ontario craft beers on tap including Beau’s All Natural, Great Lakes Brewery, Muskoka Brewery, and Amsterdam Brewery Co.
Their "soft opening" hours right now are Sun-Thurs 5pm-11pm, Fri & Sat 5pm-12am.
199 Augusta Ave.
The new restaurant and wine bar in Kensington by Jen Agg (Black Hoof, Cocktail Bar, and Rhum Corner in Toronto; Agrikol in Montreal) and Chef Mitchell Bates (formerly Chef de Cuisine at Momofuku Shoto in Toronto, Momofuku Ko in New York) opened last night.
Dishes include Salmon with maitake, dill, soy; and Ravioli with sweet potato, black truffle.
I’ll have a closer look for you soon.
538 Manning Ave.
The a la carte menu will be ready mid-month. In the meantime, you can enjoy new daily dishes - last night’s menu featured Oxtail Ravioli ($18), Cassoulet ($24) and Duo of Monk Fish & Prawns ($26).
For Valentine's Day, enjoy a 4-course tasting menu and wine pairing ($60/pp).
1421 Bloor St. W.
Coffee, vegan soups, baked goods (breakfast sandwiches, cookies, pain au chocolat, etc.) are now readily available in the Junction at Bloor and Sterling.
2291 Yonge St.
The second location of the sushi burrito restaurant opens today.
1541 Dundas St. W.
Brocton Village’s newest coffee shop features a point blank gun mural.
25 The West Mall
Union Chicken. created by Toronto hospitality team Yannick Bigourdan, Adam Teolis, Michael Angeloni and Dan Kennedy, opens today at Sherway Gardens.
Free-range organic chicken from family-run farms in Ontario are done on the rotisserie or fried. In addtion to chicken main, there are 10 sides, 4 desserts and 6 breakfast items.
Dig in and sip on wine, craft beer and cocktails pre-, post- or mid-shop.
Closed:
Mexitaco in Bloorcourt Village has closed after 15 years, but they’ll soon reopen at 1109 Victoria Park Ave.at St. Clair Ave. East.
Triple Z Roti Shop in The Junction is papered up.
News:
The patio drama continues.
Get Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream delivered right to your door starting Tuesday. The new delivery service, is available until summer. Flavours include: Cherry Garcia, Half Baked, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, with two new non-dairy flavours (P.B. & Cookies Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert and Coffee Caramel Fudge Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert).
Ben & Jerry’s on-demand Toronto delivery is available February 14 from 12- 10 pm. then Monday to Sunday from 5- 10pm. As a special promotion on Valentine’s Day only, customers can buy one pint and get one free with the use of promo code SHARETHELOVE (case sensitive).
Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. Stuck for time? Help is on the way thanks to grocery delivery app Instabuggy , offering 1 hour wine and chocolate delivery.
Events:
This is your final day to enjoy Winterlicious, so get out there and enjoy the prix fixe extravaganza. Still don’t know where to go? These top spots and our Winterlicious Guide make it easy.
Today is the first of two Second Harvest Hero Days. Green masked heroes will be stationed throughout TTC stations and PATH locations, spreading awareness about food rescue and hunger. Donations are appreciated.
This Saturday from 11am-5pm, beat the cold and head to Roundhouse Winter Craft Beer Fest.
Chef Christina Tosi, founder and owner of Milk Bar, author and two-time James Beard Award winner, is signing books at The Drake Hotel on Sunday, followed by a desert pop-up. On Monday night, she’ll be a guest judge for the 86'd Milk Bar Cereal Milk(TM) White Russian Battle, presented by Absolut and Kahlua.
The inaugural Toronto Light Fest, sponsored by The Distillery Restaurants, takes place until March 12 in the Distillery District. Lights come on after sundown, illuminating an exhibit of art installations from across the globe.
Recipe For Change is just around the corner. For one night only, 30 Toronto chefs are cooking for a very important cause. Get tickets now.
And lastly:
Tired of the same old same old? Go somewhere unexpected this Valentine’s Day.
Nothing fancy since 1967. Family-run diner Patrician Grill is turning 50. Discover why it remains one of Toronto’s best restaurants.
Chef Brandon Olsen of new French resto La Banane has worked in prestigious kitchens. Find out where, his advice for new chefs, and more in this month’s Chef Bites.
Weekend to-do list: Discover Twenty-Valley’s amazing wineries, dine fireside + bring home the best butter tarts.