Open/Closed: Toronto Restaurant News October 31-November 6, 2019

Uh, FYI - this week is insane. I’ve got 18 new destinations for you, and news and closures you’ll want to take note of.

If you can still fit in Halloween festivities on top of all this, good on ya.

Here’s the very latest:

OPEN

If you read last week’s Open/Closed, you’ll know that O&B’s Babel (305 York Mills Rd.) offered early entry for those in the know. Doors to the public officially open tomorrow.

Rwar. Black Cat Espresso Bar (46 Rosemount Ave.) expands to North York with their second location, kicking off tomorrow at 8am. Grand opening celebrations take place on Saturday with free coffee, pastries, and sandwiches.

Bubble Lee launched their first Canadian outpost downtown in August, and they haven’t slowed down since: A second followed in Markham earlier this month, with the third now open at Yonge & Wellesley.

One of the best bars is the city just got better. Now you’ve got two Cold Tea Bars to choose from: the original location in Kensington Market and new digs in Parkdale (1186 Queen St. W., former home of Brooklynn Bar). Clink.

Good Vibes Kitchen (1299 Danforth Ave.) fab menu is filled with an array of enticing fare, including: curries, roti, jerk chicken, king fish, plantains, and patties.

The first Hey Sugar in Scarborough launches tomorrow (3278 Midland Ave., Unit D116). The bubble tea chain with +1,000 locations in China is giving away free tea all weekend.

Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu (134 Dundas St. E.) comes direct from Japan and softly opens tonight at 5pm. Choose from five types of gyukatsu (Japanese deep-fried beef cutlet) - Ribeye roll, chuck flap, tenderloin, tongue, and Wagyu – served with rice, curry or creamy onsen egg. Can’t decide which one to get? Order a Half & Half.

The 18,000-square-foot, three-storey flagship of Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar (365 Bay St.) is here. Lush features include a 35-foot wraparound bar, “white linen” dining room, and whisky and champagne bar, for starters. Stay tuned.

Kibo Sushi House now has 14 locations across the GTA, including latest arrivals Kibo Annex (549 Bloor St. W.) and Kibo Lakeshore Express (2945 Lake Shore Blvd.) in Etobicoke.

Neo-bistro and wine bar Lapinou (642 King St. W., Suite 102) debuted this weekend. Dishes include: Crab on Toast, Foie Gras Parfait, Sweetbread, Salt Baked Celariac, Monkfish, Whole Fish, and Côte de Boeuf.

Lil’ Joe Cucina & Bar (1054 Gerrard St E.) took over from Pollyanna as of yesterday. Along with the name, the menu has changed to “Italian-inspired” fare, but owners (also of Eastside Social) and chefs remain the same.

Healthy chain Mad Radish scored their seventh spot (fourth in the GTA) at Vaughan Mills (1 Bass Pro Mills Dr.). Doors open Wednesday.

You can go to Mom's Basement (1430 Danforth Ave.) - a bar serving “nostalgia and beer with a side order of Donkey Kong and cocktails,” starting tomorrow.

Indulge in your love of boba at the tenth OneZo Tapioca in Vaughan (3175 Rutherford Rd., Unit 41).

Think poke is a warm-weather food? Think again. Pokéwave (514 Yonge St.) has softly launched on Yonge between Wellesley and College.

Trinity Bellwoods continues its recent evolution with the addition of The Roasted Nut (768 Queen St. W.).

Richmond Hill just got an Extreme Burger HQ: Top Gun Burgers (16 Vogell Rd.). Stay tuned: A Queen West location is opening soon.

CLOSED

Away Kitchen on Queen (536 Queen St. W.) has closed to the public, though will be available for private events and pop-ups until it reopens as Vitalia, a plant-based Italian eatery.

It’s the final day for Chen Chen’s Hot Chicken at Stackt (28 Bathurst St.), but they’re relocating to Kensington next month, so keep your eyes locked here for details.

Everest (642 Danforth Ave.) is papered up after launching this past May.

Tonight’s the last night for The Gabardine (372 Bay St.).

The sign is gone and the windows are papered over at Greek Village Bar & Grill (730 Danforth Ave.)

Pollyanna (1054 Gerrard St E.), an east-end bistro, has a new focus. See above.

After close to 12 years, Unlovable Bar (1415 B Dundas St. W.) serves their last drinks tonight.

Toronto Weston Flea Market lasted decades before shuttering.

EVENTS

Don’t miss Soupalicious Toronto 2019 this Sunday.

NEWS

Congratulations to this year’s winners of the Ontario Culinary Tourism Awards.

The 6ix will soon be home to IHOP. Fifteen, to be exact.

The first PC Express is here.

Airport bars could soon serve booze all day.

Le Select Bistro says its paying too much property tax.

ICYMI

Actor/writer/director/producer extraordinaire Caitlyn Sponheimer loves burgers and Old Cubans. Find out more in this month’s At The Pass.

Please support local businesses whenever possible.

Life moves fast. Catch up on previous editions of the OPEN/CLOSED.

Things change quickly. Follow Toronto Restaurants on Instagram and Facebook and subscribe to the TR Newsletter for breaking news, updates, interviews + more.

Hear of a place that’s about to open or just closed? Have an upcoming food or restaurant event? Get in touch.

Need help promoting your business? Get started now.

Enjoy this? Like, follow and comment on Instagram and Facebook. Forward and share using the icons below. #supportlocal

News, Open/ClosedStephanie DickisonOctober 31, 2019Toronto, Toronto restaurant, Toronto restaurants, Toronto food, Toronto food event, Toronto food events, Toronto food news, Toronto restaurant pop-up, Toronto restaurant closings, Toronto Restaurants, Toronto restaurant events, toronto restaurants, top Toronto restaurants, Toronto restaurant news, Toronto restaurant menus, Toronto Restaurants Newsletter, Toronto restaurant popups, Toronto restaurant openings, new Toronto restaurant, new Toronto restaurants, new Toronto bar, Instagram @torontorestaurants.co, Halloween, Happy Halloween, O&B, Oliver & Bonacini, Babel, Black Cat Espresso Bar, Bubble Lee, bubble tea, brown sugar boba, brown sugar milk tea, brown sugar bubble tea, boba, Markham, Markham restaurants, Richmond Hill, Richmond Hill restaurants, Scarborough, Scarborough resaraurants, Cold Tea Bar, Cold Tea, Parkdale, Kensington Market, North York, North York restaurants, Good Vibes Kitchen, Hey Sugar, Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu, Gyukatsu, Japanese, Japanese food, Asian food, Japanese restaurant, Japanese curry, Japanese cutlet, Waagyu, Wagyu, wagyu, Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar, Hy’s Steakhouse, Hy’s, Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar Toronto, Hy’s Steakhouse Toronto, Hy’s Toronto, Kibo Sushi House, sushi, sushi menu, Sushi, Kibo Annex, Kibo Lakeshore Express, Kibo Lakeshore, Lapinou, French, French bistro, French restaurant, neobistro, wine bar, Lil’ Joe Cucina & Bar, Pollyanna, Eastside Social, Mad Radish, Vaughan Mills, Mom's Basement, bar, Toronto bars, video games, video games Toronto, cocktail, cocktails, Toronto cocktails, Pokéwave, Pokewave, poke, Poke, poké, poke bowls, poke bowl, tuna poke, tuna poke bowl, poké bowl, The Roasted Nut, Top Gun Burgers, burgers, Away Kitchen on Queen, plantbased, plant-based, Plant-Based, plant-based restaurant, vegan, Vegan, vegan menu, vegan restaurant, Vitalia, Chen Chen’s Hot Chicken, Stackt, Stackt Market, Everest, The Gabardine, Greek Village Bar & Grill, Unlovable Bar, Toronto Weston Flea Market, Soupalicious Toronto 2019, Soupalicious Toronto, Soupalicious, Ontario Culinary Tourism Awards, Ontario Culinary Tourism Awards 2019, IHOP, Le Select Bistro, airport, airport bars, Caitlyn Sponheimer, Kibo, Kibo Sushi, Cold Tea Kensington, Cold Tea Queen, Cold Tea Queen West, Cold Tea Kensington Market, Kyoto Katsugyu, Kibo chain, Babel Michelin, MICHELIN Guide Canada Toronto, Michelin, Michelin Guide Recommended Restaurants, Michelin Guide Toronto, MICHELIN Guide, @torontorestaurants.co, Toronto Restaurants Instagram @torontorestaurants.co, Toronto Restaurants by Stephanie Dickison, Stephanie Dickison, Stephanie Dickison Toronto Restaurants, Stephanie Dickison's OPEN/CLOSED, Stephanie DIckison Open/Closed