OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News February 1-6, 2024
The OPEN/CLOSED is THE most comprehensive resource of the latest 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. #iykyk
🕘 9 min read
There’s an effervescence to this week’s 17 arrivals. Maybe it’s that we’re inching that much closer to spring. Perhaps it’s the wide-ranging options available at both new concepts and extensions of local haunts. Either way, the group chat is about to blow up.
Psst. Want the inside track on what’s happening? In addition to subscribing to the TR Newsletter, keep your eyes peeled on the website (the #TRrending section is a good place to start) and follow Toronto Restaurants on Instagram and Facebook for breaking news and updates.
Here’s the very latest:
OPEN
I gave you the scoop on Azura last month. Psst. The new tasting menu resto at Broadview and Danforth (162 Danforth Ave,) debuts tonight.
Following a run of openings last year, Dark Horse Espresso Bar continues to expand its offerings in 2024. Discover their latest at Shops at One York (1 York St.). Pro tip: For other eats/drinks happening at One York, peep last week’s OPEN/CLOSED.
Eisenbergs’s came on the scene in 2021 and hasn’t looked back since. After switching out the name of their first location at Finch and Dufferin (4580 Dufferin St.) to Goldies Sandwiches, the family-owned and operated kosher eatery went back to the original for its recent debut in Maple at the Schwartz Reisman Centre (SRC) (9600 Bathurst St.) and North York at The Prosserman JCC (4588 Bathurst St.), where you’ll find Jerusalem toasts and pizzas, bagels, salads, smoothies, and more.
Pro tip: Head to Electric Bill at Bloor and Ossington (866 Bloor St. W.) for next-level cocktails and great grub including quintessential Aussie bites - hand pies, sausage rolls, and lamingtons.
E-Street Deli (654 Queen St. W.) has replaced predecessor Sweetie Pie. Good news: It’s the brainchild of SP owners Tina Hatton and husband Cesario Grinjo, On the agenda: Italian deli-style subs of the hot and cold variety (Biga Meataball, What a Mort, Short Rib Tommy, The Big Tuna, The Vege) with Sweetie Pie’s savoury pies and sweets still in effect. The consolidated vision is available solely at the West Queen West outpost for now.
Isabella’s Donuts claims to the have “the world’s best mochi dougnuts.” See for yourself at their new set up at Scarborough Town Centre (300 Borough Dr.). This marks the fourth bakery for the Toronto-born co. boasting 400+ flavours. Next stop: The Well (470 Front St. W.).
Grand opening for Ishq (2007 Eglinton Ave. E.) took place Saturday. Scarborough’s new vegetarian Indian restaurant at Birchmount and Eglinton is serious when it comes to selection - The menu features 30+ curries, 20+ biryanis, 30 dosas, and that’s just a fraction of what’s on offer. Bonus: Jain options are also available.
Jardin Kitchen & Juice Bar is whipping up salads, bowls, smoothies and other healthy eats/drinks in the The Distillery Historic District (28 Gristmill Ln.).
For soju, cocktails, small bites (King Cigar, Iko Geso Kaarage), maki, noodles, soups, and social eats (Crab Haven Pilaf, Steak & Truffle Fries), check out the Village’s new Kanari Restaurant & Bar (491 Church St.), where Fushimi Restaurant stood.
FiDi’s latest addition, Local Public Eatery (141 Adelaide St. W.), comes complete with craft beer on tap, wine “without rules,” hand-pressed burgers, fish tacos, rice bowls, pizzas, and TVs galore, and is the fourth Toronto branch for the Canadian chain.
Madras Curry in Cabbagetown (178 Carlton St.) is ready to feed you. A wide array of biryani, curries, dosa, and roti await.
Montreal’s Mandy’s Gourmet Salads made Toronto home in 2022 and has been expanding across the 6ix ever since. Their latest destination teeming with their signature soups, salads and bowls kicks off Monday at The Well (437 Wellington St. W., Unit UG-05). Get the inside track: Discover their incoming neighbours in last month’s OPEN/CLOSED.
Following a few recent closures, Mean Bao demonstrates it’s far from slowing down with a sleek, modern outpost in the heart of the Financial District in the Bay Adelaide Centre (333 Bay St.).
One Eyed Jack Restaurant + Bar (287 Richmond St. W.) was an out-of-town venture (Kingston, Lindsay, Oshawa, Peterborough, Uxbridge) until now. The Ontario chain’s “big believers in the power of a good meal and a friendly place to eat it.” The expansive pub/grill outfitted with big screens is all about global eats - Irish Nachos, Perogies, French Onion Soup, Veal Parm, Lobster Mac and Cheese, Beef Stuffed Yorkshire, Ramen Noodle Bowl - and everything between. Doors open Monday. Did you know? The space was previously home to The Queen Anne Restaurant and Bar and originally built for The Anne Boleyn.
Shiroshi Japanese Sushi (3360 Yonge St.) softly opens Saturday. The Lawrence Park joint specializes in '“premium takeout sushi.” Think maki, special rolls lunch bento boxes, and donburi. Stay tuned. A Mississauga location is slated to open next month.
Asian street food by way of Dubai? You got it. The first Canadian outlet of Wok Boyz, a chain out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is doing customizable meals including Curry Laksa, Nasi Goreng, Pad Thai and Ramen in Liberty Village (Liberty Market Building 171 E Liberty St., Unit 121). Grand opening took place Monday, with more locations in the works.
CLOSED
Jen Bundock’s vegan bakery Apiecalypse Now in Mirvish Village in 2013, followed by iteration Apiecalypse Now Pizza and Snack Bar in 2015 had huge and loyal followings and remained wildly popular after transitioning to markets, festivals and virtual shop during the pandemic. In a heartfelt message posted today, it’s the end for now.
Buddha Pie Pizzeria’s tiny storefront in the Junction Triangle (514 Annette St.) opened in 2009. Keep your eyes peeled for Spuntini Street Eats.
That’s it for Cabbagetown South Indian Restaurant (178 Carlton St.), however Indian fare remains the focus at the establishment in its place. Details above.
Famoso Italian Pizzeria + Bar settled into the Annex (386 Bloor St. W.) in 2012. During its nearly 12-year run (11.7 months to be exact), it doled out 827, 998 pizzas. Operations continue in Mississauga and Waterloo.
While Grandma Loves You’s OG shop in Rosedale (1084 Yonge St.) is coming to an end, hot dogs and subs galore are coming your way soooon. Watch this space.
Motorino’s downtown destination Motorino Citta (466 Adelaide St. E.) arrived in 2019. For their Italian eats, head north to Vaughan (4101 Rutherford Rd.) or King City (1700 King Rd.).
Mr Coco (3360 Yonge St.) has been supplanted. For details on who moved in, see above.
NEWS
Toronto chef, consultant and industry vet Tyler Taverner died January 28. Cobalt, a cocktail bar in Little Italy (426 College St.) he co-owned with then-wife Jen Agg, launched in 1998. He went on to become a proprietor of Disgraceland Bar for a time, and cook in top Toronto kitchens including Wine Bar, Bar Isabel, and DaiLo. He was 51.
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