Toronto Restaurants by Stephanie Dickison

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Open/Closed: week of August 2-8, 2018

With this week’s 13 new options for food + drinks, you’ve got a lot of decisions to make: Hand-pulled noodles or ramen? Sliders or sushi? Vegan beer or regular? The choices are endless.

Take a look:

OPEN

Billy's Diner (99 Pape Ave.) provides eastenders with a new casual dining option.

From Falafel ($3.99) and Shawarma (Chicken $5.49, Beef $6.49) to a variety of meal-size plates ($6.99-$9.99), Cinderella Restaurant (1015 Dufferin St.) offers affordable Middle Eastern fare in Bloorcourt.

Clay Restaurant at the Gardiner Museum (111 Queens Park 3rd Floor) , an "in-house restaurant collaboration with The Food Dudes," is now open.

Copenhagen (1312 Queen St.W.), a vegan cafe and bakery concept by The 5700 Inc. (the same folks behind Vegandale, Mythology Diner, Doomie’s and others) opens today at 5pm.

Ruth Tal, owner and founder of Fresh Restaurrants, debuted her largest – and prettiest - location this week, Fresh on Front (47 Front St. E.), boasting exposed brick walls, hardwood floors, and 18-foot ceilings.

New York Middle Eastern chain The Halal Guys expands with a second location in the GTA - 6045 Mavis Rd. in Mississauga’s Heartland Town Centre. Doors open tomorrow at 11am. The first 50 people in line receive a free platter or sandwich, with other prizes to be won.

Annex dwellers have a new ramen destination: Hokkaido Ramen Santouka (515 Bloor St. W.).

Sushi dates just got a lot easier, thanks to Narami Sushi (119 Ossington Ave.).

And another one. Vegandale’s vegan ice cream bar Not Your Mother-Not Your Milk (1346 Queen St. W.) opens today at 5pm, located at the same address as a certain brewery. Details below.

Olivia Eats (132 Front St.) launches another location, this time, in the St. Lawrence ‘hood.

With 500+ locations in China and a 150-year old-secret recipe, Omni Palace’s (235 Consumers Rd., Unit E1) opening in North York on Tuesday is sure to be a busy one. China’s largest hand-pulled noodle chain claims head chef Ma can “stretch the thinnest noodle threat (sic) through a needle.” Stay tuned.

Cheap drinks and sliders are the name of the game at Pennies (127 Strachan Ave., much like their predecessors, Broncos.

Vegandale Brewery (1346 Queen St W.), by you guessed it, Vegandale, also opens tonight at 5pm.

CLOSED

Tacos 101 (101 Dundas St. E.) closed up shop, but will relocate soon.

MOVED

Vegan fast food joint Doomie’s has moved to Vegandale Brewery.

EVENTS

Scarborough’s Flavours of the Philippines takes place this Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday’s Taste of the Middle East Food Festival includes an array of enticing food as well as entertainment.

The CF Market pops up at CF Shops of Don Mills (1090 Don Mills Rd.) with various vendors appearing throughout the month including: Pancho’s Bakery, Laine & Lola Confection Co., and Sweetapolita.

Taste of Manila, the largest Filipino street festival outside the Philippines, is back on!

NEWS

The Beer Store and LBCO are open all weekend long, even Holiday Monday.

Not everyone is thrilled with the vegan takeover of Parkdale.

Meghan Markle’s bestie and rumoured stylist Jessica Mulroney wore workout gear to a restaurant, dividing the internet on appropriate dining apparel.

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Hear of a place that’s about to open or just closed? Have an upcoming food or restaurant event? Let me know – writerscramp@stephaniedickison.com.