OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News June 17-23, 2021

Photo courtesy of Oji Seichi.

My iconic OPEN/CLOSED is THE most comprehensive resource of restaurant openings (virtual/brick-and-mortar/popups/allll the things) and food/drink news in the city. No one does it bigger or better. Watch for the drop every Thursday. #ifyouknowyouknow 

🕒 13.5 min read

You’ve got to be kidding. Here I thought with the insanity around patios, the openings might slow down just a bit. You know, give a girl a break after 15 months of round the clock reporting and breaking news. Nah, Toronto is bringing it this summer with 27 freakin’ arrivals this week.

p.s. Steel yourself for this week’s closures and news.

Here’s the very latest: 

OPEN 

Ajisen Ramen has a staggering 800+ locations worldwide. The latest debuted Saturday in Vaughan (3175 Rutherford Rd.). 

Auntie’s Supply launched at Stackt Market (28 Bathurst St., Unit 1-111) earlier this week. The convenience store boasts a host of enticing Asian pantry items, snacks and drinks. Pro tip: Bring the roomiest bags you’ve got for your haul.

Big Munch Grill (757 Broadview Ave., where New York Café used to be) opens Saturday. The Greek-centric menu here isn’t all that’s on offer. In fact, the restaurant is just one of 16 virtual concepts operating out of the space. Others include Cheesecake & Chill, Chips Ahoy Fish & Chips, Harlem Village Chicken & Waffles, The Pita Piper, Street Meat Hot Dogs, and Undercover Steakout Steakhouse.

Café Artois Yorkville touched down on Bellair on Monday. The outdoor dining space created by Stella Artois, in partnership with Yorkville Murals and Bloor-Yorkville BIA, boasts striking mural ‘Generally Speaking’ by Nina Chanel, curated by Ashley McKenzie-Barnes, and additional seating for restaurants along the strip - Coco Espresso Bar, Trattoria Nervosa, Vaticano, and Yamato Japanese Restaurant - until November 1.

It turns out Conspiracy Pizza’s return las week was just the beginning. Handcrafted ice cream joint Churnt Up (858 Eglinton Ave. E.) joins in on the fun tomorrow. Spotted: Taro, Birthday Cake, Strawberry Pocky, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Honey Teddy Graham, alongside Hot Brownie Ice Cream Sammies.

Gerrard East Market (GEM) is back this year with its beachy vibes and participating bars and restaurants from the ‘Gerrones’ (Gerrard and Jones) nabe: Com Tam 168, Gardel, GB Hand Pulled Noodles, La Cubana, Lavender Menace, Pinkerton’s Snack Bar, Poor Romeo, The Vatican Gift Shop, and 241 Pizza.

Looking to satiate your craving for Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles? Gol’s Lanzhou Noodle opened a branch in North York (5505 Yonge St.).

Good Behaviour Ice Cream continues pop-ups across the 6ix with a stop off in Midtown at Korean-style macaron and dacquoise HQ, The Social Blend (130 Eglinton Ave. E.) starting Friday.

Hale Coffee’s new outpost at Yonge & Eg (2131 Yonge St.) helps fuel your shopping trip to neighbouring stores West Elm, Farm Boy, and Staples. Doors open Saturday.  

Discover Haru Chicken’s Korean fried chicken, skewers and gangjeong inside PAT , Canada’s first Korean supermarket, at the Mississauga location (333 Dundas St. E.).

Lavender Menace (1062 Gerrard St. E.), a retro LGBTQ cocktail bar with southern fare, launches today with patio in effect.

Momofuku Noodle Bar’s second pop-up this summer (the first launched two weeks ago) debuted at Stackt Market (28 Bathurst St.) yesterday. Tuck into Pork Buns, Chilled Spicy Noodles and Extremely Spicy Noodles in the outdoor pavilion. 

Bishara Arraf of Mi’ilya, Israel founded Montfort Mediterranean Grill in 1992. The small Ontario chain just debuted Toronto’s first location (12 Richardson St., Unit 5)., just north of Sugar Beach.

Psst. It pays to be a newsletter subscriber these days. Oji Seichi (354 Broadview Ave.), the new Tokyo/Takayama style ramen spot in Chinatown East featuring comforting fare by Chef Mitchell Bates (former chef/co-owner of Grey Gardens) softly opened for pre-orders for email subscribers. Not on the list? Doors open for takeout for the public at large next Friday.

Doors officially opened June 5 for Mississauga’s Pasta Night (562 Lakeshore Rd. E.). The new biz specializes in weekly 3-course meal kits.

John and Sons Oyster House (56 Temperance St.), long-standing oyster bar in the Financial District, is working on re-opening their patio. In the meantime, they’ve launched a sweet boutique motel in the heart of Thornbury in The Blue Mountains. Penny’s Motel opens July 1, but you can book now.

Piccolo Caffe e Vino (111 John St.) in the Entertainment District, is part bar, café, and bodega. Come for the cocktails, a glass of wine, and toasted sourdough with whipped ricotta, oyster mushrooms and pea shoots; stay for the bodega cat. (Or cats. There may be more than one.)

Alana Nogueda, co-owner of The Shameful Tiki Room and Legal Tenders and one of the city’s top mixologists, is finally able to launch her nautical/tropical themed Portlight on Bloor (946 Bloor Street W.). Patio softly opens tonight at 5pm. 

Doors open Tuesday for Restaurant 20 Victoria (20 Victoria St.), the new destination helmed by Brothers’ esteemed Chris White and Jonathan Nicolaou. Naturally, resos for ‘20 Vic’ are going to go like that. 

That was fast. I just reported the first Scooped By Demetres last week and the second shop’s already touched down in the Distillery District (46 Gristmill Lane).

Earlier this week, Tacos 101, which used to be at Dundas and Church, and Fruta Libre, currently at World Food Market, moved in together in Kensington Market (178 Baldwin St.).

I let you in on the Toronto Beach Club opening a few weeks ago in the newsletter (told you it pays to be a subscriber). Good thing, because resos for the “elevated dining experience" at the water's edge from the team behind some of the city's top restaurants (Lapinou, Patria, Byblos) and Corporate Executive Chef Ted Corrado (The Drake) have been open since then and are likely scarce before doors open on Tuesday.

Venice Beach Bar summer patio (1251 Dundas St. W.) by Bar Mordecai and Unboxed Market makes staycationing a little easier. Bonus: A new food pop-up will be featured every two weeks. 

The opening of Waska Peruvian Chicken was delayed a few weeks ago. Doors at 805 Dovercourt Rd. have opened for realz this time.

Yaowarat Vegan Thai (557A Mt Pleasant Rd.) replaced Ubon Thai in Mount Pleasant Village.

The owners of Little Italy’s Sotto Voce Wine Bar (595 College St.) kept busy during lockdown. Introducing their newest venture, Zitto Zitto Taverna (593 College St.), right next door.

CLOSED  

Arthur's (12 St Clair Ave. E., Unit M02) - Chase Hospitality Group’s lavish American restaurant with expansive patio at Yonge & St. Clair - has permanently closed.

Bazara Asian Cuisine (188 Ossington Ave.) has been replaced. See above.

You’ve got ten days to visit the first Calii Love (367 King St W.)  at King and Spadina before it closes for good.  It opened September 2016.* (*Notice how small the week’s list used to be, and sadly how many have since shuttered. )

Mulberry Bar (828 Bloor St. W.) may have vacated the space, but their spirit lives on in sibling spot Northwood (815 Bloor St W.) a few doors west

The Spoke Club has come to a close, but there’s a new member’s only “opportunity” in the works. Stay tuned.

Ubon Thai  (557A Mt Pleasant Rd.) debuted last summer.

CHANGES 

Globally Local found worldwide success this year - Canada’s first vegan fast food restaurant became the world’s first vegan fast food resto to go public. Despite all that recognition, the company’s changing the name to Odd Burger.

Cocktail bar Hush Hush relocated from The Junction (2952 Dundas St. W.)  to the edge of Little Italy under Nest (423 College St.), this time with food by the talented siblings of Classico I told you about back in May.

Season Six’s original home on Ossington was great, but within a few months, “We were absolutely slammed with orders, and it quickly became apparent we needed to scale up to accommodate the demand.” Luckily, they didn’t have to look far. Go say hey at their new digs (188 Ossington Ave.).

EVENTS 

Street Eats Night Market kicks off tomorrow at Scarborough Town Centre. The event will run every weekend until September 5.

Need an excuse to raise a glass this weekend? Toast to Ontario Wine Week.

NEWS

The Stockyards Smokehouse & Larder’s founder/owner Thomas Davis passed away Sunday. According to an interview aired on the CBC today, Manager Lisa Josephs is keeping the restaurant open. 

Family-owned Del’s Bakery in Etobicoke - est. 1963 - was decimated by a five-alarm fire Tuesday evening. 

ICYMI

Maria Janelle Marquez has one helluva impressive resume. Currently sous chef at award-winning Alo Restaurant, she’s worked at top spots in the UK (The Ritz London, HIDE) and here in the 6ix: Canoe, Auberge du Pommier, Salon. Despite working in such prestigious kitchens, her go-to takeout sways toward more casual offerings. Discover her favourite spots around town, last cookbook purchase, advice two top Toronto chefs passed down + much more in this week’s At The Pass. 

Did you miss this week’s newsletter? If you haven’t already subscribed, now’s the time. Get The Tip Off, a sneak peek at the upcoming OPEN/CLOSED (because who doesn’t want to be the first to know?), and fab deals and special offers from restaurants and local businesses (because who doesn’t want to save money?), all exclusive to subscribers.

---

Please support local businesses whenever possible.

Life moves fast: I wrote about 100+ new arrivals in May alone. 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.

Enjoy this? Like, follow and comment on Instagram and Facebook.

Forward and share using the icons below. #supportlocal

---