OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News June 3-9, 2021

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

🕒 12 min read

My 20 findings this week reveal a lot of great grub, including an overwhelming number of spots for pide and kebabs, plenty of choices for satisfying your sweet tooth, and exciting arrivals that will help keep cooking fatigue at bay a little longer.

Here’s the very latest:

OPEN

The newest addition to the AllStar Wings & Ribs fam, AllStar Wings Express (2905 Eglinton Ave. W.) in Mississauga, is all about quick service, though making your way through the list of nearly 200 flavour varieties may take some time.

Dig into Chinese gua baos and Vietnamese banh baos at Bao Babies’ pop-up this weekend (and the next one, and the one after that) inside Markham pool hall Le Cue Lounge (8901 Woodbine Ave, Unit 100).

You know you’re in for a satisfying meal when cabbage rolls are listed as an appetizer. Barrel House Korchma (2385 Lakeshore Blvd. W.) debuts in Mimico on Tuesday with a host of comforting Ukrainian fare, such as Pelmeni ($6), Borscht ($8), Liver Pâté Salad ($7), 1/2 Metre Sausage ($18), Grilled Salmon ($16), and Pork Cutlet ($15).

Casa Tropical’s (774 College St.) healthy offerings of protein bowls and salads dominate the menu, but don’t let the Brazilian savoury pastries [Coxinha (chicken) and Risole (beef) croquettes, Pão de Queijo (cheese roll)] and desserts (Brigadeiros, Nutella Brigadeiro Cake) go unnoticed.

After a wildly successful six month brunch residency at The Depanneur, Fattoush finally has a place to call its own. See you at Fattoush Levantine Diner (253 Gerrard St. E.) in Cabbagetown.

Good Behaviour Ice Cream’s shacking up with Morellina’s (146 Christie St.) for the summer. The pop-up launches tomorrow at 1pm. 

Psst. Your new sando destination has arrived. Doors opened yesterday at Hot Dip (1186 Queen St. W.). What makes it stand out from the crowd, you ask? It’s by the fab folks of Toronto institution Cold Tea, and The MushReuben Dip ($11.50), boasting pastrami spiced portobello with caraway sauerkraut and Swiss, nestled on toasted rye and served with Russian dressing dip, for starters.

Four friends - Andrea, Mel, Jon, and Justin – launched small scale vegan doughnut venture Joughnuts in March. Pre-order six packs for pickup on Saturdays at their Mississauga shop (5915 Atlantic Dr., Unit 1). Bonus: A portion of sales donated to various organizations and charities and their colourful feed is peppered with pugs.

Knockout Chicken’s third outpost just touched down Mississauga (3015 Winston Churchill Blvd.). The fried chicken destination is currently open, with grand opening celebrations kicking off tomorrow.

Taco/burrito joint Mexicados debuted in Leslieville Summer 2018. Find their follow up in The Village at Church and Wellesley (471 Church St.). 

Michael Wong, a chef with +19 years experience and currently sous chef at Toronto’s Mengrai Thai, and girlfriend Hermia, talked about doing Mike’s Asian Kitchen “for a while and finally decided to get the ball rolling” about a month ago. “Because of the pandemic, we feel that takeout will be the new norm so we launched MAK to adapt to the changing food industry,” he says. The menu currently consists of classic Vietnamese dishes - Bun Bo Hue, Bun Ga Nuong - “but as we grow our customer base we will introduce more exciting and less known or harder to find meals.”

Mixed Senses (2010 Queen St. E.) has a lot going for it. A cafe set within a shop set across from Beaches Park is just the beginning.

Momofuku Noodle Bar has popped up at Blood Brothers Brewing (165 Geary Ave.) for the summer. On the menu: Pork Katsu Sando, Spicy Chicken Sando, and new collab brew Tiny IPA.

Naan and Kabob’s signature Afghan fare has arrived in Mississauga (90 Annagem Blvd.). Doors opened yesterday.

Panga (106 Mutual St.) in the Garden District does a mix of international fare by way of pizza, poutine, paratha, burgers and shakes.

Pastor Taco (245 Gerrard St. E.), just steps away from Fattoush (above) is serving up summery vibes via tacos, sides, paletas, and vegan ice cream.

ISO shawarma, charcoal grill kebabs, and pide? Look no further than Plus Istanbul Kebab House (2781 Highway 7, Unit 3). The Turkish eatery debuted in Vaughan this weekend.

You’re sure to find something for everyone on the extensive menu at Markham’s Real Kebab Restaurant (9909 Markham Rd, Unit 10).

Senso Bar & Restaurant (730 St. Clair Ave. W.) is serving up pide, kebabs, burgers, and salads in Hillcrest Village.

Handmade ice cream and chocolates are the name of the game at Sim and Lil (1038 Queen St. W.). Current ice cream flavours include Apple Pie, Seti Nutelli (Hazelnut & Chocolate) and limited-edition Cherry Rose Sorbet.

CLOSED

Chicken Land (3405 Glen Erin Dr.) in Mississauga is temporarily closed. See News section below for details.

Monica Jimenez and Gustavo Álvarez of Mi Terra (828 St Clair Ave. W.) have retired to “spend more time with our family , grandkids and ourselves.”

Playa Cabana Hacienda (14 Dupont St.) shuttered in April. The popular spot opened in 2013 following the successful debut of nearby Playa Cabana Cantina.

In March I alerted you to Renegade Chicken’s +20 virtual kitchens. As of Tuesday, SIR Corp. shuttered them all, save the pop-up at Duke’s St. Lawrence Market (73 Front St. E.).

Sapori (1588 Dundas St. W.) ditched their brick-and-mortar spot for food delivery online. 

CHANGES

ZIBA Berlin Doner is now Amor Doner.

EVENTS

Dine out, do good. Purchase the Punjabi Picnic Party for Two ($90) by acclaimed wine bar/now bottle shop Paris Paris – all proceeds will go to Kailash Satyarthi to support children in India who have been affected by the pandemic.

NEWS

The owners, their two sons, and an employee of Chicken Land (3405 Glen Erin Dr.) in Mississauga were struck by gunfire on Saturday. The owner’s 25-year-old son was fatally shot.

A three-alarm fire destroyed Paramount Fine Foods at Erin Mills Town Centre on Sunday. No injuries were reported.

On Tuesday, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) sent an open letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, calling on him to “immediately begin reopening the economy to save thousands of businesses from being forced to shutter their doors permanently.” The letter outlines that as of June 1 2021, restaurants in Toronto have been “closed to indoor dining for 367 days across the various provincial lockdowns, shutdowns, and emergency breaks. An entire year’s worth of business has been lost and the industry is looking – at minimum – at another 67 days of being closed to indoor dining under the current plan.”

Stay-at-home orders ended yesterday, but with nothing re-opening, it feels pretty much the same. And still there’s no confirmation as to whether Step 1 of the Ontario Re-Opening Plan will go ahead on June 14, which includes the return of outdoor dining. The Plan outlines that 60 per cent of adults would have to have received one dose of vaccination for Step 1 to begin. On Tuesday, the  City of Toronto put out a news release saying they expect to “have administered at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to more than 70 per cent of adults aged 18 years or older in Toronto” by that same day. Earlier today, the Health Minister said reopening may be sooner, but no guidelines have been laid out, and essential basic information such as operating hours still missing, leaving business owners and workers on tenterhooks, unable to move ahead, order food and supplies, hire staff, etc.

ICYMI

We’ve been taught ‘Quality over quantity.’ But what if you can have both? Case in point: mini doughnuts by Cops Coffee and Doughnuts. Find out why you need these hot li’l numbers in your life and the details about their new pop-up in The Arrival.

Leah Henry’s love of noodles runs deep. Not just on the job as Giulietta’s pasta whisperer either. In this week’s At The Pass, she shares her current late night eats, the local cookies she can’t get enough of, ingredient she can live without + much more.

If you haven’t already subscribed to the newsletter, 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. This week I let them in on Tuesday’s phenomenal burger pop-up by one of the city’s best pizza joints, news of two expansive Mediterranean restos launching this summer + much more.

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Life moves fast. (I wrote about +110 new arrivals in April alone.) Catch up on previous editions of the OPEN/CLOSED.   

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