OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News February 3-9, 2022
Photo courtesy of Daimaru Sukiyaki.
My iconic OPEN/CLOSED is THE most comprehensive resource of 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. #ifyouknowyouknow
🕘 8.5 min read
What a week. Indoor dining returned on Monday - earlier, if you were at T.J. O'Shea's Irish Snug. And my exhaustive findings this week - 21 arrivals - offer every type of cuisine for every type of occasion and mood, with lots of expansions and hidden destinations. With lots more to come. So stay tuned and get in on The Tip Off, exclusively available in the TR Newsletter.
Here’s the very latest:
OPEN
Atai Bistro debuted in the heart of The Junction last May. Discover the French-Moroccan inspired eatery’s newest inside Thirty Six Knots (1212 Yonge St.). The upscale home décor store in Summerhill debuted in 2019.
TR Newsletter subscribers got the hot tip first: The city's newest destination for Hong Kong BBQ and bao. The Belly & Bao is tucked away inside The Craft Brasserie & Grille (107 Atlantic Ave.) in Liberty Village.
Unlike other pandemic ghost pizzerias, Casper's Pizza focuses on poolish, “a Polish style of making dough similar to sourdough.” Find it at three FAB Restaurant Concepts locations starting Monday: Dominion Pub & Kitchen (500 Queen St. E.), East of Brunswick Pub & Kitchen (720 Spadina Ave.), and Pogue Mahone Pub & Kitchen (777 Bay St.).
The folks of Fonda Lola branched out with Clandestina in 2019. Clandestina Mexican Grill & Bar (2901 Dundas St. W.) kicked off earlier this week in The Junction.
If you missed it earlier this week: Cops Coffee and Doughnuts has got it going on with three locations but they're all downtown or east side. Psst. Should you be in the Yorkdale vicinity, their latest outpost (3011 Dufferin Ave.) will be of particular interest.
Psst. Scarborough has a new AYCE Japanese hot pot restaurant. Grand opening celebrations for Daimaru Sukiyaki (390 Silver Star Blvd., Unit 117) took place Monday.
I let you in on Dave’s Genuine Deli right around this time last year. Find them in their new digs in North York (1763 Avenue Rd.).
Chrissy Durcak launched an iced coffee delivery service in 2012, followed by Montreal's first coffee truck. The first Toronto outpost of Dispatch Coffee has landed at Temple Building (390 Bay St.) featuring sustainably sourced coffee.
ISO Korean fried chicken? Drunken Chicken at Finch and Midland (4186 Finch Ave. E., Unit 28) in Scarborough has got you. Choose from bone-in and boneless varieties including Balsamic. Cheese Flakes, Creamy Garlic, and Honey Avocado. Want some heat? ‘Burning Hell’ likely delivers.
Not far from the original location across from Broadview Station, El Charro added a second branch to the fam in Greektown (493 Danforth Ave.), where Brass Taps Pizza Pub used to be. Doors opened Monday.
After being a fixture in the city’s west end for half a century, Jumbo Burgers has expanded with a second outpost in Etobicoke (296 Rexdale Blvd.).
Winter warmups are in abundance at Koshaa (2314 Lakeshore Blvd. W.) from tomato soup Tamatar Shorba ($6.95) with fennel, peppercorns, cilantro roots, and ginger to fiery Beef Vindaloo ($17.95). The modern Indian eatery in Etobicoke cofounded by executive chef Ushmeet Bhutani and Vineet Thakkar replaces Indian eatery Tich that closed at the end of the year.
After tracking Kung Fu Tea’s movements all these years, I often experience déjà, so I could have sworn I just wrote about their latest opening (I did.) Today marks the first day of soft opening of their newest shop in Markham (7700 Markham Rd., Unit MB2). Enjoy 20 per cent off all drinks and 38 Milk King for $4.88 (L) only at this location today until February 24.
My Pandan Cake (246 Gerrard St. E.) in Cabbagetown is your one-stop shop for Singaporean desserts by way of chiffon cakes, tin can cakes, and pandan cheesecakes.
‘Ono Poké Bar’s seventh location softly launched in Markham (3603 Hwy 7 E, Unit 108) Tuesday. Curious about the rest? Get caught up.
Neapolitan-style pizzeria Pi Co. has been taking over the city since 2016. The Junction is their latest stop (2862 Dundas St. W.).
With six locations in four months, 2021 was a banner year for local Mexican chain Rico Burrito. Find the seventh in the historic Gooderham Building (49 Wellington St. E.), aka the Flatiron building, one of the most photographed sights in the city.
Thanks to the folks of The Communists Daughter and The Three Speed, the former The Grow-Op spot at Dundas and Ossington has become The Two Twenty Two (222 Ossington Ave.).
I uncovered Tong Mein back in March, followed by a pop-up downtown (207 McCaul St.) in December. Fun fact: The spot on McCaul became permanent yesterday.
CLOSED
You’ve got until the end of the month to get in on HOTMESS Tex Mex (615 College St.).
Velouté Bistro (2343 Queen St. E.) was a staple in The Beaches for a decade before closing January 1. Good news: A new spot in Etobicoke is already in the works. Stay tuned.
CHANGES
Dora Keogh (141 Danforth Ave.) at Broadview and Danforth is now Noonan’s.
EVENTS
The Ocean Wise Seafood Festival features Toronto shops, cafes and restaurants.
La Poutine Week is back.
NEWS
As a result of the sale of The McEwan Group’s 50 per cent ownership in ONE Restaurant, Chef Mark McEwan announced his departure earlier this week. “We have sold our 50 per cent stake in the restaurant to the new proprietors of the Hazelton Hotel and the remaining 50 per cent will be retained by our cofounding partners.”
The Cactus Club Cafe chain is now in the hands of another west coast chain.
ICYMI
Indoor dining is back. Discover the new rules and regulations and how to download your enhanced vaccine certificate with QR code now.
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Please support local businesses whenever possible.
Life moves fast: I wrote about +100 new arrivals in December alone.
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