OPEN/CLOSED: Toronto Restaurant News June 8-14, 2023
The 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. #iykyk
🕘 11 min read
I told you June was ramping up. This week’s dizzying array of comings (27) and goings (10) confirms the ongoing frenzy I’ve been diligently tracking every week. And wait ‘til you see what’s up next…
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Here’s the very latest:
OPEN
Ambassador Pizza Co. (946 Bloor St. W.), the pocket-sized pizzeria slinging Windsor-style ‘za through a walk-up window at Bloor & Ossington since 2021 had added to its square footage. Introducing: Ambassador Tavern. Location: Next door/out front, in Port Light On Bloor’s former digs, complete with indoor dining, patio seating and libations. Pies and address remains the same. As for the OG takeout spot out back? Still in effect.
Auntie’s Supply is makin’ moves. In March I reported the Asian mini-mart’s plan for expansion to Queen West in the spring. Update: The shop did open at Ready Go Convenience (1153 Queen St. W.) on May 16, however it was quickly followed by a temporary closure. Good news: You don’t need to: A) wait long or B) go far for snacks, thanks to Goodies near King and Niagara, nestled inside stellar kicks n’ fits destination MakeWay (91B Walnut Ave.) by the folks behind Auntie’s, MakeWay and Patco Café.
ISO halal eats, booze-free bevvies, and/or shisha? Head to Mississauga’s new lounge Celio (3505 Odyssey Dr., Unit 74). Grand opening - including red carpet and DJ - is happening tomorrow, with 15 per cent off.
Chill Thai Bar softly opened Saturday on the Ossington strip (229 Ossington Ave.). The tapas eatery taking over Bar Sybannes’s previous spot offers a blend of “authentic Thai flavours with molecular gastronomy.”
Cow Cow says it’s “the first store in Canada to specialize in making deep-fried ice cream.” Celebrate the grand opening this weekend (June 10-11) inside Lawrence Park’s coconut-centric cafe, Mr. Coco (3360 Yonge St.).
Dark Horse Espresso Bar #6 has arrived in Corso Italia. The Toronto café’s latest spot at St. Clair and Dufferin (1187 St Clair Ave. W.) takes over the sweeping space of recently shuttered GoodGood.
Garden Bar & Bodega (1173 Dundas St. E.) offers a similar experience to its predecessor, Dundas And Carlaw - largely patio seating, with select spots inside the narrow bar. On the menu: vino, brews, canned cocktails, and large Caesar ($12) studded with half a stick of pepperoni, gherkin, green bean, and olive.
Hot tip: In addition to frozen treats, discover just as addictive baked goods at Good Gang Ice Cream (540 Parliament St., Lower Level) beneath croissant mecca Tasso.
Grillies softly opened at Yonge & Sheppard (4905 Yonge St.), marking the seventh location for the GTA burger, burrito and taco chain open 24/7.
Calling all premium seafood donburi fans: Hana Don Japanese Cuisine & Bar’s latest addition just dropped at Bay and Dundas (128 Dundas St. W.), with grand opening tomorrow. Did you know? This is HD’s third restaurant in three years - following last year’s launch at Fairview Mall - and the first downtown.
Cute tiny café alert. Uptown’s If We Are Lucky (9 Castlefield Ave.) features local producers including Wu Wei coffee and Genuine Tea Co.’s Katō Matcha.
Soft opening for Konia Kitchen + Bar (403 Roncesvalles Ave.) kicks off tomorrow. The modern Vietnamese restaurant replaces recently shuttered Sienna's.
PSA: Vancouver’s La Glace French Ice Cream has landed in the 6ix for a limited-time. Get in on the sweet summer rush at the Toronto pop-up with Courage Cookies at Union Station (65 Front St. W., Level B1).
Happy as Larry. TR readers got the tip off back in April about Stephen Schweighardt’s follow-up to Larry’s Folly, Larry’s Back Pocket (1413 Dundas St. W.). Psst. Doors have opened. See you there.
Möge Tee’s been busy lately, debuting not one, but two locations: Downtown (193 College St.) and North York (8 Forest Manor Rd., Unit C), featuring a host of Chinese new style teas (boba, milk), alongside Japanese desserts by Mofu including their viral shortcake-in-a-can and rolled varieties.
Myth Restaurant (522 King St. W.) closed temporarily due to fire at the end of February. While the blaze caused “significant damage” to the buzzy Greek eatery at King and Brant, no injuries were reported. Get out your calendar - resos just opened up starting June 11.
OPEN/CLOSED readers got the scoop on the “sweetest crepes in town” coming to The Beaches. This just in: Nana’s Creperie (1917 Queen St. E.) is currently in soft opening.
The development of Pelicana Chicken continues. After the Korean poultry chain’s inception in the GTA last spring, a Mississauga joint was just added (4040 Creditview Rd., Unit 23). Next up: North York.
Ramona’s Kitchen loves Bayview and the feeling appears to be is mutual. The brekkie/brunch spot in Thornhill (7355 Bayview Ave) has a new sibling in Leaside (1608 Bayview Ave.). p.s. A third outpost is in the works in Richmond Hill’s Hillcrest Mall.
Est. 2015 in London Ont., the fast casual eatery known for its shawarma, falafel, poutine and saj, Shelby’s is swiftly expanding its footprint in the GTA. The chain has grown to nine locations across the province - with more to come – including Etobicoke in January (2140 Kipling Ave.), Oakville last month (1289 Marlborough Crt.), and at least three more slated for Toronto including Queen West next month (416 Queen St. W.).
FYI: Scarborough’s new Spice Bar Indian Street Food & Bar (817 Brimley Rd.) offers Gujarati tiffin service.
Following last year’s arrivals in Woodbridge and Greektown, Stacked Pancake House adds to the growing roster with its breakfast/brunch lineup in Richmond Hill (12270 Yonge St.), and launching soon: Queen West.
The fourth Sukothai by chef Nuit and Jeff Regular - the husband-and-wife team behind other top Toronto Thai eateries Pai and Kiin - debuted earlier this week in Markham (2 Fenton Rd.).
For fire-licked shawarma naan, and other traditional fare, check out Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal Grill’s new digs in Mississauga (3920 Eglinton Ave. W., Unit 26). The second location rolls out today.
TR Newsletter subscribers were the first to know about blast from the past Ultra being reimagined in Midtown (12 St. Clair Ave. E.) of all places. Doors for the new "supper club experience" opened Tuesday, where Arthur's Restaurant operated until 2021.
CLOSED
Amico’s (1648 Queen St. W.) announced immediate closure of its Parkdale home of 45 years late last week. According to the release, the closure was “a result of various factors, including evolving market trends and economic challenges.”
Quickly following the conclusion of the St. Clair store last month, local seafood chain De La Mer is shuttering the last three remaining locations - Leaside (1543 Bayview Ave.), Danforth (189 Danforth Ave.) and Roncesvalles (291 Roncesvalles Ave.) - on June 11 due to owner David Illiatovitch-Owen’s ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer. He first announced his illness in November 2021 in a video posted on the shop's FB page.
Last fall’s arrival Elisa Cart (203 Dundas St. W.) was followed by Yeondon Ball Katsu (209 Dundas St. W.) weeks later.
Bloor West Village’s Gin Mill (2202 Bloor St. W.) debuted Feb 2018.
Windows are papered over at Istanbul Doner Wrap. The Halal Turkish restaurant, home to doner, pide, lahmacun and Turkish pizza launched at Yonge & St. Clair (1404 Yonge St.) in Fall ‘21.
Shawn Adler announced in April he was shuttering his Pow Wow Café in Kensington Market (213 Augusta Ave.) at the end of May. Stay tuned: Pop-ups and events are already in the works.
Simply Samosas sprawling storefront in Leslieville (969 Queen St. E.) opened November 24, 2021.
NEWS
Two Canadian powerhouses under one roof? At the airport? HMSHost has partnered with local brewer Henderson Brewing Company and iconic Canadian band Rush (aka Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart) for Henderson Brewery @ YYZ, a 28-seat taproom at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The relationship between the renowned musicians and and beer co. go back aways: Since collabing on the the first Rush brew Rush Canadian Golden Ale during the pandemic (Aug ‘21), they released Moving Pictures Ale (Oct ‘21), Moving Pitchers beer (Mar ‘22), Signals 40th Anniversary Belgian Ale (Oct ‘22), and Xanabrew Belgian Extra Strong Ale last month (May ‘23). The bar, slated to open later in Terminal 1 later this year, will feature “artifacts from Rush’s touring and recording career and will provide a unique experience for Rush fans from around the globe,” according to Monday’s release. I reckon it’ll launch in time with Lee’s highly anticipated memoir, My Effin’ Life, out Nov 14, 2023. And as Lee and Lifeson are longtime oenophiles, a wine collab is definitely in order, with perhaps a wine bar to follow? Fun fact: YYZ isn’t solely the airport code for Toronto - it’s the title of Rush’s 1981 hit from their eighth studio album, Moving Pictures.
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