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(Image: Jon Sufrin)
With the recent arrival of such hot spots as The Hideout, Tattoo Rock Parlour and Barchef, the Queen and Bathurst area has seen a boom in late-night hangout options (with the notable exception of the Bip Bop Big Bop’s closure). But a few steps north on Bathurst used to mean immediate entry into a nightlife dead zone. At least, that was before Adrian Ravinsky and David Stewart opened 416 Snack Bar on Monday, bringing with them a cosmopolitan menu of palm-sized grub options.
Nestlé, putting the squeeze on your appetite
Canada may not be among the fattest countries in the world, but the fact that magic slimming concoctions keep making their way here shows that the lure of fast-tracking toward a thinner body is still strong—which is probably why scientists at Nestlé are developing new foods that trick the body into satiety. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, products based on the research could be available within five years.
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We still love you (Image: Divya Thakur)
In 2007, the CN Tower was robbed of its record as the world’s tallest free-standing structure by Dubai’s monolith, the Burj Khalifa. Undeterred, Torontonians clutched onto yet another of the CN Tower’s records: the world’s tallest “tower.” And hey, at least we had 360, the world’s highest restaurant. Surprise, surprise, Dubai has snatched that from us as well. Located on the 122nd floor of the aforementioned giant, At.mosphere opened its doors Sunday, 442 metres up in the sky. By comparison, the CN Tower’s restaurant sits at around 350 metres.
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An appropriate receptacle for whisky (Image: Steven Lilley)
It’s been 76 years since the humble metal can made its debut as a beer receptacle—today marks the anniversary, incidentally—and devoted beer enthusiasts have rued the day ever since. Well, it’s happening again, this time to a spirit that’s sure to incite a stronger backlash from purists: whisky. A new product from Panama is peddling straight-up whisky in a can (you know, for a quick pick-me-up when a bottle of Macallan might easily break, like while figure skating, perhaps).
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Inside the new Fifth Elementt (Image: Jon Sufrin)
When Bay Street’s Fifth Elementt closed down last May, chef Johnee Savarimuthu knew he wanted to continue the Indian fusion restaurant’s legacy. His culinary career had taken him down many roads—from sommelier to Disney cruise cook to head chef at New York City’s Revival—but he’d never owned his own restaurant before. So he and his sous-chef partnered up and bought the Fifth Elementt brand, taking it to Queen West earlier this month in the space where Bangkok Paradise used to churn out its signature pad see ew.
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Lettieri’s busy Queen Street West location (Image: Steve Harris)
John Lettieri is in an interesting position these days. As president and founder of both Hero Certified Burgers and Lettieri Espresso Bar and Café, he straddles two of Toronto’s biggest food trends: gourmet burgers and coffee. Recently we noticed that his company decided to transform two Lettieris—one at Bloor and Bathurst and another at Church and Wellesley—into Hero Burgers. Is one hot trend overtaking another, or is the indie café explosion creeping up on the chain? We caught up with Lettieri and got his take on Toronto’s coffee and burger scenes, the future of his chain and a new concept he’s launching soon.
Challah at the Open Window Bakery (Image: grongar)
Even delivery truck drivers were surprised to find that Open Window Bakery, one of Toronto’s most venerable family-run bakeries, had suddenly closed its doors earlier this week. According to the CBC, trucks were still making their way to Open Window’s flagship on Finch Avenue Tuesday morning, but were unable to unload.
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Inigo is Carlos Hernandez's take on the churrasqueira
While Dundas West is in the midst of a carnivorous craze with a serious emphasis on the pig (we’re looking at you, Porchetta and Co.), a new Queen West takeout spot at the southern end of Trinity-Bellwoods Park is putting its faith in the original white meat: chicken. Carlos Hernandez opened up shop at Inigo last week—in Igor Kenk’s old spot— where he’s offering his take on the Portuguese churrasqueira, those homey greasy spoons ubiquitous on College and Dundas West.
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Dark Horse's new Queen and Euclid location keeps it real (Image: Jon Sufrin)
For Toronto coffee lovers, 2011 started in much the same way that 2010 finished: with further proof that the indie coffee craze shows no signs of slowing down. A third incarnation of Dark Horse opened at Queen and Euclid on January 2nd, joining Lit and Crema B Espresso as burgeoning mini-empires, with three locations each (a third Crema location is in the works). All of this, of course, raises the question: with indie cafés thriving due to their personal touch and attention to quality, will expansion mean selling out?
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A normal-sized champagne flute (Image: Katie Lips)
Guinness World Records attempts are decidedly bizarre affairs. But for those who have a fascination with that kind of thing, the Wine Council of Ontario will attempt to break the record for the world’s largest wine flute this afternoon. The gargantuan glass, which stands around four feet tall, has already been constructed (it’s modelled after Riedel’s icewine glass). But in order to be officially recorded in the Guinness annals, the flute has to hold more wine than the previous contender (the record was set in Italy in 2008, with a wine flute that held 16.5 litres).
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In an age when there is a pill for nearly everything, even binge drinkers haven’t been left in the dust. While purported hangover cures have been around forever—this one “works” by lining the stomach with carbon, which absorbs hangover-causing impurities—a new pill known as Drinkwel takes a more holistic approach. And if there’s anything in life that should be approached holistically, it’s probably drinking.
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Ask Jeff Ditcher what it’s like setting up an upscale burger bar at the tail end of Toronto’s burger craze, and he’s not too worried. The traveller, wine collector and founder of M:brgr opened his second location at King and Spadina on Sunday (the original location is in Montreal), despite the presence of Craft Burger and Grindhouse in the immediate vicinity. His rationale? Toronto’s burger demand is only going to get bigger. And besides, he says he’s got an edge on the competition, with waited tables, an extensive wine list, a resident mixologist and an awe-inspiring list of toppings ranging from the odd to the gourmet. Oh, and he’s got the only joint in town with a $100 burger on the menu.
Mercury’s co-owner Matthew Taylor pours a fire-breathing dragon in a cup (Image: Jon Sufrin)
Ten years ago, latte art was virtually unheard of in Toronto. Today, finding a rosetta, heart or tulip swirled into a latte is as common as, well, an indie coffee shop on Queen West or College. While latte art is essentially just a garnish, it’s also telling of a barista’s competence. As Bulldog’s Stuart Ross—who helped bring the craft to the city—notes, it just won’t work unless the espresso and the milk are done right. And as the city’s coffee scene broadens, so does the complexity of coffee presentation. We hit the streets to find some of the more unusual, intricate and interesting examples of this culinary art. Click here to start the show »
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Toasted grasshoppers are used as a garnish in Mexico (Image: La Chiquita)
With doomsayers predicting impending apocalypse (they really mean it this time), food is probably going to be a lot harder to find by Christmas 2012. And even if the world doesn’t end, for some reason, we’ll probably run out of food by 2050 anyway. Since insects seem to stick around no matter what, the good people at Slate have put together an informative post about how to take up entomophagy like all the cool kids. After the jump, five tips for eating bugs that you should probably commit to memory (since Internet access might get laggy when the four horsemen hit town):
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The always-packed Church Street location (Image: snowpea&bokchoi)
For some time now, we’ve been crossing our fingers that a second iteration of the absurdly popular Guu would make its way to the Annex. Finally, we’ve got some solid news. James Kim, general manager of the Church Street restaurant, confirmed for us that a new Guu will indeed be taking over the former Burger King at Bloor and Bathurst. Ever-vigilant Chowhounders recently speculated that the new location would open later this month, but Kim says construction has been slower than expected. A more realistic opening date would be late February or early March. He also dished a little on what customers can expect: a bigger space (albeit without a patio), a different menu (with “some more interesting fish dishes”) and a traditional Tatami room with low tables, mats and no shoes. We’d like to think the new location might help out with the restaurant’s legendary queues, but who are we kidding?
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