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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in April

Duck pizza and turkey wing at Lisa Marie (Image: Igor Yu)

Openings

Banh Mi Boys—The wildly popular Vietnamese banh mi, bao, and taco joint opened its second venue on Yonge Street with the same menu (and line ups) as the original Queen Street location. Read our Introducing post »

Vita Sociale—Midtown power institution Centro traded white linens and pricey plates for rustic Italian staples and a sandwich counter. Read our Introducing post »

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The Month That Was

April 1, 2013 | 4:25 pm

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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in March

Electric Mud BBQ during its busy first week (Image: Gizelle Lau)

Opening

Electric Mud BBQ—The two guys behind Grand Electric opened a not-so-authentic Southern barbecue spot around the corner from their cult Parkdale taco joint. The result: long lineups, of course. Read our Introducing post »
Bar Isabel—Grant van Gameren enlisted fellow Black Hoof alum Brandon Olsen for this tapas and bar snacks joint on College Street. Read our Introducing Post »
Queen Margherita Pizza—The popular Leslieville pizza parlour opened its long-awaited west-end location in restaurant-starved Baby Point. Read our Introducing post »

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The Month That Was

March 4, 2013 | 3:00 pm

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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in February

Burger and fries at The Burgernator (Image: Megan Leahy)

Opening

Fetta—Chef Mark McEwan’s new panini bar at Pearson is one of a slew of new eateries opening at the airport in 2013. Read our Dish post »
Nejibee—Toronto’s latest izakaya is also a teppanyaki and sake bar. Its soft opening was Feb. 24, but the grand opening is slated for early March. Read our Dish post »
Hitch—Named for noted author and imbiber Christopher Hitchens, the cozy neighbourhood bar focuses on classic cocktails and bourbon. Read our Introducing post »

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The Month That Was

February 1, 2013 | 3:10 pm

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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in January

Charles Khabouth’s new Italian restaurant Buonanotte (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)

Opening

Porzia—Chef Basilio Pesce’s homey southern Italian restaurant will likely be Parkdale’s last opening until the restaurant ban on the strip gets lifted. Read our Introducing post »
Boccone Trattoria Veloce—The restaurants at Pearson Airport are getting a much-needed refresh, and Boccone, a casual Italian restaurant with a menu from Mistura’s Massimo Capra, is first out of the gate. Read our Introducing post »
Room 203—After bouncing between various consulting gigs, chef Guy Rawlings launched a new hybrid space—at a secret Parkdale location—for catering, classes and food events. Read our Introducing post »

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The Month That Was

January 3, 2013 | 4:17 pm

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The Month that Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in December

Sang Kim’s new Yakitori Bar (Image: Gizelle Lau)

Opening

Yakitori Bar and Seoul Food Co.—Restauranteur Sang Kim (Ki, Blowfish) set an ambitious goal for himself: one restaurant, thirty days. It must’ve been too easy, because he ended up opening two, an izakaya and a Korean takeout joint. Read our Introducing post »
Hawthorne Food and Drink—Chef Eric Wood (Fabarnak) finds inspiration for Hawthorne’s menu in Toronto’s wide array of ethnic cuisines. Bonus: he also runs a paid training program for newly graduated cooks. Read our Introducing post »

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The Month That Was

December 3, 2012 | 4:00 pm

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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in November

Santouka Ramen was one of the many ramen shops to open this month (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)

Opening

Skin and Bones—Daniel Clarke and Harry Wareham, both formerly of Enoteca Sociale and Pizzeria Libretto, have opened the doors to Leslieville’s newest wine bar with chef-nomad Matthew Sullivan (Boxed, Maléna) in the kitchen. Read our Introducing post »
A-OK Foods—Yes, it’s another spot serving ramen, but this Queen West snack bar is owned by the trio behind Yours Truly and serves house-made ramen noodles. Read our Introducing post »
Rose and Sons—The first of Anthony Rose’s promised trio of restaurants opened with little fanfare and no liquor licence last week on Dupont. Rose is still tinkering with the menu, offering only brunch and lunch, but he’s launching a full dinner service on December 6. Read our Dish post »

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The Month That Was

November 1, 2012 | 4:00 pm

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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in October

After a long wait, Indie Ale House finally opened in the Junction this month (Image: Yves Freypons)

Opening

Café Boulud and dBar—The third Café Boulud and 14th restaurant in Daniel Boulud’s portfolio isn’t the buzziest arrival in recent weeks, but it probably wasn’t designed to be. The casual bistro, with its tidy four-part menu, is more of a neighbourhood spot than a fine dining destination. Read our Introducing post »
Richmond Station—Top Chef Canada winner Carl Heinrich and Ryan Donovan broke away from Marben to set up their transit-themed restaurant. Fans of Heinrich and Donovan’s “good, honest cooking,” which includes a Marben-esque rib-stuffed burger and a decadent take on a s’more, need only look for the ersatz subway station sign. Read our Introducing post »
Indie Ale House—After two years of labour, Jason Fisher’s lager-free brewery has brought craft ale to the once-dry Junction. Salt alum Patrick Fraser handles the elevated pub grub menu. Read our Introducing Post »
Patria—Charles Khabouth must not sleep. In the past four months, his bid to take over King West has manifested itself in Weslodge Saloon, Storys and, most recently, Patria, a traditional Spanish restaurant boasting wines that are largely unavailable at the LCBO. Read our Introducing post »

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The Month That Was

October 2, 2012 | 5:03 pm

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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in September

Clearly, Momofuku Toronto was September’s biggest opening in Toronto (Image: Renée Suen)

Openings

Momofuku–Star chef David Chang finally lifted the curtain on his hotly anticipated collection of restaurants (though getting in doesn’t seem to be very easy). With all four now open, diners can start with drinks at Nikai, then wander from Shōtō’s 10-course tasting menu to Daishō’s $600 ribeye, or just grab a bowl of ramen downstairs at the Noodle Bar (actually, trying to eat at all four in one night is sure to lead to failure). Read our Introducing post »
Tallboys Craft Beer House–Bloorcourt gets its own craft beer oasis with a selection of tall cans that live up to the name. Read our Introducing post »
Hapa Izakaya–The latest in the Vancouver izakaya invasion traffics in (appropriately) West C0ast fare, including sockeye salmon, Haida Gwaii halibut and spot prawns. Read our Introducing post »

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The Month That Was

September 4, 2012 | 3:58 pm

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The Month That Was: The Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in August

Bent, the new restaurant from Susur Lee and his sons (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)

Openings

Bent—Susur Lee’s sons Kai and Levi Bent-Lee take a stab at the restaurant business as they helm Bent, but the rest of the family isn’t too far away: Susur runs the kitchen, while their mother, Brenda Bent-Lee, is responsible for the restaurant’s design. Read our Introducing post »
The Food Dudes’ Food Truck—Adrian Niman (of The Food Dudes catering company, and formerly of North 44) ventures out into the world of food trucks to bring “food-driven entertainment” to dudes and, uh, everyone else too. Read our Introducing post »
Museum Tavern—An incredibly well-stocked ode to the great American bar has opened up across from the ROM. Read our Introducing post »
Sanagan’s Meat Locker—One deli replaces another in Kensington Market, as Sanagan’s takes over the old locale of European Quality Meats and Sausages (Hooked will be moving into the recently vacated Sanagan’s space). Read our Introducing post »

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The Month That Was

August 1, 2012 | 12:27 pm

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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in July

Hanif Harji and Charles Khabouth outside Weslodge, their new “modern saloon” (Image: Gizelle Lau)

Openings:

Pacific Junction Hotel—Come for the decidedly eclectic aesthetic, stay for the selection of rare tequilas and mezcals (but don’t plan to sleep the night—this is a bar, not a hotel). Read our Introducing post »
Riverside Public House—The Blue Moon Pub is out, and this upscale pub is in: expect comfort food from Top Chef Canada’s Dustin Gallagher, and a (soon-to-arrive) specialty drink menu from former Susur employee Matt Gregoris. Read our Introducing post »
Weslodge—Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji, the guys behind La Société and Nyood (respectively, among many other places), bring a little bit of country to the King West strip with their “modern saloon.” Look for the can’t-miss massive yellow front doors. Read our Introducing post »

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The Month That Was

July 3, 2012 | 4:49 pm

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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in June

The Hogtown Pub and Oysters (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)

Openings

Origin Liberty Village—The latest outpost in Claudio Aprile’s burgeoning empire has a dining room inspired by the Bren Gun factory that used to occupy the restaurant’s building. Read our Introducing post »
Farmhouse Tavern—Darcy MacDonell (formerly of La Société) serves up a host of Ontario-grown food and wine, the perfect complement to the Agrarian-inspired decor. Read our Introducing post »
Lil’ Baci Taverna—Not your nonna’s spaghetti and meatballs: Mark Bacci heads midtown to offer a creative take on classic Italian dishes. Read our Introducing post »
The Hogtown Pub and Oysters—Formerly The Auld Spot Pub, this College Street bar is under new management and offering revitalized pub fare (think: chipotle beef heart tacos and dried cherry and brie quesadillas). Read our Introducing post »
La Carnita—Last year’s pop-up taco stand upgrades to a permanent bricks-and-mortar residence at College and Bathurst. Read our Introducing post »
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The Month That Was

June 1, 2012 | 2:16 pm

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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in May

Buster’s Sea Cove, Toronto’s first seafood truck (Image: Gizelle Lau)

Openings

• Kinton—The owners of the Toronto outposts of Guu opened this summer’s first new ramen bar (there are others on the way). Naturally, there are big lineups but no reservations. Read our Introducing post »

• Raw Bar—The third establishment in the burgeoning Black Hoof empire opened on the sly earlier this month, this one focusing on seafood. Read our Introducing post »

• Lamesa—A contemporary spin on classic Filipino dishes opened on Bathurst, replacing the once-beloved Rosebud. Read our Introducing post »

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The Month That Was

May 1, 2012 | 5:08 pm

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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in April

Looking down from the mezzanine at Bellwoods Brewery (Image: Gizelle Lau)

Openings:

• The Saint—after three long years of waiting, during which time most of Ossington rapidly gentrified, this neighbourhood tavern from the people behind Buca finally opened its doors. Read our Introducing post »

• Bellwoods Brewery—A highly anticipated new brewpub on Ossington from a pair of Amsterdam Beer alums, with food by Guy Rawlings. Read our Introducing post »

• Lilly’s Lunches—A new downtown-centric bike brown bag bike delivery service from a cubicle escapee. Read our Introducing post »

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The Month That Was

April 2, 2012 | 5:13 pm

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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in March

The meat mural at Rob Rossi’s new European tavern, Bestellen (Image: Meaghan Binstock)

It can be hard to keep pace with all the new restaurants and bars that open and close in Toronto—which is why every month, we round them all up.

Openings:

• The Federal Reserve—Four friends, mostly with other jobs in the industry, opened this new Dundas West brunch spot, with a late-night menu and cocktails to follow. Read our Introducing post »

• Thirsty and Miserable—A new Kensington Market bar in a storied space, with a fine slate of craft beers (and a menu written on a piece of cardboard). Read our Introducing post »

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The Month That Was

March 1, 2012 | 5:20 pm

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The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in February

The bar at Stock, the Trump Tower’s glitzy new restaurant (Image: Gizelle Lau)

Even in the winter, it can be hard to keep pace with all the restaurants and bars that open and close in Toronto—which is why, starting this month, we’re rounding them all up.

Openings:

• Catch—A St. Clair seafood joint from the same owner of The Rushton, serving up small plates inspired by Greek, Moroccan and Spanish food. Read our Introducing post »

• Bazaar Global Food Bar—The latest eatery in the Amaya empire is a family-friendly restaurant on Mount Pleasant that draws from a range of world cuisines. Read our Introducing post »

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Buster’s Sea Cove, Toronto’s first seafood truck (Image: Gizelle Lau) Openings

Looking down from the mezzanine at Bellwoods Brewery (Image: Gizelle Lau) Openings:

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Contests

Buster’s Sea Cove, Toronto’s first seafood truck (Image: Gizelle Lau)

Openings

Looking down from the mezzanine at Bellwoods Brewery (Image: Gizelle Lau)

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