Advertisement

Toronto Life - The Dish

The latest buzz on restaurants, chefs, bars, food shops and food events. Sign up for the Dish newsletter for weekly updates. Send tips to thedish@torontolife.com

Restauran-TO

14 Comments

January 29, 2010 | 12:17 pm

Greg Couillard’s Spice Room may be closed for good among accusations of bounced cheques, serving without a liquor licence and thousands in unpaid wages

The entrance to the Spice Room (Photo by Karon Liu)

Closed for now or forever? The entrance to the Spice Room is presently blocked (Photo by Karon Liu)

It seems as though every restaurant nightmare is presently playing out in the basement of Hazelton Lanes, where Greg Couillard’s Spice Room and Chutney Bar sits abandoned behind a barrier of bar stools and a sign that reads “Restaurant Closed.” At Manyata, the restaurant’s courtyard café, dusty Christmas decorations have been pushed to the corner, and exposed wires hang from the ceiling like an abandoned renovation project. “Since David Nganga took over, it’s been a shit show,” says one Spice Room–Manyata server. “I’m madder than hell.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

Comments

January 29, 2010 | 12:03 pm

Fine food + fine art = the latest recession restaurant trend

Pear-hazelnut ginger cake at Frank, with inverted CN Tower sugar art (Photo by Jen Chan form the Toronto Life Flickr pool)

Pear-hazelnut ginger cake at Frank (Photo by Jen Chan via the Toronto Life Flickr pool)

Today’s New York Times puts Toronto at the forefront of an evolving trend in restaurants: “fine dining to go with fine art.” Writer Larry Rohter observes that the recession has forced cultural centres to get creative about making money (the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Arts and Design and the Whitney Museum all have sophisticated new menus), and high-end restaurants—much like Frank, at the Art Gallery of Ontario—are financially viable while “enhancing the museum experience.”

“More and more over the past five years, that is what museums, libraries and even botanical gardens have been demanding,” says Dick Cattani, the chief executive officer of Restaurant Associates. If this is anything to go by, we could be looking at restaurants like Mark McEwan at the Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat and Marc Thuet’s Reference Library Buffet.

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

5 Comments

January 28, 2010 | 11:45 am

Five 2010 trends to watch: we ask Jamie Kennedy, Anthony Walsh, David Lee and other chefs what to look for in the coming year

Bespoke Bread from Marc Thuet (Photo by Renée Suen)

Bespoke bread from Marc Thuet (Photo by Renée Suen)

It’s no secret that 2009 was rough for restaurants—“It’s a year a lot of restaurateurs are happy to see go,” says C5’s Ted Corrado—but with the new year almost a month old, optimism is back on the table. We talked to some of the city’s top chefs about five culinary trends for the coming year.

1. Less Is More
Small, chef-run restaurants that are down-to-earth in both atmosphere and culinary style. Chef Jamie Kennedy, who’s focusing on the Gilead Bistro, a decidedly more casual restaurant than the Wine Bar he sold last fall, anticipates more “chef-driven” spots like J.P. Challet’s Ici Bistro and Grant van Gameren’s Black Hoof. Claudio Aprile, who’s working on his second restaurant, Origin, agrees: “I’m hoping that we see a lot more restaurants that are open kitchen, 30 seats, three line cooks.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

3 Comments

January 28, 2010 | 8:01 am

Batifole sticks it to the credit card companies

(Photo by mugley)

(Photo by mugley)

Fed up with credit card companies’ service charges, the venerable French restaurant Batifole is asking patrons to not use their plastic to pay for their meals. Here is the message printed on the menu from chef-owner Jean-Jacques Texier (emphasis his):

Dear Patrons
The Credit Card Companies (Visa, Amex, and Master-Card) have introduced new fees, as well; they have substantially raised their service charges to merchants. They think that I should raise my price and transfer the cost on to you. But we are dedicated to keeping Batifole affordable and seek your support.
Please Pay By Using your Debit Card or Cash.

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

4 Comments

January 26, 2010 | 2:22 pm

No-reservations policies drive people outdoors, crazy

That's my queue: customers wait for hours to taste the fare at Guu (Photo by snowpea&bokchoi)

That's my queue: customers wait for hours to taste the fare at Guu (Photo by snowpea&bokchoi)

Capitalizing on one of the more frustrating dining trends, the Globe writes about the no-reservations policies at such restaurants as Guu, Black Hoof and Pizzeria Libretto and how they are resulting in long lineups, rushed dining experiences, annoyed customers and, in some cases, mayhem. TasteTO’s Sheryl Kirby opines that the chaos is a side effect of Toronto’s unsophisticated nature: diners care more about partaking in the latest trend than indulging in quality dining. The sight of teeming masses lined up in sub-zero temperatures may reek of herd mentality, but Michael Sangregorio, the owner of Local Kitchen, says that it’s all part of the fun. “I think people like lineups… People want to eat in busy restaurants.” He also suggests that restaurants (like his) often merit the attention and that reservations are unsuited to the operations of a small restaurant.

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

2 Comments

January 25, 2010 | 9:15 am

Black Hoof buys Berkshire pigs for restaurant

berkshirepig

A wee little Berkshire pig (Photo by Xabier Cid)

In an effort to make charcuterie bastion Black Hoof more self-sufficient, the owners have purchased two female Berkshire pigs—tentatively named Brunch and Dinner.

“I chose Berkshire because the meat is just so dark and purple, it’s got the best marbling, and the fat content is the perfect amount (read: lots of fat),” writes co-owner and chef Grant van Gameren on his blog, Charcuterie Sundays.

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

12 Comments

January 22, 2010 | 11:00 am

Lynn Crawford’s new Riverdale restaurant to open in March

Celebrity chef and Restaurant Makeover star Lynn Crawford’s much-anticipated Riverdale restaurant, located in The Citizen’s former space, is set to open in March after its renovation is complete. The name, Ruby Watchco, comes from a 13-foot sign co-owners Cherie Stinson (a Restaurant Makeover interior designer) and husband Joey Skeir found at the Junction decor shop Cornerstone a few years ago. They immediately knew that the odd moniker would be the name of their dream restaurant.

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

Comments

January 22, 2010 | 9:34 am

The Rosebud up for grabs at $95K

Chef Rod Bowers is hoping to sell his Queen West restaurant The Rosebud by March 1—four days before his wife is due to give birth to their new daughter.

“I’m going to take some time off and see what it’s like to be a dad,” says Bowers, who has put the restaurant on the market at a shockingly low $95,000. “I’ve been in the kitchen since I was 18, so we’ll see how it goes. It’s time to step back. The Rosebud is great and all, but it’ll be great for someone else to take over.” Bowers’ other restaurant, The Citizen, was sold to star chef Lynn Crawford and Cherie Stinson in early January; the two are planning a March opening.

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

4 Comments

January 20, 2010 | 11:02 am

Starfish restaurant is serving rare species of abalone

abalone

Starfish serves the abalone raw in thin slices and with the incredibly rare roe (Photo courtesy of Patrick McMurray)

Toronto restaurateur and champion oyster shucker Patrick McMurray has tracked down a sustainable source of extremely rare pintos, Canada’s only naturally occurring abalone species, for his Adelaide Street seafood restaurant Starfish.

The large sea snails are prized for their luscious meat but cannot be legally caught or served in Canada unless grown on a farm, so McMurray tracked down the six-person-run, British Columbia–based Bamfield Huu-ay-aht Community Abalone Project, which aims to replenish wild stock of the mollusc and get it off the Canadian government’s threatened species list. Starfish is the second restaurant in the country to serve Huu-ay-aht’s abalone (C Restaurant in Vancouver was the first).

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

19 Comments

January 20, 2010 | 9:14 am

Mövenpick makes its Toronto comeback

richtree

Staffers man the salad station at Richtree (Photo by Rupert Taylor-Price)

Mövenpick Marché, the European-style self-serve restaurant, is returning to Toronto on January 25 after a six-year absence caused by a nasty legal dispute with franchisee Jorg Reichert. The company is taking back the space it once held in Brookfield Place (formerly BCE Place) from current tenant Richtree Market, and Mövenpick’s parent company intends to open at least 10 locations in the GTA under various names. Richtree’s closure will not affect the other locations.

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

Comments

January 19, 2010 | 9:27 am

J.P. Challet returns to the Windsor Arms

ICI_BISTRO05

Peter Tsang, Jennifer Decorte and J.P. Challet (Photo by Jessica Darmanin)

More than a decade after he reopened the restaurant at the Windsor Arms, French chef J.P. Challet is returning to revamp the dining options at the classic hotel, along with partners Jennifer Decorte and Peter Tsang. Their company Ici La-bas Partout, which has been operating out of an as-yet-unopened bistro on Harbord, will be transforming Prime, the hotel’s steakhouse, into a modern French restaurant called Ici. As for the spot on Harbord, it’s still coming, assures Decorte; they plan to open Ici Aussi in March.

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

Comments

January 18, 2010 | 12:00 pm

The Black Hoof and Niagara Street Café host Haiti fundraiser this week

Jen Agg, co-owner of The Black Hoof, is hosting a benefit on Wednesday to raise funds for victims of last week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti. Anton Potvin has provided the space at Niagara Café Upstairs, where staff from both restaurants will create a Haitian-inspired menu: Niagara Street Café chef Nick Liu’s famous suckling pig (prepared Haitian style); spicy rice and beans made by Agg’s Haitian-born boyfriend; and cheese from the Cheese Boutique. Drinks will be provided by Ontario wineries, merchants and brewers.

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

Comments

January 18, 2010 | 11:19 am

New Yorkers told to visit Toronto and eat at CN Tower

cntower

The peak of Toronto dining? (Photo by Oliver Mallich)

As if our superior Chinatown weren’t enough of a draw, New Yorkers in search of a reason to visit Toronto may find inspiration in this odd list compiled by the travel site eTurbo News.

Some of the city’s best restaurants fail to make the cut, though some obvious culinary draws—like Wine Bar and the CN Tower’s touristy 360 Restaurant—are given a thumbs up. But how about fleeing the deli-filled streets of NYC for, wait for it, a deli? Apparently Caplansky’s is worth the journey (the writer even fantasizes about having the “cute, charming (a little pudgy), intelligent” owner Zane Caplansky as a son-in-law). Theatre district joints Dhaba and Focus Group are also top picks.

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

1 Comment

January 15, 2010 | 3:38 pm

Jamieson Kerr talks about selling Crush and opening a second Queen and Beaver-esque pub

CrushWineBarAfter eight years as owner and operator of Crush Wine Bar, Jamieson Kerr has decided to sell the once-French, now-British King West bistro in order to focus on his growing family and the Queen and Beaver—his Elm Street gastropub that opened last spring. “I’ve been spending six nights a week at Crush, and I felt it was time to give a bit of time back to my family,” Kerr tells us. “A great offer came my way, to be honest. We all know that the economy was tough on large fine-dining restaurants, and I managed to hold my own, but when this offer came along, it was worth looking at.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Restauran-TO

4 Comments

January 15, 2010 | 8:43 am

Joe Pantalone swoops in to limit west-end nightlife—again

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Toronto’s would-be mayor Joe Pantalone is coming down hard on one of the city’s most popular nightlife destinations. After similar moves against Ossington and Harbord, the councilman is now supporting a motion put forth by residents living near the busy stretch of Queen West between Dovercourt and Gladstone. The proposal, which seeks to clarify the term “restaurant” and to limit patio sizes, was approved by Toronto and East York Community Council but still has to pass city council. Pantalone claims that this section of Queen experienced “too much change, too fast” and that “a sense of equilibrium was lost.” Perhaps we have a different definition of “fast,” but The Drake, The Social and The Gladstone have been up and running for years (even the Starbucks at Dovercourt, famously graffitied “Drake you ho this is all your fault,” opened in 2005). We wonder what the construction of the Bohemian Embassy and West Side Lofts condo projects will do to that equilibrium.

• In search of more balance on West Queen West [National Post]

Advertisement

Current Issue
Current Issue

Advertisement

Advertisement

Links and Offers
  • Learn how to say money with thousands of money-saving tips on insurance, your mortgage, electric bills, credit cards, cell phones, and more at billeater.com.
  • Play online bingo in the best new bingo sites in the UK for your bingo pleasure.
  • Fashion4us is an online Asian fashion (Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese) wholesaler. Consumers will be satisfied with the original quality and huge discount on wholesale clothing collections.

Advertisement