Kevin McKenna shares an intimate moment with a local swine (Image: Signe Langford)

Farm-to-fork restaurateur Ed Ho—the man behind Globe and Earth—is about to extend his reach right out to the burbs. He and chef Kevin McKenna are betting that their go-local ethos will fly in Mississauga, where they’ve taken over a former Lone Star Texas Grill near Square One. The space is presently being gutted and rebuilt, but when it’s done, Ho expects to be able to seat nearly 250 in the dining area and even more on the patio and in a private room.

Chef McKenna is planning a menu imbued with the earth-to-table philosophy that’s succeeded downtown, only this version will have fewer adventurous fusion dishes than the menu at Globe. The unorthodox cuts of meat McKenna is fond of will be introduced gradually. Nothing on the menu will be over $25.

Designer Ron Nuhn will take his cues from sister restaurants Earth and Globe, employing an earthy, dark, warm palette and natural materials. We look forward to taking a peek inside when the yet-to-be-named spot opens in November.

(Photo by Jon Sufrin)

When it comes to flouting moderation at the dinner table, Toronto may not be Texas, but it definitely has its share of big food. Vegetarians have a few outsize items to choose from—Urban Herbivore’s mega-muffins, the three-inch falafel balls at Tov-Li—but it is meat eaters who have most of the opportunities to attack large portions with primal zeal. We hit the street to find the establishments able to satisfy that deep-seated lust. From upmarket foie gras to a diner’s mile-high burgers, here are eight of Toronto’s biggest restaurant dishes, each begging to be conquered.