Roncesvalles | torontolife.com

The comprehensive index of every blog post, magazine story and restaurant review that appears on Torontolife.com

All stories relating to Roncesvalles

Introducing: Maialino Enoteca Italiana, a bit of Sicily at the edge of Parkdale

Inside the small, Patti Rosati–designed room on Queen Street West (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)

Maialino Enoteca Italiana, the latest in a seemingly unending stream of new Italian restaurants, sits on the last strip of Queen east of Roncesvalles. The restaurant, which opened quietly just before Christmas, aims to set itself apart with its modern take on traditional Sicilian cuisine (indeed, there’s a little icon on the menus indicating Sicilian dishes). Promising no buffalo mozzarella, owner Mike Rutigliano notes that increasingly, the food from Italy’s south is making its mark on the food world—which, in the Toronto context, means giving the pizza-loving northerners a run for their money.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Dish

Restauran-TO

January 16, 2012 | 11:14 am

59 Comments

Is 20 per cent the new 15 per cent? Restaurant tips nudge ever upward

This customer scrutinizes his bills closely (Image: pasukaru76)

In today’s Toronto Star, Amy Pataki reports on the latest trend sweeping Roncesvalles: credit card machines suggesting a 20 per cent tip. At least, that’s the standard at the strip’s two newest restaurants, The Ace and The Westerly. Pataki quotes Ace owner Greg Boggs explaining, “It’s not a sneaky thing, nor is it an expectation. I always tip at least 20 per cent when I go out.” Of course, the two Roncy restos aren’t the only ones that have moved to what Pataki refers to as “the Manhattan standard”—at the three locations of Mexican restaurant Milagro, suggested tips come in at 16, 20 and, ahem, 30 per cent (the last for larger parties). Long-time Dish readers will remember the furor that broke out when then-MPP David Caplan (who happens to be the brother of Zane Caplansky) proposed a bill than would ban automatic gratuities on large parties (that effort died on the order paper). We wonder how Torontonians will react to this new nudge northward. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »

The Dish

Opening

January 4, 2012 | 10:42 am

7 Comments

Introducing: The Westerly, a new Roncesvalles restaurant and bar from a pair of West Coasters

Co-owner Beth Davyduke outside her new Roncesvalles restaurant

The churn of restaurants on Roncesvalles continues apace with the addition of The Westerly to the once Polish-dominated strip (indeed, we recently reported on the closing of Roncy mainstay Granowska’s). Like The Ace up the street, The Westerly focuses on classic dishes done right, which means making things from scratch. Focaccia and crusty baguettes baked on the premises? Check. Fresh homemade pasta? Check. Desserts made in-house? Check. And to top it off, The Westerly even features its own intrepid young mixologist and signature cocktail, the Sweet Roncy, a blend of gin, fresh apricots and Italian cherry liquor.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Dish

Deathwatch

December 23, 2011 | 10:33 am

22 Comments

Roncesvalles staple Granowska’s Bakery to serve its last paczki at the end of the month

Granowska’s has presided over the corner of Roncesvalles and Fern for 39 years (Image: Joey deVilla)

On the morning of Thursday, June 13, 1972, after three straight days of baking, Elizabeth Klodas and her mother Maria opened the doors to Granowska’s Bakery on Roncesvalles, which they named after the family bakery they left behind in Poland. “That first day, we sold out in five hours,” she told us. “We were both so happy but then started crying when we realized we had to start baking all over again! We thought we had baked enough to last the weekend!” Now, after nearly 40 years in business, the bakery will be closing its doors for good at the end of the month.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Dish

Opening

December 13, 2011 | 12:30 pm

14 Comments

Introducing: The Ace, a classic Roncesvalles diner reborn

A traditional ’50s diner, reborn

For almost two decades, the Ace Chinese Restaurant on Roncesvalles has been shuttered. This spring, however, Maggie Ruhl (co-owner of the Dakota Tavern) and her partner, Greg Boggs, took possession of the space. The pair renamed it simply The Ace and have preserved the vintage 1950s aesthetic, but updated the menu with homestyle comfort food and French classics.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Dish

Opening

December 5, 2011 | 3:12 pm

4 Comments

Introducing: Stasis Local Foods, the new Roncesvalles emporium for all things pickled and jarred (and preferably local)

Inside Stasis Local Foods, looking out onto Roncesvalles (Image: Caroline Aksich)

Up at the northern tip of Roncesvalles, just south of Dundas, sits the neighbourhood’s newest gourmet food shop, Stasis Local Foods. The store carries a tightly curated selection of local and seasonal gems, but the focus is on the made-in-house jams and preserves prepared by the shop’s young owner, Julian Katz. Katz has cooked his way across the Toronto dining landscape (C5, The Drake, Lucien, Ruby Watchco), but when not preparing $30 mains, he would pickle in-season produce and whip up scrumptious jams. One day, he had a revelation: “I looked around and saw that I had 30 or 40 cases of jam in my house, and I was like, ‘This is ridiculous! I can only give away jam as Christmas gifts for so long!’ ” Katz left his gig with Lynn Crawford in January to brave the city’s farmers’ markets, and then founded his company, Stasis Preserves. After a year of pestering his chef friends for access to their kitchens, Katz decided it was time to get his own.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Goods

Shop Talk

November 7, 2011 | 10:25 am

1 Comment

Introducing: Scout, a fully stocked gift emporium and treasure trove of tchotchkes in Roncy

The Place: While travelling around Australia and Nepal, Scout shop owner Leah Eyles had an epiphany: she wanted to open up a gift shop on Roncy. On her days off—she used to work at Red Pegasus on College—she’d trek west to seek out the the real estate gems not listed on MLS. This ex-Cashmax needed a serious facelift; Eyles chucked the carpet, raised the drop ceiling, ripped out a wall and filled the space with beautiful antiques that could be repurposed as displays (a number of the pieces were bought at an estate sale around the corner). Right now the walls are fairly sparse, but Eyles is currently considering trying her hand at art dealing. Artists Jacqui Gardner and Craig Hopgood designed Scout’s window display, and the two oversized maps—one of eastern Canada, and the other of western Canada—are marked with little buttons, which denote the Canadian towns where Eyles sources her products.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Informer

Gimme Shelter

November 4, 2011 | 12:30 pm

4 Comments

Condomonium: $1.3 million for a bona fide loft space with a private elevator

ADDRESS: 1 Columbus Avenue, Unit 302

NEIGHBOURHOOD: Roncesvalles

AGENT: Robin Pope, Brad J. Lamb Realty Inc.

PRICE: $1,295,000

THE PLACE: Roncesvalles may be overrun with arty cafes and doggie daycares now, but back in the day it was home to all kinds of industrial endeavors. Built in 1902, this five-storey building was once a factory that churned out baseball gloves and was converted into ten condo lofts 15 years ago by Jackson Goad Architects.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Goods

From the Print Edition

November 1, 2011 | 12:30 pm

5 Comments

Great Spaces: Four places of worship, born again (this time, as trendy condos)

There’s nothing sacrilegious about this city’s appetite for loft conversions, even when the raw space is a deconsecrated church

By Alex Bozikovic | Photography by Michael Graydon

1| A 1906 building formerly home to the Centennial Japanese United Church

2| A 1941 building, once home to a Slovenian Catholic congregation

3| A 1921 addition to the Riverdale Presbyterian Church

4| A 1911 Methodist church, used by an Italian evangelical congregation since 2003

Read the rest of this entry »

The Dish

From the Print Edition

October 21, 2011 | 12:57 pm

Comments

New Reviews: Pizzeria Defina, Diana’s Oyster Bar and the Hoof Cocktail Bar

Thin-crust lust in Roncey, impeccable seafood in Scarborough and double-digit cocktails on Dundas West

PIZZERIA DEFINA
321 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-534-4414

The newest pizza parlour on the Roncesvalles strip isn’t world changing, but it’s a welcome addition to a neighbourhood brimming with families looking for quick, crowd-pleasing food. There are plenty of oddities on the menu: pizza salads and even a lasagna pizza (a margherita with ground beef and fior di latte). The baked pies, flash-cooked in a wood-fired brick oven, are tasty, though not Libretto, Queen Margherita or Terroni calibre. The crusts one night were a touch underdone, where they should have been blistered black. The tomato sauce is fine but doesn’t have the zip of a great San Marzano. The caesar salad is phoned in: the lettuce is still damp from washing, the dressing lacks punch, and the croutons are AWOL. Green bean “fritti” are tasty from lots of salt and pepper but floppy from deep-frying. Friendly service and a perfunctory wine list.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Informer

Gimme Shelter

October 7, 2011 | 12:32 pm

1 Comment

Office Space: $750 per month for a sunny vintage spot near Dufferin Grove

ADDRESS: 1 Macklem Avenue

NEIGHBOURHOOD: Little Portugal

AGENT: Lease from owner (Mariana Grezova)

PRICE: $750 per month

OFFICE SPACE: A small studio on a quiet side street near Dufferin Grove, the office is shared with Collectivity, a communications firm. The open-concept space on the main floor of a three-storey building features exposed brick walls, polished concrete floors and plenty of natural light (all four walls are lined with windows). The current owners plan to inject a little more green in the property by putting in a yard at the side of the building this fall.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Hype

To-Do List

September 14, 2011 | 2:28 pm

3 Comments

The Weekender: Private Lives, Queen West Art Crawl and six other events on our to-do list

Rakim, the Queen West Art Crawl and Private Lives

1. PRIVATE LIVES
This 1930s comedy by Noël Coward is responsible for about three quarters of romantic comedies today. Just look at the plot: divorced couple Elyot and Amanda and their respective new partners find themselves on vacation at the same hotel on (wait for it) the French Riviera. Campy, banter-laden shenanigans ensue, naturally. Kim Cattrall and Paul Gross star as the lovely ex-couple, which sounds just about perfect. Sept. 16 to Oct. 30. $35–$175. Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King St. W., 416-872-1212, mirvish.com.

2. STIFFED! FILM FESTIVAL
TIFF wraps up this weekend but that won’t stop this indie film fest from trying to steal its thunder just a little. The filmmakers featured at this one-day event have three things in common: they’re all Canadian, they’ve all recently directed a short film and they were all passed over for a screening at TIFF. Sept. 18. $15. The Annex Wreck Room, 794 Bathurst St., stiffedfilmfest.com.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Dish

Opening

August 25, 2011 | 5:12 pm

15 Comments

Introducing Pizzeria Defina, the new Roncesvalles spot for Neapolitan, Roman, fried and “salad” pizzas

Inside Roksolana Curkowskyj’s new Roncesvalles pizzeria (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)

Pizzeria Defina, the latest spot to open on Roncesvalles, was for a long time home to take-out joint Cosa Pizza. When Roksolana Curkowskyj, a graduate of Ryerson’s fashion design program, purchased the property, she was planning to turn it into a bridal studio. But after exploring the space’s potential (including the giant pizza oven that came with it), Roksolana decided to apply her less-is-more design philosophy to pizzas rather than wedding gowns.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Goods

From the Print Edition

August 3, 2011 | 5:00 pm

1 Comment

Best of the City 2011: Our picks for the coolest home decor and other goods

(Image: Liam Mogan)

Patio chair Camera Axe Reclaimed wood furniture Vintage Curios Fresh-cut flowers Guilt-free makeup Soil for a veggie garden Kids’ furniture Kids’ sheets Gold faucet

Read the rest of this entry »

The Informer

Cityscape

July 25, 2011 | 11:45 am

1 Comment

Rejoice, Roncesvalles: the construction has finally come to a close

The street can now return to more idyllic times (Image: Double Feature)

Up until this past weekend, the word “Roncesvalles” had basically been synonymous with “road construction,” or perhaps even “for the love of God, somebody help us.” Luckily for local residents, the seemingly everlasting roadwork came to a formal end on Saturday as the neighbourhood celebrated the closing of two years of construction and the opening of the renewed strip.

Read the rest of this entry »

All stories relating to Roncesvalles

Contests

Links and Offers

Most shared stories today

The latest from across the St. Joseph Media network