As we reported a few weeks ago, veteran Yonge Street drinking hole Living Well (692 Yonge Street) was papered up, with a bit of confusion over whether it had been shut down or was just undergoing a makeover. Ends up it’s the former, as new signage was posted on the storefront last week identifying it as Arrabiata Trattoria & Resto-Bar. Since it’s not open yet, we have no idea what the food will be like beyond the fact that it will presumably be Italian, but we’re glad to see that it’s not going to be another noodle house or conveyor-belt sushi joint.

Quaffers on either end of Queen have new places to slake their thirsts with the opening of a couple of places dedicated to serving various libations, as well as reasonably priced food to accompany the bevvies. In the east end, Michael Summerfield’s gastro-pub Prohibition (696 Queen Street East) had a soft opening last Wednesday, and will hold an official launch in September.

Meanwhile, way out west in the wilds of Parkdale, Catherine Thai (daughter of the owner of Saigon Flower, the lone place on the block that refuses to sell out to Drake owner Jeff Stober) has unveiled her chic new lounge The Parkdale Drink (1292 Queen Street West). And a few blocks south of there, Liberty Village will soon have a neighbourhood spot to call their own with the fall opening of The Brazen Head (165 East Liberty Street), the latest venture from the folks behind The Foggy Dew, The Pour House, and several other Irish-themed pubs in and around town.

Not opening anytime soon, however, is Bar Crudo (1096 Queen Street West), the much anticipated new collaboration between Claudio Aprile and Hanif Harji, the team behind Colborne Lane. According to stories in Toronto Life and the National Post, the Aprile-Harji partnership is on the rocks, with scuttlebutt saying that Harji has left Colborne Lane entirely to concentrate on his Aprile-free ventures including Kultura. As a result, the fate of Bar Crudo is up in the air.

Down in the Entertainment District, those stumbling out of the clubs at last call will soon have a new place to fill up with hearty eats before heading home, as a location of the Golden Griddle chain will be setting up shop in the former home of the Duncan Street Grill (20 Duncan Street). As someone who lived near the old Front and Jarvis location during some of my misspent youth, I can attest to the magical restorative powers of Golden Griddle’s grub after a hard night of partying, so it’s nice to see another generation will be able to experience it for themselves.

If you have a scoop to share about the local food & restaurant scene, please let us know so we can include it in a future edition of T.O. Tidbits.