They’ve done it with fast food at Petit Four, and now SIR Corp. is looking to combine healthy eating with high-end cuisine at Four (187 Bay Street). Set to open on February 27th in the location of the recently closed Soul of the Vine (below Far Niente in Commerce Court), Four will feature a seasonal menu with options for vegetarians, celiacs and others with restricted diets, and prices will be very reasonable for the area, with appetizers priced from $3.50 to $11 and main courses from $16.50 to $24. Most notably, all dishes will have less than 650 calories, with executive chef Gord Mackie promising no “diet food”, just meals that are healthy, balanced and flavourful.

In Little Italy, the short-lived lounge Versace’s Driveway has been replaced by Sidecar Bar & Grill (577 College Street), a causal dining restaurant that promises made-from-scratch Italian classics, and cocktails made with fresh juices and infused liquors. And down in the Entertainment District, Trinity Supper Club (11 Duncan Street) will soon be opening with one floor for dining and a second for dancing.

There’s a fair bit of action going on at various points along and near Eglinton. In Forest Hill, a new location of The Healthy Butcher (298 Eglinton Avenue West) will be opening soon, and the long planned Wolfgang Puck Bistro at the corner of Eglinton and Avenue Road will supposedly be opening in the spring. To the east on the edge of Leaside, the second location of Cluck Grunt & Low (1620 Bayview Avenue) is now open. And a few blocks north of Yonge and Eg, the recently closed MIMOSA Bistro & Wine Bar is already being transformed into Chakra (2497 Yonge Street), a “casual and elegant” Indian restaurant.

Long-established in that same area is Grazie (2373 Yonge Street), a cheap and cheerful Italian spot that’s been packing them in since 1990. After a dozen and a half years of success, they’ve decided to expand, and will be opening a second location in March at 2100 Jane Street in Vaughan. A job fair will be taking place at the new location on Monday Feb 4th and Tuesday Feb 5th from 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM.

Finally, a pair of closures to report: Well-loved neighbourhood bistro The Town Grill (243 Carlton Street) has unexpectedly closed after more than a decade of serving the residents of Cabbagetown; and down in Parkdale, Asian restaurant/lounge Chino Bar (1378 Queen Street West) is shuttered with a dreaded “rent in arrears” notice posted in the window.

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.