Here's this week's round-up of the latest local food and restaurant news...
Openings:
- Several months past his hoped-for St. Patrick's Day launch, Patrick McMurray of Starfish finally opened his Irish pub The Ceili Cottage (1301 Queen Street East) this past week.
- Avoiding the thin and crisp Neapolitan-style pies being offered by most gourmet pizza shops in town, newcomer Carpe Diem! (263 King Street East) is instead specializing in Sicilian-style slices that are square with a thick, chewy crust.
- Casual-yet-stylish sushi chain Ginza has opened a third location in Yorkville at 1255 Bay Street.
- The Market by Longo's, the "urban format" brand of the Longo's grocery chain, has a new shop now open at 111 Elizabeth Street, just a few steps from Bay and Dundas.
- Vineyards Estate Wines have partnered with Sobey's to open Aisle 43 Unparalleled Wines, a wine department in the new Sobey's Urban Fresh (22 Fort York Boulevard).
- Gourmet tea outlet David's Tea have expanded beyond their original Queen West location to spots in Bloor West Village (2285 Bloor Street West) and the Yonge & Eg area (2389 Yonge Street).
- Folks in Bedford Park have a pair of new bistros to dine at - The Vault (2015 Avenue Road) and Trillium Bistro (1552 Avenue Road) - and for dessert, they can scarf down some funnel cakes at Fun-L-Fun (1788 Avenue Road).
- Proving that there's more to Japanese food than sushi and ramen, Fin (55 Eglinton Avenue East) has been serving traditional izakaya dishes (think: Japanese tapas) since opening a few weeks ago.
Coming Up:
- Fourth-generation French pastry chef Nadege Nourian promises sweet and tasty delights at Nadege Patisserie (780 Queen Street West) when it opens this coming Tuesday.
- Salt Wine Bar (225 Ossington Avenue) managed to get their paperwork in before the recent moratorium on new bars and restaurants on the Ossington strip, and should be opening this summer with a selection of tapas, cheese and charcuterie to match with the many wines that will be on offer. (It should be noted that the place has no connection to the similarly themed Salt Tasting Room in Vancouver, nor the identically named Salt Wine Bar in Australia.)
- The folks at Lola's Commissary (634 Church Street) hope it will be the hottest new spot in the Gaybourhood once they finish working their way through the endless inspections and delays that come with opening a new restaurant. Watch for them to open later this summer.
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.
