After 11 years of kudos but barely break-even business, owner-chef Chris McDonald closed Avalon in March, abandoning clubland and fine dining to open a tapas bar at Yonge and St. Clair. “Part of me was always less interested in perfectionist cuisine, more in big, exuberant flavours,” he says. “The new place will be casual, cheeky and fun.” And familiar. He has taken over the 50-seat Delisle, where he was briefly chef 13 years ago. McDonald’s decision was personal, but with big-name chefs Marc Thuet and J.P. Challet shifting to bistro, too, it also seems a sign of the times.

Cava, 1560 Yonge St., 416-979-9918.