(Image: Gabby Frank)
Name: Merenda Kitchen
Neighbourhood: Liberty Village
Contact: 171 East Liberty St., #144, 416-583-2131, merenda.kitchen , @MerendaKitchen
Owners: Fabio Gelmo, Cassius Williams (Locus 144)
Chef: Daniel Janetos (Buca, The Saint, Farmhouse Tavern)
The Food: Italian dishes made with organic and sustainably sourced ingredients. The menu follows Chipotle’s customizable-meal model: customers choose a base (greens, grains or panini), top it with a protein (porchetta, meatballs, chicken, crispy mozzarella or ratatouille) and add a sauce (tomato basil, garlic crema or pesto). There’s also a handful of bar snacks, meat and cheese boards and trendy bone broth on offer. Janetos is a health nut, and can accommodate most food allergies and special diets. A portion of Merenda’s profits are donated to a Waterloo-based wildlife rehabilitation program, which Janetos’s mother heads up. “If we’re killing 100 animals a year to feed people,” he says, “I want to be saving 101.”
The Drinks: Classic cocktails, a short wine list, four brews on tap (Kronenbourg, Kronebourg Blanc, Sapporo, Peroni) and a selection of bottled beer. Cold-pressed juice will be added soon, with the option to spike with a shot of booze.
The Space: Tucked away in Liberty Market Plaza, the space (which was previously Locus 144) is a kitchen by day and still Locus Lounge by night. Dinner is served from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., after which it’s party time and the tables are cleared away to make room for a dance floor. Lunch service is in the works.
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(Image: Gabby Frank)
321821 Cured meat and cheese boards come with crostini and seasonal preserves. This one is topped with San Daniele prosciutto, pickled watermelon radish, truffle crema and truffle-parm fries ($8.95). https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-meat-board-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-meat-board.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-meat-board.jpg 800 1106 [] https://torontolife.com/food/new-toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-italian-liberty-village/slide/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-meat-board/ toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-meat-board 0 0
321823 Meatball sandwich: two halved meatballs (made with Mennonite-raised Duroc pork), seasonal greens in a lemon vinaigrette, tomato basil sauce and pecorino cheese ($9.95). https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-meatball-panini-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-meatball-panini.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-meatball-panini.jpg 1200 792 [] https://torontolife.com/food/new-toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-italian-liberty-village/slide/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-meatball-panini/ toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-meatball-panini 0 0
321818 Greens & Grains: brown rice is topped with seasonal greens, chicken breast, garlic crema and pecorino cheese ($9.95). Pecorino plays a big role at Merenda Kitchen: "I'm lactose-free and it sucks," says Janetos. "And pecorino is lactose-free." https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-greens-grains-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-greens-grains.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-greens-grains.jpg 1200 795 [] https://torontolife.com/food/new-toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-italian-liberty-village/slide/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-greens-grains/ toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-greens-grains 0 0
321815 Cannoli (front) is the not-so-healthy dessert option ($2.50), while the Powerball (back) made with Medjool dates, raw nuts and unsweetened coconut is the raw, vegan choice ($2.50). https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-cannoli-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-cannoli.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-cannoli.jpg 1200 754 [] https://torontolife.com/food/new-toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-italian-liberty-village/slide/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-cannoli/ toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-cannoli 0 0
321824 Negroni: Ungava gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, orange zest ($10). https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-negroni-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-negroni.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-negroni.jpg 800 1190 [] https://torontolife.com/food/new-toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-italian-liberty-village/slide/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-negroni/ toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-negroni 0 0
321825 Maple Old-Fashioned: Maple Knob Creek whiskey, maple simple syrup, Angostura bitters, maple-soaked cherries, orange wheel ($10). https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-old-fashioned-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-old-fashioned.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-old-fashioned.jpg 800 1030 [] https://torontolife.com/food/new-toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-italian-liberty-village/slide/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-old-fashioned/ toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-old-fashioned 0 0
321820 French Martini: Vodka, Chambord, pineapple juice ($10). https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-martini-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-martini.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-martini.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/food/new-toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-italian-liberty-village/slide/toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-martini/ toronto-restaurants-merenda-kitchen-liberty-village-martini 0 0
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129 to 11 for the West.
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