The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in October

The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in October

After a long wait, Indie Alehouse finally opened in the Junction this month (Image: Yves Freypons)

Opening

  • Café Boulud and dBar—The third Café Boulud and 14th restaurant in Daniel Boulud’s portfolio isn’t the buzziest arrival in recent weeks, but it probably wasn’t designed to be. The casual bistro, with its tidy four-part menu, is more of a neighbourhood spot than a fine dining destination. Read our Introducing post »
  • Richmond Station—Top Chef Canada winner Carl Heinrich and Ryan Donovan broke away from Marben to set up their transit-themed restaurant. Fans of Heinrich and Donovan’s “good, honest cooking,” which includes a Marben-esque rib-stuffed burger and a decadent take on a s’more, need only look for the ersatz subway station sign. Read our Introducing post »
  • Indie Alehouse—After two years of labour, Jason Fisher’s lager-free brewery has brought craft ale to the once-dry Junction. Salt alum Patrick Fraser handles the elevated pub grub menu. Read our Introducing Post »
  • PatriaCharles Khabouth must not sleep. In the past four months, his bid to take over King West has manifested itself in Weslodge Saloon, Storys and, most recently, Patria, a traditional Spanish restaurant boasting wines that are largely unavailable at the LCBO. Read our Introducing post »

  • Rebozos—The St. Clair West cantina—which was churning out tacos before it was cool—recently added a second location near College and Bathurst, close enough to Kensington Market and La Carnita to enable a taco crawl. Read our Introducing Post »
  • Five Guys—After setting up shop in Mississauga and Don Mills, Five Guys—and their signature smashed patties—finally made the trek downtown to Yonge and Dundas. Read our Dish post »
  • Fancy Franks—Boutique hot dogs haven’t quite taken off like boutique burgers, but maybe the ballgame staple just needed the right spot. Owner Angelos Economopoulos claims that “the place was full” as soon as he opened the doors. Read our Introducing Post »
  • John and Sons Oyster House—Yonge and St. Clair now has an oyster joint; but, more importantly, Yonge and St. Clair will soon have an oyster happy hour, courtesy of Rodney’s by Bay co-owners John Belknap and Sonia Potichnyj. [Post City]
  • Hooked—Do you live west of Yonge and want West Coast fish sourced from a 69-year-old man who fishes, on the ocean, by himself? Leslieville’s Hooked recently opened an outpost in Peter Sanagan’s old space, replacing the virtuous meat with virtuous seafood. [Post City]
  • Bonne Journée—Owner Hitchem Charfi abandoned a career in finance for pastry, opening a classic French bakery in the Beach. [BlogTO]
  • Japas—It’s Japanese, sure, but it’s no izakaya. Japas eschews shouted greetings and cheering for tapas, oysters and, of course, sake. [Post City]
  • Ninki—This Financial District Japanese restaurant, on the other hand, is an izakaya. Or claims to be one, at least. [BlogTO]
  • Boulangerie Saint George—The owners of this organic bakery tell us they’re still just testing the market at Avenue Road and Eglinton West with a soft opening, so impatient customers can patronize the bakery now and potentially help shape its offerings in November.
  • Dlish Cupcakes—The popular Queen West cupcake emporium has opened a second location in Yorkville. [The Grid]
  • Troika Vodka Boutique—This downtown bar, from the owners of Samovar and Rasputin, bills itself as “inspired by Russian extravagance.” [Troika Vodka Boutique]
  • Whole Foods Markham—The big box purveyor of everything organic opened the doors to its 40,000-square-foot store in Markham this month. [Financial Post]
  • Tilted Kilt—The Irish pub answer to Hooters has opened its first Toronto location on the Esplanade. [The Grid]
  • Slider Revolution—It seems burgers will never be played out in Toronto. This joint serves tiny ones [The Grid]

Closing

  • Leslieville Cheese Market—A handwritten sign in the window of the Leslieville Cheese Market’s Queen West expansion blames the nearby Loblaws for its fatal loss in revenue. Read our Dish post »
  • Watusi—The ’50s-ish cocktail bar closed its doors on the 31st, marking the occasion with a Halloween R.I.P. Watusi party. Pop-up Rock Lobster Co. will be filling in space (permanently) come December. [BlogTO]
  • The Grand Hive Mansion—Down but not out, the Grand Hive Mansion has closed its doors, but is expected to return with a new name and menu. [Chowhound]
  • Habanero’s—Rumour has it that the owner of the Mexican restaurant formerly known as Hernando’s Hideaway didn’t renew the lease. In any case, it’s now closed. [Chowhound]
  • True Brew Café—After three years, the Danforth coffee shop is closed and totally stripped.

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments.