10 new restaurants, bars, food halls and bakeries to check out in March
Where to eat bulgogi, sourdough bread, lobster thermidor and jerk chicken sandwiches, right now
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The Alpine
2872 Dundas St. W., 647-352-5585, thealpine.ca, @thealpinetoronto
More on the Alpine
The Junction, dry until 2000 (seriously, Google it), now has six breweries, one distillery and this recently opened “craft beer cabin,” pouring pints from 26 taps and one cask. To soak up all the suds, there’s hearty fare, like Welsh rarebit with a soft-pretzel twist (that’s both literal and figurative), pork schnitzel and beer-brined fried chicken.
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Après Wine Bar
1166 Queen St W., 647-292-3317, apreswinebar.ca, @apreswinebar
More on Apres Wine Bar
From the owners of Canis Restaurant comes this wine nerd’s dream come true. There’s a menu of small snacks and sharing dishes (oysters, cured meats, beef tartare, a fried fish sandwich) from chef Jeff Kang. But the real focus here is on the changing selection of low-intervention wines, including many small-lot finds from Austria, Australia and South Africa. Think of it as the place to go before or after a meal at its more serious sister spot down the street.
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Arthur’s Restaurant
12 St. Clair Ave E., 647-348-7000, arthursrestaurant.ca, @arthursrestaurant
More on Arthur's Restaurant
Taking up two storeys of the Weston Centre at Yonge and St. Clair is Midtown’s sleek new throwback from The Chase Hospitality Group (The Chase, Planta, Palm Lane). Named after the father of CHG’s founder, Arthur’s serves contemporary takes on American classics, like oysters Rockefeller, lobster thermidor and New York cheesecake (but also a few plant-based dishes, like a vegan lasagne, if that’s more up your alley). On weekends, brunch means a tower of bagels served with smoked fish and all the fixings.
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Away Kitchen and Cafe
536 Queen St. W., 416-519-3451, awaykitchen.com, @awaykitchen
More on Away Kitchen and Cafe
From the owners of Awai, Bloor West Village’s upscale plant-based restaurant, comes Away, its more casual (also plant-based) pizzeria on Queen West. During the day, it functions as a low-key cafe serving coffee, sandwiches and interesting vegan pizzas, like one topped with baked jackfruit, a tahini-derived ranch dressing replica, hemp cheddar, pineapple bits and some San Marzano–cut barbecue sauce. At night, the lights dim and the wine lists and cocktail menus come out.
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Brodflour
8 Pardee Ave., 647-719-2733, brodflour.com, @brodflour
More on Brodflour
Liberty Village’s new bakery is also a gosh darn flour mill. Famed Stockholm baker Robin Edberg developed the recipes for Brodflour’s bread, which includes sourdough, sunflower rye, challah and baguettes. Customers can also order espresso-based beverages (made with beans from Calgary’s Monogram Roastery), and treats like cardamom knots and sourdough-rye brownies made with chocolate from Toronto’s own Soul Chocolate.
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Casa La Palma
849 Dundas St. W., 2nd floor, 416-368-4567, lapalma.ca, @lapalmato
More on Casa La Palma
La Palma’s new second-floor lounge serves a seasonally changing menu of snacks and small plates, that might include cheese and salumi, shrimp cocktail or beef tartare with truffle sauce and pepitas. To drink, there are signature cocktails and a changing wine list that features some low-intervention and sustainable stuff, plus plenty of sparkling.
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Hawk & Chick
1426 Dundas St. W., no phone, @hawkandchick.to
More on Hawk & Chick
This twee takeout counter from chef Joe Kim (Pinky’s Ca Phe, Hanmoto, Grand Electric, Electric Mud BBQ, Momofuku, Origin) serves up bento boxes, house-made banchan, jjigae and more, prepared to-order and served with Korean purple rice. There are enough seats for eight dine-in customers, however the rest will have to get their bulgogi to go.
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Laissez Faire
589 King St. W., 647-508-5088, laissezfairetoronto.com, @laissezfairetoronto
More on Laissez Faire
Goodbye, fried bologna and boozy slushies. Hello, duck confit and seasonal cocktails. Laissez Faire, a new French-inspired restaurant in the old Home of the Brave Space on King West, serves Gallic goods that are anything but fussy: things like fried pork belly in a sherry gastrique, duck confit and whole grilled sea bream. Vegetarian-friendly dishes include a beet-based tartare and a cauliflower “steak”. Bonus: buck-an-ounce prosecco every day from 5 to 8 p.m.
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McEwan’s
1 Bloor Street East, Lower Level, mcewan.mcewangroup.ca, @mcewanfoods
More on McEwan's
While the long-promised Eataly has yet to materialize inside the Manulife Centre, a brand-new McEwan’s outpost (the third of its kind now) has stepped in to fill the food-hall void at Yonge and Bloor. The 17,000-square-foot space is your new one-stop shop for artisanal pantry supplies, dry-aged steaks, picture-perfect produce and made-to-order gourmet meals, including Roman-style pizza and porchetta, carved to-order.
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Union Station’s Food Court
Union Station, 65 Front St. W., torontounion.ca, @torontounion
More on Union Station's food court
Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the transit hub’s shiny new food court—which already has a few sit-down restaurants and a beer hall—introduces 10 new food vendors in a 600-seat space. The usual food-court suspects (McDonald’s, Pizza Pizza, Tim Hortons) are still there, but so are places to get jerk chicken, khao soi and manakeesh.
 on Feb 20, 2019 at 5:06pm PST
The Alpine
2872 Dundas St. W., 647-352-5585, thealpine.ca, @thealpinetoronto
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" calling_post="480682" posts="1:post_id:480286:1:" label="More%20on%20the%20Alpine"]
The Junction, dry until 2000 (seriously, Google it), now has six breweries, one distillery and this recently opened “craft beer cabin,” pouring pints from 26 taps and one cask. To soak up all the suds, there’s hearty fare, like Welsh rarebit with a soft-pretzel twist (that’s both literal and figurative), pork schnitzel and beer-brined fried chicken.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by APRÈS (@apreswinebar) on Feb 11, 2019 at 8:19am PST
Après Wine Bar
1166 Queen St W., 647-292-3317, apreswinebar.ca, @apreswinebar
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" calling_post="480682" posts="1:post_id:477895:1:" label="More%20on%20Apres%20Wine%20Bar"]
From the owners of Canis Restaurant comes this wine nerd’s dream come true. There’s a menu of small snacks and sharing dishes (oysters, cured meats, beef tartare, a fried fish sandwich) from chef Jeff Kang. But the real focus here is on the changing selection of low-intervention wines, including many small-lot finds from Austria, Australia and South Africa. Think of it as the place to go before or after a meal at its more serious sister spot down the street.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Arthur’s Restaurant (@arthursrestaurant) on Feb 2, 2019 at 8:00am PST
Arthur’s Restaurant
12 St. Clair Ave E., 647-348-7000, arthursrestaurant.ca, @arthursrestaurant
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" calling_post="480682" posts="1:post_id:478842:1:" label="More%20on%20Arthur's%20Restaurant"]
Taking up two storeys of the Weston Centre at Yonge and St. Clair is Midtown’s sleek new throwback from The Chase Hospitality Group (The Chase, Planta, Palm Lane). Named after the father of CHG’s founder, Arthur’s serves contemporary takes on American classics, like oysters Rockefeller, lobster thermidor and New York cheesecake (but also a few plant-based dishes, like a vegan lasagne, if that’s more up your alley). On weekends, brunch means a tower of bagels served with smoked fish and all the fixings.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Evan A. Jordan (@evanajordan) on Jan 25, 2019 at 6:11pm PST
Away Kitchen and Cafe
536 Queen St. W., 416-519-3451, awaykitchen.com, @awaykitchen
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" calling_post="480682" posts="1:post_id:477516:1:" label="More%20on%20Away%20Kitchen%20and%20Cafe"]
From the owners of Awai, Bloor West Village's upscale plant-based restaurant, comes Away, its more casual (also plant-based) pizzeria on Queen West. During the day, it functions as a low-key cafe serving coffee, sandwiches and interesting vegan pizzas, like one topped with baked jackfruit, a tahini-derived ranch dressing replica, hemp cheddar, pineapple bits and some San Marzano–cut barbecue sauce. At night, the lights dim and the wine lists and cocktail menus come out.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Brodflour (@brodflour) on Dec 11, 2018 at 3:08am PST
Brodflour
8 Pardee Ave., 647-719-2733, brodflour.com, @brodflour
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" calling_post="480682" posts="1:post_id:479164:1:" label="More%20on%20Brodflour"]
Liberty Village's new bakery is also a gosh darn flour mill. Famed Stockholm baker Robin Edberg developed the recipes for Brodflour's bread, which includes sourdough, sunflower rye, challah and baguettes. Customers can also order espresso-based beverages (made with beans from Calgary's Monogram Roastery), and treats like cardamom knots and sourdough-rye brownies made with chocolate from Toronto's own Soul Chocolate.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by La Palma | Casa La Palma (@lapalmato) on Dec 31, 2018 at 12:39pm PST
Casa La Palma
849 Dundas St. W., 2nd floor, 416-368-4567, lapalma.ca, @lapalmato
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" calling_post="480682" posts="1:post_id:476794:1:" label="More%20on%20Casa%20La%20Palma"]
La Palma's new second-floor lounge serves a seasonally changing menu of snacks and small plates, that might include cheese and salumi, shrimp cocktail or beef tartare with truffle sauce and pepitas. To drink, there are signature cocktails and a changing wine list that features some low-intervention and sustainable stuff, plus plenty of sparkling.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Hawk & Chick (@hawkandchick.to) on Nov 22, 2018 at 1:31pm PST
Hawk & Chick
1426 Dundas St. W., no phone, @hawkandchick.to
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" calling_post="480682" posts="1:post_id:476902:1:" label="More%20on%20Hawk%20%26%20Chick"]
This twee takeout counter from chef Joe Kim (Pinky's Ca Phe, Hanmoto, Grand Electric, Electric Mud BBQ, Momofuku, Origin) serves up bento boxes, house-made banchan, jjigae and more, prepared to-order and served with Korean purple rice. There are enough seats for eight dine-in customers, however the rest will have to get their bulgogi to go.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Laissez Faire (@laissezfairetoronto) on Jan 31, 2019 at 11:21am PST
Laissez Faire
589 King St. W., 647-508-5088, laissezfairetoronto.com, @laissezfairetoronto
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" calling_post="480682" posts="1:post_id:479910:1:" label="More%20on%20Laissez%20Faire"]
Goodbye, fried bologna and boozy slushies. Hello, duck confit and seasonal cocktails. Laissez Faire, a new French-inspired restaurant in the old Home of the Brave Space on King West, serves Gallic goods that are anything but fussy: things like fried pork belly in a sherry gastrique, duck confit and whole grilled sea bream. Vegetarian-friendly dishes include a beet-based tartare and a cauliflower “steak”. Bonus: buck-an-ounce prosecco every day from 5 to 8 p.m.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by McEwan Foods (@mcewanfoods) on Jan 14, 2019 at 7:25am PST
McEwan’s
1 Bloor Street East, Lower Level, mcewan.mcewangroup.ca, @mcewanfoods
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" calling_post="480682" posts="1:post_id:479498:1:" label="More%20on%20McEwan's"]
While the long-promised Eataly has yet to materialize inside the Manulife Centre, a brand-new McEwan’s outpost (the third of its kind now) has stepped in to fill the food-hall void at Yonge and Bloor. The 17,000-square-foot space is your new one-stop shop for artisanal pantry supplies, dry-aged steaks, picture-perfect produce and made-to-order gourmet meals, including Roman-style pizza and porchetta, carved to-order.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Union Station (@torontounion) on Nov 27, 2018 at 5:19am PST
Union Station’s Food Court
Union Station, 65 Front St. W., torontounion.ca, @torontounion
[sjmcm layout="content_more_split_3" calling_post="480682" posts="1:post_id:477012:1:" label="More%20on%20Union%20Station's%20food%20court"]
Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the transit hub's shiny new food court—which already has a few sit-down restaurants and a beer hall—introduces 10 new food vendors in a 600-seat space. The usual food-court suspects (McDonald's, Pizza Pizza, Tim Hortons) are still there, but so are places to get jerk chicken, khao soi and manakeesh.){kind=link}