Introducing: The Happy Hooker, a new fish sandwich and taco shop on Dundas West
Name: The Happy Hooker
Neighbourhood: Trinity-Bellwoods
Contact info: 887 Dundas St. W., 647-769-4243, happyhookerfish.ca , @HappyhookerTDOT
Owner and Chef: Attilio Pugliese, previously of King West sandwich shop Tavolino and Queen Margherita Pizza.
The food: Fish sandwiches, tacos and other snacks, all made from sustainable seafood. The sandwiches include a blue marlin burger ($9) and a buttermilk oyster slider ($4), and the tacos come in grouper, shrimp, California Baja–style ($3.50 each) and organic tofu ($3 each) variations. There’s also fish and chips ($9) and shrimp corn dogs ($6 for two). Fans of the departed Tavolino will be happy to know that shop’s po’ boy and rib eye sandwiches will likely make an appearance on the menu here.
The drinks: The Happy Hooker is currently waiting on a liquor license; they plan to serve Ontario craft beer and a selection of bourbons and whiskeys.
The place: The small shop is outfitted with old paintings and seafood kitsch, like a mounted bass and a fishing rod (the huge marlin from the logo is mounted out on the street). Once the liquor license arrives, they’ll cater to the late-night Dundas West crowd, serving food until 2 a.m. on weekends.
By the numbers:
• 30 years, the length of time the space was home to a pizzeria (followed by a bong shop that lasted eight months)
• 14, the number of tofu tacos one recent patron consumed in a single sitting
• $11, the menu’s maximum price
• 2, the number of alternate names (Codfather and Off the Hook) Pugliese considered before deciding on The Happy Hooker
194832 Tiger shrimp taco topped with adobo chipotle, lime crema and roasted corn salsa ($3.50) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Happy Hooker Introducing: The Happy Hooker https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-04.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/happy-hooker/slide/introducing-happy-hooker-04/ introducing-happy-hooker-04 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
194833 Grouper taco topped with pineapple habanero salsa, red pickled cabbage and pico de gallo ($3.50) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Happy Hooker Introducing: The Happy Hooker https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-05.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/happy-hooker/slide/introducing-happy-hooker-05/ introducing-happy-hooker-05 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
194834 California Baja–style fish taco with cheddar cheese, lettuce, crema and house made guacamole ($3.50) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Happy Hooker Introducing: The Happy Hooker https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-06.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/happy-hooker/slide/introducing-happy-hooker-06/ introducing-happy-hooker-06 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
194835 Shrimp corn dog in a buttermilk-cornmeal batter with three sauces: lemon aïoli, dill mustard and cocktail sauce ($6 for two corn dogs) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Happy Hooker Introducing: The Happy Hooker https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-07.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/happy-hooker/slide/introducing-happy-hooker-07/ introducing-happy-hooker-07 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
194838 Buttermilk- and cornmeal-battered oyster slider with lemon aïoli, pickled red onion and cheddar cheese ($4) (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Happy Hooker Introducing: The Happy Hooker https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-intro.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/happy-hooker/slide/introducing-happy-hooker-intro/ introducing-happy-hooker-intro 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
194829 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Happy Hooker Introducing: The Happy Hooker https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-01.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/happy-hooker/slide/introducing-happy-hooker-01/ introducing-happy-hooker-01 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
194830 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Happy Hooker Introducing: The Happy Hooker https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-02.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/happy-hooker/slide/introducing-happy-hooker-02/ introducing-happy-hooker-02 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
194836 Owner and chef Attilio Pugliese (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Happy Hooker Introducing: The Happy Hooker https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-08.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/happy-hooker/slide/introducing-happy-hooker-08/ introducing-happy-hooker-08 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
194831 Outside the Happy Hooker on Dundas Street West (Image: Gizelle Lau) Introducing: The Happy Hooker Introducing: The Happy Hooker https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/introducing-happy-hooker-03.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/happy-hooker/slide/introducing-happy-hooker-03/ introducing-happy-hooker-03 0 0
(Image: Gizelle Lau)
Grouper and Marlin are sustainable?
i’d like to know where the shrimp is from too, because im highly doubting that it’s sustainable.
this guy is a tool and will probably go bankrupt just like his other joint.
Glad to have another restaurant and not another bar on this strip of Dundas. Good luck!
tried this place already… away from sustainability, it’s prettayy prettaayyyyy terrible. And thats generous. Terrible.
This is becoming my new favourite place! I’m hooked on this hooker!