Mark McEwan, Claudio Aprile and others to launch new restaurants at Pearson Airport

Mark McEwan, Claudio Aprile and others to launch new restaurants at Pearson Airport

Toronto travellers rejoice: your airport dining options are about to expand far, far beyond the crushing indignity of eating a cold cut trio sub while sitting on your suitcase. The Globe reports that some big-name Toronto chefs will descend on Pearson International, opening several bars and restaurants intended to compete with the best spots downtown has to offer (well, that’s the idea at least). Here’s what to expect from the transformation, which will begin this summer and continue into 2013:

• Apropos: a pair of bars from Brock Shepherd of Kensington Brewing and master sommelier John Szabo

• Nobel: A burger joint from Mark McEwan

• Trillium: a new “global tapas” restaurant by Claudio Aprile, which will include a raw bar

• Heirloom: a pair of bakeries from Devin Connell of Ace Bakery

• Vinifera: a pair of wine bars featuring “Canada-heavy wine lists” designed by Szabo

• Fetta: a panini bar from McEwan

• Corso: a trattoria from Rocco Agostino of Pizzeria Libretto

• Marathi: A “casual Indian curry and street food place” by Hemant Bhagwani of Amaya

• Acer: a modern Japanese restaurant by Guy Rubino of the former Rain and Ame

This is exciting stuff, no doubt, with Toronto lagging for so long behind many cities in the U.S., where airport food often goes far beyond your standard cafeteria fare. The Globe explains that the restaurants will be run by New York firm OTG Management, which “refuses to treat its customers like a captive audience”—even if that’s pretty much what they are.

Dining at Toronto’s Pearson Airport will get a big upgrade [Globe and Mail]