Introducing: Seven Lives, the new Kensington Market location of the pop-up taco shop
Name: Seven Lives
Neighbourhood: Kensington Market
Contact Info: 69 Kensington Ave., sevenlives.ca, @SevenLivesTO
Owner and chef: Sean Riehl, a former San Diegan who worked in high-end California restaurants before manning a table under the Seven Lives name at the Toronto Underground Market last year.
The food: Tijuana–style tacos, with an emphasis on seafood, like blackened mahi mahi ($5) and octopus with pumpkin seed mole ($5). The few non-taco dishes include a smoked fish plate ($8) and carne asada fries ($7).
The drinks: Agua frescas in flavours like mango-orange and strawberry-lychee, as well as Jarritos sodas and Mexican coke, which is made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup (all drinks, $2).
The place : After a few months in a stall at the El Gordo food court on Augusta Avenue, Seven Lives has taken over the space previously occupied by Miss Cora’s Kitchen. The seating is confined to a few barstools and outdoor café tables, as well as a cosy pillowed nook along one window. A new serving counter is topped with a rough slab of Ontario maple, and the room is decorated with pieces Riehl made himself, like mason jar light fixtures and a light-up “TACOS” sign.
By the numbers:
• 300 tacos sold on the first day
• 12 seats, if you include the four outdoor spots
• 9 tacos on the regular menu
• $4–$8, the price range of the food
• 3 weeks, the time spent renovating the space
208724 Three hot sauces: ancho chili, tomatillo and garlic habanero (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-05.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-05/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-05 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
208726 Camarones a la diabla ($5): spicy shrimp with cheese (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-07.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-07/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-07 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
208727 Blackened mahi mahi taco ($5): mahi mahi with a special dry spice rub made up of Mexican chili powder, cloves, cinnamon, oregano, cumin and a few mystery ingredients (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-08.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-08/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-08 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
208728 Pulpo en mole verde ($5): octopus with pumpkin seed mole (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-09.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-09/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-09 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
208729 House smoked fish plate with salmon smoked over cherry wood ($8) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-10.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-10/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-10 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
208731 Ceviche taco made with tilapia ($7) (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-12.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-12/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-12 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
208732 Camarones fritos ($5): battered and deep-fried shrimp with cream sauce (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-intro.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-intro/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-intro 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
208730 Owner and chef Sean Riehl (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-11.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-11/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-11 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
208721 (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-02.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-02/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-02 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
208722 (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-03.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-03/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-03 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
208723 (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-04.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-04/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-04 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
208725 Riehl moved the service counter to the middle of the space to accommodate seating (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-06.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-06/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-06 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
208720 Seven Lives moved one block east from the El Gordo food court on Augusta to Miss Cora’s former space on Kensington (Image: Caroline Aksich) Introducing: Seven Lives Introducing: Seven Lives https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-01.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/seven-lives/slide/introducing-seven-lives-toronto-01/ introducing-seven-lives-toronto-01 0 0
(Image: Caroline Aksich)