Introducing: Seven Lives, the new Kensington Market location of the pop-up taco shop
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
Read More
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- Three hot sauces: ancho chili, tomatillo and garlic habanero
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Seven Lives
- Introducing: Seven Lives
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- Camarones a la diabla ($5): spicy shrimp with cheese
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Seven Lives
- Introducing: Seven Lives
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- 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
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- Pulpo en mole verde ($5): octopus with pumpkin seed mole
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Seven Lives
- Introducing: Seven Lives
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- House smoked fish plate with salmon smoked over cherry wood ($8)
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Seven Lives
- Introducing: Seven Lives
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- Ceviche taco made with tilapia ($7)
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Seven Lives
- Introducing: Seven Lives
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- Camarones fritos ($5): battered and deep-fried shrimp with cream sauce
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Seven Lives
- Introducing: Seven Lives
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- Owner and chef Sean Riehl
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Seven Lives
- Introducing: Seven Lives
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- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Seven Lives
- Introducing: Seven Lives
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- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Seven Lives
- Introducing: Seven Lives
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- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Seven Lives
- Introducing: Seven Lives
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- Riehl moved the service counter to the middle of the space to accommodate seating
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Seven Lives
- Introducing: Seven Lives
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- 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
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 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
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