The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in January
Openings
Red Sauce—The owners of now-defunct Acadia have traded Lowcountry cooking for veal parmigiana sandwiches and other Italian-American snacks. At night, the restaurant morphs into a cocktail bar. Read our Introducing post »
Snakes and Lagers—The new board-gaming bar has hundreds of games, 19 beers on tap and a short list of casual snacks, like deviled eggs and sliders.
Bar Buca—The all-day Italian snack bar is the kind of place you can grab a morning cappuccino, a casual lunch or a post-work aperitivo. Read our Introducing post »
Just Sushi—This Mimico eatery claims to be the world’s first 100 per cent sustainable sushi restaurant. Read our Introducing post »
Union Social Eatery—Burgers, fries and other comfort dishes dominate the menu at this big, casual restaurant at Yonge and St. Clair. Read our Introducing post »
Sip Wine Bar—The Neopolitan pizzeria craze hits Yonge and Eglinton. Read our Introducing post »
Ramen Isshin—The College Street noodle house serves “Japanese soul food,” like poutine topped with scallions and seaweed. Read our introducing post »
Small Town Food Co.—Parkdale’s newest pub combines small-town coziness with big-city polish. Read our Introducing post »
Gilead—Jamie Kennedy returns to full-fledged restaurateurship with his new Corktown wine bar. Read our introducing post »
Greenwood Smokehouse BBQ—This Danforth restaurant specializes in traditional, Southern-style barbeque. [PostCity]
420 Smoke House—Pitmaster Ryan Gatner’s menu is less traditional: it includes smoked oysters, and sweet-and-sour Korean ribs. [PostCity]
The Lucky Penny—The café-slash-general store sells everything from coffee to dog toys. Come spring, they’ll open a 25 seat patio. Read our introducing post »
Nando’s—Piri-piri chicken is the star at this Bay Street outpost of the popular Portuguese chain. [PostCity]
Noodle Face Co.—NFC brings Chinese noodles and dumplings to the ramen-clogged Baldwin strip. [BlogTO]
Greenhouse Juice Co.—This quaint Rosedale juice boutique might be the most adorable way to detox in Toronto. Read our Dish post »
Cut the Cheese—The Junction snack bar specializes in gourmet macaroni and pressed cheese sandwiches. [PostCity]
The Greek—Poutine comes topped with pulled pork and feta at this new late-night snack counter on King West. [BlogTO]
Bindia—Kebabs and tandoori are go-to items at this new Indian bistro near St. Lawrence Market. [The Grid]
Albion’s Pizza and Shawarma—The Bloorcourt counter serves wings, burgers and shawarma-topped pizzas. [BlogTO]
The Spice Village Indian Grill—This colourful new Indian restaurant opened in Church-Wellesley village. [BlogTO]
The Pint House—Yelpers are loving this new sports bar’s affordable pints and big-screen TVs. [BlogTO]
Closings
Mad Italian—Financial issues caused the local pizza and gelato chain to close all three of its locations. Read our Dish Post »
Murray’s Sandwich Emporium—Papered windows signaled the closure of this popular Queen West sandwich shop. [PostCity]
Dyne Restaurant—The Iberian-Asian restaurant closed after just over a year in business. Read our Dish post »
KO Burgers—Formerly called Wing Shop 366, this burger joint closed its doors at the end of January. [PostCity]
Olde Towne Bistro & Oyster Bar—The brand-new seafood bistro—formerly Lucien—was sold to new owners, who plan to open a cocktail bar in its place. Read our Dish post »
Phil’s Original BBQ—An eviction notice citing $30,000 in unpaid rent spelled the end for this 23-year-old barbeque spot. [BlogTO]
Dukem—The Ethiopian restaurant on the Danforth closed a few weeks ago. According to the owner, a new location is in the works. [BlogTO]
Addis Ababa—After two decades on Queen West, this Ethiopian eatery also appears to be defunct. Read our Dish post »
The Artisan Baker—The French shop’s sudden closure came as a surprise to patrons. [BlogTO]
Origin Liberty—Masterchef judge Claudio Aprile chose to shutter the chain’s Liberty Village outpost. The St. James and Origin North locations remain open. [TheGrid]
Pastis—The longstanding bistro was sold to new owners following owner George Gurnon’s retirement. Read our Dish post »
LeVack Block—The Ossington strip’s one-time premiere party destination was sold to new owners, who intend to repurpose the space. Read our Dish post »
Playful Grounds—The child-friendly College Street café closed at the end of January. [Playful Grounds]
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