The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in July

The Month That Was: the Toronto restaurants and bars that opened and closed in July

Hanif Harji and Charles Khabouth outside Weslodge, their new “modern saloon” (Image: Gizelle Lau)

Openings:

  • Pacific Junction Hotel—Come for the decidedly eclectic aesthetic, stay for the selection of rare tequilas and mezcals (but don’t plan to sleep the night—this is a bar, not a hotel). Read our Introducing post »
  • Riverside Public House—The Blue Moon Pub is out, and this upscale pub is in: expect comfort food from Top Chef Canada’s Dustin Gallagher, and a (soon-to-arrive) specialty drink menu from former Susur employee Matt Gregoris. Read our Introducing post »
  • Weslodge—Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji, the guys behind La Société and Nyood (respectively, among many other places), bring a little bit of country to the King West strip with their “modern saloon.” Look for the can’t-miss massive yellow front doors. Read our Introducing post »
  • 417—The owners of this resto-lounge are serving up hybrid Mediterranean-Canadian cuisine with the aim of drawing a crowd—ideally, one grand enough to recharge the Danforth as a nighttime destination. Read our Introducing post »
  • Waffle Bar—Don’t expect your usual Eggo, these waffles are the real deal (the dough recipe is courtesy of a pastry chef in Liège, while the waffle iron itself hails from Belgium as well). Read our Introducing post »
  • Per Se Mobile—Chef Luis Camilo Olarte harkened back to his Colombian roots as well as his time spent in Miami to curate the menu on Toronto’s latest addition to the food truck scene. Read our Introducing post »
  • Beer Academy—A new brewery and tasting room (that’s almost a bar) by Molson’s Six Pints Specialty Beer Company in the former space of Duggan’s and Denisons’s before it. Read our Introducing post »
  • Indian Rice Factory Chai Bar—A grab-and-go café offshoot of the decades-old Annex staple, Indian Rice Factory. Read our Introducing post »
  • Quinta—Chef Leor Zimerman, formerly of Czehoski and Brassaii, brings hipster touches (reclaimed wood, crafted cocktails) to Portuguese cuisine on the Dundas West strip with his new venture. Read our Introducing post »
  • Sunny Joe’s Cafe—This Roncesvalles coffee joint from a local banker-cum-barista is distinguished from the neighbourhood’s newly crowded café scene by the Muskoka chairs lining the storefront outside. [BlogTO]
  • The Cupcake Shoppe—The Yonge Street sweet shop has launched its second location up in Vaughan. [Cupcake Shoppe].
  • Le Ti Colibri—French Caribbean food (reportedly, the first restaurant of its kind in Toronto) touches down in Kensington Market. [Post City]
  • Bivy—The self-proclaimed Dundas West urban food outpost is currently serving up traditional café fare, but expect a full kitchen’s worth of offerings to be available in September. [Bivy]
  • Rachel’s Coffee House—Two longtime Second Cup franchise owners take a stab at running their own independent coffee house in the Yonge-Eglinton area. [BlogTO]
  • Andrea’s Gerrard Street Bakery—A java and home-baked goods stop (think butter tarts, hazelnut scones and wild blueberry cheesecake) in East Chinatown. [NOW]
  • P.F. Chang’s—This popular chain of American Chinese restaurants broke into the Canadian market with an outpost at the Shops at Don Mills. [Post City]
  • Emma’s Country Kitchen—Canadian comfort food comes to St. Clair West. [Post City]
  • Narin Pastry—The second location of this Turkish bakery also offers salads and sandwiches. [BlogTO]
  • Kanji Sushi—A new, flashy sushi restaurant arrives on a more typically gritty stretch of Queen West. [KanjiSushi]

Closings:

  • Grindhouse Burger Bar—Non-payment of rent has led to the closure of King West’s burger and karaoke stalwart. Read our Closing post »
  • Goodnight—As predicted, Goodnight has made its final farewell to the Toronto bar scene. Read our Closing post »
  • Sun Valley Fine Foods—The Danforth gets a little darker with the closure of this brightly titled Greektown grocery store. [PostCity]
  • Coco Lezzone—Little Italy lost a classic Italian resto, but gains Asian flavour as Vancouver chain Hapa Izakaya gets set to take over the space. Read our news story »
  • Angelo’s On King—King West is a little less Italian after Angelo’s shuttered. [BlogTO]
  • Laide—Staggette parties will have to get their erotica fill elsewhere with the closure of this Adelaide Street bar. [BlogTO]
  • Il Fornello—The longtime Yonge and St.Clair location of this Italian chain has shut down. [Chowhound]
  • Barrister’s Bar—The Hilton Toronto has closed Barrister’s Bar, but recently renovated Tundra restaurant. [Chowhound]
  • Marky’s Deli—The latest in a slew of Kosher closings, the 43-year-old deli shut its doors at Bathurst and Wilson a couple weeks back. [The Grid]
  • Urbana Coffee—The Bay Street location of this café has closed its doors after the lease expired.

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments.