Three restaurant expansions offer some optimism for Toronto’s restaurant industry
After two years of restaurant death watches, it seems like 2010 is going to be a time of cautious expansion in Toronto’s restaurant industry. We’ve noticed that several local establishments are planning second locations, and they all look promising. A short list, after the jump.
• The Twitterati are buzzing that Kensington Market’s La Palette, known to many as “that place that serves horsemeat,” will be taking over Taro Grill’s vacated spot at Queen West and Denison Avenue.
• Martini Boys is reporting that Grinder Coffee Bar is slated to open its second location in Leslieville in May (Grinder originally opened on Main Street as a second outpost of Mercury Espresso). The funny thing is that it’s going to open at Gerrard Square and Marjory, just two streets north of Mercury.
• Always-busy King West is about to welcome the downtown version of Italian eatery Paese Ristorante (its first location is at Bathurst and Wilson). Executive chef Christopher Palik is blogging extensively about transforming the space formerly occupied by Bistro 333 (apparently there was a lot of competition for the real estate, and by the time the Paese people moved in, the space was a mess). Paese is scheduled to open April 1.
• Grinder, Toronto [Martini Boys]
• Paese King Street West [blog]
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After two years of restaurant death watches, it seems like 2010 is going to be a time of cautious expansion in Toronto's restaurant industry. We've noticed that several local establishments are planning second locations, and they all look promising. A short list, after the jump.
• The Twitterati are buzzing that Kensington Market’s La Palette, known to many as “that place that serves horsemeat,” will be taking over Taro Grill's vacated spot at Queen West and Denison Avenue.
• Martini Boys is reporting that Grinder Coffee Bar is slated to open its second location in Leslieville in May (Grinder originally opened on Main Street as a second outpost of Mercury Espresso). The funny thing is that it’s going to open at Gerrard Square and Marjory, just two streets north of Mercury.
• Always-busy King West is about to welcome the downtown version of Italian eatery Paese Ristorante (its first location is at Bathurst and Wilson). Executive chef Christopher Palik is blogging extensively about transforming the space formerly occupied by Bistro 333 (apparently there was a lot of competition for the real estate, and by the time the Paese people moved in, the space was a mess). Paese is scheduled to open April 1.
• Grinder, Toronto [Martini Boys]
• Paese King Street West [blog] ){kind=link}
After so many closures on Church St Village we thought the entire are was going under but great things are happening. Half of Bigliardi’s old home is opening as a Pizziolo and up the street where Il Flonello suddenly left a great new place has opened ChiKoRoo and the food is fabulous and the price is right…try the sliced fillet mignon burger..amazing. Tango and Cruise is re-opening as something, Hero Burger has jumped feet first and fabulous aroma into the old Letterie location…When Loblaws complex opens we will be a really full village…except I understand Ryerson has veto’d having an LCBO in the Loblaws complex. I guess they don’t trust their students not to become drunks…