Toca relaunches with a new head chef and a new menu (and without Tom Brodi)

The Ritz-Carlton Toronto announced yesterday that Montreal-born and European-trained Gihen Zitouni is the new chef de cuisine at Toca, replacing Tom Brodi, who left at the end of May. Zitouni has been in the Ritz-Carlton family for years, working as a cook at hotel restaurants in Florida, Barcelona and the Caribbean. In her most recent stint she was head chef of the Ritz-owned Arola Restaurant in Portugal. With Zitouni’s arrival, Toca is changing its menu from Brodi’s focus on classic Canadiana, to a Mediterranean-Canadian concept built around small plates designed for sharing. At a preview dinner on Wednesday evening, she presented an array of dishes, including B.C. octopus salad, smoked Nova Scotia trout and Tunisian sandwiches with tuna and harissa mayo. The new menu officially launches on Oct. 29.