Ursa on Queen West is closing (or rather, hibernating)

Jacob Sharkey Pearce, co-owner and chef of Ursa, announced on Facebook today that his high-concept Canadian kitchen will be shutting its doors at 924 Queen West. Despite some excellent dishes, Ursa always seemed a bit somber next to the strip’s other dining options (Fonda Lola’s family-style Mexican feasts, The County General’s Korean bar snacks), so the news doesn’t come as a total shock—not everyone wants to pay $30 for a wee little entrée, no matter how exquisitely garnished with foraged juniper berries and ox-eye daisy buds. There’s reason to believe that the closure may not be a permanent shutdown; in his very earnest goodbye note, Pearce characterizes the situation as follows:  “It’s now time to hibernate and gather strength for the spring…When we surface from our slumber we will continue the task of discovery—finding better ways to eat and to live.”