Spring marks the arrival of cherry blossom season in many parts of the world. In Japan, cherry blossom viewing (known as hanami) is a beloved annual event, traditionally celebrated with picnic parties beneath the trees and evening light displays and blossom illuminations. Beyond appreciating natural beauty, the pretty pink petals, called sakura, have deep meaning … Continued
Toronto restaurants that closed this week Unable to weather yet another dine-in lockdown, Ivan Castro’s La Bartola has temporarily closed until restrictions are lifted. In an emotional Instagram post, the team behind the innovative vegan Mexican hotspot said “if you have a friend or relative working in the hospitality industry, you have witnessed how hard … Continued
White pizza, also known as pizza bianca, is a traditional Italian pizza that doesn’t use red tomato sauce. With one of the most flavourful elements of the pizza completely out of the equation, the secret to an incredible white pie isn’t in the sauce but instead, is a balanced mixture of olive oil, garlic, salt … Continued
Foodie favourite the Cheese Boutique is continuing its dairy domination of the Ripley Avenue area. According to its new Instagram account, CB Bottega is poised to open at 29 Ripley Ave., three doors down from the main shop at 45 Ripley Ave. Until recently, the space at 29 Ripley Ave. housed the Cheese Boutique’s cookware … Continued
The latest bakery to open in the 905 is serving the best thing since sliced bread: shokupan, a fluffy style of bread popular in Japan. Launched in mid-March, Iki Shokupan is taking orders via Instagram DM and typically sells out a week in advance. A technique called the Yudane method, which involves mixing bread flour … Continued
Galya Loves Food grew out of what is becoming a familiar pandemic pivot story — one in which a long-time personal passion transforms into a successful business. Born in Jerusalem, Galya Sarner developed an interest in food at a young age when she began learning to cook from her mother. “Since I learned how to … Continued
Toronto restaurants that closed this week After temporarily shutting down in November, Toronto’s last remaining Apiecalypse Now! location has permanently closed. The beloved vegan pizza joint proclaimed “we are not a building though, and we are not done” in their farewell Instagram post and has promised something new in the next few months. Benihana at Fairmont … Continued
We don’t know about you but another lockdown and stay-at-home orders have us reaching for comfort food. When dry noodles and jarred sauces aren’t cutting it, chefs across the city are here to rescue you with their incredible pasta dishes. With both indoor and outdoor dining closed, some restaurants are even selling pasta meal kits … Continued
Golosita is bringing a new kind of Italian cuisine to the Yonge and Lawrence neighbourhood. Born in Naples, Italy, owner Davide Napoli spent several years travelling to different countries and working in Italian restaurants before settling in Toronto. He says travelling allowed him to see the various ways Italian cuisine is interpreted around the world. … Continued
For nearly a month, Canadian star chef (and all-around delight) Matty Matheson has been teasing something food-related and mouth-watering coming to Toronto over social media. Having finally opened on April 1, we now know that special something is Birria Balam (“balam” meaning jaguar), a pop-up at 147 Spadina Ave. dedicated to what else but birria, … Continued
Mohamed Haddis opened Ethiopian House, one of the first places to serve Ethiopian cuisine in Toronto, in 1996. He has worked nearly every day to keep it open since then and, for the restaurant’s 25th anniversary this year, Haddis was anticipating hosting a huge customer appreciation day. Instead, Ethiopian House has been closed since February, … Continued
Less than two weeks after giving restaurants the green light to reopen patios, the provincial government pulled the emergency brake last week due to rising COVID-19 case counts, meaning restaurants would need to close once again. After surprising Toronto restaurants with the news that outdoor dining could reopen on March 22, the new measures came … Continued
