Brunch on College Street is about to take a hit. After three years, popular barbecue joint Hadley’s is closing its doors. A letter posted in the restaurant’s window indicates that there were issues with the lease renewal. Hadley’s will continue to operate according to its regular business hours until June 28, after which it will close for good.
With its soon-to-be-open third location on Queen West, you’d think that The Burger’s Priest would take some time to enjoy its meteoric success. But yesterday evening, The Burger’s Priest announced on Twitter that it will be opening yet another location, this time in Etobicoke.
When Patrick Kriss took over Acadia’s kitchen from Matt Blondin around a year ago, he had some big shoes to fill. Blondin had earned some serious acclaim for his inventive cooking, putting Acadia on the map as one of the best restaurants in the city. But Kriss took on the challenge with vigour, earning extremely high praise of his own.
Deep ruby in colour with a slightly orange rim; a nose of red berries, clove and forest floor; full-bodied with a cedary note, dusty tannins reminiscent of a Barbaresco.
Seasonal craft beer moves through a fairly rigid cycle. Winter beers tend to have Christmasy spices; recipes for spring use maple syrup and the field is packed with pumpkin for fall. But in summer we get a refreshing dose of variety. Yes, there’s lots of orange beer, but there’s also apricot, blueberry, lemon and now, with the latest release from Kensington Brewing Company, watermelon.
The Fountain, nestled along the Dundas West bar strip, is both watering hole and art gallery. Currently, trippy pieces from local artist Tomas Del Balso dot the walls, illustrating his take on dream imagery in fantastical detail. Behind the bar, tatted up co-owner Sarah Delany pours drinks for art-loving barflies while The Growlers play overhead.
Toronto’s street meat is getting some competition with the arrival of Craft Dogs, an upcoming gourmet hot dog shop near the St. Lawrence Market. Located at 95 King St. E., Craft Dogs is the brainchild of Brian Morin and Kathleen McGinn, formerly co-owners of the nearby Beerbistro, along with a third partner, Craig Smith.
In compiling her annual top 100 Toronto restaurants list, veteran food critic Joanne Kates ate out — a lot. Below, we’ve put together her favourite foodie finds, from the city’s best pizza to its top wait staff.
A New Zealand Sauvignon at its most stripped down and tangy. Pale straw in colour, it has a bouquet of green fig and elderberry. The wine is medium-bodied, crisply dry, elegant with tart flavours of gooseberry and elderberry. Long finish.
After less than two years, east-end gastropub Le Canard Mort has closed. Its final day of service was April 27. The restaurant was known for its elevated pub fare, which included a popular Yorkshire pudding. According to owner Richard Henry, the reason for the close was simply that the restaurant had run its course.
Restaurants devoted to the creatures of the sea are gaining ground in Toronto, and Ossington’s Fishbar — which recently rang in its second birthday — was on the cusp of the trend. Fishbar keeps the focus on sustainable catches, with most of the menu being Ocean Wise certified.
If you’re expecting something sweet, be warned: this Riesling from the Nahe is crisply dry. Straw-lime in colour, it has a minerally, petrol nose with flavours of dried apricot and a long, long finish.
