Skip to content

Category: Food

Drink This: 3030’s Perfect Storm

By

While the Junction has long been cropped out of Hogtown’s nightlife map, 3030 is here to prove that it’s worth a visit. Under prohibition until as late as 2000, the west-end hood is known as a décor-lovers destination. So when Jeff and Jameson Kelly opened their bar this past May, residents let out a collective whoop. Seeking to become more than just a local watering hole, the joint has plenty of tricks up its sleeve: pinball tourneys, brunch, live music and more. 

Ossington’s Goed Eten packs it in

By

It’s not too often that one hears of a restaurant closing on the Ossington strip these days, but brunch spot Goed Eten has served its last waffle. A message from Goed Eten’s Twitter account announced the closure, and we also confirmed with a former Eten employee. Owner Johan Maes will apparently concentrate his efforts on his other restaurant, Le Petit Dejeuner.

The Indie Coffee Passport is back for round three

By

For those willing to a bit of trekking, the Indie Coffee Passport is a good way to save some coin while exploring Toronto’s coffee scene. Now in its third year, the passport costs $25 and entitles the bearer to a drink at 30 different shops over seven months. This year, the indie coffee action starts tomorrow.

Local burger purveyors learn valuable lesson: not even food deserves to be called “half-breed”

By

Holy Chuck Burgers is known for its twisted humour, but too much obnoxiousness is apparently a bad thing. According to the Toronto Star, a rush of customer complaints has prompted the restaurant to take two burgers off its menu: the Half-Breed and the Dirty Drunken Half-Breed. It seems the names were intended to be taken literally, since the burgers were half beef and half bacon. Unbeknownst to the owners at the time, “half-breed” is also a racial slur.  

Finally, chocolate bars and vigour unite as one

By

Here’s something Toronto doesn’t need more of: caffeine. But it’s getting more of it anyway. Awake, a new chocolate bar from local entrepreneurs Matt Schnarr, Dan Tzotzis and Adam Deremo, provides a solid caffeine kick — about 100 mg of the stuff, which is roughly equivalent to a cup of coffee (a 250mL can of Red Bull, by contrast, has about 80 mg).

First Draught: Southern Tier IPA

By

We Canadians can get pretty smug about how our beer compares to what’s made in the US. The problem is that we only have the upper hand, really, when it comes to the mass-market end of the spectrum. Our Blue is a bit less sweet than their Bud, light beer is less forcefully marketed here and old-guy brands that retain a bit of flavour — like Labatt 50 — live on thanks to our marketplace, where the brewers own the retailer.

Drink This: La Carnita’s Who Shot Ya?

By

Originating as a pop-up, La Carnita is the hottest thing to hit Hogtown since, well, Grand Electric. Spinning out tacos, ceviche, spicy street-style corn and much more, this College Street eatery has had a proper homestead for a few months now — and it’s packed to the rafters as soon as the doors open.

The Double Deuce Saloon closes; new resto-bar set to open in its place

By

Queen West dive bar The Double Deuce Saloon has closed, and the venue has new owners who plan to open a bar and restaurant in its place. The bar was opened by The Harbord Room’s Cory Vitiello and his partners in 2009, but it changed hands shortly after. It closed for good about a month ago, and the space’s brand new owners — who officially take over in September — hint that the new venue will feature a “food twist uniquely original to Toronto.”

Tony Aspler’s Weekly Wine Pick: Featherstone Gewürtztraminer 2011

By

Gewürztraminer is the Shredded Wheat of wine: you either love it or you hate it for its overpowering perfume. I love it, especially the Featherstone made in Niagara, which is very Alsace in style. The 2011, now at Vintages outlets, has that characteristic grapefruit, lychee and rose-petal nose. It’s off-dry, ripe and sensuous, soft on the palate with good length.