As the original restaurant at Maple Leaf Gardens, the members-only Hot Stove Club is steeped in history. First opened in 1963, the venue was moved to the Air Canada Centre in 1999. It’s since lost some of the allure of its halcyon days, though, which is probably why it’s now getting a complete rebuild. Rik Ocvirk, director of restaurants and catering at the ACC, is calling it “the revitalization of a legend.”
Great news for Toronto’s drunk-food fiends: our favourite artery-clogging, gravy-slathered national snack is coming soon to a street near you — probably. Smoke’s Poutinerie, the burgeoning Canadian franchise that offers 20-plus variants of the iconic dish, has announced four brand spanking new Toronto locations slated to open in the coming months.
When it was announced in February that European Quality Meats and Sausages would be closing its Kensington Market location, the obvious concern was that a big-box chain of some sort would open in its place. But the news has been only good since then: Sanagan’s Meat Locker is moving into European’s old spot, and now Leslieville’s much-lauded Hooked is opening a second fish store in Sanagan’s former digs.
Perhaps LL Cool J said it best: “Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years.” The sentiment holds true for Krispy Kreme, particularly regarding its position in the Toronto market. Thought to be long gone after a 2005 company restructuring took away locations throughout the city, the maker of unapologetically calorie-rich doughnuts has kept factories going throughout Ontario and has even maintained a tiny shop at Bathurst and Harbord.
Customizing your meal is a trick many health-conscious diners try. But is it a real calorie saver? We sent a regular pizza and a light-toppings version from Lil’ Baci, which has just opened a new midtown location, to the lab to find out. Lil’ baci fiamma pizza Lil’ Baci is known for serving up … Continued
La Carnita drove Toronto totally nuts as a pop-up taco shop, and it finally opened a permanent location on College Street earlier this month. Of course, the new restaurant offers more than just tacos (we hear it does a mean mango salad), but with five of them anchoring the menu, plus a rotating special, tacos are certainly the stars of the show. We stopped by to see what they’re like.
The space at 1 Balmoral Avenue has housed a number of different restaurants over the past few years: most notably Terroni, then the short-lived Divino, which closed its doors earlier this month. Now the team behind Rodney’s By Bay is setting up shop there with an upcoming seafood spot to be known as John & Sons Oyster House.
At this year’s New Zealand Wine Fair, I tasted a Gewürztraminer that was absolutely delicious. When I went back to my notes, I found I had tasted it at the same event last year. But the extra time in the bottle had really developed its bouquet. This Marlborough Gewürz exudes aromas of lychee, honeysuckle and rosewater. On the palate, it offers peach and pink grapefruit flavours.
Nothing pleases a polite Canadian more than a touch of subdued, international recognition, kind of like when British brewer Innis & Gunn releases its annual Canada Day beer. This brew is probably more specifically patriotic about our national holiday than any beer from a Canadian brewer. The quid pro quo reason for the special release is that Innis & Gunn is the best-selling bottled British beer in Canada.
It’s land ho for Captain John’s Restaurant. The kitschy boat-restaurant at the foot of Yonge Street, which has managed to stay afloat for decades despite boatloads of legal issues and poor reviews, has finally been shut down by the city, the Toronto Star reports.
By lindsaylow
Anton Potvin had enough of walking the floor every night at his marvellous Niagara Street Café, and his friends, the husband-and-wife culinary team of Tobey Nemeth and Michael Caballo, were just back from four years of cooking their way around the world. They made the deal, sealed it with a tequila, and shazam, Niagara Street … Continued
Mamakas Spanakopita and Feta Bar, an upcoming restaurant set to open on the Ossington strip before the end of summer, does not intend to be an average Greek eatery. According to co-owner Thanos Tripi, the bakery-slash-dine-in-restaurant will steer clear of the standard rice and potato offerings you’d find at a typical Danforth establishment. Rather, Mamakas will specialize in a more traditional style of Greek cuisine.
