Denizens of Little Italy may be surprised and a bit saddened to learn that Langolino, one of the only convenient (and some would say better) alternatives to Cafe Diplomatico’s sprawling, ever-packed patio, has closed. A “business for sale” sign currently hangs out front the restaurant, but a representative for ReMax has confirmed that Langolino isn’t just seeking new ownership, it’s closed.
Best pound-for-pound plonk for less than $20
‘Tis the season for Wagyu, which means Nota Bene’s Wagyu burger – as popular as it is expensive – is back on the menu. To promote it, the restaurant is offering a $10 donation to the Japanese Red Cross Society for every $45 purchase of a burger and pint of Sapporo combo. Debauchery never seemed so virtuous.
With its concentration of high-end restaurants like Centro, North 44 and Blue Zen, the Yonge Street strip just north of Eglinton isn’t exactly known as a haven for casual dining. Which is exactly why husband and wife entrepreneurs Robert Lewocz and Samara Melanson set up Uncle Betty’s diner, where enjoying food doesn’t mean having to get dressed up.
If you’d been texting with a friend or fretting about pending disasters just before stepping through the doors at 1 Balmoral Ave., you might not have realized that Terroni was gone and that Divino, a new Italian trattoria, had set up shop in its place. (Big shoes to fill. Big shoes.)
Toronto’s hotel restaurant scene is on the upswing these days with the likes of Scarpetta and TOCA, and Hotel Le Germain is hoping its restaurant, Victor, can keep up. The restaurant recently underwent a major redesign, and a new tasting menu features a rotating selection of seven dishes ($14 each) that each represent a different part of Toronto. Executive Chef David Chystian picked out four items and broke them down for us.
Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank got some much-needed help on Friday from Bruce Woods of Brassaii and Tom Brodi of TOCA, who competed against each other in a friendly cook-off to raise awareness about Toronto’s need for donations of nutritious food. The chefs had just 30 minutes to improvise a recipe using food bank-type ingredients (like canned food) that were revealed to them moments before they began cooking.
It may be hard to get our party leaders to tear into the meat of an issue, but a few key restaurants across our home and native land (including an Ethiopian restaurant at Bloor and Christie) are giving us the dish on our political leaders. Below, our roundup of a few places that offer election-inspired dishes, making it easier than ever to finally chew out our politicians.
It’s a predicament that’s bound to hit any burgeoning alcohol aficionado sooner or later: “Where I can score a funky absinthe dispenser complete with ice-blue vintage cordial glasses?” Well, look no further, because BYOB Bar and Cocktail Emporium, Toronto’s only one-stop shop for booze enthusiasts, has arrived, selling anything and everything you need to drink in style.
Kensington is about to go to the market. The farmers’ market, that is. According to the most recent plans by the Kensington Market BIA, if all goes well, the legendary neighbourhood known for its shades of eclectic shops, artsy effervescence and bicycle-clad hipsters will hold a farmers’ market at Bellevue Square, the park at the centre of the Spadina/ College area enclave.
For four years, Toronto’s Brewer’s Plate has been bringing together the city’s best chefs and local craft beers in a celebration of local food. Funds raised with this year’s locavore spring feast will go to Not Far From The Tree (NFFTT), a charity started by local green hero Laura Reinsborough in 2008.
