It has been years in the works, but the newly opened Maple Leaf Tavern looks like it was worth the wait. This week also saw the opening of a brand new craft brewery with both an ironic logo (a raccoon) and location (next to a Beer Store.)
Just Opened
- Even if it is a familiar play (see The Drake on Queen West, Indie Alehouse in the Junction or The Wren on the east Danforth), it’s jarring to see how polished, upscale and contemporary the new Maple Leaf Tavern is compared to its neighbours at Gerrard and Pape.
- Khabouth and Harji have shifted gears for their CityPlace property and re-opened what was Citta as Macho Radio Bar.
- Friday was opening day for Zane Caplansky’s second location (part of a national expansion for his deli business) at 156 Cumberland Ave. in Yorkville.
- Torontonians really are pushing the raccoon thing as far as it will go. Bandit Brewery (guess what animal their logo features) opened on Saturday in the Roncesvalles area.
Coming Soon
- Based on an open liquor licence application, it looks like the folks behind Pizzeria Via Mercanti (188 Augusta Ave. and 87 Elm St.) are adding a food shop at 209 Augusta Ave.
- According to blogTO, Toronto can expect our first local taste of coal-fired pizza next month when Angelo’s opens at 106 Front St. E.
- Next month, Jamie Oliver and his Buca-owning Toronto partners will open a second Jamie’s Italian at Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga.
Restaurant Coverage
- We got a First Look at Adamson Barbecue, the Texas-style smoke shack that just opened in Leaside.
- Karolyne Ellacott found a delicious and holistically complete lunch at Village Juicery.
- Our roundup of notable establishments that ran afoul of the Dinesafe inspectors last month included Aroma Espresso and the Horseshoe Tavern.
- Kensington Market is fertile ground for a Food Crawl, but we focused on Mexican and Latin American standouts for Cinco de Mayo.
- This month’s Spotted column finds that toast isn't just for breakfast.
- Flaming Bull is a Taiwanese restaurant chain that presents Asian food via a multi-course tasting menu. Here’s our First Look at their new Annex location.
- When restaurants start serving asparagus you know it’s time to celebrate the arrival of spring.
- Head over to our First Look for details and photos of the new Maple Leaf Tavern.
Changes and Other News
- Last weekend, Valdez celebrated the end of their three-year run on King Street. Word on their Instagram account is that they will re-open in a larger location later this summer.
