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02/29/12
This week, we asked Mike Angeloni, chef at L’Unita, to share his breakthrough recipe with us. As an alum of The Hoof Café and Splendido, Angeloni has spent time in a number of kitchens here in Toronto, and recently won a “Top 30 under 30” award from the Ontario Hostelry Institute. Herewith, Angeloni — who outs himself as a real nonna’s boy — shares one of his favourite pasta dishes.
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02/29/12
It’s easy to think that Toronto needs more cafés like it needs, well, more bearded hipsters in them. Rustic Owl Cafe, however, actually fills a neighbourhood void, taking up perch at the corner of Bloor and Dovercourt. Owner and Bloorcourt resident Stacey Collrin — who has background in event planning and charity fashion shows — says it was always in her plans to open an art-focused café.
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02/28/12
Joining the slew of new restaurants to hit Parkdale in recent months is Chantecler, set to open its doors right near the super hot Grand Electric by this weekend. The small venue seats 26 and will feature a traditional diner-style kitchen with a modern aesthetic. Co-owner Jonathan Poon, who has worked in the food industry in Australia, Europe and Asia, will man the kitchen while his partner, Jacob Wharton-Shukster, will act as front of house manager.
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02/28/12
Sure, the newly-opened Gusto 101 is yet another Italian restaurant, but there are a few things that set it apart: the location was originally an auto body shop (it still retains its original exposed brick walls and steel beams), it features a unisex lavatory and, most importantly, it has an in-house winery, where the wine is served on tap for one dollar an ounce.
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02/27/12
Kensington Market is losing one of its most recognizable landmarks: the longstanding European Quality Meats & Sausages. The butcher shop is closing this spring, founder Morris Leider tells us.
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02/27/12
Like a younger sibling, Guu SakaBar is the less-hyped version of Toronto’s original Guu location on Church Street. Of the two, SakaBar always gets my vote for its location, its vastly shorter line-ups and the fact that the place doesn’t feel like it has to prove itself.
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02/24/12
After building a veritable empire out of the Amaya Indian food chain, Hemant Bhagwani has been a busy man as of late. But that hasn’t stopped him from branching out a little bit with his recently-opened Bazaar Global Food Bar on Mt. Pleasant Avenue, situated in the space formerly occupied by Lai Toh Heen.
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02/24/12
Okay Toronto: you love lattes, and lattes have art on them, so here’s some cool latte art. We’ve just stumbled across this blog from a New York barista who likes to weird things to milk foam. In addition to Michael Jackson, this barista provides latte incarnations of Abraham Lincoln, the Mona Lisa, Bart Simpson and more. Something to think about while indulging in your lunchtime caffeine fix.
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02/24/12
This is a juicy, spicy Pinot. Rich ruby colour with a bouquet of tobacco, clove and raspberry; medium-bodied, dry and firmly structured with a smoky raspberry flavour; full on the palate with a warm alcoholic finish. Food match: duck breast, rare roast beef.
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02/23/12
After nearly three years, popular brunch spot Mitzi’s on College is closing its doors, depriving neighbourhood residents of its famous oatmeal buttermilk pancakes forever.
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02/23/12
It isn’t uncommon for a restaurant to boast a signature dish, but how is an unsuspecting public to know who really has the sweetest pasta sauce or the tenderest filet mignon? With a head-to-head battle royale, of course. Food blogger Jacob Younan is orchestrating just that by putting Toronto restaurants to the test with Dish Duel.
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02/22/12
Last fall, we told you about Catch, an upcoming seafood restaurant set up by The Rushton’s Frank Pronesti. Now the wait is over. Just a stone’s throw from The Rushton, Catch is open for dinners (from 5 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday), and brings a regularly-changing, seafood-heavy menu. And most items are under $20.
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02/22/12
After nine years of wining and dining Queen West denizens, Charles Khabouth and the folks at INK Entertainment have decided to close Ultra Supper Club and open a nightclub in its place. The new venue, designed by Canadian design firm Munge Leung, will be known as Cube.
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02/21/12
Protesters from the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition paced back and forth in front of La Palette on Monday, holding signs that read “Stable to Table in One Week” and “Pet & Athlete Not Food.” The dozen or so activists were protesting the restaurant’s decision to return horsemeat to its menu earlier this month.
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02/21/12
Keriwa Cafe has been on my brunch radar since the popular Queen West spot started offering it back in November 2011. So, on a recent snowy morning, I packed some friends into the car and headed to the comforting warmth of Keriwa’s dark wooden tables.
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02/17/12
This is a tasty claret at an even tastier price. Dense ruby colour; a nose of cedar, sweet red berry fruit; medium-bodied, nicely balanced, dry currant and blackberry flavours. Food match: lamb stew, veal and mushrooms.
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02/16/12
Camarra Pizzeria Ristorante, the Toronto landmark that opened its doors over 50 years ago, will be expanding in order to cater to its clientele’s busy lifestyle. Opening up at 8700 Dufferin Street, the new Camarra will be smaller, with only a few tables and chairs, and will focus on takeout food.
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02/15/12
This week, we asked Alexandra Feswick, chef at Brockton General, for her breakthrough dish. She gave us her take on Swedish meatballs, which she’ll be cooking for the lunch buffet at this year’s Terroir Symposium. The dish brings back fond memories for her.
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02/14/12
It was only a few months ago when grilled cheese purveyor The Construction Site opened at Yonge and Eglinton, and now the venture has sprouted a new location at the Sherway Gardens food court. Back in November, owners were hesitant to speculate on the possibility of other Toronto locations, so clearly the concept has been well-received (despite the undeniably awkward name).
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02/13/12
The concept of the snack menu has hit the ground running in Toronto and it doesn’t look like there’s any stopping it. Eateries like The Black Hoof, 416 Snack Bar and Grand Electric have made the bite-size sexy, doing away with the three-hour long fine dining tasting menus that we’ve had to put up with for the sake of a good meal in the city.
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02/10/12
This Northern Rhône style-wine has a smoky blackberry nose with an herbal note; it’s full on the palate, dry and savoury with a bitter chocolate finish. Lively acidity and full-bodied. Food match: beef casserole, old cheddar.
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02/09/12
Though patrons may be tempted to tiptoe their way into Church Aperitivo Bar, the atmosphere is grounded — with a few heavenly touches. Taking over a Slavic Pentecostal church (as far as the owners know) longtime friends Sandra Cassaro and David Beddia wanted to open a social place that spoke to their Italian backgrounds.
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02/08/12
Last summer, when Frank Zhang opened Gill Fine Japanese Fusion Cuisine near Yonge and St. Clair, he knew he was taking a gamble. The area already had a plethora of Japanese options, but he hoped authenticity — in the form of Japanese chef Akihiro Kitao — would help the restaurant stand out. Things didn’t quite work out as planned, but Zhang is undeterred. He’s rebranded the place and is now offering something not so common in the area: dumplings.
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02/07/12
These days, if there’s one thing Toronto loves almost as much as burgers, it’s Neapolitan pizza. And Toronto is about to get a lot more of it. Pizza e Pazzi is set to open a second location on St. Clair West as early as this month, and now Alberta franchise Famoso is set to open two restaurants in Toronto this year.
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02/06/12
It was just a year ago that The Gabardine opened in the financial district, helmed by Katherine Rodrigues and Alison Mackenna, with chef Graham Pratt in the kitchen and Rodney Bowers consulting. Back then, the menu at The Gabardine was concentrated on sandwiches and comfort foods like macaroni and cheese. More recently, the menu has grown and it’s more exciting than ever.
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02/03/12
Geoff Hopgood (of Hoof Café fame) had been hinting for some time that he’d like to open his own restaurant, and he finally did it this week, the Globe reports. Getting in on Roncy’s fast-rising restaurant boom is Hopgood’s Foodliner, a 50-seat Maritime-inspired venue named after the chain of grocery stores once ran by Hopgood’s father’s family.
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02/02/12
For the uninitiated, P.F. Chang’s is a Chinese “bistro” that has over 200 locations worldwide. Often recognizable from the giant horse statues outside of its entrances, its popularity is such that it has made appearances on South Park. It’s big, and it’s coming to Toronto.
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02/01/12
This week, we asked Anthony Rose, executive chef at The Drake, for his “breakthrough” recipe. Before his current gig, Rose spent several years in the US, during which time he worked with renowned chef Jonathan Waxman. The experience was pivotal for him.
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