Friday Restaurant Recap: Happy Child, Live Organic, The Gravy Train, 416 Snack Bar, Ladurée, Mr. Pong’s

By Freya Hammond-Williams

Two Bite Saloon's smoked ribs (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)

Friday Restaurant Recap rounds up the week’s Toronto restaurant news. In this edition: a new resto-bar takes over The Double Deuce Saloon, Live Organic Food Bar announces an expansion, Liberty Village gets a new cheese shop and more.

Opening soon

Moving into the former Double Deuce Saloon space on Queen West is Happy Child, a resto-bar that’s slated to open some time before December. When asked about the concept, we were told: “Ramen, food trucks, tacos, Priest... and any other fads I’ve forgotten about.” We detect some irony going on here. [Happy Child]

The folks from Live Organic Food Bar tell us they will be opening a new takeout café and retail space in Liberty Village, at Atlantic and King, by spring 2013.

If you’re a fan of dipping things, you may be into The Gravy Train. Press releases were sent out last week to showcase the upcoming gravy-centric restaurant, which is currently in the fundraising stage. [The Gravy Train]

Newly opened

Two Bite Saloon brings sliders, booze and barbecue to Bloor West.

Monforte Dairy has opened a little shop in Liberty Village at Jefferson and King. [The Grid]

Charcoal Kebab House has brought authentic, handmade Uyghur noodles to Lawrence Avenue East. [Toronto Star]

The folks behind Cold Tea have revived the name of an old Chinese-Canadian joint with Mr. Pong’s Bar, a new Dundas West watering hole. [Toronto Life]

While GwaiLo has been “coming soon” for some time, its new pop-up stint at Soho Metropolitan’s Senses restaurant will keep fans of chef Nick Liu’s cooking sated for the time being. [Toronto Life]

Change-ups

571 Queen Street West is seeing yet another new restaurant as the space moves from Lucid to Lo Zingaro, an Italian restaurant. [The Grid]

416 Snack Bar has a new chef: Rory McGouran, previously of Scaramouche and Crush Wine Bar. He replaced chef Jon Vettraino (who is now a sous chef at F’Amelia) a few months ago.

Rumour mill

Rumours that wildly popular Parisian macaron shop Ladurée would be opening a location in Toronto have been snuffed out — for now at least.