Market Street is in the midst of a makeover, and Barsa Taberna is just one of the new restaurants that will soon grace the street. Redevelopment of the tiny street next to St. Lawrence Market has been in the works since 2010, and the results of those years of planning are finally beginning to take shape. Aras Azadian is one of the owners of the new tapas restaurant, and he says the whole concept will be based on life in Barcelona.
Barsa's menu will be half tapas, half entrees. Azadian says he's sick of seeing mains disguised as tapas in Toronto, and he's going to do his best to honour the original concept of the snackable plates.
"Tapas are not supposed to be $13 and $14. You're supposed to order two or three plates each, and share. It's just ridiculous." On Barsa's tapas menu, everything will range in price from $6 to $9. There will be a carefully selected wine list and pitchers of sangria to go along with it.
In case new tapas places aren't your thing (even if they're endowed with 75-seat patios), there is a string of other businesses slated to open on the street in the next couple of months, too. Pastizza is an Italian restaurant opening on the south end of the street. From what I could see by peering in from the street like a creeper, it looks like it'll be a pretty stunning spot. A balcony-esque upper level overlooks the mezzanine area, and as of now, it looks kind of like that pervasive scene from Romeo and Juliet.
Farther up will be Bindia, an Indian bistro which will also be graced by a patio. I've noticed a liquor license displayed in the window, too. Olive&Olives, a small and ambiguously-named chain imported from Montrealwith an outpost in Riverside, will throw open its doors to their second Toronto location here. Down the line from that, Azadian tells me, there will be an espresso place.
The last item on the list, for now, is Market Street Catch, a 36-seat seafood restaurant from the owners of Buster's Sea Cove. There's still one vacant space that appears to be up for grabs, according to Azadian and as far as appearances show. I wouldn't know for sure, though, as the developers wouldn't get back to me after repeated interview requests.
While it's a tourist-heavy area, Azadian, for his part, says his restaurant is targeted toward young professionals who are seeking out an authentic experience. It was actually a bit of a happy accident that he wound up with the Market St. location, he says. He was looking at other areas, but it was hard to find a good fit for his first restaurant. When he saw the space, though, he says he was sold immediately.
That said, he tells me the renovations have been a nightmare. "The design should have taken a month, and it's been two and a half months to figure out the engineering." They wanted to open the patio in September to have at least a semblance of patio season, but they're now scheduled to open for mid-November.
While there's lots of work still to be done, all of the businesses along Market Street are apparently aiming to have their doors open by the end of the year.
This cafe at College and Bathurst has been a vibrant neighbourhood hub for six years. What's its secret? Quality food and drink (including house-made gelato), but also the the sense of community the staff foster, something helped in part by a refusal to offer WiFi.
Toronto events on September 2nd, 2013
This Week in Music rounds up the latest news, releases and concerts coming to Toronto.
Pipes have dominated Toronto's news lately. In July, a massive, unexpected storm tipped billions of litres of water over the city, exposing a possible weak link in the city's ability to handle a wet weather crisis. This week, a heavy rain shower briefly overwhelmed storm sewers, turning several streets in to raging rivers.
The supply and removal operation takes a significant amount of money - $394 million in 2013 - and some serious infrastructure. Laid out in a curving line, Toronto's storm and sanitary sewers would stretch 8,884 kms to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just beyond Hawaii. The sewage system comprises 151,485 access holes, 82 wastewater pumping stations, 5 storage and detention tanks, and 4 wastewater treatment tanks.
All that crystal clear, ready-to-use water needs a sprawling delivery system that's entirely separate from the sewage operation, of course. 6,014 kms of delivery and distribution watermains - 1,000 kms longer than a direct flight from St. John's, N.L. to Victoria, B.C. - send treated drinking water around the city, helped by 18 pumping stations. The most famous, the R. C. Harris plant at Queen and Victoria Park, provides 34% of the city's drinking water.
Everybody's been talking about the Nutella-themed snacks coming out of 
First opened in 2008, this Roncesvalles cafe followed with a College Street location a couple of years ago. Despite a shortly lived location in the Burroughes Building, the company continues to expand, having recently gotten into the roasting game, under the name of Pig Iron Roasters.
Toronto events on September 3rd, 2013
More than half of our list is seeing red this week. That's right, there were closures all over the place. The 
This coffee shop has been serving up espresso to Leslieville residents for seven years now. With a commitment to socially responsible beans and some quality brew, it's developed into a true neighbourhood staple. I checked in to see what's going right at this always popular Queen east spot. 
26 Dupont Street breathes the feeling of serenity down my neck. It's so calm and lovely. I want to tie my all-white horse at the main entrance, and float through the home in my all-white Maxi dress. Barefoot on those pristine floors with the cute triangle accents, you can twirl from a large seating room into the dining room, then into the kitchen, with ease. 
SPECS
NOTABLE FEATURES 
GOOD FOR
MOVE ON IF
Spoken word events worth knowing about in Toronto, September 2013.
Depeche Mode's arrival in Toronto meant another sold out show at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre. But in spite of the rain and the humidity on Sunday night, the folks came decked out in their Sunday best to hear the legends of alternative electropop/new wave play their hearts out.
Diner en Blanc returned for its second Toronto edition this past Thursday evening. The international, pop-up dinner series turned 50 this year, having started in Paris by a group of friends looking for an elegant and easy way reunite in a park: hence the brilliant and eye catching dress code. In contrast to last year's dinner at Fort York, this year's location proved to be far more urban, gritty and less secluded. While it wasn't an inherently beautiful venue, it made the dazzling spectacle feel far more impactful, ephemeral and special.
While TIFF's focus is obviously on cinema, over the years the festival has made a point of including a musical component, be that in the form of its 
Kiss 92's Wham Bam Thank You Jam gathered a genre crossing line up together Saturday night at the Molson Amphitheatre, including pop's current hype man (and light-controversy fodder) Robin Thicke, plus Avril Lavigne, Classified, and Shawn Desman. While the show went late and the crowd had thinned out by the time Thicke (sans Miley) launched his set with his hit "Blurred Lines," it was still a worthy summer send off. 
The best wheat and gluten-free restaurants in Toronto make it easy to eat deliciously despite dietary restrictions or intolerances. Some of these places keep their kitchens strictly wheat-less, while others offer alternatives or separate menus that cater to the gluten-free crowd. Frequently, celiac-friendly eating seems to get lumped in with vegetarian, vegan and raw diets, though there are in fact options below where you can find yourself a little surf and turf and still take advantage of our city's thriving and diverse food scene. 
