Vegetarian restaurants in Toronto are embracing the vegetable. No longer does eating vegetarian mean some kind of taste-bud side step in effort to maintain your ethics. Even vegan raw diets are exploding with choice and flavour these days.
Here's my list of 40 essential vegetarian restaurants in Toronto.
The former home of Mercer St. club Cove Thirtyone has undergone a major facelift. Alongside Mascot Brewery, this second-floor club brings an unpretentious vibe, a laid-back atmosphere, and - no surprise here - a killer beer selection (that even features table-side mini-kegs in lieu of bottle service).
Read my profile of Odd Thomas in the bars section.
It's been a while since we posted a one of those Toronto-is-just-so-damn-pretty videos, but this latest discovery from Chris Hau will make up for lost time. Instead of opting for the timelapse route, Hau shows off the city with sweeping shots that track the travels of an urban explorer who's sole mandate, it would appear, is to soak up Toronto's ample scenery.
It's a nice change, and yet another reminder that for all the complaining we do, this city is a pretty remarkable place. Everything looks so pretty, I can ever forgive the whimsical and overly positive music that accompanies the footage. Have a watch below.
Waterfront condos in Toronto promise luxurious living spaces with serene views of Lake Ontario. And now, with the Queens Quay revitalization completed and other waterfront renewal projects underway, life by the lake never looked better.
Here's a round up of five of the most exciting new condo developments on Toronto's waterfront.
Daniels Waterfront
The first phase of Daniels Waterfront: City of the Arts, on the site of the former Guvernment Nightclub (RIP), is a 45-storey tower with suites starting at $279,000. This building will be just one part of a massive, mixed-use community created by the Daniels Corporation.
Harbour Plaza Residences
Menkes is constructing two massive towers, 65 and 69 storeys, respectively, at 90 Harbour St. Architect Peter Clewes designed the project, which features 1305 units and amenities including an indoor pool and theatre lounge.
Eau de Soleil
This Empire Communities project is located right on the lake in Etobicoke. It features two side-by-side and connected towers called the Water Tower and the Sky Tower. Units in both start in the mid-$300,000s.
Aqualina at Bayside
Located in the burgeoning Bayside Toronto Community by Hines, this Tridel building at Queens Quay and Parliament has units on sale starting in the low $300,000s. New York City architectural firm Arquitectonica designed the building. It features amenities such as a rooftop infinity pool.
1 Yonge Street
In December 2014, Pinnacle International submitted a revised application to the city for a mixed-use community filled with six soaring towers--including a residential one at 96-storeys--and thousands of condo units. This project will be designed by the award-winning Hariri Pontarini Architects.
Which waterfront condo tops your list? Let us know in the comments.
What happens when a former pre-school teacher, bartender and web developer follow their joint passion for craft beer? They create an award-winning British-style IPA and sell it at bars across Toronto's west end.
Brothers John and Jimmy Peat and their longtime friend Sebastian Lesch make up the team behind Longslice Brewery. The three are also roommates and they currently offer their IPA Hopsta La Vista, an original brew by longtime bartender Jimmy, in tall cans as well as 30 and 50 L kegs.
Since delivering their first keg to Monarch Tavern back in May 2014, the Longslice team has expanded their presence, reaching bars and restaurants near their Dundas and Lansdowne home, including spots such as Get Well, The Smiling Buddha and the Gladstone Hotel. They also won a gold medal in the British IPA category at this year's Ontario Brewing Awards.
The newbie brewery recently appeared at the Burlington Beer Festival and the Junction Night Market. It'll make its debut at Toronto's Festival of Beer in the new brews tent this weekend.
Currently, Longslice operates out of Cool Beer Brewing. "The reason we contract brew is because we want to get in the industry," says John Peat, who used to teach pre-school is South Korea. "And, if you don't have $5 million lying around to build a brewery, this is the path you take," he continues.
Ward 19 councillor Mike Layton--as well as councillor Gord Perks--wants to establish Toronto as the craft beer capital of the world. The Longslice team joined the city's beer industry focused working group along with other local breweries. "Toronto is lagging behind really far," says John, "so they're trying to find the root of the problem, which is: it's really hard to build a brewery in Toronto."
Longslice also established The Ontario Brewer's League (TOBL), an organization that aims to help the province's small brewers garner tangible benefits, such as affordable health and dental plans and pooled deliveries.
"When you start in this industry, you realize how tough it is," says John. Twenty-one breweries have already joined and John hope TOBL will hold its first meeting in August.
Before the end of the summer, Longslice wants to get another beer of the market. John will brew this one and he'll call it Loose at the Lips Lager. For now though, savour Hopsta La Vista when you find it on a tap at a west end bar.
The upscale skincare brand has opened a bricks and mortar location in Toronto, bringing intriguing scents and $400 eye creams a few strides west of Trinity Bellwoods. The interior is as minimal as can be, but you couldn't think of displaying these products in any other way.
Read my profile of Aesop Toronto in the fashion section.
214 Dunvegan Road is a $3.9 million three bedroom in the prestigious Forest Hill neighbourhood. The property designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects is simple midtown luxury at its best. Pontarini whose portfolio includes a range of high profile towers in T.O. and most recently, a very cool temporary pavilion for the Pan Am Games, planned a modern open-air concept for the Dunvegan residence.
The first stand out feature is the double height doors in the front entrance, making the ceilings feel higher and next is the cantilevered built-in bookshelves along the staircase. A serious selling feature for any book collector or literary junkie. The ground floor flows across the rooms, from the sunken living room to the modern kitchen and outdoor patio.
The second floor boasts three spacious bedrooms including a master, walk-closest and ensuite with a skylight. The third floor, another highlight, features angular walls leading out to a very zen outdoor terrace for reading, sunbathing or other..uh...indiscretions.
Living in Forest Hill doesn't come cheap. With mcmansions and gated entrances, it's an area of luxury real estate and high-profile neighbours like grocery billionaire Galen Weston, also on the street. Taxes are high at $27K but seriously, what do you expect? Check out the photos below and see if it's your ultimate dream home.
SPECS
NOTABLE FEATURES
GOOD FOR
Um everything? To be more specific, the double height doors, modern kitchen, built-in bookshelves on the glass staircase, the master ensuite that could double as another bedroom, the rooftop deck, and the private backyard with the outdoor pool and custom patio. All that's missing is an indoor swimming pool.
MOVE ON IF
Only three bedrooms and no garage for almost $4 million. Even with a driveway and three car parking, it's convenient to have a garage especially in the winter.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
Read other posts in this series via our House of the Week Pinterest board.
Today in Toronto it's time to celebrate the Pan Am Games with music. Stars will take to the stage for a free concert at CIBC Pan Am Park today. Rather catch a flick? No problem. TIFF in the park, Under the Stars, and the Open Roof Festival are all on today, showing films across the city.
For more events, click on over to our events section.
Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events section.
Crooked little houses are fodder for fairy tales, stories about boy wizards, and also the Toronto real estate market. That's because one of the crooked houses on Shaw Street is now for sale.
The property at 868 Shaw St, just north of Bloor, is listed for $688,800. It maintains its characteristic tilt because it lies on top of the Garrison Creek, which the city converted into a sewer system around the turn of the nineteenth century.
In April, a renter living in one of the street's sinking houses told CityNews that he needed to modify most of his furniture when he moved in.
Currently, 868 Shaw boasts three bedroom and two baths. Though, the listing doesn't recommend moving in; rather, it suggests the lot provides a "rare opportunity to build in a great location."
How would you transform Shaw Street's crooked house? Let us know in the comments.
Photo by Vik in the blogTO Flickr pool
In a few weeks time, you can say bye-bye to those temporary HOV lanes on provincial highways because as you already know, they'll disappear following the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.
But, according to a CTV News report, Premier Kathleen Wynne told reporters on Wednesday morning that this two month pilot will help the province determine a plan for implementing HOT (High Occupancy Toll) lanes in Ontario.
Premier Wynne's government first proposed the HOT lanes back in 2013. Like the current system, the HOT lanes would be free for vehicles with multiple occupants. Single drivers would pay for access and ultimately, the chance to speed by traffic.
While there is no set timeline or location for the HOT lane project, money raised from it would go towards improving Ontario's public transit infrastructure.
What do you think of HOT lanes? Let us know in the comments.
Photo by Vik Pahwa in the blogTO Flickr pool.
How can you up your selfie game in Toronto? Not with a selfie-stick because those aren't welcome (and there should really be a bylaw against them) at numerous cultural institutions and events including NXNE, the Rogers Centre and likely, the AGO.
But, one Toronto 3D printing studio is taking social media-based self-portraiture to the next level with a product it calls the Selftrait. Yes, it's a 3D selfie, or more accurately, a three dimensional figurine in your likeness.
Prices at Sculptraits' Davenport Road studio start at $120 for a pocket-sized, five-inch figurine and the process is simple. After getting scanned by 137 DSLR cameras, your Selftrait will arrive in around a week so you can quickly start taking epic selfies, just like American photographer Chris Buck. Other companies offering this service include MY3D Agency in Liberty Village.
Toronto is home to numerous 3D printing studios and anyone with a Toronto Public Library card can access a 3D printer for free at the Fort York and Scarborough Civic Centre Branches as well as at the Toronto Reference Library.
Photo via Sculptraits Studio
Toronto is home to almost every type of international delicacy imaginable and while plenty of stores and restaurants like to showcase diversity, it's always fun to discover singularly focused specialty food stores and importers. This list showcases neighbourhood treasures that are in some cases the sole source to find the sort of item that they sell.
Here are my picks for the top specialty food stores in Toronto by neighbourhood.
ANNEX
With an institution like Daiter's now closed, Toronto was on the cusp of losing a long-standing brunch time tradition. Schmaltz Appetizing on Dupont fills the void, ensuring cream cheese, bagels and briney fish are mainstays at brunch for years to come.
AVENUE & LAWRENCE
Goodbye Gluten eliminates any risk of cross contamination by ensure their entire inventory is gluten-free. The retail shop on Avenue Road south of Wilson sells everything from baked goods, breakfast cereals, frozen foods, pastas, prepared foods - even shampoo - all of which is gluten-free.
BLOORDALE
Devoted to all things honey and apitherapy (which means bee products for healing purposes), The Bee Shop is owned and operated by beekeeper, Oliver Couto who promotes urban beekeeping and distributes all types of honey, royal jelly, propolis, beeswax candles and more.
CASTLEFIELD DESIGN DISTRICT
Tucked away in the industrial area near Keele and Lawrence, Speducci Mercatto is an Italian butcher and fine foods purveyor. Find imported goods from the motherland, along with prepared foods, and cured and raw meats at the counter.
DISTILLERY DISTRICT
The Ontario Spring Water Sake Company is one of a kind, supplying Toronto with a source for freshly brewed unpasteurized batches of the alcoholic rice-based beverage.
DUNDAS WEST
Solita in Little Portugal is a fine foods shop stocked with hard-to-find food and beauty items brought in from various regions in Italy. In addition to gourmet pantry items, expect to find select frozen goods, and a salumeria and cafe whips up ready to eat meals.
EGLINTON WEST
Kosher cuts of meat are the specialty at Nortown Foods, the Jewish butcher and grocer has been in business since 1960 and has become a trusted source for briskets to burgers and prepared foods and deli meats.
EAST YORK
Trupti imports, grinds, roasts, and blends spices at its retail location on Thorncliffe Park. The shop carries a rainbow of bulk spices along with stone-ground flours, nuts and Indian specialty products and snack foods.
ETOBICOKE
Queen's Pasta offers its fresh made noodles and gourmet sauces wholesale to restaurants and hotels, but the location on Newcastle does also sell to the public. Head here to stock up on handmade butternut squash agnolotti and cheese tortellini.
THE JUNCTION
Looking for fresh cheese that haven't traveled an ocean to get to your table? Try International Cheese in the Keele and St. Clair area where fresh cheeses made with Canadian dairy include ricotta, buffala mozzarella, and fior di latte sold straight from the source under the house Santa Lucia line.
JUNCTION TRIANGLE
Maple syrup is certainly a national treasure, but few in Toronto have embraced its glory. Not so at Ninutik, a kitchen studio hidden away on Golden Road where syrup is crystallized and formed into art objects and beautiful edible gifts. Visit the studio to see (and sample) the range of products, but shop online unless you're buying bulk party favours.
KENSINGTON MARKET
In this neighbourhood of very niche shops La Tortilleria offers a hot commodity. Their fresh tortillas have likely graced your plate at restaurants citywide, but the retail outlets (there are several) are a great source to find fresh taco shells for take home. They sell Mexican Coke, too.
LESLIEVILLE
Family owned and operated since 1953, Kristapsons is a specialist in cold-smoking salmon. The result is a supple fish that goes best on bagels or bilinis.
LITTLE ITALY
Yam Chops is Toronto's first (and only) vegan butcher offering meat-free alternatives to burgers, sausage links, and even lox. The shop is stocked with plant-based prepared foods, pantry items, and frozen items.
MARKHAM
Famu prides itself on being Toronto's only Japanese butcher even though it resides on the north side of Steeles. The shop is a go-to for marbled waygu beef, and thinly sliced meats ideal for Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu dishes. Find a range of sauces and seasonings among the pantry items on offer, and be sure not to miss out on prepared foods like deep-fried hamburgers.
NORTH YORK
Super Khorak (officially Khorak Supermarket) is one of my favourite places to shop on this stretch of Yonge approaching the city limits. The Middle Eastern grocer stocks a range of imported products and offers the holy grail of hot tables stocked with braised lamb shanks and bejewelled rice dishes.
PARKDALE
Bernard's Pilipino Specialties is an unassuming grocery store that stocks an abundance of Southeast Asian snack foods and dry goods. Stop in for Filipino specialties ranging from ube-infused cakes to delicious lechon, the country's unique version of barbecued pork.
RONCESVALLES VILLAGE
Stasis Preserves sells its namesake collection of handmade jellies, relishes, hot sauces, and spreads along with expanded offerings that include everyday pantry items and a deli showcasing artisan cheeses, salumi and baked goods.
RICHMOND HILL
Niemeyer Imports deals in Dutch products appealing to expats homesick for Holland. The inventory includes Dutch brand names of cheese and chocolates, soups, and liquorice. Online ordering is available, but drop in to enjoy the cafe serving koffie and croquettes on rye.
SCARBOROUGH
Diana's Seafood Delight is unique for distributing top notch seafood not just wholesale to restaurants and hotels, but also directly to the public. The bounty on offer is astounding, and you'll find everything from oysters by the case to fresh fish and seafood about as fresh as Toronto offers.
ST. CLAIR WEST
FV Foods operates a number of locations, but this outlet near St. Clair West and Bathurst is the most centrally located. The store specializes in imported grocery items from the Philippines, and carries Filipino sweets, baked goods and prepared foods.
ST. LAWRENCE MARKET
Rube's Rice takes rice very seriously, offering an abundance of grains ranging from popular options like brown basmati, sushi rice and arborio, to rare (and pricier) finds like jade pearl with bamboo extract.
QUEEN WEST
SANKO has been a mainstay on Queen West so long, it's easy to look past it windows packed with rice cookers and tea sets - but you shouldn't. Aisles are stocked with housewares, kitchen knives and giftware along with imported Pocky and ramen, ready-to-eat onigiri and mochi, and elusive ingredients like fresh wasabi and yuzu juice.
WOODBRIDGE
Hidden away in an industrial unit near Highway 7 and Martin Grove, Dolce Lucano is an old world salumeria that makes and carries some the city's finest cured meats (find it for sale at Sandy Aleksander downtown). Buy direct from the source, where you'll find excellent prosciutto, sopressata, guanciale, and more.
YONGE & EGLINTON
Douce France is a fine foods shop and cafe where you'll find imported chocolates and cheeses, biscuits and preserves, plus freshly prepared quiche and cafe au lait.
What did I miss? Disagree with my selections in the comments.
Wrongbar has transformed into a sophisticated pan-Asian and Polynesian-inspired restaurant and tropical cocktail bar with some seriously delicious food and drinks. Coconuts and pineapples are used as serving vessels for concoctions like Tommy's Colada and fried rice, while Hawaiian comfort food faves like loco moco are given the upscale treatment.
Read my profile of Miss Thing's in the restaurants section.
Good news for commuters, Bay St. workers and fans of good times - the popular Union Station outdoor food market known as Front St. Foods has just announced an agreement with the City to extend its run by four weeks.
The market, which was previously slated to close on August 30, has by most accounts been a raging success. Steady crowds have descended on the outdoor space on Front St. filling up on tacos, bao, cold-brewed coffee, smoothies and more.
The additional weeks means the market will now close on September 27 - it also opens the door to new vendors to join the fun. According to organizer Melissa Zuker, the extended run will feature many of the same vendors offering new menu items but new chefs, restaurants, bakers, food entrepreneurs, and artisanal food makers are encouraged to apply.
Are you exciting about the extended run for the outdoor market? Let us know in the comments.
Today in Toronto it's time to chow down on some free street meat. Fancy Franks is giving away free hot dogs in celebration of National Hot Dog Day. Not interested in lining up? Check out the Electric Runway event at 918 Bathurst. You'll see fashion and technology come together in this weird and wacky clothing exhibition.
For more events, click on over to our events section.
Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events section.
Toronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest restaurant openings and closings in Toronto and also gives a preview of what's coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.
OPEN NOW
RECENTLY REVIEWED
OPENING SOON
Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to liora@blogto.com
Photo from Otto's Berlin Doner facebook page.
Before food trucks became trendy, the humble hot dog cart was king of the Toronto street food scene pretty much by default. Bizarrely strict rules prevented all but a small number of basic foods being sold on our streets. These days, the city doesn't tell vendors what to serve, but it took a long time and a lot of bureaucratic wrangling to make it so.
The first food carts in Toronto, which started operating in the late 1800s, sold roasted chestnuts and Italian-style ices. Later, in the decades that followed street hawkers offered nuts, popcorn, french fries--anything easy to prepare and move.
Faced with a glut of street hawkers, particularly in Yorkville and on Yonge St., the city started issuing licenses in the 1980s, but most chose not to buy them and pay the relatively small fines. Later, vendors were allowed to rent a portion of sidewalk space, but later saw their fare options limited to hot dogs and french fries.
In an attempt to expand street food options, Toronto launched the calamitous A La Cart program in 2007. Unfortunately, those that signed up were bogged down in red tape and forced to buy a malfunctioning $30,000 "cart" (it was so heavy it took multiple people to move it.) Most of the original program participants became mired in financial difficulties.
As of today, there are 233 licensed food carts in Toronto. They can operate on any public street as long as the location is at least 25 metres from an open and operating restaurant and 30 from a place of worship.
At the moment, however, downtown Toronto is off limits to new food carts. A moratorium on licenses in wards 20, 27, and 28 was established in 2002 and was extended again in May in an effort to spread out street food options across the city (last year, 64 percent of carts were operating in the core.)
Want to start slinging hot dogs? It will cost $392.73 for the initial license plus a $294.74 application fee. The right to operate on a minor arterial road costs $2,551.73, or $4,691.32 for major arterials. The cart must be less than 2.32 square metres and leave 2.5 metres of passable sidewalk space wherever it's set up.
You'll find hot dog supply shops scattered across the city, the most notable being Soloway's Hot Dog Factory, which is open to the public as well if you want to recreate the experience of street meat on your home barbecue. Ditto for Champs Food Supplies, which tends to service the far downtown hot dog vendors and is also open to the public.
Happy cooking.
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Photos by ArrrRT eDUarD and Brian Cameron in the blogTO Flickr pool.
New fashion boutiques in Toronto will have you dressing to the nines. While some established brands are joining our city's fashion landscape, there are plenty of newcomers on the scene too. Offering everything from handmade jewelry to New Balance sneaks, these new style havens will keep your fashion game on point.
Here, in no particular order, are my picks for the top new fashion boutiques in Toronto.
Convey
Convey specializes in effortless and trend-forward pieces, with hangers touting everything from bold printed tops to distressed denim. The majority of stock comes from Australia and New Zealand-based labels, like Georgia Alice, that are hard to come by in the city.
Park & Province
Park & Province is a west end menswear mecca that stocks everything you need to become the city's next big fashion blogger. The store prides itself on carrying brands that are more on the obscure side, but also stocks big names like New Balance and Levi's.
Sugar & Scruff
Previously known as HUH, this style savvy store has evolved from carrying pieces designed by owner Linh Diep to stocking a carefully-curated roster of clothing and accessories. You'll find mostly modern, feminine pieces as well as a small menswear section.
JoshuaDAVID
JoshuaDAVID, known in Montreal for carrying established contemporary labels and pieces from up-and-coming designers, has brought its signature style to the streets of Toronto. The uptown store stocks everything from luxury brands to Toronto-based lines.
Pipler Accessories
This Cabbagetown shop carries fashion-forward accessories with a philanthropic edge. Each item supports a charitable cause, is made from sustainable materials, or has been handcrafted. Expect to find pieces like Rachel F. satchels and Sunpocket sunglasses lining the shelves.
This post was brought to you by Heineken.
What did I miss? Add your suggestions for new fashion boutiques in the comments.
Photo of Convey by Hector Vasquez.
