This Week in Food rounds up the week's food news, restaurants openings and closings, chef movements and upcoming food events in Toronto. Find us here every Friday morning.
OPENINGS & CLOSINGS
- Newly opened La Burrita has replaced Ethiopian restaurant Abyssinia at 735 Bloor Street West, and is now serving up fast casual Mexican food.
- New restaurant TenTen (from the team behind The Upper Crust) has quietly opened in Leslieville at 1010 Queen Street East.
- Also newly opened, The One Restaurant is now offering daily lunch and dinner menus plus weekend brunch at 895 Yonge Street.
- The Chase is slated to open two restaurant concepts this summer in the Dineen Building at Yonge and Temperance. The maritime-themed first floor will feature fish and oysters while the fifth floor is set to become a high-end Italian chop house.
- New take-away café, The Pink Grapefruit is set to open in April at 106 Queen Street East. The Pret A Manger-styled concept from chef Tatiana Shabotynsky (George, Auberge du Pommier) will feature coffee bar staples and healthy prepared foods.
- The Burger Press (167 Bathurst Street) has closed after less than a year in business, proving that the burger wars at Bathurst and Queen are heating up. Signs indicate that something called Downstairs Deli is soon to take over site.
- A sign announcing the imminent arrival of Broastyy has gone up at 1281 Bloor St. W.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Seoul Food Co. presents Battle Kimchi: Yakitori Bar (1 Baldwin Street) on Saturday, February 23rd from 2 to 5pm. Billed as the Mother of all Kimchi battles, this event pits six of the city's best kimchi-makers against each other in a celebrity-judged battle. Tickets are $35.
- The Rusholme Park Supper Club presents Butter Love with Lauren Eden Jones at The Depanneur (1033 College Street) on Saturday, February 23rd at 7:30pm. This $40 dinner will include bread and homemade butter as well as a rich 3-course menu.
- Death Row Meals: Olde Hunters Feast takes place Sunday, February 24th at Luma (350 King Street West). Six great chefs will serve up a canapé reception and a 6-course, nose-to-tail tasting menu featuring Water Buffalo. Tickets are $95.
- Foodwares CHW DWN Pop-Up Lunch brings favourite food truck vendors indoors on Wednesday, February 27th to The Bay on Queen Street (located downstairs in the Foodwares Market Eatery). Fidel Gastro, Seven Lives Tacos, Neptuno and Swine Shrine will be serving up lunch between 11:30am and 2pm.
- Tickets are available for NOW Magazine's SLURP Noodlefest taking place on Sunday, March 3rd, from noon until 5pm at The Great Hall (1087 Queen Street West). This afternoon event will feature popular noodle dishes like pho and ramen as well as an array of street food snacks. Featured chefs include Cindy Arman (Babi & Co.), Victor Barry (Splendido), Carl Heinrich (Richmond Station), Adam Hynam-Smith (El Gastronomo Vagabundo), Nick Liu (Gwailo), Eric Wood (Hawthorne Food & Drink).
OTHER NEWS
- Voting is open for the 2nd Annual GE Monogram® - Terroir Awards for Excellence in Hospitality. A $1000 cash prize will be awarded in three categories; favourite chef, mixologist/sommelier, and service staff at Terroir on Monday, April 8th.
Photo from our review of Seven Lives