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Things keep changing on the culinary scene in Gaytown, so if you’re heading down for pre-Pride action, here’s what’s cooking — or not.
Construction continues on Toronto’s first franchise of San Francisco-based burger chain Hamburger Mary’s. Located on the corner of Carlton and Church on the former site of Mocha Joe’s, the campy kitschenette will open in the very near future. Further up the street, irrepressible trailer-trash tramp Zelda Angelfire has moved her floating cocktail-party-cum-bingo-parlour into the former digs of Toby’s Good Eats (542 Church, 922-2526) in time for a Pride do. The new space (almost three times as large, size queens) will host her usual shenanigans as well as a Pride Recovery Brunch on Monday, June 26. Her previous namesake boite has been made over into Zelda’s Satellite Lounge (76 Wellesley East, 922-4221), a martini joint with a modern tapas menu. Look for regular Zelda sightings at Living Well (692 Yonge, 922-6770), too.
Another older girl with a new look, Café California (538 Church, 960-6161) has dumped its 80s Cal-Ital dishes and jumped into the 90s with Mediterranean-influenced mains. You go, girl — at this rate, you’ll be celebrating Pride 2000 in 2014.
Those with a modicum of class — on Pride Weekend ?!? — should reserve now for swanky Byzantium‘s (499 Church, 922-3859) once-a-year Saturday and Sunday brunch.
At the other end of the spectrum, Kuali, the delightfully inexpensive Malaysian spot on Maitland, is, sadly, no more.
Spring Rolls (693 Yonge, 972-7655), one of the better noodle houses in the nabe, has moved two doors north into digs with room for double the clientele. Unfortunately, the new lineups for tables are twice as long as well.
And Auntie Emm, the retro diner run by friends of Dorothy, has slipped over the rainbow. It’s been born again as a Danforth-style Greece-y spoon called Golden Greek (105 Carlton, 977-9898).
