Opening
Bar Raval
The team behind Bar Isabel, the wildly popular eatery on College, have opened Bar Raval – the name comes from the El Raval district in Barcelona, Spain – further east in the old Teatro space. While the tin ceiling is still visible, the place has been virtually transformed with undulating mahogany structures across the ceiling and walls. During the day, get coffee, pastries and breakfast treats and snack on seafood and small bites in the evening. 505 College (at Palmerston). See listing.
Dirtybird
March 4 is the scheduled opening for Dirtybird, a new Kensington shop, offering “northern-fried” chicken at its 16-seat, takeout-focused storefront. The “northern-fried” label is a nod to Canadiana: the signature chicken dishes incorporate some form of maple syrup, like a maple seasoning blend or maple butter, says chef Adrian Forte, who has worked in the kitchens of Rock Lobster and the Libertine. 79 Kensington (at Baldwin), thedirtybird.ca, @dirtybirdto. See listing.
Sotto Sotto
When the space suffered a fire on Christmas Day, Drake was among the mourners, Instagramming “Truly the end of an era. Be back soon though. #SottoSotto” and “My second home. Gone but not forgotten. #SottoSotto” to his 5.6 million followers. Rising from the ashes is a new version of the beloved restaurant, this time a few doors away in a space previously occupied by Dyne. The move takes Sotto Sotto above ground, after being famously subterranean (“sotto” means “underneath” in Italian) for ages, though don’t expect the name to change to Sopra Sopra. 120 Avenue Road (at Bernard), 416-962-0011, sottosotto.ca. See listing.
Closing
Weezie’s
This Corktown spot has been on the market since last October and has finally shut its doors. Set to open in the space some time in March is friendly Corktown Kitchen. 354 King East (at Power).
Changes
Guu
Rumour has it that Guu could take over the lease of Mehran, an Indian restaurant, come March 1. The larger space should mean less of a line for diners, but hopefully the cheerful “Irasshaimase!” greeting from the chefs will remain in place. 398 Church (at McGill), 416-977-0999, guu-izakaya.com, @guuizakaya. See current listing.
