Opening
American burger chain Bareburger (111 Dundas West, at Bay, 647-345-2273), which started in New York City before opening outposts in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and Ohio, has opened its first Canadian shop in Toronto. The expansive menu offers free-range, pastured and humanely raised, antibiotic-, gluten- and hormone-free (whew!) meats, and options like curry ginger ketchup, duck bacon and elk burgers, to please even the most discerning burger connoisseurs. See listing.
Popular espresso joint the Common continues its slow and steady expansion on the west side, this time in the Annex (408 Bloor West, at Brunswick), offering high-quality coffee, tea and snacks. See listing.
Though Jamie Kennedy’s Gilead Café is closing, Corktown residents have a new spot for sweets in Roselle (362 King East, at Trinity, roselleto.com). Treats include Earl Grey shortbread cookies, a turtle tart (Jivara milk chocolate mousse, sea salt caramel, rum-spiked chocolate biscuit, pecans and an almond crust), cloud cookies (meringue Pavlova with rainbow sprinkles) and ginger cake with fresh ginger, molasses and a hint of cinnamon. See listing.
Closing
Toronto lost a brunch icon when Queen West’s Swan Restaurant (892 Queen West, at Crawford) closed last week. Open since 1997, it was one of the first places for west-enders to go for bleary-eyed Saturday brunch in an era when you couldn’t busy yourself looking at your iPhone every six seconds.
This End Up (1454 Dundas West, at Dufferin) served its last burgers on March 15. Fans of its popular Better Mac, a Big Mac-esque burger for $14, will have to hope 416 Snack Bar continues serving its mini-Macs, or just bite the bullet and go to an actual -McDonald’s.
The Pink Grapefruit (106 Queen East, at Jarvis), which served healthy-ish lunch options and coffee and espresso to go, has closed after about two years.
Changes
There’s no shortage of bars on the bustling Dundas West strip, but Get Well (1181 Dundas West, at Ossington, 647-351-2337) is gaining a serious competitive advantage with the addition of a third branch of North of Brooklyn Pizzeria inside the bar. It’s already open, making for a good carb-loading opportunity this weekend. See listing.
A new second-floor dining area at Ossington’s Hawker Bar (164 Ossington, at Foxley, 647-343-4698, hawkerbar.com) adds 22 seats, a big relief for all those who’ve felt the pain of a late-night craving for Hawker’s famous laksa lemak (coconut curry soup) only to find the place too busy. See listing.
Send your restaurant openings, closings, events and tips to food@nowtoronto.com.
With files from Kate Robertson
