Opening
In time for all your holiday baking needs, a Bulk Barn has popped up at King and Spadina (393 King West, 416-595-1010, bulkbarn.ca). You will notice that the signage is sleeker than the usual yellow-and-red logo. Hey, on King West everyone gets swankier.
Now that Let’s Be Frank‘s pop-up at King and Bathurst has closed, the haute dog spot is opening a permanent location next to the El Mocambo at 460 Spadina, at College (lets-be-frank.ca).
Mean Bao, the steamed bao shop (pork belly, pulled pork, braised beef – you know the drill) in Village by the Grange that’s popular with OCAD students, has opened another, more visible location at 167 Bathurst, at Queen (416-862-7737, meanbaotoronto.com).
Also expanding is Butter Chicken Roti, which now has another spot at 1076 Queen West, at Dovercourt, where the short-lived Burger Bass once stood (647-350 7684, butterchickenroti.com).
New York-based Bareburger is coming to 111 Dundas West, at Bay. The restaurant promises organic burgers and milkshakes and is currently in hiring mode.
Changes
Here’s a cool idea for a Christmas present: a new series from Collective Concerts lets concertgoers have dinner (cooked up by Rose and Sons’ Anthony Rose) and drinks with their favourite local band before they perform. The first in the Dinner with the Band series takes place January 24 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre with Elliott Brood. Dinner, drinks and the show: $73. collectiveconcerts.com.
In chef changes, David Lee will no longer be involved with the Carbon Bar (99 Queen East, at Church) and instead will go solo at Nota Bene (180 Queen West, at Simcoe, 416-977-6400, notabenerestaurant.com). Out east, chef and squash-lover Chris Kalisperas has left The Forth (629 Danforth, at Pape, 416-465-2629, theforth.ca), the multi-level fine dining restaurant. Sous-chef Zach Albertsen is now running the kitchen.
Know of any openings or closings, or care to tell us the best thing you ate in 2014? Email food@nowtoronto.com.
