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Tuesday, June 30, 2020

45 patios open in Toronto on Canada Day 2020

Patios open on Canada Day 2020 in Toronto allow you to celebrate the country's big day in the sunshine with a drink in hand. These patios aren't closing up shop for the holiday, instead, they're a place for you to spend your Wednesday. Just make sure you know the rules.

Here are some patios confirmed to be open on Canada Day in Toronto.

Allen's

The sprawling backyard patio on the Danforth will be open for the day starting at 11:30 a.m. Reservations can be booked by calling 416.463.3086.

Amsterdam BrewHouse

The popular waterfront patio will be open for walk-ins only on July 1. Grab a beer and take in the view.

The Auld Spot Pub

Reservations are recommended to get a table at this patio on the Danforth on Canada Day. Book a table between 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. by emailing auldspotpub@gmail.com.

The Aviary Brewpub

The sundrenched wraparound patio at this brewery in the Canary District is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 1. Food will be served between noon to 8 p.m.

Bar Hop Brewco

The rooftop patio at Peter and Queen will be open until midnight on Canada Day. Book a reso by emailing events@barhopbar.com.

Canada Day Patio Open Toronto

Rooftop patios in Toronto don't much nicer than the one at Baro. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Baro

The beautiful rooftop patio on King West will be accepting walk-ins from 1 p.m. until 2 a.m. Expect specials on tacos and tequila.

Black Bull

If you're strolling down Queen West on Wednesday looking for a pit stop make sure to pop into this patio for a quick drink and some bar snacks.

Black Eagle

If you're looking for a patio in Church Wellesley Village on Canada's big day this is the spot. They're open from 3 p.m. to midnight.

Cabana Waterfront Patio

The former Cabana Pool Bar patio will be the ultimate place to celebrate Canada's birthday. Cabanas for the day can be reserved by visiting their website

The Chase

Take the beautiful views of the Financial District on July 1 on this swanky rooftop patio. Resos can be secured online.

Canada Day Patio Open Toronto

The sprawling patio at El Catrin is a great place to grab a drink. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen

The Portland Street restaurant is keeping its doors open for Canada Day from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Visit Resy to book a reso.

Chula Taberna Mexicana

Come July 1 this Leslieville patio will be open starting at 1 p.m. and operating well into the evening. 

The Commoner

The Roncesvalles Village pub will be open starting at noon. Call 647.351.2067 to book a table.

Dasha

The Chinese restaurant on King West will be open starting at 4 p.m. Reservations can be made through OpenTable.

El Catrin

The sprawling patio at this Mexican restaurant in the Distillery District is open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

Flo's Diner

The Yorkville diner is taking reservations by calling 416.961.4333. They're open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Canada Day.

Foxley

The backyard patio situated on Ossington is accepting reservations for patio tables via their website. Book now for tomorrow.

Gusto 101

Both the street level and rooftop patio will be open on Canada Day. Walk-ins are accepted but it's best to book a table on Resy instead. 

Hemingway's

Prepare to get your fill of red beer on July 1 at this popular Yorkville patio. They'll also be giving away some t-shirts to celebrate the holiday.

Her Father's Cider

The patio in Harbord Village is open from noon until 10 p.m. Call 647.347.7747 to reserve a table.

Canada Day Patio Open Toronto

Soak up the sunshine or relax in the shade on the Lavelle rooftop patio. Photo by Jesse Milns.

High Park Brewery

Celebrate the day in the Stockyards District at this Toronto brewery. They'll be open for walk-ins and there will be lots of BBQ goodies to be had.

Kasa Moto

Call 647.348.7000 to book your table at this Japanese restaurant in the heart of Yorkville.

Kost

The breathtaking rooftop patio 44 stories above the city in the Bisha Hotel will be open and accepting reservations on OpenTable.

Lahore Tikka House

Toronto's most popular and palatial Northern Indian and Pakistani restaurant in Little India will be operating out of their tented patio from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Lavelle

The mammoth 16,000 square foot rooftop pool and patio bar that's perched on top of 627 King Street West opens at 11 a.m. Make a reso by contatcing reservations@chezlavelle.com.

Canada Day Patio Open Toronto

The Northern Maverick patio is an excellent spot for people-watching. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Liberty Commons at Big Rock Brewery

The Liberty Village patio will be open from noon to 10 p.m. and will be serving up cool drinks alongside pub grub.

Mildred's Temple Kitchen

Get your brunch on in the sun at this Liberty Village spot. They'll be accepting walk-ins starting at noon.

Mugshot Tavern

Email howdy@themugshottavern.com to secure a spot on this rooftop patio in High Park. They're open noon to 10 p.m.

Murphy's Law

The Beaches spot is open from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Canada Day. Resos can be made on Bookenda.

Northern Maverick

The 90 seat beer garden at Adelaide & Bathurst will be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Reservations can be booked on OpenTable

Canada Day Patio Open Toronto

Take in the sights and sounds of Portland on the Petty Cash front patio. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Patois

The Caribbean-Asian soul food fusion restaurant on Dundas West has finally opened up their patio and they'll be serving from noon til 8 p.m. on July 1.

Paupers Pub

Both the streetside and rooftop patios at this Annex pub will be open for booze-filled Canada Day celebrations.

Petty Cash

Portland Street is filled with bustling patios and this restaurant at the corner will be no exception. They'll be open until the wees hours.

The Pilot

The Flight Deck rooftop patio at this Yorkville bar will be open for business this Wednesday. Visit their website to book a table.

The Porch

The rooftop patio of Rock 'N' Horse Saloon on Adelaide will have limited reservations available for Canada Day.

Canada Day Patio Open Toronto

Soak up the sunshine on the Score on King patio. Photo by Fareen Karim.

The Rooftop at the Broadview Hotel

The Riverside patio sporting one of the best views will be open on July 1. If you're looking to visit, book a reservation through OpenTable

Ruby Soho

The restaurant that had to change up their patio rules after it failed to control large crowds will be open bright and early for breakfast start at 7 a.m. They'll remain open until late.

Score on King

If you've been dreaming of celebrating Canada Day with next level Caesar monstrosities you'll be happy to know the King East bar is open July 1 from 11 a.m. until late.

The Slip

The killer patio right on the water will be taking walk-ins from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m.

SOCO Kitchen + Bar

You can dine and sip on cocktails near the CN Tower on this beautiful streetside patio that's open daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Canada Day Patio Open Toronto

It's all about the beer on the Woodhouse Brew Pub patio. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Steam Whistle Biergarten 

The beer garden across from the Rogers Centre may be all booked for reservations on Canada Day but they'll be accepting walk-ins.

Storm Crow Manor

The Church Wellesley Village restaurant will be serving brunch on their massive patio starting at 10 a.m. Walk-ins only.

Terroni

For Canada Day the Price, West Queen West and Adelaide locations will all be open. Sip on wine while enjoying tasty pasta in the sunshine.

Williams Landing

The patio overlooking Liberty Village is accepting reservations through OpenTable. Grab a drink and some eats as you people watch on your day off.

Woodhouse Brew Pub

Bask in the sunshine in Brockton Village while drinking a cold Woodhouse beer on their front patio on Wednesday.


by Jaclyn Skrobacky via blogTO

Popular burger joint in Toronto needs to move after they say landlord jacked up rent

Aunty Lucy's, which grew in a matter of weeks from a pop-up burger shop to a hugely successful staple known for its In-N-Out-style eats, is being forced out of its current space due to what it says is an untenable rent increase.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the restaurant says it was given only a week to transition out of its Parkdale location at Brock and Queen, the home of Duggan's Brewery (and formerly Vegandale Brewery) — a timeline which was suddenly crunched down to only one day.

July 1 will now be Aunty Lucy's unexpected last day of service until it finds another kitchen to operate out of.

Hi all! It pains us to say this but the establishment we rented the kitchen of and are operating out of at 1346 Queen St W. has hit us with an extremely unmanageable rent increase of 10x from our previous agreement his reasoning being he didn’t expect us to do as well and now wants more money. We tried to meet the gentleman at a reasonable price point after speaking to my advisors, and other business owners and mentors and they all gave me the same advice that the new price he was asking for is greedy and unacceptable. Even after we expressed that he still didn’t want to budge which is fine. He then told us we could take a week to transition out of the space as we find another temporary location for July, August, and potentially September at which point we hope to have found a permanent location. I was okay with this one week period to transition out and had no issues with it. Then I woke up this morning to a text that read; we had to stop business after close tomorrow ?! Which was a 360 from the slow transition and week move out that he gave us initially. He himself said he didn’t want to cut our legs out from under us and then proceeded to do just that. I say all that to say we will be open tomorrow for Canada day, and then are currently looking into our options to hopefully insure that there is no cut off in our service. Myself and the team will keep you updated, thank you all! ✨🙏🏿 #auntylucysburgers

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According to the post, Aunty Lucy's alleges that Duggan's is asking for what they're calling an "extremely unmanageable rent increase" that is a staggering 10 times more than the original contract agreement they made in May for the kitchen space, which was going unused.

The post also states that the Aunty's Lucy's team believes the brewery's owner asked for more rent because of how popular their burgers have become in such a short amount of time: "he didn’t expect us to do as well and now wants more money," it reads.

"We tried to meet the gentleman at a reasonable price point after speaking to advisors and other business owners and mentors, they all gave the same advice that the new price he was asking for is greedy and unacceptable."

Aunty Lucy's proprietor Chieff Bosompra says that he offered a number of solutions for the two to work together and come to a compromise, including doing social media and marketing work for Duggan's free of charge, running events and specials to help promote Duggan's beers, and paying a more moderately increased rent to cover utility costs.

But Bosompra says Duggan's refused.

"His reasoning for it was basically 'you guys are making a lot of money, so I feel like I should get some,'" Bosompra says. "We now have basically one day to sell as much as we can, and then we need to figure out what to do and where to pivot so that we can still continue business and keep our momentum going."

The restaurant was planning to remain in its current spot until September, by which point it was hoping to find a permanent home that it would eventually expand out of to have a location in both the east and west ends of the city.

It is actively seeking a new ghost kitchen to work out of temporarily so that it can get up and running again.

Duggan's was unavailable to be reached for comment.


by Becky Robertson via blogTO

Ontario might get news about Stage 3 as early as next week

Everyone wants to know when we will move into Stage 3 in Ontario and more information may be coming as early as next week.

Minister of Health Christine Elliot noted today that about a week's worth of data from Stage 2 is still needed to assess the possibility of moving into Stage 3.

During today's daily press briefing, she and Premier Doug Ford were asked by CityNews reporter Cynthia Mulligan about Stage 3 and the data from today that shows some regions reporting five or fewer new cases and some even reporting none at all.

Mulligan pointed to northern regions where "it's been fairly consistent that there have been zero cases" and asked "why not open them up sooner by region? They must be screaming for it."

Ford responded that "everyone's quick to scream for it, a lot of phone calls are coming through." He said he's even getting lobbied by the Santa Claus at Santa's Village in Muskoka.

"But we have to do it safely," he said. "And we will do it safely and we're gonna do it in steps as we did before. We just have to continue to see numbers go in the right direction, which they have."

Elliot was slightly more specific.

She noted that "things were going quite well in Stage 2, but we're only several weeks into it."

She said that officials "still need the data from about another week" to see if there's cause for concern or if there's anything that's causing outbreaks.

"We have to assess it on a daily basis to understand where we are with it," she said, "but we are having discussions about going into the next phase, whether we do it across the province, whether we do it regionally."

"We're having discussions about where it should happen and, of course, when—everybody wants to know that—and what will be opening next."

Elliot went on to reiterate Ford's message that moving into the next stage will depend on the strength of the health and safety measures that continue to be taken by the public.

Under Stage 3 of reopening, Ontario would see all remaining workplaces reopen safely and larger gatherings allowed. The province-wide state of emergency that's in place until July 15 would also be lifted.

Toronto was only recently allowed to enter Stage 2 after other regions when case numbers began to show a steady decline. Data from today showed that Toronto, Peel and York made up 63 per cent of new cases, while Windsor-Essex saw a recent spike in cases upon entering Stage 2.

The three stages fall under Phase 2 of Ontario's Framework For Reopening Our Province and Stage 3 marks the final period before entering Phase 3 of recovery.


by Lisa Power via blogTO

10 things to do on Canada Day 2020 in Toronto

Things to do on Canada Day 2020 in Toronto are a bit different this year but there's still lots of ways to have fun while staying safe. Celebrations are happening online and in real life, and there's even some fireworks action.

Here are some things to do in Toronto on Canada Day 2020.

Tune into the city's virtual Canada Day

The City of Toronto has organized a special, all-day live stream program beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing into the evening with some virtual fireworks and the CN Tower light show. Special guests, neighbourhood spotlights and celebration kits are all part of the fun.

Spend the day on the Toronto Islands

The Islands are open and welcoming back visitors with restrictions that include pre-purchased tickets and limited capacity for ferries. Centreville remains closed but there's still lots going on and space to spread out.

Check out a drive-in concert

If you're hoping to see Dean Brody in real life, he'll be playing alongside Andrew Hyatt during the Canada Day Drive-In Concert at the Markham Fairgrounds. The event also includes fireworks.

Reserve a spot on a patio

Patio season is here and if you can snag a spot, know that there are quite a few measures in place meant to help keep everyone safe. There are many places open for Canada Day, including the new Cabana Waterfront Patio.

Hit the beach

Beaches are good to go around the city with six of them open for swimming. There's a chance they may be crowded, so it's important to be responsible, follow the rules and practise good beach etiquette. 

Take a swim at any one of the city's outdoor pools

There are tons of ways to stay cool with nearly all of Toronto's outdoor pools reopen for swimming. Swimmers need to be aware that they will have their names recorded for contract tracing and its leisure swimming only.

Visit a museum or attraction

A bunch of major museums and attractions have reopened in time for the holiday, including the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto Railway Museum, Museum of Illusions and Ripley's Aquarium.

See the massive van Gogh exhibition

There are still a handful of Canada Day tickets left for this enormous immersive exhibition that takes viewers inside the art of Vincent van Gogh. Social distancing circles are there for walk-in visits and its added more space for cars.

Eat at a socially distanced food truck festival

Summer is all about sunshine and good eats, and two food truck festivals are celebrating both during the Food Truck'N Canada Day Festival at Exhibition Place and the drive-thru Street Eats Market at Yorkdale.

Go to a virtual Canada Day house party

Dance it out from anywhere you are at this Canada Day virtual house party that free to watch. Performers include Cadence WeaponCaveboy, Dean Brody, DVSN, Dear Rouge, The Sam Roberts Band, Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine and lots more.


by Lisa Power via blogTO

Toronto is getting a restaurant all about hummus

Kensington Market is about to get a restaurant dedicated to the king of Middle Eastern dips: hummus. 

They're several months behind schedule but a new business, called Abu Hummus, has announced that they're finally gearing to open their doors at 119 Baldwin St. next week. 

We're about a week away...

A post shared by Abu Hummus Toronto (@abuhummus_toronto) on

The restaurant — which specializes in organic hummus, according to the website — takes over the old AAA Army Surplus,  which has merged with its sister store Search & Rescued across the street. 

It's Abu Hummus' only location, and though there's no menu on their website, it's pretty self-explanatory what they'll be offering.

According to the brand, they'll be paying homage to other "legendary hummus restaurants" worldwide with their take on this staple chickpea dip.

A tantalizing video on their Instagram also suggests we'll be in for tons of tahini and olive oil too. 


by Tanya Mok via blogTO

It's going to feel like 40 C in Toronto next week

Hot weather is on the way to Toronto for the beginning of July so it's most definitely time to break out the sunscreen.

With the coolest temperature for the rest of this week feeling like 35 C it's wild to think that next week will reach even higher temperatures.

Monday is expected to be 31 C feeling like 38 C and it's Tuesday when things really heat up. The Weather Network is forecasting Tuesday to feel like a scorching 40 C with only a 40% chance of showers. 

With summer temperatures reaching these high temperatures if you do plan on being outside you can cool down at one of Toronto's outdoor pools or sprawl out at one of Toronto's beaches - just be sure to follow the rules.

If that doesn't tickle your fancy you can always make your way out to try one of Toronto's newest summertime treats.


by Jaclyn Skrobacky via blogTO

Toronto restaurant is now offering indoor private dining even though it's not allowed

While patios are now officially up and running in Ontario, those bars and restaurants without the ability to open an outdoor space are faced with sticking to takeout and delivery only.

But one Toronto restaurant has created its own way of rejigging operations that it feels is adhering to provincial health and safety standards.

Muncheez Creperie has outfitted its restaurant near Yonge and Steeles to allow for a group of four-to-six people to eat inside the restaurant.

"We started to think outside the box....Everybody was doing pickup and deliveries but we have a great space that was pretty much going to go to waste," owner Ramen Zarafshan says.

"We started thinking 'just to connect with the community, let’s just focus on one table and one group at a time.'"

Since Toronto entered into Stage 2 of reopening last week, Muncheez has started its own proprietary private dining model, which is by reservation only — and unfortunately not exactly legal at this time.

Diners must answer a questionnaire about their health, travel and contact history before booking, and must provide their basic information for contact tracing purposes.

At the time of their reservation, they then enter through the back entrance of the restaurant, which is separate from where people pick up takeout orders.

All customers inside the restaurant must wear a face covering, while staff wear personal protective equipment that includes gloves and face shields.

#eatsafe #muncheez #GTA #1❤️

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The table remains spaced from all other parts of the restaurant, and the area is carefully sanitized after each meal. Hand sanitizer is also made available to customers.

"This is the safest way of possibly doing it because of the distance that we have for the groups once they enter the shop... This is possibly more safe than going to a patio because there’s a lot more distance available to the customers," Zarafshan says.

"Now whether the government allows it or not, that’s something to be argued, but as far as what we’re doing, this is as safe as it gets. We meet every safety standard that’s been put out. "

Though the concept does seem logical, the guidelines that the province has set out for bars and restaurants at this time state first and foremost that they "can open for dining in outdoor areas only, such as patios, curbside, parking lots and adjacent premises."

The guidelines for Toronto specifically also state that "public access to any indoor portions of the business must be limited to food pickup, payment, washroom access, access required to get to the outdoor dining area, or access that is otherwise required for the purposes of health and safety" during Stage 2 while the current emergency orders under the province's Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act are still in place.

Though Muncheez says is taking the health and safety of its customers and staff "extremely seriously" and is abiding by all of the province's and city's other rules for operating a restaurant right now, there is still a reason why it may be the only restaurant in the city offering indoor dining at this time (namely that it's not permitted yet).

A spokesperson for Toronto Public Health has said that restaurants who take such actions run the risk of steep fines.

"Food premises that do not adhere to physical distancing and other COVID-19 control measures are subject to legal and enforcement actions under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act," TPH Healthy Environments Associate Director Sylvanus Thompson points out.

These fines range from $100,000 and up to one year in jail for an individual and $10,000,000 for a corporation.


by Becky Robertson via blogTO

Ontario reports decline in new COVID-19 cases

COVID-19 cases continue to see a general decline across Ontario with 157 new cases reported today.

This marks a 0.4 per cent increase in overall cases with 99 (or 63 per cent) of today's reported cases coming from Toronto, Peel and York regions.

Other regions across Ontario are reporting five or fewer cases (27)  while some (22) are reporting no new cases at all.

As of today, Ontario has 2,052 active cases and seven new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths to 2,672.

Windsor-Essex reported 17 new cases today after the region saw a spike in cases as it enters into Stage 2.

"While there are only 17 new cases reported in Windsor-Essex, testing of temporary workers is ongoing as we continue to implement our three-point plan to find and resolve outbreaks," wrote Minister of Health Christine Elliot on Twitter.

"Increased testing in the region may identify additional cases in the coming days."

The province is reporting 148 resolved cases, marking a 0.5 per cent increase, and 23,759 completed tests since its previous report.


by Lisa Power via blogTO

Toronto left sweltering in summer heat after hydro outage

With temperatures hitting the high 20s and low 30s in the past few days, a large swath of North York was feeling the heat a bit more than the rest of us last night due to a power outage.

Thousands of customers living in an area spanning from just west of Yonge Street to Leslie, and north of Highway 401 up to Steeles were without hydro since around 9 p.m. on Monday.

Toronto Hydro said on social media that service had been restored to some customers as of late last night, but that the issue was ongoing.

The electric utility company had cited 10:30 p.m. as the preliminary time that things might be sorted out, but as crews responded to the incident, the timeline stretched beyond 1 a.m. as residents struggled to sleep without air conditioning.

Thankfully, there have not been any further complaints as of Tuesday morning.

Apparently, this isn't the only time in the past few days that Torontonians have had to face an extended hydro outage in the heat: parts of East York have reportedly been experiencing a loss of power nearly every morning for more than a week.


by Staff via blogTO