Toronto Restaurant Openings: Faim de Loup, Project Glyph, Chavo Gelato, Est, The Salon

Toronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest restaurant openings and closings in Toronto and also gives a preview of what's coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

Open now

• Red and White Shawarma is now serving halal Mediterranean in North York.
• Mogouyan is now doing hand-pulled noodles at 760 Yonge. 
• Shi Ro Sushi has opened at 1570 Midland Ave.
• Chef Gourmet is now serving loaded baked potatoes in Church Wellesley Village.
• Xing Fu Tang is now doing teas in Richmond Hill and near Yonge and Wellesley.
• San Coffee Room has opened at 135 Ossington. 
• Le Chanceux now serves liquid nitrogen ice cream at 526 Yonge.
• Chavo Gelato is now serving up cold treats at 235 Queens Quay.
• Juliana Social Cafe is now open at Broadview and Gerrard
• A St. Clair West location of Boneyard Grill has opened.
• You can now get fancy French crepes at Crepes Deluxe inside Erin Mills Town centre in Mississauga.
• Faim de Loup is now serving modern French tasting menus in Little Italy.  
• Turkish/Italian coffee chain and home goods store Well and Better now has a location at 
• Project Glyph is now soft open at 40 Hayden for macarons and tea.

Recently reviewed 

• Avling Brewery
• Tiger Sugar
• Zen Sanuki Udon
• Favorites
• Bergham
• Almond Butterfly
• Reign
• Clockwork
• Dainties Macaron
• Buono

Opening soon

• Est is opening September 3 in Leslieville, and will begin taking reservations August 1.
• Alo is opening a private event space in Yorkville called The Salon sometime in the fall.
• The John should be opening yet another location in Little Italy "super soon."
• Moretti will be opening their Toronto location on August 8.
• Bluestone Lane is opening another location at 2 Queen East.
• Mira Mira is opening a Leslieville location serving ice cream in August. 

Other news

• Come See Me in Little Italy is now home to weekend bottle service DR!P. 
• Three Monks and a Duck on West Queen West will start serving brunch soon.
• Vit Beo is taking the place of Five Points in Open House. 
• Morning Parade has started serving an array of homemade sandwiches.
• Superpoint Express will no longer be serving pizza, and will eventually adopt an entirely new menu.

by Amy Carlberg via blogTO

Condo of the week: 1173 Dundas Street East

This hard loft is so airy and spacious they have a grand piano and a motorcycle inside and it doesn’t even look remotely cluttered. Seriously, this place is HUGE! 

Coming in at almost 2,500-square-feet with 17-foot tall ceilings, you will never feel like you’re in cramped quarters. 

The main floor is open concept, with the kitchen relegated to the back of the unit. The big two-storey wall of windows provides lots of natural light. 

The kitchen is pretty sparse but has the essentials. I’m not sure I love the corrugated cabinets, but to each, their own. 

Tucked in beside the fridge is a photography darkroom, which is probably the coolest closet transformation I’ve seen in a condo. 

On the second level, there’s a small sitting area. The one (and only) bedroom is just off the sitting room. 

The bedroom isn’t the most spacious, but it does have an en suite bathroom and a huge skylight for some daylight. 

As for amenities, there aren’t really any (as is typical with factory loft conversions). But, the place does come with the rights to build a 500-square-foot rooftop terrace, and the good news is there’s already stairs that lead up to it in place.  

Specs

• Address: #223 – 1173 Dundas St. E 
• Price: $1,789,000
• Bedrooms: 1 + 1 
• Bathrooms: 2
• Parking: 1
• Walk Score: 97    
• Transit Score: 97
• Maintenance Fees: $1,122.38 monthly
• Brokerage: Sage Real Estate Limited, Brokerage
• Listing ID: E4522231

Good For

Starting a new hobby. With its very own photo darkroom, you can get back into film photography or even just use all the space to have a studio/home set up for whatever your passion is. 

Move On If

You have a lot of guests who like to visit. Since everything is open concept and there’s only one bedroom, this isn’t the ideal place to have your in-laws stay when they’re in town. Then again, maybe that’s a good thing…  

by Misha Gajewski via blogTO

10 things to do in Toronto today

Welcome to August, Toronto, where events today are in full summer mode with a big beer festival and low-country boil. A fleet of food trucks is pulling up to one of the city's newest parks and you can get sweaty at a hot party or stay cool with the music of Ada Lea.

Events you might want to check out:

Hart House Craft Beer Festival (August 1 @ Hart House)
Nested in the courtyard of the historic Hart House is this big beer festival that looks to host local brewers and a huge unlimited barbecue feast.
Ada Lea (August 1 @ Drake Underground)
The melancholic and tragic sounds of love and loss are captured with Montreal's Ada Lea as she paints a vivid picture of both through her indie rock sounds.
Food Truck'N Friday (August 1 @ College Park)
It may be Thursday but this weekly food truck series is pulling up to one of the city's newest and nicest parks with a huge selection of street food vendors.
GUMBOANA (August 1 @ Nest)
Get ready to sweat to the hottest soca and dancehall beats courtesy of Trinidad and Tobago DJs Travis World and Artiste Team at this art dance party.
a window is also a field (August 1 @ Patel Gallery)
Artist Tessar Lo's solo exhibition looks to change the viewer's perspective on time and place with works that shift frames to make us see beyond.
Wild at Heart (August 1 @ TIFF Bell Lightbox)
Part of TIFF's ongoing series on director David Lynch, Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern star in this love story born out the darkness of the heartland.
Indie Machine Turns 10 (August 1 @ The Baby G)
The Toronto-based multimedia music series iNDiE MACHiNE is turning 10 and celebrating with a special lineup of musicians and artists from around the city.
Footloose (August 1 @ Revue Cinema)
The Revue's ready to cut loose as their Heat Wave series continues with the dancey Kevin Bacon stirring things up in this 80s classic.
Low Country Boil (August 1 @ Eastbound Brewing)
Eastbound's famous low country boil is back for a great summertime with food and drinks served up family-dinner style.
Slang (August 1-8 @ Bad Dog Comedy Theatre)
Comedian Tom Hearn is ready to put on a special show with all-original material that will see him doing the most, alongside drag by Priyanka.

by Lisa Power via blogTO

There are still long lines at the new Tim Hortons in Toronto a week after opening

You may have thought the lineups outside the Tim Hortons Innovation Cafe at 130 King St. West would have died down by now, but you'd be wrong. 

A week after the cafe's much-anticipated opening, where hundreds waited to get in on the occasion, there are still lengthy lines causing customers to wait around half an hour for food. 

There’s still lineups at the new Tim Hortons innovation cafe in Toronto a week after it opened #TimHortons #Toronto https://t.co/vKuZAEaIok pic.twitter.com/eniTnhRmPv

— blogTO (@blogTO) July 31, 2019

One customer named Isaac Mosna said he waited 30 minutes to get his wrap and although he doesn't usually eat at Tim Hortons, he just had to see what the hype was about. 

He said the wrap didn't seem that different from the typical food at Tim Hortons, but he was pretty impressed by the cold brew his friend Patrick Comasso ordered. 

Comasso said the cold brew was surprisingly worth the wait. 

"I will say I was surprised that the cold brew was as good as it was because I don’t normally like Tim Hortons coffee, and I particularly don't like their iced coffee, so I did think the cold brew was actually really good,” Comasso said. 

He added that he's not usually a Tim Hortons customer either, but he was interested to see the strategy behind the new cafe. 

"I was more intrigued from even just the marketing perspective of how they’re trying to get into a market that Tim Hortons doesn’t necessarily tap into," he said.  

Megan McCarthy, another customer willing to brave the cafe's lineup, said a friend of hers waited in line a few days ago and dragged her to do the same today. 

"She’s very passionate about it," McCarthy said. "Tim Hortons is not normally my default, but I’ll give it a shot."

It looks like Torontonians are more than happy to wait in line for a de-constructed iced capp, so there's no telling how long the hype — and the lineups — will last. 

by Mira Miller via blogTO

Drake asks Mayor of Pickering for better WiFi

A security guard in Toronto just told someone he couldn't take a photo of a building

A man was standing on a sidewalk outside of the Toronto-Dominion Centre in downtown Toronto taking photos when a security guard told him he was on private property and had to stop.

Robin Mazumder, a doctoral candidate in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Waterloo, was taking pictures of buildings for his dissertation. He uses virtual reality to study how architecture makes people feel, which is why he was studying the building.

I'm taking pictures of buildings, while standing on the sidewalk, and this security guard (in vest) interrupts me to tell me that I'm not allowed to take a picture of the building because it's "private property." pic.twitter.com/vabQlV8ABm

— Robin Mazumder (@RobinMazumder) July 31, 2019

“We really need to address the issue of privately owned public space. Public space where we can freely exist is diminishing,” he wrote on Twitter.

Mazumder asked the security person who approached him for his name and the guard responded by covering his name badge.

This guy was actually helpful, but it's clear that no one even knows where private space ends and public space begins. As far as I'm concerned, I'm standing on a sidewalk. pic.twitter.com/4fJWwwLeJN

— Robin Mazumder (@RobinMazumder) July 31, 2019

The guard attempted to explain where the public sidewalk ends and private property begins. He pointed to an arbitrary part of the cement and drew a line with his finger, but then said, “There is no defined limits.”

Photography laws can be murky and up to interpretation, but in most cases, Canada’s commercial photography by-laws dictate that you can take photos of private property from any public space, often even when security says not to.

by Hannah Alberga via blogTO

Toronto Blue Jays swing huge trade at deadline to dismay of fans

The Toronto Blue Jays have just made another big trade, sending starting pitcher Aaron Sanchez, reliever Joe Biagini and minor leaguer Cal Stevenson to the Houston Astros.

It's the second big trade of the week following the move of Marcus Stroman to the Mets on Sunday. 

Second baseman Eric Sogard and relievers Daniel Hudson and David Phelps have also been traded away this week.

While Biagini has been something of a fan favourite for his bizarre interviews and quirky personality, it's the trade of former All Star Aaron Sanchez that has fans especially upset.

If you wonder why I rage on Mark Shapiro for being useless, today’s #sanchez trade is a masterclass.

— Dean Blundell (@ItsDeanBlundell) July 31, 2019

In return for the trio of players, the Blue Jays are reportedly receiving outfielder Derek Fisher from Houston.

You gotta be kidding. So they traded 3 players for a career .200 hitter who is almost 26. This whole team has become a comical farce

— Matthew Carbno (@mattycarbs) July 31, 2019

Fisher was a first round draft pick (37th overall) back in 2014 and has played parts of the past three seasons with the Astros, slugging 10 home runs, along with 33 RBIs.

Sanchez and Biagini traded for a guy scouts are thinking at best is a bench player, what the hell @BlueJays

— Luke McLellan (@LGMclellan) July 31, 2019

The move so far is proving to be mind-boggling for Jays fans who expected a much larger return for two of the team's best young pitchers.

You need pitching but you trade two of them away for an outfielder? You trade Sanchez at his lowest value? Like, what the heck is the plan here?

— Joe Cioffi (@Cioffz11) July 31, 2019

Sanchez was just returning to form, having set a Blue Jays record with six straight strikeouts to start a game earlier this week.

Aaron Sanchez struck out 6 straight batters to start the game today, setting a #LetsGoBlueJays record. The previous record was 5 straight batters, held by Joe Biagini, Marco Estrada & Steve Delabar. pic.twitter.com/7MEVeSKl1H

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) July 28, 2019

How the move fits into the rebuilding plan is also uncertain, as all three players traded were young, relatively cheap with long careers ahead of them.

by Staff via blogTO

The top 5 warehouse sales in Toronto this August

Warehouse sales in Toronto for August 2019 are ready to help you hit the town in some stylish ALDO shoes or get you comfy in Crocs. Brides-to-be can save big at a one-day sale and you can stock up on all kinds of kitchen gadgets as Kitchen Stuff Plus gives their prices a slash.

Events you might want to check out:

Wedding Clearance Dress Sale (August 10 @ Holiday Inn)
Big savings are yours on new designer wedding dresses, plus veils, belts, tiaras and lots more, all on sale at this one-day sale for up to 90 per cent off.
ALDO Warehouse Sale (August 15-18 @ Markham Fairgrounds)
Over 10,000 pairs of ALDO shoes are up for grabs with heels, sneakers, slides and boots all having their prices slashed to between $19.99 and $39.99.
Mr. B's Back to School Shoe Warehouse Sale (August 20-25 @ Mr. B's)
Skechers, Missimo, Calvin Klein, FILA and Vans are all on sale at this big back-to-school sale with styles and sizes for the whole family.
Crocs Warehouse Sale (August 22-25 @ Markham Fairgrounds)
Save big on all kinds of footwear and clothing at this big warehouse sale with lots of styles and brands like Crocs, Callaway Golf and Saucony Running Shoes.
Kitchen Stuff Plus Warehouse Sale (August 23-26 @ Kitchen Stuff Plus Warehouse)
Stock up on a huge selection of brand name appliances, furniture, dinnerware, cookware, gadgets, liens and stemware for up to 90 per cent off.

by Lisa Power via blogTO

The Best Patios in Toronto

The best patios in Toronto are where you can take it all in and bask in the sunshine as you sip your beverage of choice. Known for having fantastic food and scenic surroundings, make sure you check these spots off your summer bucket list.

Here are the best patios in Toronto.

Broadview Hotel

Get a bird’s eye view of Riverside on this patio on top of a historic hotel. Small plates and cocktails have a local emphasis, design is chic, and there’s an indoor area on the rooftop too in case it gets rainy.

Head to Amsterdam Brewhouse for beers by the water. Photo by blogTO.

Amsterdam Brewhouse

Feel like you’re kicking back at the cottage sipping a craft beer in a Muskoka chair as you gaze out at the Harbourfront on this patio. With a capacity of hundreds, even the largest parties won’t get turned away.

Feast in style on a cobblestoned patio at El Catrin. Photo by Jesse Milns.

El Catrin

The Distillery District has this patio at a Latin American restaurant, complete with eccentric light fixtures and fire pits. It’s even open in winter sometimes.

Craft beer just tastes better out on Bandit Brewery's patio. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Bandit Brewery

Get to this Roncesvalles patio early to snag a seat at one of the picnic benches on a gravel lot with trees and twinkly lights. Bar food and craft beer brewed on site won’t disappoint.

Serene whisky sipping sessions await on at Allen's near Danforth Music Hall. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Allen’s

Massive willows give character to this Danforth patio, where you can sip whisky and dine on some bistro burgers and capon wings.

Some of the best flavours in Toronto are all in one place at Assembly Chef's Hall. Photo by blogTO.

Assembly Chef’s Hall

This patio, where you can enjoy food options from tacos to BBQ to fried chicken, is hidden in the heart of the Financial District.

Double the patios, double the fun at Gusto 101. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Gusto 101

The King West neighbourhood has this Italian restaurant with a patio, distinguished by a giant Goodyear sign and a retractable roof.

Food, drinks and art all come together on the Drake Sky Yard patio. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Drake Sky Yard

This artsy West Queen West classic is one of the original rooftop bars, open all season long, though summer is when it really comes alive.

Lush greenery and an old fireplace give the patio at 3 Speed its charm. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

3 Speed

This always-packed Bloordale patio behind a quaint bar is the place to be for Sunday brunch with caesars or beers on hot nights.

by Amy Carlberg via blogTO