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The Roundup: This Week in Toronto (April 3-April 9)
Check out what's happening in Toronto this week, from highly anticipated openings, closures, events, pop-ups and more -- the round-up is your number one source for staying up to date with Toronto's fast-paced food scene!
Japanese cafe and bakery, Neo Coffee Bar, is opening a third location at King and Spadina streets. Neo currently has two locations in the city. The original coffee shop, which opened in August 2015, can be found at 770 Bay St. near the St. Lawrence Market. Neo’s second outpost is located at 161 Frederick St. in David Crombie Park. Open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, Neo Coffee Bar serves a variety of hot and cold espresso-based drinks as well as Japanese specialty teas and lattes, using ingredients like brown rice, matcha and young flush leaves sourced from Uji, Kyoto. Freshly brewed coffee and a selection of Sloane teas are also available to order. Pastries include gluten-free, vegan mochi, croissants, cookies, muffins, cakes and choux. Neo’s third location can be found at 61 Spadina Ave.
Mary Brown’s Chicken, a 100% Canadian-owned and operated fast food chain, is unveiling a new menu item, but they kept it all shrouded in mystery. Instead of revealing the item and all of the ingredients, Mary Brown’s invited guests to every store across Canada to discover the free item, equipped with only a sentence-long clue: "I’m three words, twenty-two letters and almost the height of a popsicle stick."
The unveiling of the item, a grilled chicken sandwich, took place on March 28, 2023, and saw the first 25 guests who visited any Mary Brown’s Chicken location across the country receive the new menu item for free.
Mary Brown's is known for its Big Mary® chicken sandwich, which was named Canada's Best Chicken Sandwich, and its made-fresh menu which uses farm-fresh Canadian ingredients and includes hand-cut and hand-breaded Signature Chicken & Taters.
Dreamed up by Pizzeria Libretto chef Rocco Agostino and Patois chef Craig Wong, Jerk Mortadella & Pistachio pizza is the sweet and spicy collab we can't wait to sink our teeth into. Available at all Pizzeria Libretto locations between April 3rd and 30th, the pizza is a tempting combination of jerk cream sauce, jerk mortadella, fior de latte mozzarella, and a garnish of pistachios and pineapple reduction. A fusion dish that showcases Pizzeria Libretto's authentic Neapolitan-style pies and Patois' signature Caribbean flavours, the pie is also a great way to give back. For each collaboration pizza sold, Pizzeria Libretto will donate one of its hand-made frozen pizzas to the Daily Bread Food Bank.
Unboxed Market, a zero-waste grocery store located in Trinity Bellwoods, recently applied for a liquor licence and will begin selling alcoholic beverages shortly. Currently, the shop only carries an assortment of non-alcoholic spirits, non-alcoholic wines, non-alcoholic canned beers, mocktails and mixers. Owned by Michelle Genttner and Luis Martins, Unboxed Market opened in 2019 with the aim of bringing fresh, organic produce to Toronto using recyclable and reusable packaging methods. Unboxed Market is located at 1263 Dundas St. W. and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To celebrate 60 years in business, Pusateri's Fine Foods is rolling out the 60/60 experience; a playful campaign featuring a slew of sales over the course of 60 days. Beginning on April 1st, Pusateri’s will rollback to 1963 pricing on select meats and produce, and offer 60% off Pasta Mancini pastas. In the days that follow, the daily discount will apply to a rotating selection of condiments, seasonings, cocktail mixers, olive oils, and more. For specifics, watch Pusateri's Instagram page or subscribe to the company's weekly newsletter at Pusateris.com. Then, visit one of the company's five locations and join in the fun.
Launched earlier this year, Wild Fork is a new Canadian protein delivery service that provides more than 500 blast-frozen, high-quality meat, poultry and seafood to Canadians at competitive, affordable prices. Sourced from some of the best suppliers in Canada and worldwide, items are delivered straight to your door. Customers can shop and place orders seven days a week, with same-day and next day delivery available. All of the proteins are tested and meticulously selected in-house by chefs. From everyday staples like high-quality chicken, sausages, beef cuts and grinds to specialty items including premium cuts of beef, Berkshire pork, bison, elk, boar, duck and venison, Wild Fork has something for everyone, without the price squeeze.
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is hosting several Easter-themed events at Café Boulud and d|bar by Chef Daniel Boulud. From 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, through Monday, April 10, at Café Boulud, guests are invited to enjoy a two ($58)- or three ($68)-course Easter Brunch at Café Boulud, where Chef de Cuisine Colin Henderson has prepared a selection of featured menu items, including duck confit hash, Scotch eggs, a lamb burger, a special Easter egg dessert and more. Over at d|bar, guests can enjoy an Easter menu curated by Chef Maru Cacho that features refined dishes that reflect the season, including corn pancakes, a sharable seafood tower, truffle grilled cheese and a lamb and egg skillet. d|bar’s Easter menu will be available beginning Saturday, April 8, to Monday, April 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Recently opened at 1056 Bloor West, Sarang Kitchen dishes up crunchy Korean fried chicken and soju cocktails along with a heaping dose of inclusivity.
Operated by a chef and an autism expert who fell in love and decided to combine their respective areas of expertise, the restaurant champions neurodiversity via its hiring practices while fostering an environment that caters to the neurodivergent community with calming music, weighted blankets, noise-cancelling headphones, sensory boxes and a multi-sensory room where anxious or overstimulated guests can relax.
Early buzz has praised the compassionate vibe as well as the Sarang Platter, a massive shareable feast featuring two flavours of fried chicken, crispy squid, tornado chips, a quartet of dipping sauces, cabbage slaw and pickled radishes.
Sarang Kitchen is open Mon-Fri, 5-11 p.m. and Sat-Sun, 12-11 p.m. and is part of a growing number of hospitality included (aka no tipping) restaurants that is also Living Wage certified.
Give your Easter weekend a glow-up with upgraded accommodations, scenery and, best of all, brunch. New for spring, The Royal Hotel's seasonal brunch menu includes à la carte dishes along with a three-course, prix-fixe option. Begin with Kale Salad or Arancini, move on to Eggs Benny or Stuffed French Toast, then cap things off with Torta al Pistacchio or Seadas. Also on the generous list of choices, find Granola Parfait, The Royal Breakfast, and an array of golden-crusted, chewy, crisp, wood-fired pizzas. To reserve, visit Theroyalhotel.ca.
A year after the launch of its inaugural location in Scarborough, Alforat Iraqi Steet Food has opened a second location at 3460 Platinum Drive, in Mississauga. The copious menu offers appetizers, sandwiches, wraps, and full-on regular and massive family-sized meals featuring tender, charcoal grilled meats (chicken, lamb, and beef) and fresh-baked breads (samoon and saj). Regulars rave about the banquet-sized shawarma plates. There are also veg options featuring eggplant, lentils and white beans. Among the truly refreshing refreshments are smoked yogurt, Iraqi chai and pomegranate juice. For dessert try the fudge-like daheen. Alforat Iraqi Street Food is open Mon-Fri, 4 p.m.-12 a.m., Sat 12 p.m.-12 a.m. and Sun 1 p.m.-12 a.m.
On March 25, 1 Kitchen Toronto inside 1 Hotel Toronto hosted an immersive, intimate and sustainable dinner to honour Earth Hour. Guests dined by candlelight and enjoyed an earth-friendly menu crafted by the newly-appointed Chef José Matamoros, while sipping on specialty nature-inspired cocktails, all celebrating a healthy planet. The menu included a Basque Cheesecake, which was made with a burnt maple gastrique and topped with delicious raspberries as well as a Hamachi crudo, which was glazed with rhubarb vinaigrette, shallots, avocado, amaranth and bronze fennel.
With the (hopeful) onset of warmer weather, CafeTO is in full force with patios opening up and restaurants slowly pivoting toward launching menus to encourage public congregation in their spaces.
Dova, the Italian restaurant located in the heart of Cabbagetown in Toronto’s east side is launching a fresh weekend brunch menu to usher in the change of season. Its menu remains true to the Sicilian DNA that the joint has come to be known for. The new weekend brunch menu will launch on April 15 and will be available on Saturdays and Sundays going forward.
Å few of the dishes featured are mentioned below:
And, of course, any brunch worth its weight has to include a proper cocktail menu, here are some of the drinks Dova will have to offer:
Also included in the menu are non-alcoholic drinks, classic brunch sides and coffees, teas and fresh juice. The weekend brunch menu at Dova launches on April 15 and reservations will be available soon on Resy.
Let’s face it, people choosing to buy prime breeds rather than adopting loveable furry friends that are in desperate need of homes is causing overcrowding in shelters all over. Thankfully, there has been a recent shift in the culture with more people taking the “adopt don’t shop” slogan to heart.
To further help this movement, Benefiting Furry Friends (BFF) Beverages, a uniquely cause-based ready-to-drink brand is on a mission to improve the lives of abandoned animals across Canada by donating five cents from the sale of every can to help animals in need.
In Ontario, BFF Beverages has partnered with Save Our Scruff until the end of June. It is also providing assistance in Alberta and British Columbia, partnering with Animal Rescue Foundation and Okanagan Humane Society, respectively.
The drinks are available in two delicious flavours — each complete with an adorable mascot in tow. The Peach Vodka, with a Golden Retriever at its helm, can be found in Ontario, B.C. and Alberta. While Blackberry, sporting the French Bulldog, is available in B.C. and Alberta.
The drinks-for-a-cause can be found at LCBOs across the province until the end of June. Beginning July, BFF Beverages will partner up with another local shelter. To keep in touch with local shelters in need of adopting, follow @BFF Beverages on Instagram.
Craig's Cookies is having a birthday, and everyone is invited to the party! Ongoing this week, the festivities include free cookie giveaways, followed by 2018 pricing on select items this weekend. Beginning April 4th, customers who order six or more cookies will receive an original-flavoured cookie at no additional charge. Daily flavours will change, with PB Cup on the 4th, followed by Mars, Brownie and Pop Tart, on the 7th. On April 8th (the day Craig's officially turns 5!), customers at all Craig's Cookies locations will pay the 2018 price for a dozen or half dozen classic cookies. The deal will also apply to online orders and orders placed through third-party apps. As if that wasn't enough, every customer (online and in-store) who purchases a dozen or more cookies on April 8th will be eligible to enter a contest to win a year's worth of treats. Want to carry on celebrating with a dozen Craig's cookies per week for an entire year? Then make Craig's Cookies your first stop this Saturday, and pray that it's your lucky day.
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