3 d. ago Toronto chef steps away from fine dining scene to open new casual restaurant

A Toronto chef who cut his teeth in fine dining restaurants across North America is venturing out to do something totally different.Chef Barbode Soudi says that, for the majority of his 20-year tenure working in kitchens across the continent, fine dining was always the plan."I guess my first job was Crush Wine Bar, he said. "But I think one of the most pivotal moments of my career was when I did six months, when I was young, at Eigensinn Farm under Michael Stadtlander."From there, stints at The French Laundry in Napa, Toronto's Lucien, Nota Bene, Black Hoof, and San Francisco's Quince all added feathers to his cap until, ultimately, he returned to the local fine dining scene at Actinolite and Alo."I was always trying to work for the best places and best chefs that I could," Soudi explained. Eventually, he rose in the ranks from sous chef to executive sous chef and, eventually, chef de cuisine at Alo. Then, the pandemic hit. A...

Other

4 d. ago What to eat at first Toronto outpost of restaurant chain made famous by Guy Fieri

Vancouver's Peaceful Restaurant has finally opened its first location in Toronto, bringing Northern Chinese cuisine to the Annex.Peaceful Restaurant had already been a local favourite across Metro Vancouver for 15 years by the time Guy Fieri rolled into town in 2013, to feature the restaurant on an episode of his show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.The episode further catapulted the restaurant into local legend status, beloved city (dare we even say, province?) over for its droolworthy Mandarin-style cuisine.It was only a matter of time before we got the chance to dust off our chopsticks and try the restaurant for ourselves, and now, nearly 30 years after Peaceful Restaurant's first location opened, we've finally scored our own location in Toronto.At the helm of the whole operation is Executive Chef and founder Charlie Huang.Huang opened the first location of Peaceful Restaurant in Vancouver back in 1998, and tells us visitors from Toronto have been begg...

Other

4 d. ago Ritzy new Toronto restaurant from Michelin chef opens this week

A ritzy Toronto hotel is adding a new restaurant that pays homage to Indian and British cuisines to its lineup this week.Toronto's Le Germain Hotel is, in no way, wanting for great food and drink offerings.Its newly refreshed lobby bar, Library, is the stuff that lesser hotel lobby bars dream of, and it's in good company with celebrated restaurants (albeit ones attached to competing hotels) like Akira Back and Nobu just a stone's throw away.Still, the hotel is upping the ante as it prepares to launch its luxe new restaurant, Punch, this Thursday, Oct. 2.A deft blend of British and Indian cuisines, the menu at Punch is the masterwork of Executive Chef Mandar Kulkarni, who has made his name in the Michelin-starred Don Alfonso 1890 kitchen, on top of other reputed restaurants like Buca and Le Select Bistro."I feel privileged to share a menu that reflects my own story and cultural roots," says Kulkarni. Indeed, the story being told on the plate is a deeply personal...

Other

2 w. ago Beloved Toronto restaurant to leave location after 13 years in business

A Toronto restaurant that's been a local staple for over a decade is closing permanently to move out of the city.Toronto's culinary scene is a dazzling mosaic of international cuisines that span, seemingly, every corner of the globe. It may be trite, but it's true.If you're in the mood for Nicaraguan, Georgian, Ethiopian, Peruvian or anything else, it won't take you long to find it in the city. That's what makes the 'Six so special.When it comes to Cuban food, however, the options — though great — are decidedly limited, and, since 2012, Roncesvalles' La Cubana has been the undisputed champion for the cuisine in the city.Founded by chef Corinna Mozo, the restaurant is a cool, casual spot that serves up the absolute best of Cuban cuisine, which, yes, includes but is in no way limited to, the almighty Cubano Sandwich, a forever favourite of ours.In the 13 years since opening, La Cubana has become a local institution, embodying the untucked, c...

Economics

2 w. ago Moxies Accelerates U.S. Expansion, Announces Seven New Openings

Premium casual concept builds momentum with restaurants slated for Florida, Texas, and Tennessee DALLAS, Sept. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Moxies— the premium casual restaurant brand celebrated for made-in-house culinary, signature cocktails, and enlightened hospitality — is expanding into some of North America’s leading and emerging food and drink markets. On the heels of announcing […]

Other

3 w. ago Toronto restaurant suddenly shuts down after over 30 years in business

A Toronto restaurant that was a neighbourhood staple for over 30 years has abruptly closed down permanently.East York may not have the same sheen as more buzzworthy neighbourhoods like Little Italy or Ossington, but that doesn't mean it's without its fair share of great restaurants.You just have to get good at looking beyond the often less-polished covers of non-downtown restaurants.Since 1992, one such hidden gem has been O'Connor Drive's Jawny Bakers Restaurant.A family-run operation through and through, the restaurant was just the sort of casual, neighbourhood institution that all too easily flies under the radar of those living elsewhere in the city.Sure, the menu was nothing terribly out-of-the-box, lots of steaks, sandwiches, pub staples and cheesy appetizers, but the restaurant itself became a home base of sorts for the neighbourhood nonetheless.Not only that, but it boasted one of the most breathtaking patios in the area, fully covered and heated with a ...

Economics

3 w. ago Chef left one of Toronto's top restaurants to start his own place and it opens soon

A Toronto chef who cut his teeth at one of the city's Michelin-recommended restaurants is finally breaking out on his own later this month.It's been nine months since a devastating fire forced Vela, a celebrated eclectic restaurant with an affinity for Asian flair, to close its doors, and there's still little word on when it'll make its comeback.While such a roadblock could easily be enough to thrust even the most time-hardened of chefs into despair, for Vela's then-executive chef and partner, Marvin Palomo, it marked a new beginning.No, we won't use a phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes analogy here, but if ever there were a time for it, it would be now.Palomo told us that after the fire at Vela, the opportunity to open a restaurant of his own presented itself, and he immediately "jumped at it."Now, Palomo's next chapter is nearly ready to open. It's called Liliana, and it's due to be a perfect nexus of all his career experience thu...

Culture

3 w. ago Famous Toronto chef opens latest restaurant in iconic building

A prolific Toronto chef and restaurateur is breathing new life into a historic building with his latest venture, which just opened its doors.The Financial District just got a whole lot tastier. And no, for once, that doesn't mean that another steakhouse just joined the neighbourhood.Rather, it's The Frederick, the latest venture by visionary Toronto chef Cory Vitiello, that's causing all the buzz, and despite its sister, The Chase, resting a few floors above The Frederick, there's nothing stuffy about it.Vitiello has a storied history on Toronto's food scene, from serving as the chef at the once-cherished Harbord Room to later acquiring The Chase and establishing The Chase Restaurant Group.Now, he's got something entirely new up his sleeve.Revitalizing the historic Dineen building, The Frederick is a reimagination of the classic bar and grill concept with rich colours, polished finishes and a timeless energy that translates directly from its interio...

Other