[evandyk]

https://torontolife.com/food/lunch-lady-vietnamese-michelin-starred-ossington/

In 2009, Anthony Bourdain landed in Ho Chi Minh City with his No Reservations film crew to explore Vietnam and its food scene. There, he stumbled upon the late Nguyen Thi Thanh, who ran an unnamed stall selling soup under an umbrella to shade her from the blazing South Asian sun. Her daily soups, like bun mam—a kind of Vietnamese seafood gumbo made with the freshest ingredients hand-picked from the local markets—floored Bourdain. He dubbed her “the lunch lady,” introduced her to the world and changed her life for good.

My wife and I biked down Ossington on Canada Day, looking for a patio to eat on (a rare child-free holiday lunch time!) and the lineup at Lunch Lady was insane.

I like how the article offhandedly mentions "the *late* lunch lady" without specifying that she died at Pearson airport en route to the opening of this restaurant.

 

[Towered]

The "listening bar". From Dupont and Ossington in 2023 to King West in 2025. Trends move fast these days!

What's on the menu at 915 Dupont, a Japanese-inspired listening lounge, restaurant, cocktail bar and café

Including boozy milk-based drinks

torontolife.com

Shhh - keep this place on the down low. Possibly the coziest cafe in the city...

 

[AlbertC]

Vivoli at College & Beatrice has closed down after two decades in business

Toronto Italian restaurant shuts down after two decades in business

An Italian restaurant in Toronto that was a cornerstone of its neighbourhood has officially closed down after two decades in business. It should come…

www.blogto.com

 

[narduch]

Damn.

Had dinner there before a show a few weeks ago and it was packed.

 

[evandyk]

I just biked by recently and thought "Man, that place has been around for a while, I should go back".

 

[artyboy123]

https://torontolife.com/food/in-good-spirits-cocktail-bar-financial-district-rooftop-patio/

In Good Spirits has been operating inside CIBC Square’s fancy food hall since it opened in the fall of 2023. A few weeks ago, however, the bar added a patio, which is perched on the fourth floor of the building—away from the hustle and bustle of busy Bay Street and high enough to be considered a rooftop.

 

[artyboy123]

My wife and I biked down Ossington on Canada Day, looking for a patio to eat on (a rare child-free holiday lunch time!) and the lineup at Lunch Lady was insane.

I like how the article offhandedly mentions "the *late* lunch lady" without specifying that she died at Pearson airport en route to the opening of this restaurant.

well, now that i live in Vancouver, where the Lunch Lady restaurant came to the city first...

If you look at the website https://thelunchlady.com/

The Toronto menu has a higher price markup compare to the Vancouver location by about 5-15% difference and the fact it is the exact same dishes and same ingredients.

Keep in mind, BC charges restaurant a 5% GST whereas Toronto charges 13% HST.

I will provide my verdict once I try it in Vancouver!

 

[artyboy123]

The coffee from this spot has been derided by many members here.

I haven't tried it; but I did want to give the place a shot, so last year, I got a lemonade from here. $6 for a glass of sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon juice and a tsp of sugar. It did not have a material taste of lemon, it was neither tart nor sweet....it was bland.

Thumbs down from me

Lemonade, should, like @Towered 's gear be loud, attention-seeking and inspire strong opinions. 'Watery and bland doesn't describe Towered, and ought not to described lemonade.

@evandyk @Northern Light

chasing trends is nothing new for the Toronto's food and hospitality scene....very similar to the real estate development scene!

Slap some bland architectural design and make every development mixed use and add in boring old franchise or corporate retailer eg. Shoppers, Pizza Pizza, Starbucks, LCBO!

Toronto food scene = recycle every trendy food concept & add in some fusion component from part of the world and charge a 300% price markup....viola hire some foodie influencer to promote the heck out of it via Tiktok or Instagram.

 

[Mihairokov]

Toronto food scene = recycle every trendy food concept & add in some fusion component from part of the world and charge a 300% price markup....viola hire some foodie influencer to promote the heck out of it via Tiktok or Instagram.

I mean, if you're looking at places like Ossington? Definitely. But these places live on being trendy. A Carhartt store on Ossington should be anyone's first sign to turn around.

Toronto's real food scene is in Scarborough, North York, and other environs, where downtown influencers either don't go or are afraid to go as they're beyond the borders of Bloor and Broadview.

In saying that, I recently checked out the new Street Grill location on Baldwin. My previous experience with this resto was in North York where the wait was over an hour on the weekend about a year ago. Went to the one on Baldwin last weekend and it was absolute crickets. It's like a reverse situation from what usually happens. It'll be busier once uni is back in August.

 

[artyboy123]

https://www.todocanada.ca/queens-harbour-opens-july-11-as-torontos-largest-waterfront-dining-venue-and-home-to-the-countrys-largest-retractable-rooftop/

This just opened yesterday July 10th!

Toronto’s Harbourfront will see the launch of Queens Harbour on Friday, July 11. At 23,000 square feet with seating for 800 guests, it stands as the city’s largest new restaurant and features what is said to be the country’s largest retractable rooftop.

 

[Towered]

https://www.todocanada.ca/queens-harbour-opens-july-11-as-torontos-largest-waterfront-dining-venue-and-home-to-the-countrys-largest-retractable-rooftop/

This just opened yesterday July 10th!

Toronto’s Harbourfront will see the launch of Queens Harbour on Friday, July 11. At 23,000 square feet with seating for 800 guests, it stands as the city’s largest new restaurant and features what is said to be the country’s largest retractable rooftop.

And I'm sure the prices will reflect the cost of that infrastructure

 

[Bayer]

https://www.todocanada.ca/queens-harbour-opens-july-11-as-torontos-largest-waterfront-dining-venue-and-home-to-the-countrys-largest-retractable-rooftop/

This just opened yesterday July 10th!

Toronto’s Harbourfront will see the launch of Queens Harbour on Friday, July 11. At 23,000 square feet with seating for 800 guests, it stands as the city’s largest new restaurant and features what is said to be the country’s largest retractable rooftop.

The drink menu is obnoxious and no, I don't want the "F*ck You Platter"

 

[Northern Light]

And I'm sure the prices will reflect the cost of that infrastructure

The prices aren't atrocious (but aren't cheap either) by Toronto standards........IF the food quality is there:

Wine markups in this town are always excessive

^^^ $24.95 at the LCBO. markup 120%, though its more, because they get a 15% discount from LCBO for now. So they're paying $21.20 a bottle. That's a 159% mark up. On the upside, 200% is not uncommon in Toronto.

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

The prices aren't atrocious (but aren't cheap either) by Toronto standards........IF the food quality is there:


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Wine markups in this town are always excessive

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^^^ $24.95 at the LCBO. markup 120%, though its more, because they get a 15% discount from LCBO for now. So they're paying $21.20 a bottle. That's a 159% mark up. On the upside, 200% is not uncommon in Toronto.

To be fair that's not bad for Tawse, as their wines are generally excellent.

 

[gabe]

The prices aren't atrocious (but aren't cheap either) by Toronto standards........IF the food quality is there:

It's a 800 seat restaurant, I doubt the food quality will be there. It will be like dining at a banquet hall. With the size and decor and the "largest retractable roof" It's like Vegas style tourist trap restaurant. I will pass on it. I'll stick with my cozy bistro's and pubs for dining out.