Plating up the week’s restaurant news, featuring news on Menchie’s, Prairie Girl Bakery, FBI Pizza, and the ROM's C5.
Openings
■ The owner of Queen Margherita Pizza is opening FBI Pizza—as in Full-Blooded Italian Pizza—this December in Mimico (2336 Lake Shore Blvd. W., near Parklawn #ETO). The pies come with premium toppings like porchetta, grilled eggplant and prosciutto, and will be available for delivery and takeout.
■ Restaurateurs have discovered that there are people who live north of Rosedale and enjoy spending money on food! The Burger’s Priest is planning to open a second location at 3397 Yonge St. (north of Lawrence #MID).
■ Also north of Bloor, U.S.-based fro-yo shop Menchie’s has three more Toronto locations planned: midtown (3204 Yonge St., at Lawrence #MID), North York (865 York Mills Rd., at Don Mills #NYK) and (less north) the Beach (1985 Queen St. E., near Woodbine #BCH).
■ Ever-so-busy cupcakery Prairie Girl Bakery at King and Victoria has opened a second shop just a few blocks away at First Canadian Place (100 King St. W., at Bay #DTN). Normally, we’d joke about the ubiquity of cupcakes, but we fully endorse Prairie Girl’s mini–red velvets.
■ This week, the Danforth welcomed Parisian bakery J’Adore Cakes Co. (3308 Danforth Ave., at Warden #DAN) to the neighbourhood. It’s owned by Cordon Bleu–trained pastry chef Isabelle Loiacono, who creates pastries, sandwiches and 14 flavours of macarons, including cashew-honey and strawberry-balsamic.
■ Hush (303 King St. W., at Bathurst #KGW) has opened across from the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The resto-bar, which is under the same ownership as the Gabby’s pub chain, serves a bit of everything (prime rib, burgers, pastas, steaks, etc.) for lunch and dinner.
Closings
■ Mexican restaurant Chimichanga (2360 Yonge St., north of Eglinton #MID) closed a few weeks ago. A sign on the door cites rent owed to the landlord as the reason for the closure.
Changes
■ The ROM’s new executive chef, Corbin Tomaszeski, says he wants to make the museum’s C5 restaurant less intimidating and more family friendly. Tomaszeski’s menu will include the CT Burger, which he says will be “the most sought-after burger in the city.” #YRV
