Parts&Labour, Parkdale’s newest restaurant, is shaking up the scene by doubling as a hub for all things cultural. The eatery acts as music venue, art gallery, community rooftop garden and wine bar – all in 5,000 square feet. And with its industrial-chic design, P&L’s multipurpose space also mixes styles. Take the dining area; it consists of eight large, communal tables illuminated with fixtures fashioned from bunched fluorescent tubes lit from within. The lamps along the 30-foot bar are made from colourfully painted fire extinguishers. Its design and community vibe aside, P&L does serve food, sticking to the casual gourmet dining precedent set by its neighbours, Cowbell and Mitzi’s Sister. Main dishes include horse tenderloin with tarragon cognac sauce and bone marrow and salads made from the greens grown on the rooftop.

1566 Queen St. W., 416-588-7750, partsandlabour.ca

PHOTO: LORNE BRIDGMAN

The Bloordale Pantry has taken over a previously dingy corner and injected some much-needed life into the neighbourhood in the process. The small space, lined with retro red booths and matching bar stools, is homey and hip. The real draw, however, is the solid menu offering comfort food for brunch, lunch and dinner. For brunch, the Bloordale benny features griddle scones with onion potato hash and a healthy portion of salad. Vegan options, like pancakes, are also on hand. The pantry also stocks a short list of cocktails and affordable local beers.

1285 Bloor St. W., 416-530-2999, thebloordalepantry.com

PHOTO: ROSE GUARNIERI 

The newest location of Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill brings the uptown eatery downtown. Peter Oliver and Michael Bonacini (the owners of the much-feted Canoe) have opened a second location of their eponymous café and grill in the financial district. The enormous space maintains a bistro-feel with modern light fixtures, mixed seating arrangements and rustic accents. The global menu is very similar to its North York location. You can find everything from gourmet mac n’ cheese to seafood fare to their signature dish Thai red curry.

33 Yonge St., 647-260-2070, oliverbonacini.com

---

PHOTO: ALLISON WOO

The Vancouver-based Guu group has opened its first highly anticipated outpost in Toronto. In the months since setting up shop, Guu Izakaya has made a name for itself as a boisterous Japanese resto. There’s a wide selection of sake (fuel to the wild atmosphere) and Japanese fare from standards like edamame and karaage to more ‘adventurous’ dishes like gyu tangue (grilled beef tongue.) Expect to hear enthusiastic yelling from both the servers and the kitchen staff as they greet and bid farewell to the diners coming in and out.

398 Church St., 416-977-0999, guu-izakaya.com

PHOTO: CC

We’d like to introduce you to the latest incarnation of the concierge: the foodie concierge. Chow Bella offers custom and public walking tours of Toronto’s culinary hotspots. Walking foodie tours are taking the nation by storm—from here to the neighbourhoods of VanCity. This West Queen West walk takes you through the hippest area of Toronto to taste anything from poutine to olive oil. The tour, which runs Sunday at brunch o-clock, lasts about three hours and can be booked online. While $49 covers the price of the tour and all the samples, it’s up to you to bring your walking shoes and empty stomach.

647-403-8030, chowbellaconcierge.com

A great way to get to know Toronto is on foot—but when those feet get tired there’s no better place to put them up than on a patio. Spending an afternoon or evening on one of the Big Smoke’s terraces is a great way to get a feel for the locals and neighbourhoods. The business district bustle, Queen West attitude and Harbord Street sophistication are all reflected in the character of their patios. Here is a selection of some of the best of what Toronto has to offer.     

Continue reading...

Owners of the Toronto “it” pizza hotspot, Pizzeria Libretto,have a new bambino. Enoteca Sociale, an Italian wine bar, features chef Rocco Agostino’s menu and an extensive wine list created by the in-house sommelier. The homemade pastas, like the orecchiette asparagus and duck liver ravioli, are available in kamut or gluten-free options and there’s a wide selection of Italian and Ontario cheeses aged in their very own formaggi cave.

1288 Dundas St. W., 416-534-1200, sociale.ca

The Stockyards, a southern-style barbecue restaurant that came onto the scene last summer, now offers Sunday brunch. Carnivores rejoice! All meat is slow cooked and smoked over apple-and-hickory wood in their custom wood-burning smoker. The brunch menu features down home comfort foods like fried chicken with waffles, scrambled eggs with house-smoked trout and grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches with dulce de leche. And where else can you get deep fried poached eggs?

699 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-658-9666, thestockyards.ca

PHOTO: MONIQUE NANTON

Quinn’s Steakhouse opened a few months ago inside the Sheraton Centre in the financial district. The same people responsible for nearby Irish pubs, P.J. O’Brien’s and Irish Embassy, are behind Quinn’s. It shows. With 150 whiskies to choose from and over a dozen draft beers, this is the type of establishment where the after-work crowd flocks for a hearty dinner and a stiff drink. Dishes that salute Ireland include the Guinness-braised lamb shanks and fresh salmon flown in from Clare Island.

96 Richmond St. W., 416-367-8466, quinnssteakhouse.com

PHOTO: RICK O'BRIEN

The Red Door, located in the full-service Che Bella Spa, is devoted exclusively to the foot massage. Open exclusively in the evenings Thursday through Saturday, the spa offers 45 blissful minutes of rubdown for your tired tootsies. Walk through the red door (yes, it actually exists) and go home relaxed or, ahem, step out on the town.  

10 Castle Knock Rd., 416-485-1225, red-door.info

PHOTO: ANNA LISA SANG