Food for thought
Foie gras dumplings and Bosnian flatbread will delight tastebuds
Keep up, and keep full, with Toronto’s changing restaurant scene,
After eight years in Bloor West Village, brunch spot The Good
Fork has moved to 1550 Dundas St. W.
Brothers Tolga and Ali Yalcin expanded the daytime hours to include dinner, which means such Turkish dishes as pistachio lamb kebabs ($14) and clams with fermented chili ($18). Open for brunch, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner, Wednesday and Thursday, 5:30 to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to midnight.
Bruce Ly (ex-Neo Coffee Bar) and Greg Toskan-Robbins have opened Mineral Café Inc. at 1027 Yonge St. in Rosedale.
Chef Daniel Cancino (ex-Lamesa Filipino Kitchen, Lasa) is behind the food — think foie gras dumplings with chicharrones or roast duck leg with crab paste — influenced by growing up in Manila and Hong Kong.
The restaurant opens Monday to Saturday at 7 a.m. for takeout coffee and pineapple buns, then segues into a bistro menu from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. Open Sunday 7 a.m., then 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for lunch.
Many changes at Peer to Peer Hospitality Group. The owner of Chabrol, Tanto, etc. is relocating its flagship Spanish restaurant Cava downtown from its 1560 Yonge St. location after 13 years. This follows the closure of the unfortunately shortlived Moroccan restaurant Atlas at 18 Dupont St.
Move over, sourdough. There’s a new bread in town. Somun is a wood-fired Bosnian flatbread, similar to lepinja but with a more complex crust and crumb. Try it at Alen Zukanovic’s new Somun Superstar at 998 Kingston Rd. wrapping cevapcici ($10) or Nutella ($3.50). Open Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Janet Zuccharini’s Gusto 54 Restaurant Group is opening Gusto 501 at 501 King St. E. later this fall, a five-in-one concept that includes a semi-private amari lounge, cocktail bar and a seasonal rooftop patio. Dishes from sister restaurant Gusto101will be part of the contemporary Italian fare.
Michelin-starred chef Akira Back has opened Dasha at 620 King St. W. The Chinese menu includes kung pao chicken ($20), chili green beans ($11) and seafood fried rice ($13).
Vicino Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria has opened at 146 Sumach St. in Regent Park. Sous chef Matthew Tremblay uses low-gluten, high-protein local flour for his pies ($16 to $18 for a 10-inch pizza), different from Italian “00” flour. Open for lunch daily,11a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner, Sunday to Wednesday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m.
Hogtown offshoot Smoke Bar & Kitchen has taken over 638 Queen St. W., former home of Lisa Marie brunch spot. Open Tuesday to Friday from 4 p.m. to late; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.