It’s official – on twitter!The Grove, located at 1214 Dundas Street West of Ossington, at Grove, is now open for dinner.
We’ve been to The Grove for a pre-opening charity dinner they did for First Drop Canada and they are a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Located in a former dentist office, they’ve converted it into a welcoming, cozy space suited to eating the delicious upscale comfort food on their menu. The Grove is the British pub with good food that our neighborhood is missing.
Their menu is posted, they are taking reservations, so go try it out! Let us know what you think!
Well-timed for Fashion Week, two Ossington retail spaces made changes this past week.
Philip Sparks moved from his pop-up shop down the street to Ossington and Foxley, and I Miss You Vintage didn’t let that space go to waste!
You may have read, because it made a splash in the localpress, Philip Sparks not so quietly opened at 162 Ossington Avenue, behind I Deal Coffee. We stopped in for a visit yesterday, and the space looks lovely, with hanging ranks of Sparks’ men’s and women’s wear and some unusual vintage decor throughout the store.
At 63 Ossington, Emporium by I Miss You expanded into the space vacated by Philip Sparks’ pop-up, with purses, luggage, belts and jewelry spread out in the updated room. They still have all the beautiful vintage dresses and other clothing next door, but now there is more room for the remaining items.
St Patricks Day started early on Ossington. Opera Bob’s was already busy by 1pm and the Dakota got things going early with bands from 2pm playing Irish music. Here’s a few shots from earlier in the day. Hope everyone enjoyed the day!
Outside Opera Bobs
Party on a Condo Balcony
A crowd heading out for some St. Paddy’s fun
Inside Opera Bob’s – Green Bowlers
Some Irish Music at Dakota Tavern
The Party Happening with Lemon Bucket Orchestra at The Garrison
The other night we received a note in the mail from some concerned neighbours about Hawker Bar, the new occupants of the unopened space just north of Foxley previously occupied by Crepes and More (and prior to that Bar a Soup). They are looking to bring Singapore Street Food to Ossington. (see video described by Anthony Bordain)
To keep you as informed as possible, we’re sharing the letter from the concerned citizens as well as the local information package from the team behind Hawker Bar. Share your thoughts in the comments.
With the changing demographics of the neighbourhood there are also a lot of new canine residents. And, like the restaurants popping up to serve the humans who’ve moved in, there are businesses catering to those humans’ best friends, the dogs. Recently we had the opening of the Dog Bowl on Dundas north of Trinity Bellwoods. Most recently at 45 Ossington we saw the launch of Unleashed in the City, which provides a range of doggy services including dog walking, dog ‘playcare’ as well as overnight stays – for those who need their pooch looked after while they are out of town.
With Trinity Bellwoods close by, there’s a great place for Unleashed to take the furry guest for company and exercise. Unleashed goes farther than that, taking their clients on longer hikes to farther reaches of the city, including the beaches, where they can make friends with other dogs and explore new territories.
You can follow them and their adventures in the business on facebook and twitter
Anticipation is often the best part of life’s experiences – think Christmas, sex, and the opening of a new restaurant on Ossington. There are a number of places in the neighbourhood that we’ve been watching for a while which haven’t opened yet, but we’re looking forward to them. Sometimes it takes a long time to open a restaurant and many impediments can slow down the process, from city permits to obtaining financing.
Working backward from the most recent additions to this list of upcoming restaurants are:
1) Hawker Bar. The sign announcing this upcoming opening came on Jan 27th and we posted about it then. According to their blog and the sign in the window, they will be a location with drinks as well as food inspired by Singapore street food – a combination of Malaysian, Chinese and Indian. Since that time the exterior has undergone a nice transformation and they look like they are making speedy progress toward their opening.
2) The Grove is around the corner on Dundas and looks like they are moving quickly toward opening. The construction was underway late last year and even today there are people in the location working away building a nice bar and kitchen. This restaurant aims to bring English cuisine to the neighbourhood. According to a Jan 9th article in the Grid some of the menu items will include Black Pudding and pigs cheeks.
3) Going further back in time we continue to monitor the slow progress of Amaya, which we originally wrote about last March. Amaya is going to be an addition to a chain of Indian restaurants with other locations in the First Canadian Place and on Bayview in Leaside. We have often wondered what the hold-up is on this location, as this chain should be able to put a restaurant together quickly.
4) Topping our list for the most delayed, and/or most anticipated Ossington restaurant has to be The Saint. A full three years ago we assume their PR folks talked Toronto Life into a nice puff piece describing the food and interior of an incomplete restaurant which included “reclaimed wood, marble bar tops and sumptuous oxblood banquettes …[and] promises that there will still be a down-to-earth feel.” In August of that year, David Hayes of the Globe and Mail went along with that myth and named Michael King the new “Wizard of Ossington,” despite the existence of an open business on the street. However, we are hoping it is close to opening at Ossington just south of Dundas. There has been progress on the location. A few months ago we were excited to see a new facade on the location as well as signage go up. So we believe the end of the beginning is coming soon. The street has been vastly changed since the articles were written and places like Salt Wine Bar, Yours Truly, Fishbar, Union and Bohmer have all managed to launch to continued success in the meantime.
Maybe we should have a pool to see whether we can guess the order of these restaurants to open up. Anyone care to try?
We heard from Rod and Richard at More Than Pasta, at 121 Ossington, that they have some goodies in store for Valentine’s Day this year. What better way to treat your special someone than with a tasty meal at home, prepared for you (so you know it will taste good) by More Than Pasta?
To start, head over to 121 Ossington for an Open House on Sunday, February 12th from noon until 3 pm. Guests will be able to enjoy tastings of their newest line of Gluten Free products, new line of artisan pastas, and some new sauces, all while relaxing with a complimentary cappuccino. For a romantic Valentine’s Day, they’re selling a “Dinner for Two” gift basket which will be a complete meal with a selection of condiments, oils, bruschetta, fresh bread, fresh pasta (Gluten Free, Traditional Artisan, or their own signature line of high protein pastas) and sauces. Plus, there’s going to be a draw for two $25 gift certificates.
More Than Pasta is celebrating a year in their Ossington location. To celebrate, they are offering any Ossington Village readers 10% off purchase as long as you use the magic words “I love More Than Pasta.”
Valentine’s is just over a week away! We’ll be posting more suggestions on where and how to spend the day soon.
Signs posted at 164 Ossington signal the impending opening of Hawker Bar. The space, which used to house Crepes and More, and before that, le Bar a Soupe, is adjacent to Ideal Coffee and, with good management, should do well in the location.
According to a posted sign written to the neighbours, Hawker Bar will be a full-service restaurant serving lunch and dinner. The menu will be an “exciting mix of Malaysian, Chinese and Indian flavours… inspired by the local street food… of… Singapore”. Opening date TBD.
Soon-to-open new restaurant The Grove, next to Churchill on Dundas at Lakeview, is already getting preview attention for its English menu.
The local art scene is also getting some coverage, starting with a story about art which mentions some street art on Queen near Ossington. It’s a cool picture – definitely want to check it out!
It’s official – on twitter! The Grove, located at 1214 Dundas Street West of Ossington, at Grove, is now open for dinner.
