New Eateries!

I'm really excited by all the new eateries!

ZOCALO

I love, love, love this place. It is really comfortable. It looks like the kind of place where you can either just sit and enjoy a latte and watch the street life, or work away on your laptop (I checked they even have a plug under one of the tables), or enjoy a meal with a friend.

It offers great coffee (Americano, Expresso, Late), and delicious freshly baked goods (baked in house no doubt!). It also has other nibblies, such as salads and sandwiches.

I wish their hours were just a little later, at least during the week, since their hours are the same as my work hours, but I will be by regularly on weekends.

JUNE HARLOW

June Harlow is a nice addition to the neighbourhood. The interior design is a combination of modern and rustic

The open kitchen to the street reminds me of George on Queen East, a more upscale restaurant, and is a signal of having a proper kitchen, open to public scrutiny. I'm told the chef came from the Bymark, another upscale eatery, so this is good news.

The prices in my opinion may be a little high for the area, but being on Dupont and Franklin, the restaurant is close to the more established junction strip.

The food was good, fresh, and well done, and I will definitely return when there is an occasion.

I think they will be focusing on the evening crowd, opening for dinner and staying open until about 11:00 p.m.

BLOORDALE PANTRY

I had gone to Bloordale two months ago for dinner when it had just opened, and I was delighted by the fresh ingredients and the comfort food. They have now moved from serving dinner to serving brunch exclusively, which might be a better fit for the corner of Bloor and Landsdowne, and, as we know, brunch is a big winner in Toronto (the brunch capital of the world). Hopefully they will have success with the new menu and hours.

The interior is casual diner with a modern-vintage feel. The large booths and reasonable aisles are ideal for family brunches.

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Zocalo is closing

Sad news that Zocalo is closing. They posted this message earlier today on their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=896976233652776&id=139...

After 4 amazing years, Zocalo has made the decision to close our doors. Time to move on to new and exciting adventures. We have loved sharing our restaurant and our lives with you all, and thank all of our clientele and neighbors for making our restaurant a very special place indeed! We are open for regular hours and service until Saturday June 28th! Come on out and help us make our last days great ones!
With Much Love,
Zocalo xo

[I updated to their corrected June 28th closing date]

Interview with Zocalo's chef, Joel MacMillan

BlogTO has posted an interview with Zocalo's chef, Joel MacMillan:
http://www.blogto.com/people/2012/05/get_to_know_a_chef_joel_macmillan_z...

Live Music At June Harlowe's

An evening of live music with the talented Andrew Cole

Saturday, November 13 · 7:00pm - 10:30pm
Location June Harlowe's (we will be open until 2am)
1627 Dupont Street
Toronto, ON

Please come join us for our first evening of live music... this will be a special night as one of Sandy's new favourite singer's will be performing, Andrew Cole! We will be serving our usually Saturday night special - half price appetizers and $5 Sangria's to celebrate live music at June Harlowe's! We can't wait to see you, please feel free to pass this along to friends...

Please join our June Harlowe Facebook Page too!!!
You can find out more about Andrew at www.andrewcolemusic.com

Boo's Bash!

We wanted everyone to know about the Halloween Bash at Boo Radley's on the Saturday (30th) of October! With a name like Boo its gotta be a killer party!!!
Great music, scary food & drink specials (how corny!) and prizes for costumes. All you parents, make sure you come by with the kids for a treat on Sunday as you know ... we are very kid friendly!
Look for very scary neighbourhood posters coming soon.
See you on the 30th! Actually, we'd like to see you tonight for a pint!!!
M&S

Yay Brunch! I'm very much

Yay Brunch! I'm very much looking forward to trying the creme brule french toast!

SUNDAY BRUNCH AT JUNE HARLOWE'S BEGINS THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3!!!

Dear Neighbours,

FINALLY, we are giving you what you asked for.... Brunch begins this Sunday at June Harlowe's 11 am - 3 pm!! We will have Johnny from Port Credit playing guitar singing his heart out, football on the big screen, and our rep from Mill Street handing out samples of cold beer!! We will also be serving $5.00 Caesar's with our homemade rim, $5.00 Sapporo Tall Boys, and $5.00 Mimosa's!!! It's our first day serving brunch, so come sit back enjoy the music and sip on cocktails at your new Sunday hangout!

Sincerely,
June Harlowe's

Zocalo gets a good review in The Star

Zocalo sure has been getting lots of attention. Great review in NOW, and also the Toronto Star, just posted tonight:

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/restaurants/article/867132--breakin...

Zocalo opened in June in the Junction Triangle, the still-ungentrified strip of Bloor St. W. between Dundas West and Lansdowne subway stations. It offers good cheer and strong coffee. Owners Paul Hardy and Heather Braaten installed reclaimed wooden counters and church pews in the somewhat barren dining room, and chef Joel MacMillan in the kitchen.

At $10 a person, the “broken-bread sandwiches” are built around St. John’s Bakery’s nutty multigrain and toasted baguette slices. MacMillan, who credits his “honest, healthy” food to time spent cooking under Anne Yarymowich at the Art Gallery of Ontario, heaps the bread and fillings on to a silver platter lined with butcher paper. The idea is to share the abundance, so I invite a guest.

“We enjoy eating this way. You experience the same food at the same time as somebody else and have a conversation,” says Braaten.

It’s fun to break bread at Zocalo. That’s a fact.

Read the whole review over on The Star's website.

Congratulations!

Another great review for a super place! Great couple, inviting decor, and lovely food! Check it out - loved it!
Your neighbour,
Sandy

Four Stars for z

Great to have a four star place in JT! I'm happy now reviewed it and gave it the credit it deserves.

Correction - 5 stars for Zocalo

Yay! 5 Stars.

june harlow's

hey all,

just went to june harlow's at the top of edwin at dupont. the food is amazing. the service was wonderful. i am so happy to have a hip place like this in the hood.

i don't find it pricey. i think for what it is doing, it is right on the money.

hope to see you all there!!!!

e.

I've stopped by as well!

Great place - just made a couple of quick stops by for a drink - no food. But, the atmosphere is great, and a very welcome addition to the neighbourhood - love it!

Also looking forward to trying Zocalo. SOunds great!
-cc

ZÓCALO - is good

nice article, they are also area residents, on south end of 'hood

congrats...

Zocalo reviewed by NOW

NOW Magazine has given Zocalo a glowing review this week:

http://www.nowtoronto.com/food/story.cfm?content=176323

Loco for locavore
ZÓCALO BRINGS A SUPERB LOCALLY SOURCED CARD TO THE JUNCTION
BY STEVEN DAVEY
Stranded in the no man’s land between railway lines, the Junction Triangle has long been the west end’s wrong side of all three sets of the tracks, a nabe of abandoned warehouses, boarded-up storefronts and starving artists’ garrets. Who would’ve imagined that this rough-’n’-tumble neck of the woods would be home to the most exciting new kitchen in town?
...
Chef Joel MacMillan’s culinary CV includes five years as sous at the Rectory on the Island, a stint in the AGO’s production kitchen under Anne Yarymowich... and that’s about it, other than cooking at home growing up in northern Ontario. (“There’s nothing else to do.”)

He really steps up to the plate with what he calls “broken-bread sandwiches.” Imagine extravagantly deconstructed sandwich-and-salad platters built to share, Ethiopian-style. Price them at $10 per person and it’s a full-on foodie feeding frenzy.
...

Complete review here:
http://www.nowtoronto.com/food/story.cfm?content=176323

New to the Junction??

What's the deal with this reporter? Can he not confirm which neighbourhood he is talking about. I am looking forward to trying all the new restaurants in the JUNCTION TRIANGLE!!!!