A fine dining restaurant in Toronto has closed its doors after less than a year, and it’s already been replaced.
Sigh. We know that not everything’s built to last, but we had a good feeling about short-lived farm-to-table restaurant The Lost Land.
A collaboration between Larry Feldmeier, chef de cuisine at Chicago’s Oriole, a two-Michelin-star force, Pidapipo Gelato owner Edison Xue, and chef Cesar Karanapakorn of Judaline and Florette, the restaurant came with some serious promise.
Still, it opened quietly to mixed reviews before, just months later, shuttering just as quietly as it arrived.
It’s not all bad news, though, because, just as swiftly as The Lost Land came and went, it’s already been replaced, and its usurper looks just as promising.
Now, the space at 146 Yonge St. is home to Bar Filo, a stylish Italian cocktail bar and restaurant, which opened its doors at the beginning of September.
The name Filo, the Bar Filo team told us, comes from the Italian word for “line,” speaking to Yonge Street’s identity as the city’s longest artery, connecting its residents from Queens Quay to North York.
That the restaurant is located in one of the busiest parts of the city, and therefore not exclusively adept to attract the leisurely, lengthy meal crowd, isn’t lost on the team, which is why, on top of the regular a la carte menu, they’ve also introduced offerings that appeal to the neighbourhood’s hustle-bustlers.
On weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bar Filo serves a $35 prix fixe menu with your choice of appetizer: lettuce salad, strawberry salad, or zucchini fritti, and main: pacchielli or cavatelli, which the team promises to be ready in 35 minutes.
“This way, our guests can truly enjoy their meal and still have time to return to the office—or even grab a coffee—without feeling rushed,” Bar Filo told us.
If you don’t opt for the prix fixe, on the other hand, you can choose from offerings like burrata with pesto Genovese and heirloom tomatoes, grilled lamb skewers, beef tenderloin with Beech mushrooms and Jerusalem artichokes, and grilled octopus.
With Cory Vitiello’s (The Chase) new bar and grill, The Frederick, recently opening its doors just down the block, Bar Filo’s Yonge and Richmond digs seem fated for an influx of high-brow diners, which is bound to benefit the chic Italian restaurant.
Whatever the case, we just hope this one sticks around longer than its predecessor.
With other restaurants closing in the city after less than a year, we’re starting to come down with a case of culinary abandonment issues.
Bar Filo is located at 146 Yonge St.
Dining and Cooking