Something New: Where to Eat Now

A few weeks ago, the rockin’ and poppin’ newchoir I sing in backed up two of our soloists – triple threat performer Erin Tancock and Hello Canada! Editor-in-chief Alison Eastwood - singing the Nikki Yanofsky/Quincy Jones hit song Something New at our sold-out Koerner Hall concert.

Speaking of new things (how’s that for a smooth segue?), I’ve recently ventured into some new Toronto restaurants, and to my delight, found a few I want to return to.

When going out to eat, it’s all too easy to stake out a few favorite spots, become regulars there, and not try any place new. Especially when it seems like every other hotspot that opens is devoted to meat, offal, meat and meat. Served in tacos.

So it was a relief to discover Karelia Kitchen a “Nordic smokehouse and café” at Bloor and Dufferin that features fish, seafood and lovely, colourful vegetables as well as meat on its menu.

Like the Nikki Yanofsky song, Karelia Kitchen is new but with a retro feel – its pretty and delicious open-face sandwiches call to mind the popular fare served at the Danish Food Centre near Bay and Bloor in the late 1970’s.

Another new spot with old school – make that ancient school – roots is S. Lefkowitz on Dundas Street West. This coffee shop turned hummusia is definitely hip (check the issues of Lucky Peach, the Momofuku-produced food journal, casually strewn about the joint) but its beyond-casual vibe is welcoming, and its silky, deeply flavourful hummus

reminded me of the excellent hummus I’ve had in Israel at renonwed hummus spot Abu Shaker in Haifa.

The views expressed in the Writer-in-Residence blogs are those held by the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Open Book: Toronto.