Everyone loves a good, old-fashioned diner, but a new one opening in Toronto this month is turning the concept on its head with stylish mid-century-inspired interiors and a menu of classics with an Asian twist.
I have a personal working theory that specific neighbourhoods in Toronto have their own unseen gravitational pulls. Ossington is a magnet for swanky, sophisticated cocktail bars while Roncesvalles has become a hub for vibrant boutiques and gift shops. Maybe what I’m describing is just gentrification, but I prefer to think that it’s magic.
In the case of Little Italy, though, that neighbourhood seems to have — yet somehow cohesive — collection of creative, trendy and, yes, tasty, new restaurants. Just think of the fervour that surrounded neighbourhood staples like Bar Raval, Bar Isabel, and Danny’s Pizza Tavern when they each opened their doors.
Susie’s Rise & Dine, a new venture by lifelong friends Adam Lore, Matthew Chow, and Tyler Tanabe, is virtually guaranteed to be the next to carry the torch of the neighbourhood’s culinary cool factor.
An idea that’s been simmering for the better part of three decades, the all-day diner takes over the space left behind by the longstanding Portuguese restaurant, Perla, at 539 College Street.
The restaurant aims to be a tete-a-tete between the nostalgic — a quality embodied by the restaurant’s name, which comes from Adam’s grandmother, and its interiors, inspired by her jade jewellery and floral clothes — and more contemporary dining sensibilities.
Combined, the team behind the diner boasts decades of hospitality experience, with a kitchen helmed by Chinese-Canadian Chef Kelvin Ng, who has worked at acclaimed kitchens in Vancouver and New York, on top of serving as the Chef de Cuisine at Hong Kong’s renowned Ho Lee Fook.
You can expect to find a menu that, while being comforting and familiar, is also unexpected and playful, with dishes like an umami-packed breakfast sandwich, Mapo Frito pie, Filet-O-Shrimp and the fluffiest pancakes this side of New York’s Golden Diner all gracing the all-day breakfast menu.
For adventurous foodies and play-it-safe types alike, this spot is already shaping up to be a major hit.
The restaurant is already in a soft-opening phase, and some early Google reviews already proclaim it “an absolute gem in Toronto,” say that their pancakes “knocked it out of the park,” and state that Susie’s is their “go-to brunch spot in the city.”
So, yeah, it looks like Little Italy is, once again, living up to its reputation as being home to some of the best restaurants in town.
Susie’s Rise & Dine officially opens on April 20.
