YOUR WEEKLY DIGEST OF TORONTO FOOD NEWS

Dear reader,

There was hot girl summer and then there was brat summer. I’m calling the theme of 2025 now: hot dog summer (which is really just another kind of brat summer). Because in this economy, sometimes the only affordable steak is the tube variety, and it’s already been hot enough to grill a glizzy on the sidewalk. 

While Toronto may not have a defining hot dog culture like New York or Chicago, we do love our weenies. Street meat is still a staple late-night nosh, and last year alone, Blue Jays fans (and I guess we also have to credit those cheering for the visiting teams) ate more than 700,000 $1 hot dogs during Schneider’s Loonie Dog Tuesdays at the Rogers Centre. Though, admittedly, this could have more to do with how much everything else costs at the stadium’s concession stands and not how much we heart hot dogs. 

In this week’s edition of Table Talk, you’ll learn about Tino’s, the cutest little lunch counter in the Junction serving up an internationally inspired lineup of dogs. It’s the best thing to happen to my neighbourhood in a long time. 

Also in this week’s newsletter: what’s on the menu at Sammarco, a Canada Day street party at the Cheese Boutique, a reminder about all the great new patios (now that it’s safe to go outside again), and more.

The Junction’s newest fast-casual spot, Tino’s, specializes in street meat—but these are no ordinary hot dogs. Venezuelan-born Rafael Bastidas (the owner of Inmigrante, an excellent Latin kitchen in the Beaches) is turning out a menu of top-notch, internationally inspired tube steaks, including Mexican, Chilean, Brazilian and (of course) Venezuelan versions, each one stuffed into a house-made bun.

For more of our food-and-drink coverage, visit torontolife.com or subscribe to our print edition.

Dad’s Breakfast and Coffee has cracked the code to a good morning. The  takeout spot on Dundas West, which opened just two weeks ago, on Father’s Day, is already attracting lineups for its breakfast sandwiches (hello, panko-crusted egg patty) and cold-brew coffee slushies. 

There are hot dogs and breakfast sandwiches, and then there’s what you get at Sammarco, chef Rob Rossi’s new bisteccheria serving up hulking cuts of meat and old-school tableside martini service. Take a look at what’s on the menu.

Toronto’s premier cheese emporium is hosting a CNE-style street festival on Canada Day, complete with fireworks, live music, bouncy castles for the kids and food, glorious food. Why fire up your own grill on Tuesday when you can get St. Louis–style pork ribs from Carbon Bar’s participating pit masters?

Now that the heat dome has moved on, it looks like this long weekend will bring normal summer temperatures. So get out and safely enjoy one of the city’s awesome new patios, of which there are many. We rounded up the best of them.

In the July issue: A look at the insatiable political ambitions of Doug Ford. Plus, the thief, his cam girl and the missing $13 million; our Trump-proof guide to shopping local; and the case for digital abstinence. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? Subscribe today.

Follow us for the latest from Toronto Life

Copyright ©2024. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part strictly prohibited. Toronto Life is a registered trademark of SJC Media

15 Benton Rd.
Toronto, M6M 3G2

You're receiving this email because you signed up for a Toronto Life newsletter.

Unsubscribe 
Safe Online Sharing