January 30, 2025

Dear reader,

Welcome to day four of my vacation hangover—and no, it has nothing to do with any rum punch that was consumed. I love Toronto, but she’s a fickle mistress, and it’s not particularly easy to come home to her in the winter, especially when you’ve been somewhere warm where it gets dark at an appropriate hour. Last week, I stepped off the plane into the Caribbean sunshine like Nosferatu after the curtains have been wrenched back; my eyes and pale, pale skin unaccustomed to the glare after endless weeks of grey. Gloomy Toronto winters make vampires of us all, and the urge to hibernate—leaving the comfort of your home only for essentials—is strong.

That’s why Winterlicious was created—to lure sad, vitamin D–deprived Torontonians outside with the promise of set lunch and dinner menus at affordable prices. Okay, fine, the real reason was to give the restaurant industry a post-SARS boost back in 2003. And here we are, more than two decades later, the annual cold-weather culinary event still getting people to make reservations during a time of year when business isn’t exactly booming. This year, there are 230-plus restaurants taking part across the city, including some Michelin-recommended spots. But there are also a ton of older, under-the-radar restaurants participating that deserve attention—including an Italian trattoria in Long Branch and a Cajun kitchen in Cliffside. In today’s Table Talk, you’ll find a list of 10 such spots worth checking out between January 31 and February 13.

Also in this week’s newsletter: what’s on the menu at Jamil’s Chaat House, a charming Pakistani restaurant that began as a pop-up, and what it’s like to get a personal cooking lesson from one of the city’s top chefs.

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

—Rebecca Fleming, food and drink editor

It’s that time of year again when Toronto restaurants serve up set menus, allowing fans to enjoy their favourite dishes and those unfamiliar to sample a taste. While the popular spots downtown often draw the biggest crowds, there’s a number of older, often overlooked kitchens worth checking out. Here, 10 under-the-radar restaurants participating in Winterlicious and what to order at each.

A successful Pakistani pop-up now has a permanent home, and it’s bringing a taste of Lahore to Queen West. Take a look at everything there is to eat and drink at Jamil’s Chaat House, including dahi puri (the snack that launched the business) and a very interesting zero-proof beverage called Masala Double Coke.

Into the Kitchen is a new company that lets the culinary inclined take crash courses from some of the city’s top chefs. Evan Webster, a 31-year-old software sales manager, told us about the time he got a cooking lesson from DaiLo’s Nick Liu. His story is part of our Brave New Year package, the ultimate Toronto bucket list of things to try in 2025.

In the latest issue: what it’s like to be Scottie Barnes, the face of the Raptors—and the team’s best chance of salvation. Plus, the scandal that tore the equestrian world apart, the battle over the Bloor Street bike lanes, a ranking of the city’s best new pasta dishes, and more. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? Subscribe today.

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