Toronto Star: High-End Restaurants Feeling the Pinch

Local chefs are removing costly dishes from menus at upscale restaurants in an effort to lure diners, according to The Toronto Star. Mary Nersessian reports "leaner times are pushing chefs to buy smarter and to get smarter." Toronto chef Marc Thuetโ€”who recently rebranded his King Street West restaurant, Thuet (now called Bite Me!)โ€”is offering a four-course menu for $48. "In the old days, a four-course tasting went for $90," he told the Star. "Now you do it for $48 and you have to make a living out of it."

Mark McEwan, the chef behind Bymark, North 44, and One, said he's noticed a change in dining habits and has stopped using pricey ingredients. "I certainly have removed a lot of foie gras from the menu to bring prices down, and things like squab that are incredibly expensive." But Bymark is still offering its $40 burger. "It has become sort of legendary down on Bay Street," McEwan said.

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