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Deadpool

It's Deadpool for the Taro Grill, Tern Art and Semolina Bakery

Posted by Tim / February 17, 2010

20 Comments

Taro GrillTaro Grill has shuttered on Queen West. With the closing of the Big Bop complex the stretch between Spadina and Bathurst will no doubt continue to evolve over the next few years but the end of Taro Grill may not have been a casualty most saw coming. A notice on the door dated January 22nd claimed that about $7,000 in rent was past due.

Tern ArtFurther west on Queen, art supply store Tern has called it a career and moved all sales exclusively online. Tern wasn't the largest nor the tidiest art supply store in the city but they sure had competitive prices and were a good source for paints and canvases.

Semolina BakeryAnd on Ossington, Semolina Bakery is no more. Owned by the same people as College St.'s Riviera Bakery it never was super busy and I guess couldn't compete with the likes of nearby I Deal and Venezia.

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20 Comments

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DS / February 17, 2010 at 09:26 am
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If a business shifts its sales model from using a brick and mortar store to having an online presence, how exactly are they considered to be dead?
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Jacob / February 17, 2010 at 09:49 am
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Oh, damn. My girlfriend is going to be crushed about the Taro Grill. She called it "our restaurant".
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QueenWest / February 17, 2010 at 10:05 am
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I know it's not a local business...but the Blockbuster at Spadina & Queen is closing down too.

Not that I ever went...
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Ingrid / February 17, 2010 at 10:21 am
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The minute Taro Grill put in TV screens at the bar was the minute I stopped going. It deadpooled a long, long, long time ago.
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John / February 17, 2010 at 10:46 am
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Damn. Semolina was nothing special, but it was decent, cheap, and a place to get lunch on Ossington. (Is there anything else like that on the strip?)
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danieljosef / February 17, 2010 at 11:06 am
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Also in the deadpool at Broadview and Bloor:

- Magic Oven Pizza has closed as well as the Indian restaurant next door.
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gorf / February 17, 2010 at 11:07 am
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I will miss Tern being in a physical store. They are the only store in Canada who sells the Michael Harding oil paints (at least as far as I know). :(

I do hope the move to an online store means lower prices!
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Geoaccuracy replying to a comment from danieljosef / February 17, 2010 at 12:01 pm
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Bloor doesn't meet Broadview, that's Danforth.
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valerieinto / February 17, 2010 at 12:45 pm
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And The Tap is closing at the end of Thursday. :-(
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notcool / February 17, 2010 at 01:27 pm
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Semolina sounded too much like Salmonella.
It disturbed a lot of people, especially with the rash of health code violations that has littered the Toronto restaurant scene lately.
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Seriously? replying to a comment from notcool / February 17, 2010 at 01:45 pm
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Seriously? "Semolina" disturbed "a lot" of people? Seriously? You'd have to be a pretty big moron... I guess "a lot" of people don't eat pasta either. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semolina
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Joe / February 17, 2010 at 02:12 pm
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re semolina.
U expect too much of people.

RIP Taro Grill. I lived in the area for 7 years and everytime i walked by I've always thought "hmm, that's a place i want to try". Sadly, I never did.

the whole block is changing. half the store fronts are locked up and outta business. a shame.

and on another front, why do you need to put in your email address to comment?
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? replying to a comment from Seriously? / February 17, 2010 at 03:47 pm
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Your fingers tired from all your air quotes?
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dobermanmom / February 17, 2010 at 04:15 pm
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i went to taro a few times, and my only thought, 'brr, it'd freeeeeezing in here!' - it had a terrible draft going through the place ....
it also didn't have a menu change in years & years. Probably suffered because of it.
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Mike / February 17, 2010 at 05:02 pm
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Back in about 1997, Taro was the first place I ever paid 10 bucks for a glass of indifferent wine. (Wolf Blass Yellow Label, I believe.) I've been waiting for it to go under ever since!
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PlatinumAndrew / February 17, 2010 at 06:50 pm
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Certainly some hate-on here. I was there in '05-'06. Big portions. Good memories. Taro Grill will be missed.
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Bleh / February 17, 2010 at 09:26 pm
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Semolina was nothing special indeed. Food was shipped in, served by wage slaves who were unhappy to be there - nothing baked on premises, despite the name. Bleh.

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Rebecca / February 17, 2010 at 11:30 pm
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I worked at Taro in 2000 when you could still smoke cigarettes at one of the most beautiful bars this city has ever known and by served 3oz martinis by the inestimable Hobie. The open kitchen was a serious operation and the wait staff hustled to turn the tables three times a night. Sure, it's been on it's last legs for a while but I always hoped someone would find a way to reinvigorate the old place. I'm a little bit heartbroken.
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spooky / February 18, 2010 at 08:13 am
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My Tarot cards predicted its demise.
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Andrew Underwood / March 2, 2010 at 08:09 am
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I also worked at Taro in the 90's. We rocked! Great open kitchen, great owners, great clientele. I had some great memories and friends at Taro. It was on it's way out after Steve and Scott sold it.
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