This Week in Food rounds up the week's food news, restaurants openings and closings, chef movements and upcoming food events in Toronto. Find us here every Friday morning.

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

• West Queen West café, El Almacen is opening a second South American-style café in the coming months in the Junction Triangle at 1642 Dupont Street.
• Details are scarce, but it appears that new Italian trattoria Lo Zingaro is set to take over the space formerly occupied by Lucid Cocktail and Kitchen at 571 Queen Street West.
• Japanese tapas and oyster bar, Japas, is set open at 692 Bloor Street West (formerly home of Camto's) at Bloor and Clinton.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Food Trucks for Sinai is back this Friday, October 26th (returning November 2nd as well) to raise funds for Chef's Challenge®: The Ultimate Battle for a Cure in support of Mount Sinai Hospital. Head over to 600 University Avenue between 11am to 2pm for a $10 lunch at any of the food trucks.
• Tonight (Friday, October 26th), Jamie Kennedy will be joined by Jamie Drummond for Jamie² at Gilead (4 Gilead Place). This dinner features hors dʼœuvres at 6:30pm, followed by a 4-course menu for $75 (wine pairings additional).
• The Drake Hotel celebrates halloween with a Zombie Brunch this weekend (October 27th and 28th), from 11am to 4pm. On the zombified menu will be specials like Brains + Eggs (fried pork brain, poached eggs with grilled miche and salad), and cocktails like the Zombie Punch or Shaun of the Dead.
• As previously reported, the Evergreen Brickworks (550 Bayview Avenue) celebrates Cask Days this weekend (October 27th and 28th). The festivities include 100+ cask ales along with food from Guy Rawlings, Grand Electric and Chrystal Porter of Chocosol (to name just a few). Tickets are $35.
• Thomas Keller is in town on Tuesday, October 30th at 7 pm for an on-stage interview, followed by a Q&A and book signing at the Isabel Bader Theatre (93 Charles Street West). Tickets are $70 (available at The Cookbook Store) and include a copy of the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook).
• Dia De Los Muertos Pop-Up Festival bills itself as a night market of the living dead. Tickets are sure to sell-out fast for this Food Truck Eats event taking place on Wednesday, October 31st at the Steam Whistle Brewery (255 Bremner Boulevard).
• Starting November 1st (until November 24th) GwaiLo will be serving up new Asian cuisine every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night in Senses Restaurant at the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel (318 Wellington Street West). This pop-up is by reservation only and must be prepaid online. GwaiLo will also be hosting Sunday School, with cocktail seminars aimed at bar service professionals and spirited guests for six nights starting this October 28th.
• Seats are being reserved now for the Sunday, November 4th installment of the Rusholme Park Supper Club titled From Bosnia with Love. Ksenija Hotic returns to The Depanneur (1033 College Street) to present a spread of traditional Bosnian specialities.

CHEFS

• TOCA at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel has launched a new menu from chef de cuisine Gihen Zitouni, following the resignation of chef Tom Brodi this past spring.

OTHER NEWS

• Voodoo Child (388 College Street) is about to give Aunties and Uncles some healthy competition when they launch their brunch menu this Sunday, October 28th, with selections like Pulled Pork French Toast and Truffled Scramble Eggs.
• Red Fish (890 College Street) is now hosting a fish fry every Sunday night. The new weekly special features platters of pan fried, cornmeal crusted fish and a choice of two sides priced at $18 a head.

Photo from our review of Red Fish