North 44 closing after 28 years in midtown Toronto

Get your fix of $200 striploin steaks and pan seared breast of duckling while you can, Toronto.

Celebrity chef Mark McEwan will be closing North 44 — the Yonge & Eglinton restaurant that made him famous —at the end of this month after nearly three decades of service.

"North 44 was my first independent restaurant and I owe its longevity to you," wrote McEwan to his followers on Instagram this week. "The reason for closing is simple; Our lease is up and we are looking forward."

A press release from The McEwan Group further explains that this closure coincides with the opening of several new ventures for the company: A McEwan Gourmet Grocery at the intersection of Yonge & Bloor, a Fabbrica Restaurant in Thornbury, Ontario, and a newly-opened Fabbrica Restaurant in the TD Centre.

North 44, which opened in 1990, was named after Toronto's (rough) latitude and known for its seasonally driven (and rather expensive) menus.

The restaurant is closing permanently at the end of July.