A groovy new pizza place is replacing a neighbourhood favourite in Toronto
A Toronto restaurant that was a local favourite is about to be replaced by a trendy new pizza joint.
Toronto is riddled with so-called "hidden gems:" those if-you-know-you-know spots good enough to contend with the most buzzworthy of institutions that, for whatever reason, go virtually undetected by people outside the neighbourhood.
For Harbord Village residents, up until February of 2025, one such spot was Borden Street's Think It Cafe.
A cozy, homey cafe that served up Italian paninis, baked goods from Amico Chef and coffee, Think It stood as a certified neighbourhood staple for seven years before a series of obstacles piled up high enough for the cafe to ultimately close its doors.
There's good news on the horizon for the neighbourhood, though: a new venture is preparing to keep up the Italian tradition in Think It Cafe's former home at 196 Borden St., albeit with a different dish.
Coming soon to Harbord Village, Nice Slice, Think It Cafe's usurper, will be a casual yet chic pizza joint serving "hot slices, whole pies, cold beer and wine by the glass."
The aloof pizza joint has been in the works for some time now, initially slated to open this past summer, but, when it comes to pizza, I'm a firm believer that it's better late than never — and Nice Slice already looks like it'll be worth the wait.
The pizza joint has already collaborated with the nearby Bickford Brewing Co. on "Nice Pils," a pilsner that pairs perfectly with a pie, which will, no doubt, be in good supply at the restaurant when it eventually opens.
Now, like a sourdough crust proofing, all we have to do is wait.
At the time of publication, there's no word yet on when, exactly, Nice Slice is due to open. According to an Instagram post from Aug. 29, the new pizza joint is "getting closer" to opening.
As a certified pie fiend myself, I can only hope that means Nice Slice will open its doors sooner, rather than later. Sigh... good thing there's no shortage of other great pizza places in Toronto that can fill the void.
@niceslice.to/Instagram
