Think you’re the expert when it comes to knowing Little Italy, Toronto’s Italian-flavoured neighbourhood? There’s still plenty to discover in the popular area along College Street between Bathurst and Ossington Avenue. Of course, most people already know about the abundance of Italian restaurants including old timers like Cafe Diplomatico with its heated patio, Bitondos (legendary) Pizza on Clinton, and newer spots like Hey Meatball and DaiLo with its Asian fusion cuisine. There’s also an Italian Walk of Fame and YamChops, the first vegetarian butcher in Toronto. Here are three other things you probably didn’t know about Little Italy.
Hollywood Movies are filmed in Little Italy: Most recently, the movie “The F Word” starring Daniel Radcliffe was filmed along College. The movie is pretty much a love letter to Toronto with recognizable cameos appearing throughout the film. You’ll recognize such landmarks as the Royal Cinema where the main characters are watching The Princess Bride, a few TTC buses driving by and a scene inside one of the area’s semi-detached homes.
Caplanky has a new Barbecue Restaurant: You might recognize the name Zane Caplanky from his popular deli on College. Now, the smoke meat king recently opened up another meat-friendly restaurant called Baju BBQ, a southern barbecue spot inside the The Monarch Tavern. Caplanky first opened up his deli inside the tavern before moving to a bigger location near Kensington Market. Check out this laid back barbecue restaurant for all the beans and ribs you can eat.
A Church Transformed into Townhouses: A Victorian church on the corner of College and Palmerston was converted into four high-end townhouses. The 1888 church at 314 Palmerston Boulevard was redeveloped a couple years ago while still keeping its original character and façade. These are not your average townhouses with 13-foot ceilings, 2-car underground parking, private elevator and rooftop patio. Each suite is between 5,000 to 10,000 square feet and one unit was previously listed for $4.45 million.
