Joy Bistro

Joy Bistro, that familiar spot on Queen East, is where you may have found yourself for Sunday brunch when unable to cope with the crowd at Bonjour Brioche. But after 20 years, "it needed a kick in the pants," says new owner Peter Brauti. He acquired the place in June with his 3 co-partners. They include Scott Manicom, who owns The Kitchen and Two Cats with Brauti, Steve Pelton, the former General Manager at Gretzky's, and John Young, a VP of the Toronto International Film Festival and a great connection- the restaurant will be the only official sponsor of the event in the area. With that range of experiences and connection, you can be assured these guys know how to have a great time. (And their opening party proved it, with hundreds of young professionals boozing and schmoozing in every single alcove of the place.) The former Joy Bistro owners will remain as landlords, but wanted to focus on raising their young family instead of making eggs benedict. They are around from time to time, introducing the old customers to the new owners.



East is the new West as Leslieville gathers momentum as the next It neighborhood. Feeling that the area was one of the last in affordable downtown property, (it's pathetic that that phrase has become oxymoronic), the group scooped up the place with the hopes of tapping into the late 20 and early 30 year old co-eds migrating eastward. What is noteworthy about the location, GM Pelton informs me, is the camaraderie of the community; they are proud to live in Leslieville, and eager to get to know the new owners. "There have been a few nights on the patio," he says, "where I have seen two separate groups start at tables next to each other, and by the end of the night, they've pushed their tables together!" And it's not necessarily because they had been drinking for the last four hours.

I saw some impressive reviews for this restaurant and I decided to bring my family here Friday. I asked around and it seemed like this is more a place for younger adults to hang out but I decided to try it anyways. The decor is sophisticated and modern and they have long tables and bar-style seatings to encourage strangers to talk to each other.

The food was excellent. They have a good selection of small and large plates; so if it's your first time there, you might need some time to decide what to order. Overall, the food was very original and the portions were just nice. Most of all, it was not expensive for such quality food. I was very impressed and I will definitely be back.

Delicious! I love the ambiance, the food and the staff. They used to have some competition with Brioche, but I think Joy is the overall winner.

Nothing has changed? I see that the "hip" new owners are in the house... but nothing - menu, decor, furniture - has changed one iota.