Bar Begonia will soon be transformed by Anthony Rose from one of Toronto’s most romantic spots for French food into a restaurant that digs deeper into his Jewish roots.

Bar Begonia closed suddenly and rather mysteriously on January 1, 2019. A message on their website thanked staff and guests for the great run and hinted at the new venture.

The rather quirky Dupont space will be turning into Jewish Middle Eastern concept Fet Zun (“Fat Son” in Yiddish) in February. Rose envisions it as a more rustic, raucous Fat Pasha, inspired by the bazaars of Morocco and Turkey.

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What a ride. Incredibly thankful for my time @barbegonia and for these lovely humans. Couldn’t have done it without you guys. Can’t wait to share the next chapter... love you all!

A post shared by Graham Barber (@gramprik) on Dec 31, 2018 at 2:56pm PST

Similar to the way Rose and Sons turned from a diner concept into more of a staunchly Jewish deli serving brisket and chopped liver, Fet Zun is another way for Rose to go deeper into his own culture. After around three years in business, Bar Begonia felt furthest from that.

In other exciting Wilder & Rose news, Schmaltz Appetizing at Dundas and Ossington will be licensed in a matter of weeks, allowing the former exclusively daytime sandwich shop to implement a program of Eastern European brandies and vodkas along with caviar service and Schmakes desserts.

So, if all this food news excites you almost too much and you can hardly wait for February for Fet Zun to open in the Bar Begonia space, head to Schmaltz soon for a shot to tide you over.