Miznon Toronto
Miznon Toronto is an international restaurant concept that's known for cuisine described by Israeli chef Eyal Shani as wild Mediterranean street food.
It may also be one of the first times sliding into somebody's Instagram DM has worked, which birthed the first Canadian outpost of the very popular restaurant chain.
Operating in the city for a couple weeks now (to rave reviews), the story behind the years-long process is extremely 21st century.
The president of Miznon Canada, Eli Benchetrit, has been visiting Israel each summer since moving to Toronto at age five. Just 10 years ago, he visited the Miznon Tel Aviv location and "was blown away by the freshness, quality and vibe of the Mediterranean street food restaurant."
He continued the pilgrimage to the restaurant for years and once he heard that a new New York restaurant would be opening, he thought having a Toronto location would also be successful - and the next right move.
It was during the pandemic that Benchetrit sent a DM to Chef Shani, the brains behind Miznon, asking if he would be interested in bringing the restaurant chain to the city. The rest, as they say, is history.
Miznon Toronto is now located in Yorkville at 1235 Bay Street, serving their famous Whole Roasted Baby Cauliflower ($13), Folded Cheeseburger ($16.50) and other signature dishes to welcoming crowds.
The chain also prides itself on using local ingredients and supplies, constantly featuring in-season produce. 
It's a busy process to get the restaurant ready for each service. Staff grind meats and chickpeas daily for the dishes, and sage is burnt for positive energy.
Picking a Yorkville location was especially important in bringing the Miznon magic to Toronto, as it's a tourist hotspot in the downtown core. It's also home to many upscale restaurants.
"With Miznon locations around the world, we wanted to give tourists visiting the neighbourhood a familiar taste they know and love in an area filled with beauty and great cuisine," said Benchetrit.
If you only visit once, you have to try the Lamb Kebab ($17.50) or Minute Steak Pita ($19), Hummus ($18) and the Bag of Golden Meat ($19) - Toronto is the only North American outpost to have the bag of brisket and seared onions on the menu.
Toronto is also the only North American spot to have the Candy Steak Pita ($17), that's stuffed with overnight brisket, pickles, tomatoes, red onion, mustard and caramelized onions.
It's also the first location ever to have Halal-certified lamb and chicken.
Even cooler, there will soon be a "Toronto Pita" when Chef Shani visits our local food markets and becomes inspired by the city’s food culture.
Since opening its doors to the 6ix, the feedback has been incredibly positive and hospitable.
"The owners had tasted Miznon in their many locations worldwide and thought that our hometown of Toronto needed some Miznon magic. They also wanted to be in the city because of how multicultural it is, and being one of North America's largest cities," said Benchetrit.
Miznon Toronto is located on Bay Street north of Bloor Street.
Fareen Karim
