TORONTO — A little over a year after opening, Toronto’s Conviction restaurant is closing its doors, according to Toronto Life.

According to the magazine, owners Marc Thuet and Biana Zorich will officially close the high-end restaurant Nov. 1. It seems the King West strip, which has been home to other Thuet culinary enterprises in the past, has lost its magic for the couple, who cite increased expenses and the block’s sudden expansion as deterrents to renegotiating the lease. “We just weren’t happy [in the King West space]. We had to step away,” Zorich told Toronto Life. “When Marc and I landed there six years ago, it was a little hush-hush, a little bit of a destination place. It changed right before my eyes.”

TORONTO — Marketing guru Chris Desjardins has made the move from the boardroom to the kitchen, opening a Toronto eatery that celebrates an indulgent staple of Canadian culture — poutine.

Poutine Plus is the latest in a string of Toronto poutine shops, but Desjardins has put his stamp on the category by infusing the traditional cheese, fry and gravy dish with everything from Montreal smoked meat to maple hotdogs. Also on the menu are hot sandwiches and Nathan’s Hot Dogs from New York.

“Our customers will want to eat in our restaurant, because we're different from other places. The theme is very Canadian. It's similar to a traditional Montreal diner with hockey and sporting memorabilia. And, the menu has tastes from Montreal and New York. [We] even have maple sugar products,” says Desjardins.