David Schwartz: From Cantonese Cravings to Deli Soul — A Culinary Journey Full Circle

David Schwartz never set out to build one of Toronto’s most talked-about restaurant groups. In fact, he barely made it through political science.

Raised in a lively Jewish household near Bathurst and Eglinton — where meals were loud, generous, and central to family life — food was always at the heart of things. But like many second-generation kids, Schwartz pushed back against his culinary roots early on. “Polish-Jewish food? Too beige and boring for me,” he laughs. Instead, it was the Cantonese restaurants of Toronto that captured his imagination: lazy Susans spinning with barbecue duck, soy-slick greens, and endless dim sum on Sunday mornings.

A soul-sucking internship at a bank confirmed what he already suspected: his future wasn’t in a cubicle. He dropped out of Western University, enrolled in hospitality school, and threw himself into the only world that made sense — food. “Every waking hour outside of work was cooking, hosting, exploring new spots. It just took over my life.”

That passion led to Mimi Chinese, a refined love letter to regional Chinese cuisine, born from pandemic-era pop-ups. The response was immediate and electric. In 2022, he followed with Sunny’s Chinese, Mimi’s rowdier sibling — bold, spicy, and packed with energy. Both restaurants garnered praise, a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and the Young Chef Award. But accolades were never the goal. “What I really want is to build places where people feel something.”

As Culinary Director of Big Hug Hospitality, Schwartz sees his job as setting the vision, building the right team, and giving them the freedom to thrive. “You can’t fake heart. And that’s what people come back for.”

Still, even as he explored the vast terrain of Chinese cuisine, Schwartz felt something pulling him home.

In fall 2024, he opened Linny’s, a deli-inspired steakhouse named after his late mother — a bold, loving woman who believed food was more than sustenance; it was identity. Linny’s isn’t kosher, nor is it a religious restaurant, but its soul is unmistakably shaped by Jewish culture. The menu nods to classic deli fare — chopped liver, smoked fish, latkes — and reimagines it with steakhouse swagger: think steaks basted in pastrami butter and house-made pickles.

“It’s not a Jewish steakhouse in the religious sense. It’s deli culture — that blend of warmth, wit, and intensity. That’s the world I come from,” Schwartz says. “I spent years running away from it. Now I’m running back, but in my own way.”

This return is more than nostalgia — it’s deeply personal. Linny’s channels memory, heritage, and the evolving story of Jewish identity in North America — through the lens of food that’s rich, loud, and meant to be shared.

And Schwartz is just getting started. A Linny’s Luncheonette spinoff opened this spring. A Miami outpost is already thriving. A cookbook is on the way. And in his biggest new chapter yet, Schwartz is about to become a father.

At 32, David Schwartz isn’t just shaping a career — he’s shaping culture. Through precision, passion, and a deep understanding of what makes people feel connected, he’s creating something rare: restaurants with soul, menus with memory, and a hospitality philosophy rooted in realness.

In a city of fast-changing food trends, Schwartz is building something that lasts — plate by plate, story by story.

Written by Fabie Lubin
Photography by Daniel Neuhaus