By Stephanie Dickison I go a lot of events and festivals every month, and not all are created equal. Here are ten reasons why The Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival was one of the top happenings of the year.
By FeastON This is the first in a series of Brewery Discovery Routes created by FeastON. Self-guided Brewery Discovery Routes Maps provide a complete itinerary for folks looking to get out and explore breweries, cideries, Feast On restaurants, and local attractions. Along the way, participants can indulge in the flavours of artisanal cheeses, lovingly prepared culinary treats using fresh, local ingredients, premium craft beverages, farmers’ markets and scenic outlooks. On Brewery Route 1 - Guelph & Cambridge, you can explore quaint villages nestled in rolling countryside, spectacular views from atop 400 million year old limestone cliffs, a Canadian Heritage River and the critically acclaimed restaurants, breweries and accommodations of Guelph. And include a visit to Canada’s third oldest farmers’ market located in historic Cambridge in the heart of Southwestern Ontario.
By Stephanie Dickison Mealshare is a fantastic way to help people in need without having to do anything extra. All you do is go to a restaurant that is a Mealshare partner and select a Mealshare item from the menu. You buy your meal and Mealshare provides one to someone in need – buy one, give one. There’s no added cost and it truly is that simple. Meals are donated locally through PARC (The Parkdale Activity and Recreation Centre) and internationally through Save the Children. Mealshare launched in October but will be celebrating on May 21, 2015, by welcoming 14 more top Toronto restaurants to the program. Derek Juno, VP of Business Development says "This launch really is our way of introducing ourselves to Toronto. We are on a mission to completely revolutionize the hospitality industry in Canada and we hope the Toronto restaurant community will play a big part to have in helping us accomplish that." Currently, Mealshare is partnered with over 180 restaurants across seven cities. It has been a big year for the company – In March, Mealshare’s Co-Founders Jeremy Bryant and Andrew Hall were both recognized as two of Corporate Knights’ Top 30 Under 30 young business leaders in Canada, and on April 30th they provided their 250,000th meal to someone in need. Mealshare restaurants in Toronto now include:
- Café Belong
- Enoteca Sociale
- Fabarnak
- The Farmhouse Tavern
- The George Street Diner
- Glory Hole Donuts
- Hawthorne
- Khao San Road
- Marben
- Nana
- Pizzeria Libretto Ossington
- Pizzeria Libretto Danforth
- Pizzeria Libretto University
- Richmond Station
- Sparrow Restaurant
- Terroni Adelaide
- Terroni Queen
- Terroni Yonge at Price
Hawthorne, Khao San Road, Nana, and Cafe Belong started the program back in October and Mealshare items are currently available there. All other restaurants officially start the program on May 21st, with Terroni starting a bit early. So go out for dinner or lunch or even just a donut. Choose a Mealshare item and know that while you're having a great meal, so can someone else now, thanks to you.
By Stephanie Dickison In today's LA Times, the paper's restaurant critic, Jonathan Gold, who has mostly kept his appearance under wraps until now, offically revealed his identity. This was done in advance of a documentary about him, City of Gold, set to premiere this week. This brings up the question of whether it is still relevant for restaurant critics to remain anonymous. In an age where social media rules, bloggers abound, Urbanspoon and Yelp give regular folks the space to review and critique, and newspapers continue to close, should the old rules apply, or is it an antiquated practice? Joanne Kates, Chris Nuttall-Smith and Amy Pataki all continue to work without pictures beside their bylines. If a restaurant knows Alan Vernon's face, does that really change everything? Will his meal actually be different than yours? Let us know your thoughts.
By Patricia Noonan Current restaurant: Ruby Watchco Food style: Good food!! Training: Algonquin College, The Connaught Hotel (London England), working with Chef Gordon Ramsay and Chef Angela Harnett. Where I’ve been: Beside London, New York and all the big American cities, I’ve been to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam…where I’ve been is where I travel for inspiration. What I’ve done: I’ve been able to work in two of the greatest food cities; I was able to go and I survived! I didn’t come running home. Biggest culinary influence: When I was growing up, I used to watch this English chef on TV, Gary Rhodes. He made things look simple but fancy too. Fantasy meal: What I'm craving is what I want at that moment. Right now, my meal of the moment is pork belly with hot sauce...Sriracha or smoked espelette pepper sauce. Fave food and wine pairing: Whatever I'm having, I want what I think goes with it. If it was that pork belly, then maybe a little bourbon. Junk food passion: I'm a chip person. Potato chips...I crave that saltiness. Comfort food: For me, it's roasted leg of lamb with big chunks of onions, carrots, root veggies. Fave resto: I don't eat out a lot. Right now, I would go to Fette Sau in Brooklyn. It has a mix of all these cuts of smoked or brined meats and there's a brewery attached! Fave bar: I usually go to Hi-Lo because it's in the neighbourhood and their bartender is fabulous. She used to work with us. Cookbook you can't live without: Culinary Artistry by Andrew Dornenberg. It's what I go to when I want to be inspired; it's like having a conversation in my head with the book. MIT (Most important tool in the kitchen): I learned to cook with a spoon in London. It's for tasting, basting, scooping, poking, eating...breaking away meat. It can be used for almost anything. Who would you love to cook with if you had the chance: Julia Child; she was such an icon. It would have been a riot!
By Stephanie Dickison Downtowners, get ready for it – you’ll soon be able to shop for gourmet food items and such close to your office and home, thanks to the continuing empire of Chef Mark McEwan. The second location of McEwan will sit across from his long-standing restaurant, Bymark, and will take over 5,000 square feet of the Toronto-Dominion Centre. It will cater to the urban city crowd with prepared food items, along with coffee bar service and select grocery items. McEwan opens in Spring 2015, with more downtown locations to come.
By Stephanie Dickison Finally, restaurant openings are back in full swing! That means you’ve got a lot of choices to make this weekend. Here’s the very latest:
By Stephanie Dickison This week we’re back to lots of openings and events, TIFF continues to take over the city, and with the return of warmer temps, we can squeeze in another weekend on the patio. Here's the very latest:
By Stephanie Dickison It's been an amazingly full week of openings, closings and events. Check out all the details below:
By Stephanie Dickison Well, it’s a new year and new beginnings for many restaurants. There are also a record number of closings. Take a look at what’s been happening while you were celebrating over the holiday. Here’s the very latest:
By Stephanie Dickison Happy February! This week is jam-packed with 10 exciting new restaurants and lots of reasons to celebrate – Super Bowl 50! Hero Day! Chinese New Year! Winterlicious! You’re going to have to seriously plan out all your meals this weekend. Here’s the very latest:
By Afrim Pristine These three cheeses are in a league of their own. Manchego from Spain, Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy and Roquefort Blue from France are three of the best and most important cheeses in the world. Classics that are defined by their long histories and cultural traditions, and one doesn’t mess with classics. Spanish sheep's milk Manchego that is released in various staging of aging and all are equally delicious. When young it's fruity, creamy and tangy. When aged up to two years, it transforms into a salty, bold and sharp explosion of deliciousness. Parmigiano Reggiano I believe, is one of the most versatile cheeses in the world. Government protected, it is perhaps the most prized Italian ingredient in cooking or as a tasty stand alone just to eat on its own. Elevate the experience by drizzling an aged enriched balsamic vinegar from the same region of Emilia Romagna. It transforms into an adult version of peanut butter and jelly, such a great combo. Roquefort, much like Manchego and Parmigiano is released in different ages which exudes different intensities. Roquefort is a creamy sheep's milk blue with a very unique sharpness and saltiness. It's big and bold but not offensive as some blues can be. Pair with a vintage port and toasted walnuts. To all the food and cheese lovers out there, let's all tip our hat and raise our glass to three of the greatest ingredients ever created!
By Rose Reisman Toronto has been known for its Italian food since Italians immigrated to Canada in the 1950’s. Since then, Italian cuisine in Toronto has evolved and become more of a fusion of flavours. But if you want to take a step back in history and tradition, then a visit to Scaddabush is a must. This large, eclectic restaurant has a family-friendly ambiance. There’s even a long 24 seat table where strangers can mingle and enjoy family-style platters of mouth-watering pastas. The executive chef Steve Silvestro only uses the freshest of ingredients to create his traditional Italian cuisine. The pastas are made in-house, always a good sign! My selection was the lobster spaghetti made with tomato cream sauce, roasted tomatoes, roasted peppers and Parmesan. The grandiose meatballs (like your Nonna made) contained Angus beef, mixed with ricotta cheese and porcini mushrooms. But my favourite selection at Scaddabush was the freshly made mozzarella, a rare treat. And for the finale, the chocolate toffee jar cake – an incredible indulgence! If you love seafood pasta, but want to keep it light, try my version of fettuccine alfredo with smoked salmon and dill.
By Stephanie Dickison We have Anthony Bourdain to thank for so much, including:
- His brilliant Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, published back in 2000, that blew the lid off of what went on behind restaurant kitchen doors.
- The multiple Emmy-award-winner has introduced us to a lot of new foods and cities and reminded us of old favourites worth revisting. Taking us to new places first in A Cook’s Tour (2002-2003), Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005-2012), The Layover (2011-2013) and then Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown in 2013 to present day.
- The new food hall he's opening in NYC next year. The indoor food market open year round will hopefully influence other cities to do the same.
- His Les Halles Cookbook, that gave us the recipes from his NYC restaurant including chapters on "Blood & Guts" and "Miscellaneous Meez & Other Useful Recipes."
And now for the first time in ten years, Bourdain's releasing a new cookbook called Appetites, and setting off on a 11-city tour The Hunger, launching October 25 in NYC and going across North America. And one of the stops will be here in Toronto. Bourdain will be at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts for one night only on Tuesday, November 1, 2016. Presale starts Monday May 2, and tickets for the general public go on sale Friday May 20 at 10am. Prices range from $300 (VIP ticket including a copy of Anthony Bourdain’s latest book, "Appetites" and a post-show meet & greet) $125 (premium ticket and book), $80, $70 and $60. Prices include tax and facility fees, but additional service charges may apply. Single tickets can be purchased in person at the Sony Centre Box Office, over the phone at 1-855-872-SONY(7669), or online. Now through May 1, fans can register to receive a presale code to purchase tickets before the May 20 general public ones go on sale. Appetites, published by Ecco, will hit shelves on October 25, coinciding with the tour launch. For more information including tour dates and tickets, visit www.AnthonyBourdainOnTour.com. And stay tuned. There's more to come.
By FeastON North of Orangeville, but an hour from Toronto, lies a little town that’s home to a big brewery and a lot of local flavour. Creemore is the hometown of the brewery with the same name — and it’s annual Copper Kettle Festival — but also home to a slew of wicked restaurants, boutique accommodations and passionate farmers. Creemore is a village located in Simcoe County. When people think of Creemore, they think of hills. The most charming of which is Lavender Hill — whose view across the valley, carved out long ago by the Noisy River, is breathtaking and in summer reminiscent of the film worthy rolling vistas. For those looking to get away for the ‘perfect weekend’ why not consider Creemore? We sure are!
By Stephanie Dickison It’s time to start getting excited about fall. And there’s no better way than our #FallMenuWatch series, featuring Toronto restaurants celebrating the bounty this season has to offer. This week, we check out TOCA’s new menu. And don't worry, there's a hint of summer left on this one. Want to know what that looks like? Check out the entire album on our Facebook page. We’re also snapping pics on Instagram and Twitter, so follow along using #FallMenuWatch. p.s. If you’re dining out at a restaurant in the GTA and see a summer menu we should know about, snap a pic and include our hashtag - #FallMenuWatch – we’d love to see it!
By Stephanie Dickison Toronto is getting a whole new "licious" for May. Babylicious is in recognition of "the challenge moms face when dining out with young children." The "mom and baby dining event" - suitable for children aged six months to three years - takes place at eight Toronto restaurants from Tuesday, May 5 to Friday, May 15, 2016. Dining times vary per restaurant – there are lunch and dinner services, with some restaurants offering both. Parents can enjoy three-course meals ($25 and $35) while their children have a complimentary, 100 per cent certified organic meal, courtesy of PC Organics Baby food. The kid's meals are also three courses. Participating restaurants have everything from highchairs to fully stocked bathroom change stations and child-friendly feeding utensils on hand to accommodate their tiny guests. Menu items for moms include Cluny’s Vegan "Habitant" Soup with smoked tempeh and yellow lentils for lunch and dinner; Gusto 101’s lunch entrée of Grilled Mediterranean sea bass, with beluga lentils, escarola, salsa verde, and red pepper jam; and Boehmer’s Grilled Sirloin Bavette Steak with house cut fries and chipotle green onion jus. Little ones will have a variety of dishes available as well such as ABC + 123 pasta, vegetables and chicken, and broccoli and kale baked whole grain corn puffs. Participating restaurants:
- Ascari Enoteca
- Boehmer
- Cibo - Yonge/Eglington
- Cluny Bistro
- Gusto 101
- L'Unita
- Tabule - Queen Street East
- Tabule - Yonge Street
Reservations are now available. Please contact the restaurants directly for reservations and information.
By Stephanie Dickison Leslieville gets a cool new neighbour today - La Carnita East Side officially opens to the public today at 5pm. This is just the most recent addition of expansions to the hood (Rock Lobster and County General have already landed east side). And with a long lineup of restaurants including Glas, Ruby Watchco, Braised and Table 17, and bars (Boots & Bourbon, Hi-Lo and Bill Hicks), with many more soon to open, you really have no more excuses to stay exclusively in the west end. Especially with this line from La Carnita, "780 Queen St East is now your #1 spot for east end debauchery." Let the debauchery begin.
By Anna Fischer It’s February in Toronto, which means it’s going to take a little more than "Hey, let’s meet for drinks!" to get you out of the house. Here are 5 activities that pair well with a great pint.
By Stephanie Dickison As the weather changes, so do our palates. It’s time to revamp your weekly menus at home and swap out heavy, creamy fare for lighter, crisp ingredients. This doesn’t mean you have to abandon your favourite comfort foods, just transform them a little to suit the season. These five new cookbooks make it easy.