It’s harvest time, and that means the Picnic at the Brick Works is close at hand. In only its third year, this annual celebration supporting the sustainable-food movement has become one of Toronto’s favourite food events, largely due to the contributions of big-name restaurants (Langdon Hall, Canoe, Frank and Cowbell, to name but a few). This time around, participants will follow a “locally global” theme, paying homage to the city’s multicultural milieu while showcasing delicious partnerships between chefs and farmers. The event is not until Sunday, but in anticipation, we’ve prepared this tantalizing slide show from last year’s edition.
Picnic at the Brick Works, Oct. 4, noon–4. $110. 550 Bayview Ave., 416-596-1495, ext. 300, evergreen.ca/picnic.
You know I was going to comment.
Um, first off, didn’t they see that grape leaf has worm bites on it? Sure, it’s all nature-y and all when you’re out in the country, but still. Gross.
Also, why don’t these chefs, and they are good chefs, get together and do something like this, but IN THEIR OWN RESTAURANTS, and do it on an on-going basis?
Something like Summer/Winterlicious, but actually, nothing like Summer/Winterlicious because that’s a clusterfuck of a program. (Bye, bye, marathon boy Miller).
We don’t live in California and we can’t all get up to the farm Jamie, so have a little sense will ya and does these things in your restaurants and do them more than one day so that we can all come and eat and give you $$$$!
Call it something like the Harvest Time, Harvest Table, and put together a nice tasting menu for $25, $30, even $40, get some wineries to give you a deal and you’re off to the races.
I’m tired of all these $100-plus,plus,plus dinners, lunches, “picnics”. I mean, really, a picnic for $100?? Stop smoking that hay in the farm and let’s get back to reality.
September 28, 2009 at 4:31 pm | by ShockerShocker.. They DO do this in their restaurants every day…
At Thuet (Conviction) the menu has stuff such as:
- Charcuterie maison, house pickled vegetables, garnishes: $15
- Roulade of romaine lettuce, chef’s 8 month old sheep’s milk cheese,house made proscuittini: $13
- Composition of Mennonite farmed whey fed porcelet, crab apple coulis, cider reduction: $28
etc..
Same with Jamie Kennedy lunches at the Gardiner Cafe the price point there is really low…
- Roasted Beet Sandwich on Whole Wheat With Goat’s Cheese and local greens: $9
- Ontario Vegetable Salad local Asparagus, Red Onion and Peppers: $5
All these chefs use natural ingredients and the prices are lower then food you get at places like the Bier Market (where you are paying $23 for a burger and $35 for Steak Frites from some corporate chain cook with frozen pre-cut ingredients).
and finally.. those are not worm bites.. they are just brown spots on the leaves worm bites would go right through and if you look there are no holes..
September 29, 2009 at 10:14 am | by ChuckI’ll be there shucking oysters, volunteering alongside Oyster Boy. Great event!
September 29, 2009 at 11:04 am | by Carmen CorreiaYeah, I KNOW restaurants all over this city use “local”, “natural” ingredients everyday.
That’s not what I was talking about.
This picnic was to “celebrate” the harvest, local foods, Ontario farming, etc.
My point is, do this if you must, but do something special, additional, and that lasts more than a day to pull people in. That’s my point.
The finer restaurants of this city have been using local, natural ingredients for years now, it has nothing to do with what I suggested above.
September 29, 2009 at 11:09 am | by ShockerIf you are looking for menus celebrating local products please look for ‘Stop for Food’, an initiative created by Cross Town Kitchens. These are locally focussed menus celebrating Ontario farmers which can be found in some of Toronto’s top restaurants: Amuse-Bouche, C5, Cowbell, The Harbord Room, Niagara Street Cafe….and the list goes on. In addition to the prix-fixe menus being at an approachable price point, $10 from each menu sold is donated directly to The Stop Community Food Centre, which is dedicated to bringing good, clean food to the tables of those who live below the poverty line.
October 24, 2009 at 1:55 pm | by SarahSometimes the answers are out there you just have to look a little deeper to find them.