Whining and dining: A look back at Winterlicious 2009 with Marc Thuet and Michael Bonacini
The Winterlicious of 2009 was like no other. There was a recession on, new pricing and a two-week extension. Plus, the much loved food-a-thon sparked the most criticism it’s had since its inception in 2003. Despite the backlash, though, most reports indicate that this year’s festival was a resounding success. There has even been a backlash to the backlash, as some of the industry’s biggest names encourage haters to stop whining. As Michael Bonacini of the Oliver & Bonacini empire puts it, “Get on board or zip it and get out of town.” Zing.
What began as a way to combat SARS reclusion—and to fill tables during the industry’s slowest season—has turned into a city-wide annual event that earns as many gripes as accolades. This year’s grumblings began before the festival even started, with a to-do over high pricing categories. Bymark’s Mark McEwan added fuel to the fire when he aired frustrations on CBC Radio about the headaches associated with “Wintervicious.” Others were quick to join in. The Toronto Star offered insider complaints, mostly from servers lambasting clients who cheap out on alcohol and other extras. Meanwhile, the chatter from diners has pointed to disappointment at how quality is sacrificed for quick-and-dirty festival service (rushed eating, paper menus, brusque wait staff, etc.).
Despite all this, Winterlicious 2009 experienced jammed reservation lines, cramped seating and a two-week extension due to overwhelming response. Whatever the bellyaches, it seems as though there is still plenty that pleases.
That’s what matters to many restaurateurs, like three-time participant Marc Thuet (Bite Me, Atelier Thuet). “You can never make everyone happy, and everybody is becoming a food critic these days,” he explains. For the French chef, it’s about opportunity—he characterizes food as joyful stuff that should be shared, especially at a time of crisis. The strain is worth it: “There may be more yelling in the kitchen than before, but that just means the chef is actually cooking in there.”
Bonacini couldn’t agree more. With a slew of successful participating restaurants to his credit (Jump, Canoe, Auberge du Pommier, Biff’s), he knows a little something about the biz, and he’s tired of all the groaning. “Restaurants that bitch and complain about it have no obligation to participate. They’re an embarrassment to the industry.” After all, he says, “Restaurants are built to be busy,” and Winterlicious makes an otherwise dead time (which could have been devastating in ’09) one of the busiest of the year.
Both Thuet and Bonacini admit that there are improvements to be made. Bonacini says his team gets better at handling the hullabaloo every year, and Thuet would like the event to expand to specialty food stores in a larger, full-month festival. But while Winterlicious may still have something to learn about organization, the event remains—at least for now—an essential part of the city’s post-holiday winter blues binge. Apparently a hot meal goes a long way toward getting us through the deep freeze, even if it is chosen off a paper menu.
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The Winterlicious of 2009 was like no other. There was a recession on, new pricing and a two-week extension. Plus, the much loved food-a-thon sparked the most criticism it’s had since its inception in 2003. Despite the backlash, though, most reports indicate that this year’s festival was a resounding success. There has even been a backlash to the backlash, as some of the industry’s biggest names encourage haters to stop whining. As Michael Bonacini of the Oliver & Bonacini empire puts it, “Get on board or zip it and get out of town.” Zing.
What began as a way to combat SARS reclusion—and to fill tables during the industry’s slowest season—has turned into a city-wide annual event that earns as many gripes as accolades. This year’s grumblings began before the festival even started, with a to-do over high pricing categories. Bymark’s Mark McEwan added fuel to the fire when he aired frustrations on CBC Radio about the headaches associated with “Wintervicious.” Others were quick to join in. The Toronto Star offered insider complaints, mostly from servers lambasting clients who cheap out on alcohol and other extras. Meanwhile, the chatter from diners has pointed to disappointment at how quality is sacrificed for quick-and-dirty festival service (rushed eating, paper menus, brusque wait staff, etc.).
Despite all this, Winterlicious 2009 experienced jammed reservation lines, cramped seating and a two-week extension due to overwhelming response. Whatever the bellyaches, it seems as though there is still plenty that pleases.
That’s what matters to many restaurateurs, like three-time participant Marc Thuet (Bite Me, Atelier Thuet). “You can never make everyone happy, and everybody is becoming a food critic these days,” he explains. For the French chef, it’s about opportunity—he characterizes food as joyful stuff that should be shared, especially at a time of crisis. The strain is worth it: “There may be more yelling in the kitchen than before, but that just means the chef is actually cooking in there.”
Bonacini couldn’t agree more. With a slew of successful participating restaurants to his credit (Jump, Canoe, Auberge du Pommier, Biff’s), he knows a little something about the biz, and he’s tired of all the groaning. “Restaurants that bitch and complain about it have no obligation to participate. They’re an embarrassment to the industry.” After all, he says, “Restaurants are built to be busy,” and Winterlicious makes an otherwise dead time (which could have been devastating in ’09) one of the busiest of the year.
Both Thuet and Bonacini admit that there are improvements to be made. Bonacini says his team gets better at handling the hullabaloo every year, and Thuet would like the event to expand to specialty food stores in a larger, full-month festival. But while Winterlicious may still have something to learn about organization, the event remains—at least for now—an essential part of the city’s post-holiday winter blues binge. Apparently a hot meal goes a long way toward getting us through the deep freeze, even if it is chosen off a paper menu.){kind=link}
To those complaining about paper menus and food quality, perhaps they should only consider restaurants at which they can afford to eat when it isn’t Winterlicious.
thats hardly fair asb. isnt the whole point to go places that you otherwise could not afford? lord knows that they make you work for it. i totally avoided the nonsense this year and went to a couple of little places that were more than happy to answer their phones and give decent service. no eye rolling, no bull. only one paper menu but it was well worth it.
Its very hard to get the correct perception of a restaurant during Winterlicious. For one the food quality is not comparable to the food that the restaurant usually produces because it is mass produced. The service isn’t comparable either as the service staff are over whelmed by too many tables, and they do not make as much money as the totals on the bills are much lower. It is certainly a very stressful time for these staff. If you are going to participate in this event, know that it is a far cry from the service and food quality you would receive if you went at another time. It’s a nice idea, if you just want a chance to check out the interior of the restaurant.
I too avoided Winterlicious this year.
Restaurants that participate seem to see it as a time to let their good servers and chefs have a holiday and leave the place to the disinterested.
Poor/indifferent service is the norm it seems.
Food that isn’t up to the usual standards and indicative of a better restaurant has been my experience.
Generally, one feels like they are at a wedding reception, being served a catered meal, than at a finer Toronto restaurant.
There are a a few restaurants that I will not go back to again because of their Winterlicious offerings.
I would much rather go very infrequently to a very nice restaurant, get the superb service and full menu, than go quite a few times to Winterlicious-offering places and get Boston Pizza-type service.
I am a big fan of both Winter and Summerlicious, but I will admit over the years my approach has changed. In the earlier years I would try for one or two of the big name places that were beyond my means. I had an epiphany a few years ago when we got stuck in a bottle neck trying to leave one such place after the first sitting on a Saturday night. The normally pleasant staff looked harried and cranky while the crush of waiting patrons looked almost hostile.
Now I make 4-5 reservations at smaller, interesting spots I might actually go to again. I try, as much as possible, to go out on weeknights, and, if I can swing it, try for at least one lunch time. I apply food savings to wine order and tip.
There are ways to make the experience very enjoyable for everyone.
I’m still new to winter and summerlicious but i generally have a okay experience with menu and staff. only place i wont recommend is WildFire Steakhouse! worst experience! waiter rarely came to our table, tried to rush us out even though they took a really long time preparing food. very noisy and crowded. Also, city grill @ eaton centre! omg, waiter was very clumsy, dropped forks, almost dropped a knife, got food on a customer’s shirt and food was “eh”.
However, i have to say “Canoe” lives up to its 5 star rep! great staff, fantastic food, not nosiy or that crowded. But hard to get reservation so call ASAP! cause its touch and go for them to answer phone calls.
I’m still going to big name restaurants cause im a student and am unlikely be able to afford to eat there regularly. Now i wish they would make a menu for Ruth Chris steakhouse!
I love the idea of Winterlicious and think it should be longer than a week so that it doesn’t require people to make insane reservations into crammed restaurants. Maybe it should be 2 weeks to a month. I love good food but can’t afford to eat at great restaurants all the time so winterlicious gives a foodie like me an opportunity to try new places at a more affordable rate. But my experience this year is that the prices have gone up and the menus don’t seem to deliver the value that they should. As for the paper menus. I couldn’t care less about the paper menus.. you don’t eat them. What I care about is GREAT Food at a reasonable price. Good service goes a long way to make you want to return to the restaurant again. Nothing is worse than a rude waiter that rushes you out of the restaurant and doesn’t provide what has been requested. But most importantly the Food must be good otherwise why would you even consider returning to that restaurant on a non winterlicious day.
People like me go to winterlicious to experiment with new restaurants and not take a financial hit if we don’t enjoy the food.
As for the whining chefs…don’t participate… there are enough restaurants in the city that people can go somewhere else.
I would like to see more high end restos participating in the North End of the city.. maybe next year.
The idea was good and the organizers should do Quality Control to ensure that restaurants are doing what they are supposed to do on regular days, instead of becoming cafeteria and serving fast food. Restaurant owners – understand that this is a time to get exposure to new clientele and not to make a quick buck. In the long run, they are only hurting themselves.
Consumers – there is no free lunch and if it is too good to be true, then it is likely not. Go to a place that serves in the price range everyday and maybe get a free desert. Don’t expect a “$100 experience” for $35. I went to the “fancy name” places and came out hungry and confused. will not go there again unless they pay me.
Although it is true that at most restaurants, the experience that you would have (service, food, ambience) is sub-par to what would be experienced on a regular night, people need to understand that this is not a PR move for most restaurants. Many owners/chefs participate in this to be a part of the ‘cultural experience’ that’s happening in Toronto at that time and it’s not necessarily to drum up future clients (especially the high end restaurants). Most high end restaurants generate their revenue from their regular clientele and it is highly unlikely that they get they will get these clientele from the winterlicious patrons since many of them only go to these restaurants during winterlicious because they can’t afford it on a “regular” night. Furthermore, considering the number of people that the restaurants serve during this event, it is very difficult to maintain the same quality of service and food that would be possible on a quieter evening (parallel to a banquet). Therefore I would agree with alan in that if you really want to experience all that a restaurant can offer, avoid going to 2 or 3 winterlicious events and save the money to go to 1 restaurant on a regular night. With food, quality always wins over quantity.
I’ve found that the festivals aren’t as great of a deal any longer – you really have to scour the menus to see if it’s any better than what you would spend on a regular night. $30 is a still a lot if you’re having a medicocre meal. By the time you include alcohol, tax & tip, it’s going to easily be $50 or more. & since I normally wouldn’t order dessert anyway, the appetizer & entre have to be worth it.
Living on Bay Street I have found a home away from home at Bistro 990, eating there once every couple of weeks if not more for the last four years. On a regular day I know I can expect friendly service, fantastic food and above average ambience. Unfortunately my opinion changed recently after visiting the restaurant during the infamous winterlicious.
A group of four, myself included, set out for a mid afternoon lunch at 990 and what a surprise! We were hustled through the door and literally pointed to our seat (without a word from the hostess) like we were lining up at a soup kitchen to receive a free meal. The waitress was extremely rude, bringing my first glass of wine 25 minutes into the meal and forgetting my coffee entirely; without apology. All four of us made the mistake of ordering the seared tuna over Spanish rice which was not mediocre, but inedible. The Spanish rice would have been better out of a box and the Tuna was not lightly seared, but cooked right through with a fishier than normal taste to it. I survived that afternoon on the crème brulee since it was the only thing I could stomach. As if the food and service wasn’t bad enough, the waitress brought the bill during dessert and told us that they had another reservation at our table in 15 minutes.
As Steve stated above, the participating restaurants may not be fishing for future clients, but Bistro 990 lost a good one that day. My lunch was on February 5 and to this day I have not been back. With so many wonderful restaurants in Yorkville, I’ll walk the extra block from this point on.
Jane, my business partner had a similar experience a couple of years ago at a place we both really liked. He went there during Winterlicious, and both the food and service were mediocre. He never returned.
Some restaurants don’t prepare themselves well for Winterlicious. If they choose to participate, they have to have a plan and design their menu properly, so what they serve and how they serve it are representative of their regular offerings. Otherwise, those who try them won’t return, and the same goes for their regular patrons.
But I have been expecting disappointments, so I avoid Winterlicious and Summerlicious promotions like the plague.
I’ve stopped attending both the summer and winter sessions. It’s not worth it because when break down the prix fix costs in most restos, all you are gaining is a free dessert for the headache of crowds, mass produced food and cranky waiters.
I was very happy to attend the winterlicious festival again as it allows me to experience and discover new venues which I would usually not go to. However, I was very disappointed about the fact that during the extension period several of the venues which were advertised having a lunch menue were closed for lunch hours and I found myself in front of closed doors.
Alot of people are making due with less these days and i thought this years winterlicious would have woken most of the upper crust venues listen your not doing to many people a favor by serving watered down booze and half ass meals the lot of you should get together and try a down to earth home cooked meal made with a little love and devotion to the people taking the time to be with you
Winterlicious is fine, except the number of places charging $45 pp this year was outrageous. For $90 plus a bottle of wine, I could skip dessert (which is always the worst part of Winterlicious. Oh, another creme brulee? No thanks.) and select what I want off the regular menu. Don’t be greedy, restaurant folks. As to servers complaining about patrons not buying alcohol, etc., let me take a page from that maven of mediocrity, Michael Bonacini, and say: “Get on board or zip it and get out of town.” Zing!