The ultimate power lunch: the three-course prix fixe at the Royal York makes for refined, delicious multi-tasking
The comprehensive index of every blog post, magazine story and restaurant review that appears on Torontolife.com
All stories relating to desserts
Bouches will no longer be amused after Amuse-Bouche closes on May 31
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The people behind Amuse-Bouche confirmed today what was already suggested by the giant For Lease signs on their walls. After five successful years, the west-end French bistro will be shutting its doors on May 31. “Knowing that our lease was up for renewal, we contemplated our options and finally decided it was time to move on and explore new ventures and opportunities,” reads the message sent out to VIP customers and signed by operators Jason Inniss, Sarah Lyons and Bertrand Alépée.
Toronto’s 14 new cafés: independent coffee shops continue citywide takeover
(Image: chelseagirl)
By our count, a whopping 22 new indie cafés opened in Toronto in 2009, but it looks like 2010 will be giving the java scene an even bigger jolt. In the four months since our last roundup, 11 new coffee houses have sprung up, and three more are on the way. Below, a list of the latest indie coffee vendors, from Little Italy to Gerrard Street East.
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Seven standout food deals for Easter and Passover
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Whether you celebrate the slaves’ escape from Egypt, the resurrection of Christ or the annual arrival of Cadbury eggs, these seven restaurant events—with Passover- and Easter-themed menus—can help make next weekend memorable.
Cake vs. pie: a March Madness showdown to make diabetics of us all
The ultimate sweets showdown (Pie by Caitlin Regan; cake by Jytyl)
Since the NCAA’s reach doesn’t extend north of the border, we can’t fully bask in the madness that is the March college basketball tournament. Oh, sure, we can pick brackets along with everyone else, but it doesn’t feel personal. Luckily, the good people over at Jezebel have taken time out from Justin Bieber watching to create a tournament we can both follow and participate in, one that evokes strong feelings from everyone.
The March madness cake vs. pie tournament runs daily: members of the pie conference face off against each other, and the cake conference battles it out until the very end, when it’s cake vs. pie once and for all.
With no strong Canadian contingent in the tournament (sorry, tourtière), we aren’t sure what to vote for. We might have to trek over to Wanda’s for, uh, research.
12 food trends we observed at the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices show
All the rage: finger foods (Photo: Renée Suen)
To follow up the Canadian Chef Survey of food trends, we decided to attend the annual conference of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) to see if the proof was in the pudding. Turns out, it was in the verrines (see photo). Our 12 key trend observations, after the jump.
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Tiers of joy: 13 spectacular wedding cakes
This is the one time in your life when spending $1,000 on dessert seems almost rational. But for that price, it should look spectacular and taste even better. Here, statement cakes that almost upstage the bride. View the slide show >>
More from the Toronto Life Wedding Guide >>
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- Lemon cake with raspberry buttercream and white chocolate ganache. $900. Allyson Meredith Cakes, 558 Jones Ave., 416-466-8800, amcakes.com
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- Vanilla bean cake with dulce de leche buttercream. $630. The Wedding Cake Shoppe, 859 College St., 416-533-9575, theweddingcakeshoppe.com
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- Chocolate génoise with chocolate truffle ganache and chocolate fondant. $644. I Do! Wedding Cakes, 416-782-8114, idoweddingcakes.ca
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- Devil’s food cake with chai latte buttercream. $740. The Wedding Cake Shoppe, 859 College St., 416-533-9575, theweddingcakeshoppe.com
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- Traditional white sponge cake with vanilla bean buttercream. $945. I Do! Wedding Cakes, 416-782-8114, idoweddingcakes.ca
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- Vanilla cake with mango–passion fruit buttercream. $1,000. Allyson Meredith Cakes, 558 Jones Ave., 416-466-8800, amcakes.com
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- Vanilla bean cake with vanilla buttercream. $700. Chloe Lespierre Cakes, 416-567-2241
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- Classic mocha cake with chocolate-mocha buttercream and fresh flowers. From $435. Dufflet Pastries, 787 Queen St. W., 416-504-2870, dufflet.com
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- Mango sponge cake with mango purée filling and passion fruit buttercream. $728. I Do! Wedding Cakes, 416-782-8114, idoweddingcakes.ca
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- Double chocolate cake with white chocolate buttercream, fresh raspberries and chandelier topper. $1,400. Cake Opera Co., cakeoperaco.com
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- Tiers of Belgian chocolate, French vanilla, and pineapple-walnut carrot cake layered with strawberry confiture and chocolate mousse. $1,000. Iris Segal Cakes, 905-465-3729, iriscakes.com
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- Classic golden sponge cake with layers of fresh strawberry and orange buttercream. $365. Dufflet Pastries, 787 Queen St. W., 416‑504-2870, dufflet.com
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- Red velvet cake with white chocolate–cream cheese icing. $900. Papillon Cakes, 3335 Bathurst St., Unit 2, 416-931-0434, papilloncakes.ca
Weekly Lunch Pick: Oro
The cozy Elm Street restaurant serves one of the more exceptional lunch menus to be had during Winterlicious
(Photos by Matthew Fox)
Twelve Treats of Christmas: amazing edible (or drinkable) gifts for the indulgent epicure
Now is the time of year when Toronto’s patisseries and food shops offer a tremendous selection of goodies that cater to the most specific tastes. To make sense of this yearly embarrassment of riches, we found some delicious items that are sure to be crowd pleasers and ideal gifts. Here, 12 ways to avoid the dreaded (and regifted) Pot of Gold.
New Egyptian menu at Frank, more A la Cart troubles, seal meat now for sale on Parliament Hill
Golden boy: hope you brought your appetite (Photo by Tarah)
• Anne Yarymowich, executive chef at the AGO’s Frank, has put together a series of Egyptian-inspired dishes to honour King Tut’s arrival at the gallery this month. “Abundance and an exotic feel will be part of the experience,” with Yarymowich featuring “medjool dates, figs, pomegranates, pomegranate molasses, oranges and lamb.” Although Yarymowich will change the lunch and dinner prix fixe menus each day, Egyptian dukkah—a dry nut and spice mixture served with bread for dipping—will be served throughout Tut’s Toronto tenure. [Toronto Star]
• For four Wednesdays, the Globe’s Jacquie McNish joined a group of power women as they communed with their inner “Child” at a George Brown class called Cooking Like Julia. Clutching designer knives and coffee mugs slyly filled with wine, the women learned how to slice an onion, clean a stovetop (one student protested “But I have a lady who does that”), and most importantly, relax and trust that butter is their friend. [Globe and Mail]
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Toronto cannoli taste test, Miracle Whip takes on Stephen Colbert, cost-cutting at restaurants
(Photo by Travis Crawford)
• TasteTO has scoured Little Italy and a few other neighbourhoods to find cannoli that best Café Diplomatico’s. The results are inconclusive, with the Dip part of a three-way stalemate in cannoli quality, along with Riviera and Caldense Bakery. Perhaps the most shocking part of the article is that eating cannoli for a living is not all it’s cracked up to be. [TasteTO]
• Kraft Foods has retaliated against Stephen Colbert’s recent bashing of one of its products by running with the gag. Miracle Whip told the TV host in a newspaper ad, “We will own you,” and proceeded to buy four commercial spots on Thursday’s show. The ads consisted of the same footage parodied by Colbert on his show. Hey, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. [Chicago Tribune]
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Temperance be damned: eight of Toronto’s largest restaurant dishes
(Photo by Jon Sufrin)
When it comes to flouting moderation at the dinner table, Toronto may not be Texas, but it definitely has its share of big food. Vegetarians have a few outsize items to choose from—Urban Herbivore’s mega-muffins, the three-inch falafel balls at Tov-Li—but it is meat eaters who have most of the opportunities to attack large portions with primal zeal. We hit the street to find the establishments able to satisfy that deep-seated lust. From upmarket foie gras to a diner’s mile-high burgers, here are eight of Toronto’s biggest restaurant dishes, each begging to be conquered.
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- (Photo courtesy of Amazon. Provided as an example of size only)
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- (Photo by Jon Sufrin)
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- (Photo courtesy of Dutch Dreams)
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- (Photo courtest of Lone Star Texas Grill)
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Iceland loses its McDonald’s, This Is Why You’re Fat gets book deal, Top Chef spinoff coming to Bravo
The El Maco, advertised on this Icelandic McDonald's poster, is no more (Photo by Daniel Lobo)
• Icelanders looking for a fast-food fix will have to look somewhere other than McDonald’s. Bloomberg News reports that McDonald’s is closing all its restaurants in Iceland. The closure is being blamed on the collapse of Iceland’s economy and the fact that almost all ingredients must be imported to the island nation at great cost. [Bloomberg]
• The Globe takes an in-depth look at pumpkin beer as the seasonal brew of choice. Great Lakes Brewery’s Pumpkin Ale has sold so well in Ontario that it is now being exported to Manitoba. The beer has subtle notes of pumpkin, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and allspice, all subordinate to an overall ale flavour. What a relief—“alcoholic pumpkin juice” doesn’t sound very appetizing. [Globe and Mail]
Just Opened: Spice Safar
The bar at Spice Safar (Photo by Renée Suen)
The recession may just be ending, but around King West, there are few signs it ever happened. Buca has just opened, The Roosevelt Room starts up in two weeks, and the Bell Lightbox is rapidly climbing into the sky. And now there are two new locations of Montreal’s Spice Safar to add a dose of the unexpected to the district.
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