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Introducing: Marcy, a Roncesvalles Polish restaurant reborn as a cocktail bar

(Images: Caroline Aksich)

For the past 15 years, Beata Kowalczyk served up hearty Polish fare at her Roncesvalles mainstay, Lala Bistro. Earlier this spring she decided to throw her apron away, and reopen the place as Marcy. And while the old regulars are grieving over the loss of her cabbage rolls, a new generation of patrons has quickly filled their seats—due in part, no doubt, to the presence of manager and resident mixologist Vanessa Handford, formerly of Goodnight.

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The Dish

Weekly Wine Pick

April 26, 2012 | 3:44 pm

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David Lawrason’s Weekly Wine Pick: a classy Austrian white

Bründlmayer 2010 Kamptaler Terrassen Grüner Veltliner

$19.95 | Kamptal, Austria | 90 points
While The Donald was cutting the ribbon downstairs, Austria’s wine marketers were christening the Trump International Tower with its first public wine tasting—and a great show it was, especially when it came to Austria’s signature grüner veltliner, a food-friendly white grape. This one, from a leading producer, is one of the few currently available at Vintages.

The taste: Expect a reserved but complex nose with grüner’s characteristic light peppery spice and tobacco, amid yellow plum fruit. It’s quite classy and poised, with a fairly rich palate but a nice sense of firmness, and mouth-watering minerality. It fits somewhere between chardonnay and riesling in the general spectrum of whites.

How to drink it: This could age well for up to five years, but is fine to drink now. The wine will pair nicely with fairly rich fish dishes, poultry and veal. It will also work with sushi and more subtle Asian recipes. Be careful not to over-chill the bottle, which will rob the wine of its subtleties.

Vintages. LCBO 979708

The Dish

Aprons & Icons

April 23, 2012 | 12:43 pm

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Five things we learned about sustainable seafood and natural wine from Terroir speakers Barton Seaver and Alice Feiring

Each year, some of the food industry’s most influential minds descend upon Toronto to speak at the Terroir symposium, which takes place today. We had the chance to speak with three of the event’s speakers. On Friday, we brought you a Q&A with chef Ben Shewry. Today, we present five things each that we learned from talking to sustainable seafood champion Barton Seaver and natural wine advocate Alice Feiring.

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The Dish

Foodie Follies

April 21, 2012 | 10:30 am

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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for April 23 to 29

The sixth annual Terroir symposium takes place on Monday (Image: Renée Suen)

Monday, April 23

The Next Food Truck: Art and street food collide at this food truck and art gallery event at Steam Whistle Brewery. 255 Bremner Blvd., 416-362-2337. Find out more »
Terroir Hospitality Industry Symposium: Join chefs, food writers, wine and food experts and business leaders for this hospitality industry meet-up. Arcadian Court, 801 Bay St. Find out more »
86’D: Ivy Knight hosts the after party for the Terroir Hospitality Industry Symposium. Enjoy complimentary hors d’oevres from The Drake’s new head chef Darren Glew. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
Sorauren Farmers’ Market: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the field house at Sorauren Park. 50 Wabash Ave. Find out more »

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The Dish

Bottoms Up

April 20, 2012 | 1:26 pm

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Gallery: the fifth annual Brewers Plate brought Ontario craft brewers together with Toronto chefs

(Image: Safa Jinje)

On Wednesday, 450 Torontonians gathered at Roy Thomson Hall for the fifth annual Brewers Plate, a fundraiser that celebrates the marriage of sustainable food and Southern Ontario craft beers. Each year, Brewer’s Plate raises money to benefit a Toronto-area initiative in the food and farming sectors. This year, the beneficiary was Green Thumbs Growing Kids, an innovative program that seeks to reconnect urban youth to their food through a variety of garden-based programs. There were a total of 47 serving stations offering up a springtime feast that featured in-season, locally produced ingredients. Each chef was teamed up with a craft brewery; some made dishes that paired well with their partner brew, while the more intrepid chefs featured beer as a key ingredient in their dishes. In all, a dozen chefs were in attendance (including Lora Kirk of Ruby Watchco, Aaron Joseph Bear Robe of Keriwa Cafe and Brook Kavanagh of La Palette), along with 21 craft breweries (Wellington, Great Lakes, Beau’s) and 11 other food producers (Wanda’s Pie in the Sky, Buddha Dog, Monforte Dairy). Check out all the beery fun after the jump »

The Dish

All Mixed Up

April 16, 2012 | 4:39 pm

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All Mixed Up: Toronto Temperance Society’s Robin Kaufman makes us a fresh springtime cocktail

The cheekily named Toronto Temperance Society is a members-only affair, although those members are, mercifully, allowed to bring guests around to the second-story speakeasy on College Street. Here, Robin Kaufman, one of the bartenders, shows us how to make “La Hoja” ($14), a fresh springtime sipper of his own devising.

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Opening

April 16, 2012 | 12:56 pm

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Introducing: Bellwoods Brewery, Ossington’s new brewpub and snack bar

The view from the mezzanine, up above the main floor (Image: Gizelle Lau)

After a bit of a lull in new openings, it seems as though Ossington is in the middle of yet another restaurant and bar boom, with the launch of The Saint, Hawker Bar and now Bellwoods Brewery, the first new brewpub in Toronto after the untimely death of Duggan’s. Despite having opened just last Wednesday, the space was packed before 6 p.m. on Saturday night—in other words, the microbrewery is already a hit. Of course, smack dab as it is in the middle of hipster party central, we didn’t expect anything less.

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The Dish

Weekly Wine Pick

April 12, 2012 | 3:52 pm

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David Lawrason’s Weekly Wine Pick: a racy new Australian red

Wolf Blass 2009 Grey Label Shiraz Cabernet

$34.95 | Robe Mount Benson, Australia | 90 points
This new shiraz-cabernet blend is a racier replacement for the individual Grey Label shiraz and cabernet bottles that were the pick of the LCBO general list for many years. It comes from a cooler region of South Australia.

The taste: The wine pours very dark, an alluring ruby-purple. Expect a very fragrant, pure nose of blackcurrants, eucalyptus, dark chocolate and tobacco, all nicely harmonized. It’s full-bodied and rich but not thick and soupy thanks to firm acidity. The tannins are quite fine; the length is excellent.

How to drink it: It’s naturally well balanced enough to enjoy whenever you please, but is also structured to last another five years with ease. Decant for an hour to aerate, pour into a large, elongated glass and serve, ideally, with lamb.

LCBO 261487

The Dish

Bottoms Up

April 10, 2012 | 3:15 pm

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The fourth annual IPA Challenge hits Bar Volo this month

Lovers of hoppy ales, mark your calendars: the fourth annual instalment of the Cask Days IPA Challenge is coming up later this month. Starting on April 21, the event will pit 32 cask brews against one another in a tournament-style competition, with attendees and judges scoring the India pale ales in blind taste tests. The event will feature beers from 26 different Ontario breweries, and Cask Days is billing it as an opportunity to “stimulate and challenge our local craft brewers” to meet the demand for hoppier beer. As the brackets get whittled down, the losing (okay, less delicious) beers will be available by the half- and full pint. And for only $10, you get “branded glassware,” along with the chance to play king or queen maker in the brewing battle royale. The event takes place on April 21 and 22 at Bar Volo and is preceded on April 20 by a “Spin Off” night featuring non-traditional takes on IPAs and followed on April 23 by the bar’s usual $5 pint night, where revellers can drink through whatever’s left over. Check out the full list of participating breweries, after the jump »

The Dish

Opening

April 9, 2012 | 5:23 pm

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Introducing: Midfield Wine Bar, Dundas West’s laid-back spot for oenophiles

(Image: Gizelle Lau)

Midfield Wine Bar, which opened without much fanfare at the end of January, is the vision of two front-of-house vets: sommelier Christopher Sealy (Terroni, Mercatto) and Giuseppe Anile (Bar Italia and former owner of Marquee Video). Their shared passion for wine, food and hospitality brought the pair together to create a space that evokes old-world warmth on the rapidly gentrifying section of Dundas West around Dufferin.

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The Dish

Opening

April 9, 2012 | 11:32 am

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Introducing: The Saint, Ossington’s long-awaited and oft-delayed contemporary tavern

(Image: Gizelle Lau)

When we first told you about The Saint back in 2009, we said it would open in April—and it will, albeit three years later than expected. After a long licensing battle with the city, during which time most of the Ossington strip was redeveloped, the restaurant is finally slated to open to the public today. We dropped by to get a look behind windows that have been covered for years.

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The Dish

Weekly Wine Pick

April 5, 2012 | 3:00 pm

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David Lawrason’s Weekly Wine Pick: a kitschily branded pinot that’s actually good

The People’s 2010 Pinot Noir

$16.95 | Central Otago, New Zealand | 89 points
I’m often skeptical of the quality of kitschy “populist” wines, but this is a solid, newly arrived pinot noir from the most talked-about region of New Zealand, where the average price for pinot noir is about twice as high. (The companion white People’s pinot gris, however, is not recommended.)

The taste: This sports typical Otago cranberry-cherry fruit flecked with mint and orange peel. Some oak smoke and cinnamon spice is nicely tucked down at the corners. It’s medium-bodied, vibrant and tart, with some gritty tannin and juicy, bitter cranberry on the finish. Very good length.

How to drink it: Like most pinot noirs, it should be served slightly chilled in a wide-bowled, narrow-rimmed glass that will show off its aromatic fireworks. Serve with poultry or spiced ham.

LCBO 234526

The Dish

From the Print Edition

April 3, 2012 | 2:16 pm

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Move Over, Malbec: David Lawrason picks nine lesser-known Argentine wines

(Illustration: Jack Dylan)

Argentine malbec, with its huge flavour, lush texture and low price, was the official soother of the recession. At $8, Fuzion’s malbec-shiraz was (and still is) the best-selling wine in LCBO history. Argentina has upped its game since then. It’s now the fifth-largest wine-producing country in the world, and vineyards have branched out from the Mendoza heartland to the windswept plateaus of Patagonia, the high-altitude vineyards of Salta in the north and several newly cultivated Andean pockets like La Rioja, San Juan and San Rafael. Although 26 per cent of all vineyards are devoted to malbec, vintners are experimenting with red grapes like petit verdot from Bordeaux, tempranillo from Spain and tannat from southwest France. Technology has improved, too. Cold fermentation, which helps maintain the delicate aromas of white wines, is elevating fragrant varieties like torrontés. Here, nine alternative Argentine wines that exude the country’s bold flavours with added sophistication.

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The Dish

Weekly Wine Pick

March 29, 2012 | 4:19 pm

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David Lawrason’s Weekly Wine Pick: an Italian red with a sour-cherry finish

Allegrini Corte Giara 2009 Valpolicella Ripasso

$16.95 | Veneto, Italy | 90 points
The warm, ripe 2009 vintage and the fruit-enriching ripasso re-fermentation technique fits right in with the polished winemaking style of the Allegrini family.

The taste: This is a very generous, easy-drinking red with fresh, ripe sour cherry jam flavours and nuances of leather, smoke and mocha. It’s medium-full bodied, smooth and a bit sweet, and all balanced by classic sour-edged acidity. The ripe sour cherry percolates long on the finish.

How to drink It: It doesn’t need aging, but it should hold its vitality for three years. Chill it lightly, let it aerate in a decanter for about 30 minutes and serve with creamy meat and pasta dishes.

LCBO 266692

86’D with Ivy Knight: Join Bob Blumer on his search for the weirdest cocktail. Chef Nick Liu serves Chinese takeout to represent his upcoming restaurant, GwaiLo. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
The World’s Weirdest Pop-Up Dinner: Meanwhile, in the dining room, Bob Blumer hosts a wacky meal celebrating the launch of his newest TV show, World’s Weirdest Restaurants. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
Made With Love: Thirteen of the city’s best bartenders showcase their cocktails—sample and vote for your favourite. Drinks, food and music in the fermenting cellar in the Distillery District. 55 Mill St., 416-203-2363. Find out more »
Sorauren Farmers’ Market: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the field house at Sorauren Park. 50 Wabash Ave. Find out more »

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All stories relating to drinks

Bründlmayer 2010 Kamptaler Terrassen Grüner Veltliner

Wolf Blass 2009 Grey Label Shiraz Cabernet

The People’s 2010 Pinot Noir

Allegrini Corte Giara 2009 Valpolicella Ripasso

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