Read the rest of this entry »
By now, Torontonians are well-seasoned winterliciousers—and at Winterlicious 2011, we will be deftly dodging the wilted arugula and heading straight for the belly of the beast (preferably pork). Looking through the newly published list of restaurants and menus, there is plenty to be pleased about this January. Our popular “Best of Winterlicious” piece is coming out next week, but we thought we’d get a jump on things and take a look at how this year’s roster compares with last year’s ’Licous lists.
The comprehensive index of every blog post, magazine story and restaurant review that appears on Torontolife.com
All stories relating to Summerlicious
The Weekender: Summerlicious begins, Metric performs and six other weekend must-dos
The infamous Smelly Tofu stand at Night It Up! (Image: Loozrboy)
1. SUMMERLICIOUS
Some of the 150 restaurants participating in this annual prix fixe festival have probably been fully booked since reservations opened on June 22, but foodies on a budget should relax. Our guide has the goods on the 64 top places to phone-stalk, hoping for a cancellation. Read it here. July 9 to 25. toronto.ca/summerlicious.
2. NIGHT IT UP! (FREE!) Read the rest of this entry »
This annual dusk-to-dawn market is more about yummy nosh than shopping (though there’s that, too). Daring gastronomes can sample the stinky tofu, but it’s the Hong Kong–style fish balls, Japanese dumplings and Mongolian hotpot that are on our to-eat list. July 9 and 10. Metro Square Plaza, 3636 Steeles Ave. E., Markham, nightitup.com.
The great scapes: five ways that Toronto chefs are using garlic shoots
A bunch of garlic scapes (Image: Joe Shlabotnik)
For the past few weeks, garlic scapes have been cropping up on menus throughout the city. An early summer treat, these shoots are the sweeter, mellower off-growth of the more pungent bulbs that come later in the season (cutting them from young plants helps the bulbs grow plumper). But as they are delectable in their own right, scapes have lately found a following from locavore chefs. Below, five ways of the best ways to enjoy scapes in Toronto right now.
Read the rest of this entry »
The 64 best bets at Summerlicious 2010
Dig in, bargain foodies: lunch at Canoe
The annual prix fixe extravaganza is upon us once more. Reservations start today for American Express cardholders and on June 24 for everyone else. We’ve looked over the 150 participating restaurants to figure out the 64 best bets.
Here, the festival’s top menus, reviews and recommendations »
We ask the top chefs at Toronto Taste what’s in store at George, Splendido, Scaramouche and the rest of the city’s hot restaurants
This past Sunday marked the 20th anniversary of Toronto Taste, the annual event that unites Toronto’s food lovers and food makers for a day of innovative cooking, tasking and fundraising for Second Harvest. 60 of Toronto’s top chefs—including Jason Bangerter, Donna Dooher, Chris McDonald, Mark McEwan, Anthony Walsh and Anne Yarymowich—doled out top-notch cuisine to an estimated 1,600 guests at the ROM. We caught up with the chefs and asked them what’s in store for them and their restaurants this summer.
Summerlicious 2010: the restaurants have been announced, so let’s pick them apart
The view from Toula: be a tourist in your own city (Image: Ian Muttoo)
First things first: there’s not much change under the Summerlicious sun. All of the old favourites are here (including Canoe and Bymark, which always sell out first). Seven Numbers, which by Winter/Summerlicious rules is allowed only one location, has swapped out its Danforth location for its Eglinton one. Winterlicious participant Conviction is out for the summer edition as the second season of Conviction Kitchen films in Vancouver. The new owners of Crush Wine Bar are apparently not feeling the ’licious love—nor is Moroco. And while The Citizen’s digs are alive and kicking under new ownership, its vaunted replacement, Ruby Watchco, is opting out.
Read the rest of this entry »
Get those dialling digits ready: Summerlicious restaurants have been announced
It’s the day every frugal foodie has been looking forward to since February: the Summerlicious restaurants have been announced. Reservations can be made starting June 24. One hundred and fifty restaurants are participating in the 2010 edition of the prix fixe extravaganza, which runs from July 9 to 25.
At first blush, Summerlicious 2010—the eighth edition—looks pretty similar to Winterlicious 2010. There have been no controversial price hikes. In fact, compared to last year’s Summerlicious, the cost of the most expensive lunch has come down by $5. This year, lunch is being served for $15, $20 or $25 and dinner for $25, $35 or $45.
See Toronto Life‘s picks for the 64 best bets at Summerlicious 2010 »
Trouble stewing at the Spice Room?
It seems like just yesterday that we spoke with Greg Couillard at the Spice Room about his trips to Toronto to prepare special menus—now, the place looks like it’s been ransacked, with cash machines gone and serviettes scattered everywhere. “It was Friday night and the restaurant was totally empty. It looked like a ghost town,” says one Hazelton Lanes shopper, who strolled past last week at 8 p.m.—prime dining time. A tipster even contacted us, alleging that employees were having difficulty getting paid and that management has not been responding to messages. A quick call to the restaurant yielded a recording that asked us if we were interested in a table for Summerlicious.
What does this mean for the future of the once-adventurous Yorkville restaurant? And for diners who booked tables for Winterlicious? We’re not sure, but we hope to find out.
Localicious: frugality knows no season
Suffix solution: the latest -licious kicks off tomorrow (Photo by Catherine Kustanczy)
We’re surprised it took so long for another “-licious” event to spring up between Summerlicious and Winterlicious, but here it is. As part of Localicious (running from October 2 to 18), 11 restaurants across the city will be offering menus of dishes containing local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients, with proceeds going to the World Wildlife Fund. The Toronto edition of the dining deal (Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax, Ottawa and Calgary are also involved) features the following establishments: Cowbell, Epic, Gilead Café, Grano, La Palette, Marvellous Edibles, Quince, Rebel House, Reds, Veritas and Victor.
Our recommendations, after the jump.
Taste of the Danforth: The east-end street braces for a 72-hour “gift to Toronto”
Rolling right along: Taste of the Danforth roars through the east end this weekend (Photo by Matthew Filipowich)
At last night’s launch party for the annual August feeding frenzy, Taste of the Danforth, we ate: stuffed phyllo triangle, roasted mushrooms, shrimp rice pilaf, olive tapenade, pad thai, a pakora, a souvlaki skewer, another bigger souvlaki skewer, an entire grilled squid, some unidentifiable pink stuff, a barbecued rib, a Portuguese custard tart, another helping of pad thai, some Singapore noodles, red pepper dip and gnocchi. We were crammed into resto-bar-lounge The Local Company and, like the rest of the fooderati and media types present, we either had our eyes trained on the food or wore the glazed over expression of a cadet emerging from the trenches. That’s roughly what visitors can expect this weekend at Taste of the Danforth, when over one million eaters will descend on Greektown, from Broadview to Jones, for 72 hours of food, culture, entertainment and more food.
Read the rest of this entry »
Stop for Food, the summer’s other prix fixe festival, is underway
Ring my bell: Cowbell chef Mark Cutrara tempts diners with his Stop for Food prix fixe menu (Photo by Davida Aronovitch)
On the heels of yet another whine-infused Summerlicious (with the garbage strike adding fodder to the usual grumblings), Stop for Food offers a second (and stink-free) chance for prix fixe fun. Until August 31st, top restaurants like Vertical, Harbord Room and Frank are featuring locally-focused three-course menus for $35 or $50, complete with the feel-good glow of giving back to The Stop Community Food Centre.
Read the rest of this entry »
Final throes: Where to find a table during the last weekend of Summerlicious
The menu at Mildred's Temple Kitchen orders us to indulge (Photo by jbcurio)
The dog days of Summerlicious are here, and with reservations down at top restaurants across the city, many tables are sitting empty at some of the city’s finest spots. This might be the first and last time anyone will be able to walk into North 44 without a reservation, eat for under $50, and walk right out. After the jump, all a hungry diner needs to know about how to nab a last-minute seat at the 10 most popular restaurants from our Best of Summerlicious list. Read the rest of this entry »
Summerlicious reservations down at top restaurants
We’re halfway through the annual gastronomic bonanza known as Summerlicious, when droves of thrifty gourmands and aspirational epicures descend upon the city’s finest dining rooms. Or not.
Alex Evans, manager of Célestin, estimates that 30 per cent fewer customers have dined at her restaurant during this year’s fest. “Everyone I know who’s participating is telling me their business is way, way, down,” she says. There’s consensus across the board: Didier, North 44°, Auberge du Pommier and Centro, arguably some of the city’s most sought-after tables, are all reporting quieter phone lines and lighter reservation books.
Read the rest of this entry »
Local cherries are here, but going fast
The pits: Ontario cherries will last only three weeks (Photo by bensonkua)
A rainy June delayed the season, but Ontario cherries are finally making their annual appearance in desserts across the city. Farmers say the fruit will be around for three weeks, max, so we suggest all 100-mile dieters stock up now. Here, we look at what Toronto chefs are doing with Ontario cherries and list where to find fresh ones in the city. Read the rest of this entry »
Camels as burgers, Jack Astor’s glory, McDonald’s goes green
Hump and grind: Young camels are being turned into burgers (Photo by Robert Rybnikar)
• Baby camel burgers will join the ranks of Japanese whale sandwiches on a list of exotic food that drives PETA members nuts. Customers of Hashi Meals (“hashi” means baby camel) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, say the burgers have a delicate taste, and experts say they’re low in fat. [Reuters]
• Sales at such mid-range casual chains as Jack Astor’s and Alice Fazooli’s are up seven per cent year over year, while high-end restaurants continue to struggle through the recession. We feel it’s our duty to remind Torontonians that a steak at Jack’s is $25.98, but the Summerlicious prix fixe at Batifole is just $25—and Lady Gaga won’t be blasting in the background. [Globe and Mail]
Read the rest of this entry »
