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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for November 12 to 18

The Gourmet Food and Wine Expo kicks off on Thursday (Image: Courtesy Food and Wine Expo)

Monday, November 12

Monday Night Dinners at Local Kitchen and Wine Bar: Every Monday night, Local Kitchen serves a $40 prix fixe menu of Italian fare with half-price wine bottles and no corkage fee. 1710 Queen St. W., 416-534-6700. Find out more »
86’D With Ivy Knight: Fourth annual Pickle Battle. Bring in your best professional or amateur brined cuke. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »

Tuesday, November 13

Mario Batali’s Fall Classics: Learn the basics for great Italian meals, like tomato and grilled zucchini stacks and Batali-inspired tomato sauce from scratch. The Chef Upstairs, 516 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-544-9221. Find out more »
From Wing to Tip: Chef Rodney Bowers presents new and exciting ways to prepare family-style chicken dishes using only the best local, organic chicken. He’ll also demonstrate how to make chicken stock and a quick fall soup—not to mention Shanghai chicken thigh lettuce tacos. LCBO Summerhill, 10 Scrivener Sq., 416-922-0403. Find out more »
GE Café Chef Series—Pasta Party With Fabio Bondi: A series of workshops connecting eaters to the unique terroir, chefs and food culture of southern Ontario. This week, chef Fabio Bondi of Local Kitchen and Wine Bar and Bar Salumi shares his knowledge and experience in pasta making and Italian cuisine. Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave. Find out more »

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Today in Toronto: Ballet in the Studio, War of the Worlds and more

Ballet in the Studio Only lap dancing could get you closer to the performers in this novel experiment by Ballet Jörgen. The company opens its studio to the audience, allowing a peek at new work being developed for future full productions. Find out more »

War of the Worlds The Art of Time Ensemble remounts last year’s amusing production of Orson Welles’ panic-inducing radio drama adapted from H. G. Wells’ alien invasion story. Find out More »

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Food Events

October 27, 2012 | 10:30 am

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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for October 29 to November 4

Thomas Keller appears at the Isabel Bader Theatre on Tuesday to promote his new book Bouchon Bakery (Image: Toby Canham/Getty Images Entertainment)

Monday October 29

Monday Night Dinners at Local Kitchen and Wine Bar: Every Monday night, Local Kitchen serves a $40 prix fixe menu of Italian fare with half-price wine bottles and no corkage fee. 1710 Queen St. W., 416-534-6700. Find out more »
86’D with Ivy Knight: Sample Muskoka Harvest Ale while you carve up a pumpkin for the jack-o-lantern contest. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo Italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »
Burger Mondays: Enjoy $5 burgers and $5 pints on Mondays, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Gladstone Melody Bar. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635. Find out more »
The “F” Word Revisited: Few chefs are more skilled at simple elegance and pure flavours than Gordon Ramsay. Explore some of his more approachable recipes with chef Angie MacRae. No yelling or throwing pots involved. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »
Harvest Fermentation—Kraut and Kimchi Variations with Kate Lienweber: Start fermenting the way your grandmother did. Also learn the holistic health benefits of home fermentation that have been a part of food culture for generations. The Depanneur, 1033 College St., 416-828-1990. Find out more »

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Food Events

October 20, 2012 | 10:30 am

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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for October 22 to 28

Cask Days takes place at the Evergreen Brick Works this weekend, complete with a Halloween costume judging contest (Image: Connie Tsang)

Monday October 22

Monday Night Dinners at Local Kitchen and Wine Bar: Every Monday night, Local Kitchen serves a $40 prix fixe menu of Italian fare with half-price wine bottles and no corkage fee. 1710 Queen St. W., 416-534-6700. Find out more »
86’D with Ivy Knight: This week, celebrate with the chefs from Soupstock, and enjoy a tasty night of pairing Acadian Sturgeon caviar with Stillwater vodka. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo Italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »
Burger Mondays: Enjoy $5 burgers and $5 pints on Mondays, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Gladstone Melody Bar. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635. Find out more »
Veggin’ Comfortably Workshop: Marni Wasserman demonstrates how easy it can be to switch over to a more veg-friendly lifestyle. Menu includes butternut squash, lentil and coconut soup, arame soba noodle salad, marinated kaleslaw salad and black bean burgers. Marni’s Kitchen, 26 Lauderdale Dr., 647-477-8131. Find out more »
Sustainable Living and Ethical Eating—Cooking With a Conscience: Learn simple tips for a greener, guilt-free kitchen. The menu includes leek and golden beet barley risotto with spicy kale chips and whole roasted organic chicken infused. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »
Luscious Greens and Grains: Chef and cookbook author Nettie Cronish prepares tasty and nutritious leafy green and grain dishes. Menu includes pot barley split pea soup with Shiitake mushrooms, spinach and dill and hot and sour buckwheat noodle salad. Kingsway LCBO, 2946 Bloor St. W., 416-239-3065. Find out more »

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Food Events

September 15, 2012 | 10:30 am

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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for September 17 to 23

Join Ben Heaton at the Canadian Beer News dinner at the Grove on Tuesday (Image: Renée Suen)

Monday, September 17

86’D With Ivy Knight: Eat, swap and buy preserved goods, and learn about home preserving from Sarah B. Hood, author of Sure We Can, who will be available to answer all your canning questions. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo Italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »
Preserving the Harvest: Chef Paula Bambrick focuses on different preserving methods, using mostly local ingredients to prepare sweet and savoury specialties like wild blueberry jam, cranberry-raspberry chutney, pickled wild mushrooms and rosemary dipping oil. Kingsway LCBO, 2946 Bloor St. W., 416-239-3065. Find out more »
Rock the Danforth—Pub Crawl: Part of the third annual Toronto Beer Week, Troy Burtch of Great Lakes Brewing Co., along with Sam Corbeil of Sawdust City Brewing and Cass Enright, founder of The Bar Towel and Brewers Backyard, will lead a pub crawl along the Danforth, stopping at five of the neighbourhood’s favourite spots. Starts at 417 Restaurant and Lounge, 417 Danforth Ave. Find out more »
Highland Park Whisky-Tasting Series: Join Highland Park ambassador Marc Laverdiere at The Caledonian for an exclusive whisky tasting. All proceeds go to support the Canadian National Trust for Scotland. The Caledonian, 856 College St., 416-547-9827. Find out more »

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Food Events

August 18, 2012 | 10:30 am

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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for August 20 to 26

Foodies on Foot leads a culinary tour of Roncesvalles on Saturday (Image: Danielle Scott from the Torontolife.com Flickr pool)

Monday, August 20

Dinner at the Bellevue: Chef Robbie Hojilla, formerly of Woodlot and Ursa, cooks a five-course, modern Filipino–inspired feast. $35. The Bellevue, 61A Bellevue Ave., 647-340-8224. Find out more »
86’D With Ivy Knight: A preview of Savour Stratford, with complimentary samples from Château des Charmes, Mill St. Brewery, Mercer Hall, Rene’s Bistro and Monforte Dairy. A flight of cocktails showcasing Stratford mixologists will also be available. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »

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Food Events

June 23, 2012 | 10:30 am

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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for June 25 to July 1

On Wednesday, Le Dolci hosts a Mommy and Me cupcake class (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)

Monday, June 25

86’D With Ivy Knight: Cool down and enjoy a sundae bar with Boreal gelato. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
Jamie Kennedy’s Local Food Movement Dinner: Enjoy an early summer menu accompanied and inspired by Niagara’s Pondview Estate Winery. This gastronomic series features hors d’oeuvres and a four-course meal of seasonal goodness. Gilead, 4 Gilead Pl., 647-288-0680. Find out more »
Candy-Making Seminar: Stephanie Duong of Keo Confiserie (who once worked at a three-star Michelin restaurant in France) instructs you in the delicate art of candy-making. Hosted by The Cookbook Store. Rosemill Kitchen Studio, 1 Yorkville Ave., 416-920-2665. Find out more »
Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly Aperitivo Italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »
Summer Pasta Making: Join chefs Scott Savoie and Shahir Massoud (Lupa, Teatro) for an all-encompassing pasta-making lesson that starts with dough and ends with sauce. Culinary Adventures Company, 201 Weston Rd., suite 101, 416-565-1730. Find out more »
The Slice is Right: Chef Paula Bashford lets her class in on the secrets to making delicious summer pies. Those secrets will include different dough recipes and techniques and the mysteries of flavour pairings. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »

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Openings

May 24, 2012 | 12:09 pm

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Introducing: The Chickery, the new roast chicken joint from David Adjey and Danny Farbman

Co-owners of The Chickery: David Adjey and Danny Farbman

The Chickery opened in early May, seeking to bring yet another lunch option to the hoards of creative-types working in and around the Spadina and King West junction. Behind the QSR (quick-service restaurant, i.e. fast-food joint) are Food Network chef David Adjey (Restaurant Makeover, Nectar) and Danny Farbman, whose latest (and fanciest) What-A-Bagel location is in the same building. The space was done up by Sodi Designs and features two long high-top communal tables, a handful of banquettes and an open kitchen—where you might just see Adjey behind the fryer if you’re lucky.

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Food Events

April 28, 2012 | 10:30 am

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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for April 30 to May 6

Toronto Underground Market and Food Trucks Eats join forces for the sold-out Street Food Block Party on Saturday (Images: Caroline Aksich, Renée Suen)

Monday, April 30

Cocina Mexicana: A hands-on lesson in authentic Mexican cooking, just in time to hone your skills for Cinco de Mayo. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »
Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »
86’D: Ivy Knight hosts a guacamole battle royale; bring your best guac and see how it stacks up. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
FoodShare’s Kate Kitchen: A monthly gathering where women fighting breast cancer can share recipes, learn how to prepare healthy meals and learn about cancer-fighting foods. 90 Croatia St., foodlink@foodshare.net. Find out more »
Jamie Kennedy’s Evening of Spanish Gastronomy: José Luis Altristain from the Commercial Office of Spain will lead a tasting demonstrating how the vintage of olive oil affects the flavour, followed by a four-course meal with wine pairings. Gilead Bistro, 4 Gilead Pl., 647-288-0680. 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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Food Events

March 10, 2012 | 10:30 am

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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for March 12 to 18

Martin Picard will be cooking a five-course tasting menu at Canoe on Sunday to promote his new cookbook, Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack (Image: Marie-Claude St-Pierre)

Monday, March 12

Society for American Wines: Cabernet blends formal tasting. University of Toronto Faculty Club, 41 Willcocks St., 416-978-6325. Find out more »
86’D: Join Ivy Knight for the premiere of Top Chef Canada 2012. With special guest chef Todd Perrin from season one. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
March Break: Kids Cooking Camp: A week of globally inspired cooking classes for little foodies. St. Lawrence Market, 92 Front St. E., 416-392-7120. 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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Food TV

November 11, 2011 | 11:03 am

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VIDEO: Watch Marge dream about Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay (from Sunday’s foodie episode of the Simpsons)

Food bloggers of the world are bracing themselves for this Sunday’s episode of The Simpsons, wherein Marge becomes a food blogger with a little help from Lisa and Bart, leaving Homer, perhaps the world’s best-known animated food enthusiast, out in the lurch. The clips of “The Food Wife” that have been released by Fox show the Three Mouthketeers (yes, that’s what they call the blog) salivating over such delicacies as pine needle sorbet and a deconstructed caesar salad served in four test tubes. The episode also features cameos and animated appearances from scads of food celebs, including Gordon Ramsay, Mario Batali, Julia Child, the Swedish Chef (yes, that one) and Anthony Bourdain, who appears in Marge’s dream at a Singapore street food market and describes himself as “food bad boy Tony Bourdain.” Expect lots of squirming out loud and flashes of self-awareness on Twitter starting at around 8 p.m. on Sunday night.

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Restaurants

November 9, 2011 | 10:44 am

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Mario Batali predicts a Toronto location of Eataly within the next 10 years

In a recent interview with The Daily Meal, Mario Batali reignited simmering hopes that Eataly, the chain of grocery mega-emporia whose New York launch last year was rapturously received, would eventually make its way to Toronto. When asked about expansion plans, he told Ali Rosen:

Well there’ll probably be five in the next 10 years. I wouldn’t be surprised if Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Toronto and Mexico City opened pretty much in any order of those four.

Let’s hope Toronto is at the top of that order.

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Food Events

April 1, 2011 | 12:17 pm

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Gwyneth Paltrow and Ruth Reichl rumoured to be heading up new food mag and Web site (respectively)

Gwyneth Paltrow at this year’s Oscars (Image: WEBN-TV)

Foodies woke up yesterday to the prospect of a pair of big new culinary publications headed by two very familiar names: Gwyneth Paltrow and Ruth Reichl. Paltrow, of course, has her hands in a plethora of pots—from music to blogging to the occasional acting gig—but rumour has it that she may be preparing to delve into the food magazine business, backed by the Hearst Corporation.

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Restaurants

May 25, 2010 | 2:03 pm

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Eataly coming to Toronto? Rumours swirl amid explained puns and subtle cultural insensitivity

The entrance of Eataly in Milan (Image: singingbeagle)

Oscar Farinetti was in town this weekend, scouting possible locations and looking for a financial partner to help him open Canada’s first location of Eataly. Started in Turin, Eataly is a chain of Italian food grocery meccas. With locations in New York, Japan and, of course, Italy, the shopping phenomenon focuses on education, local products, quality food retail and dining (the Manhattan location counts Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich among its partners). Farinetti wonders which is a better location for his store: Montreal or Toronto?

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Random Stuff

January 18, 2010 | 9:35 am

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Rapper would eat pterodactyl in defiance of PETA, Iron Chef scandal at the White House, Guy Fieri gets NBC show

• Some commenters believe that the recent White House–themed episode of Iron Chef was rigged with fake vegetables. The items Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay frantically picked from the White House garden were not the ones actually used during the cooking segment of the show. The Food Network explains that the production delay between White House filming and Kitchen Stadium (located in New York) necessitated the use of replacement veggies. If reality TV can lie about vegetables, does this mean that Jersey Shore could be trumped up, too? [Colbert Report]

• Kelis, the rapper whose milkshake famously brought all those boys to the yard, directs a MySpace blog post at PETA, which had written her a personalized letter about her love of fur. In the response, she is unapologetic about her pelt fetish and describes how she salivates over meat. The funniest moment is when she indicates that she would “eat pterodactyl if you found some and you told me it was meaty and delicious.” [MySpace]

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