After a surprisingly contentious three-hour debate, city council has decided to give Hero Certified Burgers the contract for the new snack bar space in the refurbished Nathan Phillips Square. Some councillors, including Paul Ainslie and Adam Vaughan, argued, reasonably enough, that the “gateway” to City Hall should have something more spectacular than a mere burger franchise, and pushed instead for a partnership with a culinary school. On the other side were mayor Rob Ford and his allies, who argued, also reasonably enough, that councillors shouldn’t meddle in a competitive bid process, which Hero had already won. City Hall has also awarded a contract to caterer Cashew and Clive to operate a concession stand during skating season, and will soon accept bids for a larger café space nearby, which is likely to set off another round of recriminations. After all, the city doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to picking food vendors. [Toronto Star]
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Hero Burger is going to run the new snack bar at Nathan Phillips Square
Street Style: 18 looks at the ice skaters at Nathan Phillips Square
For us, “ice skating outfit” conjures images of vintage muffs, skating dresses and Johnny Weir’s outrageous get-ups. Even though nobody in the swirl of circling ice skaters at Nathan Phillips Square was quite that fancy, we couldn’t help but admire the crowd anyway. There were cute and cozy accessories, many patriotic touches, bright colours, and, best of all, huge smiles. Sometimes looking great is about a discerning eye, unique garments and killer shoes—and sometimes it’s just about having fun. Even when you wipe out.
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 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 »
The Weekender: Soupstock, Cat Power and six other events on our to-do list
The Normal Heart returns to Buddies in Bad Times this week (Image: John Karastamatis)
1. SOUPSTOCK
In the wake of last year’s wildly successful Foodstock, over 200 chefs from across Canada—among them, Susur Lee, Anthony Walsh, J.P. Challet and Jamie Kennedy, Aaron Joseph Bear Robe and just about every other famous Toronto chef you’ve ever heard of—are gathering, spoon held high, at Woodbine Park to protest the Melancthon Mega-Quarry. The event is BYOBAS (bring your own bowl and spoon) and will take place rain or shine, so come prepared—though a poncho might be a good idea anyway if you’re prone to spills. All funds go to the Canadian Chefs’ Congress and the David Suzuki Foundation. October 21. $10 for 3 servings. Woodbine Park, Lake Shore Blvd. E. and Coxwell Ave., soupstock.ca
Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for October 8 to 14
Magnus Nilsson, whose Fäviken has been called “the most daring restaurant in the world,” is at the Cookbook Store on Thursday (Image: Bruno Cordioli)
Monday October 8
- Monday Night Dinners at Local Kitchen and Wine Bar: Every Monday night, Local Kitchen serves up 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 »
- Brewer’s Backyard—Torontoberfest: Brewer’s Backyard celebrates Oktoberfest for their final event of the year. Wvrst will be serving up their tasting sausages alongside beer from Beau’s. Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave. 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 to 8 p.m. at the Gladstone Melody Bar. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635. Find out more »
Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for October 1 to 7
Shuck U: Oyster 101 takes place at Hooked on Wednesday (Image: Gabriel Li)
Monday, October 1
- 86’D With Ivy Knight: This week, a “twisted foodie adventure” with Rodney Dangerfood, plus reinvention of the cosmo by GwaiLo cocktail queen Christina Kuypers. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
- Monday Night Dinners at Local Kitchen and Wine Bar: Every Monday night, Local Kitchen serves up a $40 prix fixe menu of their Italian fare with half-price wine bottles and no corkage fee. 1710 Queen St. W., 416-534-6700. 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 to 8 p.m. at the Gladstone Melody Bar. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635. Find out more »
- Grocery Innovations Canada 2012: Exhibitors and delegates from all over the country gather to discuss their plans for the coming year and the top trends that will hit aisles in 2013. October 1 and 2. Metro Convention Centre, 255 Front St. W. Find out more »
Nuit Blanche 2012 guide: our top 20 picks for Toronto’s seventh annual all-night art crawl
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This Saturday, September 29, hordes of art lovers, all-purpose revellers and the generally curious will take to downtown for the seventh iteration of Nuit Blanche. The fun kicks off just as the sun goes down (7:03 p.m. this year), and continues until the sun rises the next morning (and if past years are anything to go by, the crowds will stay strong into the wee, wee hours). Essential provisions for the night: warm clothing (or better, layers), a little sustenance (liquid or otherwise) and this guide of the top 20 things to see, in which we translate the oft-baffling art-speak used to describe the various projects into plain old English. This year, the fest is divided into four areas: City Hall, Zone A (downtown south and west), Zone B (central downtown) and Zone C (east of downtown).
See all our picks, starting with City Hall »
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 »
Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for September 10 to 16
The chef from Copenhagen’s Kiin Kiin, the only Thai restaurant with a Michelin star, is coming to Yours Truly on Wednesday (Image: cyclonebill)
Monday September 10
- 86’D With Ivy Knight: TIFF Overdrive edition. Join the crew from Fidel Gastro’s as they film an episode of Rebel Without a Kitchen. 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 »
- Feast in the East: Chef Maggie Grant demystifies Asian home cooking with a variety of simple, healthy recipes in this hands-on workshop. Menu includes miso scallops with cilantro slaw, Malaysian noodle stir-fry, Panang curry with coconut rice and banana fritters with coconut-lime ice cream. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »
Tuesday September 11
- Escape the City—Canoe and Beach Dining Adventure: Paddle to the island with the Culinary Adventure Company for a gourmet beach picnic. 416-565-1730. Find out more »
- Food Fables from the Spice Routes: Join Smita and Sanjeev Chandra to explore how spices transformed the cuisines of the countries through which they were carried. Menu includes chicken satay skewers with peanut sambal dip (Thailand), cucumber salad (Indonesia), Malaysian chicken curry served with nasi goreng (Singapore) and stir-fried cabbage with curry leaves and coconut (India). Kingsway LCBO, 2946 Bloor St. W., 416-239-3065. Find out more »
- Star-Struck Menu: In celebration of TIFF, chef Domenic Chiaromonte presents dishes honouring the favourite foods of celebrities. Menu includes Meryl Streep eggplant soufflé, Robert De Niro seared black cod with soba noodles, George Clooney chaya steak and Morgan Freeman key lime pie. LCBO Summerhill, 10 Scrivener Sq., 416-922-0403. Find out more »
The Long Weekender: Public Enemy, Brazilian Day and six other events on our to-do list
The Lemon Bucket Orkestra performs at the Ashkenaz Festival on Sunday (Image: Ashkenaz Festival)
1. ASHKENAZ FESTIVAL
The Ashkenaz Festival is the largest international festival of Jewish music and culture in North America—so it sort of makes sense that it takes place only every other year. The festivities kicked off earlier this week, but there’s still plenty in store for the weekend: expect performances from the likes of The Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Toronto Jewish Folk Choir, Socalled and Shye Ben Tzur. On Sunday, Toronto’s Sharon Hampson and Bram Morrison (two-thirds of Sharon, Lois and Bram) will be on hand to perform their classic earworm “Skinnamarink” as well as “Oy Vey, Oy Vey” and “I’m a Little Latke” (sadly, no word yet on whether Toronto’s other great Jewish sensation will be in attendance). The festival culminates in a massive parade Monday afternoon (those gifted with musical ability can head to the pre-parade lesson to learn the tunes and take part in the festivities). To September 3. Various prices (some events free). Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W., 416-973-4000, ashkenazfestival.com
2. CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL AIR SHOW Read the rest of this entry »
You can probably catch a glimpse of this admittedly noisy but incredibly impressive display of aircraft prowess from afar, but the best views are from the CNE grounds or the VIP ticketed guest enclosures. The show will go on, rain or shine. September 1-September 3. Various prices (free with admission to The Ex). At the waterfront, south of Bandshell Park. cias.org
Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for August 27 to September 2
Outstanding in the Field comes to Whitty Farms on Wednesday (Image: Jeremy Fenske)
Monday August 27
- 86’D With Ivy Knight: A special 86’D at the Drake’s Sky Yard, celebrating the pairing of chardonnay with corn. Sample Rosehall Run’s chardonnay alongside grilled corn dipped in the Drake’s selection of fine butters. 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 »
- Summer Pasta Making: Join chefs Scott Savoie and Shahir Massoud and learn how to make, sauce, and store the best fresh pasta, including various noodles (tagliatelle, fettuccine), stuffed pasta shapes (agnolotti, ravioli, tortellini) and the softest potato gnocchi you’ll ever try. 201 Weston Rd., suite #101, 416-565-1730. Find out more»
- Cooking for Cooks: Jamie Kennedy pays tribute to those who do service with a three-course dinner for industry folk (although non-industry types can come too). Gilead Cafe, 4 Gilead Pl., 647-288-0680. Find out more »
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 »
Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for August 13 to 19
The Stop’s Beer Garden takes place on Sunday (Image: Natalie Swiercz)
Monday August 13
- Foraging Tour and Dinner: Join Tama Matsuoka Wong and Evergreen on an intimate foraging talk and tour in the ravines surrounding the Evergreen Brick Works, followed by a prix fixe dinner at Café Belong featuring recipes from Wong’s new book, Foraged Flavor. Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave., 416-901-8234. Find out more »
- Grillin’ and Chillin’ barbecue cooking class and pig roast: Learn to barbecue like a pro with pitmaster Jason Rees of the renowned Pork Ninjas Barbecue Team and the Culinary Adventure Company. Fuel House, 53 Clinton St., 416-565-1730. Find out more »
- 86’D With Ivy Knight: Watch the salsa fly at the third annual mexi-battle. Taste and vote for your favourite salsa king or queen, and then enjoy some unique snacks from Rodney Dangerfood (three Drake cooks). 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 »
Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for August 6 to 12
This weekend, Taste of the Danforth takes over Greektown (Image: Norris Wong)
Monday, August 6
- Gladstone Culinary Tour—Koreatown: Join Gladstone executive chef Michael Smith for his monthly celebration of Toronto’s cultural diversity. Four-course menu with wine pairings. The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635. Find out more »
- 86’D With Ivy Knight: Celebrate wild Quebec blueberries with a Maker’s Mark bourbon cocktail and blueberry hand pies by the Drake’s Stephen Prickett and Marc Mendonca. 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 »
