Toronto is in the midst of a serious ramen fixation, so it’s only fitting that the latest food event from the trend-savvy Food Truck Eats producers is Slurp Noodlefest, which takes place at The Great Hall on March 3. The roster of chefs includes pop-up regulars like Adam Hynam-Smith of El Gastrónomo Vagabundo and Nick Liu of the still-not-open GwaiLo, as well as representatives from more rarified kitchens, like Splendido’s Victor Barry and Richmond Station’s Carl Heinrich. Expect various takes on pho, ramen and other assorted noodle dishes, all priced in the $5–$10 range (there’s also a $10 entry fee). Amsterdam Brewery, Tromba Tequila and the buzzy new Dillon’s Distillery from Niagara will be serving the libations. Buy tickets »
All stories relating to Tromba Tequila
The Stop Night Market fundraiser to take over Honest Ed’s Alley
Even if scores of buzzing foodies crowding into the narrow alleyway at Honest Ed’s is not your idea of a fun night out, you should still check out the all-flashing, day-glo, carny-tastic website that The Stop has set up for the Night Market, a $50-a-pop fundraiser featuring food and drink served out of custom-made stalls. The stacked list of vendors includes both Generals (Brockton and County), Cowbell, Delica, GwaiLo, Paulette’s Chicken and Donuts, SupiCucu, The Grove, Ursa, Yours Truly, Grace, Woodlot and many more, and beverages will be provided by Great Lakes Brewery, Lake of Bays Brewing, Muskoka Brewery, Steam Whistle, Still Waters Distillery and Tromba Tequila. The event takes place June 20, from 7–11 p.m. Utterly unsurprisingly, there are now less than 50 tickets left. [The Stop’s Night Market]
Street Food Block Party recap: a night of food trucks, lobster rolls and very enthusiastic eaters
(Image: Caroline Aksich)
In a line that snaked around the Evergreen Brick Works, well over 3,000 street food enthusiasts waited patiently for the first ever mash-up of Food Truck Eats and the Toronto Underground Market: the Street Food Block Party. The keeners at the front of the line counted down, and at five on the nose they raced into the venue trying to hit crowd favourites such as La Carnita, which has been known to draw lines with hour-long waits.
Read the rest of this entry »
Introducing: SpiritHouse, King West’s new home for cocktail nerds
Brad Gubbins behind the bar, pouring a Toronto cocktail (Image: Gizelle Lau)
SpiritHouse, which opened last week, aims to bring a little cocktail cred to King West, a neighbourhood that’s often better known for the quantity rather than the quality of the booze consumed. A “spirit” bar rather than just a cocktail bar, SpiritHouse boasts a 400+ bottle selection, one of the largest in the city, including the Canadian Tag Vodka, Victoria Gin and Tromba Tequila. It’s also founded by Len Fragomeni, of the Toronto Institute of Bartending (they operate out of the same building at Portland and Adelaide), which means it’s quickly becoming the place to go for a thorough cocktail education.
Read the rest of this entry »
Two looks at the Canadian craft spirits “boomlet”
The Distillery District’s large-scale booze output may be a relic of the past, but across Canada, small-time craft distillers are intoxicating hooch lovers both locally and abroad. An article in the Globe and Mail today highlighted some of those distillers’ successes. Out east, Prince Edward Distillery gin earned 92 points (the same score as Bombay Sapphire) from Chicago’s Beverage Testing Institute, an independent lab that ranks alcoholic beverages. And the distillery’s potato-based vodka won gold at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, beating out top-name brands like Chopin, Skyy and Stolichnaya Red. Closer to home, Post City ran a story this week on Tequila Tromba, the new-ish tequila from Toronto’s Eric Brass, which is currently the only independent tequila available on the general list at the LCBO (it also makes for a great “La Hoja” cocktail). Tromba is spreading like wildfire, showing up at places like Brassaii, Boehmer, Cold Tea, The Drake, Pravda, The Thompson, Yours Truly and 416 Snack Bar. And of course there’s the Ontario Spring Water Sake Company down in the Distillery District, and the Concord-based Still Waters, which brews small batches of vodka. Still, despite what the Globe and Mail calls a “boomlet,” the craft-spirits renaissance is a tough racket. The domestic market is flooded by foreign-owned giants, and it can be tough to get listed by provincial liquor monopolies. Profit margins in the boutique booze business are small, and owners often have to keep other day jobs to stay afloat. [Globe and Mail] [Post City]
