Food Junkie Chronicles

Boxed at Happy Child

2013-06-18T16:37:00.000-04:00

After a year-long hiatus and his brief run as head chef at Leslieville's wine bar Skin + Bones, chef Matthew Sullivan (@GastroMatthew) returns to Boxed (Twitter: @BoxedToronto, Facebook: BOXED), a pop-up dinner series launched by Sullivan himself two years ago.

Boxed's latest dinner took place on June 3rd & 4th at the Queen West bar Happy Child (Twitter: @happychildbar, Facebook: Happy Child) and at $70 per head, guests were served a Taiwanese-style, locally-sourced six-course meal alongside drink pairings.

Similar to the supper club's previous events, tickets to this Boxed dinner were sold online with the event's location revealed through email a couple of days prior.

Courses that night were paired with a selection of cocktails and Ontario VQA wines chosen by Sullivan.

Here's what we had:

Beef tartar with XO sauce

Shumai - Shrimp cream, dried scallop and pork consomme, foie gras mousse

Salmon belly with fried rice, maple syrup and foie gras

Beef and fermented mushroom broth with toasted noodles, beef tendon and black cod

Oysters with fermented mushroom vinegar topped with scallions

Fried tofu with smoked pepper mayo, seaweed, smelts, shishito peppers and burnt honey

Lake Erie perch on lobster congee with BC side stripes and fried shallot

Charred then slow cooked beef cheek in XO sauce served on steamed Asian greens

Torched custard, stewed strawberries, tapioca and doughnuts

Chef Sullivan, who has staged at Din Tai Fung in Taipei last year, really showed his love for Asian cuisine at this Boxed dinner (Din Tai Fung, best known for their xiaolongbao, is an award-winning restaurant in Taiwan.) Sullivan incorporated many popular ingredients used in Asian cooking that I am very familiar with (and love!) such as XO sauce, various types of dried seafood, congee, as well as beef cheeks and beef tendons. Highlights for me that night were Sullivan's clever use of XO sauce in the beef tartare - it was one clean and tasty bite! A great start to the evening. I really enjoyed the perfectly cooked noodles too, and as for the beef and mushroom fermented broth? WOW. It was so fragrant and strong in flavour...it was almost like.... natural MSG :) The spicy, fried tofu topped with a crunchy medley of peanuts, seaweed, smelts and a light drizzle of pepper mayo was delightful. The incorporation of congee with the Lake Erie perch was very unique and creative. Even the dessert, made by Happy Child's co-owner and chef Fan Zhang, continued with the night's Asian theme by pairing tapioca to the ever-so-popular doughnut snack.

Get on the Boxed mailing list by emailing info@boxedtoronto.com and make sure you follow @BoxedToronto on Twitter for the latest updates.

Related Posts:

Boxed Toronto Dinner at Bruda

Skin + Bones: a la carte

Skin + Bones: Tasting

Father's Day at JaBistro

2013-06-18T10:26:00.000-04:00

I took my parents to JaBistro on Saturday night to celebrate Father's Day. We sat at the sushi bar because:

1) My parents have never, ever, ate at the bar before at any restaurant; and

2) When you order kyukyoku at JaBistro's sushi bar, each piece of sushi is served individually, one after another.

SASHIMI PLATTER (WITH LOBSTER)

MISO SOUP

KYUKYOKU - ULTIMATE FRESH PIECES

PARFAIT - TIRAMISU, BERRIES, TIRAMISU ICE CREAM

"Dinner at JaBistro is easily the best we have had in Toronto" - My Dad :)

Related Posts:

JaBistro Lunch

JaBistro Dinner

Nome Izakaya

2013-06-17T16:39:00.000-04:00

Restaurants outside downtown Toronto are not my forte. Nothing against them but there's just not enough of ME to go around (I also blame the stupid traffic, can't get anywhere at a decent time.) It would be perfect if I can replicate myself - I would love to have one "me" in downtown, another "me" in midtown / uptown (i.e. anything north of Eglinton), a third "me" in the west-end and also a fourth "me" that just stays home for my Mom's cooking. Heck, spread me around the world (ok that sounds weird) but imagine the possibilities! Think of all the hidden gems in the world, all the food you can stuff your face with! Incredible. *SIGH* A girl can dream, right? 'Cause yeah these are totally the things I dream about.

Sorry, I digress. Back to reality. Back to TORONTO.

My foodie friend Alex (@tsangzillavs) introduced me to Nome Izakaya a couple of weeks back. Nome, on Yonge just north of Sheppard, is practically Alex's second home (helps that he lives two minutes away from it.) He's always there so this obviously peaked my interest. Izakaya? Midtown? Highly recommended by a fellow foodie? I'm down. Even if it meant driving (more like crawling) on the 401 doing 60 km/hr in the rain two Saturdays ago. OK I'm exaggerating. It wasn't that bad. But close enough.

From Nome's website:

"Nome Izakaya is a Japanese tapas restsaurant and lounge located at 4848 Yonge Street in Toronto. Specializing in the freshest sashimi delicacies and boasting the city's best oyster bar, Nome will surely impress you."

Once we sat down, I let Alex do all the ordering. It was a nice change :)

NIGORI SAKE ($19)

ONIKOROSHI JUNMAI ($35)

Which sake cup tickles your fancy?

OYSTERS

TAKOYAKI ($5.50)

Deep fried octopus ball served with tonkatsu sauce, mayo

TIGER SHRIMPS (EBI-MAYO) ($8.80)

Deep fried shrimp tempura with sweet chili mayo

MAGURO & AVOCADO TARTARE ($9.70)

Diced tuna sashimi and avocado, garlic oil, sea salt with a balsamic reduction sauce.

GRILLED BEEF TONGUE ($8.50)

Grilled beef tongue with green onion

WARA YAKI ($9.50)

Slightly seared salmon, smoked in house and served with sliced onion, sliced garlic and salt.

LOBSTER FANTASY ($18)

Deep fried lobster roll, cucumber, avocado topped with lobster salad. Served with grilled red pepper sauce (8pcs)

JAPA-BURGER ($8.80)

Nome's original homemade sliders made with sliced rib eye meat and topped with tomato, spring mix, onion, smokey bbq sauce and garlic seasoning

BAKED OYSTERS (KAKIMAYO) ($9.30)

Oven baked oyster with spinach cream sauce (4pcs)

DESSERT TRIO

Creme brulee, chocolate covered deep fried banana, taro ice cream

I can see why Nome is such a popular spot in the neighbourhood; the restaurant was packed by the time we left. It's no doubt a very happening place - it has a great, hip vibe - there's even a live DJ on Friday and Saturday nights. Nome is a place you go with a couple of friends for drinks, a few munchies - a good alternative for those nearby who doesn't want to make the trek downtown.

The food at Nome was decent. My favourites of the evening were the oysters, the ebi-mayo, the maguro & avocado tartare and the dessert trio (that taro ice cream is the best I've had.) The takoyaki and the kakimayo were a miss; both had too much filling and not enough octopus and oyster, respectively. The japa-burger was good but a bit more of that smokey bbq sauce would've been nice. The following point is not a big deal at all but aesthetically, I think it would be nice for Nome to switch it up with the plates once in awhile (they always used the long ones!) Just sayin' :D

Having said all that, if I lived in the area I would totally hit up Nome on Tuesdays for some $1 oysters! Check out some of their other amazing daily specials:

Monday - Japa-Burger + Saporro Pitcher = $20 OR Japa-Burger + Pint = $20

Tuesday + Wednesday - $1 Oysters

Thursday - Half Price Sangrias + $5 Cocktails

Friday - DJ Night + $5 Frozen Cocktails

Saturday - DJ Night + $3 Menu-Listed Shooters

Sunday - $1 Off Premium Oysters

The Winner of the sip & Savour Ontario Giveaway is...

2013-06-17T12:24:00.000-04:00

@AislingLady

Congratulations Emily! =D You have just won a ticket to sip & Savour taking place on Wednesday, June 19th at 7:30 pm at Toronto's Distillery Historic District's Fermenting Cellar! Please email me at foodjunkiechronicles@gmail.com with your first and last name and we'll go from there :)

And thanks to all the contestants who participated in the contest.

Here's a snapshot of the Excel spreadsheet where I tracked the #foodieyucontest hashtag from day one of the contest (if you don't see your tweet in the hashtag stream, it means there is no entry from you. Sorry. Read this to find out the possible reasons why your tweets are not showing up.) The tracking was done in chronological order, as in, #1 was the first person to enter the contest. To enter, the person has to tweet "Hey @foodieyu I want to win a ticket worth $85 to @sipandsavouron! #sipandsavour http://bit.ly/12GKIoK #foodieyucontest". Each person may tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Once the contest was over and everybody's entries were accounted for, I checked to see if they follow me on Twitter.

After verifying, I used "True Random Number Generator" from random.org to pick three winners from the 51 entries.

The Prince Edward Island Cook-Off Challenge

2013-06-15T14:21:00.000-04:00

With rolling hills, long white sand beaches, red sandstone cliffs and ocean coves, Prince Edward Island has a reputation as a province of lush landscape and magnificent natural beauty. Aside from being Canada's largest producer of potatoes, the small island thanks to its long coast line, also boosts an abundance of fresh fish and a variety of shellfish such as lobsters, oysters and mussels. Incredible. I love seafood. And did you know that last year, Zagat ranked PEI as one of its eight top off-the-beaten-track locations in the world? PEI, the only location named in Canada, was ranked second in a list of eight dining locations all over the world from Cornwall, England, to Vieques, Puerto Rico, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is very impressive guys. I know my heart skipped a beat upon finding that out... I now want to book a culinary trip to PEI pronto!

A very close second to actually being in PEI was the opportunity to be one of four judges for the Prince Edward Island Cook-Off Challenge on Tuesday (#TasteofPEI). Held at Mildred's Temple Kitchen, students of four culinary schools from across Ontario went head-to-head in a culinary competition using fresh ingredients from PEI and foraged ingredients like fiddleheads, dulse, cattails and spruce shoots.

Michael Smith, Prince Edward Island's food ambassador and celebrity chef, was the host of the PEI Cook-Off Challenge. Chef Michael Smith is one of Canada's best-known chefs and is a passionate advocate for simple, sustainable home cooking. He is the host of Chef Micheals Kitchen, Chef Abroad, Chef at Home and Chef at Large seen on Food Network Canada.

Before the competition, guests indulged in delicious oysters and appetizers made from local and foraged ingredients from PEI such as:

- Oysters

- Chilled pea puree with lobster, shrimp and crab cakes

- Green tea and fennel infused salmon with a fennel and citrus slaw, mussels, seared beef and mashed potatoes

- Strawberry and rhubarb soup

There was also an assortment of beautiful cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Robert Ferguson of Tourism PEI

Here is an introduction from each of the four students:

Keith Hubbard, Lorelei Simbulan, Trevlor Littlejohn, Chrystalla Papachristou

THE COOK-OFF CHALLENGE: HOW IT WORKS

1) Each student is to create an appetizer that includes all of the following PEI ingredients:

Beef, mussels and potatoes

2) The appetizer must also include a minimum of two of the following foraged ingredients:

Fiddleheads, dulse, cattails and spruce shoots

3) Students have 30 minutes to prep, cook and plate their appetizers.

4) The appetizers were judged on:

Taste: 40%

Use of PEI Ingredients: 30%

Creativity and Presentation: 30%

What an intense competition. Cooking against the clock is no easy task.

Watch as Michael Smith counts down the final 60 seconds!

THE JUDGING PANEL (left to right)

Irene Ngo (@IreneNgo), Assistant Food Editor of Chatelaine,
Me (@foodieyu)
Jamie Drummond of Good Food Revolution (@GoodFoodRev)
Michael Smith (@chefmichaelsmth)

(Photo credit: Instagram - @herbanknight)

THE COMPETING APPETIZERS

Trevor Littlejohn, Niagara College, Culinary Management (recent graduate)

Sesame grilled strip loin with spruce shoots and Sriracha served with a fiddlehead and

potato puree, carrot and green apple citrus slaw with bacon, sticky soy and beer

braised mussels and topped with dulse potato hickory sticks.

Lorelei Simbulan, Liaison College, Chef de Cuisine Program

Pan seared medallion of beef seasoned with salt, pepper and spruce shoots served

over Dijon and chive mashed potatoes with Panko and dusle mussels and a garlic

butter sauce.

Chrystalla Papachristou, Humber College, Culinary Management

Grilled strip loin steak marinated with spruce shoots and grape seed oil served with

fiddleheads sweetened with honey, orange juice and orange zest and potatoes

sautéed with mussels, coconut milk, a hint of cream and dulse, garnished with cattails

marinated in white wine vinegar and grape seed oil.

Keith Hubbard, Fanshawe College, Cook II Apprentice

Grilled strip loin with apple cider vinegar and smashed garlic served with fiddlehead,

spruce shoots and potato soup, apple and blue cheese mussels and crispy waffle

chips.

My goodness, judging is hard work. All four students did a terrific job and it was definitely a close call. However, there can only be one winner and after much deliberation - taking in consideration taste, use of PEI ingredients, creativity and presentation - we agreed that Lorelei executed her dish the best.

Congratulations Lorelei!

Excellent work. Kudos to all four students!

For more information on Prince Edward Island, please visit:

Tourism PEI

Prince Edward Island Culinary Adventures

Experience PEI

For all you foodies out there, make sure to check out Fall Flavours Festival happening in PEI from September 6-29. It's an amazing month-long event featuring an outstanding lineup of Food Network celebrities hosting a wide range of unique culinary experiences.

My New Hello Kitty Plush! [VIDEO]

2013-06-14T10:23:00.001-04:00

This is not a food-related video. Well, it is. Somewhat.

Hello Kitty Apparently Has a Reversible Plush Line Straight from Hell - Gizmodo

HAPPY FRIDAY! :)

sip & Savour Ontario Giveaway - CLOSED

2013-06-12T16:58:00.000-04:00

I'm giving away ONE ticket to sip & Savour Ontario!

Every year, Forefront Communications partners up with Houselink, a charitable organization dedicated to providing homes and local opportunities to people recovering from mental illness, to bring you sip & Savour Ontario. Now in its 9th year, sip & Savour Ontario continues to thrive in bringing locally grown gourmet cuisine with Ontario’s VQA wines to create an evening of indulgence at it's finest.

The event will be taking place at Toronto's Distillery Historic District’s Fermenting Cellar on Wednesday, June 19th from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm.

Experience Ontario's finest wines paired with local eats prepared by some of Toronto’s finest chefs:

Your winning ticket will include all food and wine at the event!

HOW TO ENTER

1) You MUST be following me (@foodieyu) on Twitter:

AND

2) Tweet the following sentence, exactly as shown, nothing before or after it:

Hey @foodieyu I want to win a ticket worth $85 to @sipandsavouron! #sipandsavour http://bit.ly/12GKIoK #foodieyucontest

*For your entry to be valid, you need to tweet the above sentence exactly as shown*

*You may tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Re-tweeting others do NOT count as a valid entry*

*Contest is tracked by the #foodieyucontest hashtag stream. If you don't see your tweet in the hashtag stream, it means there is no entry from you. Sorry. Read this to find out the possible reasons why your tweets are not showing up*

CONTEST DURATION

Contest starts on Wednesday, June 12th and ends on Monday, June 17th at 12PM.

One lucky winner will be chosen randomly from www.random.org and I will announce the winner shortly after on Monday, June 17th.

GOOD LUCK!!! ^_^

For additional details on sip & Savour Ontario, please visit:
http://sipandsavourontario.ca
https://www.facebook.com/pages/sip-Savour-Ontario/231808340190807
https://twitter.com/sipandsavouron

Being a Roving Twitter Reporter for Toronto Taste 2013

2013-06-11T13:50:00.000-04:00

GET TASTE READY

On Sunday, June 9th, the city’s finest chefs and celebrated beverage purveyors gathered at Toronto Taste in support of hunger relief in our community. Held at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Taste, now in its 23rd year, has raised over $9 million for Second Harvest, enough to provide over 23 million meals for adults, children and seniors. One ticket to Toronto Taste enables Second Harvest to rescue and deliver 500 meals.

For three years in a row, I've been an official Twitter Reporter for #TorontoTaste's social media team. I want to emphasize again just how honoured I feel every year to have the opportunity to take part in such an amazing event.

Part of my duty as a Twitter Reporter is to arrive at the event early,

So that I can find out what each station is serving.

Especially taking note of the vegetarian and gluten free options. Globe was serving a shrimp ceviche and a vegetarian ceviche (#TorontoTaste #veg)

Executive Chef Graham Pelley of e11even telling me about his BC spot prawn & cucumber dish.

Slicing up the porchetta at FRANK Restaurant.

You don't see this everyday. Truffles, LOTS of it, at the Buca station.

Before I knew it, guests were arriving. This means that it was time for me to EAT and TWEET! Similar to my previous Toronto Taste posts from 2011 and 2012, be prepared to do some intense scrolling from this point on :)

Chef Michael Smith of Sodexo Canada

I ended the night with tea since it's supposed to help with digestion and I needed help RIGHT AWAY! And to think I didn't even visit all the stations...

Alexa (@alexaclark), Anna (@flozer), Andrea (@TOfoodie) and Mark & Stacey (@TastingToronto), it's always a pleasure seeing / working with you guys! Till next year!

Being a Roving Twitter Reporter for Toronto Taste 2011

The Stockyards: Smokehouse and Larder

2013-06-08T15:28:00.001-04:00

Torontonians who love BBQ knows about The Stockyards, Tom Davis' modest BBQ joint on St.Clair West. If I can sum it up in one sentence, I would say that The Stockyards offers modern renditions of classic comfort food for all your BBQ cravings. Because whether it be a fried chicken over belgian waffles at 9am in the morning, a grab-and-go BBQ beef brisket sandwich for a quick lunch, or a big juicy Beast Style Burger or Butter Burger for dinner in front of the TV, The Stockyards has you covered (well besides Mondays when they are closed.) And if you ever find yourself in the mood for a "carnivorous binge", make sure you get your butt at the restaurant 5pm sharp on Tuesdays, Fridays or Sundays for their whole rack BBQ pork ribs and/or whole smoked chicken. Believe me, it is worth it and it will change your life.

Despite the fact that The Stockyards opened four years ago in 2009, their 48-hour brined and marinated fried chicken and authentic wood smoked Carolina style BBQ still attracts a lot of buzz:

Ranked #1 in blogTO's "Best Fried Chicken in Toronto" (Jan 2011)
Toronto Life's "Eight of Toronto's Best Joints for Fried Chicken" (Jun 2011)
Post City's "Toronto's Tastiest Fried Chicken" (Jul 2012)
Ranked #1 in blogTO's "Best BBQ in Toronto" (Apr 2013)

Ranked #1 in NOW Magazine's "Toronto's Top 5 BBQ Restaurants" (Jul 2012)

Ranked #1 in Toronto Life's "Five Best Barbecue Restaurants" (Oct 2011)

With only 1,500 square feet and 18 seats, The Stockyards (@thestockyards) is a tiny restaurant with wood ceilings and a long, open kitchen. Guests sitting at the bar has a view of the kitchen where they can watch their food being prepared. With The Stockyards' limited space, it is obvious why take-out is so popular.

Stockyards Fried Chicken Dinner ($14)

4 pcs. of Buttermilk marinated chicken served with fries, coleslaw, and hot sauce

Pulled Pork Sammy ($8)

Slow smoked, BBQ Sauce, slaw on a store bought squishy

BBQ Beef Brisket ($12)
Smoked beef brisket with Stockyards BBQ Sauce, garlic mayo and carm onions

I'm not sure if you know this but I have an affinity for food served in cast iron skillets! Regardless, the food at The Stockyards is awesome. To start off, the fried chicken was very tasty. First marinated in buttermilk then fried, its skin is well-seasoned, crispy and thin (although I prefer a thicker skin for fried chicken.) Underneath the skin lies juicy, moist chicken which is absolutely delicious by itself or with a dab of hot sauce. The pulled pork sandwich, piled high with fresh slaw on top of hickory smoked pork shoulder thoroughly slathered in a tangy BBQ sauce, was also wonderful. I enjoyed the BBQ beef brisket even more; the combination of the hickory smokiness of the beef brisket, the spicy and sticky BBQ sauce, finished with creamy garlic mayo and sweet caramelized onions was like heaven in my mouth. So succulent. So good.

With a no reservation policy, The Stockyards is one of the very few places in Toronto that I would actually line up for. This, in itself, speaks volumes.

Viamede Resort (Part II)

2013-06-07T12:24:00.001-04:00

After a much needed nap from the day's adventures, Cindy and I made our way to The Inn at Mount Julian, Viamede Resort's fine dining restaurant, for dinner. The Inn at Mount Julian boosts a cellar collection of 100 different wines, a 7-course gourmet tasting menu and seasonal dishes, house-cured charcuterie and items foraged directly on site.

The Inn at Mount Julian is one of the two oldest buildings on the Mount Julian property. Based on an 1873 survey and development plan, The Inn at Mount Julian was probably built some time between 1865 and 1875.

We were in beautiful room....

With a stunning view of the Kawarthas...

And a bottle of Riesling.

Life couldn't be much better at that moment...we were definitely two very happy ladies! And certainly made even happier after this 7-course dinner:

Focaccia made with semolina

Goat cheese mousse

Carrot and ginger soup

Heirloom tomatoes with bruleed chevre, pickled ramps.

Seared scallops with zucchini puree

House made pasta with duck egg, wild boar ragout and applewood smoked cheddar

Lemon sorbet with prosecco

Venison served with savoury chocolate reduction

Chai tea creme brulee

Pistachio tortino with saffron creme anglaise and ricotta gelato

This was an exquisite tasting menu. Using the freshest ingredients foraged on site, it is evident that executive chef Ken Van Mackelbergh lets nature inspire his cooking*. Chef Ken's simple yet classic presentation is also on point, complementing the fresh clean flavours found in all his plates. The salad of fresh heirloom tomatoes and pickled ramps, the perfectly seared scallops, and the venison, finished with a decadent chocolate drizzle, were all stellar dishes. Even the lemon sorbet with prosecco palette cleanser was outstanding! The chai tea creme brulee was the tastier dessert of the two; a thick, but not too thick, custard infused with fragrant chai tea, had a flawless hard caramel top and of course, a show-stopping flame to boot. An overall excellent meal which completely exceeded my expectations :)

The next morning, before heading back to Toronto, we stopped by the nearest Kawartha Dairy store for ice cream.

It didn't matter that we just finished a big breakfast nor that it wasn't even noon yet, we refuse to leave the Kawarthas without having Kawartha ice cream ice cream first!

I had such a fun and enjoyable weekend at Viamede! A big huge THANK YOU goes to Valerie Starchurski of Charming Media Inc. and Ben Samann of Viamede for making my stay so awesome.

*Matt Cowan will soon be replacing Ken Van Mackelbergh as Viamede's Executive Chef*
**This meal was complimentary. The opinions and views expressed on this post are my own**

Related Post:

Viamede Resort (Part I)

2013-06-05T13:36:00.004-04:00

WOOHOO! Weekend getaway! I've been looking forward to a weekend getaway since...since forever! I'm all for "escaping" the city from time to time. It's not that I don't like the city - I'm definitely a city girl and I love Toronto with all my heart - but I think everybody needs to physically remove themselves, if and when the opportunity arises, from the hustle and bustle of the city. I'm sure you all know that Toronto, although not quite as crazy as NYC, can be a bit overwhelming at times and therefore I think it is good for the mind, body, and soul to get out of town and recoup once in awhile, even for just a few days. Having said all that, imagine my excitement when I was asked whether I would be interested in a two-night stay at Viamede. Hm...YES?! PLEASE, AND THANK YOU! :D

So two Fridays ago, my friend Cindy and I left work a bit early for our "mini road trip" to Viamede. It was obviously not early enough since the traffic getting out of downtown was TERRIBLE. However, all that was soon forgotten when we arrived at Viamede. It also helped that we passed by a huge snapping turtle crossing the road just minutes before arriving at the resort (I seriously contemplated stopping and turning the car around to take a picture but I didn't, and I totally regret it.) But I was happy 'cause If seeing a snapping turtle crossing the road is not an indication that we are no longer in the city, I don't know what is.

The Viamede Resort (Twitter: @Viamede, Facebook: Viamede Resort), just 30 minutes north of Peterborough, is nestled in the woods on the north shore of Stoney Lake, one of Ontario's most beautiful lakes. Viamede features over 50 rooms and private rental cottages, three restaurants and a full service spa. We stayed in one of Viamede's 19 waterfront Kawartha cottages. Our traditional log style cabin was fully equipped with a kitchen, TV, A/C, BBQ and coffeemaker. Cindy and I had our own bedrooms too.

Just steps from our cabin is this beautiful view of Stoney Lake.

We headed over to The Boathouse Pub, Stoney Lake's oldest pub, for a casual dinner. It's a great place for beers, snacks, burgers and sandwiches (I heart their onion rings!)

We called it a night shortly after dinner, around 10pm or so. I know it's sad. I blame it on having to work during the day, driving through crazy traffic, the huge portions of food and the pint of cider at The Boathouse (I'm obviously in denial about getting old and my inability to stay up late.)

Anyway after a good nights rest, we woke up early next morning for complimentary breakfast at 1885.

Located in the main dining room of Viamede, 1885 features a steakhouse at night and is where weddings and other events are hosted. In the morning, 1885 serves a breakfast buffet that includes scrambled eggs, bacon, farmer's sausage, pancakes / French toast, juices, cereals and other daily specials. And in case you were wondering: yes, below is the dining room where we had breakfast...overlooking the lake :)

Photo credit: Viamede

After breakfast, Cindy and I both got really sleepy so we went back to our cabin and napped for a couple of hours. We are such pigs but

THIS IS THE LIFE!

We were finally ready to explore the resort grounds around noon. But first, check out this gorgeous view. Although it's never gonna be the same as BEING there, I thought a video would be better than a photo...

The marina.

Complimentary activities at the marina includes: canoes & kayaks, stand-up paddle boards & hydro bikes, road bikes, tennis & badminton & beach volleyball, horseshoes & shuffleboard and assorted sport equipment. Boat rentals are also available which includes 2013 bowriders, pontoon boats and fishing boats.

People fishing....

Instead of water sports, we opted for the nature trails.

At the trails, taking in the fresh air and enjoying all that nature has to offer.

A massive 400 year-old Viking Oak Tree. The picture does not do it justice.

Viamede's working farm. The farm started in 2011 with Indian Runner & Muscovy ducks, several Tamworth pigs and a solitary turkey. In 2012, more turkeys and ducks were added along with an herbs and root vegetable garden. Now there are chickens too!

These Tamworth piggies were so cute and active! They run incredibly fast too (helps that they have A LOT of space!) Honestly, I never knew pigs could run so fast until I saw these...

Yup that's me squealing in the video. I tend to do that when I see cute things / animals :S And sorry guys, one more photo. Too cute.

The Viamede Spa. Sadly, they were doing renovations or else a nice mani / pedi and massage would have been ideal after the trails.

We headed back to the dock after our hike. Here's the obligatory "long-dock-in-the-middle" photo.

We figured drinks on The Boathouse Pub patio would be awesome.

It was indeed very, very awesome. While sipping on our cold Long Island Iced Teas and munching on crispy sweet potato fries, we were taking in one of the best views of Stoney Lake. Perfect weather. Perfect view.

Subsequently, we got tired again so we took another nap before our 7-course tasting dinner at The Inn at Mount Julian. Again, I must emphasize that...

THIS IS THE LIFE!

*The two-night stay at Viamede was complimentary. The opinions and views expressed on this post are my own*
*All photos and videos on this post were taken with my Samsung Galaxy S4*

Related Post:

Viamede Resort (Part II)

Sausage League 2013

2013-05-31T15:37:00.000-04:00

After two successful years, Marben (Twitter: @MarbenResto, Facebook: Marben) is at it again this summer with its third annual Sausage League!

The Sausage League playoffs take place at Marben on Wednesdays from 5:30 pm until 11 pm. For $25 per person, you get to enjoy dishes created by two of Toronto's most popular restaurants, each paired with a Muskoka Brewery craft beer.

After tasting both dishes, guests will be asked to cast a vote for the dish they enjoyed the most to help crown the new "Sausage King of Toronto." The restaurant with the most votes that evening will proceed to the next round of the tournament.

Some of the competing Toronto-based restaurants in this year’s competition include Barque Bistro, The Saint Tavern, Bestellen, Trevor Kitchen and Bar, The Yukon, Farmhouse Tavern, Origin, Museum Tavern, The Harbord Room and Parts and Labour to name a few.

The winning chef / butcher this year will receive - the biggest grand prize to date - a trip for the winning chef / butcher and a friend to visit Chicago, home of famed sausage king Abe Froman.

"Sausage League is all about fun,” says Rob Bragagnolo (@RobBragagnolo), executive chef of Marben and tournament director. “Good food, lots of beer and a great crowd. And to the winning restaurant go the spoils, bragging rights...and their name on the Froman Cup!”

A friend and I made our way to Marben on Wednesday for Sausage League's kick-off battle, which was between Bryan Birch of Barque Smokehouse and last year's champion, Jesse Vallins of The Saint Tavern.

"BLUE SAUSAGE"

Reuben Sandwich Sausage, with Maple Mustard, Onion Choucroute, Rye Crumble & Russian Dressing Creme Fraiche.

"YELLOW SAUSAGE"

Smoked Chorizo, Black Bean Purée, Rice & Tomatillo Salsa

I'm not sure how it was last year but contrary to the Sausage League in 2011, the competing dishes this year were referred to by colour (i.e. "Blue" vs. "yellow") rather than by chef / butcher / restaurant (i.e. "The Saint" vs. "Barque") which is a great idea, in my opinion, 'cause it encourages patrons to vote for the tastier dish rather than their favourite chef / butcher / restaurant (besides we had a lot of fun guessing which dish was from where.)

Anyway, both sausages were really delicious and appetizing. The plump reuben sandwich sausage was incredibly juicy while the denser, smoked chorizo sausage packed a nice heat. It was a really tough decision but I voted for the Blue sausage 'cause I enjoyed the entire dish as a whole - the sausage plus the sides - a lot more than the Yellow dish. The beer pairings, a lager for Yellow and a cream ale for Blue, worked really well too.

WINNER = BLUE SAUSAGE, Jesse Vallins from The Saint Tavern.

Below is the schedule for Sausage League for the next three weeks:

June 5: Farmhouse Tavern vs. Bestellen

June 12: The Yukon vs. Trevor Kitchen and Bar

June 19: Museum Tavern vs. Origin (St. James)

For regular Sausage League updates, visit www.marbenrestaurant.com, the Marben Facebook page or follow @MarbenResto and the #SausageLeague hashtag on Twitter.

*This meal was complimentary. The opinions and views expressed on this post are my own*

Related Post:
Sausage League 2011

Bits & Bites at The Guild

2013-05-30T15:09:00.001-04:00

WHERE: The Guild (Twitter: @guildresto, Facebook: The Guild Restaurant)

WHAT: $3 Bits & Bites or one of each for $15

WHEN: Wednesdays and Thursdays, 5pm till close

WHY: Hmm...why not?

WHO: Two hungry souls!

Cocktails and snacks all night long baby ;) Here's how it went down:

MOTHER'S TOUGH LOVE

Gosling's rum, house made 'ginger beer' (lager, lime, ginger, rum, recharged with co2)

TROUT ROE BLINI

CRISPY PIG EARS, HOT SAUCE

AN ORANGE CIGAR

Papidoux calvados, bowmore 12 yr, carpano classico, aperol, orange flower water, roasted orange zest

GRILLED SMELT BRUSCHETTA

CHIMICHURRI CHICKEN HEARTS

A BERGAMOT SOUR

Orange & cream of earl grey infused tanqueray, st. germain, lillet, simple syrup, lemon juice, egg white

PORK BELLY & KIMCHI

FRIED CORNICHONS, DILL AIOLI

Well, what do you know!

It's THURSDAY today!

YOU'RE WELCOME :D

Related blog posts:

Dinner at The Guild

Toronto Popup with Chef Peter Pietruniak

Toronto Popup with Chef Deron Engbers

2013-05-29T15:39:00.003-04:00

Founded by chef Deron Engbers (@TheDeron), Timeless Food made its debut this past Sunday, May 26th at Toronto Pop Up (Twitter: @Toronto_PopUp, Facebook: Toronto Popup.) Engbers, who has always been an advocate of classic cuisine, prepared a charming 5-course tasting menu at Monarch Tavern which took guests back in time by means of "Deron's Delorean time machine." Cheeky ;)

Through Timeless Food, Engbers is committed to providing diners unique and accessible dining experiences. The company aspires to recreate classic dishes using new techniques coupled with Engbers' own creative twists. For this particular "Back to the Future" pop up dinner, Engbers focused on presenting a re-invention of traditional favourites of the past, while using organic and sustainable sources where possible.

The classic, vintage table settings were a perfect backdrop for Timeless Food's debut dinner.

A couple of cocktails to start the night off:

Madre Teresa (left): Gin, Aperol, orange, egg whilte, bitters ($9)

Timeless Caesar (right): Basil, rosemary and thyme infused gin, caesar fixings ($10)

Chef Deron Engbers of Timeless Food (@TimelessFoodTO)

Guests can opt for wine pairings ($22), craft beer pairings ($12), or wines by the glass ($10).

Without further adieu, our 5-course "Back to the Future" dinner went something like this:

FRISEE SALAD

Duck egg, kozlik's mustard, sherry vinegar

Wine: Valdobbiadene Prosecco, Italy

Beer: Mill St. Organic

What a beauty!

BOUILLABAISSE

Ontario trout, tomato, fennel, saffron

Wine: Villa Maria Rose, New England

Beer: Bellwoods Witch Shark IPA

OYSTERS

Colville Bay oysters, homemade clamato ice

HASENPFEFFER

Ontario rabbit, pearl onions, potato, mushrooms

Wine: Vineland Estates VQA dry Riesling

Beer: Denison's Weissbier

BORDELAISE

Tenderloin, shallots, bone marrow, red wine

Wine: Smoking Loon Red Zinfandel, California

Beer: Left Field Eephus Oatmeal Brown Ale

RICE PUDDING

Sheep's milk, candied walnuts, toffee

Wine: Taylor Fladgate First Estate Port, Portugal

Craft Beer: Mill St. Cobblestone Stout

Chef Deron Engbers and Toronto Pop Up's founder, Juliana Conceicao.

Chef Engbers' interpretations and twists on traditional dishes on Sunday were an absolute delight. Both the Frisee salad (a classic French bistro salad normally done with a regular poached egg) and the Bouillabaise (a traditional French fish stew) were updated with clever and contemporary twists. Admittedly, I've never had the traditional German stew but Engbers' take on the Hasenpfeffer was excellent just the same. I thought the oysters with homemade Clamato ice, topped with an actual clam was simply ingenious! Last, and certainly not least, chef Engbers' creativity really shines though on the Bordelaise course. Taking bone marrow and shallots, components of a borderlaise (a classic French sauce) and mixing in kidney beans, Engbers created a delicious croquette which was loaded with flavour and textures. Brilliant.

If this Toronto Pop Up dinner is any indication of what's to come for Timeless Food, then we are definitely up for a very tasty ride.

Related blog posts:

Toronto Popup with Chef Peter Pietruniak

East End Dinner Club

Milestones' Summer Chefs' Menu

2013-05-28T14:49:00.001-04:00

Despite the fact that most of the posts on Food Junkie Chronicles are about my dining experiences at independent restaurants, it doesn't mean I don't eat at chain restaurants. Frankly speaking, I don't mind eating at a chain restaurant from time to time; I don't have anything against chains and I'm certainly not a food snob. Having said that, I know this may sound incredibly phony right now but there are certain items on Milestones' (Twitter: @MilestonesCa, Facebook: Milestones) regular menu that I absolutely crave at times like their yam frites, California spring salad and their cookie dessert (yes that big, warm double dark chocolate cookie topped with vanilla gelato, caramel and chocolate sauces...queue the drool!)

In any case, I was invited to a preview tasting of Milestones' new Summer Chefs' Menu on Monday, May 13th (and it was a "preview" because their Summer Chefs' Menu was set to launch across all Milestones locations the next day.) This exclusive dinner took place at Milestones' Empress Walk location.

Before dinner, guests had the opportunity to sample a couple of new cocktails created by Milestones' very own staff (both cocktails below can be found under "Milestones' Staff Creations".)

THE MYSTIFIER

Tanqueray London Dry Gin, Smirnoff raspberry Vodka, muddled raspberries, lemonade and soda

CUCUMBER & BASIL MARTINI

Smirnoff Vodka, melon liqueur, cucumber, basil and lime juice

I had a few of these tasty hors d'oeuvres as well:

LAMB SLIDERS

Shredded braised lamb shank mixed with pickled red onions, garlic mayonnaise, pommery mustard and ginger served on garlic toasted mini slider bun.

CHORIZO FRITTERS

Sauté of garlic, thyme, Serrano peppers, shallots, fennel seeds, mozzarella cheese, then double breaded in Panko crumbs. Served with smoked paprika infused aioli and garlic mayonnaise.

Afterwards, we proceeded upstairs where dinner was about to be served. Here is Milestones' Executive Chef Jason Rosso (@jasonrosso) telling us a bit about Milestones' food program and his inspiration for the new Summer Chefs' Menu. Within the past eight months, chef Rosso and his culinary team have created and launched close to15 new menu items with another 10 rolling out in the coming months.

Before I dive into the food, I need to mention that each course that night was paired with a selection of wine courtesy of Constellation Brands.

So here goes! Below is a six course tasting inspired by Milestones' new Summer Chefs' Menu prepared by chef Rosso.

CRISPY QUINOA SHRIMP

Chimmi churri aioli and vegetable slaw

PANKO BLUE CRAB CAKES

Fennel and arugula salad, chipotle aioli

SPICY THAI BASIL STIRFRY

Rice noodles, shrimp and coconut milk

GRILLED JAPANESE TUNA TATAKI

Asparagus and fennel slaw, mandarin dressing

"SURF AND TURF'

A duo of grilled flat iron and lobster fricassee

AVOCADO AND LIME TART

Brown sugar Chantilly

I think it is a giant step forward for chain restaurants, or Milestones in this particular case, to offer seasonal menus. It is a great way to spice things up every once in awhile and to show customers that although Milestones is a chain restaurant, they can still be creative and innovative. As per Milestones' management team, it is the restaurant company's vision to capture the 'independent restaurant experience' while being a 'full service restaurant chain'. I'm sure as a reader of my blog, you will know that our city is filled to the brim with independent restaurants that frequent menu changes (some restaurants change their menus monthly while some go as far as weekly.) Given that Milestones has 50 operations across the country, it is literally impossible for them to replicate that level of menu changes. However, Milestones' dedication to revitalizing menus, operations and the hiring of chef Rosso in assisting and elevating the restaurant's food program is certainly an indication of only good things to come for this popular restaurant.

*Other than the avocado and lime tart, everything in the tasting menu is now available at all Milestones locations. Please note that the portion & presentation of the dishes on my post are not indicative of the actual dishes you will see at Milestones since this was only a tasting*

*This meal was complimentary. The opinions and views expressed on this post are my own*

Glas Wine Bar

2013-05-27T17:55:00.005-04:00

Glas Wine Bar (Twitter: @glaswinebar, Facebook: Glas Wine Bar) is a cozy, 20-seat wine bar in Leslieville headed by chef and owner Danny Pantano. Pantano, who has worked in Italy for over nine years (including in several Michelin-starred restaurants) followed by stints in London, England and Montreal, cleverly boasts his refined technique, elegance and finesse at Glas, which opened its doors less than a year ago in June 2012. With a constantly changing menu coupled with an increasingly popular, weekly four-course vegetarian prix-fixe dubbed "The Green Glass Affair", chef Pantano devotes his precision and talent on local and seasonal ingredients that is showcased on an array of small sharing plates.

The large art pieces at Glas adds a lot character to the otherwise simple space.

From Glas' VQA wine list: Sparkling wine from Hinterland

Olives and nuts (complementary)

Smoked Coho salmon bits with smoked cream cheese crostini ($6)

Celery Root Pappardelle creamy cheese sauce, Italian black truffle ($15)

Risotto with braised leeks, sauteed mussels, dried clay red pepper ($15)

Daily Tartare with crostini ($14)

Polenta crusted Lake Erie Silver bass, fingerling potatoes, spinach puree ($16)

Roasted ON Muscovy duck breast, Marsala glaze, rapini ($16)

Tuscan red wine cake with Niagara Merlot sauce ($7)

Creme Brulee scented with dried lavender ($7)

Chef Pantano's delicate touch and attention to detail, both in terms of presentation and flavours, are undeniably evident in his plates; the clean and elegant presentation perfectly sets the backdrop for the light and fresh flavour combinations that is to come. Nothing on Glas' menu is overbearingly heavy nor complicated - Pantano focuses on keeping his dishes simple and intricate, letting the fresh ingredients shine on their own. I left Glas feeling content, satisfied and not over-the-top stuffed (this is honestly a blessing...trust me!) Standouts that night for me were the smoked salmon with smoked cream cheese crostini, the risotto with braised leeks and sauteed mussels, and the tartare. I also enjoyed the fragant lavender in the creme brulee and although the red wine cake tasted great, I thought the presentation fell short relative to all the beautifully plated dishes that evening.

With Pantano manning his tiny kitchen (and if I may add, a kitchen without a hood!) service was a bit on the slow side during my visit. I didn't mind though, after all it was a Saturday night out and I wasn't in a hurry. It also helps that Glas has a very affordable and reasonably priced VQA wine list. With no bottle exceeding $46, I am more than happy to slowly sip and savour on wine between courses :)

P.S: Glas participated in East End Dinner Club's inaugural dinner several weeks ago! Click here if you missed my post on it.

Carmen

2013-05-23T22:37:00.004-04:00

In early April, co-owners of Kensington's Torito Tapas Bar Veronica Carmen Laudes and Luis Valenzuela, took over the decade-old Brazilian restaurant Caju on 911 Queen St. West. The business partners successfully transformed the space into Carmen, a Spanish restaurant / bar offering, as per their Twitter account, "...bold and kind hearted Spanish flavours. A blend of tradition and originality. From small tapas to giant paellas."

True to their word, the menu at Carmen (Twitter: @carmensayz, Facebook: Carmen) is indeed organized into traditional tapas on one side with chef Valenzuela's creative takes on Spanish plates on the other. And as for the paellas? You have four to choose from:

Paella del Carmen - Shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops, chorizo, chicken, saffron

Paella "Antoni Gaudi" - Roasted quinoa, "Vegetable mosaic"

Paella de Montana - Tempranillo, rabbit, snails, artichokes

Paella Atlantica - Lobster, saffron, roasted tomatoes

Mind you, although I didn't have the paella this time around I certainly have my eye on the "Paella del Carmen" for next time ;)

Carmen is such a visually stunning space. I personally love it. A lot. The decor is so vibrant, so cheerful and fun yet it is modern and elegant at the same time. Sounds impossible, right? To have all those elements in one restaurant? Nope, it's possible...and I really hope my photos can convey that point across.

When you walk into Carmen you will see a long, beautiful custom-made wood and marble bar on the right.

I love these lights above the bar....they really stand out against the dark ceiling.

Black and white Spanish art is hung on the wall across from the bar. A very classy touch.

The "gorgeous-ness" continues in the bright and spacious dining room. Oh by the way that's my dinner date Nicki from View The Vibe (@ViewTheVibe).

Everything from the large, dramatic painting, the bright, bold accent colours...

...to the long wooden tables, complete the overall Spanish vibe at Carmen.

I had the "Carmen" cocktail while Nicki opted for a glass of wine.

Carmen ($12)

Gin, Amaro, Lime, Egg White, Cranberry Bitters

We shared the following eight plates:

TAPAS TRADICIONALES

Alcachofas Fritas ($7)

Fried artichokes, Maldon salt, aioli

Berenjena con Molazas ($6)

Battered eggplant, pomegranate molasses

Pimientos de Padron con Salsa de Tomate ($10)

Shisito peppers, tomato sauces

TAPAS DE VANGUARDIA

Jicama con Aguacate ($6)

Bite size jicama shells, creamy avocado

Gambas al Ajillo al "Estilo Carmen" ($12)

grilled shrimps, garlic, chili

Morcilla y Garbanzos ($10)

Blood sausage, chickpea sofrito, apple, fried egg

Sandia comprimida con Crocante de Jamon Iberico ($7)

Compressed watermelon cubes, cured ham chips

Buttifarra con Alubias y PX ($12)

Catalan pork sausage, white bean, Pedro Ximenez sherry

What a marvelous meal! Its meticulously thought-out menu is loaded with fresh ingredients, accompanied by bold and unique Spanish flavours. And frankly speaking, I don't remember the last time I liked every single plate at a dinner but I certainly did here at Carmen. .

First of all, the fried artichokes are a must (as in, I would actually be pissed if you tell me you went to Carmen and you did not order them!) I could easily finish a plate myself because they were just that awesome; its batter was light, thin and just enough to seal in the fresh and delicate flavour of the artichoke inside. Next, the rich green Shisito peppers were a delight to eat - while some were mild others packed in some intense heat - seriously the luck of the draw here (which is exactly why they were so fun to eat!) However, the original plates is where Chef Valenzuela's creativeness really shines through. The delicate, transparent jicama shells filled with dollops of creamy avocado, and his refreshing cubes of watermelon each adorned with one crispy, cured ham chip were two plates that I thought were extremely cheeky, clever and memorable. Also, I hardly ever rave about shrimps but man, these grilled shrimps were something else. The garlic and the chili, finished with a squeeze of lemon is all you need for these fresh and plump shrimps. Last but not least, the deeply seared pork sausage was moist and tender, with its flavour enhanced by the thick smear of Pedro Ximenez sherry on the plate. Overall, an immaculate dinner at Carmen with a true taste of Spain.

By the time we were done eating, Carmen was jam packed (we started dinner at 6pm on Tuesday night!) but no worries, Carmen take reservations *yay!* and they open from Tuesday to Sunday, 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM. So no excuses guys...you need to go check it out now!

Al Fresco Lunch at GUSTO 101

2013-05-22T13:47:00.002-04:00

Founded by restaurateur Janet Zuccarini (also owner of Trattoria Nervosa in Yorkville), GUSTO 101 located at 101 Portland is probably one of the most popular spots in Toronto currently. Opened in early 2012, the transformed 1900's auto body shop was, in collaboration with Janet, designed by Munge Leung and architect Giancarlo Garfolo. The beautiful, ultra-chic space was instantly a hit in the city and is internationally recognized with a prestigious 2013 Hospitality Design Award in the casual restaurant category.

I attended a media lunch at GUSTO (Twitter: @Gusto101TO, Facebook: Gusto 101) last week on their all-new, year-round rooftop patio. Yup, you read that correctly. GUSTO now has a year-round glass roof top! Patio-crazy Torontonians rejoice! Your prayers have been answered!

GUSTO 101 is indeed Toronto's first restaurant with a year-round rooftop patio. Created by OpenAire Inc. in collaboration with once again, the restaurant's overall design team Munge Leung and architect Giancarlo Garfolo, the all-glass retractable rooftop is fully functional (it takes 9 minutes to completely open or close.) Below is a short 1 minute video showing the rooftop opening up.

Amazing.

I also found out that quite a few things used at GUSTO are actually available for purchase at SHOP GUSTO 101. For example, from left to right:

Bread Bag, washable "Paper" bag, Lucca, Italy - $20

Wine Carafe, hand-crafted - 1 L: $36.95, 1.5 L: $46.95

Coffee Cups, hand-painted, Rimini, Italy - Espresso cup and saucer: $18, Macchiato cup and saucer: $20, Cappuccino cup and saucer: $25

GUSTO's Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (from owner's family's oil grove in Italy) - $19.95

GUSTO Peperoncini, hot chili peppers, preserve in-house, 0.5L - $12

GUSTO Sea Salt, fair trade sea salt, Mexico - 250g: $9, 450g: $16

GUSTO Coffee, Trucillo espresso coffee beans - $33 per 1 kg

Designed by Jennifer Zuccarini (Janet's sister), GUSTO's denim shirts / ties / vests worn by the GUSTO staff are also available for purchase. Jennifer is a New York based fashion designer and is the founder of fashion line Fleur du Mal and co-founder of luxury lingerie and lifestyle brand Kiki de Montparnasse (Jennifer was also formerly a Design Director at Victoria's Secret.)

Gusto Denim Uniforms (not pictured) - Jean Shirt: $75, Jean Tie: $45, Jean Vest: $65

Gusto Bicycle Racing Cap (below) - $32

Gusto T-Shirts (designed by Untitled & Co. Toronto) - $30

The GUSTO team:

Executive General Manager Demetrio Bianco

In charge of day to day operations, Executive General Manager Demetrio Bianco brings his Italian roots and years of expertise in restaurant leadership to GUSTO.

Sommelier and Manager Matteo Floris

Matteo Floris was born in Novafeltria, a small town a few minutes away from Rimini in Italy. Floris has previously worked in London and Cancun, where he was offered a position to run the wine program for the restaurant at the Il Cenacolo resort. Floris left Mexico in 2009 and joined Trattoria Nervosa. Floris has curated a selection of Italian wines at GUSTO (some privately ordered from Italy) as well as a custom cocktail list featuring both classics as well as fresh, seasonally-created cocktails.

It's worth noting that GUSTO also functions as a micro-winery, serving a house wine created by Vintage One winemaker Alejandra de Miguel. GUSTO is also Toronto's first restaurant to offer wine-on-tap, available for $1 per ounce.

Executive Chef Daniel Mezzolo

Born in Spilimbergo, Friuli, Italy, Executive Chef Daniel Mezzolo heads the kitchen at GUSTO. With years of experience under his belt and having worked in Italy, Dominican Republic, Denmark, Cuba and finally as Chef de Cuisine at Hockley Valley Resort in Orangeville, Ontario, Mezzolo offers his interpretation of rustic Southern Italian classics with unexpected global flavours of Latin, Moroccan and sometimes even Caribbean flair to GUSTO's menu.

From GUSTO's summer cocktail menu:

Gianelli (left) - Buffalo trace bourbon, home made plum & thyme syrup, fresh squeezed lime, thyme leaves

LeoVince (right) - Appleton 12, amaretto, orange & angostura bitters, aranciata

GUSTO's washable "paper" bread bag.

NONNA'S FAMILY-STYLE SHARING MENU

Chef Mezzolo and his team prepared one of two family-style sharing menu for us that day. Family style menus are offered for large groups during lunch and dinner: two different sharing menus are available for lunch, each priced at $35 per person, and three different sharing menus are available for dinner, ranging from $45 to $65 per person.

Arancini - Rice, wild mushrooms, fontina, tomato sauce

Carpaccio - Beef tenderloin, truffled cannellini beans, pecorino

Margherita Pizza (left) - Tomato, mozzarella, basil

Polpette Pizza (right) - Tomato, mozzarella, meatballs, smoked provolone

Insalata Cavolo Nero - Lacinate kale, zante currants, toasted pine nuts, shaved pecorino, lemon vinaigrette

Rigatoni ai Funghi - Portobello, oyster mushroom, porcini, truffle paste, light cream

Priced reasonably at $35 pp, this sharing menu is pretty awesome given the selection, portion and quality of food. Also, I finally understand why so many people rave about GUSTO's kale salad because it was seriously one kick-ass salad (same goes for the mushroom pasta, I had to resist the urge to continuously scoop more on my plate.)

Lunching on a gorgeous rooftop under beautiful skies with cool, refreshing cocktails in hand, I seriously could not ask for more that day!

*This meal was complimentary. The opinions and views expressed on this post are my own*

Per Se, NYC

2013-05-19T13:04:00.000-04:00

CHEF'S TASTING MENU AT PER SE

7 Course Lunch Prix Fixe

Amuse bouche

"OYSTERS AND PEARLS"

"Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters

and Sterling White Sturgeon Caviar

CHILLED SPRING LETTUCE "VELOUTE"

Black Truffle "Beignet," Romaine "Relish,"
Meyer Lemon and Celery Branch

Butter

Brioche

SAUTEED FILLET OF ATLANTIC STRIPED BASS

Bacon Wrapped Green Asparagus, Spring Onions,

Nasturtiums and Burgundy Mustard Emulsion

MAINE SEA SCALLOP "AMANDINE"

Toasted Oats, Preserved Green Strawberries, Claytonia

and Raspberry Vinaigrette

GRILLED MIYAZAKI JAPANESE WAGYU
Rick Bishop's New Crop Potatoes, Avocado, Green Garlic and "Steak Sauce"

CABOT CREAMERY'S "CLOTHBOUND CHEDDAR"

"Piccalilli," Arugula and Hadley Orchards' Medjool Date Pudding

"TOASTED POPCORN"

Salted Caramel Ganache, Chocolate-Almond Crumble

and Toasted "Pain au Lait" Ice Cream

"MIGNARDISES"

"Ice Cream Sandwich"

Chocolates

Doughnuts

"Coffee"

Caramels, Nougat, Macarons, Chocolate Truffles

Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Ganache to take home

A view of Columbus Circle from the table

New Menu at The Fuel House

2013-05-17T16:53:00.002-04:00

When Fuel House (Twitter: @FuelHouseTO, Facebook: Fuel House) took over the former "Olivia's" in November 2011, co-owners Mackenzie Chiu and Mike Dolegowski envisioned their cozy, quaint space in Little Italy as a neighbourhood sandwich shop. With a variety of sandwiches, burgers and banh mi on the menu, swiftly followed by the addition of a snacks menu, Fuel House quickly established itself as a friendly and casual spot. Whether you wanted a quick bite to eat or a comfy place to grab a couple of beers with friends, Fuel House is the place to be. When it's a nice day out, you can even choose which patio you want to chill at - the smaller patio at the front where you can people watch, or the larger more private patio at the back, totally up to you.

Last month, Mack and Mike decided to overhaul Fuel House's entire menu. With Rob Julen as the new chef, Fuel House has since then taken on a completely different direction. Sandwiches are now gone and have been replaced by pub-style snacks and sharing plates. From now on, you can expect to see fried chicken, fries, pork ribs, burgers as well as healthy vegetarian options such as salads and slaws at Fuel House (they even have a seafood basket with crab legs!) A larger selection of beers and an updated cocktail list accompanies the menu makeover. Excellent. Just in time for summer :)

Below are some items from Fuel House's new menu:

LAZY SUMMER

OLIVES

PORK RILLETTE & BREAD

RANCH SLAW - ICEBERG LETTUCE, RANCH DRESSING, BLUE CHEESE

POTATO & GREEN BEAN SALAD IN RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

FRIES

SEAFOOD PLATE - CRAB LEGS, POPCORN SHRIMP, GRILLED CORN

BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN AND STICKY RIBS

HONEY CAKE

Without a doubt, Fuel House's new menu is fantastic for sharing - buttermilk fried chicken, ribs, seafood platter - all I gotta say is this: prepare to dig in, get your hands dirty and have fun! I thought their seafood plate was the most impressive because aside from raw bars or the occasional buffet, it rare that you will find crab legs on any menu in the city.

Currently, Fuel House is open for dinner only but they are planning to start Sunday brunch at the beginning of June. Follow them on Facebook and / or Twitter for latest updates.

*This meal was complimentary. The opinions and views expressed on this post are my own*

The Samuel J. Moore

2013-05-16T11:33:00.000-04:00

The Samuel J. Moore's got it covered - lunch, brunch, dinner, dessert, drinks, snacks, midnight eats - you name it, they've got it. The new bistro at the corner of Queen and Dovercourt is open for business at almost every single hour of every day. Pretty neat, ya?

Being the life of the party (yes that's me) there's always a time and place for late night quick-and-dirty eats (like Poutini's). However ladies, you should know what I mean when I say this: sometimes there's just no way I'm gonna eat standing up after hours in my 3-inch heels. Go ahead and call me high maintenance but know this: when it's your sore and squished toes on the line, you'll thank me for this blog post. Why's that? 'Cause now you'll know that The Samuel J. Moore, an actual sit down restaurant, is serving food till 4 am in the morning, Thursday through Saturday. That's right. You're welcome.

High ceiling, tile floors with a black and white theme throughout the room gives a simple yet classy tavern feel to The Samuel J. Moore (@TheSamuelJMoore). An eye-catching marble-top bar stretches along the back of the entire space. Beautiful.

Templar Sour - Islay, Almond. Citrus. Egg white. Sour cherry ($14)

Also got some bubbly, which of course goes perfectly with...

Oysters!

Snacks ($5 each or $13 for 3)

White Bean. Anchoy. Bread. Olive oil

Devils on horseback

Cornmeal crusted smelts. Remoulade

Gnudi. Cream. Mushrooms. Peas. Caramelized pearl onions. Brown butter ($18)

Haddock, kale, celery root & potato puree

Rapini ($7)

Carrot cake w/ white chocolate cream cheese frosting. Toasted coconut. Candied walnuts. Maple brown butter. Apple chutney ($8)

Formerly of Brockton General, chef Alexandra Feswick (@Alexandfeswick) focuses on using local and seasonal ingredients at The Samuel J. Moore. At the dinner, I particularly enjoyed the devils on horseback - prunes stewed in port, then stuffed with walnuts and blue cheese, then wrapped in bacon and roasted. I kid you not but there was literally a flavour explosion in my mouth (these bad boys were also chef Feswick's signature dish at Daily Bread Food Bank's Ultimate Food Challenge last week). Because I was looking for something light, I opted for the haddock with kale; sitting on an airy, earthy celery root and potato puree, the haddock was lightly seasoned and refreshing, and it was exactly what I wanted. The carrot cake, presented in a glass cup, was creamy and very sweet and had the candied walnuts provided a nice crunch. An overall great dessert for sharing.

Next time when I'm not looking for something light and healthy at The Samuel J. Moore, I'm so gonna order their burger... which I've heard nothing but praises. A hand-chopped sirloin and bone marrow burger on brioche with Stilton cheese, fennel catsup with frites. Seriously? I salivated from just typing that...!

Daily Bread's Ultimate Food Challenge 2013

2013-05-14T13:35:00.003-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending Daily Bread Food Bank's 2nd Annual Ultimate Food Challenge (#ufchallenge) last Wednesday, May 8th. Sponsored by Campbell's, Canadian Pacific, Corus Entertainment and Nutella, the "Foodie Fundraiser" was held at Corus Quay and featured live entertainment, a silent auction, and of course the highlight of the evening - a friendly culinary battle between three celebrity chefs. Over 250 guests had the opportunity to sample gourmet hors d'oeuvres served and prepared by trainees and graduates from Daily Bread's Catering Kitchen as well as signature dishes made by the three competing chefs.

Proceeds from the 2013 Ultimate Food Challenge goes to supporting Daily Bread’s Kitchen, which will provide 170,000 nutritious meals this year to shelters, schools and other meal programs serving low-income children and adults at more than 100 public and social service agencies in neighbourhoods across Toronto.

Below is a recap of the 2013 Ultimate Food Challenge:

COCKTAIL RECEPTION

Over 50 items were being auctioned off at the silent auction.

Wine sponsor: Peller Estates (Twitter: @PellerVQA, Facebook: Peller Estates Winery)

Beer sponsor: Beau's (Twitter: @beausallnatural, Facebook: Beau's All Natural Brewing Co.)

Guests sampled signature dishes from the competing chefs' restaurants and the Daily Bread Catering Kitchen.

Daily Bread Catering Kitchen

Daily Bread Catering Kitchen's Signature Dish

Ceviche with Popped Corn and Pickled Poblano Pepper

Executive Chef Jason Parsons (@ChefParsons), Peller Estates Winery Restaurant

Executive Chef Jason Parsons' Signature Dish

Icewine Lobster & Basil Ravioli made with Double Smoked Bacon, Brebis Parmesan and Sur Lie Chardonnay Cream

Executive Chef Alexandra Feswick (@Alexandfeswick), The Samuel J. Moore (@TheSamuelJMoore), The Great Hall

Executive Chef Alexandra Feswick's Signature Dish

Devils on Horseback: Prunes stewed in Port, Stuffed with Walnuts and Blue Cheese, Wrapped in Bacon and Roasted

Executive Chef Devan Rajkumar (@ChefDevan), The Food Dudes (@TheFoodDudesTO)

Executive Chef Devan Rajkumar's Signature Dish

Buttermilk Chicken Drummette with Asian BBQ Sauce, Charred Pineapple Salsa, Crispy Shallots

A welcome from Daily Bread Executive Director Gail Nyberg.

ULTIMATE FOOD CHALLENGE

The Judges Panel (from left to right)

Arlene Dickinson (@ArleneDickinson) - Start of CBC's Dragons' Den and The Big Decision

Leslie Roberts (@lrobertsglobal) - Anchor, News Hour and News Hour Final at Global Toronto

Erin Davis (@CHFIErin) - Co-host of 98.1 CHFI's Morning Show

Suman Roy (@Chefsuman) - Executive Chef, Campbell Company of Canada

Melissa Grelo (@melissagrelo) - Co-host, CP24 Breakfast / CP24 Anchor

With 20 minutes on the clock, each chef is required to whip up a tasty dish using only their basket of typical food bank staples (i.e. various kinds of canned goods, rice, etc.) and limited fresh ingredients. Chefs are awarded more points if they use as many basket ingredients as possible in their challenge dish.

Guests get to vote for their Fan Favourite.

Times up!

The challenge dishes:

Chef Jason Parsons

Ham, Cheddar and Potato Croquettes

Chef Devan Rajkumar (FAN FAVOURITE)

Vegetarian Slider, Apple-Carrot-Mango Slaw, Homemade Chili Aioli, Melted Cheddar Cheese

Chef Alexandra Feswick (ULTIMATE FOOD CHALLENGE WINNER)

Western Falafel: Mashed Chick Peas Rolled in Pita Crumbs, on a Bed of Sauteed Spinach, Fresh Zucchini and Peppers Salad with Pickled Squash and Seasoned Yogurt.

The night ended with lovely desserts from Dufflet (Twitter: @dufflet, Facebook: Dufflet Pastries) and coffee from Balzacs (Twitter: @Balzacs, Facebook: Balzac's Coffee).

Daily Bread Food Bank (Twitter: @DailyBreadTO, Facebook: Daily Bread Food Bank) distributed over 10.6 million pounds of food last year through more than 200 food banks and meal programs. Daily Bread provides food for an average of 66,000 visits a month to food banks, and more than 3,500 prepared meals every week. The Food Services Training Program is a 16-week training program where individuals facing barriers to employment learn valuable skills for employment in the food services industry. With five full-time professional staff onsite each day to teach and guide the trainees, this one-of-a-kind comprehensive program has successfully fostered job readiness and confidence in our trainees, both professionally and personally.

Mother's Day Brunch at The Ritz-Carlton

2013-05-13T14:01:00.002-04:00

I'm far from being a baller but for one reason or another, I've been having some pretty ballin' brunches lately.

Within the last month, I've had Splendido's new Sunday brunch once and The Ritz-Carlton's Market Brunch twice. This is not normal behaviour. Trust me.

I took my parents to The Ritz-Carlton (Twitter: @RitzCarlton, Facebook: The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto) for Mother's Day brunch yesterday (I took them to Splendido last year.) A couple of weeks ago, I showed my Mom some photos of the brunch at The Ritz Carlton that I had when I went with my friend Gizelle. I also told my Mom, as best as I could in Cantonese, that the brunch was "total baller!" with unlimited oysters, shrimps, fresh lobster tails, and an all-inclusive mimosa, bellini and prosecco bar. She was instantly sold and asked if I could take here there for Mother's Day. Why, of course! So I immediately phoned The Ritz-Carlton to make a reservation but I guess we weren't the only ones with the idea as I was placed on a waiting list. Luckily, a few days before Mother's Day I got a phone call from them informing me of a seating at 2:30 pm. Although I prefer something earlier I wasn't going to pass this up. Noooo way.

So here we are! Below are some photos of The Ritz-Carlton's Market Buffet Brunch that I took during my first visit. Let me tell you straight up that contrary to what you see in the photos below (i.e. on a normal Sunday) the restaurant was packed solid yesterday. And I thought there was a larger variety of baked goods, antipastis, cheese and desserts yesterday (perhaps this is because it is $89 pp for Mother's Day whereas normally it is $79).

Seafood Display

Lobster Tails & Shrimps

PEI Mussels

Shucked Oysters

Sushi Selections & Traditional Condiments

Omelette Station

Eggs Any Style

~~*~~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Cold Cuts

Selection of Niagara Ham Charcuterie

Smoked Fish & Salmon

Lemon, Pickled Onion & Capers

Bakery Selections

Croissants & Vienosseries

Bread Baskets, Grissinis, Olives & Crackers

Flatbread, Savory Pies & Tarts

Cheeses

Selection of Local and International Cheeses

Baked Brie & Condiments

Soup of the Day

~~*~~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Salads

Seasonal Salads with Dressings and Toppings

Selection of Antipastis

~~*~~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Entrees

Chef’s Choice Fish & Game Meat with Accompanying Sauce

Seasonal Vegetable and Starch

Chef’s Choice Carving Station with Condiments

Looking into TOCA's kitchen from the dining room.

Desserts

Pancakes & Mini French Pastries

Caramels, Truffles & Pralines

Seasonal Fruits & Berries

Chocolate Fountain or Creperie

Macaroons, Pate de Fruit

Cakes, Sweet Breads & Fruit Tart

Both my parents and I loved our Mother's Day brunch experience at The Ritz-Carlton; the food was excellent and our server was very nice and attentive. Even though we had a later seating, there was no shortage of food whatsoever. Everything was constantly being replenished.

My Mom and I were so stuffed from our brunch we didn't even bother with dinner. I honestly think we ate several pounds of seafood + baked goods + desserts. As for my Dad, he was still able to have instant noodles for dinner. I was baffled. Anyway...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Me & Mom at The Ritz-Carlton lobby (not sure why we look so pale here...)

Fishbar's New Menu

2013-05-12T22:53:00.002-04:00

The month of May marks the two year milestone for Fishbar (Twitter: @_fishbar, Facebook: Fishbar). Fishbar on Ossington is a proud partner of Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Wise Program and serves a seasonally-evolving sustainable seafood menu. To celebrate its second birthday, Fishbar revamped its menu with a host of new and exciting dishes. I was invited to their media tasting last week to sample some of the restaurant's latest plates.

To execute the new dishes and evolution of Fishbar, owners William Tavares (left) and Renata Andreazza (right) have enlisted Chef Miro Lelas. The Croation chef's background includes stints as Chef de Cuisine at Rosewater Supper Club and Catering Chef at Atlantis Pavilions.

The front of the restaurant lets in a lot of natural light. Love that.

The back of Fishbar

"Fish-centric" art.

DRINKS

Octopussy Martini

Vodka or gin, dry vermouth, oyster brine, and fresh shocked oyster

STARTERS

Oysters

Anchovy Crostini with caramelized onions and an olive and lemon gremolata on a thin crostini

FIRST COURSE

Tuna Sashimi with toasted almond and mango slaw, radish, sesame seeds and soy glaze

Ecuadorian Tilapia Ceviche with pineapple and chili salsa and avocado oil

SECOND COURSE

Spiced Lentil Salad with lobster creme fraiche, micro greens and crispy papadum

Wild Pacific Salmon Tartare with pickled cucumbers, hot ginger, tempura vidalia onions and sweet basil aioli

SECOND COURSE REPRISE

Oysters Rockefeller with smoked bacon, arugula, Permod cream and Grana Padano

INTERMEZZO

Apple and Campari Sorbet

THIRD COURSE

Maple Miso Glazed Wild Pacific Salmon with poached teardrop tomatoes, asparagus and sweet pea sauce

Diver Caught Sea Scallops with cumin and coriander roasted pork belly, apple chutney and sesame-soy dressing

FOURTH COURSE

Rowe Farms Grilled "Petite Tender" and Lobster topped with truffle-scented hollandaise sauce

Sicilian Gnocchi with freshwater prawn, shiitake mushrooms, wilted arugula and first cold pressed olive oil

DESSERT TRIO

White Chocolate Mascapone Mousse with espresso soaked lady fingers

Lemon Curd with vanilla cream and shortbread crumble

Caramel and Coffee Gelato with cinnamon foam

served with White Port

I think Fishbar's new menu is a vast improvement compared to its original one. My dinner at Fishbar a year and a half ago wasn't anything spectacular. In fact, my friends and I thought it was good but definitely not great. However, after sampling Fishbar's new menu last week, I can say with certainty that the restaurant is going in the right direction. The new dishes, in my opinion, are much more thoughtful and refined compared to before. Dishes that I wouldn't mind having seconds were 1) the thinly sliced tuna sashimi with a refreshing and beautiful mango & radish slaw, 2) the lentil salad w/ lobster creme fresh in a thin & crispy Indian papadum (great textures here), 3) the apple and Campari sorbet was a perfect palette cleanser, 4) the maple miso glazed salmon (I never order salmon at a restaurant but I'm glad I tried this one 'cause it was really tender and moist..not dry at all), 5) the large and plump scallops with a sweet apple chutney and lastly, 6) the dessert trio, my favourite being the lemon curd which had a creamy tang and a shortbread crunch. It was a delightful dessert in a glass.

Also worth noting is Fishbar's Happy Hour from Fridays to Sundays, 3:30pm to 5pm, with $4 beer and $5 wine specials, alongside $1.35 Malpeque oysters ($16 for a dozen). On Wednesdays, guests are invited to enjoy their own wine with no corkage fee in exchange for a minimum $2 donation to the Ocean Wise Program.

*This meal was complimentary. The opinions and views expressed on this post are my own*

The Lobster Trap

2013-05-08T12:04:00.001-04:00

LISTEN UP!

There is only ONE DAY LEFT to get your $30 for $70 worth of Lobster & Seafood Voucher at The Lobster Trap from buytopia.ca.

The last time I was at The Lobster Trap was close to 2.5 years ago, precisely when the seafood restaurant had a promotional coupon going on. Hey what can I say, I love deals and I love seafood. I'm Asian after all.

Our server came over to show us what a 4 lb live lobster looks like.

My friend and I each ordered an entree (each entree comes with garlic bread and a choice of side). We also had a bottle of their house white wine.

BASKET OF GARLIC ROLLS

APPETIZER

COCONUT SHRIMPS ($14)

I seriously really, really like these shrimps. They made a really good impression on me the last time I was there so I decided to order them again. I was a bit nervous that they won't be the same but *phew* they were just as good as I remember them to be. Fried shrimps coated with shredded coconut. Nommmmmm.

JUMBO GARLIC SHRIMPS ($32)

This was my friend's entree. No puny and scrawny shrimps here; theses were some giant plump prawns. Seasoned with garlic, all you need is a squeeze of lemon on these bad boys. No need for the seafood sauce at all.

1.5 LB BROILED LOBSTER ($45)

This was my entree. I really considered getting the 2 lb but I don't know, seems a bit excessive (although I did have a 2 lb lobster all by myself before at The Lobster Trap).

Just like the coconut shrimps appetizer, I remember how tasty my broiled lobster was two years ago (you can choose either broiled or steamed) and yeah, nothing has changed. The broiled lobster at The Lobster Trap is still off-the-hook!

POTATO (side)

GARDEN SALAD (side)

Back to the lobster meatsss! Oh yeah, don't forget to use that warm butter. SO good.

We like to play with our food.

The Lobster Trap is a casual seafood restaurant so don't expect anything fancy (i.e. not much in terms of decor and no white tablecloth service). But what you ARE going to get is some DAMN GOOD LOBSTER!