National Post:

• Gina Mallet doesn't expect the prepared meals from gourmet food shop McEwan to be as good as what's served at chef Mark McEwan's restaurants, but she at least hopes for them to be a step up from frozen grocery store meals. Apparently, they're not.
• Margaret Swaine finds three worthy wines in the under-$20 range in today's Vintages release.
• Kate Swoger and Jon Bricker hit three of the many Caribbean take out joints in Scarborough to sample and compare their doubles.
• Bonnie Stern passes on several recipes shared with her by friend and fellow food writer Janna Gur during a recent visit to Israel.

Toronto Star:

• Amy Pataki makes it pretty clear what she thinks of Ame in her opening paragraph, where she wonders "What the hell happened to the Rubino brothers? They used to have such good taste." And it's downhill from there...
• Gord Stimmell picks a few budget-friendly bottles from today's Vintages release.
• Corey Mintz has his older brother Yohan over for dinner, and teaches him how to make a couple of recipes that will help him stay healthy as he deals with the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis that he received a year ago.
• Susan Sampson shares a very small sampling of the tips contained in her new book 12,167 Kitchen and Cooking Secrets, and also has a recipe for the French classic coq au vin.
• Jennifer Bain learns where her bulgogi and galbi comes from with a visit to Korean butcher shop Woori in Mississauga.
• Linda Barnard reminds us that Guinness isn't the only dark drink of note from Ireland - that wintertime favourite Irish coffee is pretty tasty as well.
• Claudia Capos also writes about coffee this week, although she goes straight to the source: the Big Island of Hawaii, where renowned Kona coffee is grown.
• Richard Ouzounian eats his way through six pre-theatre prix fixe meals at some of London's top restaurants.

Globe & Mail:

• Joanne Kates worries us a little bit with her opening paragraph comparing her "first dining experiences in Italy [to her] early sexual experiences", but thankfully, the rest of her review of Buca is sex-free. Unless you find it sexy when a restaurant reviewer writes about how much she really, really loves the food.
• Beppi Crosariol introduces a new format to his wine column, with the photo feature spotlight now being put on three wines each week - "the deal", "the splurge" and "the domestic" - rather than just one. Although oddly, "the domestic" costs almost twice as much as "the splurge" in this week's selections.
• Sebastien Centner may have made a big mistake this week, as he encourages people to try making cocktails that involve fire at home. We expect the percentage of Globe readers with singed eyebrows - or worse - to increase dramatically in coming days.
• Alexandra Gill stops by YEW Restaurant + Bar in the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver where they've crafted not just one Olympic-themed cocktail, but a trio representing Vancouver 2010, Calgary 1988 and Montreal 1976.
• Lucy Waverman takes a shortcut and uses store-bought curry paste for some Indian recipes, although at least she kicks them up a bit with the addition of some extra spices.

Okay, so I know you readers are divided on the topic of event recaps. Some of you hate them, preferring an event preview instead so you can actually buy a ticket and go - and for the most part, I agree. Who wants to hear about all the fun they missed? But others of you love the food pr0n, the piles of photos of gorgeously executed food and drink, particularity at events with higher ticket prices that might not be affordable to most.

Here's our take on this - since the fancy events are usually charity fund-raisers (such as today's post about the What's on the Table event for The Stop) we have no problem running a photo-essay after the fact, because it raises more awareness of the issues and the charity (even though the event is over, I'm sure The Stop would be happy to accept any donations our readers might want to make). And it also helps to promote the many wonderful restaurants that donated their time and product to such a worthy cause.

So if you hate the recaps, look away, and we'll use the same images when we write the event preview article next year! But if you want to see the tasty treats offered to What's on the Table guests, click on through and enjoy.

What's On the Table is the annual fund raiser for The Stop Community Food Centre, an organization that offers not just a food bank, but a community kitchen, lunch programs, community gardens, cooking programs and more. The What's on the Table event brings together top Toronto chefs, and local wineries to raise funds for The Stop. This year's event, held this past week on November 4th, took place at the Wychwood Barns, where The Stop runs a kitchen and greenhouse. The event featured not only great food and drink but a regular and silent auction.

Top image - beef and whitefish remoulade from Jamie Kennedy Kitchen.

Chef Mark Cutrara from Cowbell brought not only these awesome Lyonnaise en brioche but a totally fab pig-shaped cutting board and little brioche cups that turned out to be family heirlooms.

Samosa from Amaya.

Chris Brown of The Stop served up squash pate and Niagara grape compote.

Buddha Dog made everyone feel like a kid again with their corndogs and sauces.

It may look a little weird, but Scaramouche's truffle and mushroom scrambled eggs were a huge hit.

Behind the scenes, Scaramouche's Chef Keith Froggett and staff keep the eggs cooking.

From Chef Lorenzo Loseto of George - Serrano sausage, brioche and raspberry mustard.

Langdon Hall's pot au feu was hearty and filling and came with a choice of condiments as well as biscuits. Not pictured, me trying to steal Langdon Hall's big slab of house-made butter provided for the above-mentioned biscuits.

Chef Donna Dooher of Mildred's Temple Kitchen dishes up squash tagine with quinoa and plum chutney.

Short ribs and flat bread from Canoe.

My friend Mirella insists that we should drop the pretension and start calling it "cold cuts", but Chef Ted Corrado of C5 does it up so fancy, I think it's fair to call this charcuterie.

Gnocchi from Noce - made with red fife flour, squash, parmigiano cream, truffle squash cream, black walnuts and crispy sage. Yes, it was as wonderfully rich as it sounds.

On to dessert - Xococava offers up XOCOCakes - their interpretation of the Whoopie pie.

Soma's famous hot chocolate, waiting to be served.

Afrim Pristine of Cheese Boutique was serving generous cheese plates that included an amazingly flavourful 10-year-old cheddar.

People were going crazy for this chestnut cake from Frangipane.

And finally, more sweet stuff from Frangipane in the form of macarons, shortbread, cookies and marshmallows. I spent a fair amount of time in the dessert room.

As usual, while I got photos of all but a few of the dishes (apologies to Chiado and Amuse Bouche who also had beautiful offerings but were in areas with less than stellar lighting), I didn't get around to trying more than half of them before I was full (I *know* dessert doesn't come first, I couldn't help myself!). There were also some passes hors d'oeuvres from ChezVous Dining and The Stockyards, as well as wines from Flat Rock Cellars, Cave Springs, Stratus, Frogpond Farm and Henry of Pelham, and coffee from Fresh Coffee Network along with tea from The Tea Emporium.

If you didn't manage to make it to What's on the Table this year, mark your calendar for next November - it's an event that shouldn't be missed -both for the great food to be had and to support the amazing work done by the folks at The Stop.

Day of the Dead Festival
Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West
12:00 noon to 6:00 PM
free admission
Harbourfront Centre and the Consulate General of Mexico present the annual traditional Mexican celebration Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos). This ancient Mesoamerican festival and prominent Mexican holiday remembers ancestors by bringing their memories to life through a vast array of family-oriented activities and spiritual festivities. The site will be filled with Mexican music, dance, visual arts and film, as well as traditional food and drink. (Also on Sunday, November 8th.)
[more info]

Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day
Amsterdam Brewery, 21 Bathurst Street
10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
free
The SOBs (Southern Ontario Brewers) are planning a public Big Brew at the Amsterdam Brewing Company in downtown Toronto. 16 homebrewers will be brewing, and all others are welcome to come out to meet each other and learn about brewing. The Amsterdam Brewery will also be open, with public tours of the brewery, and Amsterdam beers will be available to sample. Better yet, buy a case to take home!
[more info]

Road to Asia Festival
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, 6 Garamond Court
11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
$5 Adults - $3 Seniors/Students - free for children 12 & under and JCCC members
This weekend has the JCCC packed with the richness and exciting diversity of many Asian cultures. Kobayashi Hall will feature a variety of dance, theatrical and music performances on the main stage. As well, there will be a cultural marketplace featuring arts and crafts demonstrations and merchandise from all across the Asian region. If martial arts are what you want, the dojos will feature virtually non-stop demonstrations. Finally, a visit to The Road to Asia Festival is not complete unless you sample some of the delicacies featured in our food court. (Also on Sunday, November 8th.)
[more info]

Henry of Pelham Wine & Dine
Bloom Restaurant, 2315 Bloor Street West
7:00 PM to 11:30 PM
$150 - call 416-767-1315 to reserve
Enjoy a seven course meal paired with wines from the Speck family’s private cellar. The evening will be hosted by a member of the Speck family.
[more info]

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place
various times
various ticket prices
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is a unique event that takes place every November in the City of Toronto. The Royal is the largest combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition in the world. Where Canadian and International breeders, growers and exhibitors are declared champions and where hundreds of thousands of attendees come to learn, compete, shop and have a great time with friends and family. (Continues to Sunday, November 15th.)
[more info]

OUT-OF-TOWN

Taste the Season
various wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake & area
11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
$40 for weekend pass
21 Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake come together for a fabulous celebration of great wine and the season’s best bounty. This popular touring and tasting program is a wine and food extravaganza featuring 21 premium VQA wines carefully matched with delicious food pairings. Passes include a 2009 collectible holiday ornament as a keepsake of the event. A portion of the proceeds from each pass will go to support the food program of Community Care St. Catharines-Thorold, to help feed those in our community who would otherwise go hungry. (Also on Sunday, November 8th and other weekends in November.)
[more info]

New Farmers Forum
Frost Campus of Fleming College, Lindsay
11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
$5 donation requested - email apetry@kawarthaheritage.org or call 705-740-9383 to register
The FarmON Alliance hosts a New Farmers Forum, an opportunity to network and discuss strategies for training and re-training farmers for economically viable, locally-oriented agriculture. New farmers of all ages (up to ten years in business), as well as those considering a new direction for their farm business, are all welcome. Findings from this regional meeting will contribute to a province-wide assessment of training needs and the strategies required to address them.
[more info]

MARKETS

Downsview Park Merchants & Farmers Market
Downsview Park, 40 Carl Hall Road
10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Etobicoke Farmers Market
Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall
8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
(Final week of the season)

Farmers Organic Market
St. George the Martyr Church, 197 John Street
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Green Barn Farmers Market
Artscape Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie Avenue
8:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Goody's Natural Market
beside the Grenadier Restaurant, High Park
8:00 AM to 7:00 PM

St. Lawrence Farmers Market
St. Lawrence Market (North Building), 92 Front Street East
5:00 AM to 5:00 PM

The Village Market
Toronto Waldorf School, 9100 Bathurst Street, Thornhill
8:30 AM to 1:30 PM

I am still utterly befuddled at how books that were published at the beginning of 2008 are winning awards almost 2 years later, but the Canadian Culinary Book awards for 2009 were announced today with a big upset by Company's Coming in the cookbooks category. It was shocking, I tell you, shocking. You've probably already read them all, anyway. [CBC]

Not Far From the Tree picked 8,135 pounds of fruit this season and celebrated with a sold-out party. Congrats, guys! And I know it makes me a goofball, but I love that those folks in the video dressed their baby in a shirt covered in fruit to attend an event celebrating the picking of the same. [Not Far From the Tree]

Shiny apples are not necessarily healthy apples. Great reference to Olestra here. (And if you remember Olestra then that's a hint.) [National Post - The Appetizer]

How come hamburgers have to be cooked to a predetermined internal temperature, but some restaurants are allowed to serve steak tartar? [Food With Legs]

Besides maple syrup and Nanaimo bars, chip trucks are a ubiquitous part of Canadian food traditions. Jennifer Bain looks at some higher end examples, but we all have our favourites - for me, nothing comes close to the chips Bud the Spud used to sell in Halifax. [Toronto Star]

"You could put worse things in your mouth than that new low-calorie beer, Molson Canadian 67, like a pistol or a stranger’s sock." When the PR company contacted me to offer TasteTO some samples of Molson 67, and I ran screeching from the room, friends made fun of me for turning down free beer. I don't look so foolish now, do I? (Plus, I owe Adam McDowell a hug - not just for calling out a shitty product, but for knowing how to make a proper martini. Vodka? Pffft!) [National Post - The Appetizer]

In the world of good beer - Dieu du Ciel! seems to be taking Ontario by storm, winning best overall prize at last weekend's Cask Days festival at Volo. [Great Canadian Pubs and Beer]

It's all about the brotherly love in this week's edition of Fed, as Corey Mintz cooks a healthy dinner for his brother Yonan. [Toronto Star]

And in Food For Thought - the magic of dark chocolate, abandoning the kiddie menu, scrumping, and bread slippers. [Save Your Fork]

For many wine drinkers, it’s hard to feel good about buying a wine produced by a gigantic multinational wine producer. There’s a great deal of romanticism attached to wine, and the idea of wine-making. Thinking of vineyards conjures idyllic sunny rows of bright green vines, people hard at work picking grapes, pressing them in a big hand cranked press and selling their wines from a tiny tasting table in the barrel room. When faced with a choice, most would rather give their hard-earned dollars to this romantic idea of a winery, rather than a monster company turning billions in profit every year. But what if the wines produced by the behemoth are astoundingly good?

An unlikely partnership was formed between two such behemoths after Jean Charles Boisset came to the Niagara region in 1998. Jean Charles is VP of Boisset, La Famille des Grand Vins. His company is a large producer of wines based in France with many well known brands. He believed the geology in the Niagara region was optimal for pinot noir. After he personally visited the region, he was convinced it was a special place and was committed to making wines from its unique terroir. Boisset started planting pinot noir vines on the Jordan Bench in 2000 together with Vincor Canada.

Vincor is the largest producer and marketer of wine in Canada. Vincor owns several well known Canadian wine brands. Jackson-Triggs, Sawmill Creek, Inniskillin and Naked Grape are all part of the Vincor family. They’ve been a part of the Canadian wine scene since 1874. In 2006, after a series of offers and attempts at hostile takeovers, Constellation Brands Inc. acquired Vincor Canada.

Constellation Brands, Inc. has a portfolio of 100 brands and 150 companies. This makes them the largest premium wine company in the US and largest wine company (period) in the UK, Australia and Canada. Founded in 1945, Constellation Brands Inc. owns brands well known to Ontario wine drinkers such as Hardys, Kim Crawford, Toasted Head, Robert Mondavi, and Clos du Bois.

The new venture between these hugely successful organizations was called Le Clos Jordanne. There was initially a great deal of scepticism around the winery, but in 2006 Le Clos Jordanne released their first vintage to a multitude of wine writers and other industry experts. The scepticism quickly turned to a buzz that still hasn’t faded.

Le Clos Jordanne is comprised of 4 vineyards on the Jordan Bench in Niagara. Le Clos Jordanne, Claystone Terrace, La Petite Vineyard and Talon Ridge are vineyards that all have distinct geology that contributes immensely to the wines of Le Clos Jordanne. Thomas Bachelder is their wine-maker. Born in Montreal, he was an amateur wine maker for some time before a trip to Burgundy solidified Thomas’s resolve to make wine-making a career. He worked as a wine-making assistant in various wineries in Burgundy, and finally attended a viticulture specific program in Beaune. When the offer to work at Le Clos Jordanne arrived, Thomas was happy to join the team. The team at Le Clos follow traditional Burgundian wine-making practices. All work on the grapes is done by hand, and they use no synthetic fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides or herbicides on their vines. Talon Ridge is their youngest and largest vineyard. This wine is the debut vintage for a single vineyard bottling - the fruit has contributed to other Le Clos Jordanne wines before now.

The Le Clos Jordanne 2007 Talon Ridge Chardonnay (LCBO 143974 | $37/750mL) is a pale straw colour in the glass. On the nose, bright aromas of pear, butter, baked apple and hints of citrus invite a sip. It’s a rich, luxurious wine on the palate, with striking acidity and minerality. The initial flavour profile is laden with citrus - lemon and white grapefruit - and then flavours of baked apple, hints of peaches and pineapple appear. This is a complex wine, showing layers of minerality to the taster. There is a vivacious acidity keeping this wine from feeling overly buttery. The finish ebbs on the tongue, reminding the palate of the citrus flavours, baked apple and stone fruit, and then finally slipping away leaving a distinct minerality behind. This is a complicated wine which will provide a great deal of pleasure to a great many people at this price point. While the proceeds may not be benefiting a small family on a tiny vineyard in a sunny valley, the benefits to the wine drinking citizens of Ontario may outweigh the consequences of eroding the romantic ideal of the wine-making process.

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place
various times
various ticket prices
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is a unique event that takes place every November in the City of Toronto. The Royal is the largest combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition in the world. Where Canadian and International breeders, growers and exhibitors are declared champions and where hundreds of thousands of attendees come to learn, compete, shop and have a great time with friends and family. (Continues to Nov 15th.)
[more info]

Global Wine Tour: Introduction To Wine Tasting
The Fine Wine Reserve, King Street West & Spadina Avenue
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
$49.99
Join David Calado, Global Wine Tour's Wine Education Director, as he takes you on a 3 hour tasting seminar, teaching you the fundamentals of tasting, and what to look for in a quality wine. We will provide a tasting flight of 8 different wines, and you will learn how to taste wine on the basic level, and how acidity, oak, tannins, colour, fruit flavours and other components impact the wine and its finished quality. You will understand what to look for in a quality wine, and you will learn the lingo to better communicate your wine tastes to others.
[more info]

MARKETS

Goody's Natural Market
beside the Grenadier Restaurant, High Park
12:00 noon to 7:00 PM

One of the first rules I lay down to new writers here at TasteTO is to know the difference between the words palate, pallet and palette - the imagery that can be created by using the wrong term can ruin a piece of writing. Turns out no one told the menu writer at Spice Safar where Steven Davey is tempted by something with "palette cleansing foam" from a chef who once worked with Heston Blumenthal at the Fat Duck in the UK. I'd not want to eat something that could be used to remove paint, so maybe he's lucky they were out of that dish. [NOW]

With so many burger joints around town, it takes a lot to stand out - and Burger Bar seems to miss the mark on that one. [Eye]

Discovering colatura - aka Italian fish sauce. [The National Nosh]

I've always thought of Epicure as a French restaurant with a few Mediterranean dishes, so I was confused to see it referred to as Italian  - but it does have plenty of stuff that is vegetarian friendly - glad to see others are fans of the place too. [Toronto Vegetarian]

Previewing this week's Vintages releases. [Gothic Epicures VinCuisine]

Kids need food literacy skills and we need to be teaching them in school. [NOW]

And in Food For Thought - big versus small farms in terms of workers benefits, paw paws, and chocolate; a lazy cook's favourite ingredient. [Save Your Fork]

Gentlemen, have you got a 'stache going on yet? Are you getting bits of food in it? (Ladies... I don't want to know.)

There's still time to take part in Mo'vember, an annual month-long event to raise awareness of prostate cancer. Instead of wearing a ribbon, men can raise awareness of the disease by growing a moustache for the month and collecting funds for Prostate Cancer Canada.

If you can't grow a 'stache, there's still a way to participate in Mo-vember, though. For the month of November, several dishes, many of them prostate-friendly, will be added to the menu at SIR Corp.'s Signature Restaurants,  Far Niente, Four, Petit Four, reds, and The Loose Moose Tap & Grill. Proceeds from the sale of the menu items during the month of November will go to Prostate Cancer Canada, and staff at the restaurants will also be encouraged to raise funds and grow moustaches, as part of the worldwide campaign.

At Far Niente, Chef de Cuisine Frank Romano designed a dinner special of Wild Nunavut Arctic Char with roasted sun chokes, wilted spinach, soybeans, tomato compote, pomegranate and saw palmetto glaze and pumpkin seed praline ($32). According to Romano, he chose ingredients in the dish for their prostate-friendly qualities, including the fish for its Omega-3 fatty acids; soybeans for its phytoestrogens; pomegranate and tomatoes for their bright red pigment (lycopene); and pumpkin seeds for their zinc content.

At FOUR, Chef de Cuisine Matt Rosen is preparing two dishes for Movember. The first is a main course dish of Grilled Mackerel with curried cauliflower, sweet potato, kale and papaya salsa ($22). Rosen is also preparing an appetizer for the cause, Gulf Shrimp with avocado, tomato, watermelon and a lime and grapefruit vinaigrette ($13). Rosen chose the mackerel for its Omega-3 fatty acids, shrimp for its high zinc, grapefruit, papaya, tomatoes and watermelon for their lycopene content, and the cauliflower, sweet potato and kale because they’re cruciferous vegetables, part of the mustard family and are rich in nutrients considered good choices for prostate health.

At Petit Four, Executive Pastry Chef of Signature Group, Leslie Steh, is offering a delicious, prostate-friendly Cranberry, Green Bean Salad, with a mix of spinach and arugula with toasted pumpkin seeds, cranberries, green beans and quinoa ($4.95, small; $6, large).

At The Loose Moose, Executive Chef Cary Bynoe offers another Omega-3 hit with Hot Lox Salad, featuring grilled smoked salmon with mixed greens, red onion, capers, bagel chips and a cream cheese dressing ($14.99).

reds bistro & wine bar’s Executive Chef Michael Steh is serving up Roasted Loin of Flintshire Farms Rabbit, with braised rabbit chasseur, Cinderella pumpkin and creamed leeks ($32).

Fifty cents from the sale of the Petit Four Movember salad, and two dollars from every Movember dish that is sold at Far Niente, Four, The Loose Moose and reds will go to Prostate Cancer Canada.

Hart House Tasting Series: Pinot Camp
Hart House, Music Room (2nd Floor), 7 Hart House Circle
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
$50 or $250 for series of six tastings - tickets available at uofttix.ca
If you’re a Pinot lover tonight is the night for you! Expert Sommelier Jamie Drummond takes us through a detailed tasting of Pinot Noir from the countries that make it best. Afrim Pristine will be bringing along treats from the Cheese Boutique.
[more info]

Thursday Night Tasting Series: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Vineyards Estate Wines, 228 Queens Quay West
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
$20 - call 416.598.8880 to reserve
Join Sommelier Glen Siegel (ISG), Wine Educator Daniel Chan, and Wine & Cheese Enthusiast Caroline Charest, for a series of wine & cheese tasting events presented by Vineyards Estate Wines in partnership with A Taste of Quebec. This week's event introduces the different families of artisanal cheese and the basics of pairing wine & cheese.
[more info]

Not Far From The Tree's End-Of-Season Celebration
Wychwood Barn's Community Gallery, 601 Christie Street
6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
$10 - advance tickets available online
Not Far From The Tree is celebrating the end of season... and what a season to celebrate! Among other successes, we have picked nearly 7,500 lbs of fruit from Toronto's resplendent canopy. We're throwing a party to celebrate and hope that you will join us. Come for an evening of delectable celebrations. We'll be pressing apple cider, eating local hors d'oeuvres, drawing for an amazing array of door prizes, shaking to DJ beats, and serving up local brews, wines, and city-crafted cocktails. All proceeds help build our programs for the 2010 season.
[more info]

Serve! Uncorked
Rosehill Lounge, 6 Rosehill Avenue
6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
$125
Tony Aspler will lead a tasting of Burgundy wines from 1996, and the evening will also feature both a silent and live auction with Stephen Ranger auctioning off a selection of fine and rare wines. Wine pairings with assorted cheeses and chocolate will tantalize the taste buds. Benefit for Serve!, an organization that works with youth ages 13-24 in inner-city communities in experiential education that connects youth and the community and positively impacts both.
[more info]

MARKETS

Apple Tree Market
behind North Toronto Memorial Community Centre, 200 Eglinton Avenue West
3:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Dufferin Grove Organic Farmers Market
Dufferin Grove Park, 875 Dufferin Street
3:00 PM to 7:00 PM

It's great to see more people in the mainstream media questioning our need to eat meat so frequently. This interview with author Jonathan Safran Foer explains his take on the issues in his latest book. [Globe and Mail]

We hear lots about American-size portions, and sit back all smug and Canadian, thinking that could never happen here, but a few places in Toronto are serving up some monster-sized foods. [Toronto Life - Daily Dish]

Eat your oats - and other local food goings-on. [Toronto Sun]

You don't need 'em, and they don't necessarily do the job better but kitchen gadgets are more fun when they look cool. [Sift, Dust and Toss]

If you've been noticing cod on menus lately, it's been making a bit of a comeback, and with cod farms producing stock set to hit the markets in a few years, you'll be seeing it even more. [Toronto Star]

Sarah Hood attended night one of the media preview at the Roosevelt Room - Greg and I were there on night two. And while Sarah's experience was much more positive that mine, I hope to hell the piece we ran earlier today about the food being the most important aspect of the endeavour turns out to be true, because any place with a fridge full of Red Bull and no sign of an actual dining room doesn't exactly strike me as going for an upscale food-loving crowd. And we're all still collectively trying to figure out why the hell there were thong underwear in our gift bags. [Toronto Tasting Notes]

Butter's better - then why are there so few local products available? [Toronto Star]

I avoid the "real butcher" issue by not eating or cooking meat at home, but for those who still insist on cooking the dead animals, it would be nice to know that your meat man (or woman) had the mad butchery skillz. [Dana McCauley]

And in Food For Thought - restaurant critics give up their anonymity, too much sugar could shorten your life, and what your choice of beer says about you. [Save Your Fork]

The Roosevelt Room
2 Drummond Place
416-599-9000

In the last few years, the vast majority of opening restaurants, such as the Black Hoof and Pizzeria Libretto, have been focused on offering consumers comforting food at reasonable prices. Established favourites have been making necessary adjustments too, scaling down menus and offering previously unthinkable specials. And while that is more than understandable, there is still a market for high-end spots that has been seemingly unmet. Perhaps as a sign of the hopefully changing tide, Toronto is getting a new supper club, The Roosevelt Room, from a familiar face on the restaurant scene.

Trevor Wilkinson isn’t new to the supper club concept. After cutting his teeth at Canoe and Jump, he became the executive chef at Lobby in 2003, a spot that became the prototypical restaurant/club of this generation. Billed as “Toronto’s first true supper club experience,” the Roosevelt Room will feature a concierge, art deco décor, an extensive bar menu, and perhaps most importantly, Wilkinson’s food.

The menu represents not only the food of the 1930s (it's specifically based on the menu served at the 1929 Academy Awards), but also the flavours and style Wilkinson has come to be known for, most recently at his eponymous Wellington Street  restaurant, Trevor Kitchen and Bar. Classic bistro items such as steak frites, coq au vin and steak tartar are updated with modern flavours, and the menu is accented with contemporary tastes, such as the yuzu cured sea scallops. “The menu is pretty classic, but everything has my touches on it that will differentiate the food here from even the food at my own restaurant.” This is a point perhaps best accentuated by the Roosevelt Royale, a stunning cheeseburger made with braised beef cheeks, surrounded by ground sirloin, and topped with Roaring Forties blue cheese. Different in size, flavour and texture to the Kobe mini-burgers he became famous for at Lobby and Trevor, this cheeseburger will without doubt be a standout on the already impressive menu Wilkinson has put together.

Toronto’s relationship with the supper club has been a tenuous one: many have opened, yet few have succeeded. “Most of these places put the club first; food is just an afterthought,” as Wilkinson’s theory goes. “When you rush your diners out to start filling up the club, no one’s going to be happy about it.” And so this newest venture at the Roosevelt Room is going to take note of where others have failed in the past. They’ll keep the music low in the Art Deco style space until the dining room is cleared out, and make sure there is a clear separation between the two sides of the business. “There’s nothing worse than trying to enjoy the end of your meal while music is blaring and people are leaning on you and spilling drinks on your table. That won’t happen here.”

Menu and atmosphere notwithstanding, the Roosevelt Room faces a big challenge once it officially opens this Friday. The idea of opening a high-end restaurant in the current economy is enough to scare off even the most confident and seasoned restaurateur, and Wilkinson is no different. “Sure, you’d be foolish not to worry about opening any kind business right now. But the concept of the whole place came together long before the economy tanked, so we chose not to deviate.” In his own restaurant and many others alike, the beginning of this autumn has marked a turnaround in bookings and an increase in spending. “We didn’t really ever consider changing the menu here. My philosophy is to always give people good value, both on the plate and with the wine list. I don’t ever want anyone to leave my restaurant feeling ripped off.”

At Trevor, the kitchen is steered by Wilkinson, but the menu is executed by Jesse Vallins, a chef he has worked with for years now and has the utmost confidence in. The same concept will apply at The Roosevelt, where Anthony Davis (Perigee) will be putting the food out on a daily basis. While Wilkinson is the executive chef, he will rarely, if ever, be found in chef’s whites in the kitchen. “My job is really to guide the direction of the food. Jesse and Anthony are guys I know I can trust to execute.”

Since opening the doors at Trevor almost three years ago, the subterranean space has been lauded for its unique take on bistro favourites. The finicky after-work Bay Street crowd and food-lovers alike have taken to the restaurant’s laid back and approachable fare. The Roosevelt Room is a completely different animal though. Only time will tell if it will be able to escape the fate of its supper club counterparts. As for Wilkinson, is he concerned that he may be stretched too thin? “I’ve got good teams, good food and good concepts in place. I’m not worried.”

Images courtesy of Trevor Wilkinson, used with permission.

What's on the Table
The Stop's Green Barn (Barn #4), 601 Christie Street
6:00 PM
$225 - contact danielle@thestop.org or 416-652-7867 ext. 250 for tickets
Celebrating its fifth year, What’s on the Table invites guests to sample some of Toronto’s top chefs' extraordinary food offerings paired with Niagara wines. Participating chefs include Jamie Kennedy, Jonathan Gushue, Donna Dooher, Chris Brown and many more. Ninety per cent of all proceeds go directly to supporting the innovative programs at The Stop Community Food Centre.
[more info]

Glenmorangie Whisky Tasting
C'est What, 67 Front Street East
7:00 PM
$16
The most important innovation of the Glenmorangie distillery is widely believed to be the pioneering of cask management during the extended maturation process. Come experience how this process imparts the aromas and flavours of Glenmorangie today with a tutored tasting of three fine single malts: Glenmorangie Original, La Santa, and Quinta Ruban.
[more info]

Naomi Duguid: Beyond the Great Wall - Recipes & Travels in Other China.
Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen's Park
6:30 PM
$8 - $5 for members, seniors & students
Naomi Duguid will share remarkable images and stories from the creation of her award-winning book co-authored with Jeffrey Alford. Includes book signing.
[more info]

Cooking Demo with Anna Olson
The Market Kitchen, St. Lawrence Market, 93 Front Street East
6:00 PM
$100 - call 416-860-0727 to reserve
Celebrated as Canada's culinary sweetheart, Anna Olson takes a break from hosting Fresh on Food Network Canada for this exclusive cooking demonstration at The Market Kitchen. Anna will share her passion for seasonal and local fare as she prepares a three-course meal for participants.
[more info]

Pour Man's Luxury: Tom Eddy Cabernet Sauvignon
Grace Upstairs, 503 College Street.
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
free admission - pay-as-you-go for wine tasting
Everyone loves an exceptional glass of vintage wine, but few enjoy the vintage price tags that go along with them. The monthly "Pour Man's Luxury" series will allow customers to try a glass of featured wine at a significantly reduced price, all the while nibbling on complimentary small bites from chef Dustin Gallagher’s kitchen. Winemakers will round out the program when available, creating an exceptional way for wine lovers to meet the people behind the wines they are enjoying. This month's event will feature Cult winemaker Tom Eddy with his world-renowned Cabernet Sauvignon ($34).
[more info]

Penfolds Tasting with Peter Gago
Le Méridien King Edward, Windsor Room, 37 King Street East
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
$75 - call 416-365-5767 or 1-800-266-4764
Taste a whole spectrum of Penfolds’ most exciting wines, including the much-anticipated 2004 Grange which has already been scored 98 points by both Wine Spectator and Australian Wine Companion. Penfolds winemaker Peter Gago will be in attendance.
[more info]

Old World Cheeses with New World Wines
Nancy's Cheese, 260 Dupont Street
7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
$50 - call
Top sommelier Anne Martin and cheese expert Nancy Peppler present various wine and cheese pairings.
[more info]

Tastes of Tomorrow: Sustainable Seafood
George Brown Chef School, Room 112, 300 Adelaide Street East
6:30 PM
free for Tastes of Tomorrow members ($35 membership) - $10 for guests
Executive Chef Morgan Wilson from the Marriott Hotel, has partnered with SeaChoice to introduce sustainable fish/seafood choices available in the industry today, and also to tantalize your taste buds with a delicious Citrus poached Queen Charlotte Halibut with lemon, olive & tomato risotto.
[more info]

DINNERS

Penfolds Dinner with Peter Gago
Colborne Lane, 45 Colborne Street
6:45 PM
$295 - call 416-365-5767 or 1-800-266-4764
Gourmet dinner paired with select wines from Penfolds, including wines from the Cellar Reserve portfolio, normally available only at the winery. Penfolds winemaker Peter Gago will be in attendance.
[more info]

MARKETS

University of Toronto Farmers Market
University College, 15 Kings College Circle
2:30 PM to 5:30 PM

No one gives perk to jerks - whether it's at your local bar or you favourite butcher shop, being a regular has its benefits. [Globe and Mail]

With everyone in a tizzy about swine flu, the common cold can still sneak up and grab you by the face. Some foods and vitamins to ward it off - or at least make it less horrible. [National Post]

But if you'd really like to get sick (no, I don't know why - big event that you're dreading, too much stress at work...) apparently eating lots and lots of candy will do the trick. [National Post - The Appetizer]

Back in the day, everyone was sweet on Elvis. Now he's made of cake. Seems fair. [Sweet Things]

Ah, olden times, like the 30s, when you could publish blatant racial stereotypes in a newspaper ad for spaghetti and people thought it was cute. [Torontoist]

A recap of the wonderful OLA dinner celebrating Day of the Dead. [Sabrosito]

Harvesting ginko nuts - good, stinky fun. [Not Far From the Tree]

And in Food For Thought - Halloween candy pie, the popularity of Farmville, and Miracle Whip douchbags. [Save Your Fork]

Also - there's a new issue of City Bites available - not sure what's in it because their website hasn't been updated, but it's out there for the readin'.

As a co-publisher and resident boozehound at Taste T.O.,  I go out a lot. Media events, dinners, tastings and more make for a full calendar, especially since I also have a day job that I need to fit all of this stuff around. And while I certainly can't complain about the fantastic food and drink that I'm lucky enough to enjoy on a regular basis, the schedule can be tiring.

The past couple of weeks have been especially hectic, and especially boozy as well. So much so that I thought a diary-style post to round up the details might be a good idea, if only to remind myself of the damage I've done to my liver, my brain, and my expanding waistline...

Saturday, October 17th

Our first stop of the day involved a drink that was non-alcoholic, but which was also one of the most unique things I've ingested recently: wild civet coffee from the Doi Chaang region of Thailand. This (in)famous and much coveted coffee is made from beans that have been eaten and partially digested by civets, weasel-like mammals that live in the forests and jungles of Southeast Asia. Toronto's Merchants of Green Coffee are working directly with the Akha tribe in Thailand to import both regular Doi Chaang coffee and the much rarer civet-poop version, as well as a more recently discovered version using beans that are regurgitated by the civets rather than passed right through. Yes, the options are shit or spit. And since Sheryl is working on a full article about the coffee and the story behind it, I’ll just say that it was interesting and leave it at that.

A bit later, we swung by C’est What where the folks from CASK!, a group of local appreciators of cask ale, were holding their second CASK! Social. C’est What had their usual fine selection of five casks available, along with a special addition from Mike Duggan of the soon-to-open Duggan’s Brewery, who provided a debut cask of his Number 8 Porter. As you’d expect from the guy who created Mill Street Coffee Porter, it was excellent – dark and rich with delicious notes of cocoa, toffee and roasted malt.

That evening, we headed out to Caplansky’s Deli where Corey Mintz had invited friends and associates to join him to celebrate the launch of his new Toronto Star column, Fed by Corey Mintz. While it sounds kind of cornball to say so, we’re really proud of Corey and his rapid ascent from rookie writer here on Taste T.O. to restaurant critic and now columnist for the Star in just a couple of years. So we were glad to be able to celebrate his success with him, and being able to do so with Caplansky’s delicious smoked meat sandwiches and pints of Duggan’s Number 9 IPA and Amsterdam Oktoberfest made it even better.

Monday, October 19th

The selection of – and appreciation for – American craft beer in Ontario has been improving over the last couple of years. To spur that growth even more, the Brewers Association, which represents over 1000 small and medium U.S. breweries, held a trade and media dinner at beerbistro to promote beers from a half-dozen breweries including Rogue, Jolly Pumpkin, Dogfish Head, Victory, Sam Adams and Lakefront. It goes without saying that chef Brian Morin and his team in the kitchen, the food and pairings were excellent, with highlights including a mini burger with foie gras paired with the fresh and hoppy Victory Prima Pils, and an outstanding cheese trio matched with the tart and woody Jolly Pumpkin La Roja.

Tuesday, October 20th

It was a day of whisky for me, starting with a media tasting at Barchef for the launch of The Black Grouse, an off-shoot of the popular Scotch whisky The Famous Grouse that blends the original (itself a blend of The Macallan and Highland Park) with selected Islay single malts. The result is a darker, smokier whisky that has a surprising complexity and depth of flavour for such a reasonably priced blend.

In the evening, it was over to Mildred’s Temple Kitchen where the LCBO was celebrating Canadian whisky with an Iron Chef-style competition between chefs Tyler Cunningham of Mildred’s and Frank Romano from Far Niente. Each chef prepared four dishes – soup, fish, pork and dessert – made and paired with four Canadian whiskies – Canadian Club, Crown Royal, Forty Creek and Wiser’s. The always animated Kevin Brauch acted as MC for the event, which was broadcast live on the LCBO website, and a judging panel including chef Lynn Crawford, CityTV’s Frank Ferragine, Michelle Hunt of Martini Club, and singer/whisky aficionado Matt Dusk voted Cunningham the winner in the competition. It must’ve been a tough choice, as there really wasn’t a bad dish in the bunch, although Cunningham’s pork shin braised in Forty Creek and apple cider was my personal top plate of the night.

Wednesday, October 21st

We’ve never been shy about our love for Harvest Wednesdays at the Gladstone Hotel, and we’re always sad to see them come to an end for another year, but at least chef Marc Breton and the Gladstone gang always wrap up the series in fine style with a generous harvest feast. This year the communal tables were heaving with platters of grilled speckled trout; eggplant, fennel and yellow pepper salad; gnocchi in garlic cream sauce; glazed carrots and brown butter broccoli; roast turkey with mushroom stuffing; and freshly baked pumpkin pie; all made with as many fresh and local ingredients as possible. A selection of VQA wines was available in flights or solo, but I opted for the always welcome and very food-friendly Hockley Valley Dark Ale.

Friday, October 23rd

Back to the hard stuff at Whisky Live, an annual sipping and sampling event at the Convention Centre that features a plethora of whisk(e)ys from Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the US, along with a few other top class beverages. This already lengthy article would be twice as long if I listed everything I tasted, but some highlights included Bulleit Bourbon, a terrific sipper with nice notes of spice and honey; Danfield’s 21 Year Old Canadian Whisky, supple and smooth with mellow fruit, toffee and nutty wood hints; and Laphroaig Quarter Cask, a delicious monster of smoke and peat that I smartly saved for my last tasting of the night. Also enjoyable was a blind tasting of Glenfiddich 12, 15 and 18 led by brand ambassador Ian Millar, and as someone who used to drink JD & Coke like water in my younger years, I couldn't resist a sample of the more grown-up and refined Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select. And when I needed a break from the whisky, Innis & Gunn and Mill Street were both on hand to offer another form of barley-based refreshment.

Saturday, October 24th

A road trip with a few of my regular beer tasting buddies took us out Waterloo way to visit a friend who relocated there last year. Along the way we stopped by Grand River Brewery in Cambridge for a tour and tasting led by brewmaster Rob Creighton, followed by lunch at the nearby Golden Kiwi, a place that somehow manages to successfully combine a tiki bar atmosphere with a great selection of local and imported beer and much better than average pub grub. In Waterloo, we checked out the Huether Hotel, a large and maze-like place that includes a café, a sports bar, a pool hall and games room, and a restaurant that’s been serving house-brewed beer for over 20 years. While none of the beers are outstanding, they’re all fine in that mainstream brewpub sort of way, not to mention remarkably cheap at under 4 bucks a pint.

Monday, October 26th

This was going to be a night off, but when I got word from the local Innis & Gunn rep that a seat had opened up at a Charlie’s Burgers dinner featuring their beers paired with food by chefs Jonathan Gushue and Victor DeGuzman from Langdon Hall, I had no problem changing my plans. Innis & Gunn founder Dougal Sharp flew in from Scotland for the dinner and it was a wise decision on his part as the menu was top notch in every regard. We were welcomed with glasses on Innis & Gunn Blonde and passed canapés including smoked salmon and Hudson Bay caviar on oat cakes, and haggis cromesqui with I&G beer mustard. A sinfully delicious six course dinner followed, with delicacies like poached oysters in masala sauce paired with I&G IPA; lobster in Langdon Hall butter with pig cheek & foie gras torchon accompanied by I&G Original; elk tenderloin with smoked tongue, parsnip and collard greens matched with I&G Rum Cask; and for the beer geeks, the not yet available in Canada I&G Highland Cask alongside a rich date and toffee cream cake for dessert. In a word: outstanding.

Friday, October 30th

This evening featured a rare excursion down to the Distillery District, where I started with a quick stop by the Mill Street Brewpub to have a taste of their Nightmare on Mill Street Pumpkin Ale before it was done for the season. It was quite a good pint, a well balanced nutty ale with some pumpkiny sweetness and a good hit of spice. It wasn’t quite the “pumpkin pie in a glass” that some pumpkin ales are, but still enjoyable.

This primed me for the main event: the Rum & Rhythm Festival in the Fermenting Cellar. Presented by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, this third annual event featured just what the name suggests: a selection of rums and live music from various Caribbean nations, as well as food samples and travel information booths. The festival was a bit smaller than last year’s edition, but still had a decent assortment of rum to sample both in cocktail and straight up form. The piña coladas made with Mount Gay rum from Barbados were a treat, and El Dorado from Guyana was nice to sip on its own, although that’s an option that we wouldn’t recommend for Sunset, an 84.5% rum from St. Vincent and The Grenadines that burned even when diluted with lots of fruit punch. As for the food, our favourites were the chimichurri beef with beans and rice from chef Pedro Quintanilla of Focaccia Restaurant, and the succulent goat curry prepared by chef Darryl Alexis.

Saturday, October 31st

Cask Days at Volo is always one of the best beer events of the year, and this year I decided to splurge on one of the 25 “Brewers Breakfast” tickets which included 10 AM admission on Saturday (although the beer didn’t start flowing until 11 as per AGCP regulations), a great buffet breakfast, and a smaller crowd until noon when normal ticket holders were let in. There were over 40 different cask beers available, and thanks to the option of getting 1/4 pints, I was able to sample close to half of them and enjoyed most. The overall level of quality was so high, in fact, that rather than picking favourites, I’ll just list a few that had names I especially liked, such as Stratford Brewing The Empire Strikes Black, Hockley Valley Peanut Butter & Jam Ale, Flying Monkeys Netherworld India Pale Porter, Beau’s Night Märzen, and Cameron’s Jack & Coke Ale. My kudos go out to the many Ontario brewers who really stepped up this year and managed to balance experimentation with quality.

And finally, a good part of my Hallowe’en evening was spent at The Monks Table where Sheryl, myself and a few other media and trade folks were invited for dinner by Bruce Ashley Group, the importers of Wychwood Hobgoblin English Ale. While it’s not a beer that I reach for often, Hobgoblin is still a pleasant ale, with notes of sweet fruit and caramel that went nicely with the pork tenderloin I had for dinner. And for dessert I choose an even better pairing for myself: sticky toffee pudding with Fuller’s London Porter.

Sunday, November 1st

Detox starts. Wish me luck!

Wine & Dine with Anna Olson
Prairie Ink at McNally Robinson, The Shops at Don Mills, 1090 Don Mills Road
7:00 PM
$50 - call 416-384-0085 to reserve
Celebrity Chef Anna Olson creates a menu inspired by her book, "Fresh with Anna Olson: Seasonally Inspired Recipes to Share with Family and Friends" and presents it in a special Wine & Dine event in Prairie Ink restaurant. The evening will feature a three-course dinner with wine pairings.
[more info]

Dinner in the Dark
Embrujo Flamenco, 97 Danforth Avenue
6:30 PM
$160
Embrujo Flamenco Tapas Restaurant & Torres Wines are proud to host Dinner in the Dark in support of CNIB. An extra sensory experience, Dinner in the Dark gives guests the opportunity to enjoy a five-course meal blindfolded allowing them to fully appreciate and enjoy Spanish cuisine and its various textures, flavours and aromas. 50 per cent of the proceeds will support CNIB's vital programs and services for Canadians living with vision loss.
[more info]

MARKETS

East York Farmers Market
East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Avenue
9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
(Final week of the season)