Vinho Verde Wine Tasting

By: Zena Rebello

I recently attended a charming garden party hosted by Ellen Douglas, a producer of CNBC's Wine Portfolio and Rea Kelly, a wonderfully talented local Toronto artist. They graciously guided their guests on a tasting of Vinho Verde wines. The event was an intimate backyard gathering of wine, food and lifestyle bloggers all of whom were curious about sampling wine from a small region of Portugal, which sits on the northern border Spain. 

While dinning on an assortment of cheeses and charcuteries, our host described the lush, cool, rainy, green countryside of the region. The name, Vinho Verde, means ‘green wine’ and it is indicative of the region’s terrain as well as the age of the grapes. Grape varieties such as Loureiro, Trajadura, Arinto and Vinhao are picked before they mature and the wine is quickly bottled after the harvest to capture the grape's youthful character.

I engaged in stimulating conversations centered around wine and art with the guests. Kelly, exhibited some of her artwork and explained that to her, art, much like wine, was one of life’s great joys. As I eyed her work, admiring how she constructed each painting with dramatic colours, I couldn’t help but think about the bold reds, straw-coloured yellows and flowery pink colours of Vinho Verde wines. Wine with art make a truly formidable combination.

Throughout the evening I indulged with other guests in sampling a variety of white wines. As a red wine enthusiast, I assumed I would not enjoy the Vinho Verde wines as much as my favourite shiraz, but with each sample I quickly warmed up to them. All of the wines that I sampled were expressive with distinct aromas and flavours and high in acidity. Each wine was aromatic and crisp with citrus, floral, pear and apple flavours. Additionally, due to the granite-based soils in the region, delicate hints of mineral were imbued in the wines. 

My favourite wine of the evening was the Gazela, which is a dry, lightly carbonated white wine with citrus notes. It is also very reasonably priced at $8.95 and available at the LCBO, which makes Vinho Verde wine even more attractive!

Zena Rebello is an environmental and atmospheric chemist by day and an ardent Muay Thai practitioner by night.

Rashers on Ossington

By: The Charming Modernist

Where can you find a great bacon butty sandwich in Toronto? I'll tell you, but first, you may be wondering what a bacon butty sandwich is. Invented in England, it's a favourite sandwich among Brits consisting of white bread, bacon and brown sauce. You can find this unique dish and other delicious bacon sandwiches at the family-friendly diner, Rashers. 

Owner Richard Mulley is originally from England and is committed to making quality bacon sandwiches for his customers that are simple, yet delicious. Rashers, he says, is not about bacon being the hot new food trend. It's a casual restaurant where you can find premium local bacon of different cuts and varying flavours. I recently attended a dinner to sample some of Rashers' most popular creations at the newly opened Ossington location. The original location is in Leslieville and is a hit with locals.

British expats who are hungry for an authentic bacon butty ($8.00) will enjoy the classic sandwich that comes with homemade brown sauce and cheese or a fried egg may be added to it for a small charge. This one isn't reserved for just the expats; try this novelty for yourself! The brown sauce is tangy with a hint of spice and the meaty sandwich is quite filling. 

The bacon Caesar ($9.00) tastes much like you would imagine: crispy smoked strip bacon, fresh romaine lettuce with homemade Caesar dressing and grated parmesan cheese is served on a warm ciabatta bun. If you like a lot of crunch, this sammie is made for you. 

The fantastic brie and bacon ($10.00) is a crowd-pleaser. With smoked strip bacon, melted brie cheese and caramelized onions topped with a homemade garlic aioli on a toasted bun, this sandwich has a mix of both creamy and crunchy textures. The garlic aioli is not too overpowering and complements the sandwich very well. I also sample some delectably addictive hot and crispy garlic potato wedges ($4.00).

If you like your bacon cut thick, the Hogtown  ($9.00) is your go-to. The typical Canadian sandwich is a nod to one of Toronto's numerous nicknames and is comprised of peameal bacon with one-year aged cheddar and homemade ale mustard on multigrain bread that will keep you satiated.    

My absolute favourite sandwich of the night is the apple and maple grilled cheese ($9.50). It is loaded with cheese and is both sweet and savoury. The grilled sandwich comes with maple glazed smoked strip bacon, one-year aged cheddar and apple chutney on white bread that is bursting with flavour. 

Finally, Mulley offers the bacon burger ($11) to sample. The burger's patty has bacon mixed into it and comes with burger essentials, like lettuce, tomato and a signature chipotle mayo on a toasted bun. It's a substantial sandwich, so make sure you're hungry if you opt for this one.    

After sampling some of Mulley's unique creations, I can certainly say that you can find bacon sandwiches with high quality ingredients that are tasty and satisfying at Rashers. It's is a bacon lover's dream where you won't feel guilty pigging out!

Locations: 182 Ossington Avenue and 948 Queen Street. 
Website: Rashers.ca
Facebook: facebook.com/RashersInc
Twitter: twitter.com/rashersto
Instagram: instagram.com/rashersto

Front Street Foods at Adelaide Place

By: Shelby Morrison

With an abundance of restaurants throughout the city of Toronto, it can be difficult to choose just one to enjoy a memorable meal. However, with the return of Front Street Foods, variety has never been so accessible. This second annual culinary market showcases many of Toronto’s best chefs and restaurants to serve us hungry diners. Presented by the Toronto Market Company and Dream Office REIT, you are sure to enjoy yourself at the ultimate foodie market!

Last year, the market was a huge success, but took place on Front Street. This year, the location has been switched to the 2nd floor outdoor terrace at Adelaide Place (150 York Street). The new location is more of an oasis and an escape from the busy downtown streets. With no cars, streetcars or buses, you can truly relax and unwind with delicious food and drinks.

If you are looking for a delectable lunch, an after work snack, or an early dinner, this happening market is definitely your go-to. I was invited to an event at Front Street Foods where I indulged in an abundance of mouth-watering treats.

I began with a sample of three-cheese mac and cheese topped with brisket from Toben Food By Design. Gruyere, farmhouse cheddar and parmesan tossed noodles were topped with herbed brioche bread crumbs. This combination of creamy, cheesy and crispy paris well with the melt in your mouth brisket.

Next up were fish tacos from Little Fin. The battered haddock is topped with corn, pickled onions and a crunchy slaw. They are light, yet incredibly flavourful.

Freshly baked gourmet buns were served up by Hot Bunzz. These are a variety of stuffed sandwiches including different meats, cheeses and vegetables. I was lucky to try a beef short rib bun, as well as Quebec five cheese, spinach and mushroom bun. The doughiness and scrumptious stuffing are well balanced and I enjoyed the combination of the crispy and soft textures. 

Traditionally found in Swtizerland, Raclette cheese is offered from Raclette Suisse, which is a real showstopper. The cheese is placed under a broiler to get warm and gooey and then used to top sausages and vegetables. You watch as the melted cheese is scraped right in front of you onto your food. This dish is every cheese lover's dream!

Fred's Bread was offering a variety of different breads, which made it tough to decide. I opted for the Ontario mushroom pizza, as well as the Yukon Gold potato focaccia. These artisinal breads are extremely fresh, doughy and tasty. 

To end off the savoury portion of my evening, I ordered the crispy buttermilk chicken sandwich from Brock Sandwich. Perfectly crispy chicken is paired with sweet caramelized onions with some added heat from the Piri Piri sauce. I had to take some of this to go, as the serving size was quite large!

It's nearly impossible to turn down a doughnut, especially when they are from The Rolling Pin. Their offerings include PB & J, Boston Cream and, chocolate coconut and more! I also tried the salted caramel doughnut topped with chocolate and a syringe shot of caramel. There are not really many words to describe how amazing these really were. They are fresh, not too sweet and hit the spot perfectly!

Fresh rotisserie baked breads from Chimney Stax Baking Co. were serving up sweet and savoury takes on this Hungarian street food, known as chimney cakes. Traditionally, they are rolled in cinnamon sugar, but I tried one covered in Oreo crumbs and filled with vanilla frozen yogurt, topped with brownies and caramel sauce. You can imagine just how much I enjoyed this cold treat on a hot summer day.

As if I wasn’t full enough, I had to try Thai style ice cream rolls. This style of ice cream has been something I have seen all over social media, so I was excited to finally give it a try! Fresh bananas and blueberries as well as a creamy liquid base are spread out onto a frozen surface and chopped and mixed around until it becomes firm, yet smooth. They are then scraped into rolls and served. The result is a smooth, creamy, sweet frozen treat presented in the most unique fashion.

If you find yourself debating where to head for your next eating adventure, definitely pay a visit to Front Street Foods. It’s even better if you visit with a few friends so you can share a wide variety of decadent treats! 

Front Street Foods is open from June 13 - August 5, 2016 on Monday and Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Select vendors open at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast. For more information, visit: frontstreetfoods.com. 

Shelby Morrison is a Toronto-based food blogger and freelance writer. She has a passion for food and living the most delicious life, while enjoying every step of the way. She eats her way through Toronto, yet loves to travel the world for unique and tasty finds.

NAO: Summer Patio Launch Party

By: Carly Spears

The tables are out and the streets are lined with people buzzing over drinks and snacks – it must be summer in Toronto. 

This was definitely the case on Avenue Road last Thursday night at the official opening of NAO’s summer patio. Bustling with stylish young professionals sipping Moscow Mules and tossing back freshly-shucked oysters, it was clear that the “Summer of NAO” had officially started. 

Having eaten a decent but fairly unmemorable meal in the dining room following the launch of the steakhouse last year, I wasn’t sure what to expect by attending this event. Much to my surprise, each and every canapé I sampled was uniquely crafted and absolutely delicious. 

We started at the far right side of the patio, set up with a 10-foot-long oyster bar. Here, East Coast oysters shucked-to-serve were available to be topped with your choice of fresh horseradish, homemade cocktail sauce and a wide variety of fruit vinegar mignonettes. I opt for the cocktail sauce, blueberry and cucumber mignonettes – each of which was a refreshing and unique change for someone who typically steers clear of horseradish. 

Moving on, we find ourselves intrigued - running to grab the ceramic Chinese-style soup spoons filled with additional raw seafood options. First up was the ceviche spoon. Raw bay scallops accompanied by rock shrimp and a fresh jalapeno offered an explosion of perfectly balanced flavours fresh from the sea. The next spoon, however, was the winner for me. A meaty slice of hamachi, curled up with a jalapeno was swimming in a delicious pool of sweet and sour yuzu, providing bursting sensation for each and every section of my taste buds. 

On the deep fried front, panko-crusted, kimchi-topped crab cakes and delicately battered tempura shrimp were each served with their own unique house-mayo as garnish. While both were inventive and delicious plays on classics, these were probably two of the more underwhelming canapés of the night. 

As a contemporary steakhouse, we knew there had to be beef coming out soon. We were not wrong. Following the crab cakes and shrimp, we were finally greeted with dry aged beef in the form of both gyoza and sliders. Served with a light ponzu sauce and scallion wasabi, the pan-fried gyoza were a pleasant “upscale” play on the Japanese classic.

Nonetheless, the sliders were definitely the highlight here (and, maybe, of the night). Sitting on homemade truffle aioli and topped with caramelized onions, two succulent mini beef patties lay sandwiched between a freshly baked house slider bun. As the juice began to drip down the side of my wrist, all I could think about was how I needed to get another!

While searching for more sliders, we had no choice but to start digging into not one, not two, but four mini dessert options flowing our way. Because, what’s a summer launch party, or any dinner for that matter, without some delicious sweets? Featuring items from their daily “pie trolley” each mini version of dessert was better than the next. 

A fan of anything and everything Nutella, I was excited to see a group of mini whoopie pies featuring a chocolate hazelnut ganache sitting on a caramel-drizzled, rose-petal lined serving plate. 

Next, raspberry coconut cream pies and yuzu tarts, lined up on long white plates, started making their way from the kitchen. Each of which were built on a crispy, yet tender, buttery tart shell, and filled with deliciously sweet but balanced fillings.

Finally: the cheesecake tart. Simple, right? Wrong. Upon biting into the crackling chocolate-coated phyllo shell, we soon found out that it was actually a goat cheese filling! Offering a uniquely tangy twist on this classic dessert, this was a more than pleasant surprise to end the night with. 

I don’t know whether or not this is the Summer of NAO but, I can tell you this, I would host a patio party here any day!

Carly Spears is a marketing and communications professional who writes about and photographs food from Toronto and on various travels around the world. Follow her on Instagram @thechewreview. 

Thirsty Buddha Coconut Water

By: Zena Rebello

Since I was a child, I have always loved drinking fresh coconut water. Some of my most vivid memories revolve around occasional journeys to the South Asian markets on Gerrard Street East with my parents to buy fresh coconuts. As my father would crack them open at home, I would stand with my glass, ready to catch the leaking, sugary water that seeped out. But cracking coconuts is not all that easy. 

When I moved out on my own and started buying my own groceries, I searched for great tasting natural coconut water in stores. However I only ever found products that were either loaded with sugar or listed filtered water as the main ingredient. That was, of course, until I discovered Thirsty Buddha. Thirsty Buddha coconut water is not only made from the best coconuts in Thailand, but is it made from real coconuts only! Thirsty Buddha is natural coconut water and comes in a BPA-free can. It has no added water, sugar or preservatives.As someone who is health conscious and active, this aspect of the product is very important to me.

Thirsty Buddha coconut water is light, natural and thirst quenching! Its purity is evident from the first to the last sip. Also, depending on one’s preference, it can be purchased with or without pulp. To add to its appeal, Thirsty Buddha is a 1% For the Planet member which is a global network of companies that donate at least 1% of their annual net revenues to environmental organizations.

I enjoy drinking Thirsty Buddha coconut water because it energizes me during the day, allows me to fuel and refuel before and after workouts, and tastes fantastic!

Zena Rebello is an environmental and atmospheric chemist by day and an ardent Muay Thai practitioner by night.