Toronto Food & Wine Festival + Ticket Giveaway!

/

The upcoming Toronto Food & Wine Festival will be sure to impress every gourmand's palate. Held at Evergreen Brick Works from September 18 - 20, foodies can indulge their cravings for gourmet food and drink at the Grand Tasting Pavilion, which will feature samplings from 130 purveyors of premium products from around the world, including Ontario. 

Celebrity chefs Curtis Stone, Tyler Florence, Gail Simmons, Chuck Hughes, Mark McEwan and many more will participate in live cooking demos, talks and workshops. Sharpen your knife skills, visit the farmers' market onsite, learn to make Japanese soba noodles and take a master class with chefs who are the best in the business. 

The Toronto Food & Wine Festival is the culinary event of the year you don't want to miss. Tickets are available for $36 per adult and $18 per child ages 6-15. To learn more and to purchase tickets online, visit: torontofoodandwine.com. 

Ticket Giveaway!

I am giving away a pair of tickets (valued at $72) to one lucky reader. There are many ways to enter (see below). Good luck and happy wining and dining! 

Open to Canadian residents only, 19+. 
Contest ends Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 12 p.m. Winner will be contacted directly and announced on social media. 

Tequila Tastings at Milagro

/
Tequila Tastings at Milagro

Is there a better combination than tacos and tequila? It's debatable. The perfect place to enjoy Mexican food and drinks on a balmy summer evening is atop Milagro Cantina's second-floor rooftop patio on Queen Street West. Buzzing and lively, the vibe is young, hip, and trendy. Upbeat Latin tunes pulsate from the speakers and mouth-watering aromas of Mexican fare waft through the intimate space. 

Read More

Smoque N Bones

/
Smoque N Bones

The Big Smoke has been set aflame with the opening of a new barbeque joint, Smoke N Bones. ChefAlex Rad and his kitchen staff meticulously prepare southern comfort food for hungry customers. I had the chance to sample a few of his culinary creations and was most impressed. 

To create the flavours of authentic barbeque, Chef Rad uses a Southern Pride smoker to infuse meat with hickory smoke. The aroma of the meat, smoked for well over 12 hours, is wildly intoxicating. Once I took my first bite of the succulent pork ribs, I was hooked. While the meat does not effortlessly fall of the bones, there is a lot to be said for its distinctive taste. Tender, juicy, and bursting with flavour, the hickory smoke completely penetrates the ribs, and the result is absolutely delicious. It is unnecessary to slather the accompanied barbeque sauce onto the meat, as the flavour is bold and perfect on its own. 

Read More

Byblos

/
Byblos

Charles Khabouth and Hanif Harji are royal mavens in the hospitality industry. They have the Midas touch when it comes to the restaurant business, with the likes of Patria and Weslodge as their hip and happening hot spots on King West. Their newest venture, Byblos opened this month with great fanfare. Byblos' menu is the brainchild of executive chef, Stuart Cameron of both Patria and Weslodge fame. He has created unique Eastern Mediterranean infused fare and is mainly concerned with providing fresh ingredients and fine dining with flair. 

His Georgian inspired dish, the cheese acharuli with quail egg, brioche and za’atar is reminiscent of Turkish pide. The brioche base cradles brined feta and halloumi cheeses accompanied with spicy harissa. The dish does not possess a distinctive flavour, as all of the cheeses meld together and the textures are lost due to the small portion. Nevertheless, the little nibble was very delicious. 

Read More