Drake One Fifty's Twilight Tuesdays Night Market

By: Shelby Morrison

The after work rush hour can be a pretty hectic scene in downtown Toronto. Instead of hopping on the busy, stuffy subway right after work, why not consider grabbing some delicious food and drinks? In the heart of the Financial District, you will find Twilight Tuesdays, presented by Drake One Fifty. The York Street Parkette, directly next door to Drake One Fifty is transformed into a small night market with plenty of food, drinks, art and live music. For the third year in a row, this event takes place every Tuesday in August and benefits the charity, Out of the Cold. I attend the first Twilight Tuesday of the year and sample delicious eats.

Every Tuesday night, Drake One Fifty will be on site showcasing some of their delicious food, while different restaurants will join each week. The restaurants featured throughout August are Pizzeria Libretto, Momofuku, Tundra, The Gabardine, Richmond Station, Smoke Signals BBQ and Thoroughbred Food and Drink. 

I start off with some grub from Drake One Fifty and have the chicken wings, as well as dumplings. The wings are crispy, yet remain juicy and tender on the inside. The pork and shrimp dumplings have generous amounts of stuffing, which is always a welcome treat. I thoroughly enjoy the dishes from Drake One Fifty and find them quite satisfying.

Also on offer is a pork bifana sandwich, as well as pulled pork sandwich, and sweet and sticky ribs. The latter dish is very popular! 

My favourite dish of the night is from Tundra, the restaurant at the Hilton Hotel. The smoked brisket sandwich is topped with maple BBQ sauce, coleslaw, micro greens, and is stuffed between pretzel bread. The meat is juicy, and the bread is perfectly soft with a nice bite. The sweet sauce also helps bring the whole thing together and balances out the richness. For a more refreshing dish, I choose the lobster and shrimp salad with buttermilk dressing. There is a significant amount of seafood, as well as fresh cucumber and tomato for freshness. 

If you’re looking to quench your thirst, Ace Hill Brewery, as well as Havana Club, Altos Tequila and Jacob’s Creek Moscato are on site.

As for dessert, Drake One Fifty serves up vanilla soft serve at a “make-your-own-sundae station”. I get quite excited at the sight of ice cream and candy, so this creamy treat is the perfect ending to a delicious evening out. 

Relax and unwind after work at Twilight Tuesdays to take in some good eats, music, art and an all around fabulous time!

Food + Drink tickets: $5 each.
Time: Every Tuesday in August from 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Venue: Drake One Fifty Parkette

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.

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.

WayHome VIP Preview Party at the Drake Hotel

By: Shelby Morrison

Although the WayHome Music & Arts Festival does not start until July 22, why not get pumped up a little early? With artists like Arcade Fire, Metric, Arkells and many more taking the stage, WayHome is sure to be loads of fun! The Drake Hotel hosted a VIP preview event of the festival to get us excited for what’s to come.

The atmosphere at the Drake was pulsating with DJ sets by Nino Brown and CRSB and a performance by River Tiber. I started off the night with a refreshing strawberry, sherry and Cointreau cocktail and made my way around the different stations. TopShop and TopMan were on site offering one-on-one consultations with personal stylists, while highlighting the top festival trends. After making my way over to the Equinox set-up, I was greeted with some fresh spa water with cucumber and mint. Massages were also being offered to guests, as well as free passes to the gym.

The Drake Hotel’s chef, Ted Corrado showcased some of his specially curated WayHome x The Drake VIP menu. A whole roasted suckling pig was offered at a create-your-own taco station with a variety of toppings such as guacamole, sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, cabbage slaw, and beans. Korean fried chicken lettuce wraps, as well as salmon fried rice was being passed out as well. These dishes were bursting with flavor and were the perfect accompaniment to the evening.

If you wanted to get creative, Paris-born, Toronto-based artist Jimmy Chiale was painting abstract art directly on people’s bodies. A photo wall by The Kit was set up to take selfies and pictures, while also informing guests about the 'Best Dressed' competition that will take place at the festival.

If concert goers weren’t hyped about attending WayHome before, this sneak peek definitely changed that!

Tickets to WayHome are on sale at wayhome.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.