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The Scene..February 2010
By Fresh Bites
In February, winter dining festivals are en vogue in Toronto and Ottawa, Niagara and Calgary celebrate all things romantic with wine, and Vancouver gets “spirited” in advance of the Olympics. There is nothing keeping a “foodie” indoors this month in Canada!
In Toronto, Winterlicious 2010 is in full swing this month with some of the city’s top dining establishments offering affordable and delicious offerings as part of the festival, sponsored by American Express. In addition to the dining program, several specialty events are being held to celebrate good food and drink. For our guide to Winterlicious, Click Here.
Outside of the Wintelricious festivities, Chris Macdonald, chef/owner of Cava, will be sharing his kitchen with six of Toronto's top chefs on February 2nd for the 1st Annual Ground Hog Invitational Challenge. The event will bring chefs Fabio Bondi (Local Kitchen), Ted Corrado (C5), Ryan Crawford (Stone Road Grille), Mark Cutrara (Cowbell), Michael Steh (Reds Bistro and Bar) and Grant Van Gameren (The Black Hoof) together to create a cooked or cured ground pork item to accompany Cava's tapas and paella. Dishes will be paired with Henry of Pelham Family Estate Wines, and the best dish will win the "Cava Ground Hog Trophy”.
Also on February 2nd, Harbourfront Centre will be hosting a Coffee 101 Tasting where guests will learn the basics of coffee production, harvesting, and processing around the world and how this affects the taste of Toronto’s favourite hot beverage. Participants will get to sample various specialty coffees and enjoy a coffee beverage of their choice at the end of the workshop. Meanwhile, Slow Food Toronto will present a dinner featuring Ontario game. Courses will be delivered by varied celebrated chefs in Toronto and beyond..,with dishes featuring venison, rabbit, squab and wild boar. This event will be held at Hank’s on Church Street.
The Global Wine Tour returns again in February with several wine tasting and educational programs throughout the month. On February 3rd, they will be hosting their Introduction To Wine Tasting at The Fine Reserve and on the 5th, a special Exploring The Wines Of Argentina seminar. Also on February 5th, a new apple will have its royal and very civilized debut. The Red Prince, a new apple variety hailing from Europe now locally grown in Ontario, will be launched in the underground PATH system at the Exchange Tower (130 King Street West) and First Canadian Place (100 King Street West) between 11am and 2pm where more than 10,000 Red Prince apples will be distributed to the public.
For those into meat, Breaking the Pig at The Stop on February 8th is a demonstration of whole animal butchery and how each muscle is best used for retail, restaurants and the home cook with a full discussion of farming practices and the challenges of bringing local product to market. If this is a bit too much for you, perhaps you’d be better suited for their Breadmaking Workshop with Steve Song on February 13th. Guests will learn the basics of bread making from Steve Song, one of Toronto’s finest pastry chefs - while supporting The Stop Community Food Centre.
Wine dinners will also be popular in Toronto in February with some great events on the roster. On February 11th, former Stop Chef Joshna Maharaj from the Food Studio will team up with Ted Corrado of C5 for another edition of Green Gastronomy. This dinner series pairs celebrity chefs with local farmers and wineries to spotlight sustainable food and wine production. On February 17th, George Brown College’s Rising Star Dinner Series will feature Chef Tyler Cunningham from Mildred’s Temple Kitchen. On Wednesday, February 24th, Lifford Wine Agency will co-host a very special wine dinner at Grano Restaurant to benefit Denise Fujiwara. Denise is one of Canada’s most gifted dance artists. The evening will be a celebration of the sensory arts in support of the art of dance.
February is also Chinese New Year and this year “The Year of the Tiger”, begins on the day of love, Valentine’s Day. If you are looking for a special foodie gift with some meaning for your sweetheart, why a pair of tickets to the Dim Sum Workshop with Chef Vanessa Yeung being held on February 21st? In celebration of the Year of the Tiger, Aphrodite Cooks’ owner and Chef Vanessa Yeung, along with her talented mom Millie who has close ties to Hong Kong (aka “Dim Sum Central”), will be leading a class for anyone wanting to celebrate at Nella Cucina. It is a great way to spend some time with a loved one and at $75/person, cheaper than a diamond ring!
Finally, February 25th is the time of year we dig deep to help fight food security issues. The biggest event in the city is certainly Second Harvest’s Lunch Money Day, where people across the GTA are encouraged to bring their lunch to work or school and donate the money they would normally spend on lunch to Second Harvest. For every $5 donated, they are able to provide enough fresh food for 10 meals for those in need in Toronto. Their goal this year is to raise $340,000 or about 680,000 meals for the men, women and children who are hungry in our community.
In Ottawa, the city is exploding with flavourful fun with Taste of Winterlude, presented by American Express. Skating along the Rideau can build up a big appetite and Taste of Winterlude offers several events across the city to satisfy every craving. For our Taste of Winterlude Guide, Click Here.
On top of Taste of Winterlude, The Art of Tasting Wine by Grape is a two part series kicking off on January 30th with a second series being held on February 13th at The Urban Element. The folks at Groovy Grapes will teach guests how to taste and evaluate wine by key grape varietals in a blind tasting format that will sharpen your tasting skills. The goal of this session is to cover the ins and outs of wine tasting and why you should taste wine versus just drink it!
On February 2nd, the Divino Wine Studio will launch their Regional Wine and Cuisine of Italy Dinner Series, a four-part workshop featuring regional dishes and matching wines. The chef will also offer small cooking demos and provides recipes. Each evening will focus on a different region of Italy. On February 6th, they will also be hosting a special Superfoods Cooking Class with Wine. Superfoods Cooking Class with Wine. Larissa Beznaczuk-Smyrnew, founder and owner of NOURISH with an educational background from McGill University in nutrition, will share her understanding of healthy eating, the importance of diversified eating and the tremendous cultural experience related to food!
For those looking for something “cheesy”, The Great Canadian Cheese Discovery series by Savvy Company will hold a session on February 17th focused on Quebec artisan cheeses. Guests will join Cheese Sommelier Vanessa Simmons as she leads them through a delicious discovery of artisan cheeses.
Finally, for the wine-crowd, the Wines of Ontario Winter WineFest being held on February 18th, will provide the opportunity to taste over 100 wines from 30 wineries. This event will include many Ontario wines from the 2007 vintage paired with hors d’oeuvres made with great local ingredients. Guests will also be able to meet several of the winemakers from Ontario’s four wine regions: Niagara Peninsula, Lake Erie North Shore, Pelee Island and Prince Edward County.
Love is in the air in Niagara Region this February with the key event of the month being the 2010 Days of Wine & Chocolate Festival running from February 6th to 28th. Nothings says Valentine’s Day like the delicious pairings of two of the sexiest indulgences – wine and chocolate. The festival allows guests to tour 22 different Wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake with each offering a premium VQA wine matched to a decadent chocolate selection. For those looking for a romantic getaway or a “girls getaway”, we could not think of a better destination! This event will be held throughout Niagara's vineyards and passes are $30 per person (plus applicable taxes) and can be used any of the four weekends.
For those looking for a special lunch this Valentine’s Day, Flat Rock Cellars will be hosting the At the Winemaker's Table Lunch on February 14th. This is your chance to meet the faces behind the wines (including harvest winemaker Ross Wise, and Flat Rock president Ed Madronich) while enjoying a 3-course lunch prepared and served by Chef Mark Hand of Hospitality on Hand.
The free-market wine and spirit retailing market of Calgary means that on almost any given day, there is a tasting at some boutique in the city. In February, the focus is on romance and decadence. Zia’s Enoteca will be hosting their Mystery Wine Flight Tuesday's on February 2nd where guests will receive a "Mystery" wine flight and an antipasto appetizer each. Owner Sylvie Berti will walk guests through a formal tasting then provide some background, hints and tips on the wine. Guests will make their own observations and notes as well.
Over at Bin 905 Wine & Spirits, No Wimpy Whites will disprove the notion that “white wines are for sissies” on February 19th. Guests will sample some of the world’s boldest, richest, most full bodied white wines that aren’t afraid to pile-drive your palate onto a matt of delicious goodness. On February 26th, they will get back into the ring for their Scotch Battle 2010, a tasting featuring private bottles from Murray McDavid pitted against those from the original distilleries. This event will feature Whisky’s of Ardbeg, Macallan and Glen Elgin and should be a hit for Whisky fans.
Other wine-focused tastings in the city include Metrovino’s Heart and Soil tour of wines produced on some of the world's most famous soils. This event on February 10th will focus on the whole notion of "terroir" and "regionality". On February 24th, Wine Cellar South will host their Wines from Down Under tasting featuring eight special wines from New Zealand’s Marlborough region along with Australian wines from top growing regions such as McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley.
Fonally, for those who like to savor wine with great food, two major events of note will be happening in February. The European Bistro Vine and Dine at Gypsy Bistro and Wine Bar on February 28th will allow guests to sample their famous Goulash and other delicious dishes in this warm and cozy European bistro restaurant along with the regional wines that complement them. Later, on February 24th, Calgarians can learn about the great wines of Oregon and taste them paired with a multi-course dinner at Escoba Bistro and Wine Bar. Guests at the One-Off Oregon Winemaker's Dinner will join Howard Rossbach of Firesteed Wines in the Willamette Valley, Oregon for a very special evening as he takes them through the wine and stories of this emerging region. A wine reception with canapés will be followed by a five-course dinner paired to some great Oregon wines.
If you have been living under a rock for the past couple of years it may be a surprise to hear that Vancouver is hosting the Winter Olympics this February. That being said, the last two weeks of the month are going to be chaotic when it comes to food and drink. Word is that the cooks, sommeliers, and servers will be working overtime and restaurants have had to completely re-adjust schedules and menus to accommodate the closed streets, food delivery black-outs, enhanced security, and oh yeah, the countless visitors. Keep them in your thoughts, they are going to need it.
However, the first half of the month is full of non-Olympic events for locals and a few “early” visitors to partake in. The first in a new format of cheese and wine tastings with les amis du FROMAGE and Au Petit Chavignol begins on February 1st entitled, Award Winning Wines & Cheeses. These early tastings will start at 5:00 pm, last just over an hour, and will focus on just a few wines and carefully selected cheeses. The same day, The Salt Cellar Series will pair the food of J, N & Z Deli with Phillip's Brewing. The Serbian-family run J.N & Z Deli has been a Vancouver classic for 22 years now and are famous their Smoke Beef Tenderloin, Smoked Pork Tenderloin, and Hot Capicollo. Phillips Brewing from Vancouver Island has garnered much attention and awards for their classic Blue Buck Ale and Phoenix Lager to quirky Seasonal fare like Chocolate Porter and Raspberry Wheat. This event will bring together some delicious ales, awesome charcuterie, artisan cheeses, and enjoyable tales when principals from both J. N & Z and Phillips head down into the Salt Cellar.
Meanwhile, over at the University of British Columbia’s SUB Council Chambers, two educational workshops will explore two very popular beverages. On February 1st, the Wine Tasting and Education workshop will explore the wonderful world of wine including how it’s made, where it’s made, how to match it to food, how to recognize the aroma and appreciate the taste. The next day, the Beer Tasting & Education workshop will take on the same program goals with, you guessed it, beer.
The flagship BC Liquor store at 39th & Cambie will be hosting a series of complimentary tastings this month worth checking out. On February 4th, they will hold a tasting to Celebrate British Columbia with Gray Monk, one of BC's first wineries and the province's oldest independent family estate winery. On February 5th, guests can familiarize themselves with Canada's best-selling Canadian whisky family and meet the Wiser's brand ambassador at the Discover Wiser's Canadian Whisky tasting. The Celebrate in Style event on February 7th will help you get acquainted with Veuve Clicquot and Moët & Chandon, the world's top selling Champagnes, and discover why bubbles are such a popular way to make a toast – just in time for Chinese New Year. On the topic of Chinese New Year, you can always return to the store on February 14th where various houses of Cognac will ring in a happy and lucky Year of the Tiger with complimentary samples of luxury Cognac accompanied by delicious Asian tapas.
For those looking to get out of the city during the Olympic madness, we suggest a trip on a float-plane to nearby Victoria on February 24th for the Mission Emp-Possible - "Battle of the Chefs" at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. Matthew Batey and Takashi Ito will engage in a friendly competition creating five dishes each, paired with wines personally selected and presented by Mission Hill’s chief winemaker, John Simes. Kevin Brauch, of Iron Chef America and the Thirsty Traveler, will be the emcee – a guarantee of entertainment value!
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