2nd Annual The Dinner Party Improves on Perfection

Last week Chef Alexandra Feswick held The Dinner Party based on visual artist and feminist Judy Chicago’s original installation at the Great Hall for the second year. After a cocktails reception in the Samuel J Moore on the ground level of the iconic Queen St West building, where guests were treated to foie gras offerings from Chef Charlotte Langley of Catch, we ascended the red carpeted stairs to the Great Hall, and sat down to the our places at the triangle table for a second time.

I turned to my dinner guest, Adie, and lamented how much had changed in the past year since the first The Dinner Party. This website wasn’t even a twinkle in our eye yet, for instance. This taking stock of life and change was, I think, an underlying sentiment of the evening. Par exemple,  some chefs appeared on the menu a second time but with a different establishment listed beside their names and in her keynotes speech at the beginning of the evening Chef Feswick spoke about how she intends to keep doing The Dinner Party until the word female no longer has to proceed a chef’s name.

This year’s dinner saw proceeds benefit the Canadian charity Water Can, whose mission is to provide drinking water solutions to communities around the world, with the hope that the time spend traveling and hauling clean drinking water — time intensive, laborious work predominantly done by girls and women — can be reinvested in to education and development.

True to the intent of Judy Chicago’s original piece, each table setting was unique, with a patchwork of textiles and each of the chefs had chosen women of influence to who they dedicated their dishes. Our impeccable foie gras Hor d’oeuvres where dedicated to Clare Smyth, Helene Darroze, and Anne Sophie Pic –all Michelin Star Chefs.

Bread was served at the table. Foccacia with mascarpone and butter by Carla Digenova of Pizza Liberetto. Dedicated to Kate Bush. Also of Pizza Liberetto, Tiffany Wong dedicated her Amuse of grilled calamari, Nduja, and olives to Dr. Emily Stowe, the first female doctor to practice in Canada.

A first course of coppa di testa with green goddess sauce (natch) was dedicated to Katherine Switzer, the first women to run the Boston Marathon as a registered entrant was served up to us by Chef Tara Lee of Skin & Bones (an avid runner herself we learned).

Torched scallops, watermelon radish, taro root, wine jelly and burnt honey from Leonie Lila of The Libertine stepped up the colour pallet game. With it’s punches of pink and delicate whites and yellows the dish was dedicated to former Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

A palate cleanser in the form of a dose of lime, cucumber and gin scented granita dedicated to poet Hua Mulan, again from Tiffany Wong, carried us on our high into the main. Confit pork, peach marmalde, peaches & cream cornbread, bloodlust butter, burnt cream. Chef Trish Gill really outdid herself this year. The dish was pared with a butter bourbon on the rocks from The Dock ellis, Gill’s new home, and was dedicated to Anne & Nancy Wilson of Heart — two seriously skilled goddesses who lead countless girls to pick up the guitar and make music (rock or otherwise). If you’ve never had a butter bourbon, you should, right now, this very night. It had my bourbon/whisky/scotch hatting dinner guest melting.

Finally it was Chef Feswicks turn. Dessert had arrived and we were treated to creamed barley, banana, chocolate, pineapple, cheery & brown sugar. Dedicated to Mary Wollstonecraft.

If you could be part of a Dinner Party what dish would you create and who would you dedicate it to?

Chow Down on Oceanwise’s Chowder Showdown

 

 

Photos by Yui Scheidt

Originally posted to Ama’s twice-weekly column on Toronto is Awesome. 

You know what would warm you hop on a nice soggy day like today? A nice hot bowl of chowder. Thankfully, Oceanwise, which is a conservation program put together by the Vancouver Aquarium (who knew?!), organized a wonderfully delicious Chowder Chowdown just the other week to bring awareness to the issues surrounding sustainable seafood.

The annual showdown in Toronto meant some serious competition including Executive Chef from the Royal York Joshua Dyer’s Classic Seafood Chowder, which clocked in at 82 years old. When we caught up with Chef Charlotte Langley of Catch, she presented a take on her grandmother’s recipe: creamy halibut stock with clams and muscles still in their shells, topped off with a fried biscuit. A homage to her grandmother’s recipe.  But there were many many more.

Toronto area chefs were each given a prep area to serve up their own “chow” made from ocean-friendly seafood alongside a beer pairing that was chosen to perfectly suit the chowder’s flavour. Guests were presented with a wooden spoon, a ballot and a checklist describing each of the 12 stations, in which they were given the power to vote for best chowder.

But that’s not all. All the chefs faced a stiff panel of judges (Martin Kouprie from Pangaea Restaurant, Jamie Drummond from Good Food Revolution, Brad Long from Café Belong at Evergreen Brick Works and Agatha Podgorski from Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance), whom would determine along with the crowd who had the best chowder.

Toronto’s top chefs served up their tantalizing renditions on chowders and filled the bellies of all the attendees. You had your traditional to quirky (Patrick McMurray from Starfish has an almost chilli like chowder), and delicious choices were all around Yuli and I. But as we carefully zigged and zagged our way around the spaces, it became clear who the winner was. The judges revealed the winner. Trattoria Mercatto chef Doug Neigel’s Zuppa Di Vongole chowder won over the judges with a recipe featuring Ontario parsnip brood, Ontario chili squash butter and crispy polenta-crusted littleneck clams.

Definitely do not miss this event next year! Good chowder and beer sampling all-in at an amazing price with all proceeds directly supporting the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program

Chef Alexandra Feswick Hosts 2nd Annual “The Dinner Party”

Photos by Yuli Scheidt

Originally posted to Ama’s twice-weekly column on Toronto is Awesome.

On December 3, Chef Alexandra Feswick will play host to her second annual edition of the beautifully executed collaborative dinner party inspired by Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party, helped by Kristina Chau of Not Your Average Party.  The night is a celebration of all the female culinary talent in the city of Toronto.

Taking place at The Great Hall, the dinner asks its female chefs to prepare a dish dedicated to an important female who had encouraged them in their lives or perhaps dedicate their plating designs to take on the shape or structure of a female body part.

This year, several noted chefs are taking part including: Tara Lee (Skin & Bones), Trish Gill (The Dock Ellis), Tiffany Wong (Pizzeria Libretto), Charlotte Langley (Catch) and Leonie Lilla (The Libertine). 2013’s Toronto’s Hottest Chef Leah Wildman (Fit Squad) will be heading up dinner pairings while the lovely Miriam Strieman (Mad Maple) will MC for the evening.

Similar to the first Dinner Party, serving duties will be taken on by the lovely male chefs of our fine city who will be supporting their female comrades in all aspects. Hijinks can ensue such as an entire tray of spilled wine or perhaps someone partaking in dessert with you. It makes the Dinner Party much more, ahem, entertaining. Reporting for serving duties that night will be: Dustin Gallagher (Acadia), Alex Molitz (The Farmhouse Tavern), Jeff Crump (Earth To Table), Rocco Agoistino (Pizzeria Libretto), Scott Bailey (Compass Restaurant) and Basilio Pesce (Porzia).

The dinner will be held at 7pm at The Great Hall, 1087 Queen St. West at Dovercourt on Tuesday December 3rd, 2013. Prices are $120 and include alcohol pairings and tax. All proceeds will be donated to I Walk for Water. To purchase tickets, click here.

Curious Cuts: A Pop Up Offal Dinner with Chef Trish Gill

I’m an Alberta girl, through and through. But I also grew up eating more vegan/vegetarian food than most people, wherever in Canada they hail from. While I have had meat from exotic animals like Llama and Emu — something not uncommon in Alberta — liver was as adventurous  as my family ever got (don’t let the German last name fool you).

That’s not to say I’m not willing to try. And I recently had a chance to try a whole range of offal offerings with Toronto Pop Up‘s most recent meal with Chef Trish Gill (currently at Catch). Curious Cuts, hosted at the Monarch Tavern two weekends ago, had all the trappings of a down-to-earth Canadiana evening.

We were seated communal style down long tables with brown craft paper stretched over top. Antlers and wild flowers in mason jars and votives lined the rows. The interior of the Monarch is Old World, and added to the backwood, cottage feel. The tavern has recently been turned around from dingy Italian neighborhood pub to something pretty special. Ethan has brought craft beer and cask conditioned ale to the public house, as well as some choice bourbons.

First Course: Cheek, Heart, Liver

Amuse-bouche  indeed! Three little bits to get your started and enticed. Cod cheek, crispy as anything served up with some crunchy-fresh cucumbers, and soft as cloud white bun, like the kind you find on a dim sum cart.  Next it was a heart tartar with a horse radish drizzle superb enough to me make change my horseradish hating ways. And finally, a liver pâté served with tiny egg and toast.

Second Course: Sweet Breads with Rhubarb and Peas

I’m still, all these weeks later, dreaming, craving and talking about the rhubarb in this dish. I’ve never had sweet breads before and discovered it’s not my bag, but I imagine this is how they should be prepared. The pair sitting next to us assured me the whole evening was stellar in terms of how eat cut was prepared. Just look at the colours in there, you could quite literally taste them. This dinner was as much a celebration of nose-to-tail dinning as it was about the bounty of Ontario. This country also included parings with Ontario Craft Beers and Wines.

Third Course: Bone Marrow with Root Vegetables and Burnt Toast

Ever since the episode of The Layover where while in Toronto Anthony Bourdain sucked back some bourbon via a empty beef calf at The Black Hoof I wanted to try the stuff. One guest at the end of our table had the right idea and grab a bourbon from the bar’s fine selection. I can now say I’ve had it, and also say I don’t like marrow. It’s just too rich for my blood, though the burnt toast was a brilliant addition as it helped cut down on the fattiness of the marrow.  I thought the real stars of this dish were again the vegetables. Carrots, beets and radishes cut expertly. would you look at that radish just casually hanging out over there, stem still on? Beautiful.

Fourth course: Rabbit with Kidneys and Lime

Unfortunately, an unusual number of the people seated around me are carriers of that gene that makes them taste cilantro not as the citrus weed of the Gods but rather like soap. I think they missed out on the full expression of this dish. But this point in a meal I was wary of something heavy, but the cilantro and consommé keep it airy.

Fifth Course: Pigs Feet Pudding with Granola, Berries and Nasturtiums

And it’s with the dessert we complete the offal tour and get some pig’s trotters in there. Simple the best note to end the night on. I marveled at the texture of this pudding. Somewhere between a custard and a tapioca, no doubt all thanks to the pig. The berries were beyond fresh, and added a little kick of tartness.

I’m not likely to say not to another meal like this after learning I’m not the raging carnivore Ama is or wishes I was. And I think for my first time out Chef Trish Gill was the perfect guide. Expertly bringing each ingredient to full expression. Plus, this is one trend I can back. I’m all for people eating the cuts we used to call “peasant meat” or even “trash.” Some of the cheapest, once most undesirable cuts are being eaten, and that helps make the system sustainable. Which is always a delicious option.

Steven Salm and Michael Steh Set to Bring Stellar Seafood to Downtown Core

Proprietor Steven Salm – Photos by Yuli Scheidt

This past Thursday May 23rd a baker’s dozen of media types donned hard hats and got a very special tour of the spaces that will shortly be two unique dinning spaces in Toronto’s Downtown core. Proprietor Steven Salm, a New Yorker who is having a big love affair with Toronto, and Executive Chef Michael Steh have taken up residence in the Historic Dineen Building at 10 Temperance just off Yonge St. And they’ve been busy.

The tour began out on the street with some hearty chowder from The Chase‘s food truck. The chowder was rich and full of vibrant colours, elements evident in all the dish served up. From the delicate burnt orange of the oysters to the bright green of the peas; the flavours came through and blew away any notion of chowder being standard and boring.

The Chase Chowder

The Chase food truck has been making the rounds in the Financial District this past week ahead of the restaurants’ opening. You’ll find it there tomorrow and at the NE corner of Yonge and Bloor on Thursday serving up Lobster Rolls among other eats. You can follow the truck’s adventures at ChaseTheChase.com

Steven Salm & Exceutive Chef Michael Steh

With the warmth of the chowder in our bellies the real tour could begin. The group was escorted down a cobble stone lane-way to the rear of the Dineen Building. We were met with the skeleton and frame work that will become The Chase Fish & Oyster on the main floor and the custom elevator still under construction that will whisk guests up to the 5th floor for The Chase. Two separate restaurants, with their own kitchens and staff.

Chef de Cuisine Nigel Finley, Steven Salm, Executive Chef Michael Steh

Stepping passed what will become a large open glass entryway, we entered The Chase Fish & Oyster. Large skylights let in beautiful afternoon light, cascading across exposed brick as far as the eye can see. Two Roman archways marked the entry way to the bar, yet to be constructed. Here the group was introduced to Chef de Cuisine Nigel Finley, known for his time spent at Bloom and more recently Catch. Chef Finely expressed his intentions to bring sustainably sourced seafood and local ingredients to The Chase Fish & Oyster and we got a taste of just what he meant by that.

Throughout the tour all those involved in the projects communicated the importance of sustainably sourced fish and seafood, as well as the need to bring humble and thoughtful seafood dinning to Toronto. When asked about whether either the ground floor space or the 5th floor restaurant would be open for lunch hours, proprietor Steven Salm said he was interested in doing so, but also thought that brunch could be a viable option. Possibly a risky venture in an area that all but becomes a ghost town when the office workers have gone for the day. It’s a refreshing notion and we look forward to seeing how The Chase tests those waters.

Steven Salm outlining construction and décor plans

After a tour of the main floor where Mr. Salm outlined all the details of the planned décor, including a hook-shaped bar and nautical flags adorning the Cathedral-height ceilings, we were taken to a lower level. Planned for this space are private dinning areas, restrooms, but more importantly General Manager and Sommelier Anton Potvin‘s wine reserve. At first glance it all just looked like the catacombs under Paris but with a little imagination one started to see the potential. Past the new framework and electrical bits you could really see the charm of the Dineen Building at the forefront of all these plans.

To ascend to the 5th floor future guests will take the custom built elevator but for the purposes of this Hard Hat tour the group had to make use of the existing lift in the Dineen Building. Here we got to peek our heads into the newly opened Dineen Coffee Co. An impeccably beautiful space that perfectly melds modern needs with old bistro allure. A wonderful addition to the area, not unlike The Chase.

Exceutive Chef Michael Steh in the future space of The Chase on the 5th floor

Once on the 5th floor we were greeted by floor-to-ceiling glass and what has to be one of the best views around. Being on the top floor has its advantages, such as the planned roof top patio, where guests can order from the bar without having to go inside, as the bar will traverse  both inside and out made possible by custom made windows.

Lobster in avocado with seasonal dressings

The structure is key to these two restaurants. The separate kitchens and staff ensure the spaces give different experiences and define them as different presences while both focusing on fresh, innovative, seasonal dishes. Both are grounded in the Chase Team’s philosophy of upscale dining that’s thoughtful, approachable, and social. Offering New Canadian food, using the techniques lured from the Italian, French, Asian and Latin American traditions.

As GM and Sommelier for the two restaurants, Anton Potvin stressed that while there will always be room to play he will focus on solid wine choices and that the two spaces will share a liquor license, allowing them to pull from the same reserves.

Opening this Summer The Chase and The Chase Fish & Oyster are set to take on those old-hat, preconceived notions about dinning in Downtown Toronto and what a seafood joint in this town looks like.

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Additional Photos:

Proprietor Steven Salm

Fellow member of the media tour stops to take notes

GM and Sommelier Anton Potvin

Executive Chef Michael Steh

Right: Chef Amira Becarevic