Terroir Symposium 2016 at the AGO

Thanks to Gastropost (Post Media)  I was able to attend the Terroir Symposium at The Art Gallery of Ontario on Monday, April 25, 2016.

The Terroir Symposium brings together Hospitality workers, food writers and other industry people for a day to get together and discuss trends and focus on our local Terroir of food.  The lunch was focused on Vegetarian with all of the small bites various types of vegetarian bites.

The problem was that I confirmed a new work contract that started a week before the Symposium but the good thing was that it was close to the Symposium so I was able to drop in before work, on my lunch break and after work but that also meant that I had to miss out on the many speakers attending the Symposium.  I did get to see one guy from the UK during the afternoon snacks portion but there were so many people in the room talking that it was hard to hear what he was saying anyway.
But I did manage to rush in and try a lot of the food available and rushed through the Cheese Cave to say hi to my friend Vicky at the St. Albert's cheese station.  Talk about fast food.  I had to rush around the building to see and taste as much as I could in my limited amount of time while also saying hi to some of my foodie friends who were there trying to do the same thing.

Breakfast:

Hans Vogels | Momofuku Noodle Bar -  Breakfast Ramen 

Renee Bellefeuille | AGO - Scones and Breads

  

Vegetarian Lunch provided by:

Amanda Cohen | Dirty Candy | NYC

Adrian Niman | Food Dudes

Aidan Galligan | Uncle Smoke Barbeque

Mark Kupfert | Kupfert & Kim

Michael Hunter | Antler

Renee Bellefeuille | AGO

Johnny Poon | Bar Fancy

Alexandra Feswick | Drake Hotel

Dessert:

Stephanie Duong | Roselle Desserts

Chris Kwok | Cluny Bistro

Ashley Jacot De Boinod | Glory Hole Doughnuts

Jason Bangerter | Langdon Hall

Snacks:

Carole Belmonte | Belmonte Raw

Michele Forgione | Impasto

Renee Bellefeuille | AGO

My favourite foods from the lunch were the Taiwanese Arancini from Kanpai and the Vegetarian stuffed Bao.  

I loved all the desserts but especially liked the Cocoa Barry chocolates.  They were beautiful and amazing.

Totally Turkey Closing Reception 

Totally Turkey Menu Items:

• Walnut & Pistachio Raisin Sausage, Muska & Pistachio Halva
• Plain & Pomegranate Wick Turkish Delight,  Dry Black & Red Grapes
• Salted & Raw Antep Pistachios, Kahke, Baklava
• Artichoke Heart Filled with Broad Bean Mousse Served with Purslane Garnish & Beetroot
• Sprouts “Haydari” Served On Crispy Pastry “Yufka”, Mini Kebabs Of Antep’s Truffe 
• Stuffed Dried Vegetables, Stuffed Grapevine Leaves with Bulgur Filling, Tray Bake Filo Pastry with Rice
• Bake Filo Pastry with Olive Muhammara; Walnut & Red Pepper Paste Dip, Hummus, 
• Lentil Patties, İçli Köfte, Bulgur Balls with Walnut & Ground Meat Filling

I wish I could tell you more about the talks but I am sure my friend Jenny Roger (Icecreamandknishes) will do a full write up of all the talks she was able to see.  She was there the whole day and saw quite a bit.  The session I really wanted to attend was the Jacques La Merde the Instagram sensation of a Toronto Female chef who creates beautiful plates using mostly junk food.

This year it was at a new location and with the collaboration of having it at the AGO I am told they integrated a large art portion to the event.  

The tickets are fairly expensive with a day pass being $300.  I wouldn't have been able to go if it wasn't for my work with the Gastropost team.  There was also a collaborative dinner with 16 Chefs for $200 during the evening and I am sure that must have been a fantastic event with chefs trying to outdo each other.  There were other events for Chefs and sponsors and even an event at the Cheese Boutique that were separate from the Symposium.

Either way it's a chance for people that generally all work the same hours all over the place to get together and see what's new in the industry.  That's always a good thing to drive the food world forward.


For more info: terroirsymposium.com.