CURIOUS MINDS - HEIRLOOM: The Food Traditions of Toronto's Cultural Mosaic
Suresh Doss - Food Writer (Editor of Foodism & Escapism and CBC host)
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
Saturdays, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Jan 26, Feb 9, Feb 23, Mar 9, Mar 23, Apr 6
Jan 26, Feb 9, Feb 23, Mar 9, Mar 23, Apr 6
Six-week course: $63 (Members: $54, $42, Free) |
Single class: $21 (Members: $17, $14, Free)
Single class: $21 (Members: $17, $14, Free)
I have known about Suresh Doss for a while now as he is well respected in the Food Industry and has really filled a niche market for himself by finding all the little gem food places to eat that are off the beating path and generally do not get write ups, viral instagram feeds or media attention at all. He likes them because they make "Traditional" food from their home countries or their family influences. The food isn't always instagrammable but it's always full of flavour and passion.
Suresh's passion for food is been demonstrated in a series of 6 -2 hour talks being held on Saturday mornings at the Hot Docs Cinema in Toronto.
I got up this chilly winter morning when I would normally be home probably watching Food Network while cleaning up, cooking or blogging and I went down to the Bloor Cinema thanks to some last minute tickets from Eatable Films. Thank you Eatable.
Today was the first in the series and it was all Suresh who talked about restaurants that he has travelled to around the world and in the GTA or the "Burbs" as he calls it. This is his specialty. He goes to the places only locals that live around the area usually know about.
Suresh has been a food writer for years and writes for many food publications as well as editing his own magazines. He also has a CBC show that showcases the people who run these little mom and pop type of restaurants in the "Burbs".
The one thing that he talked about that he really wanted to hit home was the fact that a lot of these places may just disappear because the parents aren't passing down the traditions to their kids because they usually want their kids to have a better life with more stability and less physical and mental stress. "Running a restaurant in Toronto is hard" Suresh notes.
Yes it is because of City councils many bylaws and the high cost of rent and increased labour costs. They aren't always accessible these days either with the many condos in the city and the endless commuting time there isn't as much time to get around the city to go for dinner. The cost of dining out because of the rents and labour costs are high in the downtown core as well. The suburbs sometimes provides a more reasonable experience with parking available most of the time and the rents being lower affords the food costs to be lower as well.
Here is the thing that I have noticed over the years also pointed out by Suresh is the fact that we are losing a lot of restaurants that have had their original recipes being passed down for generations and they have honed in on specializing in what they do making the food that much better.
I have have also noticed that with the takeover of huge Condos comes predictable chain foods that are sometimes mediocre, sometimes good but hardly ever great. I have noticed in my area where I work and live and there is the highest density in Toronto there is also a slow takeover of restaurants that come from Asia who provide cheap and relatively fast food. How many Sushi places do you need within a 1 block radius? They can't all be good? How many Subways, Freshii's, McDonalds, Tim Horton's do you really need everywhere? The same food in every food court and every major intersection. I really miss the days when I would drive around to all kinds of places, I miss driving a lot too because I could find those little places along the way that you miss when you spend 2 hours a day from underground subway station to station with the same old things around when you surface.
I go out less than I used to and find that a lot of the time I am disappointed in the food. I picked up some food from a new food hall on Bloor today and didn't even finish it. Low quality and not that great. The families that own and run their little places for generations aren't looking to make a quick buck and get out, they are looking to build a community and leave a legacy.
That's what's really needed in the city is for Toronto City Hall to provide easier ways for these people to get started and keep their restaurants running for more than a year or so to build up their communities.
Suresh was asked about the Food truck scene and I have discussed this in many blog posts that a lot of small indie people find the rules and costs to be too high so the ones still standing are the burgers and fries kind of trucks because it is a lot harder to build an audience when the food isn't as familiar.
There is a bit of hope coming in the form of a whole shipping container community that will sit at Front and Bathurst for a year. Unfortunately that's not really long enough for a lot of people to get an opportunity to start small and build their business but if it's successful maybe that will feed more of the same.
What can you do? Find the little gem places. Suresh has a map on facebook of places you can check out. Wander around your neighbourhood and try something that isn't a take out chain and tell your friends if it's good.
This is Suresh's next session, don't miss it.
February 9: A Taste of Persia with B.B. CafeWe begin our survey of the city's best family cooks and family-run restaurants with the mother-daughter team behind B.B. Cafe in North York, renowned across the GTA for its elegant and mouthwatering Persian pastries. Saffron ice cream and rose-water scented desserts? Yes, please!
Follow Suresh on Twitter @suresh Instagram @suresh
Foodism - @foodismto
Website: http://sureshdoss.com/
Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJot1iEs_MwdERsM0gfh43g
