Captain's Boil Pirate Ship Party

AYE Matey!

FEAST LIKE A PIRATE, DINE LIKE A CAPTAIN

Event:               Captain's Boil Pirate Ship Party

Location:          Queen's Quay

Date:                July 5, 2017

Reason:            Lobster Roll & Bisque Launch

Website:           https://www.thecaptainsboil.com/

Have you ever been on a Pirate Ship?  No,  well I can say I have now.  I got a chance to board a Pirate Ship for a party hosted by the Captain's Boil to launch their new Lobster Bisque and Lobster Rolls in their restaurants.  The Captain's Boil Chain have 22 locations in Canada and 16 in Ontario.  I haven't had the chance to dine at one of the restaurants yet but I hope to soon, so this was my first taste of their food.

If you are not familiar with their restaurants their concept is to choose your seafood choice and then you choose your flavours, the heat and add ons and sides and they take your seafood choices and boil it in a bag and serve it to you with the bag and all the juices from the boiled seafood and flavours.

They also have a sizzling plate combo that you can order.

The items that I tried on the Pirate Ship were their new Lobster Bisque.  I enjoyed the bisque, it was very mild though.  They also served up bags of drinks with straws.  I had the Soju lemonade.   There were also mini Lobster rolls with bacon.  They were ok but I think a little lemon and a squirt of mayo and some seasoning would have boosted the flavour.

It was a perfect night to hang out on a Pirate Ship though.  It's too bad we were just docked because it would have been fun to cruise around Lake Ontario in a Pirate Ship.   Although their locations aren't on a boat so if you want to try their food you will have to check out one of their restaurants soon.  There are a few more opening soon to check out.  

Fore more info:  https://www.thecaptainsboil.com/

*Disclaimer- The food and drink was provided by the Captain's Boil but the opinions and photos are my own.

Ufficio - Coastal Italian Inspired

UFFICIO Toronto - Inspired by Coastal Italy

What:  Dinner with Natalie (Cooking Quidnunc)

When:  December 30, 2016

Where: Ufficio Restaurant

Location: 1214 Dundas St. West

Toronto, ON

Tel. 416.535.8888

Email: Info@ufficiorestaurant.com

Website: http://ufficiorestaurant.com/

Social: @ufficiotoronto

I joined my blogger friend Natalie (Cooking Quidnunc) for a tasting dinner at Ufficio Restaurant translated in Italian to "office",  on Dundas West in Toronto's Little Portugal.  Ufficio has been open for about a year.  With a new Chef in the kitchen,  Francesco Venditti, formerly of Jamie's Italian Kitchen and Bar Buca,  has developed a new menu for Ufficio.

We got there just as they were getting ready to open, we usually like to go early for dinner before crowds of people.  We were greeted by John who directed us to a lovely blue booth next to the bar.

Ufficio is a really beautiful neighbourhood space that is very warm and cozy.  While the lighting isn't as food flattering in the evening it was very people flattering.   Ufficio is a Pescatarian sustainably sourced seafood inspired by the Italian coastal towns.  The recipes are Italian inspired and made with Canadian ingredients it's like an Italian transplanted in Canada missing home.

The first dish we tried was the Tuna Crudo with hazelnuts and celery leaves.  It was the Crudo del Giorno.  It was very light and fresh.

The blow your mind dish was the Gamberi Fritti ($16) a squid ink battered striped prawn over a spicy aioli with a dusting of sweet smoked paprika.  The smell of this dish and the look was incredible.  Hard to photograph because of the squid ink but hopefully you can get the picture.  Crunchy outside but tender shrimp outside with loads of smokey flavour.

The interesting dish of the night was the Arugula fettuccini ($33) with BC striped prawns and crab in a crab reduction.  Nice fresh pasta with a lighter touch than most pastas.

The dish we really wanted to finish but didn't have any more room for were these Brussel Sprouts.
This is one of their seasonal vegetables.  It was oven roasted and caramelized and drizzled with honey and parmesan cheese and hazelnuts.  A really interesting combination.  The honey takes away any bitterness in the Brussel sprouts.

The freshest tasting dish was the Zuppa Di Pesce Allabruzzese ($29)  In a sweet fresh tomato brodo laced with Mussels, Clams, Rainbow Trout and BC striped prawns.  The broth was amazing and light.

 John explained to us that they like to showcase their Digestif (Bitters) for after dinner along with or in place of dessert.  He gave us a sample of one of them.  They have an assortment and have a special deal to sample a selection of them.  This one had cinnamon and a few other things.  Natalie had never tried it before and I tried to explain what they were like but I think you have to try it to see for yourself.  It's not for everyone.  It's a bit like an alcoholic strong cough syrup.  It's very concentrated and you feel the warming through your digestive track after you take a swig.  It's meant to aid in digestion.

And to top if all off even though we were thoroughly stuffed we wanted to try one of the desserts to complete the meal and see what they have on their dessert selection.   We chose the Panna Cotta which was like a take on a Tiramisu.  With an espresso panna cotta topped with cocoa and a Marscapone quenel and biscuits on the side.  It was kind of like a jiggly creamy creme caramel, tiramisu, jello combination.   Close your eyes and taste it and it tastes exactly like Tiramisu.  A really great after dinner dessert if you want to skip the coffees.

Chowder Chowdown sustainable Chowder battle

CHEFS CHRIS TORGIS AND JOEL GRAY OF BRUCE WINE BAR TAKE HOME TOP PRIZES AT VANCOUVER AQUARIUM’S OCEAN WISE® CHOWDER CHOWDOWN

It was a hot night at the Fermenting Cellar in The Distillery District, as top chefs from 12 Ocean Wise partner restaurants put their best ladle forward at the Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown. This annual event, which takes place during Ocean Wise Month, brings together some of the region’s culinary heavyweights as they vie to have their chowder recipe be crowned the winner.

This year, a judging panel of food-savvy media and esteemed chefs selected Chefs Chris Torgis and Joel Gray of Thornbury’s Bruce Wine Bar as the 2016 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown Champion. The judging panel was wowed by the chef team’s New England Corn and Smoked Whitefish Chowder. Featuring fresh herbs, pickled potatoes, whitefish roe and a corn tortilla ash, the chowder had the crowd buzzing and their mouths watering.  Bruce Wine Bar also took home the People’s Choice Award, selected by hundreds of chowder lovers who cast their vote.

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I can't believe I actually missed trying the winning Chowder, probably because there were so many people around their table that we didn't get near it.  We tried every other Chowder except for the the GeoDuck,  sorry guys,  I wasn't feeling that adventurous.  We literally worked up a sweat with all the hot Chowder sampling.  But I have to say that our favourite was the very first one we tried and then we went back for it again for our last one just to make sure.  That one was from the Chase Fish & Oyster. 

To cool down after the hot chowders there was a delicious selection of beverages including bright white wine from Whitehaven Winery and the perfect, sustainable caesar from partner Walter Caesar.

 Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown in Toronto showcased 12 top Ocean Wise chefs in total, who all joined the sustainable seafood movement by bringing the heat to this friendly competition. Chowders featured an impressive array of seafood, from octopus to geoduck. A list of participating chefs and beverage partners can be found he​re.

 

This year’s panel of distinguished judges was:

·         Chef  Martin Kouprie, The Globe Restaurant

·         Chef Brad Long, Café Belong

·         Liora Ipsum, Food Editor, The Daily Hive

·         David Ort, Post City Magazine

Ocean Wise began as a grassroots movement in Vancouver in 2005 and is now Canada’s most recognizable sustainable seafood program. What began as an initiative involving 16 chefs has expanded to include more than 675 partners with locations from Victoria to St. John’s.  In addition to Chowder Chowdown in Toronto, Ocean Wise Month is being celebrated with similar events in Vancouver, Calgary and Wolfville and partners across Canada are sharing their stories about sustainability using the hashtag #OceanWiseMonth.

This year’s Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown in Toronto was made possible with the support of Seacore Seafood Inc. and Distillery Events. 

The reason I was really excited to go was because I think that Ocean Wise has been doing some great work getting the message about how important it is to think about buying Ocean Wise approved sustainable fish.  Why is it so important?  They research the species that are in danger of becoming over fished to the point of forever changing the balance of the Oceans and having all of the different species survive which keeps the planet in good health.  It is all connected.  The Ocean's eco system has been slowly eroding and if we don't change a few of our habits we will lose species of fish and cause other factors that contribute to Global Warming.  Yes it's real and if everyone makes conscious choices about what they eat it could make a huge difference.

For more information about Ocean Wise visit their website:  www.oceanwise.ca
For information about the Vancouver Aquarium:  www.vanaqua.org

Pear Diver launches Cooper's Room & Scholarship

Rudy Guo and Michael Blackie

 I was back at Pearl Diver Restaurant once again for a special dinner to launch Cooper's Room a room dedicated to the late Brian Cooper who was the former Dean of Hospitality and Tourism at George Brown College.  George Brown graduate and Pearl Diver partner Rudy Guo talked about the importance of what he learned about hospitality from Brian and his wife Midge that he brings into his business practices. The Coopers always hosted culinary students in their home so Guo wants to continue this hospitality by hosting special dinners at Pearl Diver that will bring established guest chefs and pair them with hospitality students.  These dinners will fund a new "Spirit of Hospitality Scholarship" that will continue these efforts to build the culinary and hospitality community.

Cooper's Room

 Chef Michael Blackie from NeXT Restaurant in Ottawa was the special guest chef for the first of the dinner series events that will help match up future chefs with established visiting chefs.  He was born in Leicestershire, England and raised in Montreal and has cooked around the world in some of the best restaurants including the Windsor Arms (Toronto) Oberoi (Bali) and the Mandarin Oriental (Hong Kong) among others. He is known for his innovative cuisine and has one of the top restaurants in Ottawa.

For the first of these special dinners we sampled an array of things from Pearl Diver's menu and the special creations by Chef Blackie.   From Left to Right.  Shrimp, Oyster, Mussel platter, The Dirty Frenchman, Tempura Cheese Curds, Rare Tuna Sashimi Pizza, and 36 hour sous vide Pork Belly and Digby Scallops.  Not pictured was Pork Ribs and Duck Confit Grilled Cheese. 

My favourites were the Pork Belly and the Tuna and the marinated mussels were great too.

 Pearl Diver has a fantastic pastry chef named Sooji and she rolled out a few of her signature desserts including the much loved Hibiscus cake and the Chocolate ganache Tarte and I really loved the stewed peaches too.

Pearl Diver is always trying to do special things for their customers and there will be a series of upcoming dinners so if you are interested in attending give them a call to see when they will be
416-366-7827 or make a reservation for their 100 oyster Wednesday nights or their Tuesday Oyster specials and leave room for desert because it's fantastic.

Pearl Diver
100 Adelaide St. E.
Toronto, ON
416-366-7827
www.pearldiver.ca
Info@pearldiver.ca
Social @pearldiverTO

Pearl Diver introduces WeChat Wednesdays

Pearl Diver TO

There's another Social APP that originated in China that is rapidly becoming the new thing and it's being introduced to the Toronto market.  I attended a fabulous media dinner at Pearl Diver seafood restaurant for WeChat Wednesday.  I have been to Pearl Diver before but we were introduced to some new special menu items that will be on the menu this spring.  The Pearl Diver restaurants originated in Asia and is fairly new to Canada, there will soon be 7 restaurants in total.

Let me explain We Chat first.  WeChat is a new app that is also a loyalty program. It's a hybrid type app like whatsapp, twitter, instagram and facebook combined.  It was developed in China and has over 600 million users.  A lot of the users in China use it to communicate for free to family members in Canada so this is why they are looking to expand to North America to grow the number of users and therefore grow the benefits of using the app.   Unfortunately because my cell phone is so jam packed with images I didn't have the storage space to load the app but all of my fellow diners did and they were able to connect with each other in the room with the location feature.  I wish I could tell you what the experience using it is like but I won't be able to until I get a new phone that can keep up with me.  So you will have to check it out for yourself but my foodie friends seemed to like the features they were playing with.

PEARL DIVER – WECHAT REWARD PROGRAM

• 1 point for every $1 spend at PD (not including tax & tip)
• Points are transferable – $20 per transfer
• REWARD POINTS (valid until March 31st of every year)

There are multi levels and you can even earn a trip to Shanghai or Beijing. You can make free calls and have group chats and also post moments which are like instagram/facebook posts is how it was explained to me.

Pearl Diver will be introducing a series of WeChat Wednesdays where you can get 10% off your bill if you use the WeChat app.  They will also teach you about oysters with a special of 3 oysters, a glass of beer or wine or a highlighted cocktail for $8.88. They will also have an Oyster special for $28.88 which has 4 different kinds of oysters which change every week.

The dinner we had on WeChat Wednesday was delicious.
The Menu:

• A selection of oysters from the East Coast and the West coast.

• Seared Diver Scallops with watercress, house smoked pork belly, rhubarb and brown butter vinaigrette

• Atlantic Lobster tiger salad, PD ponzu sauce

• Menonite Pork Chop with summer potato bacon hash, braised red cabbage with blackcurrant glaze

• Steelhead Trout with avocado, edamame, broccollini & tomatillo

The flavours are fresh and bold and you can get a really great selection of seafood dishes from this Steelhead trout to a bowl of mussels to their huge selection of freshly shucked oysters.  I think I like the tiny little oysters from the East Coast the best.

Dessert:

• Dark Chocolate Delice with cherry compote, passion fruit coulis, cocoa nib & peanut brittle
• Hibiscus Poached Peach & Hazelnut cake with mascarpone, blueberry compote and toasted pine nuts.

This Dark Chocolate dessert was my favourite thing.  I could have eaten 2 platefulls it was so good.
The pastry chef has been working on trying to use less butter and sugar in desserts while retaining full flavour from natural ingredients.


For more information about Pearl Diver

Pearl Diver 100 Adelaide St E, Toronto, ON M5C 1K6

Reservations 416-366-7827

FB: https://www.facebook.com/pearldiverto/
WeChat: PDToronto
Twitter:  @PearlDiverTO
Instagram: @pearlDiverTo
Website: http://pearldiver.to/pearldiver/

Hours of Operation

Mon to Wed - Noon to 12am
Thurs & Fri - Noon to 1am
Sat - 4pm to 1am
Sun - 11am to 12am