The Feast of St Lawrence - Dinner under the Stars

FEAST OF ST LAWRENCE

DINNER UNDER THE STARS

When:    Saturday July 14, 2018
What:     Media Preview for Dinner Under the Stars
Why:      Charity Event for Second Harvest
Who:      Sponsored by Audi Toronto
Where:   Preview at 4 participating restaurants in the St. Lawrence Market Area

On August 10th there will be a great Sit Down Charity Event called the FEAST OF ST LAWRENCE -DINNER UNDER THE STARS that will take place at St. Lawrence Market.  It will feature restaurants in the St. Lawrence Market area and the proceeds from this event will be donated to the Food Rescue Non-Profit organization Second Harvest.  I really love what Second Harvest does because it tackles the food waste problem while also taking care of food insecurity for so many people in Toronto. Sponsored by Audi Toronto.

On a very humid Saturday afternoon I joined fellow bloggers/influencers for a walking tour and preview of some of the participating restaurants for The Fest of St. Lawrence - Dinner Under the Stars.  Unfortunately I missed the first stop at Pearl Diver because of the subway closures but luckily I have been to Pearl Diver many times so I know they are fantastic. I haven't had a chance to go to the Feast of St. Lawrence but I have heard that it's an amazing event and it's a gorgeous night out at the Market while doing great things for so many people.
                                  

1st Stop: Pearl Diver

Location: 100 Adelaide St E, Toronto, ON

Tasting: Oyster 

                                 

2nd Stop: Omni King Edward Hotel
Location: 37 King St E, Toronto, 

Tasting: Ancient grain and hazelnut clusters, roasted summer vegetables, charred pickled onion, petit tender - Beef, Chimichurri crema. Vegetarian Alternative: Ancient grain and hazelnut clusters, roasted summer vegetables, charred pickled onion, squash blossoms, carrot cider puree.

   

 

                           

3rd Stop: Farmr

Location: 140A The Esplanade, Toronto, ON

Tasting: Pickled Watermelon Salad, local tomatoes cucumber, arugula, finger chilies, tomato vinaigrette, micro basil

This was probably my favourite on the tour only because it was a hot day and this was so refreshing and light and we had it sitting outside on their cozy patio sitting on picnic tables so it really felt like summer.

                                  

4th Stop:  CC Lounge and Whisky Bar

Location: 45 Front St E, Toronto

Tasting: Gooderham & Worts Four Grain Canadian Whisky and

Cocktail Toronto -  J.P. Wiser’s Deluxe, triple Sec, Lillet Liquor and fresh Lemon.

Herbed fries with dips.

This Lounge is beautiful with some fantastic huge chandeliers and a long bar and cozy seating.  The building has a ton of history and you sort of feel it when you are there.

Now for more details about the actual event including the full menu and ticket information:

DETAILS for the DINNER UNDER THE STARS

The Feast of St. Lawrence begins on August 10th with an exclusive, al fresco fine dining event for charity. Two hundred and fifty guests will be seated at two continuous tables on Front Street (between Scott and Church Street) and served a sumptuous five-course dinner prepared by chefs from some of the top restaurants in the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood including Biff's Bistro, Farmr, ARDO, The Hot House Restaurant, The Omni King Edward Hotel, Pearl Diver, The Sultan's Tent and George Brown College. 

Wine pairings from Prince Edward County vineyards and Creemore Springs beer will

be served with the dinner and CC Lounge will present a special Whisky tasting bar. The 18-piece JAZZ.FM91 Youth Big Band will provide added ambiance in the beautifully illuminated Berczy Park lounge area.
The event begins with a reception featuring hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer starting at 6:00 p.m. and ends at 11:00 p.m. 

A portion of ticket sales will be donated to Second Harvest.

Tickets are $200 and are on sale now!

Purchase tickets:

https://www.showpass.com/feast-of-st-lawrence-dinner-under-the-stars/

By Phone: call 416 410 9242

Location: Front Street East (between Scott and Church Street)

Friday August 10, 2018 - 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Official Accounts:

@oldtowntoronto

@auditoronto

Official Hashtags:

#oldtowntoronto

#feastofstlawrence

#dinnerunderthestars

ABOUT:
Second Harvest: Second Harvest is the largest food rescue organization in Canada and a global thought leader on food recovery. With a goal to drastically reduce the amount of food wasted while ensuring people have access to the good, healthy food they need for success, Second Harvest works across the supply chain from farmer to retail to capture surplus food before it ends up in the landfill and negatively impacts our environment.
Since 1985 we have rescued and delivered more than 127 million pounds of food and prevented over 70 million pounds of greenhouse gas equivalents from entering our atmosphere. Currently, we rescue food from over 470 donors and deliver that food to 253 social service agencies in Toronto and food hubs across Ontario, providing enough food for 30,000 meals a day.

No Waste. No Hunger.

DINNER UNDER THE STARS MENU

FEAST OF ST. LAWRENCE 2018

HORS d’OEUVRES

Stationary

Oyster Station (Pearl Diver)

Whisky Bar (CC Lounge)

Beer Bar (Creemore Springs Brewery)

PASSED BY THE SERVERS

Biff's Famous Chicken Liver Parfait (Biff's Bistro)

Falafel with Tahini Sauce (The Sultan's Tent)

Stanners Vineyard 2016 Lincoln Lakeshore Riesling / Stanners Vineyard 2016 Prince Edward County Chardonnay / Broken

Stone Winery 2017 Estate Pinot Noir

APPETIZER

Chilled Melon Soup with ginger (The Hot House)

Rosehall Run Ceremony Blanc de Blanc Brut

Tagliata di Spada - Nova Scotia Sword fish with Ardo sour dough, breadcrumb green peas mint pure, pickled cipolline

(ARDO)

Closson Chase 2017 K. J. Watson Pinot Gris

ENTRE METIER

Pickled Watermelon Salad, local tomatoes cucumber, arugula, finger chilies, tomato vinaigrette, micro basil (Farmr)

Karlo Estates Winery 2017 Frontenac Gris Rose

MAIN

Ancient grain and hazelnut clusters, roasted summer vegetables, charred pickled onion, petit tender, Chimichurri crema

(Omni King Edward Hotel)

Vegetarian Alternative: Ancient grain and hazelnut clusters, roasted summer vegetables, charred pickled onion, squash

blossoms, carrot cider puree (Omni King Edward Hotel)

Keint-he Winery & Vineyards 2013 Queenston Road Pinot Noir

SWEET

Tonka Pavlova with Ontario peaches, wild blueberry and basil cream (George Brown College)

S'mores Tart with smoked chocolate, toasted marshmallow and crushed raspberry (George Brown College)

Broken Stone Winery Exuberance Sparkling Riesling

Canadian Cheese Awards and Night Market -Say Cheese!

Canada is known for making great Beer but we also make fantastic cheeses and I hope that the US tariffs don't affect the ability for everyone to try them.

One of my favourite festivals that I have really looked forward to every summer for the past 3 years is the Great Canadian Cheese Festival in Picton, Ontario.   This year the organizers took a break from the festival in Picton to organize the Canadian Cheese Awards and Artisan Night Market over 2 days in the first week of June.  Even though I was sad that I wouldn't be able to take the beautiful drive to Picton I was happy to be able to attend the Cheese Festival and Market.   The Market was on a smaller scale than the large festival but it still had some really great vendors, most of whom had won awards at the previous evening's Awards presentation.  There was a large domination of Award winning cheeses from Quebec and all of the winners are listed at the bottom of this post so that you can start making your cheese shopping list to try some of these great cheeses.  Both the Awards and the Night Market were sold out and very busy.   After the awards presentation we sampled many of the cheeses and on the next night of the Artisan Market we were able to purchase some of the Cheeses and other products.

I picked up a goat cheese called Kenzie because that's the name of my friend's daughter and also the name of the cheesemaker's daughter.  I also picked up some Rhubarb raisin chutney, and an espresso coated chopped nut sprinkle that I will try on ice cream.  One of the most innovative things I picked up was a garlic, chili pencil sharpener dispenser thing that you could slice thin strips of blends to add to appetizers.  The garlic one was cool because you avoid garlic hands and it's very strong tasting.

I had a great time trying all the new cheeses and the Comtomme is on my list of cheeses to pick up in my future.  I look forward to returning to the Picton cheese festival again next year but this year they saved me the drive to the Country for a trip downtown.  If you like cheese the list below is for you.

 

 

I also sampled some fantastic Gin and a Whisky syrup that would be great on pancakes.  There were also very busy lines of a couple of winemakers assorted wines.

  

Louis d'Or: Canadian Cheese of the Year

Louis d'Or, an outstanding Alpine-style cheese made by Jean Morin of Fromagerie du Presbytère in Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick, Québec, was named the 2018 Cheese of the Year in the biennial Canadian Cheese Awards, the biggest cheese judging and competition in the country.

The 2018 Canadian Cheese Awards program, which started at University of Guelph, Food Science Department, with the judging of 375 submitted cheeses, culminated Wednesday evening, June 6, with a presentation ceremony and tasting gala at historic St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.

Loblaw Companies is Marque Sponsor of Awards while Dairy Farmers of Canada is Principal Partner, Cow Milk Cheese.

Complete list of winners by categories:

CHEESE OF THE YEAR

FROMAGE D'EXCEPTION

• Louis d'Or - Fromagerie du Presbytère, Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick,Québec

BEST FRESH CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE FRAIS

• Ricotta - Ferrante Cheese, Woodbridge, Ontario 

BEST FRESH PASTA FILATA CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE À PÂTE FILÉE

• Zerto Fresh Mozzarella - Quality Cheese, Vaughan, Ontario

BEST SEMI-SOFT CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE À PÂTE SEMI-FILÉE

• Comtomme - Fromagerie la Station, Compton, Québec

BEST FETA/CHEESE IN BRINE

MEILLEUR FETA/FROMAGE EN SAUMURE

• Krinos Traditional Feta - Krinos, Vaughan, Ontario

BEST FETA/CHEESE IN BRINE

MEILLEUR FETA/FROMAGE EN SAUMURE

--Private Brands Division-- 

• PC Feta Regular - Loblaw Companies, Brampton, Ontario

BEST FIRM CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE À PÂTE FERME 

• Louis d'Or - Fromagerie du Presbytère, Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick,Québec

BEST FIRM CHEESE WITH HOLES (Swiss-style)

MEILLEUR FROMAGE À PÂTE FERME AVEC OUVERTURES

• Swiss Gouda - That Dutchman's Cheese Farm, Upper Economy, Nova Scotia 

BEST WASHED RIND CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE À CROÛTE LAVÉE 

• Le Bocké - La Fromagerie Champêtre, Repentigny, Québec

BEST MIXED RIND CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE À CROÛTE MIXTE

• Origine de Charlevoix - Laiterie Charlevoix, Baie-Saint-Paul, Québec

BEST MIXED RIND CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE À CROÛTE MIXTE

--Private Brands Division--

• PC Belle Riviere Cheese - Loblaw Companies, Brampton, Ontario

BEST BLOOMY RIND CHEESE

MEILLEUR PÂTE MOLLE À CROÛTE FLEURIE

• Laliberté - Fromagerie du Presbytère, Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick, Québec 

BEST BLOOMY RIND CHEESE

MEILLEUR PÂTE MOLLE À CROÛTE FLEURIE

--Private Brands Division--

• PC Camembert - Loblaw Companies, Brampton, Ontario

BEST LACTIC RIPENED CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE LACTIQUE À CROÛTE FLEURIE

• Neufchatel - Golden Ears Cheesecrafters, Maple Ridge, British Columbia 

BEST MILD & MEDIUM CHEDDAR

(aged up to 9 months)

MEILLEUR CHEDDAR DOUX & MOYEN

(maximum de 9 mois d'affinage)

• Dairy Isle Medium - Amalgamated Dairies, Summerside, Prince Edward Island 

BEST OLD CHEDDAR

(aged from 9 to 18 months)

MEILLEUR CHEDDAR FORT

(entre 9 et 18 mois d'affinage)

• Dairy Isle Old - Amalgamated Dairies, Summerside, Prince Edward Island

BEST AGED CHEDDAR

(aged more than 18 months)

MEILLEUR CHEDDAR VIEILLI

(plus de 18 mois d'affinage) 

• Cows Creamery 3 Year Old Cheddar - Cows Creamery, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

BEST GOUDA CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE GOUDA

• Mild Gouda - That Dutchman's Cheese Farm, Upper Economy, Nova Scotia

BEST BLUE CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE À PÂTE PERSILLÉE 

• Rassembleu - Les Fromagiers de la Table Ronde, Sainte-Sophie, Québec

BEST FLAVOURED CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE AROMATISÉ 

• Raclette de Compton au Poivre - Fromagerie la Station, Compton, Québec

BEST FLAVOURED FRESH CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE FRAISAROMATISÉS 

• Chevrai Roasted Garlic Soft Fresh Goat Cheese - Woolwich Dairy, Orangeville, Ontario 

BEST FLAVOURED FRESH CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE FRAISAROMATISÉS

--Private Brands Division--

• PC Fresh Goat Peppercorn - Loblaw Companies, Brampton, Ontario

BEST SMOKED CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE FUMÉ

• Appletree Smoked Cheddar - Cows Creamery, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

BEST GRILLING CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE À GRILLER

• Queso Fresco - Sabana, Oakville, Ontario 

BEST COW'S MILK CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE DE LAIT DE VACHE

• Cows Creamery 3 Year Old Cheddar - Cows Creamery, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

BEST GOAT'S MILK CHEESE/MEILLEUR FROMAGE DE LAIT DE CHÈVRE

• Tomme Haut Richelieu - Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser, Noyan, Québec

BEST SHEEP'S MILK CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE DE LAIT DE BREBIS

• Madelaine - Fromagerie Nouvelle France, Racine, Québec

BEST WATER BUFFALO MILK CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE DE LAIT DE BUFFLONNE

• Fuoco - Fromagerie Fuoco, St. Lin-Laurentides, Québec

BEST BLENDED-MILK CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE DE LAIT MIXTE

• Pionnier - Fromagerie du Presbytère, Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick, Québec, and Fromagerie Nouvelle France, Racine, Québec

BEST FARMSTEAD CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE FERMIER

• Figaro - Glengarry Fine Cheese, Lancaster, Ontario

BEST ORGANIC CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE BIOLOGIQUE 

• Alfred le Fermier 18 mois -Fromagerie la Station, Compton, Québec

BEST RAW-MILK CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE DE LAIT CRU 

• Louis d'or vieilli 2 ans - Fromagerie du Presbytère, Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick, Québec

BEST NEW CHEESE

(Introduced to market during 2017)

MEILLEUR NOUVEAU FROMAGE

(Mis en marché en 2017) 

• Mountainoak Farmstead 3 Year Old - Mountainoak Cheese, New Hamburg, Ontario

BEST B.C. CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE DE LA COLOMBIE BRITANNIQUE

• Neufchatel - Golden Ears Cheesecrafters, Maple Ridge, British Columbia 

BEST WEST CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE DE L'OUEST

(Alberta, Saskatchewan et Manitoba) 

• Bothwell Cheddar White - Bothwell Cheese, New Bothwell, Manitoba

BEST ONTARIO CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE DE L'ONTARIO 

• Zerto Fresh Mozzarella - Quality Cheese, Vaughan, Ontario                

BEST QUEBEC CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE DU QUÉBEC

• Le 1608 - Laiterie Charlevoix, Baie-Saint-Paul, Québec

BEST ATLANTIC CANADA CHEESE

MEILLEUR FROMAGE DES PROVINCES ATLANTIQUES

• Cows Creamery 3 Year Old Cheddar - Cows Creamery, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Biggest cheese competition in Canada

Judging by a jury of 14 cheese experts took place at University of Guelph, Department of Food Science. A total of 117 finalists were selected from the 375 cheeses entered by producers from Newfoundland to British Columbia.

The 2018 Canadian Cheese of the Year and champions in 33 categories were announced at the Awards Ceremony on June 6 at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto followed by an Awards Tasting Gala. The next day, winners will be featured at Canadian Cheese Expo for the trade followed by Canada's first Artisan Cheese Night Market open to the public.

Fifty-six of the 117 nominations went to 22 Québec cheese producers led by Fromagerie La Station, 7 finalists, Laterie Charlevoix, 6, and Fromagerie du Presbystere, 5.

Sixty-one of the 117 nominations went to 23 producers in English-Canada, led by Cows, 12 finalists, Glengarry Fine Cheese, 5, and Amalgamated Dairies, Cross Wind Farm and Mountainoak Cheese, 4 each.

Canadian Cheese Awards is the only pan-Canadian cheese competition open to all milks used in cheesemaking-cow, goat, sheep and water buffalo-with only pure natural cheese accepted for judging. That means no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and no modified milk ingredients.

"We aim to honour and celebrate 100% pure natural cheese that hasachieved technical excellence and exhibits the highest aesthetic qualities," says Georgs Kolesnikovs, Awards Chairman.

The biennial Canadian Cheese Awards is produced by Cheese Lover Productions with the support of Loblaw Companies as Marquee Sponsor and  Dairy Farmers of Canada as Principal Partner, Cow Milk Cheese.

The Great Canadian Cheese Festival in Picton, Ontario, is on hiatus in 2018 to allow resources to be devoted to the launch of Artisan Cheese Night Market and related events.

• Cheese Awards website: http://cheeseawards.ca

Hot Summer Night at St. Lawrence Market

Event:          Summer Series Season 2
Location:     St. Lawrence Market
Date:           July 20, 2017
Tickets:        $30
Website:      www.stlawrencemarket.com


It's not often that you will hear me say that an event went off without a hitch.  It almost never happens.  But I can honestly say that the stars aligned for the Summer Series at St. Lawrence Market.

Because it's held on the Patio on the Upper Level of the St. Lawrence Market the success of the event is really contingent on the weather cooperating.  After a quick rain around lunch time the weather cleared up and the sun came out just in time for this spectacular event.  I think it would have been a very different outcome it had happened during the lunch hour.

The Summer Series is a way to celebrate the St. Lawrence Market vendors with help from the Food Dudes caterers.  The Food Dudes are quickly becoming caterers who do full entertainment events like this one.  It's all about Food, Music, Art, and interactive entertainment.

This event got so many things right that I need to really highlight them.

1.  Amazing FOOD,  a great variety of really fresh food for everyone.  From fresh Ceviche to Vegan Ice Cream and things that anyone could eat and it was all fantastically delicious.  Healthy and light dishes like Jhal Muri to decadent Banquet burgers and Paella.

2.  Music and Entertainment,  there were live artists who were great and didn't overpower the conversations people around them were having but still noticeable to people interested in listening to them.  There was also a DJ and the music really complimented the chill patio vibes. There were also a couple of stilt walkers wandering around and posing for pictures.

3.  The Art,  I really loved the live artists painting huge mural paintings as people strolled by.  There was also a guy doing body painting on some models.  There were some sand creations and lovely touches of artistic decor.

4.  Decor,  It was beautiful.  They rented a nice mix of couches, high tops and tables so that people could be comfortably seated in groups, or couples or singles.  I am sure someone carefully thought about the placement of the decor because there was a nice flow.  It made the normally picnic table studded patio look elegant.

5.  The STAFF,  fantastic staff all around.  I have been noticing this a lot lately and everyone delivered in spades.  The food vendors were on top of things and served quickly.  The clean up staff were on top of things.  The security were present but not overbearing.  The check in staff were very efficient.

6.  The TICKETING,  The invites went through Eventbrite which made it pretty quick to get in.  I entered and checked in with the media desk quickly and was presented with a lanyard with tickets for food and drink tucked into the plastic lanyard.  This was a really smart way to do it.  No fumbling with where you put your tickets.  I wish everyone would adopt this system.  It's so much simpler.

7.  DRINKS,  this was really important for me.  They had many large iced self serve water dispensers on the many bar stations with cups beside it for people to quickly help themselves.  There were great bar servers providing an assortment of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks.   Not the standard just beer and wine and maybe some soda.  I really loved the Kahlua and Hennessy Iced Coffee.  That really did it for me.

8.  PRICE,  I thought the $30 price was really reasonable for the amount of entertainment that was provided and the quality of the space and the food.

9.  EXTRAS - A couple of excellent extras were the lovely Fun Flower Stand girls handing out flowered hair clips and hair bands.  Even some of the boys got in on this little cute touch.   There was also an amazing woman doing Henna tattoos on peoples hands.  Two of my friends did this.  It was a long line to get it done because she was really good at it.

10.  PEOPLE and VIBE - There was a really great mix of people.  Not the same people that go to every event but people who enjoy a night out with friends.  From young professionals to old friends.  My 3 blogger friends and I were the only bloggers there and the Instagram invasion were nowhere in site and it really made it more about hanging out and enjoying the food and the people you were with.  We really enjoyed it because it's rare that we can all attend the same event and just hang out and not be rushed to just get photos for our blog content.  It was one of my friends birthday the day before and another the week before so it was a great way to hang out and celebrate their birthdays.  We had a really great time and the fantastic weather really made the whole thing really pleasant and enjoyable.

I had 4 food tickets and a few drink tickets so with my food tickets I got the Ravioli with meat sauce and pesto and alfredo sauce.  This is one of my favourite things at the market on a usual day.  We all went crazy for the Sea bass ceviche on a tostada.  They were perfection.  One thing I have been wanting to make and find around the city and was really happy to see was the Indian spiced Jhal Muri, a mix of freshly diced vegetables like onions, cucumbers and tomatoes mixed with spiced crunchy chickpeas and lentils, puffed rice and a few other things served in a cone.  Super portable for an event like this and it was light and refreshing with loads of textures.  There was a big smokey lineup for the Banquet Burgers.  It was the first thing I tried and probably the most filling.  Nice and juicy and great flavour.  I also tried my friends Polenta fries and Buffalo Cauliflower.  I was too full to try the Paella and arepas, the oysters, the Brie Quesadillas and the Vegan ice cream sandwiches and the frozen yoghurt and a few other things but my friends tried everything I think.   I also sampled the sweet bbq ribs that were being passed around.  

My favourite thing of all was really as I mentioned above was the Booze infused Iced Coffee.  it was dessert, coffee and refreshing at the same time.  It really was the finish to all of the great food I enjoyed at the Summer Series

Have to give a shoutout to all of the vendors and food providers:

Menu

Items prepared by The Food Dudes:

Banquet Burger
Brown Brothers Meats prime beef, Olympic Cheese sharp cheddar,
Enjoy with a selection of Kozlik's Canadian Mustard

Buffalo Cauliflower
Fried cauliflower, buffalo tahini, pickled carrot & celery, black sesame, mint scallions from Urban Fresh Produce.

Ceviche Toastada
St. Lawrence Fish Market sea bass, avocado puree, pickled watermelon, grilled corn, yuzu chili aioli. Fresh produce from Urban Fresh Produce.

Jhal Muri Salad
Rube's Rice crispy rice, cucumbers, tomatoes, pickled ginger, shallots, cilantro, thai basil, smoked peanuts, puffed lentils, tamarind. Fresh product from Ponesse Foods.

Di Liso's Smoked Chicken Quesadilla
Di Liso's Fine Meats chicken smoked Al Pastor, aged cheddar, pineapple relish, sambal crema, crispy leeks. Fresh produce from Ponesse Foods. Johnny Di Benedetto, Olympic Cheese Brie & Mango Quesadilla - Fresh produce from Urban Fresh Produce.

Polenta Fries
Semolina, Parmesan, aged cheddar, caramelized garlic, San Marzano sauce, pickled chilies, basil puree, pea shoots. Ingredients from Olympic Cheese @ Domino Foods.

Oli's Froyo
Grapefruit vanilla frozen yogurt, grapefruit caramel, shortbread crumble. Fresh dairy from Sheldon Creek Dairy, grapefruit from Ponesse Foods.

BBQ Ribs - Carnicero's  

Spicy Salmon Sliders - Mike's Fish Market 

St. Lawrence Market merchant prepared items:

PIZZA - Scheffler's Delicatessen & Cheese barbecued pizza featuring Black Cow cheddar and with samples of Black Cow vodka.

Vegan gnocchi carbonara & raw vegan tarts. - CrudaCafe 

Everyday Gourmet Coffee Roasters "The Founder" iced latte with Hennessey & Coffee Liquer. Also serving hot & iced espresso based beverages.

Traditional Spanish Paella (seafood & vegetarian) and Arepas  & agua de jamyca

Manotas Organics & Specialty Foods at The St. Lawrence Market 

Fresh Pasta - St. Lawrence Pizza & Pasta

St. Lawrence Fish Market - Freshly shucked oysters

It was a fantastic event.  The only thing I think I would add would be some lighting to the vendors stations for when the sun went down to make it sparkle a bit.  Because it was a beautiful night there was a huge turnout so it got pretty busy most of the night and people did stay and chat so the tables were all full so we did a lot of standing but that shows the success of the event that it completely filled the space.

Congratulations to the organizers.  I almost don't want to share this for fear of it getting too big for me to attend again in the future.   We need more summer events like this were people can connect and enjoy some great food and entertainment.

Thanks very much for all of the attention to detail. 

There is another one coming up in August and I am sure the tickets will go fast.

Evening at the Market

I finally got a chance to go to St. Lawrence Market's Evening at the Market. I knew it was a great event because my blogger friends have attended in the past.  This time my foodie partner Mary (Mary's Happy Belly) brought me along as her plus 1.   We love to go to events together because it's way more fun when we run around and take photos together.  I really wanted to attend this event for a couple of reasons.  I really like St. Lawrence Market and my dad used to get seafood and other things from there when I was a kid so there is a long history. I don't get a chance to go as often as I would like to go so I was really happy to be there to taste all of the in house vendors food.  I have sampled a great deal of food from there but a lot of it had to be prepared at home.  Things like mussels, ribs, and a whole assortment of all kinds of foods.  There are classics like the Peameal bacon on a bun and a favourite of mine was the churrasco chicken on a bun too.  Sadly Buster's seafood wasn't open to their full array and I bet that would have been insane if it was.  Always a popular spot.  My first stop was for some perogies and beets.  I was looking for my favourite foods and things I don't get all the time.  I was so full so quickly that I kept saying it was my last thing and kept going.  Mary did a lot better than I did and tried a lot more things.  It's a great showcase of the vendors but it's also a fundraiser with the proceeds going to one of my favourite charities Second Harvest.   I have about 3 food related charities that I really like and Second Harvest is one of them.  The do food rescue and have great programs but mostly their administrative costs are low so more good is done with the money and food gained from the fundraising events.  They also had a contest for $20 you pick an organization on a map that your money will be donated to and you could win $1000 travel voucher.  Win Win I would say.

Chef Claudio Aprile, Origin Restaurant owner and Masterchef Canada judge was there doing a fun Turkey roll demo for a holiday meal.  He is very particular about his salts it seems.

St. Lawrence Market also had entertainers like this silks acrobat and there were DJ's and a band.
TV Personality Shoanna Jensen was spotted enjoying the silks acrobats moves.  The hall was decked out with chandeliers and lights.  It was mostly fantastic for food photography compared to a lot of dark events.   The event took over the 2 levels of St. Lawrence Market and as usual I wish I could have tasted a lot more of the food.

They have done a few of these Evening at the Market events so I hope that you can attend the next one.   You can meet and chat with the vendors that provide your food and have fun at the same time while doing a bit of good for your community.

http://www.stlawrencemarket.com/events

http://www.secondharvest.ca/

Paramount Fine Foods Serves up NEW Brunch Menu

NEW BREAKFAST MENU AT PARAMOUNT

It's my friend's birthday this week but she will be in hopefully nice weather in Jamaica on her birthday, so I invited her to join me at the New Paramount on Front Street beside St. Lawrence Market for Breakfast or I guess Brunch since it was about Noon when we were there. We sampled some of new breakfast items on their menu.

Paramount Fine Foods just launched a special Breakfast campaign, highlighting Middle Eastern specialties and shining the light on their delicious breakfast menu.  Paramount wants to share their delicious fresh new breakfast/brunch with you and your family. 

We tried the Omelette and my friend ordered the Paramount Special drink which was loaded with fruit and fruit juices and even almonds and pistacios.  A stand out drink as you can see.

Stop by any Paramount Fine Foods and swap your bagel for a Manakeesh, a classic middle eastern brunch dish, Manakeesh is dough baked and topped with thyme, cheese or meat. Traditionally, women would bake dough in a communal oven in the morning, to provide their family with their daily bread needs, and would prepare smaller portions of dough with different toppings for breakfast.and enjoy an authentic Middle Eastern breakfast!

Some of the other breakfast items include:

Manakeesh; a Middle Eastern staple made of dough, often served with toppings such as cheese or zaatar. Manakeesh is a traditional Middle Eastern breakfast item.

Eggs with Sausage; a traditional Canadian breakfast! Two eggs served with sausage and vegetables.

Omelet; A two egg omelet with bell peppers, onions, parsley & sausage served with a side of vegetables.

We ordered this fantastic FATTEH dish with Chicken with Labnah and I had the Beef Shwarma.  It's a mix of hummus, chickpeas, pita bread and topped parsley and the optional meat.  It's a meal in itself.

Don't forget about their great freshly baked and steaming hot Pita Bread.  It's a dough pillow.

Enjoy breakfast with your family on the weekend, where kids (age 12 and under) eat for free from 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM (select menu items).

All guests who order a full breakfast entree any day of the week will enjoy a fresh brewed coffee, on the house!  FREE

We visited the Front Street location at 85 Front Street East just west of St. Lawrence Market in the former Spring Rolls space.  You can find this new menu at all of their locations.

For more information:  Paramount Fine Foods

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ParamountFineFoods

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParamountFoods

Don't forget to tag your breakfast pics so they can see what you enjoyed.

#ParamountFreshness 

#ParamountMorning

**Promotion is on from October 24th to December 5th