The Restaurants Canada Show is back!

 

The last Food Trade Show Event that I went to just before everything got locked down in the world was the Restaurants Canada Show at the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place.  So it was fitting that over 2 years later that was my first big show back to almost normal.  It was a hybrid version so there were some things that you could check out virtually but you can't sample food virtually.  I did do the preview with Chef Elia Herrera and made chicken tacos at home after they sent me a Chef Drop box.  That was fun but I really missed the in person experience.

Imagine 4 food bloggers trying to cover a huge show in a day.  It was great to be back with my friend Mary (Mary's Happy Belly) and our friend Ray (https://travellingfoodie.net/)  and we met up with Jon IG(jon_dimsum).  We arrived around 11:30 and walked around until it closed at 5 trying to conquer everything we could.  There are so many samples there,  I had to be strategic this year,  I had a plan to only try things that were new or my favourite things I couldn't get.  I realized about 3 quarters of the way through that I didn't see any oysters while the last time I was there they were at about 3 or 4 booths.  We started at the end of the show where there was a Pop Up set up and food trucks.  I skipped the food trucks because they are full orders so I would have been done after that.  Weirdly the first thing I ate was freshly sliced prosciutto mixed into a salad and then it was on to Donna Dooher's famous Mildred's Temple Kitchen blueberry pancakes.  I have only been able to go to Mildred's once and it wasn't for brunch so I have been waiting a long time to try these pancakes that people line up for.  We timed it great.  Donna herself actually served them up for us.  They were as good as people say.  That was a great start to the day.  

Funny that I saw Trevor Lui in the exact same place on the phone as the last time I saw him at the show.  He is the food entrepreneur who has multiple businesses and was involved in making the Pop Up happen.  I used to see him at so many events and haven't seen him since that last show.

The show was the same yet different.  On one end is the food trucks/pop up as mentioned, then various food vendors and in the middle there are restaurant businesses focused booths with everything from huge steam ovens to tableware and uniforms and even food serving robots.  With the return to the food business the challenges that owners have been having has been staffing so there was a trend to more electronic ways of doing business to save time or reduce staffing needs.   Not great for people entering the industry but a way for restaurants to survive in a tough market.

At the other end of the show was the Bar area.  That's the party area.  Im not a drinker so we kind of whipped through it at the end.  I did stop to get a Seedlip drink.  One of my favourite non alcoholic drinks. 

There are also stages for Cooking Competitions and Industry Panels.  When we walked by the main stage my friend Matt Dean Pettit (@mattdeanpettit) was one of the panelists talking about the ghost kitchen that he is a partner in and how that operated during the pandemic.

Speaking of Ghost Kitchens, that is one of the new trends.  Ghost kitchens are kitchens that operate just for food delivery and can have multiple restaurants involved in one kitchen.  Lots of kitchen hubs are popping up and lot's of restaurants are reducing their risk by partnering up spaces with other restaurants.  Trevor Lui just opened an all Asian permanent Night Market in the Annex called Superfresh (@superfresh.to)

Some of the other trends that I noticed were everything Plant Based.  My friend thought it was funny that they kept calling things meat when it's not actually meat.  I didn't try it because it's not new to me.

As usual there was a lot of pizza but there was attempts to do pizza different ways.  I tried one that used a flour that was mixed with different flours like rice flour and others to reduce the gluten and calories.  I was impressed at how light the pizza was.  

On the other end of the Plant based trend was actual meat.  We tried a steak from England and it was so tender we all fell in love with it.  Lots of charcuterie and steaks this year. 

One of our favourite things was 2 chefs making Beef Birria tacos.  It was mesmerizing and delicious.  Beef Birria tacos seems to be another new trend and popping up a lot on social media as the way to eat tacos these days.

Lots of ways of using technology to solve problems.   One of the things that caught my eye while we were waiting for Mary was a vendor who was selling re-usable take out containers.  I actually thought of this about 5 years ago because I hate styrofoam and some of the bad takeout containers that just go into landfill.  They have a code you scan so I am not sure how it works financially but you scan it when you return to the restaurant and I think you can use it at whatever restaurant follows the program so it may take a while to spread but I think this will be our future.  They are well designed and an attractive clear and teal color so I wouldn't mind storing them in my kitchen if that was available at my favourite places.

This show is so big that I never know what I missed until I see people I know post on social media that they were there and I didn't see them.  

I literally walked 10,000 steps that day and boy did I feel it at the end of the day and the next day.  

Honestly it felt really weird not wearing a mask the whole day and I was concerned about it but it was so great to run into so many people that we haven't seen in a couple of years and just sample food like we used to.

I also stopped at Pluck tea for my favourite Verbeena Blues iced tea.  It was a mix of a few of my favourites and some new things.   

I didn't see any really out of the box things this year in the food side.  I think because of the pandemic it may not have been the time to take on something risky.

 

Holiday Traditions

 I was thinking recently even though Covid 19 has killed so many Holiday Plans I was lucky enough to have a few tradition events and even started a new one this year.

For the past 5 years or so I have been hosting an Ugly Christmas Sweater Cookie Decorating Party.  It started at my place with my friend Adam for his daughter Kenzie and we invited his friend and his husband came too.   The following year we expanded and moved it to his place so that we could invite his 2 other friends and my friend, her husband and son.

Then Covid hit and we just did a fast cookie decorating at his place.  I decided to bring back the original idea this year and have it at my place again.  I invited Adam's friend Lewis again and he brought his adult neice with him.

I baked so many cookies and I think we each decorated 2 or 3.  I had shortbread ugly christmas sweaters and gingerbread men and trees, mittens and snowflakes and an excessive amount of sprinkles.

I served a roasted pepper and tomato soup with cheese stuffed pizza buns in the shape of a christmas tree. I also made a christmas tree cheese ball thing.

I had all kinds of drinks that I left on the balcony to chill and made my new signature non alcoholic sparkly punch drink.  Cranberry, orange, soda and some pomegranate seeds.

We played the game Clue but I gave up after 2 rounds.  My brain doesn't work that way.

It was lots of fun.

   

The other tradition involved my Foodie Pals.  For about 5 years we have been meeting up at different restaurants to do a secret Santa gift exchange while having a great meal.  We had to do it virtually last year and use Amazon to send gifts.  We all agreed it just wasn't the same as in person.   This year we went to Pai Uptown at Yonge and Eglinton.  It's my friend Mary's favourite and I think most of us have had their food before.  We have seen them at lots of events.  We ordered so much great food.  My new fav thing was the squash fritters.   We get gifts for under $20 and trade around using notes we pull from a bag.  this year it was a cute Santa bag.  So you never know what you will end up with.   The owner Jeff Regular came by to chat with us for a bit.  He told us about the band that was playing and how they saw them in Thailand where the restaurant is named from.  

It was a great night.  We had a great table tucked in a corner so we were distanced and could chat without being too close to other people.

The Newest Tradition was inspired by all my Hallmark Movie watching.  My friend sort of came up with the same idea and also wanted to host at her place but I convinced her that I have more food already and also my oven works and hers doesn't.  I did make a lot of food.  I had enough for 2 parties.

When my friends arrived I had some fun warm socks to give them and they grabbed a drink.  I had the new fruity punch and also lots of other drinks.  I made Hot Apple Cider and had a Hot chocolate bar ready to go but they weren't in the mood for it but they loved the Apple Cider.  It was fairly local near where one of my friends parents live even.

We played Hallmark Bingo.  I printed out cards I found online but the first movie we watched didn't match any of the usual things.   My friend Martina stayed and ended up watching like 5 movies with me.  The last one ticked the most boxes.

I also had little gifts to take home with a gnome ornament and nail polish and chocolates.   We all had cookies to do a gift exchange.  I just wanted them to bring one thing to share.

It was one of my friends birthdays a few days later so I got a cake for her and everyone was so full by that time so she took home most of the cake.

Besides having an insane amount of cookies and all kinds of snacks I also made cranberry, red pepper jelly glazed turkey meatballs, Spinach and artichoke hot dip and a charcuterie platter.

We literally just sat around and ate and watched movies and just did the cookie exchange but it was great and I will do it again next year.  Maybe less snacks but I already had so much thanks to Adam.  I decked out the place to make it cozy and festive.

Don't forget the lighting because it really helps with the mood and vibe.  I had led lights spread around. 

I also try and set up a lot of serve yourself kinds of things.  I set up a cart with plates, utensils and drinks they could grab themselves.  Had snacks everywhere so they could grab them as they liked so they could control what they wanted and leave me free to enjoy the party.

I kept all the gatherings fairly small this time and my other friend has been bugging me to do a big party again but that won't happen for a long time.

I really wanted to squeeze in some fun get togethers before we retreat to our homes again because of Omicron and I think I got them all in just in time.

My one other tradition was not my own making.   Adam invited me over for the first night of Hanukkah and we had potato latkes and made cookies and lit the Menorah.  I don't do that with him every year but have the past couple.  He usually spends it with his family but Covid 19 has changed everything.

So my point in all these traditions and gatherings or whatever else you consider a tradition is to have something to look forward to and create memories and spend time with people that matter to you.

Make it fun.  The one thing we have all learned is to not take it for granted how important human connection is.  I have always known that and enjoy time alone but make the most of time I spend with friends because I don't have the option of spending it with my family.

If you don't have a family to do traditions with create your own kid of family and do whatever you like to share together and try and do it every year and it will become a tradition.

Enjoy the Holiday Season and spend it with whoever you are able to and if you are alone create your own tradition like a Hallmark Movie marathon with a Hot cocoa bar or whatever you fancy.

 

The Vaccine Passport and Restaurants, events etc.

 

I haven’t written many blog posts over the span of this whole never-ending Covid 19 pandemic because my busy life has changed to s solitary life at home mostly.

Before the pandemic started I used to go to Restaurants, all kinds of festivals and events and movie theatres.  That all stopped in March 2020.   That’s what I used to write about mostly on my blog so without the experiences and inspiration and switching to working at home and doing everything on a screen all day and then at night.  I didn’t have the desire, urge or motivation to write about anything because there wasn’t anything that gave me the desire to write until this.

On September 22nd in Ontario a vaccine passport will be introduced.  This is after Premier Ford said he didn’t want to do it.   You know why he changed his mind?  Because of the people protesting about their rights and the distrust that people like Donald Trump has influenced over the 4 years of his lying presidency.   People are hesitant and don’t trust the government, vaccines, and generally think they are losing their freedoms.

I can tell you right now that you lost your privacy and freedoms a long time ago.  If you have a smart phone and credit cards and live in a big city you are already being tracked with every step you make.  Look at your phone.  It is literally tracking your steps and Geo tagging where you have been.  Walking down the street there are now hundreds of camera filming your every move.

What I can also tell you from working in a Trauma Hospital during Sars is that Healthcare workers are all stressed, exhausted, scared and they don’t know how to deal with this pandemic.   Cut them some slack.  I highly doubt you could do their jobs at this time and not be stressed out.

I can also tell you from working in Government and also many years in Healthcare is that the priority after trying to maintain their budgets is to keep you alive and healthy.

Think about the vaccines logically for a minute.   They weren’t really created overnight.  There have been pandemics before.  They were just adapted for this pandemic.   While there is no pill or vaccine in the world that can be provided to people without some sort of risk or side effect the alternative of doing nothing will just cause populations to be wiped out.

The pharmaceutical companies make money, and the government loses money paying for the Free vaccines that you are able to get.  The healthcare system loses money if they get overwhelmed with patients and can’t maintain their budgets so people with other diseases don’t get the treatments they need.

Getting a vaccine shouldn’t be political but it has become political because of conspiracy theories.  

I get that it’s hard to believe in anything these days and you know that some things go through a marketing spin but talk to a doctor or nurse working in an ICU and they will tell you what they see.

Why I am writing about this on my blog.   When the vaccine passports were announced there were protesters attacking restaurants that supported the passports.

I reached out to a few restaurant owners and only one got back to me and said he couldn’t comment because of the repercussions and didn’t want to hurt his business.

Let’s take a look at vaccine passports and the reason we got to this point.

Yes they thought if everyone got vaccinated that we would just open everything again.  But the virus changed and people refused to get the vaccine so it kept spreading.   Remember that this is a new virus so they don’t have a roadmap of what it will do until after they do studies.

People protesting mask wearing, getting the vaccine and the vaccine passports are just further delaying our return to life without these things.

Yes I got a vaccine and yes I wear a mask in public and will use a vaccine passport if needed.

I totally get that it’s a hassle.   I had to go downtown twice to get my vaccine and it’s been an added expense to wear masks and they make my face sweat so bad and it’s hard to breathe but I don’t want to get sick and I don’t want to make anyone else sick.

Some guy online attacked me for a comment when I saw the people protesting the vaccine passport downtown.   He said it’s his body.   Yes I agree he can do what he wants with his body but then he must stay home and not take the chance of possibly infecting others.

I went downtown yesterday to get something.  I haven’t really been able to go downtown on a Saturday for a long time because of the subway maintenance and the lockdowns.   I noticed that the subways are getting much more busier and there are I would say about 10% of the people on the subways who do not wear a mask correctly.  Wearing it on your chin is not going to prevent anything.

I picked up what I needed and walked up Yonge street and it was a lot busier than it was a few months ago and most people weren’t wearing masks.

I went into the building that I used to work at and went to Winners and that was ok, people were distancing.   I got hungry because I only had breakfast so I went up to the food court to see if I could get something.  Only about a third of the restaurants were open.  I was so hungry and have been craving Chinese Food so I got some Sweet and sour chicken and couldn’t wait to eat it at home so I found a table and started eating.  Other than the food court in the mall where I live I haven’t been to one in a very long time.   There was a family about 10 plus feet away.  They didn’t appear to be eating and I don’t know if they had before but there were 2 kids and one of the kids was coughing and then a woman coughed a couple of times.  

Even though I was over the recommended distance it still gave me anxiety.  I ate all the chicken then packed up the rest and left.

Now lets get back to the vaccine passports.  Restaurants and businesses do not want the hassle of policing them.  They have to add staff just to do that but at the same time it takes away their anxiety about their customers and keeps their staff a bit safer.  There are no guarantees but the fact that if you have been vaccinated it lessens the risk of getting severely ill.  That eases a restaurant owners mind because they are responsible for their employees and they can’t afford to lose them.  Many restaurant workers left the industry because the stress and low pay and the addition of so many getting sick from Covid and not having sick days or just losing work because of the closures.  They have had to move on to other more stable jobs or I am sure out of fear have chosen to change jobs because restaurants are high risk.

I read one former service worker who bluntly put it that there is a reduction of restaurant workers because of lot of them have died because of Covid.

For myself I don’t want to deal with the vaccine passport but I haven’t really gone to restaurants in over a year.  I went to a patio outside on the lake around my birthday and the food court yesterday but I have mostly just been getting takeout.   

That isn’t really supporting the restaurant industry much.   Patio season is about to end and that has been a small amount of cash flow but with the extreme heat and storms they haven’t had that many great days and when its’ over and if people don’t eat inside again they are all going to start disappearing.

What I noticed on my walk around Yonge and Queen to Dundas was that mostly only the Big chains still exist and you had a choice between a large restaurant patio or fast food take out.   A lot of the other little places have just closed up.   There are many businesses that were around 2 years ago and are gone now.  

Take a long walk downtown if you know the area and see how much it has changed.

I am a person who at one time went to restaurants a few times a week and all kinds of festivals and charity events.   I miss that but I do not want to take the risk of doing that now and not because I don’t trust the businesses but because I don’t trust the people attending them.

A vaccine passport won’t take away all the risk but it will add a certain degree of certainty that the risk has been mitigated.

Please do one of the following things:

• Wear a mask

• Get the vaccine

• Don’t protest restaurants

• Don’t protest the vaccine passport.  

• If you don’t want it don’t go to the places that need it.

I would like to return to having the choice to go to a restaurant, movie theatre, food festival without having the fear of other people and the sooner we do all the recommended protocols the sooner we might be able to fight this thing and get it under control.

Remember that there are a lot of kids under 12 who do not have a choice to get vaccinated and they can still get sick.  You feel you have a right to do what you want with your body and don’t feel like you have to wear a mask or get vaccinated or use a vaccine passport.   They don’t have a choice of who they are exposed to and other than wearing a mask they have no other protection.   Would you like to be the person that makes a little kid go to an ICU or even put a restaurant owner with a family out of business?