As part of our Ocean Wise experience, Dana and I were treated to an amazing dinner at Starfish Oyster Bed and Grill in Toronto.  We were not required to post about the restaurant or the dinner but our experience was so exceptional that we felt we simply had to.

The experience was made exceptional by Shucker Paddy, Chef Kyle and their entire team who were friendly, interested in sharing, curious about our project and not shy of a good laugh.  We truly felt like part of the extended family that night and it’s an experience we’ll surely repeat.

Paddy educated us on nuances of Oysters (something I’ve eaten since childhood) that I no idea of.  His knowledge, excitement and passion for the topic is both impressive and contagious.  What got me particularly excited about what he shared was how accessible it was – I didn’t feel intimidated to try to pick up the differences in the Oysters he presented and he really led us through an amazing progressive tasting of Oysters that was fascinating (and tasty).

Chef Kyle has become a friend over the last few years.  We don’t know each other a tonne but I have so much respect for his vision, talent and imagination in the kitchen.  Kyle is a rabid supporter of local (he works closely with ‘our’ CSA Farmers, the Kawartha Ecological Growers) and is uncompromising in his vision of flavor and sustainability.  We were served a sampling of 7 courses which represented different dishes the restaurant prepares – every one of them was spot on fantastic.

I also want to send a thanks to Chateau Des Charmes who dropped off a selection of wonderful wine pairings which really spoiled us through the evening.

Rather than pretending to be a restaurant reviewer (which I’m not), allow me to share some photo’s and the Chef’s description of each course that we had that evening – it was truly fantastic and we’ll definitely be back.

Oysters: St. Simon (New Brunswick), Jersey Rock (England), Mersey Point (England), Clarinbridge Bay (Ireland), Galway Bay (Ireland), Loch Ryan (Scotland).  Irish salmon cured in Jersey Rock brine

Sashimi: North Atlantic mackerel and sardine with pickled ginger, horseradish, and lemon zest.

Jim Giggie’s speckled trout poached with beech mushrooms from Northern Woods mushrooms, Jim’s wild leeks, and mint, pea broth

Purdy’s pickerel and whitefish with cauliflower puree and charred beet gastrique

Tomato soup with bottom cultured Irish mussels, Kawartha pork meatballs, croutons, and Pecorino

Line-caught Pacific halibut with beef bacon, turnips, and carrots with red wine sauce

Rhubarb compote with lime curd, almond strusel, frozen yoghurt, and lime wafer

Thank you to all involved – this was truly an exception evening of food, beverage, service and sustainability.  We’ll absolutley be going back to Starfish.

Have you entered our Seafoodie contest?  It`s easy – and quick – all the details are here.

Our local neighborhood coffee shop (which is also fully licensed) hosted a party last night.  Rob (owner of F’Coffee and resident drummer) brought some friends in and we packed the joint.  It was a fantastic night and the music was amazing (the band took up almost 25% of the room).  If you look carefully below you’ll find a picture of someone peering in the window – this was a fairly common sight last night as the music was phenomenal and drew several passers-by in from the cold.

If you haven’t been in, it’s well worth a try.  It’s a place that’s dominated by friendly locals and the coffee is outstanding.  Rob’s a cheese-lover as well and the sandwiches reflect that.

I had some fun with the camera trying to catch the fluidity of the music and the evening in general.

F’Coffee isn’t normally open during the evenings but these parties happen every few months and are a lot of fun.

I’m simply gushing this morning.  And while this post is dedicated to one exceptional project, the truth is that this type of thing happens almost anywhere and if you’re willing to look hard enough (or lucky to stumble into it), these stories are the ones that so many want to support.  So while I’m going to gush about the Avro, this story is really about any local business that takes the risk to connect not just with it’s customers but it’s community.

For those unfamiliar with The Avro (it’s where we hosted our first Preserve Swap), it’s a tiny bar in Leslieville.  It sits 30 people and it’s generally packed.

Even before it’s launch it had an impact on the neighborhood.  Random flower gardens were planted around the neighborhood on any piece of free dirt that could be found (Queen Street is one of the busier streets in our city).  Small art exhibits, mostly of planes could be found buzzing through the flowers if you looked closely enough – most did not.

The Avro continues its renegade art projects.  A walk on our quieter side streets in our neighborhood will reveal small pieces of poetry and other guerilla art projects.  My recent favorite are the “I love you signs” – small posters similar to the ones used to sell dog walking and house painting simply say “I love you” and feature tear-away strips with the same message as opposed to a phone number.  It’s frequent that all the tags are taken.

It’s common for the Avro to have a large jar which appears to be a tip jar that is a jar for community projects.  The funds have been used for food banks, support Veteran Initiatives and even fund a tobogganing night for it’s patrons (the sleds were later donated to the community).  Check out their community page here for a better idea of what they do.

I’ve never talked to co-owners Rachel and Bruce about the size of their bar (not the room – the actual service counter).  At first sight it’s absolutely ridiculous.  It’s one of the smallest rooms in the city and about 33% of the entire room is the counter.

It took a few visits to understand how brilliant the decision to have a supersized bar was.  It simply forces you to talk to others in the room.  I don’t think I’ve ever been to the Avro and not met someone new.  I would guess I’ve met more people at the Avro than I have in the last 5 years in other places in Toronto (a place where meeting people can be a chore).  Most are from the community and it’s stunning to note just how many conversations include where one lives, shops or interacts with Leslieville.

It also helps that there are frequent events and reasons to congregate together at the bar.  Sunday is bring-your-own vinyl night, Tuesday has live music (amazingly intimate in such a space) and Monday’s always include some sort of activity (this monday is community letter-writing night where a small pay-what-you-can donation provides you with stationary and a stamp).

We walked in to the Avro on Wednesday, February 23 to witness the Mix Tape Swap.  It was hosted by the resident DJ (“Damn Ackroyd”) who came up with idea to have individuals show up with mixed tapes (most were CDs of course) and trade with others at the bar.

The night looked like a quiet one.  We showed up around 9 and turnout was low.  We had a drink and then another before seeing the entire bar get swarmed around 11.  We made some trades and, being a school night, left shortly thereafter.  We were clearly a different generation than most at the bar but still welcomed by all.  We really got some great music that night.

Before we left we noticed the sheer quantity of people drinking Ceasars (the Canadian equivalent of a Bloody mary though it’s made with Clamato instead of Tomato juice).  The drinks were garnished with several pickled items – including a cocktail umbrella.  Although not everyone at the bar was drinking them, a giant majority were.

Enquiring minds had to know – why was a throng of patrons drinking a beverage I typically reserved for brunch?  Rachel explained that there was a series of articles being posted on one of Toronto’s larger blogs, BlogTO.  They were having 14 days of Caesars and ranking each one.

I saw a tweet sometime after where Rachel threw her hat in the ring.  It was fantastic to see that they were included in the series and they scored remarkably well.  So well that we had to laugh when the chalkboard outside claimed “our caesar’s are 84% awesome” the next day.

At any rate, the final roundup of all 14 posts came out yesterday.  The Avro won “Best in Show.”

I understand that this is not a definitive title worthy of World Championship proportions and perhaps more equivalent to a real cool fridge magnet.  But it’s still a real cool fridge magnet.

I also found myself oddly proud of “The Avro.”  Not of Rachel, Bruce or the team but “The Avro” itself.  It’s quickly established itself as it’s own independent presence and its space within our community.  It’s lifeblood are the owners and the team but they’ve allowed us to each feel as though we are part of it and not just simply a chump at a table.  I found this pride in the entity to be exciting and surprising .

I hope you have the chance to find a place like it – or that you come to visit it.  It’s remarkable business in food and drink like this that I want to support and hope you’ll have the pleasure of interacting with yourself.  If you show up on Thursdays, wear some plaid and you’ll get $1 off each pint.

If you have such a place near you, regardless of where you are, feel free to add it to the comments below – would love to hear about it.

There are very few rules about what I post here and all are self-imposed. For example:

• Dana and I decided from the start that we wouldn`t use this as a place to spew negativity for example and we`ve remained consistent with that one (it`s been difficult at times when we see some of the things we do within our industrial food system).
• We generally don`t post about the special or more romantic meals of our life.  A boy has to keep some secrets after all and it`s important to me to still have some stories to share in `real life` or keep to ourselves.
• If we review a product that was given to us, we will let you know that this was a promo.

Rules are meant to be broken and today we`re going to bash rule 2.  I won`t share all of the details but the fact is that some things are so good that you simply have to share them.

The Meal

Last night was probably the best restaurant meal I`ve ever had in Toronto at Parts & Labour.  This is not a promo – we simply have to share the outstanding evening we had and want to support some outstanding people doing some outstanding things.

Dana, 2 friends and myself went out for dinner last night.  The 4 of us have shared a lot of special meals together and we have a tonne of fun together.  We`ve been lucky to have eaten our way across this city and through much of Chicago and New York over the last 5+ years.

Chef Matty Matheson and Sous Chef Matthew DeMille and I have been going back and forth on Twitter for a while.  We had never met but we`ve shared a few messages back and forth.  When I asked for restaurant recommendations late Friday night, Matthew said we should just come to their restaurant.  After we confirmed, he offered us a seat in the kitchen (something I kept quiet from the other 3).

We walked into the restaurant around 9:00PM.  We were taken through the packed restaurant (it`s 5,000 square feet) and sat at 1 of 3 high tables in the kitchen.  Both gentlemen greeted us warmly and we tucked into the menu while watching the kitchen.

We started with cocktails and the drinks were crafted as opposed to assembled.  The night was off to a good start.

The first dish to arrive was a terrine platter.  There were 4 samples of house-made preserved, 3 or 4 terrines (also of the house) and a small canister of something.  It was explained that this was potted lobster.  Similar to potter shrimp my best description would be that this is lobster-butter on steroids.  We all started with a liberal portion spread on toast and it changed the tone of the table.

Every single thing on that tray sung of fabulous and our conversation transformed to a mixture of sharing our delight and sharing guttural sounds of `mmm` or `arrrrrr.`

We moved on to a few more openers, including tongue.  We were told that dining at P&L and not having the tongue was not acceptable and being a rules guy (cough), we complied.  The dish transcended the ingredient and while I`ve enjoyed my share of tongue I can easily say I`ve never had anything like this before.  Dana expressed it best when he surprised herself going back for a second and third taste; tongue is something she`ll typically try but not go back to the well for.

From there we went to mains.  There was a cornish hen, rib eye steak, pork chop and plate of foie, sweet breads and wild  boar belly.  All were outstanding and we each tried something from all of the plates.

Beyond the food and beverage, there are a few outstanding things to note about P&L (from my perspective):

• The rooftop garden.  It`s dormant now but the restaurant is an advocate of urban gardening (farming) and grow`s summer produce on top of the building (their website has a current picture of the garden)
• The atmosphere.  The main room has communal tables.  It`s loud and chaotic.  People are singing birthday songs and generally having a party.  The restaurant converts into a full bar and party once kitchen is closed.  It`s not the spot for a quiet meal – but the atmosphere is not pretentious at all.  It`s very charming.
• The staff.  Service was exceptional, fun, friendly and professional.
• The kitchen.  It`s an amazing setup and communication was calm and the amount of quality food that came out was outstanding.
• The hamburger.  I simply have to go back to try it.
• There are a few vegetarian options and each looked great.
• The Chefs.  Once the kitchen closed we got to spend some time around the table with each gentlemen and shared a (few) drinks.  These are quality guys who are fantastic fun and are running an amazing kitchen.  It`s people like this that I want to succeed – and the driving force on why we`ve broken rule 2.

The Coming Dinner

Sustainable seafood is an easy cause to support.  A 7-course meal is an easy way to do it.

Next Monday night will see 6 of the best chefs in the city come together to prepare 7 courses of sustainable seafood – each paired with wine for $145.  The event is being hosted at P&L:

There are limited seats remaining.  Dana and I have spent our allowance so won`t be able to make this one but knowing the list of chefs above (and having eaten several of their offerings), this will be a stand-out event.  Each is a passionate supporter of local, sustainable food and this will be an unbeleivable evening.

I`ve had the privilege of eating at some of the nicest restaurants in North America.  There are plenty left and I have no intention of  crossing them all off the list.  But my personal list did get 1 name shorter this week.

It`s my third time in San Diego in as many years.  Each time I stare down the Sushi Bar and weigh my options.  As much as it would be an awesome experience but it`s awfully decadent, especially if it`s a solo experience.  Dividing the price over 3 visits helped me rationalize and the news that the conference I am attending is moving to a different city next year was all I needed to push the decision over the top.

Dana had eaten at Nobu in New York City with friends 7 years ago.  At the time the restaurant was physically small with a giant reputation.  In that tiny restaurant she shared the air with some pretty big names in music and acting.  She had an amazing evening with a remarkable cocktail made with infused figs.

Nobu has changed a lot in recent years.  It`s biggest different is that it`s grown and has restaurants around the world.  This normally would be a turnoff for me but there are exceptions – the fact that they specialize in Sushi makes quality and consistency very portable.  I got to share air with legendary heavy metal guitar player – cus that`s how I roll. 

The `Front Desk` was in the middle of the restaurant.  I learned this the hard way after asking a waiter for a seat.  He was friendly but it did feel a little awkward.

I am much more of an introvert than many (including those who know me well) suspect.  The harder I push myself to be extroverted, the more introverted I am in the hours following.  Seeing as I am at a conference this week – I was pulled well into my shell when I entered the restaurant and even asking for a seat wasn`t the smoothest process.

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It’s been a difficult week.  That’s not a complaint – I rather enjoy the tough ones as I find those are the times that I learn the most about myself and those around me.  There’s been a lot to handle and some legitimate emotional roller coasters that has seen me working at hours that I’m not normally awake, being with family at times I am normally working and everything in between.

It’s been an amazing week.  I can honestly say I’ve done some of the best work of my life and I’m so excited about so much that is happening – both at work and outside of it.  That’s not bragging – I am most thankful for all that has happened.

Just one more long push before a final pilot of a project I’m nearing completion on and then there will be vacation ahead.  24 hours from now I should be settling in on my first night of almost 2 weeks of time with family, friends and food.  It’s an odd piece of my personality to explain that when I can see the finish line I generally get even more excited to be in the race.  That means that I’m going to be working late into the evening tonight – completely by choice.  It’s a very self-indulgent process that allows me to throw extra effort at my craft at a time that truly doesn’t require it.

I’ve taken the evening to step outside of our home and pull a stool at the local pub.  A quick dinner will be followed by an evening of sipping the occaisional beer (and more pop and water) and some quiet work at the bar.  It would be an awkward experience if it wasn’t in a place that I didn’t give a much larger of my pocket to on a more regular night and it’s a privilege that I’m careful not to abuse.

After typing for about 12 hours at home, it was simply time for a change of scenery.  I can’t say enough how nice it is to be greeted with a warm smile and a feeling of genuine welcome.  I have a few places nearby who extend such a greeting and each has been earned over time and the occasional long night (often sans laptop).  The greeting that says that you’re neither home nor at work – just in a space that you can be comfortable in and looked after in return.

I find myself dreaming about moving to the country from time-to-time.  It’s nights like these that make such a move much more difficult to comprehend – in the same way that if I ever moved to the country that I would have a difficult time remembering why these evenings were so valued.  I’ve written about the power of amazing service long ago but really wanted to take a few moments to send a Christmas greeting to all the fantastic Hosts, Hostesses and Food/ Beverage Professionals of a 1,000 titles to thank you for your work.  Sometimes, it makes more of a difference than you’ll ever know…

Now, if I could find me an old school house in the middle of the country that had a two-way teleporter to the city; we’d be set.

Happy Holidays to one and all…

I received an excited Facebook message from friends announcing that Anthony Bourdain was coming to Toronto and that they were planning to go.  I hadn’t seen anything about it so I thought I’d share (even with the risk that I may have been the only one not knowing).

I am as curious about the crowd as I am the chef.  I am certain there will be many who adore the food but my feeling is he’s also garnering a higher contingent of people wanting to know about his travel – a neat intersection of two passions (food and voyaging), I am curious where the evening will take us.

Bourdain is an interesting character to me.  He’s like the magician who revealed all th secrets to tricks on National Television but instead of death threats, Bourdain received rock star status.

I haven’t watched a tonne of the man nor have I read a lot of his writing (about half of kitchen confidential which was a lot for me though I rather enjoyed it thoroughly; I don’t tend to finish books).  My favourite piece of his work was a 60-minute show called “Decoding Ferran Adria” in which he travels to Spain to experience El Bulli for the first time.  He begins the trip with a lot of skepticism and ends with heavy reverence for the famous Spaniard.

Here’s a short clip as he unveils the secret lab in Barcelona where the team works to develop dishes 6-months per year (this was one of the first all-access shows on El Bulli):

From all that I’ve read, he appears to be charming and endearing in his live engagements and I’m looking forward to it.  Thanks to Sue and Nat for making sure we knew and excited to see all y’all there!

I spend a lot of time around food – and just as much time away from it thinking about it, talking about it, writing about it, reading about it, and so forth.  It’s been a lifelong passion that’s really become that much more consuming in recent years as things like the slow movement grow, the local food scene becomes more local, so many friends are doing so many exciting things and so forth.

Technology has also played a big role in all of this.  Social networks show me plates of food that friends are about to consume (from around the world, in real time), I read about the local offerings at farmers markets from across the city, the country and the world.  We used it to discover New York and, melded with recommendations of people we’ve mostly met through technology, we had a rare 8 days of eating in one of the more exciting food scenes in the world.

Technology has been an enabler of learning and exploration.  It’s also eliminated one of the delightful ingredients of a great meal: the surprise.

On Friday night we launched our way to the west end of the city in an area we haven’t been for a long time.  We were heading to see a friends band and decided to go a bit early to find a bite to eat in some spot unknown.  The area is not particularly trendy and we quickly abandoned much research as it unveiled a slew of pho and noodle houses.

Our first stop was a 1950′s-themed biker bar.  They pointed us to a restaurant across the street that looked like an abandoned sports bar.  It was unassuming (to say the least) and we wandered in to a warm smile and request for reservations.  When we admitted we had none we were gladly accommodated and we sat down for a quick meal.  We left the restaurant more than two hours later, smiling and somewhat stunned.

A separate review will follow after a future visit to The Atlantic (the menu on their site is a sample, somewhat out of date) but we were enthralled.  We had a wonderful selection of chef and staff-chosen Tapas which ranged in taste from unsettling to simply fantastic and all were paired with friendly service and tongue-in-cheek decor.  We are already making plans to return.

There was a strong lesson and reminder to us that I really want to focus on sharing here; sometimes research can actually limit the enjoyment of a meal.  It was delightful entering a restaurant where we knew very little about it and were surprised with each twist of the menu and the surprise of the progression of taste.

The evening was a good reminder that sometimes the best search engine to find a wonderful meal is often your eyes, ears, feet and a spot of luck.

I recently had the honour of being invited to a butchery demo in the basement of Cowbell (a very unique restaurant in Toronto).  Our friend Margaret Mulligan (the fabulous photographer) was shooting the session and, along with Head Chef, Mark Cutrara, I was offered to come along.  I always love the chance to explore something I haven’t seen or tried before – we only write about the experiences that we liked or loved.  This was one to love.  Today’s article is art 1 of 3 and is a serious comparison of a butcher, a chef and a vegetarian.  All of the photos are hers.   To see the entire series of posts, click here.

Before scrolling, please understand that this post may be too graphic for some.  It’s a photo essay that walks you through our butchery session that we experienced.  I like to think that this is what Kerouac meant by “Naked Lunch” when he gave the term to William S. Burroughs.

Margaret’s photography is stunning.  She has a passion for food and photography and the intersection of the two.  Her professional site is here and her personal photo blog here.

Note the small amount of waste captured towards the end of the photos.  The work of Ryan and Mark is inspirational to me and I highly recommend attending a session if you can.  Hope you’ve enjoyed the series!