Taste of Toronto
I love this city during the summer time, it seems to come alive with all kinds of events and festivals when the warm weather hits. There is never enough time to hit them all up but if I had to pick one that you shouldn’t miss it would be The Taste of Toronto. A four day food and drink extravaganza that showcases some of the best hotspots in the city all in one place.
Held this year again in the grounds of Fort York, we braved the less than stellar summer weather we been having to go check it out! There is also way too many booths to hit up in one day so it’s best to go a few times if you want to truly get the most out of the experience.
This year my favourite food experience had to be the Kaisen Poke and Aburi Sushi Duo from Miku Restaurant. This Japanese restaurant claims to specialize in flamed seared sushi and they sure lives up to this claim! The flavors are subtle but in the just the right combination to make each bite mouthwatering, while the flame searing adds both to the overall experience and helps I think activate the taste. If the rest of their menu is anything like what I tried I will have to go check them out soon.
My favourite drink of course was the Negroni Granita from Bar Buca, you can’t go wrong with their delicious creations and this boozy yet refreshing drink would hit the spot on a warm summer’s day.
Now no visit to the Taste of Toronto is complete without attending some of the great seminars and tasting sessions! Of course the top on my list was The Tasting Room and this year I was lucky enough to take in 4 of these amazing and informative sessions hosted by Jamie Drummond.
You got to drink some yummy wine while learning a bit more about them. The first one I attended you got to learn more about the Rosehall Run Vineyard out in Prince Edward County (a great alternative for those a bit tired with Niagara on the Lake). The second was tasting some of the great French Beaujolais wine. In the third you heard more about the CB wine program from Franco Stalteri and this one had a great food pairing of Polenta Sticks from the always spot on Richmond Station. The final session for me was getting to experience Natural Wines for the first time.
Aside from all the great restaurants that were present there was a load of different food vendors sampling their products and I have to give a shout out to the Owl’s Brew booth for being the most friendly and approachable group amongst the vendors that were there. Your cocktails definitely were a great way to end off the night each time and I'll be keeping an eye out for the products to make my own.
I can’t wait for next year to come around and I hope you are able to go too if you didn’t get a chance this year. It is one of the must go to Toronto food festivals!
