Niagara-on-the-Lake holds a special place in many hearts and minds alike. Located at the western end of Lake Ontario, it was one of the earliest regions for settlement– due in part to the War of 1812. There are many key sites which helped establish Canada as unique and separate entity from the United states– who at the time– wanted to absorb the fledgling colonies. Today, you can visit the many historic sites that played an integral part in championing Canada as an independent nation- such as Fort George, Navy Hall, and Butler’s Barracks.
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Bigger than ever this year, The Stop Community Food Centre has once again brought together the city’s culinary wonders to its sold-out annual fundraiser, The Stop’s Night Market. Featuring inspiring dishes from 70 chefs, 20 beverage vendors, and over 39 one-of-a-kind food carts by local designers, this two-night extravaganza last week displayed the very best of food, art, and music this city has to offer. Held at a spacious vacant lot off Sterling Road on the west end, we had the opportunity to check out one of the nights, and here are our favourite moments.
Kicking off the grand 10-day festivities known as the Luminato Festival requires a grand opening befitting of the multi-arts occasion and once again it was bigger than the year before.
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A new champagne, Veuve Clicquot RICH aims to represent the fun, energetic and sociable side of life. Not only can you enjoy the champagne on its own, but it was also created with cocktails in mind – a sweeter champagne hence the name, ‘rich’, that mixes well with many ingredients. It boasts being the first of it’s kind in North America, a champagne dedicated to mixology.
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On June 15, we made a trek to Toronto’s Greektown to visit Greenwood Smokehouse BBQ and checkout their new summer menu. Upon entering, we were greeted with a smoked pear mint julep, and by R2BBQ – a smoker painted to look like the iconic R2D2 from Star Wars. Already we knew we were in for a great night ahead – read to see how the evening went.
We took our drinks to the back patio, and while walking through the restaurant, it was hard not to notice the eclectic decor. The walls were adorned with an interesting mix of pop art, license plates, street signs, animal tchotchkes, and even Star Wars comics. It’s a mix of art that you wouldn’t expect, yet it all works together and collectively adds to the charm and coziness of the place.
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- R2BBQ
Being able to check out the back patio was a nice surprise; I try to frequent as many patios as I can during the summer months. Greenwood Smokehouse’s patio felt like a friend’s backyard – a place where you feel welcome and want to stay awhile. There owner and pitmaster, Warren DeSimone, showed off the large wood burning oven where the meats are smoked. We enjoyed our first bite of the evening – the deliciously tender and saucy Memphis rib tips, along with a glass of watermelon beer and shot of bourbon. Having whet our appetites, we then headed back inside, now eagerly anticipating the mains to come.
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- Warren DeSimone
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- Warren DeSimone
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- Memphis rib tips
The Cobbler Salad came first. I liked this take on the Cobb salad, not only because it had smoked turkey and bacon, but also avocado and blue cheese. Next, we sampled ribs done three ways – with a Carolina sauce, a Memphis sauce, and a dry rub. Each of them was fall-off-the-bone tender, and very flavourful. Then came the pièce-de-resistance – a platter consisting of brisket, pulled pork, and smoked wings. We were in barbecue heaven – all of it was delicious, with the brisket being my personal favourite. Accompanying the meats were double-smoked beans, a coleslaw, and a three cheese cream mac ‘n cheese topped with asiago that was brûléed. The sides complemented the meats very nicely.
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- Cobbler Salad
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- Three cheese cream mac ‘n cheese
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- Brisket, pulled pork, smoked wings, coleslaw, beans
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- Ribs three ways
After the satisfying mains, we sampled another cocktail – this time it was the smoked bourbon lemonade. The smoke flavour worked really well with the tartness of the lemonade. Finally, it was time for dessert – a smoked peach cobbler with crème anglaise. It was sweet, but not overly sweet; rich, though not heavy – it was a delightful finish to a southern barbecue feast.
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- Smoked bourbon lemonade
I enjoyed all of the food and drink tonight – all of the dishes were well-prepared and delicious. Kudos and thank you to Chef Mark Andrade and team! If you’re a barbecue and meat lover, and now with summer just beginning, Greenwood Smokehouse BBQ is great reason to visit Toronto’s east side. Greenwood Smokehouse BBQ is located at 673 Danforth Ave., steps from the new Pape Station.
For more information:
http://greenwoodsmokehouse.com
Twitter: @Greenwood_BBQ #TOlovesBBQ
Instagram: @GreenwoodSmokehouseBBQ #TOlovesBBQ
Facebook: GreenwoodSmokehouseBBQ
Photos by John Tan
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- R2BBQ
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- Smoked pear mint julep
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- Warren DeSimone
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- Memphis rib tips
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- Watermelon beer
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- Memphis rib tips
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- Warren DeSimone
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- Warren DeSimone
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- Cobbler Salad
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- Ribs three ways
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- Brisket, pulled pork, smoked wings, coleslaw, beans
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- Three cheese cream mac ‘n cheese
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- Smoked bourbon lemonade