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Greenwood Smokehouse BBQ launches new summer menu

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Scrubs in the City 2015 raises $500,000 for SickKids

After last year’s white party, this year’s annual Scrubs in the City charity gala took on a fun twist with a new theme. Guests were immersed in the night life of Tokyo, Japan as the Evergreen Brick Works venue was transformed for an event filled with food, fashion and entertainment.
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The 25th Toronto Taste proves to be the most successful to date

Carl Heinrich, Richmond Station
  • June 22, 2015
  • charity, Events, food
  • Comments Off on The 25th Toronto Taste proves to be the most successful to date

Celebrating the silver 25th anniversary of this spectacular food event in support of Second Harvest, Toronto Taste proved once again to be a spectacular food lover’s event which took place again at the beautiful lakeside Corus Quay venue on Sunday, June 7th, 2015.
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In Photos: Laphroaig celebrates 200 years at Byblos

  • June 22, 2015
  • drink, industry
  • Comments Off on In Photos: Laphroaig celebrates 200 years at Byblos

2015 marks the 200th anniversary of Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch, and to celebrate, we attended a private whisky tasting at Byblos in Toronto’s entertainment district on June 11th. The honoured guest of the night was John Campbell, Laphroaig Distillery Manager, and the first native of Islay to be appointed as distillery manager.

We began with some passed canapés, antipastos, and a sampling of the Duke of Argyll cocktail (recipe below). It was then on to a structured tasting session with Campbell. We sampled four different whiskies: Laphroaig 10 Years Old ($80.95), Laphroaig Quarter Cask ($72.95), Laphroaig 15 Years Old (200th anniversary special edition) ($185.95), and Laphroaig 18 Years Old ($165.95); prices are for 750 mL bottles. Of these, my favourite was the Laphroaig 18 Years Old, for its sweetness, chocolate and toffee accents, with hints of saltiness and smoke.

After a short break, we then headed to the bar area where we got a mixology lesson from three Vancouver bartenders, Lauren Mote, Danielle Tatarin, and Christina Kuypers. Mote is co-proprietor of Bittered Sling Bitters, and bar manager at UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar. Each of them demonstrated in turn how to make three classic cocktails made using the Laphroaig scotch whiskies – the Whisky Sour, the Old Fashioned, and the Rob Roy (aka Manhattan). We’ve provided the recipes below, so be sure to bookmark this page. The three women were beautiful and charming; engaging and capturing the attention of the crowd. One memorable quote from the night came from Tatarin. When asked her opinion of Laphroaig, she said, “Laphroaig is the only marriage I’m willing to commit to!”

To end the night, we had a tasting of the Laphroaig Cairdeas, which is exclusive to the Friends of Laphroaig club. The 2015 bottling is a special whisky produced at Laphroaig’s famous No1 warehouse by the sea, which is therefore Campbell’s representation of how Laphroaig was produced 200 years ago. This whisky is only available to the Friends of Laphroaig community, so it was a privilege to be able to enjoy it.

We had a great time at Byblos for the Laphroaig scotch whisky tasting. Congratulations to Laphroaig on celebrating 200 years! For more information:
http://www.laphroaig.com
Twitter: @Laphroaig #Laphroaig200TO #OpinionsWelcome
Instagram: @Laphroaig #Laphroaig200TO #OpinionsWelcome
Facebook: Laphroaig

Here are the featured cocktails of the evening:

DUKE OF ARGYLL
– Shake, Ice, Collins –
1.00 oz Laphroaig Quarter Cask 0.50 oz Green Chartreuse
0.75 oz Lemon Juice
0.75 oz Sage Leaf Syrup
2 Dashes Bittered Sling Clingstone Peach Bitters
Top With Grace’s Gingerbeer Garnish With a Green Apple Fan

Whisky Sour

Whisky Sour

WHISKY SOUR
– Shake Dry, Shake Ice, Neat, Highball –
1.00 Oz Laphroaig Quarter Cask 1.00 Oz Knob Creek 9YO Bourbon 0.75 Oz Lemon Juice
0.75 Oz Simple Syrup
2 Dashes Bittered Sling
Kensington Aromatic Bitters
1 Egg White

 

Rob Roy

Rob Roy

OLD FASHIONED

– Stir, Ice, Old Fashioned –
0.50 oz Laphroaig Quarter Cask
1.50 oz Maker’s Mark Bourbon
0.25 oz Demerara Sugar Syrup
2 Dashes Bittered Sling
Kensington Aromatic Bitters
Garnish With an Orange Peel, Lemon Half Wheel and a Griotte Cherry

Old Fashioned

Old Fashioned

ROB ROY (aka Manhattan)

– Stir, Neat, Coupe –
0.50 oz Laphroaig Quarter Cask
1.50 oz Highland Park 10YO
0.75 oz Punt E MesVermouth
2 Dashes Bittered Sling
Kensington Aromatic Bitters
Garnish With an Orange Peel and Griotte Cherry

Photos by John Tan

The Autostrada Forum Magazine Launch

The launch of Autostrada Forum Magazine was filled with spectacular exotic and classic cars, motorcycles and a helicopter.

On Saturday June 13th, at the Paddock Car Club in Burlington, a 30 minute drive from Toronto, a gathering of more than 200 exotic and vintage cars were on display, most driven to the event by their owners. A rare Ferrari LaFerrari and Enzo (combined value of $5 million) along with a Porche 918, Lexus LFA, Singer 911 and several others were also among the ranks. What a marvellous sight! Crowds gathered outside with wine and cocktails appreciating the beauty and power such machines. Inside the automotive venue, sat more curiosities,  both exotic and classic as well as a helicopter.

AutostradaForumMagazine-MagazineLaunch-JamesShay-BestofToronto-030
Drinks and hors d’oeuvres were the order of the night with guests mingling with fellow car enthusiasts and members of the car community in the backdrop of live band. Co-publishers of Autostrada Forum Magazine, Lucas Scarfone and Sean Patrick were on hand to meet and greet. Michael Lee-Chin, a philanthropist and business magnate who Canadian Business has named as one of the richest people in Canada, stopped by to offer his support to the magazine.

Michael Lee-Chin (centre)

Sean Patrick (left), Michael Lee-Chin (centre), Lucas Scarfone (right)

 

Samantha Tan, an up and coming young female race car driver also made an appearance. Starting at the age of 14, she competed in several race series including her current Pirelli World Challenge drive.

Samantha Tan

Samantha Tan

Lucas Scarfone and Sean Patrick were pleased with the success of their magazine launch and enthusiastic about the content that was now available for readers. The goal of this magazine is to showcase the passion, history, and journeys of local car owners and enthusiasts, offering insight into the automotive world. Sean Patrick stated “Autostrada is very unique, we focus on the local car culture. This magazine is a combination of many different people coming together to appreciate cars.” Scarfone explained that Autostrada offers a side to car ownership that hasn’t been explored before, “the human side, we focus on the people who own the cars and what drives their passion.” This new angle allows for an expansion of what it means to be a car enthusiast and owner, giving new insight into car culture.

Angelo Paletta, a car enthusiast featured in the magazine and also the owner of one of the cars on display said, “this magazine contains quality photos accompanied by down to earth personal stories,” it is a tool that has brought together the local enthusiasts in both business and pleasure, generating networking opportunities in mutual passion. Paletta stated “cars are the universal language” within this community allowing for individuals from all walks of life to share their common interest. Owner of EuroTec Canada Ltd. and helicopter aficionado, Hoss Golanbari, has already experienced expansion in his client base due to a recent feature in this magazine.  “My advertising is mostly in helicopter magazines, but since this magazine has been released it has generated interest in the helicopter business,” said Golanbari, who had one of his helicopters displayed among the various automobiles.

In one word Scarfone describes this entire process as “positive”, especially with over 600 close friends and family in attendance. The same can also be said for the future, as the attention that has already been focused on local car culture has welcomed expansion. Both publishers are not only obviously passionate but incredibly friendly and interested in including all car owners and fanatics in their journey. They have devoted all of their time and energy to the success of this magazine, and are proud of the first two issues available in a variety of locations including but not limited to Chapters & Indigo stores across Canada and Apple iTunes. There is no doubt that the publishers high hopes will be achieved as they welcome all to attend events and to immerse oneself into the local car community.

Information about Autostrada Forum Magazine can be found here:
www.autostradaforum.com

Photos by James Shay

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