Raw, haunting, and provocative, renowned Russian choreographer Boris Eifman and his groundbreaking ballet company returned to Toronto with his acclaimed signature piece – Anna Karenina. We had the opportunity to see the riveting performance at the Sony Centre last week.
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Running seems to be the ‘it’ sport in Toronto this year. So many are talking about training for at least one race this season, which is great because many of the runs benefit a great cause. If you’ve already signed up for a run or are interested in partaking, there’s a unique running experience right around the corner: Red Bull’s, one-of-a-kind, Wings for Life World Run on May 3rd 2015 in Niagara Falls. Registration closes on April 28th, so if you like the sound of this, don’t wait, SIGN UP HERE.
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Carnivor Wines introduced their 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from California with UFC fighter, Elias Theodorou at Shark Club at Dundas Square on Thursday March 26, 2015.
I couldn’t think of a better ‘guys night out’ with good food, good wine and good company.
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In the latest supercar news, a private event attended by exotic car aficionados and automotive industry guests gather for the introduction of the new 2016 McLaren 570S which took place at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Toronto on Thursday, April 21st, 2015.
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Last year, the inaugural Taste of Toronto was held at the Fort York National Historic Site. This year, the festival returns for its second edition from July 2 – 5, 2015, and promises to be bigger and better than ever. On April 21, a group of us went on a taste safari to discover six of the restaurants participating at this year’s taste festival, and get a preview of the dishes to expect.
We trekked through the city by foot and by bus in Harbord Village and the Financial District, each restaurant being revealed in turn. We spent roughly half an hour at each destination for a sampling of their dishes. Suffice it to say, all of the plates were delicious, along with their cocktail pairings. Some of my personal favourites are the salmon sashimi with Korean fried daikon and tamari emulsion from Splendido, and the Oliver Sacks cocktail from THR & Co. The dishes from the six restaurants were diverse and complex, and based on the quality tonight and the calibre of the other participating chefs and restaurants, there’s much to look forward to at this summer’s festival.
The six restaurants, their dishes, and their cocktails, were:
THR & Co.
Dish: Sashimi grade albacore tuna kinilaw (Filipino style ceviche), coconut, lime, sweet & hot pepper, cilantro, cassava chips
Cocktail: Oliver Sacks
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- Sashimi grade albacore tuna kinilaw (Filipino style ceviche), coconut, lime, sweet & hot pepper, cilantro, cassava chips | THR & Co
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- Oliver Sacks | THR & Co
Splendido
Dish: Salmon sashimi, Korean fried daikon and tamari emulsion
Dish: Bacon and smoked scallop popcorn
Cocktail: Apple Spritz
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- Salmon sashimi, Korean fried daikon and tamari emulsion | Splendido
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- Bacon & smoked scallop popcorn | Splendido
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- Apple Spritz | Splendido
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- Splendido
Rasa
Dish: Truffle gnudi, mushrooms, portobello soil, pickled shimenji, walnut pesto
Dish: Veg slate – squash, broccoli, sunchokes, cauliflower baba ganoush, beet chips
Cocktail: Viola
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- Truffle gnudi, mushrooms, portobello soil, pickled shimenji, walnut pesto | Rasa
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- Veg slate – squash, broccoli, sunchokes, cauliflower baba ganoush, beet chips | Rasa
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- Viola | Rasa
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- Rasa
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- Rasa
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- Rasa
Montecito
Dish: Polenta with meatballs and tomato sugo
Dish: Kale salad
Cocktail: Cosmocito
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- Polenta with meatballs and tomato sugo | Montecito
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- Kale salad | Montecito
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- Kale salad | Montecito
Drake One Fifty
Dish: Lamb ribs with charred onion sour cream
Dish: Crispy clams, spicy tartar sauce and old bay seasoning
Cocktail: Beets by Drake
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- Lamb ribs with charred onion sour cream | Drake One Fifty
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- Crispy clams, spicy tartar sauce and old bay seasoning | Drake One Fifty
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- Beets by Drake | Drake One Fifty
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- Center: Chloe Wilde | Drake One Fifty
America
Dish: Ahi tuna poke
Dish: Roasted scallop jambalaya
Cocktail: Cocktail with pineapple, macadamia nuts, coffee and coconut
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- Ahi tuna poke | America
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- Roasted scallop jambalaya | America
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- Cocktail with pineapple, macadamia nuts, coffee and coconut | America
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- America
Of these restaurants, THR & Co (as well as The Harbord Room) and Splendido are returning. Other returning favourites are Bosk, Barque Smokehouse, Richmond Station, and Los Colibris. Rasa, Montecito, Drake One Fifty (along with The Drake Hotel and The Drake Devonshire), America (along with other Oliver & Bonacini properties Bannock and Biff’s Bistro), and Little Sister are new participants for 2015.
If you missed last year’s Taste of Toronto, you can expect to sample delicious small plates from the city’s top restaurants, as well as interact with top chefs at cooking classes and demonstrations. Toronto is one of only 22 cities around world (and the only one in North America) that host these taste festivals.
Tickets are already on sale and start at $19, but for a limited time until April 30th, you can get $5 off access to any one (lunch or dinner) session of Taste of Toronto through this Ticketmaster link.
For more information on Taste of Toronto, including the participating restaurants and chefs, visit:
http://tasteoftoronto.com
Twitter: @TasteOfToronto #TasteOfToronto #TasteSafari
Instagram: @TasteOfToronto #TasteOfToronto #TasteSafari
Facebook: Taste of Toronto
Photos by John Tan