Comments Off on A primer for the Festival of Sake, Kampai Toronto
After the Beaujolais Wine and BBQ luncheon, Nick and I headed to the Shangri-La Hotel for the media launch and preview of the 2nd annual Kampai Toronto Sake Festival being tomorrow on May 30th at the Fermenting Cellar in the Distillery District.
“Kampai” which stands for cheers in English, is the largest sake festival in Canada. The event is hosted by The Sake Institute of Ontario which is a non-profit organization that brings together sake distributors and producers in Ontario and promotes awareness of sake. There will be over 100 sakes to sample and appetizers to try from 12 of Toronto’s top restaurants.
If you were lucky to snag a ticket to this highly-anticipated sold out affair, here are some notes from the seminar by the world’s leading non-Japanese sake expert, John Gauntner, to help you get ready for the sake tasting:
• Sake is brewed (and not distilled) from rice, and rice alone
• The alcohol content is usually about 16%, watered down from the naturally occurring 20%.
• The existence of sake has been dated about 2,000 years ago, but some sake on the market today, like ginjo sake has been around for only 40 years.
• The three factors that affect the quality of sake are rice, milling, and labour.
• The grade of sake is legally defined by how much the rice has been milled. The more rice is milled, the higher the grade.
• Unlike wine, sake is meant to be consumed young, it will begin to change after about a year.
• Most premium sake should be consumed slightly chilled.
Restaurants participating include:
Blowfish on Bay
Don Don Izakaya
EDO Sushi
Guu Izakaya
Hapa Izakaya
Indian Rice Factory
Izakaya Ju
Ki Modern Japanese + Bar
Kingyo Toronto
Momofuku Toronto
Mye Restaurant
Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill
Ryoji Ramen & Izakaya
Here’s the trailer for the Festival of Sake!
For more information visit www.kampaitoronto.com. Even if you weren’t able to get a ticket, the Sake Institute of Ontario also hosts various tasting events and seminars throughout the year. So keep an eye out for updates by the SIO on twitter and facebook.
About the Sake Institute of Ontario (SIO)
Not-for-profit trade association formed in February of 2012. Principle mandate of increasing the awareness, availability, promotion, and education of Sake in the Ontario market. Kampai Toronto is SIO’s flagship annual Tasting Festival; and also hosts satellite Tasting Events / Seminars throughout the year.
Built on the foundation of collaborative cooperation to grow and nurture the Sake category. Principle Members include 9 Sake Importers and 1 Sake Manufacturer; Associate Members include Restaurants, Chefs & Sake/Lifestyle Promoters.
Comments Off on Beaujolais Wine and BBQ pairing at Acadian Restaurant
On a beautiful, warm Wednesday afternoon, Nick and I attended the Acadia Restaurant in little Italy for Beaujolais Wine Council’s wine tasting and luncheon. We tasted 12 different wines paired with a five course meal courtesy of Acadia Restaurant.
We started with the white wine – Château des Jacques, Beaujolais, Grand Clos de Loyse, 2010(#1). It was fruity and delicate with a dry finish. I enjoyed drinking it on its own.
First course: Creole Shrimp on top of Anson Mills Grits Wines: Georges Dubceuf FUN Beaujolais (#1), 2009 and Louis Jadot (#2), Beaujolais-Villages Commbe aux Jacques, 2011(#3).
This classic creamy and savoury New Orleans BBQ dish was best paired with the fresh and fruity Beaujolais-Villages Combe aux Jacques (#3).
Second course: Piri Piri Chicken Leg and Yogurt Wines: Bouchard Aîné& Fils, Beaujolais Supérieur, 2011 (#4), Jacques Dépagneux, Morgon, Côte du Py, 2011 (#5), and Joseph Burrier, Saint-Amour, Côte de besset, 2009 (#6).
Tender chicken with yogurt? I raised my eye brow in a good way because as strange as the name sounds, it tasted absolutely delicious. Dry, fruity and velvety tannins of the Jacques Dépagneux, Morgon, Côte du Py (#5) balanced out the juicy chicken and creamy yogurt. As if it was match made in heaven!
Third course: Grilled Eggplant Peanut with Coconut & Curry Condiment
Wines: Château de Pierreux, Brouilly, 2011 (#7), Villa Ponciago, Fleurie La Réserve, 2011 (#8), Georges Duboeuf, Beaujolais-Villages, 2010 (#9)
Although the eggplant was plain, the curry gave this dish a punch of flavour. The best wine to complement this dish was Château de Pierreux (#7) because it was floral and soft on the palate.
Korean short rib with crispy rice, sesame and chili
Fourth course: Korean Short Rib Crispy rice, Sesame & Chili Wines: Domaine Manoir Du Carra, Juliénas, 2010 (#10), Domain du Carra, Juliénas, 2010 (#11), Domaine Piron-Lameloise, Chénas, Quartz, 2009 (#12)
The meat was so tender that I barely used a knife. It was savoury which matched nicely with the Les Trois Roches (#11). The wine has a velvety and suave texture and ends with spicy vanilla notes.
As for the dessert, the presentation was elegant and pretty. The dark chocolate ganache was so sweet on the tongue that I was gulping down water so I just ended up eating only the Chantilly cream which I thought was delicious.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Anthony Collet, Chef Patrick Kriss and all the staff at the Acadia Restaurant for this exclusive experience. The food tasted great, the wines were fabulous, the sunshine and warm breeze could not be more perfect for this amazing spring luncheon.
ABOUT BEAUJOLAIS
The French wines of the Beaujolais region are made from handpicked Gamay grapes. The region is best known for its light red wines, which taste great chilled and offer a refreshing flavor profile. A small amount of French white wine and pink rosé is also made in the Beaujolais region. Try the best tasting light red wines this summer – any Beaujolais wine makes an ideal warm weather vintage! discoverbeaujolais.com/
Comments Off on Photos: The Pants Off Party for Prostate Cancer
This year’s 4th annual Pants off Party had the theme of Golf & Country Club with people looking stylish in their country club clothes and no pants. It took some adjusting to walk into the Berkeley Church where you’re the only one wearing pants at a pants-off party. So I found the coat check where they politely check in your pants. This is when supermodel Stacey McKenzie said hi to me. So I awkwardly took my pants off in front of her and handed them in for check-in (no looks of disgust at all!) and went on my way. Bright and colourful boxers and snazzy, argyle socks were available for sale at coat check. Such a great idea. Continue reading→
Comments Off on The Curve Ball gala takes over the Rogers Centre for the Jays Care Foundation
Jose Bautista with a fan
More than 1,000 VIP guests gathered for a gala right on the field of the Rogers Centre for the well-attended annual Curve Ball, up from 800 in the previous year. This year the theme was “denim and diamonds”. The large field had upscale silent auction items in glass displays as well as a baseball bat gallery with one-of-a-kind baseball bats signed by the corresponding Blue Jays players available for bidding as well. There was a lot of demand for customizing Blue Jays New Era baseball caps. The youth from the Toronto Community Housing Rookie Leaguers got to walk onto the field alongside the Toronto Blue Jays and also got their Blue Jays jerseys signed.
The evening was emceed by Sportsnet’s Evanka Osmak and Jamie Campbell. Entertainment was provided by Soular entertaining guests with top 40 hits. An Acura Home Run Draw featured a raffle prize of an SUV, a 2013 Acura RDX.
R.A. Dickey, Evanka Osmak Photo: Michelle Prata
Brett Lawrie, John Tory Photo: Michelle Prata
Besides the Blue Jays, other notable guests included John Tory, Carrie-Lynn Neales (Seed TV), Tracy Moore (Cityline), and Randal Edwards (Package Deal star).
“It’s a tremendous fundraiser, one of our biggest events,” Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said. “The Jays Care Foundation does a lot of great events, but as far as a night out, the players really enjoy it as well. They get to relax and interact with the fans at more of a laid-back pace and it’s done really, really well.”
Congrats for raising $950,000 in support of the Jays Care Foundation!
Check out one of the bats featured at the Curve Ball created by Jon Shaw. The bat features imagery based on Blue Jays Melky Cabrera (#53)’s interests, signed by Cabrera himself and sold at the silent auction with funds raised going to the Jays Cares Foundation.
The decorated dining area at the Rogers Centre for the Curve Ball
The customized Jays Care pitcher’s mound at the Rogers Centre
ABOUT CURVE BALL AND THE JAYS CARE FOUNDATION
The Curve Ball is one of many charitable events the Blue Jays and Jays Care Foundation hold each year to pump money and resources back into communities across the country. Provincial-wide, underprivileged youth have been able to participate in baseball programs in properly equipped facilities and get instruction from their favourite Blue Jays players. The dedicated efforts of the Jays Care Foundation led to the Blue Jays being named the 2012 recipient of the MLB Commissioner’s Award for Philanthropic Excellence.
The Jays Care Foundation has invested more than $7.5 million in Canada’s children and communities.
Amy Dodds, Astrid-Maria Ciarallo, Alexandra Horwood
Soular providing live entertainment
Soular providing live entertainment
Soular
The decorated dining area at the Rogers Centre for the Curve Ball
José Bautista with a fan
Dessert Bar
Dessert bar
Inside the Blue Jays locker room
Jose Bautista’s locker in the Blue Jays locker room
Inside the Blue Jays locker room
Inside the Blue Jays locker room
How often do you see this kind of decor at the Rogers Centre?
Silent auction item
Silent auction
The decorated dining area at the Rogers Centre for the Curve Ball
The customized Jays Care pitcher’s mound at the Rogers Centre
Silent auction item: an authentic WWE championship belt
New Era baseball caps ready to be customized at the Curve Ball
The Raffle Grand Prize
Bellosound
The decorated dining area at the Rogers Centre for the Curve Ball
The decorated dining area at the Rogers Centre for the Curve Ball
Lobster rolls
Grilled cheese
The selection of premium liquors available for guests
Guests lining up to customize their Blue Jays baseball cap by New Era
The Blue Jays escorting the Toronto Community Housing Rookie Leaguers Photo: Michelle Prata
Jose Bautista signing jerseys for fans at the Curve Ball gala Photo: Michelle Prata
Photo: Michelle Prata
Photo: Michelle Prata
Photo: Michelle Prata
Photo: Michelle Prata
Drawing the winner of the Acura RDX Photo: Michelle Prata
Brett Lawrie, John Tory Photo: Michelle Prata
R.A. Dickey, Evanka Osmak Photo: Michelle Prata
Photo: Michelle Prata
Sponsors: Rogers, Cisco, Samsung, Ericsson being recognized as Curve Ball Grand Slam sponsors Photo: Michelle Prata
Toronto Community Housing Rookie Leaguers Photo: Michelle Prata
Also check out our coverage of the 100th Grey Cup gala which also took over the Rogers Centre. So if you love baseball and get the opportunity, you should definitely get tickets and join the annual Curve Ball gala.
Comments Off on Newsletter: Muzik tonight and Scrubs in the City Block Party on June 6th and more
In this issue of the BestofToronto.net newsletter: Muzik heats up every Saturday night with their Grey Goose lounge including tonight with a Beach Bombshell party featuring DJ Wikked. Also mark your calendars for June 6th for one of our favourite charity events: Block Party presented by Scrubs in the City. We are also giving away a pair of tickets worth $350.
The nightclub Muzik heats up tonight with a Beach Bombshell party featuring DJ Wikked
The Grey Goose Lounge at Muzik. Photo Credit JJ Thompson / medianeeds.ca
Ladies get complimentary admission until 11pm. Also, if you haven’t already, check out the exclusive Grey Goose Lounge at Muzik with dedicated Lounge staff and Grey Goose cocktails made by mixologist Trevor Burnett. Grey Goose cocktails include the Grey Goose sling, Entre vous, C’est la vie, Joie de vivre and the “Eiffel Sour”.
“This lounge called for an exquisite roster of all-new premium GREY GOOSE cocktails,” said Lisa Mazurkewich, brand director GREY GOOSE. “We’re pleased to showcase these special cocktails and our premium vodka and flavoured vodkas within the stunning environment of the Lounge at Muzik.”
Access to the Grey Goose Lounge is managed through Muzik membership cards, giving Lounge card holders unlimited access to the exclusive space for themselves and up to 3 guests. The lounge is also available for private and corporate bookings.
Tim Hortons shows their support for small scale farmers by introducing a new Partnership Blend.To celebrate their partnership with coffee farmers in Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil and Colombia for more than 8 years, Tim Horton’s introduces a new coffee blend called the Partnership Blend.The new Tim Hortons Partnership Blend coffee is a unique formula, much different from Tim Hortons regular coffee blend. It’s still of medium body, balanced with subtle yet complex notes of cocoa and nuttiness. It comes in ground coffee format available now at participating Tim Hortons restaurants across Canada. The coffee retails for $7.69 with $1 from every purchase going back to support the Tim Hortons Coffee Partnership.For more information about the Tim Hortons Coffee Partnership click here.
The Buy Art Not Kids fundraiser raised over $50,000
‘Buy Art Not Kids’ is an art auction fundraiser in support of Ratanak International – A Canadian charity that rescues and rehabilitates child sex trafficking victims in Cambodia. There are 4.5 million people, most of them women and girls, victims of sexual exploitation. The art auction is a great cause, that raised over $50,000, to rescue and rehabilitate victims in Cambodia. The night was filled with beautiful artwork, scrumptious food, wine and live music. Not only did people win great pieces of artwork but they helped make huge differences in the lives of women and children in need. For more information visit www.buyartnotkids.com
Sheraton Centre introduces Social Hour
Ben Mulroney with our friends at Sheraton Centre’s Social Hour launch event in Toronto: Graham Rowlands, Shannon Kelly and her mom and Joallore Alon
Ben Mulroney came out to join in the opening festivities of Sheraton Centre’s new Social hour every weekday from 5pm to 7pm. What makes it interesting is that for only $6 you can try two 2-ounce pours of great wines rated 90+ by the Wine Spectator. For more information click here.
Check out the video from the New York City launch event last year. The Toronto launch this year was coordinated with the Vancouver and Montreal launches.
An Ultimate Food Challenge in support of the Daily Bread Food Bank raises $90,000.
At Daily Bread Food Bank’s Ultimate Food Challenge: Suman Roy, Melissa Grelo, Leslie Roberts, Jason Parsons
The Daily Bread Food Bank hosted their second annual “Ultimate Food Challenge” featuring a culinary competition with 3 chefs: Devan Rajkumar of The Food Dudes, Alexandra Feswick of The Samuel J Moore at The Great Hall and Jason Parsons of Peller Estates Winery. The event brought 250 food loving philanthropists out to the gorgeous Corus Quay on the waterfront who got to sample wine from Peller Estates, beer from Beau’s and, of course, try some great food. Read more.
Right to Play raises $55,000 in their second annual charity gala
The 2nd annual Right to Play Ball in support of the Right to Play charity at Shangri-La Hotel turned into a dance party with the help of DJ Tony Okungbowa (from the Ellen Degeneres Show). Congrats for raising $55,000 for Right to Play and congrats to our friend, Glen Baxter for hosting another great event! More photos here.
Get ready for Block Party presented by Scrubs in the City in support of SickKids
We’re looking forward to “BLOCK PARTY” on Thursday, June 6th, 2013. Many events happen at the beautiful Evergreen Brick Works but none have pulled it off as well as SickKids “Scrubs in the City” in terms of grand decor, great food, amazing drink selection and overall fun factor. The evening promises to be full of surprises including live musical and dance performances, a dance party with DJ Danny Floh Back, a premier photo wall and an amazing silent auction and raffle you won’t want to miss. So now is your chance to attend by winning a pair of tickets valued at $350. Contest closes on June 3, 2013. Enter the ticket giveaway here.
The Sinai Soiree at Casa Loma on Thursday June 20, 2013: The Great Gatsby
Also mark your calendars for another one of our favourite charity events that deliver huge on fun: the highly anticipated Sinai Soiree happening at the one and only Casa Loma. Featuring open bar Get your tickets at www.thesinaisoiree.com.
