Jack and Grill BBq Competition, Toronto

Jack Daniels sponsors a small BBQ competition in June, in Toronto. renowned BBQ pro, Ted Reader is the emcee and main BBQ judge. I was the other judge.


At this event, there are a number of trucks offering BBQ chicken, pulled pork, ribs, smoked brisket and a hot dog stand, which makes for some general eating fun, sampling their wares. The contestants do not sell there wares.

Some of the presentations to the judges are below.


The one below was the winner. A refreshing, complementary drink that used Jack Daniels with lime; perfectly cooked corn cob brushed with parmesan, butter and spices; a perfect pulled pork sandwich, moist, good smokey flavour topped with crunchy cole slaw all on a crispy skinned bun which did not fall apart while eating. Very good side of bbq sauce with a touch of heat and a nice rounded flavour...not too tart and not too sweet. This was also the best presentation.

Another entry.

I do not like ribs falling off the bone like this. When I bight into the rib, I like the meat to "peal" off the bone, easily.

Annie Sibonney's Shakshuka

Breakfast at a friend's and Annie Sibonney, former chef, owner of Relish Gourmet Tours and host of TV program From Spain With Love, is contributing this dish. The fragrance of the herbs and spices made my mouth water and I could not wait to taste this masterpiece!

The ingredients of this dish included lots of garlic and onion, red bell pepper, all sauteed then cooked with chopped tomatoes (San Marzano DOP also works well), chopped parsley, cilantro, harissa, and hot and sweet paprika, tumeric, ground cumin and after the sauce has slow cooked for about an hour to thicken, the eggs and lots of love. Delicious!!

If in Washington, DC

In The Table Comes First, Adam Gopnik describes a meal as existing between the moderating forces of alcohol, narrowing our focus to the table, and caffeine, expanding it outward after the meal to the world outside. Last time I wrote here, about a frenzied half day and night in New York City, I think I proved him wrong. In New York City, at least, rhythms such as those Gopnik describes in his book The Table Comes First disappear into themselves and you moderate accordingly: do you need an espresso or a Vieux Carre or, dare I say it, both at once? Routine has only limited traction in Gotham.

Washington DC is different. New York moves at the frenetic, harried pace of finance; DC moves at the crawl of government. For me, the lumbering and reliable routine of a government city is far better suited for bar study than the spontaneity of New York – we’ll save that for after the exam. Anyway, I lived here once so there’s no need to sprint around the Mall visiting the Smithsonian and the monuments (for those interested, the new MLK memorial looks much better in person than in photographs). So, each day begins with consistency; Peregrine Espresso on rapidly gentrifying 14^th street for a cappuccino, a pastry, and an addictive cup of lemon yogurt. Then it’s off to the national archives to study.

My study habits are uninteresting. More interesting is Jose Andres’ Oyamel. At Oyamel, Andres, arguably the most famous chef in DC, cooks – insofar as Andres still cooks anywhereat all – Mexican in what is basically a quieter, better designed Joey’s. It’s actually quite good. Cooked salsa with chipotles is rich and bottomless because it’s chips and salsa at an “upscale casual” restaurant, while a tamale with chicken and salsa verde is bright and acid and good. Shrimp with black garlic is jet black with an iodine sweetness, while a chocolate dessert with passion fruit is that rare thing for a chocolate dessert: refreshing.

See, routine – breakfast at the same café each day, lunch on the same street, now dinner, further afield at 2 Amys in Cleveland Park for pizza, this, and that. The pies are good – early spring on a puffy crust with asparagus, nettles , and pecorino and, more classically, a margherita. Neither are as good as the soft shell crab, lightly fried with pickles and mayo, or maybe even the small plates like pickled anchovies with non-acidic olives or April on a plate again with grilled eggplant, pine nuts, and ramps. And after, back towards 14^th St, for a night cap. Despite the whiff of pretention, The Gibson does a pretty good job with its cocktails. See, Mr. Gopnik, I take your point: espresso to open the day, three square meals, and a good drink to close it. You are on to something.

So let’s try this again, breakfast at Peregrine, lunch on 7^th St NW at Hill Country, across the street from Oyamel and metaphorically further north with the heart of Texas on the plate. It’s decent barbeque. Then, put our names in at Little Serow for dinner. Downstairs from Johnny Monis’s Komi, arguably DC’s best restaurant, this dark, no reservations, no accommodations restaurant is Monis’s passion project, a love letter to the Northeast Thailand, where he married his wife. With spare, dark decore and low light and an open kitchen that is almost undifferentiated from the restaurant, it’s perhaps the chicest most stylish (what awful words those are!) restaurant I’ve been to in a long time. It’s also one of the best. $45, tax included, gets you eight courses, rice, and some raw vegetables. Hot, sweet, sour, and pungent there’s searing heat from khao tod (peppers, eggplant, sticky rice) tender pork ribs braised in Thai whiskey, stunning citrus from ma hor (sour fruits and dried shrimp), and a pate of rabbit liver and shrimp paste and more than I can remember or you want to read about. The point is that Little Serow is excellent, as good a restaurant as I’ve been to all year, and this hasn’t been a bad year for eating (note to Toronto chefs: someone do this! Charge me $50 or so in a small, unadorned room, give me a bunch of food and no choice, cook really well, this city will reward you handsomely). Afterwards, to keep with routine, a nightcap at The Gibson.

Fast forward a bit – the routine is the same, only dinner is different, which may be part of the routine at this point – to an early bite at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace. Oysters are good as is shrimp gumbo. The room is a little clean cut for this kind of place. There’s wood, but not reclaimed wood, which puts it either ahead of or behind the trends, I’m not sure. By 7:30 the place is jammed with young DC types enjoying happy hour on the patio. We went for drinks afterwards at whiskey specialist Jack Rose. The gigantic selection is undermined by the bar feeling a little bit like Murray Hill.

The next day, before I go, a secret which I fear has been leaked by the spike-haired guy with the backwards sunglasses. But listen, when I lived here, Oohs and Aahs on U-Street was kind of a secret. Yes, it’s a long wait for slow food and, yes, I’m not sure that the Department of Health is doing their job here, but man, who cares when you’ve got crisp and tart chicken wings, blackened catfish, grilled shrimp with some Cajun-esque spices, greens, mac-n-cheese, and some peach cobbler. Inside there’s not really anywhere to sit, so we take our food across the street to a concrete and tear into it. Imagine the sight: two giddy kids eating out of Styrofoam, faces covered in orange sauce and black spice like grinning jack-o-lanterns. Passersby must have thought us insane. They had no idea what they were missing. If I lived here, this would definitely be part of my routine.

So, Mr. Gopnik, did I do well? A cup of coffee to open, a good drink to close, some study and some food in-between, and a little secret before I left? I listened to you. I made the good things a part of my routine and that made the routine a bit better. Full days, full stomachs, what more could we want?

Posted by Adrian Myers

Charleston - Worth a detour off the Interstate

   Sure, it’s a slight detour, not a special journey, when you’re hugging the coast, driving North, against better judgment, away from warm Gulf waters, abundant with sweet shrimp, and towards Toronto’s grey winter skyline. So, not quite midway, we break off 95, through swamp and low country, to Charleston’s 19^th century town houses, and to a new American food mecca.

   And food is why this detour. If you’re reading this you likely already know that, you likely already know what’s happening here. What’s happening is Sean Brock, chef, modernist and anachronist, as likely to cook you a two hundred year old recipe with heirloom vegetables in a wood burning oven as he is to stabilize a puree of those same vegetables with methylcellulose, and his two restaurants Husk and McCrady’s. The New Yorker has profiled him, Charlie Rose has interviewed him, he’s been the toast of Manhattan’s culinary scene and yet his restaurants are 750 miles away. Quite an accomplishment in a city that thinks that a trip to Brooklyn requires an overnight bag. Brock is day two, though. 

   Day one is a late arrival and check in, and a walk across the street to Cypress. What’s striking here about the restaurants is the space they’re afforded. In Toronto, where chefs cook on electric stoves in broom closets, this kind of space is unfathomable. Cypress has three dining rooms – a formal one downstairs, a lounge bar upstairs (where we ate), and an adjoining private dining area, with room left over for a giant kitchen with a wood burning grill and ample space to cure their own meats and charcuterie. And yes, charcuterie is what this meal is about. Ham, salami, pates  and terrines, grilled bread and some excellent Nduja (but hey, Brandon Olsen, if you’re reading this, your Nduja is better), followed by cheeses. Very good stuff consumed among Charleston’s sweater vest crowd (they look surprisingly dapper – wealthy and white, possible Santorum supporters the weekend before Newt’s final, false revival). Afterwards, Bar Husk, Brock’s bourbon-centric bar, another miracle of abundant space, located in the carriage house adjacent to Husk proper. A better bar is hard to imagine. More bourbon than you could hope to try, barrel aged cocktails, sherry - Charleston was a sherry town and McCrady was the sherry guy - from sweet to dry, beer and wine, unpretentious, carefully weathered, friendly, and comfortable.

Morning is good for a coffee and a walk and walks work best when there’s a destination and, to complete the circle, that destination is coffee. Hope and Union is located in a modern annex to an older building in an arty area north of the College of Charleston. Very good; a pour-over drunk on their porch and a slight gustatory trick: caffeine an appetite suppressant, the kind that wears off when you walk into Husk for lunch, excited and very, very hungry. (Here, I’d be remiss not to mention that for those who want more from a weekend than to stuff themselves silly, or for those that want a new outfit for dinner, the Billy Read store around the corner from Husk has some of the finest, most interesting clothes in the South.)

     Husk is Brock as a writer of historical fiction. Like the great Parisian restaurants make you, for a moment, feel like French aristocracy, Husk imagines the moneyed American South as better than it ever was – a place where all are welcome to break bread in a wealthy friend’s mansion, freshly manicured for its Southern Living cover shot.  Heirloom varieties of grains and vegetables, some though extinct but found by foragers and now re-cultivated by Brock and other obsessives, in heirloom recipes, like corn bread, cooked in a skillet with Allen Benton’s remarkable bacon, five ingredients – cornmeal, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and buttermilk (okay, and the bacon and salt)  and no sugar. It is perfect. Not the best thing I’ve ever eaten, but the least improvable. If you don’t like this, you don’t like cornbread and I can’t help you. Fried green tomatoes are served with pimento cheese, caramelized onions, and more bacon. A bright, acid crunch with spice and cream, as vivid as food gets. Mains and desserts considered in the same vein – duck confit with oatmeal, cornmeal crusted catfish with chow chow, shrimp and girts, oatmeal pie, and squash bread pudding among other things. Grains feature prominently, adding a rugged earthy character to the food, enlivened by vegetables and clean technique. It all seems unreal. The mythic south Brock is creating here almost certainly never existed. The fiction of Husk is a South of easy grace and agricultural bounty, a dreamy, pastoral place that lies apart from the things that we Northerners find uncomfortable. Brock’s fantasy is a gorgeous lie and one hell of a restaurant.

     McCrady’s is almost as good. It’s both more ambitious and more traditional. The room lacks Brock’s careful eye and attention to detail.  Southern Living would find this place much less interesting. Brock is not the creator of this place, merely the guy who picked it up by the scruff of the neck and made it matter. It’s obvious why as soon as the first plate is set down: the food is meticulous. An edible forest of beets, slowly roasted over embers, tastes earthy and sweet while, across the table, a coddled egg sits, barely firm, among heirloom red beans. Next, clams and oysters with fennel and saffron are punchy and vibrant and Spanish. Mahi mahi is the Caribbean on porcelain and linen. Fresh and firm, the fish is kissed with sweet potato and blackening spices. Finally, aged birds – wood pigeon is hung for two weeks, baked in hey, and served with beets, chocolate, and fragrant Carolina gold rice, duck is dry aged and served with turnips. Desserts are of the same modern, tweezery character. Small things treated with high technique and well tempered flavours. Walnut cake had the same rustic feel as the Husk desserts, but had been run through an haute cuisine machine. While a eucalyptus panna cotta and another dessert of chocolate mousse with beet gelee gives us untraditional flavour combinations in a tight, clean, modern way. 

    Together with Husk, McCrady’s tells the story of Brock’s optimism. Husk is the story of the best South we could ever imagine. McCrady’s is a message about how the future of our restaurants should look – technology is not used to replace or obscure, but to give beautiful, unique, and very old things a newer, brighter sheen.  The coddled egg is made as perfect as it can be in the immersion circulator, cooked neither too much nor too little, its best performance given on every plate, every night. Innovation cast not as the lead but as a humble supporting cast member.

     In the early twentieth century, rich Parisians used to drive from Paris to the Cote D’Azur in their brand new motor cars. The trip, cars being what they were then, would take days and, rich Parisians being rich Parisians, needed to stop along the way to eat. So, in order to sell tires, Michelin decided to help them out with a food guide. One star meant a place worth stopping at, two, a detour, three, a special journey. Even today, most Michelin three star restaurants in France cluster along the road from Paris to Nice. Of course, no one takes the motor car down and, for those who do, the trip can be done in a day. Meanwhile, gastronomes make special journeys by airplane, to Roses and Roanne, San Sebastian and Copenhagen. But us ambitious snowbirds, young and old, heading South for a long Christmas break, can share something with those old Parisians: a detour off 95 to a place that, if I’m really being honest, is probably worth a special journey on its own.

Revisiting Cava Restaurant, Toronto

The unerring palate of chef Christopher Macdonald and creativity and cooking skills of executive chef Doug Penfold make for a wonderful eating experience at Spanish influenced Cava restaurant. 

Escabeche sardine with gundilla pepper, olive, oven candied tomato and raw garlic. Now your juices are flowing!

The burnt flavours of the crunchy, grilled toast and flavours of the veg grilled over a fire gives this bruschetta pure country flavours with toppings of edamame, grilled green onions, Morrocan olives and Sicilian tomatoes. It was so good that I had to have 2 of these!

Fresh anchovy, pickled daikon, shaved celery, grape tomato and rye crouton all drizzled with olive oil and with a bit of a bite. Can you just imagine the range of complementary flavours!

Roasted beet, marinated kale salad with Montfort Dairy Toscano cheese, olive oil, and currents that were dehydrated and reconstituted in caper juice. The earthy flavours of kale and cheese enhance this dish.

Crispy skinned, fried eggplant with fire grilled tomatillo puree, bonito flakes, queso fresco and honey. Another symphony of flavours.

The house paella with chicken thighs, squid, clams, chorizo, leeks and fresh peas, as good a rendition as one might enjoy at the very best Spanish restaurants that do this dish. The shellfish were perfectly cooked, pristinely fresh and redolent of the sea. 

Cava is a wonderful take on a trip to Spain experience. If you have been to Cava, it is so worth a return journey!

To Market, To Market

This is the second year for a farmer's market at Ryerson University.  It is small but in its own way quite appealing.  Part of the charm is that despite its proximity to the bustling corner of Yonge and Dundas, its location on Gould Street, amongst gardens and by a pool-a skating rink in the winter--, seems a world away.

Andrews Scenic Acres, a go-to vendor for fruit had gooseberries, red, black and white currants, rhubarb, and some very good strawberries. Best of all they had those seedy delights, black raspberries.  Another familiar producer, Svetec Farms, was there with meat from grassfed livestock plus some produce. Cheesemakers, Primeridge Pure were also at Ryerson. The Van Harts, veterans of Liberty Village and Borden Street, had their usual rainbow selection of tomatoes.

It was the first time I had come across Zephyr Organics.  The staff  seemed genuinely happy to see each customer.  Even better, the prices were exceptionally fair--I got two zucchinis and a generous pile of garlic scapes for $4.00.  They also had Tuscan and Russian kale, lettuces, and cucumbers.

Note this post was written July 3rd

Luma Restaurant at The Bell Lightbox, Toronto.

The Toronto International film festival is held at the Bell Lightbox. The Oliver Bonacini Group (Canoe, and other well known restos) operate this restaurant franchise. The "high end" restaurant at the Lightbox is called Luma and the executive chef is the very capable Jason Bangerter. We planned this meal around a coming event for the Chevaliers du Tastevin (Burgundy wine society), but the wines for this small group were supplied by the attendees of this planner, some shown below. I have also mentioned some of the thinking that went into the final selection of courses.

Crispy shrimp with herb aioli. The coating was delightfully crispy and the meat inside perfectly just "undercooked".

Beef carpaccio on crostini with pickled sun choke, truffled mayo and crispy shallot. A good reception app.

Mango rolls with daikon radish, thin sliced cucumber and mango puree dressed with nam prik vinaigrette. A very good dish but just a touch too spicy for a wine dinner so we dropped this course.

Chorizo stuffed fried olive with romesco pureee. This will be a nice app for the reception.

Tuna, Belgian endive, red pepper jelly, fried rice balls with herbed aioli and a touch of ginger. Another good reception app.

Scallop and crab mousseline sausage with cured pork jowel on spring pea and herb puree. A very good combination of flavours and textures. The nutty flavour of the ham was a rich complement for the scallop.

Ricotta gnudi, parmesan foam, porcini puree on the base with mushroom stock and sauteed mushrooms and chives. An earthy palate pleasing dish.

Tender, perfectly cooked, roast lamb sirloin with rosemary lamb reduction, rosemary and goats milk yogurt accompanied by quinoa, green beans, fava beans.

Roasted chicken with baby turnips, cipolinni onion, double smoked bacon, Jerusalem artichoke puree with a chicken reduction. A nice dish that was less interesting so it was dropped from the range of courses.

Coffee pot de creme with burnt marshmallow, topped  with gold flecks; mixed fruits on skewers, rhubarb macaroons and caramel popcorn, all just for fun.

Friday Lunch from Cafe Fiorentina

It must be said that Girl Courier has a fine eye for possible luncheon sources.  She dropped the name"Cafe Fiorentina" a few times before we tried it. Glad we are that she was persistent.

Delicious Quiche with dill, chevre and olives & a fresh salad

The thought of quiche induced an inner groan which was quickly put to rest when fork met lips. Although the filling was generous, it was not one of those examples of the three inch deep variety. While the black olives were perhaps superfluous, the chevre/dill combination was a mildly perfect foil to the quivering custard texture. Often quiche crusts are both thick and soggy,  This one was just about right. As quiche goes, it was quite good. The accompanying mixed greens salad added crunch and tang.

Beets, aged cheddar and garlic scape pesto on delightful house baked bread

However, the panini was a creative triumph.  It's true that Gourmet Burger uses beets on their burgers but there are few others who think of putting beets between bread--along with aged cheddar, and for a jolt of green, a slick of garlic scape pesto.  Be still, oh dancing taste buds.  But that was not all, the bread was tasty and seared to golden by the sandwich press. Most remarkably, the yeasty treat was made on site.

Tangy sweet strawberry rhubarb tart

That there is some extraordinary baking going on at Cafe Fiorentina became even more obvious when we tried the strawberry rhubarb tart. We see lots of tarts that are a feast for the eye but way too few where flavour matches appearance. Usually the filling is too gloppy, too sweet, not enough fruit,an underbaked crust.  In this one, all the elements were in balance. To gild the lily, a streusel topping with toasted almonds added just the right texture contrast. A blood orange panna cotta, a delicate shade of blush pink, was delicious on its own but would be the perfect adjunct to the strawberry rhubarb tart on a dessert plate.

Strawberry rhubarb tart with a light and summery blood orange panna cotta

With a little digging, the reason for this finesse became clear.  One of the team, Alex Chong, worked with Didier, at Epi Breads, and spent time in Italy. The other partner, Tina Leckie, was at Celestin.  Good training and hard work will tell.

Price: $25.50 for quiche with salad, a panini, and two desserts.

Location:  236 Danforth Avenue

Phone: 416-855-4240

A Spanish Experience at the Gilead Cafe, Toronto

Jamie Kennedy always delights. He is a serious, culturally well rounded chef. This event had a Spanish theme in honour of an olive oil that was being featured at this dinner.

Ajo blanco, a chilled soup made with puree of almonds, garlic and olive oil, is one of my favourite soups, ever so satisfying.

Spring salad with ventresca (tuna belly...the best part) tuna.

Paella with rabbit. This was a terrific dish of complementary flavours: the rabbit and saffron.

Palette of very tender lamb on a bed of roasted potatoes.

Churros with a rich dark chocolate sauce. These churros were perfectly done, crispy on the outside and melt in the mouth insides.

Dinner at the Home of Chef David Lee; Defining the Evolution of Food Appreciation Today

I have been eating David Lee's cuisine since he was at Splendido. My friends and I had arranged many quite spectacular meals there that were among the best we had enjoyed in Canada. Since he opened Nota Bene, his food has become simpler, culturally more far ranging and more accessible. Recently I was invited for dinner at his home. The meal was wonderful, but one of the dishes was so pristine, simple and flavourful, I just had to present it in my blog.


Crispy skinned, tender, succulent slices of St. Canut pork belly on a bed of sweet, late spring peas and fresh morels. I just can't say enough about how satisfying this dish was to everyone. 


This dish represents the evolution of the food of "today", very fresh, locally sourced, wonderful quality ingredients, each perfectly prepared and composed in a meaningful way that is a reflection of the chef's conception of presentation and flavours. The chef becomes the link between the food and the appreciation of consumer. I believe that it is the nature of that link is what defines a great chef today.

TEST DRIVE by Julia Aitken

Out of Africa

At the Canadian Gift & Tableware Association’s trade show last February, it seemed every cookware manufacturer was shilling a tagine. Is this the culinary face of last year’s Arab Spring? Taste wise, it’s a revolution I’m happy to subscribe to, and eastern Ontario’s condiment company Perth Pepper and Pestle obviously agrees. Its new Moroccan Tagine Spice blend is a balanced combo of cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and turmeric. My only peeve is the packaging—a flimsy plastic tube which is fiddly to open and too narrow to accommodate a measuring spoon.

The spice blend also makes an appearance in chutney-like Moroccan Tagine Everything Sauce, which the company touts as both a condiment and an ingredient. Slathered on grilled chicken thighs, it added sweet spiciness and nice hit of heat. Next on my “to do” list are chicken wings tossed in the spice blend, then roasted and served with the sauce as a dip. (Spice blend: $2.99/35 g; Beach Fish House, Queen St. East, Toronto. Sauce: $7.99/250 mL; McEwan, Karl Fraser Rd., Toronto. Or, visit www.perthpepperandpestle.ca for retailers.)

Just a Bite

While many desserts are things of beauty, they tend not to be handbag-friendly. I can’t say that not being able to pack a key lime pie in my purse has wrecked my life but that hasn’t stopped me from embracing Dessert Bites, whose resealable bags render them eminently totable. Made by Mississauga-based Allan Candy, (www.allancandy.com), the spherical soft chews, in their lovely retro packaging, are available in four remarkably authentic classic dessert flavours: Key Lime Pie, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake and—my fave—Apple Pie. And, no, you can’t eat just one! ($3.99/200 g; Walmart and Sobeys.)

Local Brew

After products from Perth and Mississauga, let’s complete this locavore hat trick with a new artisanal beer from Cameron’s Brewing Company of Oakville. In early May, the family-run brewery’s Rye Pale Ale (RPA) won the Gold and People’s Choice Awards at the Ontario Brewing Awards. Blending American and British interpretations of India Pale Ale, Cameron’s RPA is made using seven different hops, five malts, and a generous dose of rye.

In the glass, the ale is slightly cloudy with a lovely fluffy head. A lemony aroma is followed by spiciness on the palate and a slightly bitter, hoppy finish that makes the beer incredibly refreshing on a sizzling hot day. And, while it may smack of sacrilege to any self-respecting beer drinker, the ale’s citrus notes make it a great candidate for a shandy, teamed 50/50 with 7UP. ($14.07/6 x 341 mL; visit www.cameronsbrewing.com for your nearest Beer Store.)

To Market, To Market

There is always a little frisson of pleasure when you meet someone out of context in a large city such as Toronto.  Such a moment occurred at the Wychwood Barns on Saturday when I realized that the fiddler  who was part of a group of musicians playing outdoors was the very same person who delivers Now Magazine to the store every Thursday! I was surprised to see her--Rachel-- without a pile of papers slung over her shoulder; she was surprised that I was not peering from behind a stack of cookbooks.

Wychwood, as usual, is the place to go for the freshest vegetables.  Marvellous Edibles--Potato Lady -had kale and a perfect partner for it, the bacon her husband Jens cures. Other stalls were piled with salad greens, radishes, very early new potatoes, garlic and garlic scapes. There are also many options for protein from with Weber's, Green Gate, Marvellous Edibles, and in a lighter vein, Fisher Folk.  By the time I arrived on the late side, the latter was almost sold out. A few booths along there were hens eggs. Sometimes, if you are there early enough, you will find duck eggs.

Bread Song Bakery/Bus Kitchen/baking collective had some very patriotic baked goods--some quite tasty baked goods, too.

Although there was a small vendor with black currants and Bizjaks with apples and sweet cherries,Wychwood is not the best place for fresh fruit.  Instead, try Metro Hall market on Thursday mornings.  Between Warners and Andrews Scenic Acres,  you will find a selection that can include mulberries, tayberries, gooseberries, currants in several colours, strawberries, and raspberries.  In a few weeks, Thames Valley Melons will have their main eponymous crop--although I really like their corn.

A Pop-up Resto Collaboration by Chefs Dan Burns and Jason Carter

Two friends, chefs presently on their own in Toronto, decided to collaborate on a brief series of dinners. Chef Jason Carter spent 10 years working with Susur Lee and most recently was the very reliable executive chef at Centro restaurant. Chef Dan Burns, with an extraordinary pedigree, began as a math and philosophy grad, switched into food prep and after brief early years working in west coast restos moved to Susur's in Toronto in it's early years, spent 3 years running the pastry department at Copenhagen's resto Noma, the San Pelligrino #1 rest in the world, then as senior chef de partie at The Fat Duck, in England, another top 5 resto in the San Pelligrino list of the best,  and most recently as the New York based Momofuku empire’s head of research and development. WOW!! Big expectations here.


The hallmark of this meal were the hand selected high quality ingredients prepared simply with elements that together produced mutually enhancing flavours.


Snacks/Apps: potato crisps with egg emulsion and burnt hay ash.

Crudite with green sauce. A beautifully appetizing presentation.

Warm lobster salad with cucumber vinaigrette, tarragon oil, pickled vegetables: daikon; endive; cucumber and blanched and roasted lobster with crumbs of toasted rye bread.

Lambs lettuce, wood and garden sorrel, yarrow, pickled onions, roasted maitake (hen of the woods mushroom), mushroom broth, artichoke, altogether, a delicious marriage of flavours.

Peas, fava beans, goat cheese sauce all with baby kid cooked sous vide then grilled. Perfectly cooked goat that was wonderfully tender.

rhubarb ice and rhubarb gel with beet and yogurt gelato, beet and liquorice syrup with a beet tuile. A very refreshing dessert but the tuille did not have a lot of taste.

Celery root mousse rolled in feuillite with Chocolate ganache, chocolate malt ice cream, chocolate crumble, apple puree and vinegar touched elderberry meringue, all with a thyme cookie.