Dear reader,
Like a lot of Canadians, I don’t plan on going to the States for the next few years. I don’t have a problem with the country; I actually really like it! I just don’t like what’s happening there right now. So I’ve been reminiscing about past trips: recent getaways to Buffalo (for wings), Detroit (for Eastern Market) and New Orleans (for everything), but also all the March breaks and summer vacations I spent visiting my family in the American midwest. Everywhere you looked, the stars and stripes were flapping in the wind; and in the car on the way to Target, my aunt would pop in a Lee Greenwood cassette tape (this was the early ’90s) so everyone could belt out the lyrics to God Bless the USA. Even 11-year-old me realized patriotism hit differently once you crossed the border.
Sure, we sing O Canada at sports games and school assemblies, but—unlike our neighbours to the south—we haven’t always worn the maple leaf on our sleeves (or shorts or bandanas or bumper stickers). Ours has been more of a quiet pride in our country. Until now.
Suddenly everyone’s wearing/watching/buying Canadian. We’ve swapped Netflix for CBC’s Gem, California cab sauv for PEC cab franc and Starbucks for our neighbourhood cafés. Supermarket shoppers can be seen inspecting would-be purchases before nodding and depositing them in their carts (or grumbling and putting them back). During Covid, we banged pots and pans to support our health care workers. Now we’re buying Canadian to support our local economy. I hope it’s not just a phase.
Toronto chefs are taking a stand, too. In this edition of Table Talk, you’ll learn about six of the city’s restaurants that are serving up menus using only Canadian ingredients—so you can really put your Canadian money where your mouth is.
Also in this week’s newsletter: five new Toronto takes on schnitzel and where to drink blue-cheese martinis.
For more of our food-and-drink coverage, visit torontolife.com or subscribe to our print edition.
