Your weekly digest of Toronto food news
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. |
|
|
| —Rebecca Fleming, food and drink editor |
|
|
Donald Trump’s tariffs have sent shockwaves through the Canadian economy, leaving restaurants, and other businesses that already operate on razor-thin margins, fearful for their bottom lines. But, amid the chaos, several of the city’s chefs and restaurant owners—from a Michelin-starred kitchen to a tiny pizza joint—have decided to stand up to the bullying with some very patriotic menus. |
|
|
| | As we enter our third winter, comfort food is still very much on the table. And one particularly hearty dish is popping up on menus all across the city: schnitzel. We found five new takes on the breaded cutlet, including one with house-made brown-butter plum sauce, one with beef tripe and one with roasted lion’s mane mushrooms. |
|
|
| | Last year’s it drink, the dirty martini, calls for just a few simple ingredients: gin or vodka, vermouth, and olive brine. But now Toronto bars are giving the already funky classic cocktail an added kick from a left-field ingredient: blue cheese—one of the more divisive dairy products. These drinks aren’t just dirty, they’re filthy with funk (and we mean that in the best way possible). |
|
|
Follow us for the latest from Toronto Life |
Copyright ©2024. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part strictly prohibited. Toronto Life is a registered trademark of SJC Media
15 Benton Rd.
Toronto, M6M 3G2
You're receiving this email because you signed up for a Toronto Life newsletter. Unsubscribe
Safe Online Sharing |
|
|
|
