The Ritz-Carlton Introduces Rainer Zinngrebe & Tom Brodi

Yesterday the Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Residence Toronto invited esteemed guests to the sales centre to celebrate and introduce the official chefs of the complex.

Chef Rainer Zinngrebe (above left) joins the Toronto team as the Director of Food & Beverage and Culinary. He comes from the Ritz-Carlton Cancun (welcome to winter!) where he oversaw the property’s two 5-diamond restaurants.

Chef Tom Brodi joins the team as Chef de Cuisine. He is a Toronto native with a strong desire to promote authentic, seasonal sustainable ingredients. He has worked at Canoe amongst other fine restaurants and has appeared on several television programs including the Food Network’s “Cook Like a Chef”

They served the following:

Spiced Bison Tartar

B.C. Dungeness Crab Ceviche

Cream of Lobster Cappuccino

Texel Lamb Slider (people still do sliders?)

Yarmouth Lobster a la King

Cheese selection from the Cheese Boutique

In addition, a selection of wines were presented and poured by the owner of Flatrock Winery. They served sparkling, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir.

Seamus O’Regan, David Rocco, newly appointed Editor of FASHION Magazine Bernadette Morra, Raymond Girard Publisher of EnRoute magazine, socialite Catherine Nugent and other notable chefs and guests were in attendance.

This event was part of the kick off to the opening of the complex slated for Early 2011.

As I quietly exited, the speeches were nearly finished. I did overhear “The Ritz is within walking distance of offices on Bay Street, world-famous restaurants, the subway…” I quietly thought to myself, yes, the people buying $3 million residences are sure to take the subway. However, I was put in my place later that evening while talking with a friend. She mentioned that her parents had looked at them and the proximity to the subway was a big deal. I stand corrected.

Photo credit: Phil Birnbaum – www.philbirnbaum.ca

Anthony Bourdain Entertains 80 at The Drake Hotel

Have you secured your tickets for Anthony Bourdain’s show tonight at Massey Hall? If not, you really should.

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Bourdain last night at a private party for about 80 people at the Drake Hotel. All of Toronto’s culinary heavy hitters were there; David Rocco, Cowbell’s Mark Cutrara, Zane Caplansky, Chris McDonald of Cava and XOCOCAVA chocolatier (more on them next post) amongst so many others.

Bourdain briefly entertained the audience with why he decided to write this “Sort of follow-up to No Reservations.” He entertained us with stories about where his fundamental hatred for Emeril Lagasse comes from, his confusion and consistent annoyance as to why some traditional Italian restaurants in North America “…can’t sauce a pasta properly” or “The last time I checked they didn’t serve cheddar cheese on food in Mexico.”

The crowd laughed while enjoying oysters, platters of sushi, cheese platters from Cheese Boutique, including a selection from Fifth town, pork sandwiches, marinated roasted tomatoes and so much more. XOCOCAVA had a varga-style girl walking around serving its signature truffles in cigarette trays.

After his speech guests mingled and then attacked him from all angles. After 30 minutes and some beer, Bourdain signed books for the guests, took photos with them, and continued to be a true gentleman;  much calmer, confident and collected than the way he described himself in his Kitchen Confidential days nearly a decade ago.

When asked about the change to his well-known “bad boy” attitude he simply said “When my daughter was born, out came the piercings, the cigarettes, wore the leather jacket for a day and then tossed that out…” Smiling from ear-to-ear he continued “Everything changed when she was born”

Again, if you have the chance, do go and see Bourdain tonight. If you were one of the lucky ones to get VIP tickets ($175) for after the show, enjoy some of the dishes by Chef Scott Vivian of Beast Restaurant. I hear from The Star they may be serving things like dirty rice fritters, crispy lamb brains and veal sweetbreads, beef tongue and bone marrow to name a few…

***A huge thank you to Ivy Knight of 86’d Mondays at the Drake Hotel for organizing such an intimate and wonderful night. Her attention to detail was noticed and her charming speech introdcuing Anthony Bourdain was hilarious.***

Bobbette & Belle Macarons

Looking for the perfect macaron? Though Nadège is always a great option, Bobbette & Belle may have them beat.

I had the pleasure of viewing Parisian designer Luc Kieffer’s jewelery last night at an event catered by Bobbette & Belle. When I asked Luc what he thought of the macarons, he simply said, “close to ones I buy in Paris” (en français, of course).

The meringue is perfectly shaped, flavourful and light, while the filling is rich and adds a lovely texture to the experience. They come in countless flavours ranging from pistachio to lemon and strawberry to chocolate.

Bobbette & Belle was started in early 2009 by Sarah Bell and Allyson Merideth here in Toronto. Sarah a pastry graduate of George Brown College who’s traveled and worked all over Europe as well as for Canoe and Biff’s here in Toronto, and Allyson, a graduate with a Bachelor of Science from University of Toronto who was a former teacher with a passion for cake decorating.

Their success with cakes and macarons has blossomed into a lucrative business which will be expanding into the Leslieville area in the upcoming months.

For more information, pricing or menu items, please visit the Bobbette & Belle website here.

Anthony Bourdain Live At Massey Hall

Anthony Bourdain, best known for his television show No Reservations and best-selling book Kitchen Confidential will visit Massey Hall on Wednesday, September 22, 2010.

Bourdain will be sharing funny stories of his travels, intriguing and comical memories of his work in the kitchen and will also take part in a question and answer period.

The event is part of a promotional tour in conjunction with the release of his new book Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook. The book is a collection of essays detailing everything from his travels, to his favourite restaurants.

Tickets are still available for the event and cost $30-$50. There were VIP tickets available for $175, but not at the time this article was published.

Indie Coffee Passport

Twenty four independent coffee shops have signed on to be part of the Indie Coffee Passport program here in Toronto.

Here is how it works:

You can buy the passport at any of the participating shops from Crafted by Te Aro to Red Rocket, or if more convenient, you can purchase the pass online, here.

The pass costs $20 if purchased before October 1^st, 2010 or $25 afterwards and will get you a coffee or a tea (up to a $5 value) at all of the 24 participating locations. That works out to $120 worth of coffee!

The pass is valid between September 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011. Be sure to get one and show your support for our local businesses.

Pssst, while you’re at it be sure to enter my Bodum Coffee set giveaway by “liking” my page on Facebook here!

Gourmet Burger Co.

With gourmet burgers becoming ubiquitous in Toronto, which ones actually stand out from the rest? There’s so many to choose from you need not walk but a few blocks before you bump into one. In the first of an ongoing review of these burger joints, I’ve decided to write about Gourmet Burger Co.

Started By Australian John Ward, the idea for the place stemmed from food he used to get on the go when he was back home. Essentially it was fast food that wasn’t processed, frozen or microwaved. He wanted to bring that same idea here to Canada.  He thought that burgers were the perfect way to showcase the fast and fresh approach to food.

The burgers are made from farm raised Canadian beef that’s been aged for at least 30 days. All of its sauces are homemade. In addition all of their packaging is biodegradable.

When I grab a burger on the go, I usually get the spicy Cajun burger ($5.95) which has avocado, jalapeños, lettuce, jalapeño havarti, tomatoes, Cajun spice and mokey chipotle & honey mayo. I also order a side of beer battered onion rings ($2.95) which I like, but the onions are sliced pretty thick. I would prefer the portions of the rings to be a bit larger. Though the burger is a bit thick from what I like, it is juicy and has always been cooked properly. The flavouring is basic which doesn’t detract from the taste of the beef.

The Gourmet Burger Company has various locations you can view here. All of their locations are wheelchair accessible.

Sandbanks Estate Winery

Sandbanks Winery was started in 2000 by Catherine Langlois (pictured above). Her knowledge of wine from working at Pelee Island Winery and in Burgundy, France was an asset for what she would later produce at Sandbanks.

The vineyard was planted with hybrids and vinifera. Reason being, they ripen early and are conducive to producing desired sugars levels more quickly. This is what many wineries desire in our cooler Canadian climate .

Sustainable farming is a big part of the production at Sandbanks. In addition, they do not use any type of herbicides or pesticides on their property.

They offer a selection of high-quality wines at reasonable prices that include the following; Vidal Blanc, Marechal Foch, Giesenheim, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and their signature Baco Noir.

This was the last stop on the goLOCAL tour of Prince Edward County organized by the LCBO. The promotion in support of Ontario wines runs from September 12 – October 9, 2010.

La Palette

La Palette has been a go-to for many a friend’s visit from Montreal and a long time favourite of mine. The uniqueness of the décor, the ambiance, the service and the food are consistent and oh-so-good.

I’ve tried many items from the menu at the Kensington location and have narrowed it down to my prefered plates that always leave me happy; Fried camembert ($10), Cheval (horse tenderloin $34) and for dessert I order the cheese platter ($15) and share it with my guest. For the wine, I usually opt for the Syrah, but don’t expect too much of a selection when you go.

Recently, the owners opened a new location on Queen Street West that is much bigger than their Kensington original. I went for brunch and I’m happy to say it lived up to the expectations set by the original. I ordered the walnut crusted fried camembert to share (it was brunch after all, $9) and a croque madame ($10).

Each location offers a unique experience different from that of many French restaurants in the city. Though I still prefer the intimacy of the Kensington location and sitting on their terrasse, the Queen location is ideal for brunching/shopping or dinning and going out.

La Palette is located at 256 Augusta Avenue and at 492 Queen Street West. Queen street is wheelchair accessible. For more information call 416.603.4900

TIFF Movie Premier Ticket Giveaway!

It All Starts With Butter and California Strawberries are joining up to give YOU a chance to win tickets to a movie premier during the Toronto International Film Festival.

There are 2 easy ways to enter:

1) Visit the IASWB Facebook fan page and “like” it (psst, you can click the button to the right as well)

2) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following: “It All Starts With Butter is giving away 2 tickets to a TIFF premier, RT to WIN! http://wp.me/pJhyh-hq #TIFFStrawberries”

While we’re at it, here is a great recipe I will be using this upcoming long weekend and you should too!

Strawberry Mojito

3 strawberries

4 mint leaves

1.5 oz Rum

1 tbsp simple syrup, or fine sugar

Juice from 2 lime wedges

Soda Water

Muddle the strawberries, mint, sugar and lime in a highball glass. Fill with cracked ice cubes. Pour in rum and top off with Perrier or the soda water of your choice. Enjoy!

P.S. If you’ve already “liked” IASWB on Facebook, you’re already entered!

**Contest closes on Friday, September 3rd^{, 2010} at 12:00p.m.. Winner will be announced that same day!

Eat This Cheese: Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co.

LEED certified Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co. in Prince Edward County is something to treasure. A privately owned, environmental and socially responsible enterprise creating fine hand made cheese using locally produced goat and sheep milk.

On our tour of the building by owner Petra Cooper and Market Development Manager Andrew Laliberte, we were shown many of its extremely detailed elements that make it LEED’s certified. A cheese cave that is subterranean, a windmill to help lower its energy costs and a 3 pond bio wetland for treating whey and waste water.

We tried many of the cheeses they have to offer; Lacey Grey, Lighthall Tomme, Fellowship, Goat Cheddar and many other varieties. One more delicious than the other.

All in all the cheese runs roughly the same price as any other cheese you would buy. Depending on its age and ingredients.

Fifth Town will ship its cheese to anywhere in Canada. All you have to do is call to order. If you’re in the Toronto area, they have a stand at the Brickworks Market, or for a list of other stores, you can visit their website here.

Lastly, they offer a tasting of cheese paired with wine throughout the summer months. A selection of 5 wines and 5 cheeses for only $12. A great price if you happen to be in Prince Edward County.

Fifth Town was a stop on the goLOCAL tour of Prince Edward County organized by the LCBO. The promotion in support of Ontario wines runs from September 12 – October 9, 2010.