Since the first Toronto Taste 21 years ago (then known as Taste of the Nation), the event has raised over $4 million, enabling Second Harvest to secure enough fresh food to deliver over 8 million meals to those in Toronto living with hunger. That’s enough to feed almost every one of Regent Park’s 2,045 families with children three square meals a day for a whole year.
As it's held at the Royal Ontario Museum, the ambiance was great - with the way it's set up, you get the best of both worlds - food and drink were served up by 60 top chefs and 30 beverage purveyors both inside and outside the ROM. There was live music plus a ton of opportunities to win great prizes through a raffle as well as via live/silent auctions.
While we certainly didn't get around to every chef and beverage purveyor (you couldn't possibly in just one night!), we had a couple stand-outs to share:
- Brisket burger with kimchi from Nota Bene
- Cider-braised pork belly from Epic
- Mushroom polenta from Scarpetta
- Chicken lollipops in a mayo-spice sauce covered with Indian rice puffs from Roger Mooking which we paired with a Rickards White with the help of our friend Steve Riley from Better Beer.com
- Salty Chocolate Caramel from Xococava (served by men walking around with old-style candy boxes strapped to their chests no less!) and washed down with a Henry of Pelham 2008 Riesling
- Ricotta orange donut with candied orange and cardamom orange smoothie shot from Pangaea
- White chocolate mascarpone meringue with strawberry sauce from Baker St
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Food and beer pairing
Roger Mooking drops in
Like I said, if there is just one charitable thing you do next year, make it Toronto Taste. You will not be disappointed!
Yours in food,
-Stacey
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