French microbrews at The 3 Brewers

Don't let this little microbrewery fool you. The 3 Brewers or Les 3 Brasseurs is not the small pub out of Quebec that some who've visited its Montreal location may believe. It is in fact a chain from France, bringing the old European tradition of fresh non-pasteurized beers brewed on site to it's Yonge-Dundas location. The simple yet tasty menu includes brasserie fare and bistro dishes, culminating in their specialty flamms. The Flammequeches, flamms for short, are pizza-like Alsatian-style open faced pies with various toppings. Though calling them pizzas is like calling this French brasserie a British gastropub... same difference.

What better way to start the evening than to have a pint of craft beer. We just missed the regular brewery tour that they offer, but maybe next time we'll catch the brewmaster in action. We had the Virago and the Amber Passion. The Virago's rich profile comes from a unique blend of malts, caramel, chocolate, and a hint of coffee. The Amber Passion is a vibrant and well balanced beer brewed with a special blend of pale malts. The beers were nice and fresh, full-bodied and very flavourful. They were a little flat for my liking though. Maybe I have grown too fond of megacorp Interbrew's Belgian offerings, as I expect the top of my tongue to be assaulted while the bitter flavours mellow in the back.

As pub food goes, The 3 Brewers fills a unique niche in this city's foodscape. The flamms are simply delectable. We had the Smoked Meat flamm: smoked meat a l'ancienne, gruyere cheese and pickles. Though it was a little odd eating it with huge pickle wedges, the flamm was awesome. The smoked meat was definitely Montreal. I wished they put a lot more on. The gruyere was deeply fulfilling, and made us think that maybe other pizza places should really take a look at using this cheese. Yeah we know it's expensive -- if you build it, they will come.

We also had the other house specialty, the Beer-braised pork shank, served with a salad, baked potato, and sauerkraut. This might need getting used to for some people, as pork hocks are not the most appealing sight. At first all you see is hairy, gelatinous skin, fat, and bone. I knew however that this was gonna be good. Filipinos have a similar dish called Paksiw na Pata, and my Eastern-Euro friends attest that pork hock is a beer garden staple.

The staff advises newbies to flip the layer of fat and skin over to reach the juicy, succulent, flavour-soaked meat inside. The meat was great, but I also treated myself to bits of the skin and fat, eaten with the meat and sauerkraut. An acquired indulgence that some may be squeamish of.

For dessert we had a flamm with apple and chocolate sauce. That was really good. It was like a crispy, flaky crepe with crunchy slivers of apple, a rich chocolate sauce and dollops of whipped cream.

The 3 Brewers is a delightfully casual place to have a beer and simple yet yummy food in a bustling touristy part of town. It's actually quite spacious inside despite the small street facade. I highly recommend the flamms. The wide variety of flamm toppings makes The 3 Brewers a definite food stop.

Click here for more photos: The 3 Brewers

Posted by: Mark Rodas

The 3 Brewers275 Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada(647) 347-6286‎

les3brasseurs.ca

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Captain John's Seafood and the good ship Jadran

For as long as I’ve lived in this city, I’ve wondered what it was like inside that old ship moored at the foot of Yonge Street. Like the CN Tower, Captain John’s Seafood was just one of those places the locals took for granted since it’s presence displaced not only water, but any notion that it would go anywhere else other than where it was berthed. Why go now when it’ll always be there?

The ship may remain, but alas Captain John is set to retire. So we scurried to his boat on a blustery winter day to get a final glimpse of this Toronto institution before it closes its doors for good.

A driving force in closing Captain John’s Seafood besides the passage of time is that the city considers the ship a structure, and hence subject to hefty property taxes. The actual vessel may remain where it is, while prognosticators and potential investors speculate upon the ship’s reincarnation as a fancy club or some other extravagantly themed venue.

As we approached the boat, we noticed that it certainly had seen better days. Random patches of mismatched paint covered swathes of the her hull. Not to be deterred we entered into a kitschy waiting area loaded with marine paraphernalia.

We waited for a maitre’d and were greeted by a charming old man in a bright blue nautical blazer. He escorted us to our seats in an elegantly dated dining room that screamed old folks home. This room was surprisingly comforting, not unlike visiting your grandparents. It's as though we fell through a rift in space-time. Neither did it feel like downtown Toronto, nor did it feel anywhere near 2010. “This is nice,” we thought, as we looked forward to our meal.

On our table was a photocopied menu with the life story of “Captain” John Letnik, and the good ship Jadran.

From humble beginnings in Slovenia, Captain John escaped poverty via Austria to finally find himself alone and penniless standing outside Toronto’s Union Station at the age of 17. Luckily, a young couple sensing his dilemma struck up a conversation with him in German no less, the only language the three had in common. John soon had a place to stay and a job as a houseman at a golf club. Through hard work at various kitchens, he finally scrounged up enough to buy his own restaurant. Later on, he got caught up in the idea of opening Toronto’s first floating restaurant.

In November of 1975, the MS Jadran (Adriatic in Yugoslavian) finally arrived from her transatlantic voyage to dock at it’s current location. Purchased from the Yugoslavian government in the fall of 1975, the Jadran has 5 levels, 355 staterooms, and a capacity of 700 people. We later found out from one of our sources that the ship used to be Marshall Tito’s personal yacht! Who knows what cold war mysteries she hides?

We ordered the combination platter for two: “A delicious array of Crab Clusters, Shrimp a la Scampi, Fried Shrimp, Sole, Scallops, Chicken and baked Fish. Served with rice and fresh cooked vegetables, with soup” for $31.95.

We munched on some really yummy, garlicky, butter soaked bread while we waited for our order.

Next up was the very satisfying Manhattan clam chowder. Unlike most chowders we’ve had, it was less creamy and very tomatoey. We loved the huge tomato chunks.

Between the rich bread and hearty soup, we were already feeling sated before the main course had arrived. And then it came... the seafood feast.

As you can see from the photo, there was an abundance of seafood, and we wound up quite full. There was a lot more crab and baked fish than we expected, and we were very happy with our meal.

Captain John’s was a good experience. It’s not haute cuisine, so if that’s what you’re looking for, we suggest you look elsewhere. It’s a cozy and laid back place for families or couples to enjoy a decent seafood meal in the heart of the city.

Too bad it’ll be gone soon. If you’re interested in carrying on the legacy yourself, the Jadran can be yours for a paltry $1.5 million here: MLS listing

Click here for additional photos: Captain John's Seafood

Part II: Primo - "The Edible City" Book Review

We're onto the next course as we munch our way through "The Edible City." Here's what the "Primo" section of the book brings us.

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Pamela Cuthbert kicks it off by asking readers to take stock of their kitchens - could you provide food for your family in an emergency? What if borders closed and the food supply was on lockdown? How would we hold up with our "delivered-just-in-time" grocery model? I agree that food security is one of those things we never think about until it presents itself as a pressing issue. Pamela outlines the importance of food security (especially among those less fortunate than us) and the work that is being done on an ongoing basis to try to keep it top-of-mind.

As if a partial answer to Pamela's story before it, Lorraine Johnson writes about urban gardening past and present - she mentions Victory Gardens for the war effort / during the Depression where food security became something the entire country focused its attention on. She also mentions the potential the city has for urban gardening, making particular note of the uproar over planting fruit trees in Ben Nobleman Park across from Eglinton W. Subway Station. I think it's a neat idea - I'm planning to make a visit in the summer to see said fruit trees.

Mary F. Williamson follows the history of the Webb family, who was well-known for their wedding cakes, their catering business, and their restaurants and bakeries. She paints a picture of lavish catered events of a bygone era, including a swanky party thrown in Toronto by the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen in celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The story even contains an old menu from one of the Webbs' catered events. Can't say I miss the aspic craze though - one of the items mentioned in the story is tongue in aspic (it's not the tongue that throws me off, it's the aspic part! I digress a bit here, but I had a Filipino dish with cow tongue at Christmas and thought it was pretty good - it's a lot softer than I figured it'd be).

Katarina Gligorijevic explores "The Toronto" - a cocktail that, oddly enough, many Torontonians have never heard of and that has no traceable connection to Toronto whatsoever!

David Alexander, executive director of the Toronto Vegetarian Association, gives a bit of insight into how far vegetarianism in Toronto has come from 1945 until now. I wasn't much into the story itself (it read like more of a promotion for the TVA) but I loved the Vegetarian Food Fair at Harbourfront last year and plan to go back again this year - despite not being a vegetarian, there was some great food there.

Ilona Burkot, Laura Burr, and Jane Lac look at how much it costs to eat healthily in Toronto, complete with a map of Toronto showing the cost of healthy food as a percentage of average income by neighbourhood. They also give some tips for saving $ at the store (buy in season, buy in bulk, etc.)

The former chef at The Stop Community Food Centre, Joshna Maharaj, explains the political and social power chefs can have while stressing the fact that affordable, yummy and healthy food should be accessible to all; having a trained chef in The Stop's kitchen really gets that message across.

Jamie Bradburn talks about bread bakeries in Toronto. I love the images of bread advertisements from 1900.

Liz Clayton talks about the specialty coffee scene in Toronto, and asks whether it's anti-nationalist to skip over Canadian icon Tim Horton's in favour of your local neighbourhood coffee bar.

Erik Rutherford talks to the city's top French chefs to find out what they think of their customers here in Toronto - are they too picky? Too quick to fall for fads? Do they properly appreciate the art of French cuisine?

Karen Hines colourfully recalls the days where food safety (and germophobia) wasn't nearly as much of a concern through her entertaining tale of her "filthy hand."

Stay tuned for more from The Edible City!

Click here to read our reviews of the other (antipasti, secondo, contorno, and dolce) of the book!

WinterDelicious il fornello, in support of Daily Bread Food Bank

Il Fornello has launched a Three-Course Prix Fixe Winterdelicious Menu for $25 from January 12 to February 11 at 7 GTA locations.

No that's not a typo! It is Winter... De... licious. Not to be confused with the concurrent Winterlicious program run by the City of Toronto.

Being a chain, Il Fornello does not fit the criteria for the city's program, although many folks may be forgiven for forgetting that it is one. It has managed to remain integrated into the neighbourhoods it serves, with a relatively low key independent restaurant feel.

But wait, it's not just a decent meal on the cheap. Il Fornello will donate $0.75 from each prix fixe dinner sold to Daily Bread Food Bank.

Il Fornello diners will enjoy an authentic Italian style comfort menu designed by Chef Steven Silvestro, who is excited about the Stone Soup appetizer.

Chef Silvestro: "It's the ultimate winter comfort food, served with a drizzle of olive oil, some crusty bread and a glass of wine. It covers all the major food groups: vegetables, grains, legumes, and protein. Since learning this recipe 15 years ago, I've come to appreciate the lengthy flavour-building process, which reminds me of my Nonna, who always had something simmering away on the back burner."

Chef Silvestro's Stone Soup is a dish rooted in folklore and tells the story of a hungry traveler who persuades famished villagers to work together - and contribute one item from their own food supply - to create a delicious soup which feeds them all. "The story of 'Stone Soup' is a perfect example of how a small amount from many can benefit the whole group" says Ian Sorbie, President of Il Fornello. "We're pleased to partner with Daily Bread to raise both awareness of, and funds for, the good work that they do. In addition to donating $0.75 for each Winterdelicious prix fixe dinner, we will also be donating $0.75 from every à la carte Stone Soup we sell". Gail Nyberg, Executive Director of Daily Bread Food Bank agrees. "Every little bit helps," says Nyberg: "I'm glad to see businesses like Il Fornello getting involved and giving back to their community. It has been a very difficult year for food banks and Daily Bread Food Bank is grateful for their support."

Tasting Toronto had the opportunity to enjoy an intimate dinner with Ian, to sample the nine items on hand for the three-course prix fixe menu. Naturally, we had smaller servings than you'd expect if you were only ordering three courses.

Appetizers:
Stone Soup with pasta, beans and vegetables
Grilled Calamari with roasted red pepper coulis and basil sauce
Crostini topped with celery root purée with grana padano and truffle oil
Pizzette with potato, fontina and crispy shallots

Mains:
Veal Stew with gnocchi
Papardelle with vegetable ragu finished with grana padano
Chicken Parmigiana with linguini pomodoro
Gourmet Pizza with mushroom velouté, pancetta, eggplant and mozzarella

Dessert:
Chocolate Zabaglione with toasted panettone

If we had to choose, we'd get the crostini, papardelle, and chocolate zabaglione.

You can smell the truffle oil on the crostini before it landed on your table. The celery root puree under the salty slivers of grana padano was delectably comforting. The papardelle was perfectly cooked, with just the right firmness. The chocolate zabaglione was heavenly. Yup, chocolate overload.

The calamari was also good, and so was the pizzette with potatoes and crispy shallots. It's a good thing we didn't have to choose. But lets not forget the soup. If that crostini wasn't there we'd choose the hearty stone soup.

Have the prix fixe at Il Fornello, and help a good cause. If you're not getting the prix fixe, have the soup. Every little bit counts.

Click here for more photos: WinterDelicious il fornello

For Winterdelicious information please visit the Il Fornello's Winterdelicious microsite: www.winterdelicious.com

About Daily Bread Food Bank
Daily Bread Food Bank is a non-profit, charitable organization that is fighting to end hunger in our communities. Daily Bread serves people through neighbourhood food banks and meal programs in its 171 member agencies and there were over 758,000 client visits to those agencies last year. Daily Bread Food Bank fights hunger by providing food and resources for hungry people; mobilizing greater community support and creating social change through research, education and advocacy. www.dailybread.ca

New Year's Food Resolutions, anyone?

Holy crap - Christmas was very good to our kitchen this year! And with this new gear comes thoughts of what we will do in the new year (New Year's food resolutions, if you will). From the lovely people in our lives who support our addiction for kitchen gadgets, we got:

• an electric "Lazy Susan" warmer which will be AWESOME for parties with our friends to keep food warm. We throw maybe three or so a year but with this puppy I might just be wanting to throw a couple more!
  
  
• a crock pot (the old one I had smelled like an electrical fire waiting to happen - it was my Grandma's). I cannot wait to make a slowcooker recipe my Mom makes with flank steak. Yum!
  
  
• a blender with a spigot - I am in love with the spigot. 2010 will equal smoothie heaven. I can already tell what my favourite thing to make in it will be - I have matcha (green tea) powder and I'll add vanilla soy milk and vanilla frozen yogurt to emulate the Matcha Monsoons at Booster Juice - yum!
  
  
• a pasta machine that I cannot WAIT to get my hands on.
  

My personal first resolution of the new year is to make my own homemade ravioli. I'll have to check with Mark on his, but I think he'll enjoy helping me eat that ravioli! ;)

Got any food resolutions for 2010? Anything you've been dying to make at home? A place you've been dying to eat out at? A food festival you have to make sure you won't miss this year? Please share yours by commenting!

Yours in food,
-Stacey

Part I: Antipasti - "The Edible City" Book Review

I just finished the antipasti part of "The Edible City: Toronto's Food From Farm to Fork" so I thought I'd share some brief first impressions.

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The book starts off with Sarah B. Hood's historical food map of Toronto. Don't worry, those of you who failed History in high school - it's not boring - she paints a vivid picture of what has fed Toronto over the years, from what early hunter-gatherers could find in the area to what urban farmers and manufacturers provide nowadays. There's some interesting initiatives I've come across before that she mentions - like Not Far From The Tree, which harvests Toronto's fruit trees (yes, there are actually quite a few fruit trees here - NFFTT's site says they harvested over 3,000 lbs of food in their first full season in 2008 and this year they are way above that at about 8,135 lbs). I had the pleasure of tasting one of their apples actually. Pretty cool stuff.

Next up was Andrew Braithwaite's story which made me smile endlessly. I honestly die a bit inside when people make fun of Toronto in any way, especially the food scene, because I think it deserves the utmost respect - we have some really talented chefs and the multicultural cuisine cannot be beat in my opinion. So to hear Andrew explain how he moved to France and how he, despite how awesome I'm sure France was, perpetually missed the Toronto food scene made me nearly die of joy - I'd say we have arrived as a world player on the food scene.

Jessica Duffin Wolfe writes about why Toronto lacks a street food scene - the main point that resonated with me is it's cold most of the year so street food (well, we've usually still got our street meat!) is not suitable really. Although Mark's tales of street food in the Philippines put Toronto to shame, I'm kind of okay with that. She's pushing for street food vendors more than I would be. I kind of like the landscape being uncluttered by street food carts, in the summer I'll just, say for example, run into La Bamboche and grab some macaroons and eat them outside - same thing really, but with less cluttered streets, so I've made peace with Toronto's lack of a street food scene, though I am dying to go to the Philippines and other countries with good street food scenes (I know, that sounds a bit hypocritical. I am a woman of contradictions).

Steven Biggs talks about the food processing industry in Toronto, which all started with pork processing (hence the city's nickname Hogtown). I learn something new everyday: I had NO idea we are North America's second largest food processing hub (Chicago is #1).

Bronwyn Underhill talks about her grandmother's amazing peach chutney - food for me is also very attached to memories - and when making her own version she contemplates the pros and cons of three different ways she can get her peaches to make the recipe: she can buy from the grocery store or market (where peaches are usually from California or sometimes Niagara) or she can help pick her own with NFFTT. She peppers her adventures in peach-buying with some interesting facts.

My first bite into the book ended with a story by Darren O'Donnell about his ideal conception of the city (which is based off Sesame Street) and how, to get to that ideal, he evolved the concept of dinner parties to be more inclusive. I have to say the style of writing was more suited to one of my old University textbooks, but I get what he's trying to get at and found his concept interesting.

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Click here to read our reviews of the next sections (primo, secondo, contorno, and dolce) of the book!

Curry in your Cookies?

So I've never been involved in a cookie exchange before, but right off the top I must say registering for a baking class would be a pretty cool way to get your cookie exchange baking done should you be involved in one during the holidays.

I signed myself up for the $60 "Merry Masala Christmas" class at Nella Cucina and brought Mark along to sample some food and take photos while I participated in the baking.

I can't say I've ever thought about throwing curry powder in my cookie dough, but the result was pretty pleasant!

We were using the Arvinda's range of spice blends mostly to jazz up traditional cookie recipes - everything from gingerbread to sugar cookies. Arvinda's son and daughter actually helped run the class.

Here's what was on the menu that night for us to bake:

• Crunchy Pistachio Cranberry Chocolate Chai Biscotti
• Holiday Chai Spice Ladoos
• Garam Masala Gingerbread Squares
• Citrus Chai Spice Sugar Cookies
• Mango Curry Snow Crescents

We also had the pleasure of A) baking with Suresh and Jenny from Spotlight Toronto and B) trying a hot chocolate with garam masala in it, which was quite tasty. The spice really brought another layer of flavour over top of the traditional hot chocolate, and it wasn't at all "too spicy" or in opposition to the original flavour - it was more of a complement to it.

My favourites cookie was DEFINITELY the mango curry snow crescent, but I also really loved a glaze we made with orange juice, orange zest, icing sugar, and garam masala. It was sweet and the citrus-y taste was especially well-suited to be atop the sugar cookies.


We walked away with a few dozen cookies handily boxed up (which could be frozen if desired, you know, for that cookie exchange I was talking about if yours is still a week or two away), a recipe booklet with recipes for the items above and a tin of Arvinda’s Artisinal Spice Garam Masala. I think I'll probably use mine to make that glaze again for some sugar cookies - yum!

Many thanks to Mary Luz Mejia for giving us the heads-up on the event!

Click here for more photos: Indian spiced baking