Taste of Toronto – Tips & Tricks

Ready to stuff your face like a champ? If yes, read on…

The gluttonous affair, otherwise known as Taste of Toronto, is baaaaaack. What is this magical event you ask? Over 16 restaurants (including some of Toronto’s finest), 70 exhibitors, world class chefs and food-lovers will soon unite at historical Fort York for four days of feasting (July 2-5th). Yup, it’s pretty much as close to food heaven as one can get…

I learned a few things from our experience last year (it was the first time the international food festival graced our city) so I’m here to share my top five tips with those of you attending this year’s festivities:

1) Take the time to interact with the chefs. Perhaps the biggest perk of this festival is that it attracts passionate chefs who come prepared (and excited) to share their love of food. You can ask them your burning questions at the Toronto Life Chef’s Table, get their personal cooking tips at the Metro Master Class and learn the secrets behind their most well-known dishes at the Cadillac Taste Theatre (ummm Iron Chef and Michelin-starred Masaharu Morimoto will be there, just sayin’). Seating is free for all of these sessions, but make sure you get there early (space is limited). Oh, and be on the lookout for chefs wandering the grounds – we met the talented (and hilarious) Chuck Hughes last year!

2) Get yourself familiar with the Crown. The festival has its own currency: the Crown (1 Crown = $1 CAD). If you purchase your ticket prior to the event you will receive a Crown card that can be loaded online. If you purchase your ticket at the gate or collect your ticket at will call, you will receive a Crown card there and can load it up at the Taste Crown Banks onsite. I recommend loading your Crown card with $40 to start off (restaurant dishes range from 6-10 Crowns).

3) Have a cute (and delicious) picnic with your friends/fam. With so many great eats it can be tempting to race your way through the event: slow things down with a mini picnic and enjoy the gorgeous surroundings as you munch on the tasty bites. Last year they had a designated picnic area with colourful mats (but it doesn’t hurt to take your own blanket just in case they’re occupied). Oh, and take bottled water with you (it’s permitted) as it can get pretty hot out and it’s always good to cleanse the good ol’ palate in between nibbles.

4) Swirl, sniff, sip! Don’t be fooled, this festival is not just about the food. Make sure to check out the Tasting Room ($5 Crowns and first come, first served) for interactive tasting sessions hosted by the amazing Franco Stalteri. Wine experts, top winemakers and a panel of sommeliers will lead tutored tastings, share tips about matching beverages with food and give you cellaring tips. There are also plenty of beverage exhibitors at the festival so try to squeeze in a few drinks as you gallivant around the grounds.

5) Plan your day. Take a look at the festival menu card in advance and decide what dishes you want to taste. I’m excited to try:

• Morimoto Toronto – Toro Tartare – caviar, sour cream, wasabi, dashi soy
• Bosk – Tomato Ricotta Tartine – kalamata olive, pickled shallots, crispy garlic toasted sourdough
• The Drake – East Coast Fish Fry – crispy clams, Jail Island Haddock, Tartar sauce
• Byblos – Charcoal Grilled Lamb Kofte – lavosh, house pickles, toum, green schug
• R&D – CSB (char siu bao) bbq pork buns
• Richmond Station – Stn. Burger, beet chutney, OKA cheese

Oh, and also note that each Taste of Toronto session is 4-5 hours in length (like a restaurant with lunch/dinner service). Yes, you will be asked to leave when your session is over so they can set up/restock for the next round! Don’t worry, it’s plenty of time to enjoy food from the restos, take in some live performances and have a little fun in Fort York…

Hope you can join me (and the 20,000 other visitors) at Taste of Toronto this year! It’s a ticketed event so make sure you purchase your tickets in advance. General admission starts from $19 which grants you access to one of the six lunch or dinner sessions. I definitely recommend coming out: the foodie festival is well-organized and features some incredible world class chefs along with local talent. It also happens to be in 22 different cities around the globe for those of you who live outside of Canada. Happy feasting to you all!