Estrella Damm's Tapas Journey

Estrella Damm has launched a Tapas Journey between August 14-23. For only 10 days, 20 participating restaurants across Toronto will be offering a special Tapas Journey menu which includes 3 signature tapas dishes and a glass of Estrella Damm for $20.

Win a trip for 2 to Miami to attend the Estrella Damm Gastronomy Congress and see Ferran Adria. Simply visit 1 or more of the Tapas Journey restaurants, receive a golden sticker for your passport, share a photo of it on either Twitter or Instagram with #TapasJourney!

Joined by special foodie friends (@qqfoodjournal, @fooddiaries101 & @foodelventures), we had the opportunity of experiencing the Tapas Journey menu from: Weslodge, Beast and Carmen.

Starting off at our #TapasJourney, we first headed to Weslodge, a modern saloon offering contemporary American cuisine which my phone was deliciously welcomed by Chef Stuart Cameron's wonderful spread. This was nicely paired with an Estrella Damm beer which instantly began my night of craving for this pale ale lager. Next up was Beast which Chef Scott Vivian inventively crafted up a menu celebrating local producers and farmers. The last stop of our journey was at Carmen which Chef Luis Valenzuela brought over traditional tapas for us to enjoy.  Pairing each tapas menu with a cold Estrella Damm beer at each stop, each restaurant did a fantastic job in serving up a delicious journey.

Weslodge (480 King Street West)

Wagyu Croque Madame - bologna, brioche, mornay and quail egg

Scotch Egg - chorizo sausage, tomato jam and truffle

Trout Crudo - local rainbow trout maple vinaigrette, black pepper creme fraiche and frisee

Beast (96 Tecumseth Street)

Pescado Frito - fried Ontario smelts dressed in cumin, cilantro, salt and pepper, and served with fresh lime

Patatas Bravas - fried potatoes with smoked paprika and piquillo pepper dressing

Pincho de Albondigas - chicken offal meatball with garlic and tomato sauce infused with saffron

Carmen (922 Queen Street West)

Montadito of Lobster - briased lobster tail with Brie cheese, jamon Serrano and greens

Pintxo "El Jefe" - skewer grilled shrimp with guindillas, pardon pepper, jamon and pan con tomato

Salmorejo Toronto - spicy tomato sauce with crispy bread, garlic scapes, hard-boiled egg whites and egg yolk

 Photo credit to Jeffrey Chan courtesy of Estrella Damm.

Participating Toronto Restaurants include: Barsa Taberna, Beast, Byblos, Carmen, Cava, East Thirty-Six, El Catrin, Kanpai, Los Colibris, Mamakas Taverna, Marben, Mata Petisco Bar, Nota Bene, Patria, Raca, Salt, Taverna Mercatto, The Goodson, Valdez and Weslodge.

Thank you Estrella Damm for giving me the opportunity to experience the #TapasJourney with food loving friends to celebrate a night of pairing delicious tapas with a pint of Estrella Damm beer.

Eat Well Culinary Workshop: World of BBQ

Event Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Location: Dine Alone Records' Backyard (290 Gerrard St E)

The Eat Well Culinary Workshop 'World of BBQ' event featured a 4-country BBQ menu put together by Chef Matt Basile of Fidel Gastros with Canola Oil at the heart of each dish. This was a 6-part series of Canola Oil-inspired FARM TO FOOD experience. I had an amazing time at this unique networking, education and culinary event!

This private event was held in the Dine Alone Records' Backyard. With the BBQ theme in mind, I arrived in plaid as with quite a few of the other guests. Hay was even brought in for guests to sit on! Talk about attention to detail. This night provided me an opportunity of a lifetime to learn Canola experts from Manitoba and even connect with one of the Canola Farmers. A "Canola Crush" hands-on workshop took place allowing us to make some Canola Oil from Canola Seeds. Really fun stuff!

Alright, let's talk about the food! An incredible meal was put together by Chef Matt Basile and we're talking about a feast for the phone. It was literally meat heaven (beef ribs, pork chops, shaved brisket and chicken wings)! I learned that using Canola Oil on a barbecue is good for its high tolerance to heat. One of the highlights of the night was his Chimichurri and Grilling Demo with canola oil and just getting to see him in action in his outdoor kitchen! "The neutral taste of canola oil lets the rest of the ingredients shine".

(an action shot of me trying to capture the meat in all its glory)

mmm, I'm already salivating about this meal enjoyed with Dine Alone Food's BBQ sauce

BBQ Menu by Chef Matt Basile:
Argentina - Chimichurri Miami Beef Ribs
Philippines - Adobo Grilled Tomahawk Pork chops
Texas - Cowboy Tacos & BBQ sauce
Portugas - Churrasco Smoked Chicken Wings with Hot Sauce
Sides - Roasted Corn with Salsa Verde, Kale Salad with Crumbs, Lemon, Capers & Parmesan
*All recipes were made using Canola Oil*

I also enjoyed my fair share of Dine Alone 100% Organic Ontario Rye in the form of their signature Rye Mule cocktail, Dine Alone's Beau's Beer and Traynor Vineyard's wines.

This dinner would definitely not have happened if not for Dine Alone Records. It was a fantastic space to host this event and I can't wait to cross paths again with them in the future.

This was truly an event to remember and I enjoyed every moment of it! For more info you can visit www.canolaeatwell.com.

Just in case you didn't know, only 2% of Canadians are farmers. Canola Growers plant on average over 20 million acres of canola each spring with plants growing to a height of one to two metres sprouting yellow flowers that produce seed pods 5 cm in length. Canola is grown for us by more than 52,000 Canadian family farmer. Let's remember to choose Canola Oil because it's local, healthy, versatile! #EatWellCanolaOil

Photo credits: Jeffrey Chan Photography

EVENT | Yum Cha TO (dim sum festival)

Hopefully you've all been introduced to the wonderful world of Cantonese cuisine. Yum Cha (which means to 'drink tea') is a weekly Sunday ritual for many. Essentially, it's a mid-morning meal that consists of shareable dishes.

Traditionally, these dishes are pushed around the restaurant in steam-heated carts where you simply point at the dishes you want. Seldom will you find cart-style service in Toronto anymore and instead you're given a menu sheet which you order from.

Spotlight City Events is hosting a "Yum Cha Dim Sum Fest" on Saturday, February 21st, 2015! Traditional dim sum dishes will be given a modern Toronto twist and this event will be a great way to explore the offerings of this city.

YumCha 2015 Vendors: Momofuku Noodle Bar, County Cocktail, East Thirty Six, 416 Snack Bar, Loka Snacks, Rolling Pin TO, Thoroughbred, Babi & Co., FeasTO, Buster Rhino's BBQ Toronto, Big E's Grinds, Come and Get It


More info for Yum Cha Dim Sum Fest:
https://www.uniiverse.com/events/yum-cha-2015-tickets-toronto-MV0CK

Last year I had the chance to 'feed my phone'. Hearing about a dim sum festival in Toronto, I knew I had to buy tickets right away to attend. The past two dim sum fests sold-out...this is a warning to you! Overall it was an enjoyable time as I indulged on a variety of delectable eats.

Check out the featured vendors from 2014:

Globe Bistro: @GlobeHo

1. Ontario elk and ginger gyoza

2. Duck confit green onion pancake 

3. Northern Woods Mushroom siu mai.

Linda Modern Thai: @LindaModernThai

Chicken lemon grass siu mai, prawn and stick rice roll, and pandan custard with dulce de leche.

Babi & Co: @babiandco

Babi on a Bun | Braised pork belly on a fried Chinese bun w/ pickled cucumbers and sambal mayo.

Babi & Co: @babiandco

Murtabak Telor | Green onion, chives and egg pancake w/ Indo style salsa

FeasTO: @FeasTOronto

Pho Dumplings | beef, pho spices, noodles and bean sprouts

Momofuku Daishō: @momofuku

Pork Ribs | fish sauce, caramel, Thai basil and crispy shallots

Hot Bunzz Street Cuisine: @hotbunzzTO

The Emperor's Breakfast | BBQ & roasted pork fried bun topped w/ sunnyside up quail egg, green onion and sweet soy

#BroBrunch at Aroma Espresso Bar

Aroma Espresso Bar

Aroma Espresso Bar's first Canadian branch opened in 2007 and has expanded to multiple locations in and around the GTA. Aroma prides itself in serving gourmet coffee, pastries baked fresh daily and made-to-order sandwiches and salads. There is a great selection of healthy choices on their menu at an affordable price. 

Special thanks go to the Shops at Don Mills location (1090 Don Mills Road) for hosting our "bro-brunch". A few of us met up for brunch and helped Loren Lieberman (Director of Community Outreach at Aroma Espresso Bar) provide coverage for Aroma's Fall feature menu items and new line of alcoholic beverages.

Everything I tried was tasty and Aroma will definitely be my go-to place from now on! It definitely sets itself apart from its competitors and I would most definitely recommend everyone to give them a try as they offer so much more than just your morning coffee fix.

-The meal was complimentary but opinions are my own.-

Visit date: November 29, 2014

Spiked Signatures | Irish Cream Latte (with Bailey's), Ice Aroma (with Bailey's), Ice Mojito (signature Ice Lemon Mint) and Iced Berry Tea Lemonade. Both the mojito and lemonade beverages can be infused with your choice of either vodka or rum. 

Shakshuka | 2 eggs in a warm tomato sauce, served with tahini, bread and butter.

Fig & Goat Cheese Croissant | with grilled red onions, arugula and balsamic.

Bureka Treat | Savoury Bulgarian pastry with feta cheese served with hard-boiled egg, tomato, pickle and tahini.  

S'mores Hot Chocolate | Chunks of premium milk or white chocolate melted in a frothy mix of warm and steamed milk with roasted marshmallow flavour and topped with graham cracker crumbs and soft marshmallows.

Alfajores | A South American sandwich, made of soft shortbread with a dulce de leche filling, and dusted with coconut and powdered sugar.

Affogato | A thick shot of expresso, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Feel free to check out the Instagram accounts of those who attended: Hubert (@goodfoodtoronto), Chris (@ctfillah88), Alex (@hypebelly), Jess (@jellymean)

Aroma Espresso Bar 

1090 Don Mills Road 
Toronto, ON M3C 3R6 
(416) 443-1430 
www.aroma.ca