The 48,000 square foot flagship store is their 23rd location in the greater Toronto area but their first first full format store.  Paco Underhill, a foremost authority on shopping behaviour and bestselling author of Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping and Call of the Mall, consulted on the project. Longo’s hired his company, Envirosell, to evaluate the Longo’s shopping experience and help create an optimal urban store environment.

Putting the “super” in “supermarket”, the new store is designed to be, as Rosanne Longo said, a “symphony for the senses”. It is indeed a foodist’s playground, and I was like a kid in a candy store.

Offerings includes gourmet pizza made on site; store-made all-natural hardwood smoked deli meats and fish with no preservatives or additives; a chocolatier – though they also carry Dufflet’s cakes and tarts; and in-store tortilleria and chapati makers. Their rice cake maker is fun to watch. Rice mixture goes into the base, the lid comes down, heats it for a few seconds then out it flies with a fun little sound – like “poof”. They’re tasty too.

The store offers fresh gluten-free bakery products, rare hybrid fruit and boasts the biggest cheese selection in Toronto. With over 300 types of cheeses on-site cheese, experts will help you find the perfect pairing.

Visit the Aromaté Café by Longo’s, where they roast their own coffee and offer a wide variety. Try the exotic Kopi Luwak coffee, aka “civet coffee” at $11 per cup. Coffee not your thing? The café also offers a wide variety of loose tea.

The prepared food is comparable in price – or less – to food you’d make yourself. I read the price tags.  For $9 you can get a semi-prepped dinner, “fresh meals, made easy” for 2. Or as I pointed out, “dinner for 1 plus lunch” for us single people. Longo’s take a “try before you buy” approach to many of their food items.

Longo’s has their own wine store staffed by knowledgeable people and while you can’t drink while you shop, you can drink before or after without leaving the store. Inside Longo’s Maple leaf Square is Corks Beer and Wine Bar, a bar that serves exclusively Ontario beer and wine. Each product is chosen by sommelier/manager Lesley Martin. At yesterday’s opening Martin and her team were serving Stratus Wines (Niagara-on-the-Lake). Corks is in an area of the store called “The Loft”. “The Loft” is a lounge area with free WiFi, a Starbucks, microwave- for heating up the food you’ve just bought, a seating area, sinks and five flat-screen televisions. My immediate reaction was “Why would you want all that in a supermarket?” but then realized, why not? Longo’s is now a destination. A place to hang between meetings and appointments. Somewhere to study or do freelance work. It redefines “supermarket”. If you happen to see some nice produce on the way out or have a specific food craving, how convenient!

The Loft Cooking School offers cooking classes featuring local and celebrity chefs. There’s a Private Function area for parties, meetings and special events. Another feature of the store is a “living wall”, a hydroponic green wall containing a range of plants specifically selected for use in the system. The plants include a range of flowering and foliage plants such as ferns and orchids.

When’s the last time you checked out the washroom at a supermarket? I did, and it was beautiful. The stalls have tempered glass doors set in wood, the sinks are modern and the hand soap is foamy and smells nice. You could practically live there. Remember when the Bundys (Married With Children) tried camping out in a supermarket?

Does the new Longo’s validate parking? Of course. Parking while you’re shopping is free if you spend a minimum of $30. They will even carry your groceries to your car. Don’t have a car? They (specifically Jerry Buligan, Director,  Risk Management and Operation Support) created a new spin on a wheelie cart: An insulated piece of luggage with pockets, on Rollerblade wheels, that folds up and stores in its own bag ($19). This thing is brilliant. I wanted to buy one on the spot. Take a look at this grocery carry-all:

(Makes a great pet carrier!)

Taking a couple of guided tours of the store yesterday, I noted that the store is a large supermarket with, at times, the feel of a smaller family business. It’s the same feeling I get from Fiesta Farms. I’d still prefer it if all supermarkets had fruits and vegetables up front (Fiesta Farms does – Mark Bittman appreciated that) but I could get into the new Longo’s.

Related articles

• Longo’s set to open largest urban store (thestar.com)
• Longo’s moves downtown (Toronto Sun)
• Food wars in condo land (thestar.com)
• Introducing: Longo’s. Take a tour of the new 45,000 square-foot supermaket that’s sure to feed the downtown grocery war (Toronto Life)
• Take the Longo Way Home (michaelnus.com) -P.S., Michael’s post reminds me of bonding over grocery shopping with my own dad when I was a child. We still sometimes do.
• Longo’s Maple Leaf Square – Something For Everyone (Taste T.O.) – And I sat with Sheryl & Greg at the media preview lunch so I got to catch up with them.

…And make sure you take a look at Sean Ward’s video. I’m caught on camera eating dessert, answering questions while giddy from sugar and wine.

Meghan Telpner, certified nutritionist and holistic lifestyle consultant: I could make a diagram of the ways that Meghan fits into my life. I first discovered Meghan and her column in the National Post online via link from another website (likely TasteTO). Then I checked her blog and liked it because of its content and our similar interests. I realized that I know her brother and we have other people in common and other connections. She’s one of my favourite people.  Meghan’s website.

Marni Wasserman, nutritionist: I think that we got acquainted through Meghan’s blog. We’re connected on Facebook and Twitter and recently met at the Canadian Organic Food Growers conference. Marni’s website.

Leehe Lev, Personal Trainer and Nutrition and Wellness Coach, founder of Whole Self Fitness: I met her through synagogue, we started hanging out, then became neighbours. Whole Self Fitness website.

Added: The Cutting Veg.  I volunteered on the Cutting Veg farm last fall. I attended one of Daniel’s canning and preserving workshops last spring and previously met him at a food ethics discussion series (and at some point came across him in my high school yearbook). He too is my neighbour. The Cutting Veg can be found at farmer’s markets. The Cutting Veg’s website. Daniel announces workshops via email so get on his email list by emailing him (see below).

Below is a list of upcoming events, workshops, classes, etc. that these women are facilitating. I’ve only attended one of Meghan’s classes and none of Marni’s or Leehe’s so this isn’t an official endorsement. If you’ve been to Marni or Leehe’s classes and liked them, let me know.

**

Wednesday March 10th
6:30pm-9:30 pm
Super Suppers with Marni Wasserman
Contact Marni for location
$105

It’s tough being creative during the workweek, and its time to stop ordering in or eating out! Treat yourself… and come learn new and innovative recipes to kick start your weekday dinners. This class will teach you how to prepare recipes that are unique and delicious – they are even simple enough to prepare in an hour! [Learn more]

Sunday March 14
10am-12pm
Planning Your Organic Veggie Garden with Daniel Hoffman of The Cutting Veg
21 Kenwood Ave, Toronto
$32

Are you interested in growing your own organic veggie garden this season? Come and meet with Organic Farmer Daniel Hoffmann, from The Cutting Veg Organic Farm, and clarify your vision for a flourishing veggie patch. Explore some of the core concepts of organic agriculture, such as plant propagation, plant care, soil preparation and health, pest management, and composting, while doing some gardening right in the workshop. All levels of gardener are welcome.

Email Daniel to register.

Monday, March 15, 2010 (March Break)
2-4pm or 6-8pm
Creative Kids in the Kitchen with Marni Wasserman
Bayview/York Mills (contact Marni for exact location)
$85 (one parent and one child – add $25 for each additional child.)

With food sensitivities and intolerance’s becoming increasingly predominant, it is even more important for parents and children to learn healthy, enjoyable alternatives.

For kids ages 8-12 (Parents Welcome). Gluten and Allergy Free [Learn more]

March 15-May 3 (excluding March 29)
7-9pm
Workshop Series: Cultivating a Thriving Agribusiness with Daniel Hoffman of The Cutting Veg
21 Kenwood Ave, Toronto
$300 for the 7-week course.

Cultivating a Thriving Agribusiness: an Agribusiness Preparedness Course

Have you started (or dreamed of starting) your own Agriculture based business? Could you benefit from a little guidance in order to make your Agribusiness a thriving success? Come and learn with Organic Veggie Farmer Daniel Hoffmann, from The Cutting Veg Organic Farm, how to make your Agribusiness a reality. Whether you’ve been growing plants for years, or several seasons away from starting, come and prepare yourself for a business that is financially viable, community enriching, eco-friendly, and personally satisfying. Eligible business ideas include market gardens, homegrown catering & value added products, Agri-Education Services, Growing and Production of Personal Care Products (eg. Hand Salves, Natural Cleaners), Landscaping, etc. One does not need to be clear on their business idea in order to take the course. This course will also help you to establish your agricultural network within Ontario by connecting you with key farmers, organizations, and websites. Email Daniel for course outline.

Sunday March 21, 2010,
2:00 – 4:00pm
Natural Body Care with Meghan Telpner*
26 Noble Street, Unit 6 (Queen and Dufferin)
$60

In this two hour workshop, you will learn how to make everyday personal body care products out of the most basic kitchen ingredients. [Learn More]
(* I took this last year and had a lot of fun.)

March, 24th, 2010,
6:30-9:30pm
Preparing for Passover with Marni Wasserman

Be the one to turn your passover table into an interesting and innovative array of healthy dishes. Learn how make healthy and nutritious passover friendly recipes for your family. You will use delicious ingredients that are safe to use and that won’t leave you feeling guilty, bloated or tired. [Learn more]

March, 24th, 2010,
6:00-8:30pm
Cooking for Diabetes: Management and Prevention with Whole Self Fitness/Leehe Lev
Whole Foods Market- Yorkville
$45 + GST

A poor diet, inactivity and obesity are risk factors for getting Type 2 Diabetes. During this class you will learn practical skills to cut your risks, your waist line and your budget. Join Leehe from Whole Self Fitness to learn to prepare four delicious dishes and practical skills to apply to your kitchen. Gain some efficient cooking techniques & ingredient substitution tips, with emphasis on how to make one creative preparation stretch across several meals. [Learn more]

Monday, April 5th
7:30 – 9:30 pm
Fuel Your Life with Meghan Telpner
26 Noble Street, Unit 6 (Queen and Dufferin)
$24

We are what we eat and we become what we think.

Imagine a life where you eat what your body needs and think the thoughts that build you up, rather than eat and think in a manner that brings you down and breeds less than optimal health. In this two hour seminar and workshop, Meghan and Jennifer will provide you the information and tools you need to fuel all aspects of your life. [Learn more]

**

Edit:

To avoid creating a second post for this, so here are two more events from The Stop:

Sunday March, 27th, 2010
1-5pm
Get Cooking With The Stop: Perfect Pasta
$120

Join Chef Gabriele Paganelli of the acclaimed Romagna-Mia Restaurant in this hands-on cooking class. Chef Paganelli will demonstrate the authentic way to prepare four kinds of pasta: tagliatelle, passatelli, ravioli and strozzapreti. [Learn more]

Thursday, March 29
6 pm
Food for Change dinner
$75 ($120 with wine pairings by Coyote’s Run)

Join the Stop for an extra special Food for Change dinner. As a finale to Stop for Food, Chef Chris Brown will be joined by the Cross Town Kitchens chefs (Anthony Davis, Jason Inniss, Luis Valenzuela, Bertrand Alépée and Ted Corrado) and the whole team will produce a sumptuous five-course meal for you to enjoy in our beautiful greenhouse. (Kitchen crew opportunities will not be available for this dinner.) [Learn more]

For those of us who wish to eat locally year-round, the climate of Southern Ontario can pose some challenges. However, if we put some energy into preserving the harvest, eating locally in the winter is very achievable. This workshop will provide an in-depth look at the four primary methods of preserving food: canning, drying, freezing, and storing. This workshop will occur partially within a kitchen so that we can practice some of the preserving methods right in the workshop.  Through participation in this workshop, you will learn the skills necessary for preserving, while developing a plan to approach the 2010 Harvest season that lies ahead.

Details: Sunday, Feb 28th, 10am-12pm, at 21 Kenwood Ave, Toronto, M6C 2R8, $32

To register:

• Email Daniel Hoffmann at daniel@thecuttingveg.com to rsvp
• Complete Payment to secure your spot.  Payment can be completed by sending a cheque (made out to The Cutting Veg) to 21 Kenwood Ave., Toronto, ON, M6C 2R8, or through Paypal (http://www.paypal.ca), with payment directed to daniel@thecuttingveg.com

[The photo above is of me with a tomato that I'd just harvested during a visit to the Cutting Veg farm last fall.]

I chose to buy a ticket for the challenge for $20 rather than ask for a media comp. I feel strongly about The Stop because it’s part of my community.

The evening was set up in a Top Chef-inspired manner. The crowd was treated to a video of the teams shopping for their ingredients at Fiesta Farms with a budget.

The teams:
Team 1: Jamie Kennedy, Anthony Davis (the Roosevelt Room) and Jason Inniss (Amuse-Bouche).

Team 2: Luis Valenzuela (Torito Tapas Bar), Bertrand Alépée (Amuse Bouche), Ted Corrado (C5 – home court advantage) and Chris Brown (The Stop, and formerly Perigee).

Jamie was serving up French fries with aoli, the ones that he and his son sell at the Brickworks farmer’s market:

I started out with the sashimi canape…

…and moved to the rabbit poutine….

…to the lamb sausage…

…deep fried potato gnocchi that were very light and melted in my mouth. They were like potato pillows…

…mushroom ricotta strudel…

…halibut…

And desserts, which I didn’t get photos of: Apple freezies (better than any freezie I’ve ever had) and these frozen apple truffles that I was about to snap on the tray, but then the tray was empty.

Wines were provided by Chateau des Charmes. I had a very tasty glass of Gamay Noir “Droit”, a wine that upon sniffing I eventually identified as tobacco. Not pipe tobacco associated with an oaked red but something subtler, like a cigarette from a fresh package (I’m not a smoker nor have I have had the habit). As the wine sat in my glass the flavour seemed to get smokier.

The Gamay was my second of two glasses that started with a white, a Riesling. This proved to be a good choice of starting colour when a woman walking near me tripped (?) and knocked my wine class, sending it upwards and its contents into my face, on my front, on the floor. I had wine on my forehead and it later occurred to me that had I not been wearing my glasses I probably would have had wine in the eyes. Fortunately I have a sense of humour about such things.

The evening didn’t disappoint. Good food, nice view and some of my favourite food enthusiasts were there. Although I was confused as to which team was producing which food (a list would have been helpful), it wasn’t all that relevant to me. As for who won? That would be Team 2, but really, the Stop was the winner. At the end of the evening Executive Director Nick Saul and Director of Development Cheryl Roddick accepted a cheque for $40,000, proceeds from last year’s Stop for Food event. This money will go towards carrying out The Stop’s mission to “increase access to healthy food in a manner that maintains dignity, builds community and challenges inequality.” The Stop FTW!

Don’t forget to check out Stop for Food 2010 during the entire month of March.

The panelists:

• Hannah Jacobs of Matchbox Garden and Seed Co.
• Brooke Ziebell of Foodshare
• Paul Decampo of Slow Food Toronto
• Margaret Webb, author of Apples to Oysters

Musicians Michelle and Nick kicked things off with a Dylan tune.

Margaret placed a prop mid stage, a canvas Everdale Farm bag that bore the words “Know your food, know your farmer.” Nice slogan.

People are afraid to grow their own food.

Hannah was first to speak and talked about the history of Matchbox Garden. I’ve been in Matchbox’s neighbourhood. Matchbox is on FarmStart land, neighbour to The Cutting Veg, where I picked vegetables two months ago. Matchbox Garden & Seed Co. was established in 2006 in the city as an urban organic kitchen garden experience. Hannah said, “People are afraid to grow their own food.” and recommends an answer to a quandary that many of us have: If we have to choose between organic but imported and local and conventional, buy local over organic to sustain communities and support farmers. She said that food is unsafe because food systems are too big. Buying from farmers is safer.

I felt like when I stepped off the plane the food movement hit me in the face.

Brooke from FoodShare has an interesting story. She used to be a dietitian in Australia. After she moved to Canada a year ago her life took an unexpected turn and she ended up working at FoodShare. “I felt like when I stepped off the plane the food movement hit me in the face.” She credits Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food for an “ah ha” moment. Now she teaches children and youth about healthy, sustainable food. She reiterated what her boss Debbie Field said the previous week about food literacy in high schools and repeated Debbie’s “public food system” idea.

Think beyond the hundred mile diet

Paul talked about the Slow Food movement and stated that human action can change society. “Think beyond the hundred mile diet to the hundred year diet”. Corporations look at short term. Small farms look at long term. Organic farming improves soil.

When we import cheap food we’re importing human degradation

According to Margaret, farmers are on the decline. She pointed out that if it were any other profession on the decline – doctors, lawyers, etc., – people would freak out. There’s a food policy in almost every country. Canada and the U.S. are among those without food policies.

Here are Margaret’s proposed three actions to “be the difference”, her solutions:

1. Get off the grid. Don’t shop at supermarkets (or avoid it as much as possible)
2. A couple of supermarket chains in the Canada control 75%. Shop at co-ops, organic markets, CSAs, etc. as much as possible. Share a cow. Support the farmer’s directly.
3. Get food policy of the political agenda.

What about the high cost of food? Often a lower price means that workers aren’t being fairly paid. It’s akin to slave labour. “When we import cheap food we’re importing human degradation.” There’s value on food production.

I learned that the City of Toronto has a Food Policy Council. Good to know.

The nature of the event was to be solutions-focused. I think that in order to get to the heart of solutions more time is needed, but that the panel made a good start.

I look forward to seeing what’s next in the Be the Difference series.

Lured out, we checked out the various vendors and marketplace. Attempting to avoid the vast array of fake soy products I had only a nibble of fake soy when my father got a plate from King’s Cafe (vegetable dumplings, soy “drumsticks”). Instead I noshed on kiwi, dipped into hummus and babaghanouj from Sunflower Kitchen (it’s my favourite line of hummus for its lack of preservatives and I know the owner), sampled and bought gluten free granola from In the Raw and savored gluten free daily free raw “cheesecake” from Living Sweets.

In the corner of the Brigantine Room I found Vita-Mix Corp.’s booth and inquired about price (show discount? tax free?), stating that I’ve wanted one for years. The lady beside me had just finished saying the same thing. The booth staffer stated that she’d wanted one for years and finally realized that “saving up for it” wasn’t going to happen (we agreed that people don’t put money away for purchases even when intentioned) sucked it up and put it on the credit card. Months later she went to work for the company. I’d suck it up if I hadn’t just bought this MacBook. Oh priorities.

I also sampled Mrs. Beans coffee (their website URL results in a 404 error but maybe that’s just right now). They serve fresh roasted, fair trade and organic coffee grown by small scale farmers in Guatemala, Ethopia, Rwanda, Mexico, Peru and Columbia, roasting small batches in an eco friendly hot air roasting system. I’ve heard that once roasted, coffee goes stale within a few days – less than a week. Mrs Bean’s weekly delivery service guarantees one fresh cup for coffee for 7 days with each serving individually vacuum packaged. Check their URL again to see if it’s up and get more information. (Here is where I’m glad that I take promotional material with me if I think I might read it.)

Was the coffee good? YES! And, I realized, for those who drink coffee regularly (I don’t) it costs less than or about the same as a Starbucks habit. A 14 day supply costs $1.50 per day. Of course, if you drink more than one cup a day or pour your coffee into a huge mug that’s a whole other issue entirely.  The coffee was also good paired with New Moon Kitchen cookies (my dad bought three bags because the were 3 for $10 – or in other words, he let himself be manipulated ).

Other offerings that I didn’t try included vegan truffles,  ice cream and vegan cupcakes, tea and Jamaican patties.

At last year’s event I discovered some cool products and found the fair to have a more diverse group of vendors. I also liked the selection of presenters better last year. Planning an event of this magnitude isn’t easy, though, and when you’re trying to please everyone you take your chances.

Photo credit: saguarostrength from 2009 Vegetarian Food Fair Flickr Pool

Whereas I only got a photo of the human pea but saw the human banana BlogTO‘s Jen Brailsford got photo of the pea, the banana and… whatever the heck that is. A carrot?

After wandering around I sat by the water watching the people and boats and the airplanes flying into the island airport. Then it was a quick stop back to the Sunflower Kitchen booth to buy our dips before going home.

Numerous people have criticized the festival saying that there was too much fake meat. I can understand that but here’s my take on it: There’s something to be said for playing it safe for the masses and trying to please more people. Usually, and despite the fact that I try to, I’m of the opinion that you shouldn’t try to please everyone. However, at an event like this  there can be something for everyone.

They could preach exclusively to the converted (the current vegetarians and vegans), potentially intimidating everyone else and giving off the vibe that the outdated notions of vegetarianism is true. Or, they can offer something challenging to those people AND also make it accessible to the rest.

If fake meat is what it takes to ease them in than it’s a start. That’s Vegetarianism 101. Vegetarianism 201, however, should be “Now that you’ve made the transition, let’s decrease the amount of soy and increase the amount of vegetables and grains”.  I admit – shamefully when I speak to some people – that I sometimes like soy meatballs on my salad. However, I cook a lot with my favourite grain, quinoa.

(I’ve also been eating vegan dinners all week because of the bounty of local produce and the fact that after a summer of letting vegetables from the CSA and farmer’s market go to waste I’m trying to make an effort to use them.)

An idea: Borrow from the conference model of presentations being rated beginner, intermediates and advanced.

What other bloggers are saying about the Vegetarian Food Fair:

• BlogTO: Vegetarian Food Fair Makes Me Rethink My 3am Greasy Cheesburger Hangover Habit
• Meghan/Making Love in the Kitchen: I knew she’d be criticizing the soy but I found samples of grains, dips and other non-soy products
• Ash/Dancing Through Life: Disappointed by the Lack of Vegetables at the Vegetarian Food Fair
• Evolving Wellness: Vegetarian and Vegan and Raw! Oh My!

Course #4: Bring on the livestock. My least favourite course of all.
Alright, I can definitively say that I don’t like Malbec, until someone tells me that “this Malbec is different”. Regarding Legends Estates Malbec I wrote the words “smoke” and “tobacco” and, my favourite descriptor of the evening, “Like drinking a pipe”.

Malbec, meet “Clandestin” cheese, a sheep and cow milk cheese. The lady serving it called it her favourite but it was too pungent for me. You can find information about the cheese here and here. I noted that it tastes like an animal. When Sarah declared it to be “barnyardy”, I agreed. The flavour was musty. This cheese reminded me of the smell of rotting hay (some might say “herbal”), like waking through Riverdale Farm’s petting zoo. I might be the first person ever to say that the cheese tasted like a petting zoo. I didn’t like it. Sarah, however, proclaimed, “I like barnyardy cheeses” (one of my favourite quotes of the evening and immediately tweeted).

When at first I tasted the wine and cheese together they mellowed each other out, but then I found that I had two strong tastes in my mouth. I finished the wine, spit out the cheese.

So, a petting zoo-tasting cheese and a wine that tasted like pipe. The next and final course was like heaven in my mouth.

Final wine and cheese combination:  Baco Noir and cheddar

I don’t know if it’s because I disliked the previous course so emphatically or if it was just that good but I was pleased when we concluded with Sandbanks Winery Baco Noir (2007) and Jensen 2 year old cheddar. Who doesn’t like cheddar? The baco noir, from Prince Edward County, was light. I tasted orange and strawberry. I recall that baco noir is characteristically peppery but I didn’t overtly detect that. The high salt content of the cheese might have been responsible for making the wine taste a little bit sweeter but not cloyingly so.

Gamay revisited

Those of us who paid for the full experience then had a chance to revisit some of the five wines. I had another few glasses and noted a change in the taste of the Chateau des Charmes gamay. Whereas earlier I’d only noticed the predominantly cherry taste, my second experience resulted in a honey aroma and the taste of brown sugar. Someone pointed out a petrol smell, which I also caught a whiff of after it was pointed out (I think that wine tasting is in many ways psychological). I tasted more sweetness than previously and wondered if it was my perception of the wine that changed or if the flavour itself had changed as a result of the bottle being open longer.

It wasn’t all wine

Other happenings:

• Author Kathryn Borel read from her soon-to-be-released book Corked: A Memoir. I can’t decide if I want to read the book or not. The content sounds interesting but at times the use of adjectives seemed contrived as if she was trying too hard to paint a picture. It was too adjective heavy for my taste. I commend her for writing the book.

• I won the first raffle prize! Three books courtesy of Simon and Schuster (I almost typed “Wayne and Schuster”): Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Express, Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese by Brad Kessler and Wisdom of the Last Farmer by David Mas Masumoto.

Interestingly, yesterday’s National Post has an article titled “Eat some cheese: Canadians are much more than cheddar people”.

If you’re interested in future events like this and are on Twitter you can watch for the hashtag #foodiemeet. If you’re not, I’ll try to remember to post upcoming events here. Cafe Taste runs a number of events and are looking to fill a bus for a road trip to Prince Edward County on Labour Day weekend. Reserve your spot now and get information about other upcoming events at Cafe Taste at their website. If Jeremy’s on board you know it’ll be a good time and educational. He knows his stuff.

Update: Read Sarah’s review at Toronto Tasting Notes. We were hanging out at the event together so it’s interesting to see which opinions we share and where we differ.

Not one to reinvent the wheel, here’s the description of the event that Andrea posted to the Facebook event page, with minor changes to make it blog-friendly:

We had so much fun with our first #foodiemeet, we’re throwing another one!

This time, Parkdale’s own Cafe Taste will be hosting. Its resident wine geek and local wine expert, Jeremy Day, will lead us in a tutored wine tasting (with paired local cheeses) of some of what Niagara’s sub-appellations have to offer.

Author Kathryn Borel will also read from her upcoming wine memoir, Corked: A Memoir, an uncensored account of her father-daughter tour through the wine regions of France.

To accommodate everyone, we’ve set up a tiered ticket system of $45, $25 and $5:

A $45 ticket is the best value! You’ll get the full tutored-tasting of 5-7 wines plus paired local cheeses. Jeremy describes this as the “hedonistic tasting” with free-pours.

A $25 ticket gets you 2 oz. pours of all the wines being reviewed.

A $5 ticket is ideal for folks who can’t stay for the full tasting or prefer to choose their own wines, cheeses, and snacks.

*All attendees will receive a raffle ticket for prizes and of course, are welcome to order from the wine and food menu at any time.

I went with the “hedonistic” full tasting and it was fantastic.

Tweets from #foodiemeet last night, in revere chronological order:

“I like barnyardy cheeses.” @sarahbhood #foodiemeet about 13 hours ago from txt

Liking the “Red Conception” wine from Fielding Esates.#foodiemeet about 13 hours ago from txt

Won the first door prize, books, at #foodiemeet about 14 hours ago from txt

At #foodiemeet. The education has begun. about 15 hours ago from txt

(@sarahbhood is Toronto Tasting Notes._

The evening began thankfully NOT at the called time of 7pm but closer to 8. My tendency to be late aside, the writer’s block that I’d been experiencing cleared shortly before the time I intended to leave for the tasting. I felt no anxiety about being late though, knowing that that more than a few writers would be present and understanding of deadlines and writer’s block. I arrived to a sunny covered patio, name tags on which we were to name the most recent Ontario wine that we’d enjoyed, and baskets of bread placed throughout accompanied by dishes of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that one of the breads, baked on site, was made with grape must, a by-product of the wine making process.

The wines and cheeses

First up: Gewürztraminer + Riopelle

Calamus Estate Winery Gewürztraminer (I didn’t note the year) with Riopelle cheese were up first. The cheese, unpasteurized and made from cow’s milk,  was buttery and soft, reminiscent of a brie. The wine, our only white of the evening, was easy drinking with slight complexity (who’s writing this?). I didn’t take notes about this wine but there’s a review of the 2007 Gewürztraminer at Ontario Wine Reviews.

Rather than take notes I was listened as Jeremy talked about environmentally friendly and sustainable practices, and organic certification in the wine industry. He mentioned Southbrook Vineyards, who earlier this year released the first biodynamic wine produced in Canada,  a 2008 Cabernet Rosé. I recently became enamored with Malivoire chardonnay, which was recommended to me by an LCBO employee who explained some basics of organic wineries to me including the fact that some wineries – such as Malivoire – engage in organic principles without being certified. Jeremy touched on this in his talk as well. Then again, as Daniel Speck of Henry of Pelham told Margaret Webb when she interviewed him for her book Apples To Oysters, “organic” is somewhat of a misnomer since it could be natural but still toxic (I’m paraphrasing).

Second course:   Gamay Noir Droit+Le douanier

Next up was Chateau des Charmes Gamay Noir  and Le Douanier cheese. The wine tasted of berries, especially cherries. It was bright (if that’s a suitable wine word) and jammy, but not like Port is jammy. The cheese was nutty, soft and sweet. Jeremy explained that there are two lines of this cheese.  One is made from milk collected in the morning, the other is made from milk collected in the evening. Morning milk contains more colostrum, the evening milk more minerality. Both the wine and cheese were yummy and the fat content of the cheese coated the tongue to add another level to the wine.

Third course: Fielding Estate Red Conception + Le  baluchon cheese

The Fielding Estates Red Conception is many reds in one. It’s made with so many varietals that Sarah and I were comparing our notes and asking Jeremy to repeat the list. I gave up trying to list them all because that’s what the internet is for: Looking these things up. Here’s what the winery’s website says:

Varietal Composition:

See wine full description here. I can’t even spell many of those. My friend Jennifer declared this her favourite. I noted the words “oak” and “plum”.

The Le Baluchon cheese was soft, mild and buttery. Some, including Sue Riedl of the Globe and Mail, describe it as “barny”. For me, the barny cheese was the next one. In the interest of space and time, I’ll save that for part 2 and leave you with this: While describing this wine Jeremy spoke one of the best lines of the evening in reference to government rules and regulations,

…LCBO. Or, as we refer to them, the KGBO.

Stay tuned for part 2…

Being budget conscious I resisted temptation to order the “Fixed Flight of Ontario VQA Wines”, a flight of 3 oz pairings + 1 oz of Henry of Pelham Late Harvest Riesling for dessert. $19 was steep – although I’m sure it was worth it. I’m a fan of Henry of Pelham and their Riesling and a couple of friends who know the family that owns and operates the winery have gotten me into their wine and their story (I had the pleasure of meeting Daniel Speck at last year’s Picnic at the Brickworks when my friend Kerri introduced us).

I ordered a glass of the Flat Rock Chardonnay 2007. It tasted nice and clean with hints of vanilla and apple and went really well with the amuse bouche – although I sipped it slowly to savour through all courses. I’m also a fan of Flat Rock’s line of “Twisted” wines.

The menu:

A bread basket of red fife whole wheat biscuits, petits pains, multi-grain rotis and butter rosettes.

Amuse Bouche: Ruby Beet, Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese Roulade with potato “hay” and pea tendrils.

Appetizer: Summer minestrone soup topped with arugula pesto.

Mains: Choice or “pork or pepper” [Imagine hearing the waitress ask that to each of 8 individuals sitting around the table. It reminded me of a game of "duck duck goose".] The pork: Roast Berkshire Port Loin– Caramelized shallot and apple cider jus. The pepper: Stuffed Red Peppers– Quinoa, pine nuts, apricots and chickpeas, baked with honey and balsamic vinegar, dusted with smoked almond Dukkah.

Sides: All mains were accompanied by crisp potato rosti and “Tian” of zucchini, tomato and herbs.

Dessert: Fresh Blueberry Tart with lemon cream and an edible flower garnish.

Amused:

The potato “hay” on the amuse bouche were crispy potatoes, lightly salted. Reminded me almost of a potato latke flavour. As far as I’m concerned there’s never anything wrong with crispy potatoes. The beet was moist and juicy, sweet, slightly tart from what I think was treatment with vinegar. The swiss chard was wonderfully earthy.

Souped:

The minestrone was a mixture of a tomato base with tomatoes, broccoli, onion, potato, cauliflower, carrots and green beans  topped with arugula pesto and a shredded mild cheese that I couldn’t identify. It gave me a warm fuzzy feeling.

Pepper, Pepper, Pepper, Pepper, PORK!

(In retrospect I should have gotten a photo of the pork. Maybe Sarah or Greg C. or Sheryl got one.)

I was lax on the notes here. I was the only one taking notes (how do the others do it when they blog about meals?) and was getting into the rhythm of conversation, a conversation that included the book and film Julie and Julia (Sheryl, as she’s posted many times, is not a fan of the book), cooking vs. watching cooking shows, the reality of cooking dishes from cookbooks written by current celebrity chefs, the place of the Food Network and Giada De Laurentiis’s rack (well, I’d have referred to it as a “rack” but Sheryl beat me to it with a similar comment while I was waiting my turn). Occasionally non-food topics arose. Foodie 411 at the end of the table was fairly quiet except for a couple of comments about farmer’s markets.

“Crunchy on top” was all I wrote in my notes and Sheryl and I discussed Dukkah. In the last couple of days I’d read reference to it in a post about almonds (I think on Serious Eats: Talk, someone questioning what to do with an abundance of almonds) but I didn’t know what Dukkah was (nor did I really know until right now when I grabbed the link). The dish was quite nice but I wasn’t in love with the potato rosti. There was a flavour that I couldn’t identify nor was pleased with. The vegetables were fresh and flavourful. I pushed aside the green stuff.

Homer was right: Purple IS a fruit… but it’s also a flower

Sarah said that I got the best flower

I liked the light, crispy crust with a slight chewiness and just a hint of oil.

Look at those berries!

Look at those luscious berries! They were juicy and plump. I was reminded of Violet Beauregarde of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

I got a lovely surprise when I bit into a piece of lemon zest and found that it was candied.  Crisp and sweet-tart!

The lemon cream was light and fluffy and the texture played well with the juicy berries and crispy crust but wasn’t the highlight and without it the dessert would have been just as good.

A good time was had. All the dishes were great, with most having some components that I liked better than others. The conversation was enjoyable. There were laughs and smiles and a toast. It was a really nice, comfortable evening.

I will go back for more. I’d been for their opening party where I got to speak with farmers and producers and had a lovely chat about food photography with one of the guys Seth from Forbes Wild Foods (I thought that I blogged it and put photos on Flickr, but can’t find either). It’s worth regular visits to see what the chef will do next, and possibly get some inspiration. I’d really like to check out more tastings. The challenge of course, is overcoming the mental barrier of spending the money. Heck, if I’m going to indulge in anything, it will be food. (My comic book graphic novel habit never took off due to financial priority.)

**

About Harvest Wednesdays

Harvest Wednesdays is a weekly event at the Gladstone Hotel. Some weeks offer a three course dinner (+ amuse bouche), some weeks is more of a cocktail party with hors d’oeuvres. Regardless, each week between July and October chef Marc Breton serves up fare made with the contents of that week’s fresh produce harvested and distributed by Chick-a-Biddy Acres CSA. As well, local meats, cheeses, wines and beers are used.Local ingredients are used in the meal as much as possible. To find out more, see the schedule and past menus and buy tickets go to the Gladstone Hotel’s website.