The Royal Winter Agricultural Fair is now open until November 13, 2016 at the Exhibition Place, Toronto. Start the holiday season early by attending one of the largest combined indoor agricultural fairs and international equestrian competitions in the world. The fair takes place every November in Toronto, and it is where guests can enjoy the best in agriculture, local food, and equestrian competitions from across the country. There are so many things to do, and see at this year's The Royal Winter Agricultural Fair.




I had the pleasure of attending The Royal Dinner with Chef Michael Bonacini that was held at the Enercare Centre, Exhibition Place on November 6. Michael Bonacini created a fabulous four course menu that highlighted Canadian agriculture. The dinner heavily defines what The Royal Winter Agricultural Fair was all about. Guests got the opportunity to experience an exclusive farm-to-table dining experience featuring a four course meal. All of the dishes served were made with select ingredients sourced from Ontario producers and exhibitors.



The dinner was prepared by Chef Michael Bonacini, who is the co-founder of one of Canada’s leading fine dining restaurant companies, Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants. Bonacini’s restaurants include Jump, Canoe, Auberge du Pommier, Biff’s Bistro, Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill (four locations), Luma, O&B Canteen, Bannock, and the all-new America Restaurant (in collaboration with INK Entertainment). I have been to several Oliver & Bonacini restaurants in the past, so I was looking forward to the dinner.

1st course - The Watercress and Poached Pear Salad - ermine blue cheese, fig, sherry vinaigrette was a refreshing start. The combination of all ingredients created a pleasant depth of flavor to the salad. Particularly, I enjoyed the tartness of the sherry vinaigrette. This dish was paired with Sparkling Riesling, 2013 VQA Iridescence.

2nd course - The next course was the Northern Woods Mushroom and Porcini Crema Soup - leek, potato, lemon thyme, which was made of six varieties of mushrooms and then puréed super fine. I don't like mushrooms very much, but I do enjoy mushroom soup occasionally. This soup had a delectable velvety texture and rich flavor. This dish was paired with Merlot, 2012 VQA Dean's List Loyalist College Niagara.

3rd course -  Out of the four courses, this particular main course stole the show. The Wellington County Braised Beef Short Rib - wilted greens, chateau potato, carrot, red wine jus was incredibly tender, and the flavors blended together harmoniously. Loved every bite! This dish was paired with Cabernet Franc "101", 2013 VQA Southbrook Vineyards.

4th course - The meal ended off on a sweet note with the Fireweed Honey Butter Tart - creme anglaise, vanilla ice cream. This dish was paired with Riesling, 2014 VQA Fielding Estate Winery. The Butter Tart Competition has been an important part of The Royal Winter Agricultural Fair for many decades, and it is a nod to it.

Photo Credit: Grace Y. Royal Horse Show Prior to The Royal Dinner, my friend and I were able to enjoy the Horse Show, and walked around on the grounds. Please enjoy the photos from The Royal Winter Agricultural Fair.

Photo Credit: Grace Y.

Photo Credit: Grace Y. Royal Winter Agricultural Fair  Algoma Highlands Wild Blueberry Home Style Jam

Old Mill MapleWorks


Kricklewood Farm Cold Pressed Sunflower Oil 



How's Fantastic Hot Apple Dumplings 


Haut Goat's Goat Milk Caramel Corn 


Speziale Fine Foods (finest cured and smoked meats)


Nana's Kettle Corn 

The Royal Winter Agricultural Fair is now open until November 13, 2016 at the Exhibition Place, Toronto. Start the holiday season early by attending one of the largest combined indoor agricultural fairs and international equestrian competitions in the world. The fair takes place every November in Toronto, and it is where guests can enjoy the best in agriculture, local food, and equestrian competitions from across the country. There are so many things to do, and see at this year's The Royal Winter Agricultural Fair including an extravagant dining experience with Michael Bonacini this upcoming Sunday, November 6, 2016.  

 

Basic Information: 

Date: November 4 to November 13, 2016

Hours: Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm, Sun, Nov 6 from 9 am to 8 pm and Sun, Nov 13 from 9 am to 6 pm

Location: Exhibition Place,Toronto, Ontario. M6K 3C3
Price: $16 Youth (4-17)   $19 Senior (65+)   $25 Adult (18-64)   $56 Family Pass (2 Adults / 2 Youth)
Buy: Buy Tickets Here
Website: http://www.royalfair.org/

One of this year's noteworthy events will be the The Royal Dinner with Michael Bonacini, renowned chef and co-founder of the Oliver & Bonacini restaurant group. Guests will have the opportunity to experience an exclusive farm-to-table dining experience featuring a four course meal. I will be attending the dinner this Sunday, so you can follow the live coverage on both my Instagram and Twitter accounts. 

Candy Apple with Nuts 

Jams & Jellies 

What's New

 Boots and Hearts Music Showcase: The Royal Winter Agricultural Fair and Boots and Hearts Music Festival have partnered to bring up-and-coming Canadian country music stars to this year's event. The winner of the 2016 Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase, Vanessa Marie Carter, along with two finalists, Jesse Gold and Robyn Ottolini, will perform live Saturday, November 12 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Check The Royal site for details. 

Ring of Excellence: This year, visitors can expect an even better viewing experience as a substantial investment has been made to the Ring of Excellence, The Royal's main livestock show ring. The Ring has increased in size by 25 per cent and will include premium show suites, full hospitality capabilities and more general seating. State-of-the-art digital capacities will enable live streaming, delivering The Royal to a global audience. 

Road House Barn Dance: Fair-goers are invited to kick-up their boots and join country music stars, the Colt Walker band, in The Royal's brand new Ring of Excellence for the first-ever Royal Barn Dance on Wednesday, November 9 from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Click here for more details.  

The Royal Classics:

The Royal Wine Competition, the Canadian Craft Beer and Ontario Cider Awards are just a few of the exciting events happening at The Royal. If fabulous cuisine is more your scene, check out the fourth annual Egg Farmers of Ontario Road to the Royal Chef Challenge. The Chef's Challenge is the culmination of six events across Ontario that served as qualifiers for the final challenge. The Royal will host the semi-final and final rounds. On Sunday, November 6, The Royal will host internationally acclaimed chefs from Ireland, New York City and Toronto for the Royal International Invitational Chef Challenge. Finally, support the next generation of top-chefs by going to the second annual The Royal High School Chef Competition.  More food and lifestyle event info can be found here.

Excellence in Horsemanship: What visit to The Royal is complete without taking in North America's number one indoor equestrian event? From Olympic Gold medalists Nick Skelton and Big Star of Great Britain and Michael Jung of Germany, competing in Show Jumping and Indoor Eventing respectively to the enchanting Sylvia Zerbini and her Arabian Horses, the Royal Horse Show is spectacular sport and entertainment.

 

 Paese Ristorante is an Italian eatery serving classic Italian cuisine on Bathurst and Wilson in North York, ON. Their extensive menu is divided into several sections such as salads, antipasto, pasta, pizza, fish & meat, and sides. Paese opened over 25 years ago, and has become a neighborhood staple when it comes to homemade Italian-inspired cuisine. Walking into the restaurant, we were quickly seated at the table with natural sunlight shining in and given water. I found the overall ambiance to be quite inviting and warm. Their main dining area downstairs does not have many tables, however, they do offer a private room upstairs to accommodate larger parties. Paese Ristorante has been in business since 1989, and is still thriving today as a result of their ever-changing menus, and warm hospitality.

The menu stays true to Paese Ristorante's philosophy of "Inspired in Italy, Made in Canada". The dishes are handcrafted and house-made using traditional techniques that are combined with distinctive and original made-in-Canada twists.

We started the evening off with complimentary Focaccia Bread - with roasted red peppers, goat cheese, and tapenade. It was a nice change from the bread and olive oil that diners usually get from other Italian restaurants.  

Next up was the Grilled Octopus ($18) - potato, grilled escarole, mint, lemon and chill, which was a great starter. The grilled octopus was beautifully charred, but still remained tender and had a nice texture to them. I also enjoyed the refreshing lightness of the citrus sauce, and the potatoes complement the octopus rather well.

My friend got the Warm Goat Cheese Salad ($14) - baby kale, grilled zucchini and sweet pepper spaghetti with farro, toasted pine nuts and mint pesto vinaigrette, as his appetizer. The lightly tossed salad was not overpowered by the dressing, so that you get the full flavor of the zucchini, sweet pepper, and toasted pine nuts. The addition of the goat cheese was exceptional with the mint pesto vinaigrette.

I could definitely eat a whole order of the Polenta Fries ($10) - crisp polenta fries with roasted garlic aioli, sundried tomato ketchup. The outer layer was golden and crisp, while the interior was creamy. Great contrast in terms of textures, and a nice twist on traditional french fries.

As my main, I opted for the Grilled Shrimp Linguini ($25) - roasted pepperoncini, garlic and tomato arrabiata sauce. The linguini was cooked al dente, so there was a bit of chewiness. One main problem that I had with the linguini was that some of the strands were stuck together. This didn't completely ruin my experience with the main dish, as the shrimp had such a nice flavor to them that I enjoyed the dish overall. 

My friend got one of the specials, which was Beef Tenderloin & Potatoes ($25) - red wine jus, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

We ended up sharing one dessert, the Mango Gelato - with a sugar-dusted pizzelle. Since it was just gelato, it wasn't a memorable dessert, but it was a good finish to a delightful dinner. 

The atmosphere at Paese Ristorante makes it a very versatile place for lunch or dinner whether it be catching up with friends, on a date, or special occasions. It was a rather busy Thursday, and despite attending to other tables, our server remained attentive to us as well. Overall, I had an enjoyable dining experience at Paese Ristorante, and it's quite a gem in the neighborhood. Paese Ristorante is open daily for lunch (11:30 am to 2:30 pm) and dinner (5:30 pm to 11:30 pm).

Social Media:

Instagram || Twitter  || Website

Disclaimer: The food provided in this post was complimentary. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.

Over 300 food enthusiasts came together to enjoy the inaugural Toronto Catering Showcase presented by EventSource.ca on October 16, 2016. The grand event took place at the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon, where guests got to indulge in culinary delights prepared by 12 of Toronto’s most notable catering companies.




The Toronto Catering Showcase allowed guests to enjoy an afternoon of pure epicurean indulgence (pictures below). The event was $65 all-in, and provided all-inclusive access to culinary masterpieces, wines and craft beers from the top caterers in the Toronto area. Besides the delicious dishes, the event also featured local wines by the renowned Peller Estates, and a wide selection of craft beer provided by Brew Box Co.

Overall, the event was very well organized, and all 12 caterers were spaced out accordingly. There was a lot of room to walk around, and plenty of seating available. The event was also the perfect opportunity to scope out potential caterers for an upcoming event or wedding. However, it wasn't limited to those looking for event planning, Toronto Catering Showcase was fun for couples, families, and everyday culinary connoisseurs.

Please enjoy the food pictures from this year's Toronto Catering Showcase 2016 below. For more pictures of the fun, please check out the hashtag #TCS2016 on Instagram and Twitter.

10tation Event Catering

Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Website

East Coast Duo - seared scallop, poached lobster, celeriac puree, granny smith apple, bisque, celery leaves, and kale

Guests enjoyed live music from Wellington Music


Overall, the event was successfully put together, and I had a lot of fun.