Gourmet Food & Wine Expo in Toronto



 

Finally, the time has come for my favourite event of the year! The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo is an annual event that attracts a unique crowd of food and wine enthusiasts every year in Toronto. It offers an interactive and educational approach to the field of gastronomy. My favourite part of the experience is sampling award winning wines by the glass and being able to interact with the ambassadors at each booth. Last year there were several Canadian wineries as well as international brands and even port makers from Porto in Portugal, which I happen to be a huge fan of.

 

The atmosphere is very busy and the experience is very hands on, so come prepared.

Here are some tips if this is your first time attending the expo:

 

1. Bring a pen so you can write down the wines you enjoyed or restaurants you sampled. You may think you will remember everything, but after a few glasses of wine...you won't.

 

2. If you work in the industry, it is a great networking event as well so bring business cards.

 

3. Eat before you come. The samples are, well, samples. And you will be able to handle more drinks on a full stomach.

 

4. Look at the list of exhibitors before you go. Once you have established the must-visit booths, it will be easier to navigate across the crowded show floor.

 

5. Get out of your comfort zone. Don't go for the usual Riesling that you buy every weekend. Instead, try a vintage blend that you've never had before (or never purchased because of the price). If you had ever contemplated the risks of buying a $80 bottle of wine, worried that you won't enjoy the taste, this is the time to try that $3 sample and make a note of what you liked and disliked.

 

5. Finally, bring FRIENDS! It is always more fun in a group- make sure you coordinate a meeting point if you split up. Last year my phone battery died from taking too many pictures and I spent a long time trying to find my group in the end.



Food, Art, Wine and Friends





Live Chef Demo



 



Wine Tastings



Niagara and International Wineries





Maritime Lobster

 

 

For more information and tickets click HERE.

 

I will be attending the event, so if you would like to see pictures and updates, follow me on Twitter : @katiakhaddadine

 



Gusto 101

Situated at 101 Portland St. just off King West, Gusto 101 is definitely my new favorite spot in the area. I was planning where to go out for drinks and dinner before heading for a night out with friends, and stumbled on a tweet about this newly opened restaurant. I decided to search for it on Google street view and this is what I found: an old garage for sale. I did not give up however.

I called to make reservations ahead as it was Sunday night, and Monday was a holiday, but they do not take reservations.

We headed over around 9 pm and the restaurant was completely full, with a 15 minute wait for a table of 4. I heard great things about their Vini di Gusto (Malbec and a Sauvignon Blanc) which are made on site in their basement winery, so I headed over to the bar right away. Unfortunately they sold out of it just a week after their opening, so we opted for a bottle of Megalomaniac’s 2009 Narcissist Riesling which is always a great choice!

The décor is very rustic with gorgeous brick and wood accents contrasted by more modern light fixtures and furniture. My favourite was the open concept kitchen with a huge Tuscan wood-fire grill.

I was eager to try everything on the menu, but we decided to just share 3 different dishes followed by dessert and another bottle of wine.

I had the Moroccan “brick chicken,” which is cooked sous-vide then finished on the grill and served with Swiss chard and garlic smashed potatoes ($17)

. My friends shared the Beef tartare, topped with figs, ricotta, arugula and truffle oil ($14.50 )

and Mozzarelola di Bufala- roasted tomatoes, basil oil, parmigiano crisp, smoked paprika ($15)

which were all amazing dishes!

The portions aren’t very big so don’t count on a big filling dinner, but I personally prefer tapas bars so these portions were perfect for sharing along with some drinks.

The service was fantastic and despite the crowded restaurant and Gusto being open for only 2 weeks, the server was very attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. He recommended we try the dessert trio and I am glad we did!

Desserts come in mini-portions and include mascarpone tiramisu, dark chocolate mousse with caramel, olive oil and sea salt, and wild lemon air, which was my personal favourite: aerated limoncello with fizzy candy, candied celery and a sprinkle of ground coffee ($3 each or $8.50 for a combo of all three).

We also got a little home made biscotti to go with it

There is nothing negative that I could say about Gusto 101, the staff are friendly and attentive, food was amazing, wine selection was great and the atmosphere is very warm and inviting. Will definitely come back to try that malbec!