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Arcadian Launch Party

Wed, 02 May 2012 15:16:51 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Jessica

Last night, over 1500 people joined us for the exciting launch of Arcadian, our newest event complex at Queen and Bay. As guests explored the newly renovated Arcadian Court and the all-new Arcadian Loft, they were treated to live music by Sole Power Productions, a variety of classic cocktails, and delectable bites from Arcadian, Jump, Canoe, and Auberge du Pommier, and from our food sponsors, EDO sushi, The Cheese Boutique, Sysco, The Butcher Shoppe, and Bobbette & Belle. To mark the occasion, everyone had the opportunity to take photos in a classic photo booth, courtesy of Snapz Photo Booth, but not before getting their shoes shined by John Allan’s. Looking good, everyone!

Arcadian Court in full swing with live entertainment.

Canoe's Chef de Cuisine, John Horne torching maple glazed salmon.

Arcadian's a la minute steak and (quail) eggs - roasted peppercorn beef tenderloin with spring pea and potato hash, fried egg and Ontario ramp chimichurri.

Fall-off-the-bone lamb popsicles with lemongrass mint syrup.

Bobbette & Belle's beautiful sweet treat display - caramel popcorn, macarons, hot chocolate and marshmallow shots, mini cupcakes and tarts, assorted two bite cookies and meringues.

Arcadian Loft foyer.

Freshly shucked Canadian oysters by Oyster Boy.

Cherry vine ripe tomato BLTs.

Tiny Arcadian Court chicken pot pie!

Beautiful view of Old City Hall in Arcadian Loft during sunset.

For more photos, please visit our Flickr gallery.

We would like to thank all our sponsors for making the evening such a success! In addition to everyone mentioned above, special thanks to our partners The Bay and Compass Group Canada, and to our additional sponsors:

Absolut Elyx
AVW-Telav
Balloon Corporate Events
Bamford Produce
BizBash
Cave Spring
Divine Furniture Rental
Event Rental Group
iceFX
Jackie O
KC's Hats
Oink & Coo Photography
Oyster Boy
Perrier-Jouët
Pink Twig
Porter
Profile Wine Group
Stemz
The Little Red Button
The Westin
Valencienne
Windermere House
Wiser's Legacy

Canoe Shack-Up

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:34:24 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

Last night, Canoe hosted a reception and 5 course tasting dinner in celebration of the launch of the Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack book. (You can purchase the book online here!) Chefs Martin Picard and Anthony Walsh put together an incredible menu and it was truly an honour to have Martin and his crew in our kitchen.

I think the photos (entire photoset here) speak for themselves, so without further ado...

Canoe Shack-Up menu

Chef Marc St. Jacques (of Auberge du Pommier) preparing the salmon for the reception

Oyster Boy station.

Chef Picard smiling for the camera, in between book-signing.

Introductions by Chefs Walsh and Picard.

Dusk at Canoe.

First course: foie gras tarte tatin with onion jam and Lancaster cheddar

Iced cedar sap intermezzo

Loved all the plaid in the kitchen!

Martin & Anthony, hamming it up.

PDC Pastry Chef, Gabrielle, working on the mille feuille dessert course.

Mille feuille served family style.

Signed menu by all the chefs involved in the evening's dinner.

To view more pictures from the evening, please click here for our full Flickr photoset!

Greta Constantine at Arcadian Loft

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:14:46 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Nancy

Arcadian Loft, O&B’s newest event space, launched last Friday evening with the debut of Greta Constantine’s FW2012 Collection!

The new space was buzzing with excitement all throughout as guests mingled in the foyer, adorned with plush, white leather banquettes and chic chandeliers and the main L-shaped room which was set up as a perfectly intimate runway for showcasing the duo’s latest collection.

After much anticipation, the lights finally dimmed and the music turned up. As the models stepped onto the runway, the window screens along the back wall were lifted to reveal the space’s dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of Queen Street and Toronto’s Old and New City Halls – a stunning urban backdrop for any event. The collection was a sophisticated palette with the first half featuring deep, rich colours and the second half featuring a variety of black looks.

Designers Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong at the end of the show.

For more photos of Arcadian Loft, check out our Flickr!

For more information on Arcadian, please contact our Events team at 416.364.1211 or events@oliverbonacini.com.

Arcadian

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:34:53 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

Arcadian - our new event facility on the 8th floor of the Simpson Tower will officially launch in May with the re-opening of Arcadian Court. Our beautiful new modern event facility, Arcadian Loft, will be launching later this week. This panoramic photo was taken a few day ago (courtesy of Vivian Liu) and the space looks incredible.

Look at that view of Old City Hall!

Click here for a larger view.

For site tours and bookings, please contact our O&B Events team at 416.364.1211.

Rising Star Chef Dinner

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:09:11 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by

Last night, our very own Canoe Sous Chefs Amanda Ray and Julie Marteleira presented an exceptional four-course dinner at The Chefs’ House as part of the Rising Star Chef Dinners – a series of monthly dinners showcasing cutting-edge Canadian chefs who already have an established culinary repertoire.

The evening’s menu was a creative collaboration between the two chefs, inspired by their cooking and travel experiences both within Canada and abroad – the use of local products was ample through the menu.

With the open concept kitchen, guests were able to speak with the chefs about the food, starting off with the selection of hors d’oeuvres, including Beet Cured Salmon on flax flatbread with chive crème fraîche, Crispy Egg Yolk with braised ox-tail.

Although guests were seated for the four-course dinner, the overhead cameras in the kitchen and monitors throughout the dining space at The Chefs' House allowed guests to observe and take part in the process of each course’s creation, from plating to garnishing and expediting.

First Course:
Goat Cheese Mousse, butternut squash vinaigrette, cured Niagara soppresata, watercress foam & fried sage

Second Course:
Gigante Bean Stew, PEI mussels & panko crusted provimi veal sweetbreads, Fordhook mustard greens

Third Course:
St. Canut Braised Pork Shoulder with cast iron potatoes, caramelized onions, dandelion, candied kumquats & triple crunch jus

Fourth Course:
Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Puff with mint gel, chocolate glace, crystallized mint & candied lime

Again, congratulations to both Amanda and Julie for a fantastic dinner! The George Brown students, along with the dinner guests, all came away with an incredible experience. The entire photoset from last night can be found on Flickr.

Bannock T-shirts for Sale!

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:25:26 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

I'm very happy to say that our Bannock t-shirts are now available for purchase! Stop by our Bannock grab & go counter and you'll be able to pick one up for $25. (Adult men's and women's sizes available in S / M / L / XL)

The women's shirt has 3/4 length sleeves with a slight scoopneck, whereas the men's shirts are your traditional t-shirts.

The designs were a collaborative effort with Toronto-based textile printing artist, Yasmine Louis. (She is currently selling her work at the One of a Kind Christmas Show until Dec. 5th, so be sure to visit her at booth L-13!) Both shirts feature vintage maps - one design is of flight routes across Canada circa 1964; the other design is a map of Hudson's Bay, as drawn by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin in the mid 1700's.

Design #1:

Design #2:

We love both designs and hope you do as well!

Arcadian - Coming 2012

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:08:26 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by

Our new event spaces and sales offices are still under construction on the 8th and 9th floors at the Simpson Tower at Queen & Bay. Deborah Gee (Head of Sales at Oliver & Bonacini Events) gives us an idea of what is to come in the new year!

3 Chefs Win Gold Award!

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:34:47 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Jessica

The Canadian Culinary Books Awards were presented last night at a gala ceremony at the Royal Winter Fair. Presented by Cuisine Canada and The University of Guelph, the annual awards celebrate the richness and diversity of Canadian cuisine.

We’re pleased to announce that 3 Chefs: The Kitchen Men was awarded gold in the English-language cookbook category!

The 3 Chefs with host, Christine Cushing

The 3 Chefs with Alison Fryer of the Cookbook Store.

For a listing of all the winners from last night's event, please see links below:

- University of Guelph
- Macleans

Foodstock

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:43:35 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

Thousands showed up for Foodstock yesterday afternoon, in support of the movement to Stop the Mega Quarry. It was a fantastic event and below are just a few images I managed to capture:

Chef Walsh, grilling up the cornbread to serve with the chili.

The beautiful woods.

Some lines were lengthy, but well worth the wait.

Large pot of stock being kept warm for the autumn harvest minestrone at booth 63.

Chili and cornbread from O&B - a perfect fall dish.

Luma Lunchboxes during TIFF 2011

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:55:33 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

Until September 18th, you can get a Luma Lunchbox to go for just $15. Each contains Chef Bangerter's daily sandwich, salad, bottled water, Activia yoghurt, as well as a small treat. (this one contained a couple of almond cookies) Pick up a lunchbox at the O&B Canteen grab & go counter or on the 2nd floor of the TIFF Bell Lightbox at the BlackBerry Lounge.

Bake Bannock

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:17:18 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Nancy

This week, the staff of our new restaurant, Bannock, were treated to a fun training session with special guests Jamie Kennedy and Anita Stewart! After learning about the history of Bannock in Canada, each member of the team had a chance to make and taste different types of savoury and sweet Bannock.

Anthony Walsh, Michael Bonacini, Jamie Kennedy, and Anita Stewart speaking about the significance of bannock in Canada, its relevance to the country's heritage and role in Canadian cuisine.

The team ready to make some bannock in the kitchen!

Here's a peek at one of the stations set up with all of the bannock making ingredients, along with jars of vegetables freshly pickeld by Chefs Paul Brans and Luke Kennedy. These pickles, including green beans, white string beans, cucumbers, apricots, yellow plums and peaches, will be incorporated into several menu items at Bannock.

Bannock making!

Bannock opening chef Paul Brans puts the finishing touches on the sweet bannock dough before sending it off to the oven.

Chef Jamie Kennedy working the dough.

Chef de Cuisine Luke Kennedy checking on the bannock.

Bannock fresh out of the oven. A perfect combination of crispy and crumbly on the outside, with a light and moist doughy inside - almost like a scone.

Executive Chef Anthony Walsh and Jamie Kennedy ready to sample the oven-fresh bannock!

Summerlicious Melon & Cucumber Gazpacho

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:55:21 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

Learn how to make the melon gazpacho recipe from Auberge du Pommier's Summerlicious 2011 menu. Executive Chef Marc St. Jacques takes you step by step in the video below:

Also, Auberge du Pommier (416.222.2220) will open up extra seating for Summerlicious on the terrace when the weather permits!

Printable Recipe (PDF)

Melon & Cucumber Gazpacho

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium sized melon (honeydew or Galia)
2 cucumbers, preferably seedless
Champagne vinegar to taste
Lime juice to taste
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
3 large leaves of basil
1 large sprig of mint
½ a red onion, medium sized, peeled & sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 cups bread, day old, cut into large cubes
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Peel the melon and cucumbers. Split them in half and remove all the seeds with a spoon. Chop into large squares. Season the cucumber and melon with salt and pepper. Dress with the champagne vinegar, lime juice and olive oil so that it tastes like a heavily dressed salad. Add the basil leaves and mint sprig.

Slice the red onion thinly and add to the crushed garlic and the cubed bread in a non-reactive (plastic or glass) bowl. Pour the marinated cucumber and melon mixture over top, cover with plastic wrap and place a weight (such as a small plate) over top to keep pressure on the fruit. This will allow the marinade to drain to the bottom of the dish and the bread to absorb the liquid. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

The next day, remove from the refrigerator and strain, reserving the liquid. Remove the basil and mint leaves and place half of the mixture in the blender. Blend at medium speed and slowly add the reserved marinade until the soup starts to blend smoothly. Be careful not to add the marinade too quickly as your mixture will become too watery. Slowly drizzle in more olive oil until the soup begins to thicken and take on a sheen. Re-season to taste with salt and lime Juice.

For the Garnish

Melon, small dice
Mint leaves
Basil leaves, small
Chilies, such as red jalapeno, thinly sliced
Seafood, such as poached shrimp or lobster
Extra virgin olive oil
Toast croutons (grilled or baked)

There are many different garnishes that would work great with your gazpacho. We have included some of our favorites, but please make this recipe your own by serving your favorites. Enjoy!

What is Bannock?

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:20:35 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

We shot a video last week with Jerrett Young and Chef Anthony Walsh outside of our soon-to-open restaurant, Bannock, at the corner of Queen and Bay. We also took a quick tour (hardhats and all!) of the restaurant space and talked about the upcoming job fairs and what we might see on the Bannock menu.

Take a peek!

Job fair dates are Saturday, June 25th from 12-4pm and Monday, June 27th from 9am-11am at Biff's Bistro. (4 Front St. E)

Toronto Taste 2011

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:27:08 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

Toronto Taste is an event that we look forward to every year, as the entire restaurant and beverage community always seems to come out for this very worthy cause. On behalf of O&B, Chef Marc St. Jacques of Auberge du Pommier dished out some barbecued lamb riblets and two types of tacos - a lamb mole taco and a braised pork / slaw taco. (So good!) Some pictures from the event, as photographed by Nancy Niu:

Lamb on the barbecue

Lamb riblets

Cutting the lamb ribs

Lamb mole tacos

Pork tacos

Chef Marc St. Jacques and Chef Anthony Walsh

During the live auction

Live Twitter feed being projected onto a large screen inside the ROM

Beerbistro's display of tasty smoked salmon on potato

Böhmer's venison tartare

Chef Thuet's braised pork belly, summer vegetable salad with peach and kaffir coulis served on bannock and wild rice loaf

Buca's torta sanguinaccio - pork blood and chocolate tart with espresso poached fig

Under the tent at Toronto Taste

For our full Flickr photoset, please click here.

Blame it on Tuesday

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:10:48 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by A

Last night was the official patio launch party at O&B Café Grill, Yonge & Front. The DJ spun latin-inspired music throughout the evening and there were even dancers decked out in full-on carnival costumes!

All the passed food from the party can be found on our current bar / patio menu:

• BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders with creamy coleslaw & crispy onions
• Spicy Tuna Maki with cucumber, green onion & spicy mayo
• Chicken & Leek Potstickers with jalapeño ponzu sauce
• Tempura Rock Shrimp with wasabi, lemon & garlic mayo

This summer, we've added a fantastic bar bites platter to share (for 4) which allows you to sample a little bit of everything on the menu!

Stay tuned for Tuesday food and drink specials on the patio and we’ll also be posting updates on Twitter using the #BlameitOnTuesday hashtag.

Behind the Scenes at Windermere House

Wed, 25 May 2011 11:11:48 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

Yesterday, we drove up to Windermere House (where O&B is now the exclusive restaurant and foodservice provider) for a photoshoot with Michael Bonacini. Below are some images and outtakes from behind the scenes:

Chef Bonacini enjoying a chicken panini on the verandah

Chef Bestig putting his final touches on the dish

Rack of lamb from the Rosseau Grill menu

The aftermath of our photoshoot!

“Mr. Hockey” at Toronto Board of Trade

Tue, 10 May 2011 12:21:42 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Jessica

On Thursday May 5th, Oliver & Bonacini Events hosted the Gordie Howe & Friends Lunch, presented by Scotiabank, at Toronto Board of Trade. Attendees had a chance to meet “Mr. Hockey” himself, along with other NHL alumni, including Wendel Clark, George Laraque, Marty McSorley, Dino Ciccarelli, and Johnny Bower, while raising funds for Alzheimer’s research. (photos by Vivian Liu)

Guests had the opportunity to have their picture taken with the Stanley Cup.

Guests scored with O&B Signature Coffee Parfait Cappuccino, Banana Doughnut, and Chocolate Foam.

The City Ballroom buzzing with hockey excitement.

Gordie Howe talking to the press.

Memorabilia on display.

Pâté Battle

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:11:28 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Jessica

Last night, The Drake hosted 86’d Mondays with Ivy Knight: Pâté Battle. Chefs from seven restaurants fought it out over who could prepare the most delectable meaty creation. Our own Jason Bangerter, Executive Chef at Luma, took home first place for his decadent duck pâté with truffle oil, served on O&B artisan bread. Trevor Kitchen and Bar and The Drake won second and third respectively. The real winners of the evening, however, were the “guest judges” - everyone attending got to taste all the delicious creations and vote for a favourite!

Chef Jason’s table before the hungry judges got to it!

Ready to serve…

The battle begins!

Congratulations, Chef!

Buckingham Butties

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 11:17:05 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

As a fun homage to Will and Kate's upcoming nuptials, O&B Canteen will be offering two royally-inspired 'butties' from Monday, April 25 through Friday, April 29.

The "William" - caramelized onions, aged cheddar and Berkshire sausage with grain mustard on multigrain miche:

The "Kate" - pastry cream and Ontario strawberries on a vanilla scone:

For more details, please see our news posting.

Crabtree & Evelyn at Auberge du Pommier

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:36:01 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Kristina

We were at Auberge du Pommier just in time to sneak in some shots of the final setup of a media event for Crabtree & Evelyn. It was absolutely gorgeous with fantastic florals - spring blooms everywhere - not to mention the scents of all the Crabtree & Evelyn products as well! It just shows how beautiful the private rooms in this restaurant are.

Savour Spring

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:01:18 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

This past Saturday at Canoe, Chef de Cuisine John Horne and Executive Chef Anthony Walsh created a multi-course tasting menu (pdf) celebrating the start of the spring season.

Afrim Pristine of The Cheese Boutique was on hand plating an amuse bouche of fresh mozzarella and olives, and Ontario winemakers (Norman Hardie, Twenty Twenty Seven Cellars, Stratus, Charles Baker and Cave Spring) were also on site pouring their own wines to match each dish.

Chilled asparagus soup, organic yogurt mousse, chive oil and crispy phyllo.

Kitchen busy at work.

Poached heritage salmon, micro vegetables, Miner's lettuce and wild spring onion.

The late afternoon sun filling the dining room at Canoe.

Chef John Horne at the pass.

Cedar glazed quail with steel cut oats, stinging nettles and frost grape.

A perfect dessert to end the meal - hot house rhubarb and strawberry mousse with wild ginger foam and pink peppercorn ice cream. You can view more photos over at our Savour Spring photoset on Flickr.

New restaurant at Queen & Bay announced: 'Bannock'

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:38:34 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Kristina

If you’ve been following our tweets this morning, you’ll have seen the name of our new location at Queen & Bay – Bannock! Official construction of the restaurant starts today and we can’t wait to see it come to life.

Bannock is a flatbread originating in Scotland. It came to North America via fur traders and explorers and was adopted by Aboriginal peoples that put their own traditional spin on the basic bread. It was simple to make, easy to transport if needed, and a delightful indulgence.

Those concepts are what our Bannock is based around – ‘Canadian Comfort Food’. Simple, wholesome, delectable and comforting foods inspired around Canada’s many diverse cultures. You will be able to pick something up and run with it, enjoy table service, or take a break on the patio.

Keep reading our blog to find out more about Bannock over the coming weeks. I’ll even try and sneak some construction shots once things get more interesting and maybe even some dishes-in-development…

3 Chefs at the Cookbook Store

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:41:03 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

Just came across this video interview when the 3 Chefs (L-R: Massimo Capra, Jason Parsons and Michael Bonacini) were all at The Cookbook Store, speaking with Alison Fryer. For those interested in purchasing the cookbook, check out our online shop!

Chef Walsh Introduction

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 09:21:38 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Allison

Chef Walsh at the "Picky for Real Food" workshop, introduced by Melissa Yu. You can view more video snippets from the event over at our YouTube channel. (Thanks to Kristina for the video clips!)

Recipes from the GE Café Chef Series at EBW

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 11:34:19 GMT

from Oliver & Bonacini Blog by Kristina

Everyone's been asking for the recipes Chef Walsh prepared with the participants at the GE Café Chef Series... and without further ado, here they are! I can almost smell the meatballs from here...

Braised Meatball Recipe

Pasta Dough Recipe

Apple Crumble Recipe

Bon appetit!!