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.

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!

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 - 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.

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.