In Toronto:
Chef Anthony Rose announced yesterday via The Grid that he’ll be leaving The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West) at the end of the month to open a place of his own. Darren Glew, who has been at The Drake for the past five years, will take over the kitchen.
Simple Bistro (619 Mount Pleasant Road) had rolled out a new spring menu. Chef Matthew Cowan is offering up lots of tasty local fare such as rainbow trout, Grey County rabbit with prunes (put this in my belly now!), venison tartare and mushroom crepe. And brunch offers something called “The Cure” which is not Fat Bob singing Lovecats, but looks instead like the ultimate fry-up with eggs, bacon, sausage and duck confit hash.
Emma’s Country Kitchen (1108 St. Clair Avenue West) is not open yet, but hopes to be serving salads, sandwiches, soups, brunch and pastries to the folks of Corso Italia within the next couple of months.
The folks at Slow Food Toronto are looking for volunteers to help out at The Green Living Show (April 13th – 15th) at the Farm Fresh Fare area they run each year. People who help out and work a 3-hour shift will get a free pass to the show and some food tickets to try some of the food prepared by local chefs.
You should go:
The Grove (1214 Dundas Street West) is almost ready to open, and they’re celebrating with cocktails and canapes on Saturday, March 10th from 6pm onwards.
It’s gonna be crazy packed so you should get your ticket for Beer 4 Boobs before it sells out. Toronto brewsters take over Bar Volo (587 Yonge Street) on March 25th for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
Learn to cook on the cheap at Frugal Feasts a seminar by Lesley Stoyan on how to eat and cook healthy meals on $25/week. Takes place Thursday, March 8th at 6pm at Hart House (7 Hart House Circle). $8 for students, $32 for the rest of y’all. Pre-registration required.
Pasghetti! Tonight’s drop-in dinner at The Depanneur (1033 College Street) is spaghetti and meatballs. The pasta is vegan and will run you $9 for a bowl (with seconds), 3 meatballs or a green salad will run you an extra $3.
In other food news:
This is what a sugar coma looks like… at least if you’re a possum. [I Can Haz Cheeseburger]
What to buy for your favourite chocolate-loving goth or metalhead – a chocolate skull, cast from a real human skull. [Village Voice: Fork in the Road]
Wait now, I thought The Onion was supposed to be parody… then how come I feel as if I know this food-loving guy? [The Onion]
Special thanks to Danielle and Matt for the tips used in today’s Lucky Dip. If you’ve got news I can use, please contact me. And if you like this column, please help spread the word via Facebook and Twitter.