David Garcelon – Sheryl Kirby

In Toronto:

We’re getting closer to the opening of Bellwoods Brewery (124 Ossington Avenue), with the news that chef Guy Rawlings has left Lucien to consult on the menu for the picnic-style offerings the brewery will have to go with their beer. This collaboration has been in the works since last summer, with Rawlings working at various places around town until the project was ready.

The Fairmont Royal York (100 Front Street West) welcomes Chef Collin Thornton as the new Executive Chef. Thornton comes from The Fairmont Orchid in Hawaii and takes over from Chef David Garcelon who is now at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

Catch, a sustainable seafood restaurant from the people behind the Rushton has opened on St. Clair West. Apparently they don’t want you to eat there, however, as they’ve not bothered to put the address on their website. (It’s 744 St. Clair Avenue West, by the way, but I shouldn’t have had to go searching for it…)

Ultra Supper Club (314 Queen Street West) has closed its doors and will be replaced by a nightclub called Cube.

Continue reading “Lucky Dip – Thursday, February 23rd, 2012”

We hear more and more news stories about how fish stocks are dwindling world-wide. Consumers are told to search out sustainable fish, but most of us don’t really know what that means. Even if we are conscious of the problem and make an effort – carrying one of those wallet cards, for instance, or grilling our fishmongers as to the origins of their wares – it’s still tough to know exactly where our fish dinner is coming from. And when it comes to restaurants, it’s even tougher.

Restaurants have small profit margins, and the temptation for a chef to serve something cheap and cheerful is often high. The fish we love to eat the most are the ones that are most at risk, and restaurants play an important role in teaching and encouraging customers about choosing sustainable options.

Ocean Wise is a programme created by the Vancouver Aquarium to do just that. Working directly with restaurants and markets, Ocean Wise is a non-profit association dedicated to the education of consumers which allows them to make sustainable choices. The Ocean Wise logo next to a menu item or in a shop is an assurance that the item is a good choice for keeping ocean life healthy and abundant for generations to come.

Continue reading “Wise Up – A New Way to Choose Sustainable Fish”