Summerlicious offers Torontonians and its visitors the opportunity to sample foods from 130 of Toronto ’s top eateries.  Restaurants create unique, 3-course, prix-fixe menus for lunch ($15-$20) and dinner ($25-$35 per person).  Reservations begin in mid-June and many popular venues fill up almost instantly.  If you don’t hold an American Express card, it might even be worth getting one for the various perks—including ‘front of the line’ ticket access for the Toronto Film Festival, concerts and yes, Summerlicious reservations.  Restaurants like Canoe, North 44, Bymark and Lobby were booked before reservations opened to the public.  Rob and I made reservations on the very first day and were disappointed to find that these venues were already out of reach.  We perused the culinary candidates on www.toronto.com and came up three finalists for our own Summerlicious experience this year:  Crush Wine Bar, La Maquette and 5^th Elementt.

Before we review our personal experiences at these beautiful venues, we’d just like to preface the scenario by admitting that neither of us feels remotely qualified to rate restaurants.  We LOVE eating and try new foods as often as we can, however we could never justify spending hundreds of dollars on a dinner for two, it’s just not in our budget.  We would much rather hit that local Thai bistro around the corner where we can fill our bellies for under 30 dollars. On a rare, special occasion, we have been known to splurge… the most lavish being our Sultan’s Tent experience (multiple courses, romantic ambiance, and a belly dancing show!). All this being said, we can’t resist the opportunity to check out Toronto ’s trendiest and most upscale places on the cheap.  What we do feel qualified to talk about is our personal, general experience--- here we go!

UPDATE! CANOE- Summerlicious 2009

This year, it seemed like the clouds parted, the angels sang, and we were finally able to make reservations at Canoe! It started like any other Summerlicious (or Winterlicious for that matter) event: we called the restaurant on the first day reservation lines were open,  only to be told they were already totally booked.

We had decided to use what little spare money we had this summer on other adventures, when I heard a panicked, yet excited, yell from Nancy . Canoe had last minute reservations available! She had been reading up on local events on Toronto.com when she

came across a Summerlicious update page announcing what dates/times were still available at the most in-demand restaurants. Apparently, there were still some lunch dates open so we dropped everything and immediately called.

While the lady on the phone was certainly cordial, we started sweating when date after date we inquired about was full. Finally, she was able to fit us in for a 2 p.m. late lunch (I think the desperation in my voice was starting to make her nervous) on a Thursday afternoon.  Since Nancy ’s on summer vacation and I have flexible hours, we booked it!

Finding affordable parking in Toronto ’s financial district can be a challenge during the work week. After scouring the block a few times, we opted for an underground lot for the low price of $20 flat rate! The area is an architectural zoo—if you are a building gawker like myself, then you are in for a treat. Take a walk in this area of town and you will realize first-hand just how short you are in comparison to the mammoth skyscrapers in the city centre. Unfortunately, my neck breaking glances above led to my cracking my ankle at the ground-level—watch out for those uneven patches!  The TD Centre is among Toronto ’s elite business addresses and is home to 21,000 office workers.  The TD Tower is among the highest buildings in the Toronto landscape, boasting a whopping 56 floors! Canoe Restaurant is located on the 54th floor of the TD Tower with a view of lake Ontario to prove it!

The interior design and décor was stylish and classy, not overpowering so as to place the focus on the breathtaking view.  From the 54^th floor, people look like little ants and even some of the buildings below look extraordinarily tiny. It was simply stunning see the boats sailing about the lake and then to be reminded of where we were when helicopters would cruise by under our eye level!  The service staff was incredibly nice and very knowledgeable of the food and wine selections.  We enjoyed our food and appreciated the unique choice of offerings (e.g., Thunder Oak Gouda or Capon breast).  Overall, we can say that though we loved our food, that it was not our favourite Summerlicious experience in terms of menu.  Our two-person jury is still out on that decision but we don’t feel that Canoe’s menu will win top honours.  The view, however, definitely takes first prize!

Here’s a look at Canoe’s Summerlicious 2009 Lunch Menu

(* = Nancy ’s selections/ # = Rob’s selections):

$30 Lunch
plus taxes and gratuity

Chilled Peaches & Cream Corn Soup
Sweet Pea & Chili #
or
Heritage Salmon Tartar
Celeriac Spaghetti, Tarragon & Preserved Lemon
or
Field Tomato Salad
Crumbled C’est Bon Goat Cheese, Rocket & Rosemary *



Pesto Charred Capon Breast
Northern Woods Mushrooms, Crispy Blues & Brown Butter #
or
Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi
Sweet Peas, Thunder Oak Gouda & Basil *
or
Broiled White Bass
Broccoli Hash, Heirloom Tomato Antiboise



Warm Summer Berry Streusel Pie
with Honeyed Oats, Sour Cream Ice Cream & Lemon Thyme *
or
SOMA Chocolate Truffle Cake, Salted Cashew Caramel, Mulled Strawberries & Vanilla Crème Fraîche #
or
Chantalle’s Artesian Canadian Cheese Selection:
Cru du Clocher & La Sauvagine, Walnut Sourdough & Stewed Niagara Plums

( Nancy ordered a Sungria—Canoe’s version of the traditional Sangria for $9 and we both had a cup of coffee after lunch for $4 each.  With taxes and tip, the final bill was just about $100).

For More Information:

Canoe Restaurant   http://www.oliverbonacini.com/canoemovie.html

Since this was our very first visit to Crush, we didn’t realize that the restaurant had a recent ambiance refresher and just re-opened its doors after a 4 week renovation project.  The new space was designed by Ralph Giannone & Associates. We just loved our window seat aside an urban pedestrian alley.  You can also catch a glimpse of Crush’s attractive, covered, outdoor patio. The main room of the restaurant has so much natural light, providing an intimate ambiance for lunchtime diners as it plays off the dark wood chairs and exposed brick walls.  Lofty ceilings are balanced by the dark wooden floors and the dining tables are grace d with pristinely white tablecloths. Crush seems to pride itself on attention to detail, even assuring that you not dine on a crumb-laden tablecloth by clearing them away with a special tool between courses.  Though highly fashionable and in a great location to attract prestigious and business clientele, we found our lunch at Crush to be extremely comfortable.  The staff is friendly, efficient (we had three different people tend to us over the course of our lunch!) and ready to answer any questions that you have about their food and especially about the wine. 

Crush is not your average restaurant, it is a wine bar with a wine list about three times as long as most people’s weekly grocery order. We were so impressed by the book-like caliber of Crush’s diverse list of wines from across the globe.  You can order over 30 different wines by the glass (in varying portions too—2 oz as part of a flight, 3 oz as a “taste” and 5 oz “glass”).  One of the most exciting aspects of the wine menu is the variety of wine flights to try.  A flight of wine is a selection of three different wines, typically organized by type or region, wherein you get to sample 2 oz of each wine.  For example, I tried the “Italy Reds Flight.” Well worth the $17 price tag to try wines that may or may not be available at the local LCBO.  The partners in this wine bar focus on “small growers, winemakers and vintners from around the world who have hands-on relationships with natural wines they produce.” This wine bar goes the distance to bring in fresh and unique wines and does a great job of describing the essences and pairings for each in the extensive wine menu. But, I digress, Summerlicious is more about the food than wine (though we do love our wine!)

Summerlicious menus provide a sampling of what a restaurant has to offer. Crush presents choices that are in-season and attractive (once plated, our food could be instantly deemed to be a work of culinary art). 

Crush’s Summerlicious 2008 Lunch Menu ($20 per person, plus taxes and gratuity):

Watercress Soup with crème friachè
or
Bibb salad with Dijon dressing
or
Summer melon & feta salad



Roast ham with new potato salad and tomato chutney
or
Lake Erie Pickerel with haricots verts & cherry tomatoes
or
Golden beet terrine with goat cheese & arugula salad


Ebony & Ivory chocolate mousse cake with raspberry sauce
or
Lemon poppy seed cake with passion fruit curd & blood orange sauce

The results are in!

Rob’s picks: Watercress soup, Roast ham, and the ‘ebony and ivory’ chocolate cake.

Nancy ’s picks: Summer melon and feta salad, golden beet terrine, and the lemon poppy seed cake, Spanish Reds Flight of Wine, cup of coffee.

Final Price:  $77 including tax and tip

Not being food critics (we consider ourselves uber-amateurs when it comes to fine cuisine), we must concede that we haven’t the slightest idea of how to rate our choices aside from the fact that we both truly enjoyed the food.  I was particularly impressed by the creativity of the chef when it came to the vegetarian option.  Most restaurants don’t look past pasta as a tried and true vegetarian standby meal.  Though not my favourite vegetable, the golden beet terrine was truly impressive, looking like a delicately crafted and layered cube of goat cheese and beet. This creativity is obvious in Crush’s day-to-day menu offerings.

Crush’s regular menus showcase local flavour and flair.  According to their website, the restaurant “has endeavoured whenever possible to support the best local purveyors of food in Ontario .  (Their) aim is to play a part in keeping local farmers viable and integral to our economy and in turn to reduce the environmental impact of our food.”

Crush has its very own on-line reservation engine where you can input your preferred date, time and party size and receive an instant verification of your personal reservation.

The average cost per person for dinner would range between $35 and $50 (without wine).

For More Information or To Make A Reservation at Crush Wine Bar:

Website: www.crushwinebar.com

Phone: 416-9771234

Address: 455 King Street West

E-mail: jamieson@crushwinebar.com

Monthly Newsletter (fresh wine selections from around the world each month)

http://www.crushwinebar.com/e-news2008/news-web-jul08.html

Ange Kanavas, the owner of LaMaquette, is very focused on the community, the world and self-improvement.  According to La Maquette’s site, she personally shops at the market each day and chooses organic ingredients for all of the kitchen’s creations.  The A La Carte menus (Lunch, Dinner, Dessert and Pre-Theatre) offer an array of original gastronomic works. The décor and food represent sheer decadence-- you feel like you are dining in a room fit for a castle.   It’s no surprise that this establishment has won so many awards, including “Most Romantic Spot 2007” (Dine Toronto ) and “Where To Dine Reader’s Choice Award 2008” (Where Toronto--only the top five restaurants in Toronto receive such an award).

La Maquette is located just across from St. James Cathedral and overlooks the Toronto Sculpture Garden .  These artsy and historical surroundings are mirrored in the décor of La Maquette, complete with indoor plants and trees, sculptures, works of art and antique furniture.  When we walked in through the front doors, we were greeted by two very friendly hostesses who were standing behind a gigantic marble table.  At first, we were surprised to find the restaurant practically empty, but soon realized that the patio alongside the garden was brimming with a chatty lunch crowd.  Since it was a bit of a hot day, we opted to enjoy our lunch in the solarium upstairs, which also overlooks the sculpture garden.  This is a very pleasant garden, complete with waterfall—sure to be a great place to each your picnic lunch if you work nearby.  Of course, there was no picnic for us today!  Our waiter was very quick to pull out our seats and assist us with our meal selection.  He was very polite and quite attentive, saying thank you with each interaction. 

La Maquette’s Summerlicious Lunch Menu 2008

($20 per person, not including tax or tip):   

Soup du Jour (which happened to be a no-dairy, vegetable puree)
or
Spinach and Watercress Salad tossed with balsamic dressing garnished

with julienne of bell peppers and tear drop tomatoes


Venison Chop paired with a blackberry & lingonberry reduction and

roast garlic mashed potatoes
or
Grilled Scallop and Shrimp Brochette served with Israeli couscous and

cubed vegetable vinaigrette salad
or
Pasta rigatoni with cubed vegetables and homemade rustic tomato basil sauce
or
Baked Arctic Char-- The Arctic char is closely related to both salmon and trout and has many characteristics of both served with a beet coulis, mini patty pans, aspiration and jasmine essenced rice


Chocolate Raspberry Mini Mousse-- Luscious layers of raspberry and chocolate mousse nestled around chocolate biscuit, finished with a red mirror glaze and raspberry coulis
or
Pineapple Mango Sorbet

The result’s are in again!

Rob’s Picks: Spinach salad, Venison chop, Chocolate Raspberry Mousse

Nancy ’s Picks: Spinach salad, Pasta Rigatoni, Pineapple Mango Sorbet, glass of 2006 Louis Latour Pinot Noir

Final Price: $70 including a glass of wine, tax and tip

One thing that really stood out for me was the plethora of flavours.  With each bite, I was tasting something that didn’t seem to be present in the previous mouthful.  Flavours—a little carribean, a little French, a little Italian.  The head chef is from Jamaica and likes to fuse flavours from all over the world, never making a dish the same way twice.  The aim of the owner and her chefs is to “tantalize your taste buds and send you to the moon.”  Mission accomplished! 

For More Information:

Website: http://www.lamaquette.com/index.php

Address: 111 King Street East

Phone: 416-366-8191

E-mail: lamaquette@lamaquette.com

Online reservations are taken—10% off when you book online!

The act of eating at its minimal is basic for survival, at its best it can be a blissful experience.

-Vijay Karumanchi, Restauranteur

5^th Elementt is one of the hospitality partners of the Toronto International Film Festival so Rob and I were especially pumped to sample their wares.  Their website boasts that they are affordable fine dining.  Of the three Summerlicious venues we chose, this one was the cheapest at $15 per person. 

After spending some time on their website, I came to find out the reason for the inclusion of the seemingly superfluous “T.”  First, they believe that there are four basic elements: earth, water, air and fire.  Since food is necessary for survival, they consider it as the 5^th element.  The extra “T” simply highlights their focus on taste. 

Their two-tier patio is right out the front of the restaurant and provides you with a good first impression.  It is an open-air patio that overlooks Bay Street and a quiet fountain.  The trees provide a natural source of shade for most of the tables but some are out in the full sun.  Once inside, there is a small lounge waiting area and, oddly enough, a DJ mixer table (we are guessing that it’s used for the dinner service and/or for private functions.  Speaking of DJs, 5^th ElementT’s website has a full DJ set of indo-mix music.  I left their site open for quite a long time as I tended to other work I had to do! 

The décor and furniture is very basic, nothing over the top here.  Very minimalist—I am guessing that is part of the essential element philosophy.  Rob and I both admired how they broke up their one large dining room into smaller sections with vibrant red and bright orange fabric drapes that seemed to float from the ceiling.

5^th Elementt’s Summerlicious Lunch Menu 2008:

Tandoori Shrimp with South African pepper salsa and Californian greens
or
Grilled Fuji Apple and Mango Salad with Masala dressing and Feta crumble

Grilled Atlantic Salmon with Mustard sauce and Pilaf rice
or
Cilantro Rubbed Chicken Supreme with Butter chicken sauce and Pilaf rice
or
Tri-Color Cheese Tortellini with Asparagus and Rose sauce

Cardamom and White Chocolate Mousse with raspberry drizzle
or
Fresh Fruit Medley with melon and mint liqueur dressing

And, for the last time, the results are in!

Rob’s picks: Tandoori Shrimp, Cilantro Rubbed Chicken Supreme and Cardamom White Chocolate Mousse

Nancy ’s picks: Grilled Fuji Apple and Mango Salad, Tri-Color Cheese Tortellini, Cardamom and White Chocolate Mousse, glass of Kumala Merlot

Rob was so impressed with his chicken-- We’re big fans of Indian cuisine and eat it at least once a week.  The mango and apple salad was a new and interesting taste for me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t so entranced by the vegetarian selection—a very basic tortellini in a rose sauce that I could easily make myself at home.  I was really hoping for an “Indian-influenced” sauce on the pasta, but no dice!  It is a shame that many restaurants do not provide inspired vegetarian options.  We both loved the cardamom and white chocolate mousse and seem to agree that (if we were ranking our three meals) it was our favourite dessert.

Final Price: $50 including a glass of wine, tax and tip.

For More Information—Good news!  5^th ElementT is extended its Summerlicious Menu until August 2^nd

⁽ with the same prix fixe)!

Website: www.5thelementt.com 

Address: 1033 Bay Street

Phone: 416-923-8159

Reservations:  Online with instant confirmation

Were you too late to enjoy Summerlicious???

If you missed out on this year’s Summerlicious, have no fear—there is always Winterlicious! The 2009 wintery food fest will be held from January 25^th through to February 7^th 2009 .  Winterlicious is held at the same time as WinterCity, a festival of winter fun in Toronto .

If you’re up for a food-focused road trip, Summerlicious and Winterlicious-style prix-fixe festivals run in other cities too-

Seattle - New Urban Eats

New York : NYC Restaurant Week Online

Los Angeles : Dine LA