Boehmer’s 2 Year Anniversary Party!!!

As you know, Boehmer is one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto. So when I got the invite to their 2 Year Anniversary Party (and launch of their new fabulous new menu), I squealed with delight! And then promptly asked K. Jill Rigby to be my date.

Here are a few moments from the night:

Gorgeous Jill also happens to be a great photog and writer, so it’s no wonder she’s got her camera out. And as much as we were captivated by the food, we couldn’t stop checking out all the fabulous clothes and shoes!

As you can see, there were a ton of people who were dying to try the new dishes. It was a frenzy whenever anything new came outta the kitchen!

The food would disappear as quickly as it came, but I was lucky enough to capture this one in a flash:

Amazingly, during all of this,  the front of the restaurant was running as usual, while the back half was kept apart for us revelers.  I don’t know how the kitchen did it (one of the best looking kitchens I’ve ever seen, BTW).

The food, of course, was spectacular! Despite having to cook for both the restaurant goers and us party folk, this is the best Lobster Mac & Cheese I’ve ever had.

Of course, there is a whole team of people who make this possible, but the man at the center of it all is Chef Paul Boehmer (pictured below in his chef whites).

So that we could bring a little of the magic of the evening home with us, the gift bags were filled with incredible homemade Spiced Apple & Onion Chutney and gorgeous handcrafted Lavender Gomme.

Upon our arrival, we were served Ossington Pimm’s Cup, one of the most refreshing and exhilarating drinks I’ve ever had. How wonderful to have the opportunity to replicate them at home! Both Jill and I had to hunt a little to find Pimm’s (come on, LCBO!), but find it, we did. And my mixologist fella Scott made the scrumptious cocktail the other night.

I can’t wait to try the rest of the new menu . And have another Ossington Pimm’s Cup!

Last Night at The Toronto Wing Festival

Last night, the Toronto Wing Festival took place at Beverly Hall (206 Beverly Street).

Over 600 pounds of all-you-can eat wings and Steam Whistle were served. Tickets sold out quickly to this great event as you can imagine, but I was lucky enough to score a great seat – on stage.

Our great emcee got the crowd pumped while the judges made their way up to the table on stage.

There were 6 competitors – Hard Rock Cafe, Real Sports Bar & Grill, Whistlers, Sneaky Dee’s, The Right Wing Sports Pub &  The Pour House - and 3 categories: Overall, Exotic and People’s Choice.

The judges (that’s Chef Tom Phuong from the Fairmont Royal York below, on the left)  took it their responsibility seriously.

As the judges carefully considered the taste and appearance of each wing, the crowd was entertained by many performers including the amazing Eddie McKenna, pictured below.

The crowd munched and crunched their way through hundreds of wings, clearly enjoying not only the all-you-can-eat aspect, but having the opportunity to try so many different flavours and coatings.

Thanks to all of the organizers, the competitors, the crowd, my fellow judges and the crowd. I had a wonderful time. I’m hungry for more. How ’bout you?

p.s. In case you weren’t able to get tickets this year, you can be added to the  2013 waiting list. See you there!

Tourism BC Dinner at Reds

I absolutely adore the folks that travel all this way east to host the Tourism BC Dinner.  Breton, Josie, Holly and Amber are such lovely hosts and it’s our annual event to catch up with one another over dinner.

Last year we went to Origin and this year it was held at REDS Bistro in First Canadian Place, which is a great venue for large groups.

We were seated in the private dining area (pictured above) but I was intrigued by this circular table near the staircase (pictured below). Doesn’t it look very BC lodge?

The company was stellar as always, but the food was memorable too. A thick, earthy Mushroom Soup with black truffle, enoki and tarragon salad and brioche crouton was a wonderful entry to the meal.

And after a week of eating a ton of seafood, I was thrilled to indulge in the tender Grilled Striploin with the creamiest garlic mashed potatoes, glazed root veg, caramelized onion and pulled short rib sauce.

It’s nice to have an evening filled with fascinating people, but even better to do it over a splendid meal. Hopefully, my next BC post will be from BC. Stay tuned!