Another successful year, or I must say, the best show yet for the 2018 Toronto Catering Showcase! The team at EventSource.ca brought together, once again, a dozen of Toronto’s top caterers for an incredible afternoon loaded with exquisite culinary dishes and creative cocktails.
An exceptional culinary event like no other in the city, over 500 guests enjoyed a memorable culinary experience, savouring a variety of delectable cuisines and premium cocktails. Held in the stunning and elegant The Globe and Mail Centre, the venue features panoramic city and lake views from atop it’s King Street East’s locale. TCS featured everything you’d come to expect from a premium Toronto foodie event: valet service by Adagio Valet, top notch staffing by the folks at Leave it T.O. us, elegant furnishings from Divine Furniture Rental, beautiful decor, florals by Jackie O Florists, premium AV services from EPiQVision, and an onsite sommelier from Peller Estates and Brunswick Bierworks, just to name a few!
Take a peak for yourself at this fabulous 30-second teaser video put together by our our friends at Images Life Media.
Coordinated by Ashley Pigott Events, the Toronto Catering Showcase aims to introduce some of the city’s most talented culinary artists to couples, corporations, and culinary connoisseurs alike. If you’re currently looking, or soon to be on the look out for an event caterer, this Showcase is without a doubt, one of the most sensational opportunities to experience some of the best catering the city has to offer. A big thank you to the talented team at Ikonica for capturing all the wonderful moments through their photos.
Lets get started as I take you through an afternoon of elegant and delectable cuisine.
All event tableware, flatware, and rentals provided by Event Rental Group
Driven by seasonal produce and local ingredients, the team at ProvisionsTO provided a unique and creative experience for all their guests. Not only were the Oysters freshly shucked in front of their guests, the presentation was beautiful and unique. The Oysters in Pearls were dressed with Spruce Foam and Sumac and served off of driftwood centerpieces with moss and fall foliage to bring you into the season. Dessert was the perfect bite displayed on tiers of Lemon and Pecan Tarts, Macarons with Caramel, and Apple Popcorn Clusters made of dried apple, walnut and a hint of cinnamon.
Encore Catering brings over 38 years of culinary experience and so much passion to to their dishes. Their Truffle Mac & Cheese was an absolutely delicious experience. The freshly grated truffle added to this dish brought it to the next level. Now, when I say they served a corn dog, this wasn’t just any ordinary corn dog; this was heaven on a stick! A perfectly spiced lamb sausage wrapped in a light cornmeal crust that paired perfectly with a creamy Dijon Aioli for dipping. Oh, and there’s more! Keeping with the autumn flavours, a beautifully presented tart filled with a creamy spiced Apple filling that nestled in a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth crust for a delectable seasonal dessert.
Kiss the Cook Catering once again wow’d guests with their show stopping and fun dishes! Serving up their Fried Edam Cheese sliders that were served with deconstructed tartar toppings were absolutely delicious and a big hit with guests. Many posted their best cheese-pull for pure Instagram bragging rights! Their Bohemian roasted Pork with caraway, served over kledniky with kraut and roasted plum chutney was heavenly, and the Stone fruit dumplings with brown sugar and warm butter, need I say more?!
It was an honour to have Chef Jason Oszoli from Oliver & Bonacini Catering serving up some exceptional dishes. He has been selected as one of the top chefs in the Toronto area and will be competing in an exclusive culinary competition that celebrates and showcases Canadian excellence in food, music and sports. His passion for quality and style were welcomed by clients as he showcased expertly-crafted, freshly prepared seasonal dishes. The Symphony of Soil featured a seasonal selection of Heirloom Carrots, Cauliflower, Radish, Beets, and edible soil that was so earthly good. The Green Goddess & Liquid Nitro Salmon Ceviche was served with an Avocado Cream, Popcorn, and Watermelon Citrus for a fresh and delicious bite.
Family owned and operated, Eatertainment Special Events & Catering is known for bringing innovation and passion to their cuisine, and their canapés did just that! Served in mini cones, the Chili-Spiced Beef Tartar and Avocado was perfect for those who enjoy a little extra spice of flavour while the Nori with Napa Slaw and Crab Salad served as a lighter alternative for our pescatarian friends. The seared Halibut Escabeche was cooked to perfection and served with Black Bean Puree, Roasted Pepper, Corn Sauces, Cotija Cheese, Micro Greens, and a Tostada Crumble for a slight crunch. Dessert was just the right bite of sweetness with their geometric Chocolate Truffles; so much so that you simply couldn’t stop at just one.
For those on the hunt for a vegan and gluten free option, Presidential Gourmet delivered in the most delicious way! Their BBQ Jackfruit was served on a delectable Olive Fingerling potato cake with Brussel Sprout Slaw that was perfectly paired with their London Fog Bubble Tea. This tea was infused with Earl Grey and topped with Cotton Candy for a special carnival treat!
The team at Daniel et Daniel Catering & Events are always exceeding expectations when it comes to presentation as they strive to create a unique culinary experience, all while using locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. Cod From Away featured Fogo Island Cod in a Passionfruit Brown Butter Emulsion with Jerusalem artichoke, Black Malt, and BC Spot Prawn. Their mini Chocolate Cookie Dough Cones were the perfect bite for a delicious ending.
Eat, Love, Live and Enjoy is what elle cuisine represents. The team served up the most flavourful Duck Confit served in a creamy Chanterelles Mushroom Risotto in a truffle jus topped with a parm crisp. The Butternut Squash Ravioli was outstanding and filled with goat cheese, spiced squash puree with an aromatic sage brown butter, finished with a spiraled squash crisp. Dessert featured a Plum & Apricot Tarte Tatin (white port & vanilla bean Sabayon, puff pastry, port wine reduction, candied smoked pine garnish).
Fresh, local, Artisan Cuisine is what Toben Food by Design is all about. They have taken the season’s best ingredients and delivered a gluten free individual Roasted Baby Beet Salad with Sumac-Tahini Yogurt, Fennel, Winter Citrus, Radish, Cucumber, Watercress, and Spiced Chickpea Crumble to be enjoyed by all the guests. The handmade Cavatelli Bolognese Sauce and Truffled Pecorino was exceptional and certainly among guest favourites. Served with Zeppole, Mascapone, Lemon Curd, and Wild Blueberry Compote, it was a trip back to Italy.
Next up is en Ville Event Design and Catering, their passion and great food has kept them at forefront as one of the city’s premier catering companies for years. The team prepared Pan Seared Ontario Trout with oven dried grape tomatoes and snow peas or panko crusted black bean medallion for our vegan friends. Their open face Veda Pan was served with a masala dusted naan crisp with Sev and Green Chutney. Just in case you didn’t have room for dessert, the team prepared their Thyme Infused Roast MacIntosh Apple & Cranberry Crumble with smoked Ontario honey as mini dessert takeaways to save as a special treat for when guests got home (though I’m sure just about everyone in attendance skipped dinner).
With two of the most important ingredients, patience and passion, The Host Fine Indian Cuisine served up delicious Indian flare that had guests raving. The Kale chaat paper in bamboo boats were delectable and a fun presentation for guests to enjoy as they mingled. Cocktail Samosa’s, Chicken Tikka and Fish Amritsari were also on the menu and were certainly among many guest favourites. The Mango Lassi shots were a refreshing and satisfying finish to cleanse the palette.
Definitely one of the show’s highlights, BarChef Toronto served up some of their exciting, signature cocktails. I must say, popularity was at an extreme high with this station. Guests were lined up, with phones in hand, mesmerized by the smoking cocktails, all served made-to-order throughout the course of the day. The team prepared two of their premier cocktails: a Super Chilled Bourbon and Star Anise Julep made with bourbon, maple, lemon and chamomile gel, Madeira, star anise syrup, orange zest, rosemary brunoise; and their Four Seven Two cocktail: Bourbon, fresh lemon, cola bitter, mint and syrup.
DJ Michael Coombs Entertainment filled the room with modern beats to get the party started, and kept energy levels bumping throughout the course of the afternoon. The event also featured live music by our friends at Wellington Music, bringing that added touch of elegance to the event. Always a crowd-pleaser, PhotoboothTO helped guests capture all their wonderful memories of a spectacular and indulgent afternoon.
Guests definitely fell in love with Love Gelato‘s creamy Italian style ice cream. With multiple flavours to choose from, and served from a customized ice sculpture, their delicious hand-made gelato was a delightfully refreshing, well-rounded ending to an already scrumptious, food-filled day.
The weather was perfect, allowing guests a brief escape to the Roof Top Terrace. A perfect chance to relax and enjoy a cocktail, while overlooking our city’s stunning downtown skyline. A beautiful and dramatic view, making for a perfect photo opp.
Needless to say, the room was filled with so much wonderful energy and excitement throughout the duration of the event. Guests enjoyed an entire afternoon filled to the brim with delicious food, exceptional cocktails, fantastic entertainment, wine, beer and so much more! A heartfelt thank you to all the attendees, vendors, media, and sponsors for making this years event such a huge success!
