The weather was crap, but cold temperatures and post-Nuit Blanche fatigue could do little to dampen the food fun at yesterday's Fifth Annual Picnic at the Brick Works. Featuring 70 restaurants, wineries and vendors, many of them paired with a regional produce supplier, the event celebrated local food and food creators, while putting us that much further behind on our fall resolution to get trim.
Interspersed with shots that capture the picnic's happy, cusp-of-food-coma mood, we present some of our favourite amuse bouches. There are several more we liked well enough but somehow didn't manage to photograph (Torito's whitefish ceviche, the no-brainer steamed pork buns with Kimchi from Splendido, which somehow felt like cheating, and the Berkshire pork skewers from Cumbrae Farms). Let us just say the distractions were many. Did we mention there were wineries, too?
Yellow perch with sumach aoli from Oyster Boy.
Like the sign says, and the humitas was definitely among the bestest, if only as a respite from all the meat and fish and breads.
Red Fife bannock with pulled bison from Keriwa Cafe.
Winners of the Toronto Standard award for Best Dressed.
Harpooned swordfish escabeche from Fisherfolk and The Tempered Chef.
Smoked buffalo with Ontario corn and squash relish and caramelized onion aoli from Delica.
Oy, caramba! Caplansky's goes Mexican with this tostada.
Elk stuffed peppers topped with Black River Cheddar from Globe Bistro.
Thank you, Cowbell: Beef tongue and cheek sandwiches.
Best Baa Farms lamb pastrami with apple fennel sauerkraut, potato rsti, smoked elderberry apple sauce from Niagara Street Cafe.
According to the bio of Quique Escamilla, performing above, the Chiapas-born singer first played publicly at six years old to a crowded restaurant, accompanied by a six piece mariachi band. Subtract the weather, and yesterday wasn't so different.
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