By Lori Bosworth
We’re headed to the mid-winter stretch, which means only one thing: Winterlicious 2014 is here! The annual food festival featuring Toronto restaurants begins on January 31, 2014 and runs to February 13, 2014, but you can start making reservations for Winterlicious 2014 at your favourite participating restaurant as of January 16, 2014.
Restaurants participating for the first time include:
Arisu, Bannock, Canteen, Church Bistro, Cibo Wine Bar, Destingo, DV Bar Bistro, House of Moments, Joe Mama’s Bar & Grill, Johns & Sons Oyster House, La Cascina Ristorante, Le Papillon on Front, Merlot, Mideastro Yorkville, Mill Street Brew Pub, Mill Street The Beer Hall, Momofuku Noodle Bar, Museum Tavern, Paintbox Bistro, Piola, pizza e pazzi, Quinta Restaurant and Verdi Restaurant.
This year’s special culinary events include Comfort Food and Tuesdays with Morrie theatre event at Campbell House Museum, afternoon tea at Casa Loma, an Italian braising demonstration at Ciao Wine Bar, a gnocchi hands-on workshop and three-course meal at Arcadian Studio and Arcadian Loft, culinary tips from Executive Chef Rob Rainford at Gossip Restaurant, the Art of Antipasto demonstration at Cibo Wine Bar and others. Registration for these Winterlicious 2014 culinary events is now open.
And new this year is the Interac Food Critic contest. Just tweet your meal review using the hashtag #InteracFoodCritic to be entered to win one of 14 daily prizes of $200, which you will receive via Interac e-transfer.
Below are some dishes that will be included in prix fixe menus at participating Toronto restaurants in Winterlicious 2014.
This artistically presented beet salad from first-time participant, Paintbox Bistro, in the newly renovated Regent Park looks too good to eat. You can order it as the first course of a three course lunch ($15) or dinner ($25) at Paintbox Bistro during Winterlicious.
These beef short ribs are one of the options for the second course for the prix fixe dinner ($35) at King Street West’s Cabal.
Green Curry Chicken is one of the second course options for the prix fixe dinner ($25) at Linda Modern Thai. See my review of Linda Modern Thai at the Shops at Don Mills.
Doesn’t this Ortomisto Pizza look amazing? It’s one of the second course options on the prix fixe lunch ($15) or dinner ($25) at first-time participant, Piola Famosi per la Pizza.
