Posted by Greg Clow in events, events upcoming on July 2, 2007 at 4:51 pm

If you live in Toronto and you like to eat, this July may very well be one of the best months you've ever experienced. The number of dinners, tastings, food festivals and other events taking place in the next few weeks is staggering. Here are some highlights:

Summerlicious (July 6th-22nd): Along with Winterlicious, this is Toronto's most popular restaurant dining event, drawing tourists and locals alike to over 100 restaurants for prix fixe deals on lunch and dinner. High end spots like Canoe and Bymark are always booked solid well before the event even starts, but there are dozens of other less popular but still great places that are well worth checking out.

Scarborough Taste (July 7th-31st): This new event is the brainchild of city councillor Michael Walker, who felt that the 'licious events are too downtown-centric, and ignore the variety of great dining options in the communities outside of the core. Restaurants across Scarborough will be offering prix fixe or 20% off deals during the promotion, and if it goes well, Walker hopes that future editions will expand to other inner suburbs such as Etobicoke and North York.

Harvest Wednesdays (starts July 11th): This popular series of dinners and tastings at the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West) returns for a second year in a much expanded form. Every Wednesday night from July 11th to September 19th, chef Marc Breton will create a new menu using fresh seasonal produce from Chick A Biddy Acres CSA farm, and pair them with locally produced wines and beers. The events range from casual cocktail parties and communal buffets to an elegant dinner featuring a seven course tasting menu.

Toronto Street Treats Fair (July 13th): One of the most eagerly anticipated food events of the summer, the Fair will see an assortment of Toronto's chefs serving up their versions of street food in Nathan Phillips Square from 12 noon to 2pm. The participating chefs come from every type of restaurant imaginable, from fine dining (Guy and Michael Rubino of Rain, Claudio Aprile of Colborne Lane, Didier Leroy of Didier) to neighbourhood take-out joints (Irene Morales of Jumbo Empanada, Amanda Bent of Kali’s Crepes, Carole Ferrari of Local Cafe), and the selections will range from the traditional to the exotic.

American Beer & Barbecue Festival (July 4th-29th): They're already renowned for their fantastic beer selection and chef Brian Morin's house-smoked ribs and pulled pork, so it makes sense that beerbistro (18 King Street East) would host a month-long festival dedicated to the best beer & BBQ from south of the border. They've brought in many American craft brews that have never been available in Ontario, and will be holding a gourmet beer & barbecue dinner on Tuesday, July 10th hosted by Lucy Saunders, author of Grilling With Beer.

Taste of Lawrence (July 6th-8th): Taking place along Lawrence Avenue East between Warden Avenue and Crockford Boulevard, it's unclear just how much tasting will be taking place at this event, as the website is sorely lacking in any information about what sort of food will be available. However, a recent press release promises that they will be unveiling the "world’s largest multicultural salad" on July 7th - 200 feet long, divided into seven sections, each representing a different ethnic group of Scarborough - so as long as that holds out, there'll be something to eat.

On top of the events mentioned above, there are an astounding array of food, drink, community and cultural festivals taking place in July, all of which should have some tasty treats on offer:

Corso Italia Toronto Fiesta (July 6th-8th) - St. Clair Avenue West between Westmount and Lansdowne & surrounding area
Toronto Night Market (July 6th-7th) - Metro Square
Afrofest (July 7th-8th) - Queen's Park
Pedestrian Sunday in Mirvish Village (July 8th) - Markham Street south of Bloor
Caribana Launch Party (July 10th) - Nathan Phillips Square
Summer Sensation: Best of Toronto From Around the World (July 12th) - Yonge-Dundas Square
The Drinks Show (July 13th-14th) - Don Valley Brickworks
Salsa on St. Clair (July 13th-14th) - St. Clair Avenue West between Winona Avenue and Christie Avenue
World Rhythms (July 13th-15th) - Harbourfront Centre
Bangladesh Festival (July 14th-15th) - Yonge-Dundas Square
Tastes of Thailand (July 14th-15th) - Nathan Phillips Square
Ontario Oyster Festival (July 15th) - Rodney's Oyster House
Pedestrian Sunday in Baldwin Village (July 15th) - Baldwin Street west of McCaul
Dim Sum Chinese Festival (July 20th-22nd) - Harbourfront Centre
Mississauga Ribfest (July 20th-22nd) - Mississauga City Hall
Partigras (July 20th-22nd) - Distillery District
Masala! Mehndi! Masti! (July 27th-29th) - Bandshell Park and Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place
Viva Goa! (July 28th-29th) - Downsview Park Hangar
BrazilFest 2007 (July 29th) - Centre Island
Pedestrian Sunday in Kensington Market (July 29th) - various streets in Kensington Market

For more information about these events and many others, check out our comprehensive Events page.