Posted by Sheryl Kirby in events, events upcoming on January 13, 2008 at 10:22 am

As the end of January approaches, foodies in Toronto brace themselves for the hugely popular prix fixe dining event known as Winterlicious. But the criteria to participate in this event is quite strict (watch for our piece about the Winterlicious event this Tuesday), and it leaves any local restaurants with more than one location out in the cold.

“Chain” has become a bad word in recent years, but it’s important to remember that successful expansion doesn’t necessarily equal evil corporation. Some restaurant chains, such as Il Fornello, have been industry leaders in offering alternative ingredients for customers with dietary restrictions, and are even making the effort to offer a locally-sourced menu. Not being allowed to participate in the city-wide dining festival because they were a chain didn’t faze owner Ian Sorbie. Il Fornello simply created their own prix fixe event, and this year, they’ve taken their WinterDelicious menu one step further by making it all about their locally-sourced offerings.

Sorbie seems to enjoy the irony of the situation, “We have asked to be in Winterlicious and even though we meet the requirements for reviews, etc., we are considered a ‘chain’ so we can't participate. And, even if we could get past that, our average guest cheque as calculated by the ratings in different dining guides is too low! In other words, we're too reasonably priced in the first place!”

He goes on to explain that Il Fornello had been offering winter “Comfort Food Menus” for years before Winterlicious began, and customers were used to the winter specials, even asking about the event months in advance to be sure it was happening. When the 'Licious event came along, Il Fornello simply rebranded their prix fixe menu to WinterDelicious

Now more than six months into their local menu offerings (a small selection of locally-sourced apps, mains and desserts compliments the regular menu), Sorbie says the customer reaction has been extremely positive. Even if customers don’t order off the local menu, they’re still pleased that it is being offered.

Executive Chef Owen Steinberg has been given the daunting task of coming up with a variety of locally-sourced menu selections, and the chefs at each of the Il Fornello locations also contribute creations that are sampled and added to the menu if everyone likes them. Sorbie enthuses, “We are building a wonderful repertoire of menu items created from local foods that will serve us well as we continue to make this an option for our customers.” With the event running more than a month, from January 9th to February 13th, Il Fornello’s WinterDelicious will also feature a changing menu. “We have challenged the chefs in the different restaurants to start designing their own creations from the local foods available and will be adding some of these to the WinterDelicious menu over the next few weeks,” says Sorbie.

When asked if finding suppliers for the local ingredients has been a challenge, Sorbie says it has been relatively easy. “We are using many of the same suppliers we have used from the beginning so it hasn't been that difficult. We knew what we would be able to get and designed the menu from that long list of ingredients.” He does admit that some things haven’t been easy, though, “You should know that our commitment is so strong to this that we sourced out someone who would make a burger bun for us from Ontario wheat, which is not that readily available, something I didn't know. So now we have a supplier for that and we commissioned Dufflets bakery to make an All Ontario Cheesecake for us as well.”

Initial menu offerings for WinterDelicious include butternut squash soup, an Ontario burger, leg of lamb, gourmet vegetarian pizza and a couple of pasta dishes. With 3 appetizers, 3 desserts and 6 entrees, as well as Ontario wines to choose from, there’s sure to be something for everyone. At $25 for three courses, WinterDelicious is also a great value. Knowing that all the ingredients were grown locally is just a bonus.

The WinterDelicious All Ontario Menu is available at the following Il Fornello locations: Bayview Village Mall (416-227-1271); 1560 Yonge Street (416-920-7347); 576 Danforth Avenue (416-466-2931); 491 Church Street (416-944-9052); 2022 Queen Street East (416-691-8377); 8851 Yonge St., Richmond Hill (905-530-1153); 203 N. Service Rd. W., Oakville (905-338-5233 and Queen's Quay Terminal (416-861-1028).

Photo courtesy of the Il Fornello website.