Posted by Greg Clow in events, events upcoming on February 24, 2008 at 8:46 am

As previously and often noted here on Taste T.O. and elsewhere, 2007 was in many ways a watershed year for Toronto's food scene. Slow, local and organic food exploded into the public conciousness; the mainstream media latched on to everything from the politics of street food to the increasing number of farmers' markets in the city; and connections formed and strengthened between individuals and organisations from every facet of our culinary landscape.

While it would be impossible to pinpoint a single event that triggered this tsunami of activity, much of the momentum can be traced back to a pair of gatherings that took place at Hart House last winter. One was Building the Green Link, a discussion and networking session sponsored by Slow Food Toronto. The other was a unique symposium which brought together chefs, restaurant owners, sommeliers, food and drink writers, wine makers, food artisans and other culinary professionals and hobbyists alike under the title Terroir: A Sense of Place.

A success on all levels, the first Terroir conference was barely finished when the folks behind it started laying the groundwork for a follow-up. Those plans will come to fruition next week with Terroir: Celebrating Gastronomic Diversity, a sequel that promises to be even better than the original (and which Taste T.O. is proud to be partnered with as a media sponsor).

While Terroir, like any event of its size and scope, is a group effort (more on that below), the main brain behind the scenes is Arlene Stein, director of catering and events at Hart House, and a woman with almost 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. For a good number of those years, Stein saw the need for a "think tank for people within the hospitality industry".

As she remembers, "When I worked in restaurants, I saw that there was a lack of connectivity between my colleagues and peers within the same business - almost a competitiveness. Most restaurants are independent or small businesses, so resources are scarce. Individuals working in these jobs are stretched to the limit, and I don't believe the work they are doing is valued in our society as it is in Europe, where there is an established history and tradition of work in the field of hospitality, and the work in this field is highly respected. When people don't feel like the work they are doing is valued or respected, they don't want to invest in their careers. By creating a symposium where people could take a moment to reflect, learn and share, it would allow people to nurture and build a stronger community of professionals within our industry."

To make these ideas a reality, Stein formed the Eau De Vie Group in the spring of 2006, gathering together a group of individuals with various areas of knowledge and expertise from throughout the restaurant and hospitality world. "When I thought about how to do this in an educational forum, it made sense to bring in colleagues who had a shared vision. We wanted to bring together a community of great chefs, restaurateurs, writers, specialty food purveyors and connect around issues that were mutually important."

The result was the first Terroir symposium, which brought together 300 people on a cold Tuesday in March, 2007, with features including panel discussions on such topics as "The Culture of Service" and "The Art of Taste", a cooking demonstration by chef Michael Blackie, a wine tasting session, and much more. "I think the inaugural event last year accomplished many of the goals that we set out to achieve," Stein says. "We brought together professionals from all facets of the hospitality industry and created programs that were of interest to them. We also asked that participants stay for the duration of the day so that guests would have a chance to interact with them. I think everyone really appreciated the ability for interactions and the opportunity to connect with their peers."

In order to keep the momentum from this first successful event going, Stein quickly started plans for the 2008 edition, with the first course of action being the choice of a theme. "Immediately following last years' event, we held a think tank with about 20 participants that had attended the symposium. With ideas that came out of this forum, it made sense that in our continued journey to identify our 'sense of place', we needed to talk about cultural diversity as it relates to the hospitality industry. We acknowledge the wealth of resources and influences that we have, as one of the most culturally diverse regions of the world, but it is also something people struggle with in terms of articulating an identity. I think we need to talk about how this diversity makes us unique and creates opportunities."

Of course, any discussion of "diversity" in the context of fine dining runs the risk of raising accusations of cultural appropriation, especially from those who see the French/European tradition as being the most prevalent and visible representation of haute cuisine, while ethnic cuisines are more often enjoyed in casual, "mom & pop" style eateries. Stein, however, sees things in a more positive light.

"I think the integration of ethnic cuisine into fine dining is something that has been formulating for the past few decades," she notes. "In fine dining we have the opportunity to take inspirations from the variety of cuisines, techniques and ingredients that we have exposure to and create something innovative. In this symposium we pay homage to the immigrants (or their descendants) who arrive in Canada and set up a restaurant in order to make ends meet, and end up influencing an entire generation to eat differently and think differently about their notions of food. We also have individuals from various cultures that have the ability to teach us their skills and contribute to our identity by being culinary leaders."

To help in the planning and execution of this year's event, Stein brought several new people into the Eau De Vie fold, building a committee that features a solid line-up of personalities from all corners of Toronto's gastronomic scene: Peter Geary (Pangaea); Michelle McCarthy, (educator and sommelier); Karen Viva-Haynes (Viva Tastings); Stephanie Kern (event coordinator); Laurel Keenan (Propeller Communications); Scott Bellhouse (Lecours-Wolfson); Malcolm Jolley (Gremolata.com); Anne Martin (sommelier); Anne Jasper (The Vine Wine Agency); and Veronique Peloquin (administrator).

This group, along with event chair Dick Snyder (City Bites), has put together an ambitious agenda that should keep all attendees busy from their morning coffee to their closing reception libation. Highlights will include a presentation by recipe developer and food trends expert Dana McCauley on "Culinary Diversity and the Future of Flavour", food demos by chefs Anthony Walsh and Tobey Nemeth, panel discussions on various topics, a "Wine List Smackdown" with some of Toronto's top sommeliers, and a keynote address by Donald Ziraldo of Inniskillin Winery and the Ontario Culinary Tourism Strategy Board on "Marketing Culinary Tourism through Gastronomic Diversity". Lunch will be provided by more than a dozen prominent chefs, each working with ingredients representing a different country, and wrapping the day up with be a networking session presented by Prince Edward County, featuring food, wine, beer and cider from the County, and nibbles prepared by chef Jamie Kennedy.

Terroir: Celebrating Gastronomic Diversity takes place at Hart House (7 Hart House Circle, on the U of T campus) on Tuesday, March 4th from 9am to 6pm. Tickets are $150, and include admission to all sessions, gourmet lunch, and refreshments throughout the day. Anyone who has any involvement or interest in Toronto's food and hospitality industry should strongly consider attending, as if last year's instalment was any indication, it will be one of the most enjoyable and enlightening events on Toronto's culinary calendar for 2008.