Posted by Sheryl Kirby in events, events upcoming, farm to table on August 27, 2008 at 7:46 am
The last week of August is always bittersweet. The smell of fall is in the air, the kids are getting ready to go back to school and Ontario produce is at its peak, with the abundance of the season available in farmers markets across the province.
For anyone who finds themselves at the Gladstone Hotel on a Wednesday night, the abundance of the season is also to be had in the ballroom café where Chef Marc Breton and his staff continue to serve up a seasonal 4-course prix fixe dinner featuring the best locally grown products that Ontario has to offer.
The event has proved to be extremely popular; with two seatings each Wednesday night. The later time slot of 8:30pm regularly sells out in advance, while the earlier seating at 6pm can generally be booked as late as the day of, but it does sell out by dinner time each week. At a cost of $35 per person, it's an excellent deal and featured wine pairings are also available.
Chef Breton creates the menu only the day before when the produce delivery from Chick-A-Biddy Acres CSA arrives at the kitchen door, and recent menus have included items such as roast sirloin, ham, heirloom beet salad, grilled Hallumi cheese and blueberry-lemon streusel cake. Vegetarians should note that there is always a vegetarian option available.
Harvest Wednesdays also offers a monthly tasting event for $15, where visitors can sample the hi-lights of the season in hors d'oeuvre form along with samples from local wineries and breweries. Tickets for these events are about 75% sold by the day of the tasting, but there are usually some tickets still available at the door.
Harvest Wednesdays continue until October 22nd, with the prix fixe dinner on offer until October 15th, and with tasting events taking place on September 10th and October 1st. A final family-style harvest dinner ($48pp) will be held on October 22nd.
To buy tickets for tasting events or to make reservations for the prix fixe dinners or final harvest feast, please call 416-531-4635.
