Kudos to the people at the Food Network for raising the culinary bar on food shows in Ontario, with the Delicious Food Show this past weekend at the Better Living Centre in Toronto. Caron and I were invited to the gala opening last Thursday night and from the time we stepped onto the posh pink carpet, the inner VIP in us revealed itself… I even got a chance to whisper in the ear of Julia Childs (Miss Conception). She not only greeted attendees with her bubbly personality (could be the glasses of vino?) and huge smile, she took time for the paparazzi in us to catch a pic or two.
We’ve been to a number of food and wine shows in the region, but this is the first time we saw the true potential of all that Ontario has to offer when it comes to the culinary industry. Unlike other shows where there always seem to be more focus on ‘wine’ than other aspects of the culinary landscape, the Delicious Food Show was a very comprehensive presentation for food lovers. In a welcoming environment where celebrity chefs and everyday foodies enjoyed beverages, tasty treats and good conversation. I believe there were also live cooking demonstrations, but with ‘sampling’ to be done.. our focus was elsewhere.
Speaking about celebrity chefs, we got the opportunity to meet and chat with Mark McEwan (I’m a huge fan of his work), Corbin Tomaszeski (you’ll see a pic below with Carom and Corbin) and Rob Rainford. BTW though these guys are classed as celebrities, they’re very approachable and took time to chat with us briefly. Mark even jokingly tried to get me to purchase 10 of his books.
Armed with something for everyone, even those concerned about “gluten free”, “organic”, “eco friendly” and “biodegradable” the Delicious Food Show is not just for the everyday foodie like myself. From booth to booth you’re captivated by something or the other. Be it the launch of the individual pie maker, the largest selection of hand carved pepper mills we’ve ever seen or the playful antics of the two Italian guys at the espresso station (check the video), you’re sure to fill the free reusable shopping bags which were handed out on entry with some goodies.
Being the opening night we went with the expectation that there would be a huge crowd and from what we saw waiting when we arrived to pick up our media passes, we were spot-on! However even during the peak hours, it didn’t seem crowded or did we see overly long lines for sampling. The layout, wide aisles and what seemed like specific placement of booths giving out samples allowed for an even and steady flow of guest traffic. The longest line was probably the one where the guy was shucking oysters… where else in the city were you about to get freshly shucked oysters at a price everyone could afford? FREE! I could see the disappointment on the fella’s face when people would top their oyster with hot sauce, cocktail sauce or anything else. I could hear him repeating to samplers “don’t add any topping, they’re best naked”… no one paid him much attention.
By far the most floor space were dedicated to cakes (especially cup cakes which to be quite honest – it’s time for that fad to die) and chocolates. Don’t get me wrong, they were very delicious and the creativity was simply amazing, especially the the ones which were shaped like designer pumps (shoes)… but I was more impressed with the variety of exotic sauces, wines and not to be outdone… the caramel apples (first time in all my years I had this) which were amazing.
The exhibits, demonstrations, sampling and overall spirit of the Delicious Food Show was truly unmatched from our personal point of view. Hey we even got to meet celebrities!
To learn more about the Food Network’s Delicious Food Show in Toronto, check out their website and make plans (mark it on your calendar) to visit the show next year. When I’m sure they’ll come out even bigger and better than this year’s show.
For tickets see : http://deliciousfoodshow.com/tickets
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