Feast of St. Lawrence #DinnerUndertheStars

Last Friday I attended one of the most memorable dinners I’ve ever had. What made this dinner so memorable? Well, a hundred guests were seated in 1 long beautifully decorated continuous table situated in the middle of Front Street. There was a bigger meaning behind all the glamour to this dinner, which was to support Canada’s largest food security organization. A portion of the ticket sales went to FoodShare. Dinner was priced at $200 per person.

This dinner – “Dinner Under the Stars” kicked off the Feast of St. Lawrence in true fine dining style. All a hundred of us were seated together on Front Street (between Scott and Church Street) and were served a 5 course dinner prepared by Chefs from different restaurants within St. Lawrence Market. Wine pairings came from Niagara’s Somewhereness wine consortium along with added ambiance from JAZZ.FM91 Youth Big Band.

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We were one of the first guests to arrive which gave us a clean & clear view of  the entire dinner table set up. Throughout the entire evening, as each course progressed, the atmosphere was absolutely breathtaking. Unfortunately due to the unpredictable weather forecasts, they had to set up a tent above the table to avoid the thunderstorms. No storms end up happening.

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HORS D’OEUVRES

Oyster Station By Pearl Diver

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Chicken Liver Parfait

  • Biff’s Moutarde, Cornichon, Petite Salade, Croutons
  • By Biff’s Bistro
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House Cured Salmon Gralax

  • Mustard Creme Fraiche, Belgium Endive, Radish
  • By Biff’s Bistro
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Pear Vichyssoise

  • with a hint of Stilton
  • By Hot House Restaurant
  • This soup served chilled, was one of my favourites of the evening. This delicious pear and potato soup was enriched with fresh cream.
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Wine Pairing

  • Tawse 2014 Limestone Ridge Sparkling Riesling 
  • Cave Spring Brut ‘Dolomite’ Norman Hardie 2015 Riesling 
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APPETIZER

Roasted Beet Salad

  • Shaved Fennel, Mixed Lettuce and Goat Cheese with Citrus Vinaigrette
  • By Woods Restaurant & Bar

Wine Pairing

  • Charles Baker 2013 ‘Picone Vineyard’ Riesling
  • Hidden Bench 2014 Bistro Rose
  • Malivoire 2015 Small Lot Gamay VQA Beamsville Bench
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ENTRE METIER

Grilled Octopus with Fingerling Potatoes

  • Spicy Chorizo and a Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
  • By Barsa Taberna
  • Another one of my favourite dishes of the evening. The spicy chorizo paired with the thinly sliced chewy Octopus topped off with chips to give the dish a bit of crunch – was the best combination ever. I savoured this dish – infact, I enjoyed this dish so much I went back to the restaurant exactly a week later to order it again and I completely inhaled it.

Wine Pairing

  • 13th Street 2014 June’s Vineyard Chardonnay 
  • Bachelder 2013 Niagara Chardonnay
  • Flatrock 2013 Pinot Noir
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MAIN

King’s Al Fresco Beef Wellington

  • with Peppered Horseradish Cream
  • By Omni King Edward Hotel

Wine Pairing

  • Stratus 2011 Stratus Tollgate Voignier 
  • Queylus 2013 Tradition Cabernet Franc
  • Southbrook 2014 Troimphe Cabernet Sauvignon
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SWEET

Baklava

  • Phyllo Pastry, Walnut, Pistachio, Honey, Orange Blossom Water
  • By Sultan’s Tent
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This was the first annual Feast of St. Lawrence that spread over the August 12th-14th weekend. I can’t wait to see what St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood BIA does next year to show Torontonians the rich, authentic delicious history of Old Town Toronto.

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That’s it from me guys! Be sure to leave a comment if you’re planning on joining Dinner under the Stars this year! Feel free to also follow along my Instagram page where I update daily with what I’m up to.

Written by Grace Yeung

This meal was complimentary but gracelisamay.com remains unbiased in our content.

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