Pickle’d Battle
November 6
As harvest season concludes it’s prime time for preserving the freshest local produce. At the annual Pickle'd Battle, taking place at the Drake Hotel, competitors will present their finest tangy, cured concoctions with one important rule meant to encourage creative entries – no cucumbers! Both amateur preservers and pro chefs can participate to win prizes such as an All-Clad Stockpot and cookbooks from Penguin Random House. There’s also an exclusive Pickled Proteins round (think eggs, fish and meat) for local chefs. Even if you’re not a pickler, come out to test the competition as plenty of bites will be available for sampling.
While we might associate Jello shots with celebrations from our youth, these somewhat solid, somewhat liquid libations take a surprising amount of skill and creativity to execute. For the Second Annual Jiggle Ball, 27 local bartenders (from Civil Liberties, Cold Tea and Miss Things, to name a few) go head-to-head with their top gelatinous alcoholic concoctions. An esteemed panel of judges will be crowning Toronto’s Jello-Shot Champion but guests have the opportunity to purchase and try each entry then vote for the People’s Choice favourite. Proceeds of the Jiggle Ball, held in Apt. 200, go to support holiday wishlists of the Nellies Women’s Shelter community.
Kyle Travis Young
Regardless of your gender, Toronto is a welcoming city for craft beer fanatics thanks to the kind gals at the Society of Beer Drinking Ladies. They’ve hosted over 30 female-focused meetups across town and their fourth Lady Beer Fest happens this month at the Peace and Cotton warehouse in the Junction. A regular highlight of their “bevvies” is the special one-off beers created just for the event and attendees get to vote on their favourite brew to help crown the winner. Entries from Rainhard Brewing and Uxbridge’s Second Wedge Brewing are currently in the running for the trophy and, more importantly, bragging rights.
Angela Dawson
Soup season is nearing and an under-the-radar favourite – seafood chowder – gets special treatment at this event held at the Distillery District's Fermenting Cellar. The annual Chowder Chowdown pits local chefs against each together, armed with their very best chowder recipes made with sustainable seafood. Slurp tasty creations such as snow crab and smoked clam from Le Sélect chef Laura Maxwell and a Bahamian seafood chowder from Rodrigo de Romana of Rodney’s Oyster House. Beverages from Georgian Bay, Big Rock and Walter Craft Caesar round out the evening and all proceeds go to support Ocean Wise’s sustainable seafood initiatives.
There’s no cocktail that Canadians hold as dear to their hearts as the caesar. It is our national drink, after all, and it takes some skill to whip together this savoury, spicy swiller. As part of the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, bartenders from coast to coast will be slinging their top Mott’s Clamato-based boozy blends (inevitably finished with all manner of over-the-top garnishes). The Best Caesar in Town will be determined by industry judges, including Café Cancan chef Victor Barry and food and drink writer (and Foodism contributor) Sarah Parniak, while thirsty guests will have plenty of samples to try during the competition.
As one of the longest-running food-based events in the country, the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair's prizes are highly respected accolades for a farmer, baker or food producer to earn. Plus, the old-school red, white and blue ribbons awarded to Royal Champion winners are pretty charming. Prize categories are far-ranging, from the best honey comb or goat milk cheese to more eccentric entries such as “most unusually shaped apple” and “artistic display of carrots”. On Champions Day, winners are invited to show or sample their products for Royal Fair guests to taste and learn more about how their products are made.
