Foodies know that being invited to sit at the Chef’s table is
a treat - getting to speak to the Chef and being fed an exclusive menu are just
a couple of the perks of this honour. To my surprise, Canyon Creek, a casual
upscale dining chain from the same corporation that operates Reds, also has
this special table… just become a member of the “Canyon Club” to get the
invites (refer to the end of the post for details).
Each menu differs and consists of dishes generally reserved
as secret menu items, created for Winterlicious/Summerlicious, or completely
new concoctions featured at the event. Just
expect a multi-course meal (in this case six dishes) complete with global wine
pairings curated by Constellation Brands for only $50! I have signed up for the
club in hopes of being invited back to enjoy another dinner with my friends.
To begin, a selection of charcuterie nibbles with a lightly
oaked Ravenswood Chardonnay. There was a variety of cheeses: a creamy Ontario
brie, a harder crumbly zamorano and a lovely wood fired smoked cheese, each
adding different dimensions to the wine. The thinly shaved meats (jamón & chorizo Ibérico and bresaola) were salty and delicious,
especially the jamón ibérico that had
such a rich sweet smoky essence blending into the thin layer of fat. Chef
Dorian King was smart to keep the olives (cerignola
and arbequinas) milder as to not over
power the charcuterie.
I’d happily order the jicama shrimp tacos again (Canyon
Creek please offer it regularly, a special summer menu perhaps)? What a bright
dish! The crunchy jicama shell (a root vegetable having the light sweetness of
apples but the texture of potatoes) topped with smooth avocado, pickled onions,
and a barely cooked through shrimp with a ceviche quality. The tacos certainly
has some heat from jalapeno and the sriracha crema, but the grapefruit segment
helped calm everything.
The Alberta bison carpaccio was rather delicate, serving the
lean cut of meat raw was an ideal choice. Despite looking so small, the dollops
of Kolzig’s triple crunch mustard and fried capers were packed with flavours to
incorporate into the neutral carpaccio. The dish was the secret menu item for
December and January – Chef King gave me the scoop that in March it will be a
s’mores brownie with chocolate ganache, torched marshmallows, peacan crumble
and whisky cherries.
Winter seems to be the season for beets: Canyon Creek using
colourful ones in the base of the salad with whimsical candy cane slivers on
top. At first I couldn’t see how the “goat cheese” description worked into the
dish, until Chef King explained that the ingredient was made into a creamy
coulis sitting on the bottom of the dish – how inventive.
Yet, I could hear the sigh of satisfaction when the steak
was presented … sure it’s served with the tried and true mashed potatoes and
crispy asparagus spears, but why mess with such a good combination? Although
the steak appeared very rare, it was wonderful – flowing with juices and
incorporating the succulence one expects from filet mignon.
The meaty portabella cap on the side was topped with ample
amounts of sweet buttery lobster to add a touch of decadence. A rendition of this dish with a 7 oz. sirloin,
in replacement of the filet mignon ($31.65), is available at their Sherway
Garden location if you’d like to try it for yourself.
Given I’ve started dabbling into matching wine with food, it
was a treat to understand the thought process Mike German, representative from Constellation
Brands, goes through when deciding what to pair with dishes. For example, with
the leaner bison choosing a Vintage Ink Merlot Cabernet as to not overpower the
meat, opting for the Inniskillin Pinot Noir (rather than a typical white wine)
with the beet salad as the fat of the goat cheese can still hold up against the
red, or serving Ruffino Prosecco to end because who doesn’t like some sparkly
to finish?
After draining the last of the wine and feeling sufficiently
stuffed and happy, we ended off with a jar of the potted blueberry cheesecake.
The cream cheese was thoroughly whipped with sweetened condensed milk, lemon
juice and vanilla to make it much lighter, giving it a custard-like
consistency. I rather liked the honey graham cracker crumbs, even though it
took some work to get to the bottom.
Chef King loves participating in the Chef Table events, he
notes they present “the opportunity to provide our guests with a unique
experience at an incredible value. We put extra care and detail into the
planning and execution of these events and usually add more ‘touches’ than what
would normally be ‘executable’ on an everyday basis.” Certainly, I was
impressed with the presentation that evening.
Being a curious person about the preparation and ingredient
combinations, having the Chef walking around and answering queries was a treat.
Chef King agrees, “It’s a pleasure meeting our guests and conversing with them
about food and life. I usually find that people are very open to hearing about
the ingredients, preparation and origins of the dishes, which I love to share
and most Chefs love to talk about.”
Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 156 Front Street
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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
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