Now an introduction...

...As promised after my last (and first) posting on our blog, I'm going to give some background on cafe Taste. People should know where they're spending their cash... **credit to Sheryl Kirby of www.tasteTO.com for generating this Q&A**

TasteT.O.:How did you get started? What is your background in food and wine? Are you self taught or did you train somewhere specific?
Jeremy Day: My background begins at age 5 when my parents moved me to a farm in a rural area two hours Northwest of Toronto. Being on a farm, we were self-sufficient - we grew our vegetables, raised our chickens, pigs, ducks and cows, and with everything on a small scale (no more than a dozen of any type of livestock at a time) we worked organically before a time when that meant something. We even made our own cheese, sausages, jams, bread and flour!
Everything was 'free-ranged' and we worked naturally with the land, raising crops to feed ourselves and our livestock. When I came to Toronto and began work in the hospitality industry, I at first embraced the 'big city' and its convenience - it was years before I simply felt 'ill' from being bereft of my 'natural' upbringing and went back to eating healthy and working towards sustainable local practices. This is what I bring to opening cafe Taste - local produce featured around the EXPERIENCE of treating oneself - In Europe, each cafe features local wines and cheeses. It is part of the daily ritual Europeans have to treat themselves - to live - by enjoying a glass of wine, a chunk of cheese and some bread each day. In North America, we do NOT treat ourselves each day, instead we seem to "Live to Work" as opposed to "Working to live". cafe Taste is meant to promote the latter - come by to Live.

TasteT.O: Why Parkdale as opposed to somewhere that might be more receptive to the concept of a wine bar? How does the neighbourhood respond? Is your clientele mostly local or people from out of the hood who make cafe Taste a destination?
Jeremy Day: Ah! Why NOT Parkdale??? See, my point, my vision for this place IS that wine & cheese is for everyone - they are two of the oldest portions of culinary history - growing with culture and civilization over several thousand years. WHY does North America make wine service pretentious and unapproachable? Wine should not be put on a pedestal, it should be enjoyed by the people! My concept is "opulence for the common man", great product at a discounted price. I made cafe Taste so that people do not shy away from the higher end products because of their mark-up.
The neigbourhood responds well, albeit slowly. At first people didn't know what to think, with wine bars being somewhat trendy and opening across Toronto, it was clear from the start this one was different - no high-end decor, no servers with ties, and an extensive cheese selection (up to 30 cheeses to match the 30 wines by the glass). Over the last 4 years word has spread, and even seem to have inspired other restaurants to offer more cheeses with their wines.
cafe Taste seems to straddle being a neighbourhood hang-out and a destination spot. We get lots of private bookings as an experience for groups - wine tastings, birthday parties, etc. A few weeks ago we had a group from Cambridge in for the evening. It is unfortunate that on those nights when we're closed for a private gig that I have to turn-away my neighbourhood regulars.
RESERVATIONS are STRONGLY recommended so that we can assure people won't be turned away in case of a private tasting!

TasteT.O.:Tell me a bit about your wine selections and how you came to compile your wine list? Do you update it frequently?
Jeremy Day: I update it quite often - about every 6-8 weeks. I compile based upon what I've tasted, and what Ontario has to offer. My mandate is to source locally, primarily to reduce our environmental footprint, but we have such an incredible resource with the Ontario wine regions, it would be criminal to not make use of them! I do include wines from outside Ontario, but they have to have either exceptional taste or flavour profile that the wine list requires, or have some manner of historical note that appeals to me - preferably both!

TasteT.O.:The food menu is pretty simple - is this out of choice or necessity? Are there kitchen facilities to expand the menu at some point in the future, or do you prefer to focus on the wine at this point?
Jeremy Day: Actually, it is both. Though I wished to have a more extensive menu available, it was always intended to be a cheese-based. As we were limited in kitchen facilities, it worked out to our vision of cheese trays, fondue, and cheese salads. As far as cooking philosophy, "Simple. Fresh. Tasty" is our mantra. Good, preferrably locally-sourced ingredients and uncomplicated recipes to allow natural flavour profiles to carry through and match with our wines. What I'm doing is simplicity itself: enjoy a glass of wine with a chunk of cheese and some bread, nuts & olives. There isn't too much call right now to go outside our vision, though for 2010 we're ramping-up specials crafted by Food Geek David Berman http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/696413

...Also as promised, the sappy part...As stated above, my dad raised me in a rural 'total farm' experience.

I hated it.

I had to wake-up @ 7 am to feed animals and milk cows before going to school each day, then return home just to do it again. I rebelled against dad's views about self-production when I visited other schoolkids who lived in nearby towns and saw how they bought their food from stores. Money COULD buy leisure and 'happiness' from the strife of working on the farm...

...I now find myself very much my fathers' son, and consider myself lucky to have had the upbringing I did under his tutelage. I had not seen my father for 10 years, as he had moved to BC to retire from farming. I was busy creating cafe Taste, and always had something that got in the way of a venturing out to see him...I realize now what that was:

...I visited him last weekend, as news arrived he is very ill and he will now never be able to see what I created here. I sat with him for an afternoon before he slept and told him about what I had built. I realize now that cafe Taste is an altar to everything he instilled in me, and the reason for my not visiting was my desire to have it flourish and have him come see something he inspired before he died. I am thankful and proud to have had you in my life growing-up, dad. I love you.

...As an aside, take the opportunity to tell loved-ones what they mean to you. One never knows if they may be taken from you.

Regards;
Jeremy Day - Wine Geek

Time to Blog

I'd like to begin my first blog thanking David (our Food Geek) for paving the way and writing our first few forays into allowing people to keep tabs on what what's cooking (literally) down here @ cafe Taste.

Over the years people have asked me to blog our wine tastings, our initiatives, even our story of how cafe Taste came to be...so it begins:

This month we strayed from our usual Tutoured Tasting and instead of doing wine & cheese, we honoured the Emerald Isle and did a Whiskey tasting! This was "Whiskey 101" and gave first an overview of the origins & composition of whiskey, followed by the basics of each type. I chose entry-level examples that displayed not only the characteristics of the basic types of whiskies, but also one's that are on my shelf :) Cost was $40 (taxes & gratuity incl.) and got each guest 7 ounces of whiskey paired with cheeses, chocolate and nuts.

First-up was Irish whiskey - generally the more subtler of whiskies, distilled 3 times for richness. I chose Bushmills Black Bush paired with Quebec's Le Sauvagine cheese.

Second was Canadian whiskey (known as rye) - distilled twice with extra depth, smooth and fantastic for cocktails. I was happy to feature local Niagara winery/distillery Kitling Ridge's Forty Creek, and paired it with an Ontario asiago from Thornloe.

Third & fourth were Scotch whiskies (blended & single malt) - distilled twice and aged for a minimum of 2 years, for this we needed to go into some history of the why's and when's of blending vs. single malts and their characteristics, but for that you'll need to attend a tasting ;) Poured were Te Bheag & Balwhinie Double Wood paired with Blue Haze & 70% chocolate.

Fifth we poured American whisky (yes, there's no 'e' in American whisky) - distilled only once and aged for only a minimum of a year, these whisky's (Bourbon's, Sour Mash, etc.) are generally of stronger character AND alcohol (they can be released as 'cask strength') - liken them to American foreign policy ;) Poured was Knob Creek paired with a 7-year aged white Ontario cheddar.

As with all of our Tutoured Tastings, once the lessons and evaluation was complete we turned our attention to what remained in the bottles and the tasting became a hedonistic one!

...there may have been some wobbling ;)

I'd love any feedback to this, my first post on the Blog David began for us here @ cafe Taste, and welcome criticisms or accolades. Let me know what you'd like to see on our blog!

Till I post next (which btw will be some background about why cafe Taste exists...WARNING: there will be some sappy moments as I'll be talking about my dad) I raise my glass of Kacaba 2005 Cabernet to yourselves; the people for whom without cafe Taste would mean nothing.

Thanks.

Jeremy Day - Wine Geek

Wine Pairing for the everyday #3

Video Games

I’ve been a gamer since the marvel pong broke out on the scene with heart pumping action, or so I’m sure it appeared to a child of the 70’s. So I know firsthand there is zero possibility of pairing a single wine to all games, in that light I’ll pick one genre of game, and still fail miserably in the attempt for all the intricacies that games possess in the present day.

Adventure/Role Playing/Storyline Based

One common element in these types of games is that they tend to prove very frustrating with all the find the right quest giver, make sure you have the magic boots, don’t use iron key on the green door nonsense. So in light of that lets not pick a wine which is too distracting, nor pointlessly elegant nor complex. I assure you these characteristics will be lost on the pallet once you confront the 15 headed, 2 tailed, and otherwise anatomically incorrect monster.

The alcohol content is not that important as many of these games will see your results improve while off your face (or at least it will appear that way.)

White: Flat Rock Cellars Chardonnay 2007 (16.95 CDN) 13% Beamsville Bench, Niagara, ON. This Chard possesses a well structured mouth feel, with medium wood (and the typical vanilla), lush fruit, good mineral and a tad bit of smoke. Easy to drink with some great character if you press pause long enough to notice.

Menu Changes on the way…

As fall prepares to take the stage the menu at Taste will pay tribute to the season of harvest and realized expectations.

The new spaghetti Bolognese will now include a late harvest VQA and dark chocolate with its more traditional elements.

Our daily soups, including our popular Kale Monster, will return to ward off the chills.

Sautéed Atlantic salmon with spaghetti squash, zucchini and fire-roasted red peppers.

And look for chili and jambalaya as the season matures.

Events:

This month’s wine tasting: October 14th - 8pm: "Taste of the Harvest"

Thanksgiving menu. Cornish hen with wild rice porcini mushroom stuffing.

What’s Cooking:

Angelo Bean Sausages, Beef Tenderloin and specialty pizzas on the weekend.

David Berman
Food Geek

Suckling Pig, Kangaroo Burgers, and Ostrich Thigh, oh my!

The weekend was an eventful one here at Taste. We hit the ground running on Friday with a packed Australian wine tasting hosted by guest speaker Doctor B!

The wines: (which are all currently on the menu)

2006 Harvey Riverbridge Shiraz

2007 Harvey Riverbridge Sauvignon Blanc

2007 Billy Goat Hill Estate Cabernet

Admittedly it turned out to be an excuse to bust out kangaroo burgers and ostrich thigh. To my pleasant surprise we had quite a few adventurous types in the house as the ostrich with rapini, peppers and Portobello side was gone before nine o’clock.

Saturday, pardon the pun, was a completely different animal, with a whole suckling pig on the menu for a Viking themed bachelor party. Staying on point I served it with sweet potato and apple stuffing and a side of roasted potatoes.

*The picture was taken in jest. I mean no disrespect for the animal who gave its life to nourish others.

What’s cooking:

On Saturday the 26th, Rack of lamb with red wine reduction, cranberry chutney, and grilled veg. AND Angelo Bean Sausages!

Events:

Tuesday 22nd, Mozilla’s private function.
Thursday the inspiring music of Jason Phin!
Friday, a Chilean wine tasting with special food pairings.


David Berman

Food Geek

Chocolate and Wine Pairing!

While cheese and wine and culture might have all evolved together, I have managed to learn one irrefutable truth about chocolate and woman; do not, under any circumstances, attempt to come between them. So in tribute to our clientele, whom are mostly women, we are turning this month’s wine tasting into a wine and chocolate pairing.
I’ll be making my Asathoth chocolate (a blend of 3 chocolates, homemade biscotti, almonds and spices), Nug (A milk chocolate cup with cashew, almond and flaxseed butter filling.) dollops of dark, milk and white chocolates, fudge and straight dark chocolate.
I expect this to be very well attended, so buy your tickets before it’s too late.


What’s cooking:

The $3 Recession Pasta for this Tuesday (The 15th), is my cheese and veggie lasagna.

Angelo Bean sausages will be up for this weekend on the Patio!


Events:

Wine and chocolate wine tasting on September 16th.


David Berman
Food Geek

Summer Waning

As we push into the tail end of a summer that never was, café Taste is humming along. Wine tastings, private patio parties, anniversaries and every manner of booking have us on our toes. It’s always exciting to see the efforts of one’s labour bare fruit.

I am personally very excited about the new cheeses in house:

Peau Rouge: A hard Quebec cow’s milk cheese that is intensely savoury, nutty with notes of fruit and smoke. When me and Jeremy first tried this at Glen Echo Fine Foods I knew we had to have it on the list. Delicious!

Jensen Cheddars: 3 generation cheese makers are behind all the cheddars we now have in house. The extra old goes wonderfully with any of our bigger reds.

Asiago: An Ontario made asiago that lives up to the traditional flavour profile. Firm, sweet, salty and nutty.

Figaro: One of the standouts from the Ontario Wine Fair. A soft bloomy-rind cheese that is leaf-wrapped for two weeks. A complex cheese that will certainly hold your interest.

Lighthall Tomme: Another beautiful cheese from 5th Town cheese makers in Prince Edward County. This internationally award winning cheese is firm, savoury with notes of wood, earth and smoke.

Blue Haze: A proprietary cheese from Provincial Fine Foods. The blue cheese in produced in Quebec and brought to Provincial’s smoke house north of Toronto. Roquefort mold, semi-soft and aged 3 months.

Douanier: A Quebec cow’s milk cheese, soft rind with a morbier line. A mellow semi-soft cheese which still holds your interest and pairs nicely with most whites and less tannic reds.



What’s cooking:

The $3 Recession Pasta for this Tuesday (The 1st), is Grilled Chicken Spaghetti in my homemade tomato sauce.
My 100 ingredient Jambalaya on the weekend. Miss it and you’re out of the will.
Angelo Bean sausages on the Patio on Sat!


Events:

4 different wine tasting events this month AND our wine list now represents the winners of the people’s choice awards from the Ontario Wine Fair!


David Berman
Food Geek