So I’m a tad bit embarrassed that I’m only getting to this now. If you’ve been following along, you will remember I posted a while back about Brewer’s Plate. The awesome food and beer event at Roy Thompson Hall for charity. Well, I went, and it was awesome.
This year I spent less time note- and picture-taking, and rather acted like a beer enthusiast. Cruising from booth to booth, chatting to the ultra-friendly folks serving some of the best beers in the province, and delicious food from all over the city.
If you’re interested in pictures, Toronto Life has some wonderful images from the night here: http://www.torontolife.com/daily/daily-dish/bottoms/2012/04/20/brewers-plate/attachment/apr12brewersplate1/
So, let’s cut to the chase: the homerun pairing, in my books, was the purple carrot cake from The Gladstone Hotel, paired with Denison’s Dunkel. While many of the pairings at the event were nice – and I didn’t taste a single miss – the sweet savoury cake and rich heady beer were both elevated to a whole other level when taken together. It was mind blowingly amazing. It made me convert verbs into adverbs. Just stellar.
Muskoka’s Legendary Spring Oddity was quite possibly my beer of the evening. I’ve since had it a few times and it keeps living up to that first taste. It was also lovely getting some granite Gin Lane, which I hadn’t had in far too long. Other highlights included Applewood Vineyard Estate’s line-up of meads and ciders, and standing around an imaginary curb and slugging Great Lakes’ Dirtbag McQuaig malt liquor from a paper bag with “the crew”. It paired very well with camaraderie and a lack of self-respect.
I was also more than a little impressed by Brook Kavanagh’s Five Game Bird Ballantine that La Palette was serving up. It’s the kind of dish that people will try because it’s “cool”. To pull it off with grace and balance is no small feat. And is even more impressive in a catering environment. Just in case you’re wondering: it’s a squab in a guinea fowl in a partridge in a pheasant in a goose thigh. Turducken is for wussies. Add to that a barley risotto with wild hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and foraged greens, and it was the most complicated plate, and also one of the best.
I know lots of people already know this, but Chocosol probably makes the most wonderful chocolate this side of Tiijauna. I was tempted to just stand at their table eating until I tripped on cocoa. If you haven’t had any of their sweets, get yourself some. Now. You can buy it from the confectioner downstairs at St Lawrence market.
Speaking of St Lawrence market: I was stoked to see Monforte Dairy out and serving up some of their incredible cheese. They had some made with water buffalo milk that was unreal. As I buy amazing goat and sheep’s milk cheeses from them through the summer in the North Market, it was great seeing them at a beer event.
Having the event at Roy Thompson Hall was interesting, and I think I liked it. Because of the architecture, it was sorted of divided into two different areas, but there was plenty of space to spread out. Compared to Wychwood Barns last year, it was much less crowded, though I suspect there was more attendees. It was also easier for me to get to, which was nice. There were more tables this year, both sit-down and high-tops, though I still found myself leaning on a lot of support posts and brewery tables. I also would like to see water/rinse stations. Most brewers would give you a splash to rinse your glass, but stations would be a nice touch.
But all in all, it was an awesome night, again with incredible food, awesome beer and drinks, and a very positive vibe. It is heart warming to see a large event space full of people, many of whom are not regulars in the craftbeer scene, trying some amazing brews.
And just in case you were wondering: no, I didn’t repeat my personal best, eating one of Oyster Boy’s Tranoysterous molluscs. Maybe next time….
