Eatdrink magazine
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"Restaurant workers will not be included in Phase 2 of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan, leading one group to wonder why the government is prioritizing industries that weren’t forced to shutter during lockdown because they were at higher risk during the pandemic. When the Ontario government released their comprehensive list of those eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 2 of its rollout two weeks ago, one group was noticeably missingthe food and beverage industry. Their absence prompted restaurant owners and advocates to reach out to the government for clarification, asking why a group of employees whose job it is to interact with unmasked customers wasn’t being prioritized on the same level as low-risk retail workers..."

Sunset Happy Hour and the last week of @londonlicious ??? Yes please!!! Reservations available @ www.theriverroom.ca or 519.850.2287 Free 2hr parking using ... @honkmobile promo code B2B20 #ldnon #ldnont #londonon #londonontario #londonontariocanada #519 #519london #519LDN #519eats #londonont #dine519 #lobsterrolls #dynamiteshrimp #pizza # @downtownlondon @museumlondon @londonlicious

Indoor dining is back at Grace Restaurant.

Sous Vide Lamb Slow cooked and topped with a light mustard cream sauce, served with rice and braised red cabbage at the Budapest Restaurant

New on Erie Block in Stratford.

Via The River Room Cafe & private Dining: "Have you tried our Arctic Char yet? It is insanely good. Available in house, pick up or free city wide delivery Wed-Sunday." www.theriverroom.ca or 519.850.2287 for reservations

Congratulations Sons of Kent Brewing Co

Unique Times require Unique Alternatives! As we move into the holiday season Kettle Creek Inn has an enticing offer. Gather 6 to 10 of your friends, family or staff in beautiful Port Stanley at the Kettle Creek Inn. Call in your reservation before November 18 and receive a 10% food discount that is valid until Dec. 30, 2020. Maybe you wish to stay the night? Guest rooms are $100 and a Luxury Suite is $150. Enjoy the evening knowing strict protocols are in place to ensure the safety of guests & staff. www.kettlecreekinn 519-782-3388

Exciting news from Blackfriars Bistro. Happy Thanksgiving! #BlackfriarsNeighbourhoodAssociation #Blackfriarsbridge #petersville #londonontario #londonontariorestaurants #farmtotable #neighbourhoodbistro Tourism London

Congratulations to Lavery Culinary Group for your prestigious victory at the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence. Eatdrink readers are well aware of our Food Editor Bryan Lavery's contributions to our magazine since 2007. Along with Nick Lavery, also a frequent contributor of photos to Eatdrink in recent years, Lavery Culinary Group won the Culinary Tourism Experience Award for their "Forest City Culinary Experience" that was generating excited word-of-mouth before the current pandemic put such a dent into culinary tourism. We're excited to see them get this honour, and look forward to seeing (and reporting on) their future endeavours! Way to go Bryan and Nick!

From our archives, by Darin Cook: Tradition at its Finest Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well https://eatdrink.ca/tradition-at-its-finest/

After 6 months or so closed, Marc Forrat is reopening the Chocolate shop on 2190 Dundas today! He would appreciate if you could stop by to say hi and perhaps get a couple of treats for Thanksgiving! Remember our small culinary businesses need your support!

Informative post from journalist Rick VanSickle about Ontario VQA wines. Thanks for your ongoing efforts to support local, Rick, and looking at the issues from multiple angles. #winesinniagara

Some smart and insightful words from our friend and Colleague Jess Jazey-Spoelstra of North Moore Catering, River Room and Craft Farmacy. https://london.ctvnews.ca/mobile/video

Use it or lose it, say Downtown London businesses https://london.ctvnews.ca/video

NYC restaurants can soon add a Covid-19 surcharge to customers' bills https://www.cnn.com//nyc-covid-restaurant-surch/index.html

The pawpaw was the centerpiece of the Lavery Culinary Group's Slow Food-Inspired Tasting Experience last night at Blackfriars Bistro with our Food Editor, Chef Bryan Lavery and Local Food Advocates and Culinary Farmers Paul, and Sara Spence who provided both the pawpaw, Jesuit pears and stinging nettle for the tasting. Text below is excerpted from the Edible Toronto, Exotic Issue story by Charles Enman about pawpaw ambassador Paul de Campo. "Because the pawpaw, for all its ra...rity in southern Ontario, is a local fruit, it fits in well with his enthusiasm for the slow food movement. In fact, in 2008, DeCampo took some pawpaws to Turin, Italy, where a group of slow food proponents was meeting. They couldn’t believe that such fruit could grow in Canada, the Great White North, DeCampo recalls. And since slow food is all about consumption of local foods, the pawpaw, at least when eaten in North America, is congruent with their whole philosophy. The pawpaw requires no elaborate presentation. DeCampo prefers to simply wash them, and then slice them open to eat with a spoon. They’re good, though, when used in jams or compotes, and make an excellent flavour in ice cream. As an indigenous fruit, the pawpaw has adapted to local conditions and is untroubled by local pests. You won’t need to apply pesticides, DeCampo says." #arkoftaste #slowfoodinspired #foresttotable #orchardtotable #foraging Photos by Cal Johnstone

Our Food Editor and Chef Bryan Lavery is pictured with a Long Island Cheesecake Squash at last night's Slow Food-inspired Tasting Experience at Blackfriars Bistro. Long Island is an heirloom squash variety with a rich American history and is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family along with gourds and pumpkins. Long Island Cheesecake Squash is favoured for its smooth texture, long storage capabilities, and for its use in pumpkin pie. Its name is a nod to the squash’s growing re...gion along the eastern seaboard and also to its unique shape which resembles a cheese wheel. Long Island Cheese squash are in limited availability today due to the introduction of modern squash varieties and is listed on Slow Food’s Arc of Taste, which is a program designed to bring awareness and preservation to disappearing varieties. Ontario's Southwest #farmtotable #socialdistancing #laveryculinarygroup See more

The distillers and craft breweries in Windsor Essex are some of the most adventurous trend setters when it comes to crafting smooth tasting liqueurs and infused brews. If you’re looking for a getaway to discover some award winning beverages and a unique craft beer scene, we recommend taking a road trip down to Windsor Essex. With a selection of over a dozen craft breweries and distilleries, Windsor Essex offers some award winning crafts over a variety of stops along their barrel trail. Purchase an Explore & Pour Passport, take the trail and enjoy a flight of craft beer or a taste of some small batch premium spirits. The creations are original, smooth and filled with passion. After all, Windsor Essex is the birthplace of Canadian whisky! Visit www.barrelsbottlesbrews.ca and discover what their region has to offer.

Catering sous chef Kyle foraged some beautiful chicken of the wood mushrooms this week! Can’t wait to try them when we reopen for lunch at Museum London on Thursday! Call 519.850.2287 for reservations. Opening Thursdays & Friday’s for lunch 11:30am-3pm Sunday brunch 11am-3pm Starting October 1st, the River Room will be open for dinner Thursday-Saturday nights.

Blackfriars Update: In the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurateurs were mandated to close their dining rooms and shut down their catering operations entirely to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. For employers, this meant laying off all their workers, many who will not return to the industry. As it turned out, abruptly closing a busy restaurant operation would be an on-going challenge that even the most stalwart restaurateurs would find difficult to navigate. ...Continue reading