#TUM! This was not my first time attending TUM (their first event took place just over 2 years ago) but it has been a year or so since my last time out so I was especially excited to see what (if anything) had changed. I was happy to find that the core of what makes TUM an awesome event has not changed one bit. Admittedly, ticket prices have increased since my last visit ($22.60/advance), but I don't think they are even close to being unreasonable given the overall quality/location of the event. What a ticket to TUM gets you is access to over two dozen food and drink vendors, whose items are usually priced between $2-$8. More importantly, is that the majority of vendors are new up and coming or independent chefs, caterers and restauranteurs who are showcasing innovative and exciting menu items that you can't find elsewhere.
Case in point, my first stop of the evening was at Stuffed.Wings. As their name suggests, Stuffed.Wings was serving stuffed chicken wings (!!!) and I sampled the "Fully Loaded" wing (2/$5), which contained mashed potato, sour cream, chives cheddar cheese and bacon bits. It was delicious and delightfully odd! Up next was a stop at Thistletown Highschool Chefs, where the chefs were a group of high school students from Etobicoke. In addition to eating some wonderfully warm and hearty butternut squash soup ($3), my purchase helped them in their fundraising efforts for a culinary expedition to France and Spain. The soup wasn't the only thing warming my insides as the student chefs beamed proudly at every customer. ALL THE FEELS, GUYS.
As any TUM expert would attest, it is always best to come with a list of vendors/dishes you MUST sample because the pain of missing out on that truly awesome-looking thing you saw pictured on the event Facebook page is devastating. With that in mind, I made my way over to YOLO T.O. to try their (brace yourself) lobster tail corn dog served with pickled watermelon, topped with basil aioli ($8). OH. MAN. Why isn't all food lobster?!? It was spectacular. I could have eaten far more of them than I am comfortable admitting. YOLO T.O. was a tough act to follow but kudos to Boots & Bourbon Saloon for holding their own with jerk shrimp in spicy potatoes ($5). I was asked to choose between mild and spicy for the shrimp and I went with spicy because C'MON and it punched me in the face in the best way possible. Boots & Bourbon is set to open a permanent location in early December and I'm excited to sample more of their offerings. My next stop was at The Kathi Roll Express, where I carefully devoured a butter chicken kathi roll ($5/large), made from Indian parantha (whole wheat flatbread) grilled with freshly beaten eggs. Saucy, messy, YUMMY!
There were many, many new vendors to try at TUM but there were some TUM mainstays (or TUM-alum as they are affectionately referred to) present as well. Fidel Gastro brought their food truck "Priscilla" and so (prepare to be shocked) I had to have some Pad Thai fries ($5) because I love them like a milkshake and can't pass up an opportunity to have them again (and again and again...). I ventured back into the great unknown with Holy Crab, where I happily munched their tender and flavourful crab cakes (2/$5). At From Scratch Pie Co. I opted for a mini chicken pot pie ($3) and mere seconds after I stepped away from the counter with my purchase I heard voices crying out "Pie Lottery! Pie Lottery!" and a slightly scared looking couple were told they had just been randomly picked to win their mini pot pies for free. Awww man! THIS close. Fortunately I had a delicious and piping hot chicken pot pie to ease the pain of being passed over, which was a pretty decent consolation prize.
As I became increasingly full from my feasting I decided it was time to fit in some sweet stuff to cap my evening. There was a lot of lovely looking desserts to choose from but in the end I went with a trio of pop tarts from the Crossroads Diner food truck in raspberry, blueberry & maple bacon s'more (3/$6). These were a much improved take on the original breakfast treat, which I always found had too much icing, not enough filling. These had much less icing, which meant the jam centres were the main event (as they should be). Perfection! One last dessert stop at the Snackery for a tasty duo of a canelle and a peanut butter cookie (2/$6) and I was done, done, done! As I rolled back to wait for the free shuttle bus to Broadview station, I wondered why I had stayed away so long. TUM is done for the year but they will be back in 2014, ready to satisfy many more appetites with ridiculous amounts of fantastic food. I will see you there!
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