Foodival

Earlier this summer I had the good fortune of winning tickets to a circus-themed street party, which proved to be all kinds of fun, so when I heard that tickets had gone on sale for an event calling itself "Toronto's first carnival themed food festival" I immediately bought myself a pair ($12.50 in advance/$15 at the door). Foodival, co-presented by popular Toronto food tour group Foodies On Foot, took place in two installments today at 99 Sudbury. The day edition was an all ages event between 11am-3pm and the night edition turned into a 19+ event between 6-10pm. We opted to buy tickets for Foodival night and wandered over a little after 6pm to find the event in progress with no wait at the doors to get in.

 

As a frequent attendee of many Toronto food festivals, I'm used to seeing a pretty standard layout. Food Trucks outside, pop-ups/stalls inside, people eating everywhere in between. Foodival had all of the regular players plus a whack of carnival themed extras, which were awesome. Inside there was a large inflatable track where tethered racers tried to be the first to grab a bean bag at the end of their row (this was no easy task, think of animals chasing a carrot at the end of a stick and you kind of get the idea). Outside there was an inflatable jousting ring, a high striker (definitely needed to look that one up, I had no idea it had a name), tarot card reading tables and intermittent fire-juggling performances. Apparently the Foodival day edition had a mechanical bull but sadly he didn't even make it to the end of the afternoon (I really hope they didn't have to take him out back and shoot him).

While the carnival aspects of Foodival were certainly appealing, the draw OF COURSE was the food. We started strong with shrimp corndogs from The Happy Hooker ($4 each or 2/$6). We tried these bad boys at an event earlier this summer and they are exceptionally delicious, which kind of runs contrary to the reputation of corndogs, but who's complaining? NOT ME. Next was a veggie spring roll ($1) and some cod fritters ($3) from Tocino Boys. The cod fritters were like fish tater tots (in a good way) and were melt in your mouth yummy.

There was a tremendous amount of pork being served by Foodival vendors so it was not at all shocking when my husband opted to go this route for his big food splurge. A trio of sliders ($11) at Rashers included the Bacon Butty (British style bacon & homemade brown sauce), the Hogtown (peameal bacon, aged cheddar & homemade ale mustard) and the Wild Boar (cider glazed wild boar bacon, apple chutney, blue cheese & arugula). He was in pig heaven, which incidentally is not a happy place for actual pigs. The Hogtown slider was his favorite. Fortunately for me there were some solid non-pork options at the Jonny Blonde Food Truck and I tucked into The Butter Blonde ($9). Served on flatbread it contained tandoori chicken in Jonny's cashew butter chicken sauce, roasted cauliflower, melted brie and candied almonds. Oh. Man. If you ever get the opportunity to try this sandwich, DO IT. Spectacular.

I really felt like we were ready to move on to dessert at this point but then I spotted the Cut The Cheese stand and I knew dessert had to wait a little longer so I could try the Beet It! grilled cheese sandwich ($8). For a vegetarian sandwich it contained a lot of heft: beets, portobello mushrooms, roma tomatoes and smoked gouda. Meat would have been overkill. As it was, it was wonderfully delicious and not just because beets have recently become one of my favorite things. After taking a pause we hopped back onto the dessert train and our first stop was to see the mad scientists at Ice Volcano who were busy combining ice cream with liquid nitrogen, much to the delight of the gathering crowds. I tried Ice Volcano earlier this summer and although I should have used this second chance as an opportunity to try something new, I had to have their frozen mini marshmallows again ($5 or 2/$8). I HAD TO. I regret nothing.

Actually I did regret something and that was eating too much too fast. We needed yet another pause from eating and so we wandered back outside and, after some gentle coaxing, my husband and our buddy Eric agreed to a friendly joust. Because why not? It was fun to watch and no one resorted to winning by jabbing the other in the stomach and inducing vomiting. Huzzah!

Even though our break from eating helped, we were still pretty full. We managed to fit in one more teeny dessert item, the pumpkin spiced caramels ($1) from The Golden Apple. Paired on the napkin they kind of looked like alien boobs but (presumably) they tasted much better. After this tasty treat my stomach waved the white flag and it was over. The problem? Many desserts left uneaten! The solution? Many smart vendors had take-out items, which is such a good idea I don't know why this doesn't happen more often at food events. We went home with caramel corn from Crazy Corn ($4.50), an adorable clown cookie from Le Dolci ($5) and a selection of salted and brulé caramels from Odile Chocolat ($5). If I pace myself, I can make Foodival last another few days. Lovely!

AwesTRUCK

Yesterday I put on my rain boots and headed down to historic Fort York for the second installment of AwesTRUCK, a Food Truck rally and awards presentation with 50 (!) participants coming from Toronto and Southern Ontario. For those who still think "street food" translates to hot dogs sold from a dinky little cart, let me bring you up to speed. For the past two years (approximately) Food Trucks have been making a name for themselves as a powerful force in Toronto's food scene. Lately it seems that you can't hit up a big event without spotting at least one Food Truck, parked and ready to serve the hungry masses who happily stand in the queue waiting for delicious eats. You'd think that something that has been so well-received by the public would be welcomed by the city but, sadly, Food Trucks have been struggling with bureauocratic red tape pretty much since day one. It's too much to get into here, but suffice it to say, the city has not made it easy for the Food Truck community. Fortunately, AwesTRUCK was a ticketed event ($10 for advance general admission, $25 for early entry tickets, $15 at the door), with a designated space so the focus could remain where it should be: the food!

It was a rainy, rainy, rainy day yesterday but many food lovers willingly braved the elements in order to satisfy their appetites. Personally, I welcome lousy weather at outdoor events. Rain is Mother Nature's crowd control and I knew it meant that the lines for food would be reasonable (or in some cases, nonexistent). I realize that this attitude probably isn't shared by the organizers, who would be happier if the event was teeming with people, but it served my purpose well! We did our homework before we arrived at AwesTRUCK (with 50 vendors to choose from you kind of had to) and had a few Food Trucks we wanted to check out immediately. First up was the mighty Fidel Gastro, arguably the most ubiquitous vendor of Toronto's Food Truck scene, where we had Pad Thai Fries ($5). Full disclosure: I have eaten these Pad Thai fries many, MANY times before. But c'mon! PAD THAI FRIES! It's one of those food items that shouldn't work but does extremely well.

Next up was a lobster avocado spring roll ($7) from Chang Noi Enroute, the Food Truck of the Chang Noi Thai restaurant in St. Catharines. "Chang Noi" translates to "Little Elephant", which is an excellent way to describe the heft of this small but powerfully delicious dish. It was served piping hot with a chili dipping sauce and I could have easily eaten a dozen more (and the shame would have been worth it). Next we trekked over to new Food Truck Localista, who serves food using a local produce from the Hills of Headwater region. We devoured a pile of corn fritters ($8 for 6) with cilantro dipping sauce. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and full of sweet, sweet corn.

Nestled in the centre of the surrounding ring of Food Trucks, there were a few pop-up vendors at AwesTRUCK, who were just as enthusiastically serving up their wares for the hungry crowds. One of my favorite Toronto pop-ups was in attendance, FeasTO, and it was there that I achieved Nirvana through noodles (I always suspected that's the way it would go down). The chilled ramen bowl ($5) pretty much combined everything I love into a single bowl: noodles, sesame seeds, scallions, carrots, mushroom sofrito, tofu and peanuts. This is a dish I could eat daily and never get bored. Just looking at the picture now is giving me such a craving... KILLER.

I know it's unwise to judge a book by its cover, so it stands to reason that you shouldn't pick a Food Truck based on its decor... and then I saw Hamilton's TacoCat, quite possibly the cutest Food Truck of all time. I knew in an instant that these tacos (2/$6.50) would make me as happy as the TacoCat kitty, despite not having a sombrero. The taco on the left is cactus and chilies, with marinated onion, pineapple and savoury salsa and the taco on the right is tequila lime chicken with purple cabbage, salsa Verde and Mexican crema. Bearing in mind that there were probably a dozen places to eat tacos at AwesTRUCK, I feel confident that we chose wisely, even if it was motivated by specious logic. Delicious!

So how do you end a roll like this? With dessert, of course, but which one? Lots to choose from, limited amount of space left in the ol' stomach. We settled on the Itty Bitty Pie Company, another Food Truck reppin' St. Catharines (perhaps a road trip is in order in the future...). Though their tiny pies looked really yummy, we opted for the pie in a cup. Peach crumble, vanilla ice cream and a caramel drizzle in a cup to be exact. This was a great way to end a day of indulgences. Oh sweet dessert-y bliss. I also got a kick out of the little girl holding up a sign on their truck proclaiming "I am not a TART!", which is an important distinction if your business is tiny pies.

It was good timing that the awards presentation came as soon as we were too full to do much else but stand and stare. We watched as awards were given out for Best Graphic Design (The Food Dudes), Best Concept (Luchador Gournet Streatery), Best New Truck (Frankie Fettucine), Best Menu Item (Luchador Gournet Streatery), Best Pop-Up (Babi&Co.) and finally the People's Choice Award, a special award determined by online voting, went to Gourmet Gringos. It was really nice to see the Food Truck community come together to celebrate with the people who love their food them. Even the rain couldn't dampen their spirits. A great event!

The ABCs of TIFF

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is fast approaching and I'm getting SUPER excited! Normally I post a write-up on my blog after an event takes place but this time I thought I'd try something different. Since TIFF is a world-class event that needs no introduction and I'm not keen on blogging film reviews (I watch too many movies for that to be a practical goal), I decided to create a handy guide for TIFF-goers. Whether you're a seasoned regular or this is your first year at the Festival, here is my personal, completely biased and unendorsed guide to TIFF.

The ABCs of TIFF

A is for Audience
Obviously at TIFF screenings you are part of an audience, but this might be an audience experience you aren't totally accustomed to. Maybe you're like me and you enjoy a wide berth of personal space at a movie theatre. Nope. Not gonna happen. TIFF screenings are packed and I mean PACKED. Often every single seat is filled so get used to only using your seat's designated amount of space and get cozy with your neighbours. We're all in this together.

B is for Backlight
Talking throughout a movie is pretty much understood to be a dick move and for the most part TIFF audiences are good about knowing when to STFU and watch the film. Unfortunately, I find TIFF audiences are some of the worst for the newest trend in poor cinema etiquette: using their smart phones to text, tweet and e-mail while the movie is playing. Not cool guys. Not cool. Shining backlights are brighter than you think and are extremely distracting. Turn it off before the movie begins. Like, actually all the way off. Thank-you.

C is for Contemporary World Cinema
TIFF is a great opportunity to see a stellar line-up of international films that you might not get the chance to see otherwise. Take advantage of it! Limiting yourself to English-language films makes it impossible to potentially see the best of what the Festival has to offer. This year I'm seeing my first Costa Rican film ever and I'm super psyched because, why not? I'm also seeing films from South Korea, Mexico, Japan, Sweden, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Spain, the Philippines, France, the UK, Canada and (of course) the USA. TIFF allows you to travel around the world through film.

D is for Date
Movies are great for dates but for TIFF movies they are not at all required. If you're thinking of seeing a TIFF flick and you can't lock down a date, go by yourself. There is no shame in seeing a movie alone any time, but at TIFF it's the norm for a lot of patrons (myself included). No one will think it's sad and pathetic. In fact, it's doubtful anyone will even notice. Dates be damned! Go see your movie.

E is for Early
One of the first things you learn attending TIFF is that you need to adjust your clocks to TIFF time, which basically means be early for everything. If your movie is at 7pm and you're planning on getting there at 6:30pm or even 6:45pm, you are going to have a rough time easing into your preferred seat in the theatre, especially if you're not alone. Planning to arrive early for screenings is just part of the reality of TIFF. A good rule of thumb if you're picky about seat selection is to arrive an hour before your movie begins. I know. It seems extreme. But 9/10 times if you arrive an hour before your movie, you won't even be the first person in line. Trust me. This is a keen crowd.

F is for Food
Keeping hunger at bay while running from movie to movie can be tricky. There often isn't time to sit down to a meal during TIFF and you can only eat so many hot dogs and slices of pizza before you start to feel gross. Try to always keep some food on hand while at TIFF. A granola bar or a handful of veggies in a bag can be your salvation when your schedule gets tight and you have to sacrifice meals for movies.

G is for Gala
Ahhh the red carpet. The glitz and the glamour and all the stars. For some, this is what TIFF is all about. Gala (a.k.a. "Premium") screenings are your best bet if you're into that scene. This is where Hollywood lives at the Festival. It's not for everyone. It's not for me. But I acknowledge that there is a certain amount of cachet to attending screenings that feel more like movie premieres, complete with photographers and hangers-on. Dress appropriately.

H is for Holding Seats
We all have to do it at one point or another. But there is a difference between holding a single seat for a date and trying to reserve an entire row for every single person you know. If you're travelling in a pack at TIFF, make sure everyone is there to hold their own seats so we don't have to hear "Is that seat free?", "Oh, ALL those seats are taken?" at every screening. 

I is for Interaction
It's true that many patrons like to use TIFF screenings as an opportunity to interact and converse with similar-minded people and it's true that this is part of the appeal of the Festival for many people. It's also true that not everyone is into it all the time and that's okay. I've had some fun experiences chatting with strangers in line for TIFF screenings and I've also had to literally turn my back and put in my headphones to stop unwanted interactions. My advice is to enjoy whatever level of interaction you're comfortable with and don't feel compelled to feign BFFs with strangers if you're not feeling it.

J is for Jerks
Story time! The first year I really went all out for TIFF I was sitting in a theatre at the Cumberland and a woman asked me how many films I was seeing. I replied "Twenty.", feeling pretty good about myself. She scoffed and said "Moderate." and I was devastated. Don't be a jerk guys. It's not a contest.

K is for Kidneys
Always be aware of your kidneys! Always be aware of where the bathrooms are and use them before the movie starts. You don't want to climb out of a packed theatre and miss the film. You also don't want to abuse your poor kidneys. Sort yourself out.

L is for Lines
The worst. Unavoidable. Everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Only a handful of times have I managed to get into a TIFF screening without standing in line. Sometimes if it's an early morning screening they'll let you wander in sans line and it's the sweetest victory. Typically you can expect to be placed in a line before every movie you see. Get used to it. Wear comfy shoes.

M is for Midnight Madness
I make a point of telling everyone I talk to about TIFF to go to at least one Midnight Madness screening during the Festival. Maybe you're put off by the timing (they are actually screened at midnight) or the subject matter (they tend towards horror genre films) but it is an experience that everyone attending TIFF needs to have. Midnight Madness audiences are without a doubt the best audiences of the Festival. These guys are SO into it and their enthusiasm is infectious. It feels like a community within a community of film and I always have a great time at  the screenings. Do it!

N is for N00BS
This might be your twenty-something-th TIFF and you can afford to be blasé about it (although, c'mon, it's still pretty shiny and awesome, admit it) but there are first-timers everywhere and it's not cool to mock their wide eyes as they take it all in. And don't bust their balls if you see them making rookie mistakes or overhear them asking "dumb" questions. That was you once upon a time.

O is for Off-Sale
What does Off-Sale mean? In TIFF language it means that the movie you wanted to see no longer has advance tickets available for purchase. So what now? Well, there are two options. You can check at the crack of dawn the day of the screening to see if any Same-Day tickets have been released. You might get lucky. OR you can brave the Rush Line. I tend to avoid the Rush Line at TIFF but on occasion I too find myself desperately seeking hard to find tickets. This is the best example of how being early and keen are rewarded at TIFF. Get yourself in that Rush Line as early as you can. Being first practically guarantees you a ticket. Good luck!

P is for Popcorn
Do I love popcorn because I love movies or do I love movies because I love popcorn? We may never know. My advice here: pace yourself with concessions. If you're the type who has to have popcorn at the movies and you're seeing 20+ films at TIFF... it won't end well.

Q is for Q&As
Q&As are one of the many appealing things about attending TIFF. They don't happen at every single screening but they try to have them whenever possible, often with the director, producer, crew and even actors present. You are not obligated to stay if you have another film to see or you're just not that into it, but if you decide to leave you should try to do it before it gets underway. If you decide to stay and ask a question, make sure your question is an actual question and not your musings on the film. Keep that shit for your blog, no one wants to hear it. Oh man, my list of super awkward Q&A moments at TIFF is epic. Ask me about it sometime.

R is for Reviews
You've picked your movies and you feel good about 'em and then the reviews start pouring in. Uh-oh. It looks like you passed over some great films and what's worse, you're seeing some films that the critics don't seem to be very excited about. What now?!? My advice? Stick with your gut. There's a reason you picked that film out of all the others, right? Not to mention, there's a reason the programmer picked that film out of all the others, right? Using reviews as a guideline is great but the opinions of reviewers aren't infallible. Just this morning I read two separate reviews for one of my films. One reviewer ranked it 2/5 stars and the other gave it 8/10. You never know unless you see it for yourself.

S is for Schedule
Making your TIFF schedule can be the most frustrating part of the Festival. Even when it's done it can be affected by all kinds of hiccups: late starts, long intros, technical difficulties, lengthy Q&As, traffic, transit, etc. etc. Try not to pack it too tight so that there's room for error. Also, the laws of physics won't be suspended so that you can make it from the Bloor to the Lightbox in 15 minutes. Plan accordingly.

T is for #TIFF13
Wanna hear what everyone is saying about the Festival and their movies? Twitter can be your best friend during TIFF and often is your only source of companionship in line. Tweet using #TIFF13 and join the conversation.

U is for Umbrella
Because sometimes it rains! Duh.

V is for Vote
It's generally understood that the most coveted award handed out at TIFF is the People's Choice Award. It's a mark of distinction that could potentially start a film on its journey to the Academy Awards. If you want to be a part of that process, the only way you can do it effectively is by voting for your favorite film at TIFF. You could help pick a winner so don't forget to get those ballots in!

W is for Wavelengths
Up until recently, I was guilty of thinking the Wavelengths category at TIFF was for experimental films only and because of my ignorance I probably passed up on some really good titles. Fortunately this year I decided to take a closer look and am happy to report I am seeing my first film(s) from the Wavelengths programme. The lesson here: don't make generalizations, take a closer look and decide for yourself.

X is for XI
Betcha didn't think I'd find an "X" entry, huh? This is my eleventh year attending TIFF, hence XI. Ta-da!

Y is for Yoga
One of the most important TIFF lessons I've learned in recent years is that it's very easy to cause yourself strain and discomfort after sitting in movie theatres 20+ times in a short span of days. Maybe it's just me getting older, but I need to spend time stretching it out between screenings or else my muscles stage a revolt. Try to remember to stretch whenever possible and if you know you're spending a few hours in a seated position, try to get in a good walk beforehand. Your body will thank you.

Z is for Zut Alors!
No matter how much you plan out your TIFF experience things will run amuck. You will see movies that don't live up to the hype. You will encounter jerks. You will pass up on a Q&A moments before a special guest arrives unexpectedly. You can't see every awesome movie. You will inadvertently shush a director during a screening. You may even literally run into a director as you hurry out of a theatre (true story, me & Don McKellar a few years ago). But no matter what goes wrong, odds are you will see some great films, meet some great people and you will want to attend TIFF year after year after year.

Have a great TIFF everyone!