Cafe Boulud, 60 Yorkville Avenue (416) 963-6000
2014 has proven to be an amazing year for me and the new site. January 20th was my very first #DoTheDaniel event and I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out. Alongside the incredible Cafe Boulud located at the stunning Four Seasons Toronto, we held an evening of Food & Fashion.
The incredible guest list, in no particular order, included Sasha Exeter (www.sosasha.com), Alexander Liang (www.kentonmagazine.com), Lance Chung (www.sharpformen.com), Marcus Kan (www.fusionofeffects.com), Garrett Tonge (www.gtonge1.com), Alexandra Nikolajev (www.imalittle.com), Casie Stewart (www.casiestewart.com), Sharad Mohan (www.freshlyeducatedmen.com), Hannah Yakobi (www.fajomagazine.com) and of course my beautiful fiance Julio Reyes (www.FASHIONIGHTS.com).
For those of you who haven’t been to the space, the decor is inspired by the art of none other then Thierry Guetta aka Mr. Brainwash (who, for those art fans out there was actually in the room that same night!)
For more information on Mr.Brainwash, make sure to check out Artsy’s Mr. Brainwash page.
Warmly lit and inviting with many visual dividers, the enormous space feels very intimate. The room glows of gold and opulence and I couldn’t have envisioned anything else upon arrival at a Four Seasons Toronto hot spot.
#CBFamilyFeast was designed around the rustic menu style of a family feast. For those of you who aren’t aware of this style of dinning, imagine family dinner on a Sunday night. But instead of a crowded dinning room table at your parent’s house, transport yourself into a fine dinning atmosphere surrounded by beauty in every way possible.
Dinner consisted of three courses starting with fresh made salad and home made bread. Crisp winter greens and a mildly acidic vinaigrette played with crunchy walnuts and apples. As the bowls were passed and the wine was poured, we all settled in for a night none of us are sure to forget.
The main course piece de resistance was a conglomerate of Whole Roasted Heritage Kitchen & Roasted Cote de Boeuf. With all the fixings and then some! Smelling of fresh hickory and smoke, we were wooed with the presentation before they thankfully divided it all into manageable sizes. I can only imagine what our guests would have thought had I taken a whole chicken to myself! I so wanted to though after the first bite.
Alongside Pommes Aligot, Trumpet Royal Mushrooms, Pommes Pont Neuf, Whole Roasted Maitake, Spinach a la Creme and so much more, our table was filled to the brim. Add to that what felt like every decadent sauce ever invented and you had a table full of dishes and great conversation. This experience was both incredibly stimulating and nostalgic for me. As I looked around the table at my Food & Fashion family, I couldn’t help but smile. Some of the most powerful people I know, and we all were enjoying dinner together in a way many of us aren’t used to anymore. Family dinners have unfortunately become a rare occasion in most of our lives, and it was the perfect way to enjoy one.
For dessert, a Baked Alaska with pistachio & vanilla ice cream, raspberry sorbet & fresh meringue. In an elegant and very old school fashion, the dish was set afire with kirsch as the desserts kept arriving and the conversation steered in every direction you could imagine. Laughing and loving every bite was the theme of the night and I couldn’t have asked for more.
Although I wouldn’t deem this a traditional Daniel’s Dish post, I can assure you that Cafe Boulud and the Family Feast style dinning they offer is one of the best experiences in Toronto. For those love birds thinking about what to do for Valentine’s Day, why not book a room at The Four Seasons Toronto and enjoy a romantic dinner for two at Cafe Boulud. Or better yet, why not get a group together like I did of your closest friends and enjoy a family feast of your own. I can assure you each and every one of the people I name dropped (shamelessly I know, but I love them!) would agree.
Photos: Julio Reyes & Cafe Boulud
Cheers!