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COCKTAIL DECONSTRUCT
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INGREDIENTS • 2 oz Lot 40 rye • 1 oz sweet vermouth • 3 dashes Angostura bitters Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well chilled and diluted. Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupette.
Garnish with a brandied cherry. Maraschino cherries became readily available in the U.S. in the early 1900s and stuck as the premier garnish for the manhattan. Rinse the cherry of excess sugar to avoid adding unnecessary sweetness to your cocktail and avoid those radioactively red, synthetic ones at all cost.
Pro tip: Stock the smallest bottles of vermouth you can find and keep refrigerated to reduce oxidation.
The bolder characteristics of a 100 per cent rye whisky will help to balance the heavy dose of sweet vermouth. However, it can be made with Canadian Club whisky, an alternative used during Prohibition when rye was unavailable. Some recipes call for ¾ oz sweet vermouth and make for a dryer cocktail.
Reign, 100 Front St. W.
MANHATTAN Popularized during the second half of the 19th century, the manhattan cocktail’s origin is unclear despite many fantastic tales. Legend has it that the drink was created in 1874 for Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston, to honour presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden. Whether it was first served at the Manhattan Club in New York City or not, one thing is for certain: the cocktail’s significance was such that its predecessor became “old fashioned.” Proportions have changed many times, but the three key ingredients (whiskey, vermouth and bitters) have stood the test of time. With that in mind, there’s something idyllic about nestling oneself in the comfort of a historic hotel lobby and ordering a well-crafted manhattan. If only the walls could speak. fairmont.com/royalyork
BASKET CASE
Elevate your weeknight dinner with a gourmet grocery basket from McEwan Fine Foods at Yonge and Bloor, a downtown one-stop-shopping experience.
THE LOCAL CONVENIENCE store has saved our butts on countless occasions, but we would be lying if we said it was our favourite spot to pick up groceries. No matter how middle-of-the-week we’re feeling, hand selecting our favourite brands and having traceability on exactly where our shopping basket comes from is a huge deal for us.
McEwan Fine Foods at Yonge & Bloor answered our produce prayers when the 17,000 square foot food hall opened back in 2019, the latest in a roster of gourmet
groceries (TD Centre, Don Mills) named after chef Mark McEwan. Located at 1 Bloor East, McEwan's brings fresh, quality produce plus restaurant quality grab-and-go options to the work desks and dinner tables of downtown dwellers. The boutique grocery store boasts a bakery selling fresh pastries and bread from local purveyors like their droolworthy focaccia, a carvery and rotisserie slicing up P.E.I grass-fed prime rib, slow roasted porchetta and free range chicken, plus an all-day café serving up Lavazza coffee, made-to-order smoothies and fresh-pressed juices by Refuel – meaning that there is literally no bad time of day to visit.
The full shopping experience allows visitors to grab a square of Roman-style pizza, a bowl of housemade pasta at the Fabbrica station or fill up at the Sushi Bar or Salad Bar and Sandwich Station before grabbing a basket and picking up some specialty ingredients and all your favourite grocery items. From a robust vegan section, expert cheese monger, dry aged meat locker and a full antipasti
bar, there are endless options to help elevate your pantry or deli-decisions. Plus, McEwan’s Fine Foods at Yonge & Bloor has 1-hour free parking available so you can even order ready-made meals online and collect on your way home. Foodism and McEwan Fine Foods will be partnering on some mouth- watering events soon, so make sure you’re following them on social @mcewanfoods for a chance to attend a future gourmet gathering. ● Until then, head to mcewangroup.ca/grocery to start planning your next weeknight wonder.
WIN A McEWAN GIFT BASKET To make your weeknights a breeze, we’re giving away a gift basket full of yummy McEwan treats like pasta, jam, nuts, tea and balsamic vinegar. Plus, we’ll chuck in a $150 gift card, so your next trip to the gourmet grocery store is on us. (Gift basket items may vary due to availability of products). WIN
For a list of terms and conditions and to enter visit: foodism.to/competition
TORONTO, ONE BITE AT A TIME
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SPACE CASE
Downtown restaurant Ricarda's offers a spacious and refi ned atmosphere to accompany their thoughtful menu of Southern European dishes.
AMONGST ALL OF the tiny, tightlypacked restaurants in downtown Toronto, it can be tricky to fi nd a place where we can feel comfortable enough to enjoy a meal. Not to mention how diffi cult it is to get into those overcrowded spots in the fi rst place.
But at spacious downtown restaurant and bar Ricarda's, there's enough room to breathe, relax and luxuriate over their thoughtfully created dishes. Located in a beautiful heritage building right at Richmond and Peter, Ricarda's offers a world-class menu of seasonal fare in a refi ned, modern atmosphere with warm European charm and impeccable service.
Tuck into executive chef Julien Laffaurge's menu of dishes that are inspired by the tastes of Southern Europe, but made with locally and sustainably sourced ingredients.
Chef Julien comes with a storied history in the industry – he was the personal chef to former French President Jacques Chirac, and he cooked aboard the Orient Express. He brings decades of experience to the table when it comes to crafting Ricarda's exceptional food programme. As an innovative and forwardthinking restaurant, Ricarda's is always working to improve the experience for guests. This spring will see the space revamped and we'll be awaiting a brand new bar and cocktail programme. ● To fi nd out more, visit ricardas.com or visit us @ricardas.to
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EXCESS
“BONUS POINTS IF YOU GET THROUGH A MEAL WITHOUT SPRAYING YOUR NEIGHBOUR – THESE DUMPLINGS ARE JUICY.”
SELECTOR, 118
