CUISINE AND CUVEE

As the weather warms up, Toronto comes out of hibernation and the season of summer events begins. Last year, I had the opportunity to attend Cuisine & Cuvee, in support of Providence Healthcare, with Karen and we spent the night sipping drinks and nibbling on tasty bites. This year’s event was held at Rebel and turned out to be an even bigger and better party. The only thing better than an awesome event is one also for a great cause. Providence Healthcare is a leader in Toronto for providing rehabilitation, palliative, and long-term care with a history dating back to 1857. Cuisine & Cuvee is just one of the many events the Providence Healthcare Foundation runs annually to help raise funds to support Providence Hospital, their long-term care facility and day programs. I was honoured to be invited to attend and cover this year’s event.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

This year’s event featured over 30 savoury, sweet and beverage stations. On the stage, when the DJ wasn’t in charge, talented live performers entertained the lively crowd. After our first round (or two) through the savoury food stations, we ventured upstairs to the VIP area with access to the outside balcony with a stunning view of the Toronto Skyline. I have to admit, being able to access upstairs was a nice perk, especially as the crowd grew. When we returned for a few more bites, most booths had a long line.

14 savoury food vendors fed the crowd with delicious morsels from cheese to grilled cheese to scallops. I absolutely loved the seared Diver Scallops being served by E11even with a truffled celeriac puree, honey mushrooms and bacon jam. Another stand out plate was Locale Mercatto’s Cavatelli with Smoked Ontario Trout, amazing. Pilar’s Catering set up a full Roast Beef carving station and Summer Thyme Bites’ Gourmande Grilled Cheese was buttery and cheesy. What’s wine without cheese? Bothwell Cheese and Pasquale Bros satisfied all of my cheese needs with their spread, conveniently set up on opposite sides of the room, so I was never out of arm’s reach of a cheese platter.

On the beverage side, there was a wine bar with pouring bottles from 4 wineries and a host of beer and liquor vendors. My favourite was Boodles Gin, which was smooth and sweet. Wyborowa Vodka, Lost Craft Beer and Jack Daniel’s were mixing caesars, cocktails and a boozy lemonade. Steam Whistle was also on hand along with Dixon’s Distilled Spirits and Arbonne. Of course, I had to grab another watermelon slush from Tropic Love! Coconuts and Pineapples were also available. To satiate our sweet tooths, there was Mint Oreo ice cream made with liquid nitrogen from Ice Volcano Ice Cream and Holy Cannoli’s famous cannolis.

Aside from food and entertainment, the event also had a raffle (including tickets to a Leafs game in the Executive Suite for 12 people!) and a silent auction to raise funds. The silent auction was one of the best I’ve seen with lots from iPads to Tiffany Jewellery to a catered dinner for 10 by The Food Dudes. There was also a fine wine auction that included bottles ranging in value from hundreds to thousands.

As food vendors wrapped up service, their tables were packed away one by one until the dance floor was clear, making way for the group of eager partiers (myself included).