Frank Restaurant July Wine Club
July 7th, 2010
Beyond Chardonnay and Riesling…Exploring Ontario’s lesser know varietals
Join celebrated sommelier, Courtney Henderson, on Wednesday, July 28th for another wine adventure, exploring exciting new wine varietals that are out of the ordinary for Ontario. We will look at why certain grapes excel here and how Ontario winemakers make these wines shine.
Cost: $25.00 (does not include HST)
Time: 7-9 pm in Frank
(Don’t forget to reserve your table for dinner in Frank before or after the wine tasting!)
Summer Primer at the FRANK Wine Club
May 7th, 2010
Date: Wednesday May 26, 2010
Time: 7-9pm
With the first long weekend of summer down and 3 more to go, we’re looking to some great summer sippers! At the cottage, by the pool, or on the beach, we’ll look at some of the best wines to enjoy with BBQ, fresh summer salads, and simply on their own. Join us Wednesday, May 26 for this essential summer primer!
Hosted by celebrated sommelier Courtney Henderson, the evening will take you through a tasting adventure of wine and food.
Frank Restaurant’s Wine Club
March 24th, 2010
Updated 03/25: An earlier version of this post inaccurately indicated this event was free of charge. Price will vary for each seminar. Please call Courtney to inquire.
There’s art in wine and where better to explore this than Frank Restaurant at the AGO. Beginning in April, Frank will be holding a Wednesday Night Wine Club on the last Wednesday in each month in the Young Gallery. Hosted by celebrated sommelier Courtney Henderson, the evening will take you through a tasting adventure of wine and food. Seminars will cover topics such as matching local wines to local foods, blind tastings, regional comparisons, and the ‘must haves’ for your cellar.
AGO Chefs to Participate in Recipe for Change
February 3rd, 2010
AGO executive chef Anne Yarymowich and executive sous chef Jeff Dueck will be participating in Foodshare Toronto’s Recipe for Change, an evening of fine food, beer and wine featuring top Toronto chefs on Thursday, February 25.
This fabulous night offers a great opportunity to mingle with local chefs and enjoy a meal composed of over a dozen tasting plates from Toronto's most progressive culinary lights, accompanied by fine local beer and wine. Participating chefs include David Garcelon of Fairmont Royal York, Luis Valenzuela of Torito, Donna Dooher of Mildred's Temple Kitchen, Fabio Bondi of Local Kitchen, and many others.
The event will be held on February 25, from 6 to 9 pm at Foodshare’s Centre of Innovation and Education, 90 Croatia Street.
Recipe for Change is a celebration of food with a purpose, supporting FoodShare’s innovative and multi-faceted work toward Good Healthy Food for All and specifically the Field to Table Schools program, which brings food literacy back to students from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12.
For information and tickets, visit Recipe for Change.
Chicago’s ABC 7 on Canadian Wines at FRANK
January 28th, 2010
A clip from Chicago’s ABC 7 recommending the Ontario wines served at FRANK…
Bats and Cats to Eat – IF YOU DARE
October 30th, 2009
The AGO’s pastry chef, Christophe Measson, has gone all out this Halloween to make some very scary treats. Visit the AGO Café today and through the weekend – dare to try the spooky rice crispy jack-o-lanterns, gingerbread cats, bats and brooms, spiderweb cookies, or the witch finger shortbreads.
PS – What did the skeleton say while riding his Harley? I’m bone to be wild.
Special Wedding at AGO a Huge Success
October 14th, 2009
By Heather Arnott and the Food and Beverage Events Team
Edit: This article was revised on October 23 out of consideration for the family
The AGO is host to many corporate and social events every week. While Baillie Court provides a panoramic southward view of the city skyline and the CN Tower, Walker Court also offers a spectacular space for intimate wedding ceremonies.
On Saturday, September 12, the AGO was host to 300 guests for one of the city’s most prestigious weddings. The bride’s family, a prominent figure in the food industry, chose the AGO not only because of its sentimental value to the family, but also due to its incredible reputation as an outstanding food and beverage operation.
Baillie Court located on the third floor of the Gallery, was transformed to fit with the couple’s theme “Under the Stars”. Hanging from the ceiling grid were 2,500 crystals to create a blanket of stars under which guests dined, and the space was complete with beautiful linens and hundreds of flowers to create a spectacular dining experience. The Italian-influenced menu prepared by Chef Anne featured a seafood antipasto, handmade squash ravioli, Manhattan veal tenderloin and a peach crostata. After the fabulous meal, guests danced into the very early morning “under the stars.”
Yarymowich Goes Gold
May 1st, 2009
(Image: Anne Yarymowich and the Honourable J. Charles Grieco. Photo courtesy OHI.)
AGO executive chef Anne Yarymowich received the Chef of the Year award from the Ontario Hostelry Institute at its Gold Awards Dinner on April 16.
Focusing on Canada's premier culinary professionals, the Gold Awards celebrate excellence and success in the hostelry industry, from both industry leaders and rising-start members of the industry.
Executive chef Anne Yarymowich collaborates with chef de cuisine Martha Wright to create contemporary comfort cuisine that is honest and direct yet made lovingly and with gusto.
For more information on the awards, visit www.theohi.ca
Anne’s Spring Tart
April 17th, 2009
Watch Anne Yarymowich on House and Home online as she demonstrates how to make a delicious Spring Pea and Leek Tart with Smoked Trout.
Vogue Wines
April 6th, 2009
On the heels of fashion week, it seems only appropriate to talk about fashionable trends in wine. I sat down with Courtney Henderson, restaurant manager and sommelier at the AGO’s FRANK restaurant, to discuss the hits and misses for spring.
“Heavy, full-bodied wines are out,” says Courtney, as she goes on to explain that we are looking at more floral “pretty” wines for spring, much like the floral prints we are seeing on the runway. “Another trend is single-grape wines,” Courtney adds, referring to wines made of one type of Riesling, Aligoté or another chic grape.
FRANK’s ever-changing wine list is made up of Ontario wines echoing the restaurant’s philosophy around slow, sustainable food. “When we can drink amazing wines from our own backyards, why would we look anywhere else?” Courtney points out. Instead of focusing on the foreign creators, she has chosen to focus on the local up and comers, which may even include some expansion to wineries in Eastern Canada, “They have some fabulous wines.”
If you’re looking for a fashionable night out, make sure you try a lively fresh white like the 2007 Chardonnay Musque from Cave Spring, Niagara or the 2007 Creekside Sauvignon Blanc which is described as a “Hi-styling Sauvignon”. I had to ask Courtney which one was her favourite, “The 2006 Chardonnay, Le Clos Jordanne, from the Niagara region…has great body and interesting flavour.” A perfect match for FRANK’s potato, squash and cheddar perogies, or even the pan fried rainbow trout. Yumm, being fashionable has never tasted so good!