Shop With the Chef at The Fairmont Royal York: Toronto

Chef shopping

The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto is offering a fun, informative and tasty weekend culinary shopping package.

I made a reservation for the Shop With Chef package earlier this fall, and and it’s a unique way to get up close and personal to the food and producers utilized by the hotel’s signature EPICrestaurant.

Since I was traveling from Montreal where I’d spent three glorious days, I took Via Rail Canada to Toronto and checked in to the Fairmont Royal York on a Friday evening (it’s right across the street from the Via Rail station). The next morning, I headed out with Executive Chef David Garcelon to the historic St. Lawrence Market.

The first stop is a cup of Illy coffee at Pasta Mia, located in the market. From there we spent an hour with Chef Garcelon checking out the wide array of food items and meeting the producers and vendors. And yes, we did some sampling, too!

Next was a walking tour of the 200-year-old market with historian and colorful storytellerBruce Bell.

That evening, I enjoyed a six course dinner at EPIC, the hotel’s Four Diamond restaurant.

It was the perfect weekend of walking and dining — and learning a bit more about Toronto’s history.

The Fairmont Royal York’s Shop With Chef Package includes:
• Two nights (Friday-Saturday) in a Fairmont Room, based on double occupancy.
• A one-hour culinary tour of St. Lawrence Market with a chef from The Fairmont Royal York. • Coffee at Pasta Mia.
• A sample tasting at Golden Orchard Fine Foods.
• Peameal Bacon Sandwiches at Carousel Bakery (vegetarian option available).
• A one-hour walking tour of the market with historian Bruce Bell.
• A six-course dinner for two in EPIC.

The package is $589 CDN plus taxes and is based on double occupancy. It’s available weekends now through Dec. 29, 2007. Book online or call 800.441.1414.

Photo of Fairmont Royal York Executive Chef David Garcelon at the St. Lawrence Market by Sue Frause.

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