ETHICAL GOURMET / Remind me to Tell You About the Time I Looked in the Heart of an Artichoke

The Huffington Post's "25 Places to Eat in London" was gleaned from this list. Due to the amount of traffic to this page I have had to repost this listing several times. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/09/22/best-london-ontario-restaurants_n_5851492.html?utm_hp_ref=canada-living The food media are necessary members of the culinary community. Like any thoughtful patron, I hope that I bring appreciation and sensibility to the table. But the food media’s mission goes beyond that. We must pass our unbiased impressions on to the readers, while alerting the dining public to the diversity of choice on the culinary scene. Are rating restaurants purely a question of taste? And within that there lies the matter of ingredients, innovation, style, consistency, service and much more. We place importance on other criterion such as, the wine list, the atmosphere, the setting, the service, philosophy and obviously, the price. Good writing furnishes you with enoug...

By BRYAN LAVERY Covent Garden Market formerly established in 1845, is the longest established link to London's culinary history. Today, the Covent Garden continues to be a strong focal point for the rural and urban exchange where local, farm-fresh quality and gourmet international foodstuffs can be procured every day of the week. In addition to the indoor market, the seasonal Covent Garden Farmers’ Market operated by Christine Sheer is London’s only 100% producer-based farmers' market – this means that every vendor at the market sells what they grow, raise, bake, and preserve themselves.  Twice a week (Thursdays and Saturdays) during the season the outdoor farmers' market features fresh local produce, meats (bison), and a variety of artisanal baked goods. Located at the junction of King and Talbot Streets, the Covent Garden Market is a strong attraction and culinary destination for both locals and out-of-town guests.  The Market re...

. THE AIR CANADA ENROUTE CANADA’S BEST NEW RESTAURANTS 2014 PEOPLE’S CHOICE SHORTLIST With the goal of showcasing the best and brightest of the past year, the shortlist for enroute magazine’s 30 nominees for Canada's Best New Restaurants 2014 includes:                  Agave y Aguacate, Toronto;   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Agave-y-Aguacate/136407583090840?fref=photo Ask for Luigi, Vancouver;   www.askforluigi.com Ayden, Saskatoon;   http://www.aydenkitchenandbar.com/ Bar Buca, Toronto;   www.barbuca.com/ Black Pig Bistro, Calgary;   http://www.blackpigbistro.com/black-pig-bistro/  The Blacktail Florist, Vancouver;   http://blacktailflorist.ca/  Byblos, Toronto;   http://byblostoronto.com/ The Chase, Toronto;   http://www.thechasetoronto.com/ Cinara, Vancouver;   http://ci...

The Bag Lady Variety and Café (Take Away) By BRYAN LAVERY The Bag Lady is a funky retro café, variety store and take away located in the heart of the Woodfield neighbourhood at the corner of Pall Mall and Maitland Streets. Owner Jane Beattie’s initial vision was to sell nutritious, gourmet brown-bag lunches to busy downtown London clients. She soon realized that she needed premises. Beattie had a vision for her brown-bag lunch business and purchased the old Maitland Variety, which quickly metamorphosed into The Bag Lady Variety and Café. Beattie moved upstairs over the storefront, which has allowed her to be totally hands-on. The Bag Lady quickly became a unique neighbourhood destination, and its followers and success can be attributed mainly to great word-of-mouth referrals raving about the quality of the food and the nostalgic nature of the décor and ambience. The store/café also features a street-side garden patio for al fresco dining. The kitchen prepares...