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

Please read my updated review http://ethicalgourmet.blogspot.ca/2015/05/garlics-of-london-successfully-combines.html  Garlic’s of London From Scratch – Modern Rustic Cuisine with Local, Seasonal, Superb Ingredients 481 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 3E4 519-432-4092 dine@garlicsoflondon.com www.garlicsoflondon.com

Stratford, Ontario Best Out of Town "Local" Restaurant 2013 Best Out of Town New Restaurant 2013 Guilty Pleasures at Stratford’s Monforte on Wellington  Redux By BRYAN LAVERY      Another renaissance of sorts is now afoot just off the town square in the premises formerly occupied by the Evergreen Terrace on Wellington Street in Stratford.   The new Monforte on Wellington is a casual seasonally –inspired osteria featuring an ever-changing selection of artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, and pastas, salads, soups, preserves, pickles and other signature specialties, prepared by chef Phil Philips and Monforte’s culinary team.      Chef Philip’s worked in the kitchen at Bijou and has trained under the tutelage of Jamie Kennedy. The kitchen pushes the farm-to-fork philosophy even further, and develops a synergy between the local terroir and the diner, no doubt, inspired by the resolute cheesemaker, Ruth Klahsen, whose deep-rooted affection for all things sustainable

  Bryan Lavery's Picks   LONDON ONTARIO’S TOP RESTAURANTS in 2013   See Updated Mini Reviews on  http://ethicalgourmet.blogspot.ca/2014/01/london-ontarios-restaurant-roundup-2014.html   Best London Ontario Restaurants: The City's Most Delicious Offerings http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/09/22/best-london-ontario-restaurants_n_5851492.html?1411408428 “We must pass our unbiased impressions on to the readers, while alerting the dining public to the diversity of choice on the culinary scene.”   For those of you who are reading this blog for the first time, the objective has been to offer a professional insider’s perspective and to contribute to the enthusiasm and discussion about the local and regional culinary culture at large, and about the restaurant community in particular. Seemingly, restaurant blogs the world over face a similar predicament. Are rating restaurants purely a question of taste? And within that there lies the matter of ingredient

Not All Farmers’ Markets are Created Equal Among the Questions to be Clarified Include:  What Constitutes a Farmers’ Market?  Which Farmers’ Market will be Eligible? A big question on everyone’s mind is what will be the qualification and restrictions on which markets will be allowed to sell VQA wine?   Will customers be able to sample, taste and buy?   No doubt, both the farmers’ market and the winery will have to meet additional licencing requirements for approval through the LCBO. The term farmers’ market has been used to describe many different types of facilities whose mission is to foster community well-being and local economic development through the establishment of a venue for local and small business incubation. This creates an economic multiplier effect to neighboring businesses, and a place where the community have greater access to safe, healthy, locally- produced and environmentally friendly food and where growers and producers can market their goods directly to

The Sale of VQA Wine at Ontario’s Farmers’ Markets Apparently, Ontario will be revamping provincial liquor laws to permit VQA wines made from regulated homegrown grapes to be sold at farmers' markets.  On Dec 16, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, who doubles as agriculture minister, announced a $75-million program to enhance the province’s wine and grape industry, which will allow the sale of certified VQA wine at farmers’ markets. Many in the industry recognize this advance as a great concept but wonder if the proposed pilot program is still too restrictive and protectionist by limiting it to only VQA wineries. The announcement constitutes a minor victory, with the long- term goal to have the Province of Ontario ditch prohibition-era LCBO regulations and join the rest of the country by revamping dated liquor laws. British Columbia, Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec already allow sale of local wines at farmers’ markets.  The announcement although welcomed has be

The Case for New-Style Food Trucks in London, Ontario London City Council agreed to get public feedback on proposed pilot program to allow new-style food trucks. The current bylaw is outdated, because it was drafted to deal with catering trucks, hotdog carts and ice cream vendors. Multicultural “gourmet street food” food trucks are trending. They've been building in popularity thanks to food shows, farmers’ markets and culinary events across North America. In London, the food truck phenomenon is just in the midst of emerging. Although the process is still in its preliminary stages, the possibility of permitting food trucks and other mobile food vendor vehicles as: gourmet food trailers, mobile market food trucks and ethnic- catering-type food trucks are gaining grassroots momentum. Modern food trucks serve a diverse variety of healthy options and cultural foods in other cities. They are positioned to incubate new businesses and become an alternative launching pad, for healthy

lnternational Skating Union (lSU) Championships 2013 – Diners Journal London, Ontario Dining  in Canada's London  at “The Worlds” The International Skating Union (lSU) Championships are a week away. Out-of-town visitors are already arriving in our city. Watching “The Worlds” live at the Budweiser Gardens will be a unique event. Experiencing the tension and electricity, witnessing the speed and skill, and seeing the performances unfold will be a not-to-be-missed sporting spectacular. This event is considered to be the most prestigious of the lnternational Skating Union (lSU) Championships and with the exception of the Olympic title, a world title is considered to be the highest competitive achievement in figure skating. Not only will the event put London, Ontario on the lnternational hosting map, but it will provide a legacy for the city to support future events of this scope and nature. The annual event moves around the globe, attracting more than 50,000 spectators and s