Insider’s Tips - Feb.6

Chef Loseto reports that business continues to be slow at the Ontario Food Terminal. Prices were stable except for avocados, which are stratospheric in price—perhaps because of the classic ‘guac’ and wings demand ahead of the Superbowl.

Apart from US produce, the Terminal has plenty of non-US produce, particularly from Central and South America, as well as Israel and South Africa. If tariffs on US produce are applied, Chef is ready to shift much of his purchasing away from US producers.   

Even China is selling delicious Asian pears, as well as snow peas and carrots. Chef turned down the snow peas because he thinks they are a glorious Ontario summer tradition and now out of season. Also, as a matter of local pride and support, he has never bought carrots from anywhere other than Ontario. 

There was an abundance of tropical fruit and citrus available. Chef bought some of the California citrus, including tangerines, which were superior. He liked the look of the California Cara Cara oranges but skipped them this week.

This week, Chef bought dragon fruit from Columbia as well as more Costa Rican pineapples.

In discussing the possible effects of tariffs on US produce, Chef expects that we will see price increases on many items almost as soon as the tariffs are applied. If an importer of US produce knows that a neighboring competitor has just paid more for the same produce they already have in stock, the importer—despite having a lower cost base—will still raise their prices to match those of the higher-cost competitors. It’s worth noting that tariffs may now be moot given the new idea to create a “Med Riviera.”

Winterlicious is going well, with greater numbers of diners showing up than Summerlicious last year. One of GEORGE’s favourite Winterlicious dishes is the New Zealand trout, which Chef cures with smoked paprika, accompanied by a radicchio and mango salad.

GEORGE is open for lunch Wednesdays through Fridays. On the lunch menu, the hanger steak from Beverley Creek Farms arrived this week and is noteworthy.

As Valentine’s Day approaches in mid-February, Chef has come up with three new chocolate desserts: hojicha tea chocolate mousse, a chocolate coconut sponge and a chocolate zeppola.

Our special Valentine’s Day event on Friday, February 14 is now booked. But there are still spots available on Saturday, February 15. Also, we have openings for our Sunday night, February 16 event, which has a shorter menu at half the price—$125pp++ instead of $250pp+.

Note that the Government, in its wisdom, will begin reapplying HST on food and wine on February 16.