Insider’s Tips - Sept.19

For the third year in a row, GEORGE has been listed in Michelin's annual guide. We are pleased that Chef and his team have won the recognition they deserve. We are constantly amazed at the sheer creativity of the design of Chef's dishes, where individual items on each plate are so carefully prepared to complement each other in terms of taste. The Chef also ensures that each plate has textural elements which also have to be balanced perfectly. And all the ingredients must be arranged on the plates to feast the eyes. What comes out of our kitchen is truly remarkable. And, being a commercial enterprise, the kitchen brigade has to and does duplicate each masterpiece consistently. Adding to the challenge, the Chef is constantly changing the menu to use new seasonal ingredients as they appear in our Toronto food markets.

This week, the Chef reports from the market that good weather has extended the Ontario summer vegetable season, where most everything is still available. The Chef bought nothing this week from the import section of the Ontario Food Terminal. There are still zucchini flowers and peaches, which usually disappear at this time. As well, most of the Ontario fall vegetables and fruits like apples and pears have arrived and are recommended.

One disappointing deficiency is the absence at the Terminal at this time of year of really ripe, luscious, fresh tomatoes picked the previous day. The best ones the Chef found were medium-sized cherry tomatoes.

The Chef is buying wild BC porcini mushrooms. Good-looking BC pine mushrooms have started, but they were very expensive this week, and the Chef decided to wait for next week before buying them.

There is not much change this week in GEORGE's fish or meat. The Chef did buy some bison cheeks as well as bison rib eyes, which usually arrive later with the fall produce. The Chef continues to offer his chantecler chicken dish accompanied by foie gras, which has been well received.

For dessert, we recommend the Chef's salted caramel tart with a lime cream and some of the delicious figs. For a caramel base, it's surprisingly light.

The Chef's special Italian dinner (Cena Italiana) is well priced and available Tuesdays to Fridays; click here to read more. This week, the Chef offers from Wednesday to Friday a special Italian dinner which is described click here to read more. With the Italian menu, you can order a matching flight of wines. Alternatively, we have assembled an array of Italian Mediterranean wines from which to choose.