Easter Seals Gala Serves Gourmet Fare

The 400 guests at the 21st BMO Financial Group Easter Seals Gala at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto dined sumptuously. But that’s to be expected when individual tickets sell for $500 a pop. Four Seasons sous chef Carl Baptista and his team started things off with a mouthwatering appetizer menu that included Peking duck crepe with Asian and Hoisin sauce, ahi tuna tartare with cucumber and sesame seeds, mini croquette monsieur with apples and Pommery mustard, and truffle parmesan risotto balls and mini crab cakes with lemon aioli. The first course of the dinner menu was butternut squash bisque with nutmeg cream and chives, followed by vine-ripened tomato and mozzarella salad with basil pesto and aged balsamic dressing. Beef tenderloin with roasted mushrooms and cabernet jus, corn bread, and blue cheese cobbler was the delicious main attraction. Finally, the dessert: a spectacular chocolate semifreddo with Grand Marnier coulis. And let’s not forget the cocktail menu. Guests choose from a dizzying selection of colourful martinis that incorporated fresh blueberries, apples, and raspberries.
The dining room decor included royal blue satin linens with formal white and flower accented main plates. The centrepieces consisted of three fluted, clear-glass vases filled with beads, water, and greenery. One of the vases contained a white floating candle that cast a serene glow over the table setting. Coordinated floral arrangements of large baby blue hydragena, aspidistra and monstera leaves in large fluted vases from Church Street Flowers added a lovely touch.

During the silent auction, bidders prowled and stood guard over desirable items such as exquisite jewelry pieces by Myles Mindham, a bronze statue from renowned artist Frederic Remington, and a limited edition print of the White Pine by Group of Seven artist A. J. Casson. The main object of bidders’ attention was a one-of-a-kind white guitar signed by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones. It netted a cool $8,000 in the live auction.