It's been hailed as the cr?me de la cr?me of Toronto's gastronomical galas. Bloor Street Entertains, the annual Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (Canfar) fund-raiser, features multiple small-scale dinner parties held concurrently at upscale boutiques in the Bloor Street West area. Each dinner party is presided over by one of the city's most prominent chefs. This year, the ninth consecutive year of the program, 23 retailers and chefs participated, helping to raise more than $500,000 for AIDS research.
Michael Cress Canfar's manager of special events, says he tries to match chefs and retailers of similar heritages—"an Italian chef with an Italian retailer, for example." But some chefs, such as Susur restaurant's Susur Lee, specialize in eclectic cooking styles and prefer to change venues every year. This year, Lee served the 30 guests who gathered at Williams-Sonoma. The wide-ranging meal featured Singapore slaw with sashimi, orange gratin with scallops, Cornish hen, lobster and shrimp, and shaved roasted foie gras with beef carpaccio. Dessert was a helping of chocolate strudel and banana molten chocolate cake with passion fruit cream.
Nicholas Pinney of Nicholas Pinney Designs created a simple, modern dining setting on Williams-Sonoma's top floor, with clear glass tables and clear acrylic candle lamps from Contemporary Furniture Rentals, Philippe Starck Ghost chairs from Signature Rentals, and clear and silver water-drop-patterned charger plates from Chair-man Mills. Long green floral arrangements from Church Street Flowers in mirrored rectangular containers completed the look.
Other chef-retailer pairings included Jamie Kennedy of Jamie Kennedy Restaurant at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Claudio Aprile of Senses Restaurant at Tiffany, and Brad Moore of Xacutti at Hugo Boss.
After clearing their plates, the 690 guests left their dinner venues and made their way to Hart House on the University of Toronto campus, where they joined 350 after-party ticket holders for dessert, cocktails, a silent auction, and late-night revelry.
Photos: Corbin Tomaszeski
Related Stories
Impresario Q&A: Newcomer Gives Secrets to Successful Fund-Raiser
Holt Renfrew Entertains at Windows Unveiling
Michael Cress Canfar's manager of special events, says he tries to match chefs and retailers of similar heritages—"an Italian chef with an Italian retailer, for example." But some chefs, such as Susur restaurant's Susur Lee, specialize in eclectic cooking styles and prefer to change venues every year. This year, Lee served the 30 guests who gathered at Williams-Sonoma. The wide-ranging meal featured Singapore slaw with sashimi, orange gratin with scallops, Cornish hen, lobster and shrimp, and shaved roasted foie gras with beef carpaccio. Dessert was a helping of chocolate strudel and banana molten chocolate cake with passion fruit cream.
Nicholas Pinney of Nicholas Pinney Designs created a simple, modern dining setting on Williams-Sonoma's top floor, with clear glass tables and clear acrylic candle lamps from Contemporary Furniture Rentals, Philippe Starck Ghost chairs from Signature Rentals, and clear and silver water-drop-patterned charger plates from Chair-man Mills. Long green floral arrangements from Church Street Flowers in mirrored rectangular containers completed the look.
Other chef-retailer pairings included Jamie Kennedy of Jamie Kennedy Restaurant at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Claudio Aprile of Senses Restaurant at Tiffany, and Brad Moore of Xacutti at Hugo Boss.
After clearing their plates, the 690 guests left their dinner venues and made their way to Hart House on the University of Toronto campus, where they joined 350 after-party ticket holders for dessert, cocktails, a silent auction, and late-night revelry.
Photos: Corbin Tomaszeski
Related Stories
Impresario Q&A: Newcomer Gives Secrets to Successful Fund-Raiser
Holt Renfrew Entertains at Windows Unveiling
Nicholas Pinney of Nicholas Pinney Designs designed the dining area at Williams-Sonoma for the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research's Bloor Street Entertains fund-raiser.
At Holt Renfrew, the dining area was bold with a black-and-white motif.
Sinclair Russell created a cocktail lounge with furniture from Yukon Events in an outdoor tent for the after-party at Hart House.
Chef Susur Lee of Susur restaurant prepared an eclectic dinner in a makeshift kitchen at Williams-Sonoma.
