Content creators at the 2024 walking media tour at Omni King Hotel

I was once again honoured to be invited to be in the media walking tour for the Feast of St. Lawrence 2024 event (my fourth time!) on July 20 where content creators previewed the items that will be served at the Feast of St. Lawrence Picnic Dinner on Market Street on August 9, 2024.

There were four stops this year where media attendees were able to sample the five courses served at the actual picnic dinner.

Schedule of the media walking tour

Hearing the chef speak at Bar Notte

The first stop of the day was at Bar Notte at 11 Church Street at 12 p.m.  Here, we tasted the hors d’ oeuvres, a Savoury Cannoli of whipped proscuitto, parmesan and almond dip.  Everyone I chatted with at my table said they had never had a savoury cannoli before and it was definitely a unique and tasty start to the walking tour.

The cannoli shell was light and crunchy while the middle was filled with rich whipped proscuitto and parmesan and almond dip.

Sample of the Savoury Cannoli

The Savoury Cannoli hors d’oeuvres to be served at the picnic

C’est What, an underground restaurant and bar

We tried the salad at C’est What located at 67 Front Street East for our second stop.  It was a Greek Salad with Falafel made with cucumber, tomato, onion, olives, feta, and arugula with falafel balls, a red wine vinaigrette, accompanied with tzatziki and naan.

This was a really refreshing salad made with fresh ingredients.  The chef mentioned that everything was made with locally grown ingredients and this was true to taste.  I liked the abundance of fresh vegetables in the salad.  The sample portion was very generous and filling!

Sample of the Greek Salad with Falafel

The Greek Salad with Falafel to be served at the picnic

We were also invited to try two of their craft beers: the Ginger Wheat (green tea blood orange) and the Blak Katt (dry Irish stout).

Current beer line-up at C’est What

The Omni King Edward Hotel

Our third stop of the day was at The Omni King Edward Hotel at 37 King Street East.  The Omni hotel has been a part of the Feast of St. Lawrence as early as I can remember attending the media events in past years and they always deliver a tasty and beautiful dish.  They didn’t disappoint this year with a classic Citrus Duck Confit dish.

The duck confit rested on a bed of farro, kale, stone fruit, goat cheese, sweet potato, dried blueberries, and a lime chili dressing.

Duck confit samples and Sous Chef Elaine Wong

Sample of the Citrus Duck Confit

The Citrus Duck Confit main to be served at the picnic

I think it was my first time trying farro (a type of very nutritious grain boosting of high fibre and protein) and I loved it.  I think we will incorporate it into our home meals more instead of eating carbs like rice.  The dish was delicately assembled and the flavours worked really well with each other.  This was my favourite dish so far of the tour.  The duck was cooked to perfection and lightly seasoned.  I could easily have eaten a second helping of this dish.

Cirillo’s Academy offers cooking classes

Lastly, we visited Cirillo’s Academy at 118 The Esplanade for the fourth and final stop where we tasted two items.  The first was a sample of the Ricotta Gnocchi with a pesto trapanese sauce.  This wasn’t your usual pesto sauce as it was made with almonds, cherry tomatoes, and basil instead.  Almonds were used in lieu of pine nuts as a cost-saving initiative.  This was a unique take on the usual green pesto we normally eat.

Sample of the Ricotta Gnocchi

The Ricotta Gnocchi to be served at the picnic

Dessert and pasta samples

The dessert was provided by George Brown College Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts and was an Ontario Peach Cobbler.  We were informed that it is currently peach season and what better dessert to enjoy than with a cobbler made with the freshest of fresh peaches?  This Ontario peach cobbler was very juicy and tasty.  I definitely could have eaten more of this dessert!  The sample was such a tease.

Sample of the Ontario Peach Cobbler

The Ontario Peach Cobbler dessert to be served at the picnic

Market Street (where the picnic dinner under the stars will be held)

The Feast of St. Lawrence presents its special Picnic Under the Stars on Market Street on Friday, August 9, 2024 from 6 to 10 p.m. 

This is no ordinary picnic.  It’s an exclusive, gourmet dining event for charity.  Only 70 picnics (each is for two people to share) will be available to be purchased and guests can enjoy their picnics with wine and a cocktail at one of the set tables on Market Street while listening to live music.

Wine from the Somewhereness consortium vineyards in Niagara will be served.  Cocktails will feature Maverick Distillery vodka, gin, and whiskey.  Live music will provide added ambiance in the beautifully illuminated street nestled between historic buildings and the St. Lawrence Market.  A portion of sales will be donated to Second Harvest. 

Tickets are on sale for the event and early bird pricing ends on July 26.  Early bird pricing is $158.20 including tax.  Regular price is $169.50 including tax after July 26.

Don’t wait and get your tickets to this exclusive event where you can enjoy the multi-course picnic dinner prepared by chefs from some of the top restaurants in the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood!  (For those curious about the actual picnic dinner, you can read about my experience back in 2022.)

A big thank you to the organizers and PRQ for inviting me to the media walking tour to sample the dishes.  I was delighted to attend.

FTC Disclaimer:  Although I was invited to a complimentary tasting at The Feast of St. Lawrence Media Walking Tour, the opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of the event hosts or the businesses.