by Jennifer D’Agostino
Get ready to dine on holiday menus and sip special cocktails for the holidays. From power lunches to a Nutcracker High Tea, there is a lot to choose from. Here are the best holiday menus Toronto restaurants are serving up for the 2017 holiday season. [Candy Cane Crush, courtesy of The Chase Hospitality Group]
Shangri La Hotel
Back again this year due to popular demand, is the Shangri La’s Nutcracker High Tea. The tea service starts with a selection of festive teas, which were blended in-house by a tea sommelier. The menu includes tea sandwiches like poached Atlantic lobster and shrimp brioche, shaved sirloin on a whole wheat roll and smoked turkey breast with pickled cranberry on Ancient Grain bread. Chocolate and ginger scones, Candy Cane panna cotta, and a coffee and chocolate Yule log, accompany the sandwiches.
Colette Grand Café
This holiday season Colette offers two festive cocktails. The Slaybells cocktail is perfectly balanced, made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Capo Capo, Domaine du Canton, a squeeze of lemon juice and dash of pear bitters. The Instagram-worthy Candy Cane Crush is the ultimate festive drink. It’s made with tequila, cointreau, lime cranberry juice, and crème de menthe. The drink is served with a candy cane salt rim!
Library Bar
The Library Bar is treating its customers to a holiday tea service on weekends. The service includes the traditional finger sandwiches like smoked Aurora turkey breast on brioche, and organic cucumber and pink peppercorn cream cheese on a Pullman loaf. When it comes to the pastry offerings there will be a Christmas Yule Log, Traditional Christmas Cake, Candy Cane Bark and more! You can also add a glass of champagne to your afternoon tea.
Smokes Poutinerie
For the whole month of December, Smokes celebrates the holiday season with a holiday poutine! No word on the theme for this year’s dish, but you can expect Smokes’ wacky toppings. Past poutines have included Christmas dinner, with turkey, stuffing and cranberries, and the “Chriskwankah” a combination of latkes, blackened chicken drumstick and applesauce. I’m sure whatever Smokes comes up with this year, it’s going to be something you’re not going to want to miss!
EPIC
This holiday season EPIC hosts a festive lunch Monday through Friday. The three-course menu changes weekly, and includes seasonal menu items like pan- seared chicken, quick fire grilled tuna, blistered asparagus and more. The dress code is business casual, and make sure to make a reservation!
Carbon Bar
All December long, Carbon Bar offers a special lunch of signature Southern barbecue. The a la carte menu includes favourites like K.F.C. (Korean fried cauliflower), pulled pork tacos, fried chicken sandwich, St. Louis ribs, beef brisket and more. There’s also Bourbon Skulls, made of bitter chocolate, Woodford reserve butter ganache and pecans.
Bombay Street Food
Bombay Street Food celebrates the holiday season with an elegant four-course dinner. The dinner will be paired with Bombay Street Food’s signature chai teas. The evening includes music, holiday ambiance and loads of prizes! The authentic chai teas are organic and sourced from Darjeeling.
