Over the past weekend, Torontonians were invited to come down to Virgin’s Mod Club, to participate in an Iron Chef-esque food competition known as ‘Abbeys Kitchen Stadium.’ With 4 prominent chefs from Toronto’s food scene, paired with 4 food authorities as celebrity judges, participants were eager to dive into a new culinary experience. The proceeds of the event are donated to a local food initiative, My Food My Way; at $10/ticket.
The atmosphere was buzzing and vibrant as participants strolled around the venue, sampling eats & treats from local food establishments like Fidel Gastro’s, Rock Lobster Co., Pizzeria Libretto, and Woods Restaurant. Throughout the conversation and the competition, our host Abbey was sure to remind us of other unique attractions, such as the local Limonana crew supplying their new drink - or even which Forty Creek whiskey would go best with each dish.
A close up view of Rock Lobster Co.’s ‘Cowboy Corn’ – topped with potato chips!
As with every competition or contest, there had to be a surprise, and Abbey’s Kitchen was no different! Chefs had to use a secret ingredient with their recipe, no matter what it was. Keep in mind the food offerings here ranged from cowboy corn to Himalayan marrow mash - it was going to be difficult finding an ingredient that could work with all of these offerings! And if that wasn’t enough - Abbey revealed potato chips! The chefs had to include potato chips in their meals to be judged. Needless to say all the dishes were amazing, we were simply blown away by the chefs creativity and final execution.
Throughout the event, you could always find a lineup at the FG booth!
But possibly the greatest realization of the event came towards the end, when we learned that this was just the first of 4 Kitchen Stadiums to come! YUM. Overall, the food was delightful; the audience was engaging, and the experience unparalleled! We know the Uniiverse team is looking forward for Round 2!
The winner of Round 1 was Woods Restaurant, led by Chef Bruce Woods, they took the crowd by storm with their candied bacon & poached quail eggs. A fantastic victory for this up and coming restaurant, and a delectable treat for the rest of us!
*All photos of the event graciously provided to us by Angelina Earley @Anzi
