Roy Thomson Hall, Saturday, August 27, 2011 

“It looked like Hallowe’en in there!” chuckled a guest in full stage whisper as she exited the funeral service for Jack Layton into the North Lobby of Roy Thomson Hall.  The service had just ended and I looked at her to see her expression as the tone was light and, well, giddy.  She was already busy popping a mini Beef Wellington into her mouth as were the others around her, nodding in happy agreement. 

Our VP Russell Day writes about his BoxedToronto experience.

Thinking inside the box

I was invited to dinner this Wednesday by my boss, Daniel Megly, co-founder of Daniel et Daniel Event Creation & Catering.  He had been invited to dinner at “Boxed Toronto” and had an extra seat.  Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, of course I said yes—people don’t typically invite the owners of Daniel et Daniel to dinner at McDonald’s.  I knew immediately that this would be a treat.

In the summer of 2010 we were approached by POP Kollaborative to cater an office opening party for Corus Entertainment. Initial planning was very hush-hush as the event was to be new and fabulous. Our menu had to reflect a “MINDJAM” theme; something spontaneous, unexpected and most of all spectacular. It soon became clear that this was a unique opportunity. As our VP Russell Day described our initial meetings with POP,

“We realized that we had been given a once-in-a-career opportunity: to be able to use every freaky idea we’d ever had!”

Duck Confit Cupcake crowned with a Roasted Beet Mash icing 
and sprinkled with candied aniseeds (Inspired by Bob Blumer)

Last week, Daniel et Daniel had the pleasure of providing catering for Mount Sinai Hospital’s inaugural Chef’s Challenge for a Cure, hosted by famed Chef Gordon Ramsay. The event, which took place at The Carlu, saw five of Canada’s top celebrity chefs leading teams of non-chefs in an on-stage cook-off to raise funds for breast and ovarian cancer research. Meanwhile, D&D provided the event’s guests with a gourmet five-course meal designed by Chef Ramsay himself. The evening was a great success, raising more than $1.1 million for an important cause, and our experience bringing Chef Ramsay’s creations to life? Bloody brilliant!

Check out these links for further coverage of the event:

- “The scene at the Carlu in advance of the inaugural Chef’s Challenge”
- “Gordon Ramsay, celebrity chefs battle it out for cancer research”
- “IN PICTURES: Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay helps raise $1.1M for charity”
- “Team Crawford wins Gordon Ramsay’s Chef’s Challenge”

Want to add some drama to your next event? In this venue profile, we’re taking a look at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Opened in 1993, this venue is home to some of Toronto’s finest theatrical and orchestral performances, and could be the locale of your next big bash! With three theatres and a shared grand lobby, the Centre provides four spaces that are as distinct as the productions and events that they’ve played host to.

Looking for the perfect hors d’oeuvre to wow guests at your next dinner party? With this recipe designed by our own Chef Karen O’Connor, we’ve got you covered!

Calling all catering chefs and event professionals! In just a few weeks, D&D’s chef Karen O’Connor will be headed off to Louisville, Kentucky as an attendee and guest speaker at the International Caterers Association’s CaterArts conference. In addition to Karen’s “French and Far Eastern” fusion lunch presentation, other topics of interest will include sustainable seafood, molecular gastronomy, “nouvelle vegetarian” and more. The conference will provide a great opportunity for catering chefs to find new inspiration, to broaden their abilities with hands-on experience and to network with other talented chefs from around the globe.

Click here for a complete list of speakers and detailed information on the upcoming CaterArts conference.

While this iconic Toronto company and their transformation of the John Street Roundhouse into a sleek modern brewery needs little introduction, Steam Whistle Brewing’s presence as a gorgeous private events space in the heart of downtown Toronto is the focus of this entry as we continue our look at some of the city’s finest venues.

Daniel et Daniel would not exist without the many talented and creative personalities that make up our company. From our offices to the kitchen, these hardworking individuals devote themselves each day to creating and delivering the best events and food in the city. In an effort to introduce you to some of the many diverse members of the D&D team, I will be presenting a series of interviews with some of our staff here on the blog. To start things off, I sat down with our Vice President, Russell Day, to learn more about his background and thoughts on the industry…

With Daniel et Daniel, vegetarians have never been considered second-class party guests.  We take pride in the fact that our vegetarian selections are as lovingly prepared and delicious as the rest of our creations. When it comes to showcasing local seasonal ingredients in our menu, there is no better place than a vegetarian dish where they take centre stage.

Here are a few of our latest seasonal vegetarian menu items that are sure to please herbivores and omnivores alike…

Tofu Cabbage Roll cooked in a Ginger Broth