Toronto Winterlicious 2010 is here! To all the foodies out there, or anybody wanting to try fine dining without breaking the bank, this event is for you! If you’ve been waiting to try a certain restaurant, this event is for you! Heck, for anyone who wants a fine meal, this event is for you!
One hundred and fifty of Toronto’s top restaurants offering Three-Course Prix Fixe menus at one of three price point categories:
- $15 Lunch and/or $25 Dinner*
- $20 Lunch and/or $35 Dinner*
- $25 Lunch and/or $45 Dinner*
*Lunch and dinner menus include starter, entrée and dessert. Beverages, taxes and gratuity additional.
General Reservation Date: Thursday, January 14, 2010
American Express ® Cardmembers can go to the Front Of The Line ® to book early reservations on January 12 and 13, 2010. To qualify for Front Of The Line ®, when making reservations, Cardmembers must provide their American Express Card number.
Please contact restaurants directly for reservations. Subject to restaurant’s seating capacity.
For more informatioin, click here.
For a list of participating restaurants, click here.
Bon appetit everyone!
Thanks to dslite for the heads up on this great event!
Love winterlicious, I am going to try and get reservations for canoe this time around, it’s supposed to be really great.
Just a note — Tundra was abysmal when we went there for Winterlicious a few years ago.
Their selections appear to have improved since then, but that year they provided re-heated chicken breast with a pathetic sauce, or re-heated salmon with a pathetic sauce — and somehow this took two hours to bring to the table in a half-full restaurant.
They also refused to validate our parking, despite the label on their website’s Winterlicious page proclaiming parking validation. I even phoned the next day to complain but they stood firm.
I’m sure there are other restaurants who make Winterlicious something good, but we were really turned off by our experience at Tundra. My advice would be to try elsewhere.
Last year, went and tried 5th Elementt and loved it. Definitely couldn’t have afford it with the regular prices. I went on a weekday, so it wasn’t as busy. Last year, Canoe was all booked out, maybe I will try it this year.
Ottawa is hosting a similar event during Winterlude as well:
http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/bins/ncc_web_content_page.asp?cid=16297-16298-22877-32870&lang=1
I would have loved to try out this event but ever since I read an article in Toronto star , I don’t even bother!The article was from chef , server and kitchen backup’s point of view. they were all complaining how these events are only good for owners , how chef has no room to be creative as he is only making same items again and again and again…………….
how servers think only cheap ppl who wouldn’t spend to order wine{read their highly inflated priced wines} come to restaurants during these events.
and even the dish washers were tried of cleaning creme brulee dishes again and again!
well after reading that article , my whole would be experience of tasting cuisines by my fave chef went sour so no more winterlicious or summerliciuos for me!!!!!!!!
I experienced something similar to what SJ is describing. Winterliciious dishes always seem inadequate and to me seem as though they are generally made to a much lower standard than what the restaurant would normally put out.
I would love to hear about some more positive experiences.
S J – But isn’t that part of the job description? If they don’t like it, maybe they’re in the wrong business?
I get what you’re saying, BUT I used to work in a hotel. Same thing, when they would have deals and sleep cheap nights. You obviously aren’t getting the same experience and the staff is very tired and working their butts off. I would think lots of jobs go through something that is comparable to that, so the fact that it made it to the paper is sort of silly to me. It never made it to the paper when I was pregnant, cleaning 2 story rooms and having to do it extra fast. Sorry to rant…lol
I work at a restaurant that has been in Winterlicious since the beginning. It’s a great promotion. However, the many pitfalls which SJ mentioned are very true – tired and over-worked wait staff (who aren’t making a lot of tips), kitchen employees who mindless churn out hundreds and hundreds of the same meals over a very short period of time, over-crowded restaurants which help to diminish the elegant, fine dining ambiance, etc. It is a great way of getting people through the doors. However, the overall quality of the dining experience is sometimes compromised. It is very hard to judge a restaurant’s normal food and service during this time which is, ironically, the whole purpose of Winterlicious.
I would recommend calling the restaurants on the list as many extend the promotion past it’s official dates which means you can enjoy the good prices without the crowds. Also, many restaurants offer prix fixes/ pre-theatre meals at the same price year as Winterlicious (or less!) year round.
SJ – dishwasher doing dishes? Well I never!
I was very lucky growing up. My mom travelled to my hometown in the late 70s on a vacation and never left. I grew up looking at my hometown through a tourist’s eyes. I got to see how fun and exciting everything was, how great all the local events were and all of that. Very “seize the moment – you don’t know when you’ll be back.”
What does this have to do with anything? Easy.
Why not try to see your city like a tourist? Have you become so jaded you don’t think it’s pretty cool that the world’s largest free standing phallic symbol is a short subway ride away?
Why not think for yourself instead of letting one newspaper article decide for you? One would think that as a rational adult you’d be able to make up your own mind. People have jobs. They do them. Sometimes the jobs suck, but they’re still jobs they’re getting paid to do.
When else in your life are you going to get the chance to eat at Canoe or any of the other places offered?
When was the last time you did something nice for yourself? Or went out with your friends for a nice night on the town?
Go. Enjoy yourself. Unclench. I promise it won’t hurt.
After years of attending Winterlicious and Summerlicious, I’ve come to this conclusion… it’s definitely not worth it! Rarely will I eat an appetizer, entree and dessert, and with the limited options on the menu, you’re really better off just going to the restaurant and eating off the normal menu. We also would buy drinks/bottle of wine and end up spending a fortune anyway, close to $100/couple for terrible service and so-so food.
The prices have also increased and it just isn’t worth it. If you really want to try a restaurant, save up and go during normal hours, we’ve been to Canoe during Winterlicious and at a normal time and it was way better outside of the Winterlicious period. We’ve also noticed that dining is either rushed or takes way longer during Winterlicious and you just don’t feel like you can relax and enjoy the food.
It’s a great way to promote restaurants but honestly, out of the ~10 new restaurants we’ve tried during Winter/summerlicious, we haven’t been back to any of the them.
Tess so inspired with your perception! but as you see 4 out of 5 ppl here do agree with the article! now confused!