Name: Adisa Brian Glasgow.
Age: 29.
Occupation: Head chef at 3030 Dundas West.
Marital status: Single.
Ideal Toronto date: I’m a bit of a nerd, so my ideal date would probably include a museum, and some sightseeing—I’m new to the city, so any neighbourhood is cool to me. I really just want to eat out more and I love Italian food, so a nice Italian dinner would be a must. I recently checked out Stazione on St. Clair. The menu isn’t all Italian, but they have some good twists on the classics. If they have cotechino, we would order that, but just about any cured meats would be a definite go-to for starters. I’m still searching for the best carbonara, so I would order that as well. We’d finish the date with a bottle of full-bodied red wine, preferably a B.C. Merlot.
Talk to me about: Cooking, eating, Italy (I’m currently trying to learn Italian), sports (specifically the NFL, and the Cowboys), ice hockey (I play once a week), Trinidad and Tobago (I was born there), Vancouver (I moved there when I was 12, and miss the landscape), reggae, hip-hop, and Mayer Hawthorne (that mother$#%@ can sing).
My blow-your-socks-off dish: It would have to be Trini-style stewed chicken. This is a dish that both my mom and dad made for me. They were separated, so it was pretty sweet being able to eat the same dish no matter who I was living with (but my dad’s version is to die for). The recipe isn’t too difficult. The chicken has to be marinated in garlic powder, and after that it all comes down to sugar, oil, and a few other “key ingredients.” When the sugar and oil get hot—and just before the sugar starts to burn—you throw in the chicken, toss it around with a wooden spoon, and add some pigeon peas.
Deal-breaker: Bad shoes. I like nice shoes on a girl. I don’t care if they’re heels or running shoes, but they’ve gotta be tight. Also, talking about money on a date is the wackest thing I can think of. I don’t want to sound misogynistic, but I like when men and women follow traditional roles. There is nothing sexier than a woman who demands you—her man—be home for dinner that she cooked.
—Rebecca Fleming
Are you one of Toronto’s tastiest chefs? Email us at crumbs@thegridto.com, with the subject line “Tasty Dish.”
