Chefs Matt Kantor and Anthony Rose took over the Toronto Star cafeteria last night to cook up a five-course, junk food–inspired meal.
Some bleary-eyed editors from the fifth-floor Toronto Star newsroom—and one Grid writer from down on the second level—hit the fourth-floor cafeteria at 1 Yonge St. last night to investigate rumours that chefs were cooking a secretive dinner as cloaked guests recited an ancient, ceremonial chant. Alright, maybe not the last part—but they did come down after hearing that the dinner also involved beer.
The third dinner of the monthly Hidden Kitchen series, organized by Muskoka Brewery and hosted by food writer Ivy Knight, featured chefs Matt Kantor (Secret Pickle Supper Club) and Anthony Rose (ex-Drake Hotel) creating a five-course, junk food–inspired meal in the Toronto Star cafeteria. Readers may remember that Rose famously made a birthday cake out of a Big Mac while Kantor dressed up a $1 box of mac and cheese for The Grid last year, so it made sense that these two would team up for this.
The evening started with pork belly ramen with duck egg. Then came a Frito pie with bison-bacon chili and a foie gras, cognac, and Muskoka beer foam. A spicy “corn dog”—made of a shrimp-and scallop-sausage—with a mango, carrot, and onion salad and a squirt of wasabi cream and tobiko was then followed by yes, Rose’s interpretation of a Big Mac and a shot of orange soda made of beet and orange juices. For dessert, Kantor served up his versions of a Kit Kat bar and a fried apple pie drizzled with caramel.
Full disclosure: The Grid is a media sponsor of the dinners but the main draw for us was that our office is just two floors downstairs.
