22-IMG_9204

A Gourmet Night at The Castlefield Theatre

Last month marked the launch of The Castlefield Theatre but we were invited to a sneak peek of the recent transformation of the beautiful venue. We were invited to The Castlefield located just north of the ever-so-busy and vibrant Yonge & Eglinton area, and we didn’t know what to expect.

02-IMG_9029

We were taken into a beautiful wrap-around bar area in which light music, wine, and Hors D’ouerves were being served up with the great conversation and great company.

Next thing you know, Brandon Michael Lee, wedding and event planner extraordinaire and friend of the magazine comes out allows us to take a sneak peek before people arrived past the long-drawn curtains and into the grandiose hall. We happily accepted and the pictures below showcase the settings before they were filled with talented professionals in different fields of work.

05-IMG_9070

Then was the big moment, the curtains were pulled and the overwhelming feelings of attention-to-detail captured the attention of the attendees. The ‘wow’ from their voice and their eyes lighting up when entertaining the room made all the reaction Brandon and his team needed to be proud of their work.

We sat down and really enjoyed the full attention-to-detail that was given for this dinner. Our table was beautifully decorated with great, earthly features to add texture to what was in front of us and to offset and bring emphasis to the meals to come.

Here is our recap of this beautiful four-course meal:

1st Course: Soup

14-IMG_9140

The first meal was a duo of Duck & Purple Vichoise. We loved this meal because it brought a lovely change of pace to normal knife and fork eating. The long-shot glass was full of delicious Purple Vichoise followed by a rounded bowl of Duck Vichoise that had a really smooth aftertaste.

2nd Course: Pasta

15-IMG_9146

The second plate was in a very unique bowl, definitely a conversation piece. At the delicate bottom of this great piece of glasswork was a balance of colourful pasta and warm tomato sauce. After the Lobster Sombrerino Butter Leek Mirin & Organic Beef Agniolotti, this made a perfect lead-in for the entrée of the meal. Each bite was smooth, delicious, and had different hints of its various ingredients. The dish was finished in quick succession, however the meal was not. Who thought that it would get better? We didn’t, but it did.

3rd Course: Entree

17-IMG_9165

The third course had big shoes to fill, the beautiful flavours of the pasta were lingering even after the dish was taken away from the nice staff at the table. But the third course did not disappoint. Amongst conversation, wine and good company, the third course was one of the polite interruptions I have ever seen. It was similar to attendees seeing a celebrity just come and sit on their table. The dish was a Veal Tenderloin Roulade Stuffed with Brie & Fig Encrusted with Espresso and Pecan & Sea Bass Roulade with Bamboo Flake Crust Served With Asiago Mashed Potato Spring roll, and to top it off, a Asparagus & Bruleed Patty Pan. One of the most interesting things about this particular dish was the plate it was served on. The meal was served on a sleek, circular mirror. Yes, an oval mirror that brought the meal to the next level. It was a wonderful accompaniment to the delicious food.

How do you top that?

4th Course: Dessert

20-IMG_9176

Easy. Let’s take dessert, the after-dinner chitchat and let’s really make them talk. Let’s take dessert and add some fun and creativity. With the previous dishes, we didn’t know what to expect. The ideas previous to this dessert brought arrangements we haven’t seen before in the enjoyment and togetherness of food. A tall order for dessert to follow.
The dessert was brought out and the eyes light up with intrigue. The dessert was brought out, carefully, on a plate with a small aisle on it. On it was a rectangular canvas of cheesecake that was blank. But with our imaginations, it didn’t have to stay like that. The cheesecake had a paintbrush on top of it with three colours of icing on the other side of the plate. Yes, we had to paint our dessert. It was wonderful, playful, and definitely, something to talk about to the people left and right of our Picassos.

The Bottom Line

Brandon Michael Lee with help from Chef Domenic Chiaromonte really outdid themselves for this event. The décor was beautiful, the people that were handpicked for the event were terrifically talented and social, while the food was absolutely awe-inspiring and delicious. The venue brought forth a perfect setting for this type of event, lots of space, elbow room, and the creativity to bring forth an idea like Brandon Michael Lee’s creation to fruition. We loved the atmosphere, acoustics, and the overall experience of being there.

We were privileged to be apart such a select group of talented people and we would like to thank Brandon Michael Lee for the invitation to such a wonderful party.

We would also like to congratulate The Castlefield Theatre on their relaunch, it’s open, it’s a wonderful venue, and easy to get for people outside the area and around the downtown core.