Thursday, May 17, 6:30 pm Saturday, June 9, 10:30 am Thursday, August 30, 6:30 pm

Transcription

1 Thursday, May 17, 6:30 pm Saturday, June 9, 10:30 am Thursday, August 30, 6:30 pm Explore Toronto's food history, hidden in plain sight, from the early rustic taverns of muddy York to the foundations of baking empires, from opulent department store restaurants to 24-hour diners. Learn how these diverse and iconic locations contributed to the food haven that is Toronto today. Start Point: Ricarda's Restaurant (134 Peter Street) End Point: The Senator Diner & Restaurant (249 Victoria Street) Pg. 1

2 Once the western border of York (and eventually Toronto), this spot was devoted to suburban orchards and gardens in the early-mid 19 th century. That all changed by the early 20 th century when Peter Street was already the bustling heart of the city. As George Weston s baking empire grew in the 1910s and 1920s, he chose this corner as the location for the company s head office and purpose-built biscuit factory, where it turned out millions of his famous English Quality Biscuits, sold both in Canada and throughout the world. Employees at the George Weston Company, circa 1912 Pg. 2

3 George Weston Biscuits en route to Canadian Soldiers in World War, circa City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, f1231_it1425 Pg. 3

4 One of the oldest taverns in Toronto, the Black Bull dates from the early 19 th century, when it played host to countless travelers and farmers as they made their way across Lot Street (now Queen Street). Offering quality ales on the first flour, the second floor served as a hotel for weary travelers, a favorite stopping point for many a farmer bringing their livestock to market. The Black Bull Tavern (previously known as the Black Bull Hotel) as featured in Robertson s Landmarks of Toronto in 1894 Pg. 4

5 The mid-20 th century witnessed the only (and temporary) name change to the iconic Black Bull Tavern. For a period around the 1970s, the tavern was renamed the Clifton House (the name didn't stick). City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 48, Item 26 Pg. 5

6 Opened in 1921 as The Savoy Restaurant, this late Victorian building has housed a number of restaurants over the course of the 20 th century. Reopened as Peter Pan Lunch in 1936, the building has housed a restaurant by that name ever since. This undated photo, probably from the 1970s, shows a previous incarnation of the restaurant today known as the Peter Pan Restaurant. At the time, it was known as Peter Pan Lunch. Pg. 6

7 The first location of George Weston s bakery, this state-of-the-art facility was purpose built to incorporate the latest in bread baking technology of the late Victorian period. Opened in 1897, the bakery also featured an apartment on the building s corner tower, where George, his wife Emma, and his children, Pearl and William lived. The two-story factory was designed with efficiency in mind: ingredients were sifted, mixed, and kneaded on the second story, dropping down through chutes to the first story s brick ovens for baking. George Weston's Model Bakery with employees circa 1897 Pg. 7

8 Goad s Fire Map of Toronto from 1913 is one of the few maps that shows both the original Weston Model Bakery on Soho and Phoebe Streets and the new Biscuit Factory on Peter and Richmond Street. The Model Bakery would be abandoned entirely by the company in 1913, transferring the headquarters of the company to the new building on Peter Street. Pg. 8

9 One of the few remaining market buildings from early Toronto, this modest brick building once housed numerous food stalls where the local community could purchase fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables. The market was named for the neighborhood it served, aka St. Patrick s Ward, one of the five political precincts (all of which were named for saints) created when the city was incorporated in The late 19 th century building which housed the St. Patrick s Market featured a second story, at which political and community events were held. This building burned down in Pg. 9

10 A photo from 1988 shows the evolution of the St. Patrick s Market. No longer operating as a traditional market, by the 1980s, the building housed a local butcher. City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 24, Item 11 Pg. 10

11 The first known Jewish delicatessen in Toronto, the Harris Delicatessen (also known as the Chicago Delicatessen) was opened by the Harris family in Having emigrated from Eastern Europe, the Harris were famous for their dedication to Kosher products. As there were no Jewish butchers in Toronto at the time, they had to import all their meat from Kosher-certified butchers in Chicago, Illinois. Sarah Harris in the Harris Delicatessen, circa 1910 Pg. 11

12 The intersection of Queen and Bay Street has hosted several dining firsts in Toronto. Once home to the earliest known Chinese restaurant in Toronto (Sing Tom s), this site was also eventually home to Simpson s Department Store, which boasted one of the largest and most opulent department store dining rooms in the world. Known as the Arcadian Court, the in-store restaurant served its famous chicken pot pie to hungry customers for over half a century. The Arcadian Court in Simpson s Department Store, circa 1940 Pg. 12

13 The Georgian Room in Eaton s Department Store, circa 1939 Pg. 13

14 By 1923, there were over 202 Chineseowned restaurants in Toronto, many of them located on Elizabeth Street, once the center of the Chinese community in the city. Located close to many of Toronto s famous vaudeville stages in the 1920s and 1930s, numerous locals and visiting entertainers would enjoy the dining scene on Elizabeth Street. In the 1950s, Jean Lumb, along with her husband Doyle Lumb, opened their soon-to-be famous Kwong Chow restaurant. She became a vocal advocate for both the Chinese community and Toronto restaurateurs, becoming the first restaurateur to be awarded the Order of Canada in Jean Lumb in front of her famous restaurant, Kwong Chow, in the 1970s Pg. 14

15 Notable for its beautiful 19 th century Georgian architecture, Barberian s Steak House Tavern is one of the oldest continually operating restaurants in Toronto. Opened in 1959 by Harry Barberian, the restaurant soon earned international fame through its evergrowing list of celebrity guests, including Mick Jagger, Richard Burton, and Elizabeth Taylor. City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 20, Item 13 Pg. 15

16 Housed in a building dating from 1836, the Senator is the oldest restaurant in Toronto in continuous operation at the same location. Opened in 1929 to feed hungry theatre-goers on their way to or from the Elgin Winter Gardens or Massey Hall, the original restaurant, known as the Busy Bee Diner offered great coffee and comfort food. Sold in 1948 to George Nicolau, the restaurant was reopened as the Senator Diner and has been going ever since, a legacy which now includes a formal restaurant and upstairs wine bar. Pg. 16

17 We hope you enjoyed yourself as much as we did on the tour, but the fun isn't over yet! Help us to improve our tours program and continue to share a diversity of Toronto's stories by taking the time to fill out a short survey about your experience. Click here to take the survey! Heritage Toronto is a charity that must raise the majority of our operating funds. Through our annual programs, including walking tours, historical plaques, special lectures and pop-up exhibits, we engage the public to reflect on the past both to make sense of our present and to inform our future. We only succeed in our work because of our supporters. Please donate $10 on tours to help us cover costs, or consider becoming a Heritage Toronto Member. Charitable tax receipts will be issued for donations of $20 or more. For more information on our tours, please contact us at: or @heritagetoronto.org Good Eats: History of Food & Dining in Toronto was researched and written by Laura Carlson. All images in this package are the property of the copyright holder as indicated. The purpose of this package is purely as a supplementary educational tool to accompany a free and publicly accessible walking tour. Pg. 17