Rumour Re: Winterlicious

[HelloBeautiful]

Word on the street, Winterlicious has been extended for 2 more weeks? Has anyone heard anything about this? Info would be appreciated!!

[gfunk]

It's official - the press release from the City was just distributed - Winterlicious is extended Feb. 16-28. Restaurants have a choice to opt in. The list will be available at www.toronto.ca/winterlicious as of tomorrow morning.

So far interest from the restaurant industry has been very positive - with only a handful of restaurants choosing not to participate.

This is a first for the City - some restaurants continue the program on their own, but this is the first official extension to the program since its inception. It's due to the overwhelmingly positive response to this year’s promotion, and in light of the financial situation facing restaurateurs in the current economy.

According to Peter Oliver from Oliver & Bonacini: “Extending the Winterlicious promotion this year is smart and proactive. Torontonians have once again embraced the promotion enthusiastically, despite economic fears, and our employees are grateful to be working in restaurants that are busy and energized. It’s good for our city, good for our economy, and it’s keeping people employed.”

[aser]

I would like to see a server's reaction when a deuce orders the winterlicious menu for V-day, hehe.

[OnDaGo]

VDay is exempt.. the "new" extension is from Feb. 16-28.

[louiguini]

Yes it is true.
I have also confirmed that the 2 hot Oliver Bonacini restaurants CANOE and AUBERGE DU POMMIER will be a part of it. They are both taking reso's for it already!

[ragged25]

More on the list....

Alice's Restaurant, Amuse-Bouche, Batifole, Blu, C5 (at the ROM), Citizen, Cowbell, Crush, Czehoski, Fat Cat Bar & Bistro, Fat Cat Wine Bar, Frank (at the AGO), H2O, Gamelle, The Gladstone, Grano, The Harbord Room, Kaiseki-Sakura, Marben, Niagara Street Café, Perigee, Rosebud, Torito, Trevor Kitchen, Universal Grill, Vertical, and Victor (in the Hôtel Le Germain).

Of those on the list, which is worth the $ without looking at the menu. I've been to C5 and Batifole and I would not put them at the same class in terms of price. So in terms of value, who tops that list?

[HelloBeautiful]

Are the menus up? Anyone have a link?

[louiguini]

As far as I know... it is the same menus that they have been running for the last 2 weeks.
http://www.toronto.com/winterlicious

[Beef Pattie]

The restaurants that ragged25 listed above are not part of winterlicious. It is, as Corey Mintz wrote about in the Star, a fundraiser of sorts for the Stop Community Food Centre. More info at www.crosstownkitchens.com

[capo]

FROM THE "HORSES" MOUTH
This year, due to the positive response from many of you and in light of the current state of the economy, the City of Toronto is officially extending the prix-fixe promotion from February 16 to 28, 2009

[HelloBeautiful]

Thank you, capo, for solving the mystery! Haha, there are going to be some piiiiiissed off people in the industry in regards to that news.

[OnDaGo]

It is Voluntary for the restaurants whether they participate or not...

"Participation in the extension of WL09 is entirely voluntary. If you decide to opt-in, your restaurant listing and prix-fixe menu will remain on the WL website. If you decide not to extend, we will remove your listing.

We will promote the extension on our website and through media releases and media partnerships.

Your response is required by end of Thursday, February 12 identifying your choice to participate or not participate."

[Dean Tudor]

And then there is the note in the Star this AM re: "Meals with Meaning". Corey Mintz reports that a coalition of 27 restos including Winterlicious holdouts Perigee, Grano and Amuse-Bouche, are staging a FIVE WEEK event, in aid of Stop for Food campaign. It runs from Feb 23 through March 28, offering a prix fixe for $50. Ten bucks of that will go to Stop Community Food Centre which I've supported for many years. So the actual price of the meal is $40. No word if lunches are involved...Only dinners were mentioned...

[Negaduck]

I guess it's not too big a surprise given how much restaurants are hurting.

[gregclow]

Where is the info on this extension coming from? There is no information about it on the official website - http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/... - although given how lousy the City of Toronto website is in general, I suppose that doesn't mean much.

[OnDaGo]

Info is from Emails sent to restaurants who are participating..

[Teep]

And I am guessing they don't want to announce on their site it until all the restos have responded, and the deadline is tonight. (What if no restos want to extend it? :-)

[smr714]

The restaurant I was in tonight (Cafe Califorina,review posted on its own thread) told us they were extending the winterlicious menu along with their regular on for the rest of February.

[Brennius]

We were told the same thing at Bymark last night.

[smr714]

How was Bymark?

[Brennius]

It was a great meal, although we blew the "bargain" element of 'Licious by adding on the lobster poutine - which was so worth it! Everything was executed perfectly. Faves were the risotto appetizer, the salmon main and the goat cheese panna cotta.

[Negaduck]

Haven't heard anything about it but I doubt it. There are probably select restaurants that choose to continue serving an affordable prix fixe menu but nothing officially Winterlicious.

I really hope it's not extended. I'd like to go out and eat again.