Good Food and Drink Festival fills up Toronto

This weekend, the Toronto Star hosted a festival filled with wine and beer tasting, as well as some exotic foods you probably have never heard of before. The Good Food and Drink Festival had much to offer; from ice cream, to blenders, to arriving to the festival in style with an SUV, and more. We had the chance to attend the festival all weekend and give you an inside scoop of what it was all about.

If you haven’t heard of Vitamix, the first question that might comes up is how can a blender be $600? It was a question that people have been continuously wondering, and until you check out the booth and receive a full demonstration on how this machine works, it’ll make more sense. Trusted by hundreds of celebrities and professional chefs, this machine allows you to chop, blend, clean, puree and make all sorts of meals. The first demonstration was a usual fruit smoothie with fresh fruits, and vegetables. Being an avid healthy eater, it was a total shock of how a smoothie being made in a Vitamix was a total new experience for everyone.  The next demonstration was how the machine can also make hot drinks such as soups. It has a seven year warranty, and its worth every penny paid for. The Vitamix Blender Pro is guaranteed an amazing seller, and will last many years.

As seen on Dragon’s Den, Arlene Dickenson’s investment in the OMG’s have slowly been making its way up in the market. OMG’s are chocolate graham clusters with almonds and toffee bits that come in Dark, Milk and peanuts flavor. The friendly staff at that booth allowed media to each have a bag of clusters and sample it. Trying the clusters,  it was a total shock of why this chocolate is so underrated. Literally the words that came out of were Oh My God. The OMG’s can be found at local Shoppers Drugmart, or Rexall. Warning, it will become a serious addiction.

Does water really taste different? GP8 is a brand where the water is specifically designed for athletes. GP8 water is all-natural, additive free, lighter tasting Ph-Optimized water enhanced in oxygen solubility. Once athletes get a taste of this water, they can really taste the difference and feel fresh and hydrated a lot faster than regular water. The GP8 booth sampled a 710ML size bottle to guests, and also sold bottles for $2 each. It is a bit pricey, but its the only Sports water drink that has been proven to build up muscle recovery and allow athletes to go that Xtra Mile. 

Based from San Francisco, California, a new way of transportation was born. Uber was created for the people who want to know exactly where their rides are and how long they want to wait, and for the people that want an easier way of getting around by just the touch of your finger. You have three options: a cab, a black town car, or a black SUV. Just for signing up, you get a little something, whether it be  $10 in credit towards your next ride, or even $40 that they were giving out this weekend. Don’t worry, Torontonians, this DOES work in our hometown. Download the app and ride in your everyday cab, or be a little luxurious and top off your night with an SUV, because you deserve to be noticed and that’s what Uber is all about; you.

When you purchase your ice cream, do you ever wonder where it really comes from? Of course, the obvious answer of milk, and milk comes from the cow, but who makes your ice cream that you buy occasionally from stores such as Purdys? Welcome to the world of the 100% Canadian made and owned Kawartha Dairy Company. Walking through supermarkets and grocery stores, this brand isn’t one to be heard in common households so you won’t see it while shopping, but if you do, pick it up fast and prepare to fall in love with a rich twist to how you eat ice cream… and expect to dream about it, too.

There’s a new fad in town that we’ve seen across the border countless times, particularly in New York City. Who ever though food that came from a truck would be so good? Food trucks have become a new way to dine and discover new cuisines. Now imagine deserts coming from a truck, specifically coming from Mexico, with flavours such as strawberry, chocolate and caramel with a cinnamon twist. If you haven’t heard of a churro or even tried one, you’re at the right place to read about it. A fried doughnut stick dipped in cinnamon and sugar, filled with a flavour of your choice. Is your mouth watering yet? Visit their stand alone store on 1017 Dufferin St. and your mouth can thank you later.

Being new to this festival, it is something that happens annually around the city. Earlier in the year, something similar was hosted called the “Food and Wine Expo” at the Metro Convention Centre. It comes back November 2014. Did you attend the festival this weekend? What was your take on the weekend? What did you like and not like about it? Shoot us your thoughts below.