Chef Mark Picone leads the kitchen of his home-basd culinary studio.
We adore events that serve up mouthwatering flavours and delicious sips as the focal ingredients of experiential entertaining, learning and team bonding.
TSEvents XS is certain that even the most devoted mac-and-cheese fan on your guest list will RSVP ASAP to an event based on one of the following ideas:
Learn, Eat, Enjoy
Head Niagara way for a wine-country meal at the Mark Picone Culinary Studio in Vineland, ON. Neither cooking school nor restaurant as much as it is an opportunity to luxuriate in a memorable three-to-five hour gastronomic experience personally hosted by Chef Mark Picone in his home. Private groups of up to 12 gather in the lovely and formal, French antique-appointed kitchen-dining area as Picone prepares a multi-course menu – local, seasonal, of course.
Chef-guest conversation flows around the region’s wine and culinary history and cooking tales. Sampling ensues, and questions asked-answered. Guests can even take on a dish prep or two. Sommelier Jennifer Whilhelm informatively uncorks BYOW menu pairings. The vineyard view through studio windows is pure Niagara vintage.
Say Yes To Chocolate
Hands-on chocolate making with Chocolate Tales.
Chocolate Tales is a magical mystery tasting tour of the sweet (and bitter) goodness that comes from cocoa beans. Led by husband and wife chocolatiers David and Zoe Levy, group programs and menus are tailorable at a venue of your choice, from tastings and chocolate making to team-building chocolate treasure hunts.
The standard journey begins with chocolate’s history while sampling seven different types. After a cuppa break of steaming dark chocolate it’s apron time for hands-on melting, mixing and molding of fresh truffles, pralines and fondant chocolates. Any decadent creations that survive on-the-spot devouring (quantity is ensured) are presented in beribboned take-home packages. Custom molded chocolate orders also available.
An Apple A Day
Daily Apple's Lesley Stoyan puts a healthy spin on corporate eating.
The Daily Apple helps groups discover the benefits of healthy eating with customizable workshops that include sourcing and cooking with local ingredients. Corporate wellness specialist Lesley Stoyan leads the good-food charge, drawing on her background in corporate wellness and as co-founder of AppleTree Markets, a non-profit community farmer’s market.
Sessions are hosted at either the Daily Apple Centre in mid-town Toronto, at one of the city’s cooking schools, on-site at events such as a conference or in the company boardroom. Choose from plenty of workshop variations ranging from one-hour lunch-and-learns with cooking demonstration to full and half-day “green eating and living” learning with a gamut of activity options including multi-course meal making, nutrition talks and fitness. Martini Yoga caught out attention!
Food Lover’s Meeting Break
Put your group behind The Drake Academy's temaki bar.
Meetings and events at The Drake Hotel boast inherent chic appeal. Give the occasion even more allure by adding a Drake Academy session as a unique food-and-beverage meeting break or team-building activity. Ideal group size is eight to 20 participants.
Try a little Japanese as your team steps behind a temaki station to roll their own sushi under the guidance of the Drake’s sushi master. Enjoy results paired with bubbly or sake. Or put the team on coffee break duty learning how to brew, then enjoying, their barista-calibre java results. Other options include a chocolate and cognac tasting, mixology lessons, and the good karma pairing of yoga and fruit.
Hops To It
Mirella Amato leads a Beerology tasting.
Beerology gives new meaning to getting together for a pint. Former opera singer Mirella Amato and self-professed “beer geek” knows her suds well and shares her knowledge with guided beer tastings. Sessions can be custom tailored for many purposes, from a beer-tasting station as part of the party or a pre-cocktail ice breaker, to a sit-down, in-depth exploration of beer styles.
Amato pours on the history, ingredients and brewing process while taking guests through the flavours and differences between beers from around the world, including local and craft brews. Round out the experience with food pairings, or add in a trivia challenge. A certified beer judge, Amato can also stage a mock beer competition complete with official evaluation criteria participants use as the judges.
For The Guys
ManChef.ca teaches guys cooking basics.
It’s strictly men-only in Chef Peter Graben’s ManChef.ca cooking sessions where a basic Cooking 101 approach is key to preparing ethnic-infused and kosher meals. A niche workshop for sure, but apparently one that’s receiving enthusiastic uptake among corporate suits looking for a work-bonding opportunity, especially among the younger dudes.
A seasoned kosher caterer, the witty, Scottish-born Graben keeps learning creative and fun. Teaching basic knife skills is a focus along with ways to give simple, nutritious dishes, such as pastas, curries and chicken, a touch of flair. Classes for up to six take place in Graben’s home kitchen. Sessions are also mobile to other venues, including the office boardroom.
Tapas Tastings
Embrujo Flamenco offers tapas tastings.
Fancy a little world flavour? Say “hola” to Spain. Embrujo Flamenco exquisitely captures the colourful Iberian nation’s sultry approach to good food and wine with an impressive tapas menu. A tutored tapas and sherry tasting only enhances the appreciation of the small plates of savoury cuisine.
Sherry is reportedly Spain’s original tapas chaser. Embrujo Flamenco matches six plates with a different sherry each. Cava (Spain’s bubbly) and wine pairings are also available. The restaurant accommodates 69 people. Café Madrid, its lower level bar, is an ideal tasting room for private groups of up to 30. Be sure to include the on-site flamenco action. Salud! 
