Media

Foodies on Foot’s website is shrouded in mystery: a vague description, an entry field for your e-mail, and a big button declaring “Subscribe” are its only decoration. It tentatively announces a start date of Spring 2012, and alludes to a new social dining experience for Toronto.

My knee-jerk response: it sounds a lot like Dishcrawl. Or, if that particular culinary crawl is too dated, Social Feed. How does Foodies on Foot differ? For one, they appreciate the power of synthesis, bringing together many ways for dining enthusiasts to enjoy food in a social setting. Supper clubs, food tours and communal dining lay the groundwork for “really unique food events” that co-founder Steven Hellman can only hint at.

The duo behind Foodies on Foot, Steven Hellman and Gloria Czomko, have backgrounds in legal management and fashion respectively, but have always termed themselves foodies. They’ve test-driven other available social dining outlets and spotted room for improvement. The first event, which will most likely be a crawl, is slated for late-May. Cost hasn’t yet been finalized, and will fluctuate based on the nature of the event, but food tours are expected to start at $30.

The top food trends for 2012 reflect a diverse and eclectic restaurant scene drawing from many cultural influences. While previous years’ trends such as nose-to-tail dining, locavore-focused menus, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, rustic Italian, Canadiana, gluten-free foods, cupcakes and whoopie pies are mostly still going strong, we’re thankful for a new batch of food trends ready to mix things up this summer and beyond.

Here’s a list of 8 food trends ready to take on Toronto.

Communal dining
To the surprise of the preternaturally shy, communal dining will really hit its stride in 2012. While communal (or long) tables have been surfacing for a while now at Toronto restaurants like the now-shuttered OddFellows or newbies like Ursa, this social experience is being amplified by outfits such as Dishcrawl, The Social Feed and soon-to-launch Foodies on Foot. It’s enough for me to think that communal dining is the new dating site. LavaLife, you’ve been served notice.

In late July, fledgling foodies went on a three-hour tour led by Gloria, Steven and Rebecca of Foodies On Foot, to discover food retailers in what the New York Times recently recognized as one of Toronto’s hippest communities: the Junction.

Participants learned about the history of the neighbourhood and chatted with shop owners while sipping and savouring samples at fabulous food destinations. The guided tour included tastings at half a dozen shops as well as historical points of interest. The “tourists” did well to preserve their memories, filling their shopping bags with gourmet goodies along the way. For information about Foodies On Foot and their upcoming tours, visit thefoodiesgroup.com

Take a walk and try some of the city’s finest sandwiches on this epic downtown food tour.

As many downtown shoppers will tell you, walking around all day is the best way to work up an appetite, and Toronto’s foodie flaneurs will soon unite for the Insanewich! Food Tour: an afternoon totally dedicated to the art of the sandwich.

The tour, organized by Foodies on Foot and lasting between three and four hours in length, promises to showcase some of the tastiest sandwiches in the city. Though the exact stops vary with each tour, they frequent places like The Black Camel, Porchetta and Co., California Sandwiches, and Cafe Plenty. For the upcoming tour, the starting point will be at the Foodie studio at 75 Portland Street. Tickets are $75 (including a TTC day pass, which you can opt out of if you have a metropass) and can be purchased here.

Be warned, though, these aren’t your typical brown-bagged, lunchmeat concoctions. Expect lots of meat (some of which has been marinated for up to three days), lots of seafood, and lots of mess, so pack a bib—or at least a napkin—and get ready to go insanewich.

We had a great evening tonight participating in our first Foodies On Foot event at Queen Margherita Pizza, 1402 Queen Street East, just east of Greenwood Avenue.

I came to hear about Foodies On Foot from some of my new “foodie” acquaintances and started following their blog and Twitter posts. The principals of Foodies On Foot are Steven Hellmann and Gloria Czomko. This dynamic and outgoing duo love Toronto and they love food. What better way than to bring Torontonians and tourists together with fine dining establishments in our great city.

The latest Pro Pick is from Steven Hellmann of Foodies on Foot, whom I first learned about because he leads a SANDWICH TOUR OF TORONTO — the Insanewich! Food Tour. Really! Here, an introduction.

Steven is the co-founder of Foodies on Foot, a Toronto food events business that runs food tours, food events, and social dining experiences for the public and corporate/private events. Steven follows chefs and dining the way sports enthusiasts follow statistics and their favourite players. From an early childhood, Steven learned the value of a home-cooked meal. Having travelled the world to experience the best in all things food, he transitioned from a career in legal management to pursue his true passion, Foodies on Foot was born.

We’re taking a look at some of the opportunities for travel beyond New York City. We’ve already mooched around Long Island, and ventured through upstate New York on the Adirondack train to Montréal. Today we’re following up last week’s guide to Niagara Falls with an exploration of the constantly evolving city of Toronto.

Enthusiastic foodies might also want to partake in one of the city’s excellent local food tours. The mix of cultural insight, behind-the-scenes access and delectable tastings make these a really worthwhile activity. The Culinary Adventure Company offers tours of Little Italy, Greektown and Little India among others; Foodies on Foot have a 501 Street Car Food Tour with stops at six different neighbourhoods and Tasty Tours have some treats in store on their Kensington Market Sweets and Chocolate tours.

Having searched far and wide for the best authentic Napoletan pizza this side of the Atlantic, Foodies on Foot Co-Founder, Steven Hellmann (yes, he is part Italian, don’t let the name fool you), finally discovered it at Queen Margherita Pizza (QMP). He recounts the smell of walking by QMP and being taken back to his childhood in a small town just outside of Rome.

Join us as we experience a family style feast at this incredibly low price. Let the night begin with $5 Negroni drinks and Prosecco during the lower level cocktail reception between 5:00 to 7:00 PM, before moving to a private room at the top of the restaurant for a 4 course family style communal dinner, featuring, of course, the delicious pizzas that are arguably the most authentic Napoltean style pizzas this side of the Atlantic.

Exploring a city can be done in a variety of ways, whether it be wandering through a neighbourhood or hitting up every culinary destination on a well-researched list. But why not use the divide-and-conquer method and go on a culinary tour? From the western margins of the Junction to the eastern borders of Leslieville (and even the depths of the Don Valley), here are some delectable itineraries.

Call in advance to notify operators of any dietary concerns and they’ll be happy to accommodate you.

Foodies on Foot
In the west end, Foodies on Foot are more than happy to share their stomping grounds with you. Discover the historically “dry” neighbourhood of the Junction and get to know the Polish roots of Roncesvalles. Further south on Queen Street, the Foodies hop on the 501 streetcar as it passes through six neighbourhoods that provide six different flavours along the longest surface track in the world. Foodies on Foot also offer the very popular Insanewich! Tour, which celebrates the art of putting only the best and most creative ingredients in between two slices bread. They also offer a class that is kid-friendly as it’s led by the founder’s daughter.

There are so many things to eat, drink, do, and experience in Toronto that we sometimes are overwhelmed by the options. To help us (and you) plan our calendar we’re launching a feature called The Monthly Spotlight. Here we’ll bring you list of restaurants to eat at, bottles to drink, events to hit, and cool things to just sit back and take in.

What to Do

Foodies on Foot Holiday Shopping Food Tour – Multiple dates On this tour, you’ll get a chance to visit 5-7 shops in various neighborhoods of Toronto (There are West and East tours), and do some holiday shopping for the foodies in their life.

Concierge Toronto: De bonnes adresses à découvrir

Foodies on Foot

La gastronomie sociale rencontre le transport en commun grâce au circuit 501 Street Car Food Tour. Chaque mois, Foodies on Foot invite les amateurs de bonne cuisine à bord d’un tramway pour une tournée de cinq heures sur la vénérable ligne 501 Queen. D’est en ouest, six quartiers, six arrêts.

You don’t need to look very far for the perfect present this holiday season. We’ve made a list (and checked it twice) filled with the bounty of Ontario – both nifty and nice!

If you’re stumped on a superb stocking stuffer, here are a few of our favourite finds to help spread the homegrown holiday cheer:

Edible Excursions
Give a friend the gift of a wine country lunch from Windsor Eats.

These unique culinary tours let your loved ones have their cake and walk (or paddle or cycle) it off too:

Foodies on Foot – Toronto
1000 Islands Kayaking – Gananoque
Bikes & Beers Cycling Tour and Wine Trail Ride – Windsor-Essex
Elora Culinary Walking Tour – Fergus-Elora
Culinary Adventure Co. – Toronto

If this is the first you are hearing of our Wine Tasting event then all I can say is YOU MISSED OUT! What a wonderful time had by all. Not only did we get to try fantastic wine but our sommelier, Matt James, was there to discuss the great wines from all over the world as wels give information and insights on tasting methods, how to take wine notes and food matching!

Foodies On Foot were on hand to help out and let us use their beautiful, quaint studio at 75 Portland Street with music of course!

If you don’t know much about wine other than you like it and you were looking to enjoy some great food with others, then an evening with Fortylicious and Foodies on Foot would be where to find your match. Back by popular demand, a wine tasting that was lead by sommelier Matt James who discussed the great wines from all over the world as well as information and insights on tasting methods, how to take wine notes and food matching.

To accompany the wines were finger foods from Royal Elephant Thai Cuisine restaurant, cheeses, olives by Olive and Olives & delicious chocolates c/o Purdy’s Chocolates. It was an instructive gathering with an emphasis placed on fun.

If you’ve been on a food tour in Toronto, there’s a good chance you may have bumped into this handsome guy. Steven Hellmann is the co-founder of Foodies on Foot, a Toronto food tour and social dining experience. With the help of his partner, Gloria Czomko, Foodies on Foot has orchestrated everything from communal dinners to dine crawls within Toronto’s immense restaurant scene.

Growing up in an Italian/German family, Steven learned the value of eating as a family unit. Even at an early age, he realized his mother’s fresh ingredients and from-scratch cooking made all the difference; something he has carried through into his own life and has transferred to his Foodies on Foot venture.

Still searching for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift? Why not give your date the gift of another romantic night out on the town?

There are many ways to explore your city. Whether you’re wandering through secret haunts or hitting up every culinary mecca on a well-researched list. Some of us would though, prefer a more curated affair.

501 Streetcar Food Tour

Along the 501!
The 501 Queen Streetcar route is the longest surface route in North America AND one of the longest in the world! This line runs approximately 24.8 kilometres traversing Toronto from the east-west. You will go through countless distinct Toronto neighbourhoods and experience the many tastes of Toronto.

Saturday afternoon, hungry history buffs will take to the 501 streetcar line, a nearly 25-kilometre route along Queen Street that cuts through the heart of the city and traverses notable neighbourhoods. Using the TTC’s sturdy vehicles, Gloria Czomko and Steven Hellmann of Foodies on Foot will lead a flexible tour that includes talks, walks and stops for drinks and food in six neighbourhoods. We asked Mr. Hellmann to give us a taste, as it were, of what transit-happy tour-goers can expect.

Once upon a time, I was the friend who dragged folks around the city, forcing them to get apps at one location, mains at another and dessert at a last. But then I met Steven of Foodies on Foot. A wealth of knowledge on just about every district in Toronto, Steven and his company had me on their 501 Streetcar tour, sampling at six different restaurants along Queen Street. So, for five glorious hours, I stuffed my face with some of the finest treats Toronto has to offer. Tag along and see just how much I ate.

Scadding Court Community Centre invited the community to Fish FRYday which also celebrated the Launch of 5 new monthly outdoor pop up vendors.

This was no ordinary event, the day featured Pop up shops & food vendors hosted by Foodies on Foot, that created “Catch of the day” specials featuring underwater inspired goodies. There was a live stage complete with incredible
Toronto talent, hosted by Toronto Artist Collective (TAC) and if that wasn’t fun enough, you could have “Gone Fishin” in their indoor swimming pool that was fully stocked with Hormone & antibiotic free Rainbow Trout! You could even have your fish grilled at their outdoor BBQ and learn about sustainable fishing from OceanWise. We cannot wait until the next great event at Scadding Court & Market 707!

This year I’ve had the amazing opportunity to judge the Ontario Culinary Tourism Awards, which celebrate “Ontario’s best and brightest in culinary tourism”. From a large pool of worthy applicants, we chose a list of finalists earlier this year, and have been researching each one with the goal of picking a winner in each of three categories, to be announced at a gala on November 14.

It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

Today, I got to play tourist in my (adopted) home town, a nice break since I’ve spent only 10 days here out of the past seven weeks. (Yes, I just counted.) Fellow judge Rod Charles and I joined a group of local and international food lovers on the signature 501 (Queen) streetcar food tour put on by local operator Foodies on Foot.

Earlier this summer I had the good fortune of winning tickets to a circus-themed street party, which proved to be all kinds of fun, so when I heard that tickets had gone on sale for an event calling itself “Toronto’s first carnival themed food festival” I immediately bought myself a pair ($12.50 in advance/$15 at the door).

Foodival, co-presented by popular Toronto food tour group Foodies On Foot, took place in two installments today at 99 Sudbury. The day edition was an all ages event between 11am-3pm and the night edition turned into a 19+ event between 6-10pm. We opted to buy tickets for Foodival night and wandered over a little after 6pm to find the event in progress with no wait at the doors to get in.

Better Dating offers weekly tips on the best places for a date in Toronto. Check out our weekly postings for the unique and romantic dates in the city.

Foodies on Foot Secret Menus

Hit the side streets with a local guide to giving you a tour of Toronto’s hidden menus and dishes

Your Montreal and Toronto to-dos this month.

501 Streetcar Food Tour
Dec. 21, 28
Ride and eat your way along the longest surface streetcar route in North America with this food tour of Toronto’s Queen Street, East and West. Stops in six neighbourhoods may or may not include artisanal doughnuts.

Looking to do something a little different in your city or on vacation? These quirky travel tours are like nothing you’ve experienced before.

501 Streetcar Tour – Toronto, Ontario

The Queen streetcar, known for its achingly slow service during rush hour, might be the transit route Torontonians love to hate, but it also crosses through some of the city’s most intriguing neighbourhoods. Local tour operators Foodies on Foot take locals and visitors from Parkdale in the west to Leslieville in the east – a total of more than eight km – on their rush-hour-free Sunday food tour, with stops in six neighbourhoods for full-size tastings.

Be forewarned: come hungry.

Still searching for the perfect gift for a food lover on your list? I asked a host of Toronto chefs and food industry members to share the top entries on their wish lists this year in hopes it’ll stir up a little shopping inspiration. From obscure gadgets to crucial (and beautiful) items like the classic chef’s knife, there’s something for every home chef.

Here are holiday gift ideas for the food lover on your list:

Artisanal Edibles
Steven Hellmann of Foodies on Foot hopes to replenish his pantry this season with a collection of jams from Kitten and the Bear. “Hands down, the best jams in the city… I use these jams on everything from sandwiches to scones.”

Ontario’s food sets the groundwork for sharing stories, forming relationships and building communities across our province. Building on that, culinary tourism offers both locals and tourists alike an authentic taste of our province’s bounty. The past few years in Ontario have seen a tremendous surge in the appetite (sorry, we couldn’t resist) for culinary tourism, and the Ontario Culinary Tourism Awards of Excellence came about in order to provide the industry’s champions with the recognition they deserve.

Through their steadfast leadership and unique experiences, both winners and finalists set the bar for what culinary tourism in Ontario represents. By providing these leaders with the Awards we hope to draw attention to the respect and credit that they have earned over the previous year.

Exploring Toronto as a resident is usually seen as either a daunting or a tired task. You’ve been to the zoo. You’ve been to the CN Tower.

But there’s more you can do. Have you ever kayaked to the Toronto islands and then slept at a B&B there? Have you slept in a boat on the lake? How about training with Toronto’s circus school?

We’ve whittled our summer to-do list down to 11 fun activities. Want to do it all? Incorporate these ideas into your own summer bucket list.

Places to pick up in Toronto are full of possibility, if you know where to look. While the scene in Toronto can seem daunting at first, this list should help you narrow down your best bets. Good luck!

Foodies

65. Foodies on Foot
Join one of these food-centric tours of Toronto and you may just meet your foodie soulmate. You’ll venture in and out of a few restaurants and bars, with travel provided by your own two legs (or sometimes the TTC). If you don’t meet someone on the social dining tour, you may meet them at one of the stops! If not, you’ll at least have a tasty meal.

To get into the spirit of Halloween, make your kids these four fun, but frightening recipes for a themed dinner.

Halloween offers the perfect excuse to play with your food.

So be ghoulish, frightening, spooky or just plain fun and make these four recipes with your kids.

Zombie Fingers
Damian Harrington, in-house chef for Foodies on Foot, demonstrated these sandwiches at the recent Delicious Food Show. Foodies on Foot is a Toronto food tour and events company.

Video Details

• Producer:CHCH
• Date:October 13, 2014
• Category:Interview
• Website:www.chch.com

A tasty preview of this weekend’s Delicious Food Show

The Delicious Food Show featuring some of the top international chefs returns for a third year at the Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre this weekend.

Steven Hellman from Foodies on Foot was on Morning Live today to give us a preview of some of the featured vendors.

These tours are a great—and delcious—way to explore a city

Food is a direct route to the heart of any destination, revealing incredible stories about its people and history. That’s why one of the best ways to sample a city’s flavour is through a culinary tour—like one of these.

Video Details

• Producer: CHCH
• Date:November 17, 2014
• Category:Interview
• Website:www.chch.com

Have you started your Christmas shopping? If you need some great unique ideas for the foodies in your life, then Steven Hellman from Foodies on Foot is here to help.

Video Details

• Producer: CBC
• Date:November 3, 2014
• Category:Foodies on Foot Tour, Interview
• Website:www.cbc.ca

Culinary adventurer Christian Pritchard joins Foodies on Foot’s Steven Hellmann to discover five restaurants along Toronto’s 501 streetcar route: Glory Hole Doughnuts, Destingo, Banh Mi Boys, Fusaro’s and Redline Coffee.

Video Details

• Producer: CHCH
• Date:January 30, 2015
• Category:Interview
• Website:www.chch.com

Looking for a Valentine’s Day gift for the food lover in your life? Steven Hellmann from Foodies on Foot is here with some great ideas.

One of my best buddies, Donna Kellway, invited me on this delicious food tour…

It’s finally getting warm and sunny out. Want an excuse to get outside?

Head out on a food tour or culinary adventure – you get a good walk (or paddle) in, discover great eateries, providers and producers, and you can get to nibble and nosh along the way. Win-win.

Here are three fabulous places to start

Not only is friendly, funky Toronto Canada’s most populous city, but it’s also one of the most multicultural municipalities in the world—and that translates to great eating. The variety of restaurants is mind-blowing: Vietnamese joints sidle up to new-school seasonal places, which sit across the street from Greek tavernas or Spanish tapas bars. The best part is that exploring this vibrant food scene merely requires picking a street in a lively area and going for a stroll. But if you’d rather narrow down the selection a bit, here are some ways to satisfy any appetite.

TAKE A FOOD TOUR

A Foodies on Foot tour-de-deliciousness is a great introduction to Toronto’s restaurants and neighborhoods. Itineraries include Best of Toronto and the sandwich-focused Insanewich! tour.