guest review by Hrayr Berberoglu, March 12, 2006
AVALON – ONE OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS OF TORONTO IS CLOSING
Gourmets everywhere should be very sad, but particularly Torontonians. Chris Mc Donald, the owner/chef, a food purist and imaginative individual always focuses on innovative, well-presented and – prepared food. For him food should taste of its own and embellished with culinary skill, presentation for the gourmet.
During his eleven years at Richmond and John streets downtown he served thousands of well-heeled Torontonian gourmets, not to speak of Americans, British, Germans and many others from everywhere in world.
His food is pure. Unlike others, he eschews a jumble of spices, indefinable flavours and questionable textures. He always stresses the texture and flavour of the prime ingredient on the plate.
Avalon offers the usual and unusual. In the latter category, you could taste fresh grilled sardines with sea salt, or black-eyed peas and tripe, confit of squab, cured pigs liver, house-cured salumi, confit of duck just to name a few.
Chris McDonald will serve his last meals on March 18, 2006. There are still gourmets willing to spend two to three hours at the table in this town, but not enough to sustain a restaurant in high-rent area with very expensive and limited parking.
Avalon is airy and well appointed; servers are knowledgeable and obliging. The wine list is extensive and well chosen.
It is one of the few restaurants with an impressive cheese menu including raw milk selections. The cheese plate consists of three cheeses of your choice and comes with selection of breads, unsalted nuts, and dried apricots.
When other chefs grabbed the attention of local TV stations with their overwrought presentations and fun-appearances, Chris McDonald quietly revolutionized gastronomy in Toronto and dared to offer dishes nobody dreamed offering.
It is sad to see a fine restaurant close its doors because on insufficient patronage, but gastronomy has become entertainment-cum-good or passable food, and diluted with flamboyant, marketing-savvy chefs rather than those who truly care about taste and texture. If you still want to enjoy an excellent meal, attentive service and fine wine, visit Avalon before March 18.
Hrayr taught at the largest and oldest post secondary restaurant and hotel management school in Canada for over a quarter of a century. During his tenure he researched, wrote, and published over 35 textbooks, many of which are used in schools across the continent and by thousands of professionals.
He is available for informal and entertaining speaking and tasting engagements on wine, beer, spirits and food in and around GTA.
Interested parties can contact him at [email protected].
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