Top Chef judge and stalwart food journalist Gail Simmons may have spent the past few years entwined with the culinary scene in the United States, but as the franchise sets its sights north of the border, she, too, is reconnecting with her Toronto roots.
“I have been wanting to bring Top Chef to Canada for a long time and am thrilled to finally have the chance to do so,” Gail, who’s been a fixture on the series since its inception in 2006, tells me.
Born and raised in Toronto before moving to Montreal to attend McGill University, Gail tells me she felt it was high time for audiences in America and beyond to discover just how diverse and impressive Canada’s culinary scene is.
“I think Americans generally know very little about the food and history of their close neighbours to the north, and there is so much to showcase beyond the stereotypes of maple and poutine and Molson beer,” she tells me.
“It’s such a vast, beautiful country with endless climates and welcoming, diverse populations. We can hardly show it all off in one season, but I think our attempt will surprise and entice our viewers to want to learn — and taste — more.”
Toronto, in Gail’s opinion, provided a particularly perfect backdrop for the Canadian season, and not just because it holds a special place in her own heart.
“There’s endless room for exploration of both Indigenous and immigrant flavours, family-run neighbourhood spots, hidden ethnic gems, and sophisticated fine dining that altogether make Toronto so special,” she explains.
The city boasts an equally impressive network of industry professionals
While none of the so-called “cheftestants” on this season actually hail from Toronto, Gail still believes that plenty of local talents could very well hold their own on the show, too.
“There are so many talented young chefs cooking in Toronto today and any one of them would have made a great competitor,” she says, “but I could see chefs like Braden Chong (MIMI Chinese, Sunny’s Chinese), Young Hoon Ji (Mhel), Mike Sala (Dreyfus), Rob Bragagnolo or his wife Caroline Chinery (Casa Paco) all doing an amazing job on the show.”
While filming the latest season of the show, which premiered on Hayu last Sunday, March 13, Gail, like the show’s viewers, had the chance to similarly discover (or, in her case, rediscover) everything that Toronto has to offer and she shared with me her absolute favourite ways she spent her time.
After pilates, it’s off to Liu Loqum Atelier for coffee, Gail says.
Morning ritual
After spending the first 18 years of her life in the Eglinton West area, Gail tells me that, during the filming of the show, she needed to set herself up a little closer to the downtown core, settling on Little Italy, which she describes as a “dream neighbourhood,” and I’m inclined to agree.
“The area has changed so much since I was in my teens and early twenties and used to hang out there, and it was fun to be just blocks away from so many amazing restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and cocktail bars so I could explore,” she tells me.
Admittedly not a particularly early riser, Gail tells me that her ideal Sunday kicks off around 9:30 a.m., before she heads to Strong Pilates for a 10 a.m. class, grabbing a coffee at Liu Loqum Atelier on College or at Ella’s Uncle on Dundas West (“with a slice of her amazing band bread,” Gail adds,) on the way home.
After that, it’s off to brunch with old friends or her brother and his kids, for which Dundas West’s Sisters & Co’s Sister’s Breakfast Sandwich or Girl Breakfast and Ossington’s Azhar’s Shakshuka or Turkish eggs are a favourite — but trying a new dim sum spot in Chinatown is an equally ideal option.
Urban explorer
In addition to Little Italy, Gail tells me that she developed soft spots for several proximal neighbourhoods while filming Top Chef, including Dundas West, Harbord Village, Ossington and Trinity Bellwoods, but there are also places in the city that have always been favourites of hers.
“Kensington Market and Chinatown are always a favourite, I try to go to the St. Lawrence Market with my family whenever I can, and in the summer, I adore Wychwood Barns market, The Danforth and The Beaches,” she says.
On a free day, though, she tells me that visiting her family, who she doesn’t get to see too often, is always a priority.
She’d head up to her old stomping grounds and explore the Cedarvale Ravine with her brother’s dogs, or go for a stroll in one of her favourite neighbourhoods, quite possibly ending up at the AGO to check out the latest exhibitions.
Gail pictured at Cafe Boulud, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto.
Girl Dinner
Most of Gail’s closest friends from growing up in Toronto still reside in the city, so, she tells me, her perfect Sunday would close out with a dinner spent with them.
“My favourite nights are when I get to have a relaxed dinner with them and catch up,” she tells me. “We could talk for hours.”
Their go-to spots in the city? “We love going to Taverne Bernhardt’s, Sunny’s Chinese, or Mamakas Taverna with a nightcap at Cocktail Bar if we are up for it.”
While Gail admits during the time spent on location in Toronto last summer, she ate at “too many” great restaurants to possibly mention, she adds that Osteria Guilia, Oroshi Fish Co., Bar Raval, DaiLo, Brodflour Bakery and Quetzal are all among the best.
Season 22 of Top Chef is available to stream on Hayu at 10:15 p.m. every Thursday.
