Insider’s Tips: June 12
Most of the best Ontario field summer vegetables and fruit have begun to appear at the Ontario Food Terminal. Despite a certain coolness in the air, it’s time to savour all this summer goodness. Our GEORGE courtyard, complete with a working fountain, is now open for lunch (Wed–Fri) and dinners (Tues–Sat).
This year, we planted herbs in our courtyard, as well as a fig tree. Chef Loseto looked slightly worried today as we admired the fig tree already laden with growing figs. He wondered whether we should be counting the figs in order to control the harvest.
The star of the emerging vegetable crop this week was Ontario-grown field English peas. They were so sweet that they were delicious eaten uncooked, right out of their shells. That’s how they will be served for the next two weeks or so, accompanying the Newfoundland Fogo Island crab dish.
This week, Chef bought the new field Ontario crops, including fresh herbs, lettuces, cipollini onions, shallots, pearl onions and zucchini flowers, which he prepares as a tempura.
Chef reports that Ontario field strawberries were sweeter and much improved this week compared to last.
From California, Chef bought fennel, broccolini, melons, apricots, cherries, blueberries and blackberries.
BC porcinis are now available. Chef will buy them in bulk when the price is right, then preserve them by cooking them in white wine and olive oil. These mushrooms form the centrepiece of one of Chef’s items on his Vegetarian Tasting Menu.
Atlantic soft shell crabs are still difficult to get. Chef continues using Vancouver Island spot prawns as a substitute. In previous years, China took about 80% of this catch. With the new 25% Chinese tariffs, BC prawn fisherman have been scrambling to replace China as a market.
Chef thinks the current plumper-than-usual Japanese hamachi and BC cod offerings are worth trying. He also suggests the newly arrived New Brunswick bass, which he charcoal grills and serves with lobster pastina.
Lighter summer meats are now featured at GEORGE. They include rabbit, sweetbreads and the pluma Iberico pork, which we have been recommending so enthusiastically.
For dessert, Chef will be combining the new Ontario strawberries with an olive oil sponge.
GEORGE presents two special evening dining experiences. The first, at $99pp++, is our First Taste of Summer promotion, showcasing the best of the season’s fresh ingredients. A value-based wine flight is available for $65pp++.
The second experience, scheduled for next Friday night, June 20, 2025, is a Premium Tasting Experience for $225pp++. A specially curated wine flight is also available for $195pp++.
Both experiences are served on the GEORGE courtyard or inside the restaurant, if you prefer. We hear the weather will finally warm up next week.