Celebrating Canada 1500

Instead of hot dogs and hamburgers, the pre-Canada Day celebration dinner at The Depanneur featured venison, pickerel and sunchokes.

For the past three years, the College and Dovercourt-area experimental kitchen and event space has held a “Canada 1500” event to remind us that our country has a history that goes back much further than 152 years.

The Concept

On June 29, the Dep hosted a dinner on “A Dish with One Spoon”. The theme refers to the concept of everyone eating out of the same bowl, signifying peace, community and togetherness. It’s a phrase derived from a law between North American Indigenous Nations regarding sharing hunting territory rights.

The Chefs

Created by chefs Taylor Parker and Adam Ward, the six-course tasting menu was a fusion of fine dining and indigenous tradition. Parker is from Six Nations Reserve (near Brantford) and knows a lot about game, fresh fish, plants and foraged ingredients. Parker, Ward and The Dep’s founder, Len Senater, are committed to educating people about respecting food and where it comes from, sustainability and eating food from local sources. Hear more from them in the video clips below.

More about The Depanneur

The Depanneur is awesome, by the way. If you’re looking for a home-cooked meal, a fancy dinner, a cooking class or other food-related fun, you really need to check it out. It’s laid back and completely unpretentious. And you can bring your own drinks (the good kind), with no corkage fee! Drop by and say hello to Len, who started up The Dep in 2011 and continues to bring together an eclectic mix of magic that makes the place so special.

What about a film to watch?

Before I leave you, I should recommend a film to go with a meal at The Depanneur. Hmmm. As the kind of food experience you can have at The Dep changes every day, choosing just one film won’t do. Instead, head further east on College Street and check out whatever is playing at the Royal Cinema. It’s bound to be great.

P.S. Some of the photos on this page and in the videos were taken by my friend, Anna Fox. Thanks Anna!