Dilettante Hospitality

v quick trip to the County

A few pics from a v quick trip to Van & the island - places I love more and more each time I visit 😘

So many meaningful food and beverage experiences in such a short time; it was a much needed affirmation of this winding path I've chosen to pursue.

True highlights from some new (to me) spots, , and 🙏

Rode the first Beer Bus of the season and snapped some pics for .beer 🚌🍻🌞

The Guelph.Beer Bus is really quite a magical thing - a free shuttle that stops at all five of Guelph's breweries; the buses run all day so you can hop on and off at your own pace.

It's a celebration of Guelph's vibrant brewing scene. It's an easy way to safely explore the city while enjoying yourself. It's really just a great idea. 💡

Over the years, I've spent a lot of time eating, drinking, and admiring Ossington and the West End of Toronto 🌆

I never imagined that one day I'd be a part of opening a restaurant in that very same neighbourhood, steps away from so many incredible businesses that I've looked up to and held close to my heart.

As ever, working with the always impressive team at brings to life what might at first seem like a far-off vision.


k.k



foodphotography

Some favourites from a shoot with from the end of last year 🍝

Sugo on Surrey is a great neighbourhood spot, serving up some seriously tasty Italian classics with a wonderfully welcoming vibe 🤙

Starting the year off at the right pace 🏔

I've had the privilege of visitng the Yukon many times over the last few years, and I'm beyond grateful for the relationship I've formed with one of the most beautiful places on earth ♥️

Excited to recharge and get to work in 2023.
#2023

Food, food, food - in all it's stages, forms, and phases 🧅🚛

An example of the hard and important work done by the folks at and , who through are rescuing food that would otherwise be discarded, and putting it to use in a dizzying number of innovative ways 💡

What FUN it's been helping my friends at open their beautiful new Beer Hall 🥨🍺

A lot of hard work from so many people went in to creating this space - which is a most welcome addition to this end of town.

The truly top quality brews they've been putting out for years finally having a home, and for now, the world feels just a little bit more right.

A few kitchen portraits of some of the fine folks who make up the Nourish Kitchen at 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

Nourish is a co-op kitchen space providing food start-ups, non-profits, small businesses, and other creators with commercial kitchen space, market expertise, product support, and so much more.

It's a community of impressive individuals at different stages of their food projects, and yet another example of the important work being done by ♥️

Pictured here...



ca inc

When ramen flies! 🍜

A concept image for

Congratulations to for being named one of Top Growing Companies in 2022! 🏆

What a wild ramen ride it's been over the last few years. We've all learned so much, and I owe a lot to their amazing team for helping me get where I am today! ♥️

k.k

matt17





Some of the pictures above by the ever so talented

Welcome to the neighbourhood .guelph 👋

A shiny new cafe has landed in The Ward, on the corner of Arthur and Ontario, AKA about a 2 minute commute from my front door.

"Chef Pam Fanjoy, who is also an experienced child and family therapist, uses her innovative culinary therapy approach to help address social isolation and complex mental health challenges faced by youth.

Fanjoy’s Junior Chef Program is a shining example of her work. Through this program Chef Pam offers a variety of classes, camps and one-on-one opportunities that get youth in the kitchen where they learn to cook, build life skills and connect with each other in meaningful ways.

During a recent visit to Fanjoy Culinary + Wellness Centre in Guelph we were greeted enthusiastically by Kaleb, a Junior Chef who has been participating in Pam’s programs for 3 years. Kaleb was welcoming and confident as he set out to help Chef Pam prepare lunch on the barbeque. However, Kaleb has not always been so confident, self assured and excited about food. According to Pam and Kaleb’s mom Elizabeth, Kaleb came to the program to help address his own mental health challenges and feelings of social isolation.

Three years later, Kaleb, adept behind the grill, will be starting a part-time job with Chef Pam this summer helping out with culinary programs and the Junior Chef summer camps."

It's always amazing to work with the folks at , because I get to meet and help support the work of so many other incredible people like

The photos are being used to help tell the stories of organizations in Guelph participating in the SDG Cities Academy, a community driven project supporting localization of the Sustainable Development Goals which is being led here in Guelph by 10C.

Words by Emily Hansen of 10C.

I mainly take photos of food, but sometimes your cool tattoo artist friends ask for a shoot 😎

Some images from another great day at the w/ 💚

Some great writing on the rise of social prescriptions and the advent of a Fresh Food Prescription here in Guelph.

So nice to see your photos out in the wild, too!

The SEED Community Food Project Guelph Community Health Centre

https://theconversation.com/social-prescriptions-why-some-health-care-practitioners-are-prescribing-food-to-their-patients-182208

Social prescriptions: Why some health-care practitioners are prescribing food to their patients Food security is crucial to disease prevention and management, so prescribing healthy foods and reducing barriers to better diets makes sense. But food prescriptions should not be immune to scrutiny.

Recently, I had the privilege to take photos at the for 🥕

I moved to Guelph in 2010 for school and have called it home ever since. I remember the first time I ventured away from the UoG "campus bubble" to explore downtown and the market on a Saturday morning.

A dozen or so years later, it was kind of surreal to be taking pictures of the interesting, kind, and talented people who make up the market community - many of whom were there the first time I explored the market so many years ago.

I am continually humbled and extraordinarily grateful for this community of thoughtful and talented people in Guelph - whether they're bakers, butchers, candle makers, or painters - who share a passion in dedicating themselves to the pursuit of something they truly believe in.

Food 🤝 Medicine

Fresh Food Rx is an innovative food-based healthcare program from the good people at 🍎

Eating fruits and vegetables is linked to lower rates of chronic illnesses (such as cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes and cancers).
People with the lowest household incomes are the least likely to consume the recommended amounts of fresh food, because it is more expensive and harder to store.

Through Fresh Food Rx, doctors and other healthcare practitioners prescribe fresh food to community members who need it for their health. Participants can redeem their prescriptions for free fruits and vegetables through our Groceries from The SEED online store 🛒

Making friends w/ bread at 🥖♥️

Rac city, rac raclette city 🧀

From a recent at-home shoot full of ridiculously good cheese with

The Ward FINALLY has a cafe! 🙇‍♂️

Welcome to the neighbourhood 👋

RAMEN meets FRIED CHICKEN meets KOREAN CHILLIS 🌶🌶🌶

and .matt17 has done it again.

don't always have to be crazy-day-long kitchen commitments 👨‍🍳

I have found myself cooking Japanese food quite frequently lately, out of a combination of comfort, deliciousness, and simplicity.

This book is a classic, for good rrasong, and has helped me learn WHY there is such beauty in the simplicity of Japanese cuisine.

What did you cook today?

What are you cooking this weekend for ? 📚

This was Kuching Style Laksa, a spicy Malaysian noodle soup that Bourdain touted as one of his favourite meals on earth - high praise from a man whose been around the globe a few times.

Have to say, I agree with Tony! 🌶

Did you know is under new ownership? 👋

The Cornerstone is something of an institution in downtown Guelph, and these two are continuing to serve up an all-vegetarian hitlist of Cornerstone classics.

The space has a new, refreshed vibe thanks to this kind and welcoming duo, which is only enhanced by the veritable glow up the interior has received ✨

Week 1 of is... in the books! 👋

The first cookbook off my shelf was Alpine Cooking, one of my favourite cookbooks to date, from one of my favourite cookbook authors, . Meredith is a Canadian author who started out with the Joe Beef crew and has since gone on to write and collaborate on a number of impressive cookbooks of her own. Alpine Cooking is part recipes and storytelling, gathered from years of experiencing and traveling through different Alpine countries 🗻

I tried my hand at Piedmontese Style Agniolotti (of course I go for the Italian recipe in the Alpine book).

Wanna join in? Post a picture or story of your cookbook adventures and tag anytime in the month of February for your chance to win over $125 worth of sweet sweet prizes! 🧢

GIVEAWAY! Do you have a shelf of cookbooks sitting around collecting dust? 📚

Join me in celebrating all that is good and wonderful in the world of slowing down and cooking from books. Starting my way from left to right, I'm going to grab one cookbook a week and cook a recipe from it. Simple as that!

📸Want to join in? Post a picture or story in the month of February of your cookbook cooking adventures and tag for your chance to win a gift card to a local restaurant and and a sweet Dilettante hat! 🧢

Add for an extra entry!

Some shots from the soft opening of last week 🟣

Now you can have a drink AND a skee-ball.

Some recent work for Borealis Grille & Bar - Kitchener highlighting their ~romantic vibes~ 🍸

Finally had a chance to stop at Pasta Fresca Baldassarre this week. World-class pasta filled with love and intention, eaten outside from a takeout container on a cold Canadian day late in November; it really doesn't get much better than this.