MARCH 26, 2020 UPDATE: In light of the challenges the Faculty Club is facing due to the COVID-19 virus, this event has been cancelled, but will hopefully be rescheduled as soon as possible.

What was the Toronto food scene like in the 1960s? Come and find out as the Faculty Club marks its 60th anniversary with a culinary trip back to the time of its founding. A multi-course dinner will feature the best-loved dishes of the era. 

60 Years of the Faculty Club: A Celebration of Communities, Cultures & Cuisines will feature guest speakers to introduce each course, starting with award-winning cookbook author Bonnie Stern. 

Stern will speak about Toronto’s Jewish cuisine at the time, and food historians Daniel Bendear and Irina D. Mihalache will delve further into this key moment in the evolution of dining in Toronto and beyond. 

 “There was a lot happening in the food scene of the sixties, which I didn’t realize until meeting with Daniel and Irina,” says general manager Leanne Pepper. “It wasn’t just about dining in hotels or eating TV dinners. There was a huge change in the food industry.  Julia Child and the classic chefs back then really changed how we eat today.”

New waves of immigration indelibly changed dining in the neighbourhood. Award-winning author Arlene Chan will speak about the very first restaurants in Chinatown. Chan has written seven books on the history, culture, and traditions of the Chinese in Canada. The menu is being created with input from all four speakers.

Sommelier Pierre Lebouedec will be serving sixties-inspired cocktails. A slide show from the Toronto and University Archives will set the scene.

Following dinner, a panel discussion will top off this interactive and delicious evening. 60 Years of the Faculty Club: A Celebration of Communities, Cultures & Cuisines will take place Monday, April 20, at 5:30pm. 

Tickets are $60 for members, $75 for non-members. To reserve call 416-946-7052 or email faculty.club@utoronto.ca

—Nicole Stoffman, Gleaner News