The TV dinner: synonymous with mushy vegetables, tough mystery meat and doused in a thick gloop of a sauce is something we now turn to for convenience (or sheer desperation). Housed in a compartmentalized dinner plate and paired with a foldable stand-up tray, positioned in front of whatever prime time programming happened to be blaring from the TV, the quintessential 1950s dinner time setup might just be the lost art we all need to rediscover in this COVID-era world (or at least Woodhouse's rendition).
Brockton Village's Woodhouse Brewing Co. has partnered up with Montreal's Joe Beef restaurant to bring you, quite arguably, the most gourmet TV dinner to date. Chef Graham Pratt of Woodhouse has been doling out TV dinner trays dubbed "New Hungry Friend" since October. Past trays have featured a special Thanksgiving meal, a backyard barbecue, a 1950s classic of Salisbury steak and a smoked chicken leg.
Graham Pratt saw the fit to collaborate on such a unique project with Joe Beef after having known the industry titans for years. Recognized for their unabashedly grand approach to life, food and the art of hospitality, Joe Beef owners David McMillan and Frédéric Morin are significant figures in Canada's restaurant industry. It comes as no surprise that the epicureans would have their fingers in revamping a 1950s relic, as the duo have always upheld injecting finesse and the gourmand spirit back into food (the two are passionate crusaders on a mission to save hospitality).
The special "Prime Time Holiday Relief Special" is a seven-course meal consisting of an absolute feast. In the tray, find hot oysters, carrots glazed in honey and carrot juice, freezer peas and double-smoked ham, smoked brisket bourguignon, lobster and pork sausage in bisque sauce (an ode to Joe Beef's beloved lobster spaghetti), potato soufflé and Joe Beef's Marjolaine cake (layers of hazelnut meringue, ganache and vanilla buttercream).
For $60 per person, order your decadent meal through Woodhouse Brewing Co.'s Instagram or on Tock. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Fred Victor Fatima House Women's Shelter and the Parkdale Community Food Bank. Reserve your prepaid pickup time for December 19 and 20, with the option to add on wine packs from The Federal, a 6-pack of Woodhouse beers, Acadian caviar and potato chips or Robinson Bread.
