After lying dormant for two years due to the pandemic, the City of Toronto announced the return of Winterlicious — a true culinary smorgasbord that is bound to have something for everyone.
The prix fixe food event will return on Jan. 27, 2023, and will continue until Feb. 9, giving the city's gourmands two weeks to explore the carefully-curated gastronomical experience.
All restaurants interested in participating must apply online by Sept. 29 and will receive their confirmation by late October.
Keeping the cause of its two-year hiatus in mind, the City of Toronto stated on its website that the program's return would "continue to help support the local restaurant industry in economic recovery and revival" and will also champion Toronto's diverse and ever-growing culinary scene.
With over 200 restaurants from all over Toronto partaking in the event, it is quite easy to assume that most people — if not all — will find something to their liking. But if that wasn't enough, the city has also implemented a few modifications that could go a long way in improving accessibility — both for the consumers and the restaurants.
While the basic structure — fixed price, set menu, three courses — remains the same, the city has waived all fees for participating restaurants and has also introduced a simpler online application.
On top of that, Winterlicious menus will also have an expanded range of price points so that the patrons can choose to save some cash or splurge even more if they choose to do so.
The new prices start from $20 for lunch and $25 for dinner and go up to $55 for lunch and $75 for dinner — offering plenty of choices to the consumers to choose their perfect meal.
In its free and modified form, the City of Toronto program has been designed to limit the barriers to restaurant participation and encourages people to ramp up their dining-in experiences.
"Winterlicious 2023 aims to encourage residents to engage with restaurants on-premises and once again enjoy the in-restaurant dining experience," the city's website stated.
While the months of winter usually tend to be bleak, the return of Winterlicious could act as that much sought-after ray of sunshine; a guiding hand that will lead foodies away from their beds and toward the city's best restaurants as they embark on their culinary expeditions.
