Here we will pro­file peo­ple in this province who have helped to shape the way we eat, cook and think about food.

Anthony Rose

Chef Anthony Rose (left) with his kitchen crew at the Drake Hotel

As the Executive Chef of the Drake Hotel and a major sup­porter of this province’s organic farm­ers, Anthony has also built a kitchen gar­den that staff vol­un­teer their time to tend every year. Each day his busy kitchen receives deliv­er­ies from local farm­ers. Sometimes it’s a bushel of veg­eta­bles from Mark Trealout of Kawartha Ecological Growers, or salad greens from Soiled Reputation. Then there’s Fred de Martines, of Perth Pork Products, who often shows up with a whole pig slung over his shoulder.

Anthony and his wife are cur­rently work­ing on a data­base of arti­sanal food in Ontario. Along with their son Simon, they will go on the road to share Ontario’s bounty through a weekly video blog fea­tur­ing Canadian musi­cians.

It’s peo­ple like Anthony who put the money into the hands of the small inde­pen­dent farm­ers who are doing the right thing. When a pow­er­ful buyer like the Drake sup­ports a farmer, that means the farmer can keep grow­ing their busi­ness and their prod­ucts, so that all of us can access them.

Where did you start out in the food world?

Centro in 89 and then North 44.  I was at Centro when David Lee first started out, he is much nicer now. Cooking school in San Francisco at the CCA, Ming Tsai got me my first job out there. I worked with Bradley Ogden at the Lark Creek Inn and Mark Franz at Farallon in San Francisco. Then I worked with Jean Georges Vongerichten and Jonathon Waxman in New York City.

I met my beau­ti­ful wife Kymberly in upstate New York, got mar­ried and our son Simon came around soon after. We moved to Toronto and, Tutti Matti chef and old high school friend, Alida Solomon hooked me up at the Drake.

What changes have you seen over the years in how the peo­ple you meet feel about local farm­ers and food?

When I left Toronto there was only one farmer’s mar­ket, next to Honest Ed’s on Markham. In San Francisco they were all over the place.  Now, it is just as easy to cook here as it is New York City or San Francisco thanks to the amaz­ing farm­ers and artisans that have stepped up to the plate.

I love how so many peo­ple in Toronto are really con­nect­ing with the ter­roir of where the good­ness is com­ing from.  The real stars are all the farm­ers that allow us to do what we can do and trans­form it for the cus­tomer. So much Love!

what is your favourite veg­etable?

I am really lov­ing all things cab­bage right now cab­bage with pork, Choucroute, braised, pickled…It is all so good.  We have sauer­kraut that has been work­ing for 3 months in the fridge; it will be ready for New Year’s Eve.

farm ani­mal?

Cory Vitiello (Anthony’s for­mer sous chef, cur­rently head chef at the Harbord Room), really ugly when you see it in its nat­ural envi­ron­ment, but if you slowly roast if for four­teen hours, the juici­ness really comes out. Not at all bit­ter like it looks. If that’s not avail­able, then sub­sti­tute squirrel.

Season?

Deep January and February, the colder the bet­ter. I eat a lot more in the win­ter and love to bun­dle up so you can’t tell how much weight I’ve gained.

where are some of your favourite places in Ontario for food/drink?

Ding Tai Fong for all things noo­dles and dim sum

Mother’s dumplings

My couch with a beer and my wife

Any eat­ing I can do at Eigensinn Farm

Jennifer’s Stilton Beef Brisket Burger at Nota Bene

Wychwood Barns farmer’s mar­ket for Ezra Title’s egg and bacon sandwich

My wife and I love Hanlan’s Point for a picnic

Any wine Norm Hardie makes

Chef Rose was a pro boxer in his youth