Chef Danny Smiles

Chef Danny Smiles will bring Montreal style to the Terroir after party, May 12.

Saturday, April 12: Ivy Knight contacted GFR to say Chuck Hughes has a scheduling conflict and can’t make it to Toronto, May 12.

As if the Terroir Symposium’s 2014 line-up of speakers wasn’t enough, what with David Chang and Daniel Boulud headlining, food and beverage curator Ivy Knight recently revealed big news about that the notorious after-party, held at The Drake Hotel. Aiding executive chef Teddy Corrado will be visiting Montreal chefs Chuck Hughes and Danny Smiles. Smiles will man an oyster bar and peel and eat Mantane shrimp station.

Knight made the announcement at a recent walk through, with chefs, at the Arcadian Court, which will host the May 12 conference. (Full disclosure both Jamie Drummond and I sit on the Terroir Symposium’s organizing committee, and Jamie is organizing the wine programing, with sponsor Wine Country Ontario.) The after party is considered by many Terroir Symposium delegates as a highlight of the day’s events. It offers guests an opportunity to have a beer or a glass of wine with presenters like René Redzepi or Fergus Henderson. As well as Chang and Boulud, this year’s line-up of Terroir speakers includes Albert Adria, David McMillan and Frédéric Morin, and Norman Laprise. Click here for the full roster.

Of course, as Terroir chair and chief organizer Arlene Stein pointed out, the after party is only open to ticket holders. She advises to register now, before the event is (once again) sold out.

UPDATE: Ivy called to say that this year security at both the symposium and at The Drake will be much tighter than last year. Only ticket holders and accredited delegates will receive the wrist band necessary for admission. She says, “If you think you can sneak in, forget it.”

Malcolm Jolley is a founding editor of Good Food Revolution and Executive Director of Good Food Media, the company that publishes it. Follow him at @malcolmjolley.