Dishes of Summerlicious 2017

By Erica Salyi-Pannozzo

It's time for Summerlicious 2017! More than 200 Toronto restaurants participate in this highly anticipated dining event each year, serving up prix fixe menus for less! For Toronto foodies it's a chance to indulge in an appetizer, main and dessert from some of the city's top restaurants for a price that's easy on the wallet. Get ready to dine at chic eateries like Canoe, Auberge du Pommier and Kalendar, plus visit buzzed about newbies like Ricarda's .

Reservations begin July 22, and if you need  help deciding which menu to choose, browse the gallery full of this year's Summerlicious dishes for a little gastronomic inspiration!

[Image credit: courtesy of Ricarda's]

CONTEST ALERT: Reserve a table through the YP Dine app for your chance to win one of five $100 gift cards for a participating Summerlicious restaurant of your choice. Download the YP Dine app today, on iTunes or Google Play!

See contest rules here.

Summerlicious is produced by The City of Toronto

This year marks Ricarda's first time participating in Summerlicious, with a prix fixe menu that includes Mediterranean-inspired dishes like  compressed watermelon and feta cheese, mint cucumber gazpacho, refreshing quinoa salad and a homemade pork terrine with pickles and grainy mustard.

Price:

• Lunch $23
• Dinner $38

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: Refreshing Quinoa Salad, courtesy of Ricarda's]

Foodies can indulge in Ricarda's dinner and lunch menu for Summerlicious, featuring pan seared red snapper, chicken tagine, spaghetti calamaretti and vegetarian risotto for the main course.

Price:

• Lunch $23
• Dinner $38

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: spaghetti calamaretti, courtesy of Ricarda's]

For dessert, Ricarda's diners can expect Raspberry Champagne Délice, Coconut Lime Dacquoise and a Dark Chocolate Croquant.

Price:

• Lunch $23
• Dinner $38

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: Raspberry Champagne Délice, courtesy of Ricarda's]

The Carbon Bar serves up Southern-inspired barbecue in a casual gastropub atmosphere. This year, the restaurant is offering bay scallop poke, farmer's tomato and cheese salad, and Korean fried cauliflower with butter lettuce wraps and house kimchi.

Price:

• Dinner $38

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: Korean fried cauliflower SSAM, courtesy of The Carbon Bar]

The food adventure at The Carbon Bar continues with main courses like blackend Atlantic salmon, St. Louis pork ribs and USDA beef brisket, and slow roasted eggplant tacos.

Price:

• Dinner $38

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: St. Louis pork ribs and USDA beef brisket, courtesy of The Carbon Bar]

The Carbon Bar really turns things out for the dessert course, giving diners the impossible task of choosing between the lemon parfait, Rocky Road sundae and Hewitt's farm yogurt sorbet.

Price:

• Dinner $38

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: Rocky Road sundae, courtesy of The Carbon Bar]

Housed in the beautiful Aga Khan Museum, Diwan's menu is dreamed up by master chef Mark McEwan and chef de cuisine John Kovac, highlighting flavours of the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent. For the appetizer course, you can choose from sweet onion bhaji, borani-e-bademjan or an heirloom tomato and watermelon salad.

Price:

• Lunch $28

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: borani-e-bademjan yogurt and eggplant dip by Maya Visnyei,courtesy of Diwan]

The lunch menu at Diwan features some elegant mains like Harissa glazed salmon, chicken shawarma salad and a colourful beet burger.

Price

• Lunch $28

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: chicken shawarma salad by Maya Visnyei, courtesy of Diwan]

Diwan is offering up colourful and vibrant cocktails to accompany the Summerlicious menu, which can be enjoyed in the dining room, or on the gorgeous patio overlooking the Aga Khan Museum grounds.

Price:

• Lunch $28

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: Cocktails by Maya Visnyei, courtesy of Diwan]

America sits on the 31st floor of Trump Toronto, offering visitors a glorious view of the city's downtown core. Serving up elevated American cuisine, the restaurant is taking Summerlicious reservations for lunch and dinner. For the first course expect Ontario corn bisque, Bradford Bay fried chicken chunk salad and citrus-cured salmon.

Price:

• Lunch $28
• Dinner $48

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: Citrus-cured salmon by Shiori Mine, courtesy of O&B]

The hearty, but elegant mains on America's 2017 Summerlicious menu feature locally sourced ingredients, including Wellington County grilled strip loin, pan seared Ontario pork loin and spinach and ricotta ravioli.

Price:

• Lunch $28
• Dinner $48

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: Wellington County grilled strip loin by Shiori Mine, courtesy of O&B]

Bannock's menu highlights Canada's regional and cultural diversity in unique dishes that put a playful twist on everyday classics. This year for Summerlicious, the restaurant offers lunch and dinner options including seared rainbow trout, roast chicken breast and slow-braised meatballs.

Price:

• Lunch $18
• Dinner $28

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: seared rainbow trout by Cindy La, courtesy of O&B]

The roast chicken breast is available on Bannock's menu for both lunch and dinner during Summerlious!

Price:

• Lunch $18
• Dinner $28

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: roast chicken breast by Cinda La, courtesy of O&B]

Parisian chic meets London cool at the modern Biff's Bistro serving up both lunch and dinner for Summerlicious this year. For the first course, diners can enjoy whipped sheep's milk, lemon cod cakes and spiced chicken pastries.

Price:

• Lunch $23
• Dinner $38

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: whipped sheep's milk by Shiori Mine, courtesy of O&B]

The casually chic meal at Biff's Bistro continues with main course options like pan roasted salmon, beef tri-tip steak, maple mustard pork croquette, jambalaya and northern woods mushrooms dauphinoise.

Price:

• Lunch $23
• Dinner $38

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: pan roasted salmon by Shiori Mine, courtesy of O&B]

For dessert, Biff's Bistro offers up chocolate cake, camembert en croute and roasted parsnip sabayon for Summerlicious this year.

Price:

• Lunch $23
• Dinner $38

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: roasted parsnip sabayon by Shiori Mine, courtesy of O&B]

Canoe is a top Summerlicious restaurant to check out this year, with it's menu of elevated Canadian cuisine and locally sourced ingredients. This restaurant always books up early, with savvy foodies nabbing tables quickly to score a wallet-friendly meal at this fine dining establishment. This year's Summerlicious menu features grass fed beef, rainbow trout, summer berry crumble, braised lamb shoulder and mint chocolate torte.

Price:

• Lunch $28
• Dinner $48

Summerlicious Menu

Leña pays homage to chef Anthony Walsh's Argentinian mother-in-law, drawing culinary inspiration from South American cooking to create an authentic and flavourful menu. For Summerlicious, Leña offers Salmorejo (chilled tomato soup), ensalada rusa, zucchini salad and charred veal carpaccio.

Price:

• Lunch $28
• Dinner $48

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: Salmorejo by Shiori Mine, courtesy of O&B]

Leña's South American-inspired Summerlicious menu continues for the main course with salt cod, txuleta grilled pork loin chop, orecchiette with seared squid and chickpea caldoso.

Price:

• Lunch $28
• Dinner $48

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: orecchiette with seared squid by Shiori Mine]

You're going to want to leave room for dessert at Leña , with options like panqueques (dulce de leche crêpes, crème fraîche, charred orange), roasted pineapple and cheese and quince.

Price:

• Lunch $28
• Dinner $48

Summerlicious Menu

[Photo credit: Panqueques by Shiori Mine, courtesy of O&B]