Over the past four weeks, seven amazing businesses in Riverside have been serving up special menu items for Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition to usher in the new season.
In case you missed it, Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition was a new campaign by the Riverside BIA that put the spotlight on local venues offering a unique dish or drink inspired by classic fall warming spices: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg.
As the campaign comes to a close, let’s recap some of the highlights from Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition — plus, special awards!
JUDGES’ FEEDBACK
The Riverside BIA also invited an esteemed panel of food/drink experts to check out some of our featured businesses and the special menu items they created for the campaign. Here’s what they had to say about Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition:
“I thought that the concept of the campaign was great! It’s a fun way to highlight businesses and their offerings. I enjoyed the experience of chatting and hearing the story behind the different dishes and the chefs/mixologist that created them.” – Maya Strasser, Delicious Discoveries Tours
“I think the Fall Flavours campaign was a great initiative. It’s nice to see a collection of the neighbourhood’s businesses come together with a view to driving business in the area. Cooperation and collaboration are what turns a street into a community, and I hope the spirit of collaboration endures beyond the bounds of this campaign.” – Dave McGuckin, Restaurant Manager
“I just love the community spirit of Riverside and the work that the BIA has been doing. I think Riverside Flavours was another way of showcasing the strength, diversity and deliciousness of Riverside. You could taste the ‘heart’ of Riverside in the dishes and the warm flavours.” – Grace Cameron, JamaicanEats Magazine
WORDS FROM OUR WINNERS
“I noticed the Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition card on the table. I like to support local businesses and I happened to try the Best West Mac & Cheese from The West Cork so I joined the contest. There’s a good variety of food and drinks featured in the campaign.” – Cynthia, Week 1 winner
“I tried three dishes from Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition. The Cornmeal Porridge from BlessedLove has got to be one of my favourites. This dish is comforting, warm and festive. The Baharat Sour from Tabule is up there for me as well.” – Russell, Week 2 winner
“Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition is awesome. I came to Tabule for dinner and it was delicious. This place is amazing. The Baharat Sour is so good and unique. It’s a bit spicy and refreshing at the same time. It was my first time here at Tabule and I definitely see myself coming back here.” – Aaron
“Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition is a great campaign because it highlights different businesses in the area. It drives people to try out what these establishments have to offer. I love The West Cork and I frequent this place so I’m really glad to be a raffle winner.” – Bill
“I loved BlessedLove’s Cornmeal Porridge. I’ve always supported local so I’ve been telling people about the Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition campaign. I’ve come here almost every day for the porridge. What I appreciate most about BlessedLove aside from the food is the people here.” – Negus, Grand Prize Winner
(Disclaimer: These statements have been edited for length and clarity.)
SPECIAL AWARDS
The public has spoken! We have three special awards to give to chosen Riverside Flavours dishes, voted by YOU, our amazing supporters.
#1 ‘SPICE WITH A TWIST’ – Most creative or unexpected use of fall spices
Baharat Sour by Tabule (@tabulemiddleeasterncuisine)
#2 ‘MOST FALL-TASTIC FLAVOUR’ – Best captures cozy fall vibes
Best West Mac & Cheese by The West Cork (@thewestcork)
#3 ‘FAN FAVOURITE’ – The item you love most-overall – for whatever reason!
Cornmeal Porridge by BlessedLove (@shopblessedlove)
Before we officially close this chapter, the Riverside BIA would like to thank the amazing businesses who participated in Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition, our panel of judges and most especially, all of you who helped make this campaign a success!
Would you like to see us continue Riverside Flavours — a winter, spring and summer edition, perhaps? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Check @riverside_bia on Instagram and the Riverside Blog to stay updated on exciting programming in the neighbourhood like Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition!
We acknowledge and thank the City of Toronto, Government of Canada and FedDev Ontario for support of this campaign as part of the ‘Riverside Ramps it Up’ project through the Transit Expansion Construction Mitigation Fund 2025.
