Cannabis Fine Dining Meet Toronto’s Newest Experience, Enlightened Dining Club

By Author: Dilian Stoyanov
Total Articles: 19
Comment this article

Calling all cannabis-enthusiasts and foodies! Meet our latest obsession. Underground, nomadic and infused with cannabis? Get ready to meet Toronto’s latest obsession: the Enlightened Dining Club that brings together design, cannabis, and food in the heart of the city. The dinner features a uniquely tailored menu, chock full of high-end ingredients and the best cannabis that the city offers, this event has a confidential guest list and a hidden venue that is only available a few days before the event itself. Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you, cannabis fine dining.

Where To Find Cannabis Fine Dining?

Hosted by the cannabis lifestyle brand byMINISTRY, the Enlightened Dining Club is a super private, secret supper club that will run you anywhere from $100 to $150 dollars a ticket. With the intent of being more than just “something that gets you high,” this dinner is an elevated experience for those who enjoy cannabis for more than just the psychedelic effects. The last event, held on the 21st of January was heralded as “The moveable feast for forward-thinkers. A 5-course dining experience created by Ted Corrado, ...
... artist Dahae Song and nVoid.” and featured an immersive 5-course sensory exploration of our own philosophy in plant-forward cooking; with food and art seamlessly intertwined to heighten your experience.”

The first of its kind to be seen in Canada, byMINISTRY’s events boast “design-led locations, collaborations with local and international chefs, artists and creators, and some damn interesting table talk” and feature the work of byMINISTRY culinary director Ted Corrado, who formerly worked at The Drake Hotel and the Royal Ontario Museum kitchen as head chef. Corrado is known for his “cannabistronomy” expertise and joined byMINISTRY late last year to bring his plant-forward food and drink to all byMINISTRY spaces and events.

According to The GrowthOp, for one of the most recent meals, Chef Corrado “chose to keep the cannabis dosage for the entire meal under 10 mg.” In an interview with the chef post-event, he stated that “the first two courses had 5 mg of THC and the dessert, in an attempt to balance things out, was high in CBD. I wanted the guests to not only enjoy the night but walk out feeling in control,” he says.

Every dish has been designed to elevate the mind and palette, with cannabis creatively woven into each bite. An example of the menu can be found here, on the DesignTO site.

To comply with strict regulations set by Health Canada, the dinners are set in a private, undisclosed location, and only open to those who are 19 years of age or older; all attendees are required to sign a waiver that outlines that no attendee purchased cannabis on-site, but was rather just purchasing the experience and services provided by byMINISTRY.

This is not the only endeavour put forth by byMINISTRY, who announced mid-2019 that they would be launching “Consumption_Lounge,” an 8,000 square foot lounge that allows cannabis enthusiasts everywhere to enjoy cannabis-infused, plant-forward food, drinks, and products. This project is just waiting on legislation to evolve before fully opening; currently, the The_Lab, which is the first culinary school for gastronomic exploration in cannabis-infused cooking is open and managed by Chef Corrado.

What’s next? The next series, kicking off in February will bring together the talents of Chef Corrado and Chef Matt Ravenscroft, known for his work at Toronto vegan-mainstay, Rosalinda. Toronto Tastemakers, if you’re interested, tickets can be purchased by signing up for the newsletter on the byMINISTRY site. Late February byMINISTRY is opening their green tea-oriented cafe on 298 Markham Street in Toronto. Stay tuned for news on that front, we’re keeping a close eye on this trend, so check back on updates soon.

For those interested in the science behind eating cannabis vs smoking, we have you covered.