The Depanneur + The Bentway present: COMMUNAL TABLE 2023
The Depanneur and The Bentway are teaming up for a 5th consecutive year to bring you a fabulous lineup of diverse and delicious dinners in one of our city’s most unique urban spaces. The 2023 Communal Table season features over a dozen meals, from June 21 to September 14, showcasing old Depanneur favourites and exciting new collaborators.
This year’s Thursday night communal dinners at The Bentway’s Strachan Gate will feature cuisines from all over the world as well as a new partnership with Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin (They Feed The People), a Toronto-based Indigenous food sovereignty program. They will be hosting several dinners of their own — including two deluxe Indigenous feasts, one on Wednesday, June 21 celebrating the Summer Solstice and National Indigenous People’s Day, as well as our Fall Equinox grand finale on Thursday, September 14. Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin will also be the recipient of all funds raised by this year’s Pay It Forward program, to support their mission to provide fresh, lovingly prepared food to vulnerable persons in Toronto’s Indigenous community.
Also back at the table this year are free cans of Chrisoda, Christine Manning’s delicious, locally-made artisanal soda — Thanks Christine!
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! New for 2023, there will be a selection of elegant cocktails available for purchase on site courtesy of Beam Suntory; as this means we are now a licensed event, BYOB is no longer permitted.
2023 Communal Table Lineup
Tickets will be released in waves, with June/July events available for purchase starting May 18, and August/September tickets released on July 11.
Wednesday June 21 Summer Solstice Feast | Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin
Thursday June 29 O Canada | Newcomer Kitchen
Thursday July 6 Moroccan Flavours | Dali Chehimi
Thursday July 13 Indonesian Rendang | Nai Nai
Thursday July 20 Mskomini Giizis (Raspberry Moon) | Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin
Thursday July 27 Turkish Delight | Tuba Tunç
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Thursday August 3 Momo Party | TC Tibetan Momos
Thursday August 10 Viva Colombia | Natalia “Cookie” Martinez
Thursday August 17 Mdaamiin Giizis (Corn Moon) | Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin
Thursday August 24 Trini Liming | Sweethand Delights
Thursday August 31 Filipino Feast | Maria Polotan
Thursday September 7 Tunisia Le Douce | Fatima Khlifi & Zeyneb Rejeb
Thursday September 14 Autumn Equinox Feast | Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin
Communal Table at a Glance
- Communal Table dinners are seated, family-style meals where guests bring their own plates and cutlery.
- The 2023 series kicks off on Wednesday June 21 — the Summer Solstice and National Indigenous People’s Day — with a special Indigenous feast by Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin. All other dinners will be held on Thursday evenings, from June 29 to September 14.
- Communal Table takes place at Strachan Gate at the western end of The Bentway; seating begins at 6pm and dinner is served at 6:30pm.
- Meat and vegetarian options are available for each meal, but no other substitutions or other customizations can be accommodated.
- Tickets are $40*+HST per person and are purchased online, in advance, up to 48 hours prior to each event (or until they sell out).
*The opening (Jun 21) and closing (Sep 14) feasts by Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin are priced at $80pp +HST, with all additional proceeds going to support their programs. - You are invited to donate towards our Pay It Forward program, which goes to Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin to combat food insecurity in the local Indigenous community.
- Tipping is at your discretion, and is split between the servers and the cooks.
Guests are seated together across 10 tables of 6, sharing platters of food as part of a communal dining experience. - Guests are asked to bring their own plates and cutlery. There will not be dishwashing facilities available on site, so please plan accordingly — you may wish to bring an extra bag to facilitate taking your dirty dishes home.
- Dinners take place at The Bentway (250 Fort York Blvd.); the dining area is located at Strachan Gate, at the West end of the site, just East of Strachan Ave, and north of the Fort York Armoury. The Bentway is easily accessible by bike or TTC (511 Bathurst (at Fort York Blvd) or 509 Harbourfront (at Fleet St.), and there is paid Green P parking available on site.
- The dining area is outdoors but sheltered, and meals will be served rain or shine. As the food is already prepared, there are no refunds for no-shows. In the event of an extreme weather event, the dinner may be rescheduled to a rain date TBC.
- Seating begins at 6pm and dinner is served at 6:30pm; please do not be late! As not to waste food, we will have a ‘rush’ waiting list on site; seats not taken by 6:45 may be given away to this list.
- Chilled water will be served with the meal, along with one complementary can of Chrisoda per guest. You are welcome to bring your own non-alcoholic beverages; there will be a selection of cocktails available for purchase on site, courtesy of Beam Suntory.
- Bentway washrooms and are available for use until 8pm
- Please do not move tables or chairs, or seat more than 6 people per picnic table.
- Please help us keep the space clean and safe for everyone by using the garbage and recycling bins available on site.
- This outdoor event does not have a specific mask policy, but please do not attend if you are experiencing any flu/COVID symptoms.
Upcoming Events
SUPPER CLUB: At the Eritrean Table by Asmait Merhatsion
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaTonight Asmait Merhatsion will share with us a homemade meal of traditional dishes together with an introduction to the coffee ceremony, one of the most cherished social rituals of daily life in Eritrea.
DIY DINNER PARTY: Mexican Taco Party with Mariel González
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaThis DIY event is a combination cooking class and dinner party. Working in small groups and following detailed recipes, you and your fellow guests will prepare and then indulge in a spectacular meal inspired by Mexican culinary traditions. All ingredients, equipment and recipes are supplied and expert facilitators are on hand to guide you through the whole process. It’s a fun way to meet new people, learn recipes and enjoy a delicious meal in a convivial & collaborative setting.
COOKING CLASS: Classic Filled Pastas by Anthony Sestito
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaJoin Chef Anthony Sestito of Pastaio for a fun, hands-on class exploring a wide range of traditional Italian filled pastas. You'll ease into the class with a complimentary antipasto platter on arrival, and then dive into learning how to make a simple and versatile fresh egg pasta dough from scratch, with an emphasis on choosing the right flours and the importance of resting the dough. Then, working with selection of delicious fillings such as spinach or butternut squash & ricotta, as well as classic tortellini and Piedmontese meat fillings, you will review a variety of filled pasta shapes and styles. There will be a discussion of the pairing of different shapes and sizes with their traditional fillings as you learn how to fill and shape classic Ravioli, Cappelletti & Cappellacci, Triangoli/Fazzolletti, Balanzoni, Tortellini, and Agnolotti del Plin. The class culminates in a light lunch of Cappellaci Di Zucca, with sage, pine nut & pancetta, with a selection of wine, beer, and soft drinks available for purchase. Any extra pasta made in class can be taken home, along with PDF recipes and new skills to impress your friends!
SUPPER CLUB: Losar (Tibetan New Year) by Tsewang Chodon & Lhundup Gyatso
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaLosar is a Tibetan word that means New Year; lo meaning 'year' and sar meaning 'new'. Like any important festivity, there are special New Years foods to enjoy. Join Tsewang Chodon & Lhundup Gyatso of TC’s Tibetan Momo, for a taste of traditional Tibetan fare, all made with local, organic ingredients sourced directly from the Ontario farmers they work alongside at several of Toronto’s farmers’ markets.
INDIGENOUS FOOD LAB by Taylor Parker and Matthew Knight-Barton
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaThe Depanneur is proud to launch the Indigenous Food Lab, a new monthly residency with Chefs Taylor Parker and Matthew Knight-Barton, the duo behind The Dep's acclaimed and subversive Canada Day Supper Clubs. It is an honour and privilege to create a space where these chefs can combine their talents to explore the possibilities of an elevated, communal dining experience rooted in First Nations traditions. It is a laboratory to explore and experiment end experience a truly Canadian concept of terroir – the flavour of a place — a place to rediscover and redefine what Indigenous food means today.
COOKING CLASS: Full-Day Breadmaking Intensive by Leo Baduria
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaJoin artisanal baker Leo Baduria for a full-day, in-depth exploration of the fundamentals of great bread. You’ll learn how to make your own sourdough starter, and how to prepare different types of dough, using various grains and flours. There will be hands-on practice of the techniques to folding, kneading and shaping dough to make focaccia/fougasse, baguettes, boules, batards and brioches, including challah braids.
COOKING CLASS: Syrian Brunch by Rahaf Alakabani
CSI Spadina 192 Spadina Ave., Suite 501, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaA popular dish throughout the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean), kibbeh comes in a vast array of shapes and flavours — in Syria, Aleppo alone is said to have more than twenty different kinds. Best known are made from a bulgur dough combined with finely ground meat and spices, carefully stuffed and formed into small football-shaped dumplings that are fried to a crisp, dark auburn. Making and stuffing kibbeh is a group activity just about every Syrian woman would have participated in at one time or another — virtually no major occasion occurs without the appearance of a platter (or mountain) of kibbeh at the table. Talented cook, musician and co-founder of Newcomer Kitchen, Rahaf Alakbani is no stranger to making kibbeh, and she will be sharing her favourite recipes and techniques in this fun, hands-on class.
Pay It Forward
At check out, you will be invited to optionally contribute towards our Pay It Forward initiative. This year, all Pay it Forward funds go to Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin (They Feed the People) to support the food security needs of Indigenous Elders at Wigwamen Terrace and houseless Indigenous people in Toronto.
More info
The Bentway
The Bentway is located under the Gardiner Expressway on the lands of Fort York National Historic Site, running just east of the Fort York Visitor Centre (250 Fort York Blvd.) to Bastion Street. Visit The Bentway website for more information about this unique venue.
2023 Communal Table FAQs
Where is The Bentway and how do I get there?
The Bentway is located under the Gardiner Expressway on the lands of Fort York National Historic Site, running just east of the Fort York Visitor Centre (250 Fort York Blvd) to Bastion Street. > Google Map
Take the TTC:
- 511 Bathurst
- 509 Harbourfront (at at Fort York Blvd.)
- 121 Fort York-Esplanade at Gzowski Blvd (westbound) or Bastion St (eastbound)
Bike to The Bentway!
Use Bike Share Toronto’s System Map, or download CycleFinder or Transit app to locate stations and plan your route with real-time bike and station availability. The closest stations to The Bentway are Fort York Blvd/Garrison Rd, Strachan Ave/Princes’ Blvd, and Fort York Blvd/Bathurst St.
Parking:
Paid parking is available at 800 Fleet Street, as well as in the Fort York Visitor Centre parking lot.
Ticket availability
Tickets will be released in waves, with June/July events available for purchase starting May 18, and August/September tickets released on July 11.
What if it rains?
Meals will be served rain or shine; there are no refunds for uncollected meals. In the event of an extreme weather event, the dinner will be rescheduled to our rain date of Thursday, Aug 25.
Can I take my food to go?
Not really. This is a sit-down, family-style meal, where each course is brought out to the table to be shared. We do not have any packaging on hand, and the various courses are not all ready to go at the same time. That said, if a member of your party is not able to attend, you are more than welcome to bring your own take out containers and package up their meal for them to take home.
Are there washrooms at The Bentway?
The Bentway provides accessible public washrooms, located at Strachan Gate, as well as in the middle of the site just west of the skate trail. Washrooms and site furniture are available for people to use until 8pm only.
Can you accommodate special dietary restrictions?
As meals are prepared off-site, and are for this event only, we are not able to accommodate specific dietary restrictions beyond the meat and vegetarian options that are available. Meat and vegetarian items will be served at all tables, but will be kept on separate platters. The Depanneur will try to clarify any potential allergens in the event description. If you have specific questions about ingredients, please contact The Depanneur directly.
Can I bring my own beverage?
There will be chilled tap water served with the meals, along with a complementary can of Chrisoda for each guest, and there are water fountains on The Bentway site. You are welcome to bring a non-alcoholic beverage of your choice.
There will be a selection of elegant cocktails available for purchase on site, courtesy of Beam Suntory. As this means that the 2023 Communal Table is now a licensed event, BYOB is not permitted.
Latecomers
Seating starts at 6pm and dinner begins promptly at 6:30pm. Please try not to arrive late. As not to waste food that has been prepared, any seats not occupied by 6:45 will be offered to persons on the waiting list and/or ‘rush’ line (ie. anyone who happens to be hanging around!)
If you think you are going to be late, please try and contact The Depanneur directly by phone or txt at 416-828-1990 to let us know.
Cancellation Policy
We let our chefs know how much food to buy/prepare 48 hours prior to each event, so we cannot offer any credit or refunds after this point.
If you cannot attend, our first suggestion is to try and find someone who can take your tickets. The Depanneur can also assist in trying to find someone else who can take your spots by asking our waiting list (if there is one). In the event someone else does pick them up, only then we can offer you a credit towards a future meal or other purchase.
If inclement weather forces a cancellation on our end, we will reschedule the event for our rain date (TBC). Some accommodation can be made for those who cannot make the new date.
If the event is canceled for an emergency reason beyond our control, tickets will be refunded.