From 2011-2021, The Dep was a venue that showcased amateur and professional culinary talent, expanding the possibilities for food and community in Toronto.
While the bricks & mortar venue is now closed, The Depanneur is still involved in interesting food things, like our amazing 2023 Communal Table outdoor dinner series put on in collaboration with The Bentway.
We still send out an email newsletter listing upcoming events.
You can easily add your email to our mailing list to receive our updates,
or check us out on Facebook or Instagram for announcements.
These were some of our regularly scheduled activities
Pick-Up Dinners
“Open mic night” for culinary talent in Toronto! Pre-Order your meal for 2 or 4 and pick up at our window.
Brunch
A rotating cast of fabulous pop-up brunches
Cooking Classes
Live, interactive Zoom cooking classes — T.O. cooks share their skills and secrets
Table Talks
An informal culinary salon featuring guest speakers and a meal by Len Senater
Supper Clubs
BYOB, family-style dinner parties with a dazzling array of guest cooks
Private Events
The Depanneur is a versatile, fully equipped venue for food events for 12-24 people. You can use our kitchen yourself, work with a chef or caterer of your choice, or we’d be happy to connect you with any of the many amazing talents we’ve worked with to create a custom event tailored to your needs.
Newcomer Kitchen
A non-profit initiative creating social & economic opportunity for newcomer women.
Our shared ‘co-op’ incubator kitchen was the birthplace of dozens of local food businesses.
We rent out our inspected, commercial kitchen by the hour, typically on weekdays before 3pm.
Upcoming Events
August 2023
COMMUNAL TABLE: Viva Colombia | Natalia “Cookie” Martinez
Patacón pisao is a classic dish from Colombia: green plantain that has been fried and pressed flat, then refried until crispy to serve as the base for a range of tasty toppings. It is such a well-loved dish, there is even a popular salsa song about it!
Find out more »COMMUNAL TABLE: Mdaamiin Giizis (Corn Moon) | Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin
Join Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin (They Feed the People) on September 14, in anticipation of the Autumn Equinox, to celebrate the changing of the seasons and the gifts of the fall harvest.
Find out more »COMMUNAL TABLE: A Trini Lime | Sweethand Delights
Tonight Trinidadian cultural ambassador Rhoma Spencer shares the convivial spirit of an island lime — hanging out, drinking, joking and eating together with friends — with this lovely meal of Caribbean favourites.
Find out more »COMMUNAL TABLE: Filipino Faves | Maria Polotan
The food of the Philippines is complex: as diverse as the more than 100 ethnic groups that populate its 7600+ islands, and overlaid with centuries of Chinese, Southeast Asian, Spanish, and American influences. Yet some dishes, like adobo, have become beloved classics and are likely to be found in Filipino homes across the country. Tonight long-time Depanneur collaborator Maria Polotan shares some of these traditional Filipino favourites incorporating fresh, local ingredients.
Find out more »September 2023
COMMUNAL TABLE: Tunisia La Douce | Fatima Khlifi & Zeyneb Rejeb
The cuisine of Tunisia is a blend of Mediterranean and Berber culinary traditions. Its distinctive spiciness comes from the many civilizations which have ruled the land now known as Tunisia: Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Spanish, Turkish, Italians (Sicilians), French, and the native Punics-Berber people. Cousins Zeyneb and Fatima bonded in Toronto over their shared love of traditional Tunisian food, and are excited to share this classic couscous, a labour-intensive, time-consuming dish often reserved for special occasions and big family gatherings.
Find out more »COMMUNAL TABLE: Mskomini Giizis (Raspberry Moon) | Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin
Join Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin (They Feed the People) for a shared meal as we tell a story through Indigenous ingredients, and offer an experience to see food as we understand it – a way to build meaningful relationships.
Find out more »COMMUNAL TABLE: Autumn Equinox Feast | Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin
Join Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin (They Feed the People) on September 14, in anticipation of the Autumn Equinox, to celebrate the changing of the seasons and the gifts of the fall harvest.
Find out more »November 2023
COOKING CLASS: Traditional Syrian Mezze Dips by Rahaf Al Akabani
This fun, hands-on workshop explores several traditional Syrian dips, typical of the spread of "mezze" appetizers that make up the start of many Middle Eastern meals. Combining the convenience of readily available supermarket products with traditional Syrian ingredients like pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper, nigella seeds, za’atar and biber salçası, Rahaf will show you how to create authentic Syrian flavours quickly and easily in your own kitchen. These flavourful and healthy, plant-forward recipes can be assembled quickly and are sure to wow any crowd.
Find out more »COOKING CLASS: Arabic Cheesemaking by Rahaf Alakbani
The Middle East has a rich and varied tradition of cheese making reaching back as far as 5000 BC in Mesopotamia. In this fun, hands-on workshop, Rahaf Alakbani will be sharing some of her favourite family cheese recipes. This class will cover the basics of preparing 3 kinds of cheese popular in Syria: yogurt-based Labneh, ricotta-like Kareshi, and a fresh curd cheese known as Jibneh Arabieh. The class will explore recipe ideas, as well a taste of Syrian culture, history and music.
Find out more »December 2023
COOKING CLASS: Making Chocolate Babka with Alissa Kondogiannis
Babka is a sweet, twisted, yeast-dough bread with Eastern European roots. Typically served as a dessert and the perfect accompaniment to coffee, babka has transcended its humble roots and become a trendy staple in gourmet bakeries around the world. Classic babka is either chocolate or cinnamon-filled but can be made using any filling you can imagine, savoury or sweet.
In this class, participants will learn to make the yeasted dough essential to babka recipe, and then the shaping, folding and glazing techniques that give the babka its signature marbled swirls and gleaming finish. Working from a basic chocolate base, we will explore several ingredients to customize your perfect babka. There will be fresh-baked chocolate babka to share in class, and each participant goes home with their own whole unbaked babka to bake at home.
Find out more »