The Delicious Food Show is only in its second year, but it’s already one of my ‘Must-Attend’ events. There is always a great selection of both new and established food vendors, celebrity demonstrations, book signings and other food-related goodies (not to mention the samples!)

Last year I went, mainly out of curiosity (it was the show’s first year), but also to support some of my friends who had booths (like SmashCake, All Mine Caramel, Hot Bunzz and Me.N.U. Food Truck). Martha Stewart did a cooking demonstration and there were lots of other great eats to be had.

This year, I returned, but focused mainly on Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium (or AKS). From October 17-19, food lovers visited Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium Pavilion inside the Show and sampled one of 16 dishes ($5 each) from eight of Toronto’s top chefs, as well as drinks from Samuel Adams and Fresita sparkling wine (strawberry – YUM!). Attendees then voted for their favourite dish. The top four dishes from the weekend battled it out on October 19 in a live cooking competition and a lineup of celebrity judges then crowned one the champion.

This year’s AKS competitors and their dishes were:

• Nick Liu (Dailo): Shrimp & Pork Wonton with Green Curry Sauce and Sesame Balls with Strawberries
• Jonathan Hamilton (Home of the Brave): Smoked Cajun Wings with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing and  Chocolate Campfire S’mores Ice Cream Bar
• Robbie Hojilla (Hudson Kitchen): Thai Curry Marinated Pork Bell & Coconut Milk Crepe and Mango Slush
• Matty Matheson (Parts & Labour / P&L Burger): Mussels & Duck Heart Escabeche and Beer & Molasses Bread Pudding
• Basilio Pesce (Porzia): Tiella Barese and  Budino with Pistachio & Fennel
• Victor Barry (Splendido): Foie Gras Parfait and Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
• Vittorio Colacitti (The Good Son / Top Chef Canada Contestant): Pasta e Fagioli with Berkshire Pancetta and Ontario Pear & Cranberry Cheesecaken
• Ariel Coplan (Thoroughbred): Mussel Po Boy with Comeback Sauce and Foie Gras Pop Tart

I only had a few hours on Friday morning to spend at the Delicious Food Show, so I wasted no time in checking out the AKS dishes.

Chef Nick Liu of DaiLo. Photo credit: Mauricio J. Calero

Sesame Balls with Strawberries. Photo credit: Mauricio J. Calero

I started with off with Dailo’s Sesame Balls with Strawberries. Normally I’m not a fan of sesame balls (a traditional Asian sweet) but the intensity of the Fresita strawberry glaze definitely created a new taste experience to this dish. I definitely think that glaze would be amazing as a topping on…well, pretty much any dessert!

Thai Curry Marinated Pork Belly & Coconut Milk Crepe by Hudson Kitchen

Next up was Hudson Kitchen’s Thai Curry Marinated Pork Bell & Coconut Milk Crepe. The pork belly was really well done and everything came together well in this dish.

Chef Basilio Pesce. Photo credit: Mauricio J. Calero

Budino with Pistachio & Fennel by Porzia

My next dessert dish – the Budino with Pistachio & Fennel from Porzia. This was probably my favourite dish of the day and got my vote. The combined textures and flavours of the soft pistachio pound cake, the light strawberry cream and the crunchy honeycomb toffee crumble came together perfectly and created a really multi-layered dish.

I also tried the Ontario Pear & Cranberry Cheesecake from The Good Son. I love cheesecake but have never had it with pears (one of my favourite fruits) before so this was a real treat. I seem to have gravitated towards all the sweets available at AKS?!

Foie Gras Pop Tart by Thoroughbred Food & Drink

Last, but not least, was the Foie Gras Pop Tart from Thoroughbred. A lot of people were excited to hear about this dish when I shared it Twitter and Instagram. It was well put together, but a lot softer than regular ‘pop tarts’. I would have been happier to taste more of the foie gras, as the strawberry frosting was very sweet and a little overpowering.

Several of the dishes available at AKS were made with Fresita sparkling wine (you can definitely see the influence the strawberries had on all the dessert dishes!). I’ve only recently discovered this beautiful dark pink wine and would love to come up with my own dishes with it soon! I love things that remind me of summertime, and Fresita definitely fits that bill. A blend of Chilean sparkling wine (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Moscatel), Fresita is fused with fresh strawberries from the South of Chile (fresita means “strawberry” in Spanish). With only 8% alcohol and a lovely colour, this would be a fun wine to pair with dessert (or use to create dessert).

I wasn’t able to return to the show on Sunday, but I watched my Twitter feed to see the Final Four and the eventual winner. The voters decided that the Final Four honours went to: Home of the Brave, Hudson Kitchen, Thoroughbred Food & Drink and The Good Son.

After lots of cooking, tasting and smiles, the panel of celebrity judges eventually crowned Robbie Hojilla from Hudson Kitchen the champion (I guess everyone loves pork belly crepes!)! Congratulations!

Abbey with Final Four chefs and panel of celebrity judges. Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium 2014. Photo credit: Mauricio J. Calero

I did manage to sneak in some time for the rest of the show. Among my highlights:

• I discovered a new macaron shop, AG Macarons (they had the most adorable booth!)
• I got to chat briefly with old friends like All Mine Caramel, Ice Cream Volcano and Me.N.U. Food Truck
• I finally got to meet people I’ve only chatted with on Twitter before this, like @crazy_corn, and @hrtlesgirl (who was selling adorable little cakes at Cake for Dinner)
• I managed to snag selfies and signed cookbooks from some of my favourite chefs – Chuck Hughes, Matt Basile and Matt Dean Pettit

I normally avoid selfies, but here’s me with Chuck Hughes (top), Matt Dean Pettit (bottom left) and Matt Basile (bottom right)

Unfortunately, my time at Delicious Food Show was much shorter than I would have liked – next year I definitely plan to spend the full day there!

Did you attend the Delicious Food Show or Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium Pavilion this year? What were you favourite dishes and favourite show moments?

Rock Lobster Food

Popcorn by Crazy Corn

AG Macarons

Cakes by Cake for Dinner

Macarons by AG Macarons

Disclosure:This post is sponsored by Branding & Buzzing and Fresita, and included complimentary entry to the Delicious Food Show 2014 (as media). However, this sponsorship in no way affected our opinions; all opinions expressed are our own. Please read our disclosure policy for more information.