A look back at an evening of great food, familiar faces, and Toronto’s pop-up and social food market scene
Our first and only visit to the Toronto Underground Market (TUM) was on the evening of Saturday, June 9, 2012. We’d just launched the company’s first website (dilisosfinefoods.com at the time) and were getting involved in the growing foodie community on Twitter. (Instagram wasn’t really a thing back then.)
TUM was a monthly event held at the Evergreen Brick Works, and it was a very popular topic in Twitter conversation — the #TUM hashtag was everywhere. People were tweeting before, during and after each event, sharing photos, stories and recommendations. It was a great opportunity to connect with others in Toronto’s food scene while discovering some interesting food.
We’d talked about going, but work kept getting in the way. When tickets for the June event went on sale, I decided it was time. Tickets were really hard to get, often selling out within minutes of going on sale, so I quickly bought four and figured I could convince at least three of the guys to join me.
One colleague had to bail at the last minute after discovering that his home reno project was more ambitious than expected. Fortunately, John and Marc-Andre were ready to go.
We got there later than we wanted to and the parking lot was jammed, but we managed to find a spot and headed inside.
Our first glimpse of TUM
There were plenty of people, and the lines looked long. We’d arrived with appetites and a plan to sample as much as we could. First, though, we needed a beer.
Cuban sandwiches
Once inside, the first question was: where to eat first? We all agreed on Fidel Gastro’s. The line was long, but it moved quickly, helped along by friendly conversation and an efficient team behind the counter.
Waiting in line at Fidel Gastro’s
The team was impressively organized, serving a steady stream of hungry customers.
Matt working his magic
The sandwiches lived up to the anticipation. I had an El Captain Belly and another creation whose name escapes me. Looking back, I probably should have ordered a few more to take home.
My first-ever Fidel Gastro’s sandwiches
A great venue
After the sandwiches, we grabbed another beer and took some time to explore Evergreen Brick Works. It was a fitting setting for an event like TUM, with plenty of room for vendors, food lovers and people catching up with friends.
Wandering at Evergreen Brick Works
Fish tacos
Marc had another recommendation: Seven Lives. We joined the line for tacos, and once again, the wait was worth it. The team worked quickly, and there was plenty of friendly conversation among the people waiting.
Waiting in line at Seven Lives
Fish tacos were new to me. At the time, I was more accustomed to tacos filled with steak or ground beef, but Marc assured us Seven Lives was worth the stop. John and I followed his lead, and we were glad we did.
The Seven Lives team at work
I ordered shrimp tacos, which were excellent. The photo doesn’t quite capture how good they were.
Shrimp tacos!
Marc also requested something that wasn’t on the menu, and the Seven Lives team was happy to accommodate him. I can’t remember whether the taco had a name, but I recall Marc explaining that the tuna was prepared using the acidity of lemon or lime juice rather than heat. It looked just as good as the other dishes we’d tried.
Networking
By the time we’d finished our tacos, Fidel Gastro’s had sold out and was packing up. We’d been following the team for months on Twitter and had briefly introduced ourselves earlier in the evening, but they’d been busy serving customers. Now we had a chance to talk.
We met Chef Matt Basile, the owner, along with his business partner Dom and other members of the team: Matt, Ryan and Kyla. They were clearly passionate about what they were building. And at the time, we were looking forward to the planned launch of the Fidel Gastro’s food truck in July. It was exciting to see the energy and ambition behind Toronto’s emerging street-food scene, and to connect with people who were helping shape it.
Before we parted ways, I managed to get a photo of John, Matt and Elvis.
L to R: John DiLiso, Elvis, Matt Basile – taken June , 2012.
Candied bacon for dessert
We’d arrived shortly after 8 p.m., which left us with time for only two substantial rounds of food and a few conversations. But on our way out, Marc introduced us to Leonard Pig Candy, a business that has since closed.
Candied bacon… a great way to top off our TUM experience
I’d never tried candied bacon or chocolate-covered bacon before. It sounded unusual, but it turned out to be a memorable way to finish the evening.
Thanks for the memories
TUM was a memorable experience: the food, the venue, the people we met and the atmosphere all made for a great evening. We intended to return regularly, but work and home life soon took over.
Before we knew it, two years had passed. In 2014, the Toronto Underground Market came to an end as its organizers moved on to other ventures.
We’re grateful to Hassel Aviles and her team for the work they put into TUM and for the role they played in Toronto’s street-food and pop-up dining scene. For us, it was an opportunity to connect with people in the food industry, both online and in person, at a time when social media was opening up new ways for businesses to find and engage with their communities.
We only made it to one event, but we’re glad we did. It gave us some great memories—and a snapshot of an exciting time in Toronto’s food scene.