Ring in the New Year early at JB's

Happy Holidays from JB

Jawny Bakers Bulldog Curling Bonspiel 2013

It's that time of year again and great curling is in the air! We are four weeks away from the November 16th date for the 2013 Jawny Bakers Bulldog Curling Bonspiel. Mark your calendars and visit www.eastyorkcurling.ca to find out all of the great events happening in the coming month.

Click Here to download the flyer and registration form and put together a team to compete for your chance to win over $4000 in cash and prizes. Registration includes a Jawny Bakers Catered lunch, door prizes, dinner for your team and much much more.

Need more information about the event? Contact EYCC's Jason Chang for more information at bulldog@eastyorkcurling.ca. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Aeroplan Bonus Starts Today!

Join us at Jawny Bakers October 15 through November 15 and you will earn you a double bonus on all CIBC Aeroplan points collected.

Collecting Advantex Aeroplan points at Jawny Bakers is just as easy as paying with your card. That's it. You will automatically see the points accumulate on your card.

Hands Across the Community.

Regular visitors and readers of Jawny Bakers blog will know that as a business we’re a local, family-owned success story. We know that this is down to the ceaseless support we’ve received from the local community. And so, it has always been part of our philosophy to get involved with the community as much as possible. Whether through active fund-raising work, financial and food donations to special events or prizes to encourage participation, it is our way of saying thanks to the surrounding areas for their support, and a chance to give back and collaborate with our friends and neighbours. 

A recent blog post gave us the opportunity to tell you about how well we did in the East York Mirror’s Best Of competition. However, as much as we love getting praise and doing well in surveys, there’s something truly special in getting thanks and appreciation from the people who benefit from our community involvement. Every year we help out schools, children’s charities and healthcare foundations in their fundraising efforts by providing prizes for auctions and activity fairs. We also are hands on by donating our time and effort to many committees and organizations.

When we’ve donated gift certificates as prizes, the winners will happily tell us about the event when they visit the restaurant and continue the good feelings. A recent visitor told us it was fun for them to bid in their first auction and easy for them to donate when the prize meant they got to bring their family in for a meal. 

The important thing for us at Jawny Bakers is to always remain connected to these organizations. Ultimately, our efforts help to increase turn-out for events and raise money. However, it’s not about simply handing over a reward but spending time with those involved and hearing how our mutual connection helps to bring their missions to life. In a very small way, we feel like we’re helping to make a difference to people’s lives. We’ve been able to put staff teams together to take part in large-scale fundraising efforts such as marathons for The Canadian Diabetes Association, bike rallies for The Hospital for Sick Kids and golf tournaments for the Providence Healthcare Foundation. 

The letters we receive from the people in the front lines of these organizations are a great way to see how our gifts are used and the benefits they’ve provided to the event:

“Thanks to your generous donation, people happily perused the many raffle items filled with coveted prizes. Raffle tickets were purchased in great numbers because businesses like yours took the time and effort to gather items to donate” – Toronto District School Board

So, if we don’t say it enough, we want to thank all those involved in these efforts. From our customers, staff, friends, families and charity collaborators, we sincerely appreciate the chance to get involved and the feeling of engaging with our communities in real and positive ways. 

Tom Zoras
originally posted 10/15/2013

Click Here to download a PDF of this article.

JB on Money Moron TV

Jawny Bakers is proud to announce that today we will be appearing (in a background role) on Money Moron TV!

We will be watching with great anticipation at 8:30 pm on Slice TV. Come watch with us in the lounge as we make our debut on the network.

In conjunction with the show, we will be running a contest for a $25 gift card, awarded to one of our valued guests who mentions us on Facebook or Twitter. Please use the hashtag #JBonTV so that we can keep track of all the entries.

If you missed the live airing of the show, you can catch up with full episodes at the following link. Let us know your thoughts as we will be running the contest until October 15th.

#JBFoodies - Weekly Winners!

LOVE this?

WANT this?

You are in luck with JB Foodies Weekly, we are launching this contest starting next week. Take a photo of your favourite Jawny Bakers food or drink item, share what makes it amazing and have a chance to win a weekly $25 Gift Card.

Share with us on the platform of your choice and you will be automatically entered to win. Don't forget to promote with hashtag #JBFoodies.

We are new to Instagram and looking for great photographers to follow. Follow us and submit your recommendations and we will be awarding one of our first 50 followers with an additional Jawny Bakers Gift Card!

Celebrations and Appreciations

Awards and commendations are not only flattering, they are a nice reminder that hard work has achieved the ultimate goal: satisfied Guests. They are also a chance to take a moment to reflect on the efforts made to get to this point. At Jawny Bakers we know that the awards we have received over this past year are not simply down to two people owning and operating a restaurant, but rather as a result of all the great things our and loyal and giving staff do and of course, our valued patrons who choose to include us in their relaxation time with friends and families.   

So, as summer draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to brag a little and, on behalf of our excellent front-of-house servers, our talented kitchen staff and our devoted customers, tell you about our recent recognitions.  

For those of you who live in the area, you’ll know the reputation of the East York Mirror as a weekly staple for local news, events and public opinion. Every year the paper polls their 40,000+ readers to rate the best service providers in the community under a variety of categories. Under their Food and Drink banner, Jawny Baker’s did extremely well. And given we’re a locally owned and operated restaurant up against large chains with national brand recognition, we are especially proud to have stood out so distinctly.  Here are some of the highlights:

Best All-Round Restaurant – GOLD

Best Family Restaurant – PLATINUM

Best Restaurant Atmosphere – SILVER 

Best Lunch – SILVER

Best Wings – PLATINUM  

Best Salad – SILVER

Even we’re impressed! While it is great that some of our menu items are so popular, what means most personally is that, overall, Jawny Bakers is giving our Guests a great overall experience. Creating an environment that’s welcoming and comfortable has been our goal since setting out on this adventure 20 years ago. It means a lot to everyone at Jawny Bakers that people choose us over all other venues to enjoy their meals and relax with drinks. So from all of us at Jawny Bakers we thank you, the people we love to make happy. 

However, we’ve never been ones to rest on our laurels. We know that the only way to earn customer appreciation is to keep honing our ability to meet diners needs on a regular and ever-changing basis. By responding to your requests, frequently elevating our healthy and innovative menu features, and improving restaurant, bar, lounge and patio spaces, we continue to please you. 

So please don’t hesitate to offer your thoughts and recommendations next time you’re in. We look forward to seeing you again very soon. 

Click here to download the PDF File for this article.

Olga Kiriakou
originally posted 9/17/2013

Supporting Women Build 2013

We are excited to announce that today is the day that kicks off Women Build 2013 for Habitat for Humanities Toronto.

This amazing event has garnered so much support in our community that the event is sold out for 2013! Please keep it on your radar for future years and CLICK HERE to add your donation to this worthwhile cause and all of the great work being performed by Habitat for Humanities.

Download the Full Event PDF here.

Great New Daily Specials at JB

We're proud to announce new daily specials effective immediately for our guests!

Click here to take a look at our specials on our Dine.TO affiliate page, and don't forget to place your vote while you are there for the 2013 "Best of" Awards from Dine.TO.

Back to School Is In Full Swing!

Come enjoy $5 Kids meals for the month of September and discover or be reminded what makes this restaurant a favourite for the whole family!

Double Up Your JB Bonus with CIBC Aeroplan

Join us at Jawny Bakers August 15 through Sept 15 and you will earn you a double bonus on all CIBC Aeroplan points collected.

Collecting Advantex Aeroplan points at Jawny Bakers is just as easy as paying with your card. That's it. You will automatically see the points accumulate on your card.

Jawny Bakers: Locavores

As anyone who has experienced the Jawny Bakers atmosphere knows, the feeling that you’re spending time in a family-run restaurant with a close connection to the local community is unmistakable. From the staff’s neighbourhood knowledge to the graphics depicting nearby landmarks, there’s a sense of both tradition and loyalty to the surrounding area. But locality exists beyond ambiance and camaraderie alone. In fact, wherever possible, Jawny Baker’s embraces a local eating approach to the food ingredients as well. But what does it mean to eat locally and why is it important in today’s ever broadening global borders?

Currently there is something of a local food revolution of sorts in Canada. In reaction to the influx of imported foods people from all walks of life are embracing the post-industrial food system known as locavore eating. Originally, being a locavore meant you only ate food that had been cultivated within a 100-mile radius from where you were eating it. Yet the movement has expanded to include those who grow their own food under their own specific standards, and certified organic farmers who don’t want to risk their products’ contamination due to long journeys. 

The reasons are plentiful. Essentially it stems from people wishing to take more control over the food they eat. Many countries from whom supermarkets buy their produce do not have our same stringent regulations around food cultivation which makes understanding the quality and – in some cases – safety, of the food we ingest unclear. Locavores are fueled by a desire to support local agriculture and preserve the farmland for future generations at risk due to widespread land sales. It also allows consumers to buy food at its peak freshness and with maximum flavour - which often gets exchanged for aesthetics and uniform sizes. In addition, buying directly from the farmer means you can get information as to how the food was grown, how best to prepare it and develop a closer connection to the food you’re putting in your body.

Much like organic farming and eating, organizations have been set up to help people make the best decisions regarding purchasing locally grown food. These ensure the food’s authenticity and vet the farmers within their network to ensure they are practicing safe and reliable growing reassuring the buyer that their purchase meets the highest standards. A quick search online will help any would-be locavore determine which industry organization represents their area and which markets to shop. For example, the Ontario website http://www.ontariofresh.ca allows users to browse marketplaces and recipes, register for news updates and learn what fruits and vegetables are currently in season creating a network for ongoing communications and information sharing. 

The great part about being a locavore is how easy it is to embrace. Because growing your own herbs, fruits and vegetables requires time and space, many restaurants are choosing to purchase food from local farmers allowing their chefs to prepare dishes using only the healthiest of ingredients. Jawny Bakers has always had a deep commitment to offer our customers only the freshest and cleanest food available. This means that many of our menu items change dependant on what’s in season and many of our dishes are prepared with locally grown contents. Next time you visit, ask your server about the markets we source from, our daily specials and the menu items which align closely to locavore principles. 

Click Here to download the PDF of this article.

Tom Zoras

originally posted 7/31/2013 at blog.jawnybakers.com

Ménage a Trois Wines

With the July/August Feature menu we will be adding two new wines to our portfolio and using the Feature menu as the perfect medium to introduce them to our guests.

From the heart of the Napa Valley in California comes a new and exciting portfolio of wines that uses a blend of three grapes in each of their products. We will be carrying two of them;

Ménage Red – Blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The saucy hints of blackberry and raspberry that the Zinfandel brings complement the generous mouth and fruits of the Merlot while exhibiting the tannins and rich flavours of the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ménage White – Blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Moscato.

This wine's crisp acidity with its citrus and tropical fruit flavours is achieved by the richness of the Chardonnay while the Moscato adds the wild and exotic fruit flavours supported by the soft complexity of the Chenin.

Click below to download the pdf fact sheets for these two new JB favourites:

PDF Fact Sheet - Ménage Red

PDF Fact Sheet - Ménage White

Gavin Thomson

Crown Yourself the Grill King!

Summer comes at the best time of the year. School is over, vacations are about to start and while it may be slower than usual, the weather is finally making us all feel like the season of outdoor fun is upon us. And when it comes to summer eating, nothing can replace dinner on the barbecue. But how do get to grips with your barbeque to ensure you’re getting the maximum flavours out of your food, pleasing the many different palates of your family and friends – and earning that much proclaimed but rarely achieved title: King of the Grill!

Jawny Bakers chefs have long been masters of the fine art of grilling and so whether you’re a father yourself or wanting to treat your friends and family to a great BBQ, we want to help you on your way to heraldry. Here we give you our top 10 tips to achieving a great grilling experience. Don’t worry, we can keep these just between us, we’re happy for you to enjoy the majesty all for yourself. 

1. Two Are Better Than One. If you can, have more than one grill. Gas grills may be convenient, but charcoal grills are ideal for true low and slow smoking.
2. Keep It Clean Please. Keep your grill hot, clean, and well oiled. With the grill grate still hot, clean it with a stiff wire brush. With tongs, oil it with a tightly folded paper towel dipped in oil drawn across the grill grate.
3. Customize. For small, tender, or quick-cooking foods (such as shrimp, chicken breasts, burgers, fish fillets, and most veggies), cook the food directly over the fire. For large, fatty, or tough foods (ribs, whole chickens), cook next to a moderate to low fire with the lid closed. 
4. Don’t Toss and Turn. As you spend more time in your grilling throne, learn to turn steaks, chops, chicken breasts, etc. only once. You'll get a better crust - and you'll definitely look more noble.
5. Tame the Flame. Grill gurus around the world grill over glowing embers, not leaping flames: embers provide an intense, even heat, whereas grilling over or in the flames usually produces an ashy residue. 
   
6. Walk the Plank. A cedar plank is one of the best ways to grill salmon. Soak the plank overnight, drain, then place the fish on top. The woody scent will enhance the overall flavour of the fresh fish.
7. How Sweet Is It? Sauces with high sugar content burn easily near heat. To prevent this, brush the sauce on toward the end of your cooking time. In other words, don't use barbecue sauce as a marinade, serve most of it on the side.
8. Be Selective. While some fruits and veggies can be great grilled, those with high water content are not meant for the BBQ. Watermelon, grapes, cucumbers and lettuces are best eaten fresh or added to a burger after it’s cooked. 
9. Finish It Off. Every meal ends best with dessert. Wrap cookies or brownies in tin foil and rest them on the grill for a couple of minutes for out-of-the-oven goodness. And your favourite s’more recipe is ideal after some BBQ heat.
10. Always Be Prepared. Lastly, whether you have the Kalamazoo 900 Series Hybrid Grill or a hibachi, adhere to the Boy Scout’s mantra. Nothing will dethrone your kingly status (or ruin everyone’s dinner) than discovering halfway through cooking that you’ve run out of propane or coal to continue the grill. Always have an extra tank or bag of charcoal handy as a back up.

Russell Pratt

Download the PDF of this article here.

OCB Week at JB

It's time to celebrate Ontario's legacy of making amazing craft beers with Ontario Craft Brewers Craft Beer Week! Check out the Craft Beer Week website to check out all the great events planned around craft beer, starting on Sunday June 16th (Father's Day) through Sunday June 23rd.

Jawny Bakers has a great selection of Craft Beers for you to choose from. On tap or in the bottle, you have a wealth of choice at JB. Here are a few of your choices:

Ontario Craft Beers Available at Jawny Bakers

• Mill Street Tankhouse
• Mill Street Organic Lager
• Steamwhistle
• Thornbury Cider
• King Dark Lager

Cheers to great beers during OCB Week 2013!

Welcome to Jawny's Journal

Click through to check out the new newsletter from Jawny Bakers.

Welcome to Jawny's Journal

JB Summer Grilling Series: Steak

Steak. The word itself is enough to send some people into dreams of savoury fantasy. There aren’t too many foods that elicit such passion. Of course, there are many myths surrounding red meat so to put the carnivore’s mind at ease, let’s highlight some of the many advantages of beef and steak found in even the lowest-fat cuts. 

One ounce of beef offers approximately seven grams of protein which is used by the body to maintain cellular functions and provides the body with long-lasting energy. High in iron – essential for pregnant women – it helps to stave of anemia, and vitamins crucial for many bodily functions such as B12, folate, thiamine and riboflavin are in every piece of beef. So with the recent increase in non-carb diets, there is no reason to feel guilty about enjoying steak in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

However, as with anything of value, we at Jawny Bakers know that all steak is not created equal. We are very particular about the selections we make when purchasing food for the restaurant, not only to ensure the best quality for our valued guests, but that we can offer the healthiest options. And people can taste the difference! When it comes to our steaks, we buy all of them from The Butcher Shoppe  and only buy AAA or better cuts.

So what about choice? We’ve made it a little easier for you by distilling the differences between the types of steak we serve:

Porterhouse: Also known as the T-Bone (a "T-shaped" bone with meat on each side), these are steaks of beef cut from the rear end of the short loin thereby including both tenderloin steak and a large strip steak. T-bone steaks are cut closer to the front, and contain a smaller section of tenderloin. Due to their large size and the fact that they contain meat from two of the most prized cuts of beef (the larger short loin and the tenderloin), T-bone steaks are generally considered one of the highest quality steaks.

The Rib Eye: With or without the bone attached, this is often considered the most flavourful cuts of beef. It comes from the upper rib cage area, which does not support much of the cow's weight, nor does it have to work hard or exercise. Its marbling of fat makes this very good for slow roasting and it also goes well on a grill cooked to any degree.

Sirloin: A steak cut from the rear back portion of the animal, continuing off the short loin from which T-bone, porterhouse, and club steaks are cut. The sirloin is actually divided into several types of steak. The top sirloin is the most prized and is specifically marked for sale under that name. The bottom sirloin, which is less tender and much larger, is typically marked for sale simply as "sirloin steak." The bottom sirloin in turn connects to the sirloin tip roast.

Tenderloin: This steak is cut from the beef tenderloin, part of the short loin. It is greatly desired for being the most tender cut of beef. Several steaks are actually cut from this region including the Filet Mignon, Chateaubriand, and Tournedos. Tenderloin steaks are best cooked hot and fast and benefit from their time on the grill. 

Striploin: Cut from the short loin, the strip steak consists of a muscle that does little work, and so it is particularly tender, though not quite as tender as the nearby rib eye or tenderloin. The short loin is a sizable muscle which allows it to be cut into larger pieces. The strip steak may be sold with or without the bone. It is one of the most popular steaks because of its combination of tenderness, flavour, leanness and generous size. 

So as the weather gets hotter, stop by Jawny Bakers to enjoy your choice of steak, cooked to perfection. Accompany it with a wide selection of side dishes and a drink on our patio and the summer is yours. 

Stay tuned, we’ll be sharing some of our grilling tips for home use in an upcoming post.

Go Gluten-Free in 2013

Did you know?  It is estimated that 1 in 133 persons in Canada are affected by celiac disease.

Perhaps what is more shocking is that for every person diagnosed with Celiac disease there are a thousand more who suffer to some degree, but have not yet been diagnosed.  

Celiac disease is a condition that renders a person intolerant to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.  People who suffer from this condition experience symptoms that range from mild to severe and even life threatening.  According to some experts, this condition has the potential to become the next major public health issue.  All you have to do is read any food label to discover how prevalent one or more of these ingredients are in our baked goods, pastas, processed foods, snack items, breads and cereals.

At the present time the only way to treat Celiac disease is to adopt a life long eating regime that avoids any foods containing Gluten.  This solution may sound fairly easy, but it is by no means a simple task.  Other factors to consider about Gluten free eating include: the ease and convenience of finding gluten alternatives, the affordability of these products and of course, the flavour/indulgence component.

Over the past 20 years as a restaurant owner, it has been quite common to have many of our Guests alert us to their peanut, shellfish and even cow milk allergies.  Because of their prevalence and our own understanding of these intolerances we have always been able to accommodate peanut, shellfish and milk allergies with ease.

It wasn’t until about two years ago, did we start hearing our Guests ask for Gluten free options.  As the months passed the inquiries became more and more common, so much so that we took action.    

As Gavin, our General Manager, explains: "When I started working at the restaurant I can only remember one Guest that was affected by celiac. Now we have numerous Guests affected. As a result we have introduced gluten free products to our menu such as bread and even beer. "

The first step for Jawny Bakers was to introduce a few choice Gluten free items through our special or seasonal offerings.  When we brought these items to our Guests we were extremely pleased with the overwhelming demand.  It was apparent that Gluten free eating was on the rise!  Not only were people with Gluten intolerances ordering these items, so were Guests looking for healthier eating alternatives, and to be quite honest some were just curious about flavour.  Whatever the reason, the Gluten free items were gaining popularity and this is when we decided to really step it up! Our chef, Russell Pratt, together with his team developed a list of Gluten free items that were showcased on our Feature Menu.

In September 2012, due to popular demand and in keeping with our mandate to stay on the cutting edge of hospitality we introduced our Gluten Free Menu that boasts over 30 items including appetizers, steaks, ribs, pasta, sandwiches, seafood, brunch items and Yes, even Gluten Free Beer and Crème Brûlée.

Jennifer Heaton, one of our long standing Front of the House team members, said it best when asked how our Guests have reacted to our Gluten Free menu. "Our Guests are so excited to see that we have a whole menu devoted to Gluten free choices, they are amazed at the offering."

Jawny Bakers is always looking for ways to give our Guests exactly what they are looking for.  Starting in May of 2013, Jawny Bakers is proud to expand its already fantastic offering to include - Gluten Free Pizza - topped with the finest and freshest ingredients.  Look for it this month!

Click Here to download the PDF of this article.

Olga Kiriakou

Jawny Bakers Restaurant & Caters

Late-Spring Feature Menu is Here!

With summer just around the corner, get ready to give your taste buds a head start! Share some of our great new creations with your friends, with Jawny's Feature Menu.

Let us know your favourites with a comment here on the blog, or a quick Facebook post or Tweet @ us. Add a picture with your comment too. The best photo selected from this month's feature menu will be featured on our social media platforms and the winning photographer will receive a $25 Gift Card!

For some additional incentive, when we reach the 500 follower milestone on our social media sites, we will be conducting a draw for each platform for a $100 gift card with great runner-up prizes to be awarded as well. See you online!

Click Here to download the feature menu PDF.

All Star Award Winners!

Couldn't have done it without you!

Thanks for making us a 2012 All Star.

We wanted to share the great news and express our gratitude to you, our loyal Guests, for receiving this honor. Our emails and events are made with our customers and supporters in mind, so thank you for engaging and interacting with us.

Thanks to you we have come up with some great things online in the past year and things are only getting better in 2013!

Cheers from

The Jawny Bakers Restaurant Team!

Cocktails and Jawny Bakers

It’s hard for us to imagine a time when a social occasion didn’t involve our favourite mixed drink. In fact, the invention of the cocktail stretches back to the 19^th c. when “Professor” Jerry Thomas – a pioneering and flamboyant American bartender - published the first bar manual in 1862. Its popularity and many variations really began to soar during the Prohibition years (1920 – 1933) when New Yorkers who wanted a good time had to find creative ways to cover up the crude taste of bootlegged alcohol. 

Then in the 20^th c., with the advent of modern media – television, film, advertising – the once humble mixed drink became glamourous and cocktail culture began. Famous actors and historic figures attached their names to brands and the major liquor houses scrambled to keep up with the public’s quest to capture some of this sophistication. We still do. Who doesn’t think they’re James Bond while sipping a martini (“shaken, not stirred”) or on the set of Mad Men when quaffing a colourful drink? Now a $20 billion industry, the art of the mixed drink – or mixology – is here to stay and at Jawny Bakers we’ve embraced it with the same gusto as those early New York establishments.

When creating our cocktail list we took into consideration the same ideals we did when sourcing our wine and beer selection. Just like wine we wanted to offer the classics while introducing new flavours and twists on tried and true staples. As such, we have both our JB’s Signature Cocktails along with Classic Cocktails.

As with our food, all Jawny Bakers’ cocktails are made from scratch using premium ingredients. As in the world’s greatest hotel bars, our trained bartenders make cocktails the traditional way. No prefabricated mixes here. For example our Classic Mojito is made using fresh mint, real cane syrup and Havana Amber Rum. From the glassware to the garnish, the cocktails at JB’s look as special as they are to taste. So the next time you relax on our patio or celebrate with friends in our lounge take a moment to enjoy one of these vibrant cocktails and maybe a small part of you will be reminded of a time when possibility and excitement was just a beverage away. 

Gavin Thomson
Jawny Bakers Restaurant