Antler Breakfast in Toronto’s Riverside District

Jennifer Lay — 

An Sibin Pub, the Culinary Adventure Co. and The Riverside District BIA are hosting the Riverside Antler Breakfast – the East side neighbourhood’s annual fundraising breakfast – on December 18 from 8am to 11am at the An Sibin Pub in support of The Rivertowne Breakfast Program, a weekly community-run meal program for neighborhood children and anyone in need of a hot breakfast. This annual fundraising event includes fun activities for the whole family such as live holiday music, door prizes, a 50/50 draw, souvenir antlers, and a chance for everyone attending to share their holiday wishes with Santa.

Located at the corner of Broadview and Queen Street East in Toronto, An Sibin Pub (pronounced “Ahn-She-Been”) has been in Riverside since 2012 when long-time Irish restaurant owners Rick Aulier and Scott Brockington opened their doors to share the true-to-heart hospitality the Irish are well known for. Rick and Scott love hosting this annual event which allows them to show off their renovated interior, Gastro-Irish Pub Fare menu, and the line up of 24 Irish and craft beer taps that represent their specialty. They’ll be preparing and serving a traditional country breakfast including scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, beans, yogurt, fresh fruit, fresh croissants, cheese platters and coffee or tea, and juice.

Affectionately known as Toronto’s unofficial culinary ambassador, The Culinary Adventure Co.’s founder Chef Scott likes to showcase the culinary diversity of Toronto to locals and visitors alike. Ranked the #1 tour company in the city by TripAdvisor, they specialize in food tours, cooking classes, corporate team building events, pop up dinners and tastings and outdoor activities with a culinary theme. Chef Scott hosts local culinary walking tours in the area and has been supporting this event for years because “The holidays are a wonderful time to mingle with your fellow Riverside business owners and residents and share in the spirit of giving. Everyone has a fundamental need to have a meaningful place in a healthy community… a sense of belonging… and that’s why proceeds of this fundraiser are going to support The Rivertowne Breakfast Program in the community”.

Anjuli Solanki, Executive Director of the Riverside BIA, says this is one of the most important events of the year for the community because “It’s a way to celebrate both the residents and businesses who are committed to community building and supporting one another in a meaningful and fun way, where we all come together to share a hearty breakfast while being quirky in our East-End style by wearing our antlers.”

Julie Dabrusin, Member of Parliament for Toronto-Danforth is planning to take part in the event. Supporting local businesses and helping the community give back to the Rivertowne Breakfast Program is “an activity that allows us to meet our neighbours, and learn about their lives and what they need to succeed in our neighbourhood. Food security is an issue that is important to our community, and addressing it with breakfast programs is a concrete way in which we can have an impact.”

“The Antler Breakfast at An Sibin is one of my favourite holiday traditions, supporting The Rivertowne Breakfast Program and spreading holiday spirit every year,” said Councillor Paula Fletcher. “I’m looking forward to joining the Riverside BIA, the team at An Sibin, and friends in the community again this year for a great breakfast in support of a great program.”

Also participating in the breakfast event will be Ivy Knight from Swallow Daily, a popular online Toronto food magazine that covers “Food, Pop Culture, and Booze”. She will be serving up both food and covering the event on her blog.

Peter Neal from Neal Brothers Foods will be helping out as well. Four autographed copies of his new co-authored cookbook “Goodness: Tasty Recipes And Engaging Stories To Inspire Goodness At Your Table And In Your Community” will be won by attendees, and he will be bringing Neal Brothers goodies to give away.

Riverside BIA is encouraging local businesses and community groups, along with interested families, to purchase tickets in advance, or donate funds or raffle prizes to support The Rivertowne Breakfast Program online at https://kiosk.eztix.co/kiosk-optimised/110223 Event tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children under 12.