Toronto's Summerlicious 2015 extended by one week and features first-ever summer culinary event series

Summerlicious presented by Interac Association and produced by the City of Toronto will run from July 3 to 26. In celebration of Toronto hosting the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, Summerlicious will include a culinary event series featuring five mouth-watering events inspired by the culture and flavours of the 41 nations participating in the Games.

Reservations for the prix fixe promotion and tickets sales for the culinary event series begin June 18.

"Summerlicious shines a spotlight on Toronto's diverse and impressive restaurant industry," said Mayor John Tory. "It's the perfect opportunity to experience the best restaurants Toronto has to offer. Local restaurants participating in Summerlicious and Winterlicious have served more than five million meals since 2003. I encourage everyone to enjoy this year's Summerlicious offerings."

"The popularity of these programs just keeps growing,” said Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 37 Scarborough Centre), Chair of the Economic Development Committee. “The Summerlicious and Winterlicious programs are now among the top three all-time favourite festivals, fairs and events in Field Day's annual Toronto entertainment survey. Results of a 2015 Ipsos Reid survey show that the event keeps attracting new audiences and boosts repeat visits to participating restaurants.”

"As a long-time champion of the merchant community, we are delighted to reprise our role as Presenting Sponsor of the City of Toronto's Summerlicious program," said Caroline Hubberstey, Head of External Affairs, Interac Association. "ýWhen diners pay for their meals with Interac Debit or Interac Flash, they are choosing a payment method that is secure, convenient and one of the lowest cost options for restaurateurs."

2015 prix fixe promotion
For 2015, more than 210 restaurants are participating in the Summerlicious prix fixe promotion. Three-course prix fixe lunch menus are priced at $18, $23 and $28, and dinner is priced at $25, $35 and $45. Restaurants will begin taking reservations for the prix fixe promotion starting on Thursday, June 18. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made directly with the participating restaurants.

2015 culinary event series
The 2015 Summerlicious culinary event series features five one-of-a-kind dining experiences hosted by some of Toronto’s top chefs. Tickets go on sale Thursday, June 18.
• A Culinary Celebration of Canada (Casa Loma) ­ Saturday, July 4, Sunday, July 5, Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12
• International Buffet Brunch (Windsor Arms Hotel) ­ Sundays: July 5, 12, 19 and 26
• A Dinner in Peru (Malaparte) ­ Wednesday, July 8
• 41 (Palais Royale) ­ Thursday, July 9
• Tapas In Parkdale (The Tempered Room) ­ Friday, July 17

More information about the prix fixe promotion and culinary event series is available at http://www.toronto.ca/summerlicious . Visitors to the website can locate and sort restaurants by price, neighbourhood, cuisine and now food item, and share their list through social media. An interactive map allows you to find Summerlicious restaurants across the city.

ESKA Natural Spring Water continues as the official water sponsor of the event, featuring both still and sparkling water at select restaurants.

About Summerlicious and Winterlicious
The Summerlicious and Winterlicious programs are produced by the City of Toronto. The Licious programs began in 2003 as a way to boost Toronto's restaurant industry during typically slow periods of business. In the years since the programs' inception, participating restaurants have served 5.2 million meals during the promotion which have generated more than $230 million in economic activity for the local restaurant industry. The Licious programs were ranked in the top three all-time favourite festivals, fairs and events in Field Day's fourth annual Toronto entertainment survey.

Look for information and updates at http://www.toronto.ca/summerlicious , on Facebook at facebook.com/LiciousTO, on Twitter @LiciousTO (#LiciousTO) and on Instagram at instagram.com/liciousto (#LiciousTO).

This news release is also available on the City's website: http://bit.ly/1TqajZL

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca , call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.