Over the past five years, the restaurant hierarchy has, in some ways, flattened as takeout and delivery became essential for survival. Whether it was a fine-dining spot typically reserved for special occasions or a neighbourhood joint that never took reservations, diners could suddenly order a meal from anywhere — regardless of how exclusive the dining room was or how far away it might be.
Even as dining rooms reopened, people continued to order these affordable luxuries, and chefs had to adapt. That meant partnering with delivery apps, opening takeout-friendly fast-casual spots, or, in the case of Alo’s Patrick Kriss and Pizzeria Libretto’s Rocco Agostino, joining a new meal delivery service launching in Ontario this month.Â
CookUnity, a US-based subscription meal delivery service that partners with established chefs to offer ready-to-eat meals, is , starting in Ontario.Â
Canadian operations are being led by Michael Baruch and Morley Ivers, the duo behind Cookin’, a Toronto-based platform launched in 2022 to help independent chefs sell meals directly to customers. CookUnity acquired Cookin’ last year.
For now, ready-to-heat meals will be prepared in a 25,000-square-foot commercial kitchen near Yorkdale Mall, with deliveries across the province beginning June 1. Plans to expand to other provinces are already in the works.
The rising cost of dining out is changing how Torontonians eat, spend and think about value.
The rising cost of dining out is changing how Torontonians eat, spend and think about value.
Kriss (Alo, Aloette, Aloette Go) and Agostino (Pizzeria Libretto, Enoteca Sociale) are part of the platform’s initial Canadian roster of 11 chefs, which also includes Hemant Bhagwani of Bar Goa, Dadrian Coke of Chubby’s Jamaican Kitchen, and Trevor Lui, formerly of Kanpai Snack Bar.
The Star spoke with Kriss and Agostino as they prepared meals at CookUnity’s Canadian office in the Annex. We asked them about rethinking how restaurant food travels, what it takes to keep a restaurant afloat, and why takeout isn’t just a pandemic blip.
When Alo first opened in 2015, did you ever imagine that takeout would become part of your business model?
Kriss: Zero. But you never know what the world would bring. We do a lot (of delivery) with Aloette Go, I think people are always looking for something that’s tasty, affordable, and healthy. It’s stuff I would cook at home. With Covid we did so much takeout. We did food similar to this at Alo so we do have quite a bit of experience. We keep it simple: a protein, starch, a veg and we rely on our vinaigrettes and sauces to make them all delicious and healthy. We have so many recipes over the years, we went back to them to see what we could use. Our pine nut vinaigrette, our salsa verde, we still use it everywhere. The short rib, we use it in so much of our takeout. It’s been a go-to when we do takeout for Christmas.
High demand, limited seats, and viral buzz are making it tougher than ever to get into Toronto’s most popular restaurants.
High demand, limited seats, and viral buzz are making it tougher than ever to get into Toronto’s most popular restaurants.
What did you prepare for CookUnity today?
Kriss: The first is a short rib with gnudi (crispy dumplings), oyster mushrooms and pearl onions. Then there’s a roasted chicken leg with fregula, rapini and a pine-nut vinaigrette, as well as a branzino with roasted herbed potatoes and grilled broccolini.
Agostino: One is a rigatoni a la Genovese, it’s a pasta with braised meat, onion and tomato and parm. The second dish is a basil pesto chicken bowl. Rice, green beans, cucumber, red onion, kale, roasted cherry tomatoes in oil, pesto and a white balsamic vinaigrette, so very herb forward.
Once this launches, who will actually be cooking the meals?
Agostino: I have a couple of cooks that will be doing it that have been with me at Libretto. I’ll also be there for the first bit. I’m also excited to be in a new space.
Kriss: We have a chef named TJ specifically for this. He’s working for us, but works with them (CookUnity).
What’s the key to making meals that still taste great after a couple days and a reheat?
Kriss: It has to reheat properly, you can’t do a big chunk of meat because it takes long time to reheat. Braised meats, chicken legs and pastas reheat better. You need acidity with green vegetables or else they’ll turn brown. When we tested our meals we actually ate them two days after we made them.
Beef Short rib created by Patrick Kriss of Alo.
Richard Lautens º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøStarWhy does getting into the meal delivery space make sense for you now?
Kriss: I like to have different channels so that people in Ottawa and Sudbury can try our food. We like to hit different markets. Not everyone is having a tasting menu or a steak, but everyone deserves to have tasty menu. We’re still working on more dishes, we have about seven so far.
Agostino: Part of it is getting out of my comfort zone and creating something different, and if it helps with branding why not? Because of Covid, people relied a lot on takeout and delivery. Now, if you don’t have time to go out, if you have kids to take care of but you want something special, you’ll also order something nice. People order these dishes that are restaurant-level, and they’ll remember you when they are looking for a place when they go out.
From prix-fixe lunches to hearty sandwiches, here are four places in º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøwhere you can get delicious meals without breaking the bank.
From prix-fixe lunches to hearty sandwiches, here are four places in º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøwhere you can get delicious meals without breaking the bank.
Would you say this is part of how the restaurant industry is adapting to shifting tastes and lifestyles?
Agostino: As a restaurateur you pivot at times in any given situation. When Covid happened, we did frozen pizza and now you can get it at grocers. Takeout is here to stay. People’s tastes change and you adjust. The Yonge and Sheppard location, people wanted more pasta so we added more. You have to accustom yourself to what guests want when you want to survive, while staying true to who you are.
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