Everything there is to eat and drink at the Distillery District’s Winter Village

The Distillery Winter Village, which made its debut last week, welcomes over one million visitors to its cobblestoned, holly-jolly wonderland each year. Some folks are in it for the twinkling lights, the Christmas commerce (translation: Jellycats) and the overall injection of old-fashioned holiday spirit. Others are just in it for the food. For the latter group, we’ve rounded up the best of the festival’s eats, including some from Chef’s Lane, a fancy new gastronomic addition bringing a touch of Michelin to the merry market.

Related: These Toronto bars are getting festive for the holiday season

Mini pancakes

Back for an encore, these crowd-pleasing, feather-light flapjacks come in a variety of flavours including Biscoff, red velvet and the viral sensation that is Dubai chocolate. Like any pancake breakfast, they comfort the soul like a pair of cozy pyjamas.

Whimsical Krispie treats

The cereal elves have once again been busy making ooey-gooey squares with sweet mix-ins like salted caramel, marshmallow-Nutella and Biscoff cookie butter. They may not snap or crackle, but they most certainly pop.

Candy cane cheesecake lollipop

While it may be Great Canadian Baking Show judge Bruno Feldeisen’s job to occasionally disappoint wannabe bakers, at this year’s market, the critical Frenchman is playing crowd-pleaser with his festive candy cane cheesecake lollipop. Made with peppermint-infused cream cheese filling, a sprinkling of crushed candy cane and a graham cracker base, this festive dessert could very well put chef Bruno back on the nice list.

Tom yum soup

Chef Nuit Regular doesn’t need to lean on kitsch or theatrics to attract a lineup. She’s making her Winter Village debut with tom yum soup—so fragrant, balanced and soul-warming that we should all worry Santa will take one taste and hop on a sleigh straight to Thailand, never to return.

Spicy mala poutine

Hot off the heels of his Michelin win(s), chef Eric Chong isn’t afraid to shake up a Winter Village classic. His take on poutine blankets ultra-crispy fries with Sichuan peppercorn pork gravy, pork and cabbage wontons, pizza mozzarella for the perfect cheese pull, and a drizzle of chili crisp. Naughty or nice? Who cares? It’s delicious.

The Aprile Holiday Feast

From MasterChef Canada judge Claudio Aprile comes an epic holiday sandwich that doesn’t rely on leftovers. This spirited stack layers smoked brisket, juicy roast turkey, mashed sweet potato, smoked provolone, fresh sage and bright cranberry chutney on a buttery bun. It’s all toasted in a panini press until the cheese forms a crispy halo. It’s the kind of miracle that makes you truly believe in the magic of the holidays.

Jingle Bao

From the creators of Wuba Eats comes the Jingle Bao, a festive, global holiday-inspired mash-up featuring five-spice roast turkey, cranberry aïoli, evergreen arugula and melted brie, all piled into a fluffy steamed bao. One bite and your days will be umami and bright.

Tater tot poutine

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, these beloved cylindrical bites of joy hold up under the weight of even the heftiest toppings—think pulled pork with bacon and gravy or pulled beef with mushrooms, gravy and onions. No matter which you choose, it will arrive packed with cheese curds.

Dubai crêpes

There are two times of the year to indulge in fleeting fads: when the CNE is in town and the holidays—so get in on the Dubai chocolate craze while you can. Here, sweet kunafa pistachio paste and melted chocolate are wrapped in a pliable paper-thin crêpe, then drizzled with even more chocolate and sprinkled with pistachios. Take a bite, snap your selfie, upload your story and call it a day.

Related: These Advent calendars are filled with things like cheese, wine and beer

Crazy cotton candy

While available in a variety of flavours (lemon, bubblegum, cherry, birthday cake) the point of this sweet treat isn’t the taste—it’s the art. The spun sugar comes shaped like all kinds of TikTok-worthy creations, including Hello Kitty, the Grinch and Labubu. To find the booth, follow the sounds of desperate children and exasperated parents.

Pierogies

For food lovers, biting into a package is far superior to unwrapping one—especially when it’s a cheese-and-potato-filled pocket. Pierogi Miska offers classic pierogies as well as global takes on the eastern European dumplings that have the crazy-beautiful quality of a Christmas sweater. We suggest trying the Caribbean chicken: boiled then fried pierogies topped with slow-cooked scotch bonnet jerk chicken, drizzled with two aïoli (smoked paprika, sunflower petal), and garnished with fried shallots and green onion.

Swiss raclette

Traditionally, this semi-soft cow’s milk cheese is melted over boiled potatoes and served with pickles. In this enchanting twist, breaded and fried pickles form the base for the dairy deluge. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals.

Monkey bread

From the dessert gurus at Scooped by Demetres comes this pull-apart apple pie monkey bread. Packed with sugar, spice and everything nice—such as cinnamon streusel, fluffy cinnamon bread, juicy apple chunks and brown-butter caramel—it’s the holiday treat sweet dreams are made of.

Over-the-top hot chocolate

Last year, French café and bistro Cluny wowed the masses with its s’mores-inspired hot chocolate. This year, it’s upped the ante with two more delectable drinks vying for their 15 minutes of fame. Enter the Roche Hot Chocolate, a blend of creamy chocolate and Nutella topped with whipped cream, a torched marshmallow and a chocolate marshmallow bomb; and the Dubai Hot Chocolate—do we even need to explain what it entails by this point?

The Naughty List

During the holidays, feelings run big, and while some people like to eat them, others prefer to drink them. Those folks can forget their worries by sipping on the Naughty List, a blend of warm apple cider, cinnamon whiskey, whipped cream and dehydrated apple crisp. You’ll be all smiles…at least until the next morning.