Chef Lauren Mozer on elevating Toronto’s culinary scene

Back in April, we had the pleasure of sitting down with chef Lauren Mozer, the visionary owner and executive chef of Elle Cuisine—Toronto Life’s preferred catering partner—to discuss her exciting plans for 2024. With a new season upon us, we caught up with Chef Mozer once again to see how those plans have unfolded, what new developments have taken shape, and how Elle Cuisine continues to innovate and elevate Toronto’s vibrant food scene as we head into fall.

How do you stay inspired and innovative in a city with such a vibrant food culture?

Staying inspired comes from a mix of dining out and hands-on creativity. I make it a point to have monthly dinners out with our chef team, enjoy date nights with my husband, and regularly dine out with my friends at our go-to spots and list of best new restaurants. These experiences keep me connected to Toronto’s vibrant food scene. Beyond dining, I also find inspiration through cooking with my team during recipe development sessions. This collaboration often leads to new ideas, such as our Chef Dinner Series, where we explore different culinary styles and techniques.

Collaborating with hospitality partners, new and trusted, is also one of my biggest sources of inspiration.  It’s amazing to work in a creative industry full of hard working and talented vendors. Venues, florists, entertainers, planners.  Collaborating with partners on unique events, like our Mother’s Day celebration, the Dinner Series: A Chef’s Story, and the upcoming Summer Sunset Soirée offers opportunities to work on events on our own terms.  These partnerships push us to continually innovate and offer something fresh to our audience & clients.

Can you share any new offerings or exciting developments at Elle Cuisine?

This year, we’ve launched our Dinner Series: A Chef’s Story, where each of our chefs takes the stage to share their culinary journey through a curated tasting menu. Our first event featured chef Dylan Surk, who has been with Elle Cuisine for over three years and leads our event department. His Japanese tasting menu, held at Transmission Studios, highlighted his experience in Japan and his respect for Japanese food culture.  The event took place in June, inspiring Dylan to use Ontario spring ingredients (ramps, morels, garlic scapes, zucchini flowers, strawberries) to create a unique seven course menu.

Transmission Studios, a 3,200 square foot blank canvas by That Good Co., located at 58 Berkeley Street, was the perfect destination for our first event.  With 15 foot ceilings and incredible natural light exposure, it was the perfect fit.

Our next event, with senior sous-chef Mickal Gardner, presented a Caribbean-inspired menu at Ode Toronto. The menu featured traditional Jamaican dishes and techniques and was a reflection of his culinary journey—each course representing significant moments in his career.

We have two remaining Dinner Series events scheduled in 2024.  The first is a Contemporary Tasting Menu by chef Jonah Mills on September 19 at Bau-Xi Gallery. Bau-Xi Gallery on Dufferin, located within the vibrant community of Geary Ave, offers a blend of elegant ambiance and artistic allure, making it a perfect environment for our Dinner Series.

The second is a Fall Forage dinner on November 6 at The Great Hall. Check back next month for more details.

What made you feel it was important to create a space for your chefs to share their voices?

Coming out of the pandemic, I realized that the company culture craved improvement. It was clear that we had many talented chefs on our team who were passionate about their work at Elle, and I was committed to creating an environment that allowed them to thrive. They deserved a voice, and I wanted to elevate their roles, and to create opportunities for them to express themselves creatively. The dinner series was born out of this desire to reconnect with my team and to offer them a platform to showcase their unique culinary journeys. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see them so inspired and committed, and to realize that giving them this stage has had a positive impact on both their growth and the success of Elle Cuisine.

With the summer winding down, what seasonal ingredients or dishes are you most excited to showcase?

As summer ends, I’m excited to work with ingredients like Ontario corn, tomatoes, stone fruits, squash blossoms, and Ontario berries. These are some of the best ingredients of the season, and we’re incorporating them into various dishes. For example, we’ve been featuring fried zucchini blossoms, tomato and burrata salads, and corn in multiple forms, such as fritters and salsa. Our Strawberry Fields Forever dessert and Corn Agnolotti are two dishes that are stars on our menus this month.

What can guests look forward to at the Toronto Life x Elle Cuisine Sunset Summer Soirée?

We’ve teamed up with Toronto Life to co-host an end of summer party. Partnered with East Room, the signature event is being hosted in The Big Room at 50 Carroll Street. Guests are invited to dress “Sunset Chic” and celebrate the beauty and deliciousness of the season’s final days.

Enjoy cocktails inspired by late summer fruits like stone fruit mojito, spiked strawberry basil lemonade, bourbon peach tea, and cherry amaretto sours. The menu features Elle Cuisine’s most popular dishes of the summer season. Passed canapés and mini meals include bite-size arancini, Jamaican patties, lobster rolls, corn fritters, pan con tomate, beef tartare, gnocchi, corn agnolotti, tomato and burrata salad, and tuna crudo. Interactive chef stations feature Spanish tapas and liquid nitro ice cream.

Don’t miss out on the Sunset Summer Soirée. Buy tickets now.