Gerry Quintero is obsessed with food. He says the obsession goes back as far as he can remember, to his youngest recollections from his native Mexico. He reminisces about growing up in Monterrey, where his dad worked at the local food terminal and the family always had heaps of vegetables around the house.
“We were vegetarians, all with a deep love of food,” he says. Particularly Mexican dishes. By the age of five, he was creating his own plates. When he was 12, the family immigrated to Canada. Meat became part of their diet and his passion for food never wavered. After graduating from Toronto’s Humber College Culinary Management program, he went back to Mexico and revisited all the dishes he enjoyed as a kid. He also became acquainted with those offerings featuring meat and fish that he never tasted. Experiencing Mexican food in a different way renewed his respect for the farmers and everyone who brought food to the tables.Â
His appreciation for Mexico was a focus of our recent conversation about the menu he has created at Ficoa in the middle of Toronto’s vibrant Little Italy neighbourhood. The menu includes a “Golden Ticket” option that runs $500 per person and brings fine dining in the city to another level.
Vacay.ca:Â What brought your family to Canada?
GQ: My parents wanted a different life for their children. My dad’s family business had collapsed, and my mother was tired of all the violence. It was a big move, but a good one.
Vacay.ca: Were there mile posts along the way that helped you get to where you are today?
GQ:Â In grade 10 in Toronto, I did a chef co-op. I saw what a busy kitchen looked like and I was determined to go to culinary school. While there, I got a job catering, which I really enjoyed. I entered Season One of The Food Network’s “Fire Masters,” which was a big event.
I did a stage in Thailand and spent 15 years working at several historic Toronto restaurants and developed several food concepts through the company ALMA+GIL. One job led to another and I saw all levels of dining before opening Ficoa in April.
Vacay.ca: How would you describe Ficoa?
GQ: It’s an eclectic, zero-waste tasting-menu restaurant that reflects the multicultural aspect of Toronto and the micro-seasons in Ontario. I love to mix food from different cultures. Some dishes are signature Mexican dishes, but I am not locked into my heritage. The entire restaurant is built around the idea of family. I want to provide you with the experience of being a kid again, of someone taking care of you. I want you to enjoy the experience at your own pace.
The first room you come into is the lounge. I call it Grandma’s basement. The walls are covered with black-and-white pictures of the owner’s Ecuadorian family. I want you to get the feeling you are going to grandma’s house. We serve some snacks here and pour whatever drink you would like. It’s a different style of dining from white tablecloth fine-dining. There are just 20 seats for the tasting menu and 14 seats at the bar where we offer a bar menu. It’s non-posh, intimate, elevated service.
Vacay.ca: Describe a typical tasting menu.
GQ: It features 16 plates over seven courses. It changes with the seasons and we can adapt it to a guest’s preferences. We offer beverage pairings, including non-alcoholic options. The Neighbourhood Menu, which features six plates over four courses, appeals to guests who want a more condensed experience.
Vacay.ca: Do you have a signature dish?
GQ: L’osing Duck. It’s the dish I did for “Fire Masters”. It didn’t win but it is one of my favourite dishes to cook and eat. I’ve been improving it since 2012. I slow roast it over binchotan charcoal, so the duck retains its natural flavour and moisture. Then I baste it with fermented mushroom garum, onion jam to produce a perfect medium rare with crispy skin and juicy meat. I top it with zero-waste ash from the corn husk and onion skins.
Vacay.ca: You have a membership program at Ficoa. Tell me about that.
GQ: An annual membership gives a person access to members-only events such as wine and beer tastings as well as an all-inclusive dining and beverage experience. It’s not a common practice in Toronto, but popular in parts of California and has a great deal of corporate appeal.
Vacay.ca:Was there a moment in your life that changed everything?
GQ: Yes, many of them. As an immigrant everything changed when we came to Canada. But food, specifically restaurant-related food, there was a time during the pandemic where I became a regular at the food terminal, and I was inspired me to use more Ontario produce, working with the seasons and using the full product. Being able to work with fermentation and a flexible menu is inspiring every day.
Vacay.ca: What are you excited about cooking right now?
GQ: Fermentation has always been a big thing for us. Right now, I am planning around the many local summer ingredients that will be available to us. We are going to be doing a fish dinner soon. I want to expose guests to aged fish roasted on charcoal.Â
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Vacay.ca: Do you like to travel?
GQ: My partner, Mandy, and I love to travel whenever we can. So many friends postponed getting married during the COVID-19 pandemic that we have recently been to Rome, London, and Lisbon for weddings. We spent five special days in Copenhagen. And, of course, to Mexico.
Vacay.ca: What’s the best thing about travel for you?
GQ: Experiencing the markets. We check out the markets as much as possible to see what is in season and get a few things to cook ourselves. But mostly we eat street food or from food halls to fine-dining tasting menus.
Vacay.ca:If you could come home with a suitcase full of foods, condiments and spices, what would it contain?
GQ: From Mexico I would bring Queso Oaxaca, the original stringy cheese. It’s white, semi-hard, low-fat, and it originated in Mexico. The cheese you get here doesn’t have the same pulling faculties. I would also bring back mole negro sauce. And some fresh and dried chilis.
Vacay.ca: Have you travelled much in Canada?
GQ: Not as much as I would like to. I have been to Ottawa and Montreal several times. We love eating there. It is one of those places where you have four lunches and four dinners in a day. Jean-Talon Market is amazing. Vancouver is high on my list to visit.
Vacay.ca: What else would you like Canadians to know about Gerry Quintero?
GQ: I feel with the food I am cooking now — even if it is for brunch — you get a flavour experience that you won’t be able to get elsewhere. I want to host people as if they are family, to come in, meet the team and feel they are at home.
MORE ABOUT FICOA
Address: 585 College Street, Toronto, Ontario (see map below)
Website: ficoa.thethirdplace.is
Menu Price Range: Ficoa features tasting menus that range from $90 (Neighbourhood Menu) to the $200 16-plate option. The Golden Ticket is an all-inclusive menu for $500 per person.