Most people don’t exactly relish the end of summer. The impending doom of back-to-whatever and colder temperatures doesn’t put smiles on many faces. But I think that we should focus on savouring every last minute of this  time of year, rather than focusing on what’s ahead. It’s a time to party, to gather with friends and family while the nights are still warm, and to celebrate all the great things – not to mention great food – that summer has to offer us. Evidently, Chef Anthony Rose and his crew at The Drake Hotel agree with me. On August 26th, Chef Rose and guest chef Alida Solomon, of Tutti Matti, threw one heck of an end-of-summer culinary bash at the almost-secret back garden of The Drake Hotel. It may have been called “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden”, but when the prosecco cocktails are flowing and the food is this flavourful, flowers seem of little consequence.

This was the second Drake Garden Dinner in the series. The first, held on August 12 with guest chef Bonnie Stern, was a big hit. And Chef Solomon’s guest appearance was deemed another great success. Both Anthony Rose and Alida Solomon are known for their devotion to fresh seasonal ingredients, with Chef Solomon being particularly adept at bringing the flavours of Tuscany to Toronto. And for this event, that was the focus.

When I asked what was the idea behind the menu for the Garden Dinner, Chef Solomon said she started with the question “If you would have a garden party in Tuscany, what would you serve?” And from there came the ideas for many Tuscan-inspired dishes, which she and Anthony Rose edited down into a menu for the night.

Now, I can think of no regional cuisine that evokes what the end of summer means to me than that of Tuscany. Everything is ripe and luscious and full of flavour, and that certainly played out in the Drake’s Garden that night. From the start, fresh summer fruits were a focus: peaches, melons, and figs were wrapped in prosciutto, grilled, and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. In fact “prosciutto with everything” was sort of the theme of the evening – and really, who could argue with that? Other features of the menu were smoked duck and venison carpaccio, beef tenderloin with cherry tomatoes and caramelized onion jam, seared tuna with succotash, oysters from Oyster Boy, and - though it was not particularly Tuscan, it is a huge favourite of mine – brie and honeycomb on crostini that were an incredible blend of salty and sweet. Dessert meant another chance to enjoy the perfect summer fruit: local peach tarts were delicious. Followed, of course, by a giant platter of desserts from The Drake’s Executive Pastry Chef, David Chow (read more about him here).

The whole evening, from the secret garden setting to the incredible food and drink, to friendly crowd gathered, made for a deliciously laid-back experience. And was perfectly capped-off by a toast to the chefs from the crowd gathered. The Drake definitely did summer justice with this garden party. And I’m not sure if family barbeques will ever quite be the same now that I’ve experienced what it’s like to have Alida Solomon and Anthony Rose manning the grill.

This event – and the dog days of summer – may have passed, but don’t worry. The Drake Hotel has much more goodness in store – watch out for a porchetta party in the fall, and more garden parties next summer.

For more information on special events at The Drake Hotel and Chef Anthony Rose, go to thedrakehotel.ca/dining. For more information about Chef Alida Solomon and Tutti Matti, check out tuttimatti.com.

Michelle Jobin is the host and producer of Toronto Dining and a Weather Specialist for Global News. She is especially fond of duck confit, dark chocolate ganache, and thunderstorms.