67-year-old Toronto restaurant owner cooks up to 600 meals a week for the city's homeless community
Just before 1 a.m., Danny Adiev arrives at his restaurant in Toronto’s east-end to start chopping. But he’s not preparing for the loyal brunch crowd at Chew Chew’s Diner, he’s cooking for Toronto’s homeless community, nourishing up to 600 stomachs every week.
At 67, Danny navigates the kitchen well past the break of dawn all on his own. “No one is there, no one bothers me. I just cook, cook, cook,” Danny told CTV News Toronto.
Some days, he dedicates 10 hours to cook 25 lasagnas. Pulling four trays out of the oven at a time while subbing in the next round of raw pasta. “It takes time,” he said.
Every week, he changes the menu, from shepherd's pie to spaghetti and meat sauce to cheese and potato stuffed pierogis.
His dedication to wholesome, hearty meals is rooted in his Macedonian upbringing, where he grew up before coming to Canada in the 1970s.
The mass meal-making began in January. Saint Luke's United Church, right across the street from Chew Chew’s at Carlton and Sherbourne, asked Danny if he could make a couple hot meals a month for an outreach team to distribute to Toronto’s homeless community.
Owner Danny Adiev of Chew Chew’s Diner cooks up to 600 meals a week for Toronto's homeless community. (CTV Toronto/ Hannah Alberga)Some weeks, his aluminum take-out containers ended up in the hands of people evicted from encampments in Trinity Bellwoods and Lamport Stadium. On others, his macaroni and cheese was handed out at churches and synagogues across the city.
At first, Danny was making a couple meals a month, splitting the workload with another restaurant.
“But they didn’t like their meals…they loved my dad's meals,” said Alex Adiev, Danny’s son. Due to popular demand, Danny increased to twice a week.
Owner Danny Adiev of Chew Chew’s Diner cooks up to 600 meals a week for Toronto's homeless community. (CTV Toronto/ Hannah Alberga)Meanwhile, Danny and Alex continue to run their east-end diner, serving all-day breakfast with weekly specials under $7 and bursting veggie omelettes with seasoned home fries and buttered toast for less than $12.
“Alex is in the front, I’m in the back,” Danny said. “Always in the back.”
Owner Danny Adiev of Chew Chew’s Diner cooks up to 600 meals a week for Toronto's homeless community. (CTV Toronto/ Hannah Alberga)While Chew Chew’s is the fourth restaurant Danny has owned since coming to Canada, he remains deeply dedicated to the back-of-house, indulging in the gratifying role of cooking the food that comforts Torontonians.
“I’m 67-years-old and I still like my job,” he said. “I like to make people happy.”
His most recent endeavor, feeding Toronto’s homeless community, is a striking testament of just that.
ABOUT TABLE TALK
Table Talk is a weekly CTV News Toronto series that explores the people who shape Toronto’s food scene, published every Friday at CTVNewsToronto.ca
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.