With the Opening of Casa Madera in Toronto, Noble 33’s Tosh Berman Becomes Next Hospitality Leader
In an exciting new expansion, Noble 33 is bringing the magic of Casa Madera to Toronto, Canada. The Los Angeles-based
Ivy Griffith
In an exciting new expansion, Noble 33 is bringing the magic of Casa Madera to Toronto, Canada. The Los Angeles-based restaurant group that is responsible for the super-hot venues of Toca Madera and Tocaya Organica are bringing the magic to 1 Hotel in Toronto. With the expansion of the Madera name, Noble 33 co-founder and chairman Tosh Berman cements his position as the next leader in the hospitality industry. With success after success under his belt, the newest location is sure to be another hotspot. Noble 33 is a collaboration between the considerable talents of Berman and Madera Group founder and President Mikey Tanha – and together, they're changing the face of the hospitality industry.
Casa Madera Comes to 1 Hotel Toronto
Los Angeles flavor is coming to Toronto. When 1 Hotel opened in Toronto in August of 2021, it was clear that the destination hotel was going to elevate vacationing and business travel as we know it. 1 Hotels is a mission-driven, sustainable, luxury hospitality brand that revolutionizes the way a hotel can coexist within a city. 1 Hotel Toronto is the brand's sixth location, and joins popular locations like Miami and Manhattan in adding green and fresh air to your luxury stay.
With the launch of 1 Hotel Toronto, the team shared their mission and goals in a statement, "With the goal of preserving the planet and minimizing its carbon footprint, 1 Hotel Toronto is powered by Ontario's renewable energy systems and expects to divert over 85% of waste from landfills. On-site composting turns all organic wet waste into reusable soil for the 3,300 plants on property and multiple gardens.
The design of the property pays tribute to Toronto's local environment and natural beauty through the use of raw materials and textures sourced throughout Ontario. Featuring 112 guest rooms including 21 suites with city and skyline views, room amenities include heated floors, plants, organic cotton linens, yoga mats, and customized organic bath products. An in-room water filtration system along with tumblers and carafes made from reclaimed wine bottles reduces the need for single use-plastics. The hotel's in-room dining menu allows guests to eat mindfully with a selection of dishes that celebrate Ontario-grown ingredients. Other guest amenities include a rooftop pool and The Field House fitness facility. Indoor and outdoor venues allow a versatile setting for meetings and celebrations."
Time at the hotel feels a little like being suspended amongst the trees in a tree house of your very own – if that tree house was luxurious and elegant, with soothing white decor and the perfect blend of natural and modern, of course. At 1 Hotel Toronto, guests already have the option of dining at 1 Kitchen – but now, Casa Madera is kicking it up a notch. Casa Madera grounds itself in the Earth's elements of fire, water, and earth – offering a multi-sensory experience that feeds more than the body.
Casa Madera opens at 1 Hotel on April 5 – just a few days away. Casa Madera offers a modern twist on Mexican cuisine, guided by Japanese precision and French technique, a dining experience you'll only find in Noble 33 destinations. The menu at Casa Madera caters to a variety of dietary preferences and needs, including but not limited to vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and keto. With a wide array of options that draw from Mexican coastal cuisine inspiration, guests can enjoy dishes that range from simple and charming to theatrical and exciting. Some of the signature dishes include a Tomahawk steak featuring a 44 ounce Wagyu cut, Campari tomatoes, potato confit, smoked butter with shaved black truffle, and fire-roasted Pacifico Striped Bass with fennel citrus salad, fresh corn tortillas, sunburst salsa, avocado tomatillo salsa and cherry chipotle salsa.
The culinary artist behind the helm of Casa Madera at 1 Hotel Toronto is Chef Olivier Le Calvez, and 1 Hotel proudly shares his qualifications; "Born in Mexico, Chef Olivier Le Calvez brings a wealth of global experience and talent to the helm of the Casa Madera kitchen. His 25-year culinary career is strongly influenced by his native country, as well as European, Asian, and Latin American techniques making him perfectly suited to the role of Executive Chef of Casa Madera.
His valuable expertise and skillset were also recognized by the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Mexico where he was a Chef Instructor for two years. With an inherent love for food and a deep commitment to his craft, Chef Olivier is thrilled to be bringing Casa Madera's modern coastal cuisine to vibrant Toronto." With a knack for bringing fresh flavors to life in creative ways, Chef Olivier will delight guests anew every time they dine at Casa Madera.
The cocktail menu also draws from Noble 33's extensive experiencing in delighting guests, led by beverage curator Carla Lorenzo. The cocktail menu operates on a farm-to-glass principle which will use fresh, seasonal ingredients, and offers non-alcoholic and low-proof options. The beauty of having Casa Madera in the heart of 1 Hotel is that the restaurant can draw from the hotel's diverse on-site garden for local, fresh, to-your-table flavors.
Tosh Berman, Hospitality’s Mover and Shaker
Behind the magic opening April 5 at 1 Hotel is Noble 33, and hospitality's newest leader – Tosh Berman. Raised in Santa Barbara, California, Berman attended boarding school in Colorado as a child before attending Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the University of Colorado. Berman was a member of the US Ski Team, and worked his way up from the bottom in the hospitality world, starting as a busser and dishwasher before moving up the line to general manager. At 23, Berman opened his first venue in Denver.
Berman was behind the immensely successful AV Nightclub in Hollywood, a place where A-list celebrities called home-away-from-home for the night, as well as hotspot nightlife destinations, CAKE Scottsdale and CAKE San Diego. As co-founder of Madera Group (in 2013) and later Noble 33, Berman has successfully helped bring to life the Toca Madera and Tocaya Organica brands.
The Toca Madera flagship launched in Los Angeles in 2014, embracing a modern organic aesthetic and a focus on sustainability and fresh, unique flavors. Berman's bio adds, "In 2016, The Madera Group launched Tocaya Organica, a fresh-casual eatery that features a menu of tacos, salads, bowls, and burritos made with organic produce, hormone-free meat and sustainable seafood with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. Tocaya Organica includes 18 locations in LA, San Diego and Arizona, and has recently merged with Tender Greens to form One Table Restaurant Brands.
Most recently, Berman and his business partner Mikey Tanha co-founded their new company Noble 33, a hospitality and lifestyle company with an ever-evolving lineup of unique, social dining restaurants stateside and abroad, Noble 33 leads the management and continued expansion of iconic brands Toca Madera and Casa Madera, while also developing brand new concepts such as Sparrow that will further expand the boundaries of high-energy fine-dining. Future targets for new locations include West Hollywood, Las Vegas, Toronto, London, New York, and Miami."
As the Noble 33 group expands into Toronto and partners with 1 Hotel Toronto, it's a sign that Berman is on top of the industry and ready to guide the next stage of hospitality.
Noble 33 – Mikey Tanha and Tosh Berman
Berman works closely with Madera Group and Noble 33 co-founder, Mikey Tanha. Tanha is currently working as the CEO of Noble 33, overseeing their expansion and growth.
While Berman is helming the industry in new and exciting directions, Tanha is flawlessly weaving charity and environmental responsibility into the process. Tanha's bio explains, "Prior to Noble 33, Mikey served as the President of The Madera Group and Tocaya Organica, where he created a charitable organization, Tocaya Life Foundation, which emphasizes environmental and social causes in the communities their restaurants serve. Some of the causes Tocaya Life supports include but are not limited to alternative farming, sustainability, and ocean preservation.
While these focuses are admirable and inspirational in and of themselves, Tocaya Life always seeks methods of taking their mission to the next level. Therefore, the organization recently launched an initiative known as “Wave Tank.” Heavily inspired by the renowned television series Shark Tank, Wave Tank will give three non-profit organizations the opportunity to pitch their missions to a panel of the company’s executives. A quarterly event, Wave Tank aims to shine a spotlight on and reward the organizations that are making the greatest impact on their community and the world at large."
The Noble 33 leaders are the dream team of hospitality, and every move they make helps inspire the industry's next moves. With Casa Madera blending organic, responsible, sustainable food with a modern and tantalizing menu – Noble 33 has set the bar higher yet again.