pinstripeprincess's Profile
Food Trucks' Food
they've changed it since the first time i had it and the first photo i've seen of it. they stopped the tarragon, lightened up on the mayo even more, less butter on the bun, celery sometimes no celery othertimes, upped the price by a dollar and give you a whole bag of chips vs a handful of chips (but i'm not there for the chips)... and the lobster quantity varies.
i still like it better than most other ones i've had. is it a deal, no, i don't expect lobster to be a deal. at least they don't shred their lobster and leave quite intact.
Fresh Tofu sources in downtown Toronto
i keep meaning to try their cheung fun rolls and the fermented rice cakes... but timing is always off!
Fresh Tofu sources in downtown Toronto
there's a spot that makes tofu in the same row as essence for life in kensington. their stiffer tofus are packaged up but the soft-med are in the loose containers. the smell and all the water running around the outside of the place definitely says they make it there.....
i don't buy/eat a lot of tofu so i can't say much about how it compares flavourwise but the texture has been right on.
Grand Electric
if i was in the neighbourhood and had a container with me, that is one dish i would go in and try to get take-out of.
Grand Electric
i've been once, it's not enough to make a strong judgement but it was enough for me. i thought it was ok and tend to agree with the comments that some of it is a bit bland, or perhaps too subtle.
i think the food medium that they're using, while some days could certainly be elevated, isn't really the place for subtlety. the tortilla can easily wash out a lot of flavours and some of the expectations of a taco are bright and bold. the first time i had a taco at Hoof was before GE opened, it was nice but nothing i would go there for specifically. now the taco at Hoof is amped up in flavour and i think it's fantastic, definitely a top 3 order there for me. we found ourselves dousing GEs dishes in lots of hot sauce... even a bit of salt would have helped.
that being said, the spicy squid was delicious (though soggy, which i'm not sure if that has to do with the cooking or that it came out so early and we ate it last) and the key lime dessert has made it into the food memory vault.
100 Foods to Eat Before You Die - Toronto/GTA Edition
all i could see what a photo, the filling looks right but the bun seems a bit off... a little too chewy/dense possibly. an article mentioned they bake it on site though. am curious... may send a friend...
Need a foodie friendly "lux dive"
i walked in with a group of 6, there were plenty of tables but they were cut up by groups of two. the woman working there was definitely acting as hostess while the place was fairly empty. she directly said to me that they do not like groups of larger than 4 and begrudingly had us wait.
after that a couple of guys heard our conversation and even offered to change tables to give us space. she refused them and dealt with something else. she eventually sat 4 of us while 1 other person went to the bar, we were waiting for 1 person. the table beside us was nearly done and we told them not to rush, it was fine. once they left, they gave us the table. the "hostess" did not look happy.
i've heard of large groups going... i have no idea why she gave us such a problem. this was the only bizarre service, everything else was normal though very very casual.
Need a foodie friendly "lux dive"
CG gets upset if you show up with more than 4 ppl. they prefer not to serve that many.
Analysis Paralysis - Help me choose a restaurant: Nota Bene, Acadia, Campagnolo, Frank's Kitchen? Other?
he hasn't disclosed his plans.
Analysis Paralysis - Help me choose a restaurant: Nota Bene, Acadia, Campagnolo, Frank's Kitchen? Other?
good thing you are. while i haven't enjoyed acadia as much as others have... matt blondin just announced he's leaving the end of the month.
Need a foodie friendly "lux dive"
i'm in the camp that County General is a bit expensive/small portions. i've had to order multiple things per person to get full... but most of all i've just had dismal experiences. low flavour, dry overdone burgers, really bizarre hostess.
i'd like other people to chime in, but i did a short stop at bellwoods brewery and really enjoyed the little that we had. they brew 8 different styles of beer themselves, have a belgian dominated bottle list and an interesting selection of ont wines. the things on sticks menu is great, but i can't speak for the plates. it's all small portions so it will eventually add up, but it's tasty stuff by guy rawlings. so think of this as a half recco, hoping others will say something.
the gabardine slightly falls out of the range of what you want... they do have mains that go up to mid 20s but a huge selection of their options are under $20. it's in the same price range as CG for me but MUCH better. style is what i consider "toronto bistro"... specials lately have been playing on some asian flavours, but base menu is pure comfort.
Burger's Priest vs. Holy Chuck vs. Stockyards
the concept of "inferior" depends on your personal qualitative measurements.
just because sous vide can cook something well doesn't mean it cooks all things well. does even mean that people use the method correctly, it can have horrid as well as outstanding results.
i understand that you like your burgers a particular way, in some situations i'd agree with you. but these places do not even suggest to serve what you're looking for specifically. i find what they have significantly more satisfying than everyone else trying to do what you're asking for and i'd rather have the satisfying experience than a clearly mediocre one that on paper plys the middle ground option.
yummy yummy dumpling - my preferred spot downtown
it's a new menu, they still haven't rolled it out... might be because there's not a lot of business and it's a lot of perishables to carry.
as for the translucency... i've noticed they've been taking less care of cooking the pancakes lately and that they tend to burst one during cooking. the liquid then soaks into the other pancake skins and makes them translucent. i'm disappointed in this, but it is what it is now. i'm just hoping that it returns to the old way. so that it has a nice dry and crispy exterior.
Burger's Priest vs. Holy Chuck vs. Stockyards
i find different things can have their time and place. i like how it becomes "saucy" and aged cheese can be a bit too overpowering for me when the beef flavour isn't up to snuff.
Burger's Priest vs. Holy Chuck vs. Stockyards
real cheese has a more plastic feel than fake cheese for burgers for me.... but i also prefer whiz on my cheesesteaks.
Burger's Priest vs. Holy Chuck vs. Stockyards
i'd have to say that my to-go HCB was quite good, but it arrived still warm so it was speedy! it was a basic cheeseburger and wasn't dripping grease, just moist.
yummy yummy dumpling - my preferred spot downtown
great!
was at northern dumpling kitchen recently and while the fillings were more refined, am still a bigger fan of the skins at yummy yummy. now if only they'd be more careful w/ the beef pancake and not burst them on the stove top anymore! they were perfection when the liquid didn't leak out.
Burger's Priest vs. Holy Chuck vs. Stockyards
btw, i'm not sure how you get your stockyard's burger, but the only way i do now is animal style. while i like the other variations... this is the one that gets the cravings going. HCB doesn't do "animal style" theirs misses on the pickles which i think is fairly crucial for this and their big chuck doesn't hit all the same notes (this wasn't greasy to me at all, btw, so i think it has more to do with their bacon/other toppings).
the one thing i don't quite get is that their fries are essentially the same, but i prefer stockyards'.
i haven't had enough BP recently to make a comparison with them. i was not happy enough with the first one to make a trek out whereas i'll make the trek to HCB and SY (which can be 30-45 min one way).
Best noodle soup near Queen & Spadina?
ok, then i don't see how that's any different at king's. the soup base is what they warm up everything in, i'm sure it's a fairly standard way of doing things. i do it at home for myself.
Best noodle soup near Queen & Spadina?
so you just order noodles and soup? nothing else in it?
i don't really consider what they do at any of those places broth... it's just msg base with some of the right stuff.
Burger's Priest vs. Holy Chuck vs. Stockyards
the amount of pink was actually not that much, not the way say... an allen's burger or what not will do the med rare. it was just a spot of it with definitely very medium cooked meat around it. it was quite beefy.
i also realized after we talked, TOJo, that i was the one that commented on the salt before. i had the plainest burger the first time and found that the patty itself was a bit low on salt but that the cheese, bacon, etc etc more than compensated for it via other ppls burgers. whatever it was then, it's certainly not now.
btw... i really like the service at HCB the guys there really try to make sure that you're getting great food and a great experience.
Best noodle soup near Queen & Spadina?
my go to is king's noodles, how does it compare to goldstone's?
so far from my experience the goldstone's meat has been mushy.... i also find the consistency of the noodles at king's to have the right amount of bounce/al dente-ness.
Burger's Priest vs. Holy Chuck vs. Stockyards
my concern about burger press is that their sign promotes their use of lean beef.... it does not give me hope.
coffee near U of T, Kensington, Chinatown
if you like ideal, they're also in kensington. i would personally prefer to make the extra trek further south to sense appeal than dark horse any more. dark horse has been serving me burnt coffee for a long time now.
The Gabardine
I love it. It's comfortable, tasty, very well priced.
Wasn't expecting it, but I find they do seafood very well. From the smoked trout salad to the sandwiches mentioned by TorontoJo and their incredibly filling fish pie. My latest favourite dessert was their pie of the day - banana cream. Just go with your mood and you're likely to be very satisfied.
Gusto 101
i had a small seafood oriented meal here and i would stay far away from seafood here again. other friends have raved about it but they went with what i would consider safe classics... mushroom pasta with loads of truffle oil, etc. where you have to perform pretty badly to make it not tasty.
the octopus we had was this almost mushy texture, like it was fake tender. the flavours on the plate were great otherwise. then there was a seafood oriented pasta which i can't remember why i was so keen on.... the pasta itself was quite nice if it didn't taste as if it were soaked in salt water. mushrooms in it (why there were mushrooms, i have no idea, certainly not in the description) tasted like campbell's cream of mushroom soup. the other seafood itself was fine but it just didn't come together.
our kale salad was the best thing, but it's certainly not a complicated dish. i'd like to go again to try pizzas and perhaps something with some blood in it but i'm not rushing to go back after their uppity attitude at the host stand. servers have been lovely.
Critique my "must try" list for Toronto!
i'm not sure why Mexican has to fit into this, it's just one of those things we don't do well... we don't have the community to support it. But if we're talking Latin food... you'll find a bevvy of interesting options. the most varied one right now is the latin market space in kensington, which has rebozos and agave y aguacate now and a few other spots... fresh churros!
american/canadian - holy chuck burger over burger's priest
vietnamese - i am completely baffled by this yuen tung place... it doesn't sound viet. my preferred place is still pho phuong, but their best stuff is outside typical ordering practices ie not pho or bun.
morrocan - no you won't find anything, but perhaps if you went persian or turkish or otherwise you'll find some fun new things to try.
la cigogne - tarte flambee only on saturdays, i believe, for a specific period of time
other things you should consider - portuguese bakeries, dr laffa, northern chinese/dumpling houses...
The Prague on Queen Street Closing?
do you know when the takeover begins? i should have stocked up on tripe soup....
Dim Sum at Dragon Dynasty - Could be some of GTA's best!
overall it was fine, but i wouldn't make an effort to return.
chicken feet were a touch too sweet, a little too white peppery and not enough any other seasoning which made them out of balance and a bit bland. the fried rice roll, while tender is better had at home where i can get a really great crust on it. the cheung fun was sad, very sad. the stir fried sticky rice was intensely salty, but i know that was due in part to grabbing a slice of the lap cheung. i'm not sure why they did the beef balls with peas, it wasn't a better combination than tofu sheets.
the haw gow was very well constructed, i would personally enjoy it with more garlic and spices. i liked the tapioca, custard and yam something paste dessert... tapioca was cooked well and it had a mild level of sweetness - great! the tripe in ginger was pretty good, well prepared and good gingery salty flavour... a lot of places seem to be giving this dish less care these days.
overall, i think we got a good steady flow of food.
Food Trucks' Food
no they don't, but i love it when used right. my favourite lobster roll is the gabardine fish special one. they use some, not a tonne but enough you can taste that it's there. FANTASTIC. the buster's cove looks a little heavy but it still looks very promising.
