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Tried the hot dog pretzel buns, quite liked them. I found warming the whole bun in a toaster oven (or BBQ if outside) was more effective than sawing in half and toasting both interior and exterior of bun. The exterior gets nice and crisp, the interior stays soft and doesn't dry out as much.
Pro - nice and crispy exterior, doughy goodness
Con - has a tendency to split and fall apart, maybe too firm?
I think they work well for sausages (tried it with several different types from Healthy Butcher). I think they may detract from a burger experience where a crispy exterior on the bun may interfere with texture. I'll still give it a try. I would also give them a try with other fillings, they might actually be more interesting with a good smoked meat?
In search of Lyle's Golden Syrup
It's a thick syrup from England, very distinctive flavour and basically the greatest thing ever. It can be used in any recipe that would call for corn syrup or honey. I grew up eating it on toast, often while watching Rocket Robin Hood - the most poorly animated show of all time.
Check out their site for details
http://www.lylesgoldensyrup.com/
and "the wiki" of course -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_syrup
In search of Lyle's Golden Syrup
Price Chopper on Gladstone has it for those jonesing in Parkdale. Panicky hoarders can now relax and make that treacle tart you've been dreaming of.
Where to buy great Andouille & Chorizo Sausage in Toronto?
Sausage Partners at Queen St. E. and Greenwood makes a good Louisiana style Andouille. Texture is a finer grind then they do it down south, but they have a lot of good smoke flavour (hickory?) and spice. Made red beans and rice on Monday and they really made the difference.
Worst in Toronto
Thread age is showing! Victoria Restaurant is closed - space is reno'd and I believe it's a retail outlet for orthopedic shoes? Never went in but it was always fascinating to watch while waiting for streetcar at the stop on Queen.
Chicken Wing Prices - RIDICULOUS!!!
At certain point in the last couple of years, due to production levels, didn't wings become more expensive then chicken breast? Or at least it became more cost effective to cut up a chicken breast into 3 or 4 pieces, bread and fry them and then sell them as "Boneless Wings"?
Now available: Chicago-style deep dish pizza - downtown Toronto
How are you reheating the pizza? If you heat your oven up to the 400/450 F. zone (convection oven works best) and have a pizza stone or even a cookie sheet heating in the oven, you get pretty good results. Especially if you like a crispy crust. Also helps if your pizza is undercooked a little to begin with.
Mezcal in Ontario?
Highly recommend the TLACUACHE MEZCALE JOVEN - ORGANICO. I would pick this up before most of the listed blancos at the LCBO. I've seen it discounted $5 in some stores, so that's an added bonus.
Very refined spirit, with smokiness balanced by fruit, vegetable and pepper notes. Nice clean finish. Drink it straight, it's worth spending some time with.
And not that it matters, but it's a nice bottle!
LCBO - cheapo scotch
We definitely seem to be out of the realm of cheapo scotch, especially when we start talking about single malts and bourbons.
Perhaps the thread should be renamed to 'best value whiskies for your flask'?
In that respect, I like that sweet spot of the 30 to 40 dollar range - where you often get big flavours for a good price.
Here are my current faves -
Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky 100 Bond- $34.95 - This is new, the only American rye in general listings and definitely a live one at 100 proof. Highly recommended.
I prefer Sazerac 6 Year Old Straight Rye - $44.95, 90 proof - even more, but there appears to be one bottle left in Ontario - up in Thunder Bay.
On a side note, I think it's a shame that no one in Canada is making ryes in the more rough and tumble American style. I love Alberta Premium, but the last time I tasted something really adventurous from a Canadian distiller was Lot 40 Pot Still, a whisky not available for a while now.
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey - $39.95 (90 proof - has a nice touch of of rye in it's blend to add some spice, has been creeping up in price while oddly Maker's Mark is actually decreasing in price, from $45 to current $37.95 )
Jim Beam Black Kentucky Bourbon Aged 8 Years - $28.95 ( I love the whole Beam family of bourbons, but this is the value loaded one of the bunch, bottle at 86 proof)
The Black Grouse Scotch Whisky - - $33.70 (86 proof a - fair amount of Islay in the blend, so peaty/smokey/briney with some nice sweat notes - a great value blend).
Topless Muffins should be illegal! Please help!
Capital Espresso in Parkdale make some of the most awesome old school muffins in town. They are indeed about half muffin, half muffin top. The tops are always crunchy and the edges are where it all comes together - like a cookie and a cake hooked up and said 'let's see if we can make something beautiful together'. To gild the lily, they often add a simple icing sugar glaze to the top.
They achieve this increasingly rare muffintopness because they bake them in-house, so no travelling time and no opportunity to get soft. Sometimes when you get there at the right time in the morning, they are STILL WARM. That's an omen that your day will be good and all is right with the world.
Word is out in the nabe, so show up early or you are unlikely to score one. Sometimes I'm not even hungry but I get one because I know it will reheat nicely in the toaster oven the next day.
Fave flavours - carrot coconut (golden cake like muffin, shreds of carrot throughout, sweet, crispy glaze with coconut on top)
- zucchini walnut chocolate chip (pretty much like what it sounds -shredded zucchini, walnuts are killer and it's worth a reheat to get the melting chocolate.)
As a side note, I rate them highly for consistant, well executed espresso.
New BBQ joint coming to Roncesvalles.
Stockyards sure isn't just around the corner from 299 Roncy or I'd go there a heck of lot more!
With this place opening, there is a good possibility of a west end BBQ Triangle now - Stockyards, Barque and Drake BBQ.
Hope they get it right. Or hey, maybe you could open up a spot in Parkdale?
Thor Espresso Bar - anyone been?
I went last week and was impressed.
The Slayer machine is beautiful, with a lot of solid, tooled metal and beautiful wood.
For the straight espresso drinkers out there, the shot was complex and layered. Bright acidity at the beginning, some red wine like notes and then cocoa and buttered toast on the finish.
Most espresso in the city tends to be a little one note, but this was quite the ride.
I also had a cappucino and it was executed with panache. Velvety textured foam, creamy milk with a nicely integrated coffee/chocolate flavour. No sugar required, the milk wasn't overheated and was quite sweet.
This was based on one visit, so we'll see how consistant they are in the future, but I can say I would rate them highly on the CGFS (Coffee Geek Fervour Scale).
Live Bait New Restaurant?
Last night I got a close look at the liquor license application. It's for Sushi Kanji.
Live Bait New Restaurant?
The signs also have this website on them - http://www.thebaitshop.ca/
I'm surprised at the liquor license. I thought they were just moving location. So are they expanding from a gallery/printer/skater? Or are they designing the space for a sushi spot? That space becoming an above average sushi restaurant would be awesome.
ISO argentinian matte or mate
There's also El Almacen Yerba Mate Cafe on Queen St. West
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/682503
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El Almacen
1078 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA
Caplansky's - You have got to be kidding me!
I have been there about 4 to 5 times in the last 2 months. Here's my report based on a semi regular status -
Smoked Meat Sandwich:
Order - medium fatty
Texture - the meat has been really well cut, with the right "give" and chew (not stringy or rubbery)
Spicing - Only in 1 out of 4 sandwiches did I get a nicely cured, spiced sandwich. The other three were under spiced, like the cure had not penetrated the meat enough.
Smoke - again, only nicely smoked in one sandwich. The other 3 were very light on smoke.
Overall - my biggest complaint is about getting a good cure into the meat. As just a straight brisket sandwich, it's still quite good. But if I wanted that, I would order the braised brisket sandwich (which is quite good).
Fries:
I've never had bad fries here. Fries should be salted when they come out of the fryer, which they always do.
Borscht:
Dependably tangy hit of cabbage and brisket. Very good when it was still cold.
Turkey:
Their smoked turkey is actually the best smoked product in the house. I highly recommend it.
Tongue:
I like tongue, but it's one of those cuts best carved really thinly. The hand carved slices were a little thick and overwhelmingly rich for me. It would probably work better fried with eggs...
Knish:
Possibly my favourite dish here. Great pastry, wonderful, rich mashed potato and smoked meat with the gravy…
However, had a horrible experience with one recently. Was ice cold and rock hard in the middle, clearly being reheated from the freezer. Had it taken back and when it returned, it was warm, but the core was a massed layer of uncooked raw dough, which is probably why it did not reheat properly. I told the server I was not going to eat it and just skipped the knish. He offered some alternatives, but I wasn't interested by then and he took it off my bill with no questions asked.
Service:
Very good each time. Several different servers all were friendly and efficient.
As important as providing good service when things went smoothly, they dealt with the one problem I had (knish) quickly, professionally and with charm.
Summary:
They have some consistency issues, but in my experience not as bad as described by some posters. That doesn't mean those posters didn't have problems, and I would say they are perfectly justified to never go back if the visit was terrible. I can only say I have been happy with Caplansky's on the whole. My biggest complaint would be the cure and smoke on the brisket. They've really backed off on the flavourings and this really needs to be adjusted.
Suggestion:
So some people may not like a strong cure. Why not a second cure, called "The Monarch", for those who loved that beautiful combo of Texas brisket and Jewish smoked meat?
Ravisoups
Confirmed via a call -
Original Location -
11am to 10pm (Mon to Fri)
11am to 6pm (Sat)
Sunday closed
Queen West Location -
11am to 11pm (Mon to Sat)
11am to 8pm (Sun)
Note - The new location has a slightly awkward space, but it's nice enough. Looks like they're staying open later because of the traffic in the area. I go by there daily, so I can confirm the stated hours (at least till 9pm). I can also confirm that the soup and biscuits I had were just as good at the Adelaide location!
New Southern Food downtown Toronto: Smokin' Bones?
From the "Join Us" portion of the site - http://www.smokinbones.ca/join_us.php
"The goal of the proprietors of Smokin' Bones is to become the premier take-out and delivery restaurant of Southern comfort food in the GTA. The principals in the business have over 15 years of combined experience in all aspects of the industry and will provide a safe, clean and well-organized workplace for their employees"
Looks to me like a franchise business concept.
Looking for Stumptown in Toronto
Apparently, Stumptown is here, in person!
Corey Mintz has a piece about Stumptown in this week -
http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/730316--coffee-messiah-without-attitude
Here's the New York Magazine link as well
http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/56145/
Oh Boy Burger, Queen and Portland
Good call on the Queen and Beaver burger. I had it the one time I was there and my only real criticism was the cost ($17 - though it was with double smoked bacon, stilton and chips..)
Oh Boy Burger, Queen and Portland
When the sign first went up for this place, it was Oh Boy Gourmet Hot Dogs. Then they clearly shifted their concept after taking forever to open and watching the premium burger trend take off. This did not inspire a lot of confidence in me, nor did Pataki's article, which quoted the owner as wanting to franchise.
Embee, that short rib/chuck combo is golden. I used it to make the best burger I've ever made a while back. Just because I thought I should do It once in my life, I briefly left the meat in the freezer to firm up and then chopped it by hand. It was a crazy amount of work, but the texture was beautiful. Free formed the patties without working them to much and then cooked them in super hot cast iron. They formed a beautiful craggy crust with a wonderful, juicy and steaky chew. They weren't too thick and the irregular shape promoted some nice nook and cranny action. It was a riff on a great Cook's Illustrated recipe with a little Heston Blumenthal thrown in for good measure (specifically, watching the grind so that the the fibers run paralell to ensure tenderness). I think all I added was salt and pepper. No binders, no herbs. Nothing else and it was so superior to anything I've tasted from a restaurant in the city.
Now I not asking for hand chopped patties, but why is this type of burger so difficult to do in this city? It's a grill top burger that a lot of old school diners do in the States. Is it just that most people haven't had this type of burger and just think overly thick, moisture free meat pucks are what constitutes a good burger?
Caplansky's: What the @#$%^&*?!!!
Here's another great tip for take out. If you order a pound of the full fatty, make sure you have a receptacle with some kind of seal. The first time I did this I walked home and discovered that the entire inside of my courier bag was bathed in the wonderful, smokey meat butter that had leaked from the paper sack and deli foil it was packed in. Luckily those courier bags are coated on the inside, so it was easily cleaned. Man, my cats were really into that bag.
Yesterday, I popped in for a sandwich and latkes and some a pound of smokey meat. I came well armed with a ziploc bag and it worked wonders.
Best Espresso in the city...
Sounds like you got a bad shot.
There's about a zillion things that could have been done wrong. Unfortunately, if you've left the building, it's hard to go back and make a complaint.
I've seen the staff there tasting the shots, so they are monitering quality. I'm sure they would want to correct the problem and provide a new drink.
Looking for Stumptown in Toronto
Now Intelligentsia, those I bought because they were cool!
At least, I liked the packages. They told me when I was tasting persimmon and chokeberries.
dannyboy - I agree about Lit. I think they get a little underrated when compared to some other spots in town. One area I think they are very strong in is that the entire staff is consistent about the quality of the shots. I don't think I've had the best espresso in town there, but I do believe the general quality is quite high. I will say the last time I was in, a guy I didn't recognize was pulling shots and I definitely got an odd one, but it literally was the first one in about 25+ visits.
jwhitereview - who would be your recommended micro roasters in town?
Looking for Stumptown in Toronto
Lit is stocking the Hair Bender blend and several varietals (which ones escape me at the moment). The Hair Bender has a really strong chocolate/cocoa flavour, which I am a sucker for. It's for espresso, but works well in a french press. Not sure if Lit is using it as their house espresso bean. I'll ask next time I'm in there.
Mary Brown's Chicken
I've lived in downtown T.O. for 18 years and I still get cravings for this stuff!
It was a sad day when the location in Ajax closed. I can no longer insist on a quick stop when visiting the inlaws.
Ah, memories! As teenagers in the wasteland of Durham in the 80's, we'd often grab a couple of boxes of taters, maybe some chicken and then just drive aimlessly around.
Looking for Stumptown in Toronto
Lit on Roncesvalles is stocking Stumptown. They're in paper bags lined with some sort of lining, but with just a regular roll up closure as opposed to a sealed bag with a vent hole. When I bought them I asked about freshness and was told they were roasted 3 days ago. I thought they were quite good - I generally do an 'agressive' french press or aeropress at home and did not notice any lack of flavour. On the other hand, they did not impress me any more than the 49th Roasters or Intelligentsia being stocked around town.
What happened to Massimo's Pizza ??
We tried them last weekend. Ordered the special veggie pizza with olives, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes.
PRO - Delivered in under an hour, a huge achievement for a place within a 10 minute walk from my house.
CON - We had to help driver with directions, as he went to wrong street
PRO - No one at my place has a death allergy to red peppers
CON - They have a pretty relaxed attitude about ingredient substitution; red peppers for sundried tomatoes wasn't horrible but they did make the pie a little wetter and sloppier.
PRO - Pizza was quite large
CON - It was mainly about old school dough as delivery platform for cheese, with the ingredients scattered sparsely.
PRO - Ingredients were of a good quality, sauce was good, not too sweet, had some depth and garlic bite.
CON - The olives where whole and jutted out of the pizza in a bizarre way, like a boulder. For a brief second we thought they might not be pitted, but they were.
PRO - They thoughtfully cut the pie into slices.
CON - A portion challenged individual managed to cut a series of 1 inch slivers and 5 inch monster slices. Like they thought they had to cut 32 slices and then realized after a few pieces that was not the case and then over compensated.
All in all, despite the snark, I'd try them again to see how they do with the plain margherita or a meat based pie.
I would rate them a little higher than the last couple of years at the old location, and definitely higher than any chain pizza.
The half assed attitude (authentically transported from the old place) amuses me, though that may change.
And seriously, please cut the olives. Even in half would be an improvement.
I can't believe it is this hard to find somewhere...
If you don't mind Parkdale, give this place a try.
http://www.cafetaste.ca/
It's on Queen just west of Dufferin, in the same stretch as Wrongbar, Cadillac Lounge.
They do catering and events and I know them to be pretty flexible in providing an affordable package.
Even if they aren't what you are looking for, I think this type of smaller neighbourhood bar/restaurant is likely to be your solution.
Good luck!
Smoking a brisket at home (split from the Ontario board)
That's how you can tell someone has cooked real BBQ. They serve it up and then end up sleeping in a lawn chair a half hour later.
Looking forward to your results!
