tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40245128276627739952024-03-08T02:24:57.729-05:00DRAWN AND DEVOUREDDrawn and Devoured, the only restaurant review blog that avoids the annoyance of the photograph: everything is illustrated! Focused on new and interesting Toronto food joints, Katherine posts one beautifully colourful entry a week.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-46448220196331268602012-05-13T21:17:00.001-04:002012-05-13T21:17:48.565-04:00The Kitchen Closes<br />
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I am sorry to announce an official demise to Drawn and Devoured. It has come after a serious deal of trepidation and uncertainly. Even now, I want to give myself an out and say that this is an uncertain hiatus: I think we know better, so let me not question your intelligence by playing.</div>
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What happened? Nothing, which is really the heart of the matter. I am
very much a person who wants to achieve certain things, and every
project I undertake is undertaken with the hope not only of experiencing
great enjoyment, but of creating something for myself: a revenue, a
following, exposure, paid work. When Drawn and Devoured was started, I
hoped for all these things and knew that I would have fun (which I have
had). There have been high times. I feel more knowledgeable about my
city, and that's priceless. I've met some incredible people, who I
value. I hope I've learned something. I've become a faster, clearer,
better drawer.</div>
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It has not been what I hoped for, though. The fun is not really there any more. In a personal project, that's all that matters. The people who approach me for work through Drawn and Devoured seem to think I work for free: I don't, except for my mother (and she offers to pay me anyhow, the darling woman). The exposure has plateaued. Eating in Toronto, at NICE places, is really not cheap. It's been draining on my finances, and also on my creative energy.<br />
I have so many projects in my head. <i>Yonks </i>of them. </div>
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Getting a blog post together takes more hours than you might imagine. A lot of my time is spent chasing down guests to go dine with and coordinating schedules, which isn't the funnest. Having someone cancel is a big deal, leaving me without material, and it makes me angry at friends when I normally wouldn't mind. Getting good writing and art together takes a couple days, and I don't like it when I feel my work is substandard. That's so many days taken away from these new things clamoring in my head.</div>
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I'm hesitant to quit, because some of the positive feedback I've received comes from people of influence, of valuable opinion that I trust. They have made me feel that I'm getting somewhere, they make the project feel worthwhile. I still love the food scene: but I think I'm tired of feeling obligated to be a part of it by my own doing.</div>
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And yet, I don't want to feel that I'm throwing in the towel and quitting. </div>
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In the end, I only want to work on a project like this where I love every moment, and that feeling is gone. Maybe I'm getting close to some kind of break out, and it's a shame that I'm giving it up now. But, here: I'm not giving up. I'm moving on, to the next thing that I'm excited about. I really, really want to focus more on making comics, especially on my web comic <a href="http://www.meatandbonecomic.com/"><b>meat&bone</b></a>. Drawn and Devoured takes time away from shorts that I want to work on, and from my editorial work.</div>
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So, the kitchen closes, the range is turned off and the elements
left to cool. I have loved almost every minute, but I am off to make a
stage at some great unknown venue. </div>
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I hope you will follow me there. If you've enjoyed my writing, my art please keep in touch.</div>
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<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/VERWHO">Follow me on Twitter</a></div>
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<a href="http://verwho.com/">My Website</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.meatandbonecomic.com/">My Webcomic</a></div>
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<span id="goog_753848700"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-66710198341004357712012-04-18T00:26:00.001-04:002012-04-18T00:26:07.738-04:00Cafe Plenty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cafeplenty.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/01-33.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://cafeplenty.com/">Cafe Plenty</a> make a coy debut a few months ago. It's winning over a steady clientele with novel and fresh food, a gorgeous interior, and very friendly ownership (greeting many people by name when they entered!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Carargue Red Rice, Wild Rice and Quinoa with Cranberry, Orange and Pistachio</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My personal favourite. I'm actually crazy about red rice. This wasn't very sweet, just enough of a blend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Heirloom Beet, Watercress, Aged Cheddar and Pear</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A fresher version of the classic 'goat cheese and beet' salad, the cheddar adding way more kick. Loved the pickled pears! Everything is made in house, yummy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Mushroom and Herb Soup</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Salty and fresh, the herbs (mostly thyme? And others?) make this less cloying than a lot of mushroom soups I've tasted in the past, with a little onion for balance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A special salad they had that day, with Israeli Couscous. Big, fat grains!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Ham, Egg and Sweet Pepper Galette</i> and daily special with Sweet Potato, Herbs and Cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I didn't get around to trying these, but am meaning to go back! They were the most beautiful things on display. The ham looked like a silk ribbon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/07-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/07-11.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>House-made Chocolate chip Cookie</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alas, my sweet tooth. Crunchy cookies with lots of butter. I like the added texture of oat flakes. </span><br />
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<a href="mailto:katherine@verwho.com"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img alt="Email Katherine" border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/footer-1.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1661475/restaurant/Baldwin-Village/Cafe-Plenty-Toronto"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img alt="Cafe Plenty on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1661475/minilink.gif" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; height: 36px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 130px;" /></span></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-88304591360370004762012-04-04T00:17:00.000-04:002012-04-04T00:17:01.807-04:00Reel Eats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">
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I have been yearning to go to one of the monthly food and film events since they began this January. hosted and organized by Mary Luz and Sang Kim (and many others!)<br />
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This week has a chocolate theme, and the chef was Bruno Elsier, an unsung hero of the Toronto food scene. So many chefs get their glowing reputations at the helm of this or that hot spot. His history is long and reputable, but not very public -at least not in Toronto. He was referred to more than once as a 'triple threat' for being a master chocolatier as well as heavy hitting savoury chef. The food was excellent! And he did a great job capturing nuances of the story of that evenings film, "Chocolat", staring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.</div>
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<a href="http://www.escoffiertoronto.com/images/stories/Board_of_Directors/chef%20elsier%20bio.pdf">Read more about Chef Elsier (pdf)!</a></div>
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Things start to get warmed up. Wines are poured and introductions are made. I get a bit nervous in an unfamiliar crowd, but our server, the lovely Anubha, was very hospitable! Mary Luz also made the rounds, saying hello to everyone, and was extremely kind to seat me at the table with the storytellers - one of the draws of Reel Eats (for me especially) is that the film is played silently on the wall, and curated storytellers get up and share an experience with the diners. So unique!<br />
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<i>Remember, everything is inspired by the film 'Chocolat' </i><br />
'Crazy' Salad with Bacon Bits and Pine Nuts Sauteed in Cacao Butter with Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette and Cacao Nibs.<br />
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For each speaker, Sang made a little introduction. He was also offering wines by the glass (and bottle?), though we are allowed to bring out own! As I did.</div>
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'Serious Mayors' French Shallot and Lentil Cream Soup with Cacao Butter <br />
I am such a practical person, I loved this soup. A note on all the dishes: very low salt. A shocking and still tasty change! These crusty, airy baguettes were revolutionary.<br />
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Mardi of <a href="http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/">http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/</a> shared my table , as well as our two other storytellers, Dwayne Morgan and Patricia Bradbury (I didn't like the likenesses I got of either of them, so there's no drawings, sadly). She was nervous about her segment, but there was no need to worry- she told a lovely story about becoming Parisian. There was also a super-cute photographer girl who I had so much fun drawing! I loved sitting at a table with such characters and strong personalities. So much to listen to, so much laughter!<br />
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Roux's 'Handsome' Bean Cassoulet and Toulouse Sausage with a soupcon of Milk Chocolate.<br />
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I was next to Chef Scott of <a href="http://www.culinaryadventureco.com/">http://www.culinaryadventureco.com/</a> and his partner Tania. So wonderful to be at the same table as her! She was truly graceful about keeping conversation flowing (as I buried my nose deeper in my sketchbook). We shared a moment over having our first real cassoulet. I always imagined them to be thick, but it's actually very light!</div>
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Palate cleanser. Incredible.<br />
Armand's Yellow Wine and Goat's Cheese Sorbet with Flaming Armanac.<br />
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What a long table! I wasn't in a great place to watch the film, but I was in a good position to watch PEOPLE. And the table....which came in handy when someones menu slipped into a candle, and was halfway up in flames before I got it! I didn't really know how to put the damn thing out, but all was well in the end.<br />
You CAN see Dwayne and Patricia here! Third and Fourth on the left.<br />
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Boeuf Bourguinon prepared with Dark Chocolate...<br />
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...and Frites with Spicy Chili Chocolate Mayo.<br />
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It happened to be Mary Luz's birthday around the event, so we all celebrated with a toast.<br />
Chef Elsier (also hard to draw!) made a crazy, exotic and stunning dessert, but I have not been able to capture it's magnificence by ink.<br />
Vianne's Shades and Heat of Chocolate:<br />
White Chocolate Mousse with Lime<br />
Creme Brulee of Milk Chocolate and Dark<br />
Hot and Spiced Chocolate Drink (more pudding like in texture, though!)</div>
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<a href="mailto:katherine@verwho.com"><img alt="Email Katherine" border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/footer-1.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-86620745236400290302012-03-27T08:00:00.000-04:002012-03-27T08:00:09.054-04:00Super Classy<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: left;">
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Intermittently I've been hosting a bunch of draw nights with a motley crew of friends, friends of friends and acquaintances. It has been a LOT of fun, and I've been enjoying the comic/illustration/animation conversations, the inside scoop on what nerdy shows are happening, and the odd tip for anthology calls for entry. All good things!</div>
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The downside is that the location has been a late night cafe with a less that delicious menu, and no booze. It's central, spacious, convenient! Just lacking a few elements. In an attempt to mix up my approach to Drawn and Devoured, I hosted a draw night dinner party last Friday, and it was a blast! I love cooking for a crowd, even if my cooking is fairly humble.</div>
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Ladies and gentlemen, this is what I cook.</div>
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Trying to copy the look of the amazing devilled eggs I had at Origin. Those used a bacon spear, which is really not easy to replicate with a cucumber strip. I also bought the wrong sriracha. I never knew cock sauce was so distinct in itself! Duly noted. Now I gotta eat all this off brand spiciness... (turns out it's good in soup).</div>
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This is a recipe I stole from Cafe Colette! I have been dreaming of it since leaving New York. I was expecting a couple vegan guests, so I tried to provide a few not-super-standard dishes they might like (although there WAS the token veggie platter, testament to my occasional lack of imagination). It was a really surprising hit! I never expect 'health food' to go over well, but it was ett up heartily. Bread from my local bakery, <i>Absolute Bakery</i>.</div>
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Tabitha, who runs the most excellent blog Tabitha Draws came by and hung out for snacks and a few rounds of drawing! You can see some of here sketches from the night here (my ego is happy to see me in one! But I think she drew my friend Erin better than anyone ever).</div>
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http://tabithadraws.blogspot.ca/2012/03/omg-its-sunny-outside.html</div>
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One of the things I tried my hand at for the first time was pakora. I don't have a deep fryer and tried to make them in a skillet. Not as crisp as I would like, but still good and oniony. I would love to know a way to make these that's just as tasty but not so oily!</div>
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Can you believe the store was out of tamarind sauce? Sheesh.</div>
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Herbed popcorn has been a staple in my house ever since I worked for The Drake a couple years ago. They hosted a series of movie nights and always provided sloppy joes and thyme-butter infused popcorn. Thyme and rosemary are the best herbs for this. While I like my popcorn buttery, you can steep the herbs in olive oils for a few days and use that, making uniquely flavoured, scrumptious vegan popcorn easily. Gillian really liked this!</div>
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Could only have been better if I had some fancy cracked salt! Maybe I'll pick up some black rock salt...</div>
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And there were some things I cheated on, and just plated. Fake it 'til you make it! That's how a real hostess does it, baby.</div>
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<a href="mailto:katherine.verhoeven@gmail.com"><img alt="Email Katherine" border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/footer-1.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-8871809422188945122012-03-13T09:00:00.000-04:002012-03-13T09:00:03.837-04:00Pizzeria Via Mercanti<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Before getting into the pictures and the recounting of a meal, I need to lay out some thoughts. </div>
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I'm kinda a goal-oriented person. I always work best with a deadline, especially if it's a deadline towards something. For this reason I like making projects for myself. Drawn and Devoured is one such project. It's one of a handful I've had over the last several months, some longer in duration than others. Drawn and Devoured has never known a finish line! And I've generally been good about keeping my Tuesday updates going.</div>
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It's become less fun for me- somwhere play and work got too mixed up, even with my light updates. Making a post takes a few days and a lot of dollars. When I started I thought maybe D&D would make a nice next egg, and that was extra incentive. It hasn't panned out in that regard: I have, however, found a wonderful community. I think I'll cut this long story short; goodbye set schedule! I'd like to give myself more wiggle room to take on other fancies. For that reason, I'll still aim for Tuesday updates, but perhaps not as often as weekly. I'll still go to new restaurants, but maybe do some recipes, too. Try and keep the text a little lighter. Most importantly, I'm going to update when it's fun.</div>
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Cool? Cool!</div>
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Have some food.</div>
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With <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/mathewkumar">Mathew</a>.</div>
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<a href="mailto:katherine@verwho.com"><img alt="Email Katherine" border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/footer-1.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1648254/restaurant/Kensington-Market-Chinatown/Pizzeria-Via-Mercanti-Toronto"><img alt="Pizzeria Via Mercanti on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1648254/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-26940898266260391722012-02-28T23:54:00.002-05:002012-02-28T23:54:49.823-05:00Kat eats New York City<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Last weekend I went to New York City for the first time. Words cannot even BEGIN to lend themselves to the experience, but fortunately that's why I make comics (and why it took me over a week to make this!).</div>
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To be updated in colour!</div>
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Click to read them full size (800 pixels wide). For links to restaurants, bars, and whatnot mentioned herein, see end of post!<br />
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(places mentioned in order of mention) </div>
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I wish I took the name of the crazy baklava croissant place down. It was somewhere around Bryant park! Thinking of this is REALLY making me want coffee, this is not the appropriate time of night.<br />
<a href="http://www.nypretzel.com/">New York Pretzel</a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skylinedstudio/6310709194/">Sgt. David Gonzales</a> (surly man makes marvelous knish!)<br />
<a href="http://www.pintonyc.com/">Pinto Thai</a></div>
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<a href="http://cafeelportalnyc.com/food-delivery-TW/cafe-el-portal-new-york-city.3398.r?QueryStringValue=FnthCnjk4pqKJbwak4vG+A==">Cafe El Portal</a></div>
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<a href="http://cafe-colette.com/website.html">Cafe Colette</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.themanhattaninn.com/">The Manhattan Inn</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.momofuku.com/">Momofuku </a>(even though I didn't make it in!)</div>
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<a href="http://babycakesnyc.com/">Babycakes Vegan Bakery</a><br />
<a href="http://littleskips.com/">Little Skips Cafe </a><br />
<a href="http://www.artistsandfleas.com/">Artists & Fleas </a><br />
<a href="http://brooklynbrewery.com/">The Brooklyn Brewery</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/">Blue Bottle Coffee</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bagelsmith/113932545304661">Bagelsmith</a> (seriously, best bagel ever and no damn website!)<br />
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Gee! Our regular programming returns next week buckos! </div>
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<a href="mailto:katherine@verwho.com"><img alt="Email Katherine" border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/footer-1.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-13083128160102801922012-02-15T22:32:00.002-05:002012-02-15T22:38:07.347-05:00Winterlicious - Globe Bistro<h2 style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/se/restaurants.nsf/Winterlicious/962C2A2316B7E282852572D500780BDC?OpenDocument">Note: Menu is from the Winterlicious Website</a></span></i></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b> 35$ Winterlicious Prix Fixe </b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Butternut Squash Consommé </i><br />
Smoked ricotta dumpling, kohlrabi, sherry oil </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Smoked Haddock Tart</i><br />
Sauce gribiche, Northern Orchards apple, frisée</span><br />
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<i>Lovel Springs Trout </i><br />
Hemp flour crêpe, Northern Woods mushrooms, winter greens, Rosehall Run gastrique <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>House Cut Arugula Maflada </i><br />
Vidalia onion olive ragout, cello spinach, dried chèvre, dried cherry tomato pesto </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Chicken Fried Duck Breast </i><br />
Sweet potato waffle chips, collard greens, buttermilk gravy </span><br />
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<i>Callebeaut Espresso Cake </i><br />
Riesling cranberry coulis, Hawkins bee pollen <br />
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<i>Spiced Goat Milk Panna Cotta </i><br />
Wild blueberry lemon compote, langue de chat <br />
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<i>Niagara Walnut Butter Tart </i><br />
Vanilla anglaise, black cardamom icing <br />
<i>(vegetarian/local)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Everything was really excellent, decadent, and beautifully plated. It's always funny how you can spot who else is only at such a fancy restaurant because it's Winterlicious! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="mailto:katherine@verwho.com"><img alt="Email Katherine" border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/footer-1.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/132002/restaurant/Greektown-The-Danforth/Globe-Bistro-Toronto"><img alt="Globe Bistro on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/132002/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-87089044282837826902012-02-14T23:30:00.002-05:002012-02-14T23:30:45.176-05:00Computer Trouble<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">
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Hey everyone! There will be a post, but I'm having some serious computer trouble and can't get the art done. Tomorrow, I hope? Argh! I hope this isn't a destructovirus.</div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-34458255651222478822012-02-07T08:30:00.000-05:002012-02-07T08:30:03.389-05:00Porchetta & Co<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: left;">
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Since <a href="http://www.porchettaco.com/"><b>Porchetta & Co</b></a> offers one perfect main dish, I'm serving up a different twist on my usual illustration approach. Everything that goes into preparing the meat for a porchetta sandwich is broken down into a few simple steps, which I'll draw up for you. It's care and an ideal method that have made this little hole in the wall at 825 Dundas West a destination for food lovers, earning Porchetta & Co a spot on the Globe and Mail top 10 restaurants of 2011 (even though it only has four stools and a skinny bar to eat at!).<br />
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The sandwich runs a fair $6.45, with plenty of side options. <a href="http://www.suburban-mythology.net/">Gillian</a> and I get variations, both steering clear of the overwhelming porchetta plate option (way too much food!). She gets her sandwich with fried mushrooms (+0.75), and I get mine with truffle sauce (+0.75). We both dive for Kozlik's mustard. I have so many jars in my fridge! I love this stuff. Gillian and I share a few sides; rapinis ($3.95), roast fingerling potatoes ($2.95) and a small soup which is still big enough ($4.95). Soup du jour is cream of mushroom & truffle. </div>
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The sandwiches come on big, fluffy sourdough buns from the the Caldense bakery across the street. The sandwich can only be described as luxurious pig fat madness. It is hewn off the communal porchetta roast in thick slabs, cooked pork belly clinging to the outside, with the middle layer of prosciutto creating a crisp and fatty rind full of flavor. It is terrifically abundant. I'm glad for the size of the bun whose chewy, floury walls are working hard to keep everything contained. These aren't skimpy portions, and the meat is firm and filling. The truffle sauce has a hard time competing with such prominent meat flavours, which are working in great harmony and don't need any help<br />
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The crust formed by the first heat of cooking the porchetta roast is amazing, and my favourite part of this sandwich. It becomes a hard layer of cracklins. They're such a texture shift from the soft bun and the firm but tender meat! </div>
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It's the same truffle sauce, an extra creamy mayo infused with the prized fungus, which is drizzled over the hearty mushroom soup as it's only source of truffle. The soup was blended into a heavy coagulation of peppery and earthy flavours, dominated by soy, and a browning like gravy.<br />
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Our sides were simple and unassuming. The roast fingerling potatoes were golden through and through, the skin tended and fine. A light coat of oil with just enough salt made them go down smoothly, very like a coating of butter. They're moist and fluffy, not floury.</div>
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The rapini are also very simple, served roasted (I think) with a light toss of butter and chilis. The chilis get pretty hot after a few mouthfuls. I always enjoy rapini as a side to pork dishes, the bitter kick of these broco-relatives makes a good balance for the naturally sweet brawn of the pig. </div>
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<a href="mailto:katherine@verwho.com"><img alt="Email Katherine" border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/footer-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1568154/restaurant/Little-Italy-Portugal-Village/Porchetta-Co-Toronto"><img alt="Porchetta & Co on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1568154/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-91889498531777566852012-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:002012-01-31T08:00:13.185-05:00The Ace<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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The moral of my experience at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheAceToronto"><b>The Ace </b></a>is probably: learn to make a damn reservation. It is this frequent oversight which has led me (and my unfortunate accomplices) to many a long wait. Though I showed up to the shiny new restaurant/diner at 231A Roncesvalles at 7:15pm, for an 8:00 get together, we didn't wind up with a table until close to 9pm. Oh boy. In the future, when visiting a such a new place I will be sure to call first. A lesson long overdue in being learned, which is not the fault of The Ace at all. These long waits simply offer a chance to wander an unfamiliar neighborhood and explore what fine bars abound, and to reconnect with dear friends who I don't see often enough.</div>
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The place itself is long, dark and narrow, like a corridor out of a Twin Peaks lodge, but without the unsettling metaphysical implications. The ceiling is black, the wallpaper old fashioned and intricate, faded. Candlelight almost exclusively serves as our lighting. Even with the kitchen cooking at full speed, there's something woodchippy and natural in the air. Compared to the outdoors on this cold night, The Ace is as cozy as blankets, its big and inviting window dripping with steam condensation.</div>
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<i>Celery Root Soup ($4)-</i><br />
A lightly creamy concoction simply from the luxuriant texture of the roots. this was delightfully fresh and comforting, a titch of cumin accenting the mellow celery root taste. The root is quite mellow compared to the stalk, and I think this is an idea soup to start a meal with. </div>
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<i>Ontario Pork Chop w/ Russet Mash & Gravy ($21)-</i></div>
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Ryan has this, and the chop was big and juicy, the bone taking up a big chunk of the bulk. It had an appealing strip of fatty marbling and pips of herb. I didn't try this one, but from sight, the beans looked firm, the potatoes creamy. It disappeared with a speed that implies deliciousness!</div>
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<i>Lake Erie Perch w/ Cauliflower Puree, Buttered Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper Compote ($22)-</i></div>
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Like the chop, the fillets of perch formed a little towed over their mash, a big red bullseye of pickled roast red pepper begging for a fork to land. The fish was evenly cooking, the skin indistinguishable from the body. Slightly smoky, very mild. The red pepper juice really permeated the flesh, oozing into each crevasse. Love the cauliflowed mash, almost as robust as a potato mash but with a much more playful taste, rooty and teasing.</div>
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<i>Spaghetti w/ Smoked Trout, Spinach & Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce ($14)-</i></div>
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These round and robust noodles were soft, edging to overcooked (which I like but doesn't sit with many), and were evry plain. The garlic butter was a gentle touch, the lemon drizzle only perking it up a spot. The trout was very strong and good, mixing the smoke and water that makes me love this fish most. The spinach stood out more than the rest, making a coup on the spaghetti fortress. The trout and that mild garlic didn't know what hit them. If there was a hint of romano? It was trampled.</div>
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The dinner portions are just right, leaving well enough room for a touch of dessert. There were some decadent and strange things chalked up on the board, like nutella stuffed pierogies, but a traditionalist mood had overtaken our table. Zucchini cake was ordered, arrived cool, moist, more like a true cake than any zucchini loaf I've taste before. Truly spongy. The squash was only a hint, as were the spices. The oatmeal ice cream was a show stopper, hints of a gummy oat texture that put cookie dough ice cream to shame, very clean and rich, hints of nutmeg, cinnamon, </div>
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My penchant for amusing combinations paid off in spades. What an excellent and uplifting mix. The flavour was like a trickle that swelled into a river, the rosemary smooth and hard to place even when expecting it, which then billowed and surged into a full mouth chocolate deluge, the ice cream fudge and mind blowing. bittersweet and constantly cut by the herb. What a combination!</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1645643/restaurant/Roncesvalles-Village/The-Ace-Toronto"><img alt="The Ace on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1645643/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-31289032795776598952012-01-30T09:00:00.000-05:002012-01-30T09:00:19.151-05:00first taste: hot cocoa in the murry kitchen<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Getting a chance to work with Yasmin Seneviratne is always a pleasure. I've been enjoying her 'first taste' series, recreating food she learned of and loved from illustrated childhood books. The most recent book she wanted to write about was never illustrated, and that's where I come in! Here's an excerpt from her post, but you should go read all of it on <a href="http://lesauce.typepad.com/le_sauce/2012/01/first-taste-hot-cocoa-in-the-murry-kitchen.html"><b>Yasmin's blog<i> Le Sauce</i></b></a><i>,</i> which includes another illustraton, and her delicious recipe for hot cocoa!</div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><i>Childhood
picture books, stories and TV shows that depicted food and dining made a
real impression on me. Illustrations of steaming bowls of pasta or a
piece of toast smothered in purple jam gave me my <b>first taste</b> of
foods I'd yet to try, and are sometimes still the archetypes I hold
food up to today. Instead of simply reminisce, I'm going to bring those
dishes to life the way I imagined they'd be.</i></span><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><i> </i></span></div>
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On a dark, stormy night, on her journey to the kitchen from her cold
attic room, Meg had time to get down on herself about everything from
her mousy appearance, to her IQ level to her recent scrap with bullies
at school. This girl needed a drink! She knew it, and decided on hot
cocoa. That this was a romantic choice, for a young girl, chilled, a
little scared and a lot bummed out, was only part of the appeal to me as
I read those opening pages in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wrinkle-Time-Madeleine-LEngle/dp/0440498058" target="_blank"><b>A Wrinkle in Time</b></a>.
There was also the accepted adult-ness of the whole situation, because
who should be heating up milk in anticipation of both Meg and her mother
showing up in the kitchen in need of some, but the "baby brother" of
the family, Charles Wallace, wise and weirdly intuitive beyond any
human's years....<i>.<a href="http://lesauce.typepad.com/le_sauce/2012/01/first-taste-hot-cocoa-in-the-murry-kitchen.html">(continued).</a></i></div>
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<a href="mailto:katherine@verwho.com"><img alt="Email Katherine" border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/footer-1.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-77732002486817343272012-01-17T09:00:00.000-05:002012-01-17T09:00:10.971-05:00The Lakeview Restaurant<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: left;">
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I can't say that I'm a <a href="http://thelakeviewrestaurant.ca/"><b>Lakeview </b></a>virgin. The 24 hour long lit lights have called to me more than a few days and nights. The sign hanging outside the haunt at 1132 Dundas has always been a warming greeting. The handshake says, come in, I'm the Lakeview, I'm here for you. It's the handshake of a friend. I can't go in without a premature sense of nostalgia. I haven't been in Toronto long enough to feel nostalgia. I probably haven't been <i>alive</i> long enough to feel a sense of nostalgia. But I get this funny feeling at the Lakeview, like I know that in 20 years when I'm living in a fancy condo on Manhattan island, sipping a microfoam cocktail while my attractive manservant arranges my comic books via a complex system based on art style and era of prominence and my holographic cat purrs at my feet, I will think of the Lakeview with a sigh. Why? Why.</div>
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With neighbors like Porchetta, the Black Hoof, and with the entire gastronomical fulmination of the Ossington strip to the South, it does seem easily dwarfed, easily derided. My eating roots are very simple, and I have great appreciation for what the Lakeview is doing by tidying up the concept of the diner. I like their polished and affordable classics, and their pop culture hinted menu.<br />
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Personally, I always try to sit in 'the magical murder booth'.<br />
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Thus for review #50, a year after starting this blog, here's some new thoughts on an old favourite.<br />
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Even though the Lakeview is a diner, it's no greasy spoon. They've always had a lot of fun spins on healthy classics. Their eggs are great. Still, tonight leaned quickly towards the indulgent. I dreadfully declare that our appetizer of <i>deep fried mac'n cheese balls (6.00)</i> set the tone for the night. I don't really know what I was expecting from this! They were decent, they hit the grease/pasta craving bullseye. They struck left of the cheese spot, though. What cheese sauce was gluing this super soft mac together had been absorbed, its flavour reduced by an unholy heat. I made myself food like this in first year uni. Still, when eaten with hands, lumps torn off, crust crisp and oily, dunked in a bbq more spiced and less sweet than ketchup, I was pleased. They are exactly what you can expect (and the ketchupBBQcatsup is a winner).<br />
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I am a little ashamed to admit how much I ate. <i>We </i>ate? I guess! One other trait of the Lakeview which is probably not oft lauded due to few Toronto artists writing about food (that I know!), is that they have big tables and a turnaround that means you won't get scowled at for whipping your 11"x14" sketch pad out and bustin' out drawings for a couple lazy hours. <a href="http://www.lindsaydenise.ca/">Lindsay </a>and I were doodling as we ate, and we took our sweet time. The meal stretched out over a few hours, and at some point during this span of time immemorial, entrees arrived, and they were lovely.<br />
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I had some serious skepticism about the <i>fishwich (10.00)</i> because it is a self described as 'crispy filet'. Filet <i>of what?</i> Upon asking I am told it is basa, which I like. Basa holds up nicely to the fryer, it's got body. Not the most flavourful fish, but still enjoyably. It's sizeable! Two fried sticks top one another between a bun which is distinctly not steamed (as advertised). The bun is extremely airy, with a light crust that is as thin as skin. I don't really like steamed bus, and this is fine with me. The tartar is a killer, and I'm in love with its heavy herb and lemon. Dill, I think. The batter is light, layered and very fresh, the beer surprisingly noticeable. With it came a side of salad, which was a bland mixture of greens, refreshingly sweet but nothing to go on about.<br />
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While I did not try this terrifying, appealing thing Lindsay ordered, I have to say it was a mountain. <i>Le plateau burger (14.50 or 17.50 for a double)</i> is a thing which incorporates havarti, fried egg, bacon and comes with a size of poutine. It heaps high. I love egg on a burger, but even more so if it's over easy and runs into everything, gooing up the mixture into some mess of glory. I did have some of that poutine. It was not hot enough, and the fries should have been crisper, even under the curds and gravy. The gravy has a hint of bisto to it, hovering a step away from being gelatinous, but full of flavour. The curds were perfect- ripe, firm, fresh, flavourful.<br />
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Close to 11pm, after our filling dinners had settled and made room for <i>one more</i> thing to choose from the packed Lakeview menu, we got a dessert. There are things in this world that sound too good because they ARE too good- like the <i>chocolate caramel walnut cheesecake (5.50)</i> which was <i>too</i> rich and <i>too</i> sweet and <i>too </i>weighty<i>.</i>Don't get me wrong, it was good. It was just predictably tooth-aching. The cake was peppered with flecks of vanilla, and the cheese was not too cheesy of cloying- just right. At some points it was just like eating a toffee, there was so much caramel. If only there had been a nudge of contrast! And that, I suppose, is why cheesecake is traditionally had with fruit.<br />
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Gentrification comes and goes, neighborhoods change. They ebb. Will Ossington stay this hot and wild? If so, for how long? I think the Lakeview will have a firm foothold in the food loving latenight crowd no matter what. There's ALWAYS the 4$ Ceasar!<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1426607/restaurant/Little-Italy-Portugal-Village/Lakeview-Toronto"><img alt="Lakeview on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1426607/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-712766214630565182012-01-10T22:13:00.003-05:002012-01-10T22:13:58.969-05:00Enoteca Sociale<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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For a long time I've been trying to get together with my sister, and our friends Emily and Rebecca, who are also sisters. Sister double date! The potential best! And the venue has always been discussed as <a href="http://www.sociale.ca/"><b>Enoteca Sociale </b></a>(1288 Dundas West). That way, the two Italian sisters can tell the two Dutch sisters whether the food is awesome, or not (hint: it was). Things did not turn out as planned, and it was just Emily and I, a duo of little sisters, who went to Enoteca Sociale. Nearing its two year birthday, the crowd that buzzes inside is full, as are the reservations. Room at the bar is available after an hour, and I don't mind whetting my appetite with a beer down the street while waiting, knowing that the wait is indicative of a restaurant which consistently delivers quality and flavour.<br />
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The menu is bursting with intriguing combinations of taste and texture. A lover of dark leafy greens, I'm drawn to a salad of <span class="item-no-price"><i>baked kale, persimmon, king mushroom, farro & pine nuts </i><span class="price"><i>($13)</i>. We're of the same mind and Emily quickly get in cahoots to share everything ordered between us. I will always gladly suffer through the natural bitterness of kale to savour the richness and tang it has. But...what is this? Somehow between blanching and baking, under the buttery olive oil and surprisingly sweet fresh lemon juice, this kale <i>is not bitter at all</i>. I did not think that was possible, especially given that the dish is savoury. This is me, impressed. The persimmons are slice into thin sweet wafers, adding just a pique of contrast to hints of char in a dish which holds its own. Mellow pine nuts are a nice touch, but I could do without the farro, which is strangely tasteless and mushy. I haven't experience farro before mind you, so my tastes may just need maturing.</span></span></div>
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<span class="item-no-price">I'll warn you, our appetites were small that night, and slowed with conversation about the complexities of loving food. We nibbled, and enjoyed ourselves, but did not eat much. I think it warrants a second visit! Emboldened by the bravery of our own company, the next thing we tried was <i>smoked sweetbreads with escarole and romano beans </i><span class="price"><i>($17)</i>. Sweetbreads are offal, to put it indelicately- the organs most home cooks would never consider trying to turn into something delightful. Unpleasant experiences with kidneys and liver made the choice all the more appealing and trepidating. What to expect? Comfort was lent to the dish by the inclusion of a rich and comforting bed of smooth Romano beans, rehydrated and both firm and creamy. The texture was perfect, piqued with hints of escarole which had melted into the casserole. It added a bit of herb. The sweetbreads themselves were nothing I could have predicted, and were entirely enjoyable. The texture is somewhere between rye bread and liver pate, and the flavor is comparable to chicken, with a brine like flavour underneath a natural fat. Smoking added flavor, but the final treatment was the fryer, and the skins on these nuggets had crackled and bubbled with the flavors of a cracklin skin. Though there is some of that intestinal taste, I couldn't have been more happy with this comforting winter dish meant to warm one coming in from the cold.</span></span><span class="item-no-price"><span class="price"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="item-no-price"><span class="price">Though the portions are modest, their size completely in line with the mastery of their handling, Emily and I only visited ourselves upon one more dish, the <i>house made ravioli, black truffle, ricotta, apple, chestnut ($22</i>). As a pasta, I expected it would be just the right thing to do me in with heaviness. The ravioli were large and flat, with the most delightfully described 'pimple of flavor' that held chestnut and apple puree, and ricotta. You can thank Emily for that wonderful mental picture (you're welcome). there is not a ton of body to these, though they spread out beautifully on a plate. Black truffle makes enticing curlicues, crimped all over the glistening pasta. It's generous, and I can taste the distinct flavor so clearly. At first I didn't realize that the oaky blue cheese taste was from the truffle. It's woody but layered and nuanced. I'm impressed by how all the elements work together. In the bursting bubbles at the heart of the ravioli is a sweet and relaxing taste, the ricotta just nudging the chestnut into a more prominent place. A dash of tiny granny smith cubes are like timpani, banging out with a more aggressive personality than the other components, and refreshing the taste buds to receive another mouthful.</span></span></div>
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<span class="item-no-price"><span class="price">Why am I at home right now when I could behaving dinner, at Enoteca Sociale?</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1534245/restaurant/Little-Italy-Portugal-Village/Enoteca-Sociale-Toronto"><img alt="Enoteca Sociale on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1534245/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-12774075941424461472012-01-03T09:00:00.000-05:002012-01-03T09:00:01.052-05:00Banh-Mi Boys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">
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My experience at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Banh-Mi-Boys/177836625612197?sk=wall"><b>Banh Mi Boys</b></a> plays a bit like a Goldilocks story, so bear with me.</div>
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And hello again! I've missed you guys! I've missed using you all as a reason to eat amazing food, all the time. Or most of the time. At least once a week anyhow, but in <i>this</i> case, it was several times in one week and WOW am I still not tired of Banh-Mi.<br />
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My day sees me winding down with a walk from Richmond to Queen and Spadina to catch a streetcar to bring me home. I don't usually want to cook for myself at this time of night, especially since cooking for one is pretty boring (I will spoil my roommate with a dinner extravaganza as regularly as possible, but it is never enough). Yes, my nights tend to end in the horror of canned lentil soup. It's been on sale after all, and I'd rather pinch those pennies to splurge on a better meal at a nice restaurant...Banh Mi Boys is almost on the corner, at 392 Queen!<br />
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I will start with the bad news, which is that Banh Mi Boys is <i>not </i>that nice restaurant. While I know that they are first-time restaurateurs, that's no excuse for the divey feel of the place. It's painfully fluorescent and blue, the walls bare and painted a glaring and unfriendly white. The layout leaves a lot to be desired, the gauntlet between wall and prep counter squeezing any customer who wants to sit at the few cheap tables in the back. Because they've got some nice graphics, and the buzz has been good, I had expected something that felt less like a Chinatown dive. In that sense, Banh Mi Boys struck out.<br />
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We're not here for ambiance, though. We are here to eat.<br />
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Day one saw me trying the traditional banh mi sub. I really wanted the five spice pork, but it was sold out. My next choice was the regular pork, but I was told it wasn't the best cut. That is a kinda strange thing to tell a customer, I think, but I appreciated the tip. This one guy was there every day I went, and he was always the most energetic, helpful, and enthusiastic. I gather that it's a partnership, but I deeply suspect he's the motor of the boys. Pork was thus removed from my sub options for the night, and I went for the next thing, the <i>Spicy Beef Banh Mi (5.95)</i>. My spice tolerance is above average, but not by so much. For a few minutes I felt like a hotshot as I asked for kimchi and hot sauce on the sandwich, and was given stares of appreciation and fear. Was I mad? Actually I found it very mild. If you like things spicy, ask for extra hot sauce, or jalapenos, they overstate the heat.<br />
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The bun is home made by the owner, who moonlights at his fathers bakery to make the perfect bread he pictured for Banh Mi Boys eponymous food, and it is airy as spun clouds with a light and crackling crust. Perfect, not too filling. It's long, so that airiness is an advantage, and it suits banh mi much better than a baguette. The pickled carrots are wobbly and tangy, sweet but natural. Though I don't think the beef was very spicy, it <i>was</i> tender, succulent and fall apart in texture like ragu. It was chopped up in a way that reminded me of a shawarma. After finishing I was surprised that something so visually large could feel so insubstantial after eating.<br />
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Day two brought me around again, with a considerable appetite. These steamed buns were a big draw for me, seeming like the most inventive and fun thing on the menu. I was excited to order them and got two, knowing they would be smaller. I am not that familiar with steamed buns, you may guess. They're <i>heavy</i>, doughy and fat to the point that very little can fit in them as far as toppings go. I had a <i>Pork Belly </i>and a <i>Tofu Bao (3.49$ ea)</i>. The only way I knew that tofu could be had was because the family ordering ahead of me asked about it. For all appearances, the menu is totally carnivorous. Maybe they should stick to meat, given that the tofu had a very careless treatment. A brick of it was panko-crusted and fried. Panko will always taste good, so that was nice. But the soggy tofu hadn't had the love of a marinade, or any spice treatment. It was sadly bland. It may have been better if instead of one large piece, a few smaller pieces were fried and piled on the bao- more chance for flavor, and easier to handle. The salt in the fried crust was good, but there wasn't any action happening. It was the same vegetables, mild sauce (mayo and bbq), and the kimchi was salty but flavourless.<br />
The pork bao was an improvement. The bbq sauce was tangy and sensitively applied. The meat was honest and robust. I just don't think I like the bao in the end, because their bland and doughy taste envelops any filling that's put inside, no matter how gleaming the flavor.<br />
Whereas the banh mi had left me not feeling full enough, eating these left me feeling loaded and heavy.<br />
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Here is where my Goldilocks story comes into play. Day three. Previously the banh mi was too light, the bao too heavy, but these <i>Tacos (3.99$)</i> were totally amazing, and just the right weight. I hadn't known what to expect, but pictured a hard shell. The 'taco' is actually a roti of some kind. Light, buttery, elastic, flaky. They are steamed and then sink into little containers before being heaped with our now familiar vegetable trio of cucumber, cilantro and carrot. It gave me a kick that this Vietnamese inspired place is serving a Mexican named dish with an Indian style bread. Oh Toronto I love you so. I had a kalbi (Korean!) beef taco and though I'm no poultry lover, had the grilled chicken as well. The chicken had shawarma taste again (Vietnam meets Mexico meets India meets Turkey?), but with a potent dash of paprika. The cutlets were quite tangy with celery salt.<br />
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My absolute favourite thing was the kalbi taco, which was juicy and knockout flavourful. The meat was rife with onion and the taste of flat top grilling. The tacos are fun to eat, the taco/roti absorbent and malleable, perfect for sopping up juice or ferrying a load of veggies and beef to ones mouth. I had extra kimchi and sriracha on, and that makes these things.<br />
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The easy comparison to make here is to the Chinatown vietnamese subs found a five minute walk North on Spadina. They're different beasts, to be sure. Banh Mi Boys are dealing with a higher price point, because they clearly use fresher produce, bread, and higher quality meats. Every sandwich is made to order. In Chinatown you can get a sub the same size for 2$, and that can be a big draw by itself. They are packaged and ready to go, the bread is not as fresh, and the meat is dubious (but delicious) cold cuts. It's good in a different way. So if you're thinking of arguing about the price difference, think about the difference between the 1.69$ hamburger at Burger King, and the 10$ plate you'll get at any decent pub first. Same deal. Banh Mi Boys is going to be a draw because of their fresh take on a beloved takout food, and I hope a few more weeks will give them time to make the location more welcoming, to kick up the flavour, and hopefully work on their vegetarian option.<br />
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Given the proximity to my work, I know I'll be eating more of those tacos.</div>
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<a href="mailto:katherine@verwho.com"><img alt="Email Katherine" border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/footer-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1641835/restaurant/Queen-West/Banh-Mi-Boys-Toronto"><img alt="Banh Mi Boys on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1641835/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-32119711768954063922011-12-18T21:43:00.001-05:002011-12-20T00:47:32.103-05:00The Gabardine<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Service announcement: I'm going to be visiting family for the next week, and wont be able to paint! Drawn and Devoured will return in the new year..to celebrate its first anniversary! Yay! Happy New Year everyone!</i> </span></div>
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I like that I work downtown now. Everything is so much closer when you're right on the subway and tram lines. Just walking anywhere is so easy. Compared to my commute of a month ago, walking anywhere is FAST, too! In a way I feel like I've rejoined civilization, with all the luxuries that that entails- like having a restaurant as lovely as <a href="http://www.thegabardine.com/"><b>The Gabardine </b></a>(372 Bay St) in spitting distance. I could go there for every lunch if only I wasn't the kind of workaholic who doesn't break for lunch! Over their polished glass window is a glowing emblem of a pigeon who has stared at me with a playful mockery for the last few weeks, as I've adjusted to the new pace of this new life, knowing that a good dinner must be right around the corner.</div>
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Could I get used to the Bay Street life of cocktails at 5, after a hard days work? Could I become used to pickles and devilled eggs and hot olives as a matter of course? Dangerously, yes. My friends, a new chapter may be starting here.</div>
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But I digress.<br />
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On a Friday a reservation is a must- while I know that, I usually neglect to take care of the basic practice. So we sat at the bar, which is deep and white and marble. Raw tungsten zigzags under odd shapes bulbs illuminated the white walled room dimly. I thought maybe I would run into Nucky Thompson or one of his cronies. Was it the wide bar or the beach white that made me feel like a sneak on a 20's set? I like it here. They have good cocktails (though I opted for beer), and the servers are friendly, jovial. I don't know if the dress code is plaid, but all but two of the staff wore it. Molly, Pietro (also wearing plaid) and I shared the bar with a few ladies who were clearly friends of staff, ladies who were slyly served dishes not offered on the menu. I would have ordered a tamale if it had been an option! The menu items we <i>are</i> given to choose from are super enticing, fortunately.<br />
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I twisted Molly's arm into sharing some devilled eggs with me, and she twisted back so that we also got warm olives (you can imagine just how hard we had to wring, ie: not at all). I love bar snacks. They're the perfect size, and excellent for sharing. Devilled eggs are by far turning into a small obsession, a late-night craving which is now easily met at a couple places in Toronto. These <i>devilled eggs ($4) </i>are briny soft, very creamy without tasting heavily of mayo, a touch of dry mustard, four halves to a serving. They're classic, nothing ventured, and they please even if they don't astound. The <i>warm olives ($5) </i>are in the same boat. Warm, succulent, perfectly salted. No fancy tricks, just enjoyable fruit...for the most part. There were two stand out olives in the bowl of assorted sizes and colours. Two green buttons stuffed with lemon rind. An amazing kick in the teeth! It's so good it makes me wish I had a martini in my hand, even now.<br />
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In tandem with beginning a new job, with the upcoming new year, I am attempting to turn over some sort of new leaf. It's tough when you love food like I do, but I'm trying to be...well...healthier. Knowing that I would have a salad as an entree, I revisited my cruel arm-twisting-technique I connived to share some <i>rabbit rillettes ($9)</i> with M&P. I'm not sure which blogger I'm reading who keeps raving about rillettes, but someone is out there tainting my mind with desires. These were a first for me, so for those of you for whom it will also be a first, let me explain: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rillettes">rillette </a>is a pate made without liver, to put it crudely. It's a fat-cooked tenderized meat paste, and it is delicious. The rabbit keeps a bit of game to it, but is mostly tamed by smooth fat. The paste is served with fresh, flaky crostini, which are salted with clear and sharp flakes of sea salt, or rock salt. There is something noticeably potent about the salting in all the dishes. It isn't heavy, I mean - it's just that the salt has a palpably high quality. The crostini are airy, and the rabbit rillette happily stuffs the pockets of air. Add puckering sweet-sour cherry preserve, and we have a winning dish.<br />
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So, a salad. The Gabardine has a pleasingly imaginative approach to their herbivorous selections, which is great to see. Garden, Greek and Ceasar salads just don't turn me on. I love sweet peas like a kid loves cake, so I let out an internal cheer for the<i> salad of crushed sweet peas on bread with bufala mozzarella ($12), </i>which combines some of my favourite things- bufala mozzarella is a big love of mine. They're all different though, aren't they? This mozzarella had a way stronger personality than what I'm used to. Even with a strong minty lemon garnish, with fresh baby pea shoots, this mozzarella was running wild. I think it mated with a blue cheese somewhere down the line. Oh, on the outside it looked like a cloud of sweetness, like a proper mozzarella, but that FLAVOUR! Yes, a little musky. A little unexpected. The rest of the salad was also surprising. The bread was not very big, and I think this should be moved into the appetizer section of the menu. The crushed peas were piled high, and were freshly cooked, not from can, freezer or dehydrator. Delicious- but light. Lightly oiled, sparked with the same perfect salt. There was not much greens under the bread display, so it was less of a salad than an open face sandwich on a baguette spear, which itself was artfully charred, char which penetrated each mouthful.<br />
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I did not try the <i>club house sandwich ($12)</i> which Molly had, but it looked inviting. Two slabs of pancake-fluffy Texas toasts were lightly golden, kissed by a frying pan, holding everything together. The chicken was generous, the bacon visible in fine strips. I'm told it was rather lemony. With fingerling potatoes and a heap of juicy greens, it made a lovely sight, and all was eaten but the crusts.<br />
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Pietro was also going to have the club, but these two are wonderful and obliging friends who have come on enough blog dates to know I thrive on variety. He opted instead for a big ol' <i>skirt steak ($23)</i>, grilled medium. There's a twist on this steak which is something I appreciate seeing, especially since I spent a good deal of time at backyard barbecue's eating grilled peppers with chimichurri sauce this past summer. A chimichurri thick as chutney was lumpen atop the fat and proud steak. It was grainy and grassy, full of herbs. I love chimichurri and think it goes great with fresh red meat. The steak was robust, with loose marbling. I don't know if it was parsley of cilantro in this home variation of chimichurri, but Pietro doesn't like cilantro (one of those <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html"><i>soap tasters</i></a>) and pushed the sauce aside. A tragic waste! I like the zing and lime of it seeping into the meat. Their fries are good, too! Shoestring with the skin on (need I again mention that yummy salt? Well, once more won't hurt).</div>
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We'll see if the Gabardine keeps me coming back for dinner or lunch. I think they're likely catch me for breakfast (<i>seriously </i>they open at 8am, right before I start!) and after work drinks. The area holds many unexplored gems, and city, I'm ready.</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1570776/restaurant/Entertainment-District/The-Gabardine-Toronto"><img alt="The Gabardine on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1570776/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-46335197292032174392011-12-13T07:59:00.000-05:002011-12-13T07:59:08.491-05:00Grand Electric<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">
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Like a bolt of hot pink lightning from the sky, everyone is jittering with the words GRAND and ELECTRIC (or so it seems to me). When did this happen? Even before they opened their doors at 1330 Queen West, the new hot house of heavenly food was bursting with good reputation. I will spare you the repeat of <a href="http://www.grandelectricbar.com/"><b>Grand Electric</b></a>'s history, which can be summed up better by mind with more knowledge of what happens behind kitchen doors. I'm here to talk about food.</div>
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I'm also here, briefly, to talk about type. I never thought much of illegible lettering until Michael DeForge (a talent who exploded into recognition the last couple years in the comics realm) <a href="http://www.tcj.com/michael-deforge-day-three/">wrote a bit about it</a>, and <a href="http://michaeldeforge.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/cold-heat-special-7/">his own experiments</a> with the tough lettering. It gave me a new appreciation for words you have to work to enjoy, but I never felt I have a good chance to try it out. Drawn and Devoured is about food, and drawing, and it is also intended to give me room to practice my lettering. I enjoy it but have a long way to go to achieve any great skill. With their punk music and their in your face attitude, Grand Electric presented me with a muse for aggressive letters!</div>
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You should call and listen to the voicemail. <i>Sassy.</i></div>
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By now menus in the form of photographs and word of mouth have filtered out into the universe of people with their ears and eyes open to what's up with Toronto food. I went to Grand Electric not really knowing what to expect other than a very, very long list of bourbon. The menu, modest in size and promising in turn of phrase, is Mexican inspired, with some Canadian ingredients thrown into the mix to add a little local love. This Guac + Chips was good and simple, very unassuming. The chips were floury and hard, oil and crisp. These are good things, but different. I could really taste the corn. Both the pico and guac themselves were very traditional, just a hint of cilantro added to make them more than <i>just</i> tomato, or more than <i>just </i>avocado. The pork rind was sweet, salty, puffy and delightfully smoky.</div>
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This picture is a bit of a misrepresentation! You can get one Taco or three in a go at Grand Electric, and they're small softies, their shells gently cradling a variety of fillings. you can choose beef cheek, baja fish, arbol chicken or pork belly al pastor. We ordered one of each, but wound up with two beef and no fish, so that was kind of too bad. The dimly lit restaurant IS still in it's first month, and is inundated with people vying for attention and food. We could also have asked for a correction I suppose, but instead went ahead and ate what we were given!</div>
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The tortilla has the most pronounced flavour out of all the ingredients of each taco. It's yellow and corny, and goes great with the house salsas on the table. They're surprisingly flaky and elastic at the same time. When eating these tacos, the flavours do melt together very easily. The pork belly has a spicy aftertaste, and mostly taste of cilantro and sweet ingrained bbq sauce. The beef cheek is FATTY and tender, but could use a little more kick. It taste very simply of beef, and gets overpowered by the waxy wedges of avocado it comes with. The arbol chicken is the winner for me. It's extra hot, the heat hitting like a clear sunny day, it tastes bright. There's something musky like a stinky cheese or natto which really surprises me, because it works. I don't really think there was natto on this taco, but it's what I tasted.</div>
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The salad itself is nothing to get excited about. It's very plain, the buttermilk dressing like a less adventurous, tame ranch dressing, the salad itself little more than succulent and meaty Boston lettuce leaves with spears of radish. It's refreshing, but by itself would be disappointing. It comes with this LOVELY croquette of pulled pork, fried to crunchy perfection. It's great broken up on top of the leaves. The pork flakes away in chunks. It tastes like it's been tenderized by sitting in some evil, dark dieu du ciel beer. La fin fu monde! Pas de tout, c'est si delicieux. Pardon my French. The coke reduction is very strong, and the toasted pepita's offer a fun crunch, better than croutons.</div>
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I'm a lover of ceviche. It's the fish that science invented! And it usually tastes fresh and tender and mind blowing. It CERTAINLY did here, and for me this was the best dish of the night. The tostada that the fish and sundry vegetables nested atop was flaky and fried, very corny and homey tasting. It's salty body soaked up the ample amount of SUPER garlicky aioli (so good). There were pickled beans, crisped onions and slivers of jalapeno and deadly Chinese peppers (there is an official name for them that less conveys their evil heat, and it avoids my memory in this moment). The fish is light, translucent, and mellow. It's perfect.</div>
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Here's is a little peek at the menu. It's missing some items, like the soup that is apparently the ONE thing you HAVE to get at Grand Electric, and is naturally the one thing we did not get. This key lime pie in a glass jar will take away my sorrow! Dense whipped cream with bright little stars of candied lime rind shaved over it is a good start, and then you get to the filling, which is more custardy than limey. It's refreshing but also very rich, and doesn't taste fake or over the top. The graham crust at the bottom adds just the right amount of sweet comfort, and a touch of vanilla.</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1632702/restaurant/Parkdale/Grand-Electric-Toronto"><img alt="Grand Electric on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1632702/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-33468060250981114532011-12-06T09:00:00.000-05:002011-12-06T19:45:50.404-05:00Pizzeria Libretto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">
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It maybe a surprise, but I've never been to <b>Pizzeria Libretto</b>. It may yet be one of my sweet city's most lauded hot spots, standing the test of time. I should add that last tentatively, since they've been open just a short 2 years now? And the throng stays strong! In fact, the popularity of the contemporary neapolitan pizza place is such that they recently opened a second location at <b><a href="http://danforth.pizzerialibretto.com/">550 Danforth Avenue</a></b>...just a hop, skip and a jump away from me, wouldn't you know! The two menu's have different items available, so what you're used to eating at Ossington may not be what you get at Danforth! I would really like to try the rapini pie in the future, but I think Danforth might have the sexier dessert menu (we were too full to try).</div>
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To taste the Danforth pies, I teamed up with one of my blogging inspirations, and collaborator on the "One Cup Sketch" series (to return in the new year), Yasmin Seneviratne- she runs<a href="http://lesauce.typepad.com/le_sauce/"><b> Le Sauce</b></a>. Very worthy of a visit!</div>
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Salads to start, as we planned on having a slow and enjoyable meal. With a pizza each, the greens were a light way to begin. This one, the <i>Endive and Grapefruit ($11)</i> was small, served in the center of a big white dish, creamy vinaigrette hardly denting the flavour. When you have rosy, meaty grapefruit, sauce isn't that important. Even though the endive is a headliner, I found the traces of golden beet to really take over, with their sweetness and memory of fresh dug earth. I like this salad because it is watery and refreshing, and the walnuts are candied, toasted to make a nice sweet crunch.</div>
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It's probably the signature dish at Libretto, that big-name baller that every meat eater has to try on a kind of gut level. <i>It has confit duck? I am getting THAT!</i> we cry out upon perusal of the menu in its fancy italics, eyes hanging on the promise of fat fowl and tart seasonal fruit. The <i>Duck Confit ($17)</i> pizza really delivered, though it wasn't quite what I expected. It was not so fatty, the duck meat reduced to a tender ragu. It took me some time to place it, but the flavour if like Christmas on a crust. Stuck without family this holiday? come to Libretto, it tastes like turkey, but sweeter and more tender. These pizza's are seared in a whopping 900 degrees. The dough cools fast because it's thin, but remains elastic, full of personality. It's delicate flavour is an unassuming vessel for shards of equally humble pear. The duck is a salty attention hog- as it should be. The salt tastes bright, brought to this clarity by the perfect amount of fresh olive oil. The mozza cools and solidifies pretty quickly.</div>
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It makes delicious leftovers, as in the end it was more than I could eat.</div>
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I was not alone desire to start with something fresh! Yasmin also got a salad. I'll take a moment here to talk about the service. It's a very hipster joint, I was really surprised. The staff look like they all come from OCAD (I would know!), all laid back and cool, <i>and surprisingly attentive</i>. I mean. For hipster staff. What does that even mean anymore? Hipster? Isn't that pretty much the majority now? I'm probably a confused pup. They keep a good eye on their tables, though! No sooner than the last crumb of blue cheese left the plate, and our pies were in the over, and 90 seconds later, at our table. Kudos! Our glasses were always full.</div>
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So, this salad! I tried a little, and it was what you would expect of a carefully handled fruit and greens salad. Refreshing, crisp, the pears adding a little acidity, but mostly crispness. Yasmin and I both fawned over the figs (so many tastes in a common!). They were fat little guys. The blue cheese was very musky, with evil blue veins. the dressing was a lightly salted oil, which quietly let the fruits do the talking.</div>
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And finally, the last pizza! Even though this one is named the Quattro formaggi ($18) for it's <span class="ingredient-description">buffala mozzarella, montasio, moliterno and parmigiano reggiano</span>, Yasmin summed it up more aptly: "the truffle pizza". The almost liquid black fungi pools look ominous, and taste amazing. I don't think I've honed my taste buds to truffle though, and I felt overwhelmed by the amazing and complex mix of cheeses. It was strong, with pleasantly stinky mozarella, dry and wakening parmessan, and a creamy blend of moliterno and montasio. I think I have a lot to learn about cheese, actually, and may wander of to Cheese Magic to experiment with flavours. In the end, I think what I loved the most here was the clear fresh tomato sauce, as simple and as enjoyable as the day.</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1633322/restaurant/Greektown-The-Danforth/Pizzeria-Libretto-Toronto"><img alt="Pizzeria Libretto on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1633322/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-65845417104477098262011-11-27T22:08:00.001-05:002011-11-29T23:42:35.775-05:00The County General<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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One of my favourite things to do in Toronto pre-blog was go to Oddfellows taco night. I was sad to hear that they closed. I was and am very happy with who's moved in to replace them (though I will miss that tangy black bean paste!).</div>
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<a href="http://www.thecountygeneral.ca/"><b>The County General</b></a> is right at the corner of Shaw and Queen, where the street is quiet enough that you aren't being pushed along, but still pulses with the anticipatory feeling Queen West embodies. It's lively. It's a <i>long</i> ass wait to get in. That's what you get late on a Friday at a place that doesn't take reservations- they know they don't need to.</div>
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It's a fun shape for a restaurant, long and narrow. There uses to be a skinny, all-encompassing communal table in the spots previous incarnation, but the General has move things in a more traditional direction, somehow squeezing many small square tables into the dining hall. There isn't much wiggle room. Ever yet en vogue wood is on everything, wood lining the ceiling, a wall of wood ends jutting out in a way that is both artistic and disconcerting. We sit at the bar, which somehow stretches nearly the full length while leaving room for tables. It's spacious enough to eat at, and it's nice to get to watch Steven make drinks (he's a familiar face from my days working at the Drake, but I did feel like we should have been ordering with a server and not him! He had his hands full making some really ballin' cocktails. They have house pickled cherries for the Manhattan's <i>yes</i>).</div>
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More and more often lately I've been feeling less meaty, and the menu, despite it's barbecue bent, is very accommodating. The <i>deviled eggs ($1.50)</i> were fiery little devils, served in a bowl so deep I wondered if they needed to be kept from escaping. There was some hot mustard in the yolk, and thank goodness they went easy on the mayo. It's too easy to get heavy handed with devilled eggs. The mustard tasted like Kozlicks to me, and I approve. There were shards of red onion and chive to add crunch and juice, and just a dash of paprika for effect. Nicely done!</div>
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There was a bit of a wait before all our party got together, so I also got some <i>kimchi ($3.00)</i> to nibble on. It was a plentiful bowl! The cabbage was strong, crisp just at the thickest part of the leaf. The rest was lightly cooked, spicy and tangy, but very salty. It was overpowering in that respect, and needed to be eaten slowly, in between bite of other things. There was too much salt, which is a shame. I usually adore kimchi.<br />
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Over salty kimchi is the only thing that didn't stand out in a meal of well-crafted and enjoyable country sandwiches. The menu was made up of southern inspired nosh, with distinctly Toronto twists. Take our strong vegetarian and vegan eaters, here represented with a very well put together 'meatball'. The <i>white bean meatball sandwich ($10)</i> was more decadent and <i>authentic</i> than I really expected. It resides somewhere between the taste profiles of an Italian fried sandwich, luscious and virgin tomato sauce adding the strongest flavour, with a hint of the old South, with a crisp and oil deep fried shell, and a thick slab of soft bread. Also, there were FOUR sizable nonmeatballs, the beans just firm enough in the centers to hold this bad boy together, and make for a hefty little meal. Served with a leafy salad of Boston lettuce.<br />
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Trevor has become a lover of the steamed bun, it would seem. When last we dined, he tried his first banh-mi, and I think it has made him a kind of convert. Again, here the General takes a southern dish - <i>smoked pork belly ($10)</i>, and gives it a Toronto twist, incorporating our love of Asian food, maybe in homage to our big and bustling Chinatown. The barbecue rich pulled pork, dry smoked and grainy, is sandwiched in steamed bun sliders, chewy and floury, with the gummy skin steamed bread gets. Three kinds to enjoy, avocado, apply slaw, or spicy Korean kimchi.</div>
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Such height and grandeur!
Are you catching my horrible puns today? Has anyone else here seen King of the Hill? Once upon a time, my sister was obsessed (many years ago, please friends, do not judge!). Here is a <i>fried chicken thigh sandwich ($12)</i>. This little guy made up for his diameter in height, even taller than the tumbler of greasy, crunchy fries he came with. I like a fluffy and absorbent bun with greasy chicken! Made all the prettier with black and white sesame sparkles. I can't describe it more, because Jenn devoured it quickly, in a hard work induced famine.</div>
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This is a way I've never seen an <i>apple pie ($5 + $3 a la mode)</i>, served wide and thin, the apples sliced thickly, stuck into the pastry with glutinous love. It seemed on the surface like a stuffed dessert pita bread, but seemed more robust in consumption. I was assured that is was incredibly delicious!</div>
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My darling, let's get married. I was gone with the wind when this sticky dark lover arrived on my plate, oozing salted caramel. What forbidden indulgences! What buttery topping! Oh love! I am very glad<i> the cupcake ($3)</i> was slightly larger than a thimble, because such richness and decadence can only be enjoyed in about two bites. Butter cream added height and was spiced in a way I am hard pressed to describe.<br />
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And addendum to this incredible meal: if you find a small yellow notebook detailing in ecstasies the delights of the county general, please call me. It's brand new, and I've lost it, alas.
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1622400/restaurant/Liberty-Village/The-County-General-Toronto"><img alt="The County General on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1622400/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-10991758574931231252011-11-22T08:30:00.000-05:002012-10-22T13:34:55.941-04:00Foodwares Market<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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Recent events have had me lurking underneath The Bay at Queen Street a few times last week, like some high end alligator, maw open wide. Since I was there and found myself suddenly dinner dateless, I thought it would be a nice chance to check out the very Canadian <a href="http://www.oliverbonacini.com/OurRestaurants/Bannock/New---Notable.aspx?shownews=false&newsid=104"><b>Bannock</b></a>, a restaurant by <a href="http://www.oliverbonacini.com/home.aspx"><b>Oliver and Bonacini</b></a>. Navigating the PATH can be a little confusing. In this case, Bannocks grab and go section is located somewhere over the subterranean exit of the TTC...one of them, anyhow. Turned around by the lack of daylight and the ensuing destruction of my sense of direction, I found myself stocking up on items at a place called <b>Foodwares Market</b>, though their lack of signage on half the cafe had me believing I was, actually, at Bannock. It was only after getting the receipt for a haul that would provide a days worth of meals that I saw the title of the cafe I had just raided. Well! No need to turn back. Though Food Wares doesn't share Bannocks notoriety or appealing name, it turned out to be a happy mistake. It's a cafeteria worth visiting for Toronto's Bay Street workers.</div>
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My plan was to have lunch there, and also get some take out items to keep me going through the day. I got to try many things! Ah, the joys of eating by oneself. Breakfast started with a not-super healthy <b>Banana Chip Muffin ($2.23)</b>. Once upon a time, the muffin was a modestly sized healthy alternative to breakfast danish and doughnut. Things evolve wickedly, don't they? These muffins are pretty sinful. They aren't the largest I've seen, and the muffin tops aren't towering, but there's more than a couple cubic inches of sweet dough that makes them. Most delicious about them it that their fluffy little hearts are gooey with butter. Have you ever had a cookie from <i>Le Gourmand</i>? Imaging that cookie as a muffin. Decadent, warm, creamy, and just enough bitter dark chocolate to make the sweet dough sing. It went damn well with their Illy coffee (not my favourite brand, but nothing to turn ones nose up at).</div>
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I was back for lunch before hopping onto the subway with some bagged items in tow. Since I had a little time to sit and eat, I got soup and a wrap. The soups come in three sizes, so you can choose if you just want a taste, a hearty bowl, or a meal-sized portion. I went for the middle size, and there were four hot soups in cauldrons to choose from, each piping and appealing. Since I adore my seafood, and rich dishes, the <b>Shrimp and Lobster Bisque ($3.79)</b> piqued my interest. It's not a bad price for such a dish either, though it only comes with a little pack of saltines. A hunk of rustic bread costs another dollar. The soup itself was a bit dull. I am tempted to say that that is the error of my taste buds, who were dampened with a hint of the flu on this day. The tomato and cream were smooth and not overwhelming, though the thickness of the soup was palpable. The shellfish had mostly been blended into a pulp, with only a few solid kibbles of shrimp floating throughout. Though savoury and pleasantly hot, I would try something else next time.</div>
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After the hot soup I had a vegetarian wrap. There are a few nice veggie options at Foodwares Market, which is great! I sometimes wind up getting a quick lunch at grocery stores or markets, and the only veg option is usually a mayo-laden egg salad sandwich. Yucko. This <b>Wild Mushroom, Brie and Boursin Wrap ($6.99)</b>, comes pre-packaged and ready to go. I think they're made fresh in the morning, eliminating the problem of how quickly wraps get soggy. Thanks to the less-moist ingredients, the wrap was the right mix between juicy and dry, the lettuce coiling within the pita bread to add a crisp layer around the filling. It mostly tastes like fresh dark green lettuce, crunchy cukes and basil leaf, balanced with the luscious cheeses. Between the mushroom and lettuce, and earthy rind from the brie, I was
strangely reminded of damp pines after rain, a foresty freshness. With two creamy cheeses though, all that was hard to notice. It would have been nice to know what kind of mushrooms they are, or to know if they're a blend. Perhaps I shouldn't say it was balanced. It's <i>overwhelming</i> with cheese! </div>
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Later on in the day, dinner was a thick piece of<b> Vegetable Foccacia ($)</b> that I brought with me. It didn't fare the journey too well, it's juicy garden top having smashed against the roof of the paper bag, a debris of zucchini and onions everywhere. Still, there were loads of veggies still clinging to their spots in the tomato paste, entrenched into a bread that was as airy as it was rustic. Such a contrast between dry spongy crust, dense and a little charred, and the angelic interior, so light. It was pleasant, and the blackened bread made the herbed sauce all the ore refreshing. Pungent onion, mushroom, tomato slices, zucchini and red pepper made for a juicy meal. I'm sure this is even better without suffering the strains of travel, and next time I will have to try it right from the market.</div>
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To end on as sweet a note as I started I kept a delightful <b>Gateau de Basque</b> with me until late in the night. It preserved quite well from the morning baking, and wasn't stale by the time I got to it. The cake is a sponge, like angel food with heavier grains, the edges and bottom dry and crumby. It's kept moist in the interior by this amazing layer of custard tucked away in the centre, which came as a surprise to me. I think this must be a French kind of doughnut, better than a beignet, more refined and decadent, without a heavy handed coating of glaze. No, here was a darling dusting of powder sugar, as nice to look at as to taste. With a cake not so sweet, it added just enough extra tongue-pleasing sugar. The custard in the cake was the real winner for me, exhibiting all the richness and glue of a Portuguese custard tart. Despite the size of the cake, it didn't sit like a heavy dessert, leaving me satisfied but not bloated.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-68836038140792154652011-11-14T20:54:00.001-05:002011-11-16T16:49:24.016-05:00Sadies<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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Coffee starts with breakfast. No. Stop me, it's backwards. Breakfast starts with coffee, and without it I sometimes don't know my way around. Never mind that I'm writing this at 9 in the evening.</div>
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I wanted to wrack up a big appetite when I went to meet <a href="http://untilweeatagain.wordpress.com/"><b>Willie </b></a>at <a href="http://www.myspace.com/sadiesdiner"><b>Sadies Diner</b></a> (whose website exists in the Dark Ages of myspace) for brunch. It's a fair 6km from my house to the oldtimey vegan diner at Portland and Adelaide, and though I wasn't walking fast it did the trick to make my stomach growl, and for the last half of my trip I flat out craved that hot coffee! </div>
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And when it hit my tongue I was left with a strong and memorable impression of <i>meh</i>.</div>
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Sadly, it went for the whole meal. </div>
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The brunch wound up with a funny vegan Tex Mex angle. Understand, Sadie's is in no way a Tex Mex place. It just so happened that on this occasion our appetites had migrated, as the geese do, to the south. Can't blame them. I had the vegan <i>Huevos Rancheros (10$)</i>, one of my favourite brunch dishes usually. Willie got to tell me a bit about different soy based cheeses, since I am a blank slate. I know nothing. Do they pair well with wine? I am told, no, they don't. They don't melt, either...except for Daiya cheese, which is why it is a BIG DEAL for vegans. Sadie's uses Daiya. I <i>did</i> like it, too, though it is stiffer than milkcheese. It has a similar taste, but floury. That interesting newness aside, I don't think the tortillas were good. The tofu 'egg' was cold, and hadn't really been made 'eggy' in any way. It just tasted like tofu. Cold tofu, in big dry clumps. No turmeric to turn it yellow, even! I know that a lot can be done for vegan scrambled eggs, and this was a bottom line effort. You can't go too wrong with brown beans and a crunchy tortilla at least.<br />
In instances like this, I praise my love of hot sauce, and soak that dish.</div>
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Keeping with a deep south theme, Willie went for a more lunch like nosh, and got the Quesadillas (9$). A mix of predictable veggies tasted good, but didn't open our eyes to anything new and delightful, and weren't handled in a way that made the stuffed tortillas seem rethought. It wasn't delicious, just plain. I complain a lot about the lack of inventiveness in the zucchini-eggplant-peppers trinity vegetarian dishes tend to favour, though it's most often a symptom of the token vegetarian menu item on an otherwise meat loving menu. Sadie's is <i>mainly</i> vegetarian and vegan! They should be doing something exciting- it's what I expect. So even though I like the Daiya cheese, and there was a fair amount, I think this dish could have been more inventively veganized. One could not even taste the sambal alleged to be in their vegan mayo! One thing I did like was that corny, soft tortilla- I wonder if it's actually made in house?</div>
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<b>(You can read Willie's review <a href="http://untilweeatagain.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/restaurant-review-sadies-diner/">here</a>).</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/135054/restaurant/Queen-West/Sadies-Diner-Toronto"><img alt="Sadie's Diner on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/135054/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-25021616453294777542011-11-08T09:47:00.001-05:002011-11-08T20:59:44.644-05:00Acadia<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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The restaurant <a href="http://www.acadiarestaurant.com/"><b>Acadia</b></a> <i>(50 C Clinton St.)</i> takes its name from the coastal region of North America, from the Canadian maritime down past Maine. Before we had these countries and all! The food of the region is traditional with French roots, and laden with seafood, corn, and flavour- that is about as much of a sub par history lesson as you'll get from me. </div>
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Even though Acadia talks about doing southern inspired food, there's a feel of uncomplicated maritime fare on their menu, and a downplayed sense of spice (read: heat) in what we order. You won't find big meaty wedges of fried chicken, either- at least not on this weeks menu. Buttermilk, corn and sea creatures are what bring it home.<br />
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The space is modern and very minimal. Off white walls, soothing sea grey accents, and deep mood lighting save it from the hyper-modernism of the all white, an uncomfortable look I cannot enjoy. It's intimate here even with the wide open eating area, no dividers keeping tables secluded from one another. It's loud, almost entirely from conversation bouncing along the painted paneled walls, little coming from the open kitchen. The usual clatter and clank of utensils and grill don't reach us, and the spot Jason and I have by the door is surprisingly comfortable.</div>
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I have been fantasizing about this menu for a while. It changes regularly, with the seasons or the whim of the chef, but the menu I've been perusing the last couple days and preparing for sounds terribly enticing. Sometimes I'll come to a new place with a strong preconception of what I want, and what will be best- and I hope that my dinner guest will cater to my wants! By some stroke of serendipity all the same things struck us. I've never had grits, Jason suggested them. He wanted to try the chow chow and mirliton, I thought halibut cheeks sound amazing (I am all for a greater use of the under appreciated bits of a beast). Ordering was simple, our overattentive waiter often at our elbow to take orders for food or drink, and easily convincing us to start with some hot house cornbread.</div>
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While waiting for the mains, a pickled selection of vegetables was delivered to us to snack on, and whet appetites that were already roaring from waiting for our 9pm reservation. I've said in the past that a simple litmus test of the quality of a restaurant is if they provide complimentary bread as an amuse bouche. This is like that, but so much more inventive! I'm becoming very fond of pickles in forms sweet, sour or salty. This was a selection of crunchy vegetables brined in an acidic soup, with yellow carrot, okra, scapes, celery, fennel, green beans and <i>I think</i> sea asparagus. A wonderful bouquet of texture and taste! They all maintained a strong sense of the flavour of fresh veg, which was remarkable, while having been infused with a new tang.</div>
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Dreamy, the <i>Acadia Cornbread (7$)</i> arrived steamy and succulent to our table, shallow loaves incredibly moist and airy. Every table has their bread baked to order, and it still arrived quickly. Incredibly hot! My father used to make johnny cake from scratch that had this Aunt Jemima quality, but better. The texture was just like that, without the over sweetness of johnny cake, which to my palate was perfection. The whip-cream textured pumpkin butter it came with tasted more simple than was implied, the gourd far from overpowering. Jason suggested pumpkin is too often used as a gimmick (think Starbucks revolting pumpkin spice latte). I think that pumpkin <i>should</i> be celebrated for its uses outside of pie! However in this the butter was butter, but better. There were flakes of sea salt that added pops to the whole delicious platter.</div>
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Cheeks are round, or so I thought. Looking at a fish head in the market, I would have thought that they would be shallow dollars of feathery flesh, tender but firm altogether. The chunks were actually big! <i>The Halibut Cheeks (12$)</i> came with blue cornmeal crust, pickled prawn, sugarcane chow chow (I had to look this up, it's a relish from the maritimes with cabbage as a main ingredient), mirlitons and buttermilk. I thought the buttermilk sauce tasted lightly cheesy, and hardly noticed the chow chow. It hid under the mantle of the fish and pickled prawn, as a solid and not-saucy base. The fish meat itself was delightful, and I don't understand why cheeks aren't served more regularly. The cornmeal was very salty, maybe over salty. What really caught my attention was the pickled prawn, which was served like a cake of crustacean, pressed into a mold and cut into triangular shapes. It was spongy, light in flavor, a bit like a jelly. The mirlitons were like a sweeter radish, circular flakes.</div>
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It wasn't an express intention to choose a meal made mainly of appetizers, but seafood calls and can't be denied. Here arrived the <i>Shrimp Grits (13$)</i>, an experimental dish for me. I have heard grits described as horrendous, and as salty oatmeal. I expected a texture of mushy polenta. Not so! The oatmeal association is probably the closest to it's mark. They are smooth, and like everything we've had, piping hot. There is so much texture here I could not have been prepared for. They are creamy and hearty and not at <i>all</i> gritty. Who named this dish? What a misleading nomenclature! These grits are flown in from the Carolinas, and are the best of the best. They are skulking under a thick and heady lagoon of ham hock consomme, and the flavor nearly floors me. We're agreed: these grits are a taste of heaven. Everyone should experience a beautiful flavour like this! A sweet corn taste teases the meaty shrimps from their hiding places in the grits. It all goes together well, the mushroom and cheese taking back seats to the bolder fleshy flavours.</div>
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For a hungry start we slow down quick. The dishes aren't large, but they aren't light- I am very impressed and happy with these apps. One last thing hearkens from the menu before we fold our napkins and call it a night, foregoing dessert: the <i>Vidalia Onion Tart (16$)</i>. I am always happy to see the token vegetarian item on a menu attempting to do something new. I get so bored of seeing the snore inducing trinity of eggplant-zucchini-red pepper most menus supply. You wouldn't find that on an Acadian menu, anyhow. Instead, you can have this tart, the crust rolled thinner than any I've had in Toronto, floury and delicate as lattice. I'm amazed it holds the onion in. The onions are cooked to a noodly consistency, mild, pungent, moist. One of the appeals that had us order the tart are the caramelized hops and julienne green apple. While the apply mixes in with the greens and Gruyere to top the tart, adding a needed awakening between mouthfuls, the hops are hard to notice. It's a nice little tart, but between light crust, soft onion, and feathery greens, is not very substantial. My one wish is that it had something to weigh it down and suggest more body. Please understand: this criticism is no more than me picking nits, and this meal was wholly divine.</div>
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<a href="mailto:katherine@verwho.com"><img alt="Email Katherine" border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/footer-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1595918/restaurant/Little-Italy-Portugal-Village/Acadia-Toronto"><img alt="Acadia on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1595918/minilink.gif" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-4476556384219228262011-10-25T11:21:00.003-04:002011-11-08T20:59:58.488-05:00Awtash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">
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When I started Drawn and Devoured last January, <b><a href="http://www.awtash.com/">Awtash</a></b> (at College and Bathurst) made my short list. I passed it regularly, I loved the lettering in the signage, and the booths looked very intimate from the outside. I have a friend who grew up in Abu Dhabi so I wanted to bring him with me to see how the place lined up with his vision of home. Later I even found out I have a friend who did the graphic design that I liked so much (that's <a href="http://www.kassem.ca/">Kassem Ahmed</a>, by the way)! So many reasons to go!</div>
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We even wound up at the door one night for dinner, only to realize they're closed on Mondays. This is something I <i>always</i> check for now. So what I'm saying is that Awtash has been hanging in front of me tauntingly for some time! It was really good to get <a href="http://johanntebrake.blogspot.com/">JJ </a>and <a href="http://2009.ocadillustration.com/illustrator/erin-ornstein/">Erin</a> together to try it out at last. I was really hoping to experience some interesting, strong Persian flavours while lounging in their sexy booths, with the gorgeous lights and intimate curtains, maybe with a shisha pipe. This is probably the nicest-looking shisha lounge in Toronto- it's a rare indulgence for me, since I'm not a smoker. JJ brings lots back from his regular visits home, and the shisha at Awtash was just as good- they also didn't charge for coal refills! Something that happens a lot in Toronto shisha houses. We did get hung up on the semantics of calling a shisha pipe a hookah, but I wonder, does it really matter much so long as the end product is tasty?</div>
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Not to me.</div>
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For a Persian restaurant, the menu had a lot of Italian themed or inspired dishes. There were pizza's and panini-like sandwiches. Actually, more than <i>half</i> the menu was more Italian than Persian! I don't understand why. The Persian style food we had come for could be got mostly from the appetizers, and a couple of the flat breads, which were still riffing off Italian style food. I like innovation and pushing food boundaries though, so even though the menu came as a surprise, it wasn't by default a disappointment. We wanted to try one thing that sounded more middle eastern, at least. There were a half dozen choices of dips and spreads that made up the bulk of the starter choices, some more curious than others, and we ordered a mix platter called <i>paaeez ($14)</i> that had a selection of them all. It's a combo of six offerings, and was served with Barbary sesame bread, which is flaky with a crunchy crust like filo pastry, and hot soft insides. There REALLY wasn't enough for all the dips, and we had to order more (which cost a few bucks).</div>
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<i>Zaytoon </i>- These were big fatty olives. They was a mix of size, colour, and flavour, all doused in a glossy coat of olive oil, with some pickled mushroom tossed in the mix. Fresh and briny, not too salty.</div>
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<i>Zaytoon Parvardeh</i> - Olives again but smaller green ones, a bit sweeter than the other mix. These were completely smothered in a paste of oregano that became very overwhelming- if there were other herbs we couldn't taste them. Unfortunately the strong oregano even overwhelmed what had enticed me to try these olives, pomegranate molasses and walnut bits, which were just hints under the herb.</div>
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Hummus - Very creamy! This was a smooth and rich hummus with a lot or paprika on top that added a nice smoky smoothness. It was both light and nutty.</div>
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Boorani Spinach - Basically a tzatziki but not as zippy. This was smooth with blended garlic that added a pungent intensity.</div>
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<i>Bademjoon </i>- A richer and fresher side than the others we were served, this is basically a cold stew of tomato and eggplant. It was so garlicky and refreshing! There was a taste of honey amidst the strong tangy tomato taste, and it was good to have something that wasn't creamy to clear the taste buds.</div>
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Russia with Love - A weird dip that taste like potato salad, or devilled eggs as a spread. I really enjoyed this, and thought it was quite pretty with corn kernel studs. The sesame sprinkled on top really represented, adding a strong taste and little pops of crispness.</div>
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We wanted to try out one of the fusion style dishes, and ordered an Awtash stew-topped pizza. The <i>fesenjoon ($12) </i>comes with chicken, walnut and pomegranate stew, topped with tiny diced pieces of sweet pineapple. So this is an Italian Hawaiian pizza with a Persian twist? Oh my. The dough was hot, floury and super fresh, very simple. It was a bit underwhelming, maybe because it didn't seem robust enough to hold up to the stew. The stew itself was sweet from the pomegranate, and was more like a sauce than a stew. I thought of teriyaki without the soy. There was nothing in the texture that was stew like sadly, no thickness or chunks of meat (where WAS the meat?). There wasn't much to give it interest, or much to chew on. Even the cheese was very mild, timid. I think I liked the crust with its sesame studs more than the main body of the pizza.</div>
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Rather than racking up a meal of many mains, we went right for the desserts after that pizza. Erin hadn't tried anything made with rosewater before. I like it occasionally, though it can be like getting a face full of perfume if too strong. She and I split the <i>rose water waffle ($7</i>), which we hoped would be a gentle introduction to the flowery flavor. The batter that made the lattice-like waffles was thin and crisp. It had what I can only call a fizzy quality, like carbonation in the bread, that crackled across the tongue. We got a bit of a shock with the strength of the rose! It was powerful, not mild at all. The ice cream, which claimed to be pistachio on the menu but was clearly strawberry, was milky and not too flavourful.</div>
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JJ got a dessert to himself, he was still very hungry. There were a couple dessert flat breads on the menu, including the <i>nuts & banana ($7)</i> which sounded intriguing. Nuts, banana, and strawberry slices? Toasted? Well, try it! The thing was HUGE. It was fully the size of the largest panini you can imagine, served on a bigger version of that fluffy, crackly Barbary bread, though lacking the sesame seeds. It was kind of a big mess, though. The whole thing wouldn't stay together. It was like a crepe gone wrong, where the bread didn't work with the slippery stuffing. The strawberries melted into jam in the heat, and lost all their flavor. It was impressively big, with had no flavor to make anyone want to finish it. Better to have a small and well made dessert than this boring monster.</div>
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Everything had had a fluffy and airy effect (even the flatbread dessert), so we weren't even close to full. at the end</div>
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I'd like to drop a special note about the service, which really wasn't there. The girls were nice enough...when they were around. We had coal refills forgotten twice, and the servers were very dismissive of our obvious dissatisfaction. The shisha pipes hadn't been cleaned from the night before, and tasted like old shisha. Getting anyones attention was nearly impossible, and we'd go for 40
minutes without anyone asking us if we wanted more beer, or dessert. Speaking of beer, the servers should pay better attention to the menu. If you're advertising a large Sapporo, and come out with a small bottle, I will be confused! Especially when the price suits the larger size. That's the sort of thing a server should tell you right off the bat- I don't really think our server knew much about the menu at all. Then again, Awtash is a place set for the pre-party crowd for whom the menu is secondary. Maybe because we didn't get one of their $200 bottles of vodka (more expensive even than some King West clubs), they didn't feel a strong need to cater to us- they didn't have any interesting boozes from the middle east either, which is a shame because Arak is darn tasty.</div>
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<a href="mailto:katherine@verwho.com"><img alt="Email Katherine" border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/footer-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/1595918/restaurant/Little-Italy-Portugal-Village/Acadia-Toronto"><img alt="Acadia on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1595918/minilink.gif" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-67712204892853652182011-10-18T09:17:00.000-04:002011-11-08T21:30:45.577-05:00SWAN restaurant<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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There was a time when Queen West was like a second home to me. Every day would find me biking up the strip in hot weather for one reason or another, and every day I passed the <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/swanrestauranttoronto?sk=wall">SWAN</a></b> restaurant (892 Queen West). It's got such a good reputation it's a shock it's taken me until now, the icky cold beginnings of winter, to go and try it out. SWAN is one of those Toronto classics that survives on solid food whose goodness is passed along by word of mouth- it's come up in conversation a couple times.<br />
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I adore the old fashioned decor. This is real vintage, and though it's called SWAN <i>restaurant</i>, there's something of the diner feel going on here. It's that retro beveled edge on everything look, the teak wood wall detailing along one wall. It's also the small intimate booths, brought to a greater romantic height by nothing but candlelight, with the overheads so far dimmed they're nearly off. It does set this <i>good </i>mood. But how good is the well known food?<br />
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Even though this is only my second time properly sitting down and trying some oysters, I wound up acting like an authority on them. <a href="http://www.amandaarcuri.com/">Amanda </a>and Stine hadn't ever tried them. There was some nervousness! When served with a plate of slippery shells, their pink grey contents look hard to tackle. There's only one piece of advice I could impart: just suck. As anyone whose eaten oysters knows, there's no particularly classy or clean way to enjoy the fruit of the sea. I was happy with the condiment selection, which had everything from lemons, horseradish and hot sauce to more innovative dressings like plum vinegar, smoked tomato chili paste, and one other thing which was never identified. The oysters were what I would hope for: fresh, watery, tasting like the sea, a delicate vessel for light seasoning, with a hint of natural musk.</div>
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There was a feeling of camaraderie and sharing at our table, and not one of us ordered a dish that wasn't to share. Decisions were made by troika! After the oysters we consented to a collation of salad with smoked arctic char and avocado. We then consented to the knowledge that no salad with so much avocado should be drenced in heavy, cloying mayo dressing. What thought spurred this action? It ruined the salad- like a coat of butter. I am not exagerating the heavy handedness of the sauce, which coated every lettuce leaf in entirety. The fish was good, though so full of natural salt it didn't taste fishy at all. The dill advertised as a main flavor was also very mild, and the potato nibbled involved were bacony. This should have been like a much improved version of a nicoise, but fell far from the mark.<br />
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For a heartier dish betwixt courses we chose a two cheese risotto, with asiago and chevre. The fat arborio rice was studded with half moon zicchini slices. It was piping hot! Using asiago made the risotto drier than the many creamy varieties I've had in the past, and there was quite the tug of war between the two cheese for a dominant flavour. Chevre wanted to be creamy, asiago wanted to bite, and in the end I was left with a flavour impression regretably reminiscent of mac'n'cheese. From a box.<br />
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Our entree was actually very good overall, and that was a nice turn on a meal that had quickly turned bad. A plump and generous pork chop sat above sundry sides. There was a fluffy cornmeal biscuit, whose grains rolled along my tongue with an ethereal fluffiness, piqued with jalapeno nibs for spice. There was the fine puree of sweet potato, like applesauce in texture and very sweet, surely mixed with brown sugar. I was reminded of thick molasses, as well as earthy root. Veggies came in the form of buttery green beans and the fattest brussel sprout I ever ate. They were still very crunchy and fresh, only lightly steamed. The meat itself had a definite grain, and was not so succulent as to fall apart. It was firm, with a thick rind of fat, and lots of flavor. I did like the presentation, with a roast apple ring laid on top.<br />
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The best thing we had at SWAN was the oysters- from Oyster Boy, which is just next door, and probably a better place to go if you're looking for dinner near Trinity Bellwoods.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/10/135707/restaurant/Liberty-Village/Swan-Toronto"><img alt="Swan on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/135707/minilink.gif" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-39395495243831493142011-10-04T10:33:00.001-04:002011-10-04T10:33:28.564-04:00Picnic at the Brickworks<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">
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This entry is not the usual fare. If you follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/VERWHO">twitter</a>, you know I've been volunteering for the <span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.evergreen.ca/">Evergreen Brickworks</a> </b></span>on my weekends. Gives me a lovely fuzzy feeling inside! </div>
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With the added perk of working and thus attending the yearly Picnic,
which was this past Sunday. What is the Picnic? It's a terrific event
that pairs Toronto chefs, food artisans and beverage makers with local
producers to create local and season nibbles for a mass of guests. The
ticket price goes towards Evergreens children's programming, towards <a href="http://slowfood.to/">Slow Food Toronto</a> (one of the organizers!), and of course towards paying the vendors. </div>
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There's dozens of them, and 1500 of us eaters to take advantage of all the talent under one roof!</div>
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Since this is so different from my usual reviews, I'm taking a different approach. First, it would have been <i>impossible</i>
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Second, I don't want to review/critique food that doesn't exist outside
this amazing event, nor do I want to nitpick the hard work and
big-hearted dishes the chefs made! So enjoy some drawings, and let me
tell you how the event went for me.</div>
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I started out with my volunteer shift, and I was at Broadview station
for a few hours directing people to the shuttle buses that would bring
them to the tough-to-access Brickworks. It doesn't sound hard, but
standing around with a sign as the station flipped from warm to freezing
each time the doors opened somehow drained me! I felt sore all over by
the end. </div>
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I was also very antsy to get to tasting! I won't deny that affected my
patience with the work, as did my clever decision to only have one apple
for breakfast and save my appetite for the Picnic. </div>
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By the time I got to the Brickworks it was 2:30pm, I was shuddering
cold, and famished. So the first few things I had to eat were wolfed
down with less attention than they deserved. </div>
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These drawings are chronological by the way! That's why the first few
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Heat lamps provided momentary relief from the damp. Foggy breath gave
everyone a sense of solidarity, and I think we all envied the women and
men working hard behind hot flames. </div>
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For me there was an added sense of satisfaction because quite a few of the chefs were from restaurants I started this blog with. I was especially tickled to eat the pickled goodies from the Parts & Labour team - they were my first review ever! </div>
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It's surprising how few of those places I've managed to get back to. It's always somewhere new every week! Which is a lot of fun, but especially for restaurants whose menus change fast, I'm missing out a bit.</div>
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The cold did more than just bring everyone together. It had an effect on the food. Everything was great, but most of these dishes would be ideal at room temperature. You could tell the chill had a dampening effect on aroma. </div>
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It also meant that every beer I had was the best I'd ever tasted. Naturally frosty. The white wine was also shining that night! Mmm, Tawse. Mmm, Henry of Pelham! But the reds were suffering. </div>
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After my initial rampage I slowed down and set a more appropriate grazing pace. I don't think I realized how full I was going to get after that first burst.</div>
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When I left my volunteer post, I was worried I had left too early, since no one had come to relieve me. It's good I left when I did, because some tables started closing at 3:30! Just an hour after I was back. </div>
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I missed out on some tables who were very popular, whose food didn't last long. Even though I saw some chefs from FRANK at the AGO wandering around, their table was long closed! They had had something wrapped in a husk that looked great. </div>
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Other than some crusty bread loaves which were more for display, Woodlot had also caved under the demand, and were empty.</div>
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The feeling as the food began to dwindle was of a soporific party, people swaying to the live music, some red cheeks more from the wine samples than the frosty breeze.</div>
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People smiled and danced with each other, bonding over a love of Toronto, of food. We shared in our appreciation of the hard work of chefs and producers alike to bring us an event like the Picnic.</div>
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I ran around trying to find tables that maybe I had missed in the dine and bustle, tossed around in the sea of people. I ran into Becky who organizes the volunteers and claimed I was only about 2/3 full, but the truth was much grimmer. </div>
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For the next picnic, or maybe the Underground Market if I go to the upcoming one, I have learned a valuable lesson. </div>
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Keep a count. If you're like me, with legs as hollow as your head, you might find that an appetite driven my community love and appreciation knows no reason or moderation. You can count how many things I sampled, and everything was about 3 ounces or so.</div>
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What is the maximum size of the human stomach? I had called it quits when I saw Caplansky's truck, hidden in plain sight. I had wanted to find his table so badly, no wonder I couldn't! Against my better judgement, I asked for a hamburger. I had two small bites. I creaked. I stared at this lovely food, and threw 25 years of unwasteful education out the window, and the burger in the bin. I'm sorry Zane!</div>
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Finally, home.</div>
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I entered my room, murmured as the walls blurred and I fell into bed, deep in food coma.</div>
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The people who provided what I ate (in order of appearance):</div>
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<a href="http://www.bernardin.ca/">Bernardin</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.globebistro.com/">Globe Bistro</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cowbellrestaurant.ca/">Cowbell Restaurant</a>, Lynn Levitt Farm</div>
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<a href="http://www.thefooddudes.com/">The Food Dudes</a>, <a href="http://cherryvale.ca/">Cherryvale Organic</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.partsandlabour.ca/">Parts & Labour</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.buddhafoodha.com/">Buddha Dog</a>, <a href="http://www.vickisveggies.com/Home.html">Vicki's Veggies</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.pegasushospitality.ca/">Pegasus Hospitality</a>, <a href="http://www.brooklandsfarm.ca/">Brooklands Farm</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.templekitchen.com/">Mildreds Temple Kitchen</a>, <a href="http://www.cranberry.ca/">Johnston's Cranberry Farm</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.fairmont.com/royalyork/dining.htm">Fairmont Royal York</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com.my/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kolaporesprings.com%2F&rct=j&q=Kolapore%20Springs%20Trout&ei=dBWLTsvkIqLb0QHKgrnlBA&usg=AFQjCNF-DBB-augytbfcBKqifbXTefK4xg&cad=rja">Kolapore Springs Trout</a></div>
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<a href="http://keriwacafe.ca/">Keriwa Cafe</a>, CIPM Grains</div>
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<a href="http://www.sidecarrestaurant.ca/">Sidecar</a>, <a href="http://kawarthaecologicalgrowers.com/">Kawartha Ecological Growers</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.loicgourmet.ca/about.php">LOIC</a>, <a href="http://www.marvellousedibles.ca/">Marvelous Edibles</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.rockyraccooncafe.com/">Rocky Raccoon</a>, Grey Bruce Region</div>
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Farnell, <a href="http://www.rfrk.com/">Real Food for Real Kids</a>, <a href="http://www.mycosource.com/">Fun Guy Farms</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.oliverbonacini.com/">LUMA</a>, <a href="http://www.wicklowway.ca/">Wicklow Way Farm</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.oliverbonacini.com/">Auberge du Pommier</a>, David & Delila Stoll, <a href="http://www.saugeenspecialtygrains.ca/">Grassroot Organics</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.chezvousdining.ca/">Chez Vous Catering</a>, Stephen Stoll</div>
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<a href="http://www.leselect.com/">le Select Bistro</a>, <a href="http://chocosoltraders.blogspot.com/">Chocosol</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.oliverbonacini.com/">Canoe</a>, <a href="http://www.wildfoods.ca/">Forbes Wild Foods</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.grantstcaramelco.com/">Grant St. Caramel Co</a>., <a href="http://organicmeadow.com/">Organic Meadow</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sociale.ca/">Enoteca Social</a>, <a href="http://www.cheeseboutique.com/">Cheese Boutique</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.uptown21.ca/">Nick & Nats Uptown 21</a>, <a href="http://www.wholecirclefarm.ca/">Whole Circle Farm</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.somachocolate.com/">Soma</a>, <a href="http://www.notfarfromthetree.org/">Not Far from the Tree</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.dougmcnish.com/">Doug McNish</a>, <a href="http://www.southbrook.com/">Southbrook Vineyards</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.enville.com/">enVille Event Design</a>, <a href="http://www.fenwoodfarm.com/">Fenwood Farm</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.quincetoronto.com/">Quince</a>, <a href="http://www.bizjakfarms.com/">Bizjak Farms</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goedeten.ca/">Goed Eten</a>, Wild Fruit Growers</div>
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<a href="http://www.verticalrestaurant.ca/">Vertical</a>, <a href="http://www.fifthtown.ca/">Fifth Town</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.caplanskys.com/">Caplansky's Deli</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I know I screwed up some info and left some out, so if anyone has corrections for this list, please! Don't hesitate to provide them.</span></div>
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<a href="mailto:katherine@verwho.com"><img alt="Email Katherine" border="0" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/aurynKnight/footer-1.jpg" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09228581345053560718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024512827662773995.post-13326899803687461472011-09-27T08:00:00.000-04:002011-11-08T21:29:45.486-05:00Khao San Road<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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At the excited tail end of TIFF, we chose to go to <a href="http://www.khaosanroad.ca/"><b>Khao San Road</b></a>. It's a Thai restaurant at 326 Adelaide Street, a stones throw away from the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Eating out anywhere nice around this time of year means you can't avoid the titillation of perhaps running into a star. The twenty minute line up was a hint that we weren't the only people speculating about who could show up (though no one did, dinner was still quite enjoyable). It was by the suggestion of Willie Costello, who runs the vegan food blog <a href="http://untilweeatagain.wordpress.com/"><i>Until We Eat Again</i></a> (who also wrote a review of our dinner, which you can read <a href="http://untilweeatagain.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/review-khao-san-road-a-vegans-perspective"><i>here</i></a>) that we went to Khao San Road. It's a new restaurant by the owners of Sukho Thai, though it has somehow avoided my Toronto New Food radar. Thank goodness for suggestions!<br />
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Things started out on funny terrain. First we jumped from the line to the bar, and then back to the line when we were told it would only be two minutes for a table. Then, we got our table! All this moving around was my fault- I'm happy to eat at a bar generally, but Khao San is actually very, <i>very</i> well lit, and I like to take my notes and pictures in stealth. Sitting at the bar would mean complete visibility of what I'm doing to the chefs and servers! Have I become so paranoid? The table was better for conversation anyhow, though it was just as bright with a big lamp hanging down directly over us. I appreciated the change from some very dark and intimate restaurants I've been to in the past.<br />
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There was some kind of squash shortage in the kitchen. Two of their appetizers, khao greup faktong (squash chips) and Gra Bong (squash fritters), weren't available, which was disappointing since they both sounded very good.<br />
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While we mulled over this hiccup, I had the Chai Nom Yen (<i>$4.50</i>), or Thai iced tea. It was sweet and bright orange, the flavour reminding
me strongly of Rooibos, but with the tartness of black tea also. It was pleasantly thick from the condensed milk, and I appreciated it even more when I got my main, which was on the spicy side.<br />
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Since all the squashy apps were out, the only vegan thing left was the <b>Garlic Tofu</b> <i>($8.00). </i>It came, the big nuggets heaped and plentiful, their panko-crust glistening with hot oil. The garlic smell was strong, and we were hungry, spearing the golden lumps on forks (for there are no chopsticks at Khao San Road) and dicing them into the sweet and tangy chili sauce provided, burning our mouths in eagerness before deciding the slow down and let the things cool off before causing more pain. There was an almost cheesy, Parmesan taste in the crust, but I didn't find it very garlicky. The smell was stronger than the flavour, though it was present. The tofu was firm and satisfying, and there was lots for both of us. </div>
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Willie had the <b>Gaeng Kaew Wan Tofu </b>(<i>Green Curry, $12</i>), and I got to try some. It was VERY good. The coconut milk base was extremely rich and sweet, penetrating right into plentiful, firm tofu chunks. They were not shy with vegetables either, full of mushroom, onion, and....squash? Yes, the squash had returned! But this sauce was probably made before the shortage of gourd. Or maybe it was a different variety. Well, it tasted amazing and heavily of basil. Even at 'medium' the curry was spicy. Thank goodness for that coconut cream!<br />
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I suffered gravely from entree envy. My <b>Pad Gra Prao</b> <i>($13)</i> was not the knockout I had expected, even with my all-encompassing love of egg. I think what I really wanted was something with a different kind of texture. The oil drizzled beef was minced very fine, like ground beef. Served with crumbly, fresh rice, the texture was basic and comforting, but not what I had wanted (should have got noodles!). Everything quickly was mixed together, and the creamy egg yolk made it all sticky and salty, with the kind of creaminess you only get from droopy yolk. The beef itself had spice and tamarind sweetness, which has a quality like molasses. Shrunken holy basil looked more like thyme nodules, but kept its strong basil taste. There was a lot happening in the dish, with herbs, chilies, tamarind all fighting for attention. All were defeated at last by a peppery sharpness!<br />
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At Khao San Road, the portions are generous, and we were left satisfied, maybe even overfull. There was no room for dessert!<br />
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