Ravi Soups

My parents arrived in town last Wednesday which means I’m going to be eating really well for the next little while.  The Canadian banks were also closed on Wednesday so I decided to take the afternoon off and try a lunch place I’ve been meaning to try for sometime now, Ravi Soups.  Unfortunately this place isn’t open on the weekend and it’s a little far to walk to for lunch during the week so I figured this was the perfect opportunity to try it. 

My mother and I walked into the crowed restaurant and began reading the soup and wrap lists behind the large and high counter.  I kind of snickered to myself since my vertically challenged mom was shorter than the counter (she’s not small, she’s fun-sized).  I decided to be healthy and get the free range chicken wrap with the curried apricot soup.  My mother, who is also a fan of spicy food, decided to get the curry lamb wrap and the porcini mushroom bisque.  We also ordered a steak wrap and another bowl of the mushroom bisque to go for my father who decided to stay in after spending the morning cleaning my bathroom (thanks again for that).

We found the last two seats at a large communal table in the back room.  The table top was a huge tree that appeared to be cut in half lengthwise which made sitting on the corner a little awkward, especially since there was a large gaping hole right in front of me.  The trays our meals were served on however alleviated this problem since the rotating wheel on the bottom of the serving tray fit nicely in the hole while the tray itself was large enough to straddle it.

The curried apricot soup was divine.  The spice of the curry was balanced by the light smooth taste of yogurt (very subtle taste) and the refreshing taste of the apricots.  The free range chicken wrap was a little dry and the sauce inside was kind of bland.  The array of veggies including spinach made me feel like I was eating healthy and I also really liked the flavour of caramelized onions.  The edamame beans inside were also a pleasant surprise.  The grilled wrap was also a nice touch and reminded me a grilled burrito from Burrito Boyz down the street.

My mother’s porcini mushroom bisque was delicious.  It had a strong truffle flavor but was not so overpowering that you couldn’t taste the flavour of the other mushrooms.  The soup base itself I didn’t think was thick enough to be termed a bisque but my mother disagreed.  The base was very rich in flavour but didn’t have the velvety texture that I expect from a bisque. 

The curried lamb wrap was simply awesome!  The lamb was tender, juicy and mixed well with the curry spice.  The array of veggies was similar to my chicken wrap (also had edamame beans). There were also strips of mango inside.  At first I couldn’t put my finger on the sweetness I was tasting in addition to the curried lamb and then we saw the bright yellow strips shooting down the center of the wrap.  Like my soup, the mixture of curry and fruit excited my taste buds and left me feeling satisfied and refreshed.  My father had the steak wrap.  The good sized strips of steak were cooked medium and were generally soft.  My father didn’t make too many comments but given how fast he downed the wrap and the soup, I assume he enjoyed his meal as much as my mother and I enjoyed ours.  For 10.99 for the wrap and soup, it was well worth it.

At night out with a friend at Nota Bene

Several months ago I was in a book store with a friend looking at pastry books and deciding where to go for a post dinner snack.  On our way to the register with a copy of Flowers for Algernon my friend brought up the subject of the fat friend.  The fat friend, as my interpretation goes, is the friend that is always down for eating (doesn’t particularly reference body shape).  She had made reference to another friend from her past when broaching the subject but seeing how I was so easily convinced to go for more food that evening I think she was subtly calling me her new fat friend.  From then on, since she is almost always down for eating like I am, I occasionally refer to her as my fat friend (she is actually pretty skinny but can eat almost as much as I can… I honestly have no idea how she does it).  It had been a while since I had gone for a fancy-ish meal so last week I told my fat friend I was taking her out for a nice dinner.  (Wow, that sounds really rude reading that back).

We made our way to Nota Bene, a chic new(ish) restaurant at Queen and University.  The front entrance area was small as we cozy-ed up next to some friendly visiting Americans upon entering the restaurant.  The bar area next to the entrance was lit with some trendy lights that reflected off the numerous liquor bottles adorning the long shelves behind the bar.  I confirmed our reservation and then we took our coats to the coat check people.  We were shown to our seats at the back of the restaurant while noting the interesting art pieces on the wall, a fairly open layout of tables and the trendier clientele (a lot of suits and fancy dresses).  My friend commented on the above average noise level which we both agreed was nice since it felt less pretentious.  The noise however didn’t help me since my friend is a little hard of hearing and found her saying, “What?!” almost every time I opened my mouth…or maybe I just mumble.

The waitress was extremely attentive and friendly.  After deciding on a German Riesling blend for drinks she commented on our “energy”.  We responded saying that we were just really hungry and really excited to eat.  She laughed and said we had come to the right place.

For appetizers we shared the Mozzarella di Bufala which was served on top of local radicchio, preserved lemon, balsamic and olive oil.  The cheese was wonderful.  It was smooth, creamy and mixed well with the somewhat sharper tasting radicchio.  My friend had the first bite and quickly said she could sit and eat a whole tub of the cheese alone.  I had to agree.  We also shared the special appetizer of the night, a sashimi plate with a number of oils and seasoning on it.  Our waitress ran through the list of ingredients so fast and it all sounded so delicious that I don’t even remember what she said but responded, “We’ll have one of those too”.  The plate came with six beautifully plated, thinly sliced pieces of fish.  It was good.  Not our favorite dish but tasty.  The last appetizer was the crisp duck salad with sumac-dusted green papaya slaw and cashews.  This was our favorite appetizer.  The duck was succulent, fatty and loaded with flavor.  The rich meat served on top of a refreshing medley of veggies and cold noodles was a home run for me.

Once the plates were cleared the mains arrived shortly after.  My friend had the seared rare big eye tuna which was served with chickpeas, sunchoke and smoked cherry bomb peppers.  I only had a bite of the tuna which was perfectly cooked having an almost light grey-ish color on the outside of the filets with a dark red-ish/purple-ish center.  My friend commented on how amazing seared tuna was because you get the taste of both cooked and raw tuna.  She was right, the bite that I had was amazing.  Light seasoning on the outside and the taste of the raw and cooked tuna in my mouth had my eyes rolling into the back of my head in delight.  I had the pulled suckling pig and boudin noir tart served with maple smoked bacon, mushrooms with a truffle vinaigrette.  The pig meat was tender and juicy.  Even the larger chunks had no hint of dryness.  The little black tarts that were laced throughout the dish were also delightful and the fruit puree on the side seemed to mix well with everything.  This dish was much heavier than the fish and was well executed.  In addition to the mains we ordered two side dishes, the rapini cooked with chilies and the onion rings.  The rapini was so-so.  I was expecting a little more kick from the chilies but could only really taste the oil and the greens.  The onion rings, which the waitress boasted were the best in the city, could be THE best onion rings I have ever had.  The onions were cut laser thin and came out in beautifully tangled mess.  As I began pulling one out it reminded my friend of the children’s game a-barrel-of-moneys since they all appeared linked together.  The balance of flavors between the batter and the onions melded perfectly.  I find a lot of onion rings too salty but these were perfectly seasoned.

We couldn’t finish the sides and asked to have them packed up.  Although we were both pretty full and ready to pass out into a food coma we decided to get dessert anyways.  We went for the crème caramel.  The approximately six inch in diameter little cake came out drizzled in a caramel glaze and was topped with a dried out vanilla bean.  Surrounding the center-piece of the plate were hard caramel candy pieces with nuts entombed inside.  They reminded me of those sap pieces from Jurassic Park but instead of a mosquito inside, there were nuts.  The crème caramel was soft and light.  It wasn’t too sweet but just sweet enough to leave you satisfied after a big meal.  With the numerous dishes, wine and a generous tip for the outstanding service it ended up being a bit of a pricey night.  It was worth it though.  You can’t put a price on enjoying really good food with great company.  My friend’s candor and sense of humor are refreshing and her passion for food far exceeds my own.  That “energy” that waitress had referred to earlier in the night could be the beaming happiness I exude when laughing with friends… or  maybe it was just the excitement for the food.  Either way, it was a “ferociously” delightful evening (inside joke).  

(Sorry, no pictures since it was a little dim in the restaurant and my phone doesn’t take good pictures in the dark.  Just trust we when I say the food looks as awesome as it tastes).

http://notabenerestaurant.com/

Now that’s a spicy roti!

My love for all things spicy is well served in Toronto.  That addictive feeling of having a burning sensation on my tongue and in my stomach had previously only been satisfied by hot chicken wings but now I can count on several culinary delights to get my fix.  I never had roti before coming to Toronto but now I find myself craving it frequently.  There are a number of roti shops in town and many of them are on my “list” (I actually keep a list of places I want to eat… is that weird?).  I’ve crossed off a few of them in the past month and thought I would share.

My first roti experience was at a place just down the street from where I live, Coconut Grove.  It’s a little shop with about five tables.  The girl who runs the counter is probably one of the friendliest servers I have ever met.  We have come to the point where she jokingly gives me a hard time if it has been too long between visits.  I’ve wanted to try the other things on the menu like their jerk chicken but can’t help but order the boneless curry chicken roti every time I go.  The roti itself is just okay but the filling is packed with flavor.  At first I thought it was a little dry and starchy but once you add their homemade hot sauce (which has some real kick to it) you quickly get over this.  Inside are generous portions of potatoes and chicken mixed in with a rich and flavorful curry.

Last weekend I was taking a stroll down Queen St. with a friend with the intention of trying Ghandi roti.  Upon arrival, we saw that they weren’t open on the weekends.  As an alternative, I suggested that we grab something small to hold us over (we split a burrito) and continue westward to Bacchus roti.  Apparently Bacchus roti is a lot further west than I had anticipated so we also stopped at Nadege to grab another small snack on the way.  Once we arrived at Bacchus, we took note of the décor.  Apparently the nice tables and seating area are a result of the show restaurant makeover.  There were also some interesting looking mirrors on the wall that reminded my friend of windows on a submarine which lead us to think it may have previously been a seafood place.  We walked up to the counter and asked the guy whether he recommended the jerk chicken or curry chicken roti.  After hearing my penchant for spice he recommended the jerk chicken.  The roti arrived on a plate and I suddenly was a little worried that we wouldn’t be able to finish it (and to think that I suggested that we split a poutine from Poutini only moments before).  The roti itself was much better than Coconut Grove and the inside filling clearly used higher quality ingredients.  The meal was also almost double the price.  The taste was not what I expected.  I expected the typical jerk chicken flavor but instead found it tasted much like the curry chicken from Coconut Grove.  In fact, my friend and I both thought that the two tasted very similar, which is a good thing since I like the taste of the Coconut Grove filling.  The Bacchus roti didn’t have very much heat to it but it was still packed with that strong curry flavor.

A few nights ago I decided to take a bit of a detour on my way home from work to try Ghandi Roti.  I walked in to find four small tables and five cooks in the back kitchen preparing for the dinner rush.  I went with the butter chicken roti with medium spice.  I think I just beat the dinner rush since only minutes later there was a line up from the counter to the door and a number of people placing orders on the phone.  After my first bite I understood why.  The roti wrap was the best I’ve had.  It has a bit of a doughy flavor to it which brought back memories of a pizza place I used to frequent who undercooked their pizza to give it more of a doughy flavor (Joe Dough Pizza Co… how I miss you).  Compared to the other two roti shops, this wrap had the most flavor.  The wrap is pumped out of this machine in the back that sounds like a loud sewing machine when they run it.  The butter chicken filling was hearty as expected and packed a lot of heat.  It was a good amount of heat too.  Not so hot that it takes focus away from the other flavors, but hot enough to get your blood pressure up.  As far as butter chicken goes, it isn’t the best I’ve had, but packaged in the tasty roti, it was delicious.  It was a little more expensive than I anticipated coming in only a couple dollars less than the Bacchus roti and being slightly smaller.

Coconut Grove is great because it is close, cheap and tasty.  It will likely remain my go-to roti shop if I’m feeling lazy and cheap.  Bacchus has the highest quality ingredients and probably uses healthier cuts of chicken but if I made the trek out that way for roti, I would be more inclined to try one of the other shops in the area before making a second trip.  I felt the taste was too similar to Coconut Grove for double the price and about 20 times the distance.  I wish it was spicier too.  Ghandi has a lot more variety on their menu and some interesting options that I would like to explore.  Of the three, Ghandi Roti is currently my favorite in terms of taste.  Great roti, great filling and it really packs some heat. 

Little Fish Shops

There is a theory that runs around my family regarding a women’s diet when they are pregnant.  They believe that a fish heavy diet (within the mercury-poisoning risk levels) will produce smarter offspring.  Given the biochemistry, it kind of makes logical sense to me but I’ve yet to find a study validating this.  The only evidence is the offspring in our family, particularly my two youngest cousins.  Their mother ate a ton of fish while pregnant and likely produced the two brightest and good-looking kids in the family (they are still pretty young which is why I use the word “likely” but this could be wishful thinking on the part of my ego). Although I believe each of the other cousins harbors a bit of jealousy towards them, the kids are so sweet and so cute that it is impossible not to love them.  Just ask Bank of America and Toyota who plastered my cousin’s face all over their ads.  So on days when I’m feeling a little dumb, which seem to grow more numerous with age, I eat fish.

I read somewhere that the best sandwich in Toronto is a fish sandwich and that it can be found at place called The Fish Store.  On a warm summer evening I made my way over to little Italy to sample this tasty delight.  I walked up the to store and giggled when I saw the outside.  The thought, “whoa this place must have been around a long time” entered my mind. 

The inside is tiny with a friendly Korean couple frying up fresh fish which is displayed on ice under fluorescent light.  The display board is hand-written, advertising the special fish of the day and the other menu items which includes fish sandwiches, soup and a few other dishes I can’t remember.  My friend and I decided to go half and half on the wild salmon and halibut sandwiches.  Below is the heavier salmon.

If there is one thing I have to say is that they give you a LOT of fish.  In terms of taste, it is excellent!  The fish is cooked perfectly.  It is warm throughout, juicy and tender.  The meat is also lightly spiced.  The spice doesn’t take away from the natural flavors of the fish and if anything, brings out more flavor.  I remember a hint of lemon which they must add while they are cooking it. Below is the lighter and more fluffy halibut.  Like the salmon, it was cooked perfectly and tasted wonderful.

The bread is also delicious.  Fresh and soft.  The bottom bun looks really big but once you pick up the sandwich the soft dough compresses under the weight of the huge pieces of fish so you can actually fit the whole thing into your mouth.  The sandwich is also completed with a few tomato slices and lettuce.  The veggies are fresh but nothing special.  I think I would have preferred thicker slices of tomato but I think that’s just because I really like tomatoes.  All in all, it is a great sandwich.  I wouldn’t go as far to say it is the best sandwich in the city, but if I’m ever in the mood for a fresh fish sandwich this is the place to go.

I was feeling pretty healthy after I left The Fish Store that day.  Last night’s fish meal was a different story.  I’ve had mixed feeling about fish and chips throughout my life. Fish sticks were the only type of seafood I would down at a young age but only after a complaint was filed to my mother about how I didn’t like seafood.  Back in my athlete days, battered fish and fries was not exactly the meal of choice but it was an occasional indulgence since I argued that fish was high in protein.  Once those days had passed I developed a love for the breaded fish and the tasty tartar sauce that came with it.  Then on one fateful Tuesday in the summer of 2004, a friend of mine brought me to Joey’s Only Seafood for their $8.99 all you can eat fish and chips.  Too much breading, too much bad fish, too much tartar sauce, and the site of watching my buddy go through three bottles (the size of standard size ketchup bottles… not little bottles) of tartar sauce turned me off fish and chips until 2007.  The Pilot House in Kingston got me back on board with their tasty take on the dish and since moving to Toronto, I figured I could find something better.  I’ve had fish and chips at a number of pubs and restaurants but didn’t find any of them outstanding until last night.

I’ve heard people toss around the name Harbord Fish and Chips as having the best fish and chips in the city.  Last night a friend and I wandered down Harbord St. towards the tiny shop with a few picnic tables out front.  Like the Fish Store, the shop could barely fit three customers and the little Asian man behind the counter was very friendly with a big grin on his face. 

We ordered the dinner for two for $24.99 which could realistically be called a dinner for three.  It came with two and a half pieces of halibut, two plates of fries and two small cups of coleslaw.  After placing the order we watched the man go to work.  Pulling the fish out of a small fridge tucked away in the corner and then quickly patting them down with paper towels.  A large bowl of batter rested on the table and was quickly put to use as the fish were tossed around and then thrown into the fryer.  The fries, fresh cut (you could see the washed whole potatoes in a bin next to the sink), were also dropped into a separate fryer.  You could hear the sizzle in the small space as we waited in anticipation. 

When he placed the final product on the counter all I would think of was “there is no way we can finish all of this”.  We sat at a tiny counter facing out the window and began to dig in.

The outside layer was crisp and hot.  You only need the knife to break through the batter though since the fish just melts apart.  The batter wasn’t too salty and had a lot of flavor.  The fish was AMAZING!  So soft… so succulent…. so tasty!  We quickly devoured the filets of fish and picked at the chips.  The chips were good.  Crispy, golden and not too salty.  The coleslaw was okay.  It was a nice change of flavor from all the fish and chips.  My only complaint was the industrial brand tartar sauce.  Even with this sauce, the meal was incredible but it makes me wonder how much better it could have been with better sauce.  You really don’t need too much sauce though… I just got some drool on the keyboard…. man that was a good meal.

We left with our stomachs a little too full but very satisfied.  As we walked outside, the breeze was refreshing as I could feel the grease oozing from my pores.  This is not a healthy meal by any standard.  After making it to the bottom of basket it was served in that episode of the Simpsons came to mind, the one where Homer gains weight so he can work from home.  There is that scene where Dr. Nick instructs Homer to rub a piece a food against the wall if he is unsure whether he should eat it.  Homer would have been allowed to eat this meal but I don’t think this meal should be included in my family’s pregnant women fish diet.  

The Toronto Burrito Tour: Part 1 (downtown core)

I’ve held a lot of random jobs growing up.  Some were easy like selling luggage or Christmas trees while others were pretty intense like being the grunt on a construction yard or the dishwasher in a busy restaurant.  No job however prepared me for the intensity of a particular daily event in my current life, ordering lunch in the downtown food courts of Toronto.  I remember my first time going to fancy salad, the sandwich box or the burrito place and being overwhelmed by the ordering procedure. ” White or whole wheat?!” ”Chicken or beef?!”  ”What kind of veg?!” “Hot sauce?!” “Toasted?!” “Sorry, cash only!”  ”NEXT!” I remember my first experience at fancy salad (which was actually my first day of work out of university) I was so overwhelmed I just said “everything” or “okay” to each person along the assembly line…the “fast food” salad cost me around $15…and I was still hungry after.  In fear of becoming “the jerk that holds up the line” you learn the various menus and ordering procedures pretty quickly and within weeks you are an expert.  

Before moving to Toronto burritos were never anything I got excited about.  Mind you my experience up until that point had been limited to Taco Bell or Taco Time.  After being introduced to Fresh West Grill in the TD food court by some co-workers, it opened my eyes to the glory of burritos.  As I hold the warm bundle of meat and veggies in my hands, I face southwest towards the San Francisco bay area (which has been described to me as the Mecca of burritos), and say a short prayer to the burrito gods that the tortilla maintain its integrity and that the meat be succulent and flavorful.  The burrito scene in Toronto is becoming very crowded so I set out to find Toronto’s best burrito.  And so began the Toronto burrito tour.  I am still continuing on my journey but I thought I would begin sharing what I have found.

Fresh West Grill is located in the TD food court and was the first burrito I tried in Toronto.  This spot quickly became a regular on my weekly lunch lineup and remains so today.  The line is usually lined up to the back of the food court but this little shop could be the most well oiled machine in the PATH.  You could have 40 people in front of you and still get a burrito in under 10 minutes.  I think there are three options for “burritos”.  There is the salad, which I have never had (after all, you don’t make friends with salad) but consists of lettuce instead of a tortilla or rice and with some mango citrus dressing.  They throw the rest of the burrito toppings on the salad.  The standard burrito comes on a huge flour tortilla that can be filled with rice, choice of meat (chicken, steak, shrimp or soy), choice of beans, stir fried veggies (which costs extra unless you order the veggie burrito), corn, burrito sauce, hot sauce, lettuce, green peppers, several different kinds of salsa (the mild looks like diced tomatoes while the medium and hot have a more watery consistency but with some heat), cheese, sour cream, and guacamole (which sadly is also extra).  The burrito is then wrapped and placed on a grill where it is seared on both sides to seal the burrito and give the tortilla a bit of a crisp when you bite into it.  It is delightful.  The last kind of burrito you can order is the inside-out burrito.  It’s basically the same as the standard burrito but served in a container without the tortilla (they add a lot more rice though).  The inside-out is a little cleaner since you eat it with a fork.  These days I get the standard burrito about half the time while opting for the inside out the other half.

Z-Teca was the second burrito shop to hit my radar in the downtown core and is located in Commerce Court under the CIBC building.  First you choose between a regular burrito (with beans), a fajita burrito (with stir fried veggies instead of beans), the burrito bowl (sans tortilla, like the inside-out) or the salad.  They offer two types of tortillas, flour or whole wheat, with cilantro rice, choice of salsa, cheese, fat free sour cream and burrito sauce.  The choice of meat consists of chicken, steak, beef barbacoa (slow-cooked shredded beef), shredded pork (carnitas) or shrimp.  This place very lightly grills the burrito simply to seal it.

The third burrito shop downtown is Mucho Burrito which recently opened in the Brookfield Place (old BCE building) food court.  They offer three sizes (pequeno, medio and mucho XL) and in similar form as the others places (veg vs. bean or bowl vs. tortilla).  They offer a variety of meats including chicken, steak, pork, and chorizo.  They have similar toppings and also throw in guacamole at no extra cost.  In addition to burritos they have tacos, quesadillas among other Mexican inspired entrees.  I have only tried the burritos but am often tempted to try the other things since the pictures on the board depict then oozing with cheese.

So, how do the downtown burritos stack up against each other.  Well each has their merits and I honestly mix it up depending on my mood.  Fresh West Grill has the freshest ingredients and their chicken is by far the best in the area.  The chicken at the other places is a little bland in comparison and Fresh West gives you huge chunks of juicy, wonderfully marinated chicken.  Fresh West is also slightly cheaper than the other places but it is cash only.  I also like the crisped tortilla but wish they gave you the stir fried veggies and guacamole without the extra cost.  Z-Teca has the best beef burrito downtown.  The slow roasted beef is so rich in flavor and has that mexican kick you expect from good burrito meat.  I like that you can get the stir fried veggies for free and I think of the three, Z-Teca is the most filling.  I was carrying one back to my desk today and I could feel it weighing down on my arm.  This gave me some mixed feelings… either I’m getting really weak which is sad or this is a heavy burrito…  I think it was a bit of both.  The veggies don’t taste as fresh but the whole wheat tortilla is a nice “healthy” option.  Mucho burrito unfortunately falls a little short of the other two in veggie freshness; amount and flavor of meat; and value (it is the most expensive) but what it lacks in flavor of ingredients it makes up for in heat.  Of the three burritos it is by far the spiciest (if you get the hot sauce and the spicy salsa, which is my default order at all three places).  So on days when I feeling a little chilly or am craving a tingle in my mouth and fire in my belly, I opt for Mucho burrito.  It’s still a good burrito, it’s just that the other two are really good.  When I think about the chicken and veggies at fresh west or the marinated beef at Z-Teca it makes my mouth water.

I think I’ve devised a plan of attack for the rest of the burritos in the city, many of which I have already tried and placed on my burrito hierarchy.  On the west end we have some varieties like Burrito Boyz, Big Fat, Mission, New York Subway or Burro.  On the east end we have Chipotle, the sandwich shoppe, Moe’s, Quesada and the burrito house.  I’ve heard that some place called burrito banditos opened up somewhere too.  Who knows, maybe a Johnny banana, El Trompo or El Asador may top the list.  Only time will tell.  This is a long journey that may take me months or even years but it is one that I’m glad to be eating my way through.  Feliz comiendo a mis amigos (that’s probably totally wrong).

http://www.freshwestgrill.com/

http://www.z-teca.com/

http://www.muchoburrito.com/

Turkey Day 2009

Thanksgiving could be one of my favorite holidays because it is a holiday solely centered around eating.  Other holidays are centered around a religious or historical event but Thanksgiving is the only one I can think of that is completely focused on people sharing food.  Over the past seven years I have spent Thanksgiving away from my family but I still continue to get excited about this holiday year over year because I get to spend it with my adopted family here in Ontario, my friends whose families also live in some other part of the world (and friends who are celebrating Thanksgiving with their own families on a different day).  The first year was a bit of a disaster in the kitchen.  The turkey wasn’t completely thawed and we cooked it upside down.  Although we had to finish cooking some of the turkey slices on the bbq before we could eat it, it never deterred us from celebrating this holiday every year since.

Over the years we began perfecting the art of cooking turkey.  We’ve experimented with a wide array of spices, differing amounts of butter, different time intervals for basting, stuffed vs. non-stuffed, different temperatures and different original Nintendo games to play while the bird is in the oven (we realized a number of years ago it takes almost the exact amount of time to beat every level of Mario 3 as it does to cook a turkey…coincidence…some would say so…I call it fate).

Now I’m going to let you in on a little secret to cooking turkey.   If you want a great tasting turkey you are going to have to set aside all your health concerns and let your arteries take the hit for one glorious meal (and many subsequent sandwiches).  The evolution of my turkey preparation has been driven by many years of watching cooking shows and listening to my mother’s advice.  First there was salting and spicing the inside cavity.  Brilliant!  Thank you food TV.  Then there was buttering the turkey, not only on the surface but under the skin.  ”Wow Mom. That’s genius!”  The array of spices has evolved over time with the various iterations but mostly driven by what was available in the kitchen.  This year, while lying in bed before the day of cooking I came up with creating a spice paste that I could rub all over every surface of the turkey.  

When I cook I don’t take exact measurements, which a lot of people find surprisingly considering my extensive chemistry background (maybe that’s why my organic chemistry lab partner hated me).  Anyways,  I took several generous spoonfuls of margarine and dumped it into a fairly large bowl.  Next I took almost every spice I had and threw healthy portions of them into the bowl.  This includes dehydrated vegetables (onions, red bell peppers, leeks, tomatoes, carrots), parsley, garlic, celery seed, bay, basil, oregano, thyme, coriander, cumin, mustard, rosemary, chili power, paprika, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, some brown sugar, corn starch and bread crumbs, all in various proportions based on how much I had or the strength of the spice.  I began to stir and what emerged was a thick paste that smelled delightful.  Next I began separating that skin of the turkey from the meat and began filling the void in between with the paste.  Next I began covering the surface of the inside cavity with the paste and then rubbing the entire exterior of the turkey with the paste.  Once the entire bird was covered, I stuffed the bird with stuffing with a couple extra diced apples.  Once of this was done, I took a few dry spices and sprinkled a light layer on top of the entire turkey again.  During the basting process this usually falls off and into the turkey drippings which makes for a very tasty gravy.

Once the bird was in the oven, we began playing Mario 3 and at every castle or leap to the next world I would check on the bird and baste (typically in 20 minute intervals).  This year we realized we really sucked at Mario 3 so we only made it to world 5 before we decided to call it quits and play another game.  As the final hour was approaching I began the mad dash to get all the other dishes done so that everything finishes at approximately the same time.  There is the garlic mash potatoes, the extra stuffing that doesn’t come out of the bird, a mandarin orange salad (an attempt at “healthiness”), cranberry sauce (which we just pour right out of the can) and dessert, apple crisp.  I had a friend in the kitchen with me preparing the apple crisp and we soon realized that was too much apple and not enough crisp.  This had been a problem before several years ago which resulted in three separate batches of apple crisp: one with too much cinnamon, one too much brown sugar and one with too much butter.  I think we just started throwing random amounts of stuff in when we realized we had cut up too many apples.  They were all still pretty good but I guess too much of any of these things has to be good.  The impromptu mixture of more crisp actually worked out well this year and the apple crisp was a nice way to cap off the meal.  I know this may look at a little crisp heavy on the top but considering the amount of margarine we figured it would all flow through the layers…and it did…and it was awesome!

When all the food is on the table, every year I can’t help but stand back and look at the final product and the look of excitement on everyone’s face.  The aroma of the cooked bird permeates that entire room.  The steam coming off the food adds humidity to the room, which combined with the heat of the cooling oven provides a homely warmth.  Then we begin carving.  First pulling off the legs and wings and seeing the dark meat fall of the bones and into a pool of its own juices.  Then, carefully carving the breast into thick white slices.  This year you could smell the spices as each slice of the knife cut off another layer of meat and you could see the juices within the meat glistening in the light of my tiny dining area.  The food is passed around until everyone has a bit of everything and we dig in.

We have come a long way since that first botched turkey.  The general consensus among our Thanksgiving regulars believed that this could have been the best one yet.  As we savored each bite, we shared some laughs, reminisced about old times, and caught up on recent events in our current lives. We all left the table full, satisfied and smiling.  After the cleanup, which was amazingly efficient this year, a few of us shared cigars out on my balcony.  A friend of mine made an interesting comment saying that your friends are the family members you choose.  I took a moment to think about that and realized that even if I wasn’t related to any of my siblings, I would still want to be friends with them and would have invited them over for Thanksgiving had they lived in the area.  I’m really thankful to have a great family that I would have chosen if given the choice and a group of friends I can consider family.  Thanks for a great night everyone and come over for turkey sandwiches so I can clear out some space in my fridge (I made a turkey sandwich today that I will describe by layer: toasted bread, thin layer of garlic mash potatoes, thick layer of light and dark meat turkey, medium sized layer of stuffing, and cranberry sauce spread on the second piece of toast).  Each bite is like experiencing the whole meal all over again…

Petite Thuet and The Chocolate Burger…

I haven’t written in a while so as a result I have a backlog of places to write about.  I had originally planned maybe writing another post mid week but something strange happened tonight.  Several months ago I had noticed I was missing four forks from my set of eight.  I asked a few friends if I had forgot them on the patio upstairs, or maybe had taken them over to their places from some reason.  No one seemed to know where they were.  I felt like it must have been one of those Toy Story type of situations (where you turn around and everything comes to life) and my forks just got up and walked away.  Tonight, after writing about soup I thought I would get some long overdue cleaning done in my place.  As I was cleaning out the fridge I found my four forks, stacked at the back of the top shelf of my fridge behind a Costco size bottle of Teriyaki sauce.  HOW DID THEY GET THERE?!  What would compel me to place four forks in the very hardest area to reach in my fridge?!  I have been getting creative eating with spoons because of this?!  I felt like I needed to vent a little since I feel like this is one of those mysteries I will never solve so here I am, venting and about to tell you about a little dessert house/sandwich shop/cafe at 1 King St. West, Petite Thuet.

This Saturday I awoke at around 9am on a couch at a friend’s house.  We had planned on doing a chicken wing tour of the area but then it started to rain so we decided to sit tight and have a few drinks at the Granite brewery.  Excellent beer by the way.  After chatting over some cereal in the morning and realizing that Saturday morning cartoons must be a thing of the past (I think I died a little inside when we couldn’t find a decent cartoon on TV) I decided to take my friend to the black camel.  After walking home and diving into bed for a early afternoon nap a friend of mine phoned and asked if I wanted to grab something to eat.  ”Ummm. Sure.  I can always eat!”  I hopped into the shower and we were on our way to Petite Thuet.  We were greeted by the friendly staff and began admiring the delicious desserts and confections behind glass showcase.  The desserts looked beautiful, it was like being in a museum of food.  Works of art in bite size form.

We decided to order a couple sandwiches, a couple regular size macaroons and one giant macaroon that the guy at the counter referred to as the chocolate burger.  First, the sandwiches.  We decided to go half and half and try two sandwiches. The first was a lobster salad sandwich.  I thought it was pretty good.  It had a good amount of lobster which made me feel like it was a deal at $9 since lobster is really expensive.  Most “salad” sandwiches I find have to much mayo and you can’t really taste anything else.  This didn’t have too much mayo and you could taste the flavors of the lobster and vegetables that were mixed in.  The bread was pretty good, nothing spectacular but pretty good.  It looked fancy so I think I was expecting a lot.

The second sandwich was a jambon beurre.  I think it means that it is a fancy ham and cheese sandwich.  In all honesty, this could be the best ham and cheese sandwich I’ve had.  By other sandwich standards it was still pretty good, but no where near other great sandwiches I’ve had.  Then I asked myself, how good can the best ham and cheese sandwich be?  This is probably it.  The jambon was tasty and a little salty like good ham should be.  It was clearly cut right off a pig as opposed to the stuff you see at the Loblaws deli.  The cheese was smooth and the veggies were fresh.  The highlight of this sandwich was the bread.  Crisp on the outside, soft on the side, and lathered with a generous helping of butter.  So good!  

Now, the dessert.  I’ve never had macaroons other than the disaster of eating the really old display ones at Moroco up in Yorkville several months ago.  I asked my friend what they were exactly and she described them as cookies with a crisp outside that sandwich a jelly filling.  I picked up the bite size strawberry macaroon first and took a bite.  I remember my teeth passing through the layers and thinking that this is just as she described.  A very thin and crisp layer, followed by a cookie so soft it was almost as if it were right out of the oven, and then jelly.  Sweet, delicious, rich jelly!  The things were tiny and cost $2 a piece but given how good it was, I would definitely go back for more.  We also split a blueberry one which I thought was even more delicious than the first.  There was a part of me that wanted to go back to the counter and order more but I’m glad I didn’t knowing what we had in store for us next.

The chocolate burger – a giant chocolate macaroon, half coated with chocolate, resting on a shortbread cookie that also had a layer of chocolate on it.  The guy behind the counter described the filling as being 85% coco chocolate mixed with caramel.  It sounded rich.  I was a little scared.  Those of you who know me know that I don’t eat chocolate.  I never really ate chocolate or drank caffeine growing up so when I get a little in my system I start bouncing off the walls. I already have a fair amount of energy so stuff like this would usually put me over the top and I would either need to run around, jump off furniture or I would get the shakes and become very jittery.  I knew I had to at least try it so I said I would only take a bite while my friend had the rest (after all, this was my third meal of the day and it was before 3pm).  My first bite, the cookie was very reminiscent of the little macaroons I have tried previously with the crunchy layer encasing the chewy cookie.  Then I hit the chocolate…WHOA!  I knew this was going to be rich and it didn’t disappoint.  I was easily coerced into a second and third bite after tasting the delectable caramel.  The mixture of the cookie, rich chocolate and caramel swirling around in my mouth put me in a state of food euphoria that I haven’t experienced for some time.  Here is a picture after a few bites to show the inner chocolate and caramel layer.  I took the picture and immediately sent it to my friend who loves chocolate to which he responded, “Dude!!! What is that?”

Needless to say I was a little wired after this meal but it was so worth it!  I know I said I wasn’t a big chocolate fan, but if there is anything that can convert me over it is this thing.  I think I could have those little macaroons as a dessert for every meal but I should exercise some self restraint.  This body doesn’t maintain itself… it requires conscience eating, exercise, limiting myself to one poutine a week, and watching the sweets….maybe I should have less poutine and more macaroons.  Hmmm something to consider.  Maybe I should leave a note for my forks and they can decide for me once I’m fast asleep.

http://www.petitethuet.com/

No soup for who?

Several months ago when the last winter was finally winding down I would walk around the underground walkway of the financial district during lunch and see everyone carrying these bags with a mischievous looking cartoon chef on it, the Soup Nutsy.   Even in the cold weather, I never really was motivated to try the place because, like Seinfeld’s Kenny Bania, I believed soup wasn’t a meal.  I had always come to think of soup as an appetizer, a side dish, something you eat when you can’t stomach real solid food.  Then, on a not so special day in July, I decided to give Soup Nusty a whirl and after my first experience my whole perspective on soup had changed.

The shop is located in the TD building almost in the dead center of the RBC food court, Commerce court, First Canadian place, and the good burrito place in the TD food court.  The shop itself is tucked away amongst the retail shops which makes it tough to find, that is if you miss the ridiculously long line of people waiting for soup.

In the summer, the lineup wasn’t too bad but now that the weather is getting a little chilly I walk up and find myself at the back of a long line that exits the little shop, wraps along the wall, around a staircase, past some ATM machines and around another corner with at least 50 people in front of me.  I’m always a little afraid they will run out of soup but I know now that even if they run out of one type, I’m sure they’ll have another one in stock that will satisfy my soup craving.  Now before I go into describing the soups I’ve tasted to date, let me start off by saying a few general things so I don’t repeat myself over and over.  (1) All the soups are hearty and have a ton of stuff in them, (2) all of them have beautifully spiced or have rich and creamy broths, and (3) in most cases, each flavor is the best version of that soup I have ever had in my life (i.e. the chicken noodle is the best chicken noodle I’ve ever had or the corn chowder is the best I’ve ever had etc.).

The first soup I tried was the Moroccan Madness Vegetable Medley.  There were 9 kinds of vegetable (pretty much any kind that would seem appropriate in a soup and some that you wouldn’t think would go into a soup but go surprisingly well).  The veggies were soft and soaked up the broth but weren’t mushy like a lot of vegetable that have been simmering for a long time.  The broth was outstanding.  It was spiked with Moroccan spices that gave it a lot of kick.  At the end of the meal my mouth was left with a slight stinging sensation, but the good and satisfying kind.

For the second bowl I decided to go with something more popular, or something I’ve had a lot of experience eating.  Next of the list was the Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle.  This place definitely doesn’t skimp on the chunks of chicken and there are two types of noodles, fussili and broad noodles.  The broth had a nice consistency to it, it wasn’t a viscous as water but not as thick as a cream soup.  Maybe some of the starch from the broccoli and carrots flowed into the soup.  That’s right, broccoli and carrots in a chicken noodle soup.  Unexpected…yes.  Delicious…yes!

The Tex Mex Turkey-Beef Chili was next.  Compared to other chilies I’ve had, this was just as comforting but in all honesty, this was one of the only soups that disappointed me.  There were a ton of peppers and the potatoes in it were a pleasant surprise.  It was beefy which, mixed with turkey, was pretty interesting.  It has some kick but was not overpowering.  I think I would have preferred more spice but it was a comforting bowl none the less.

Round 4: West African Senegalese Peanut Chicken.  This soup had a very strong nutty flavor.  It was almost overpowering until you get a few bites in and can taste the array of peppers, tomatoes and the very spicy kick.  It must have been the piquant chili peppers that left a tingling sensation in my mouth.  I think all the people on my desk were wondering what I was eating since you could smell the nuts from pretty far away but they could see me perspiring from the spice.

The Aztec Chicken Chipotle Chowder was the fifth stamp of my frequent eater card.  The broth was smooth and creamy with a slight yellow tinge to it.  There was a LOT of corn and huge chunks of potatoes.  The red peppers, green peppers, jalepenos, onions and green herbs gave it a little more color.  There was a definite hint of Tex Mex spice.  Mmmm, Aztec spices are golden.

The first bite of the Caribbean Chicken Vegetable Rice soup had its mix of Caribean spices but there was a hint of sweetness.  I was a little confused since all I could see were an array of peppers.  Then I saw them, orange cubes…is that…sweet potato!? Yes it was.  The soup base was well spiced, not too hot, but again leaving a tingling sensation in my mouth.  There was plenty of rice to soak up some of the soup base but not enough that it took over the dish.  It is soup after all.  Rice bowls are also on the menu but this soup in a rice bowl would be rice overkill.

For the cajun chicken gumbo I figure I only have to list the ingredients for people to understand the awesomeness of this velvety bowl of soup.  Old bay, cayenne pepper, creole cajun spice mix, chicken, tomato, rice, okra, sausage, red peppers, green peppers and jalapeno.  It’s as amazing as it sounds. 

I love Thai food so seeing it in soup form got me a little excited.  The Fiery Thai Chicken and Coconut lives up to its name.  It is wicked spicy while still having a somewhat creamy broth.  Before diving in you even see a layer of chili oil on the top.  It also had mushrooms, tomatoes, rice and big juicy chunks of chicken.  There was a hint of coconut like the name suggest but there was also a very faint taste of nuts.  Very Thai.  Very good!  Gulping down the last few bites was like taking a shot of fire.

Mushroom soup has always been one of my comfort foods.  When I saw they had a Cream of Shiitake Mushroom soup, I had to try it.  Shiitake mushrooms are one of my favorite vegetables.  The broth was super thick and creamy.  There must have been four kind of mushrooms in it varying in size, texture and taste.  Best mushroom soup ever!  It was also after taking this picture that I realized that soup doesn’t photograph very well.  So take my word when I say this soup is awesome!

The final stamp on my frequent eater card (10 and you get one free) was the Jamaican Crab Bisque.  The broth was velvety and creamy but there was a kick from the exotic mix of spices.  I generally never associated creamy with spicy but these soups have proven me wrong.  Mixed about were minced pieces of celery and large (relatively speaking) chunks of black pepper.  The crab meat was plentiful, soft, tender and tasty.  Some of the crab pieces were solid and juicy while others were a little flakier and melted in our mouth.  There was small hint of that seafood smell but it was overpowered by the richness of the bisque and the kick of the spices.

Today I decided to try the Lobster Bisque.  On the whole it was very good.  Smooth, creamy and rich broth.  The lobster wasn’t as generous as I have found with ingredients in there other soups but they make up for it was other vegetables like potatoes.  There is supposed to be wine or sherry in it or something but I couldn’t really taste it.  Maybe I was just off my soup game today.

In addition to the soup, the place offers combos were you get a bowl of soup and two of the following: apple, banana, small packet of celery and carrots, a variety of rolls, or an ENORMOUS slice of bread.  The slices are massive.  You can pretty much soak up a whole bowl with one slice.  I usually opt for the sandwich combo.  The grilled chicken sandwich has a honey mustard glaze which is delightful.  I also like the Salami and Mozzarella but that just may be spill over from my Italian cravings after working my way through the entire series of the Sopranos. The sandwiches are like any over the counter sandwich from a coffee shop, maybe a little better and fresher, but it completes the meal.  Let’s be clear here though, the sandwich is a side to the soup.

As the winter is fast approaching, I know I will find myself at this soup stand at least once a week to indulge in some old favorites and also try out the new mixtures the Soup Nutsy is concocting. Soup Nutsy, you truly are the purveyor of world gourmet soups.  Oh, and the people who run the place are much more reasonable than the guy in the Seinfeld episode, although the one older women is a little scary. NEXT!

http://www.soupnutsy.ca/

A trip to Little India

During University I developed a taste for Indian food and ever since moving to Toronto I’ve been in searching for a really good place to get my fix.  Most times I find myself at an all-you-can-eat Indian buffets.  Some have been delicious while others…not so much.  It wasn’t until almost a year after living in Toronto that someone told me about an area of town called Little India.  At first I thought they were talking about the Indian restaurant on Queen (which is also really good) but it turns out when you head east on Gerrard, over the Don Valley, past sketchy east China town and a little further east, you’ll find Little India.  A few friends of ours had been telling us about a place there that is supposed to have really good food but an unusual dining setting.  Apparently the main restaurant has been under renovations for some time so for the time being everyone eats outside at picnic tables.  Sounds like my kind of place!  A few weeks ago we made out way over and I was stunned when I laid eyes on the place, Lahore Tikka House.

Under the rainbow color tent were a number of picnic tables and the dining area which was lit up by hundreds of little lights.  It felt magical.  We decided to order a bunch of dishes and share between the group of us.  To start, they gave us small veggie salad (enough for one person.  I think this was to clear the palate).  We ordered a meat samosa each.  The bundle of meat and spices was delightful.  The outer layer was nice and crisp.  Thinking back, I don’t think I have ever had a bad samosa so take this for what it’s worth.  The butter chicken came out next.

There were HUGE chunks of tender chicken mixed in the delicious sauce.  A friend of mine once told me he judged Indian buffets by the color of the butter chicken.  Orange = bad.  Red = good.  After mixing this around a reddish paste formed with the spices visible (and whoa, there were a lot of spices, not hot spices but delicious spices).  We also ordered a piece of naan bread each (which was also pretty big) to soak up all the extra sauce.

The chicken tikka masala came out next.  It looked very similar to the butter chicken but was darker and had more kick to it.  Like the dish before it, it was rich in flavor due to hefty array of spices. The chicken was also tender.  The sauces in these two dishes were so good I found myself spooning the left over sauce out by the end of the meal.  The oil and spices can’t be good for my blood pressure but it is tough to resist.

In an attempt to balance out all the meat we decided to order the “combo sizzler” vegetable dish.  The dish was a combination of Tarka Dal (lentils), Aloo Gobi (cauliflower and potato), Chana Masala (chick peas) and Palak (Spinach).  There were also peppers on the dish.  The vegetables were a little oily but they were delicious.  In all honesty, it was a nice break from the richness of the other dishes.  The veggies were not overly spiced, maintaining the flavor of the vegetable, but still having a hint of the middle-eastern flavor that I’ve come to love.

We also ordered the chicken briyani.  The plate of rice came out with big chunks of chicken still on the bone. The portions for this dish were very generous and between the five of us, had a bit of a struggle finishing all of it (along with everything else).  This is one of the best Indian meals I have had in Toronto and for the price (about $10 per person), I thought it was a good find.  I admit, I’ll be a little sad when they get rid of the giant rainbow tent with the Christmas lights, the paper plates (oh yeah, we were eating off paper plates and using plastic utensils) and the picnic tables but even when the restaurant renovations are complete, I’m sure I’ll find myself back here to get my middle-eastern fix.

http://www.lahoretikkahouse.com/

Adventures in Smoked Meat

In January of 2005 I went to a technology conference in Toronto.  I know this sounds pretty geeky but conferences were basically an excuse to party in another city and well….I am a bit of a geek and think new technology is kind of cool (there was a seminar on nano particles and it was fascinating).  There was a restaurant across the street from the Holiday Inn on King St. (which is where the conference was held) called Reuben S which appeared to specialize in smoked meat sandwiches.  A group of us decided to give it a whirl. Upon entering the shop you could smell the smoked meat in the air.  The sandwich came with a huge pickle and we also ordered a side of cherry peppers.  The pickle was crisp and the cherry peppers were bursting with flavor.  The sandwich itself was also great.  Smokey, peppery, delicious. It was very reminiscent of our trips to Montreal.  We managed to make it back one last time before the conference was over.  On a side note, the conference itself ended a little abruptly.  Let’s just say there was a life size moose statue, a camera, some slow elevators, and an incident that resulted in a couple of us no longer being allowed back to the Holiday Inn on King St…EVER.  The incidence isn’t as gross as you are probably imagining.  In all honesty it wasn’t that bad and I think the security staff overreacted. 

A couple months after moving to Toronto in 2007 I was excited to go back to Reuben S and revisit the site of the famous moose picture.  To my dismay, Reuben S was gone but at least the Holiday Inn was no longer a Holiday Inn, lifetime ban…HA!  Ever since I’ve been trying to find a great smoked meat sandwich place in Toronto.  In the summer of 2008, I found it.  Tucked away in the Monarch Tavern, up a dark and sketchy staircase was a small kitchen named Caplansky’s.  I ordered the combo which came with fries, coleslaw, a pickle slice and a 7oz smoked meat sandwich.  The fries were crisp and salted perfectly.  Could be some of the best fries I’ve had to date.  The coleslaw was also crisp with a hint of sweetness.  The sandwich, divine.  Juicy, peppery, smokey, delicious.  I remember thinking to myself, this ranks up there with Montreal and New York…it may even be better. I have gone back many times since and brought friends and family along to savor the flavor of this delicious sandwich.  It seemed like every time I went back, the sandwich got a little better. Mr. Caplansky opened up a new shop on College street last week.  Of course, I had to try it.

The corner shop was very clean and there was a line-up just outside the door.  The staff were running all over the place and everyone in the place seemed pretty excited to try the new full menu that Caplansky’s now offered.  My buddy and I were just in the mood for a good sandwich so we ordered the basic combo.  The price of the combo had gone down but now it doesn’t come with coleslaw.  I opted for the fries and my buddy tried the Motzah ball soup.  The soup was just okay.  Not too salty but pretty basic.  I guess I’ve been a little spoiled with soup lately after trying this place downtown a few weeks ago (I’ll write about this soon).  The fries were good.  Not as good as I remember but still better than most places. 

The sandwich was a little drier than the last time I had it but it was still great.  I think he probably made a crap-load of brisket to make sure he didn’t sell out of food on the opening weekend (which was a problem with his previous shop).  Maybe it was sitting around and dried out a little.  The service was very friendly but you could tell they still have to work out a LOT of kinks.  I give it a month or so and hopefully the staff will have there act together.  Hopefully by this time too they will have a better sense of the customer flow the smoked meat will be fresher.  After the great sandwich experience I had several months ago with my buddy from Calgary (at which point I was convinced it was better than Schwartz), I’m willing to wait to give his new place another shot soon.  Oh and one more thing, their home made mustard is fantastic!  I usually put on the homemade mustard mixed with the spicy mustard.  The combination mixed with the smoked meat is amazing!

I have been raving about this sandwich for some time now and I always get asked  the same question, “Is it better than Schwartz’s?”  Several months ago I took a trip to Montreal to confirm.  After a night out in Montreal, we made a stop to Schwart’z early in the morning before driving back to Toronto.  

We ordered two smoked meat platters which came with a plate of smoked meat, half a loaf of rye bread and pickles.  First off, the pickle is huge!

I put my glasses in the picture to give a reference for size.  My head is pretty big so needless to say, this pickle was huge!  The platter with the plate of bread was very intimidating but washed down with a cherry cola, we knew we could pound it back and still go out for one last poutine before leaving the city.

The make your own sandwich concept was kind of nice since most places packed too much meat in between two small pieces of bread (especially in NYC and even more so at Carnegie Deli).  This way, we could control the meat to bread ratio which I have found is always key in a sandwich.  The mustard is just your standard Heinz mustard but the taste of the meat speaks for itself. 

Now, the taste.  Walking into the place you can smell the smokiness in the walls.  The sandwich reflects this wonderful smokey flavor mixed with a spicy goodness that has made this sandwich the legend that it is.  The meat is pretty fatty which makes it very juicy and tender.  But the question is, how does this compare to Caplansky’s.  After eating both, I would say it is pretty close.  On a good day, I would say Caplansky’s is better but after the last experience, I would say Schwartz’s is slightly better.  They are both amazing sandwiches so really, the debate is like arguing which is better between sour patch kids or sour soothers.  They are both awesome!

A few months ago I also took a trip to New York and tried the sandwich at 2nd Ave Deli.  Now that is also a great sandwich!  So much meat!  I think it is juicer and fattier than the Canadian counterparts but it isn’t spiced as well.  Their perogies are awesome too.  In the end, I know I can find a good sandwich in NYC, Montreal and now finally Toronto.  It’s awesome living out east!  You can’t find this kind of stuff back west.  Ah, what the hell, here is the picture that got us banned from the Holiday Inn.

It was 4 in the morning and riding the moose seemed like a good idea at the time.  It was pretty tough getting up there.  But seriously, getting kicked out for this?!  In all honesty, what is the bigger crime, riding the moose or wearing white socks with black shoes and black pants?  I feel like slapping college me across the face and saying, “If you are going to do something stupid, at least don’t dress like an idiot!”  Man,  I think I even packed black socks for that conference…