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| Horse tartar ($16) with potato sticks, a ton of fresh dill and Hollandaise |
My first visit to The Black Hoof, 928 Dundas Street West, was back in 2008 when they opened and it was published on blogto.com at
http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/blackhoof. I was impressed, to say the least, and have been back a couple of times since. This is a restaurant to get your meat on; even your horse meat on. Giddy up at The Hoof with their horse tartar. It is elegant, rich, slightly sweet and apparently a little naughty. OK a lot naughty. Some of Toronto is pissed that restaurants like this one and La Palette are serving horse. There are protests and letters and all kinds of upset. Here's my deal: I will eat (try) anything that other cultures, other people are eating. I do not discriminate against the consumption of certain animals. Why is it ok to eat a cow or a pig but a horse is strictly taboo? Is it because they are prettier? Is it because the rich have them as pets? Or maybe because we bet money to see them race?
When you eat a cow and not a horse, you are saying to that cow, you are not worth living the way a horse is. You're useless and I can eat you.
Think about it.
Horse meat is not only tasty but is low in fat, high in protein and over 4,000 horses are consumed worldwide each year.
It is not the horrific thing you may think it is.
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| Cured meat board ($19) with a side of warm olives ($4) and a large side of bread ($4) |
The Black Hoof's claim to fame was and still very much is their house made charcuterie. Sure, charcuterie is not the buzz word that it used to be but it still is a thing of beauty. Some bread and a little mustard have us making our own mini sandwiches.
Our adventure continues with fried sweet breads, a tongue sandwich on brioche and roasted bone marrow.
All good and none of which are for the discriminating diner.
