Terroni now accepts reservations

I had not been to Terroni (Queen St. location) in over a year, maybe two and had no idea that they now take reservations. No more awkwardly standing in a long line breathing down the poor peoples' necks who got stuck in one of the three tables in the entrance. 

This is the good news. 

The bad news is that our dinner, like the picture below, was only half as good as it used to be. 

I have always been a fan, a proud supporter in the Terroni vs. Libretto pizza war but tonight's undercooked, soggy dough has me thinking I need to revisit Libretto. 

Even the pasta was disappointing; too chewy and the sauce too sweet and overly tomatoey. 

It wasn't light. It did not taste fresh. 

It didn't taste Italian. 

Sunday lunch at Chantecler

Lunch at Chantecler on a Sunday is a fun little mix of Asian and American classics. 

Get your classic, greasy brunch fix with a hash brown (a super crispy exterior and nicely whipped interior) and a breakfast muffin (sausage, cheese, bacon, etc. ). 

Or go East with a bowl or congee, shrimp  vermicelli, turnip cake with Chinese sausage or a fried steamed bun with a sweet condensed milk dipping sauce - which by the way goes extremely well with their French pressed coffee. 

I'll admit to loving Big Macs so naturally the shrimp burger with shredded lettuce and Mac sauce was a no brainer. 

Kudos for a Caeser that was more thoughtful than the basic. 

They serve lunch on Sundays from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm and you should go. 

Today's lunch pick: Pho Huong

I eat a lot of pho and one of my favourite places is Pho Huong, 394 Pacific Avenue, in The Junction. The broth has a depth of flavour that other bowls lack. It's fragrant and you can actually taste the cinnamon and star anise. Nothing is worse than when your pho tastes like dish water. 

Playa Cabana Cantina

Playa Cabana Cantina, 2883 Dundas Street West is the most lively place to eat in The Junction. Neon lights, vintage signs and reclaimed wood adorn the space. Add the loud but not too loud meringue, pitchers of margaritas ($29) and you're ready for a fiesta. 

The menu is quite large and the kitchen is capable on most accounts. Their philosophy is Mexican cuisine does not have to be the calorie-laden, fat inducing cuisine you may think it is. 

Tortillas are handmade with corn (gluten free) and are the right texture. If they are too thin, they crumble. If too thick, the denseness of corn can be like lead. 

Yes, it's just a snack but Playa Cabana's guac is smooth and creamy and the chips are crisp without being oily. 

A bucket of shrimp ($16) in arbol garlic butter is unsurprisingly not a bucket but still a pound of finger licking goodness. 

The tostada with chicken tinga, refried beans, lettuce, guac and creama ($14) is crispy and fresh. The side rice is yellow yet bland.

Rob and Lindsey swear by the short rib tacos ($14/3). AAA Ontario beef is braised with ancho chilies then stuffed into crispy tacos with the usual fixings. 

Unfortunately, the "pizza style" nachos a la plancha ($9/add $4 for chorizo) are a total miss. Tortillas are topped with Oaxacan cheese, beans, creama and guajillo sauce. The chorizo is sliced instead of crumbled and seems more closely related to a hot dog than a sausage. The guajillo tastes like brown ketchup. The tortillas sog under the blanket of cheese. Our server said it was good; he lied. 

They used to bring in the churros but now make their own. What should be finger sized crispy, fried doughnuts covered in sugar and cinnamon are nuggets of under fried dough with a caramel center that does nothing to help their cause. 

Playa Cabana is more tex-mex than Mexican. The flavours are too muted and tame. It's lacking an authenticity to be considered real Mexican. But it's still a fun place to eat and the gringos are having a blast. 

Sometimes...

you dine out and order dishes that are good, that you enjoy in that moment but that disappear from your thoughts the moment they are consumed. And some, make lasting imprints on my palate and have me obsessed for months later.

These are my current restaurant obsessions:

The perfectly smooth and creamy deviled eggs topped with crisped blood pudding ($4) at The Grove. It's just eggs but these little darlings kind of stole my heart. I also love the mismatched China-like side plates; very British grandmum.

The steak tartar at Chantecler ($12) is so effing good, we ordered it twice. It changes but you can bet it's Asian influenced. Picture 'Vietnamese' style, chopped to order, then tossed with a vinaigrette made of fish sauce & lime juice, chopped peanuts, diced jalapeño, coriander stems and wasabi with a shiny raw egg yolk on top. I was there two months ago but can still remember the taste in my mouth.

Porzia is the latest addition to the Parkdale strip and I'm thrilled to see a new Italian restaurant; brava to Basilio Pesce for sticking to his roots. The bone marrow with snails ($13) is insanely good. Unctuous marrow with chewy, earthy snails is surprisingly a match made in heaven. I also love the Polish China dishes that come out of the kitchen. My Nonna had the same set and I'm a sucker for nostalgia.

Porzia is doing a 3 for $33 special (three items off their menu for $33) as well as half price bottles of wine on Monday nights.

You should go.

"Why "Why haven't you written anything lately?"

This is a question that I, myself, am struggling with.

See, I started my blog four years ago. This was back when Toronto didn't have a lot of food bloggers. Sure, I wasn't the first. But the last few years have sparked such a food blogging/food porn phenomena that I now feel slightly disabled. As a server, I see every table taking pictures of their meals. As a food enthusiast, I'm inundated with reviews, critiques and posts containing so much rubbish that I've become somewhat embarrassed to be associated with the same group.
I started my blog with the hopes of simply being one's compass; spend your money here, avoid there.

We have become such an over saturated restaurant obsessed city that so much of what this city is doing is wrong and it's become ok. Dining out, for me, has become a real crap shoot; you've got a fifty fifty chance that you're going to get something memorable, something of value. Small portions, mediocre food, bad service are all making for sub par dining experiences. We excuse it because, not too worry, there's another six new restaurants to try this month.

My write ups have become mostly negative and I don't want to come across as the picky bitchy food blogger. I will still write but please don't mistake my infrequence with laziness or disinterest. I'm just a little disheartened.

Thank you for continuing to read and for always supporting me and my passion.

2013: the year of the ramen

With tacos being so last year, the new focus is on ramen; Japan's beloved noodle soup. The craze has hit North America big time and everyone's obsessed. I'll admit to already being sick of the hype but hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Kingyo Izakaya, 51B Winchester Street

After dining on unbelievably light and crispy tempura battered prawns, a super fun beef tongue that's self cooked on a hot rock and beautifully composed hamachi tartar, I ordered a bowl of ramen. It's not their focus and they only offer one kind but this bowl is spot on. The broth is lighter than the traditional shoyu (I prefer it this way).

Kinton Ramen, 51 Baldwin Street

After a recent trip to Thailand, we fully employ pork noodle soups for breakfast. We brunched here yesterday and nothing is more soothing than a big bowl of steaming pork belly and chewy noodles. An oozing soft cooked egg never hurt anyone either. They almost just do ramen and they are doing it really well. I had the shio style; a light broth made from dried seaweed, sea salt and seafood.

North of Brooklyn Pizzeria, 650 1/2 Queen Street West

I knew North of Brooklyn had opened not that long ago but I forgot. While finishing our Christmas shopping on Queen West the other day, I remembered it.

There's not much to the space. It's small, there's vintage pizzeria photos on the wall and a few seats. They do whole pizzas ($18 - $22) as well as slices ($3.90 and up).

What you need to know is that this is real pizza. Thin, super crispy crust that stays crunchy as you eat and a really nice sauce are key.

They nail it.

We try three slices and I particularly like their white pizza: mozzarella, ricotta, olive oil, topped with fresh arugula.

I also like the authentic pepperoni and the addition of sesame seeds to this crust is a win.

Not licensed and no Brio but you can have a San Pellegrino lemon or orange soda.

In January, add $2 and they'll bike deliver your pie.

A-Ok Foods, 930 Queen Street West

The guys at Yours Truly recently decided to forego snacks and do prix fix only.

Enter A-Ok Foods; a ramen and snack bar where they can continue their Asian fusion ideals. This time, it's East meets Mexico.

It's a bit of a tumultuous relationship though when you try and slather hoisin minced pork with queso fresco and crema fresca as seen in their tostadas ($5). It's like eating teriyaki with feta cheese. Gross.

The same hoisin, scallion and minced pork combo doesn't do much better in the lettuce wraps. They are called san choi bao ($7.50) and are so salty, they're inedible. It's also a struggle to eat as iceberg lettuce doesn't "wrap" well.

The ramen, at $10.50 is a much better deal than Momofuko's version for $16. The noodles have a nice spring to them and the shoyu (soya sauce) broth has depth and comfortability. Grilling the pork belly is a nice touch.

The salt cod unari ($7) are a carry over from Yours Truly and the main reason for my dinner at A-Ok. They are the little darlings I remembered. Sweet, fried tofu pockets stuffed with rice and salted cod that you dip in a kewpie mayo that is studded with seaweed. I'm obsessed with them.

The friendly service is sweet and the glasses of wine ($7) are both affordable and generous. These are two qualities you are often hard pressed to find in Toronto restaurants these days.

A-Ok is just that; nothing great but just ok.

Momofuko Noodle Bar

There's only one reason you should go to The Noodle Bar and it's not what you think. The pork belly buns (2 for $10) with hoisin, scallion and pickled cucumber are insanely good. The circular bun is perfectly light and fluffy with a subtle sweetness. The belly is fatty yet tender. And really, who doesn't like pickled cucumber? I could eat five of these little darlings.

And If I have had, I would have left happier. Instead, I got sucked into the promise of David Chang's noodles. The namesake ramen soup ($15) has more pork belly, a poached oozy egg, shredded pork shoulder, nori, cabbage, fish cake and scallion. The broth is ok. It's dark, deep and once you puncture the egg, it's very cloudy. The ingredients are fine too. The noodles on the other hand are not. Unlike the light and fluffy buns, the ramen are chewy and too dense. They are like squiggly strings of lead.

Now, I know I'm no expert on ramen. I know that these wheat noodles are supposed to have some chew but there was nothing pleasing about this soup.

I can't finish it.

You're going to bash me for saying this but the instant ones for .99 cents are more high-spirited.

I'm shocked.

Ninety dollars (including tax and tip) for two beers, two buns, two noodle dishes and an order of chicken wings.

Guess bourgeois street food isn't my thing.

Ortolan

This small, unassuming resto at Bloor and Landsowne opened over a year ago and I've been meaning to check it out. Tonight, I finally made it.

The room is simple. There's no fuss. The menu is small and the drink menu even smaller. No house cocktails, no white liquor and a chalkboard menu that just states the main ingredient in the dish i.e beets, chicken, pickerel.

We look to the waiter for guidance but his lackadaisical approach is not only uninspiring but at times, I wish he'd just stop talking. If I had to guess, I'd say he smoked a fatty right before his shift. Listening to him serve us is like watching paint dry.

He does say the menu is ideal for sharing and I agree. We descend upon a self planned three course meal...

Rabbit rillette are smooth and creamy. I prefer my salted and chopped meat to be a bit more rustic but the taste is on point and the pickled green onion on the side is a wise addition.

A thin buckwheat pancake is smeared with a carrot purée and topped with a creamy French Brie, walnuts and dressed endive. It's unique.

Our mid is a gnocchi with radicchio and Gorgonzola; lots of Gorgonzola. The bitter radicchio, although a great flavor balancer, seems a bit defeated under the influence of the strong cheese. The gnocchi are soft. They are way too soft almost to the point of gluey mush but the pungent cheese goes so well with our wine, that I'm enjoying myself.

Lastly, a lamb shank braised in tomato sauce is heavy on the rosemary and soapy marjoram. It's too fatty but the flesh is very tender, very Fall.

Who doesn't love beets? This choice of side is purple and roasted. It's served with a medallion of goat cheese that's been combined with ground walnut. Unfortunately, the walnuts are more puréed than chopped and the result is a chalky disk of cheese. They should've gone for a competing crunch.

Too full for dessert, we opt for espresso and digestives instead.

Dinner for two with cocktails, a bottle of wine, espresso and cognacs: $165 (including tax and tip).

WesLodge Saloon, 480 King Street West

WesLodge is a Saloon. Why we needed a saloon, I'm not sure but it's blatantly obvious that no expense was spared in creating this "I'm cool like New York" type space. There's taxidermy, old painted portraits and servers in gun holsters. It feels rich yet unnecessary. Let's just focus on good food please.

There are two Bennies on WesLodge's brunch menu: smoked trout or lamb bacon. The former has nice, thick pieces of aggressively smoked flesh. I'm told it's done in house as is the baking of the petite English muffin it comes on. Perfected poached eggs is important to me and the kitchen nails it. Unfortunately, the Hollandaise suffers from a lack of citrus. It's a creamy beige and a little separated. Adding a few bits of tender mizuna doesn't impress me.

Fingerlings ($6) roasted in duck fat with pieces of the aforementioned lamb bacon is my side of choice. The bacon is amazing. The belly of a lamb is a surprise; it's slightly gamey and crispy.

I just wish that for $13 a pop, my tiny Benny came with something.

But then again, this is King West and style seems to always trump substance.

Sushi Couture, 456 Bloor Street West

The Annex is a sushi town in Toronto. Competition keeps prices low but doesn't do much for quality or presentation.

Sushi Couture is Kat and Jer's favourite. They live in the neighborhood and are avid diners. I trust their lead and so can you.

This restaurant stands out not only in its' decor; a sleek, modern room done up in black and red with low lighting but in the quality of their fish as well. They fly in fish from all over the world. Everything is fresh and generous. The maki is more fish than rice and everything that hits our table is beautifully presented. You'll pay a little more here but it's worth every penny.

My favourites were the spicy salmon rolls; smooth and buttery flesh that had real spice and without dousing them in that weird orangey mayo. The hamachi (yellow tail) rolls had a mellow sweetness. I could've eaten sixteen of them.

Dinner for three (6 types of rolls and one app) including two large cans of Sapporo, tax and tip was $99.00

Thailand

I came to Thailand for two reasons: the beaches and the food. The street food that is. Sure I had visions of dining by candlelit on the sea, my toes pushing through soft white sand and the breeze blowing through my beached hair. Now that I am here, I can honestly say that that is not what I'm in search of. We are actually doing our damnest to avoid it.

It's day nine and we are proud to say we haven't dined with a single white person. Our meals haven't cost more than $9 (beer included). The day we went to China Town in Bangkok, our lunch, a bowl of pork noodle soup, costs a mere .50 cents.

This is Thailand.

It's all rice and it's all good. Rice noodles, rice pancakes, fried rice, sticky rice, steamed rice, rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Curries, spices, indistinguishable meats on sticks. Sometimes we aren't sure what we are eating but we like it that way.

Yeah you can eat safe. There's pizza, spaghetti and club sandwiches. There's hamburgers and French fried ( always spelt wrong).

I didn't come here to be comfortable. I came here to take my palette on an adventure as well.

La Carnita

The taco obsessed have a new place to get their fix and it's called La Carnita, 501 College Street.

After a year or so of pop ups, this taqueria finally has a permanent residence. The room is large (roughly twice the size of another hugely popular taco spot; you know who). It's a little bit street, a little bit posh, the space feels cool yet rich. Think graffiti, creative light fixtures, hip hop, dark hardwood, and a pretty ceiling. The only problem is someone forgot to dim the lights; it's way too cafeteria bright.

The OG Michelada ($8) is Tecate beer with clamato, lime juice and hot sauce. The rim is generously salted but it is too weak on both the clamato and the hot sauce. Nonetheless, it's an appropriate taco beverage.

There are three other house cocktails (try the Who Shot Ya? ($11) with Bulleit bourbon, hibiscus grenadine, ginger syrup, lemon juice) some micro brews, tequila and mezcal.

The Mexican street corn ($8 for two pieces) makes a dramatic entrance. Two perfectly charred ears are slathered with crema, queso anejo and chilli powders. It's a little over done; the kernels don't bite back.  The crema is silky, the cheese is sharp but oh my god this is a mess to eat; you get teeth full of kernels and a beard of crema. Proceed with caution and ask for extra napkins.

A swordfish ceviche can easily be made in anyone's kitchen but its' perfectly balanced acidity, the choice of a meaty fish like sword and the addition of coconut milk make it my favorite.  It's perfect and the chips rock too.

Ever since LC opened, my twitter feed has been inundated with praise for three offerings: the 'In Cod We Trust' taco, the tongue tostada and the churros for dessert.

Naturally I have to see what all the fuss is about.

'In Cod We Trust' ($5) is a soft corn tortilla that has the right texture. It doesn't break, split or get all mushed up under the large portion of beer battered cod. Kudos for this. The cod is thick and moist yet crispy. Pickled red cabbage, 'Voltron' sauce (a tamari based condiment), green apple and cilantro complete the pretty picture.

I don't like the tongue tostada ($5) as much. Braised tongue seems more boiled than braised. The best part of eating tongue is the texture and distinct "tonguey" flavour. It's a bit chewy and almost tangy. This meat tastes nothing like tongue and it's dark brown appearance looks unappetizing. No cute orange sauce or teeny beet sprouts can save it. I am however a sucker for the bits of grilled pineapple.

A chorizo taco ($5) is too minced, too greasy and I can't even finish it because it starts to make me feel gross. There's no smoke, no spice. The queso cotija is nice and tangy and I try to pick through the meat to save the cheese.

The churros ($5 for three pieces) are over fried?! Is this how they always are? I'm confused. Churros are always crispy on the outside yet light and fluffy on the inside. I ask the server but she has no real answer except that she offers to take them off our bill.

The look and feel of LC as well as the fact that they take numbers and call you when your table is ready (the other one stopped doing that) will have me going back I'm sure. I never stood in line for a club and I sure as hell won't do it for a taco.

*LC is now open seven days a week

Food Truck Mania: Buster's Sea Cove

Toronto finally got itself a few food trucks. It's too bad that you have to go down to Bay and Front to have lunch. Some trucks have been parked at Queen and Jarvis but after some "issues" with the landlord, they have either relocated or are laying low.

Front and Bay isn't the nicest of surroundings. There is nowhere to sit, limited shade and a ton of construction right now. What there is though is a ton of suits who need to eat lunch and when we arrive at 1 pm, the two trucks have long lines.

The most talked about street eat right now is Buster's Sea Cove's lobster roll ($13). An extension of their St. Lawrence Market location, this sea foam green truck also offers shrimp or fish tacos and a crab roll.

The lobster roll is served in a brown box with faux newspaper, a large dill pickle slice and a mini bag of Miss Vickie's regular potato chips.

The roll is perfectly toasted and buttered. The lobster (a little too picked apart in my opinion) is lightly dressed. Any creamier and it would be overwhelming.  Bits of celery and chives and a squirt of fresh lemon complete this salad on a bun.

It's a fun lunch.

The fried fish tacos (two for $8) are not as successful.  I like that the salsa has bite and stings my lips. The batter is light and really crispy but it quickly gets soggy under the salsa. Shredded purple cabbage adds some crunch but the corn tortilla gets destroyed by the weight of the toppings and falls apart as we try to eat it. Either double it up or get sturdier tortillas because this was a big hot mess.

It's exciting to finally have the kind of food trucks you hear about in other cities; let's just hope the rest of Toronto can get a few too because there's nothing fun about having to eat your lunch on a curb.

*follow Buster's Sea Cove at http://twitter.com/bustersseacove for their current location

The Black Hoof (Again)

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.

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.

It's Burger Week!

BQM BurgerShoppe's $5 Burger:  brisket with caramelized onions, goat cheese and jalapeno aioli (I added the onion ring)

I am addicted to hamburgers and was obviously totally jazzed when I heard that The Grid T.O is sponsoring an event that is entirely dedicated to burgers.  It's called Burger Week and it started yesterday (May 30) and runs until June 3.  The deal is a bunch of Toronto restaurants are featuring a $5 burger and a handful of places are doing it for charity with their "Black-tie Burgers".  Bestellen, 972 College Street. has only been open for a few short months but their burger has already been referred to as "the best in the city" more than a few times.  For Burger Week, Bestellen is serving up their usual mix of fresh ground, cooked to order, chuck, short rib and strip combo but this time it's topped with Stilton, house made HP, onions and rocket ($18).  For $5.50 you can add a cold Muskoka Spring Oddity.  $5 of the sale of every burger and $1 from the purchase of a beer will go to charity.

Hoof Raw Bar

Hoof Raw Bar, 926 Dundas Street West, is the third baby in Jen Agg's family. I have loved everything I have ever eaten at The Black Hoof. I dislike elitist cocktails so The Cocktail Bar is not for me. I do, however, love seafood so here I am sipping a wonderfully tangy and peppery Bloody Maria getting really excited to try the already famous cured fish board ($22). It's like fish charcuterie; branzino, mackerel, black cod, tuna and scallop all cured using different flavours. The chorizo cured sea scallop impresses with its' creativity, sweetness and smooth texture. But the buttery nori cured black cod takes me somewhere, it wows me. I'd like five more pieces please.

The tiny loaf of sweet milk bread ($2) and butter is also a must.  For one, it is so damn cute in its' tiny brown paper bag and the butter is salty and soft.  For two, you need some substance if you are going to attempt dinner here.  The portions are small and I pretty much need to eat thirty seven oysters (6 for $18 or 12 for $34) before I feel full.  Sure there's others but nothing is as successful as the board. 

A chawanmushi ($11) is a Japanese custard with crispy, fried kale, button mushrooms and salmon roe.  The ramekin is straight from the fridge and the custard is ice cold.  It's off putting. The best element is the roe; big pearls of bright red roe that burst in your mouth like sea candy.

I won't even bore you with the details of the other two dishes we tried as I don't recommend them.

All you need to know is go to the Hoof Raw Bar, have one of the four Caesars and a fish board then move on. 

It's the best new appetizer in town.

It opened but is it any good?

Toronto Life is always good for information on restaurants in the city.  Their 'Dish' column always does an "Introducing" feature where they focus on who just opened.  But am I the only one that wonders if these restaurants are any good? I know, that's the point; we are supposed to go and try it but if I ate out every week I'd be fat and broke and that ain't pretty.  Today's 'Dish' features Osteria 55, 55 Colborne Street.  I had dinner here about 2 weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised.  The pappardelle with creamy truffled mushrooms is a stand up pasta dish.  Perfectly el dente with a gentle richness that allows you to finish your plate without feeling sick afterwards which is how some cream sauces can make you feel.  Another successful execution is the 10 ounce striploin.  Simply grilled with a little pickled veg salad and salsa verde.  I skipped the sauce because I want to taste the beef and it's no Bestellen strip but it is good.  A side of grilled asparagus is little overcooked.  The space is awesome.  I love the soft lighting and exposed brick.  I hate the way they fold the paper napkins on the table; it looks banquetish.

Here's a link to Toronto Life if you'd like more details:
http://www.torontolife.com/daily/daily-dish/opening-daily-dish/2012/05/14/introducing-osteria-55/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Toronto+Life+Dish+May+22+2012&utm_content=Toronto+Life+Dish+May+22+2012+CID_6ab8bfe54db61aee816ddcf78d24448d&utm_source=Newsletters&utm_term=READ+MORE