Dan and Anna. Toronto food bloggers and food lovers. On a mission to entice your taste buds one sexy foodporn shot at a time. Oh yeah, we write restaurant reviews too. Follow us on our food journey!
The biggest names and the brightest minds of the Toronto food scene, with chefs from pubs to fine dining, gather together for one gastronomical weekend to wow the foodies in attendance. Sound intriguing? Between the artisanal marketplace, the celebrity chef book signings, and of course the incredible food items to sample at reasonable prices, it's no wonder that the Taste of Toronto festival has been a huge success in recent years. We had the opportunity to attend the first ever Taste of Toronto fest in 2014 and here are the photos to prove it. The food we sampled was delicious and innovative.
Here’s a few tips to keep in mind:
Make sure you’re strategic in choosing where you line up. Split up if you’re willing to do so. This is a big food event so running out of stock is rarely an issue unless it’s close to the end of the day. Look to maximize the amount of food you get for the amount of time you spend in line.
Drink lots of water and take shelter in the shade so your body has a chance to recuperate from what could be a day spent mostly out in the sun.
While there is an entrance fee, food items cost a separate amount of tickets on a reloadable card. Set a budget for yourself on how much you want to spend, map out what you want to get using the program, and maybe set a buffer for some delicious items that just might catch your eye, all so you can avoid lining up at the reload stations for the card. You have to find the value in the experience here, since the food items aren’t exactly what we call cheap, but it’s definitely worth trying.
Last minute tickets for the 3rd annual Taste of Toronto festival this year are still on sale here, but in the meantime, please enjoy these gratuitous foodporn shots from back in 2014 and imagine sampling some of the best food that Toronto has to offer. Taste of Toronto 2016 runs from June 23 to 26 at Fort York - a food event not to be missed!
The Location:
Fort York is located just west of the downtown core and is a short trek from the Bathurst bus - probably the most efficient way of getting to the food festival if you’re not interested in shelling out for parking. However, there are plenty of parking spots on site if you’re planning on eating a lot (or not interested in walking!).
St-Viateur Bagel vs. Fairmount Bagel: Battle of the Bagels
When in Montreal, one must do as the Montrealers do and have some bagels. According to Wikipedia, Montreal-style bagels are very distinctive: they’re wood-fire baked, smaller, thinner, sweeter and denser than New-York style bagels. Montreal loves its bagels, but there’s more debate about who makes the best bagels. The two big names in the bagel business are St-Viateur Bagels and Fairmount Bagels, so us being us, we went to both. We tried the classic sesame bagel at both shops, a poppy seed bagel at St. Viateur’s and a garlic bagel at Fairmount’s.
The Wrap:
So who does the Montreal bagel best?
In our opinion, Fairmount Bagel did it better. Our point of comparison is between the classic sesame bagel: both bagel shops had them hot and fresh from the oven, presumably because the sesame bagels are traditional and therefore more popular. The Fairmount bagel had a nicer texture in our opinion: it was dense but had a nice fluff to it at the same time. The bagel was also nicely coated in an even layer of aromatic sesame. The St-Viateur bagel was also rather good, but it was just a tad drier and just a tad denser. They’re close, so it could have been just how fresh they were or even how cold it was outside that affected our opinion.
The two wild card bagels were a bit more disappointing in both cases. The poppy seed bagel at St. Viateur’s had only a small part of the bagel dipped in poppy seeds. The garlic bagel at Fairmount’s was crusty and had a lot, and we mean a lot, of garlic on it, which you might like if you like a strong garlic flavour. Unfortunately in this case, there was so much garlic that the flavouring was overpowering and its toasted nature made the garlic almost sharp inside the mouth. Both bagels were also much colder than the sesame bagels.
Takeaway Note: Montreal bagels are pretty awesome, both at Fairmount and St. Viateur’s, but stick to the safe choices or whatever’s coming out of the oven fresh. :)
If you happen to know either member of the Meandering Spork team personally, you know that we are planning people: most of the restaurants that we went to in Montreal were carefully researched and planned. We had a spreadsheet (we’re nerds). That being said, we also know that some of the best hidden gem food joints are the ones you stumble across. We think Rotisserie Serrano BBQ is one of these gems. It’s a Peruvian family-run business located just down the street from the famous Saint Viateur Bagels, our original destination and turns out, it was so good that we had to go back for our last meal in Montreal.
The Food:
Rotisserie Chicken ($7.50 - Half, $12.75 - Whole)
The rotisserie chicken in all its glory. Don’t mind that it’s not exactly plated in the most aesthetic manner, that it’s served on a paper plate with plastic cutlery, that it’s served on those grungy orange fast food trays; this is the best rotisserie chicken that we have ever had. And we assure you, we have had our fair share of chicken. The meat is juicy without being greasy and is fall-off-the-bones tender. The skin had the perfect amount of crispness and wasn’t too salty as rotisserie chicken skin can be sometimes. The chicken itself had a lovely mixture of spices, which we couldn’t quite distinguish, but let us just say that it’s delicious. We also got a side of their home made hot sauce on our second visit, which packs quite a punch. We love a bit of spice on almost any dish and this hot sauce delivers. It’s genuinely spicy and has just a hint of sour tang; be careful about this sauce if you’re a fan of “mild” food. The sauce paired with the white portions of chicken meat is a match made in heaven. Finally, can we just point out the price? These are grocery-store rotisserie chicken prices, but the chicken itself is anything but ordinary. Two thumbs up. Or is it four because there are two of us?
The Wrap:
Rotisserie Serrano hits the trifecta that make a good rotisserie chicken: crispy skin that’s not too salty, tender, juicy and flavourful meat, and value. We will note that this is more of a lunch counter than a restaurant, there are only three small tables or so for you to seat at, but it only adds to the hole in the wall atmosphere. The folks who run the shop are also very kind; they served us a full half hour before they were officially open just because we wandered in with hungry tummies. Beyond rotisserie chicken, Rotisserie Serrano also makes sandwiches, salads, and also have sausages (something we’d like to try at some point), so if you’re craving a quick, cheap, and delicious meal, do stop by.
The Location:
Back again in the Mile End neighbourhood, Serrano’s BBQ is located at an inconspicuous street corner just north of Saint Viateur’s Bagel on Rue Saint Viateur. It’s a short walk from the Rue Saint Viateur stop on the 80, 365, 368 and 435 bus routes.
What better place than Montreal, Quebec to get our first taste of authentic British food? Okay, fine, Quebec’s not quite the province you think of when you think about having British food, but we heard good things about the Burgundy Lion, a British pub, so we figured why not? In any case, it’d at least be a small bastion of English speakers in a predominantly French city.
Disclosure: Montreal is very bilingual. To all you who do not speak French, fret not and don’t let it stop you from visiting this great city. (And no, we have not been bribed by Tourism Montreal. Although we wouldn’t mind being sponsored to go back and eat the food. Tourism Montreal, if you’re listening...)
(Photo courtesy of Montreal Breakfast Review.)
The Food:
The Full English Breakfast ($13)
2 Eggs, Sausage, Bacon, Ham, Blood Pudding, Mushrooms, Baked Beans, Potatoes, Fried Tomato, and Crumpet
We’ve always heard/seen/read about British food and their distinctive breakfast, so what better place to start than a “Full English Breakfast”? Needless to say, it’s quite a plateful. The eggs, overeasy on this plate, were done as well as eggs can be. The sausage was...interesting. Instead of the savoury breakfast sausages that we are accustomed to, this sausage, seen in the front-left on top of the ham in the photo above, was spiced differently and was a bit drier, less greasy, and...scratchier? Definitely unique. The ham and mushrooms were well done, tender, and seasoned well. The bacon was also different from the thinly sliced, smoked, and salty breakfast bacon you would usually get. This is a thick piece of bacon meat, smoked and barbecued with a sweet, almost candied flavour. It was pleasantly delicious. The blood pudding was certainly distinct: while Dan wasn’t sure if he liked it or not, though he leans toward not. While the taste of blood was definitely distinct, it’s muted by the spices and flavouring of the other ingredients. We can’t really tell if the fried tomato was fried or not, it was probably seared in a pan. It tasted like a tomato. The baked beans had a relatively strong tomato base. Typically Dan prefers the beans to be a bit sweeter, but this is likely more authentic to its British roots. The home fries were pretty standard, but spiced well with paprika and had a pleasant smokiness to is flavour. Finally, the crumpet. We’ve never had a crumpet before either. It’s a bit like a spongy hybrid between a crêpe and an English muffin. It’s quite interesting, though we’re not sure if we ate it properly (with the right toppings, etc.); bland probably wasn’t the way to go.
Full disclosure: Anna has determined through this experiment that she is not a huge fan of English breakfasts. The bacon’s sweetness was jarring, and the thick cut of the meat with the candy coating was off-putting. The blood sausage tasted like a mixture of dry liver and something that she can’t quite put her finger on. She also doesn’t like beans in general. So despite her love of many things British, British breakfast is not one of them. Please don’t kill her.
The Full Monty ($16)
Eggs, Sausage, Bacon, Ham, Blood Pudding, Small Squeak, Kippers, English Toast, Roast Beef, Mushrooms, Baked Beans, Fried Tomato, and English Muffin
Remember how we said that the Full English Breakfast was quite a plateful? The Full Monty is an even larger plateful. In addition to all the English goodies we described above, this plate includes a small squeak (which sounds very British), kippers, and roast beef. In this case, we swapped out the overeasy egg for scrambled and the crumpet for an English muffin. The small squeak, in the back-left corner of the photo, was a savoury hash crêpe that probaby had a few other ingredients that we couldn’t quite identify (Wikipedia says it had a lot of ingredients). It was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and quite tasty. The kipper, the piece of fish you see in the bowl of baked beans in the photo, was a salted piece of smoked fish that has been fried. For salted fish, the flavour was savoury without being overpowering, balanced out nicely by its smokiness, and the meat was flaky and tender. Unfortunately, the kipper’s presence in the baked beans meant that the beans tasted more like fish than anything else. The roast beef, one of the things we were looking forward to, was dry and on the bland side. It’d probably better better as a lunch or dinner menu item, hot, fresh, and smothered with gravy as opposed to being served with this breakfast spread.
The Wrap:
Was Dan impressed by our first venture into British cuisine? Quite. Anna, not so much. That’s not the Burgundy Lion’s fault: the food was really rather good and the diversity on the plates offered us a great introduction to British breakfast cuisine. It just didn’t quite align with our taste preferences: some items, like the blood sausage and crumpet, just tasted odd to us. Now we know which things we like (and don’t like) the next time we go for British fare.
While these are not the cheapest breakfasts you can get, but for some authentic British staples, you’re still getting good value when you factor in just how much food there is. This is a lot, and we mean a lot of food. We didn’t finish our plates, which is rare for us, and we still ended up skipping lunch. So if you’re feeling like having a touch of English brekkie in Montreal, the Burgundy Lion is the right place to be.
The Location:
The Burgundy Lion is located at the southwest end of downtown Montreal in Little Burgndy, and is a five minute walk from Station Lionel-Groulx (which is an interchange station that is accessible through both Line 1 and 2). Pop across the street for a cupcake after your brunch if you still have room: the cupcakes at Itsi Bitsi Cake are lovely.
Here at Meandering Spork headquarters, we love ourselves a good hidden gem or hole-in-the-wall restaurant or both! So when we heard about QDC Burgers, which is an actual hole in the wall (well, a counter) located in the alleyway behind the Queue de Cheval restaurant, we were intrigued. A late night wild goose chase led us to a closed counter - we found nothing but a dark, sketchy-looking alleyway. We figured that maybe it was just closed for the day, so we went back the next day for lunch.
At least we tried. Note to anyone visiting Montreal in the wintertime: QDC Burgers is only open in the summer season (which was not made clear on their website) and won’t reopen until April. Upon asking the hostess where QDC Burgers was and having her answer “...it’s here”, we settled down (with our humiliation) at a table in Queue de Cheval proper. Unfortunately, Queue de Cheval is a nice, fancier restaurant, which meant that we were a little out of place in our tourist clothes. (Anna maintains that tourist clothes exist - they’re comfy but usually ugly because you’re on vacation and you don’t care how you look. Someone back her up here.) Fortunately, the food more than made up for our troubles.
(Photo courtesy of Rumpf Highstreets)
The Food:
Lobster Bisque ($14 - bowl)
With truffle oil, chives, and crème fraîche
Yay, more soup! We have had our fair share of lobster bisque - in fact, we tried lobster bisque the weekend before our vacation in Toronto. There was something very distinct about this bisque though. The first word out of our mouths upon tasting this lobster bisque was “Wow.” The lobster flavour pretty much punches you in the mouth. It’s very rare that you get this strong of an authentic lobster flavour in a bisque. It’s almost as if they took a lobster and blended it into the soup. To that effect, there were traces of lobster meat. The mixture of spices was divine and the crème fraîche added a lovely creaminess to the bisque. It can taste a little too salty on your palate, which is our only very minor complaint. The portion was very generous for an appetizer and it was ample for two people. Note: We did order the bowl as opposed to the cup.
The Jefferson ($14.99)
Beef steak patty, pulled braised short ribs, Swiss, white cheddar, sautéed mushrooms, sunny egg, and Béarnaise sauce
Let’s just get this out of the way: The Jefferson may be the best burger we have ever had. It was perfect. The beef steak patty was tender and well-seasoned, the pulled braised short ribs was melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious, the cheeses built onto the flavours of the beef, and the sautéed mushrooms balanced out the overall meatiness of the burger. The sunny egg had a runny yolk, Anna’s favourite kind of egg, and its flavour was complemented perfectly by the Béarnaise sauce. The bun was fluffy with just the right amount of crispness. It’s perfection. Full stop. Must try.
Oooublier ($13.99)
Organic chicken, grilled pork belly, tomato chutney, sautéed mushrooms, white cheddar, and garlic aioli
We may have kicked ourselves slightly for ordering a chicken burger at a restaurant known for their beef steaks. However, this burger was nothing to scoff at. While the chicken did not have the same kind of umami that the beef steak patty in The Jefferson had, it was perfectly grilled and not at all dry. The grilled pork belly was tender, delicious, and added a flavour boost to the chicken. The mushrooms added onto the heft of the meat and the tomato chutney and white chedder subtly rounded out the flavouring. Also, that garlic aioli is delicious; we would totally have that on toasted bread (the bun was toasted nicely) all day long.
Side of Steak Fries
If you are a long-time follower of our food blog, you may be wondering why we are writing about a side of fries - we tend to gloss over many of the sides that come with our entrées. It goes to show the amount of attention to detail that Queue de Cheval puts into their food. Dan is convinced that these fries are fried in some kind of meat-based fat, which is probably why they are called steak fries, adding a strong boost of umami. The fries were perfectly crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and seasoned with a sprinkle of sea salt and what we think is parsley.
The Wrap:
So let’s talk Queue de Cheval. Was is expensive? Well, we can’t say that it was (as we did opt for some of the cheapest items on the menu), but it certainly wasn’t cheap by any means. Many of the items on their menu are much pricier than their burgers. Thankfully, we heartily recommend their burgers as the best we’ve had. If we lived closer, we’d have loved to have try out their QDC lunch counter behind the building, alas we do not. That being said, we are not at all disappointed in the slightest that we had to “settle” for the main restaurant. Whether it’s a date or you’re just feeling like splurging a little for the best burger ever, Queue de Cheval is the place to go for in Montreal.
The Location:
Queue de Cheval is located in the downtown core of Montreal, easily accessible at from the subway at Station Peel or by routes 15 and 358. If you happen to be exploring downtown Montreal or just looking for a nice meal, Queue de Cheval is a must-try.
Wilensky’s Light Lunch is the epitome of your hole in the wall restaurant, but has garnered attention as a fixture of the Montreal food scene on par with Schwartz’s Deli. Founded in 1932, Wilensky’s is still run by the founder’s children (Ruth Wilensky, the founder’s widow, retired a few years ago at the age of 93) and maintains its old timey charm. Tucked away in the Mile End neighbourhood, it’s exterior is nondescript, but the interior is rich with history, tradition, and most importantly, good food. It’s a lunch counter diner straight out of the history books. While there are a couple other items on the menu, everyone goes for the no-nonsense Wilensky Special, and who are we to argue against tradition?
(Photo courtesy of Wilensky’s Yellow Page)
The Food:
Wilensky Special with Swiss Cheese ($4.53)
The Wilensky Special is no nonsense - the mustard is mandatory, there’s no special orders, and no, they will not cut your sandwich for you. This is just how the Wilensky Special is and how it has been since 1932...and that’s just the way we like it. The Wilensky Special is a grilled beef salami and beef bologna sandwich on a kaiser pressed flat by the grill. We opted for the swiss cheese option, though we imagine that the plain Special with just mustard and meat tastes just as delicious. The salami and bologna are perfectly flavoured and somehow tastes different (and better) than the deli meats you get at the store. With just the right combination of texture and flavour, this sandwich is everything you can ask for in a light lunch. It’s larger than you might expect, so it’s pleasantly filling, and it’s made just like you would a sandwich at home.
Oh, and because we like rhyming and this is delightful and captures the essence of the Wilensky Special, we have included the famous Wilensky rule here for your reading pleasure:
When ordering a Special, you should know a thing or two.
It is always served with mustard; it is never cut in two.
Don’t ask us why; just understand that this is nothing new.
This is the way that it’s been done since 1932.
Old Fashioned Root Beer and Lemon-Lime Soda Drinks ($1.15 each)
It’s not often we mention which drinks we had, but we just have to in this case. Wilensky’s still has an old fashioned soda fountain. We’re not talking about just the kind with the pull levers. No, we’re talking about 1932-style old-fashioned : they hand scoop different soda syrups, pull a level to pour in soda water, and then stir your drink for you by hand. This is the stuff of stories and movies (Wilensky’s has been featured in both). Both of our sodas tasted great, though they did have unique flavourings. Oh and don’t mind the neon green-ess of the lemon-lime soda. It tasted phenomenal and neither Spork experienced any side effects. :P
The Wrap:
Here at the Meandering Spork HQ we talk about value a lot: it’s no surprise then that we love our hole-in-the-wall restaurants, because you get a whole lot of bang for very little buck. Wilensky’s goes beyond just value for your money though. The food is just plain good (not just good for the price) and the multitude of signs and newspaper clippings show a history of community involvement. This is a restaurant run by people who care. Any tips you might leave is donated to the Heart & Stroke Foundation. With a selection of old books on sale at the back of the store and the availability of all-beef karnatzels, a traditional Jewish sausage much like a pepperette, for only 60 some odd cents a piece, Wilensky’s is a restaurant after our own hearts. We will gladly come back for a visit the next time we’re in town.
The Location:
Located on Avenue Fairmount just off of the main road of Boulevard St-Laurent, Wilensky’s is accessible by transit at Station Laurier off Line 2. It’s a short 10 minute walk south of the station. If you’re still hankering for food after your meal (if you have a big appetite) Fairmount Bagels is a minute’s walk south of Wilensky’s. We’d suggest exploring the Mile End neighbourhood when you’re in the area: it’s filled to the brim with cafes and shops, depending on which you’d prefer. :P
Restaurant de L'Apothicaire: Meandering in Montreal
Restaurant de l'apothicaire is another restaurant that we decided to visit based on recommendation from peoples on the Interwebs. In fact, it turned out to be a charming-looking restaurant in a very charming neighbourhood. But the important question is, after the trek to the restaurant on a cold morning (Yes, we’ve mentioned that it’s cold in every single post and yes, we know that this is normal for Montreal in February.), was the food charming for our tummies?
Photo courtesy of Restaurant de l'apothicaire’s Facebook page.
The Food:
Omelette ($13)
Mushrooms, Ham and Emmental Cheese
The omelette was pretty large. The eggs were spread thinly (a sure sign of someone who knows how to make an omelette) and wrapped around savoury, thick-cut slices of ham, a hefty portion of mushrooms, and a spread of emmental cheese. The mushrooms complemented the ham well, had just the right amount of accompanying flavour, and added a nice texture to the omelette. The cheese accented the overall palate without being overbearing. The home fries were nicely fried but may require some salting to personal taste, and the toast (we got rye) was...well, toasty. A highlight, surprisingly, was the aesthetically pleasing side of fruit. With apple, banana, honeydew, grapefruit, orange, and pineapple, the variety is more like the fruit spread that you’d expect for your whole breakfast as opposed to just a side.
Crêpe ($13)
Egg, Ham and Emmental Cheese
As a preface, the home fries and fruit sides were identical between the omelette plate and the crêpe plate, so we won’t go over those again. Let’s focus on the crêpe. With the same thick-cut slices of ham and emmental filling as the omelette, the thin crêpe tempered the rich flavours of the ingredients inside it quite nicely. You also get an egg mixed into the filling, made to your liking (we chose scrambled). We can only imagine what the crêpe might have been like if we had gotten it overeasy instead (probably messy, but so good). For those of you who like mixing sweet and savoury, as you can see, syrup is provided for you to use at your leisure. :P
The Wrap:
While we didn’t order the breakfast special (the usual $6 for two eggs + choice of meat + home fries + toast + coffee kind) that provided more value, the breakfast fare at Restaurant de l’apothicaire was well-made, incredibly filling. While we weren’t supremely impressed by the meal, it’s what we expected for the price. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very relaxed and overall the experience was enjoyable. If you’re in the area and hankering for breakfast, Restaurant de l’apothicaire is a safe pick.
The Location:
L’Apothicaire is located on St–Hubert Street near Bellechasse in the Rosemont-Petite-Patrie district. This small restaurant-cafe in the Plaza St-Hubert is easily accessible, a short 5 minute walk from Station Beaubien. After your meal, take a look at the small shops and boutiques that litter the Plaza St-Hubert. There’s a large bookstore just across from L’Apothicaire which looked very promising as a treasure trove for French books and other knick-knacks.
Café Trattoria Pane e Vino: Meandering in Montreal
There are some things that are true regardless of which city you are in: tourist attractions inevitably have inflated pricing for food. It’s an unfortunately reality. So when we decided to explore the Old Montreal and Old Port area for the day, we were reluctant to actually eat somewhere in Old Montreal, mostly because we would have been out of place in our tourist clothing (Dan: We have...tourist clothing?), but also because it’d have been expensive. We ventured just west of the Notre Dame Basilica and found this little Italian restaurant, Café Trattoria Pane e Vino.
(Photo courtesy of Resto Montreal.)
The Food:
Soupe du Jour ($6.00)
Because of the bitter cold (We know we’ve been saying that a lot, but it really was cold), we immediately ordered the soup of the day without actually hearing what the soup was. Well technically we were told, but we didn’t quite keep up with our server, who by the way, was great. The Meandering Spork presents to you, the mystery soup! We think it was some kind of squash because of the colour and the sweet-but-slightly-savoury taste, but we can’t tell you exactly what the main ingredient actually was. The soup was warm and delicious, and came as a very generous portion. Unfortunately our server took the remaining half bowl of soup away from us when the main course came, presumably because he couldn’t understand our broken French.
Supême de poulet aux cèpes ($16.75)
White chicken meat with white wine sauce and porcini mushroom
Few things are better on cold days than a healthy helping of pasta with chicken and gravy. The chicken was tender and if it was a little dry, which we didn’t really notice, the mushroom gravy made the chicken moist and tasty. The gravy had a rich mushroom flavour and completed the dish extremely well. The penne pasta is stellar. While it seemed a little standalone compared with the chicken, it was nicely sauced with bold flavours and and portions were once again very generous. The steamed vegetable side was a little bland for our palate, but offered a nice contrast to the other flavours on the plate. Besides, dipping them in some of the leftover gravy was a great combination.
Linguine aux fruits de mers ($16.75)
Seafood linguine with shrimp, calamari, and clams
Pasta is an Italian staple with many interpretations and presentations, but the one here at Cafe Trattoria blew us away. This was arguably the best seafood linguine we have ever had. Quite frankly, it’s probably the best pasta we’ve ever had. There, we said it. The linguine itself was perfectly al dente, the sauce was spiced to perfection and tasted like seafood even through its tomato base, and the shrimp and calamari were both tender. The portion was once again very large - we were stuffed at the end of the meal. In fact, Dan called it the best meal he’d had in Montreal up to that point (this superlative would then be transferred to the next dish almost every time he had a new meal).
The Wrap:
At the end of the day, when it comes to Italian food, you want it to be rich, hearty, and soul-warming- qualities that describes the food at Café Trattoria to a T. But what makes it so much better is the value you get from this little restaurant that’s less than a 5 minute walk away from one of the premier tourist attractions in Montreal (the Notre-Dame Basilica). We would go back for that delicious seafood linguine regularly if the restaurant were in Toronto. If you’re going to be travelling in Montreal, do stop by Café Trattoria. But do note that it is a lunch restaurant, it’s only open from 11:30 AM till 3 PM.
The Location:
Café Trattoria Pane e Vino is located on Saint-Jacques Street in the Old Port of Montreal district, just around the corner from the Notre-Dame Basilica. If you’re in the neighbourhood (tourist trap) of Old Montreal, simply walk over. If you’re taking the subway, take the 2 line to Station Place-d’Armes and it’s a measly 120 meters away from the station!
You may wonder why there have been five Meandering in Montreal posts and we still haven’t talked about poutine, which is likely Montreal’s most famous dish. Relax, fellow Sporkies. We’ve got your back. Not only did we hit up a poutine joint, we hit up one of the best: Poutine La Banquise.
Side note: If you don’t know what poutine is, you are missing out my friend. The traditional poutine is a mound of french fries covered with cheese curds and gravy, but poutines have gotten fancier over the years with different toppings and mix-ins. We tried one such upgraded poutine at La Banquise.
Photo courtesy of Bottle Bookings.
The Food:
La Dan Dan ($13.75 - Large)
Classic Poutine with Pepperoni, Bacon, and Onion
Why did we order this particular poutine of the over 30 different types offered at La Banquise? We had to. Honour demanded it. I mean, it’s called La Dan Dan. How can you go to a poutine place and not order the poutine named after a Spork? (Okay you got us, it had bacon too and sounded delicious.) The fries were perfect, with a slight crisp on the outside, covering the soft, fluffy potato within. The cheese was soft, melty, and had just the right amount of squeak (poutine demands its cheese curds to be squeaky). The pepperoni was spiced well and offered some meaty heft to our bites and of course, the bacon just did it’s usual bacon-y thing - making things taste awesome. All the toppings combined made the poutine almost sinfully decadent. Emphasis on the almost.
If God was a potato....just kidding.
But seriously, look at that cheese... *drools*
The Wrap:
Montreal poutine really lives up to its name: this was some of the best poutine we have ever had. Beats out Smoke’s Poutinerie’s poutine by a mile (sorry not sorry?). Smoke’s might be great back in Toronto, but when in Rome...La Banquise is definitely better. We highly recommend swinging by to give this restaurant a shot, whether it’s for lunch or dinner or maybe even breakfast? After all, La Banquise is open 24 hours. Two people can easily split a large order, which is great bang for your buck, and the restaurant has dozens of different poutines to choose from to keep you coming back again and again. They do have a “Healthy” section on their menu, but who are we kidding? We know why you’re really going to La Banquise. :P
The Location:
Located in Le Plateau, or what we now refer to as Montreal’s version of Toronto’s hipster Queen West, La Banquise is a short 9 minute walk away from the closest subway station, Station Mont-Royale. No worries though, Avenue du Mont-Royale is a bustling street filled with shops that is lovely to walk down, and the view toward the mountain is fantastic. In the spring or summer (or any season when it’s not bloody freezing in Montreal) you can head over to Parc La Fontaine after your meal to burn off some of those calories. We’re told it’s really quite lovely when it’s not frozen over.
Ah Schwartz’s Deli. If you’re wondering, no, it’s not named after the power of the Schwartz from Mel Brook’s Spaceballs (although that would be funny) (Anna does not understand this joke). Schwartz’s is the one Montreal restaurant that almost everyone says you have to visit for their famous smoked meat. Others are adamant that it’s really not that great. Or that it used to be better. Regardless of the polarizing discussions, Schwartz’s is certainly popular and definitely on our hit list of restaurants to try when we’re in town. Between Schwartz’s and Reuben’s, we figured that we could get a good grasp of Montreal’s smoked meat.
Disclaimer: We are fully aware that by trying the two most tourist-frequented places we are probably missing out on many more hidden smoked meat gems in the city. Worry not! The next time we’re back, we’ll be sure to try a couple more!
(Photo courtesy of Schwartz’s Deli webpage.)
The Food:
Smoked Meat Sandwich ($9.35)
This is one of the extremely rare cases where we both order the same thing at a restaurant (I mean, what else do they serve here anyway right?). The famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) smoke meat sandwich was as messy as advertised. With thickly cut slices of salty smoked meat piled thick on slices of mustard-glazed rye bread, the sandwich sure was messy. While there was a few too many fatty bits, they did add to the rich flavour of the meat. On the side, the black cherry soda is popular choice of drink to accompany the sandwich and is quite refreshing, though its fake cherry flavour is slightly reminiscent of some cough drops or syrups.
The Wrap:
The smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz’s really is quite good, but we’re not sure the whole experience lives up to the hype. And at about 2/3 the cost of the Reuben’s smoked meat sandwich, Schwartz’s is more bang for your buck. That being said, the two restaurant’s sandwiches are really in different classes. Schwartz’s sandwich is homey and no-nonsense, whereas Reuben’s burger is more of a fine dining dish.
The one downside to Schwartz’s is the cramped quarters: claustrophobes beware. You will literally be sitting elbow to elbow sharing tiny tables with strangers and having very little wiggle room in the restaurant. Mind you, it’s not the restaurant’s fault. It still maintains its original, smallish location and they do their best to seat people so folks don’t have to wait in line. Consider it an unfortunate side effect of their popularity. However, if you don't want to eat in, there is take out available which we would recommend when it's warmer out.
At the end of the day, Schwartz’s is a Montreal staple for a reason: they have good sandwiches. So give it a shot if you haven’t before. We’ve even heard that they might also have the best steak in the city so we’ll give that a try the next time we’re in town.
The Location:
Located squarely in Le Plateau, Schwartz’s is easily accessible via the 29, 55 and 363 buses. Take a stroll through the shops of Le Pleateau or wander through Mont-Royale Parc after your meal, it’ll help after being in cramped quarters.
Here at the Meandering Spork, we love us some hidden gems and hole-in-the-wall places. Enter Dépanneur Le Pick Up. In the course of our research into places to eat in Montreal (Yes we research places to eat and not tourist attractions. Don’t judge us.) we discovered this little gem that the kind Internet stranger told us served great pulled pork sandwiches. Knowing only that a dépanneur was a corner store, we went on the quest to find this mystical delicious sandwich shop.
(Photo courtesy of Satellite Magazine.)
The Food:
Borscht ($5) and Kola ($3)
Look, more soup! Never having tried this eastern European staple, we figured we might as well give it a shot. Our verdict? It’s not bad! It’s definitely a soup, not a stew, given its thinner consistency. For its main ingredient, it had tomato as opposed to the more traditional beetroot, which we appreciate. (To be honest, we’re not sure how much we would like beetroot soup. Maybe we’ll find out one day.) The dollop of sour cream and dill garnish, as per tradition, was interesting, but the soup itself was warming with its assortment of veggies and chunks of meat. The artisanal Henri Sodas cola, brewed locally right in Montreal, was excellent. It’s not too sweet, made with cane sugar, and has a sharp flavour. Sure there’s a price hike, but if we could get this occasionally instead of Coca-Cola or Pepsi, we would.
Pulled Pork Sandwich ($8)
This pulled pork sandwich was the great draw of Dépanneur Le Pickup and it did not disappoint. The pulled pork was perfectly done, moist, very tender, and perfectly seasoned. Topped with a crunchy slaw, the flavours were excellently matched, and the BBQ sauce softened the roll just enough without it becoming too soggy or messy. Dan called it one of the best pulled pork sandwiches he’s ever had (and he’s had quite a few hehe). Between being hungry and the sandwich’s deliciousness, we devoured it in a matter of seconds.
Halloumi Grilled Sandwich ($6.50)
As Dan is a carnivore (Dan: Oh, only me eh? :P), we were surprised that he ordered (yes, he was surprised that he even ordered it to begin with) a vegetarian sandwich and at how much we liked it. The sandwich itself is pretty simple. Composed of mostly halloumi cheese, it is accompanied by sliced red cabbage and carrot to add a crunch to your bite. This was the first time that we had halloumi cheese and it was delicious, lightly salted, and almost meaty-tasting. As the server explained, halloumi cheese has a high melting point so it doesn’t just melt into your bread as most cheeses would, but rather remains chewy. The cabbage and carrot complemented the taste of the cheese and the lightly grilled rye bread was a great finishing touch.
The Wrap:
This is why we like our hole-in-the-wall places: Great food at great prices. Compared to many of our other meals in Montreal, Dépanneur Le Pick Up offered some of the best bang for your buck. If it was nearby in Toronto, we would definitely be coming back often for both sandwiches. Whether you need some quick convenience store goods or you have a hankering for a sandwich, salad, baked treat, or artisanal soda, we definitely recommend stopping by Dépanneur Le Pick Up if you’re in the area.
The Location:
Located in the Quartier Alexandra-Marconi (Dan thinks it says Macaroni XD), Dépanneur Le Pick Up is located in a mostly residential area just off of the main road. You can reach it by the 55 or 363 bus lines, or head to Station Jean-Talon if you don’t mind a bit of a walk. (Psst if you head down from Station Jean-Talon you can also hit up Marché Jean-Talon, the most famous farmer’s market in Montreal!
One look at the comment section of any list for “best of” Montreal food will tell you that Montrealers are very serious about their smoked meat. The perennial favourite among both locals and tourists is Schwartz’s Deli, which we also visited during our trip and will cover in a later post. But many other names are thrown around, of which Reuben’s Deli is a fairly strong contender for the best smoked meat sandwich in town. On this (once again) freezing day, we popped out of the Underground City in downtown Montreal just long enough to walk half a block to Reuben’s for a bite of lunch.
Photo of storefront courtesy of Reuben’s Deli webpage.
The Food:
Soup of the Day - Chicken and Rice ($5.45 - Bowl)
We were not kidding when we said that there would be a lot of soup in this series. There was a pick of three daily soups, but we chose the homey chicken and rice soup to warm up our frozen hands. To be honest, the soup was a tad lukewarm and felt just okay. That being said, it did keep our tummies nice and warm so no complaints overall.
The Original 76 ($14.99)
An 8 oz. smoked meat sandwich topped with swiss cheese, deli mustard served on a freshly baked sesame and poppy seed brioche bun
This is no ordinary Montreal smoked meat sandwich. Sesame and poppy seed brioche bun? Swiss cheese? These are ingredients that are not found in a traditional smoked meat sandwich. You typically get a no-nonsense stack of smoked meat sandwiched between rye bread with a drizzle of mustard. That being said, the more stylized presentation works here: the bun is fluffy and soft and the Swiss cheese complemented the meatiness of the sandwich perfectly. The thinly-sliced smoked meat itself is the star of the show, as it was tender, not at all fatty, and perfectly seasoned. However, it doesn’t have the same degree of smokiness that we would typically associate with Montreal smoked meat. This updated version of a smoked meat sandwich steps away from its traditional roots, but it was very delicious.
We <3 Beef ($17.49)
Weekly special, steak sandwich with bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado on a sesame and poppy seed brioche bun
Each week the chefs at Reuben’s create a different sandwich to showcase their love of beef, hence the name. We were lucky enough to try their steak sandwich, and yes, that is an actual steak sandwiched between those buns. This is a first for us: usually when restaurants say “steak sandwich” they don’t literally mean it. The steak was tender and well cooked, though they didn’t ask us how we wanted it done, but it’s the bacon and creamy avocado that made this sandwich truly memorable. You find a lot of dishes out there that have bacon and avocado added to them because they’re awesome ingredients, but this sandwich blends the flavours in your mouth perfectly.
The Original Strawberry Cheesecake ($8.49)
Montreal-style cheesecake topped with glazed, fresh strawberries and crumbled vanilla shortbread
Despite the fact that we were stuffed from our appetizer, burgers and sides, our server convinced us that we couldn’t leave without trying their famous cheesecake. (Yeah, we’re suckers like that.) The cheesecake that we’re used to is the New York-style, super-dense, super-rich cheesecakes, but this Montreal-style cheesecake was light and fluffy. The vanilla shortbread crumble was delicious, adding the perfect amount of texture, and the glazed strawberries lent just the right amount of tart sweetness.
The Wrap:
All told, the restaurant lives up to the hype. This is the smoked meat restaurant that we would consider date-worthy or business meeting-worthy (look, adulting!). There’s so much more on the menu that we’d like to try and while the food is a tad overpriced in our opinion, it’s sooo good. If you’re looking for a solid meal and are not afraid to shell out some money, Reuben’s is a solid pick in downtown Montreal.
The Location:
Located in Golden Square Mile, Reuben’s is easily accessible in the heart of downtown Montreal. We’re convinced public transit is the way to go in Montreal (because traffic and construction), so pop out of the Underground City at Peel Station and you won’t miss it. Bon appetit!
The Meandering Spork is back! And we're kicking it off with a bang with a travel series, Meandering in Montreal.
The first night in Montreal was brutally cold and windy. Being the good decision makers we are, we decided that it was a wonderful idea to walk 3 kilometres in the cold to Mon Ami Korean Restaurant for some KFC. (That’s KFC for Korean Fried Chicken, not Kentucky Fried Chicken, mind you.) What could possibly go wrong? Well, as we found out, a 3 kilometre trek on an empty stomach on a cold Montreal night is bone-chilling and probably not the best idea. Who would have thunk it?
But was the walk worth it? TL;DR: Yup, that’s some good fried chicken.
(Photo courtesy of Google Maps Streetview, because it was too cold to stay outside a second longer than we had to.)
The Food:
Banchan (Complimentary!)
One thing we always look forward to when going to Korean restaurants is their banchan, little side dishes that are offered to you for *free*. The kimchi was flavourful and relatively authentic, but it wasn’t as spicy as expected (perhaps to appease Western tastebuds). The picked radishes were crunchy and delicious, and a fresh salad that was thankfully not lacking in dressing. While this banchan is nothing to rave about (we have been to many restaurants that offered better banchan and more variety), it did address our pangs of hunger and began the process of restoring body heat. And free is always appreciated.
Ramen ($4.99)
Here is Dan’s thought process throughout much of the Meandering in Montreal series: “Cold + Need Heat = Soup.” (This is what happens when you visit Montreal in the winter.) How was the ramen? It was solid. Bold flavours, fresh vegetables, and a good amount of noodles is all you can really ask for from a $5 bowl of ramen. However, we have a sneaking suspicion that this was just instant ramen noodles in an instant ramen soup base. (Dan would like to stress that this had real veggies and is therefore elevated above the level of instant ramen. ) Was it a stand-out dish? No, but it is a good value - especially if you’re cold and hungry.
Original Korean Fried Chicken ($18.99)
Ah, the highlight feature of this post: the Korean fried chicken. Now let’s have a disclaimer: this picturesque serving of a whole fried chicken in a fish and chips basket (complete with waxed newspaper) does not come cheap. Strictly speaking, a bucket of chicken from Popeyes (Woot!) or even KFC (Meh...) will always provide better value. That being said, this chicken was worth the money and the wait. With a distinctively Korean spice palate, this fried chicken was freshly fried, juicy, and tender - even the white meat was delicious and not at all dry. The breading was light and crispy, giving you a satisfying crush when you bite into it, and there was no grease oozing out of the chicken, which is always a plus. The addition of fried rice cakes is lovely, and makes the chicken feel authentically Korean. All told, it was extremely tasty and satisfying. There is also a half-chicken option available for a cheaper price if you are not starving (or piggies like us).
The Wrap:
Mon Ami was worth the walk in the cold. If you’re ever in the area, give it a try. While we only tried the original fried chicken, Mon Ami carried a variety of different flavours like soy sauce with garlic or hot and spicy chicken with cheese, so there’s something new to try for the adventurous and daring of stomach. It might not be the cheapest meal, but as fried chicken fanatics ourselves, we can say that it is worth the trip.
The Location:
Located in the southern end of Montreal island, Mon Ami is easily accessible by car or transit. There’s ample parking along the street, and it's only a short walk away from the 103 bus route.
And now we are proud to present, the first edition of the Sporkies, where we humble food bloggers here at the Meandering Spork headquarters put our heads together and try to determine the best that Toronto has to offer. Today, we'll break down our favourite Summerlicious restaurants, meals, and dishes, giving them our official Meandering Spork stamp of approval, with a great big virtual top-hatted and mustachioed Spork.
Best Service
Anna: We've mentioned this before, but shout out to Eugene and the other staff who helped us at Bosk for an amazing dining experience. Our food arrived promptly, our glasses of water were always topped up, our bill came without us having to flag down a waiter...and yet they never hovered at our shoulders. It definitely felt like an upscale dining experience (and for their regular menu prices, deservedly so).
Dan: Okay, let's be honest. The service was fantastic practically everywhere. The great thing about Summerlicious is that you get the opportunity to experience higher-end restaurants, which come with higher-end service, and that's exactly what we did. But yes, Bosk and Eugene take the Sporky on this one. They were just made us feel that little bit more comfortable at the end of the day.
Best Ambiance
Anna: I really liked the atmosphere at Nota Bene, which felt very bustling and welcoming while still being upscale, plus it's not too loud which is always a plus. However, I would say the runner-up would be Jump, since their decor is definitely very modern and posh, and their hanging lighting fixtures were some of the coolest I've seen by far.
Dan: Now this is a tough one, depending on whether you like nice and quiet or a more bustling dining experience. Anna's choice of Nota Bene leans toward the latter. At the end of the day, all of the candidates are superb. Personally, I'm going to have to give it to Bosk again. The quiet, bright-lit atmosphere was charming and made us feel comfortable and at-ease despite being a high-class restaurant.
Most Unique Menu
Anna: I definitely have to give this one to Canteen. You may have noticed a trend in the restaurant offerings, especially for the mains. It's always surf, turf, and a vegetarian option that we never spring for. But Canteen's menu not only had 5 options for mains, but it had something different for everyone, from fusion dishes like jajeongmyeon to classic dishes like grilled calamari. Plus, the tostadas were a brilliant offering.
Dan: I agree with Anna on this one. Canteen wins this one. The sheer diversity of options presented to you by Canteen is one thing, the fact that they stand out from what other restaurants offer is what really really seals the deal here. Hotel Ocho is the runner-up in the category for me, but Canteen's willingness to bring in Mexican, Asian, etc. classics gives it our first Sporky.
Fusion Done Right
Anna: Hotel Ocho was definitely the standout for east-west fusion dishes that were just exotic enough to break the norm but still not too out there with their flavour combinations. The filo parcel was a standout dish among all the other steaks that were on offer for Summerlicious, being a giant spring roll, and that's how I like it. A+ for creativity.
Dan: Where Canteen was great at bringing in the classic dishes from different cultures, Hotel Ocho was the most memorable at bringing eastern influences to western foods. From the sweet citrus on the halibut, to that amazing filo parcel, it was excellent. Runner-up goes to Café Boulud for a very, very good try at fusion cuisine, from the beef brisket to the terrine.
Most Bang for your Buck
Anna: It may partially have been because we sampled their lunch menu, but Bosk was definitely a lot of bang for a relatively cheaper price tag. Every single dish was well-cooked, beautifully presented, and had filling portions.
Dan: This one's a toughie. It really depends on what you're looking for. Are you looking for more Summerlicious value, where you can try out high-end food for less or more value overall? But seeing as this is the Summerlicious Sporkies, I'm going to have to ... agree with Anna and say Bosk. But only for the lunch menu that we tried. If it were dinner, then I'd run with Nota Bene, who is the very close runner-up for this category.
Most Likely to Return for LiciousTO Menu
Anna: I was super impressed by all of the restaurants that we went to this year for Summerlicious and any of them are contenders for the next Licious event. But if I had to pick a favourite, it would probably be Bosk or Nota Bene. I just can't decide between the two!
Dan: Hehehe...this is where I'm supposed to be able to help out...and I'm not sure I can either. Both Bosk and Nota Bene are at the top-tier of Summerlicious pricing, which makes it tough for the two of us to return to for their regular menu. So that's a big part of why these two are up for this Sporky. But who gets to take it home? *Drum roll* Bosk! Nota Bene offers very homey food that we absolutely loved, for the experience, Bosk is just a bit...fancier.
Most Likely to Return for Regular Menu
Anna: No question about it, I would definitely return to Hotel Ocho for their regular menu. I really enjoyed the two main course dishes, and if their regular mains are anything comparable I would be a very happy girl. ^^
Dan: It's a tough call for me between Canteen and Hotel Ocho, but I'm siding with Anna and going with Hotel Ocho. At the end of the day, that filo parcel was just that good and their relatively low regular menu prices has us hook, line, and sinker.
Best Date Night Experience
Anna: I think Jump is a solid contender for a date night worthy restaurant. While it's not the quietest restaurant, the candles and mood after dark definitely contributes to the romantic atmosphere. Plus, they have really comfy seating. :)
Dan: Hmm...is that a hint for me? XD Any of the restaurants that we went to make for a great date night. So as with the other award categories, this is a really tough call. I'd have to say that I'd have to lean toward Bosk. No, you don't need to take a girl out to a fancy restaurant to make for a great date night, but wining and dining doesn't hurt right? XD
Best Overall Experience
Anna: Can you already guess? This one definitely goes to Bosk. Ambiance, service, food, price: everything was just perfect. And also, its Asian inspired elements just speaks to the Chinese girl in me.
Dan: (Quickly tallies up the Sporkies count so far)...Hmm...Bosk has won the most Sporkies so far and well-deservedly so. From superb service to amazing ambiance to fantastic food, Bosk is a high-class restaurant that most definitely earns its reputation. It may be expensive, but what you experience lives up to expectations.
Best Mix'n Match Meal
Anna: My ideal meal would have the amazing chickpea amuse bouche from Café Boulud, green bean salad from Canteen to start, the beef vindaloo from Jump for my entrée, and finally, wrapping it up with the dark chocolate mousse from Bosk for dessert. Come to my stomach, my pretties. XD
Dan: Ohh boy, the difficult decisions just don't end do they...But here we go. My ideal meal would also start with those brilliant chickpea fries with piquillo sauce from Café Boulud. For appetizer, the green bean salad with bacon comes close, but I'll have to go with the pulled braised goat from Nota Bene, For the ever important main course, I'll go with the peppercorn steak from Nota Bene too. Those were some amazing fries. Finally to close this wondermeal, I'll take that Bosk dark chocolate mousse too. ^^
The Sporkies: Summerlicious 2014 Edition Wrap
Yes, yes, it looks like Bosk was the heavy favourite by looking at the results, but please, we promise that these were no easy decisions. Any one of these awards could have easily gone to another restaurant because they all deserve them and quite frankly, we chose the winner based on our own whim and fancy (well, based on our particular experiences there). If you get the chance, please do visit and try all of our worthy candidate restaurants: Bosk, Nota Bene, Café Boulud, Hotel Ocho, Jump, and Canteen. But without further ado, here are your Summerlicious 2014 Sporky Award Winners!
Best Service: Bosk
Best Ambiance: Nota Bene/Bosk
Most Unique Menu: Canteen
Fusion Done Right: Hotel Ocho
Most Bang for Your Buck: Bosk
Most Likely to Return for LiciousTO Menu: Bosk
Most Likely to Return for Regular Menu: Hotel Ocho
Best Date Night Experience: Jump/Bosk
Best Overall Experience: Bosk
Best Mix'n Match Meal: Café Boulud/Canteen/Nota Bene/Jump/Bosk
Hello wonderful people of the Interwebs! Another eventful month has come and gone, and July sure was a whirlwind of exciting food adventures for the Meandering Spork. The theme of the month was, of course, Summerlicious, as we went on a 6 restaurant grand tour and sampled some of the best restaurants Toronto has to offer. (Dan: Wait, we have monthly themes? XD)
If you have been following us this past month either on our blog or on our social media sites, you'll notice that our photo of the sea bream main course from Jump was selected as a top 10 best photos of Summerlicious by BlogTO. And they put on on their site as lead photo! *Cue cheering and general excitement*
But best of all, we were voted into the top 3 favourite photos by BlogTO readers and you guys. In fact, we were voted the winner of the photo contest! A huge thank you goes out to everyone who voted for us, we really appreciate all the support. And it's true, we got that warm fuzzy feeling inside when we found out.
In other news, The Meandering Spork has again made it to National Post's Gastropost, this time for their East, West & Fusion mission. Our beef vindaloo photo (again from Jump...noticing a pattern here?) was chosen for Team East in the battle for gastro-supremacy.
And last but not least, an explanation for our update's title. Some of you may have noticed that despite being a food blog that is fairly socially minded (you can follow us on Instagram, Foodspotting, and Flickr if you weren't aware!), up until this month we did not have a Twitter account.
Well, fear not, for now you can also find us on Twitter at @meanderingspork. It's our first point of contact for any new updates, including behind the scenes stuff that you don't get to see on the blog, and we update you on foodie news in Toronto. We're on Twitter quite often so feel free to tweet us your restaurant suggestions, your questions, or whatever your little foodie hearts desire.
Oh, and also, Oliver & Bonacini replied to us on Twitter, so like we're basically best friends now. That's how this thing works, right? XD
What's coming up in the month of August? Well we're wrapping up Summerlicious with our first ever Sporkies Awards, where we tell you what we thought were the best of Summerlicious. Also, we went to some really cool foodie events at the end of July, like Taste of Toronto and the Waterfront Night Market. (See this is why you follow us on Twitter, y'all. XD), so we have some recaps coming your way. And of course, be on the lookout for more restaurant reviews.
Thanks for reading, you lovely people. Until next time, this is Anna and Dan signing off. Chows! :)
And alas, our Summerlicious 2014 grand tour has come to an end, but we are ending on a high note with Canteen (FB, Twitter). The TIFF Lighbox houses two Oliver & Bonacini eateries, the first being Canteen, the more casual market café, and the second being Luma on the second floor (which happens to be Dan and Anna's first ever LiciousTO restaurant together, so lots of good memories there). Since we had such a good experience with Luma for Winterlicious last year, we definitely went to Canteen with very high hopes. With a modestly priced $25 dinner menu, Canteen definitely went above and beyond our expectations.
This soup kept with the theme of somewhat bland soups that we've had for Summerlicious this year (the other soup we had at Hotel Ocho was also a little bland on our palates). That being said, the tortilla crisps were delightfully salted and crunchy, which added a nice texture to an otherwise (dare we say it?) boring soup. There was a few shrimp pieces floating around near the bottom of the bowl, which did add some much needed flavour. All in all, the soup didn't quite agree with our Asian-influenced palates that tend to prefer strong spices and bold flavours, but it was light and refreshing nonetheless. Please don't let our taste preferences stop you from trying it. It really is well made. :)
Green Bean Caesar Salad
With: Crunchy Lentils, Parmesan, Bacon Bits, & Roasted Garlic Dressing
Disclaimer is needed here: neither members of The Meandering Spork team are particularly fond of salads. While Anna does enjoy the occasional salad (on days when she's feeling health-conscious), she tends to prefer her salads with some protein on the side or slathered in dressing. Dan, on the other hand, is a carnivore (Dan: Hey, I like my salads too...but give me mah dressing. XD). Therefore, it was a shock to both of us how much we liked, even loved, this salad. The green beans were delightfully crunchy and fresh, the abundance of roasted garlic dressing was divine, and of course, the bacon bits helped. A lot. A very solid appetizer here, and definitely one of our Summerlicious favourites.
How do we put this...this tostada was delicious. Absolutely delicious. The beef was tender and bursting with flavour, not too dry and perfectly cooked. Dan thought the beef was slightly, just ever-so-slightly on the chewy side, but was a huge fan of the refried beans. He likes Mexican cuisine and refried beans in general, though. For someone like Anna who is incapable of eating and therefore enjoying taco-like foods (Anna: Because it's messy, okay?), eating the tostada in layers still provided a great deal of satisfaction despite the fact that she's eating it in sections. The portions were very generous and fills you up.
Need we say again that we're not fans of olives? That's why we actually asked for the dish without olives. (Anna: Why didn't we just order something else, you ask? Because they sold out of jajeongmyeon noodles 30 seconds before we ordered. *tear*) In this case, the olives seemed like it would have been a key ingredient in giving this calamari that kick that it so desperately needed when we got it without olives. However, individually, each part of the dish was done beautifully. The cucumber panzanella was very fresh (very farm-to-table) and the calamari was nicely grilled and was very succulent.
The Desserts:
Hewitt's Dairy Buttermilk Panna Cotta (Vegetarian/Local)
With: Fresh Ontario Strawberries
Unlike the panna cotta at Jump, which went out of its way to be elaborate and high class (but delicious), the panna cotta at Canteen was wonderful in its minimalism and simplicity in both presentation and taste. Because the presentation is so simple, the freshness of the buttermilk really shines through the dish and it was generally much more airy and light. If you're looking for that simple dessert with just a hint of sweetness, this is definitely the type of dish you're looking for. This was great.
A small lemon square really captures the essence of summer: citrus-y, fruity, and light. Our only (very small) issue with the lemon square is that it leaned a little too sweet on our palates. But from the raspberry to the slice of caramelized lemon, to the square itself, this dessert was a piece of simple, summer, sweetness with just the right hint of acidity. :)
The Wrap:
The experience at Canteen is definitely worth the price you pay, especially with Summerlicious menus being set at the lowest price tier of $15 and $25 for lunch and dinner respectively. The decor was modern, fitting the TIFF Bell Lightobox locale, and the service was solid. The servers even wear fun Mad Gab t-shirts with culinary-related phrases. All told, we were very happy with our choice to come to Canteen. Oh yeah, and it was Dan's birthday. XD (Happy birthday Dan!).
And on that note, Summerlicious 2014, has come to an end...
The Location:
Canteen's located at the heart of the Entertainment District on the first floor of the TIFF Bell Lightbox. You can't miss it during the summer, with its huge patio right on the corner of King and John. Feel free to catch a movie either before or after your meal. After all, it's in the building. :P Parking can be found for fairly cheap ($6) within a couple blocks.
If you hadn't gotten a chance yet, please do vote for our shot on BlogTO's poll for best Summerlicious photo here!: Link
Now, Anna's been absolutely raving going to Jump (FB) since apparently she's read some great reviews about it (Anna: In other words, I stalk a lot of other food bloggers.). So when our personal schedules unfortunately messed with our initial plans to go to Fred's Not Here (Dan: Eventually!) and Bent, we quickly planned to hit up the Oliver & Bonicini classics of Jump and Canteen. So did Jump live up to all of Anna's expectations with its $45 dinner menu? Let's find out!
This salmon tartare was well done. The flavours weren't too strong and were well complemented by the tomatillo relish. The maple ponzu was definitely interesting, offering an intriguing contrast between sweet and savoury flavours. The plantain chip on top added a crunch texture-wise but we weren't sure if it was really needed. That being said, it certainly wasn't bad by any means. Anna is quite fond of plantain chips and this for her was an unexpected but lovely surprise.
Dan decided to go for this as he's always been a big fan of prosciutto, but he's never had it as part of a salad before. Turns out, it's pretty good. The salad was fresh, crunchy, and well-dressed, though we had no real idea as to what green goddess dressing was. Dan personally would have liked more dressing, but he likes his salads bursting with flavour and unhealthy. XD The plantain chips (or at least that's what we think they were) served as an interesting texture element, adding a crunch that would otherwise have been added by croutons.
The Mains:
Ash’s Braised Wellington County Beef Cheek Vindaloo (Local)
With: Green Wheat, Raisin & Couscous Pilaf, & Pickled Okra
This is the shot that's up as one of BlogTO's ten favourite shots from Summerlicious 2014 and hopefully with some help from you guys, it might be in the running for one of the top three spots. :) Sea bream itself isn't a particularly special fish, but this was cooked very well, being soft, flaky, and flavourful. The succotash was sweet and completed the fish splendidly and the jalopeno jam was a tad odd, but added an interesting kick. Dan thought the addition of popcorn was genius, complementing both the succotash and adding good texture to the dish.
This fruit trifle was definitely on the sweet side, but a good amount of sweet. Make sure you spoon the meringue, syrup, and the fruit to get the best mix of flavours (Anna: You have to have a bite with all the layers. No beef here, promise.) The fruit was fresh and the meringue was made perfectly. The tarragon syrup itself was interesting, but good. It's something else that we've never had before.
Hewitt’s Dairy Buttermilk Panna Cotta (Vegetarian/Local)
With: Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Bark, & Drunken Blueberries
We didn't know what drunken blueberries were. Now we do. XD Turns out, it's alcohol-infused blueberries, which makes sense hehe. This was really quite delicious since despite the berries, the panna cotta was fresh and light- characteristics that we both enjoy in a dessert. The dark chocolate hazelnut bark had a delightful mix of sweet, savoury, and bitter flavours and reminded us of the Nature Valley sweet and salty chewy bars. We both loved the light note that this meal ended on, and left feeling very satisfied.
The Wrap:
Yup, we're back to the expensive Summerlicious restaurants about it, but this one leaves us with no regrets. From the fantastic food to the great modern ambiance, Jump's a restaurant that comes as advertised- a classy dining experience. The service was great, except for a bit of a delay in getting our bill and the music wasn't too obtuse. Will we be back? We think so. :)
The Location:
Jump's situated in the heart of the Financial District in downtown Toronto, located just west of Yonge on Wellington, inside of Commerce Court. They do validate parking down to $2 in the Commerce Court complex for dinner so long as you pull into the garage after 5:30 PM. That last bit's important. XD
