Beef tasted better corned

You may call me simple but I cannot deny that I love sandwiches. Sure sandwiches can be simple but they can also be as complex as launching a NASA space shuttle. There always seems to be a never ending list of vegetables, meats, breads and spreads the can be used to assemble the perfect sandwich. However, sometimes the simplest sandwich can often be the best sandwich, just the like the sandwiches at “The Corned Beef House” in Toronto.

On another oh too familiar “had to stay late at work” kind of day I decided that I would venture through the concrete jungle in the entertainment district and scavenge for my dinner. My hunt didn’t seem to last too long as I found my prey on the corner of Adelaide and John, The Corned Beef House. I pushed open the glass doors to reveal a nice bar setting inside and walked up to a very pleasent server at the bar and handed my magical parchment to her, a coupon for 50% off a huge and a pop.

I quickly scanned through the menu and narrowed my decision to two choices. a voice inside my head said to me “a placed called the corned beef house, how could you not get corned beef sandwich?” but the more dopey voice inside of my head whispered “Montreal smoked meat” like sweet nothings in my ear. Well of course I made the obvious choice and picked the montreal smoked meat sandwich at a place called “The Corned Beef House”. It did seem a little blasphemous to be ordering a montreal smoked meat sandwich in Toronto and I did wonder if i was breaking some kind of law that I would need to take shelter from to hide from those montreal smoked meat purists.

The sandwich was assembled promptly and I assume with lots of tender loving care. The sandwich was quite basic; rye bread, 7 oz of delectable meats and mustard. One of the first things I noticed when I was served the sandwich was the delicious aroma emanating from the plate that remind me of sitting at the counter of a montreal deli. The food looked so good that I immediately dislocated my jaw to clamp down on my meal like a snake devouring a mouse. The bread was tasty and very sturdy, which it had to be in order to hold the mounds of deliciousness. The ambrosia like meat was very moist and salty and hit all the right taste buds in my mouth.

I hope nobody from montreal reads this but I think the montreal smoked sandwich could stand up toe to toe with the sandwiches from montreal. The flavours were there and “The Corned Beef House” kept it traditional by keeping it simple. After Sampling one of “The Corned Beef House’s” wares, i’m anticipating another visit to try what I assume is their specialty, the Reuben.

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Corned Beef House

Frankenstein Creation

I haven't been updating my blog as much I should because of work but I am going to try to be more active about writing to remind my palate of all the great things I have consumed.

On this day in particular I decided to put on my doctor Frankenstein persona and attempt a monstrosity of a grilled cheese sandwich. I had a few Ingredients laying around the house, bread and cheese, but I needed more if was going to create something utterly devious. What I needed was a magical ingredient, bacon! not just any bacon but pancetta  (fancy Italian bacon).

I took the slice of pancetta and pan fried them until they were crispy wafers of meat. I next pulled out the slices of my Dempsters whole grain bread (because i'm health conscious) and my fancy Kraft Singles and started the assembling process. I laid the slices of cheese on the bread and then placed my crispy pancetta on top of the cheese. I then paused for a moment and felt i needed to add something, caramelized onion jam!

I bought the caramelized onion jam from an artisan's fair and is one of the most delectable spreads i have ever had. The jam is sweet like caramelized onion but also savory at the same time, quite the unique taste sensation.

I spread the onion jam on top of the fried pancetta and I closed up my sandwich and was ready to butter up the slices of bread. As I reached for the butter I noticed I still had bacon fat in a pan and the light bulb turned on, I'm going to butter my bread with bacon fat! (the healthy choice).

After I finished covering my sandwich in bacon fat, I threw my sandwich in a new frying pan and I fried it to crispy perfection. I cut it up diagonally and I stood back and I admired my master piece.

I picked it up with both hands and I could feel the bacon fat cover my finger tips but it didn't stop me from taking my first bite. I bit into the gooey creation and broke off a piece of the crispy pancetta and started to chew my creation and let the flavors envelop my mouth. Each mouthful of the franken-grilled cheese filled my mouth with the saltiness of the pancetta, the sweet and savory taste of the caramelized onion jam and the gooey richness of the processed cheese. I thoroughly enjoyed my sandwich but I don't know if using bacon fat to cover my sandwich added any benefit except for shaving a few years off my life and adding a little bit of fat to my arteries. I still think it was a great to reuse bacon fat.

Bon A petite!

Spain Invasion Part 1

For my summer vacation I decided to cross the ocean and into a new continent to help satisfy my craving for authentic paella. For my summer vacation my companion and I hopped around five different spanish cities in two weeks. During our travels, we feasted on traditional cuisine, fleeced at tourist traps, and dined on some of the freshest seafood in the world.

For the first stop of the trip, I went to Barcelona. Barcelona is a big bustling metropolitan city that has a fun party atmosphere around the clock. One reason why I think Barcelona is party city is because there seems to be a ton of small restaurants and bars spread around small streets on every neighbourhood (They also seem to be never closed).

Tagliatelle in a Bolognese Sauce and Spinach Tagliatelle in a cream sauce.

What do I eat when I first arrive in Spain? Italian Pasta of course! When I finally arrived in Barcelona, it was during their siesta and not that many restaurants were open. One of the few restaurants that were open was a pasta bar in Barcelona called "La Maquina."

"La Maquina" is a pasta bar that makes all of their pastas from scratch and uses nothing but fresh ingredients. "La Maquina" must like lumber because their walls are covered with wooden planks, which gives it a feeling of eating inside of a log cabin. The space was fairly large but still cozy enough for me to just have a few beers or a glass of wine (Vino as they say in Spain) and relax. 

I decided to order the tagliatelle in a bolognese sauce. The pasta dough was made from scratch and the pasta was boiled to order, which was a very nice touch because I knew I would be getting the freshest pasta possible. The tagliatelle was cooked perfectly al dente and it could've rivalled any pasta that can be found in Italy. The bolognese sauce didn't contain a lot of meat in it like other bolognese sauces that I've had before but it still complimented the pasta and was avery nice pairing. The pasta dish tasted fresh and tasty, which was a pleasant surprise because I just flew half way around the world to eat pasta in Spain and was enjoying it.

My partner in crime decided to go a slightly different direction with her meal choice and chose to have spinach tagliatelle in a cream sauce. The pasta dish was cooked perfectly but I personally found the cream sauce a bit too heavy. This plate of pasta was difficult to finish because the portion size was quite large and the heavy cream sauce filled us up even faster.

If I was a local, I would definitely come to "La Maquina" and have a meal because they make everything from scratch and use nothing but fresh ingredients. However as a tourist I find it difficult to recommend an Italian restaurant in spain because you don't really get to experience spain's rich culinary culture at "La Maquina"(unless you count Barcelona craft beer). 

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La Maquina

Little spots around the city (Chicago) Part 3

While I was visiting Chicago, I would wander around the city in the morning looking to find a good place to eat for breakfast. One morning I walked by a place that looked like a diner that was attached to a sub way station. Subway restaurants are not really known for their culinary delights or for having the best sanitary conditions but despite all that I decided to let my stomach lead to "Ronny's Original Chicago Steak House".

"Ronny's Original Chicago Steak House" is definitely a unique restaurant. At one end of the restaurant there is a subway exit (which is located right next to the diner style kitchen) and at the opposite end they have tall diner booths. Ronny's is not going to be winning any awards on on interior decorating but did appear to be a local favourite spot. The walls of restaurant are adorned with pictures of local celebrities and members of the city Council.

While I was standing in front of the menu board trying to decide what to have for breakfast, a local Chicagoan suggested to me that I get the steak and eggs special before they stopped serving the dish.  Heeding to his advice I placed my order for the steak and eggs special.

Steak and Eggs

When the food arrived in front of me, the first thought came to mind was "Wow, I think I'm going to get my money's worth". I don't think the picture does the food justice on the sheer size of the servings. This was an 8oz steak, 3 eggs, mountain of hash browns, giant texas toast and a slice of watermelon (to make sure the meal was healthy) for breakfast. 

This was not the best steak I've ever had but I was great steak. The steak was cooked to a nice medium rare, and was very juicy. The Eggs were also cooked perfect over easy, which allowed for a runny yolk to be spread on top of my hash browns like an avalanche on a mountainside. 

I really enjoyed the food here. It wasn't anything amazing or special but simple food done right. I almost forgot to mention that the heaping pile of food cost me a whooping $6.50.

If you are on a budget and looking for what appears to be a local hangout then I highly recommend that you head over and have a meal at "Ronny's Original Chicago Steak House."

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Ronny's Original Chicago Steak House

Little spots around the city (Chicago) Part 2

So to continue on with the theme of little chain sandwich shops around Chicago, we make our way to the "Corner Bakery Cafe." The "Corner Bakery Cafe" serves a variety of sandwiches, pastas, salads and coffees much like other chain cafes you may be familiar with.

The space for the "Corner Bakery Cafe" doesn't have anything in particular that makes it stand out. The space is nice and comfortable and decorated with a wood decor.  The cafe has your typical coffee shop vibe, where you can buy a cup of java and you can sit around and write your autobiography.

Sliced Meatball Sandwich and Chicken Noodle Soup

On my visit I decided to order a soup and sandwich combo, the sliced meatball panini and a bowl of their chicken noodle soup to warm me up. The panini was well made and was nice and crusty on both sides. The cheese was warm and gooey and the meat was plentiful. The meatballs themselves must have been the size of a small fruit because when I opened up the sandwich, large discs of meat were staring right back at me. The soup wasn't really anything special, it was your typical chicken soup that can be found at almost any typical sandwich shop in north america.

The "Corner Bakery Cafe" was quite popular with the locals because the place quickly filled up with patrons while I was chowing down on my panini. The "Corner Bakery Cafe" is the perfect place for picking up a quick bit to eat or if you were looking for a quiet place to finish up your essay.  It isn't a place to expect anything amazing or special but is safe bet for something familiar and comforting.

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Corner Bakery Cafe

Little spots around the city (Chicago) Part 1

On my trip to Chicago I decided that I would try to go to as many Chicagoan type places as possible during my stay there. Unfortunately I was only there for a short while and there were a lot of hidden Gems around the city. So I thought I would share some of the little spots I visited to grab a sandwich or a quick bite to eat while I was acting like your typical tourist.

On my very first day in Chicago I decided to fill my stomach after the long flight with a sandwich from "Pot Belly's". "Pot Belly's" is a chain of sandwich shops specific only to Chicago. This sandwich place isn't your typical run-in-run-out sandwich place that we are all accustomed but actually offers a comfortable eating space and a few things you wouldn't expect from a sandwich shop. "Pot Belly's" looks and is decorated like your neighborhood deli and makes use of a lot of wood for it's decor. It's pretty spacious and while it's no fine dining restaurant, it is still a very comfortable and inviting place to chow down on your sandwich. While I was eating my sandwich I noticed that there was live music playing, which was a nice touch to make the place more of a neighborhood hang out.

Italian Sandwich and Dill Pickle

Roast Beef Sandwich

On my visit here I had their Italian sandwich and probably the largest dill pickle I have ever seen or consumed in one sitting. The Italian sandwich was well made and quite tasty but wasn't really anything special or out of the ordinary. The sandwich contained what you would typically would find in an Italian sandwich. The pickle on the hand was quite good, I say that because I like dill pickles. it was huge and packed full of juicy dill pickle flavour (like a punch to the face). My traveling buddy decided they would dine on a roast beef sandwich. As you can see from the expertly taken picture, the provolone cheese on the sandwich was nice and gooey. The beef was not dry and juicy and was delivered on a low calorie bread. Again this sandwich was not spectacular but very satisfying and well made.

The sandwiches here are not anything special but they do deliver a tasty sandwich that hits the spot when you have munchies while wandering around the street. The best thing about this place wouldn't be the food but the atmosphere. The place is warm and inviting and the live music just adds to the vibe of a neighbourhood hang out.

For More Information.
Pot Belly's

Who's House? Chef's House

On a cold wintery night I decided to have a nice warm meal at the "Chef's House." The "Chef's house" is a student run culinary restaurant by George Brown College. The culinary students are the ones that cook your meal, take your order and even pour your beer, which is something I can appreciate because I know the money I spend on the meal will be going directly back to educating these young future chefs.

The space is decorated to be modern but not pretentious. The kitchen for the restaurant is large and long  and is actually a feature point for the restaurant. The restaurant is covered in TV monitors while the kitchen is covered with cameras directed at the students chefs in action. The restaurant's space was decorated very well and you would've never have known it was school building (at least not until you start looking for the bathroom). The wait staff were attentive and very courteous (though it was kind of fun to see how nervous the student wait staff were).

The Menu is small, which I believe was done so not to overwhelm the young chefs. There was a choice of three starters, three mains and three deserts. On this particular cold winter night my companion and I decided to order one of each. 

Before any of our courses were served a roasted sweet potato leek soup, with coconut cream, spiced walnuts came out first.

Roasted Sweet Potato

This soup was more of a puree then a thin soup. The sweet potato soup was a sweet soup which really didn't suit my tastes. I personally don't like sweet soups and I thought this soup was particularly sweet. The texture was smooth but the sweet potato was sweet and the coconut cream was sweet, which I thought was too much (Food show judges say it all the time, "too sweet because it was sweet on sweet"). The spiced Walnuts were a nice touch, the walnuts had a little bit of spice and added a crunchy element to the soup.

Next up were our starters: a house smoked trout, picked Cookstown beet, candied olives and a baked three‐mushroom strudel, spinach puree, Woolwich goats’ brie cheese.

House smoked Trout

The smoked trout with pickled beets and candied olives was a very enjoyable dish. The fish delivered a nice subtle smokiness to compliment the acidity of the pickled beet. The portion size was perfect too as to leave you with plenty of room for the next two courses.

Three‐Mushroom Strudel

The mushroom strudel had loads of flavour packed in between the flaky crust. The mushrooms were delicious and had a nice earthy taste. Combing the strudel with the creaminess of the brie and the freshness of the spinach puree creates an amazing tasty bite which I highly recommend everyone to try. 

Next up to bat were out main courses: braised beef short rib, Yukon gold pave, glazed cipollini onions and Butternut Squash & Ricotta Agnolotti, Hazelnuts, Brown Butter.

braised beef short rib.

The braised beef was expertly prepared by the young chefs. Some restaurant that serve a braised beef short ribs sometimes sacrifice tenderness for having a moist piece of meat or vice-versa but the braised short rib I was served was not only a generous portion but was extremely tender and moist. The Yukon gold pave was something I haven't heard of but was a delicious side (beef and potatoes, what not love?). The best way I can describe a Yukon gold pave would be a side dish of scallop potatoes. The potatoes were not too soft and still maintained a nice texture of sliced potatoes stacked on top of each other to compliment the tenderness of the beef.

Ricotta Agnolotti

The ricotta agnolotti like the roasted sweet potato soup really didn't suit my tastes. This was not a savoury dish and was on the sweet side. the pasta was cooked right and was al dente and the hazelnuts added another dimension to the texture but the dish as a whole didn't work for me. After having a sweet soup and then getting a sweet main to follow really was not a very good combination (at least for me).

and finally we have our deserts:

.....

well it was a little better then that.

My Associate and I had the mixed berry crumble with sour cream gelato and the flour less chocolate cake.

Mixed Berry Crumble

The mixed berry crumble was a really tasty desert and had a really nice balance of flavours. There was the sweet and sourness from the berries, and the cold, and creamy sour cream gelato. The only change I would suggest is to make the shell that held the berries less dense. I thought a thinner pastry shell would've helped highlight the berries a little better.

Flour less Chocolate Cake

The flour less chocolate cake was beautiful presented on an off centered plate and a splash of raspberry coulis. If I was a bigger chocolate lover I think I would've looked this desert better. This desert was more like a brownie and packs loads of chocolate flavour. I've never been a very big fan of brownies and thought this desert packed too much sugar on one dish. The raspberry coulis was a good way to cut through the sweetness with a bit sourness.

The Chef's House had a lot of hits and misses for me overall but I enjoyed the experience.  The student servers were all very attentive and tried their hardest to make sure we enjoyed our food. I would like to comeback again to the chefs house and try their new menu because I know the service will be top notch and the chefs would be trying their hardest to make the absolute best dish.

For More Information:
The Chef's House