Lobster, Lobster, and more Lobster

Lobsters are always considered to be one of the super elite foods that people eat at very haughty type restaurants, which is funny considering at one point in time lobsters were considered peasant food. On a very very chilly night in January I decided to visit Rock Lobster Food Co. to feast on delicious lobster and other creatures from the sea.

You may have heard of Rock Lobster Food Co. as they specialize in seafood and have made quite the effort in promoting their wares at a lot of food events in Toronto. Rock Lobster Food Co. Even has multiple locations; one located on the Ossignton strip between Dundas and Queen, and one around Queen and Bathurst (their step to ruling the Toronto seafood scene). For this entry I'll be talking about my visit to the Queen and Bathurst location.

The Rock Lobster Food Co. located on Queen and Bathurst is the newest addition to their empire and currently occupy the former neighbourhood favourite "Shanghai Cowgirl." When you first walk into the restaurant you feel like you've walked into an eloquent fish market (similar to Rodney's, if you've ever been there). There is fresh seafood right at the bar and the place brightly lit through out the restaurant.

On this cold winter night I decided to start my meal with one of Rock Lobster Food Company' s daily specials. Deep fried okra stuffed with shrimp, rolled in cornmeal and served with a donair sauce. I wasn't expecting a mountain of food but when it arrived to the table I was a little surprised at the diminutive size. However I can't be too upset about the portion size considering that it was only 6 dollars (when was the last time an appetizer in Toronto cost 6 dollars?) The okra halves were nicely fried and held a nice shrimp surprise in the middle. The donair sauce was something I've never seen before, which I discovered to be sweet and sour (upon further research, I discovered donair sauce is just condensed milk, vinegar and garlic) and complimented the tiny morsels nicely.

 For the main event of the evening, I feasted upon Rock Lobster Food Company's Lobster burger. This delicious creation is essentially a surf and turf between a burger bun. The burger patty was juicy and cooked to a beautiful medium (which is what all burgers should be cooked to). Now to make a good thing even better, the restaurant decided to top my burger with delicious lobster meat. At first I thought the taste of the lobster would be totally lost because of the beef's strong taste, but I was wrong. As I chomped into the burger and savoured my food, I could distinctly taste the lobster along with the beef. I thought the beef was still had a stronger taste than the lobster but both proteins did compliment each other really well.

Rock Lobster Food Company on Queen and Bathurst was unexpectedly good. I had my reservation because I thought the food was going to be too expensive and not live up to hype that Rock Lobster Food Company was building around their brand. The food was priced right and they were really really creative with their offerings. I personally can't wait to go back and bring my partner in crime.

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Rock Lobster Food Company

Home of The Brave (no witty title needed)

One of the newest locations in Toronto that is starting to create a little bit of a buzz is a little spot located above Lou Dawgs called "Home of The Brave." I did have a few expectations of the place and I can safely say after my visit that it does exceed my expectations and does live up to its hype.

One of the first things you'll notice is the speak easy vibe that seems to surround the place. One of main eye catching pieces that I think most people will notice is the beautiful bar that sits at the front of this fine establishment; it is big and combines a western theme with the style of a prohibition bar. The space itself is not that big but is quite long and has quite a few booths spread through out the place, which indicates that this would be a great place for a few friends to enjoy some great food and drinks.

"Home of The Brave" lives up to its speak easy vibe by offering a nice variety of cocktails that are carefully crafted by their expert mixologist. On my visit I ordered their Bourbon and Beer, which does sound quite boozy but I can assure you the name is quite deceiving. Bourbon and beer actually consists of bourbon (of course), vanilla, femet (no idea what this is) , and root beer. This was one of the best concoctions that I have ever had. The cocktail wasn't overly sweet but was refreshing and i could pick up all of the flavours of the different ingredients (which is how a good cocktail should be.)

Looking over the menu you can immediately see that "Home of the Brave" focuses on home style comfort food with a twist; tater tots, and boloney sandwiches. For my dining pleasure on this visit I ordered one of their daily specials (and one of their best sellers) the chicken and waffles. This southern US dish was served with a savoury herbed waffle topped with crispy spicy fried pieces of chicken .......... (lost my train of thought for a moment).  The pieces of chicken were quite tender and when combined with with the savoury waffle and hot sauce honey..... well you just booked yourself a one way ticket to "flavour town" (yes i know a Guy Fieri reference.)

My culinary Side kick ordered on this visit another one of their best sellers, the Kentucky Fried Chicken Hand shake sandwich. This was quite the massive sandwich; the sandwich contained a massive seasoned and deep fried chicken quarter which was 90% deboned. Why was it 90% deboned? because they left the end with the chicken feet still attached to the chicken quarter, hence chicken "hand shake." I though this was quite amusing, unlike my slightly disturbed dining companion. After I helped my partner surgically remove the extremity from her sandwich, she dug in. This sandwich again displayed the virtuoso skill that seems to be working the deep fryer. The sandwich was seasoned like a piece of KFC chicken and was crunchy without being too oily. This was definitely a sandwich that surpasses one that could be offered by the original colonel.

I really enjoyed the vibe of "Home of The Brave," which created a nice dark ambient environment that wasn't too loud for me to enjoy. The home style food was a really big hit with me and always surprised me with their twist on things. I definitely want to head back and try their other menu items and bring my friends for a great night out on the town.

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Home of The Brave

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