A Burger a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

You can find a burger joint in every nook and cranny of Toronto these days. A self-proclaimed mega-foodie, I'm on a never-ending quest to find spots that serve up the best patties in town.

Of course, when setting out with such a hefty task, one must establish certain criteria. For my purposes, I've decided to check out places that are serving up fresh, high quality ingredients (that leaves you out, McDonald's!), using locally-sourced, hormone-free beef.

My Four Faves So Far:

1) Holy Chuck Burgers

The Big Chuck
Holy Chuck Burgers - Toronto

Holy Chuck is grilling up, what I believe to be, the best burgers in Toronto, served with a smile, which are usually hard to come by. The meat is so tender and juicy, and provides the all-important melt-in-your-mouth sensation. My favourite menu item is 'The Big Chuck.' It has two delectable beef patties, lettuce, cheese, and their "special sauce" - aka their answer to the Big Mac, except way better.

2) The Burger's Priest

Bacon Cheeseburger
The Burger's Priest - Toronto

Definitely one of the more widely known and most talked about burger joints in the city, Burger's Priest is flipping some incredibly scrumptious, fresh burgers that keep the customers lining up down the block. The pillowy soft Wonder Bread bun and delightfully simple toppings are a great touch, though I'd pass on their limp, soggy fries next time.

3) The Stockyards Smokehouse & Larder

The Green Chili Pimento Cheese Burger
The Stockyards - Toronto

Just thinking about this burger makes my mouth water. This griddle-smashed burger, topped with smoked jalapeno, cheddar, mayo and butter lettuce, will send your taste buds into ecstasy. It's fiery, cheesy, and leaves you wanting more. The fries are sinfully delicious as well.

4) Burger Shoppe/BQM

Riverside Burger
BQM - Toronto

BQM offers the hungry patron heavenly, huge, beefy burgers, served with any combination of toppings you could imagine. I tried the Riverside, with bacon, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella, garlic aioli, BQM bbq sauce, and to top it all off, an onion ring! This was a seriously amazing burger that tantalized my senses and filled me to the brim. I also ordered their tasty sweet potato fries, which were totally unnecessary, as I almost had to undo a button.... Okay, and my zipper.

Restaurant critic in disguise...

In my search for the perfect burger, I've likely gained a pant size (or seven), but there are so many patties I've yet to try! Any suggestions?

Where do you go for your burger fix in Toronto? Please share!

Food Trucks Are Rolling All Over Toronto!

Have you ever watched Food Network's hunger-inducing show, Eat St.?

Most of the food trucks showcased on that show are all over the States, satisfying lined-up-for-miles, drooling customers who would sell their left leg for a paper plate of slow-roasted chipotle pulled pork on a bed of purple cabbage slaw, wrapped in a made-fresh-to-order corn tortilla, or a basket of freshly made crispy fries covered in fire-roasted poblano chiles, caramelized onions, shawarma-marinated steak and jack cheese! (......*drool*)

People lined up for food truck food at Food Truck Eats in the Distillery District
(Photo Credit)

I've been waiting not so patiently for the food truck craze to hit Toronto, and I am pleased to finally say with certainty that our day has come!

To me, the first Molson Amphitheatre concert of the year always marks the beginning of summer. So as I do every year, I happily made my way down to the Lakeshore on the first weekend of June to ring in the summer, and watch One Direction take the stage (don't judge me).

Thousands of screaming girls at One Direction (05/29/12)

But there was something new this past June!

Toward the back of the amphitheatre, amidst the foot-long hot dog and tall-can beer vendors, were FOOD TRUCKS(!!!!!!), parked, waiting for hungry customers. As I would soon learn this summer, this was only the beginning of my journey trying food trucks across the city.

My Faaave Food Truck:
I had the chance to try Buster's Sea Cove.

Buster's Sea Cove at The Sheepdogs concert (09/15/12)

 I had the Lobster Roll ($13), served with a dill pickle & Ms. Vickie's chips, and my concert-goer-partner-in-crime/reason I go to so many concerts, Chris, ordered the Shrimp Tacos ($9).

I'm still dreaming of this lobster roll! It was huge & lived up to the hype :)

I'm a huge fan of the beef gyros pita from Blue Donkey, which made several appearances at concerts all summer. The Portobello Burger truck came to a few shows as well, offering a vegetarian menu (which is a rarity!).

Blue Donkey Streatery & their friendly staff!

'Tasty Tacos' ($8, I think) from Portobello Burger (gluten-free, vegan-optional)
(black & garbanzo beans, sauteed onions, tomato sauce,
Mexican salsa, old cheddar cheese, on 2 hard corn shell tostados)
at Andrew Bird (07/19/12)

Food trucks have taken over our lucky city, and are (fingers crossed!!) here to stay!

You can read up on their menus, and find out exactly where they'll be parked daily, so you'll never miss another BBQ brisket sandwich or bacon-smothered poutine again.

Have you had the opportunity to try out some of Toronto's trucks? Which one is your favourite?

(For school purposes- word count: 352)

It's Always Breakfast Time at Easy Restaurant!

Despite its location, Easy Restaurant, 1645 Queen Street West @ Roncesvalles, is not overrun by the ever-present hipsters that have taken over Queen West. An eclectic mix of people can be seen dining in the classic, cozy diner atmosphere. Small, orange booths line the west wall, while small, wooden tables-for-two line the east. Posters of old action movies hang on the walls, include one of Peter Fonda's famous "Easy Rider," which displays an obvious theme that encompasses the name of the restaurant.


The menu offers a wide array of breakfast food, ranging from more typical breakfast meals (eggs, bacon, etc.) to delicious, and often more lunchy sandwiches (offered on spelt bread - naturally leavened, organic & yeast free), as well as Easy's signature breakfast dish, Huevos Divorciados (2 sunny eggs on a corn tortilla with spicy green & red salsa, re-fried black beans with side guacamole, ancho jam, toasted baguette - with salad or homefries - $12.50).

Out of all the places I've had brunch at in Toronto, Easy has to be one of my favourites. I went on a Sunday afternoon, around 3 p.m., and the place was more or less empty. I liked it like that though, because the service was great and speedy.

After a long deliberation over the amazing choices on the quite extensive menu, I decided, because it was lunch time, I was more in the mood for one of the many sandwich options on the menu. I went for the BBQ Chipotle Chicken on Spelt Toast, which was absolutely mouthwatering, to say the least.

For $11.95, this sandwich comes with sliced avocado, fresh tomato, lettuce with chipotle chicken breast on spelt toast, and chipotle mayonnaise (on the side) - with salad or homefries. I chose to go with the homefries, which were perfectly seasoned, a bit crispy, and truly delectable.

To drink, I had the Classic Smoothie (Easy has three other smoothies to choose from). It was incredibly refreshing and fruity, with strawberries, bananas and OJ.

Overall, I highly recommend Easy Restaurant for breakfast, lunch or brunch. It's open every day from 9-5 p.m., with free wifi from Monday-Friday!

Party Size: 2
Price Range: $10-25/person
Visit Again?: Can't wait
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5

Stratto Wine & Grill

Not long after my trip to China Town, I went to an amazing new restaurant for dinner, just south of Wilson, on Avenue Road: Stratto Wine & Grill @ 1977 Avenue Road. I went with my Mom, Grandmother and Hamir - a.k.a. a few patrons who are damn well hard to please!

At the time, the restaurant had only been open eight weeks, but I struggled for a 7:30pm reservation, nonetheless. I found it to be a strange area for a new restaurant to open up, but the place was buzzing! We were seated at a great table with a perfect view of the entire restaurant, as well as the front door. This was great for us because we are total people watchers.

Upon being seated, our absolutely charming waiter placed a wooden platter of delicious bread on our table with what they call their "house dip." I am NOT bluffing when I say this was the BEST dip I have ever had! It beats the usual balsamic and olive oil by a mile. It was comprised of balsamic and olive oil - of course - but mixed in was an absolutely remarkable chunk of succulent feta cheese. I am a huge fan of feta cheese, but I have never tasted anything quite like this. My mouth is watering, just writing about it!!

Our waiter assisted us with the extensive wine list, and served us a fabulous Portuguese red wine. I am unsure of the name, but I WILL find out for you! To be honest, I am not a fan of red wine at all, so for me to enjoy this bottle is almost miraculous. It was a full-bodied, savory and sweet wine that left a juicy taste in your mouth.

Next came our appetizers. I had the Buffalo Caprese salad, which was to die for. The mozzarella was the perfect tenderness and the tomatoes were not too far from perfect themselves. Greens were delicately placed around the plate, with a light drizzle of balsamic and olive oil to top it off. My mom had a Caesar salad, which was more or less matchless. A splendid mix of garlic and parmesean complimented each other, while the lettuce was fresh and the croutons were crunchy.

Then came the main courses. I had the appetizer-sized Mussles, which were marinated in a delectable white wine and garlic sauce, and mingled with fresh greens and crispy fried shoestring onions.

My Mom had the Spaghetti Carbonara, which was truly divine. Hamir had the gnocchi, which was handmade in house and smothered in a creamy rose sauce - mouthwatering. Lastly, my Grandmother had the tender veal chop with buttery mashed potatoes and crisp green beans.

For dessert, I had none other than a Rasberry Tartuffo, which is always a treat, as I never have room for dessert by the end of such a filling meal. Of course, it was wonderful, but what else could be expected after such a meal.

As you can quite clearly tell from my review, I adored this restaurant. It is definitely one of the best Italian restaurants I have ever been to, with the exclusion of the restaurants I went to in Italy itself. The service was stupendous, the food is to die for, the prices are definitely reasonable, the wine selection is extensive, and to top it all off, the atmosphere is intimate.

Make reservations, because I can assure you Stratto Wine & Grill will indubitably be brimming!

Party Size: 4
Price Range: $20-$40/person
Visit Again?: Yes!!
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5 (tables are a little close together)
OVERALL: 5/5

See you there!

My First and Long Overdue Critique

Guess what, y'all!

I managed to find a cord that is compatible with my camera in the jumble of wires in my house. You know what that means? I was able to salvage the (four) pictures that were on my camera with the remaining seconds of battery life left!

A few weeks ago, I went to Rol San Restaurant for Dim Sum at 323 Spadina Avenue in Toronto's China Town, just south of College on the East side. You can see this restaurant from the street, as it has a HUGE red banner that says "DIM SUM ALL DAY" above the front door. What was interesting about this restaurant was that it was at the BACK of another restaurant! Once you go through the double doors, you have to walk through the initial restaurant to the back, where you come across some chairs and a few lobster tanks. Lo and behold, there is a small Dim Sum restaurant tucked away.

I went to this restaurant with Hamir and his family. I used to never eat Chinese food until I started going for lunch and dinner outings with the Sabnani's. They sure do love their Chinese food!!

At first, I was a little put off by the decor of the restaurant.

The walls were painted fluorescent green and orange and decorated with an assortment of "vintage" Disney posters and mirrors. Not to mention the Christmas holly that was hanging on one wall. It doesn't really give off the same feel as any other Dim Sum restaurant along the Spadina Ave. China Town strip.

As you can see behind Puja, there is a lovely Cinderella poster and of course, a mirror, on the wall.

Now, when it comes to Dim Sum, I like it fresh. I hate going to those busy Chinese restaurants that serve Dim Sum by way of carts, as the food arrives at your table more or less cold and mushy. When we ordered our food at Rol San, the food came out quickly, but it was hot! The food had wonderful taste and flavour to it.

We ordered Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, Har Gow (shrimp dumpings), Seafood Dumplings, Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf, Pan Fried Turnip Cakes, Deep Fried Shrimp with Chives Cake, Mushroom & Chicken in Rice Rolls, Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce, Beef Short-Ribs in Black Pepper Sauce, and Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings.

You can't exactly see the menu clearly, but I took it home to give you an idea of how many items they have on their menu, as well as to give you an idea of how authentic the food is.

Puja should be the spokesmodel for Har Gow!

The food was delicious and quite obviously fresh, but that being said, I cannot speak to highly of the service. We had ordered a few spring rolls which the waitress forgot about, which is normal of any restaurant. But when we reminded her, it was almost as if we were accusing her of spitting in our food. She seemed quite offended, so we were quick to cancel the order. Also, some of the servers cannot exactly speak English, which can be sort of a nuisance, but something you have to get past on any trip to China Town, along with the unmistakable attitude.

Out of all the restaurants I have been to on Spadina, which is A LOT, I most definitely rank this one of the highest.

Party Size: 5
Price Range: $10-$20/person
Visit Again?: Yes
Food: 4/5
Service: 2/5
Atmosphere: 1/5
OVERALL: 4/5

Until next meal,

My First "Doors Open" Toronto Experience

Hello Readers!

It's been a while. Admittedly, I've been lazy, but here I am! Alive and kicking, in case you were worried.

This weekend was "Doors Open" in Toronto. Places that are normally private were open for the public to walk around and join in on tours to see what goes on behind those private, closed doors. There were tons of places open across the city, but I only started the trek around 1:30pm, so I didn't get to check out all the places I was interested in. You can check out what was offered to the public here.

I started the afternoon off at MaRS Discovery District (www.marsdd.com), on the South-East corner of University and College, on the fourth floor at Richard Florida's Think Tank. I'm not sure I entirely understand what it is they do there, but from what I do understand, they discuss and research urban planning at a sub-national level, looking at city parks, streets, etc. It was a really cool space, not to mention the building. Really spacious and modern.
The next stop was the Carlu at College Park. I had been here before for Jessie's Bat Mitzvah, so I sort of knew what I was getting into, but it was interesting, nonetheless. The Carlu is located on the South-West corner of Yonge and College, and was designed by architect Jacques Carlu. Inside, there are a variety of rooms used for chic events, including a large concert hall. The interior is quite beautiful.
The next stop was Queen's Park Legislature, which was less than impressive. Albeit, I've been there before on school field trips in high school, but there was a fee to go in on a guided tour, and as soon as you walk in the doors, it is roped off unless you pay. It was to my understanding that "Doors Open" was for the public to enter freely into buildings that they couldn't necessarily walk into on any given day, so I was a little disappointed.
After a short walk, we arrived at The Gardiner Museum. This museum is absolutely beautiful, located one building South of Bloor on Avenue Road on the East side. Although I am not the biggest fan of pottery (not that I know much about it), the artifacts were pretty cool and the layout of the museum is stupendous with magnificent terraces all the way around the building. I have also heard good things of the restaurant on the rooftop, Jamie Kennedy @ The Gardiner. On the first floor, there is a really cool sculpture, comprised of three vases that are subtly unique. I urge you all to check it out, because it is a very interesting and wicked optical illusion! I won't give it away, I'll just leave it up to you to find out for yourself :)
After a quick stop for coffee, we headed to the Japan Foundation, located on the second floor of The Colonnade, just East of Avenue Road on Bloor, which we were told is the only one of its kind in Canada. The foundation contains a public library with a wide array of Japanese literature, Manga, Anime, Japanese-related print and audio-visual aids in English, French and Japanese. The foundation also boasts a gallery space where the "Passage to the Future" is being exhibited right now. The washrooms were also pretty neat!
We then hopped in a cab and headed to CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), located on Queen Street West, at the foot of Ossington. We were incredibly eager to get to this tour by 4:00pm, but we missed it by ten minutes, so we decided to give ourselves our own tour. I have passed by this building several times in taxis on my way to The Social and always thought of it as the landmark for "we're almost there!!" As we stepped inside the front doors, we sort of regretted our decision to take a personal tour, but kept walking out of curiousity. We walked down what seemed like an incredibly long hall and hung a right, where we ended up in an enormous community centre. There was nobody there and we got kind of creeped out, so we headed down a different hallway in hopes of finding something a little more fascinating. I am not entirely sure what we were looking for (slash don't really want to say it....), but we got pretty nervous. After trying a few doors - which were locked, funnily enough - we walked briskly back to the front doors we came from.
After that strange experience, we decided we would make one more stop at the Drake Hotel. We chose to opt out of the tour and headed for the well-known Sky Yard (the Drake's infamous rooftop patio) for some early evening cocktails. I had the pricey ($11.00) Mojito, which, to be quite honest, was not the best Mojito I've ever had. The mint was crushed up into tiny pieces which flew up the straw with every thirst-quenching slurp, resulting in little mint pieces in between my teeth. The combination of dark and white rum left a strong alcohol taste in my mouth, rather than the telltale sweet taste of a well-made Mojito. After waiting so long for a seat, as the patio was full, we snagged a seat with some kind people who were generous enough to share their booth with us. Unfortunately though, after having sat down for five minutes, we were approached by the manager and told that our side of the booth had been reserved, and we were relocated to a tiny seating area in a small corner of the patio. The food items on the menu were expensive, the cocktails were overpriced and the 35-something crowd was boring. Suffice to say, my Drake Hotel experience was not one I would boast about.
There were many, many other places I would have loved to have seen, but my day was most definitely well-spent! I am looking forward to next year's "Doors Open" for sure!

I promise it won't take a century until my next post again, I have some photos I am waiting to upload to my computer so I can start blogging about some restaurants I have been to in the past little while!

Until next time, my virtual readers...........

I'm Back!

Hello Readers!

I know it's the world's cheapest excuse to say "I just haven't had the time to write," but it's true!

Where to begin...

Last Monday, a week ago, was a lovely day - in so many ways! For one, the weather was absolutely OUTSTANDING! A glorious sunny day with a high of 30 degrees Celsius, and a slight breeze? A-ma-zing :)

Oh... And I handed out eight resumes. Yes, you read correctly - EIGHT!! I was on a job-hunting high! I perused Queen St. West, Yonge and Eglinton and Yonge and Bloor in search of a retail position, and I felt as though it was a great success. My job situation, or shall I say, lack thereof, was on the rise. That night, Hamir and I went to The Social. Ooooh, The Social - what is there to say? Well, it's a little out-dated, a little 2006, but it was still a good time. If you ever want to go to a bar to go people watching, The Social is the place to be. Hamir and I stood on the side lines and observed the eclectic crowd, which ranged from your typical Toronto hipster, to skateboarding gangsta, to your average midtown Toronto prepster, to the fashionably challenged (Hamir, you know exactly who I speak of! A shirt resembling a ripped up piece of cloth draped around a certain someone's shoulders). All I can really say was the night was 'interesting.'

It has been a while since I last blogged. I feel a slight void, although I've only blogged a few times. Since I last wrote, I have been on a few adventures, if I do say so myself. Last Thursday, I took off to the lovely (cough) town/city/whatever you would like to call it of Kingston, Ontario. The main purpose of the trip was to help pack up Hamir's belongings, but really became a trip dedicated to my beautiful friends who I have not had the pleasure of hanging out with in a long time - Zoe Kirkham and Samantha Notman. I shared some great laughs and fun with them. It felt nice to be back around such great friends.

Last Tuesday night was also one to remember, I suppose. Hamir, James, Matt, Steph and I went to the well-known, infamous bar, Originals, at Bayview and Eglinton, after having a round at Scallywags. As soon as we pulled up to the bar, it became obvious that basically all of the people in the 18-21 age group in Toronto were there. It wasn't necessarily a great thing, but it was nice to catch up with a few familiar faces. I think I am going back tonight, but I am hoping it won't be as busy. It was pretty over-whelming, totally busy, line-up down the block, not to mention $7.00 drinks (a rip off if you ask me, considering the drinks were in those small draft cups).

Last Wednesday, Hamir and I went to the movie 'Obsessed.' I went into this movie with low expectations, even though I was sort of excited at the same time, as the story line seemed pretty intense. Needless to say, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I have to say that the acting in that movie was quite well-done and totally realistic. I was thoroughly creeped out by Ali Larson's character of the 'temp secretary'. Beyonce played her part well, although it was a pretty small part. I don't know if I would highly recommend this movie per se, but if you are in the mood for a thriller-horror movie and don't mind seeing one that is not exactly 'world-renowned', I do recommend Obsessed.

Then came Friday. The night everyone had been anticipating for a while after all the Facebook invites and spoken hype - the C-Lounge launch party. C-Lounge is a pretty hip club on Wellington, just east of Spadina, with a stunning patio, VIP booths scattered throughout the place, a long bar stocked with everything (umm.. EXCEPT Jagerbombs! What?!?!), not to mention the "Ally Macbeal" type bathroom. Anyone who is anyone was there. Beautiful people looking glamourous in high fashion; credit cards were slapped down on the bar opening dangerous tabs, as the drinks were approximately $12.50 each; bathroom stalls with four feet in them; and of course, the 905 stragglers. It was definitely a fun night, but I believe that the general consensus was that it did not fully live up to the hype, and was not an event to be sorry you missed out on. Better luck next week!

This past Sunday, I went to a great information session at the University of Guelph-Humber. Had I known about the wonderful Media Studies program they had to offer earlier, I would have applied a long time ago - maybe even right out of grade twelve. I suppose you have to start somewhere though. I am totally enthralled in this program. Not only do you receive a four year Bachelor of Applied Arts degree from the University of Guelph at your completion at the program, but you also receive a Diploma in a particular specialization from Humber College. What could be better? You're essentially ready for real life as soon as you finish school. Works for me :) Fingers crossed that I get in.

So now, I am waiting on a job. My bank account is at a serious all-time low. I have been waiting to earn some flow so I am able to go out for some meals and write about them for you all! I need to kickstart my food critic career, and stat!! It will be a great hobby for me, and will hopefully get me off Facebook for once!!

My goal for tomorrow is to get on the job-hunt road again. I plan to return to the places I originally handed out resumes and do some follow-uping. I have done some of my follow-ups through e-mail, and either NOBODY liked me (Impossible :)!) or my resume was lost (definitely!), but nobody has got back to me, so that is my plan for tomorrow.

Well, I'm watching Dancing with the Stars and preparing to head out to Originals again, so I must bid you all adieu! I will try my best to get some writing done tomorrow, and blog about something of more interest to you all than a re-cap of what I've been up to.

I promise I have deeper things to discuss than which bar I am going to and who was there. Not that I'm even able to drink when I go to these bars, seeing as I have zero dollars, but hey! A girl can look on from the side lines, can't she?

Until next time.................