Food Truck Mania

As we are well aware, Toronto is writhing in the middle of an ever growing subculture known as food truck mania.  Food trucks have surpassed their niche status and have catapulted into mainstream existence.  Of course "Eat Street." has helped the cause and Toronto has finally figured out how ridiculously awesome this culture can be.  The truck frenzy comes with it's own set of flaws of course;  ridiculous line ups, often overpriced,  pretentious foodies littering whatever parking lot the truck regales in.   Nevertheless I adore food trucks and everything they stand for, and am not at the point where I'm "over it."  With that, I sampled four trucks over four days at a gas station by Front and Sherbourne last week; here's what I discovered.

Day 1-Stuft:

I arrived day 1 with a grin and a spicy pizazz in my step, excited to go truck wild.  Stuft gets right to the point, no bullshit-,gourmet sausages stuffed inside a bun.  The sausages are literally encased which is street food perfection- easy to eat, hardly a mess; grab it and go baby.  The line up was minimal, and service was quick.  The truck had a simple design, with some dirty dubstep pumping through the speakers.  Great atmosphere, energetic and lively.  I glanced through the menu, which offered six creative options and decided on the "Creole Turducken" with wasabi dijon mustard.  At $8 a pop, slightly pricey, but I wasn't complaining for long.  With it's itty bitty sausage head poking through the bun , I got to business.  Delicious!  The sausage was a healthy mix of turkey, duck and chicken and you could taste the birds.  The flaky bun held everything together, while the wasabi dijon was that perfect smack of nose tingling mayhem.  The entire operation was a tad heavy, but the fantastic spice and meld of flavours made this a hit.  My girlfriend opted for the spinach and feta lamb/beef and another joyful sausage was had.   This one marginally better than mine, oozed run down the arm juice and goodness.  The lamb was mildly pungent in the best possible lamby way,with a strong feta kick.  She decided to accompany the sausage with the house chimichurri sauce, which was wonderfully refreshing, flavours lingered effortlessly.  We will certainly "stuff" ourselves again.

Feta Lamb/Beef Sausage

Day 2-Gourmet Bitches

Day 2 would prove to be the most disappointing day of the run...We arrived shortly after noon- rookie mistake, as the office crowd had congregated for their lunch time pow wow.  A monumentally long line awaited, with relatively slow service.  Anyway, I had read up on Gourmet Bitches and was excited to participate regardless of the wait.  They've been garnering a lot of attention due to their gluten free take on Tex Mex fare.  The whole gluten thing is still a bit of a mystery to me... is it a fad?  Is it real?  Is it the new vegan?  Well my girlfriend appears to have gluten issues, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for now.  The truck had a slick design, uber-hip MGMT was quietly playing, and the menu was carelessly drooped down, making it difficult to read the options.  I browsed the hanging sign, which actually seemed quite promising, despite the hefty price tags.  And then my dear friends we waited...and waited...and waited.  A fellow attendee discussed a vomit story, while the hipster foodies attempted to subtly out-knowledge each other on varying food topics. Right around the half hour mark we ordered and continued to stand for roughly fifteen minutes.  This better blow my balls off...  Three choices to share between two of us, let's give it a go..,First up Polenta battered white fish tacos, with apple slaw and avocado jalapeño sauce...three for $12...sounds fantastic right?  Seriously disappointing.  Fish was bland and flavourless, the combo of apple slaw and the sauce was decent, definitely fresh but generally irrelevant.  They were consumed in under two minutes and $12 was thrust into the wind.  Next up-Bitchin' Hibiscus Beef with tomato salsa-There was certainly nothing bitchin' about these, other than the price-$10 for three.  Another sad attempt at the taco kick.  The beef was simply dry ground beef with a vanilla bean/hibiscus infusion.  Unnecessarily sweet and gross.  The gluten free tortillas are like licking paper.  I digress....Finally Bitchin' Mexican Fries-$8.  I had mild hopes for this one, and mild amusement I would have.  They resembled Taco Bell's fries supreme and didn't taste much better.  They were topped with the same beef, cheese sauce, peppers etc...The actual fries were pretty damn tasty, but that beef  destroyed any hopes of repentance.  I will say the highlight of the meal was the house hot sauce, which had notes of habanero and apple, quite delicious and would buy it if they sold it.  I would suggest renaming the truck from Gourmet Bitches to Tying Way to Hard Bitches.

Fish Tacos

Day 3-Caplansky's Thundering' Thelma

Rumour has it, Zane Caplansky is a rich, spoiled, megalomaniac nut job-but his truck is pretty bad ass.    I arrived earlier than the previous days, and was blessed with a short line.   The truck has a portrait of the man himself (Zane) gloriously posing on the side of the bold blue truck.  Apparently next seasons truck will have his grandmother (Thelma) pin up style, possibly the greatest thing I've heard in a while.  So I scoured the menu, which was relatively traditional, keeping true to his restaurant's (by the same name) Jewish deli roots.  I concluded on a good old Montreal Smoked Meat sandwich $7, and a BLT slider $4.  The house mustards were plentiful and fabulous, I dolloped on the extra hot and the honey mustard, sat down by the gas pumps and dove right in.  The smoked meat was as it should be, thick, fatty, high piled smoky, meaty nostalgic goodness on rye, with a crisp kosher dill.  Haven't been to Montreal in a while, but this is the closest thing in TO your gonna get to Schwartz's.  I then preceded to encounter possibly the highlight of my four days.  Caplansky's BLT slider.   Essentially a sly play on   a BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato) using thick, cured, smoked bacon, mayo and havarti cheese with the added mustards.  Absolutely gorgeous, melty and fatty bacony righteousness the entire slider was consumed in under a minute, with a ridiculous smile on my face.    

Day 4-Gourmet Gringos     

I arrived day four with confidence in the final truck.   Gourmet Gringos are a few dudes doing tex-mex, with all the gluten you can handle.  The truck was loud and colourful, if not a little kitschy, but that's not always a bad thing. Line up was minimal and the options were simple.  Now I have a bit of an issue with Toronto...I'm a big burrito guy, as in- I love the concept.  Spice and meat and cheese and beans and south of the border flavours stuffed inside a giant tortilla, used to wipe away any late night drunken tears.  Problem is, it's pretty damn hard to find a decent one in the 416.  Burrito Boyz were doing it right a few years back, but the corporate overhaul and popularity has run them dry, and the last time I sampled one of the 'boyz' it tasted like spiced mush.  With that, I decided to give Toronto another chance and tackle the carnita (pork) burrito, $8.  My girlfriend opted for the mole braised short rib burrito, also $8.  All was accompanied with the usual accoutrements, service was extremely friendly and quick; excitement was high.  I filled a cup up with the "suicide sauce," which was milder than expected, but beautifully executed with it's fresh pineapple, habanero flavour, and thus we forged on....Ladies and gentleman, burritos are not dead in this city!  A brilliant burrito was had by all.  Perfectly imagined, and loaded with distinct, flavours, not all one convoluted mess.  The pork was tender, the chipotle aoili was smokey, it was big, it was bold, it was perfectly charred, and I was gettting bang for my buck.  My girlfriend's mole braised short ribs, had the subtle chocolate notes, again, super tender and rich.  We slathered on that suicide sauce like it was going out of style and left with our bellies disturbingly full.  Gourmet Gringos, wrapped up four days of food truck fun in style.    

Carnita Burrito

Restaurant Review-416 Snack Bar

The Place- 416 Snack Bar (181 Bathurst st.)
The Style- Low key/purposely divey, small plate extravaganza
The Rating- 3.5/5

The Review:

And so my journey into the small plate jungle rages on...

A few days ago I had a fabulous idea...There was cash in my pocket, I was feeling pretty groovy and I  was determined to finally tackle the prematurely infamous Grand Electric.  Now you must understand...Grand Electric has been number one on my hit list since it's mighty birth several months back.  For those who are not in the loop, Grand Electric is the hottest Mexican, nay; restaurant to hit our fair city this year .  Buzz has been monumental; hipsters and douchebags alike stand shoulder to shoulder on a desolate stretch of Parkdale, from 6pm onwards to rejoice in this fantastical flavour kingdom.  I was hungry, I was pumped and it was time.  We boarded a streetcar and journeyed into the darkest nether regions of Queen west hell.  We arrived a little after 6, and much to my surprise there was no line up.  We opened the door and were greeted by Michael Clarke Duncan`s brother, sitting atop his throne holding the dreaded clipboard.
"Name?"  He asked...
"Uh Matt..."
"Last name?"
"Uh Brennan."  and then I saw the ego before I saw the man.  He was garbed in plaid and stormed forward...
"Your not on the list. PRIVATE PARTY."  And just like that we were on the street, alone in Parkdale with our pride slipping between our fingers. Shunned from the place by presumably the owner, that I`d dreamt of for months...  Dramatics aside, I was pissed, but I  vowed not to let it bring me down.  I took a deep breath and went through a list in my head of alternate options, something clicked and a little grin grew on my face... And this ladies and gentleman, is how we arrived at 416 Snack Bar.  

Ok...416 Snack Bar is friggin awesome!...throwing it out there folks! Extremely unassuming, purposely divey and low key, this tiny shack north of Queen on Bathurst has been delighting Toronto foodies for over a year now.  It all begins with their blog.  They do not have a website, they have a blog, (http://416snackbar.wordpress.com/) which was probably a cheaper alternative to creating a site, but it also seems to flow with their whole vibe.  The motto appears to be snacking done right.  You can read the positive and negative comments, which is an interesting concept, giving the people the power in their own backyard.  I should also add the name alone is smooth and absolutely pure Torontonia.  So we walked in and were cheerfully greeted (which considering my experience 20 minutes ago was a relief) by a relatively young and peppy dude.  The place is small, and we were lucky enough to score a two top in the back by the giant industrial fan (no AC.)  Every table has a cute, little clipboard hosting the menu and drinks.  It`s dark, meager and full of character.  The crowd was a solid mix of the usual Queen west crew, a few middle aged ladies pounding back shots, and a hip looking black dude seated solo at the bar with a red wine.   Prices looked reasonable and we decided to destroy more than half the options.  I browsed the modest but competent beer list and decided on the local hero Steamwhistle straight from the tap.  Ordering commenced and the good times began rolling.

Dishes:

First up, Oyster town baby! (3 for $7)  Oysters make me smile.  Briny, salty and delicious, like sticking your tongue in the ocean; the phallic slurp produces a giggle every time consumed.  These oysters came on a marble slab, chilling in ice, with the standard lemon wedge and fresh horseradish.  The accompanying sauce was sweet, vinegary with a nice kick at the end.  Perfecto

Next up, a lovely Reuben ($7)-traditionally a reuben consists of corned beef, thousand island dressing, swiss cheese and sauerkraut stuffed in sandwich form.  This reuben did not break the mold , and was of course done snack size.  Sumptuous, buttery, messy and probably better left in it's mini style, due to the artery clogging capabilities, we were impressed, best of all, a mini pickle wedge!

Korean Fried Chicken ($5) landed on our table, 'twas food court grub done right.  Like Manchu Wok at it`s finest hour, these junky little chunks of chicken dotted with green onions hit all the right notes with the ever loved balance of sweet and spicy.

Scotch egg Benny`s ($5) 416`s take on eggs benedict was as it should be; hearty, creamy and oozing with love juice.  Encased in a crispy sausage, the egg was perfectly cooked, yolk, gushing down the sides, while the hollandaise sauce was rich and dead on.

Lobster Roll ($7)- The big disappointment of the night, and it`s not the first time I`ve heard 416`s lobster roll aint all that good.  It`s a standard notion that lobster is a celebratory delight we all get busy with from time to time.  Lobster rolls should be fresh, light and chalk full of meat.  Three tiny pieces, disturbingly over buttered on toasted bread did not make the cut.  Banged out Bier Markt's brilliant rolls a few months back and have never been able to kick it.

Pupusa al pastor ($5)- The 416 crew has clearly ventured into Kensington market.  Last summer I gobbled these Latin American street food snacks like they were going out of style at a Salvadorian supermarket in Kensington.  You wander into the back of this colourful flavour dome and smile at the big Latin mamas behind the counter.  The recreation of these little love machines was not as successful as I would have liked, and it left me wanting to run back to the mamas!  A traditional pupusa is almost like a quesadilla-fried corn tortillas, filled with meat, cheese or refried beans.  They were crispy and had a pineapple on top which was a creative touch with a subtle little after kick that felt good, but I could not get past the relative blandness as a whole...

...So the dinner was nearing it's conclusion, our bellies were full and the satisfaction level was set to high.  All that stood in our way was just one final dish we longed to regale in.. 416 Snack Bar`s signature-The pork bun....

 Essentially a pork bun is a McCains pizza pocket shaped dough, with pork stuffed inside. It`s cheap, (like a buck a pop, you can grab them at the Chinese bakeries) hits the savoury and sweet notes, and is a hell of a lot more satisfying than grabbing a McDouble (although McDoubles have their place.) 416 hit it out the park with their twist.  We almost didn't order it, but were convinced at the last second by one of our numerous servers.  It begins with fatty, juicy, sinfully delightful pork belly stuffed inside a doughy thick bun topped with cilantro, daikon, radish and hoisin sauce; it`s a greasy, dirty mess, brimming with numerous flavour notes and joy.  A literal orgy enveloped in my mouth.  If you do anything, come to 416 for their damned pork bun!

 Cheers.

Restaurant Review-Pacific Junction Hotel

This will serve as my first official restaurant review!  

The Place- Pacific Junction Hotel-234 King Street E.
The Style-Casual, small plate bar food, art deco explosion
The Rating-2.5/5



















The Review:

We were wandering down King street recently, attempting to find this elusive all you can eat sushi place that we can never seem to find.  After about a half hour of searching, we decided upon a sassy, pseudo dive bar called Betty's. Betty's was fun, relatively tasty and they had some ridiculous micro breweries on tap.  On our way out, I noticed a spot right next door.  There was no menu on the window, but it looked right bizarre, and had a donkey hanging down, so I took a mental note.  A few days later we decided to give it a go.  The place is called Pacific Junction Hotel and it's owned by the same folks who own Betty's.  Upon entering PJH you will find a spatter of colour, funk and pink flamingos-think Miami 80's throw up.  The wait staff are attractive and uber hip, donning their own fedoras and kicks. It felt right...I'm a big fan of loud obnoxious spaces with mismatched shit strewn about, and the crowd was just the perfect dash of pretension I can deal with.  I was pretty damn excited.  We took a seat and browsed through the menu delicately glued to a Scientific American magazine, which appears to be an 80's science magazine....odd for the sake of being odd?
Things went a little down hill from here.

We were informed the food was tapas or small plate style.  I'm a huge fan of tapas style, sharing and loving and living and all that jazz, but my girlfriend wasn't eating, and the prices were a little out of whack, so it seemed redundant.   I then did what I always do at a restaurant;  I ordered a beer.  The selection was minimal (only about five options) compared to the fantastic tap selection next door at Betty's, I was a slightly disappointed.  They had a beer I had never heard of, titled "ass ale," I was intrigued, I like the word ass and the word ale.  Turns out "ass ale" is "Big Wheel"  am I missing something here?  I was noticing a trend of obscurity without any reasoning.  Nevertheless I browsed the cheeky menu which consists of twisty bar favs. After a good look, I decided on two food items;  Landrys Poppers, which are jalapeño poppers wrapped in pancetta, and Mojito Shrimp.  The prices were high, at $10 for each dish (note these were two of the cheapest items on the menu)

The menu and beer in a mason jar

 The food arrived quickly and they weren't lying when they said "small plate."  Everything was situated nicely and I was excited to get busy.  The poppers were pretty decent, the pancetta added a crispy, salty kick, with a subtle bite at the end from the jalapeño  and gooey cheese in the middle.  A clever twist on a pub classic.  The shrimp were not so impressive.  They claimed to be mojito shrimp-a mojito consists of rum,mint and lime-my dish was served with a lemon wedge.  I tasted no mint, they were unnecessarily salty and generally bland.  Again at $10 a pop for about six medium sized shrimp, I was expecting a little more.  I finished everything in roughly seven minutes and was far from satisfied.  We promptly paid the bill and peaced out.

My overall conclusion of Pacific Junction Hotel:  

I enjoyed the concept at hand, but definitely feel their trying a tad too hard.  Although I didn't sample a lot of the food, I wasn't blown away by my choices and the portion sizes are significantly small for the price.  The drink selection had it's perks but was not overly impressive.  The service was friendly, fast and the atmosphere is pretty damn fun.  I would certainly go back with a group of friends to chow down on the overpriced plates and soak up the good vibes, but would never return expecting a culinary revelation.

Cheers.

When your making Chili...use cooked beans

A few days ago, I was debating my dinner options...I knew I was working till late and wouldn't feel like cooking when I returned, so I decided to prepare something that would reheat brilliantly and also satisfy my buds.  I concluded on the universal delight, Chili.  I'm just going to throw it out there, chili is fantastic.  It's sloppy, it's dirty and you can literally mix and match.  Just throw random shit in the pot and watch it grow; nurse it, caress it, tell it everything's going to be alright....then you let it go...and my  god, it's wonderful...

Anyway, I did a little shopping, organized myself and started the party.  Things were rollin', pieces were taking shape, time to toss in the beans (I friggin love beans, fyi, their extremley under appreciated).   This is the part where things went from good, to really, really bad...


It would appear as though I'm somewhat of an occasional blonde..  Known to fumble with the opening of drawers, or putting a magnet on the fridge, frequent fuck ups with basic tasks litter my existence.  Cooking should not be excluded...you see I had seen red kidney beans in the cupboard earlier that day and didn't think to buy some.  These particular kidney beans were uncooked, all good....I took a mean swig of beer and carelessly emptied the entire bag (over 3 cups worth into the pot.) Stir, stir stir, enjoy the beauty of this red slop before me and not think twice about the fundamentals of bean cookery.  

Chilli before the bean fiasco 

Some time passed, and  I was feeling pretty groovy..I checked the beans; they were still hard...no worries I thought, they should soften after sitting in the pot for a few hours.  However, something inside me said, no....it's all wrong, go check on-line and see how to cook beans.  This is when panic mode set in.  I ran to my computer, looked up cooking red kidney beans, and to my horror I discovered not only did you have to soak them in cold water for hours, but you also had to boil them for hours afterwards.  Even worse, it claimed you could get severely ill from ingesting as little as four.  I had had at least five!  Shit, shit shit...dinners ruined and I'm going to vomit everywhere!  I checked my time, and had about 45 minutes until I had to leave for work.  I couldn't just leave the beans in the pot, and I'm not one to back down from a project...so I did the only thing I could do at this point.....I began picking the beans, one by one out of the pot.

Sweat beaded my forehead, tunnel vision transpired, I stood over that damn pot and shoved my hands inside the mess before me.  One by one, I picked, plucked and scooped every bean I could find.  But I was not done, no no, I was not satisfied, this is not Texas ladies and Gentelemand and I like beans in my god dammed chilli!  So what did I do?  I fucking booked it to the store....ran like a bitch in heat to the closest supermarket, grabbed a 99 cent can of precooked beans and sprinted home.   I poured those bad boys in, with about 15 minutes to spare, jumped in the shower and began to do something I've never done before...pray.

I would return a few hours later, reheated my chili and hoped for the best...you know what?  It wasn't bad, in fact it was awesome, I had somehow saved the day, and had learned a valuable lesson in the end. 

So what's this chili recipe you ask?  Well if done properly it's easy and it's fun, and I include corn chips like fritos for a salty crunch, (seriously try them, they add such a nice consistency)

Matt's Junk Food Chili!

I'm aware you can't really see the chilli, I went a little wild with the fritos and cheese, still tasty!

Ingredients  

11 ounces ground beef 

• 1 (15 ounce) can chili beans, drained (cooked!!!!!)
• 3/8 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
• 5/8 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 3/8 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 3/8 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon bacon bits
• 1-1/4 cubes beef bouillon
• half a can of beer
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoon hot  sauce (e.g. Franks)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• bag corn chips such as Fritos
• shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground beef into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.

2. Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot  sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally

3. After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.

4. To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.

There you go!  It's a great recipe and will be a sure hit, as long as you use cooked beans!!

   

Check out another friends Blog

My buddy Matti, is biking across Canada for a good cause, can we say STUD?!?!  Check out his daily adventures...http://avoidingmooseonbikes.blogspot.ca/

Check out my friends blog

So my friend Shutter who knows way more about food than I ever will has started a food blog, check it out, good tips and good times!
http://shotsbyshutter.blogspot.ca/

Burger Bonanza

So it's a well known fact that I'm a self confessed  burger snob...and this city has emerged as somewhat of a burger mecca over the last few years.  In my early 20's, the only way you could acquire a decent burger was at a brightly lit hole in the wall in East York, while a sweaty and surly Greek man dangled his sausage like fingers over your toppings.

Don't get me wrong, those filthy dives and angry Greeks are still fantastic, but with the boom of all the gourmet burgers shops popping up and restaurants highlighting their burgers, as oppose to having them as an option for unadventurous eaters, Toronto is in the middle of burger fever.  We even had a burger week about a month back and everyone went wild.  Now there's quite a few burgers in the city I'm yet to try; The Harbord Room, Golden Star, Dangerous Dans etc...but I have compiled a list of the five best beef burgers I've experienced thus far (in or out of the city.)

5.  Bymark 8 Oz U.S.D.A Prime Burger:  Yes it's expensive ($35) and ridiculously rich with it's mountains of gooey brie, grilled king mushrooms and fabulously buttery bun, and yes it made me feel like crap for about two days after eating it, but this burger was an undertaking nonetheless.  It literally melts and oozes and juices trickle down your arm, which you will generously lap up with a shit eating grin on your face.

4. Restaurant 27 Poutine Burger:  So this place took me by surprise.  First of all it's in Red Deer Alberta, a town visited by necessity, not by choice.  I was on tour last summer and the truck I was travelling in broke down.  We were stranded for three days in Alberta's equivalent to Oshawa, and hunger struck.  Looking for a place to eat this spot was recommended, and we went on a whim.  Maybe it was the excessive alcohol consumed (it usually is) or maybe it was just an amazing burger, but the night has not been forgotten.  Unassumingly good food is one of my joys in life, when your expectations are low or non-existent. This hearty and meaty Alberta beef burger topped with fresh cut fries, gravy and squeaky cheese curds, made me happy to be in Red Deer if only for a moment; and my god, that moment was beautiful.  

3. Cartel Street Food Bar Kobe Beef sliders with Foie Gras:  I got to know to these sliders back in the fall of last year.  I was spending a lot of time in Montreal and basking in it's culinary reign. This restaurant was relatively new at the time and focusses on gourmet street food in small plate form.  I have never had kobe beef or foie gras, and my introduction was sweet.  Richer than the Bymark burger, and epitomizing pure Montreal indulguence, these dirty little bad boys made me believe again.  They were so rich, and thank god they were small, because I could barely finish one.

Not the actual sliders, but you get the picture

2. Burgers Priest Vatican City:  Ok, so of course Burgers Priest has to be on this list.  Fairly standard for the Toronto Burger scene.  We all know what the Priest is about.   Take classic diner style burgers, slap some good old American cheese on them, and get down with Jesus.  It's the hottest burger joint to hit the big smoke, maybe ever.  I opted for their 'secret menu' which is relatively easy to find (go to their facebook page) and I decided to attempt their 'Vatican City.'  So the 'Vatican City' is basically a grilled cheese sandwich, two burger pattys,(both topped with cheese), and rounded off with another grilled cheese sandwich.  Now this is the first time I've jumped on the 'gluttonous mess' train and I enjoyed the ride.  It was tasty and indulgent and everything it was cracked up to be and I felt like had just spent the night with a tranny.  It better have been amazing, because there's no other reason to go to Queen and Coxwell.   Below is the video of me and the 'Vatican City.'

 

1. Holy Chuck The Holy Chuck: And so we come to the best burger I've tasted, possibly of all time.  It was a disturbingly hot day at the Honda Indy at Exhibition Place and I would eventually be escorted out of the grounds by security, but it was all worth it, for I had a religious experience.  Toronto Life Magazine rated Holy Chuck, Toronto's best burger, and they do not lie.  I was working without a permit on the grounds, doing the product sampling stuff I do, (i.e handing free stuff out to people) and I discovered my favourite area at any festival...the hedonistic pleasure zone known as the food area.  Like a little boy in a candy store, or a pervert in a strip club, I gleefully tap danced down the row of food options, trying to decide what to indulge in.  Then I saw the sign, Holy Chuck, and I was reformed. They had set up a stand there, and for some odd reason there was no line, so I stepped right up and ordered their signature burger; The Holy Chuck.  And holy shit it was good.  I stood there and marvelled at it glistening in the sun, a double cheeseburger, topped with caramelized onions and bacon, the disclaimer begs, 'PLEASE DON'T PUT ON ANY TOPPINGS,' and I obeyed.  And then I made sweet, sweet love.  Juicy, tender, melt in your mouth and all around orgasmic, it kept me going, until security ordered me to leave, took my photo so I wouldn't re-enter and pushed me to the exit.  P.s I saw Guy Fieri while I was being escorted out, super neat!  All in all, an eventful day and an even better burger.    

So that's it, my fav burgers I've had so far....there's so many amazing burgers out there, and I will never stop hunting them down.