Golden Griddle Pancakes — Buttermilk + Buckwheat + 10 Grain

[top] 10 Grain [middle] Buttermilk [bottom] Buckwheat

Buttermilk

• A sweet, spongy pancake. A classic. Moist and airy, this pancake simply cannot disappoint. Enjoy stacks and stacks of 'em on Sundays, when Golden Griddle has an All-You-Can-Eat buffet. Tip: the waffle station has thick & oozy berry (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry) sauces that you might like to ladle on top of these pancakes. 

Buckwheat

• A dense, thick pancake that isn't so much moist, but rather, crumbly and quite dry. The buckwheat flour gives the pancake a slightly sour/slightly bitter taste and as such, these pancakes are best enjoyed with butter + maple syrup. For acquired/non-fussy palates only.

10 Grain

• A thin, plain pancake that is neither dry nor moist and could very well be considered bland. The inclusion of grains in the pancake give it a bit of bite and wholesomeness. Looks to me like whole wheat flour may be used in the batter, hurrah.

I ♥ Golden Griddle. Their buckwheat pancakes used to be my fave, but I've recently grown fond of all three of them. Stuff yo' face with them flapjacks at $3.99 Pancake Tuesdays! (select locations only)

Ruby WatchCo — An Audio/Visual Restaurant Review

Ruby WatchCo: An Audio Restaurant Review by shelleypascual

September 9, 2010 | Toronto, ON

Press play to hear my restaurant review for Ruby WatchCo. For all those who are too lazy to read paragraphs and paragraphs on-screen and just want to see visuals of the restaurant's food, or just hear about the overall dining experience, this is for YOU! This, my friends, is the anti-restaurant review.

[4th course] Blueberry Lemon & Gingersnap Cheesecake Pudding

[3rd course] Upper Canada Cheese Company's Niagara Gold

[2nd course] Kozliks Mustard Marinated Brick Chicken

—NOT PICTURED HERE—
[1st course] Fingerling Potato & Niagara Prosciutto Salad

*

http://rubywatchco.ca

The Whalesbone | Brownbag Lunch | Ottawa, ON

Mon amis Dipna lives in Ottawa, so instead of heading straight back to Toronto after a week of fun in Montréal, I decided to make a 2-day stopover in the country's capital. Advised by many a folk to check out this place called Whalesbone for lunch, Kathleen and I merrily made our way there...



The Whalesbone
The Sustainable Oyster & Fish Supply

504 A Kent Street
Ottawa, ON
(613) 231-3474

There are two Whalesbone locations. 430 Bank Street is The Whalesbone Oyster House Restaurant. 504 A Kent Street is the Whalesbone retail shop, where the famous "Brownbag Lunch" is also available from 11:00am—2:00pm, Tues—Sat." $6 for a Cod Fillet Burger?! No wonder this place had a line-up out the door at 12:45pm on a Friday afternoon! (Gotta feed the office dwellers somehow.) It was about a 10-15 minute wait for our burgers to appear. Each time the Whalesbone employee had a new batch of Brownbag Lunches to distribute, he/she called out each customer by name. Cute! PS. Don't know why they're called burgers. Seemed like sandwiches to me. Eh?

Cod Burger

Smoked Salmon Burger

Kathleen and I both agreed that the Cod Burger was the winner of the two. 'Twas just something about it, ya know?... The cod fillet was thick and juicy... it was breaded but it wasn't greasy... and it paired perfectly with slathers and slathers of mayo. The bun wasn't too shabby either. 'Twas so soft and airy, I didn't even care that it wasn't whole wheat!

Canoe ― Summerlicious 2010 [lunch]

Forks poised, we were looking forward to whatever colourful, inventive dishes Canoe whipped up for us. But even the view of our city's skyline was more interesting than Canoe's food. WOMP!



[1st course] Iced Watermelon & Heirloom Tomato Soup with Organic Yogurt & Purple Basil



[2nd course] Fish Cakes with Apple Fennel Coleslaw & Red Pepper Sauce

Wanna know what the soup tasted like? 84% freshly squeezed tomato juice, 10% watermelon juice, and 6% oil. Extra virgin? I sure as heck hope so. And the fish cakes? Ehhh... a little on the salty side. Sandwiched between sweet apple coleslaw and sweet purple cabbage, the fish cakes weren't served as crispy as I'd hoped. At least they weren't as oily as I'd expected them to be. Pan-fryage! And though the red pepper sauce adds a burst of colour to the plate, the dish simply did not need any more sweetness added to it. Nope, not one bit. As Cousin Lisa put it, "could they not have created dishes for sophisticated palettes?!"



[3rd course] Nanaimo Bar with Minted White Chocolate Anglaise
[3rd course] Rhubarb & Ontario Berry Tart with Lavender Meringue

After we'd finished eating our entrees, Lisa and I decided to get our desserts to-go and head straight for Sam James (her fave coffee joint). Think we were willing to settle for the coffee served at Canoe? Think again. Our reactions to Canoe's Summerlish desserts can be deconstructed in the video above.

FRUGAL FOOD JERK in NYC — A YouTube Slideshow

To see thumbnails of all 12 food-y vids, press Playlist in the bottom left-hand corner. Enjoy enjoy!

In search of good quality, semi-cheap eats, I ate my way through NYC to Philly and back for one week in July 2010. Here's a quick peek at some of the joints I checked out. Some food was good, some food was ugly, but most of the food was just so-so. Stay tuned.

Café Habana NYC — Grilled Corn Mexican Style (BEST CORN EVER!)

Grilled Corn Mexican Style | mayo, cotija cheese, chili powder & lime wedges

Globe Earth Restaurant Toronto

Crispy Ewenity Curds

Ewenity (pronounced "unity") is a co-operative of Ontario farmers who milk their sheep. The milk is then crafted into yogurt, ice cream and cheeses. Similar in texture to the curds we're used to having on our poutines, the ewenity curds in this $5 app at Globe Earth were squeak-tacular. Though the cheese is fresh-tasting, it is rather salty. Nevertheless, these deep-fried, lightly battered balls were fun to pop back. And they must be dipped into the ketchup-y sauce that they're served with! Spiked with a slight tanginess, the dipping sauce tasted exactly like a cross between Heinz and A-1.



Dorset Lamb Rack

At Globe Earth, one may order meat dishes "from the local butcher" by the ounce. For certain meats, 8 oz. is the minimum order. On the particular night I visited the resto, I had a hankering for lamb. And 2 oz. is the minimum order for lamb. So I ordered a wee portion of the lamb rack, and I was excited as $%#& 'cause this was the first time I had eaten lamb after refraining from eating meat for 3 years! Awkward and out of practice, I cut into the mid-rare lamb rack with a steak knife very slowly. Juices proceeded to squirt out of the tender meat, creating pools of redd-ish liquids on my plate. Yay for yellow carrots!

Arepa Cafe [Toronto] vs. Caracas Arepa Bar [NYC]

[left] Toronto ― Arepa Cafe's Vegetarian Arepa
Grated Aged Cheddar, Fried Plantains, Black Beans & Avocado

[right] New York City ― Caracas Arepa Bar's La Mulata Arepa
Grilled White Cheese with Jalapeños, Sautéed Red Peppers, Fried Plantains & Black Beans



You're familiar with the concept. The Greeks have their pitas and the West Indians have their roti; Venezuelans have their arepas ― bread (typically grilled) made from cornmeal filled with STUFF. I tried an arepa for the first time in Manhattan, at Caracas Arepa Bar. As you can see by the photo, it was damn juicy and sinfully oily. When TO's Arepa Cafe first opened up, I admit, I was skeptical. It is, after all, TO's first arepa joint. I recently had the chance to check it out... and I can't help but compare it to the first arepa I had in NYC.

Overall, I enjoyed the flavours in Caracas Arepa Bar's La Mulata Arepa. Each ingredient complemented the next; all of them kinda melded together, creating a superb arepa. Conversely, it's as if the ingredients in Arepa Cafe's Veg Arepa were afraid to get to know their neighbours. Mr. Slice of Avocado didn't get the chance to shake hands with the Black Bean Brothers. The Old Cheddar Nannies always spied on the Plantain Twins, but never said "Hello" when the 20-somethings said "Hello" to them. Catch my drift?

The Publican (CHI) vs. Hoof Cafe (TO)

[can you tell which brunch dishes are from The Publican and which are from Hoof Cafe?]

It's brunchtime!!! The Publican Restaurant is well known for its brunch in Chicago, much like the Hoof Cafe here in Toronto. I've eaten brunch at both restaurants recently, and can't help but notice similarities between the two. At both The Publican and the Hoof Cafe, expect: to wait thirty minutes+ for a table, to see hella hipsters all around you, to choose from a menu of inventive, meaty dishes and to experience a home-y unpretentiousness while you dine.

First off, I just gotta tell you about The Publican's Red Wine Poached Eggs. Truly, this dish started a party in my mouth. Like yolky yellow Cabernet Merlot in a glass, these eggs were uncomparable to any style of eggs I've ever tasted! Hoof Cafe also serves up poached eggs, piled atop pulled pork and a house-made biscuit in its Suckling Pig Eggs Benny dish. But I shouldn't have ordered it because I don't even like pork or hollandaise very much. Womp.



Another must-eat at The Publican: Fresh Ricotta & Honey. Served slightly warmer than room temperature with stewed fruits (i.e. cherries) and dried nuts (i.e. pistachios) ...spread on a piece of toast, each spoonful of Fresh Ricotta is a soft cloud on a sweet/crunchy/nutty day! I apologize, but I'm not even gonna lie... I'm kinda hating on Hoof Cafe right now. They got rid of their Buckwheat Rabbit Pancakes before I got to try 'em man!!!! WTFF!!!!!!!!

Bymark Toronto — The $26.95 Lobster Poutine

Behold the mighty Crisp Frites with Butter Braised Lobster and Classic Béarnaise from Toronto's very own Bymark! Strip this poutine of its fancy shmancy toppings and you've got nothing but a pile of fries plated in a lobster shell that couldn't stand a chance against even Swiss Chalet's fries. $26.95 for 6-7 bite-sized chunks of cooked lobster and over-fried fries doused in much too much of a rich, buttery sauce? No, thanks — not for me. This dish is over-priced, over-rated, dated and in dire need of a facelift. Would anyone else like to see a fresh spin on the traditional poutine done in Toronto?

Sukhothai Restaurant Toronto

Sukhothai has been hailed by Chowhoundians and BlogTOists to be servin' up the "most authentic Thai food in Toronto." Pictured here is their signature dish, the Sukhothai Pad Thai, a "Sukh'ed up" version of the original Pad Thai. Tender yet al dente, these rice noodles are unlike the rubbery, tangled excuse for noodles served at every other Thai joint in T.O. Rest assured, this dish's mesmerizing medley of fiery flavours and soothing citrusy-ness will calm you to the bone. Don't prefer heat? Ask for it mild. One of the best experiences about this dish is when your mouth finds the crunchy jewels hidden within. The jewels? Finely chopped chunks of peanuts, of course. +++ more of my Sukhothai menu item reviews +++

Frank at the AGO — Toronto, ON

I cannot wait to visit FRANK Restaurant sometime very soon! If not for their food, which is supposed to be stellar, but to experience dining in a space that "plays with light and materials to create a contemporary, inviting setting." Drools. Located in the newly renovated Frank Gehry-designed Art Gallery of Ontario, the restaurant is named aptly; Frank designed it as well. Interior design goes hand-in-hand with graphic design; the logo for FRANK is simple yet effective, and the restaurant's foodtography is well-composed with a keen eye for colour. Seriously now, this foodtography is downright sexy. Art? Food? Talk? Word.

Fave Foodie Finds: Chicago 2010

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Cafe Iberico — Chicago, IL

TAPAS TIME!!! In Spanish cuisine, tapas = a wide variety of appetizers/snacks, served cold/warm, ideally meant to be shared. It's a Friday night and my coolcatcousins and I are at Cafe Iberico. Though the place is cramped, the vibe is LIVE. Good to go with a pitcher of sangria!!! CHEERS 2 CHI-CITY!!! One soldier of a server is hustlin round the dining room with 10 plates of hot food in his arms, one plate (s)expertly stacked on top of the other!!! Swiftly, he drops off our first tapas dish on the table, PATATAS BRAVAS, before bustlin off to deliver the other 9. And the tapas keep on comin!...

MEJILLONES A LA MARINERA, QUESO DE CABRA... but my absolute FAVE is the PULPO A LA PLANCHA (Grilled Octopus w/ Potatoes & Olive Oil). Chopped up in bite-size pieces, the PULPO is juicy and madd tender on the in, yet grilled to charred perfection on the out. Downright dirttyyy!!! For dessert, we polish off a plate of FLAN DE CHOCOLATE with fresh strawberry sauce. Good people = good convos + good food = life = grand.

Poutini's House of Poutine — Toronto, ON

Ate at Poutini's House of Poutine with some homies the other day. Ordered the Teeny Weeny Tiny Poutini, $5.62 flat! Loved that vegetarian gravy was even an option. It tasted exactly like a traditional meat-based gravy, though massively sodium-y. I know, I know... gravy is supposed to be salty. Needless to say, I drank so much water during the meal that I could feel it jiggling within me afterward. Hate that feeling. PS. Jiggly Room.

My favourite thing about poutines is the fries that jut out of the bowl. Y'know, the ones that are 1/2 crispy, and 1/2 submerged in gravy? Well, this poutine barely had any "jutter-outers." I was unable to enjoy that beautiful contrast of crispy & mushy fries all in the same bite. Don't get me wrong, the cheese curds in this poutine were squeaky as hell, but I would've loved them even more if they were a tad more tender to the bite, more "mellow," if you will. PPS. Why the Copperplate Gothic typeface, Poutini's? WHY?!?!!!!

Best Vegetarian Restaurants/Eateries: Toronto 2010

View Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Toronto in a larger map

It is unfortunate that some of the best vegetarian restos in T.O don't even have websites. Curious foodies must refer to resto review articles or Chowhound or Yelp or whatever in search of potential menu items they may want to try. Furthermore, of the vegetarian restos that do have websites, these websites simply DO NOT reflect the quality of food that is delivered!!! The wonderful flavours, complex textures and culinary creativity of the food served at these restos is poorly reflected in the design of their websites.

Bymark Toronto — The $34.95 Bymark Burger

So the folks at Richmond Hill Post ordered the so-called "Best Burger in Toronto," the infamous Bymark Burger, to get tested in a chemistry lab. Health Canada suggests the average, healthy adult should consume 2,000 calories daily, more or less. AND THIS &*%$# CONTAINS A WHOPPING 853 CALORIES ALONE!!!! Shiet son. BeeTeeW: Cost of burger = $34.95. Holla at pg. 42 of this link to see how many calories are in your beloved Veal Sandwich from Cali Sandwiches. Bahahahaha. Muahahahaha. Gahahahaha.

Winterlicious 2010 — Auberge du Pommier [lunch]

Sea Bream w/ Heirloom Beans, Golden Nugget Squash & Cardamom Cream

Overall, I quite enjoyed Winterlicious lunch at Auberge du Pommier. In this entrée, the cardamom cream was sittin' pretty lookin' all foamy n shiz, but dare I say I could barely taste cardamom?? Shoulda ordered the Quiche with duck confit. Quackity quack. Still, mmm = crispy-skinned fishiness. The entrée's firm heirloom beans were simply BOMB when consumed in the same bite with smooth, silky squashiness.