Construction Site Grilled Cheese Toronto

The Construction Site

2200 Yonge St.

Toronto, ON

M4S 2B9



Construction Site Grilled Cheese Yonge Eglinton



 No surprise here. I went out drinking last night. Waking up on a Sunday morning is always a challenge. My bud and I decided to grab a quick bite before starting our days at a local Yonge and Eglinton spot called The Construction Site. Grilled Cheese at it's best? Let's find out.





Grilled Cheese Menu



The Review:


The Construction Site menu is small. Every  month it changes, and it has weekly specials that aren't on the regular menu. Featuring different types of cheeses for each of it's menu sandwiches, choosing what to order took a while. I was hungover, and even deciding if I was able to leave my apartment took a while. Being newbies to this grilled cheese joint, my fellow drunkard went for the classic grilled cheese ($5.50) with aged cheddar on french white bread. You can add bacon ($1.50) and tomato ($0.75). He's a glutton; he added both. All the sandwiches come with either fresh fried rippled potato chips or a micro green salad. Obviously he was less hungover than myself, and he went with the salad to offset the heavy greasiness of the cheese sandwich.




 

Classic Grilled Cheese

 After changing my mind several times, I went for the special that wasn't on the menu. The 'Cheeva' ($9.50) - an artery clogging invention that tugged at my heart strings. Rich, heavy mac n' cheese inside parmesan crusted white french bread. Fuck the salad, I asked for the chips as a side. I was expecting fresh, non run of the mill potato chips but was disappointed when I saw they were basically Ruffles with some dried rosemary sprinkled on top of them with way too much salt. Talk about overkill with the sodium. The sandwich had a nice crunch, and the mac n' cheese inside was moist and uber cheesy. Solid sandwich. I would have preferred they used thicker slices of bread for more substance, but the regular cut bread still worked.




Cheeva Mac N' Cheese Grilled Cheese


The Verdict:


I love cheese. The reason I've had high cholesterol for the last four years is because of cheese. How can you go wrong with a grilled cheese sandwich? I like the simplicity of the menu, and comfort food for me equals cheese. The sandwiches are straight up average. The over the top salty signature chips and thin bread kept me from giving this a solid rating. 6 out of 10. For the price, it's decent. I probably won't be going back here though.   








Holy Chuck! Burgers Better Than Sex....

Holy Chucks Burgers

1450 Yonge St.

Toronto, ON

M4T 1Y7



Holy Chuck Burgers Toronto



What a way to start a Friday night. After an easy day at work, I decided to skip the gym and take the healthy route via Holy Chuck Burgers. Being on a perpetual search for the best burgers in Toronto, my yoga / drinking partner Paulina has sworn up and down these burgers are 'fucking good'. Let's put them to the test with some competitive eating style food poundage.

I headed down Yonge St. and made a quick pit stop at my friends place for a quick beer to stir up the appetite. Luckily for me, she's down for some greasy eats. Let's go. After a leisurely walk down Yonge to St. Claire, we arrive at the small bustling burger joint.


The Review:


After spending a few minutes checking out the Holy Chuck Burgers menu, Ms. Blue Jay fanatic went for The Grind N' Shine Burger ($10.99) - a double cheeseburger with bacon, caramelized onions, homemade potato chips and topped off with a fried egg. The chips added the nice crunch, and the fried egg burst into creaminess once she got half way through the burger. She ALMOST finished hers before mine. Almost. 




Holy Chuck's Farmers Threesome

 I'm bored of the regular. I've had all shapes and types of... burgers. I've sworn off singles for tonight. If I'm going to go in for a taste - I'm only into threesomes tonight. I ordered the Farmers Threesome  ($12.99) - one beef patty, one lamb patty, and one half breed patty with triple cheese, bacon and caramelized onions. One thing to note - to really enjoy the flavor of the meat; don't add any additional toppings. You'll know what I'm talking about when you try one of these burgers. When I took my first bite - boom! The meat was as tender as butter, but still retained a little bit of ground meat texture. The cheese melted in to each bite perfectly, and the bacon was salty and crisp to round of each mouth full. The whole experience lasted less than 10 minutes. Nothing wrong with a quickie... when eating.




Holy Chuck's Poutine

 We shared a poutine on the side ($5.99). Being so focused on the burger, we didn't touch it until the end. The hand cut fries and dark gravy with cheese curds were up to par with the standard diner style poutine. The fresh cut parsley on top was a nice touch of freshness. I did find the gravy to be a little on the salty side, but overall it was a solid poutine. Big portion for the price.

Update: July 3rd. Back for more. I was hoping the second time around would be just as good as the first. Not disappointed in the burgers. I had the Jr. Cheeseburger - 'Legs' had the same, but topped it off with two fried eggs. We split a poutine. I was hoping the gravy wouldn't be as salty as it was the last time. No luck. Really good handcut fries - but I think I'll skip the gravy from now on.

Holy Chucks Jr. Cheeseburger

The Verdict:

I've tried a lot of burgers in the city. I'm always open to new burger ventures. I'm glad I was able to try Holy Chucks as per Paulina's recommendation. As of today, these are (in my humble opinion) the best I've had in the city yet. They are stupid juicy and have a great texture that holds together without falling apart. The option of 3 different types of meat patties is a great option to carnivores like myself. Pricey, but a solid 9 out 10.

Young Thailand Restaurant King St.

Young Thailand Toronto

936 King St. W.

  Toronto, ON

M5V 1P5

Wow. It's been a while since I've mustered up the motivation to write anything about food lately. Being on a budget that rivals a 20 year old working part time in a retail store while paying for tuition doesn't allow me the luxury of eating out several times a week anymore.

For mother's day, I ended up at a Thai restaurant called 'Young Thailand' on King St. west in the Liberty Village area of Toronto.

The Review:

When you first walk in, it's eerily quiet. The place is nearly empty and it's almost 7pm. This usually isn't a good sign - instincts tell me to play it off like I just walked in to grab a take-out menu and turn around - but I've been here before... and the food is fantastic.

The Young Thailand menu My family and I like to share food so we decide on a couple appetizers, a salad and a couple of main dishes. Our smiling waiter is quick to help suggest dishes that he think we'll enjoy.

Thai BBQ Beef

The beef dishes are loaded with flavour. The BBQ beef had a nice combo of garlicky and sweet. Came with Thai coleslaw and a side of hot sauce that was more flavourful than spicy. Nice portion size for $10.95.



Garlic Tiger Shrimp

My favourite, the Young Thailand garlic tiger shrimp. I'm not sure how they get all the garlic flavour infused into the shrimp, but it's crazy. The shrimps are huge, and cooked just enough to get a nice crunch when you bite into them. You get about 10 shrimps in this dish for $11.95. Good deal.

Young Thailand Royal Pad Thai



This version of pad Thai isn't as sweet as the regular pad Thai. It's got a few jumbo tiger shrimps with shredded chicken, along with the rice noodles and coconut milk - crab oil for flavour. The whole thing is wrapped in fried eggs, so you can almost slice it like a pie and divide it up to the masses. $12.95. 

By the time we left, the restaurant is more than half full. The one waiter for the whole place that night seems to be handling the steady stream of customers picking up food and tables with ease. He gets a big tip for good service.

The Verdict:

I'm not a big fan of Thai food in general, but Young Thailand on King St. is damn good. The food is fantastic and it's relatively inexpensive. I've got enough coins rolled up to afford to eat here several more times. I'd be a regular take-out customer if this joint was closer to home. Solid 8 out of 10.

Grazie Toronto - Feed Me!

Grazie Toronto

2373 Yonge St.

  Toronto, ON

M4P 2C8





This is sure to be long, never ending blog that will be updated like there is no tomorrow. Having lived in the Yonge and Eglinton area for a few years, Grazie's is my go to spot for a solid meal and good wine. I've been here with family, friends - and everything in between. A landmark in the area, this Italian restaurant has been busting bellies for years.


The Review:


By the time this blog on Grazie's is officially finished, I'd have tried everything on the menu. The Grazie menu is heavily focused on fresh pastas and thin crust pizzas. A shame I'm only starting now - but a hungry man has got to start somewhere. This is one of two Italian restaurants in the area (the other is La Vecchia) that is consistently busy - day or night, 7 days a week. Expect to wait at least 20 minutes to get seated for dinner on weekdays, longer on weekends. All pasta is fresh, made daily.

My co-drinkie and Comet girl stopped by on the weekend (February 17, 2012). What to eat? C'mon, get outta here!

K girl went with the Penza ($15) - rigatoni with vodka, pancetta, green onions and a hint of chili pepper.

Penza

Over-sized rigatoni with a creamy tomato vodka sauce. Pancetta (cured bacon) to add a salty fattiness, green onion for a little sharpness and chili for a touch of heat. I'd prefer smaller rigatoni and a little more pancetta with more herbs, but overall it's a nice combo.

Comet girl went with Amalia ($15) - spinach filled ravioli with prosciutto, green onions and asparagus. *Disclaimer: eating asparagus makes your pee smell like rubber!

Amalia

Hand-made stuffed ravioli. The spinach and ricotta inside the ravioli had a nice balance of bitter and creaminess. The prosciutto fed the saltiness factor, the cream sauce smoothed it out and the sharpness of the green onions and semi-bitter asparagus added a little crunch texture to even things out. I found the mildness of the cream sauce got over powered by cracked black pepper the waiter offers to add on after serving. I'd skip the pepper next time.

I dove in for some heavy hitter carbs - Gnocchi ($14.75) potato dumplings.

Gnocchi

Topped with ricotta, bathed in a light tomato sauce it hit the spot. Gnocchi is always heavy and dense - one second on the lips means forever on the hips. Luckily I'm not a 40 year old woman with a thyroid problem so I can pound this dish back without regret. The tomato sauce was so light and tangy it worked perfectly with the gnocchi. The ricotta on top added a creamy saltiness that brought it all together. I liked the cracked black pepper on this to add a little kick.  

Baked Goat Cheese Salad



June 5th, 2012. It's been a while since I've been back here. After an evening of hard drinking, I headed to Grazie's for a late night snack and a drink. Something from the antipasto menu seemed appropriate. The baked goat cheese salad ($12) hit the spot. A light phyllo pastry pie filled with warm goat cheese and roasted vegetables. Very rich. Went straight to my spare tire so to speak. It was served on top of an arugula salad and some fresh tomatoes in a light oil and vinegar dressing.

The Verdict:


The service at Grazie's is fantastic. The servers are friendly and always attentive. For people like me who get off on instant gratification, the food comes out lightning fast after ordering. Great wine selection. This bustling Italian joint gets a solid 9 out of 10. Three dishes down... fifty-two to go.

The Bowery Toronto - Tumultuous Tuesdays!

The Bowery Bar

55 Colborne St.
Toronto, ONM5E 1C6

The Bowery Toronto

I was feeling a little lethargic. Having gone out the previous five days in a row for food and drinks had me a little beat - both my liver and wallet have been taking left right combinations lately. The Bowery bar is a semi-posh restaurant / bar in the St. Lawrence Market area of downtown. Located on Colborne St., this old stone building seemed to be the perfect place to house this drinking spot.

The Review:

After a full day of indecisions and confusion on where to go, we miraculously agreed on The Bowery. It's 8pm - we're thirsty. The friendly hostess with big glasses wearing a dress that looked like it was made from the skin of a zebra seated us at a nice half circle booth near the back. Happy hour for the win. All pints and bar rails are ($5) from 7 - 10pm. Perfect. Round 1.

Onto the food. The Bowery menu is an eclectic mix of meats and appetizers. With none of us having the appetite for a full entree, we opt to go with apps and a pizza to soak up some of the free flowing wobbly pops we start eagerly guzzling back. One of the group went with the Lamb Ribs ($9) and Frites ($5).

Lamb Ribs

The rest of us snacked on one of the two pizzas ($16) on the menu. A chewy thin crust with a simple tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes, spicy salami, mozzarella with some fresh strips of green on top. There was some balance of saltiness from the salami and sweetness from the tomatoes, but overall I found the pizza a little bland. To be honest I'm not sure what the mountain of green strips on top were... at first I thought basil - but they were totally flavourless. Anyone want pizza with their green leaves?

Bowery Pizza

I found the open glass concept wine cellar in the back a nice touch. Since it's not in the cellar, does that mean it's just called a wine room?

Tuesday nights they have a dj playing a mix of house and r&b / hip hop. Around 9pm people start filing in, and by 11pm they were packed in like sardines. Thankfully we had our spacious booth! With the music cranked up to club like levels, I was starting to lose my voice having yelling conversations with my friends. We decided to call it a night at midnight.

The Verdict:

This restaurant / bar had a nice, relaxed atmosphere (until it turned into a club). Coupled with good drink specials, a small - yet selective food menu and good music makes this a place I'd definitely come back to on a Tuesday. 7 out of 10. I'll be sure to try some of the entrees next time to get a real taste for the food here.

Nota Bene - Rabbits Beware Review

Nota Bene

180 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON

M5V 3X3 Canada

Damn you Trevors Kitchen! Since Trev didn't give us a break, the girls and I ended up at a place I've been wanting to check out for a while. Nota Bene is a favourite spot of a girl I used to date. I was hesitant at first. The thought of running into her almost terrified the appetite out of me. ALMOST. Not quite. Let's eat.

The Review:

Reservations at 9. The cute hostess with nerdy glasses had us seated quickly. Before we start - why am I not surprised my co-drinker Krissy has been here before? Even more so, that she happens to know the chef? Does she ever sleep? Is there anywhere she hasn't been?! 

We started off with drinks - Vodka and tonic  for the K girl, white wine for Comet girl any myself. What to eat? My co-drinkers opted for the Thyme and garlic roasted cornish hen ($27) and Braised beef short rib ($29). I've always had a taste for exotic or unusual - and my taste in food mirrors just that. I eagerly ordered the Rabbit soffrito with pappardelle pasta ($26) - cute animals always seem to taste good.



Braised beef short rib

The Braised beef short rib came on top of corn truffle, pickled red onions, coriander and queso anejo. Que? The beef was uber moist and tender, sweet and salty. Nicely balanced.



Thyme and garlic roasted cornish hen

The cornish hen rested on top of braised kale, bacon, white beans and tarragon jus. The hen was perfectly cooked, super moist and juicy. The skin was crisp and salty which added a nice texture. Mixing some of the hen, crisp salty skin and bitter kale in a bite was the perfect balance of savoury, bitter and salty.

Rabbit Soffrito with pappardelle pasta

My go to restaurant in my area is Grazies. Italian at its best, especially when the drinks are flowing. I usually go with the 'Nico' - braised veal with pappardelle pasta at Grazies. This dish reminded me of Nico with a twist. The sauce was smooth, and the pancetta and olives added the saltiness and the sauteed porcini mushrooms finished it off with some bitter chewiness. Top top it off - some braised rabbit. It's my first time dining on the little furry animal. It had a slight gaminess with chicken like texture that went hand in hand with the rest of the dish.

Dessert was on the house c/o Nota Bene chef Geoff. Still space in the belly so I help finish of all 3 of these.

The Verdict:

Nota Bene food was really good. Service was excellent and fast. Free desert was awesome. They've got suckling pig on the menu which is seasonal and in limited quantity. I'd definitely go back. Hopefully sooner than later. I'll give this foodie spot a 9 out of 10.

Yours Truly - Ossington Bar

 Yours Truly Restaurant

229 Ossington Ave.

Toronto, ON

Canada



Yours Truly Ossington Bar

  

After a night of filled with cult movie actors and a hidden bar, my co-drinkie and I ended up at this small Ossington bar in the Ossington and Dundas area. How would I describe this little restaurant? Quaint.

The Review:

We were seated in the front at an oversized table for 8. Being the end of the night, we had the table all to ourselves. Our waitress (who my co-drinkie nicked name BO.. why? Think hockey bag), came over right away and took our order. She ordered a vodka and tonic ($8) and I went with porto beer ($5) called 'Super Bock'. Her drink tasted a little off - her experienced vodka palette told her it wasn't the top shelf vodka she ordered. My beer was a little on the sweet side, but light enough where it went down easy.



Sriracha Deviled Eggs

  

For bar menu snacks, we ordered the Sriracha Deviled Eggs ($5) and the Thuet Bread ($5). The eggs had a touch of sriracha hot sauce for a little kick, and was coupled with furikake seaweed and sesame seeds to balance it out. I was able to distinguish all of the individual flavors in each bite, with no ingredient taking centre stage. Gotta learn how to make these!

 

Thuet Bread

  
After debating what the correct pronunciation of 'Thuet' is, BO brought over a paper bag on a plate. There's a reason I workout - it's to rip open paper bags like this. Inside was about a whole loaf of bread sliced on an angle in about fifteen pieces. The Thuet bread came with a side of whipped duck fat with crispy shallots for spreading. The bread was soft, but was too chewy. I'd have liked the crust to be a little crisp to add a little crunch. The whipped duck fat was like a fattier whipped butter only it had a strange taste infused into it... guessing that's the taste of duck fat?

The Verdict:

Quaint little restaurant / bar. The Sriracha Deviled Eggs were awesome. The Theut Bread was a fail. The joint did have a nice feel to it - loud without any music. I'd probably go back for drinks if I was a local, but probably won't be going back any time soon.

Genghis Khan - Mongolian Grill

Genghis Khan

900 Don Mills Rd.

North York, ON

M3C 1V6 Canada

Nothing like a Sunday night dinner with the gang. Instead of drinking our faces off at the local bars, we opted to get together at Genghis Khan Mongolian Grill for some all you can eat meat and co. After all, what kind of a person wants to get drunk on a Sunday night? Guilty as charged. Back to the food.


The Review:


The place was fairly busy for a Sunday night. We were seated at a round table close to the front doors - which would come in handy if we were considering pulling a dine and dash. Hmm...


The all you can eat on a Sunday night is $22.99, with a less expensive option for "light eaters". FYI - they keep track of how much you eat if you go with the light eaters option. There's no fooling the Mongolians!

Step up to the plate, grab a bowl and fill it with raw meats and vegetables. Meat? You can choose from beef, chicken, pork or lamb. If you're a meat lover like me, you can add all 4 of the meats and fill your bowl until it's overflowing. Heads up if you do this: the cook doesn't seem to like this since it takes an extra minute or two for all the extra meat to cook.

Choose your vegetables, add some noodles and finish it off by adding a ladle full of sauce. The sauces range from mild to hot, and sweet to salty. After I doused the bowl with sauce, I added some minced garlic and oyster sauce for an extra something something.

Once you've filled your bowl with goodies, bring it up to the round grill. One of the angry looking cooks takes your bowl and slaps it onto the grill, pours some water on top to steam the meat... tada! Bowl o' food in 2 minutes. Again - the cook really didn't seem to appreciate my overflowing bowl of meat. It took twice as long for my slaughter house bowl to cook, so you might want to scale it back a bit.

For those who don't want to wait in line to have their food cooked, they also have the standard Chinese food buffet section of fully cooked food. Not bad, pretty standard stuff.

The Verdict:

I'm pretty sensitive to over seasoned and overly salty food, so having the freedom to choose what type and how much sauce goes onto the food is a nice touch. My food was good. The buffet section had a decent selection of standard buffet food. Overall, I'd give this joint a 6 out of 10. I'm not much of a power eater nowadays, so the less expensive 'light eater' choice is great option.