Uncle Betty's - Ultimate Grilled Cheese and Comfort Food

Uncle Betty's

2590 Yonge St.

Toronto, ON

M4P 2J3

The week after Halloween always seems to be exponentially cooler and windier than the week before. On top of that - it's raining! On a day like this, we're craving some good old comfort food; and nothing hits the spot like some greasy, gooey goodness. Uncle Betty's, located just north of my midtown home base at Yonge and Eglinton, stands out like a blonde in a crowd of gingers. The vibrant colors inside and out, along with the funky fonts and cartoonish stylings give this place the feel of Pee-Wee's playhouse. 

The Review:

Continuing on with a weekend of super unhealthy food, we quickly zero in on the Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich ($14) - stuffed with white and classic cheddar, white cheddard mac n' cheese, a slab of home made meat loaf (you can also swap this out for pulled pork)and drizzled with garlic aioli. At first glance of the description of this sandwich, you're heart may skip a beat with either fear (of a heart attack) or excitement... we're definitely in the latter category today.

Ultimate Grilled Cheese

The classic white bread (you can also choose brown bread) is flat top fried to perfection with enough butter to give the sandwich an audible crunch that can be heard across the table. The meatloaf - hearty and robust, combined with the sharpness and creaminess of the white cheddar mac n' cheese make for a mash of distinguishable flavors. The garlic aioli seems to get a little lost in all of this - but let's face it, the pungent flavors of this sandwich don't even need the help of any aioli. 

Betty's Burger ($13), is a comforting homemade burger - cooked medium well with sharp cheddar, a tinge of hot-tangy peppers, pickles and garlic aoili packed inside an airy bun. As a bonus, they throw on a homemade onion ring that added a solid crunch to each bite to round everything off. 

Betty's Burger

With our bellies sufficiently stuffed to the brim, we didn't have any space left to try any of their homemade donuts or creamery ice creams. Raincheck.

The Verdict:

Comfort food at it's best. The decor and friendliness of the staff mesh perfectly with the food. They even give you your own milk jug style container of water so you can pound back the calorie clogging goodness without having to continually ask for water refills. A solid 9 out of 10. I can't wait to come back to try some of their other ethnic fatigue (The Itis) causing creations.

Spacco Restaurant Bar - Yonge and Eglinton

Spacco
2415 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON
M4P 2E7

The word Spacco in Italian literally translates to 'crack' or 'slit' in English. How fitting - seeing how to get to this little Yonge and Eglinton restaurant-pool-hall-bar you need to look for the narrow slit of an opening tucked between The Cupcake Shoppe and several other local establishments. This opening leads to a long, dark alley where you'll also find a local jazz bar - and ends at the large patio entrance of Spacco's. 

Review:

The sleek, modern decor combined with diffused lighting and sheer curtains dividing the pool tables from the restaurant makes this a perfect place to bring a date. In my case; it's just one of my local watering holes I like to frequent with friends when we're not in the mood for the standard pub fare that surrounds my domain. On Friday and Saturday nights, this hidden joint slowly transforms from a quiet restaurant, into a full blown bar lounge by slowly dimming the lights and methodically pumping up the volume of the music from the DJ who seems to magically appear at the end of the bar. 

With a quick glance at the menu - we opt to go with a trio of appetizers to silence the grumbling belly. First up is the Seared Beef ($13), sliced paper thin on a bed of arugula mixed with honey mushrooms and finished with olive oil and some shaved parmigiano. With a small squeeze of lemon on top, it's a simple dish with minimal components that emphasize the textures of each ingredient without any overpowering flavors.

Seared Beef

The Grilled Calamari ($13) came with a melody of perfectly cooked vegetables that were seasoned with black pepper and a small drizzle of olive oil. The crunch of the vegetables complimented the tenderness of the calamari, which was grilled and covered with a robust mixture of  roasted tomatoes, olives and garlic which created a hearty and pungent smell to make the mouth water. The flavors and textures were fantastic, but the presentation made the dish look like it was thrown together with a large, slotted spoon. 

The third dish of the trio was the Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms ($13). Two large, hearty portobello mushrooms stuffed with a mixture of  seafood (lobster, shrimp and scallop mousse). Beautifully presented, the meaty texture of the mushroom went hand in hand with the richness of the creamy texture of the filling... but the richness of the scallop mousse made the other filling ingredients indistinguishable. 

The Verdict:

Overall, this semi hidden resto-lounge is a great place to go for food and drinks. 7 out of 10. 

Ruby Watchco - Riverdale, Toronto - Set Menu

Ruby Watchco

730 Queen St. E.

Toronto, ON

M4M 1H2

A little 'grub in the tub' before a night of drinking never hurts. Filling up the belly with some grub was first on the itinerary for the night; and a late night reservation at Ruby Watchco awaited. When we arrived, the place was hustling and bustling - the ambiance was eclectic and energizing. The restaurants model is to have only a set menu ($49) - with small substitutions available for dietary restrictions.


The Review:

Walking down the long and narrow layout, we were seated at a cozy table near the back. One side of Ruby Watchco had a long row of tables with modern decor; the other side - tables with booth style seats against exposed brick wall and more rustic designs. The sounds from the kitchen helped the appetite kick in; and first up was the Honey Braised Red Beet Salad. The salad was nicely balanced with a lots of fresh ingredients; the candied walnuts and beets added a little touch of sweetness and the thinly sliced Gouda threw a little smokey saltiness in to round everything off. The salad came with some fresh baked garlic egg yoke brushed biscuits.

Next up to bat - the main course. Pan Seared Halibut. A bacon infused white sauce was ladled over top the seared halibut and finished with some meaty chanterelle mushrooms; accompanied by sides of butternut squash gratin, sauteed swiss chard with pickled raisins and a bowl of green lentil sauteed with melted leeks and roasted apples. 

Pan Seared Halibut

Taking a break before hitting the sweets post dinner came a little surprise; Canadian artisanal cheese with eggplant relish. The cheese had a buttery, creamy texture with a mildly pungent flavor paired with a sweet eggplant relish. Perfect!

Ethnic eating fatigue has set in. Thoroughly satisfied and filled; a simple treat to tickle the gut to finish me off landed at our table. Caramel Pot de Creme; the caramel was mildly sweet with a light as air texture topped off with the reddest strawberries I've ever seen. Not having much of a sweet tooth - I passed this dish to the girlfriend after taking a couple bites and stealing all the strawberries. 

Caramel pot de creme

The Verdict:

I like the concept of this little Riverdale spot which focused on local ingredients on a set menu that constantly changes. From start to finish; each dish on the set menu that night was done well. 8 out of 10. 

Buster's Sea Cove - Food Truck Goodness

Buster's Sea Cove - Food Truck

93 Front St. E.

St. Lawrence Market

Toronto, ON

M5E 1C3

Parked right in front of the Sony Centre for Performing Arts were several food trucks; and Buster's Sea Cove truck was calling my name. With the belly grumbling I was rushing to make the 7pm start of the Family Guy Live Show and needed a quickie.

The Review:

With only 6 menu items available we knew they would make our order quickly enough for us to inhale our food and still make the start of the show. Since fish tacos are my second favorite snack food of all time choosing what to order was instant; even better - they gave us a discount on the price!

The fish tacos (2 for $7, regularly 2 for $9) were ready in less than 2 minutes. Each warm and soft corn tortilla was stuffed with a piece of hand-battered fish, cabbage, pico de gallo and salsa verde. The fish was moist on the inside; the batter was a little heavy but still worked with the crunch of the cabbage. Being a big fan of homemade pico de gallo - my belly was loving the freshness it added along with the hint of lime. 

The Verdict:

Overall a solid fish taco - moist, juicy with all the right components and nicely balanced. The service was quick and the price is right. I'd definitely come back for tacos round 2 and to try the other rolls on the menu. 8 out of 10. 

Garlic Fest - How's My Breath?

Garlic Fest 2013

Evergreen Brick Works

Toronto, ON

Word of the day - HALITOSIS: The condition of having stale or foul smelling breath. After a solid workout at the gym - nothing replenishes the body like some gluttony at a local garlic festival. For someone who has a phobia of people with halitosis; this should be interesting! Located in one of my favorite spots in Toronto; the Evergreen Brick Works on the Bayview extension regularly has farmers markets and local events to satisfy the taste of any aspiring vegetarian or organic foods trend jumper. 

The Review:

Starting at 9am, garlic fanatics had the chance to sample from a smorgasbord of vendors. We arrived in the late afternoon; and after walking around for about 20 minutes our hearts shifted as we realized most of the vendors had already run out of food and shut down. Overall the festival was well run with the layout easy to navigate; and being the end of the day lineups for the remaining vendors were relatively short. Sampling some of the local brewskies while waiting in line helped pass the time.

First stop - a little table with a young man in a chef's uniform using a dorm room style stove top cooking contraption. Rabbit sausage on lentils with garlic infused foam and micro greens ($5). The sausage was surprisingly soft with a butter like texture; nicely seasoned with a hint of pepper. I didn't get much of a garlic flavor in the foam - but overall a nice little snack to start off with.

The smell of grilled meat was the bait and we bit. Next up - Hawaiian grilled chicken and pork skewers with pineapple ($2.50 each). Um... where's the garlic? Completely void of even a hint of garlic; these little guys still hit the abdominal spot. Juicy and tender. 

Let's finish it off with an ethnic gang bang of flavors - garlic tandoori chicken wraps ($7) with fried egg. These sleeping bags filled with meaty goodness are created by partially frying an egg with a tortilla wrap pressed down over it; and stuffed with tandoori chicken and hot sauce, various herbs and some strange looking crunchy things that to this day remain a mystery. The garlic flavor came through nicely and complimented the pungent tandoori spices.

The Verdict:

Arriving late put a major road bump in the whole garlic experience - most of the vendors were sold out of food and closed but overall this festival was definitely worth the $5 admission. Although 2 of the 3 vendors we tried didn't have the key (garlic) factor; the food was good and settled into the belly well with the addition of some 10% strong craft beers.

Blue Goose - Harbourfront - Toronto

Blue Goose

235 Queens Quay West

Toronto, ON

M5J 2G8

After a long day of chowing down at the Hot and Spicy food festival, followed by a relaxing boat ride around the islands - guess who's hungry again? This guy! Just a little snack before riding our bikes home. I'm always a little weary of ordering food from any takeout place towards the end of the day when the food tends to have been sitting around for a while. Memories of food poisoning and projectile v****** almost make me walk on by this little food stand; but my belly is telling me to go for it.

The Review:

It's go time. Good things usually come in small packages. This little food stand had a pretty hefty menu. Burgers, wraps, sandwiches, salads, sides and tacos. I'll take everything. Maybe just a sandwich this time. One of their specials for the day was the Meatball Sandwich ($7). Homemade tomato sauce, aged cheddar, fresh basil and pickled relish. The meatballs were soft but were barely warm on the inside - end of day, beggars can't be choosers right? The red sauce was nice and light; and the pickled relish (that I thought were carrots) added nice tang to each bite. 6-7 decent sized meatballs packed into your standard hamburger type bun. After making several attempts to cram them all into the bun so I could double fist it and take a huge bite - I gave up and opted to use a fork and knife. At least one or two of those little fellas kept falling out. Get back in there! Overall the flavor and texture was on point; the only thing throwing things off was that the meat wasn't hot and the bun was cold. 

The Verdict:

Nice little food stand. Good selection on the menu with daily specials would be worth a trip back the next time I'm at the harbourfront. 6.5 out of 10.

Fried Chicken Love - The Stockyards - Toronto Smokehouse

The Stockyards - Smokehouse
699 St. Claire Ave. W.
Toronto, ON
M6C 1B2

Was a little disappointed with the KFC fried chicken I had on Tuesday (Toonie Tuesdays!). The soggy skin and dry flesh of my fried friends didn't cut it. Still craving some fried goodness, I head out to The Stockyards on St. Clair and Bathurst. I've read about The Stockyards - and their legendary fried chicken. Let's get the belly ready for some gastrointestinal punishment. 

The Review:

A random Wednesday evening and the place is bustling. Always a good sign. The lineup at the front makes my heart skip a beat for a second - how long will the wait be? Not long at all. We get seated at the counter right away - turns out the long line in the front was for takeout. A quick glance at the menu and I zero in. We go for 'The Fryer' fried chicken dinner. ($14). The skin is crispy, crunchy and just greasy enough to reach for an extra napkin. Inside the blanket of deep fried skin was a pocket of steam which revealed the perfectly cooked, super moist melt in your mouth chicken. I didn't realize chicken could be this juicy.. how is this possible? The dinner came with a decent sized side of coleslaw; freshly made, light and tangy with a touch of dill. The 100 pound side of fresh cut fries were crispy - but easy on the salt guys!

Fried Chicken

We also ordered the BBQ beef brisket ($12). Thick sliced beef brisket, smoked with oak and hickory and laid out in a pillow of mayo and caramelized onions then tucked into a soft toasted bun. In other words - damn good. There was just enough BBQ sauce to make a mess with each bite but not too much to mask the flavor of the smoked beef. Great meat to topping balance.

Brisket

The Verdict:

Hearty. Juicy. Moist. Finger licking. Get your mind out of the gutter - I'm talking about food that hits it quick and in the right spot. Good service and a decent price. 9 out of 10.