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.