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.