East End Eats XVII: The Fill Station

 

 

 

This one definitely wasn't planned. On a Sunday afternoon I was with a friend who was super hungry, their tiny patio was totally empty so... well here we go. 

Like Vivetha Bistro, I've previously reviewed Fill Station for my (original) best pizza in Toronto list. Unlike Vivetha, Fill Station's pizza offering was not very enjoyable. I can't recall exactly what I said back then, so read it here. 

That being said, most pubs don't really make a particularly good pizza. To be fair, you need strong ingredients and smart preparation to pull that off at a high level in a pub kitchen setup. There are exceptions (Brass Taps, Green Dragon are decent enough and cheap) but within that setting it's simply not an item as often in demand when compared to chicken wings, nachos, chicken tenders, crazy double patty burgers and poutines etc. You're probably not going to strive towards making the best damn bar pizza in Toronto when only one or two people order it a week. 

I'm only going off on this because well... I obviously love talking about pizza... but also to explain that I wasn't dreading my food experience here. Instead of thinking how incredibly unimpressive their pizza was (I didn't even finish it... me! That'll tell ya), I was more in the moment during this experience (it was the first time I'd been on a patio in several months also), sipping a Creemore and hoping my order of hot wings would arrive soon.

When they did, my surprise was pleasant and tantalizing: the fries that came along side were those type that (while certainly frozen) are slightly beer battered and way more crispy. It's like a softer crunch, with way more flavour and they always seem to be more consistent in texture also. Outrigger has similar fries also, so maybe it's an East Beaches thing? That'd be awesome.

The wings were also really tasty! Again texture to me is so important when it comes to pub grub. I was turned off chicken wings for most of my 20s because I'd usually get them cheap or free at the Madison (there were several great perks at the time of knowing everyone who worked there... but their chewy microscopic wings were not one). These Fill Station wings are a bit chewy with the chicken inside, but luckily the outside is crispy enough to be pleasant with most bites, while the tougher inside can be remedied with some blue cheese sauce (use strategically, as any experienced wing eater will know). I'm not a huge fan of blue cheese dressing (I prefer blue cheese in actual cheese form) but I hate ranch so...

Overall... a pleasant subtle surprise. Fill Station is a solid spot (though seedy during certain nights... I've seen police cars outside a few times) so check it out perhaps in the afternoon/evening for a big sports game, instead of Saturday night last call.