Another Tuesday... another Taste! If you're reading this on the very Tuesday it's coming out, odds are I'm (hopefully) on a plane or at the airport of either Dublin or London, England (edit: I'm finishing writing this in said airports)... so this is going to be a brief review!
I'd actually first heard of this burger joint with the snappy, poppy name from a friend and co-worker, who likes to share photos of delicious things he finds from time to time. Any excuse to visit Kensington Market is also welcome by me, and did so one very sunny October afternoon to find out how addictive these burgers really are.
Their menu is pretty limited, likely by design, with trademark smash burgers being the focus. Which is what I ordered, talked into the double patty by (I'm pretty sure) the owner, plus an order of fries. I took a seat by the window counter and got an instant sense of this place fitting perfectly within the vibe and goings on of Kensington and Baldwin Avenue in particular. People stopping by outside to chat while an employee changed the sandwich board, overhearing phone calls with suppliers, the general "catch up on small tasks during the slow hours" that you find in any small business like this.
My order took a little longer than intended (something to do with the fryer I think) and so I'm pretty certain to make up for the wait they gave me this heaping double portion of fries (I legit had to split them up into the two containers, there were so many).
As french fries... these are definitely different. They have that very homemade sliced potato feel and texture, with decent crunch and some filmy bites here and there... but consistently tasting only of natural, fresh cut potatoes. The seasoning had a considerable smokiness to it, like a paprika (if not just paprika) which I found quite a curious choice but worked totally fine here.
Decent fries I suppose, but there were just so darn many my singular stomach couldn't dream of finishing them all in one sitting. Alas they didn't translate great on a reheat attempt (fries rarely do).
I was way more interested in the burger anyway, which was indeed a condensed, hefty beast.
Flavour and texture-wise, it has all the typical features of a smash burger. The griddle/greasy taste, the American cheese so melted that it is essentially one with the beef, the soft bun... all of that is here. Crack Burger takes it a step further and forgoes the very notion or suggestion of vegetables on here. Tomato? Lettuce? Raw onion? Pickle? Too distracting. Maybe a little bit of caramelized onions for sweetness, but the rest you're getting is a thunderous dose of meat.
And quite a dose it is. There's bacon in here too! Frankly... this kind of in-your-face-blood-flow-be-damned type of burger usually isn't my thing (I like some lettuce crunch, or some pickled zing, or some creamy sauce). That said, in isolation as a burger it's a damn good one. The beef is cooked perfectly (thin and tender, lingering wonderfully in the mouth), the cheese coats it (that blurring of where one ends and the other begins I mentioned earlier) and those greasy fried onions fill the gap inbetween.
Does it need the bacon? Not really, but it is welcome nonetheless. Stringy and fried, though firm enough and tender... bringing that distinctly salty pork hint to the affair. Frankly the beef here is so flavourful (you can taste that griddle) that the bacon sort of floats in the background.
Overall! A tasty burger is, at the end of the day, a tasty burger and Crack Burger is indeed that. It's so heavy, beefy and greasy that while not the kind of burger I'd regularly crave uncontrollably (as insinuated by their name) I definitely recommend trying them out if an expertly smashed burger is your thing. It does swim in its particularly simple lane of flavour, which is much more than I can say about the glut of good-not-great smash burgers that have filled the Toronto food scene in recent years.
They're definitely a solid step above your average smash burger, probably even a couple steps. While the fries were just okay, the burgers are indeed worth the trip. Check em out!
Tuesday Tune
One of my favourite Beck songs... I even covered it at the Redwood Theatre back a few years ago (there's video of it, but I'm not sharing that version of the tune heh heh).
That's it for now! Until next time... stay safe stay cool and most of all don't spill that mustard!
Another Tuesday... another Taste! Gonna have to be a quick one this week, for as I type this just after one in the morning I've got an intercontinental flight to catch in about fourteen hours. Fun times! Way more fun than how this Blue Jays/Mariners series is going, anyway. *Cough*. Anyhow! Onto the review.
Well... we're back doing a McDonald's item. Woo... freaking... hoo. If you've been reading my reviews for a while you'll surely have noticed that McDonald's has never been my jam (toejam more like). I find Big Macs dry and dull, McChickens offensively fake, McRibs sort of charming but hollow in their one-dimensionality (totally a word) and likewise the McGriddle. And these are the items I actually liked best! Indeed, I was wholly content to have covered as much of the golden arches menu as I'd deemed necessary and never again have to endure their food in the name of science (or whatever vocation you wanna call this weekly thing of mine).
Alas... enter the McVeggie. McDonald's latest attempt at a non-meat burger option. And yes, reading articles about it, their reasons for launching and promoting it so heavily in Canada at the moment are as cynical as you'd expect... lots of statistical data on shifting market/consumer trends among consumers seeking a heavier vegetable diet in their daily lives blah blah blah. I know, it's unfair for me to slag them for using this reasoning (and what the hell else are they gonna say?) since that's just how this stuff works... but that still won't stop me.
Especially when I'm way more interested in how this thing came to be in the first place. By the sounds of it, we can thank McDonald's India. About a decade ago they launched a completely vegetarian restaurant there (which does track when you think about it) and this appears to be how the current incarnation/configuration/maturation of the McVeggie was born. McDonald's later attempts to sell a vegetarian burger patty that simulated the taste and texture of meat fell flat, thus this venture of fully embracing the vegetable aspect of the sandwich is their course correction.
There's something about being inside a McDonald's that feels way different than any other fast food joint. It's not a feeling I like all that much, either. Something akin to being in a bus station or some kind of busy cafeteria where they call your number... some of the characters you encounter certainly fit my comparison. Regardless of that, this McDonald's was bustling despite it being three in the afternoon on a Wednesday. I made my order and got out of there as quickly as possible, finding a nearby basketball court to sit and give this McVeggie (without a wedgie of lettuce, sadly) a try.
It's a straightforward sandwich. The veggie patty, shredded lettuce, classic McDonald's sesame seed bun, and a sauce (either a regular mayo or a habanero one depending on if you get the "Spicy" McVeggie, which is I'm 99 percent certain the only difference between the two options).
Something I don't do often: a legitimate cross-section! This particular occasion seemed to warrant it and I'm glad I did... you can really see what this thing is (somewhat) made of. Chunks of cooked carrots, greenbeans, peas and some corn... all kind of blended together in this fried falafel-like puck.
There's an okay (though semi-stale) crunch to this sandwich... but it's so, so flavourless. You get a minor undercurrent of those vegetables as more of an aftertaste, which is fine since they do taste like actual vegetables (the cooked carrots especially dominate above the others)... but initially there is just no taste to this whatsoever. It's striking in its emptiness... which probably violates some kind of rule in quantum physics so hey, maybe this deserves its own spot on the Periodic Table or something. Element 153: McVeggium.
It's honestly not terrible but just not all that good either. With a (good) falafel you at least get some seasoning or spice in that crunchy texture, plus that distinct chickpea taste. None of that here, this fried shell is a whole lot of bland bready soy-like nothing. Not even pepper or salt. Bleh. Credit though where credit is due... the habanero sauce they put on this thing, not bad at all. Some honest-to-goodness heat and bite while it stings your tongue with admirable aggression. I'd put this stuff on any other sandwich... like you know, one that's actually good for example.
Finally, it also must be noted how calling this a vegetarian item can also be dubious... considering most McDonald's in Canada use the same fryers for the McVeggie as they do the Filet-O-Fish. No actual meat in the item itself, but the oil the patty is fried is in contact with meat. It also isn't vegan because of the sauce (and possibly the bun), which I'm sure you can just ask them to omit if you really wanted to (not that I would, the sauce is the only flavour on here that isn't sleepwalking).
Suspecting I wouldn't have much to say about the McVeggie (guess I was somewhat wrong, eh) I decided to reacquaint myself with a dessert item from McDonald's I used to quite enjoy in junior high: the McFlurry. Like Dairy Queen's Blizzard, only with the key difference of... um.... uh.... it's a McFlurry.
I thought to best review this, I'd order whatever worldwide consensus says is the most popular McFlurry flavour... which overwhelmingly does seem to be the Oreo one. Can't say I'm shocked, although Oreos have never really been a go-to cookie for me. Now before you all freak out and think "this guy must be a soulless alien not liking Oreos!" let me clarify I think Oreos are perfectly fine and fun, especially the dark cookie part. I just don't seek them out all that often.
Did you know the McFlurry was actually created in New Brunswick? In the mid-1990s in fact, with this very Oreo flavour being the first concoction. I have nothing else to elaborate upon that, it's just kind of cool.
Anyhow... does this dessert treat hold up to my memory of it as a twelve year old? Am I really a soulless monster about to negatively critique freaking ice cream? Yeah sort of and, well obviously. The ice cream is just so fake tasting... suspiciously soft even for soft serve (like a dairy product simply was never meant to be that soft) that always coats the roof of your mouth with some kind of filmy layer. I'd totally forgotten that particular sensation and definitely didn't miss it (I think DQ Blizzards also do the same).
All that said... damn I'd be lying if I said this doesn't work though. Vanilla ice cream and dark crumbly Oreo cookies are an ingenious match, with the Oreos themselves being so finely ground into this ice cream that the general flavour of this entire thing is just Oreo. You still get some delightful crunch from the bigger bits of cookie throughout, plus there's just something so welcoming about this kind of sweetened ice cream, artificially enhanced though it may be. Like it's gently taking your hand and giving you a balloon or something (that might even be the secret ingredient who knows).
This may not taste like or even resemble genuine ice cream but at least it still actually tastes pleasant and full-bodied, unlike so much else McDonald's offers.
Overall... I'd say the McFlurry holds up as a (very) guilty and nostalgic pleasure for me. Not in a hurry to ever get it again... but I enjoyed it well enough. The McVeggie though is a definite miss: okay crunch and the aftertaste of the veggies is fine, but with just so little else going on it's hard to really praise those merits. Not great when a perky mayo completely overshadows your entire sandwich.
I wouldn't recommend either of these items, personally. There's way better ice cream and veggie burger options basically almost anywhere... though I will say I like the conception of the McVeggie far more than the actual result. It is different with its intended vegetable taste and outer crunch. If it just had, you know, flavour... they might actually have something here. Alas.... nope!
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Tuesday Tune
These guys just don't lose a step. Sloan rules (and kudos to Andrew Scott on this particular track).
That's it for another week. I'm off to Europe for a while! Might actually keep up with the reviews while I'm there, depends obviously on how things go but I have a couple meals in the queue I've already tried that I just need to write about, possibly while I'm killing time in the airport. So stay tuned! I'll definitely have a lot of say about whatever I end up trying over there.
Until next time, whenever that may be... stay safe, stay cool, go Jays (please please) and most important of all... don't spill that mustard.
Sometimes the seemingly simplest names are the ones I struggle with the most to properly pronounce. Or at least, overthink exactly how to pronounce. Little Ese is (I'm still assuming) said the same way "Essy" would leave your mouth... but if you think about it, you see what I mean as far as how many other ways it can be said.
Maybe there's more emphasis on the initial "E", making it sound more like "Little E-cee". Maybe the first "e" is totally silent, making it "Little Se".. or the last/both "e's" are silent and the place is actually pronounced "Little S". But wait, there's more! What if the "s" is more like a "z", making it sound like "Little Ease". None of these are all that crazy when you think about it, right?
Anyhow, it was a somewhat cloudy but pleasant afternoon when I went off to try Little Esso (put a pizza in your tank!) just across the street from Trinity Bellwoods Park. My dear friend and longtime occasional pizza try-er with-er had informed me of their quite attractive mid-afternoon Happy Hour specials... and since they had already been on my pizza radar (pizzdar) not too long before hearing that, we resolved to make a lunch of it one day when I'd have to go work a nearby outdoor concert anyhow.
My friend happens to live maybe a dozen short blocks from Little Ese, but I arrived first (maybe seven minutes after our agreed upon time) and after a stroll up the block to fulfill some curiosity (I'm rarely in this area anymore) I got us a table on the patio and began my waiting in seated earnest.
I immediately noticed the rather boxy and wooden nature of this patio setup, giving both an enclosed and secure vantage point to observe the happenings of the always eventful Queen Street West, yet also enough sense of closeness to feel engaged and a part of said happenings.
Fifteen minutes in now, I was certainly daydreaming while my server (kind fellow he was) would occasionally ask the awkward question of if I wanted to order something before my friend showed up. You see (and I know you're probably reading this), I adore this particular friend of mine dearly and her poignant and invaluable insight has appeared in many of these pizza reviews. However... she is also notoriously late for, well... basically everything and it's really one of those things we've all grown to accept over the many years of knowing her. I really only mention this because I've always found it way more impressive than annoying, in circumstances like this, when she can be so late to meet up somewhere that's at most a ten minute walk from where she lives. It's honestly like a bizarre superpower. Maybe a supervillain power? Damn you, Tardiella! Damn youuuuu!!!
Plus hey, this delayed punctuality is also far more forgivable now that she has a toddler running around causing all kinds of havoc... I can only imagine the roadblocks that would create when trying to leave the house for any reason.
I was starting to get hungry though and with a fairly limited time window before my shift, I was getting close to the "screw this I'm ordering without you" point. However, a bandmate had sent me a recording this same afternoon and I figured, surely, once I started listening to it that my dear friend would now show up within thirty seconds... which is exactly what happened. I'm certain I said/awkwardly joked something to our server along the lines of "See? I do have a friend! They exist!"
Little Ese's Happy Hour menu happens to include a few food items at a discount, including their pepperoni pizza for just ten bucks! Score. As there were two of us (and I was doubly hungry) we ordered both this ten dollar pepperoni as well as their Al Pastor pizza, which looked very unusual and intriguing.
You see, Little Ese is hardly a standalone venture. Pnut Gallery Hospitality is the creation of husband and wife team Nathan Godin and Elena Arsenov, who began their mini-restaurant empire with Greek & Co over a decade ago (damn accidental rhyme) and have since branched out further with the latin inspired snack bar Papi Chulos, Greek spot Aleria, Nonna's Italian Catering, and spinoff Papi & Rosita... with all of these places pretty much within a couple kilometers of each other. The plan initially was for Little Ese to also open on Ossington, though Godin and Arsenov realized the glut of restaurants on that stretch (including their own) and decided instead to take over the space on Queen West once occupied by the very popular Italian spot Noce.
All right, we've covered the backstory and the arrival of my friend... time for some pizza. Here is that discounted happy hour pepperoni pie, which is far from a discounted size.
If your first thought upon seeing this pizza is: "damn, that looks very cheesy"... well your eyes are not lying to you. Considering the near absence of any kind of traditional crust, it's hard to discern where the bread ends and the cheesy goodness begins! That said, there is a solid layer of baked dough underneath that, while entirely fine when fresh, does get semi-chewy and tough some the pie cools off a bit. Likewise with the cheese, as it loses a lot of that gooeyness. Probably the weakest element of this pizza.
That said, the thinness of this pizza is endlessly charming and I do love when a place can pull off crispy cheese edges like this. A very unconventional touch that often falls flat but they nail it here.
Flavour-wise... it's a very typical greasy, cheesy pepperoni pizza. Picture yourself being a kid again at your friend's 9th birthday party and they had a bunch of pizzas for everyone to help themselves to. This Little Ese pizza tastes pretty much how you'd look back and imagine that pizza would be (when in reality it was probably flavourless and cardboard-like but you're an eight year old kid and don't care because pizza!). This is a pepperoni pizza that makes you nostalgic for an ideal that may have never existed, yet is actually right in front of you and you're eating it that very moment. Chew on that one, philosophy majors...
I'd say it's a pretty good pizza but also exceptionally simple. You get a bit of sauce here and there (solid tomato sauce too) but the cheese is really the thing hogging the spotlight. Great for sharing (especially at ten bucks) but not all that interesting once you're into a second slice. Entirely solid but not mindblowing.
Fortunately, this 'Al Pastor' pizza promised something much more intriguing and I have to say, this is one of the more unique pizza creations I've encountered recently. And yes, before you in that obsessed militant faction pipe up yes that is indeed pineapple on this pizza blah blah blah deal with it.
This is kind of like a Hawaiian pizza meets a Mexican taco. You get the Al Pastor pork on here, a consistent drizzle of jalapeno puree (which my associate argued was more of a tomatillo salsa and on that particular type of sting and spice I'd tend to agree) the hunks of pineapple, some shavings of dry pecorino cheese along with your standard sauce and mozzarella (not nearly as heavy a touch as on the pepperoni pie).
There's really one key thing that makes this pizza work so brilliantly and it's that Al Pastor pork. It's fantastic: loaded with immediate marinated, biting flavour with a texture that seems to melt in your mouth (impressive considering it is baked in addition to being, presumably, slow cooked). While pork is a common pizza topping (pepperoni, ham, bacon, to name a few from this wonderful, magical animal) rarely do you encounter it in this particular form, with less focus on its saltier aspects and more on a flavour its been slowly roasted in.
For me, this fusion of cuisines on here really works. You get some sharp, reasonably spicy sting from that jalapeno/tomatillo drizzle (just a tiny touch is all it needs). Meanwhile, the pineapple (yeah yeah) chunks here help balance out that acid and vinegar hint to the pork with some invaluable and juicy sweetness. I've said it before (at point when it comes to pizza I've said almost everything before) but fresh sliced pineapple makes such a difference compared to the canned stuff. That juiciness, a more firm exterior (locking in said juiciness) and much less artificial sweetness/sugar. It would've been a shame for a cheap pineapple chunk to lessen the excellent flavours all around here and thankfully that is not the case.
You could argue that this maybe doesn't taste or feel like a proper "pizza", which sure I suppose these particular flavours do make more common sense on a taco or crunchy tortilla (surely Papi Chulo's being a sister restaurant has some influence here). Yet, that softer, doughier give of a pizza, the lightly crispier edges, the layer of baked cheese... to me this still works in this capacity. Plus, when the flavours are this vivid and enjoyable... who really cares anyhow?
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Overall! Very intriguing stuff here from Little Ese. I will repeat that the chewier texture of the dough is an issue... there are certain bites when the pizza has cooled off where you feel like your teeth are pulling and gnawing. It is a pizza that, despite its objective thin shape, has deceptive thickness in the mouth (sigh... there really has to be a better way of phrasing that). Plus that pepperoni pizza, while charming, is very, very basic. Not a criticism but a fact that must be noted.
That said, their Al Pastor pie is an absolute winner and is definitely one I highly suggest seeking out. I love the creativity, the innovation on a typical Hawaiian pizza and the little touches (spicy drizzle) do wonders to elevate the robust flavours. That pork is damn tasty and they don't hoard it either, you get a good helping in nearly every section of the pizza.
Seeing as I sampled two pizzas here of very different levels, I'll have to split the difference. The Al Pastor pizza was in the 'A--' range for me, with the pepperoni one more along the lines of a 'B'. I think this results in a strong "B+" for Little Ese as an overall grade. Definitely a place worth checking out and one I'd say juuust sneaks into the top 75 in all of Toronto.
There's always a baseline of hopeful expectation anytime I set out to try a new pizza place. After all, time is precious and choosing to use some of my own supply to both travel to and sample a spot... well even in a vacuum that commitment tends to either further enhance or detract from the experience later on in retrospect. "This place was awesome, what a great way to spend this free afternoon!" Or... "Man not only was that pizza dreadful, I wasted my time getting there." See what I mean?
As for Lorenzo's... well this particular afternoon I decided to head up and visit them... also happened to be my birthday. So yeah... no pressure!
We were off to a good start as the weather was pleasant and sunny as I headed up towards Pape and Danforth, meeting my old friend (and long time occasional pizza trying associate) along the way at Donlands. Navigating Pape is rather clunky at the moment, what with the imminent (and presumably soon to be endless) construction of the Ontario subway Line clustering wooden walls and dead ends all over the place. We wisely took a side street as a slowcut shortcut and basically wound up right near Lorenzo's Pizzeria by dumb chance, it being nestled in the unassuming corner of Fulton Avenue and Pape right across from a high tension gas station (it was genuinely bizarre: the pizzeria as calm and relaxed as could be, while constant noisy confrontation played out between car drivers on the other side of the street).
Lorenzo's is both an extremely new pizza spot (opening just this summer) and an extremely small one: these four little stools, arguably more for decoration, are all you get for seating. At least, that's all you get inside, as there is some outside space with movable chairs that make for a sunnier, more comfortable (less knees touching the ground for us tall people) eating experience.
I'd worked up quite a birthday appetite and ordered two slices: one their standard pepperoni slice and the other what the co-owner calls a "Trenton slice", with the distribution/placement of cheese and tomato sauce reversed (sauce on top of the cheese, similar to some Detroit styles although this here wasn't deep dish of course).
The inquiry upon what made a "Trenton" slice led to my friend and the co-owner chatting quite a bit (she has the same name as my friend's little daughter) about the challenge of both finding places to live in the city and raising a young family, noting how this portion of East York is expansively residential. I believe the owner mentioned how she and her husband commute all the way from Caldeonia/St. Clair to Pape and Fulton (a notch south of Mortimer) to operate Lorenzo's, which is certainly no small journey to undertake daily.
Onto the pizza, starting with the pepperoni slice (I also got a dip which you see in the top part of the photo, more on that in a moment).
I think in general, we all like our pepperoni pizza slices to be a bit greasy. There's obviously too greasy, like 'the paper plate is disintegrating in my hands greasy'... but when a place nails that precise level and feel of greasiness, it really is marvelous. Which this slice here does. Plus, it's that good kind of greasiness that's loose and subtle, not the bad kind that's old, heavy and lard-tasting.
The pepperoni itself is quite flavourful too. Not overly charred or crispy (there are some edges of goodness) but the pork does have a nice zing, tender flavour without extreme saltiness or spice. Not all that peppery either, just a straight forward quality cured sausage.
I'll dive more into the texture of this pizza here with the "Trenton" slice, as it is very worthy of discussion. Layers, Jerry! Layers of texture. The sauciness on top combined with the light crispiness of the bottom, the gentle chew of the baked fermented dough between... it's all lovely and delicious. The crust brings more of an oilier, hollow crunch that is likewise enjoyable.
I've gone on the record many (too many) times about how I love a saucier type of pie (explains my affinity for Chicago style), so this Trenton slice having the tomato sauce so prominently on each bite (it really is like reversing the sauce and cheese) well you can say I'm definitely a fan. You'll need a quality, robust tomato sauce to pull such a thing off of course, which is most certainly is: there's a stewed, deeper sweetness to this sauce that settles nicely despite being such a big great flavour. Really great stuff, although the cheese is so overshadowed here that it kind of blends flavour-wise into the dough.
While New York City inspired, these slices are indeed thin but not "floppier than a cheap wet sandal" thin (the analogy... hits.... keep... coming!). This allows that precious bottom crunch to really shine through. As for the dip, my friend/longtime occasional pizza trying associate and I were brainstorming for quite some time trying pinpoint an exact flavour within. There's a definite rich creaminess to it, not so heavy with the garlicky punch for a "garlic" dip and it very much reminded me of an Alfredo sauce with less butteriness. Very easy to dip as well, with more of a clinging consistency than a gloopy, scoopy one.
A young couple with a stroller, who had taken the remaining front patio chairs and sat nearby to us, suggested quite confidently to us that the ingredient we were dancing around was artichoke... a shock to me as a fervent non-liker of artichokes my entire adult life. Something about that weird texture and initial off-bitter taste... no thanks. Same reason I'm not a fan of brussel sprouts either.
Nevertheless, the artichoke element of this dip worked very well... bringing an addition dimension to an already effective creamy garlic concoction. Definitely helps any flavour when it's swimming in creamy garlic goodness, if we're being honest.
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Overall! If you noticed how I didn't say anything substantial about something here I didn't like or that didn't work for me... that would be a very astute observation, dear reader. I'm glad you're reading my work so thoroughly! Anyhow, yeah this pizza is simply awesome, fantastic, fantastically awesome and awesomely fantastic in all the right ways.
There isn't anything all that mind-blowing in terms of the creations they're offering (at least as far as slices go, their full pies veer a bit more creative) but this is an extremely memorable pizza nonetheless. The wonderful texture, the bare bones yet charming family operation vibe, the very interesting Trenton slice... I was very impressed with all of it. Toronto's pizza scene has come a very, very long way in the past decade or so but one thing we still need more of (aside from a legit Chicago dish option) are more places that sell slices at this level of terrific quality.
I'll give Lorenzo's Pizzeria a strong grade of "A-" which lands them quite comfortably in the Top 25, maybe even top 15, of all Toronto. Legitimately that good. Plus, they didn't disappoint a pizza loving lad on his birthday... which has to count for a couple bonus points.
Another Tuesday... another Taste! This week we're visiting a spot I first heard about when undertaking my big bizarre fast food breakfast sandwich project (a project that, while fun and personally illuminating, seemed to not be as popular with certain readers who may have missed the point of concept. Seriously, those comments are a funny read... I had no idea any of my food reviews could inspire such incredulous disdain).
I haven't exactly had the craving for a breakfast sandwich since doing that list (unlike pizza, I can't eat those things every day)... but fortunately Masa Deli is far more than just a first-meal-of-the-day hub. Started up by Reza Azucena, who himself had a hand in operating Gold Standard (featured highly on my breakfast sammy list), Masa Deli (in conjunction with Housecoat Coffee) opened up in a tiny space a bit under three years ago on Dovercourt just off of Hallam Avenue. Housecoat eventually ceased service by the end of 2023 but Masa Deli proved popular enough to continue on solo, with Azucena's compact menu becoming a new reason to visit that charming neighbourhood.
Meanwhile in Leslieville, east end fish and chip stalwart Reliable once again turned off their fryers at the corner of Queen East and Verral Avenue (they'd notably closed and reopened half a decade earlier), this time for good. Seeing an opportunity in an area he'd grown fond of, Azucena quickly jumped on the vacant space and expanded Masa Deli eastward... opening up this second location this past summer. The larger kitchen here (though still rather lacking spaciously) allowed Azucena to expand his menu at this location a tiny bit, giving his Salvadorian roots a chance to shine through by adding tortas, empanadas, beef fat fries and even a plantain burrito.
As mentioned the space is rather tight (that baby carriage took up at least a third of the available floor space) and much like the Dovercourt location their hours are not ideal for a notorious night howling owl such as myself. The Leslieville location at least graces an extra spin around the clock (closing down at the late hour of 4pm)... which for me still proved a close shave as I had to take the infamous Queen streetcar (naturally, this was a day it was diverting north for some suddenly announced vague reason). Somehow I did manage to make it to Masa Deli with ten minutes to spare, although eating my food inside here was no longer possible now. Damn you 501! Dammnnnnnn youuuuuu!!!!!*
*Yeah I think the Queen car has done far, far worse to all of us
The wait for my food was not an extended one while my viewpoint out towards the passingsby of Queen Street East and Carlaw on a sunny September afternoon provided more than enough diversion. The mind can wander in such circumstances and I recalled indeed how several summers ago, I briefly worked at a similarly small restaurant just a few doors west from here. 'Rashers' was a bacon themed breakfast spot that was impossibly tight (with indoor seating somehow) but did made some mighty tasty sandwiches. A close friend of mine was the kitchen manager and brought me (desperate for work in the summers during those days) aboard for some part-time hours. This lasted about a month, as while I could expertly handle the customer facing aspects of the gig... the "having to also professionally prepare and cook food on a flat grill while dozens of delivery orders are piling up"... yeah. I'm simply not built for that kind of stuff. The semi-forgotten memories that pop into one's mind when staring off into a familiar stretch of town...
One definite positive to this part of town: quite a few accessible parks in which to sit down, eat, shoo away the September wasps (bastards!) and enjoy a waning sunny afternoon. I settled in with the Masa Deli order you see here: their beef barbacoa torta with a hefty side of their beef fat fries.
A comparison I've used once or twice before, but these Masa Deli fries are very similar to McDonald's fries. Close enough to almost be a clone, even. Except... these are actually delicious. A light crispiness throughout, mild oiliness, just a tiny pinch of salt... and most crucial of all they taste like real potatoes (always my biggest McD's complaint is how little it resembles actual food in the flavour department).
Just really damn tasty stuff here. Very simple, the texture is just right for a thin french fry... enjoyable to munch on from first bite to last, from steamy hot to cold.
This sandwich here however, the beef barbacoa torta, however... far from simple. An impressive mix of tastes, textures, spices and tongue tingles.
While this may not be the exact type of sandwich I'd seek out often... there's no denying that on its own merits this is straight up excellent. The beef itself is rather wet, the result of being slow cooked and stewed in its own juices for so long... yet it is far from watery in either texture or flavour. There's a sharpness and a peculiar maltyness to the beef, both sensations which also linger in the mouth nicely long after initial contact. While far from lean, the fattiness of the meat is hardly excessive. Much of the juices end up soaking into the bun anyhow, condensing the tenderness of the meatier bites. It isn't really a drippy sandwich, either... helped by that spongey kaiser-like bun holding it all together.
As damn tasty as that beef is, the supporting elements of this torta are really where some magic happens. Nothing all that crazy either: there's an acidic tomato salsa, some red cabbage slaw, a sharp hint of jalapeno (perhaps as part of that salsa) and a very lime-heavy spread of guacamole. Quite a lot going on, yet all these flavours work so nicely as an additional layer complimenting that savoury slow cooked, shredded beef. Each one of those toppings get a moment here and there to break through, otherwise they play as a symphony on your tongue within this little sandwich.
Like I said, these are flavours I seek out more in taco formation than on a sandwich... with the 'sandwich' part of this being its weakest link. That sort of hollow, airy dry, easily yielding type of kaiser bun doesn't completely work for me here... though I do see the merits of going in this more basic direction rather than a more flavoured/textured bread. Not that this lessened my enjoyment of the sandwich at all either... you can get away with the bun just being a "whatever" (and it's quite fresh too) when the flavours and textures within are this deep and fantastic.
Overall! I can't help but feel I ordered the wrong thing in regards to properly reviewing Masa Deli. A place that's especially known for their unique breakfast items (a burrito being the most popular among them) and so I decide to get a beef sandwich and fries. Sometimes my methods confuse even myself.
Someday soon I suspect I'll be making a second visit to Masa Deli to try that same breakfast burrito... and if the quality and flavours are on par with what I encountered here, I'd strongly suggest you go off and try it too. A definite recommendation from me on this one. Terrific taste that really has some depth to it in composition and spices... you can tell they put some care and skill into these recipes. Perhaps individually nothing here that you haven't tasted before but it's done in a package that you may not have yet encountered, if that makes sense. It does? Really? Phew.
Anyhow. Masa Deli is really good, the prices won't kick you in the gut (nobody wants that when they're hungry, or... ever) and I genuinely have very few negative things to say about my experience there. Um, their hours are annoying? Calling themselves a "deli" is somewhat misleading since they don't offer cold cuts or anything pork? The word "masa" itself has varied definitions? That's all I got. Check them out!
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Tuesday Tune
This song has everything. An extremely 80s music video that still looks pretty cool, Tony Levin's brilliant and unique bass guitar work (achieved by him and drummer Jerry Marotta playing the bass strings with drumsticks, later known as "Funk Fingers") and obviously it's just an irresistibly catchy song. He performed it live when I saw him back in 2023 and was indeed one of the standout tunes in an exceptional show start to finish.
That's it for this week! Quick note: next week will be the last Tuesday review for a little while as I'm heading to Europe! I'm sure I'll check out some food there and possibly write some quick blurbs on the more interesting local cuisines I encounter, plus I have a handful of pizza reviews I want to have completed before I get on that flight... but until those and until next week, stay cool, stay safe and most of all don't spill that mustard.
Another Tuesday... another Taste! This week we're reviewing some catchy sloganeering that's certain to unify national identity and stand steadfast against a wantonly oppressor that... oh wait, this is Wings Up. Damn, I was in the mood for some tasty elbows though... wings are technically chicken elbows, right?
Wings Up! is a chicken wing chain that clearly likes to exclaim. This is what I mean! They have several locations across the city! Daily specials and a variety of menu items beyond wings! Their logo looks like it's trying to hypnotize you! Run don't walk to your nearest location! Eat more wings, people! Catch the frenzy! My voice is somehow strained now from typing this paragraph!
The name "WingsUp!" itself is also a versatile proclamation. Does it mean these wings are so good they originate from a higher, heavenly place? Is the "Up!" signifying the level of approval you're sure to give upon trying them? Or, is it like a 'raise your glass' to these bite-sized chicken morsels? Cheers me with that wing! I really do often wonder the thinking behind these names...
Speaking of that, this is a restaurant chain that's likely much older than you think. Originally what was called "The Incredible Wing Ding" (this company has a way with names, eh) opened up in Milton, Ontario back in 1988 and expanded to a couple of modestly successful locations regionally... eventually rebranding as "WingsUp" in the late 1990s. Along came Darren Czarnogorski, fresh out of university and working in the investment industry, looking to operate his own small business and, on advice from his father, really get into working the day-to-day dirty details of it. WingsUp was that business which Czarnogorski (friend of all spell checkers) took over in 2004... in the two decades since (but especially in the past five years) they've expanded their reach with a few dozen stores all throughout southern Ontario, plus a smattering of spots out in the Western provinces of Canada as well (their 'Franchising' page on their website also appears keen to attract potential franchisees down south in the Texas and Florida markets).
Until then, they'll have to settle for Toronto being the most populous and prominent city to feature their brand of wings... and hey, Toronto happens to be the city I live in so lets actually try these damn things! (Things Up?). They have a location in Liberty Village in that sort of outdoor mall south of East Liberty Street and Lynn Williams (the very same walkway which has the Aloette Go I checked out last winter). From what I can tell this particular WingsUp outpost is pretty brand shiny new (it was a Pita Land last summer) and does kind of have that "paint still fresh" type of aura.
Entering the location itself is also an exercise in... misdirection. Not only is it located on a laneway instead of an actual street, they share the building with an Osmow's and... the WingsUp itself is down a flight of stairs underground. While clean and sleek, I couldn't escape the notion I was entering some kind of nuclear fried chicken wing bunker and got my order to go.
It must be mentioned first off... at full freight these prices are rough. This is a 1/2 pound (or 2/3... their sizes are somewhat vague) of wings with their potato wedges... right around twenty bucks. So we're not exactly looking at a full-sized lunch here despite the full meal price tag. The wings are of a larger size sure, but there are only four of them so...you see what I mean.
I've found my enthusiasm for potato wedges have waned over the years mostly because, well, a lot of places make them terribly. Whether they be fried in an overused oil, undercooking them so that they're partially raw on the inside, or letting them sit out too long before re-frying (resulting in a stale, chalky experience)... whatever it may be, rarely does it seem I encounter a good one.
These ones from WingsUp... they're pretty good actually. I'd like a bit more crispiness and seasoning, but the overall texture is decent (light crisp on the outside, fluffy inside) and there's a light pinch of much needed salt to tickle the taste buds just a little. Potatoes are tough on a reheat (I had to start work and left these unfinished) as they dry out and shrivel rather quickly... though the air fryer was able to restore some of their fresh glory (a positive sign in regards to their quality). Are these fresh cut daily? I'd wager no... the flavour is rather muted... though I didn't get the familar numb sting of frozen food either. Maybe they are fresh? Either way... a very average potato wedge.
Like I said... twenty bucks but at least the quartet of wings are individually large. WingsUp have a variety of sauces (a little over a dozen) yet only a couple carry any kind of spice alert (like, multiple flaming peppers next to the name). I guess I was feeling especially adventurous this afternoon because I went for what they deem their hottest one: the "Sweatin' Bullets", which they even sell bottles of.
On that first bite the familiar tropical sweetness of a scotch bonnet made my acquaintance, although I must say this is a very PG version of that notoriously fiery pepper. The sizzle and the sting are greatly watered down and diminished, as though the fire in your mouth is actually across a lake and you're just watching it, some of the heated smoke hitting your nostrils only occasionally. It still has some lingering bite however, especially on the lips... and frankly I quite liked it as a sauce. Accessible with a more well rounded heat rather than a direct assault. Easily the best thing I encountered here at WingsUp.
The wings themselves... oddly soft (the sauce does soak them) with a fairly indistinguished breading. The chicken inside is quite tender and mostly lean. While these aren't cheap in regards to quality, again I didn't get much depth to these wings in either texture or flavour (beyond the pleasant tingle from the sauce). Tender yes, but lacking juiciness. Are they good chicken wings? Sure. They are quite tasty, sneakily greasy. they fall off the bone well and are cooked consistently throughout. However, they're not outstanding... and when you're basically talking four bucks a wing here...
I was set to leave the review at just this simple wings and wedges order... but then I noticed they do daily specials on appetizers. Actually, the WingsUp Liberty Village offers so many specials on their walls it became distracting as to what the priority of this restaurant actually was. Daily chicken sandwich special! Wing Wednesday! Buy a large party platter for the price of 2/3 a party platter between 5 and 8 pm on the third Saturday of every other month! (Okay maybe I made up one of those).
Anyhow, I noticed how on Sundays they offered their "Multi-tizer" at 1/2 price, which is essentially a mini-platter of most of their appetizers. Seeing such an item potentially discounted to ten bucks... I decided to give WingsUp! a second visit before work, calling in my order online (uh... webbing my order?) for it to be ready once I arrived.
Twelve dollars? Now that's a bit more reasonable. Here we have an assortment of breaded pickles, perogies, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers and fried mac n'cheese bites. Plus a side of sour cream, marinara and whatever the heck that mass-produced orange one is. My arteries were truly over the moon on my culinary choices this particular day, lemme tell ya.
Once again I didn't have time to properly sample these right away (lousy actual job, financially sustaining my actual life) so it was time again for the air fryer to do it's best to emulate what these would be like fresh. I do think in general I got a strong sense what we're dealing with here.
The perogies were probably the ones I was most skeptical about, yet might've ended up being the best thing here in the sampler, funny enough. They're very simple: cheese and potato filling (no trace or hint of onion), yet there's a lightness to them despite being rather dense with that filling. The exterior reminded me of a pizza pop or pizza roll in terms of taste and texture. Far from authentic, but they fill a sort of fast food pierogi definition capably.
Get ready to throw your pitchforks (pickleforks?) at me because... I'm not the biggest fan of pickles. There I said it. *ducks*
Now before you finish typing that angry message how I'm unforgivably wrong for slighting the greatest food to ever exist, let me just say I think pickles are an excellent supporting player for other dishes. Pickles on sandwiches or in spreads (relish) can be excellent, personally I love a pastrami sandwich with a pickle on the side. It's pure magic. When a pickle is the only thing though? The main attraction? I'm just not that into it. That's just not my preferred brand of stingy sour flavour.
As such... it's hard for me to judge these WingsUp fried pickles entirely fairly. Plus... there's only so much an air fryer can do to save a breaded (and now hollow and shriveled) pickle after several hours. I did like the touch of dill within the breading.
This colourful creation is a jalapeno popper, a fried item I can't say I've munched on extensively in my life. For instance, I wasn't aware these things had cheese inside of them...
...very much a gooey, fake/nacho cheese, a plasticky taste that does pair well with an angry hot pepper. These were indeed quite enjoyable, if a bit of a heartburn nightmare waiting to ambush you. Really quite loaded with that molten cheese and the shell of the hot pepper runs through most of the popper. Solid stuff.
It's a fried mozzarella stick. It tastes exactly like a fried mozzarella stick, which is both awesome and immediately guilt-inducing. Also don't worry, the contents of that ketchup container came nowhere near anything in these photos (no appetizer was harmed by ketchup in the making of this article).
Finally, the mac and cheese bite (likely what that nefarious ketchup was meant for). Imagine clumps of KD in a thin batter and fried... bingo. I tend to like my mac n cheeses much creamier and richer (I don't like KD is what I'm saying) but as a bizarre appetizer novelty, these were funky to try. The noodles on the inside weren't hard or overdone either... quite soft in fact. Would've liked it had they been cheesier though.
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Overall... honestly a very slightly-above-average fast food outing here. Nothing really blew me away, but everything was also mostly enjoyable and tasty enough. The wings are good but not as amazing as their cost suggests and as such... WingsUp isn't a place I'd recommend at full price... if they have a 1/2 off special or something of the like? I could see myself going back. I guess the hypnotic logo did something after all.
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Tuesday Tune
I genuinely can't believe this hasn't been a song of the week yet in the 130+ weekly reviews I've done over the years. Arguably my favourite BOC song and one that really takes me back to a particular era and time in my life, reminding me of cool people I knew and fun nights we had. Great song.
That's it for another week! Until next time... stay safe, stay cool, enjoy these remaining morsels of nice weather and most of all... don't spill that mustard.
