Left Field Brewery is a spot I have a significantly soft spot in my heart for. What's not to like? Their backstory is awesome, their first location is up the street from where I play softball (the little taproom there is great), they're baseball themed, their branding is stylish and most importantly their beers are consistently fantastic!
If this were a review just about their beers (and I were currently drinking such things) this article would be glowing so much you'd need shades. Alas this is a pizza program (er, article) and so we have to stick to the merits of only pizza-related things, damnit. As refreshing as their non-alcoholic cherry spritzer was...
It was a wet stormy Wednesday night and I was at the Liberty Village location of LF with some old dear friends for their trivia night (which Left Field does in a somewhat unconventional way). Seeing pizza on the menu... well I think you can guess what happened next... you're reading it right now!
I'm consistently drawn to the combination of sweet and spicy, thus making Left Field's "Hot and Honey" pizza the most appealing among their rather limited (four) pizza options. Not as limited are their selection of dips, with over a dozen concoctions ranging from Buttermilk Ranch, Sriracha Ketchup, Onion Dip and Eephus BBQ Sauce (to name a few). While I'm also consistently attracted to garlic sauces in all varieties... their "beer and cheddar" dip sounded far too intriguing to pass on.
Typically a cheesy beer dip would be associated more as an accompaniment for a big salty pretzel rather than a pizza slice, but my rationale was "hey, pizza also consists mostly of bread too, right?" Plus... I really just wanted to try this dip.
I'll say that I didn't get so much of the beer flavour beyond an undercurrent of wheaty breadiness in the taste and texture, which made the consistency of the dip a bit looser than some of your thicker, gloopier cheese sauces. The cheddar presence was also on the subtler side: less of an immediate luminescent sharpness and more a grounded, slightly malty (perhaps from the beer) cheesiness. Pretty interesting... and quite effective as a dip for the crusts.
Not a pizza that's going to win a whole lot of beauty contests, especially under the yellow lighting of Left Field Brewery's upstairs. Also: are pizza beauty contests actually a thing? Please let this be so... I could totally be a judge for such an event, for real! My credentials are obvious!
This "Hot and Honey" is a pretty straight-forward creation: tomato pizza sauce, mozzarella, Calabrese salami, a drizzle of honey, bomba sauce and grana padano cheese. The pizza came to the table extremely hot, which can definitely distort one's impression of how spicy a pizza actually is when actual heat is sizzling the insides of your defenseless mouth.
As a pizza, this is an extremely saucy one. If Zula in The Junction was the one most overloaded with cheese, Left Field is the one way too supercharged with tomato sauce. It oozes out! Normally I like a pizza with a good amount of sauce (the steadfast advocate for deep dish that I am) but this is a bit too much even for me. It is a solid sauce though: not too sweet, with a general heartiness that reminds me of a good homemade spaghetti.
Adding to the sloppiness of the pie is that honey drizzle, which truly is a fantastic touch on a pizza like this. Honey sweetness has a certain lightness to it... like a gentle kiss on the cheek its pleasant and brief. The only issue is when you drizzle honey on something extremely hot, like a pizza fresh from an oven... the honey tends to expand and seep into the closest creaks and cracks (such as in-between the slices). Basically... honey makes pizza very sticky! Still worth it though.
This pizza actually reminded me a lot of Domino's, which in these parts normally would be an insult akin to telling your significant other they do indeed look fat in that outfit. In this case though it's more of a similarity in composition: you've got a bit of a cornmeal dusting on the bottom (like Domino's), the heavy amount of sauce is also similar as is the overall level it's been baked to. The main difference is that Left Field makes a far superior pizza in every way: the heavy sauce actually has a presence beyond "red tomato-like filler", the slices don't dry up and lose all flavour once cold, plus the salami on this is enjoyable with a lingering taste as well.
The slight sprinkling of parmesan is a pleasant touch although not all that noticeable considering how most of the flavour is dominated by all that sauce. I'm certain the bomba is also mixed into the tomato sauce, which does give the pie a particular oily and spicy zing on most bites. This might not be an ideal choice if your day has already been shrouded by bouts of heartburn.
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(I didn't take my usual exterior shot of the place because it was raining so damn much I just wanted to escape back to the shelter of the Exhibition GO Station as quickly as possible!)
Overall. I think Left Field makes an entirely respectable pizza. Definitely enjoyable, holds up once it (mercifully) cools off, while the ingredients are of a pretty solid quality. That said, I wouldn't be in a rush to have another one whenever I happen to visit the brewery again in Liberty Village. Far from a disappointment but likewise far from a "you really gotta try this" level. Nothing particularly unique or creative to it, just a pretty okay-to-fine bar style pizza.
For me I'd place it squarely in the "B-" range, probably on the outside of the Top 100 in Toronto. Perfectly suited to share with some buddies and beers (like that Eephus Ale... oh do I miss it) over a ballgame on the big screen, but the pizza itself won't at all be the memorable part.
It's been a fun ride and I hope you all have greatly enjoyed these little articles here, in my weird little corner of the internet... with still plenty more reviews to come. For now, lets jump right into the meat (pun intended) of this quasquicentennial* episode and talk about a heckavalot of chicken nuggets.
(*definitely not a word I knew off the top of my head)
Chicken nuggets (or similar small fried chicken forms) occupy a curious place within the fast food universe. Their creation dates back to the 1950s and Cornell University, with multiple sources crediting food science professor Robert C. Baker as the forefather of this culinary innovation (the initial purpose of which was, shocker, for the poultry industry to efficiently sell more chicken). This Reddit thread does a solid job diving deeper into that origin.
Far from being considered a meal, nuggets fall very much within the realm of 'snack'... enjoying the versatile appeal of such a distinction. Whether it be as a light finger food easily munched on the go, a big communal dish split and nibbled upon by friends, or just a something edible and soft a small child can put in their mouth (thus keeping them quiet for a precious moment)... chicken in such a bite sized package really appeals to all ages and situations.
My goal here was to sample and compare every chicken nugget sold by all the major fast food players here in Toronto. Thing is, not many of them actually offer actual nuggets! So... I had to stretch the definition a bit... opening the door for items like "popcorn chicken" and "boneless wings" (items ending in "bites" etc). Also, sorry to chicken tenders but you've much too much girth for this one. As long as it was chicken (or closely resembled it) and could be eaten in two bites or less, we're good.
While I am ranking these (because ranking things is fun) this is not meant as any kind of thesis on why chicken bites or nuggets or popcorn chicken is superior this way or that blah blah blah. I'm calling 'em how I sees 'em... or tastes 'em, rather. I'll save my general conclusions for the end. Lets roll:
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#13. Mary Brown's
The epic disappointment of this entire epic adventure. This is Marlon Brando saying "I could've been a contender" in the backseat and then the car also crashes into a lamp post or something. I wrote very positively about Mary Brown's sandwiches for an early TT review back in 2021 and anticipated that same chicken in a smaller bite-sized version would share at least some of that tastiness.
This was also an awkward purchase, as Mary Brown's only offer what they call "Pop-In's" (popcorn chicken essentially) and an order of just a box of those would've landed around seventeen bucks. Hey, this wasn't exactly a cheap project to undertake in one day! Instead I got the much cheaper Mash-Up Bowl, which had some of those Pop-In's on top.
Really, these aren't terrible or anything but they're extremely bland. Simple flavour, not much in the way of salt or pepper or anything... plus they're so small that half of what you're eating is a ball of breading anyhow (one way to keep costs low). Not to mention the chicken itself inside... it's fairly dry and stringy. You know you have a problem when the residual gravy from the mashed potatoes gets on your chicken bites and even that can't soften them up a bit.
I wouldn't say these were the worst tasting on the list but when you factor in my considerable expectations, how long these took to make (almost twenty minutes) their rather pathetic small size and unpleasant texture... I think this placement at the bottom sadly makes a lot of sense. Too bad but... I'd stay far away from these and stick with the sandwiches instead.
#12. Domino's
No, we're not looking exclusively at the fast food giants specializing only in chicken (this would be a very short article if so). Certain pizza spots have also dipped their, um, pizza toes in the fried chicken pond... and while I probably missed a few (Papa John's and Nova for sure) the ones I did try were each insightful in their own way.
The insight I gained from Domino's chicken bites? That Domino's is exceptional at making more than just pizza tasteless and unappealing.
These are very, very soft... with far too much of an artificial ground pepper scent and flavour (enough to make you sneeze) to them. Very little chicken presence or texture at all... it's just the floury breading that fills your mouth without even any pleasant crunch or crispiness to make at least the motion of eating these semi-enjoyable. Once cold they dry out terribly also, adding insult to your tongue injury.
I wonder if these were baked rather than fried, which if so, fine... but can you give a pinch of oil or butter or anything to liven this up even a bit? These were like gnawing on a pack of economy-priced bagels, plain and half-off.
Combined with the dreadful honey BBQ dip that came with these (a thick malty gloop that was more artificial brown sugar than anything) and the price (eleven dollars) this is the opposite of a winner. It only escapes the bottom of this ranking via it's texture being meh... but honestly these taste like those cheap chalky chicken nuggets the big box grocery stores make-in-house and sell near the meat section. Avoid.
#11. Pizza Pizza
Like Domino's, this is another one I did not anticipate being any good. And I was right! Though whereas I'd prefer Domino's pizza over Pizza Pizza (the correct answer is neither of course) as far as chicken goes? Pizza Pizza gets the nudge above for their popcorn chicken being a tad cheaper (nine bucks) and bringing a flavour that isn't blech.
It's a generic flavour sure, minced and oily and mostly of the fried bready covering... but there's some okay salty juiciness and these at least had some utility as leftovers in a salad (yes, even a boring salad is more interesting than these). Pizza Pizza also don't include a dip with their chicken, it's an extra charge! I didn't bother with that.
There's little else to say. Not quite the worst, certainly not the best... and in the end aggressively forgettable. Much like Pizza Pizza pizza itself. So far it is quite eye-opening how these pizza places treat chicken exactly like their pies.
#10. Burger King
Our first legit actual chicken 'nugget' so far. Points for looking good hey hey (you'll need them).
These are very cheap (six for just over four bucks) and it reveals as much after a moment. The crunch is quite nice and pleasant I will say, there's a baked, crumbly breading to it. Really, these are like those store brand frozen nuggets you buy from the grocery and bake in the oven for half an hour or whatever... those crumbles on the baking sheet and that unmistakable heavy smell? It's right here, folks. You just can't see it.
I wasn't in love with these. They do have that same frozen aftertaste despite being fairly juicy. I don't get much chicken flavour or seasoning beyond just that hard coating of bread, making the enjoyment of these nuggets very reliant upon whatever dip is immediately close at hand. Rubbery and tough once cold as well. Meh.
#9. McDonald's
A classic. A legend. You can smell the plastic slides and the ball pit already, as like the McNuggets themselves these are childhood scents and tastes seared into your memory until the end of time.
Notoriously I don't care for almost anything and everything on McDonald's menu... although admittedly the last time I'd eaten a box of McNuggets I might still have been the age where jumping around in plastic ball pits would be socially acceptable.
Still, the McNugget is interesting and different amidst the others on this list. The breading (somebody mentioned to me this past weekend how they're triple coated and triple fried or something) has a distinct light and oily taste to it... much like those chicken balls some cheap Chinese restaurants (basically The Mandarin) have on their menu.
Again, that strong oily taste is so weird because these nuggets aren't even oily to the fingers at all. Regardless, they generally are okay (I guess) but don't taste of real chicken (or meat) whatsoever and at a shockingly steep price (7.45 for just six of these flat little things?) I'm cool with letting the rest of the world have all these. Go ahead, everybody else on the planet Earth. All the McNuggets are all yours. This is my gift to you.
#8. Wendy's
Almost identical to McNuggets in shape and size. The flavour is less noticeable than McDonald's (nothing else tastes like McDonald's I'll give them that) but with Wendy's there's an improvement in the overall crunch.
To me, this is a very standard exhibit A of what a fast food chicken nugget should be. Extremely cheap (3.79 for six), some pleasant juiciness, still not much real chicken flavour and far worse for you than you could ever expect. They're really not all that great (that one dimensional flavour gets tiresome by the third one) but at a low price it's entirely acceptable I suppose. A serviceable choice if this is the specific thing you're craving.
#7. Harvey's
A notable step up in quality from everything else so far, although (perhaps just my personal taste) I thought these looked a lot better than they actually tasted. Keep in mind, this was the very last stop on a day I'd tried ten other bite-sized chicken items so... it's entirely possible (probable) my taste buds had simply had enough of this madness.
The size of these Harvey's nuggets are a definite improvement compared to the others, with not much (5.60 for the five/six you see) elevation cost-wise. There's crunch but it's a harsh crunch: you can see how jagged these nuggets are and that translates into some pretty dry bites at points here. No gentle layer of just slightly cooked batter: it's either chicken or crunch so the gums of your mouth better be ready.
Hey, back to looking like real chicken again (and the flavour of such a thing). Alas where so many of the lesser entries on this list suffered via tasting of only breading... this one just tastes like white-meat chicken with little else. That little else being an odd slight bitterness in that breading, similar to old overused frying oil.
A bit of adventurous seasoning and/or less intense crunch (try a little tenderness please) really could've made this a real force on the list. As is... a respectable, solid option but nothing all that special.
#6. Pizzaville
Another pricier one (12.24 for eight) from a pizza spot. Pizzaville however (already a finer quality pizza than Dominos or Pizza Pizza) rises above via both including a dip with these chicken bites and giving a 'regular' or 'spicy' option.
Naturally I went spicy. A good choice, as the heat is mostly a vinegary zing baked into the outside breading of these bites. It's sneaky and present enough to actually be noticeable... which hey after the repetitive offerings I've tried so far, a wink of flavour was seriously welcome.
All that minced up chicken in there certainly robs it of any genuine chicken flavour. It's still fine... the texture is quite springy, juicy and soft, pairing well with the quality round crunch on the outside. These are impressively satisfying, a solid and tasty entry on the list. The flavour of that outer breading really makes it: a crumbly texture with a decent amount of seasoning. Well played.
#5. Shake Shack
I have a couple of complaints. First of all... these are by far the oiliest chicken bits on the whole list. Maybe ever! These things are practically dripping with the stuff. Maybe they're Edmonton fans...? (ah yes, a joke that will only be funny for another few weeks at best)
Second complaint: similar to my McNuggets gripe, this just isn't a whole lotta bang for your buck at nearly ten dollars for these six morsels of chicken. I could hide this box in the sleeve of my coat if I had to... although with all that oil that sounds like a fabulous way to ruin said coat.
Beyond all that... Shake Shack do make some quality chicken bites. The breading is rather flaky and light on the crispiness, while the meat within is generally tender, real chicken and brightly flavourful. There's also a honey mustard dip that pairs nicely here: reminding me of a mustard and mayo mix because of it's thicker and creamier consistency (which works well to cut into all that greasiness here). Good stuff overall! Just a steep price for a small amount of food makes this a tough sell, with that oily presence seeping into every bite it just isn't quite my jam.
#4. Pizza Hut
I'm a bit surprised to find Pizza Hut here, taking the crown as the best chicken nugget among any of the big fast food pizza chains. I guess down on Wing Street they take their fried birds seriously?
The pricepoint is reasonable (7.90 for five boneless wings here) and each piece is a good size (two big bites will do ya). There's a wet sensation to each bite, plus a combination of a fatty batter and a considerable crunch in the breading... making the texture really quite deep and good. Even once cold, those elements impressively remain while the flavour of the sauce (this was garlic parmesan) seeps further into the chicken within.
I didn't think I was going to like these all that much, yet with each bite they grew on me more and more. Pizza Hut has an unmistakable and distinct greasiness in their food and that is indeed present here, meaning that of all the chicken items on this ranking I wouldn't be shocked if this is the worst one health-wise. Nevertheless, they do taste guiltily good. A modestly pleasant surprise.
#3. KFC
Now the biggest surprise. I gave up on Kentucky Fried "we can't legally call this chicken anymore" Chicken many, many years ago... so long ago this very West Collier Street may not have even existed yet. This was one on my list I fully expected to be flavourless, stale, dry or just plain terrible. Likely all these.
Huh? KFC popcorn chicken is... actually good? Still? Like somehow this is the singular thing they never messed with from decades ago when most people all thought their chicken was super delicious... how is this possible? Somehow... yeah I quite liked this.
The texture has a bouncy, airy rubbery kind of give to it... much like a breaded calamari. It's quite salty but not abrasively so. It really doesn't taste like chicken whatsoever (maybe it is calamari, heh) but that breading and texture is just so on point you find yourself not really caring. Even cold its devil powers remain intact. This is dangerously delicious... truly I must keep myself away from this indefinitely and forget this ever happened. I'm still in shock how this is possible.
#2. Popeye's
I think Popeye's as a franchise has become a real roll of the dice from location to location. My mum has regaled me with some gross inedible stories of one in St. Catharines... meanwhile the now shuttered Beaches location had likewise taken a significant quality dive in their years before the end (at least it's becoming a Gus Tacos now).
Yet some Popeye's locations do seem to still exist where, like that KFC popcorn chicken, the recipes have been impervious to the passage of time and public reputation. Danforth near Dawes Road... perhaps is one of these golden nuggets hiding in plain sight.
The price (4.20 for five) plays like your cheapo nugget joints like Wendy's or Burger King... yet the size of each nugget is almost twice that of those two pretenders, there's a notable smell and taste of "these were actually fried today", there's real tender chicken (with genuine juiciness) below that crispy flaky breading, and that classic vinegary greasiness of Popeye's is oh so present on here.
So, so greasy... like coat your lips greasy... but it's oddly not super heavy either. A neat trick that this particular Popeye's magically pulled off. Maybe I got lucky who knows... but believe me when I say these were really damn good. Well done.
#1. Wingstop
Our champion and to be honest, the margin of victory was quite comfortable. Of all these, Wingstop's boneless wings were the only ones I took a bite of and thought "this is really damn good, there's nothing wrong with this at all".
I should've gotten a more subtle flavour for these to be tossed in (or gotten the sauce on the side) but I did my best not to allow that to affect my perception of these purely as breaded chicken chunks. Besides, them giving me an extra wing (seven instead of six) was a far more effective way to garner my favour.
Wingstop wins mostly because they've got everything here I've praised on this list all together in one tasty sized package. The chicken flavour is present throughout and lingers nicely in the mouth, there's an accessible soft crunch to every bite, these still taste great cold and don't go stale or dry, there's great balance in the texture, they're sizeable... honestly my only real complaint is how slippery these are to eat with your hands (gotta be careful).
Legitimately delicious stuff... the only one I could see myself going back for in the near future.
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After all that... what have we learned exactly? I'd say several things, actually.
Most obviously of all: that too much of a good thing can be bad, and that too much of a mediocre thing is definitely bad. Sampling eleven of the thirteen entries on this list in a single afternoon was really quite an experience... both secretly amusing to visit all these places (like I was in on my own hidden joke) and exhausting for the palette. I think I'm good on the chicken nugget/bite-size front for several months, maybe years, at this point.
I'd also say that most people have very different preferences when it comes to chicken nuggets. Sharing my plan and progress on social media as I went, quite a few friends messaged to say this one or that one were their favourites. Even the very next day, both at my rec baseball league game and my work shift afterwards, people were sharing their opinions and general thoughts on the matter and there really wasn't any overall consensus on which ones were truly the worst or best.
This is my roundabout way of saying: chicken nuggets just might be that kind of food where everyone has their own taste and preferences for whatever reason... with my list here simply being some random on-the-spot musings of one man on a cloudy weekend.
Whether or not my rankings aligned with what yours would be or not, hope this was a fun and insightful read nonetheless! Now if you excuse me, I think I need to eat like twenty broccoli crowns and bags of spinach to balance my diet back to normal again...
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Tuesday Tune
Slooooooannnn.... Sloooooaaaaannnn... this is from their awesome concert mini-film for their show at Massey Hall about a decade ago. They are an extremely fun live band and remain so to this day.
That's it for another week! After the arduous (and overall pricey) undertaking of this chicken nugget project, I might take next week off just to recharge the batteries (and wallet). Until next time, whenever that may be, stay cool, stay safe and most of all... don't spill that mustard.
When I mysteriously lost my phone in late 2020 (think somebody on the Danforth pickpocketed me) one of the bigger "tragedies" of this misfortune was forever losing hundreds of photos I'd taken, including about a dozen of pizzas I'd tried but hadn't yet written about. Always back up your files, kiddos.
Some of these places, such as Mamma Martino's, I'd eventually go back to and retry. But others, such as Dante's Inferno Paninoteca on Davenport, have closed forever and as such my thoughts and memories of them are likewise faded beyond recognition. (also in the ether for now is my Oakwood Pizzeria story, which may see the light of the page someday in the future).
Annette Food Market was another one of these lost 2020 visits that had always stayed vivid in my mind for one significant reason: I recalled they were extremely good. This vague positive notion certainly became clouded in time, what with it being a half decade and many lonely pandemic lockdown drinks since... but the moment had finally come for me to venture back out to the west end and give AFM a much deserved overdue second try. Considering this turned out to be the same day I sampled Subway's septic-tank-like breakfast sandwich... surely things would at least be looking up after that revolting experience.
I need to mention first off how Annette Street is without question one of my very favourite streets in all of Toronto. Top five, perhaps top three rather easily. Consider it's mostly residential nature, lined with old homes and trees for nearly it's entire stretch. Its walkability and proximity to both The Junction and High Park, the bicycle lane, a bunch of solid basketball hoops near the schools on Clendenan...there's a serious charming sleepiness to Annette despite it being a fairly medium thoroughfare of the area.
Which brings us to Annette Food Market, tucked away (blink and you can easily miss it) on the north west corner of Annette and Quebec Avenue. From what I can gather, AFM opened up about a decade ago (taking over half the space of an old variety store which is still next door) and have been serving out upscale Italian fare ever since.
Interestingly, they don't appear on a whole lot of top Toronto Pizza lists: you get the usual suspects (Badiali, North of Brooklyn, Maker, ONO etc) on pretty much all of these but AFM gets nary a mention. They have a modest enough social media following (just over 4500 followers on IG)... perhaps this is another case of the quietness of Annette quieting the restaurant's presence among Toronto's well known pizza giants.
Do we have a hidden gem here? Will present day hold up to my vague memory of them? Time to dig in and find out. Seeing as that first visit was in 2020, truly a heyday for indoor dining... I never actually went inside the restaurant (a masked hostess came outside with my pizza box). Finally going inside this time... it's tight in there! A large wooden bar (with the pizza prep station and wood burning oven adjacent) takes up nearly two thirds of the space, with about a dozen tables wrapped around the bar or by the window counter. It is like the bar was there first and they built a little restaurant around it... not exactly cramped but it is close and cozy without question. There might be a second dining section/patio something in the back but I didn't wander off to investigate.
The service was exceptionally friendly and were cool with me in my sweaty state (I'd shot some hoops at the basketball courts I mentioned) sitting and waiting at the bar. The evening was still sunny and warm and I found a nearby park to enjoy this particular pizza once it was ready... which hey speaking of...
Not lost to digital oblivion this time! This here is AFM's spicy soppressata: a tomato pesto, mozzarella, house sausage, nduja, and of course some thinly sliced namesake. It turns out Annette Food Market is one of those places that don't cut their pizzas for you (uncommon but they do exist, Buca is another) which for a moment complicated the logistics of actually eating this beauty. Fortunately I happened to find a random plastic knife in the deepest recesses of my knapsack. That's right... I ended up slicing this fancy high end pizza with the finest of cafeteria utensils. I swear I don't plan things this way, honest.
My expectations coming into this were quite high, don't forget. Upon my first bite, any fears that my memory had failed me on this one were completely blown away in the spring breeze. This is still a phenomenal pizza, checking every box on the list of specific things I look for in a truly elite level pie. Texture? Depth of flavour? Does it linger in the mouth? Ingredient quality? Uniqueness? It's got all that.
This isn't a "slow subtle" kind of pizza either. The tomato and cheese and meats all come at you right away, erupting through the front door of your mouth and taking a comfortable seat on the couch. I also love when something has layers that reveal themselves: AFM pulls off an impressive feat of bringing an amazing initial taste with additional flavours that slowly unwrap as well... it's like a perfectly timed chord change in a song you really like.
How about those flavours? This is labeled a "spicy" pizza and it indeed does bring a dose of fire: the soppressata acts like a lurking predator ready to sting the top of your mouth, while the 'nduja is much more immediate with it's fattier hot peppery heat. It's not overwhelming from a spice perspective but you definitely feel it. The globs of mozzarella and the soft, chewier nature of this crust (couldn't tell or confirm if it's a sourdough-like one but there is a touch of that kind of taste) act as a nice buffer for the heavy burn of the pork on here, with the crumbled house sausage providing a gentle loose juiciness to the affair.
Using a tomato pesto rather than a standard tomato sauce is also an interesting choice. You lose some acidity and sauciness (which is okay since the pizza is quite soft) and gain more of a bitter oiliness... it's less of a bright flavour and more of an earthier one, I quite liked it. The cheese meanwhile... it's a strong quality squeaky mozzarella (or fior di latte if you prefer, fancypants) and there's just enough of it in the right spots to be a strong foundation for everything else (rather than becoming the dominant attraction such as at Zula).
I simply cannot see any flaws to this one. The closest thing would be the heavy speckled char of the crust, as while it didn't bother me (giving even more flavour to this fabulous pie) I could see some people not liking that presence being so constant within the crust, or having considerable dusty char residue on your fingers. Just a warning if that kind of stuff can be a dealbreaker for you.
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Overall! It's a special kind of satisfaction you get when both something tastes really damn good and you were hoping/expecting it to be so. This holds up to me as one of the absolute best pizzas in all of Toronto. Exceptional flavours, tremendous quality, every bite is its own delightful adventure, does fine on the reheat test (it dries out somewhat like all wood-fired pizzas but the taste remains).
Again I'm not sure how many fellow pizza lovers know about this place but I strongly recommend checking them out if you're in the neighbourhood, whether it be for a sit down meal or just splitting a pie in a nearby park on a sunny evening (just make sure you bring your own knife and fork).
One of those rare pizzas I instantly knew was amazing, with the last bite still as vibrant and delicious as the first. I'm giving them an 'A' (yep) which immediately puts them somewhere in my Top 15 for all of Toronto, likely in the middle of that range. Not kidding around here, this is the real deal.
Another Tuesday... another Taste. It's a quick one this week, as later tonight I've gotta split for Scotiabank Arena to work the first game of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals and *checks notes* oh. Oh! OH DEAR GOD NO!
(too soon? Nah. It's hard to be "too soon" when you're talking about half a century)
Well... now that I have plenty of time this Tuesday, lets talk about Woody's Burgers on Lakeshore Blvd West. They opened their doors back in 2009, notably before the boon of classic American style cheeseburgers in Toronto popularized by Burger's Priest (or smash burgers like Rudy). As such, Woody's gives off a particularly old school, rustic charm despite it not being old enough to drink yet. For a time they also operated a second location on Jane Street near Annette, which closed its doors some time ago (it's a My Roti Place now). As such, their original spot near Long Branch station is the one I visited to finally try them. This was long overdue.
(this photo does a fine job illustrating the interior vibe of Woody's. Like a truck stop meets diner... so many plaid shirts...)
Long Branch itself is a rather odd (actual) corner of Toronto. A sort of no man's land interchange between the most southwestern chunk of Toronto and neighbour city Mississauga. It's pretty darn weird seeing a MiWay bus zip alongside the 501 Queen streetcar, lemme tell ya... like an episode of a television show featuring characters from a totally different show (a crossover if you prefer). Long Branch is indeed the crossover of Toronto, and much like that kind of episode there's something familiar yet strange about the whole thing.
Not particularly strange is the menu at Woody's Burgers. The options are plentiful, yes, but these creations have a certain culinary logic to them. There isn't anything completely insane for the sake of being completely insane (this isn't the now long departed Yellow Griffin Pub or anything)
Going in I knew I was getting a burger (I mean duh) but deciding which particular one took me far longer than I care to admit. You see, aside from your classic standard cheese or banquet types, Woody's also offer a healthily diverse assortment of specialty burgers. Creations featuring brie, smoked brisket, smoked gouda, fried egg, smoked bacon, pulled pork, smoked ketchup (they seem to like smoking stuff) and a few where the grilled burger patty is stuffed with cheese.
They all sounded quite good. If not for the fact my plan was to also get a side of 'frings' (fries with onion rings) I might've selected the "Austin" burger, with brisket, slaw, garlic mayo and an onion ring. Damn, it's making me hungry again just typing all that.
Onion rings are one of the items I have a rather tough time reviewing. I'm not an expert, I don't eat them often and they all almost always taste the same to me no matter where I go.
These ones? Definitely oily (shocker), oniony (shocker again), not a heavy batter and the crunch was quite fresh. The taste and smell lacked any of that type of weird bitter taste you get at certain places re-using old frying oil. As pure and clean a flavour as a deep fried onion ring can be, quite appealing to the eye as well.
So appealing in fact, some hefty random sketchy/crazy young-ish dude fella approached me midway through eating this (I was sitting outside on Woody's corner patio) and asked if I was taking all my away. Seriously, it wasn't like I'd been staring at increasingly cold leftovers either... I was mid-meal, mid-bite and chewing! With a shrug I said I didn't know, not exactly feeling charitable with any calculations of my hunger towards somebody interrupting me while eating.
Alas this did not discourage my new "pal" from uncomfortably eyeing me and my food, so I gave him the very smallest of my onion rings in the hopes it would get him to buzz off already and let me eat in peace (it did). There's a heads up for you all: if in Long Branch, be alert for Onion Ring Hustlers.
Back to the food and everything's upside down! My unpaid intern photographer screws up again! (damn me... er, him!)
For whatever reason these fries reminded me of the type of fries you might get at a fish and chip spot. A sea salt taste (among other light seasonings, paprika?), a specific shape of crispiness to most of these fries, the skin still very much on... there might've even been the slightest hint of malt vinegar in here as well (maybe in the oil?). There was this faint flavour and smell to them that I just couldn't completely pin... familiar but not obvious.
Whatever it may be, it's good! Not to grade everything (I only do that with pizzas for the record) but if I did these are what I'd call B-level fries. The potato taste is great, they're fluffy, the crispy bits are delicious, entirely fine even once cold. No complaints whatsoever! Simple and tasty.
Burger time. The one I ordered was the "Alpine" (also ordered by the person right after me) consisting of swiss cheese, smoked bacon (again with the smoking) seed mustard, plus sauteed mushrooms and onion.
I'm pretty sure A&W have offered a version of this type of burger as like a temporary special... the combination of these flavours on a burger definitely registered in the ol' West Collier Computer. I do like A&W quite a bit but fortunately (for Woody's) this burger here is considerably better than that.
Normally I'm not a Swiss cheese fan but it really works here as a way to let the beef of the burger and the mushrooms especially breathe a bit more, rather than be smothered by the distinct sharpness of cheddar. Said beef tastes.. um... quite beefy (Pulitzer, please) with a firm spongier texture akin to what TastyBurgers.ca calls a "meatloaf" burger. It's well cooked but not dry in any way, there's a solid tenderness that is uniformly consistent on each bite.
As a burger itself I'd say this is entirely fine (if unexciting)... whereas the real magic are these toppings. The smokiness of the bacon is rather subtle but entirely present throughout the burger. The sauteed onions and mushrooms do magic together (I found they became more prominent on the later bites, probably the reason I found myself liking this more and more the deeper I got into it).
The quiet zing of the seed mustard, just the right amount to let you know it's there from time to time, is an inspired finishing touch as well... as are the buttery toasted edges along the brioche bun (very reminiscent of Ace Bakery here).
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Overall! Supposedly Woody's grill their burgers over an open wood fire, giving it a particular smokey flavour that I can say lingers through their beef and bacon. Much like all of the other flavours I described, this smokiness is present but not overwhelming. It's indeed subtle, giving Woody's a bizarre distinction of not being like most other burger places yet not having any obvious element that makes them unmistakable. Much like the area it resides in, they occupy a space outside of the spectrum that is difficult to even define.
Nevertheless, I thought this burger was terrific and do recommend checking them out should you get the chance. It's not mind-melting quality-wise, but it is strong and you can tell this is made with skill and care.
After a hearty sampling of trendy smash burgers (some blurring the lines where beef ends and onion begins) trying out something like this, something straight-forward and back to basics, was a refreshing change of pace. Just don't get hustled for your onion rings if you sit on the patio.
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Anyone's Game
Not only will the Larry O'Brien (or "Larry OB") trophy go to a seventh different champion in seven years, but of the four remaining teams (Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder) only the Knicks have ever won a championship and that was half a century ago! (and yes, it was still more recently than the Leafs).
While the Thunder, the best team of the regular season fueled by a historically exceptional defense, still have to be considered the favourites I'd think... for the first time I can remember it honestly wouldn't be an enormous surprise for any of these remaining four teams to pull it off.
So why not quickly preview these two semi-finals and make some predictions! Seems a totally fitting thing to do for this food article, right.
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The East Finals see the Knicks and Pacers in a rematch of last year's second round bout, with Indiana outlasting a battered and gassed New York squad last spring. The Pacers are running back essentially the same core squad as last year while the Knicks made dual offseason headlines by getting Mykal Bridges (for like a zillion draft picks) and Karl-Anthony Towns in separate deals. This flipped New York from a strong defensive team into an elite offensive one (with a mediocre defense).
I'm confident this series will be another slugfest but... I think I'm leaning towards the Pacers here. They're deeper and just more dynamic than the Knicks, who don't have much beyond that killer starting five and the streaky Deuce McBride off the bench. It's real tough to bet against Jalen Brunson (certified Dude) in a close game but Indiana themselves have one of those fearless guys too in Tyrese Haliburton. They're not afraid of anybody. New York will definitely need those great two-way wings in Bridges and old Raptor friend OG Anunoby to have some hot shooting games in order to win this thing... man it's gonna be so weird seeing OG guard Pascal Siakam. So, so weird.
Pacers in 7.
Over in the west, Minnesota returns to the NBA final four in consecutive years for the first time ever. In fact the franchise has never even appeared in an NBA Finals, nevermind won one. The young Oklahoma City Thunder (yes, the best team in the league is also the youngest) showed a lot of their youth in the Denver series, becoming tentative, lost and starry eyed in certain moments (particularly their blown lead in the first game against the Nuggets).
Still, that defense is legitimately explosive... long, quick and swarming... not yielding any space to breathe on the court. We'll see if it can slow down the Wolves' superstar Anthony ("Ant") Edwards, who seems to be made of different stuff in these types of games. Minnesota is not to be taken lightly, as secondary scorers and creators like Julius Randle, Naz Reid, Donte DiVencenzo and Jaden McDaniels are entirely capable of stealing a game for you. Considering the defensive impact both McDaniels and Rudy Gobert bring (all-world defenders they be), I can foresee long stretches where the Thunder struggle to get anything going on the offensive end.
Nevertheless, the Thunder are just too good. This should also be a good close series but OKC's absurd amount of depth combined with their young star trifecta makes me think they'll take this one. More has to go right for Minnesota (Randle continuing to be an effective and efficient second option most crucially) than has to for the Thunder. It's entirely possible that the inexperience of the moment, now the biggest yet for this youthful OKC squad, undoes them in some substantial way... these same Wolves have already been this far before, don't forget. Although... the Thunder did not show any of those nerves in their convincing wrecking crew job against Denver (a recent champion) in that Game 7 on Sunday. Regardless, should be a fascinating series to watch. Ant versus Shai. And a battle of cousins! (Shai versus Nickiel Alexander-Walker).
Thunder in 6.
Tuesday Tune
This song randomly gets stuck in my head sometimes, which is fine because it's sweet, lovely and wonderful. Also feels sadly fitting for the emotional state of many Toronto sports fans after Sunday.
That's all for another week! Next time is the big 125th episode... it's gonna be a big hoot lemme tell ya. Stay tuned and until then... stay safe, stay cool and most of all... don't spill that mustard.
