The Tuesday Taste - McDonald's Breakfast

 

 

Oh, can it be?

The voices calling me

They get lost

and out of time

I should've seen it glow

but everybody knows

That a broken heart

is blind

   

 

Another Tuesday... another Taste. Hoo boy... we're doing this freaking place again? Seriously? Haven't I suffered enough?

 

If you've been following the Tuesday reviews since the early days (oh 2021, such an innocent time) you'll know I have a very torturous history with the golden arches. Even in my formative fast food years I just never cared for McDonald's at all... I loved Burger King (Whoppers were actually good back then, probably) and eventually Harvey's and A&W. Yet, for whatever reason, teenage me never latched onto the appeal of ol Micky D's... not even the fries or the chicken sandwiches. 

Fast forward to present day, as a jaded and pretentious food-reviewing adult... I haven't been exactly coy with my thoughts on McDonald's food on this here webzone. The Big Mac? Dry and stale with a weird artificial aftertaste. Quarter Pounder? Flavourless but at least it was small. A McChicken? I wondered whether that patty had ever even been in the proximity of an actual chicken. The McRib? Surprisingly not awful, although mostly bland and one dimensional. The fries? Like oily sticks of salty potato-facsimile product.

So yeah, needless to say over the course of four years and 115+ of these Tuesday food reviews I've given McDonald's plenty of chances... with the results being completely antithetical to swaying over my affection. I thought I was done with McD's! All the bases covered! Two different burgers and their chicken option, even their famous limited edition novelty sandwich that the freaking Simpsons parodied... and we're out! Never again do I have to sample this chemical impersonation of food again, right? 

Nope. Over the course of recently trying all these local breakfast sandwiches like Egg Club or Bagels On Fire, it occurred to my brain that some of the enormous fast food chains also offer breakfast items, McDonald's chief among those. Damn you, brain! 

Sigh. That is how, on a sunny and semi-frosty spring morning, I rode off to the nearest golden arches and caught their famous breakfast menu with ten minutes to spare. I've read online that some locations do the breakfast menu all day, but the specific knowledge of which ones is several galaxies away from my particular jurisdiction. Also, can't believe everything you read on the internet am I right??? Um, except these reviews, of course.

 

             

Okay I admit, imprinting the 'M' logo into the top of a sandwich has a uniquely tacky charm to it. 

The lead photo of this piece shows the three items I sampled: one hash brown, a bacon and egg McMuffin and finally a sausage and egg McGriddle (the branded bun you see above). They other a small legion of other breakfast items too, I know... but seriously I wasn't going to try every single damn one now, was I. Especially when you consider how most of these options are essentially the same three things only with different starchy packaging (english muffin, bagel, tortilla etc). 

Also more importantly, I flat out refuse to ever review a wrap from any fast food place. It's a freaking wrap... like come on, what am I gonna say about it? "Uhhhh yeah! This tortilla is definitely... tortilla-like." Now before you hurl husks of corn at me through your screens, I'm not including shawarmas or burritos and the like in that. Those usually have way more to them in terms of preparation, the overall composition of it and the ingredients inside... a McDonald's breakfast wrap is just swapping the bun thing for a tortilla thing. No thanks. 

 

        

Come for the rants, stay for the foods! This is the sausage and egg McGriddle and I'll admit to previously never having any kind of McGriddle before. I didn't even know what a McGriddle was, frankly... all I knew going in was it would probably be pretty fun to type McGriddle as many times as McPossible. 

I was quite surprised upon my first bite: my expectation for the bun had been some kind of buttery, french toast-like thing that would likely be stale on the edges. Instead... soft and almost wet-spongey... like a pancake drenched in syrup to the point it seeps in, that kind of squishy texture. The flavour is definitely trying to resemble that description: there is a pancake/maple syrupy hint throughout, fairly artificial tasting as it may be. 

Still, having never tried anything quite like this before... I was genuinely intrigued by it. This was kind of like eating a little plate of pancakes with invisible syrup, egg and sausage, only in sandwich form (and without the stickiness). The sausage patty itself is for sure on the greasier side but also fairly juicy and not tasting of gross old grill. Meanwhile, eggs formed into the shape of a perfect puck always throws me off (yeah yeah it's because of a special cooking contraption they have and they do use real eggs)... so this isn't a sandwich I'd want to make a regular habit of. 

Nevertheless... I actually kind of enjoyed this one! The egg does have a good eggy taste (very descriptive I know) and there's solid balance between the greasy sausage and the melted processed cheese. Combined with the strange charm of the fake-syrup pancake buns, this is easily the best and most interesting thing I've ever reviewed at a McDonald's. I would willingly eat this again. And my heart grew seven sizes that day... (along with my belt).           

The Egg McMuffin is of course a classic, I don't need to explain that one. But I will anyway! 

The invention of the Egg McMuffin dates back to the late 1960s/early 1970s, when numerous McDonald's franchisees were experimenting with various breakfast-on-the-go concepts. Herb Peterson was the operator of multiple McDonald's locations in California, and with his background in advertising had done some work for the company in that capacity as well. Seeing the potential in this yet untapped fast breakfast market, in 1972 he tested out a sandwich made to resemble an eggs benedict. The rest is history, of course.

That back story is interesting, to me anyway, because until now I'd never connected the dots on how similar this is to a classic eggs benny. I mean, you've got the English Muffin, the ham/bacon, the bouncy texture of the egg is quite similar to the whites of a poached egg... you're really just missing the delicious runny yoke (although that wouldn't really work for an on-the-go sandwich) and the rich thick creaminess of a Hollandaise sauce, to which the slice of processed cheese is a (lacking) substitute for. 

Alas, those missing parts are pretty darn crucial aspects of a good eggs benedict. Without them? Well, you've got an Egg McMuffin... and left like this it's a pretty bland affair. This is the kind of sandwich you can spruce up at home with some lettuce or hot sauces or mayo... all those would spark some life into this and make it pretty tasty... but no bonus points for that obviously, we have to review it as they serve it. 

All you really taste is egg. The English Muffin has some decent toasted crunch to it, whereas the bacon is hardly any factor in here whatsoever. It's cooked to within an millimetre of its life while its flavour has already passed onward into another plane of existence. Crumbly and tasteless, such a sadness for bacon to end up this way. 

Still, even substituting the juicier and livelier sausage patty for the bacon would only make this whole thing slightly better. This sandwich is screaming out for some kind of sauce or anything with some zing, and while I don't expect McDonald's to bother with the trouble of making Hollandaise (nor would I trust it if they did) there must be something similar they can offer even on the side to liven this thing up (and if you're thinking ketchup I'm calling the paddy wagon). 

Interestingly enough, at first when the McMuffin debuted (and some countries still might do this) they offered strawberry jam alongside it, just to add a potential sweetness to it. Jam isn't exactly what I had in mind here, but at least it's something.

 

 

Finally, the hash brown. It looks like a potato shoehorn, or a tongue. Or a piece of an unpainted picket fence.

Taking a bite... yeah it also tastes like a picket fence. Not particularly crispy at all, the potato flavour is pretty weak and fades very quickly... no seasoning whatsoever... a genuine disappointment. Even my low expectations (hopefully but wrongfully) expected a McDonald's hash brown to be semi-decent... it's just an oval of shredded and fried potato, how can you make that limp and boring? They found a way.

Next time I'm in the mood for something like this I'll check the discount freezer in the supermarket. This was three dollars, too. Madness.  

 

---

 

 

Overall. So one thing I found quite amusing, as I was leaving the McDonald's on Eastern near Coxwell, was the drive-thru situation. It was about 11:15 at this point, breakfast had given way to their regular menu... and just like a finger snap there was now a modest lineup in their drive-thru. When I'd arrived half an hour earlier? Barely an automobile soul in the parking lot with the drive-thru completely clear. It's like a bunch of people were driving around to nowhere, counting down the agonizing minutes until the McDonald's regular menu came on (at least that's what I like to imagine).

Look, you all know by now how McDonald's has never done it for me and the odds of me recommending anything they offer are only slightly higher than Donald Trump gaining a sense of humility (admit it, you can totally imagine him bragging about how he's the most humble person ever, "nobody's more humble than me...") Simply put, I've never understood the sincere love people have for the golden arches and that's just the way it is.              

However... that sausage McGriddle was indeed compelling enough for me to reserve most of my usual McDonald's slander. I liked how different it was... and though it's not likely I'll ever actively go out and order another one, I will tip my reviewer cap at the ingenuity of it. At least with the McGriddle I can understand its appeal as a guilty breakfast pleasure food, I can meet it there...whereas with almost anything else from McDonald's I'd much prefer gnawing on a couch cushion. 

And yeah McGriddle aside this breakfast here was extremely weak. Quite lifeless and rather manufactured tasting... with decent quality eggs elevating it into the realm of "actual food" at least. But this is food you merely eat without thinking about it, consumption for familiar sensation and sustenance rather than lasting enjoyment or experience. Still not a fan.            

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Binging With Breakfasts

There has been a reason/overall scheme to why these Tuesday reviews have featured so many breakfast items lately. Yes, I'd like to announce that coming soon will be an article ranking all of these breakfast sandwiches I've sampled! (plus a few others that alone didn't quite have enough for their own review). 

My criteria for what qualifies is loose as always, but to limit this from a list of hundreds (I already have an endless Pizza Quest, don't need another impossible mission) I'm only ranking places that have more than one location in Toronto. Places are allowed to have multiple entries, however, as long as they are distinct enough from one another. 

Stay tuned for that in the next few weeks! Of course, the hardest working Babish in the food videos business, Andrew Rea, did something similar when he compared a bunch of frozen breakfast sandwiches a while back. It's a good watch! May my experience be a more positive one...

 

   

 

Tuesday Tune

March was a very strange month... tends to be the case when you find yourself in a hospital bed upon the beginning turn into that calendar page. Factor in some additionally unexpected and blindsiding news a few days later that seriously rubbed me the wrong way personally... well I kinda feel like I have a pretty big chip on my shoulder as we enter these spring months. Nothing lasts forever anymore.

Hey though, don't worry dear reader... I won't take any of that out on you. Saving my bile-filled ammunition for the truly the grossest and most abhorrent foods we might stumble across here in this bizarre little corner of the interwebs... and here's a song that fits that mood. Until next time, stay safe, stay warm and most of all don't spill that mustard.  

 

 

This Week In Pizza: Zzavia

 

If ever somebody were to create an alphabetized ultimate directory of every single pizzeria in the history of human civilization... one has to figure "Zzavia" would be at the very bottom of such an endless list. Naturally I'm sure there is/has been some pizza joint somewhere named "Zzzzzz Pizza" (our pies are so filling they make you ready for bed!) but Zzavia has to be close behind that. Surely they've done this on purpose, no? Take away that extracurricular 'z' and you've got Zavia, which is an actual name in multiple languages (with varying spellings) possibly translating as "new house or home".   

Background on Zzavia's story is somewhat scarce. Most articles I could find about them cite the exact same Streets of Toronto piece (word for word) about a former Gusto 501 chef opening up this little pizzeria on Bayview Avenue... with that original SoT article not even mentioning that chef's full name either. Perhaps 'Zzavia' translates as "mysterious origin?" "Pizzeria with dubious beginnings?"

I'm goofing around here obviously. However they came to be, Zzavia opened up their brightly illuminated boxy little space in Leaside late last summer and have been slinging out pizzas of various styles and shapes ever since. While their slice options are prepared and served in the rectangular Roman style, their full pizzas are made in the circular Neapolitan way. 

I did not know they did two styles until after my visit, having assumed their Roman slices was their only thing... and while I like to be a completest about this stuff, even my madness isn't to the point of spending almost fifty bucks on two massive slices and an entire pizza. My actual paying job has been real awful slow lately, damnit! As such, you're only getting the square slices in this review, sorry. Hey, as a famous musician once sang, it's hip to be... frugal.

 

 

The inside of Zzavia is almost like an ice cream shop, or the entrance to a real estate opportunity... with its clean and shiny white walls and sparse decor or seating. There's a refrigerated pantry off to the side with shelves offering various drinks, salads and other prepared food items. 

Feeling hungry after a doctor's appointment (I'll live) I went for two slices: their Bastacosi (directly above) and a Fun Guy (I mean Funghi) slice... both of which are vegetarian offerings. This was not by design! Simply bad timing on this particular mid-afternoon since they had neither a pepperoni slice nor their Patata available (rosemary potatoes with sausage, smoked mozzarella and caramelized onions... I'd have tried that for sure!)

Instead, we've got a Bastacosi to start with (roughly translating as "that's enough", fitting name for a simple pizza) with tomato sauce, basil, fior di latte mozzarella, a dusting of parmesan and some little marinated baby half-tomatoes for good measure. 

One little touch I found smart: the cheese on this slice was in unmelted globs before I ordered it, resulting in the melt of it being quite freshly gooey and fresh after a brief trip in Zzavia's oven. This is a very lively tasting slice: there's a sweet acidity to both the tomato sauce and the little tomatoes (which are juicy and soft) with the shreds of basil adding to that sensation of garden freshness... while those globs of mozzarella cheese are near perfect in their clean, thick and light buttery texture. 

A nice dusting of parmesan adds a nice sharpness as well, and the crust has a solid crunch with a light hint of sourdough. All in all, not a typical go-to kind of slice for me but I was quite impressed with how natural tasting all of this was. Pretty good.

 

 

The mushroom (I mean Funghi) slice is not as big a success. As you can see it's a bit more well baked around those edges, going from what was a pleasant crunch on the Bastacosi into too much of a gritty struggle here. Especially on a reheat, the edges of this slice dried out tremendously and were a rough go (luckily I had some hummus to help it along, but points to Sunflower Kitchen for that, not Zzavia).

Flavour-wise, it's a fairly typical white mushroom pizza offering. I would've liked an additional kind of cheese, whether that be a blue or something creamier like a goat cheese or stracciatella... because the layer of mozzarella gets fairly repetitive (and isn't helped by how dry and over-baked this slice is). You do get a tiny hint of a rich truffle flavour within, sure, but it's very faded and this slice really is missing one more thing for it to really work taste-wise.

Bit of a disappointment, frankly. It smelled amazing out of the oven and was tasty enough while still warm. Once cold? Very stiff and challenging to bite through, while the flavours are overall fine but also flat and singular. A shame. 

 

 

How about a garlic dip? Zzavia offer dips for a dollar each, which considering several pizza joints now charge quadruple that... this be a bargain, yarr.

With this, you've got a dip with the consistency of caesar dressing (I was in fact initially worried they'd just bought a jar of Renee's and passed it off as a "garlic" dip). However, you get a distinct taste of raw garlic in here that I quite like, with enough gloopy creaminess ideal for dipping a crunchy chunk of crust. Maybe it is just a housemade salad dressing (it had a slight saltiness) but it's a pretty solid one whatever it is.

 

 

Overall! While I wouldn't say they're either re-imagining pizza or compelling their customers to do so (as their sign says) I will say that they make a quality rectangular slice, although getting one as fresh as possible is absolutely prudent. Their Bastacosi slice was truly terrific, the mushroom one very lacking and that staleness did not help the matter.

A shame I couldn't evaluate one of their full Neapolitan pizzas (I'm not made of airports) and so this review does feel somewhat incomplete. Perhaps sometime in the future I'll head back to Bayview Village and give that a try, possibly even write a blurb about it in another Grab Bag Edition of these pizza reviews. 

For now though, considering the strength of one slice and the muted taste and other flaws of the other... I'm going to award Zzavia a weak "B+". The overall quality of the ingredients is there and I think the positives (you got me to seriously enjoy a slice with only tomatoes and cheese, impressive) really do outweigh the negatives. They are worth a try! I'll hold an actual 'for sure' recommendation until I try their Neapolitan offering though. To be continued it seems.... ooooooo....                

The Tuesday Taste - The Heartbreak Chef

 

 

The cinematic after effects

of alcohol

have led me to believe

That there's nothing

more beautiful

than a face

as it starts to fade

From your memory 

 

Another Tuesday... another Taste. 

This week we're taking a reprieve from the apparent Tuesday review theme of 2025 (breakfast sandwiches) and veering back into a theme from... earlier 2025? Whatever... time for more fried chicken sandwiches! And hey, it's a fairly renowned one within the Toronto food scene at that. Gather around because it is time for a very long overdue look (I'd never even been!) at The Heartbreak Chef in Kensington Market. 

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The Heartbreak Chef is the brainchild/alias of Chef Jerome Robinson. Robinson, who'd worked in restaurants for many years, first began what would eventually become THC through catering and doing popup kitchens for various events/festivals. Slowly but surely a strong social media following was built, the annual CNE and it's notoriously crazy food concoctions in particular being a perfect outlet for his wilder (and very photogenic) comfort food creations.

This amount of success grinding on the festival popup circuit eventually led to Robinson opening up a permanent location in 2020, first briefly in Parkdale before setting up a longer term home on Dundas West and drawing lineups from time to time (selling one day specials of five dollar sandwiches will do that). 

When in late 2023 it was announced Heartbreak Chef would be closing that Dundas West spot, a collective gasp went up amidst the Toronto food scene. It turned out to be a false alarm of course, as a new location on Baldwin Avenue in Kensington Market (taking over the same space Graffiti's Bar and Grill long occupied) opened almost immediately afterward. This was a way of coming around full circle for Chef Robinson, seeing as this was a crucial neighbourhood in his earlier catering days (collaborating with the old Bacon Nation restaurant for instance). 

 

 

On a pleasantly sunny Thursday afternoon I went with my longtime friend and occasional reviewing companion (she happens to live pretty close to there and was her suggestion) to at last try this most heartbreaking of cuisine preparer. 

 

          

I had to resist the temptation to take half a dozen photos of just the decorations inside: it is pretty darn cool in here and there's a lot to look at. Whether it be the framed artwork on one wall or an entire mural on the other, done by local artist Paul Glyn-Williams (also known as 'Sumartist'). Coolest of all however... an NBA Jam arcade machine! Right by the front door when you walk in, impossible to miss it. Essentially an omen of happy nostalgia that right away, this place is going to be easy to like.

 

 

Told ya.

It's a large enough space for about six tables, with seating for a dozen to maybe eighteen people? (might have to squeeze together on that one). Considering Heartbreak Chef started out right around the time of that pesky global pandemic, delivery and takeout were pretty crucial at the time for the young business and I imagine still are. Hey, one good thing about sandwiches: they usually travel well. 

 

 

My esteemed associate and I both ordered their regular Big Ass Fried Chicken Sandwich, with her side being the potato wedges you see above and my side dish a mac n'cheese we'll discuss in a moment. 

The photo doesn't quite capture how damn huge these wedges are! They're as thick as multiple fingers put together. There's a nice mild smokey seasoning on here (paprika?) and while not fried to the point of any particular crispiness these are loaded with lots of fluffy potato inside. That side dip you see in the corner is a must, itself giving off a sweet chipotle ranch-like taste (not to mention a break from the endless potato). 

 

     

Now here is a mac n'cheese that is just gushing to meet you. 

We don't cover too many mac n'cheeses on these weekly reviews, despite it being a dish I'm extremely fond of. I think a reason is that, well... most of the big fast food chicken places make pretty damn awful mac and cheese. When so many of them are so similar in their terribleness, what's the point? They all have that ultra fake powered cheese flavour that leaves your mouth as quickly as an exposed grifter fleeing town. You can taste how there's no thought put into it, just another side dish offered because it's something well known as being served alongside fried chicken... and it shows in the offensive blandness you get.

Now, we have encountered some macs and cheeses that surpass that very low bar. Cherry Street Bar-B-Que was fairly decent (though also leaning into that fake cheese taste) while Dang Smoke was indeed quite excellent... sharp, rich and creamy with bread crumbs on top as a nice touch. All I'm saying is... ordering mac and cheese from even a well regarded restaurant can be a gamble. It might be underwhelming, or it might be absolutely incredible.     

Here? Well, Heartbreak Chef is a case well on that latter side. For a side portion, this is loaded with both macaroni and cheese... nearly a separate meal in of itself. The flavour is... cheese! And lots of it. Vivid medium cheddary-ness that lingers wonderfully in the mouth, perfectly cooked pasta (my friend was insistent in how impressed she was on that note so I had to mention it) and a fantastically creamy, slightly goopy texture. Simple indeed, but deliciously exceptional. 

This is a mac n'cheese you really want to take your time with, enjoy each bite as that cheesy sensation invades your mouth. Anybody thinking of reaching for the ketchup surely deserves a lifetime ban.   

 

 

Now for the main attraction and it lives up to its moniker: this is a big ass chicken sandwich and yes, it is incredibly messy (the THC website even warns as much). It is dripping with those shreds of coleslaw and that spicy ranch-like sauce, while chunks of the chicken itself are also likely to escape on a particular bite (I strongly suggest not wearing white clothing). 

 

 

Within the realm of fried chicken sandwiches, this is not your classic 'ultra-crunchy super batter'... rather it's a gentler crispiness with less of a fried breaded taste and more a lightly oily one. The chicken itself has a tenderized consistency to it, even in the bits of darker meat (much like the less fatty parts of a drumstick), which while being chewier in some spots also really locks in a terrific chicken flavour in each bite.       

The composition of the sandwich especially hits the mark. A red cabbage slaw giving some bitter crunch, a spicy ranch sauce giving both a drippy zing and savoury taste, pickle slices because it's a fried chicken sandwich, and a nicely squishy potato bun to try (in vain) to hold all of this together in one piece. 

While I didn't completely like the texture of the tougher bites of the chicken, the overall flavour of this sandwich is just magnificent. Incredibly vivid, that light fry of the chicken lingers pleasantly within the oozing sour creaminess of the ranch and the bitter crunch of the slaw. This made me very curious about what their spicy sandwich might taste like...

 

  

...so that's exactly what I did! Yes indeed, a week later I found myself in Kensington Market again (I need to find a Colorado Rockies hat, don't ask) and so went back to Heartbreak Chef to try their "Likkle Dutty" sandwich. If you're curious/unsure, "likkle" means "little" in Jamaican Patois (seems pretty straightforward) while "dutty" translates as "dirty". Yes, this sandwich is essentially named the "Little Dirty". Bring it on! Also, dialects are fascinating... although the history of how many of them came about, particularly in the Carribean? Not quite as delightful.  

There are three key differences between the Big Ass sandwich and our Likkle Dutty here: first is the grilled pineapple ring you see above, second is a singular hunk of fried chicken rather than the two on the Big Ass, and third is a notable spread of a dark jerk sauce spread upon the inside of the top bun. 

Considering that the fried chicken on the Dirty One is pure white meat chicken all the way through, whereas the Big Ass had two separate chicken hunks... makes me wonder if that additional one for the bigger sandwich is usually a darker, more tenderized piece of chicken. Who knows? I mean, they probably do in their kitchen but all I know for sure is how this is still a sizeable sandwich here despite being the smaller option.      

On the first visit with my dear friend we'd been cautioned by the fella behind the counter that this Dutty sandwich was pretty spicy... so I was geared up for heat on this sequel visit. After a few bites... yeah it brings some good punch. Definitely a sneaky heat though you do taste it right away, with a very well rounded kind of earthy, almost leafy spice (like thyme and hot peppers blended together) along with subtle hints of onion. 

I like that the heat isn't totally overwhelming to the other flavours (the chicken itself isn't tossed in any sauce) yet the spice is quite potent despite such a small amount of it (just lightly spread on one of the buns). Indeed, having a tiny taste of it on my finger unleashed the full fire into my mouth... oh the things I do for these reviews. 

The grilled pineapple is also a terrific touch: helping to cut through and balance out the bitter and sour flavours and bring some brightness to this sandwich. I've discovered I can't really eat raw pineapple anymore because it irritates the inside of my mouth to the point of legitimate agony, but grilled and softened in this form is absolutely perfect... that light sweetness blends into the chicken and it's wonderful. 

 

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Overall! After two separate trips, two chicken sandwiches and an absolutely incredible mac n'cheese... yeah they're really bad don't go. Bah, I've used that misdirection joke too many times, haven't I...

Heartbreak Chef is indeed fantastic and I strongly recommend trying them if you have not done so yet. I wasn't super fond of the potato wedges (they were just so big) but again that mac and cheese was otherworldly... it didn't need green onions or bacon or anything extra for every bite to be absolutely wonderful cheesey heaven (and once again if you even think of ketchup they will find you, Liam Neeson style).

I definitely preferred the spicier sandwich to the regular one: the Likkle Dutty just has a little bit more going on, plus both have that crucial ranch and red slaw on them anyhow... you're really just swapping the pickle slices for the pineapple. Plus I really like how the smaller sandwich is still a very respectable size, using the exact same soft potato bun even (the Big Ass just has the extra piece of chicken). 

These are just some delicious fried chicken sandwiches and while maaaaaybe not my standalone favourite one that I've reviewed here in Toronto, it's right up there with the other top notch ones I've likewise really liked such as Daddy's or Birdie's. They can all share the imaginary podium I've created in my mind. 

They're great! And the vibes of the place are fun and cool (Mr. Chef Heartbreak himself was indeed there both times I went, always hands on in the kitchen and being super friendly with everybody, asking how they liked his food... you can tell when a place has genuine positive comradery). Next time you're wandering near Chinatown definitely check em out.         

Also a good read down here:

https://www.thestar.com/life/together/places/toronto-chef-jerome-robinson-chooses-the-city-s-most-delicious-and-indulgent-fried-food/article_6dd51f08-03c2-591d-bc9c-23ee618826fa.html   

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Tank You Very Much

It's been a rough season in Toronto Raptors Land, which of course has been the plan all along. The worse their W-L record, the higher their probability at snagging a high draft pick and the opportunity to bring in a potentially franchise changing player (you know, somebody you can really plant your Flagg on). As such, every year you'll have at least a few NBA teams that have no interest in being even somewhat competitive as they drive their season into a ditch in hopes of scoring lottery balls.

Thing is, this 2024/2025 season has seen tanking to degrees which we've never seen. You've got a thirty team league wherein a third of those teams have actively been trying to lose games with months still left in the season. It ain't great for any kind of exciting late season playoff push, nor is it great for the overall product of NBA basketball... all because it's a smarter long-term move for these franchises to punt a season and hope for draft luck rather than make a push and most likely get obliterated in the first round of the playoffs.

Not good! The excellent Joseph Casicaro of The Score (RIP the awesome Pound The Rock podcast) has a few ideas how the NBA could curb this untenable trend of so many teams tanking, and it's a good read. Check it out:

 

https://www.thescore.com/news/3247527

 

Tuesday Tune

This album came out at a classic teenage crossroads time in my life. I was taking an extra year of high school despite already graduating to improve my marks, while a bunch of friends from my grade had already gone off to university in different cities. I'd just started playing bass guitar, had way too much free time since I was only taking four classes (instead of the typical seven or eight) and so would often sit in the hallways of Jarvis C.I. playing my old black and white Squire or just listening to albums on my Discman, Chemical City being one of that time.

Geez, this album is almost twenty years old now? I've IDed people younger than this record. But it holds up just fine. Mindflood is still an absolute psychedelic rock trip, and this song (the closer) tugs at ye ol' heartstrings for sure. 

 

 

That's all for another week. There is some fun stuff planned on this very webzone over the next month, so definitely stay tuned for that. Some articles of the ranking variety, indeed. Until those, stay safe, stay warm in this lousy Smarch weather and most of all don't spill that mustard.

        

The Tuesday Taste - Egg Club

 

 

Just looking out on the day

of another dream

Where you can't get what you want

but you can get me

So let's set out to sea, love

Cause you are my medicine

when you're close to me

 

Another Tuesday... another Taste.

This week we're back into the world of egg drop sandwiches, an East Asian cuisine import that was a smashing success when we checked out Bad Egg a few weeks back. This time we're exploring a similar style of sandwich, only with Japanese milk bread instead. Time to join the Egg Club I guess.

The backstory, which as you know if you've read my work before, I like to give a little dive into... with Egg Club it's vague as hell. All I can find is how a trio of dudes named Jason, Tim and Jun, who after an underwhelming expensive brunch somewhere in Toronto (fair enough) created Egg Club as their own attempt to both shift the breakfast culture and create a trend among egg sandwiches within the Toronto breakfast scene. In autumn 2020, the first Egg Club opened up near Dundas Square in downtown Toronto... they've since expanded to ten locations throughout the city (and in Ottawa) with several more planned in the immediate future. 

In yet another episode of having too much time to kill in Union Station before work, back into the food hall I went and to Egg Club's little stall there. 

Throughout their short history, Egg Club have seemingly kept their menu tight: the same eight egg sandwiches, a couple of breakfast bowl options (which I'm not sure the Union Station location offers), coffee, some juices, their special hash brown and that's pretty much all there is. As such, I got their bacon and cheese egg sandwich with one of those very hash browns. 

 

   

One absolutely key component of what Egg Club is doing is in their bread they're using. While the founders of Egg Club are secretive about their exact recipes (more on that later) they do reveal this is shokupan, a Japanese type of milk bread that is known for it's fluffy and milky-sweetness. 

I can indeed vouch for the gentle softness of this bread: it's lightly toasted and quite squeezable despite those thick slices. That milk-sweet taste is quite subtle but also very welcome next to the heavier elements within the sandwich. 

 

 

As for those fillings? You've got cheese, bacon, folded scrambled eggs and their Egg Club sauce. Also, notice how the bottom of this sandwich is still together, much like a hot dog bun? Strange construction, especially when it results in the final couple bites becoming just bread... fortunate how that bread is delicious on its own.

First off, we've got very generic processed American cheese here that is barely melted... a serious misstep. Considering the strong quality of the bread, using such a cheap plasticy cheese just seems really out of place... like using McCain frozen french fries for your AAA level steak frites. Slices of American cheese like this have their times and places (melted all over a burger, on a grilled cheese sandwich etc) but this is not one of them. I ended up picking off a lot of this lame cheese, frankly... that distinct processed taste was disrupting and detracting from the other flavours. 

Fortunately, the rest of the sandwich overcomes that swing-and-a-miss, coming together (right now... over me) to be quite tasty. These folded over scrambled eggs indeed nail that sweet spot of fluffiness while mostly holding together... incredibly enjoyable. Meanwhile the bacon is cooked somewhere in the medium range: not loose and greasy, nor crispy and dry. You get some fattier bits, some firmer parts... it's entirely fine although could've been much more of a presence on here (I suspect their "Meat Lover's" sandwich, basically this exact same thing plus a sausage patty, evens out that egg-to-meat imbalance). 

Finally, the Egg Club sauce. Definitely more of a savoury addition to this sandwich. I got a hint of a herby garlicy type of creamy mayo-sauce to it, which matches really nicely with that light, slightly sweet bread (and another reason why that processed cheese slice just doesn't fit in here at all... some sharp old cheddar would've been perfect).       

 

 

Finishing off with the Egg Club hash brown. You can clearly see this is no ordinary hash brown: it being folded over is strange enough, but then you have this potato filling in the centre of it... honestly it looks like a fried potato taco or something. Do fried potato tacos exist? That sounds delicious.

The hash brown part of this item is very on point. Some light seasoning, the crispiness is just perfect (endlessly enjoyable crunch) and surprisingly not insanely oily either. The shredded potato within has a full, fresh taste as well... none of that distinct tingling flat flavour you get from pre-frozen stuff.

If that were all, this would be a terrific hash brown. However, there's that filling in the middle as well... with texture much like an ice cream scoop of soft mashed potato. The flavour of it is rich and creamy as well, with an almost maple-syrup-like hint. This is straight up delicious, and I'd eat these mashed potatoes as their own stand alone item as is. Squeezed between a crispy hash brown? That, my dear friends and readers, is pure genius. Whoever thought of this (Egg Club themselves or borrowed from somewhere else) truly must love potatoes in all their most delicious forms and I wholeheartedly approve of this ingenuity. 

 

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Overall! I'd say this "Egg" Club is a club worth joining... assuming that's the kind of 'club' we're referring to here. Is it instead some kind of egg golf club? (that must be one messy fairway). Or maybe a playing card reference, their egg sandwiches are akin to the king of clubs? Perhaps it's 'club' as a verb, wherein these eggs are clubbing you over the head because they're so good! Or these eggs are hitting King West on a Saturday night for some night-clubbing. 

However you want to interpret it (I'm imagining a golf club made of eggs myself), Egg Club is legitimately very good and I recommend checking them out. A high quality local chain! I did find this sandwich somewhat basic at points, to its slight detriment... but that delicious Japanese milk bread really helps lighten those duller moments in the sandwich. Meanwhile, that hash brown alone is worth checking them out as soon as possible. Next level stuff, that one. 

Anyhow... among breakfast-y chains here in Toronto, this one is without a doubt one of the higher end ones. Check em out. 

 

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Pizza Grab Bag

In case you missed it, I recently published a super-review wherein I checked out three(!) different pizza spots, taking a shorter look at each one. The link is right here, within this very sentence... give it a read if you please. 

 

 

Tuesday Tune

These be times for melancholy and hills.

 

 

 

That's it for another week! Until next time, stay safe, take care of yourselves and don't spill that mustard.  

This Week In Pizza - Grab Bag Edition: La Pala 148, SOL, Anima Romana Bakery

  

 

We're doing something a little different this time around. Rather than diving deep into one particular pizza joint, instead we're going to take a quicker look at three pizzas I recently tried, with grades for all of them at the very end. 

Let the grab bag begin! 

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La Pala 148

 

  

It is unfortunate in this format that I can't get into the menu of La Pala 148 in more detail, as there is plenty of variety here to potentially discuss from the various slices, arancini and tantalizing desserts (and I'm not even a dessert fella) they offer. Indeed, I'd have loved to sample more than just a single slice from La Pala and surely they would have gotten their own stand-alone article if not for one critical thing... they're really damn expensive! 

Seriously, we're talking "this slice with tax+tip was 14 bucks" expensive. Even their regular Margherita would clock in around ten dollars with all that. They are big, thick slices at least and undoubtedly there's a Yorkville pricing element in effect here... but 14 bucks for a slice? There are still walk-in specials around town (few, but they exist) where that gets you an entire pizza pie of respectable quality. 

Now that my price rant is out of the way (for now)... La Pala 148 is a tiny little Yorkville spot on Cumberland Street (it's next door to Hemmingway's bar, an old haunt of mine in my 20s) specializing in counter serving with some stools by the window. There's a mini-bodega vibe to the place also, with a shelf full of Italian snacks, a newspaper rack and self-serve fridge for beverages like Italian sodas. 

 

 

Damn slice took a bite outta me!

La Pala 148 does a Roman style pizza, which you don't see much of in Toronto but seems to be growing in popularity. It is indeed thick and bready, but never at any point does it feel like there's too much of that... plus it has such a delightful freshly baked feel and texture that is always a welcome experience. 

This is their "Carnivoro" slice, essentially a meat lovers: cup pepperoni, house sausage and pancetta. The pancetta is your fancy bacon substitute and really steals the show here. Very fatty rectangular bits of tender pork goodness, a very nice compliment to the crispy pepperoni and rougher crumble of the sausage. Also, despite the considerable amount of pork meats on here, the amount of saltiness to this slice was far from oppressive. Always a good sign when considering the overall quality of the ingredients.

The cheese didn't leave much of an impression... perfectly fine but very ordinary mozzarella, not much taste or stretchiness to it. The tomato sauce however... very bright and vibrant, plenty of presence throughout the slice with a nice little hint of oregano in there too. Truly an excellent tomato sauce, one that elevates what would've otherwise been a good-ish pizza onto a higher level. 

Texture is also a big positive for this slice, as it has excellent crunch all throughout, especially on the crust. Just a very enjoyable slice to eat overall, with good ingredients and a high level of freshness. 

 

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SOL Pizza

 

             

Despite its proximity to the busyness of Yonge/Bloor, the Manulife Centre building or the downtown University of Toronto campus, SOL Pizza is a joint that appears to have flown under the radar of Toronto's pizza scene (it is somewhat hidden away on a side street just off Bay). 

The inside is a cramped space, barely enough room for both an ordering counter and a tiny little table. This kind of setup seems ideal for nearby UofT students to bring back into a dorm room (or eat outside on warmer days).   

Nevertheless, the place has clearly made a very positive impression with people (a 4.8 on Google Reviews tends to get my attention) and so this was a lesser-talked-about pizzeria I'd been curious to try for quite some time. Going back to this area is also always a neat little trip back in time for me: I lived and went to high school nearby and later on also went to UofT myself... and damn it what I would've done for some good nearby pizza during those long days I was compelled to actually study.

 

 

SOL have like at least two dozen specialty pizzas on their menu, looking over them was indeed fairly overwhelming. Eventually I kept it somewhat simple and went for their version of an "arrabbiata", which was sliced salami with a generous helping of pickled banana peppers.

 

 

There's quite a lot to like here, and also... everything is a lot. As you can see this thing is loaded with toppings, but there are even more slices of the thick salami underneath the cheese! This is, believe it or not, a weakness: all that thick salty pork gets so excessive at points that I found myself picking some of it off just so I could taste the rest of the pizza.

Beyond that though, this is a pretty solid entry. These slices are a bit on the floppy side as the dough foundation is fairly thin and soft (insert joke here). Lots of stretchy cheese which is good, plus a hint of garlic somewhere in both smell and subtly in the taste, perhaps within the tomato sauce. Speaking of that sauce, it has a bit of a natural sweet hint to it... something you might find in a spaghetti and meatballs type of dish. Combined with the acidic sting of the peppers and saltiness of the pork, it helps balance things out somewhat. 

Finally, this is a pretty oily pizza, but it's a good kind of oily. If anything, this pizza reminds me of what I'd call an "arcade slice": extremely oily and cheesy, heavy with the scent of peppers and pepperoni. Considering this condo heavy neighbourhood, this was pretty much the exact opposite of what I was expecting. 

 

Anima Romana Bakery

 

      

Our last entry in this pizza grab bag takes a look at new-ish bakery (opening sometime in the past year or so) in the Upper Beaches just off of the intersection of Gerrard and Main Street (also home of the original Beach Hill Smokehouse BBQ joint). This is Anima Romana Bakery, which translates as "Roman Soul" or "Soul of Rome" into English. I'm pretty sure you all know what "Bakery" means... 

Unlike the other two spots in this article, pizza is more "another thing we offer" here rather than the main attraction. This is a bakery after all, offering a variety of baked sourdough breads, focaccia loaves, cakes, doughnuts, tarts, you name it. Their pizza counter is in the back, which is maybe ten steps from the front door. Another very narrow and cramped space! Yet charming nonetheless... whether it be the cartoony brick storefront or the colourful scribblings on the white wall inside.

 

 

Like La Pala 148... this isn't exactly a bargain either. Their slices are quite large indeed: they're actually rectangular and are cut in half to order, thus these four are actually just two slices I ordered that have been split into the quadrants you see. The pepperoni came in around seven bucks, which is totally reasonable. The white one on the left? Thirteen. Man, at this rate I'm gonna need a fourth job just to pay for all these pizzas I review...

 

 

Anima Romana uses a sourdough base for most of their baking, which certainly applies to their pizza as well. You get a good balance of that sourdough taste with some excellent chewiness, along with some crispness on the bottom and the "crust" edge of the slice (it's a bit hard to tell where that is but it's to the left in this photo). 

This is also terrific pepperoni. Fantastically crunchy along the edges, thinly sliced and plentiful. The tomato sauce has a juicy feel to it, quite bright and satisfying in its little pockets where it hasn't baked too much into the cheese. 

A pepperoni slice is a simple classic of course, and they nail it quite nicely. Enjoyable from start to finish, and it reheats extremely well in the toaster oven.

 

 

Now for the thirteen dollar option (their slice prices are not shown, or at least not easy to locate visually). This is, according to the fella behind the pizza counter, their "lasagna" slice... which considering you indeed encounter slices with noodles on them in New York City, I was semi-nervous there would be a layer of flat noodle taking up lots of real estate within this slice. 

There was nothing of the sort. Instead what you have here is an atypical pizza configuration (cheese on top with filling inbetween and bread on the bottom) with a pretty unique execution. Below the layer of mozzarella is a nice layer of creamy ricotta, while those brownish-red splotches on top are the sauce portion of this lasagna-meets-pizza. 

I have to say... this was incredibly delicious. That fresh ricotta cheese within is just such a perfect touch to this kind of slice, not to mention I detected a hint of black pepper and basil in that flavour as well. As for that sauce on top... it's quite like a meaty lasagna sauce, tiny bits of ground beef within a tomato sauce and the taste just explodes in your mouth. 

A great exercise in flavour contrast working well together, the creamy rich cheese meeting the zing of a hearty meaty housemade pasta sauce. Perhaps it's a ragu or bolognese, I'm not entirely certain nor knowledgeable enough about that type of recipe to say either way... but either way this was one of the more interesting and tasty pizza slices I've had in quite some time. 

 

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Final grades! Honestly, all three of these pizzas were quite enjoyable in their own ways, and all quite different from one another as well.

 

 

While I'll scoff at the price-for-the-amount-you're-getting at La Pala 148 (I'm no frequenter of Yorkville lunches) I also can't deny their pizza is excellent, at least from this singular experience. Fantastic texture, good toppings... I'll place them on the weaker side of a "B++" grade, which is probably good enough for a Top 50 slot on my neverending list. 

I also have to mention a funny story while I was eating this slice: a fellow in a TTC uniform came in and was just entirely smitten with all of the slices they were offering on the counter. He must've asked "will you have a special tomorrow? Tomorrow you'll have the special?" about a dozen times before finally leaving. Hey I love pizza as much as anyone, but even I'm not sure I've ever gushed so publicly about it... I wasn't sure to find this display endearing or concerning. Don't get addicted to pizza, kids! *puffs cigarette*. It'll lead ya down a bad road of falling dominoes, greasy huts and repeating "pizza" twice for no reason!                

SOL is the kind of pizza I probably would've adored and recommended to everyone I know about ten-to-fifteen years ago. It's got that oily charm, it's loaded with toppings, and the cornmeal base is another nice touch. 

It's still pretty good, and while it's a bit below a "you gotta go try this" tier, they get a respectable "B-" grade. The smell is incredible, exactly the kind of scent this kind of pizza should have... plus there's a good amount of sauce despite the heavy dominance of the cheese and toppings. It reheats decently as well (the pan on low heat actually gives it some needed crispiness on the bottom). Overall, a quality showing from a spot not talked about all that much. 

 

 

Now we come to the local ringer. They seem to have a strong following, what with appearing on BlogTo's most recent 50 Essential Pizzas gallery (I've tried 45 of those, for the record) and also being fairly busy when I arrived at 11am on a Saturday. 

If the pepperoni slice was just it, I'd be impressed enough to recommend them on that alone. Fantastic and simple, that fresh sourdough really shines through with terrific sauce and pepperoni. That would be a solid B+. 

That lasagna slice though... again, truly one of the most delicious and interesting pizza slices I've had in a very long time. It's got the uniqueness, the creativity, the sheer simplicity and most importantly... the incredible taste and texture. A place that can pull off something like that deserves considerable appreciation, even from the coldest hearted critics. 

The fellow behind the pizza counter insisted it was very very good and he certainly was not wrong. On the strength of that, Anima Romana gets an "A--". That lasagna pizza is simply an absolute must try. 

 

 

And there we go! Three different pizzas, in the (grab) bag as it were. Hope you enjoyed this slightly different format and we'll be back sometime soon. I'll finish up my updated rankings eventually, I swear... maybe some point early this summer. Stay tuned, and until next time...

          

The Tuesday Taste - Bagels On Fire

 

 

You're too old to lose it

Too young to choose it

And the clock waits

so patiently on your song

You walk past the cafe

but you don't eat when

you've lived too long

 

Another Tuesday... another Taste. Huh. 

[SCENE MISSING]

 

This week we're still looking at more breakfasty type foods by checking out a very well regarded bagel mini-empire here in Toronto. Get ready to fan the flames, it's time to leave the frying pan and check out Bagels on Fire. (Not to be confused with Scarborough's own Pizza On Fire...or the famous Alicia Keys song...)

While they currently now have three locations in the city (one inside the shiny food court of The Well and the other on Queen Street West) the origin of Bagels On Fire actually begins down here in my little stretch of town, The Beaches. Founded in 2013 (a year before I moved down here), husband and wife owners Julio and Hazel Penullar first worked together in The Bagel House... gradually saving up money over years until the right opportunity came to open up a bagel shop of their very own. 

With that aforementioned expansion, it's safe to say the Penullar's little bagel outpost has been a firey success (sorry). One crucial element that makes Bagels On Fire significantly different than your typical supermarket fare is how they specialize in the Montreal style bagel. What exactly is or makes a Montreal style bagel, you may be asking? I'm glad you maybe asked! Having just researched this myself, the key to a Montreal bagel is in the preparation: fresh dough that is hand rolled then boiled in honey water before baked in a wood burning oven. This article gives slightly more information.

I recall going to the famous original location of St. Vitaeur in the Mile End area of Montreal (along with similarly renowned Fairmount Bagel just a few doors down, this is definitely the famous block for such bagels) many years ago and just seeing dozens upon dozens of bagels strung up everywhere in that tiny space... the smell of fire and sweet dough thick within the air. Quite a sensory delight.

 

 

I'll discuss those distinct flavour and texture attributes later as we dive into the food itself. For now, it was a very sunny morning, the streets were still infested with excessive amounts of snow and I could not get back to sleep. Why not go walk for eighty seconds and get some breakfast? Yes indeed... I've written well over a hundred food reviews at this point, with maybe another hundred in my future (who knows)... and I guarantee no other review I may ever write in my entire life will require less travel to get to. The stop for the streetcar is farther away, fer cryin out loud.

The inside of the Beaches Bagels on Fire has very limited sitting, with most of the space dedicated to the ordering counter and a considerable amount of supplies in the back. There are a few small tables and chairs inside, with even an adorable little patio outside by the window (you can see it in the photo)... maybe not the ideal spot to eat a freshly baked bagel when the snowbanks beside you are swallowing parked cars, but adorable none the less. 

 

 

I've been on an obsessive breakfast sandwich kick lately (to be continued) and so went for the Bagels On Fire version of those on a poppy seed bagel, along with an everything bagel (considered one of their best sellers) with a chive cream cheese. 

All in (tax and tip) it registered at around fourteen bucks... which isn't all that bad. Sure, if you went to Tim Horton's this would easily be under ten dollars... but as my reviews have hopefully established... Tim Horton's food sucks (they've been in a gradual downward death spiral, as it were). Besides, these here are Montreal style bagels! Right? Well, lets finally dive into that. 

 

 

The breakfast sandwich is probably the better one wherein the qualities of the bagel itself are more present: cream cheese tends to dominate the palette and especially on an everything bagel... there's a quite an dual overwhelming factor on there despite such a simple item. 

My first thought on my first bite was how odd the texture of these bagels were (it'd been maybe fifteen years since I had a Montreal style one). There's a good baked exterior but then within... a gummy chewiness that initially threw me off. It's not a dry chewiness, more like a very soft yet condensed bread. 

Being just not being used to this kind of baked good, it took a few bites for me to start getting into it... which I very much did. It's the perfect baked crunch of the outside that makes it work: wood fire gives such a distinct texture and flame-licked flavour (it's true for pizzas as well) and both these bagels were baked to just the precise point of keeping the crunch/soft balance. 

Flavour-wise... I didn't know until afterwards about the honey water boiling aspect of Montreal bagels, as while eating this I did detect a subtle syrupy sweetness within the dough that I just couldn't place my finger (or tongue) on. Never an overpowering or sugary kind of sweet... just a little touch within the softer parts of the bagel that add a nice gentle extra flavour.

As for the breakfast portion of the equation... it's fairly straightforward as far as breakfast sandwiches go. Slab of fried eggs cooked somewhere between over medium and over hard, little bit of sliced ham (could've chosen bacon instead but... meh) and some cheddar cheese. There's very good balance between these three fillings... none of the three really dominate at any time and you get a solid taste of each on nearly every bite. 

I'd have preferred more ham on here, but for the limited amount we have it's a very vivid cold cut... avoiding abrasive saltiness and just giving that classic hammy kind of taste (it's like 6am and I can't think of a good description... but don't cancel the ham!). As mentioned the fried eggs are nicely done wherein they're fluffy but without any of those dried out bits along the edges. Beyond that, the only frills this sandwich gets at all are some black pepper and a dab of standard mayo. Like I said, incredibly straightforward.

 

 

There is much less to say about the cream cheese offering (I mean it's a bagel and cream cheese, can't exactly write a novel here... or can I...???)

It's very good! The everything bagel has much more of a roasty kind of flavour to it. The smell (which is awesome) and taste of baked sesame are very prevalent throughout. There's the same honey sweetness and soft chewy texture as the poppy seed bagel, although this one has a bit less crispness on the edges (probably deliberate since all that stuff on top will burn quicker in the oven I imagine).

We can talk about the chive cream cheese as well. Not sure if they make it in house (I'd strongly lean towards 'yes they do') but I can definitely say this is notably different than just grabbing a tub of Philadelphia and spreading it all over the crackers of your sadness. Not that I've, uh, done that... nope. 

For comparisons sake, Philadelphia cream cheese really turns into a weird runny... thing... when placed upon something with heat, like a bagel fresh from the oven. Don't get me wrong, Philadelphia is entirely acceptable in most situations but I think the distinction has to be made between "cream cheese spread" and "cream cheese" here, and the key is within that texture. 

This chives cream cheese that Bagels On Fire uses is not like a spread at all... I mean you can spread it here, but what I mean is you'd prefer a spoon instead of a butter knife. There's much more of a lightness, a whipped quality to the overall taste and feel in your mouth... while still containing those key cream cheese elements (fullness, rich flavour). Maybe not as intently flavourful as some of those Philadelphia ones, like their salmon flavour (definitely a guilty pleasure) but you get that nice sting of real fresh chives in here more than once, and again that sort of thickly whipped texture just lends itself to the delightful levels that softer cheeses can bring.

 

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Overall! I can't vouch for the other two locations and I don't have much intention to... this one is around the corner from my house... and it's the original! Why would I go to the other ones? 

In all seriousness though... everything I experienced here was genuinely fabulous. This was my first real experience giving a Montreal bagel an honest, thoughtful look... and there's a definite charm and tastiness within here. That exact balance of fire baked crunch on the outside with the pretty soft yet dense and sweet inside... very appealing. 

Regular bagels are, strangely, much airier yet also considerably heavier on the stomach (and generally larger on the calorie count too). These Montreal style bagels are considerably smaller, which should be noted... but that compactness of the dough was just as filling as any regular grocery store bagel, while also significantly more interesting. Tasty and enjoyable in both flavour and texture. 

Recommend? Damn right! Going back to the breakfast bagel, I always admire a place that can keep things simple and yet be so memorably excellent. Simplicity can bite your ass when you don't have the quality or tight execution (see my La Roma review)... but Bagels On Fire does one thing exceptionally well (bagels, bet you didn't guess that) and the other elements are high end role players bringing it all home. Nicely done... 

 

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The Jon Dowd All-Stars

Considered by many one of the greatest, most groundbreaking sports video games of all time... 2025 marks the twenty year anniversary of MVP Baseball 2005. 

Funny enough, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic I was extremely bored (shocker) and needed some kind of sports fix. I found a way to get MVP Baseball 2005 to work on my laptop and it rediscovering it (probably had been 15 years since I played it) was an incredibly fun distraction from all the surrounding gloom. 

Here's a brief little video (from the official MLB YouTube account no less) getting into some of the development and stories behind the making of the classic game. 

 

 

Development Done Good

I'd been meaning to share this for a while, but this is an example of Toronto taking a part of town that's fallen into little use and disrepair, and proposing to make it into something interesting and community oriented rather than just another batch of boring condos 97 percent of people can't afford. Like what they're doing with the Port Lands (yeah there will eventually be condos there I know, but at least adding plenty of public parkspace is also a priority in their revitalization).

https://www.blogto.com/real-estate-toronto/2025/01/440-unwin-avenue-hearn-generating-station-toronto/              

Tuesday Tune

This review was all set to come out last Tuesday (it was indeed already mostly written), but then something happened that was pretty much like an earthquake into my general psyche. I don't care to elaborate, but a stay in a hospital was involved as are some significant lifestyle changes I'll need to actually consider seriously this time. 

As such, spending most of last week not caring to do really much of anything (including leave my house)... this song kind of popped into my mind in those very dark, bleak moments. It's a classic, it's a stunner, and a timeless beauty. 

Take care of yourselves everybody, physically and especially mentally... and don't spill that mustard.