The 100th Tuesday Taste - Taco Bell (and more!)

 

 

If I die of vanity

promise me promise me

They bury me

some place I don't wanna be

you'll dig me up

and transport me

unceremoniously

Away from the swollen city breeze

garbage bag trees 

 

Another Tuesday... a one hundredth Taste! When I first started this little series in early 2021, mostly out of needing something to do during pandemic boredom and loneliness... I certainly did not envision this thing making it all the way to 100 episodes. 

There were some hiatuses along the way (and certainly some meals so bad to make me question the wisdom of doing this *cough* Wing Machine) but here we are! Without a doubt this weekly review series would never have made it this far without the encouragement and support of all of you, dear readers, and so my endless thanks to everyone. 

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It is wild to think it took me a century number of reviews to finally get around to Taco Bell, which is kind of a famous one! I mean, we've done A&W alone over half a dozen times...or McDonald's at least four (and I hate McDonald's!)

If you're somebody of my vintage, growing up in the mid-late 1990s, you will definitely remember the marketing sensation that Taco Bell became for a while. The talking chihuahua with the catchphrase "yo quiero Taco Bell!" (translating as "I want" Taco Bell, fairly obviously). Looking back now... yeah giving the dog a stereotypical Mexican accent was a pretty rough look (several Hispanic advocacy groups deemed it extremely insensitive at the time and called for boycotts).

Despite that perhaps being Taco Bell's peak in the public consciousness (at least until we enter the future of Demolition Man and all restaurants are Taco Bell)... Taco Bell actually dates back to the early 1960s. Restaurateur Glen Bell (yep, that's where the 'Bell' in Taco Bell is from) had operated a variety of food stands in San Bernadino and Lynwood, California, and upon seeing the popularity of a nearby taco restaurant decided to shift into that crunchy lane. After a few different concepts named Taco Tia and El Taco (the former of which had the eventual founder of the Wienerschnitzel brand, John Galardi, as a business partner) the first actual Taco Bell restaurant opened its doors in Downey, a south-east part of Los Angeles, in 1962. Soon afterwards Bell (Glen not 'Taco') franchised the brand, it grew considerably, and in 1978 he sold it to Pepsi for a cool 125 million in stock options.

There isn't an abundance of Taco Bells in Toronto (in fact their Canadian division has been closing stores recently) and it's really just one now long, long gone that stands out to me the most... as my early teens were my personal Taco Bell heyday. I attended Jesse Ketchum for junior high and later Jarvis Collegiate for higher high, which are both very close to Yonge and Bloor... and there used to be a Taco Bell/KFC hybrid just a block south of Bloor on the west side of Yonge. Cheap tacos and fries covered in stuff were a tasty treat for this teenager without any real source of income, and I do recall many lunchtime visits chomping away on those crumbling messy beef-filled shells. 

Fast forward about... twenty years? Good grief. I completely stopped going to Taco Bell not for any specific reason: maybe because there wasn't one nearby, or that my tastes in food changed (*cough* improved *cough*) or that these types of tacos are so ridiculously easy and cheap to make at home... all legitimate reasons. I do recall one time, think I was about twenty, going to Tacos El Asador in their old location and being confused why their tacos were being served flat on this soft, un-fried tortilla thing. Ah the ignorance of youth...

As mentioned before (possibly this review, one of my weirder ones) almost ten years ago I briefly worked at La Carnita Leslieville, which was a fucking nightmare... but their tacos were extremely good I will concede. Getting to eat those during my semi-brief employment (still a fucking nightmare) really opened my eyes to what tacos could be: much like a pizza (come on, you thought I wouldn't find a way to mention pizza in the 100th episode?) there's an empty canvas wherein you can add and create almost anything within that basic structure.  

This is my (typically) roundabout way of explaining my gradually gained affinity and respect for a good taco, and as such my genuine curiousity and interest in reviewing Taco Bell for this. This is one I've been considering for a while and I remember it being good... ish? Good in 2003 terms? I was not kidding when I say it'd probably been two decades since I had it. 

 

 

While for an east-ender like me, the Taco Bell in College Park or the one up at Ellesmere and Birchmount may have been closer... I didn't want to go to a food court and I definitely didn't want to go all the way up to whatever the hell is up there, so College and Spadina it was. 

Entering the inside was a trip: they have these self-ordering screens that I imagine are commonplace in fast food joints now (despite these reviews I honestly rarely eat fast food stuff otherwise). The interior is sleek, standardized generic tile and seating... nothing garnish or bold to spark the imagination. Combined with the impersonal ordering, there is something very procedural about all this.

 

 

Going in I knew I was getting a few things to sample and one of them had to be the Fries Supreme, such a delights in the days of my voice cracking. They had some kind of 'Cantina Chicken' feature, so I ordered the crispy taco of that, along with a Cheesy Beef Gordita Crunch and a Doritos Locos Beef Taco. Man, these are some punchy names...

 

         

I started with the cantina chicken one because, as you can see it was totally falling apart! 

There isn't much to say here. The chicken is... odd. Extremely loose, like a minced type texture, and while the flavour resembles that classic juiciness of the bird it is fleeting and empty. Not much seasoning or flair, it's really the heaviness of the cheese and whatever creamy sauce is in here that dominates the taste. 

Strange, strange taco... with just cheese and meat filling it's like what I had at Dirty Birrias (I wasn't in love with those either but at least they had some zing). No lettuce or tomato or onion or cilantro either (okay fair you're not finding cilantro at a freaking Taco Bell)... it's really just the creamy chicken with a bunch of cheese... which can work in principle but really does not work here. Comfortably the worst of the four items. Meh and bleh. 

 

Into Door #2, the Cheesy Beef Gordita Crunch. This was the priciest one of the quartet, and damned if I know why. It's really just their regular beef taco with an extra pita-like wrapping around it, plus a sauce! Hey, at least it's far more interesting than that chicken "thing".

Texture-wise, this works a lot better than I thought it would. The soft exterior with the crunchy shell within is a nice dynamic, even if this particular exterior would probably work better with some hummus instead. Problem is, there is just so much of these two outer layers in every bite that the contents within have little chance to ring through. You barely get any presence of the beef filling, or the cheese (both of which are in the freaking name)... hell even the "Crunch" aspect is suffocated by this flaky uncooked pita.

What is a 'gordita' you may ask? (I sure did). Via my trademark Lazy Research, it is typically a fried corn pocket (similar to an empanada but that's flour instead of corn usually) filled with cheese and meat... although a gordita can be baked as well. So basically... I don't know what the hell this item from Taco Bell is but seeing as this outermost layer is neither fried or baked, and definitely isn't corn nor does it completely enclose the contents within... it sure as hell is not a gordita. 

Of course, this is the same chain that for a time had a commercial promoting their "Carne Asada Beef" special... which essentially translates as 'beef grilled beef' or 'grilled beef beef'. Pick whichever you think is funnier.

 

       

We're really not doing too well here... how about the one item I was most excited to finally get reacquainted with? 

Ah the Fries Supreme... reigning supreme among the realm of fries. I loved this stuff well before I even discovered poutine for crying out loud. As a pre-teen it was like a revelation: "you can put other delicious stuff and sauces on fries??? Whoa!"

Normally the Fries Supreme comes with the ground taco beef and perhaps in retrospect that might've been the more authentic choice, but I was curious about their steak and so upgraded to that for an extra dollar. It probably wouldn't have made much of a difference, honestly. I know this is happening essentially everywhere, and it has been two decades and my memory of being a sixteen year old was thousands of drinks ago... but I swear the portion used to be larger. To be fair, I was likewise shocked to see this was still less than five bucks and so considering that... not bad?

Not bad is the highest praise I can genuinely give here. I like all of these elements: fried potatoes, sour cream, cheese sauce, chunks of steak and diced tomatoes... that all still works conceptually (just missing green onions). 

Quality-wise? It's... edible. On the lesser side of "okay". The fries aren't great, a lot like Burger King fries strangely enough (not salty at all or crispy)... the sour cream is lukewarm (which always makes me nervous) diced tomatoes taste like diced tomatoes so that's fine, and the cheese is your standard 7/11 nacho cheese sauce which is likewise also fine when you know what to expect. I have a love/hate relationship with that gloopy type nacho cheese sauce: in the right situation it can be an excellent addition and or dip, but I would never ever eat the stuff on a regular basis. 

Which brings us to the steak! Yeah I dunno... for a steak so obviously well-done (at least medium-well) the consistency of the cook and it's lack of chewiness is suspicious. I've slow-cooked non-fatty beef many times and even at medium-well within it's own juices you get some resemblance of toughness. Taste-wise, there is a steak flavour, slightly peppery and quite tender... like these Fries Supreme as a whole it's entirely okay I just don't trust it.

Sigh. I pretty much knew coming into this that having a Fries Supreme for the first time in my adult life would be a let down, and it is... but nothing can really live up to that perspective of precious youthful innocence though. 

This surely wasn't horrible, which I am glad about. In 100 Tuesday reviews I've encountered many awful things and this is far from that. Objectively, there is just such a plasticy-like flavour to all of this that lacks any secondary oomph to allow a taste to linger. You just consume it until it's gone. Not exactly cheap in flavour (although it is) rather it's simply bland and not memorable.     

 

 

Quick note on their hot sauce (in the packets you see above): I got the spiciest "Fire" option, and while it (to me) wasn't anything close to resembling genuine heat (the "fire" was put out so quickly the firefighters had time to hit the bar afterwards) I kind of liked this as just a sauce. Bit of a ketchup meets BBQ meets Tabasco kind of thing, a smokey tang with a vinegar-like sting to it. I actually took some of them home and poured it on my own homemade tacos. Decent.    

And now, don't worry I saved the best for last. The only thing of these four items I'd remotely consider paying money for again. The Doritos Locos Taco!

Full disclosure: I love Doritos. I love almost all chips in general (maybe episode #200 I'll review every well known chip brand and flavour there is... that would be lined up for two years from now but give me two weeks it'll be done. I freaking love chips). 

Right, back on subject. Taco Bell has had this Doritos taco floating around for a while and it always intrigued me. Doritos are nacho corn chips after all and the transition/innovation into a crunchy taco shell is obvious. I've even attempted to make Dorito nachos at home with mixed success (there must be some finishing oil or chemical in them because they tend to burn quicker than normal tortilla chips). 

Basically, this is your standard Taco Bell crunchy beef taco, with a Doritos shell. First chomp in... oh crud it's the Nacho Cheese flavour... certainly the most popular Dorito and by far my least favourite one. Couldn't have a Cool Ranch option? Or Jalapeno Cheddar? Regardless, you get a lot of that powdery vibrant Dorito flavour (even the dust caking on your fingers) and it brings a brightness (as artificial as it may taste) to an otherwise very ordinary beef taco. Combined with a decent amount of pre-shredded lettuce and cheese... this was moderately enjoyable and tasty.

I haven't talked much about Taco Bell's ground beef, essentially the load barring poster of this whole enterprise, so here goes. The beef itself is serviceable, with a fatty loose texture that settles well within the taco shells. The flavour is a lot like a very finely ground non-lean beef that would fit well in a greasier kind of chili, just without the seasonings and spices (the flavour-part). 

 

        

Overall. Would I recommend Taco Bel-GAWD, of course not. 

This is not good food, it's about as authentically Mexican/Latin cuisine as a sushi roll, and despite finishing those four items in one sitting I was still unnaturally hungry. I considered trying one of their crunch wraps as an encore but then realized that would've meant I spent thirty freaking bucks on Taco Bell and I respect money far too much to do that to it.

My many criticisms aside, I do see an appeal as a guilty pleasure. Unlike the widespread devotion towards McDonald's which I will never understand... Taco Bell has some no frills corny charm to it. It's quite cheap (not 100 tacos for 100 dollars cheap and I sure could go for that right about now) and they have a bunch of weird menu items that are certainly inventive if nothing else...       

I think I'm just not Taco Bell's target audience. Maybe it was this location's close proximity to the University of Toronto but everyone else who walked in (that wasn't a delivery man) was easily between the ages of sixteen and nineteen. And that's it right there, my Taco Bell history as well. When you're still a kid or a young adult, this stuff is gold. You get older, your tastes evolve and change, you're (hopefully) exposed to higher levels of quality... and you inevitably leave some things behind. 

Maybe you're of a similar age as me and you still like Taco Bell, and I'm sure many of you are... maybe you like it for nostalgia or it's simplicity or there's just something about it that does it for you. You don't have to listen to my conclusions, I'm a snob reviewing stuff on the internet!* 

*Okay, actually do listen and read my work please, because... I am a snob. 

Taco Bell isn't horrible. I'd much rather go there than Burger King or McDonald's or Wing Machine or Pizza Pizza... it is genuinely far better than those grotesque creatures pedaling flashy attempts at sustenance. I do however implore you to try some of Toronto's superior taco options instead: Seven Lives, Holi Taco, King Taco... Gus Tacos are also quality. But if you're in a pinch and you just want to know what you're getting, something simple and familiar... Taco Bell has that reliable baseline floor, emphasis on floor...

...but yeah seriously it is not very good no thank you.

 

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Speaking of Seven Lives...

My Taco Bell Experience left me so mysteriously hungry and vaguely unfulfilled that I wandered into Kensington Market in hopes of something to alleviate this physical melancholy (or at the very least to find some new bandanas or cheap jerseys).

Neither of those apparel goals were realized but as it was only six o'clock and most restaurants in the market were open... yeah Taco Bell was legitimately so unsatisfying I actually went to another taco place to get a different taste in my mouth. This is real, I did this.

 

 

Seven Lives! A taqueria that appears very high on basically every 'Best Taco In Toronto' list. I had planned to do a full proper review of Seven Lives... then upon going in and seeing each taco was about 8-9 bucks... yeah I'm not made of airports! That's a hell of a lot for a single freaking taco...

 

 

...even if they are quite large and loaded with the good stuff. This is their pollo asado taco ("asado" means grilled... for somebody who has a close friend who speaks fluent Spanish I am Googling far too many of these words). 

Kind of hard to judge this subjectively when you ate freaking Taco Bell less than an hour earlier... but I can say this is a tasty messy taco that hits the mark. I found the chicken chunks a bit over grilled, a charred taste which dominates a lot of the flavour... but it is still delicious enough where you pop the little bits that fall out into your mouth lest they be forgotten. Plenty of tenderness and flavour.

The salsa on top is also a prominent factor, with it's vivid fresh tomatoey sharpness, occasional onion bit and a bit of guacamole acting like a glue keeping them together (you don't get much of the avocado taste). Also nice: the tortillas themselves! A big taste of corn, not too sweet but it really fills up the mouth and lingers throughout every bite. Quite pleasant.

 

 

Overall! I was quite impressed and am curious to try some more of what they offer, perhaps a proper full length review will happen some day instead of this little bite-sized one. Until then, this was a pretty positive first impression and definitely a nice immediate jolt to the palette after my Taco Bell experience. Plus, they have this:

 

 

A fine collection of pennants, featuring one of my favourite bands? Bonus points indeed, Seven Lives. Well played.        

 

 

Shaken, Not Stirred

A very random fact about me: I've seen every single James Bond film! Okay, that's not completely true... there are three I haven't seen (Quantum of Solace, Spectre and No Time To Die). 

While I probably lean "Sean Connery is the best Bond" camp, it's fun how every actor added something unique to the role. Connery the irresistible charm and wit, Lazenby the... uh... um... Moore the extreme camp, Dalton the most like an actual dangerous killer spy, Brosnan a little it of everything and Daniel Craig the most humanized, flaws and all. 

Anyhow, appealing to my love of ranking things... here's a ranking of all the Bond movies! I think it's pretty fair, although so many of those Roger Moore ones blend together I can barely tell them apart.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/every-james-bond-movie-ranked?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us

 

Tuesday Tune

100th episode... 100th meridian. 

 

 

That's it that's all for this week! Thank you all again for reading, whether you've been onboard since the first one or are just hopping on now at the centennial episode. We've got plenty more great places to try, maybe some not so great ones, and until then... stay warm, stay safe and most of all don't spill that mustard. 

 

 

The Tuesday Taste - Duckworth's Fish and Chips

 

 

When it's cold outside

I need the strength to be alive

And when I'm in my home

I need the strength to be alone

 

Another Tuesday... another Taste! And this particular Taste, the 99th one of these reviews greets the eyes of the internet reading world no less. 

Before we hit that big triple digit landmark next week however... in this edition we've got a legendary Toronto fish and chippery that dates back several decades, or almost a century depending on your local. Duckworth's as a name (more on that in a moment) has three locations: one on east Danforth near Main Street Station, one on Kingston Road in the Cliffside neighbourhood of southwest Scarborough, and a third one up north in Orillia. 

Thinking about this potential article for quite some time, a question emerged that I had difficulty discovering the answer to: which one is the original? An older friend of mine who grew up in Cliffside/The Beaches recalls going to the Kingston Road one a lot as a child in the late 1970s, so initially I figured that was the one. Well... if this Toronto Star piece from two years ago is indeed accurate (no reason not to be)... the Danforth location (named "Len Duckworth's Fish and Chips") is actually the senior, opening their doors in that very same spot back in 1929 (despite the sign saying "est 1930"). 

This is an unusual chain restaurant in that it isn't actually a chain. All three restaurants are separate entities, yet are all owned and operated by an offspring of the Duckworth clan. Len Duckworth was the longtime dude of the original location (now currently run by son and daughter Dave and Debbie), whereas Len's brother(?) Doug started up the Kingston Road "Duckworth's" off-shoot in the 1950s, and another nephew Matt Duckworth two generations down the line opened up the spot in Orillia around the mid 2000s. 

It's a fish and chip family empire! But an empire that is connected apparently by name only... quite strange. Personally, I wasn't sure which one I was going to try for this review (well, seeing as I live in Toronto the Orillia one was kiiiind of a longshot)... but eventually I decided on Kingston Road, if only as an excuse to also check out the nearby gorgeous Rosetta McClain Gardens in these autumn colours.     

One can perhaps understand why I might've easily believed this Kingston Road outpost was the original Duckworth's Fish and Chips. Everything about this exterior gives off vibes that were so prominent halfway through the previous century... from the red retro sign (truly wonderful) hanging above the storefront, to the line of parking spots directly facing the front entrance within a plaza (a throwback to an era where walking was never 'option A'). 

This particular stretch of Kingston Road (the western side of the Scarborough Bluffs) is indeed consistently a long run of little plazas/strip malls with big parking lots out in front of the crammed together stores/restaurants... with the occasional abandoned motel in there for good measure. 

Many decades ago this was indeed a verified motel haven, in a time before Toronto's population accelerated and expanded, before Scarborough was more built up with tall apartment buildings... this was an area beyond even the fringes of the city and all these motels made their business via tired drivers stopping to rest for the night. A small handful of these motels along Kingston do still operate and passing by one is a bit like a time capsule from a familiar yet very different world... as is this particular fish and chippery. A fish and chippery which (as this writer remembers this is a food review or something) is filled with old aerial shots of this very neighbourhood I've been describing.

 

 

Quickly, on the inside of the restaurant itself beyond the pictures: very narrow, a clean drab gray about the place (they've certainly renovated the place a few times since 1959 or whatever) with several tables set up much like a typical old diner (no booths or jukeboxes though). 

They were quite busy on this Thursday evening just before 6 o'clock, with both takeout orders and sit down guests as well... but was far more notable was the demographic of these patrons. Last month I turned 37 and I guarantee you aside maaaaybe from one guy waiting for pickup (who had gray in his beard) I was the youngest customer in there by at least a decade-and-a-half. They also close at 7:30pm every night, which... I'm just saying further adds to this particular observation.

There's certainly a pleasantness and atmosphere of familiarity about the place, even in a full restaurant with a steady lineup for takeout. An accepted form of chaos only a restaurant well-liked by its visitors can provide. You get a strong sense a lot of these folks are regulars who have been coming in and eating here for a seriously long time. Like my "time capsule" comment about the motels, this likewise felt quite similar to that.... akin to stepping inside a place and into a moment not entirely of the present world.        

 

     

As you probably can predict, it's a very straightforward, basic menu (the second menu, obscured by that pesky light glare, are sides). You've got three types of fish: halibut, haddock, and cod... which by my very limited knowledge does sound like the usual trinity of battered fish. 

I gotta level with ya, dear reader: I'm not a huge seafood guy. I do enjoy it once in a while when a craving hits, and a good salmon is truly one of my very favourite things to cook at home... but when it comes to the precise differences between these kinds of fish, I can't really tell you beyond "tastes like the sea!"

As tempting as it might've been to simply try all three and compare... well I'm not made of airports so after a quick Google search of "what's the difference between haddock and cod?" (apparently cod is thicker and firm but haddock more flavour)... I went for the haddock and chips, with a side of coleslaw. This all came in around 18 bucks and there was no tip option, nor a tip jar to drop a colourful coin or two. This really is a place out of the 1950s.        

 

 

All right, I've covered the odd backstory, the quirky nature of the neighbourhood, the throwback atmosphere of the place... oh shoot! The review has already run too long, we'll have to skip the food portion of the article. Thanks for reading! Be sure to subscribe to West Collier Street, smash that 'Share' and that  'Like' button!  

Yeah right. So here we have the fries (or "chips" in this case... lets be proper now). I think these are... pretty decent for something so remarkably basic. You get a good taste of potato, some of the frying oil as a slight hint, and there's really nothing else to them. Fairly withered with very little crispiness for the most part, no frills or unique seasoning (not seasoned at all, in fact). They remind me of my occasional attempts to make french fries in my air fryer at home... for whatever reason they likewise seem to curl up and shrivel cook in this same soft way (and never are as crispy as I like). 

Most importantly, they do taste like they're sliced in-house, which gives them valuable charm despite the boring simplicity. If they are ever frozen I certainly can't tell: there's none of that numb or flat taste you get from frozen goods. Nope, you get all potato and not much else. Nothing else in fact, beyond that faint frying oil taste. 

Alas, by themselves (all that potato) that basic taste and withered texture gets pretty repetitive and you find yourself going for the ketchup. Personally, I mixed the pre-packed ketchup with the pre-packaged tartar sauce (disappointment alert: Duckworth's doesn't make a tartar sauce themselves... it's pretty damn easy) as a dip. Ketchup and mayo-something together... never a go-to but in a spot it gets the job done. 

 

 

The coleslaw! It tastes exactly how it looks: a reliable, average creamy slaw. Light on the creaminess, good on the crunch. A fine accompaniment, matches well with the fish... not much else to say. You've likely had this before at many other places. 

 

     

Now the big ticket: our fried haddock.

One thing I was not prepared for was how easily this fillet was ready to collapse apart. I wanted to get a photo of it separate from everything else, and the very attempt to lift it from atop the fries nearly bought the entire fish farm here. This photo was my "holy shit... I better just leave it be in this still semi-together shape before it completely disintegrates" (you can see along the left side where it was really coming undone).

After all that, it must not be any surprise to hear that this was a very light, flaky fish... light on the batter thickness as well (bits of it indeed stuck to the fries underneath it). Texture-wise, really quite pleasant, easy crunch and tender within... really nice. 

Not dripping with oil, or heavy on the grease to the point of caking your mouth and lips in grossness... not even close. Definitely the oil was in the taste of the batter, but the filet itself was so delicate, the light crisp of the batter so easily crunched through... there were few bites wherein I really felt that common inevitable heaviness that comes with fried food. 

Not the most vivid or lasting flavour of fish I've encountered (even as a non-expert) but you got hints of what you'd be looking for. Whether it be that distinct salty fishy taste, it was there in the back of the mouth but never too much. Like the fries-I-mean-chips (whoops) there really is nothing fancy about this... which reflects in the flavour: it balances a line between simple vintage charm and blandness, doing so successfully because all of it does taste unmistakably homemade. 

That last sentence may sound negative (it is a passive critique sure) but I also must say that this was a very tasty fish. Soft and flaky (in a good way) throughout, never an unpleasant dry bite either (which I've found in the tail end of many a battered fish). Would I have liked a lemon, or a more interesting batter mix, or a better (actual non-packeted) tartar sauce? Of course. Duh. But for the obvious limitations of how bare-bones this is... hard to do it much better, frankly.

 

    

Overall! It's worth a visit just for the trip back in time (leave the Delorean at home). 

From a quality perspective... I would recommend it (the fish part of the equation is legit enjoyable) but also with a warning: this is a place not interested in flair or dynamic taste. You can tell this is their recipe, they've been doing it for sixty some-odd years, it's been successful... and as such be prepared for "it's going to taste exactly how it looks, and it looks basic as hell". 

Personally, I didn't quite know what to expect but I feared it could lean into the 'super heavy oil and grease' so associated with older establishments such as this. Not at all: the relative purity from the old frying grease bog of common diners, in both the chips and fish... was a pleasant surprise. 

Thumbs up from me... although geez those chips need a real dipping sauce and a slice of lemon would unlock that beautiful fish so much... so maybe bring those yourself if you're taking it to a nearby park, like the Rosetta McClain Gardens.

Also before we go... since the true original Duckworth's is "Len Duckworth's" on Danforth, and is technically a separate entity... well we just might have to pay them a visit soon and see if there are any differences/comparisons to be had. Just because the 100th episode is imminently around the bend doesn't mean we're drawing the curtain anytime soon. I... can't... stop!!! help me... save me from the ones I know will be really really bad...

 

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Folks

The fucking cynicism of this fucking guy. Crossing my fingers people see this as the obvious attempt of a corrupt buffoon to buy favour and votes. Forget receiving two hundred bucks, I'd chip in 200 if it gets us rid of this sinister condescending cretin (and I ain't rich either). Fuck this guy. Fuck. Him.

 

A Pizza Pandoras Box

Had to get the angry out early. 

I'm going to Northern California in a couple weeks and as such, thought I'd find a Bay Area Reddit and see if they had any pizza recommendations for a low-key Toronto pizza reviewer man such as myself.

Well... the Subreddit I found... had 600 thousand members... a fact I realized after posting my question. As such... got a lot of responses and recommendations! Maybe too many. Nevertheless! Here's the thread (I obviously will not try them all... but a good three-to-five sound absolutely worth a trip)

https://www.reddit.com/r/bayarea/comments/1g6t5le/toronto_pizza_reviewer_guy_comes_to_visit/

 

 

Tuesday Tune

Jack White is back! I admit I lost touch with his solo stuff about a decade ago, but I'm quite liking this new record. 

This is also a good excuse to tell my "working a Jack White concert in 2022" story. Settle in! Nah it's a short one. Essentially, he was performing a show at Budweiser Stage here in Toronto and had a very specific request: nobody can film the show on their phones. Not just that but when entering the venue, gate staff would lock your mobile phone in a magnetic pouch that could only be unlocked when exiting (with exceptions in case of emergency, obviously and thankfully). 

I think White's concept was for fans to be singularly immersed in the experience instead of recording it on their devices (it's a pet peeve of mine too, Jack. I can relate... like beyond sharing a snippet online when the hell are you gonna watch it again???). Could be wrong but I also think he had his own video crew for that tour and was live streaming some of the shows (this was just after COVID and concerts were re-emerging from the darkness too, don't forget. I was working outdoors with a mask on still). 

So yeah, totally get the intentions behind what Jack White was thinking. Problem is, beyond that whole "potential emergency" thing... well a lot of people tend to pay for things on their phones now, and in some cases exclusively so. As somebody who was bartending this concert... there were several people who came to our bar and realized, not having access to their phone, that they had no access to their funds. Whoops. 

I mean on one hand... it is always good to have multiple avenues to pay for things at any given moment, crazy things can happen... and also read your ticket emails closely they do tend to mention these things (such as like this venue, like any major venue now, does not accept cash anymore). On the other side of it... I definitely didn't particularly enjoy turning people away because their currency was locked in some stupid looking pouch thing (us as staff were not subjected to this, but also warned strongly not to have our phones out at anytime... under penalty of death!!! Or being immediately sent home who knows that was a lot of concerts, reviews and drinks ago). 

So much for my "short" tale here. At this point, if I claim it's going to be short... you probably know what's about to happen. 

Regardless, Jack White did sound great that night, put on a wicked show, and should he visit Toronto soon for this newest record I'd be tempted to check that out. Still don't quite get his infatuation of the colour blue though.    

 

 

That's all for this week! 

Next time... oh yes... next time will be the 100th Tuesday Taste. Just sayin' it's gonna be a notable one, a review that's been sitting in the back of my mind for the entire run (I started this back in 2021 don't forget) and a place I amazingly have never even written about. 

Until then... stay safe, stay cool, stay tuned and most of all don't spill that mustard.              

 

 

The Tuesday Taste - Shake Shack Toronto

 

 

God, what a mess

on the ladder of success

Where you take one step

and miss the whole first rung

Dreams, unfulfilled

Graduate unskilled

Beats pickin' cotton

and waiting to be forgotten  

 

Another Tuesday... another Taste. 

Quick opening side note: I'm extremely glad I sometimes plan/write these weekly reviews about a week ahead of time rather than the night before, seeing as I spent most of Canadian Thanksgiving weekend couch-ridden without any appetite (turns out black mold buildup hidden in your kitchen... not good for you!) 

With that extremely appealing way to kick off a food review... hoooo boy, we've indeed reeled in a big one for this week. A true legend in the modern North American cheeseburger scene, an import from the newest of York Cities... that's right boys and girls we're going back to the shack (not Weezer's best song fyi). 

 

 

Shake Shack started out just after the turn of the millennium (the 2000s of course... don't think I'd be eager to try whatever a hamburger from the 1000s would taste like). Initially, it was a simple hot dog cart operated by a nearby fine dining kitchen (this was all part of a larger revitalization of Madison Square Park in Manhattan at the time). 

There was wasn't a big plan for the hot dog cart to eventually become a permanent space, but by 2004 the popularity of the cart had grown substantially and the city was looking to establish a food kiosk in the center of the revamped park anyhow. Thus, the original Shake Shack came to be... still serving folks in the park on their distinctive green picnic tables to this day. Meanwhile, the menu having now expanded to burgers and fries along with the dawgs and signature milkshakes... the demand and fame only accelerated. Particularly, a "east versus west coast" burger comparison between the likewise famed though very different In-N-Out Burger.

Despite expanding to several other countries across the world in the span of the past decade and a half, it was only this spring Shake Shack finally opened one in Canada... right on the north-east corner of the bustling Yonge/Dundas Square (weird it took so long considering, ya know... Toronto is significantly closer to NYC than say, Hong Kong).       

---

Now, this was not my first ever trip to a Shake Shack. I'd first tried them back in 2012 when I visited that same original kiosk in Madison Square Park in New York (their peanut butter creation is still one of the three best milkshakes I've ever had). Wildly, I got a second taste during a stopover at La Guardia airport a few years later (actually within 24 hours of having an In-N-Out burger in San Francisco... quite a duel that I hope to explore further another day soon). 

When it was announced Shake Shack was expanding into Toronto, I gave a strong nod of approval while also thinking "yeah I'll go after they've been open for six months". I don't like waiting in lines! And I knew this one, despite clearly an enormous location, would involve some patience. 

Anyhow, here we are! About six months after opening (don't check my exact math) and now time to finally sample and see if this version of Shake Shack measures up to the excellence I remembered from that first try from where they started. 

 

 

First... what an interior. Not your standard vibe of a cheeseburger and french fry joint. Felt like I was in an ancient Roman atrium or something. Quite elegant... plus I do love green (which is the colour of the Shack logo anyhow).

It's a very large space and after placing your order, they give you one of those buzzing pager things to alert you when it's ready. Plus there are multiple screens (such as in the middle of the photo above) wherein you can follow your progress in the queue. Cool? I guess? I imagine these kind of things were especially useful when they initially opened and the buzz was at its peak... lineups for an hour and all. That has cooled considerably I imagine, as when I went on a late Friday afternoon they were simply quite busy rather than crammed to the walls. It took about seven-ish minutes for my order to be ready and that's a perfectly acceptable amount of time.

 

 

Speaking of said order, hey here it is! I'm a simple lad: just a single patty Shack Burger with some bacon cheese fries. I'd worked up quite an appetite (unlike this Thanksgiving just passed, damnit) after spending a chunk of this afternoon waiting in the passport office... and my first criticism will be how this was not a super filling meal.

 

 

Starting off with the bacon cheese fries. The bacon itself: well you can likely tell, dear reader, that this is your standard dried out assembly of bacon bits. Not down to the level of a absurdly salty bacon crumble (the modus operandi among the scoundrels of many a pizza joint)... but this is only better by a slight step. I guess it's okay, but I was hoping for a quality solidly above something likely sold in a sprinkle jar. This here would be fine as a finishing touch in a caesar salad, but as an item where it's a headliner this is quite underwhelming. 

So the bacon isn't all that hot or juicy. How about the rest? Crinkle cut fries... sure I guess. Just too many crinkle-cut fries on the show this summer, they're all blending together at this point and I'm over it. Good crispiness, kind of a hollow potato taste to it (probably cut in house but then frozen in bulk I suspect) and overall fairly okay-ish but similarly a minor let down. They do the job, these are slightly above average fries via sheer consistent texture but honestly nothing to sing about. 

How about the cheese sauce? Well, I hope you're reading this review still with an open mind regarding my intentions... because while I stand by my conclusions about the 'okay-ishness' regarding the fries and bacon... well Shake Shack absolutely nails the cheese part of this equation. 

Truly a fabulous cheese sauce: creamy, rich, loaded with a milky cheddar flavour, perfectly thick but not goopy... they drip, man. Replace the fries with macaroni and you've still got a killer mac and cheese here. Real damn good... I'd even ditch the bacon (it's really such a minor presence) and just hook this cheesy goodness to my veins. Thick enough to linger in the mouth, too. Truly awesome stuff. 

 

 

Here is the main event, the Shack Burger. You get the sweetness of the lightly toasted on the inside potato bun quite prominently, and a terrific visual ratio of meat-to-other-supporting elements. I mean, you ever seen a sandwich that could take a bite of you???

 

 

So I'm not gonna be playful in my descriptions here: this is a fabulous cheeseburger, and it does my memory of the New York version proud. The first bite I took of this thing... holy moly. Like going back to an old school and your carving underneath the bleachers is still there. 

Just marvelous. Everything is in such precise proportion: the hint of lettuce, the light sweetness of the potato bun, the cheese coating the patty, the sweet sting of sliced tomato, and the beef itself is vivid and juicy, flavourful throughout. My singular complaint is how small it was: this reunion was over too fast. You left me wanting more... which objectively is still a compliment. I'd even consider maybe getting a double next time, which as I've mentioned frequently is not my thing.

An excellent cheeseburger. You don't get too much of any one aspect taste-wise: the beef has the spotlight but the cheese is always there, the tomatoes are playing the keyboards, the lettuce is a solid bass player keep things fresh and the subtle sweetness of the soft potato bun on drums keeps it all together. Precise and deliciously executed. Even here as a single patty, it's a good time. Melts together in your mouth, almost: everything is so tender and soft.

 

 

Overall! Yeah it's pretty good, and to double down on a previous point I made... they do the NYC legend and my memory of it considerable justice. Indeed I do recommend checking them out and most definitely trying it if you never have yet experienced Shake Shack.

However... much like my thoughts on Prince Street Pizza: this is exceptional stuff, the import has been a success... but some of the very best newish homegrown joints, in my mind, are just a tiny bit more compelling. Much like I'd take Badiali over Prince Street by a tiny bit, Toronto is really a blessed food city and the burger scene has followed: we've got Rudy, Harry's, Friday, Burger Drops, Allen's (for your more older school sit down types) and a bunch of other ones I still need to try or haven't even heard about yet. Shake Shack Toronto puts a very strong foot in, sliding into that "Best In The City" conversation but in my view not transcending it. 

A good problem to have. We have a bunch of delicious burger spots in our city? Somebody call the police! Nah, Shake Shack is goddamn delicious and I was incredibly pleased that this wonderful taste indeed made it through customs. The fries are okay-ish like I said (with a killer cheese sauce) but the main attraction are the burgers and it did not disappoint (and yes I know I could've gotten a milkshake too for this review but... shrug).

Worth a visit without a doubt and I'd go again (open the next one further east though, please).

 

Pizzamouth Strikes Again

If you missed it, I also tried and reviewed a new-ish pizza joint up near Davisville and Yonge Street named Diavola Pizza. They do a Roman style pie, which is still rather unusual here in Toronto (not as completely impossible as it is to find as Chicago deep dish here though... seriously Double D's closed almost half a decade ago somebody please get on this).       

Tuesday Tune

Feeling kind of angsty, what with the appetite abandonment and barely eating in two days as of publishing this review (for somebody who writes so much and so frequently about fast food and pizzas... my eating habits are even weirder and less healthy than you think, but not for the reason you think).

Anyhow, it's the Replacements. They ruled in their unruliness. 

That's all for this week. Here's hoping my hunger returns soon because... well eating is kind of important (no shit). For the purposes of the weekly review though... well I don't have another one written and banked unlike this one mostly was (damnit) but more interestingly: this by my count is the 98th edition. Meaning... the big 1-0-0 is two weeks from now, October 29th. I have a fairly good idea what I'm going to do, but also... could I throw that plan out the window for something crazy? Who knows! I sure don't. 

Until the big anniversary of The Taste, and oh yeah next week of course... stay warm/cool, stay safe, eat something good and most of all don't spill that mustard. 

 

This Week In Pizza: Diavola Pizza

 

The Endless Pizza Quest resumes! In this edition, I traveled up to Midtown Toronto to try a fairly new member of the city's continuously growing pizza scene. 

Diavola Pizza, which opened earlier this spring, is in fact a sister restaurant to the Slayer Burger location next door on the corner of Yonge Street and Glebe Road (we indeed reviewed the Riverside Slayer outpost just a couple months ago). As such, Diavola offers the same desserts as Slayer, along with one of their signature pies drawing inspiration from their cheeseburger sibling.

Alas, that is not what was ordered here. Instead, you've got their take on a five cheese pizza (the one you see in the back) and their namesake pie 'The Diavola" with all the pickled toppings in the front of the photo. 

 

 

Here's a closer look at the "Cheese Lovers". It is indeed a fromagey blend of mozzarella, goat cheese, parmesan, blue cheese and standard orange cheddar... with the goat cheese standing out the most and the blue cheese fairly invisible within. 

 

 

As you have probably noticed, Diavola is a Roman-style pizza spot... thus the rectangular shape and smaller square sized slices. This works mostly to the disadvantage of the pizza, sadly: while the bread is light and airy, both mini-pies have just way way too much bread compared to everything else. This might've been okay-ish if the crust were a little less over-baked (and there is some pleasant buttery taste throughout this cheese pizza) but instead you're getting just a lot of bites that are nothing but bread. The centre of the slices are filled with goodness sure, but that's barely even half of the whole pizza. 

Regarding that goodness... as far as cheese pizzas go this one is pretty decent. I wish the blue cheese was way more of a presence rather than seeming to blend within everything, but all in all this pie does smell really good and the mix of cheeses does keep the taste more dynamic than a typical (frankly boring) cheese pizza. A good balance of sharp and creamy. Goat cheese is, of course, always delicious and I'm pleased there was plenty of it on here.    

Onwards, to the title track! The namesake pizza is indeed quite loaded: spicy N'duja, hot Italian sausage, jalapenos, pickled onions, peperoncinis... quite a mix of peppery sting matching a pickled type of sting. 

The sausage and Ndjua work together successfully (the sausage is fairly juicy and slightly salty), bringing the affair plenty of robust sharp spice... and the pickled onions do well to cut into that as well. However, the rest of this pizza is just very... meh. This is your generic mozzarella cheese that melts perfectly fine but provides nothing in the flavour department. It's just there, likewise the tomato sauce. Very forgettable (as in, I have absolutely nothing else I can say about it). 

It really are the toppings and the distinct crunch of the edges doing all the work on this Diavola pizza (which loosely translates as "devil" pizza), and there's only so far that can take you when those core elements (sauce and cheese) have nothing going on for them. There is some quality spiciness to this one, thanks to the earthier Nduja and the stinging jalapenos... but like the cheese pizza (where at least those different cheeses combined into something more fully flavoured and interesting) again there is just far too much empty space here. Too much nothing, not enough pockets of something. 

 

 

 

Overall? I'll give some points for creativity: the pickled onions are an inspired choice, and the distinct spice of the Nduja is always a good call. 

Certainly not a bad pizza... there are good components to it and quite a few pretty tasty moments. However, the mediocrity of the base elements combined with the bread-to-anything-else ratio being so askew... it's too much to overcome and sadly I can't really recommend this spot as a "must try". It is a fairly new spot and it's entirely possible there is still some growth to be had, some margins to work out and recipes that can definitely be improved upon.

As currently, though... I'm going to score Diavola a 'B--'. Some good concepts and the bread/dough is quality (you'll definitely get a good sense of that) but a few key flaws drag it well below anything I'd strongly suggest seeking out. Probably a fringe Top 100 pizza in Toronto. 

   

The Tuesday Taste - Matty's Patty's Burger Club

 

 

Well you can't say nothing

if your money ain't right

'Cause that government trash

will keep you up all night

Some folks work so hard

they nearly break their backs

Don't step on the cracks

'cause you know about that

 

Another Tuesday... another Taste! You'll notice I left out the full title of our restaurant this week, which has an additional dash of "Best Burgers Toronto". Well spoilers but... they're not. 

Okay I guess that's the review! Thanks for reading, please subscribe and don't spill that mus--- okay fine. There is actually plenty to say about Matty's Patty's and while I will double down on my quick assertion they are not Toronto's best burger... we've done some pretty damn good cheeseburgers this year (Friday, Burger Drops, Harry's). It's a tough field, and as of writing this I still have yet to try this Toronto version of Shake Shack either. 

 

 

Matty's Patty's is, as I'm sure you know, a venture of celebrity chef Matty Matheson (his name is in the freaking title) and I quite enjoy the interviews and videos I've seen of Matheson. He brings an energetic wide-eyed playful enthusiasm towards food that comes across as very accessible and unpretentious. Many of his restaurant ventures* reflect this attitude: whether it be his original stomping ground Parts & Labour (or its brief offshoot P&L Burger near Queen/Spadina) or Maker Pizza which he co-founded, a BBQ pop-up in his hometown based on the American style of "meat + 3", and of course this here basic little cheeseburger and fries joint across the street from arguably the most social park (for hipsters heh) in downtown Toronto.

*I'm just going to leave Prime Seafood Palace out of this... I'd be Doctor Zoidberg asking if bread is free in that place

The idea for Matty's Patty's becoming an actual thing became about several years ago when Matheson and RVCA (had to look up what that was, it's a clothing brand... I do not know these things) founder Pat Tenore were in Hawaii giving away cheeseburgers for a community event at a skate park. The feeling re-invigorated Matheson's love of cooking and giving food to people (he'd mostly been focused on cookbooks and the business side of the industry). After multiple additional pop-ups, Matty's Patty's Burger Club officially opened a fixed location on Queen West and Niagara in late 2020 with considerable hoopla. As much hoopla as late 2020 could provide, at least.

 

  

It took me four years to finally try this place... but I have my excus-I-mean-reasons! Mainly that I don't live anywhere nearby, it isn't pizza, and I generally don't like most of Queen West. *coughs*. However! I consistently get a warm nostalgic feeling once I'm on Queen west of Bathurst. I played many a bar-level softball game at Trinity Bellwoods as a teenager, and seeing those distinctive gates to the park again right across the street from Matty's Patty's brought back some memories. 

Helping the warm vibes of the day was also the general sense of freeness (totally a word) you get with a sunny, pleasantly temperate late-afternoon Sunday in late September. Plenty of people, many couples, were out just going for walks, hitting ice cream spots, or unsurprisingly drinking wine in the large park across the street (I did not go to investigate that last fact, we all know it's true). 

The inside of this 'Burger Club' is quite small, with about three tables should you want to stay in with your order. All the walls have a smooth, sleek wood paneling to them... like cottage cabin meets modern basement rec room. The lady who took my order was quite chipper, which while my long grizzled instincts of similar service work made me think this was a bit of a showtime face... friendliness is friendliness and it's far better than the opposite. Anyhow, my order was ready quite quickly (maybe seven minutes?).

 

       

Obviously the lead photo gives it away but regardless here's what I got: their single patty cheeseburger with the "Matty's Sauce" (they offer three sauces and the signature one made the most reviewable sense)... and their chili cheese fries because... it's chili cheese fries.

Also, isn't there just something inherently 'summertime' about chili-cheese fries? The tomatoey beef smell with the saltiness of the fries... something about it just reminds me of being a little kid going down with my parents to the old Lick's Burgers in the Beaches (long long before I lived down here)... the open kitchen with the employees singing out the orders and the names of the customers, with that same smell of their chili in the air. Mid-1990s simple innocence and summertime.

So yeah, no pressure Matty. 

 

    

Somebody get that thumb out of the way! So these are Matty's Patty's chili cheese fries and as you can see, it is quite a heaping portion. There is, no lie, at least an inch of cheddar cheese as that top layer... it's madness! At ten bucks... quite a solid amount for what you're paying for. 

Where does the cheese end and the rest begin? It's in there somewhere! Yeah, Matty likes his cheese clearly. This is a serious layer of fromage, folks. Taste-wise, it's a typical orange cheddar flavour (not gooey like an American processed cheese... this has more of a real flavour) and it's quite bright and heavy. 

The chili itself... a classic beefy-tomato union that smells wonderful. Very simple, not spicy whatsoever... an accessible topping designed to please and does just that. Hearty, is how I'd describe it... some hint of onion within but it's mostly beef cooked within tomatoey goodness. And it is plentiful: what impresses me most about these chili fries (once you excavate past the mantle of cheese) is how well layered it turned out to be. The chili seeps through into the bottom portions, and meanwhile there is so much damn cheese you're not gonna run out of that. 

How about the fries? They remind me of McDonald's (whom I'm famously not very fond of)... but McDonald's done right. A light crisp, basic salty flavour, but without that weird processed oily taste that convinces your brain to eat more of them while your mouth disagrees. You can taste potato here, unlike whatever the hell the golden arches are using as potato-like substitute... and these are quite tasty fries. Hold up on a reheat as well (yeah that was too much cheese for a pre-work meal heh): frying pan with a bit of oil and none of this was dry or stale at all. Good stuff!

 

 

Now, it's burger time. I got a single patty as I most often do (yeah yeah yeah) and I'll say right off the top here that this is a cheeseburger worthy (and perhaps wanting) of that priceless additional patty. Okay a second patty isn't exactly "priceless" from a customer standpoint but you know what I mean.

The beef of it is really nice: not really any of that decadent greasy edges stuff you normally get from a smash burger, more of a tender chewy taste within (in a good way). For a beef burger cooked to medium-well, this is about has juicy and flavourful as you can make that. It's a compliment from me, typically a medium-rare-to-rare guy. 

The burger itself needs more, but it's still plenty tasty. The 'Matty's Sauce' is essentially a mix of mustard with diced onions and pickles... which blends in with the classic American cheese so much that it's hard to discern where one ends and the other begins. Matheson really likes his cheese and onions... I wonder if this band ever inspired him...

 

  

When you think of a classic, typical old fashioned American-style cheeseburger... this burger here is definitely close to that image you're thinking of. A simple but very good beefy texture and flavour, combined with that irresistible plasticly cheese flavour and a distinct mustardy sauce filled with the sting of diced onion and pickles. 

It definitely works, and is a damn tasty burger. But as I alluded to above... something is missing. The crunch of a lettuce perhaps? The seductive saltiness of bacon? Mayo? To be honest I'm not sure... there's a gap in here that I can't quite pin down, but it is there and it keeps this objectively good cheeseburger from being truly exceptional. Definitely needs something more and I can't quite imagine what that is. 

 

  

Overall! Yeah they are worth a visit, and will not disappoint. Love the sesame seed bun, especially love the very beefy taste of the patty itself (ground chuck and brisket according to their site) which really shines through. 

Alas, this has been the (accidental) summer/autumn of the cheeseburger in these parts... and the competition is stiff. Is Matty's better than those three I mentioned above? Friday Burger Co, or Harry's Charbroiled, or Burger Drops, or even Rudy? (which I reviewed a couple years ago). The answer is, unfortunately, no. It is a little step below all of those. 

This is no slight to Matty's Patty's at all... those are all ridiculously good burgers and this is like being the guy batting behind Shohei Ohtani. Mookie Betts is a helluva player and probably going to the Hall of Fame, but come on. He's no Shotime.

What I like most about Matty's Patty's is the bare bones approach to the burger, which is simultaneously (and ironically) it's weakness. Heavy on the sauce and cheese, you can taste the beef, and that's really it. I'd recommend trying them for sure... but expecting it to be a mind-blowing "best burger in all of Toronto" will not quite happen. It's merely very good. 

 

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How To Get Dead In Advertising

Found this article pretty interesting, as somebody who finds old adverts endlessly charming and (in this case) horrifying. Can't wait for the piece in fifty years admonishing all of us for keeping these smart phones so close to our vital organs.  

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/what-were-we-thinking-the-top-10-most-dangerous-ads?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us

 

Burger Dropped

I'm a fan of Andrew Rea's YouTube channel (wherein, if you don't know, he attempts to recreate food items from famous cartoons or films... often the most dutiful re-creations end up revolting, like 'rum ham' from It's Always Sunny, and he changes them up for the sake of appetites). 

He also has an offshoot series explaining how easily you can mess up a recipe, and since we're doing a cheeseburger this week in my particularly weird corner of the internet... it seems fitting to share this video he made about screwing up a cheeseburger on a grill several times. It is hilarious.  

 

Tuesday Tune

Saw these guys at History this past Friday night (great venue, first time there, and it helps when you know/work elsewhere with the bartender heh) and even these days later I'm still thinking about the show. So the song has to be a deep-ish cut from what I think is their best album (which they played a whole lot of). I was maybe five feet from the stage and goddamn. So fun. 

 

 

That's it for this week! Plenty more coming up this month and in November, next week will be a big one... as will be the 100th episode! It's coming soon don't worry, and I have something special in mind... but until then: stay cool, stay safe, and don't spill that mustard.