Quick Bites: Crown & Dragon Chicken Wings

 

 

This one had been on the list for a while. Not to review (in fact the idea to even do this writeup occurred to me as I was already inside the pub waiting for my order) but just to try, as here is a place long renowned for having some of, if not the best, chicken wings in all of Toronto. Several years ago myself and a close friend (and occasional pizza reviewing associate) made a journey to Crown & Dragon, neither of us living anywhere near there... but were sadly rebuffed at the door as the place was simply too darn busy on that particular half price wing night. 

Once upon a time I actually did live fairly closeby to C&D but I have zero recollection of either ever stepping inside or if they'd been there the entire time of my adolescence (I used to frequent Ramsden Park a fair bit). So how long have they called Yonge and Davenport home? Well it's hard to say exactly (what do you expect me to do? Ask them? Ha!) but skimming through a few other blog reviews that date back to between 2007 and 2012 (with this one in particular commenting how it looks like it was built in the 1990s) I'm happy just to go with that. 

Regardless, some softball chums had planned an off-season meetup at the Crown and Dragon and so once I was done work that night, I grabbed a very crowded subway train from Union Station and rode up to Rosedale to meet them. My timing was excellent, as had I been twenty minutes tardier their kitchen would have been closed. This was meant to be!        

The fries aren't anything to write a long letter home about... which is forgivable. Not the reason we're here (or why you're reading!). Typical frozen-ish pub fries... there are worse but there are much better. They pair well with the dip provided, which is like a thin yogurty dill concoction (very similar if not identical to the Firkin Dip they have at the Firkin Pubs... I know it well). 

Crown and Dragon are known for having an extensive variety of different sauces for their wings (as well as separate options for baked wings) and while I do like a good garlic parm once in a while (all the time)... for a first timer the choice had to be their (supposedly award winning) "Dragon Breath", which intriguingly also registered somewhat high on their spice gauge. 

 

 

To be totally upfront I think I've figured out why these wings are so popular. I've cracked the code everybody! And it's simple: they're huge! And quite dense with chicken at that. It's not the most flavourful chicken you'll find (I mean, it's chicken so....) but these are meaty, tender wings that take quite a few chomps to rip clean. The exterior/skin is also quite thin and falls off the bone effortlessly. There are some chewier moments but these are not dry or overcooked in any way. The texture is absolutely fine. 

As for the "Dragon Breath" sauce... man I'm having a hard time describing it because it's simultaneously quite unique and also like two very familiar sauces/flavours mixed together. An HP sauce blended with Sriracha? There's a particular sting to it that resembles both chili on the tongue and dark vinegar in the sinuses, though much more the former. It's also far more liquidy than either HP or Sriracha (this will actually drip). 

Regardless, it's unusual (at least for me) to encounter a hot sauce that veers more into a bitter, malty taste rather than bright and sharp. But I do like it: somehow it makes for a very nice sauce for coating chicken wings in, with a very manageable level of heat to it as well. Fascinating stuff. 

 

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Overall! While this maybe wouldn't be my personal choice for the very best chicken wings in all of Toronto (which is a very, very big city don't ya know) it's hard to argue against these being truly excellent for what they are... which are pub wings meant to be eaten or shared over pints of golden lagers while watching sports on a big screen. On that level, these hit that itch precisely... and so I'll recommend Crown & Dragon wings on that worthy merit alone. 

They're very tasty, quite satisfying, plus with the sauce (at least their flagship one) they've created something quite distinctive. I'd gladly go back, especially on one of those cheaper nights... just be sure to grab a table early me thinks. 

 

   

Globetrotting Bites! (pt. II - London)

 

 

 

As you may or may not know, I recently had the pleasure of visiting Europe for the first time! Much of the trip was spent wandering through various cities and trying the local grub... so why not write about some of the food and beverages I encountered? In this second chapter we'll be covering the four days spent in London, England. 

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Smoke & Pepper's Texan Firebird Chicken Sandwich

 

Smoke & Pepper is, I later learned, a grill-focused fast food mini-chain throughout London (with a couple locations scattered elsewhere on the British Isle). In the moment I could not have cared less: upon arriving at Liverpool Street Station I'd gone off in the wrong direction, resulting in a two hour walk and check into my hostel (new city who this). Finally settled in and starving, this smokey peppery place was the simplest looking thing across the street!

 

 

Ordering something so abrasively spicy on an empty stomach was certainly a choice, as the heat of this chicken sandwich was indeed pretty sizzling (even if it looks more like a collapsing fish burrito under the lights of that picture). I'm typically not a fan when a place will use two or three chicken tenders for their "sandwich" instead of a proper single hunk of fried chicken... nevertheless this here was plenty full bodied and juicy with the breading quite on point (crunchy and just the right layer of it). A very flavourful sandwich... with most of the heat coming from their "S n' P" spicy mayo (bit of a vinegary zing hidden in the creaminess with the distinct sharpness of a jalapeno). 

Anyhow. Pretty solid stuff! An odd introduction to the many cuisines of London, getting a Texas-themed fried chicken sandwich... but one thing I quickly realized about London is, much like Toronto, that this is a massive city with an endlessly diverse array of food options. Maybe neither city is known for one true signature dish (you can certainly argue though), instead you can find almost any global cuisine your heart desires... and more than likely there's going to be an awesome restaurant somewhere that does it.

 

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Bleecker Burger

 

Here we are, ladies and gentlemen. 

 

 

Bleecker Burger was adamantly (and I mean adamantly) recommended to me by a longtime friend and co-worker who is quite enthusiastic about trying (and as energetic about sharing pictures of) the very best food an unfamiliar place or city has to offer. In August when I mentioned to him I was probably going to London, the name of ths burger place may have been the first words out of his mouth in response. 

Bleecker isn't exactly an under-the-radar type of burger spot either: they have over 150 thousand followers on Instagram, won National Burger of the Year in 2024 (presumably in the UK) and even were awarded second place in a "best burgers in the world" list by Worldbeststeaks.com. Needless to say, my expectations were a little high going into this one. 

 

 

Started up in 2012 by an inspired New Yorker who had recently moved to London, Bleecker first operated as a food truck but within a few years had built enough of a following to open a permanent kiosk in Spitalfields Market. While it would've been cool for me to check out that original location... allow me to emphasize again how freaking massively huge London is as a city and I still have no clue where the heck Spitalfields is. Instead, I got two birds stoned at once and got to walk by 221B Baker Street (very cool) before checking out the Bleecker Burger location just a dozen doors south on Baker. 

 

 

Before we get to the beef of it all (where is it?) we've got to talk about these "Angry House Fries". An interesting concept: basically just fries covered in their house sauce (mustard, mayo and ketchup) with hot sauce also mixed in. 

Throughout my trip I noticed these European joints tend not to cook their fries to golden and crispy... which happens to be how I tend to like them. However! Places like Bleecker (and Bunsen in Dublin) make up for this by using incredibly fresh tasting potatoes... and there is still just enough crispiness to satisfy that particular preference. These fries are also quite dense and fluffy on the inside... overall just good stuff.

The hot sauce (which is thin and vinegary like Frank's) doesn't do much for me (I find these types of hot sauces work best on foods that can absorb them better) but the burger sauce is definitely a positive. Quite mustardy (you get basically none of the ketchup sweetness) yet with a creamy richness that suits fried potatoes very well. 

 

 

Now the moment has arrived. I'd been anticipating this burger since late August and finally here I was, in the middle of London, England, ready to take a bite and see what my friend's fuss was about.

 

 

You can see it's an incredibly simple burger also (especially when you're a weirdo like me who takes the onion off): just beef, cheese, onion and their house sauce. They also ask how you like it cooked (which they also did at Bunsen) and so once again I elected for "medium". 

Some behind the curtain stuff: I usually type notes into my phone while I'm taking my first bites in trying all these food places. Sometimes I can wing it just from looking at the photos... but it's good to remember those precise initial reactions, you know? So for this Bleecker cheeseburger, no lie... my first impression direct quote is: "The burger is... wow." Which is probably the most accurate in-the-moment note I've ever jotted down.

It's a phenomenal burger. Love at first bite. There's a unique butteryness to the taste that is just enough to make it transcend any typical fast food cheeseburger you've ever had, yet not too much for it to feel gimmicky and pretentious. Nah, the beef they use (aged for 40 days according to their website) is just that freaking good, its natural flavour that rich and full. 

 

 

(I hate showing bite shots but this is an exception) The texture! By god the texture... juicy and crumbly (a perfect medium) while the American cheese coats the mouth in just the right ways. So much incredible flavour here despite it being so simple... this cheeseburger pulls off the neat trick of tasting both grounded and upper-class somehow. Light and elegant, yet grilled and simple. This is one you want to take your time with... savour each and every bite because this beef melts in your mouth like the very best kinds of steaks do. I've never had a burger quite like this in my entire life.

 

 

Simply put, Bleecker Burger is a must visit if you're in London and are a fan of burgers (heck even if you're not). Upon telling my friend I'd finally tried them, his reaction was something akin to "WASN'T THAT THE BEST BURGER YOU'VE EVER HAD?????" At the risk of being annoyingly semantic, I can't honestly say Bleecker is the absolute best burger I've ever had. But I also can't think of one that was definitively better, either. This is elite-elite stuff, folks. A near impossible act to follow. 

 

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Mac N' Cheese from the Generator London Hostel

 

 

This bit here is less about the mac n' cheese itself (which was pretty decent) and more about how it was rather cool that I could order off their menu online upstairs from my bunk, get an email notification when it was ready and then just come down to get it. Plus their kitchen was open late (11:30pm) unlike my Dublin hostel where the kitchen was packed up by 8pm even on Saturdays. My time in the Dublin hostel sadly was much less... restful, shall we say. 

Anyhow, it's a plenty creamy baked mac and cheese (with bread crumbs on top)... the nature of which unfortunately means you have to wait almost twenty minutes until its cooled off enough for eating (but I'm hungry now!). A quality mini-meal indeed, although the addition of brisket (the dark chunks you see) was not really worth the charge. They quite dry out in the oven and there simply isn't that much of it in here. Still, it was a pretty solid late night snack all things considered.

 

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Breakfast Buffet at the Generator London

 

 

Worth the extra Euros without a doubt. I tend to go nuts in a buffet setting (who me? never) and there was a delectable asssortment of stuff here (baked beans, pineapple, mushrooms) that would be impossible to show without several more plates. I mean, I might've been up to such an eating challenge if I'd been waking up earlier (damn Blue Jays playoff run keeping me up until 5am local time.... grrrrrr)

Anyhow, the breakfast itself was quite tasty but moreso I thought this picture was an amusing display of my glutton-I-mean 'breakfast inventiveness'. Yes. 

 

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Walker's Cheese and Onion Baked Crisps (chips) 

 

John Oliver might've been right about these... although to my credit I didn't get the "prawn cocktail" flavour...

Also, what the heck is up with this:

It's a large bag for chips but instead filled with several smaller bags of chips? I suppose I get the idea of it, bewildering as it was upon first discovery... you grab a couple of the tiny bags for a day trip or whatever. More portable than bringing along the gigantic sack of chips. Just because I understand it, does not mean I still don't find it extremely weird! 

Anyhow, even considering these are baked chips, Walkers are pretty damn terrible. Don't let that "BIG on Flavour!" bit on the bag fool you, there is none of that to be found here beyond a faint dry dusting of something that almost kind of maybe resembles the promised cheese and onion? And they don't really taste like chips either... more like thick and crispy edible discs of baked lumber. How do you mess up both flavour and texture so badly? Truly dreadful. 

 

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Ginger Pig Lamb Merguez Sausage Roll

 

 

Another insisted upon recommendation from the same friend who steered me towards the glorious Bleecker Burger... Ginger Pig is actually more of a high end neighbourhood butcher shop than the afternoon cafe I was probably expecting. Regardless, they do sell their baked sausage rolls ("they've developed a cult following over the years" according to their website) for seven pounds each and so after a visit to Abbey Road (because obviously) I found a bench to sit and enjoy this. 

A few things: first of all these are huge! I ate maybe a fifth of it before deciding to save it for later... which leads me into the second thing: staying in a hostel (as opposed to an AirBnB or something) tends to make reheating outside food rather tricky. So I had to eat this cold, which while still quite tasty, really makes me think I was missing out on the full potential deliciousness of this sausage roll being hot and freshly baked from even a toaster oven or stovetop. 

Nevertheless, this is one tasty sausage roll. Some nice cumin seed-like spice, giving a hearty earthiness to the minced lamb inside, while the pastry (even cold) is still somewhat soft and flaky. Despite being cold, the lamb is still juicy enough to avoid unpleasant dryness and not overstay its welcome in the mouth. I quite liked this! Next time I'm finding a way to heat it up though.          

 

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Pizza Sophia

 

 

Despite being just across the street from my hostel (I really was fortunate this stretch of Tavistock Place had so many food options) and, you know, a freaking pizza place... trying Pizza Sophia was not Plan A for my final night in London. Instead, I'd hoped to finally visit reputable Indian restaurant Dishoom. Problem was, in spite of their several locations, each time I'd passed by any Dishoom there was a lineup curled around the corner (even in a terrible rainstorm!). Why not make a reservation, you might be asking? Alas actually calling ahead and making a reservation for one... that's a level of public isolation I'm just not ready for. 

Anyhow, Dishoom just wasn't going to happen for me this trip and after a long walk through the downright gorgeous Camden Canal... I was hungry! Sophia Pizza it was. I managed to score a table about ten minutes before the place completely filled up on this particular mid-October Friday evening, ordered a Peroni and their "Venezia" pizza ("Venezia" is the Italian name for Venice if you're wondering, though it has other less common associations)

 

       

What exactly are we working with here? Why it's pepperoni, nduja paste, goat cheese and some garlic oil. It's also a white pizza and very heavy with the mozzarella. 

Does it look good? I think so. Did it taste good? Hooooo baby, you bet. Definitely as heavy as it looks and sounds, with those flavours (the garlic oil quite subtly so) lingering in the mouth like a memorable visit from an old friend. You get pleasant saltiness from the pepperoni (a thick sliced pepp at that) and the goat cheese, which has really melted and bled into the overall lake of cheese here... some good immediate earthy heat from the nduja... meanwhile all that cheese is a fantastic quality mozzarella, bringing that distinct full bodied butteryness that makes such a difference both in texture and taste.

 

   

Can't recall if this was a classic wood fire oven or a stone one (I'm leaning the latter) but you can see that the crust and dough is on the thicker side for that style of pie. No matter, as this dough oozes fresh baked flavour, is fabulously soft and perfect for dabbing in some house chili oil (there seemed to only be one bottle of the stuff for the whole restaurant as it was being passed around from table to table quite frequently). 

 

 

Like I said, for some reason trying Pizza Sophia was not initially in my plans but I'm glad the fates steered me towards their door. This pizza was simply exceptional, a delicious symphony of cheesy flavours with the supporting elements giving it brilliant nuance and depth. It's a tough call whether this or Bambino in Dublin was the best pizza I had during my entire trip (they're such different styles its hard to directly compare) but I can say if Pizza Sophia transported shop to Toronto, this would be a Top 15 pizza in the entire city easily. It has that first bite "holy cow this is special" magic. They get an "A" grade for sure. 

 

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The Bumble Bees' Lamb Pasanda

 

 

Can we agree that of all the outside foods to sneak into a hostel and eat sitting on the bottom of a bunk bed... maybe Indian curry isn't the best logistical choice? 

Knowing I'd be staying up late to watch Game One of the World Series (still not over it) I decided to get myself a second dinner and actually try some proper Indian food in these final hours I was in London. The Bumble Bees happens (or happen? weird plural name for a restaurant) to be right next door to Pizza Sophia (as you can see) and right before they closed I ordered myself a lamb pasanda dish with a garlic naan and lemon rice.    

While most of my attention was zeroed in on that game (and trying not to knock my food off the bed) I can say that this was a delicious meal. The hunks of lamb were juicy and fatty enough, the sauce was both creamy and somewhat nutty (definitely light for such a thick sauce) while the rice and naan were excellent at absorbing all that saucy goodness. This is really all I can remember... again it was 3am over there and my eyes were on the baseball match (the TOR Blue Jays are my favourite squadron). Sorry Bumble Bees! But you were very good and the service was delightful! 

 

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That's it for part two! Next time, the thrilling conclusion as we go through my quite hectic final few days abroad where I was in five different countries in the span of like fifty hours. Amazing I remember any of it, to be honest. Until next time!                       

       

The Tuesday Taste - Elm Street Italian Deli

 

 

All your sad

and lost apostles

Hum my name

and flare their nostrils

Choking on the bones 

you toss to them 

 

 

Another Tuesday... another Taste! It's back to back weeks we're checking out delicatessens, with this one quite recently spreading its wings towards the eastern side of Toronto. Don't fall asleep just yet... it's time to check out Elm Street (Italian Deli Edition).

For the origin story we need to look no further than Lawrence La Pianta, whom we talked about a little bit last year in my double Cherry Street Bar-B-Que review. While barbeque is his first love, La Pianta wanted to explore something closer to his Italian roots and so opened up this sandwich counter detour on elegant Elm Street in February of 2020 (obvious yipes). Fortunately for him, takeout sandwiches happened to be one of the more pandemic-proof restaurant ventures. The deli flourished to the point of outgrowing its modest downtown home, leading first to an additional stall at the Eaton Centre down the street... then a full on second location at Queen Street East and Leslie, opening up just last month. 

Hey, Queen and Leslie? I know Queen and Leslie! I go by there all the time! Funny that, I first discovered Elm Street Deli had opened this new location not via any social media channels or word of mouth... I was looking out the window of a Queen streetcar (probably to get off at Leslie) and just happened to notice this new unfamiliar deli while looking south. That's effective marketing the old fashioned way...

 

The inside layout is about as straightforward as it gets. A counter facing the enormous front window (which is the entire public-facing wall), another long counter where you order on one side and pick up on the other... plus a modest fridge full of drinks in the corner. It's pretty transparent this space was previously a garage or autoshop: the blunt boxiness of the layout, the front window looking like a glass garage door that once upon a time lifted upward, the high ceiling lighting and the open spaciousness... all lending itself to a vibe of grabbing a toolbox and getting underneath the hood (at least that's what I imagine happens... not a car guy). 

 

 

There are few stools to sit upon so it's very much more of a takeout joint at the moment. Good thing sub sandwiches generally travel well, even in the winter. Also a distinct touch: the colourful paper pages serving as the menu. Every single one of the subs are the same price: twelve bucks for a medium size, twenty for the big one (or 19.99 if you want to be obsessively precise)... and while yes that's a hefty tag for a sub sandwich, a lot of them do sound both complex and really good. A meatball sub (the "Bobby B") with rapini and caramelized onions... a spiced pork shoulder (the "Paulie Porco") with crispy pancetta and a giardiniera aioli... or their version of an Italian meat trio ("Don of Elm St.") using mortadella, genoa and beef salamis with provolone, pickled onion, a basil aioli and roasted peppers as the supporting band. 

I confess to not catching most of the references these sandwiches are named after (I know who Sammy Davis Jr. and Sergio Leone are, while I can't shake the notion one of the others has to be a GoodFellas or Sopranos easter egg I'm just not getting).

 

 

The sub I went for is the "Il Capo", a smoked roast beef with provolone, garlic rapini, arugula, basil aioli, sub sauce and caramelized onion. For no reason at all, here's an unflattering side shot of it:

 

I wasn't kidding about the unflattering part. What is that thing? It looks like one of those red shelled turtle-like flying enemies from Super Mario Bros 3. What are they called? Do they have a name? No, I'm not talking about a koopa! (I know you were thinking that). Sheesh, give me a little credit. It's actually this thing: 

 

                                                                        (Hats off to artist Drums107 on DA)

But it's not that far off, right? Look again at the side angle of the sub, then back at our winged friend here. Those slices of cheese sticking out could be the wings, the roast beef is where the head is...

I'm also pretty sure this enemy only appears in a single level throughout the entire SMB3 game, thus explaining why I can't remember or easily find its name anywhere. Regardless... the real lesson is: full on side angles to not make sub sandwiches look appealing... unless you're in the mood for turtle soup or something. *Cough*. Right! Here's a more appetizing look at the Elm Street "Il Capo".

 

 

I feel less bad about wasting time on a silly similarity tangent, because this here is a sandwich you need to take your time with. This roast beef is exceptional: there's a juiciness and streak of fattiness throughout that makes even those thicker bites not too hard on the gums... which is good because you might be stretching them a bit to get this thing to your teeth. The bread is quite fresh but firm and a bit crumbly, so open wide. Geez, there's no good way to write that phrase without it coming across awkward, is there....?                        

The provolone is a quality presence although the slices are so thin they're nearly transparent. Immediately I think of the Kramer line of "I've cut slices so thin, I couldn't even see them!" How could I taste this provolone? I... guess I just assumed. 

 

 

What I like most about this sandwich is how it nearly tastes like an actual prime rib dinner, just in sandwich form. The side salad of arugula, rapini and caramelized onions just happen to be mixed in tightly adjacent to the delectable meat. There's a nice undercurrent of smokey flavour to the roast beef that matches nicely with the garlicky bitterness of the greens here, or the sweeter touches of the onions (like a red wine sweetness in particular) with the creaminess of the basil aioli. Each bite brings its own different amount of all those, giving all their dynamics ample room to shine. It's an impressive and tasty trick indeed and this sub going cold does little to lessen any of that tastiness... always a very good sign when evaluating what is still technically a cold cut sandwich.     

It's great! Genuinely a really great sub sandwich. Impressed enough I was, that upon noticing that first visit they offer a daily breakfast sandwich between 7am (when they open) and 11am... I resolved to wake up early one day and make a return visit in short order. In retrospect I must've been more impressed than I realized... you know how difficult it is to motivate me to get outside before 11? It has to be something I really, really like doing.

Anyhow, within a week I'd made it during the hours of this breakfast sandwich... so here it is!

 

 

A couple things: first is they give you the choice between strip bacon, peameal or a vegetarian substitute (this here is the peameal, which is fine though a little stiff in points) and second... this might be the closest breakfast sandwich I've had that actually approximates it's rudimentary inspiration, the eggs benedict. (Third is also that it's a very flat sandwich, thus the awkward positioning in the picture)

How can this be? Here it be! The egg on the outside has that familiar fried egg gelatin-like texture, but inside is an actual runny yolk. Not super runny... it doesn't coat the entire inside of the sandwich and drip onto your fingers thankfully... but it does ooze out enough that you get that unmistakable taste and texture of an egg yolk, which is wonderful. Very good stuff there (I would've taken a cross section photo had I known). 

The bun is very squishy (which suits this floppy sandwich) and semi-sticky to the touch, almost like a very faint honey glaze. There's some red pepper-like mayo and caramelized onions to help things along as well (the browned sweetness of those onions again an inspired touch) with the main focus of the sandwich being that flavourful egg, the bacon and the bun. Not all that complicated but the flourishes are subtle and the execution is right on target. 

 

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Overall! While I can't vouch for the Elm Street Italian Deli actually on Elm Street proper... I'm gonna wager there's a strong chance they're in a similar ballpark of goodness as their Leslie/Queen expansion. This was fantastic! And, a bit of a gradual grower: my anticipation towards eating the second half of my sub was much higher than it had been before my first bite of the whole thing. This is the kind of sandwich that pops back in your head a day or so later and you think: "Hey, yeah that really was incredibly good". 

Certainly quite an impression made on me. I would absolutely recommend checking them out. Again, it's a hefty bill for a mere sub, although the bigger size is filling enough to save half for later in the day.

Without question a positive addition to an overlooked (and bizarre) stretch of Queen Street that does feature some food gems, this one being the latest. Thumbs up here. 

 

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Burnt Ends

The food of my European trip, part one! This series will be continuing the next couple weeks, publishing on Saturdays. Here's that first installment if you missed it:

http://westcollierstreet.blogspot.com/2025/12/globetrotting-bites-pt-i-ireland.html

Also... starting on the 13th... I have a lot of reviews backlogged from not posting anything in November (again November sucks) so... consider this the first annual West Collier Street Reviewzmas! Twelve days... twelve articles! Saddle in! At least to watch see if I can actually pull it off... 

 

 

Tuesday Tune 

Another project I've been working on (much more slowly) is another discography ranking, this one exploring the catalogue of legendary alternative rock outfit R.E.M. Going in I knew a few albums pretty well and a bunch of singles... but a thirty year run tends to result in a lot of output. It's taken a while to get a feel for the discography as a whole but there are some pretty great songs hidden away throughout, like this one off their second last record. 

(Not to mention, with all the betrayal shit I've dealt with this year... the name of this song feels especially poignant)  

 

 

That's it for this week! We'll be back for the 12 reviews in 12 days madness starting this Saturday (with part two of the Euro Adventure) so until then! Stay safe, stay warm, stay smart and most of all... don't spill that mustard. 

               

Globetrotting Bites! (pt. I - Ireland)

 

 

As you may or may not know, I recently had the pleasure of visiting Europe for the first time! Much of the trip was spent wandering through various cities and trying the local grub... so why not write about some of the food and beverages I encountered? Here is the first installment, consisting of the first week I spent in Dublin. 

 

Devils Bit Cider

 

My first afternoon upon arriving in Dublin, I went for a stroll up in a neighbourhood known as North Strand (my hostel was beside the Connolly train station just south of there). On the way back I hit a local Tesco (it's like a supermarket chain throughout Europe and Asia) and grabbed a couple of these ciders, clocking in at about 2.25 Euros each (yeah, the CDN dollar conversion was painful all trip).

I later learned this is one of the cheaper ciders you'll find in Ireland and that definitely comes through in the taste. A bit dry and you really taste the forward sting of the alcohol (despite the low-ish 4.5 percentage). It's also rather thin bodied with only the slightest hint of any apple flavour, which does taste somewhat sugary and artificial. I ended up drinking a lot of cider while in Ireland but this is one I did not feel compelled to visit again. (2 stars out of 5)

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Double Decker Candy Bar

 

 

I didn't end up eating too many snacks or sweets while overseas, despite the plentiful number of unfamiliar ones (chocolate bars being about 2 Euros each was probably a factor also). Nevertheless on my second day in Dublin I tried this Double Decker chocolate bar, which has that thick layer of soft sugary stuff (nougat maybe?) on top of these little dry crispy orbs of rice (I'm guessing).

It's entirely decent, though not all that flavourful beyond the chocolate shell. The texture is odd as well with those crispy little balls mixing with the very malleable nougat on top. Overall... it's a chocolate bar so how bad can it be? Just not a very exciting one, however. 

 

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Orchard Thieves Wild Apple Cider

 

 

Now we're on the right track. This is a delightful cider: smooth and crisp, like biting into an actual green apple. The taste lingers on the tongue, it's light and bubbly with a hint of dryness but not too much. Very easy to drink and I definitely grabbed these a few more times. (4 stars out of 5). 

 

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DiFontaines Pizzeria

Obviously I wasn't going to go this entire two week trip without testing out some of the local 'za. DiFontaines is a tiny little pizzeria in the western edge of the very touristy Temple Bar neighbourhood. It is also notable for having an outdoor bench that appears to be in the middle of a bike lane! (The lane does curve but it's a little disconcerting at first to see all these cyclists zooming directly towards you). 

 

The slice itself really reminds me of the old Amato's chain in Toronto (do they still exist even? Haven't seen one in like ten years). There's a loose greasiness to it, the meat (sausage, ham, pepperoni) is quite fatty (this is called their Delancey slice by the way, a name which immediately makes me think of the actor who played Q on Star Trek).

There's some nice herbal and garlicky hints to it as well, while the dough has a very floury taste. A bit chewy but the flavours are generally quite good and tasty. Not one I'd recommend for a sensitive stomach, but it is a quality pizza slice. A solid first impression of Ireland's pizza. I'd grade it a "B".  

 

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A Pint of Guinness at the Storehouse Gravity Bar

 

 

It's a common attestation (or maybe just from a friend of mine) about how the closer you are to Dublin, the better Guinness will taste. Well, it doesn't get much closer than the actual brewery itself with the famous nine thousand year lease, does it?

I've never been the biggest fan of Guinness, to be completely honest. I liked it just fine but it was rarely a beer I'd really find myself craving all that often. I figured if a pint of the stuff at the actual brewery didn't rock my world, it simply never would. 

Well no need to worry about that, as this was without question the best pint of Guinness I've ever tasted. The depth and freshness of the flavours, barley sweetness on the tongue, the classic roasty taste... there's really so much going on in every sip (you're actually supposed to take more of a gulp for the record, that's what they told me) and yet it's such a smooth bodied beer. Not at all thick despite its dark appearance (which is not black but ruby red! You can only see this under a certain light). 

Absolutely delicious. A brew worthy of the highest kings or the lowest peasants. Goes well with a skyline view of downtown Dublin as well. (5 stars out of 5)

 

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Doom Slice

  

Definitely not your classic notion of a pizzeria, as this resembles much more of a large dive bar (think Betty's East here in Toronto) that they shoved a pizza counter and kitchen into. Still, this is one of the higher regarded pizza joints in Dublin (supposedly the first to offer a deep dish Detroit style) and so I made my visit down the alleyway-like Dame Lane and ordered from their window. 

 

 

The slices are rather small, even with the deep dish thickness advantage. This here is their Spud and Sausage weekly special on the left with the Holy Pepperoni on the right, plus a garlic dip. 

 

 

The "Spud and Sausage" slice is definitely more heavy on one of those descriptors than the other... and it ain't the pork. Having potato so prominently in a pizza slice, a slice which is already quite carb-heavy and doughy via its deep dish nature, is a risky choice. 

However they do pull it off as despite the pizza being so heavy with the bread and potato, you get enough of the supporting flavours around the edges. The chili crisp and sesame adds a serious heat (like a Korean zing/spice) to the occasion, while the green onion gives the slice the vibe of eating a very unconventional cheesy baked potato (the potatoes on here I think are scalloped, for the record). It's also an incredibly oily pizza, like exceedingly oily (dripping on your fingers level) which while fine flavour-wise does detract somewhat from the enjoyment of eating it. 

 

 

The Holy Pepperoni is a little more standard, with it's pepperoni, jalapenos, dollops of ricotta cheese and drizzle of hot honey. This combination of flavours is almost always effective for good reason: they balance each other out. Spice from the hot peppers is enhanced by the salty pork, but not too much thanks to the creamy cheese muting it a little bit. Hot honey meanwhile gives you some sticky sweetness (and it's own different type of spice). 

Like the other slice however, this is still so damn oily. It's a very very messy slice that you're going to need several napkins to navigate through. You also get the fried cheese crust and the texture itself is quite deep. 

 

 

Finishing with the garlic dip... wow it's almost half the size of the slice! 

It's really good. The consistency is almost more like hummus than any typical mayo-based dip, but it's still creamy even if it's more of a scooper than a dipper. It also made an excellent potato chip accompaniment when I was watching the ALCS later on (at 3am local time.... sigh). 

Overall.... very good pizza with that one weakness that drags it down considerably. Still worth a stop though if you happen to be in this part of Dublin, even just the vibe alone. I'd grade it a strong "B+" on the pizza scale. Definitely lots of terrific stuff happening here despite the overt oiliness.   

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Kopparberg Mixed Fruit Cider

 

Sweden is known for their fruity flavoured ciders (indeed I was quite a fan of Rekorderlig in my early 20s) and Kopparberg happens to be the biggest cidery in that country (despite the town of Kopparberg itself being rather small). 

This was an absolute delight. Light and smooth (both in body and alcohol content) with a genuinely fruity type of sweetness that genuinely didn't taste like somebody had just dumped a spoonful of processed sugar into the glass. Refreshing stuff that (I later learned) came in a variety of flavours too... and is more of a premium cider (at least in Ireland/UK) meaning a bit more of a price. Didn't stop me from trying them again, that's for sure. Now if only I could remember the name of this pub you see in the photo... (4 stars out of 5).

 

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Bunsen Cheeseburger and Fries

Bunsen Burner... I mean 'Burger'... is considered one of Dublin's most popular burger joints (they are in fact a mini-chain with eight locations throughout the city) and despite two outposts barely a few blocks from each other in the Temple Bar neighbourhood, both were absolutely jammed and hopping on this particular mid-October Saturday night. Their claim (which you can see above the front door) of having the "World's Smallest Menu" refers more to its physical size rather than the quantity of options: the menu is in fact printed on a tiny business card (bring your peepers if you're someone that needs em).

 

 

Unfortunate I couldn't find better light outside of Temple Bar Square to really capture the full glory of this burger. And glorious it is because... holy damn is this an excellent burger.    

 

Something that stands out here (and another place I tried later on in London) is that they ask you how you want your beef cooked, which caught me off guard/unprepared but both times I figured 'medium' was a smart choice for a burger. Still some grilled edges and you get a bit of juicy pink in the middle. Best of both worlds. The result is certainly not bloody in the middle but the pink is a bit soft (like a nudge below 'medium' but not quite between that and 'medium rare')... but when hamburger beef tastes this refined, tender and fantastic I'm totally fine with that.  

Simple seasoning, just salt (maybe a pinch of black pepper) and that's all it needs to let that beef patty shine. Soft bun, the pickle shines through quite nicely... meanwhile the fries, while not super crispy, taste very potato fresh and are quite vibrant in their own basic way. 

Bunsen is just a fantastic burger that I loved on first bite and savoured until the final one. I was certain at the time it would be the very best cheeseburger I'd try the entire trip... alas we're not even through the first week yet and a lot of time remains before any champion can be crowned. 

Nevertheless... if you're in Dublin, a Bunsen cheeseburger is a necessary task. Delicious stuff.

 

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BAMBINO Pizza

Naturally I had to (just had to!) seek out whatever the most popular pizzeria in Dublin is, an inquiry that led me to discover BAMBINO (or just Bambino, since I don't feel like shouting at you) just south of the touristy Temple Bar neighbourhood and a couple blocks west of the famed St. Stephen's Green. 

It was a late Sunday afternoon, maybe five o'clock local time with the sky approaching gentle twilight colours... yet there was still a lineup around the block for this pizza place. During this roughly ten-to-fifteen minute wait, I overheard somebody behind me mention how this was actually lucky and that the lineups are often much worse. Probably a good sign for the quality of the pizza... probably? Anyhow, in that second picture you can see the interior of Bambino is quite small with very limited seating. You have a line to order (on the right! How very un-UK/Ireland!) and the general waiting/milling about area on the left. 

 

 

The two slices you see here, left to right, are a 'Vodka and Chorizo' and 'The Vito'. 

No, that's not an illusion nor a trick of the camera. This might be the most aesthetically pleasing pizza I've encountered in quite some time. I mean, look at these...

 

 

Ridiculous!

Truly worthy of belonging in the National Gallery of Ireland. 

Sadly the vodka and chorizo slice I didn't eat until much later that day, reheated in the microwave of my hostel (an Irish tragedy)... so there's not much I can describe about it. The vodka sauce was quite excellent: creamy with some heavier sharpness to it, you really could taste some of the vodka within all that. Obviously that microwave (the only option) did the sauce and texture no favours. 

Instead, we'll discuss "The Vito" with the blobs of white you see above. And what a masterpiece it is. 

Pepperoni, basil, shavings of grana padano, squeezed globs of burrata cheese with a drizzle of their in-house hot honey as a finishing touch. There's an incredible firm yet light crisp to each bite, the dough fills the mouth wonderfully and the pepperoni is just great. Flavourful, just enough greasiness. Precision. Then you get the cool soft burrata cutting through the saltiness and the cheese, delicate like a whipped cream yet with enough substance to fade on the tongue rather than evaporate. The basil and the hot honey are just the slice showing off, adding a hint of sweet heat and some refreshing greenery to complete the canvas. 

It's beyond any minor critique I can conceive. Uhhh... the crust is merely good? The slice was tough and chewy after a trip through a crummy hostel microwave? Bah! Nonsense. Who would've thunk that possibly (emphasis on 'possibly') the very best NYC style slice I've ever encountered... would be in Dublin, Ireland of all places. This is an easy "A" grade pizza for me. It tastes as good as it looks, and it looks divine. Pizza heavens be praised.        

 

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Scampi from O'Shea's Corner Pub (in Wicklow)

I was in the coastal town of Wicklow (about an hour train south of Dublin) for an afternoon and the sea air had me in the mood for some seafood. It wasn't easy finding a well regarded place open on a Monday (Wicklow is not large) but I happened upon the charming confines of O'Shea's Corner and, after some initial confusion (the restaurant is in the back while the front is more of a tavern just offering toasties) I settled in for a pint of Guinness and a dish of scampi.

 

(Possibly the tiniest of notches below the pint at the Storehouse, but still fresh and delicious)

 

Full discourse, I wasn't all that familiar with what scampi is. Turns out... that's not super surprising as we don't typically encounter that type of crustacean in North American waters. Without getting into the dirty details, they're essentially a type of prawn (which are essentially much larger shrimp, which as you can see are what these look like). These are breaded in a ginger beer batter (oooh) with some fries, a tartar sauce you can't see, some peas (also hiding around the corner) and a very fresh house salad mixed in a raspberry compote-like dressing. 

It's the best scampi I've ever had! It's also the only scampi I've ever had... damn it! Okay, frame of reference aside this was mighty damn tasty. The scampi itself is tender, juicy, a seawater sweetness throughout each bite, while the breading is light (tempura-like) with a bit of that ginger sizzle on the back of the tongue. Just delightful and so fresh tasting... none of that numb pre-frozen taste, my friends... no no no. That taste just expands wonderfully in the mouth. Fantastic. 

 

 

A feast indeed! The rest was all quite good, the salad, the fries (I liked the seasoning, like a deft touch of a house blended seasoning salt) and the chunky tartar sauce. Very filling and very satisfying. An extremely charming spot (the wooden decor all over the place really makes it feel like the classical definition of a public house) right along the main street of little Wicklow town. 

 

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That's it for the first leg of the Euro Adventure! Stay tuned for next time when I cross the pond and check out big, bad London... which is most definitely very, very big.