Chef for a day

July 22, 2013 / Greg / 1 Comment

A big part of the draw to visit Puerto Rico was its cuisine. The first time I heard about mofongo I made a mental note that I would jump at an opportunity to visit the island. Fast forward a few years and the combination of looking for a honeymoon destination and some very cheap airfares had us headed to San Juan.

For our first full day in San Juan we had booked a cooking class in Isla Verde to learn some of the secrets of Puerto Rican cuisine. That in and of itself was something to look forward to. Then we showed up to the open air kitchen where our class was to take place. This was a kitchen with a serious view of the beach and the Atlantic Ocean:

Pretty nice eh? The view the other way wasn’t too shabby either:

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The best Vancouver lunches

July 9, 2013May 3, 2015 / Greg / 1 Comment

Food trucks, high end cuisine and great hole in the wall places to grab a bite to eat. Vancouver had it all. Although it took me until the last two days of our trip to get to the final two places on my “must eat” list, they were well worth the wait.

Meat & Bread – As my conference wrapped up on Friday at noon, only a small detour back to the apartment got me to Meat & Bread. Each day they serve four different sandwiches, including a sandwich of the day. I really didn’t ponder the menu because there was only one sandwich I came for – the porchetta.

I saw this place on Food Network a few weeks before the trip and there was no doubt about what I would order. Here’s the porchetta being carved as I waited in line to order:

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My kind of Alibi

July 2, 2013May 3, 2015 / Greg / 1 Comment

I have a soft spot for beer bars. I’ve been to a few really great ones recently – Bar Volo and the Rebel House in Toronto, Elysian Fields in Seattle, Wynkoop in Denver and La Taberna Lúpulo in San Juan to name but a few. So when plans for Vancouver came together, I got a lot of recommendations that the Alibi Room was not to be missed.

What great recommendations.

We sat down and I was presented with a two page menu of beer on tap. The selection was overwhelming (and exciting!). Knowing I was going to be sampling a few beers, I started by selecting the Phillips Brewing Wheatking Hefeweizen and Upright Brewing Engelberg Pilsner. Both wonderful, it was a great start to a sampling session:

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Bucket list meal at Vij’s

June 20, 2013May 3, 2015 / Greg / 2 Comments

When the opportunity to visit Vancouver turned into an upcoming reality with the purchase of plane tickets, the first thought that crossed my mind: I have to have a meal at Vij’s. My love and I have a passion for seeking out and finding great food on our travels, and we knew Vancouver was going to be an exceptional food city. But a stop at Vij’s was tops for us. The “best of lists” for Vancouver and our love of Indian cuisine was only partially behind it. The main reason was the restauranteur himself, Vikram Vij. His inventiveness, commitment to local ingredients and to preparation techniques honed over time, and his personal dedication to this restaurant (he greets guests personally!) meant that we knew we would be in for a special evening.

The experience begins in line waiting for the doors to open at 5:30. There are no reservations, all guests are equal, much like you were visiting him at his home. Drinks and snacks are offered while you wait for the restaurant to open. Can you tell we’re a little excited?

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Street food, Vancouver style

June 14, 2013May 3, 2015 / Greg / 1 Comment

Great food, enjoyed outdoors, is one of life’s true pleasures. Since the weather on our Vancouver trip more than cooperated, we got to try a number of different food trucks that inhabit the downtown area. First up on my list was a stop at Japadog only a few hours after we landed. Probably the most widely famous of Vancouver’s street food, this place smells great from a block away:

There’s a long list of hotdogs from which to choose, all having some form of Japanese twist on the traditional tube steak. It’s a difficult decision, especially if you think you’re only going to be able to squeeze one of these in on a trip. I settled on the Kurobuta Terimayo dog that is an amazing all-pork dog dressed with Teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo and seaweed. The verdict: unusual and delicious:

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A Québécois delicacy

May 17, 2013May 3, 2015 / Greg / Leave a comment

Pretty high up on my “must do” list for Quebec City was a return to a fast food chain I spent some time frequenting in my younger years: Chez Ashton. Poutine, one of the significant contributions of Quebec to the world of food, can be found in all kinds of elevated forms – with lobster, with fois gras, with heirloom potatoes and grass fed dairy cattle organic cheese curds, or a host of other riffs on the basic dish. I have nothing against those. In fact, I’m a big fan of many. But the truest interpretation of the dish is the variety made in casse-croûtes across la belle province.

So, harkening back to my younger days where a poutine and a Pepsi at Chez Ashton held a dear place in my heart, my first meal on my return visit to Quebec was exactly that:

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The first rule of wine club

April 16, 2013May 3, 2015 / Greg / Leave a comment

Ok, so it’s not that drastic. I can speak of Wine Club.

No summary of my recent trip to Toronto would be complete without at least a mention of the time I spent with my sister at her wine club and cellar. Shortly after arriving in town on Thursday, we made our way to the club nestled away on a side street in downtown for a light lunch and a beautiful bottle of Ontario red. My sister isn’t a big red drinker, but had stashed a few bottles away for when someone like me comes along with her. The Thirty Bench Cab Sauvignon was lovely – nice cherry and vanilla flavours – it went really well the chorizo and a few other items making up a light lunch:

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Ruby Watchco

April 9, 2013May 3, 2015 / Greg / Leave a comment

Trying to pick a restaurant in Toronto for each visit is overwhelming. Which cuisine? What neighbourhood? Something new or something loved from a previous trip? About three weeks before my last visit and I hadn’t picked anything despite reminders from my sister that time was running out to get a reservation for a Saturday night at anywhere popular. A reminder text popped in from her as I was watching “Pitchin’ In” on Food Network and somewhere in the back of my head I remembered Chef Lynn Crawford had a newish place. A quick look online and Ruby Watchco was my choice for this trip.

It was superb. The grapefruit and blood orange tequila cocktail was so good I didn’t get to snap a picture of it. I could have eaten a bucket of the clili roasted eggplant salad . The ribeye melted in my mouth. The sherry vinegar roasted mushrooms (a side with the steak) would make an incredible football day snack (I’m picturing them in a funnel cone with a spear to poke them with, but I digress). The blueberry and lemon curd parfait was the perfect blend of tart and sweet.

Course 1: Chili roasted eggplant salad with honey mustard goat cheese dressing

Course 2: Slow roasted ribeye with onion jam and horseradish cream

Course 3: Artisinal cheese w/ cherries and almonds

Course 4: Maple blueberry parfait with lemon curd

Me with a glass of Chianti

The restaurant itself was beautiful inside. Homey with a modern feel. The staff was super friendly. For an evening, I wished I lived in Riverside so this could be my neighbourhood place. I think the picture of me above speaks for itself in that regard.

Toronto’s Signature Sandwich

April 3, 2013May 3, 2015 / Greg / 3 Comments

I’ve written about delicious sandwiches before (Philadephia’s cheesesteak, the Primanti Bros sandwich from Pittsburgh, the glorious hotdogs in Reykjavik) so I know what I’m talking about when it comes to a meal served on bread. Toronto’s peameal sandwich is right up there with the tastiest sandwiches I’ve tried.

Whenever I’m in Toronto on a Saturday morning, I’m making a beeline to the St. Lawrence Market. Before the main course, there’s plenty of sights and tastes to take in. For the carnivore, there are cases upon cases of cuts of meat like this:

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Revisiting familiar places

March 17, 2013May 3, 2015 / Greg / Leave a comment

My next two trips are return visits in many ways. Next week I’m heading to Toronto to visit my sister. It’s a place I’ve visited almost an uncountable number of times; a place I’ve lived and worked in. Next month, I’m heading to Quebec City. Although not recently, it’s another place I’ve spent some time in owing to family friends, a relatively manageable 11 hour drive and my earlier-life passion for my beloved, but now extinct, Nordiques.

What to do when heading back to places this familiar? For both it’ll be a mix of revisiting old favourites and finding a couple of new experiences. In Toronto, I’m excited by the new: dinner reservations at Ruby Watchco, in what seems like a city with no end to dining choices. I’ll also be tempted back to some old favourites – peameal sandwiches at the St Lawrence Market, a beer or two at the Rebel House, and perhaps some El Salvadorian food at Tacos El Asador. In Quebec City, wandering around the old town and sitting down to a heart stopping poutine at Chez Ashton will bring back memories from many years ago. For the new? A host of restaurants and bars that my palette didn’t appreciate all those years ago.

My lists are made (but, as always, somewhat fluid) and my walking shoes are ready. Here’s to the familiar and to a taste of the new.