Gourmet Burger Co.

With gourmet burgers becoming ubiquitous in Toronto, which ones actually stand out from the rest? There’s so many to choose from you need not walk but a few blocks before you bump into one. In the first of an ongoing review of these burger joints, I’ve decided to write about Gourmet Burger Co.

Started By Australian John Ward, the idea for the place stemmed from food he used to get on the go when he was back home. Essentially it was fast food that wasn’t processed, frozen or microwaved. He wanted to bring that same idea here to Canada.  He thought that burgers were the perfect way to showcase the fast and fresh approach to food.

The burgers are made from farm raised Canadian beef that’s been aged for at least 30 days. All of its sauces are homemade. In addition all of their packaging is biodegradable.

When I grab a burger on the go, I usually get the spicy Cajun burger ($5.95) which has avocado, jalapeños, lettuce, jalapeño havarti, tomatoes, Cajun spice and mokey chipotle & honey mayo. I also order a side of beer battered onion rings ($2.95) which I like, but the onions are sliced pretty thick. I would prefer the portions of the rings to be a bit larger. Though the burger is a bit thick from what I like, it is juicy and has always been cooked properly. The flavouring is basic which doesn’t detract from the taste of the beef.

The Gourmet Burger Company has various locations you can view here. All of their locations are wheelchair accessible.

My New Favourite Chocolate

Updated with reader feedback, below.

I really only buy chocolate when I’m in Europe. I find that the selection there is much more substantial and better quality than here, so I indulge. From time to time I’ll pick some up here, but usually I get chocolate as gifts for dinner parties, or because my friends all enjoy it.

Enter Nestle Noir. The 100 gram bar of milk chocolate comes in 3 different varieties – Noisette (hazelnut), Nougat and Superieur (milk chocolate). Each is more mouth-watering than the last. I was shocked when I tried it as I usually prefer darker chocolate.

The texture is smooth and creamy, while the actual design of the mould for the chocolate is curved, unique and some may even say sexy.

The chocolate is made using a time-honoured recipe that combines ingredients from milk, collected daily in the Swiss Alps and cocoa from Ghana.

The chocolate is available where most Nestle products are sold.

I was fortunate enough to share some of the 100 gram bars with friends and colleagues. Here is what some of their feedback was:

“I really enjoyed the Nestle Noir Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut bars. I found the quality to be much higher than normal Nestle bars. The quality was noticed in the unique design of the chocolate bars, with the smoothed grooves in each piece. For a chocolate bar of its size, it didn’t last long as it was quite hard to put down.” — Phil B – Blogger

“I have to admit I was disappointed that a selection of Nestle Noir didn’t include dark chocolate in the mix. One feels guilty about eating any kind of milk chocolate these days. However, It’s a dirty job, but someone had to do it. My immediate response was that is was all kind of run of the mill, boring. The shape was kind of cool — fingers fit into the little groove. The tastiest was probably the nougat bar. But overall… unremarkable.” — Michelle P, Ontario Government

“Overall the bars were too thin for my liking and melted all over my hands. But they were all very smooth and creamy. Noisette – perfect combination of milk chocolate and hazelnut for the size of the bar, I think this is the best of the three. Nougat & Superior – nougat was too small, probably because the bar was too thin, they kept getting stuck in my teeth. Amazing texture. very sweet, but not too sweet, just perfect” — Scott P, Design Lab Agency

“I tried the Nestle Noir chocolate bar in Noisette. I enjoyed the smoothness of the chocolate and the distribution of the hazelnuts. I like how the nuts are in very small pieces instead of halves. This provide for better flavor and texture per bite. The quality of the chocolate was mediocre to intermediate for the price point. I personally enjoy chocolate with a lower sugar content and this bar was very sweet. I also would have preferred to have consistent heights per square as opposed to the wave-like molding.
I liked the packaging especially the different textures and matte stock used” — Karen C, Volume Communications

Sandbanks Estate Winery

Sandbanks Winery was started in 2000 by Catherine Langlois (pictured above). Her knowledge of wine from working at Pelee Island Winery and in Burgundy, France was an asset for what she would later produce at Sandbanks.

The vineyard was planted with hybrids and vinifera. Reason being, they ripen early and are conducive to producing desired sugars levels more quickly. This is what many wineries desire in our cooler Canadian climate .

Sustainable farming is a big part of the production at Sandbanks. In addition, they do not use any type of herbicides or pesticides on their property.

They offer a selection of high-quality wines at reasonable prices that include the following; Vidal Blanc, Marechal Foch, Giesenheim, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and their signature Baco Noir.

This was the last stop on the goLOCAL tour of Prince Edward County organized by the LCBO. The promotion in support of Ontario wines runs from September 12 – October 9, 2010.

Eat This Cheese: Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co.

LEED certified Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co. in Prince Edward County is something to treasure. A privately owned, environmental and socially responsible enterprise creating fine hand made cheese using locally produced goat and sheep milk.

On our tour of the building by owner Petra Cooper and Market Development Manager Andrew Laliberte, we were shown many of its extremely detailed elements that make it LEED’s certified. A cheese cave that is subterranean, a windmill to help lower its energy costs and a 3 pond bio wetland for treating whey and waste water.

We tried many of the cheeses they have to offer; Lacey Grey, Lighthall Tomme, Fellowship, Goat Cheddar and many other varieties. One more delicious than the other.

All in all the cheese runs roughly the same price as any other cheese you would buy. Depending on its age and ingredients.

Fifth Town will ship its cheese to anywhere in Canada. All you have to do is call to order. If you’re in the Toronto area, they have a stand at the Brickworks Market, or for a list of other stores, you can visit their website here.

Lastly, they offer a tasting of cheese paired with wine throughout the summer months. A selection of 5 wines and 5 cheeses for only $12. A great price if you happen to be in Prince Edward County.

Fifth Town was a stop on the goLOCAL tour of Prince Edward County organized by the LCBO. The promotion in support of Ontario wines runs from September 12 – October 9, 2010.

Origin

Despite Chef Claudio Aprile’s rant about bloggers and wannabe food critics, I still made my way to Origin to give it a go (I thought it in poor taste, but I’m not one to hold a grudge. I also don’t break out a camera during dinner.)

The location is great. I’m a huge fan of the St. Lawrence market area so that was a no-brainer. In my opinion, the décor is near perfection. The different light fixtures were definitely one of my favourite parts, while the patio is one of the better ones in the city.

I start the meal with a dirty Grey Goose martini, my staple, and my friend, a Pimm’s cup. We then go ahead and order: potatas bravas ($5) shrimp ceviche ($4) oysters ($12) burrata ($19) Italian ham ($15) grilled lamb chops ($15) and seared scallops.

For dessert we ordered the lemon tart served with blueberries. It was runny, which was different than I was expecting, but it was sweet, sour and wonderful.

All of the food was good. The two dishes that stood out to me were the shrimp ceviche, first and foremost and the scallops. I’m a sucker for scallops and will often find myself ordering it if it’s available.

I’ve only had shrimp ceviche a few times before, once being at Buona Notte in Montreal. This was definitely the best I’ve tried.

Origin is located at 107-109 King Street East and is wheelchair accessible. Call for reservations 416.603.8009

Image kindly borrowed from Origin

Brunch Wars: Mom vs. Dad

On their upcoming visit, my parents will most surely put me in a position of deciding between which place to go for brunch.

Dad prefers Toast in Leslieville. He likes the eclectic look of the dining area and the autographed toasters.

He usually has the cranberry stuffed cream cheese French toast with peameal bacon ($10.95) and coffee, black.

I have the smoked salmon bagel ($10.95) because I need my omega-3 fix to feel healthy while drinking a Caesar (my parents are in town afterall.)

On the other side Mom prefers Petite Dejeuner and the diner-meets-country ambiance. She says the sparkling green fabric on the booths is a tacky but wonderful touch.

Mom usually gets the spinach and brie omelet ($9.50) with a cappuccino.

I get the croque monsieur ($8.50) because it’s like my kryptonite.

Where do you think we should go? Do I pick favourites or just go to Hoof Cafe instead?

Toast is located at 993 Queen Street East, is wheelchair accessible and is open for weekend brunch 10-3 Saturday and Sunday.

Petit Dejeuner is located at 191 King Street East, is wheelchair accessible and is open for brunch at 9am and 10am, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

The Importance of: The Canelé

On a recent trip to Nadège I was reintroduced to one of my favourite french pastries, the canelé.

Soft and custard-like on the inside, brown chewy and caramelized on the outside, these bite-sized treats are heavenly no matter what time of day.

In order to make these you need to invest in a copper (expensive) or silicone (less expensive) form from your local restaurant supplies store. It’s worth the investment!

Have a look at the Williams Sonoma recipe here. I’ve tried this one many times and its worked well for me. I’ve tried others too, but this one is simple and straight forward and yields good results.

The only annoying part about making them is letting the batter sit for 24hrs to 4 days! But the longer it sits, the more intense the flavour, the creamier the inside and more caramelized the outside gets once baked.

If you have a chance to make them, you should, otherwise go down to Nadège and enjoy some on their wonderful patio.

Summer Drink: The Mojito

What could be better on a hot summer day than laying by a pool and sipping a cool and refreshing mojito?

I was recently reintroduced to mojitos on the 33^rd floor of the W Hotel Lakeshore Chicago one night on my recent trip.

Here is their recipe:

2 ounces high-quality rum

½ ounce lime juice

1 teaspoon sugar

10 whole mint leaves, stem discarded

2 ounces soda water

In a higball glass muddle lime juice, sugar and mint. Fill glass with lightly crushed ice. Pour in rum and soda water. Stir to combine. Garnish with mint leaves.

Pssst, the Thompson Hotel makes a pretty mean mojito as well.

The W Hotel Lakeshore Chicago is located at 644 North Lakeshore Drive, Chicago. 312.943.9200

Poutine, the Perfect End to a Long Night

Nothing tastes better after a long night of events and drinks than popping by Poutini’s for a grease filled bucket of poutine.

Since living in Montreal, I’ve tried many places in Toronto to see if their poutine lived up to my expectations. Some have been good, some have been terrible. I do particularly like the taste and style of poutine that poutini’s creates.

Thick gravy and cheese curds are layered in crisp, golden french fries in a perfectly glutinous ratio. Yum.

One honourable mention would be the poutine at The Lakeview Restaurant. Though not a comparison to that of Quebec, I find it hits the spot time and time again. Especially as a side to their B.E.S.T sandwich (strip bacon, melted havarti, spinach, tomato, ancho chili garlic mayo on a panini) for Saturday morning brunch.

Enjoy your weekend. Mine’s already off to a wonderful start!

Poutini’s is located at 1112 Queen Street West. It is wheelchair accessible. For more info click here or call 647.342.3732

Enoteca Sociale

Did Enoteca Sociale live up to the rave reviews its been getting? Well yes, er, and no. Recently a group of 5 of us headed there for one special person’s birthday. While there was a bit of a disaster with organizing the reservations, we were able to secure a table upon arriving, without waiting.

We sat and ordered cocktails, mine a Grey Goose dirty martini, theirs a selection of bubbly, wine and ale. We sat and chatted in the steaming hot restaurant for a while before choosing what to eat. Their wine selection is vast, though a bit pricy.

Most ordered the Summer Harvest Menu. You get a choice of an antipasti, pasta and secondi, followed by dessert for $35, a good deal I think.

Here are some of the plates we enjoyed:

Marinated anchovies with Ontario buffalo mozzarella / artichoke fries / orecchietti with asparagus and caramelized onions / bucatini all’amatriciana / house made duck liver ravioli with sage brown butter / braised oxtail with polenta / grilled cornish hen with pepperonata / ricotta cheesecake / torta cioccolata

While all of the food was fantastic, well prepared, fresh and very tasty, the service wasn’t the best. Our server, though knowledgeable, did one of my biggest pet peeves. She took my oxtail away before I was finished. Before I could say anything, she was scooping the food from my plate on to another in front of us (who does that?!). To give her the benefit of the doubt, I was distracted showing my friend an image on my phone when she grabbed it, but still, waiting for acknowledgement from the guest is important.

They completely missed serving one of my friends his plate of pasta. Though the very nice owner came to our table to apologize, we were a bit surprised this happened as the restaurant appeared to have their act together.

The runners were terrible. When our antipasti came he asked if we were all sharing while he held  the five plates. The same runner also served us another tables food from across the restaurant. When I asked the second runner for parmesan, he responded with an emphatic “enjoy”.

Another issue was that it was nearly 30 degrees outside and there was no air conditioning [on]. It made for an uncomfortable 3 hour meal where our table would sneak outside to cool down.

When the owner realized that there was a birthday he did send over complimentary limoncello, which was a nice touch. He also mentioned that he was following our dinner via the EnoSociale twitter account as we were posting updates.

They did serve the Birthday Boy his dessert with a candle. The table sang for him and he turned bright red from embarrassment.

All in all, I would go back. I would need to make sure the same staff wasn’t working, but the food, especially the mozzerella and anchovies, was downright heavenly.

Enoteca Sociale is located at 1288 Dundas Street West. The patio is wheelchair accessible, while the restaurant may be a bit of a challenge. Call for reservations 416.534.1200

EDITORS NOTE: I should have mentioned that there was no air conditioning ON that night. It was never my intention to imply that there was no air conditioning at all.