Monthly Archives: April 2023

$60 Filipino brunch feast @ Lamesa

Now, we’re no strangers to Filipino food on Triple B, whether it’s the Filipino brunch buffet at Kanto or grabbing some kamayan all over this city. So when I heard about Lamesa, this funky little joint on St. Clair West, serving up a $60 discovery brunch for two, I was like, sounds like a nice, light meal for me! And lemme just say, you can definitely get your money’s worth here…

We’re talkin’ chicken ‘n waffles, Filipino style! Chicken is boneless, but nice ‘n juicy, and then you’ve got the purple ube waffle, which really kicks it up a notch!!!

Dude, this Filipino bacon is what makes it! Nice ‘n thick, with just a little hint of sweetness. I’d eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!!!!!!

This Filipino french toast is stuffed with a purple yam jam. Dude, they put that shit in everything!!!!!!!

Now, you can eat a fried egg with that Filipino bacon, but it also goes nice with some garlic rice…

And you gotta try the garlic rice with some monkfish, deep-fried and crispy, with just a little sweetness.

This smoked sausage is sensational — I could crush a whole chain of these, bro!!!!

And then for dessert, you’ve got these plantain rolls, which are basically deep-fried bananas… and bananas is good!!!!

Washed it all down with a glass of tropical house punch. You’ve got calamansi, mango, guava, lychee, ginger beer… oh, and rum. Can’t forget the rum, son!!!!

Now, you might be able to feed a small family of four with this brunch platter… but you KNOW it’s just a light snack in Flavourtown, bro!!!!!!!!!

Beef chili & bone marrow nachos!? Shut the back door, bros!!!!

April 27, 2023
greedocatucci
0 comments
bone marrow, chocolate tart, clams, cocktail bar, cocktails, croquettes, Florette, nachos

Now, we don’t always go to cocktail bars on Triple B, so when we do, it’s cuz they’re serving up something funkalicious (or they’re named after a killer Danzig tune). And that’s definitely the case at Florette, this funky little joint on Queen West that’s like halfway between the Drake and the Gladstone. Not only do they have cocktails named Al Pastor and Miso Soup, but the food is pretty fresh, too. Say hello to ma lil’ friend, chicken croquette!!!!

Dude, these great balls of fryer are coming in hot and cheesy, with chunks of chicken, melty mozza and a nice, crispy coating. They only come two to an order, but I could slam like 22 of these, bro!!!!

But instead, I’m gonna slam about 22 clams. These Manila clams are some tasty little babies, served with an nduja sausage butter and a lemon vinaigrette, so you KNOW they’re lemony fresh! I gotta say, this picture makes them seem a lot bigger than they really are, though…

Now, you mighta seen the bone marrow on the menu, but you won’t know what you’re getting into unless you read the small print. This ain’t no ordinary marrow, bro! It comes topped with chili, cheese and this spicy “green goddess” sauce, along with a side of nacho chips — just grip it and dip it, John Bro-ly!!!!

When it comes to cocktails, they were all outta Al Pastor, but I did get to try the Miso Soup. And it really does taste like it! What they do is take sake, and mix it with scallion oil and miso cordial (whatever that is), giving it both the colour and flavour of the famous Japanese starter — the difference is this one comes out ice cold!!!!

On the other hand, I didn’t detect any buttered corn in the Buttered Corn Martini. It was pretty boozy though, bro!!!!

This place has only got one dessert on the menu, but there was totally a chocolate tart with my name on it. You’ve got pretty much everything I’d want in a pie — chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! We’re talkin’ chocolate cream with chocolate crumbles and a side of chocolate mousse. Shut the chocolate door!!!!

Now, this might be the closest thing to coffee you’ll see on Triple B — except maybe a stout with coffee. This Cafe Amalfi combines espresso, coffee liqueur, vodka and a blood orange triple sec, which really kicks it up a notch. This drink also goes great with dessert, bro!!!!!!

Baller beef cheeks @ Bellwoods Brewery!!!

Now, Bellwoods is one of the most legit craft breweries in Toronto, bro. Man, I’d drink Jelly King for breakfast, lunch and dinner — it has fruit in it, so that counts as dessert, right? And their brewpub on Ossington is super, super popular — they don’t take reservations, which means you gotta get there early. But hey, it’s always beer o’clock somewhere, bro!!!!!!!!!!!!

I dunno if I’d call it a gastropub, but Bellwoods is definitely kicking it up a notch beyond basic pub food. For one thing, you won’t find chicken wings on the menu — but they are serving up Hot Wings, a west coast pale ale that’s not too hoppy or too heavy. It’s not bad, but it’s pretty basic in my books.

On the other hand, this Ratclops IPA is more my jam. A lot more hazy and citrusy as well. This would actually go well with some actual hot wings, haha.

But instead of chicken, we’re eating beef… which is definitely not unusual on Triple B. These braised beef cheeks were actually my third choice — the steak frites had been discontinued and they were all outta Jagerschnitzel. But I definitely don’t regret this decision. Beef was super tender, nice kick from the onion marmalade, and a tasty au jus. But what makes it are the king oyster mushrooms. You could put those on a flip-flop, and they would still taste good!!!!!!!!!

But even after all that braised beef back there, we’ve still got room for dessert. And I gotta go with the sticky toffee pudding over the basque cheesecake. It’s mayyyyybe not as good as Gordon Ramsay’s, but it’s a lot closer than the walk between Hell’s Kitchen and the KISS glow-in-the-dark mini putt on the Vegas strip, bro! Nice richness of the cake, tasty toffee sauce, and that vanilla ice cream is too legit to quit! You could put it on a seven inch leather heel, and it would still taste good!!!!!!!!!

Bacon breakfast pizza @ La Palma

Can we have pizza for breakfast, mommy dear, mommy dear? Gotta have it at La Palma, this funky Italian joint on Dundas West, where their brunch menu has both a smoked salmon and a breakfast pizza, with green tomatoes, eggs and stracchino cheese. But here we’re kicking it up a notch — I ordered a side of bacon and then put it on top, cuz everything’s better when you add bacon, bro!!!!

Once complaint I had when I went here for dinner was that the portions were pretty small. And that’s still the case at brunch — this was less of a pizza, and more like a flatbread. And somehow, between the eggs and the tomatoes, this flatbread was very, very soggy. I will say that adding the bacon is what makes it — this dish definitely needed that extra little crunch. But I was still a little disappointed overall.

Now, you can certainly stick with a mimosa or a caesar, but they’ve got a pretty interesting beer list here — like this dunkel weizen from Nickel Brook and Farm League Brewing. Not as wheaty or as citrusy as some other beers I’ve had in this style, but still not a bad way to start the day.

But now we’re kicking it up a notch with this No Country Alsatian Pilsner from Fairweather. A nice crispy boi with plenty of malt — it’s probably the most flavourful thing I’ve had all day!!!!

Tacos and sliders and balls, oh my!!!!!

Now, this is what I love about Toronto, bro. Where else in the country can you have Malaysian street food one night, then walk just a couple blocks for some Trinidadian pub grub a couple days later? We’re hanging out at Chadon Beni, this funky Trini joint right at the corner of Queen and Shaw, where they’re serving up a few of my favourite tings — like sliders and tacos — along with their funky take on Caribbean classics like bake & shark, callaloo soup and macaroni pie. Actually, their mac pie is not a pie, it’s rolled, breaded and fried, just the way I like it…

These Macaroni Pie Bites are more like big balls, and they’re some of the biggest balls I’ve seen since that charity soiree with Bon Scott in ’77, son! They come with a side of callaloo, which I had started eating with a spoon, until our server gave me a hot tip — you’re supposed to slather it on the balls, bro! And I gotta say, the callaloo really kicked it up a notch, adding a nice earthiness to this dish. Hey, if I’m gonna eat green stuff, putting it on top of deep-fried mac ‘n cheese is definitely the way to do it!!!!

Now, I don’t know if any of these creatures are native to Trinidad, but Chadon Beni is serving up a large selection of sliders from all over the animalverse. You’ve got duck, elk, wild boar, wagyu beef — all that’s missing is kangaroo, rabbit and like polar bear or something. They’ve even got BBQ jackfruit for all the vegans out there. But me, I went with the venison. You definitely don’t see venison every day, especially in slider form… And the meat is the star of the show here — nice and rich, with just a bit of smoked cheddar, bacon jam, and some arugula. Can I get like six more to go, bro????

But now it’s time for the main event: deep fried lobster tacos. Shut the port, aft and starboard doors, matey! These super-crunchy crustaceans are coming straight outta fryer in tempura batter, with a pineapple salsa and chipotle donkey sauce. I think there’s also a bit of scotch bonnet in there somewhere — it’s got a nice kick without biting your face off.

Now, since the name of this blog ain’t Burgers, Bacon and Rum Punch, we had to slam some Trinidadian beers. Man, I have never even seen Mackeson Triple Stout anywhere before, but I like a good stout, so I figured it was worth trying. Thing is, this beer doesn’t have the chocolately taste of a Guinness; it’s got more of a pruney taste like a Belgian dubbel. Still, with all the super-hot (temperature more than spice) food coming outta the kitchen, I really needed a few of these. And they come in tiny little bottles too — 275 ml, which is less than your average longneck, more like a half pint. So I could probably crush, like, 23 of these. You KNOW drinking is all I got, bro!!!!!

Well gosh dang, that’s some good rendang!!!!

Now, we’ve had food from all over the world on Triple B, but it’s not every day that you see Malaysian food in Toronto. So when I heard about Soos, this funky little joint on Ossington serving up “modern interpretations of Malaysian street food” you KNOW I had to check it out now, funk soul brother!!!!!

We’re starting off with some pork belly pancakes. Dude, Pork Belly Pancakes was my nickname in the kitchen at the Golden Griddle, bro! These little piggies were nice ‘n sticky, served on a crispy taro cracker. Man, you could serve that on a flip-flop, and it would still taste good!!!!

But now it’s time for the main beef-vent. This beef rendang is super-tender, braised in a nice, mild curry with fried cabbage and jasmine rice. I don’t always eat cabbage, but when you put it next to beef this good, I pretty much licked the plate clean, son!!!!

Now, at a place like here, you KNOW we gotta have a few ice cold Tiger beers…

…but we’re also kicking it up a notch with a Jutsu Pale Ale from just steps down the street at Bellwoods Brewery. It’s hoppy, hazy, but won’t make you go crazy. You’re my kinda lover, Bro-y Squier!!!!!!!!!

Beach-ter feaster buffet @ Toronto Beach Club

Now, I know we just went to town on an Easter Sunday brunch buffet last weekend, but when I heard the Toronto Beach Club, this upscale funky joint right on Woodbine Beach, was serving up its own Oasis Brunch, a $75 AYCE buffet on Sundays, let’s just say I’m not gonna wait until the next holiday to check it out, bro! I’ve already had a great big steak dinner here in 2021, so I know this place is pretty fancy. And while it’s almost twice the price of HOTHOUSE… I gotta say, it’s a lot tastier, too.

Plate 1: Brioche French toast, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs with cheese and guac, frittata

Now, my biggest complaint about the HOTHOUSE buffet was their badly undercooked bacon. But the bacon here is much better — just crispy enough without being too hard. We’ve also got a couple tasty sausages, a nice piece of brioche french toast, with maple syrup and berries, scrambled eggs with guac and cheddar cheese — and then a fritatta. Because why not?

Plate 2: tuna tataki, mussels escabeche, seafood salad, sea bream, salmon gravlax, tiger shrimp, BC oysters

Plate number two is strictly seafood — and this is where the Beach Club sets itself apart. You’ve got fresh oysters, mussels, great big tiger shrimp, along with tuna tataki, smoked salmon and a seafood salad with squid, scallops and shrimp. Plus, in the middle of the plate (although you can’t really see it here) you’ve got a couple pieces of hand-carved sea bream. I mean, there wasn’t a whole lotta fish left by the time I swung by (probably around 12:30 or so), but I can kinda see why it goes so fast — where have you ever seen a hand-carved fish station before, bro????

Plate 3: roast beef, lamb shoulder, Greek potatoes, baked short rib pasta

Speaking of carving stations — they’re not just carving up fish, but roast beef and lamb as well. Now, I thought the beef at HOTHOUSE was the best part of that buffet, but this roast beef is even better; nice ‘n thick and juicy. Goes great with the lemony greek potatoes and the baked short rib pasta, which is sorta like mac ‘n cheese on steroids. The lamb here was also more seasoned than at HOTHOUSE… but on the other hand, The Beach Club does not have an omelette station, so there’s that.

Plate 4: lemon square, chocolate brownie, carrot cake, baklava, chocolate chip cookie

Of course, you can’t go to a buffet and NOT eat dessert, bro! This plate has got a few of my favourite things — chocolate chip cookie, carrot cake, chocolate brownie… they’ve even got baklava. How many buffets have baklava???

Now, you also won’t get any $5 caesars here — plus, a pint of beer was like 13 bucks. But I gotta say, this buffet was the closest thing in Toronto I’ve seen to the famous Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace in Vegas. Don’t get me wrong, it’s about half the size, but the seafood and carving stations are on point. Plus, I ate enough food for like 3 people, so I’m not complaining about the price, either!

This short rib soup really sticks to your ribs!!!

Now, we’re definitely no stranger to beef short ribs on Triple B. Dude, this is body by beef short ribs, bro! So when I heard that the Owl of Minerva on Bloor, this funky joint right in the heart of Koreatown, was putting short ribs in a soup, you KNOW I had to check it out! But even though this is a Korean joint, these are not Korean-style short ribs…

Instead of thinly sliced kalbi beef, what you’ve got here is boiled ribs on the bone, in a broth with eggs, green onions and some glass noodles. While the bone adds bonus flavour, getting the meet off was pretty tough. You get about 4-5 bones a bowl, and I was able to pull everything off a couple smaller bones, but in the end, I was just picking things up with my hands and biting into it that way. That might not be how it’s supposed to be done, but hey, it works for me, son…

Space-themed beers @ Offworld Bar

Now, we’re big fans of Storm Crow Manor, home of the Dungeon Burger, so when we heard they had opened a spacey, sci-fi themed bar on Queen West, you KNOW we had to check it out, bro! Offworld Bar is serving up some fancy cocktails and vaguely space-themed food…but I think I’ll stick to beer — even their brews are space-themed, bro!!!!

This Jupiter Pilsner is nice and crisp, just a little malty. Not a bad starter beer.

Journey to Mars Dunkel Bock is dark and rich, but not too heavy. I could crush a few of these…

But we’re saving the best for last with this One World wheat beer. Dude, this beer is taking me back to Germany with its hits of bananas and cloves — it’s a small world after all, bro!!!!!!!

Easter feaster buffet @ HOTHOUSE Cafe

April 9, 2023
greedocatucci
1 comment
AYCE, buffet, caesar, dessert, Easter buffet, Hothouse, Hothouse Cafe

Now, we don’t really celebrate Easter on Triple B (I just wait for all the chocolates to go on sale next week, bro!) but when we heard that HOTHOUSE, this funky joint on Church Street, just an Easter egg toss from St. Lawrence Market, was serving up an AYCE Easter buffet for 40 bucks plus tax, you KNOW I’ll be there with bunny ears on, bro! And let’s just say I made sure I got my money’s worth…

Plate 1: Salmon Wellington, penne, chicken leg, cold mussels, coleslaw, olives, apple turnover

My first go-round wasn’t very well thought out — I pretty much just grabbed stuff at random. I think the best thing on this plate was the salmon, which was perfectly hot and flaky.

Plate 2: scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles

Plate 2 was all about breakfast, boo! They were all outta French toast when I came around, so instead I went with waffles, which they were cranking out at the waffle iron all day, so they were pretty hot and tasty. Bacon was basically the opposite of crispy, super undercooked. Maybe the best thing on this plate were the sausages, which tasted amazing by comparison.

Plate 3: roast beef, lamb, jerk chicken, cheese capellini, roast potatoes, potato salad

Plate 3 is when I hit up the carving station, where they were serving up both lamb AND roast beef — the beef was super tender and juicy, too! We’ve also got two kinds of potatoes — roasted AND salad — some white-guy-spicy jerk chicken, and an underrated scene-stealer with these cheese capellini. What’s the difference between capellini and tortellini? Beats me-linni!!!!

Plate 4: Omelette with bacon, mushrooms, green onion, tomato with side of bacon and potatoes

The omelette station is super-efficient, with two omeletteers working three burners each — that’s six in total — so I didn’t have to wait in line. I added some more potatoes and not-very-good bacon to this plate, cuz even if the bacon’s not very good, I mean, it’s still got bacon in it, right?

Plate 5: bread pudding, caramel square, white chocolate chip cookie, two kinds of chocolate cake

Dessert was a lavish affair, with about twice as much stuff to choose from as what you see here. (I did not have room for Second Dessert, but I did grab two plates, so there’s that.) I think the cake on the right was gluten-free aka flourless chocolate cake — it wasn’t bad, but not as moist as the one on the left.

And yes, all the grub you see above only cost me 40 bucks — but the deals don’t end there, bro! They were also serving up two caesars for 10 bucks, son! Now, I dunno if you could get only one caesar for five bucks, or if you had to order two for the discount to kick in…but dude, when you can get two of anything for 10 bucks, you order two. That’s like the seventeenth rule of Flavourtown, bro!!!!!!!

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