Triple B: Burgers, Bacon & Beer

Bacon cheeseburger avec gruyere, mon frere!!!!

Man, when France won the World Cup in 2018, Ricarda’s, this funky French bistro on Peter Street, was off the suitcase! People were packed into the courtyard, watching the game on the big screen, and losing their phoquing minds… Dude, I was so wastey-faced, I started singing along to La Marseillaise — and I don’t even speak French, bro! (OK, maybe un petit peu.)

So let’s just say it was un petit peu toned down when we stopped by for brunch last weekend. I mean, they did have a live jazz trio, so there’s that. But who needs live jazz when they’re serving up this festival of funk in Flavourtown — a bacon cheeseburger with gruyere and a side of truffle fries!? Fermez la porte en arriere!!!!

First of all, this bacon is amazeballs. Perfect thickness and just the right texture, not too crispy or too chewy. Dude, I would order a bacon sandwich with a side of bacon from this place! Nice tang from the caramelized onions, with a soft and chewy bun. The gruyere didn’t really shine through as much as I thought it would, though…

Now these truffle fries were more like truffle-aioli-on-the-side fries. But still, you’ve got nice, hot, crispy taters, topped with shredded cheese and parsley… Nothing mauvais with that at all!!!!

Now, surprisingly, they don’t even serve Kronenbourg Blanc 1664 here. Their only beers were Peroni and Asahi, which get a big shruggy from me. So instead I had a couple caesars. The first one tasted like too much tomato, but the second one had a much stronger kick. Now that’s what I call Dirty Deeds Done for 16 Bucks in Flavourtown!!!!!

Badass wild boar burger @ The Monk’s Kettle

Now, even though it’s in the name, we don’t eat burgers every day on Triple B. Just like Guy Fieri, if it’s funky, we’ll find it — there doesn’t have to be burgers or bacon involved. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a good burger, even more than the next guy. And at The Monk’s Kettle, this funky little pub in Etobicoke, they’ve got a whole buncha real-deal burgers, bro!!!!

Not only are they serving up seven different burgers and sammies on the menu, they’ve also got The Divine Burger, a special burger that changes on a regular basis. And when we stopped by last weekend, their Divine Burger was utterly redonkulous. We’re talking wild boar patty, topped with brie and prosciutto. Shut the front, back and side doors!!!!!!!!

This burger is soooooo outta bounds, bro! You’ve got a nice, gamey chew from the boar, a little ooze factor from the brie, and the prosciutto adds a little kiss at the end. Plus there’s this spicy donkey sauce gushing out all over the place. I’d put that on a flip-flop!!!!!!!!!

And because you can never have too much prosciutto, we’re also slamming down an order of Saltimbocca Jalapeno Poppers, filled with white cheddar and wrapped in more prosciutto. I was expecting these bad boys to be battered and fried, but even without the crunchy coating, they are still pretty crispy — and surprisingly not spicy, since they removed all the seeds. If you put a couple of these on top of a burger, that would really take it to the next level, bro!!!!!!!!!

Now, this place might have some badass burgers, but they’re really known for their beers. They’ve got all kinds of craft beer from a buncha local breweries, including a few brews I’ve never seen before — like this Great Lakes white eggnog stout. Turns out they only had one left in the fridge, so it mighta been a shelf turd… but it was still pretty nice ‘n creamy.

Dude, Blood Brothers is one of my favourite local breweries, bro. I mean, they could make a mango beer, and I’d still drink it! Actually, that’s what I just did. This Paradise Lost Sweet Mango Heat, which they’ve got on tap, is heavy on the mangos, but not really spicy — at least not when you drink it with some jalapeno poppers. And at 6%, this ain’t no IC Light Mango, bro!!!!

But now we’re kicking up another half a notch with this Lone Tree IPA from Third Moon Brewing in Milton. I have never even heard of this brewery before, bro! But this is a nice hazy boy, coming in strong at an evil 6.6%. I would drink this any day… but maybe not all day.

But even after all those burgers, prosciutto and beer back there, I’ve still got room for dessert. This Marble Chocolate Cheesecake is nice ‘n crunchy with a side of sour cherries and a whole lotta chocolate sauce going on. Can’t complain about that at all!!!

And since the name of this blog ain’t Burgers, Bacon and Irish Coffee, we’re washing dessert down with a Peche Mortel imperial coffee stout, a collab between Godspeed and Dieu du Ciel. This is a really strong beer at 9.5%, but it really just tastes like coffee — don’t think I’d drink it for breakfast, 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!!!!!

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!!!!!!!

Burgers, sammies & beer @ T.O. Food & Drink Fest

Food festival season has almost begun, son! Now, the weather outside still sucks mozza balls, so we’re hanging out indoors at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the T.O. Food & Drink Fest. This second-floor soiree is serving up libations and nosh from all over this city — and even outside the city limits — so let’s check it out!

Now, most of the food & drink ain’t free, but right when you walk in, there are two different stands serving up free samples of two kinds of Barbados rum. My personal favourite is the red rum — a few of these won’t make me a dull boy, bro!!!!!!!

When it comes to food, we’re saving the best for first with a double butter burger from Chef Joe Friday. Now, these babies ain’t free, but at five bucks for a single and eight bucks for a double, they’re practically giving them away. You’ve got some nice, thinly grilled patties, oozy American cheese, stewed onions and a couple hidden pickles, all thrown down on a potato bun — can’t go wrong with any of that at all!!!!

But man, if that butter burger was the best bite of the food fest, this jerk pork croque monsieur from the Communal Eats food truck is a close second. You’ve got big chunks of spicy pork, with mustard and cheese sauce on a crispy roll — this is only half of it, bro!!!!

Now, that pork was pretty spicy, but right across from me as I was eating it, I saw this stand selling Matt & Steve’s caesars for two bucks a pop. It’s poured premade from a can, but hey, it definitely gets the job done, son!!!!!!

But I did mention there would be beer here, so now we’re s-s-s-switchin’ to glide with an organic hazy IPA from London Brewing. You can’t find these beers from the party school capital of Canada at any bars in The Big Smoke just yet, but I could totally crush a few of these at a country music concert at Budweiser Gardens, bro!!!!!!!!!!

And in case that jerk pork didn’t put enough fire in ya wire, we’re doubling down with some jerk chicken & pineapple mac ‘n cheese from Porkyz. This wasn’t part of the plan, but I saw the mac ‘n cheese stand, and they were all outta regular, so when the choices are between ground beef and this, I’m all about the go big or go home. Didn’t get too many pieces of pineapple, but when I did, they added a nice sweetness that you wouldn’t expect from a dish like this.

But now it’s time for more beer. And I’m going for something light and refreshing, like this Kolsch Style Ale from Sir Monty’s, another brewery that’s new to me, coming straight outta Courtice. They were pouring these at a tent that was also offering beer tours — you KNOW beer tours are my favourite kind of tour, bro!!!!!!!!!!

We definitely don’t see Hawaiian food every day on Triple B, so you KNOW I gotta check out Liko’s BBQ, bro! But I’m not so big on Spam Musubi, and I can get a pretty good poke bowl in my backyard, so even though I just ate a pork sammy an hour ago, I’m gonna go with the Kalua pork. This is pretty much pulled pork on steroids, with a sweet, tangy Hawaiian BBQ sauce. Man, I shouldda bought some of that sauce to take home…

Right across the way from the Hawaiian BBQ, Radical Road Brewing has a nice little tropical setup with a handful of tables and chairs, and a few beers and shots to choose from. I went with this Yuzu Pale Ale, a nice, citrusy take on an IPA that really goes well with some Kalua pork!!!!

But now it’s time for the Lowlight of the Night, boys and girls. Man, when I saw the stand serving up mozzarella balls and brie balls, I was all over that like sweat on a nutsack — dude, this is body by mozza balls, bro! But there was a pretty long line, and that’s because these balls took a long time. They only had one deep-fryer running, and just couldn’t keep up with demand. Plus, when I finally got these balls, they were only half baked:

Instead of being warm and gooey, the cheese was not fully melted. The first ball was lukewarm, and the next two were cold. And they only come in orders of three or five, so you literally can’t eat just one (unless, like, you share or something). Man, these balls were such a big letdown that I almost didn’t put the third one in my mouth. I was even gonna throw it out, and dude, it’s not like me to buy three balls and only eat two, lemme tell you…

But even after choking down those cold and salty balls, I still had room for dessert. I was only gonna get one donut, but they told me it was one for seven bucks or two for 10, and at that price, I might as well get two. The Cookies and Cream was nice ‘n creamy, with a full Oreo on top, but the Salted Kit Kat donut is what makes it! Nice, creamy icing, with swirls of caramel, just a little saltiness, and a couple chunks of Kat Kat on top. You can break me off a piece of those any day, bros!!!!!!!!!!!

Great beer & great pizza @ Great Lakes Brewpub

No we’re no stranger to Great Lakes beer here on Triple B — their Canuck IPA is a personal fav. But I had never been to their GLB Brewpub, which opened at the foot of Jarvis about a year ago… until the other night. And I gotta say, for a brewery known for IPAs, they had a very good selection of beers that were hardly even hoppy at all.

We’re starting off with a Glucklich, this killer kellerbier. It’s light in colour and alcohol content (4.5%) but has a nice, rich aftertaste that takes me back to Munich, bro!!!!

This here’s an Unwritten Rule aged saison. Say what now? It’s got a nice little tang, but not too sour or too funky — I’ll take three to go!

Of course, you KNOW we can’t keep drinking on an empty stomach, bro! So now it’s time for some pork nuggets — they’re the other white meat! These crispy croquettes come three to an order, with tender pig cheeks on the inside and an espresso donkey sauce on top. Shut the back door!

But now we’re heading back across the pond (in my mind) with this Fruhschoppen German pilsner. This ain’t yer grandpappy’s Labbatt Blue — it’s got a nice bite to it, bro!!!

It’s time for something darker and just a little bit heavier… it’s still only 5%. This Ole’ Erebus porter has got the nice kiss of cocoa that a black beer should — nothing wrong with that at all!

Now, if you come in after 7 pm on Wednesday — and only on Wednesday — their Detroit-style pizza pies, which are normally $22-$26, are all on sale for 15 bucks. I will say they’re not as thick or as crispy as some of the other Detroit pizza I’ve tried, but this Italian Ham, with prosciutto, ricotta and shishitos, totally hits the spot, bro!!!!!!

South of the border bacon & eggs @ Chadwick’s

Now, I KNOW my main man Guy Fieri is all about chilaquiles — but they ain’t so easy to find in Toronto, bro. (I have only actually had them twice.) So we heard that Chadwick’s, this funky little joint on Dupont, that’s serving up all kinds of Tex Mex and Latin American fusion food on its brunch menu, had chilaquiles — but they come with eggs on top. Guy Fieri would soooo not approve!!!!

Now the eggs might come with this dish, but here on Triple B, we’re kicking things up another notch by adding a side of bacon, and then putting it right on top. (Dude, the First Rule of Flavourtown is Always Add Bacon!) This thick-cut pork belly, along with some runny poached eggs, mixed in with those tortilla chips, a few radishes, cilantro, and two kinds of salsas — verde AND roja — it’s like a festival of funk in Flavourtown! And you’ve got two different textures with this dish — the chips on the outside are still hard and crunchy, while the ones that are soaking in sauce are chewier (and easier to cut, cuz this is kinda messy to eat with your hands). Either way, you can’t go wrong, bro!!!!

We’re washing ‘er down with a Great Lakes Stout, their best impression of a Guinness. This Canadian take on an Irish breakfast smoothie goes down nice ‘n smoothly, at at 4.3% I can shotgun seven of these and still dance a jig, son!!!!

This beer’s basically got our name on it, bro!!!!

So, we’re hanging out at the Rosedale Diner, this funky joint on Yonge St about a block away from Summerhill (not Rosedale) Station. This place has been serving it up since the 70’s, and they were even on Triple D, so you KNOW it’s gotta be good, bro! But those who know this place, also know they’ve got one of the best selections of craft beer in the city, with a whole buncha funky brews you won’t even find at the flagship LCBO across the street. So, even though it’s only like 10 am, there’s no way I’m NOT drinking…

And at this place, the beer menu is much, much bigger than the brunch menu, so what beer to drink is gonna be the toughest decision I make all day. But about halfway down the first page, I spot something that I KNOW has gotta be my first brewski of the day. This is Triple B:

OK, so I should maybe mention that this wasn’t some kind of collaboration between us and Burdock Brewery — dude, we’re not that famous, bro! And in this case, Triple B stands for Burdock Best Bitter, an English-style pub ale that barely dents the scale at 3.4%. Dude, if we’re putting our name on a beer, you KNOW it’s gonna be like a quadruple IPA brewed with bacon and beef fat… But hey, this Triple B ain’t bad for breakfast, bro…

And speaking of breakfast, we’re going Shaq Daddy on some shakshuka! This Israeli morning glory combines eggs, tomatoes, ricotta cheese, onions and basil, with a bit of harissa to give it a nice little kick. It ain’t pretty, but it gets the job done, son!!!!

But you KNOW we can’t go to the Rosedale Diner and just drink one beer, bro! So for liquid dessert, we’re hitting the Sweet Spot with a mocha marshmallow stout from Left Field Brewery. Now, I might taste more cocoa than mocha, but I would totally drink this over coffee any day!!!!!

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