Tag Archives: baklava

Middle East beef stew feast @ Queen of Persia

With all the different cultures that call Toronto home, it’s safe to say not every restaurant is closed for Christmas — which is great when you’re a Pastafarian. (Dude, I’ve been touched by his noodly appendage, bro!!!) So, we’re hanging out at Queen of Persia, this cozy, family joint serving up comfort food classics from all over the map of Iran. Sure, they’ve got kebabs — five different kinds, bro —  but the menu has so much more…like this classic Persian dish, gheymeh nesar:

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This super-tender beef stew is cooked with barberries, almonds and a hint of orange peel, for that added tangy sweetness. Plus, it comes with enough rice for at least three people — but you KNOW it’s just dinner for one in Flavourtown, son!!!!

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Now, the beer selection is pretty limited here — and they were all outta Moroccan Brown Ale — so I went for a couple Pom Pom Martinis instead:

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This ain’t yer grandpappy’s Manhattan, captain! This pomegranate and rose water martini is garnished with even more pomegranate…cuz you can never have too much pomegranate!!!!

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Now, I gotta say, I was pretty full after all that rice, so I barely even had room for dessert. These two little pieces of homemade baklava sure hit the spot, though!!!

 

 

 

Are these Greek fries the new poutine?

True story, bro. This one time, I was going to make pizza poutine, but I couldn’t find any cheese curds at Longo’s, so I used feta cheese instead. It was less than fantastic, cuz feta doesn’t really go with gravy. But when you combine it with tomato sauce, oregano, and French fries, that’s a totally different story:

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OK, let’s break it down. You’ve got a nice, warm, thick fry. A little saltiness from the feta, just enough tomato sauce that you can taste it, but the fries aren’t swimming in it. And the oregano adds a nice bite. This was a pretty tasty dish for 6.99 in its own right, but you know me bro, I’m just getting started!

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Winner, winner quail dinner! What I like about Astoria, this great Greek grill on the Danforth, is that they’re all about the meat. You don’t get a buncha vegetables, a big salad, and one little stick of souvlaki, no siree, the meat takes up most of this plate!

Now, they call these “charcoal-kissed quails” on the menu for a reason, son. You can really taste the charcoal, right off the grill. And I don’t think there’s really a civilized way to eat quail—you just gotta go at it. Man, I’m ripping, hacking and clawing away at these things like I’m in a mud-wrestling match with Steve-O from Jackass The Movie in 3D. I’m stuffing chunks of potato into my piehole, spitting out the bones, and shoveling rice right into my face, not to mention smothering everything in thick, creamy tzatziki. This stuff is like garlic wasabi for your tastebuds, bro!

But hey, your food tastes better when you hafta fight with it. I’d take this dish over chicken any day. Rudie can’t fail, she’s eating quail! But if you think that’s all, then b-b-b-b-baby, you just ain’t seen nothing yet!

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Call your mama, that’s a lotta baklava! You’ve got a nice crunchy phyllo pastry, a good chew from the almonds, and all sortsa sweetness from the honey-like sauce. Pretty sure I could eat three of these, bro, and still have room for dessert!

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