Tag Archives: caesar

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!!!!!

Easter feaster buffet @ HOTHOUSE Cafe

April 9, 2023
greedocatucci
1 comment
caesar, dessert, buffet, AYCE, 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!!!!!!!

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!!!!!!!!!!!

Back for Round 2 @ Score on King

Two years ago, we headed out to Score on King, this funky little sports bar serving up some ridiculous caesars, where I polished off The Checkmate, a caesar topped with so much stuff, it could feed a family of four (small, not very hungry people). But that was just one of two massively overstuffed caesars on the menu… so now it’s time to say hello to ma lil’ friend, Caesar Grande:

Do not adjust your settings, son — this drink is topped with nachos, mac ‘n cheese balls, corn dogs (on the other side), a fried chicken sandwich, Nutella pie and a 14 oz burger. So it’s like every part of a balanced breakfast in Flavourtown!!!!

We gotta start with the nachos, cuz you don’t want those to go soggy, bros. Tri-coloured chips topped with cheese, tomatoes, diced onions, black olives and jalapenos — nothing wrong with that at all. They even come in an edible taco bowl, although some of the edges were extra crispy.

The two “scorn dogs” (as they call them) are a nice little snack that really takes you back to your childhood — if you spent your childhood in sports bars drinking overloaded caesars, that is.

Now, deep fried mac ‘n cheese balls are one of the greatest culinary creations of all time…and their version definitely didn’t disappoint.

On the other hand, the fried chicken sandwich was kinda meh. Not overly saucy or crispy, it was just there. Oh, and they also put cheese on it, for some reason?

But now it’s time for the piece de beef-sistance: the 14 oz Score Burger. When I checked off The Checkmate, I ate a regular-sized cheeseburger in the process that was pretty tasty, but this one might be too much of a good thing. Sure, you’ve got some lettuce, tomato and donkey sauce here, but what you really taste is meat, meat, meat, Damned Bros!!!!

Of course, this multi-course meal also comes with dessert, and we’re talking Nutella pie, son. It maybe melted a bit in the early evening sun, but still hit the spot.

Now, unlike The Checkmate, The Caesar Grande is completely boneless, so there is no sexy aftermath shot…but let’s just say I didn’t let a drop go to waste. 😉

GRAND REOPENING: Tacos with a view @ Lavelle

There ain’t no patio like a rooftop patio, bro! Last night, we’re hanging out at Lavelle, this funky rooftop joint 16 storeys up on King West. This place is so popular you can barely get a table, and while you can’t go in the pool — on on the dance floor — just yet, they are serving up dinner and drinks until late at night. Dude, can you say short rib tacos???

These little flavour nuggets of braised beef are served in wonton shells with avocado crema, pico de gallo and micro cilantro. They come three to an order, but let’s just say I could eat about 30, and still have room for dessert…

And no, my hands aren’t THAT big — these babies are only 2-3 bites each, which explains why they’re on the small plates section of the menu.

Of course, you KNOW I didn’t just eat three tacos, bro! This Mac Dog (which is more like two hot dogs) has got me turning Japanese with togarashi, yuzu pickles, and both kinds of onions — diced AND crispy — for a double down in Flavourtown! And believe it or not, but these two more or less regular-sized hot dogs are almost half of price of three tiny tacos…

Now, if you’re one of them boys ’round here, drinkin’ that ice cold beer, then this ain’t the place to be, Bro-ke Shelton! The only two beers they serve here are Sol and Heineken, which are two things I have never ordered at a bar in my life. Instead, why not go for their Signature Savoury Baesar, a caesar made with Ketel One vodka…where the secret ingredient happens to be Heineken? It’s kinda like a Michelada Gone Wild, bro!!!

GRAND REOPENING: Green eggs & steak @ STK

June 14, 2021
greedocatucci
0 comments
brunch, caesar, steak, steak and eggs, steakhouse, stk, Toronto patios

Man, I don’t even know how long it’s been since I’ve been to brunch, bro! I mean, I ordered it for delivery a couple times during the pandemic — including a massive Mother’s Day smorgasbord-board — but actually eating brunch in person, at a restaurant??? Sheeeeet, I think I gotta go all the way back to September on that one! So obviously, once I heard that restaurants would be reopening last weekend, you KNOW I had to break outta this brunch slump, son!!!

We’ve been to STK a couple times before, and it’s on the second floor, so where do they even put a patio? Turns out, they’ve taken over the courtyard in front of Yorkville Plaza, which is pretty much right across the street. And it’s a pretty nice spot, out of the sun and the rain, with enough seating for probably about 50 people — not all of them got up early to crush some brunch as soon as they opened on Sunday, though…

Now, their $17 Caesar was a little spicy, a little pricey, and just plain little. But I’m so happy to have brunch back that I even ordered more than one!!!

I dunno if it’s because of grand reopening weekend, or if maybe they just scaled down their menu due to the pandemic, but some of their previous brunch classics, like chicken ‘n waffles or a big stack of flapjacks, were nowhere to be found. I didn’t even see steak ‘n eggs on the menu…but I did get them to whip me up a little sumthin’ sumthin’.

Since they were serving eggs in a couple of dishes, I ordered a 6 oz. filet with two eggs on the side — only catch was I could only get them poached. Also, all their steaks come with a sauce, which is probably against one of the rules of Flavourtown, but I used this opportunity to get some chimichurri, and create this beefed up benny in Flavourtown… Green eggs ‘n steak, son!!!!

Technically, it’s still not on the menu, but you know what they say — if you build it, they will come. Check out this messy field of dreams in Flavourtown:

PATIO LIT EATS: The Caesar that eats like a meal!

Now, I’ve been wanting to check out Score on King for a while, but never got a chance to go until last night. This place is known for its legendary Caesars, and you know my motto’s always been go big or go home, so I’m going for the biggest, tallest, most overloaded of them all — The Checkmate Caesar:

Now, this bad boy is so big that they can only serve it to (at least) two people, so that’s why I brought a friend…and then I didn’t share. You’ve got a pulled pork sandwich on top of a cheeseburger on top of a Cornish game hen, with a pulled pork mac ‘n cheese hot dog, chicken wings, onion rings and a chocolate brownie sticking out the sides! And all this on top of a drink served in a Hoegaarden pint glass, which, even on its own would be the second-biggest Caesar I’ve ever had…but this one’s got a lot more toppings, bro!

So, we’re starting off with the pulled pork mac ‘n cheese hot dog, which was probably the most precariously perched piece of food. The dog itself was hot ‘n beefy, but both the mac and the pork were kinda cold, which was a little weird…

Next up, we’ve got the pulled pork slider. Now, I don’t love pulled pork unless it’s really good, and this one was just OK. The coleslaw inside the sandwich and the pickle on top were a nice touch, though!

Now, this cheeseburger was pretty basic, but it was definitely above average. Patty was thick and hot, and there were just enough toppings to add support without stealing the show. I might try one of their other burgers next time I come here…if I don’t just go for The Caesar Grande, though!

These wings were what I like to call sports-bar spicy — they’ve got a decent kick, but not gonna melt your face off. At least by now I had taken enough food off the top that I could actually stick a straw in and drink some of the Caesar!

Onion rings were pretty good, nice ‘n crunchy, and went well with the wings. If they were a little cold, that’s on me because I ate three whole sandwiches before I got to them!

Now, at this point, I had eaten a pretty decent amount of food. I mean, if I was at a Super Bowl party, I’d have probably stuffed this much down my piehole by the second quarter. But I still had the biggest, most intimidating part of this dish left to go — the full Cornish game hen:

Even though I left it for last, this chicken was still pretty tasty. Skin was deep-fried and crispy, and the bird was tender and juicy. It’s a good thing that it was so melt-in-your-mouth, cuz I could barely chew at this point…but you KNOW I still ate it all, bro!!!!

And of course, I still had room for dessert…

Now, I already had a few bites of this chocolate brownie before I remembered to take a picture, but it was still pretty tasty. At this point, I had eaten enough food to curl up in a ball and go to sleep — but only after watching the Flames shut out the Dallas Stars, son!!!!

Brunchin’ on chicken ‘n waffles @ Union Chicken

Now, I’m no stranger to chicken and waffles, son! Let’s see, I’ve had ’em German style, in a purple sandwich at a night market… I’ve even had ’em in Texas (where everyone’s a millionaire, Su-bro-tramp!) But I heard that at Union Chicken, this underground chicken joint inside Union Station, they’ve serving up such a funky bunch that it’s only available for brunch! Check out these good vibrations, bro!!!

OK, so first of all, there is not one, not two, not three, but four pieces of boneless fried chicken completely covering up that waffle, bro! Chicken is super-crunchy, straight from the deep-fryer, with a sweet maple-honey syrup and some sour cream on top. Dude, there was so much food here that I didn’t even need to eat dinner! (I still did, but I didn’t need to…)

Now, chicken isn’t the only brunch special they’ve got at this place — they’re also serving up six-dollar Caesars! Nice, medium-spicy, with both lemon and lime wedges, and a couple string beans…so I get at least two servings of veggies this week!!!

It’s a steak… It’s a bacon… No, it’s porchetta and eggs, man!!!

Now, I’m no stranger to steak and eggs, and you know this is body by bacon – it’s right there in the name of the blog, bro! But when I heard that Figo, this modern Italian place on Adelaide, was serving up porchetta and eggs for brunch, you know I had to duck into the nearest phone booth and change into my pig-eating costume!!!!

OK, now let’s break it down. You’ve got some super-crispy pork, cooked in their wood-fired oven, with these perfectly fried eggs – don’t break the yolk, bro! Salsa verde adds a bit of a kick, and I swear to King Diamond that’s the second time a restaurant has made me eat arugula this month. It was very… arugul-ey, I guess?

We’re washing it all down with a spicy Figo Caesar, made from Ketel One, Clamato, Tobasco, lime juice, Wor-chester-chester-shire and then some salsa verde for an added kick. I stuck the jalapeno garnish in there right away, and I gotta say, it was pretty spicy. Now where’s the raisins when I need ‘em???

This supersized Caesar will wake you dafuq up!

So, we’re hanging out at Kelly’s Landing, this funky Front St. joint where I once scarfed down some first-line tacos before a Leafs loss. But did you know they’re also open for brunch, bro? From 11 till 3 on weekends, they’re waking you up with bennies, French toast…and this massive monstrosity, The Landing Cure:

Dude, this is like a traffic cone of vodka in Flavourtown! You’ve got 2 ounces of Absolut with Caesar mix, a lobster tail, a thin slice of pizza, a chunk of jalapeno Havarti cheese and a whole buncha veggies—it seems they’ve omitted the bacon though???

Now, in case you didn’t get your lobster fix already, they’re also serving up this Bomb.ca lobster benny. You’ve got real-deal Atlantic lobster meat, poached free-range eggs and béarnaise sauce on multi-grain with a whole lotta avocado on the side. It also comes with a salad, but we don’t need to talk about that. You DON’T need a bun to bite this benny lava, bro!!!!

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