Author Archives: Mark T

A View to a Grill

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Mark T

Welcome one and all to another great post on Mastication Monologues! Today’s post focuses on cuisine that might not get the spotlight like other, more mainstream types of food like Chinese food or Mexican food, but that doesn’t mean that it is of lesser quality. In this case, I’m talking about Syrian cuisine. It is part of the Levant on the far eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea, its food shares roots with neighbors Turkey, Lebanon, Palestine, and even as far as Iraq. Unfortunately, the ongoing civil war has colored everyone’s thoughts about this country, but I would like to show you that there is more to Syria than the seemingly eternal struggle between Assad and the plethora of Islamic militias that shift alliances as much as the Syrian desert sands. I had my first taste of Syrian food at Pita Pita Mediterranean (formerly Pita Pit).

The restaurant itself doesn’t look like much. It’s just another storefront in another stripmall in the northern Chicago suburbs, but the food inside is like the lamp in the Disney movie Aladdin: relatively unknown to the world unless you help Jafar with both halves of the golden scarab. Actually, it’s not as dramatic as that given that a quick Google Maps could sort you out in a snap, but there definitely is treasure to be found when looking over their menu. I saw typical Middle Eastern/Mediterranean fare like kebab, hummus, and Jerusalem salad, but then there were other choices I’ve never heard of. Naturally, I gravitated toward these options. I started off with sampling their babha ghanouj ($3 small/$5 large) and the muthawama ($3 small/$5 large).

Baba (left) and muthawama (right)

Babha ghanouj (بابا غنوج) literally means “pampered papa” in reference to most likely the head of a harem, and these flavors were definitely made for royalty. It consists of grilled and pureed eggplant that is then mixed with sesame seeds, lemon juice, garlic, and yogurt. It was also topped with a dollop of olive oil for good measure. I found this cold spread to be both savory yet slightly tart that went very well with the light pita triangles that came with the dip. I was more partial to the muthawama. It was very similar to the babha ghanouj in terms of ingredients aside from replacing the eggplant with potatoes. I think this switch made the white condiment feel more like sour cream and taste like a garlic aioli which goes great on any type of carb, be it pita or French fry. As for my main dish, I passed over the tried and true favorites in my mind and took a dive into the great unknown with the mnazeleh ($10). When it came out, I didn’t know what to think. It wasn’t as sexy as the spreads I had before, but it looked more like an over spiced pile of onions and tomatoes. The colors weren’t as bright either. However, I made the mistake of judging a book by its cover. It came with a more vibrant, complimentary side of rice that was moist and lightly seasoned that I subsequently folded into the main meal. What I ended up experiencing was one of the best Middle Eastern dishes I’ve eaten. The eggplant base that upheld the tomato, onion, and beef hodgepodge was super tender to the point of disintegrating faster than Subway’s ties with Jared and was infused with the beefy goodness residing above. The addition of the rice gave it a lot more body, and I would suggest changing the recipe to include the rice. I recommend this plate if you’re looking for something uniquely Syrian and full of flavor. By the end of my meal, I thought I couldn’t fit anymore, but I had to try their baklava ($2.80). This dessert’s history is as multilayered as its filo dough. Different countries throughout the eastern Mediterranean claim it as their own invention, but there is no definitive answer for a dessert that is as old as time. Some scholars believe it comes from the Mongols since it might derive from the root “bayla-” meaning “to pile up”, but the “-va” ending suggests a Persian origin. The oldest recipe, dating back to the second century B.C., of anything resembling this sweet treat is the Roman placenta cake. You might be thinking, “Ugh! They made cake out of placenta?!!! Vomitrocious!” Au contraire, mon frere. The word “placenta” derives from the Greek word “plakous” which related to layered breads and was then transferred into Latin as “placenta” as a word meaning “cake”. However, the Roman version had cheese, honey, and bay leaves between each layer or “tracta” instead of the nuts we use now. The modern version of baklava is thought to have derived from Istanbul during the reign of the Ottomans where the sultan would present his elite guard, the Janissaries, with trays of baklava on the 15th day of Ramadan in a procession complete with pomp and circumstance. At Pita Pita Grill, I was neither a Christian mercenary nor served with any great ceremony.

Cue drooling…now!

The baklava was dripping with honey with every forkful, but I think it was a bit too thick for its own good. It had plenty of chopped nuts throughout the flaky dough layers, but it made it extremely frustrating to cut with a fork. I’d prefer if it was served in smaller, easier to eat squares. I did get a ton of baklava for the price though, and I recommend it to anyone. Just be prepared to use some elbow grease to keep it on the plate.

So, if you’re looking for a “diamond in the rough” restaurant that is no frills in terms of presentation, go to Pita Pita Grill and discover a whole new world of delicious, Syrian food!

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Posted in Middle Eastern/Mediterranean Cuisine, Syrian and tagged babha ghanouj, baklava, eggplant, Food, honey, Middle East, olive oil, restaurant, Reviews, rice, Syria, take out. Bookmark the permalink.

Do the Deaux

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Mark T

Bonjour, y’all! Today’s post on Mastication Monologues is extra dirty and deep fried since I’m going to be talking about some of the most Southern cuisine there is in the United States: Cajun cuisine. Most people think of Mardi Gras or Hurricane Katrina when they hear anything to do with the state of Louisana, but the reality is that it is also home to one of the most unique cultures in our great nation. The Cajun people are descendants of the Acadian (French colonists) settlers in Canada who were deported by the British in the mid-1700s en masse to the then unknown lands to the south including the original 13 colonies, i.e. America in utero. If these French colonists weren’t imprisoned, killed, or passed away from diseases before or after the expulsion, they found themselves migrating to new and foreign places like the territory of Louisiana. At that time, it was considered part of the Kingdom of Spain, and the Acadian refugees were welcomed by the Spanish government due to the French and Spanish governmental and Catholic links. This new rapport led to the Acadians becoming the largest ethnic group in Louisiana, and their name slowly evolved from “Acadian” to “Cadien” to eventually “Cajun”. With a new name for their culture, their Cajun French (however strange sounding it may be at times) and food became two pillars of local pride for these new settlers and still are going strong today.

Modern day Acadians

Acadian food had to adapt to the new environments they found themselves in since it was a lot hotter than old frosty Canada, and the local flora and fauna were extremely different, especially in the bayou regions. Therefore, they adapted their tastes to create dishes that emphasize the use of pork and shrimp for proteins, flavorful spices, and the “holy trinity” of green peppers, onions, and celery. However, with the rise of New Orleans as the biggest and most important city of Louisiana also came the rise of creole cuisine. While some may use them interchangeably, creole cuisine is more varied in ingredients and reflect the more cosmopolitan nature of the city versus the more rustic Cajun fare. For example, a key difference is that creole cuisine uses tomatoes while Cajun dishes do not. With the rise of celebrity chefs like Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse in the latter half of the 20th Century,

The man. The myth. The legend.

there came a regeneration of Cajun and creole cuisine that was spicier and adapted for modern tastes as the food spread out across the USA. Enter Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen.

I had never been to this local restaurant, but one of my good friends worked there and said I should try the food. I’m not a huge seafood fan (I’m more of a land animal lover), but Janice and I ended up going here on a double date since my friend David picked it. The restaurant itself is like a typical seafood restaurant with a large, wraparound bar to greet you in case you wanted to eat some fish or drink like one. We were more in the mood for a bite to eat, so we met up with David and Vivian who were waiting for us. Looking over the menu, I could see that they definitely were trying to stay true to the Cajun and creole cuisine staples along with including more general American surf and turf options. Price-wise, it’s not the cheapest eatery in town but reasonable for a seafood restaurant like in the $20-30 range for an entree. We decided to focus more on the Big Easy specialties starting with our appetizers. We got the shrimp and crawfish fondue and the crispy fried alligator. The fondue was definitely worth it since it was warm, gooey, and filled with plenty of shrimp and crawfish chunks. The crawfish/crayfish/crawdad/ecrevisse in Cajun French wasn’t really noticeable in this dish given that they often have a slightly muddy flavor given they live and eat whatever they can find in the muck at the bottom of streams. Hence why some call them “mudbugs”. The garlic bread isn’t very Cajun, but it mixes well with the creamy melted cheese. What more could you ask for in an appetizer? Oh wait, fried goodness! That’s the last box that the alligator checked off. Since the Acadians settled in the swampy bayous of Louisiana, obviously they needed to find protein sources. Therefore, it only seemed natural they would try and find a way to eat the large and plentiful alligators prowling the waters. At Pappadeaux it wasn’t like they were plucking them out of the water right outside the door, but they do promise the highest quality of alligator meat on their website. It was served to us on a platter with a side of fried potato sticks and dipping sauce. I would liken it to a plate of popcorn chicken with a dirty South twist. The meat wasn’t exactly like chicken, but it did have a similar density and similar, but not identical, flavor. The breading had a subtle, spicy hint to it with notes of paprika, and the dipping sauce had a thousand island/special sauce vibe going on. Once we took down those tasty treats, I ordered my shrimp étouffée. Before it came out, I got a complimentary cup of their gumbo. This dish’s name originates from either the West African word for okra “ki ngombo” or the Native American Choctaw word for sassafras leaves “kombo“. The reason why the name is linked to these plants is because this state dish of Louisiana is classified as African, Native American, or French depending on the thickening ingredient. The first two were already defined with okra and sassafrass while French creole cooks used flour and fat to thicken their gumbos. This was a lip-smacking good taster of Louisiana. From the spicy andouille sausage to the rich brown base, chopped veggies, and shrimp,this small bowl could do no wrong. I couldn’t wait for my étouffée to arrive. Étouffée comes from the French verb “étoufféer” meaning “to smother” or “to suffocate”, and I could see that most of the ingredients in this creole dish were covered in the brown roux sauce. Mixing the rice together with the rest of the dish made it resemble the fusion feijoada I had at Vermilion during Restaurant Week. It showed the mixing of different cultures like with the use of rice from Spanish and African dishes, the local shrimp from the Cajun country, and the French sauce and spices. It wasn’t a spicy entree, contrary to popular believe about creole and Cajun cooking, and it was the perfect dish for a cold night like when we visited Pappadeaux. I really enjoyed the amount and quality of shrimp in this dish since they weren’t too chewy or undercooked. Plus, the rice gave the étouffée the body to be filling but not too much so. I always love meals that involve mixing meat and rice together, so it was a match made in Cajun heaven for me. My fellow diners also seemed pretty pleased with their choices.

So if you don’t have enough money to take a trip down to NOLA, get yourself on down to Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen! Seaing is believe, hear?

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Posted in American Cuisine, Cajun and tagged bread, cajun, cheese, Chicagoland, creole, dining, etouffee, Food, fried, Louisiana, New Orleans, peppers, restaurant, Reviews, rice, sauce, sausage, soup. Bookmark the permalink.

Too Good To Leaf

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Mark T

Welcome one and all to another Mastication Monologues! There isn’t much time to spare this summer in Chitown, so you must take advantage of the great weather before the deathly cold comes and the white walkers take over. So, I’d like to tell you about a great restaurant we’ve been to before during the winter but could also be a wonderful hangout in the summer. That place is called Hopleaf Bar.

This establishment is located in the quaint Andersonville neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago. There are a ton of great brunch places up and down Clark Street, but Hopleaf is more of a lunch and dinner establishment. There is only street parking, but expect plenty to be found. Given the name of the restaurant, Hopleaf focuses intensely on the pursuit of the best and most unique brews around. Due to the focus on alcohol, you have to be 21 or over to enter, and that means there are no children allowed (No offense, but huzzah!). We were a bit surprised about this policy when we walked in, but we also found out that there are no reservations. So, we had to wait a bit for a table. Be prepared to wait for a table if it’s a very nice day/night out or if it’s a weekend. Eventually, we were sat in the bustling back room that gave us a first hand look into the glass-walled kitchen. We were first presented with a beer menu that was extremely varied in terms of craft beers, but I found one that really caught my eye. It was called Etrusca Bronze from the Dogfish Head craft beer company ($9). The description is below,

but basically it is part of a series of ancient ales that the company has brewed based on recipes from millenia ago found all over the world. In this case, my drink was based on a 2,800 year old recipe that was synthesized from analyzing the resins inside drinking vessels found in Etruscan tombs. I’ve been throwing around this term “Etruscan” like nobody’s business, but who exactly were these people? Basically, they were the tribe of people who gave birth to Rome after settling on the Tibur, but it is still up for debate where exactly they originated from.

Gettin’ crunk since 700 BC!

Anyway, I’ll leave that for the history scholars to decide. Back to the beer. When it came out, it was served in a goblet, and it looked like a cup of warm cider.

Nectar o’ the gods

I gave it a sniff before imbibing, and I was taken aback by the aroma that overtook my nostrils. It made more sense when I looked at the variety of sweet, savory, and aromatic ingredients it was brewed with like pomegranate, clover, wildflower, raisins, chestnuts, and even myrrh, an ancient tree sap that was used as perfume, incense, an embalming agent for Egyptian mummies, and even presented as a gift to Jesus by one of the three kings. Clearly, I wasn’t in bland lager-land any more. When I finally took a sip, it was one of the most unique and complex beers I’ve ever tried. The honey notes were tempered by the pomegranate juice that had a very subtle nuttiness compliments of the chestnut. This was further embellished by the wispy wildflowers still dancing in my nose that joined the flavor party on my tongue. Long story short, this isn’t a drink to be pounded during a game of flip cup, but if you appreciate something super unique or are a historically obsessed weirdo, then you found your beer. This distinguished beverage prefaced one of the most epic meals I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, Hopleaf’s menu, both beer and food, changes with the seasons, so some of the options I talk about may or may not be served when you visit like my pastrami sandwich ($12), for example. This was a straight old-school dish from the turn of the 20th Century New York deli culture. From the rye to the thick layers of beet red meat, it was simple in form but exquisite in flavor. The combo of herbal caraway with the saltiness of the meat was wonderful, but I would suggest finding a heartier form of rye since it was on the dryer side and crumbled under the pressure of my powerful jaws. The fries were just my type since they were on the softer side with the occasional crunchy one, but I found their smoky taste intriguing. Naturally, the pickle on the side was an homage to this deli staple, and it was large, crunchy, and sour. Yes, please! Janice’s choice, the duck Reuben ($13), upstaged its fellow New York sandwich. The origin of the sandwich’s name is a point of contention. Some parties state that it was named after Reuben Kulakofsky, a Lithuanian born grocer who held poker games at one of Omaha’s premier hotels in the 1920s and 1930s. Other’s believe that this savory snack came from Arnold Reuben, the owner of the now closed Ruben’s Delicatessen in New York. Arnold claimed to have come up with the “Reuben special” back in 1914. Whoever invented it, I doff my proverbial cap to them. It’s a wonderful combo of meat, bread, and condiments. First, it was on toasted marble rye that was heartier than my basic brown rye. Then we got to the heart of the matter. Instead of finding the typical pastrami, we were greeted with thin slices of slightly fatty Peking duck breast that also possessed traces of caramelization due to its traditional preparation. This sweetness was further garnished with a cranberry cream cheese spread that took the place of mustard or Russian dressing to give this typically savory sandwich a sweet side. To top all of it off, there was a moderate helping of acidic sauerkraut to cut through the sweet elements, and the gooey melted Emmenthaler cheese held all of these mouth-watering ingredients together. I highly recommend both sandwiches!

So if you’re looking for a laid back beer heaven or a date night without the kids, check out Hopleaf Bar!

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Posted in Alcoholic, American Cuisine, Beer, Beverages, Burgers, Comfort Food and tagged adult, Andersonville, Bar, Beer, Chicago, duck, Etruscan, flowers, Food, Fries, honey, pastrami, pickle, restaurant, Reuben, review. Bookmark the permalink.

A Place Drinkers Hold Beer

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Mark T

Markets have been around since the beginning of establish civilizations. They are meeting places where people from all corners of the earth can come to exchange goods, news, and ideas. These markets can take many forms. There are traditional ones that still exist today like supermarkets or farmer’s markets, or the advent of the internet has led to the rise of the all powerful online marketplace. Along with markets, alcohol has been the cornerstone of most nation states throughout history. Whether that be airag, the milky spirt sipped on by one Ghengis Khan, or the wine that filled the goblets of the Caesars throughout the history of the Roman Empire, alcohol has been a double edged sword that has existed for man’s pleasure or survival in the case of areas where watersheds were too polluted to drink from. Given all of this information, it would only seem natural to place both of these concepts together into a market that sells beer or today’s restaurant: Beer Market.

They have many different locations throughout the Chicagoland area, but my parents and I visited the franchise branch in Bolingbrook’s Promenade shopping center. It wasn’t too busy when we walked in since we eat dinner earlier than the average bear or bird in this context. It was like any other modern American gastropub with exposed brick, dark accents, wooden chairs, and random neon beer signs. We sat down and were greeted with a monstrous beer menu. As I leafed through the 25 pages of beers, I was overwhelmed with making a selection. However, once I was finished reading the tome, I settled for a kolsch to go along with my bratwurst entree. What better than a German beer to accompany a German meal? My mom got the cole slaw burger which I had a natural aversion to since it was carrying the stepchild of potato salad in my eyes when it comes to picnic side dishes. When all of it came out, it didn’t look like the most appetizing meal in the world, but I’d let the flavors do the talking. Kolsch or Kölsch beer is a German beer that was invented in Cologne in English or Köln, hence Kölsch. It is a light yellow, pale ale which is quite rare in the land of lagers, but thankfully the hops are not over the top. Instead, it has a bit more body than your average lager and a more floral/fruity quality to it. Definitely more of a summer beer if you’re looking for something light and crisp. It paired very well with my bratwurst. The word bratwurst comes from the German words “brät” or “finely chopped meat” and “wurst” or “sausage”. They were actually made popular throughout the USA compliments of the Milwaukee Brewers baseball franchise where even today brats still outsell hot dogs. Beer Market’s take on the bratwurst had slight riffs on the original sausage. First, it was soaked in beer to give it even more flavor and seal in the juiciness. Then, it was buried in a heap of grilled onions that were great, and the brown mustard had a kick to it that was an homage to another ballpark staple. The sausage and onions were not served on your typical white bread bun or roll but a pretzel bun. So, the pretzel-mustard-brat combo in short was a home run. My mom’s cole slaw burger seemed ok presentation-wise, but she wasn’t too satisfied overall. She said it was average at best, so I think you should check out their other menu items. So if you’re a beer lover or are looking for a more upscale, solid but not spectacular bar and eatery than the dive on the corner, then check out Beer Market.

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Posted in Alcoholic, American Cuisine, Beer, Beverages, European Cuisine, German, German and tagged Beer, Bolingbrook, bratwurst, Burger, Chicagoland, cole slaw, craft, Food, market, mustard, onions, review. Bookmark the permalink.

Great Blogs of Fire: Xxxtra Hot Habañero Sauce

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Mark T

Summer is in full swing as we’re finally in August, and what better to spice up the summer than a fresh hot sauce blog post on Mastication Monologues? So, today’s entry comes from the Tropical Pepper Company who manufactures their sauces in the wonderful land of Costa Rica. Although, Costa Rican cuisine isn’t too spicy, the land is ideal for growing the peppers needed to make their signature sauces. Check out my post here where I reviewed their hazardous ghost pepper sauce. While the habañero pepper doesn’t come close in spice to the all mighty bhut jolokia, it still does pack a punch like in today’s Xxxtra hot habañero pepper sauce. First, there is the bottle. Instead of the toucan being a skeleton like on the ghost pepper sauce, it is much more inviting with some of the peppers you are about to consume in his colorful beak. Then there is the back of the bottle which is a bit bombastic in hyping up this condiment, but it still ranks as an “ouch” on their heat scale. Knowing the potency of the first sauce I bought from the Tropical Pepper Company, I preceded with caution when I popped the top to try it out. What I found was one of the best hot sauces I’ve tried. The sauce’s color was red with a hint of orange and punctuated with white/yellow pepper seeds floating throughout the mixture. Plus, it was noticeably thicker than its ghostly predecessor which became apparent when I had to put a bit of elbow grease to get the sauce out of the bottle a la Heinz ketchup. The ghost pepper salsa, on the other hand, is a super watery, burgundy solution of doom. I didn’t get the hint of any sort of gastrointestinal foreboding from the habañero sauce. Luckily, the bark was like the bite: pleasant. Mind you, I have higher tolerance for spicier foods, so if you’re not used to eating fiery meals, don’t dive headfirst into this pool party. However, I found it to be an interesting mix of elements. From the outset, it had a kick of spice with a vinegar-fueled tang but with super subtle sweet notes that I think might be attributed to the use of pineapples in the recipe. The spice quickly ebbed to a more understated, slow burn on my tongue as I ate more of it and got used to its smooth flavor.

Final Score

Flavor: 9/10
Spice: 6/10
Overall: 7.5/10 It’s a spicy, but not too spicy sauce compared to the hype job its packaging does for it. Thankfully, it doesn’t let the spice overwhelm its flavorful self. Recommend this sauce for wings or perhaps tacos.

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Posted in Caribbean, Hot Sauce and tagged Company, habanero, hot sauce, pepper, pineapple, seeds, spicy, sweet, tropical, Xxxtra hot. Bookmark the permalink.

We’re Bananas for Pork, Puerto Rico, and Perfect Meals

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Mark T

Wepa!! That was my reaction when I visited my first Puerto Rican restaurant. If you don’t know what that means, “wepa” is a common exclamation in the Puerto Rican community to signify happiness or a way to encourage someone.

Basically “Remain calm, Puerto Rican, and scream ‘wepa'”

I didn’t need any encouraging when I walked through the doors of hidden Chicago gem, Cafe Central.

I’ve had my fair share of comida latina that has ranged from Colombian to Cuban, but I had never tried the food from what many consider the United States’ 51st state. If you’re unaware of this connection, let me drop a bit of historical knowledge. Puerto Rico was originally inhabited by the Taino tribe who called it Borikén which eventually was transformed into Borinquen in Spanish when Colombus and later Ponce de Leon established the first Spanish run cities. With the Europeans came the colonization of the island and importation of slaves from Africa. This system continued up until the late 1890s until the USA beat Spain in the Spanish American War which led to the USA claiming Puerto Rico as a United States territory which has continued to today. What that means is that all Puerto Ricans from the island are US citizens, but it has also resulted in increased Puerto Rican migration to urban centers on the US mainland like Chicago and NYC, especially. In Chicago, the hub of all things boricua (Puerto Rican in modern Spanish) is typically Humboldt Park minus the current trend of the usual gentrification. However, this symbol of Chicago Puerto Rican roots is still going strong in the West Town neighborhood just west of Humboldt Park. It was established back in 1952 a bit further south but relocated to its present location in the mid-1960s. It still exists today as a representative of Puerto Rican culture in diner form. The exterior doesn’t look like much, and the interior is just as simple but comfortable. We beat the lunch crowd around 11:30, and the meal started with some fresh bread that seemed to be of the French variety with a magical sauce on the side. Although Janice and I thought that this verdant food of the gods tasted like the Argentinian steakhouse staple chimichurri sauce, we were misteaken (pun intended!). Instead, it was Puerto Rican sofrito, a mixture of recao (cilantro), sweet garlic, olive oil, and mild peppers. It was an oily, herbal, yet garlicky and chunky spread that was wonderful with the fresh bread. I washed it down with a cool Malta India which is a carbonated barley, hops, and water drink which is like a non-alcoholic beer combined with a root beer with a Caribbean twist. It has a very distinctive taste, but I would recommend this unique Puerto Rican beverage. It was similar to its Cuban counterpart I tried when down in Florida. Then we started the meal for realz. We looked over the menu, and I could see all of what makes Puerto Ricans I’ve met so proud of their culinary culture. Pork, rice, and beans are the name of the game for the most part, but there are also sandwiches and caldos or soups to sample. We started off with the ground pork empanada and two plates of mofongo ($3.60 each). Empanadas are like your typical stuffed savory pastry, but the ones at Cafe Central are sin igual. They have less thick pastry dough compared to other varieties I’ve tried and more like thin, crispy dough that was all killer and no filler when it came to the amount of seasoned meat you got. Then there was mofongo. I had only heard about it from my dad quoting Sandford and Son or from Puerto Ricans I’ve worked with in the past, but I can see why they loved it so much. It is a symbol of the African influence on Puerto Rican cuisine as it comes from the West African staple fufu which is a mash of starchy vegetables. In this case, its a ball of mashed plantains stuffed with pieces of chicarrón or garlic pork rinds. It’s basically a ball of mashed sweet yet savory starch where we’d occasionally stumble upon a chewy yet crunchy nugget of glory. Highly recommend this piece of the island. It’ll feel like you ate a mini-cannonball though, so save room! As if that wasn’t enough, we then had our main entrees. Janice ended up getting the house specialty which is off the menu: el lechón or roast pork ($10). I can see why they keep it off the menu because they’d be serving nothing but this gigantic plate of soul warming food. First, the strands of Monte Puerco were super tender and melted in your mouth but also had a hint of a salt and pepper rub to make it just that much more flavorful. Not bad for an homage to the national dish of the island. On the side, it was a Puertorriqueño parade on the plate with el arróz con gandules y habichuelas or rice with peas and beans. Naturally, there were some tiny pork chunks in the rice which pepped up the rice a bit, but the rice itself was super rich with flavor. The beans were also different than the refried beans in Mexican cuisine, and I liked them a lot better because they were stewed in a pork stock and were light. As for me, I got the roast pork jibarito ($7.95). This super Puerto Rican sandwich, meaning “little yokel” in Spanish, was actually introduced to Chicago straight from the Caribbean back in 1996 at Borinquen Restaurant in Humboldt Park. I’ve always wanted to try this Puerto Rican iconic meal because it combines my love for quirky food and sandwiches. Think of your typical bread based sandwich, but then take out the slices and replace them with flattened and fried plantains. Then insert lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, American cheese (Thanks, Tio Sam), and your choice of meat. I did like the locals and got, you guessed it, the roast pork. When in San Juan! (or is it Chicago?) It looked great, but I didn’t know where to start out of fear of this seemingly delicate work of street art would disappear in my clumsy grasp. It was actually quite the opposite. The fried plantains were surprisingly sturdy under pressure from one hungry hungry hippo, i.e. me, and the flavor was out of control. Basically, take the lechón and combine it with the sweetness of the mofongo and the savory elements of the mayo and cooked onions. Plus, the texture transitions from the crunch of the plantain to the soft pork, crispy lettuce, and juicy tomatoes blew my mind since they were in quintessential harmony. If there’s one plate I’d recommend, it would be this. Even over the lechón I just promoted. By the end, we were in peak food coma mode. If only we could then retreat to a cabana in Limón to nap the rest of the day away. Unfortunately, our food adventure ended there, but we were extremely satisfied.

I can’t emphasize the greatness that is Cafe Central. It’s a lot of delicious, stick-to-your-ribs food served in huge portions for a reasonable price. What more could you ask for in a restaurant? Absolutamente nada. Buen provecho!

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Posted in Caribbean, Latin American Cuisine, Puerto Rican and tagged beans, Beer, bread, cheese, Chicago, Illinois, malt, mofongo, peas, plantain, pork, Puerto Rico, restaurant, Reviews, rice, Sandwich, sauce. Bookmark the permalink.

Toronto (Final Day): Home Is Where the Heart (and ice cream) Is

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Mark T

So, it has finally come to this. The final installation in my Canadian food saga on Mastication Monologues (See 1, 2, and 3 here). While the previous chapters had plenty of panache, today’s post will be going out on a very classy note.

Our day started on a very hot note as we made the trek across the city to the famed Casa Loma that was participating in Toronto’s food week a.k.a. Summerlicious. What would be more summerlicious than fine dining in a castle? The storied structure was originally built by Sir Henry Pellatt, a business magnate and loyal military servant to the Queen. Aaron had told me before we visited that he built this mega-mansion for a woman who was supposed to come over to marry him but duped him. Turns out that when we went there, we learned that he built it because he was extremely rich. Go figure. Beautiful as it was inside with plenty of crystal chandeliers, giant halls, and dark wood carpentry, I missed a little bit of that modern air conditioning lovin’ as I proceeded to sweat my brains out. Janice and I made our way out to the garden out back, and we were greeted with a wonderful fountain, lush foliage, and oodles of Asian tourists. We had our wristbands on since we bought tickets ahead of time and on discount, so we were able to skip the long line into the Summerlicious fest like the ballers/shot-callers we naturally are. We had a look over the food they had to offer while hunting for a seat, and it all looked great. After a bit of time, Janice wrangled us a great table in the shade. Aaron and Alyssa met up with us eventually due to a Google Maps error, but Janice and I were then quickly up and ready to run the buffet ragged. We started off with some amazing Italian food. First, there was the prosciutto (pro-shoot-oh or just pro-shoot if you’re a real paisan). The word “prosciutto” comes from the Latin for “before” (pro) and “sucking out” (exsuctus) which then evolved into the modern Italian word “prosciugiare” meaning “to dry thoroughly”. What does all this drying have to do for this heavenly meat? Well, it’s basically a salted, dried, and aged leg of ham that is a pillar of Italian cuisine. At the Summerlicious festival, the chef serving it was using an interesting slicer I’ve never seen before but sped up the cutting process for the slobbering diners lining up for the meat. Janice and I picked up a rolled up slice each, and then next to the prosciutto was another Italian dish I had never tried before called panzanella. It is a salad from the central Italian region of Tuscany, and it is not very in line with the Atkins diet. The reason being is that this salad is based on bread; well, actually stale bread, but that’s neither here nor there. It consists of the bread soaked in the vinaigrette along with tomatoes, onions, and zucchini.

Panzanella and prociutto

It complimented the salty and savory meat with a light and slightly sour element to the opening plate of our meal. We then moved on to the second plate of the day which was more diverse cuisine-wise. First, I managed to snag a seasoned lamb kabob that was savory and spiced to perfection. The smell alone coming off the grill was driving me crazy. Then I followed that up with an Indian trio of butter chicken, jasmine basmati rice, and aloo gobi. The butter chicken is a very mild dish in terms of Indian food, and it meshed with the rice to be a very filling part of the meal. As for the aloo gobi, it is a traditional and simple Punjabi dish that consists of potatoes (aloo) and cauliflower (gobi). It was different than traditional Indian dishes given that a plethora of them are typically swimming in a pool of sauce. These dry veggies were aglow with a jaundiced yellow hue due to the tumeric and curry powder that was cooked into each piece. It was ok, but not great. The best part of round two was the mushroom cheesy risotto that was being served literally out of a giant wheel of Grana Padano (“grain” in Italian and the adjective for something from the Po River valley in northern Italy). It was a creamy rice dish that had a Parmesan-esque sharpness in every forkful. The final plate to the three ring circus of main courses ended with a vegetable slaw with lime dressing that was like something you could get in a P.F. Changs or slightly more upscale Chinese restaurant especially with the roasted, diced peanuts. The better part of the third plate were the bison sliders with berry mostarda. The bison tasted like a very lean beef with a bit more gamey flavor, but it was kind of drowned out by the berry mostarda that isn’t mustard but rather a traditional Italian condiment made of candied fruit and mustard flavored syrup. We couldn’t put our finger on it if they were cherries or some kind of cranberry, but it strangely went well together as a savory and sweet kind of foodstuff. Thankfully we didn’t eat breakfast because we had room for that sweet sweet dessert. While they were serving three different types of gelato, I will save the ice cream for later in this post. Instead, we chowed down on some white chocolate cannoli and a berry crumble. Cannoli are well known as a quintessential Italian dessert, but in reality they trace their roots back to the Emirate of Sicily, i.e. when the Muslims ruled the island for almost 250 years. In fact, some trace the name to the Arabic word “qanawat“. These little fried tubes of dough were filled by hand right in front of us with sweet mascarpone cheese and garnished with white chocolate shavings. I thought they could have made it better with some milk or dark chocolate shavings to balance out the sweeter cheese, but they were competently made. As for the fruit crumble, I heard that it had strawberry and rhubarb in it which was a first for me. I found it to be like eating a warm strawberry pie with the buttery crumbles, so I don’t know what the rhubarb brought to the equation. The fresh blueberries and strawberries were also a refreshing solution to beating the heat. After that we had an epic trek to one of the best ice cream places in all of Toronto according to Aaron who’s kind of a maestro when it comes to the cold stuff. Ed’s Real Scoop was nothing special on the outside, but clearly on the inside it was happening based on the butt to gut traffic that was occupying the non-A/C interior which was brutal. Still, I knew this place was my jam based on this punny size display, the large selections of ice cream, gelato, and toppings. After chuckling to myself, I made the tough decision by getting a large with creme brulee ice cream and burnt marshmallow with a free topping in the form of Coffee Crisp, a Canadian candy bar that isn’t Stateside. Pricewise, it’s not the cheapest place since my large was around 5 bucks, but I got a ton of ice cream for my money and a free topping! Not only that, but they hand make all of their ice cream and waffles cones on their own machine that is right to your left when you walk into the store. They take their ice cream, gelato, drinks, and confections very seriously, and this care is reflected in the quality from first spoon to last. The creme brulee took me right to the Riviera complete with chunks of the burnt, crunchy sugar topping in each bite while the burnt marshmallow was perfect for a summer night. All I was missing was a bonfire and some graham crackers to make some s’mores. The Coffee Crisp was like a flaky wafer coated in milk chocolate that created that s’more effect. Janice got a cinnamon cheesecake milkshake, and it was a slurptacular way to beat the heat as we walked along Toronto’s beachfront. After walking for what seemed forever, we made it to Aaron’s neighborhood in the Scarborough area. We hit up Casa di Giorgio Ristorante. By this point, we were ready to devour some food, and this Italian eatery fit the bill. The ladies got different types of pasta, so naturally I didn’t eat it. Janice seemed happy with her tortellini alla crema ($16.95) which were cheese stuffed shells with a white cream sauce. I opted for pizza instead. They have so many great choices, but I picked the Veranzano ($16.95). It had everything I love: meat, cheese, and veggies. The goat cheese and salty prosciutto balanced the fresh arugula and mild, roasted red peppers. Based on my experience and the others’ plates, it was a good Italian restaurant if you’re looking for simple but well made food. Aaron and Alyssa hadn’t even been there before, and they live there. So it was a great hidden find and a molto bene note to end our stay in TO with our good friends and even better guests. Thanks for everything guys, and see you on the open road!

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Posted in Canadian Cuisine, Desserts, European Cuisine, Gelato, Ice Cream, Italian and tagged arugula, burgers, Canada, cheese, coffee, gelato, ice cream, lamb, mushrooms, pasta, pizza, potatoes, rice, Toronto. Bookmark the permalink.

Toronto (Day 3): 10,000 Leagues Over the Jenga Sea

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Mark T

Welcome to another Mastication Monologues and part three in my Canadian food adventures. Day one consisted of a mouthful of Dirty South cookin’ while day two was a yin and yang of cool waters and fiery dinners. Day three was interesting in its own respect. We started off the day nice and early at the Ripley’s aquarium which was pretty entertaining with lots of interesting exhibits and marine specimens. While the Shedd in Chicago has a lot more of the big animals like belugas and dolphins, the Toronto had bested our hometown museum with a larger variety of strange creatures. For example, the giant sawfish that was chilling on the aqua tube we walked through as tons of other fish, sharks, and even turtles swam around us. Oh, boy, I would not want to see that stuff from my kayak seat. The jellyfish exhibit was probably my favorite part since the cool blacklit chambers really made the little guys look like aliens. Janice, however, was going bananas over the puffer fish and even crawled into the middle that was intended for the children school groups. I captured her passion with this pretty cool picture.

In heaven

Then there were the petting areas where we had some hands-on action with the sea-beasties. Janice was freaking out with the horseshoe crabs, and I finally overcame my fear of petting stingrays…by petting one as big as me.

They can smell my fear

Unfortunately, none of the small, petable sharks were feeling calm enough to be friendly with the guests. Overall, we highly recommend a visit while you’re here, but try to go in the morning since there will be less hordes of shrieking children. We proceeded to walk to the nearby turntable that turned out to also be the Steamwhistle brewery. If you’re into beer and/or classic trains, this is your paradise.

Just try not to get run over

We finally got in after a bit of waiting, and they didn’t even have any food for lunch. On the plus side, we got to see the inside of the brewery, get some taster beers, and find our next party bike. The brew that we had there tasted like a slightly hoppy IPA that was light and good for a hot day. So, instead of just sitting there and waiting for the food truck to come in, we moved onto the harborfront since we had a kayak lesson in the afternoon. After a moderate constitutional, we found ourselves looking out over Lake Ontario, a perfect backdrop for lunch. We stumbled upon, surprise surprise, another brewery. This one was called Amsterdam Brewery, and thankfully it wasn’t jazzed up like some sort of cheesy homage to the Dutch capital. We got a seat on the patio where there was thankfully some shade, but it seemed like they were training a lot of new staff. Thankfully, our waitress was very on the ball since we had a deadline to stuff our faces and make it to the lesson on time. First world problems. The meal started with da beers. Even though the flights looked tempting, they had to wait. Instead, I got their all natural blonde while Janice got their Big Wheel amber ale. These big glasses quickly came out, and we had different experiences. My blonde seemed quite bland and slightly sour, but Janice’s Big Wheel was a tasty balance of caramel undertones and a hoppy aftertaste. Moving on to food, their menu was a standard bar and grill mix of mostly sandwiches, pizza, and a few slightly ethnic items thrown in there for good measure. I enjoyed their code for pairing the food with the beer through a letter system next to each food option like C for a crisp beer next to the fish and chips. We picked a few things to share before going to burn them off on the water. First, there were the sweet chili rib ends ($11). These pork chunks were delectable minus the occasional bone chip we had to make sure not to swallow. Definitely not a plate for the little ones. However, the flavor was definitely grown and developed through a mix of sweet chili sauce and a braise of lemongrass, lime leaves, and ginger. It kind of was like an Asian sweet, spicy, yet tangy twist on an American favorite. I recommend them. Then we had to get the Canadian classic dish: poutine ($8). This melange of gravy, cheese curds, and French fries was born in rural Quebec in the 1950s, but the origin of the name is highly disputed. Some believe that it is a Frenchified version of the English word “pudding” while others conjecture it comes from the Quebecois French slang for “mess” or “leftovers”. There are even links back to France with regional dialects boasting cognates like the southern Provencal word, “poutité” or “hodgepodge” in English. Whatever you want to call it, it is a super rich comfort food that will make you want to check your cholesterol levels when you’re done. I’m not a huge fan of the soggy fries that soak up a lot of the gravy on the bottom, but the perfect forkful that combines the beefy with the salty fry and tangy cheese is without parallel. Speaking of the cheese, at Amsterdam they use Thornloe cheese that has been a Canadian institution since 1940. Plus, it was founded by a guy named Rene Laframboise or Rene The Raspberry. Now that’s a cheese company I want to patronize! To balance this heavy plate, we rounded out the main course with some of the hoisin chicken lettuce wraps ($12). These were the opposite of the poutine: light, sweet, and fresh. They were basically like make your own tacos, but instead of tortillas we had super verdant leaves of lettuce. The chicken and veggies were stir fried in a light teriyaki sauce, and we received the dark hoisin sauce and a pepper seed laden sauce on the side. All of these plates together were a great value for good food, and we still had a little bit of room to split a dessert. We got the flourless chocolate torte ($7) which was totally our jam, literally, given that the raspberry coulis (coo-LEE; from the Latin colare “to strain”) was the perfect compliment to the sinfully sweet slice. An added bonus was the whipped cream, fresh strawberry, and a mysterious gooseberry that made its way onto our plate. I had never even seen one of these fruits in real life, so I didn’t know what to expect from it. Our waitress warned us that some diners didn’t care for its “interesting” and super sour taste. So, I braced myself for the worst when I popped the small, bright yellow berry in my mouth and bit down. I was greeted with a more neutral, partially earthy flavor washing over my palate. It barely left an impression on me before it was gone. Guess the kayak gods were smiling on us as we got the check and were running to the kayak dock. It was a glorious day for a paddle, and before we knew it, we were in our dual kayak. Our task of getting to the channel islands was harder than expected since we had to try to not get run over by the numerous boats and water taxis that were creating giant waves as well. As if that wasn’t enough, there were airplanes zooming overhead because the landing strip was out by the islands. Definitely got the blood pumping. Eventually, we got to the islands and enjoyed a leisurely afternoon on the calm waters. It’s also a great experience if you want some fantastic photo ops for the Toronto skyline like we got. Going back to port was maybe that just much harder given the constant paddling we had done for the previous three hours. By the time we reached the dock, we were ready for a nap before going out with Aaron and Alyssa. Once we regroups, we were back at the harborfront with the gang, and funny enough they were going to bring us to Amsterdam Brewhouse! Instead we wandered about taking in the Friday night surroundings, including Janice climbing into this contraption that looked like Dr. Seuss’ pimp-mobile. Just par for the course. Eventually, we decided to go out to a bar or two for food and drinks. We hit up the Wellington first for food and then the Banknote. Unfortunately, I don’t have pics for the Wellington, but it had some great nachos. It’s a cozy bar/restaurant too. The Banknote, on the other hand, was a great bar for late night shenanigoats. It was there that I tried another one of the Canadian beers that was also offered at the Amsterdam brewhouse: the Boneshaker IPA. It was surprisingly palatable given that I’m not the biggest fan of the typically hop-heavy IPA style of beers. Luckily, my bones weren’t shaking too much given that we played over three hours of Jenga that they have at their main long table. Then again, when you’re having a good time with great company, it’s bound to happen. Talk about a wild Friday and penultimate night in TO!

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Posted in Alcoholic, Barbecue, Beer, Beverages, Canadian, Canadian Cuisine and tagged Beer, boneshaker, brewery, Canada, cheese, chicken, chocolate, flourless, gooseberry, gravy, IPA, kayak, ribs, spicy, sweet, Toronto, wraps. Bookmark the permalink.

Toronto (Day 2): Falling In Love Is Just Peachy

Posted on July 19, 2015 by Mark T

Oh, Canada! You have provided me with such great material that I can’t wait to tell everyone about day two of our adventures in Toronto. Today’s post mainly revolves around our trip to Niagara Falls and to an extremely popular restaurant with a unique and fun to say name.

We woke up to a wonderfully gray sky that quickly developed into a legitimate downpour. That combined with the speedy Canadian drivers made the trip all the more hazardous.

Jan Jan just being trip photographer

Luckily, we made it to the famous falls in one piece, but there was no sign of the rain abating. We ran through the drops and around the hordes of tourists to the visitors’ center to get our adventure passes, and what an adventure we had. First, there was the cutesy video they showed us that was pure edutainment explaining how the falls were formed via an anthropomorphic beaver and owl. That then led to a large chamber that highlighted Niagara’s Fury which amounted to a 360 degree screen that went along with a 4-D movie complete with rain which meant we had to wear ponchos through the entire film. The only time I felt scared/disturbed was afterward in the gift shop that the movie chamber was connected to, naturally. The main reason why I was scared was due to the demonic looking beaver plushes. However, not all was disturbing since we had fun and made some friends along the way. We quickly moved on to the fun nature walk that went along the Niagara river, and it was weird to think that we were in another country even though the USA was literally a stone’s throw away in the form of New York State. Due to the rain, there also weren’t a lot of tourists on this part of the tour, so we were delighted with that development while soaking in the beautiful surroundings. My socks also soaked up the river when a huge wave crashed against the rocks right where we were standing. After all of that walking, we worked up an appetite, so we decided to try another Canadian tradition that Aaron recommended: Pizza Pizza. When Janice and I first heard him say it, we thought it was Little Caesar’s due to the mascot’s signature catchphrase. We were wrong! Turns out it is a Canadian institution that apparently also claims to have done a lot of pizza firsts like putting pineapple on a pizza, using delivery bags, and using virtual advertising. It’s their go-to for fast food pizza; it’s not amazing but not terrible, as Aaron put it. We agreed with his assessment. We both got slices of veggie pizza that was fresh and covered with peppers, onions, and mushrooms. We also split a side of fries that were well made, and I spiced it up with this lemon pepper seasoning they offered on the side. ‘Twas a nice sour and spicy kick to the delicious fries. I’d recommend trying this Canadian culinary staple. Once we were fueled up, we got on the Hornblower ship to see the falls. It was cool, wet, and wild as the wind was blowing up our ponchos a la Marilyn Monroe. After taking a ton of pictures while looking like sea hobos wearing trash bags, we left Niagara for Toronto. We had a delicious dinner date planned at David Chang’s Momofuku. It was another restaurant that was participating in Toronto’s Summerlicious restaurant week, so we were excited to finally be able to try this high end establishment. The head chef who created Momofuku, David Chang, is one of the biggest names in the cooking game.

Momofuku the creation of superstar chef David Chang brings his food to Toronto. The much anticipated resto is famous for noodles and pork buns. (Photo by Rene Johnston/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

He has tons of accolades, experience, and a personality/temper that is larger than life that also reflects his passion for finding and creating good food with simple ingredients. This outlook on cooking has resulted in Momofuku expanding to a ton of other franchises like Ma Peche, Ssam Bar, and Milk Bar in NYC. The Toronto location we were at was relatively new and consisted of five different mini-restaurant areas: Shoto, Daisho, Milk Bar, Nikai, and Noodle Bar. Clearly, there is a lot of Asian influence in his menus based on the names of the restaurants. The interior was super busy but modern in design.Noodle Bar was at the bottom with communal seating while the other areas were more traditional in nature. I’d highly recommend making reservations at Momofuku before you go. If you’re wondering, Momofuku actually means “lucky peach” in Japanese, and I think a bit of that luck rubbed off on us since they put us right at the bar in front of the open kitchen. It was all hustle bustle in the narrow corridor as we watched these artists whip together bowls of ramen, appetizers, and boil noodles like their lives depended on it. We were ready to eat with the same gusto. The menus were handed out to us, and we had a lot of tough decisions to make in a first world problems sort of way. In the end, we made our choices which consisted of four courses for 25 bucks, and they came out very quickly based on how the chefs were working. The first course took the form of a fancy fried jalapeno pepper for me. It was stuffed with cream cheese and sturgeon, apparently and had a side of ssam sauce. It was ok, and I didn’t even taste the sturgeon. The ssam sauce pepped up the tiny pepper a bit with a sweet hint, but I’ve had better ones at your average bar. Janice’s slightly larger hot and honey chicken wing was a better choice. It lived up to its name with a garlic, sriracha, and scallion glaze that was both savory and sweet with a subtle spiciness. After those tidbits, we got our bun course. They were clearly inspired by the Chinese buns used for Peking duck, and they were hearty little buggers. I’d recommend these menu items for appetizers. My spicy lamb bun was very interesting. The fluffy light bun encased a hunk of spiced lamb, bean sprouts, lettuce, and spicy mayo. Biting into it, it tasted just like an Asian inspired gyro sans tzatziki sauce. Janice’s pork bun was average. Yeah, the ingredients were fresh, and it was well made. It was just a bit blander compared to my vivacious lamb bun. Then our entrees finally came out. My ~~very~~ extremely spicy noodle bowl was vibrant in terms of presentation and flavor. Our waiter was pretty skittish when I said I wanted it spicy and even described it as “stupid spicy”, but I was skeptical of his assessment given my previous tussles with fiery meals. He brought it out with a side of soy milk just to make sure the white boy didn’t lose his mind and taste buds, but I think I lost them a long time ago when I discovered ghost pepper sauce. It was spicy but with plenty of savory, smoky flavor. It could have been a bit better if there was some sort of meat in it, but I was still happy with my choice. If you like spicy food and have a tolerance for habanero or higher fire, then get this dish.

Good to the last ember

My girlfriend tried a bit, but immediately ran to her glass of water. Janice’s Momofuku ramen was more savory than spicy. It looked exactly like the ramen I tried in Japan, and it was just as tasty. The fish cake, eggs, and melt in your mouth pork all were bobbing in a rich beef based broth. The pork was exceptional with clear layers of succulent meat and juicy fat.

Absolutely gorgeous

The noodles were plentiful and slurp-worthy,

She liked it just a little bit

so it was much more of a solid choice if you appreciate good ramen and less brash flavors compared to my spicy noodles. Rounding out the meal were our desserts. I decided to try Milk Bar’s cereal soft serve. It looked like a run of the mill vanilla cup of ice cream, but its taste was unique. It literally tasted like milk and cereal! It was a cool concept, and I’d recommend it. Janice was less satisfied with the crispy coffee panna cotta or “cooked cream” in Italian. She was entertained with the chocolate balls on top that looked like rabbit poop and the coffee layer was delicious, but the custard wasn’t up to snuff. We left the restaurant greatly satisfied, and it was a pleasing end to a very eventful day. If you’re into Asian cuisine or comfort food or both, head on down to Momofuku if you have a chance.

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Posted in American Cuisine, Chinese, Comfort Food, Far East Asian Cuisine, Japanese, Pizza and tagged buns, ice cream, lamb, Niagara Falls, noodles, panna cotta, pizza, pork, ramen, spicy, Toronto, Travel, veggies. Bookmark the permalink.

Toronto (Day 1): Sleepless Nights in Hogtown

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Mark T

Welcome to another wonderful and interesting edition of Mastication Monologues! Today I’ll be relating the first day of four of our adventure to the Great White North a.k.a. Canada. There has always been a sort of brotherly love between the two North American nations compared to the more tension filled links with our southern neighbors like Cuba or Mexico. We Americans see them as hockey nuts that are also extremely polite while they view us as obese, war mongers,

but national stereotypes aside, we manage to get along just fine. Case and point: my friend Aaron and I. We met each other in South Korea of all places in the same teacher orientation group, and we struck up a friendship through long bus rides and making terrible puns together.

Canada (Aaron), America (Me), and France (Jean) just partying it up in Korea

After Aaron and his gf, Alyssa, visited Chicago, Janice and I decided to pay them a visit up in Toronto, a place neither of us had visited.

So, our adventure started from Chicago super-early in the morning with driving through a whole lot of nothing until we reached Canada. Once we crossed the border, we stopped for a sweet piece of Canada in the form of Tim Hortons. Although there are now branches throughout the Northeastern USA, they haven’t arrived in Chitown. So, we wanted to see what all the hubbub was about. it looked like a fancier fast food diner, and I knew that this Canadian institution specialized in having great coffee and doughnuts. I got a Canadian maple, tres Canadien!, and Janice got the sour cream glazed. Janice was less than impressed due to the too sugary treat that didn’t match up to a similar, yet less diabetes inducing version in Chicago. As for mine, I found it to be enjoyable even though I’m not partial to cream filled pastries. Thankfully there was more fresh, fried dough than cream, and the maple icing was delectable. Once we finally reached the city and trying not to die with all of the crazy Canuck drivers. We got to our apartment with a sweet view that would make even Drake jealous, and then proceeded to meet up with Aaron and Alyssa. We walked all over the town as they showed us the sights that ranged from Korea Town that actually had a lot Aaron and I recognized from our time in the Land of the Morning Calm to the Kensington Market that seemed like a Caribbean island market in the middle of a modern metropolis.

Dude, it’s some herbage.

After traversing what seemed like half the city, we managed to get our final destination (no, not death like the movies), Insomnia Restaurant & Lounge. Unfortunately, it was super busy, so we had to wait for a table. We hit up the bar next door, and I tried a new Canadian beer I never heard of: Hockley dark. It was a traditional English ale that was full bodied with a clean, caramel aftertaste that my compatriots likened to a lighter Guinness, or as they say on their website, “a brunette with the body of a blonde”. We eventually got the call to head on over to Insomnia. It looked like any other gastropub with the addition of some Christmas lights overhead. However, our table was quite different mainly due to the super comfortable easy chairs that made the dining experience that much more enjoyable. The reason why we chose Insomnia over all of the restaurants in Toronto is that they were part of the Summerlicious food festival which was similar to Chicago’s restaurant week that Janice and I greatly took advantage of. Just like Chicago’s restaurant week, there was a set menu that consisted of a starter, entree, and dessert for $25. I started the meal with a Maudite Belgian Strong Ale. If you love lambics or dubbels or Belgian beer in general, I highly recommend this spicy yet fruity brew. Then looking over the menu, there was a ton of great picks for food which made it all the more difficult to choose just one item. I, along with everyone else I think, got the pork taco since it was the most interesting appetizer. It looked super fresh yet simple. All it consisted of was seasoned, tender, yet slightly spicy pork, pico de gallo, some cabbage, and a creamy, rich avocado spread. The cilantro sprigs made it all the better since I love the controversial herb. Then came the entrees. I was torn between the burger since I had a hankering for one, and the Dirty Dirty South fried chicken and waffles. However, I wanted something a bit different, so I went for the latter. Funny enough, Janice, Alyssa, and I all got the chicken while Aaron got the burger. He was greatly satisfied with the juicy Ontario ground chuck, milk bun, and classic lettuce, onion, pickle combo. Our chicken and waffles, on the other hand, were a different beast all together. When it came out, it looked like something inspired from the Spanish Inquisition or Vlad the Impaler. Our waffles were pre-cut into quarters and alternated with the boneless chicken thigh pieces in a large stack that was held together with a series of wooden skewers. Atop this unique creation was one of my most disliked foods: cole slaw. I love my cabbage products like kimchi or kapusta, but I dislike the cream picnic staple. I slowly took apart the tower o’ food with the precision of playing the popular game Kerplunk and sliced into my meal. It was a mouth-watering combo of thick, fluffy waffles and non-greasy but still flavorful pieces of all white meat. The honey maple butter and maple syrup made this plate the ideal mix of savory and sweet. I highly recommend this entree. As if you thought that would have been the end of the meal, there still was dessert! This was the toughest part of the night for me since I have a huge sweet tooth, but since everyone was going for the enticing s’more and creme brulee, I went for the sponge cake. Long story short, it was all good in the hood aside from a couple bumps in the road. First, there was my financier sponge cake. The name of the cake comes from either the traditional rectangular pan that made the cake resembling a bar of gold, or the cake became popular in Paris’ financial district. It was moist, light, and spongy in texture with a strong almond taste that was enhanced with the Coca Cola foam that was the right kind of funk I like in my meal and a classy caramel drizzle. The cherry on the side was a nice touch. Then the burnt marshmallow s’more ice cream was an interesting concoction. It was composed of the vanilla ice cream on top of a layer of burnt marshmallows that then topped a graham cracker cookie which was drenched with Lindt chocolate sauce. Diabetes? I haz it. Alyssa offered me a bit of hers, but I swear the cookie was made of hardtack since neither I nor Aaron could break it. Thankfully, Aaron’s was more normal, but it might prove to be too sweet for those of you who enjoy more savory plates. Finally, there was the creme brulee that Janice wasn’t digging too much, but I found it to be good, not great. As we sunk further into our chairs, food comas coming over us quickly, we ended the our first night in Toronto there, and it was a sign of greater times to come! I highly recommend Insomnia to those visiting Toronto if you’re looking for delicious comfort food with a twist.