Kickin' it Old Shul

They say, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” For Zane Caplansky, truer words may never have been spoken. Not a fan of what he considered sub par deli in Toronto he would pester friends to smuggle the good stuff back from Montreal. Not a long term solution Zane taught himself the centuries old art of curing meat and began making his own goodies. At first it was to satisfy his own palate. Eventually, at the behest of his friends, he opened a little spot in the Monarch Tavern. To say he was a hit doesn’t begin to scratch the surface. Eventually he’d outgrow the hotel and open his own place. I’d love to say that it was a run away smash hit but that doesn’t tell the story. Simply put, the review are mixed.

There has, perhaps, never been a restaurant that stirs up more passion than Caplansky's Deli in Toronto. For the most part, no one LIKES this place. They either love it or hate it with a heat of a thousand white hot suns. It's just about that simple. I have to admit, I do love the place. I’m not alone either. He’s got fans at the New York Times, Maxim and Gourmet Magazines and both John Catucci of You Gotta Eat Here and Guy Fieri and the Triple D gang have paid visits. He’s also featured in the David Sax book, Save the Deli.

Sitting just north of Toronto’s Kensington Market neighbourhood Caplansky’s is a beautiful place. Decked out in blue and white the corner unit reminds me of a circa 1940’s milk carton. The small patio is abuzz on summer nights and the whole restaurant nicely complements the trendy neighbourhood.

Inside is just as nice. A mismatch of tables and chairs complement the old school feel inside. The pressed tin ceiling was preserved and art deco lighting brighten the place. The large windows allow plenty of light during the day. It just has a nice warm yet utilitarian feel inside. In front where you wait to be seated you’ll find the “Trophy case.” Displaying the many dessert options available. Mid dining room there’s a counter where the meat is sliced and wares are sold. Always on patrol is Zane himself. Ebbing and flowing between the dining room to great guests and the kitchen in back.

So let’s get a look at what’s coming out of that kitchen. All sandwiches are served on near by Silverstein's bread and come with a Putter’s pickle.

They have a caddy on the table with your typical ketchup and mustard. They also have 4 of their (made in) house mustard varietals. All come in your standard mustard squeeze bottle.
Mild and Delicious: Yes it is.
Hot and Horseradish: This is really nice although I think a hint more horseradish would improve it. That said, it may make it too much like the next one.
Super, Extra-Hot Mustard: Wow!! This is not for beginners. Perhaps not quite to the level of Keens but in the same ballpark. It's everything you want from a hot deli mustard.
Honey Mustard: I really don't care for this one. I don't like the balance between honey and mustard. It's pretty much honey with some mustard. Not nearly enough to balance out the sweetness. I'd like more mustard than honey.

Being a Jewish deli you absolutely can’t have pork products. But, but bacon!!! Well don’t you worry, Zane is curing and smoking his own. From cow. Beef Bacon is really interesting. It’s got just about all the attributes of regular bacon but lacks the bold, assertiveness. I described it to my wife as “gentle bacon.” It’s just more subtle and delicate in flavour.

An often soup du jour is Bean with Bacon. More like a thick stew actually at first glance it looks like chili. Loaded with tomato gravy and beans with some meat. Just remove the cumin (an other chili seasonings) and you have this dish. It's very nice and homey and tasted great on a cold winter day. 

I'm somewhat torn with the Smoked Meat Poutine. Fries covered with cheese curd, topped with smoked meat simmered in gravy. Did I enjoy this dish?? Sure I did. It was tasty. Do I think I could've loved it?? I think so. First and foremost I don't like matchstick fries. Much like with pasta, the chunkier the sauce, the bigger the noodle needs to be. So a heftier fry would work better for me. Also, my favourite way to eat poutine is to let the cheese curds melt. Ya, the fries get a bit soggy but I like the trade off. The gravy here wasn't hot enough to melt the curds. It wasn't cold though, so don't misunderstand. And I just plain prefer regular poutine best.
For those that it matters to, the cheese curds had some squeak to them. For those who don't understand, poutine freaks rank curd squeak as one of the most important parts of the dish. Much like hot dog nuts are all about the snap of natural casings.

A recommendation by one of the wait staff is a combination of Pickled Tongue and Smoked Meat sandwich. First of all it's not like Montreal Smoked Meat. It's not supposed to be either. Caplansky's is doing their own style which I thoroughly enjoyed. Hand sliced it was so tender it pretty much fell apart. As did the tongue. This was a terrific sandwich. It came on that same basic rye and I added a good dose of the SEH mustard. It was smoky, beefy and rich. It was fantastic.

The Bingo is a Friday sandwich of the day. Slices of fried salami on an onion bun with slivered red onion and cheddar cheese. It came dressed with the honey mustard. Again, as with the other sandwiches, I added the SEH mustard and it knocked it out of the park. The griddling of the salami really gets the oils going and helps carry the flavour. I'd have liked to see more cheese but that's just a fine tuning detail.

Definitely my favourite sandwich is the Meatloaf. It comes on Ciabatta and you can get cheddar. Which I did. The meatloaf has smoked meat in it and is as good a meatloaf as you’ll find. The bold tomato flavour of the sauce is a great complement. My big concern is the bun would be too chewy and the guts would squish out the back. Not so, the tender bun is perfect and tasty to boot. I added a couple pieces of the cow bacon on half of it and while it was somewhat lost, the crunchiness added was nice.

The dessert (trophy) case is full of homemade goodies for your sweet tooth. I've had 3 options now and they've all been great.
Lemon Square: Rather like a square of Lemon Meringue Pie withouth the meringue. The crust is a bit like short bread which was fine. The curd was sturdy with a nice, but not puckeringly so, tartness that I loved.
Apple Crisp Pie: Among my favourite apple pies I’ve had. Bold with cinnamon just the way I like it.
Chocolate Cake: Let me just put it this way. If you love chocolate cake, you’ll love this.
Pecan Pie: It looks great in the case. A perfect looking pecan pie under a swirl of chocolate butter cream. It tastes great but sadly, when it’s heated that icing melts. I also found the chocolate distracts from the pie. It was good though I’d rather have the pie unadorned.

So there you have it folks. Fine old school deli served in a nice place.

You can find Caplansky’s at 356 College St. in Toronto, Ontario.

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Well that’s all for now folks, see you next time in the food court.

The Old Guard

In 1980 Joe Batshon, along with the rest of the family immigrated to Canada from Israel. Within a year the family had purchased a restaurant and began a local tradition. Jumping in on the independent fast food movement at the time they sold, much like a lot of places that dotted the GTA landscape at the time, burgers, souvlaki, steak on a bun and fabulous onion rings. Many, such as Fire Pit and Lick’s expanded, lost control and either went away or are shaddows of their former glory.
Joe stuck with the business, didn’t sell out and today is the owner of what has become a community landmark. An integral part of this small town, long ago swallowed up as Toronto pushed it’s boundaries, that never really came to grips with progress. The Burger Shack, as much as any other restaurant in Forest Hill, is the heart and soul of the neighbourhood. Even though it lies just outside the Forest Hill postal district.

There was a time in the not too distant past that, when charged with locating Toronto’s best burgers, people would invariably point to The Burger Shack. The crown seems to have been lost over the last few years but not through their own misguidance. The simple fact is, while they still crank out the same quality burgers, the competition has stepped up. Some of the most recent surveys in the local publications are full of Johnny-come-latelys and their upgraded takes on this simple yet easy to screw up sandwich. Sticking with tradition can sometimes be a double edge sword. Joe’s burgers are no less tasty than when they reigned supreme. It’s just that restaurants see that as the bar they need to hurdle. Some, as you’ve probably read, have cleared that level very handsomely. Still, it’s nice to have those food memories from ones childhood. It's also nice to have a good, solid place that cranks out consistently terrific eats.

Burger Shack sits in what is now the northern edge of mid town. The small cash only place seats a couple dozen or so and does a steady, if not, bustling business. The seating screams fast food as does the modest décor. There’s plenty of articles heralding their success, collected over the years, framed and hanging on the walls.
There’s an open kitchen where burgers and what have you are flame broiled and rings and things are deep fried.
The back kitchen is a buzz with food prep. Just about everything here is made in house. Burgers are hand formed daily, sauces, gravies, dressings, fries cut, onions diced, it’s just a whirl wind of activity.

So let’s get a look at what’s cooking at The Burger Shack.

At one time every independent fast food place made great onion rings. In fact, as much as any other offering, places were selected for their rings. Usually of the beer batter style.
The Shack’s version is just as good as I remember from my childhood. Plump, fluffy and oniony. Nicely crispy, golden brown on the outside and velvety on the inside. Easily passing the pinch and pull tests. Still some of the best this city has to offer.

Poutine, for those not familiar, is a dish native to Quebec. Once referred to by Tony Bourdain as a “gastronomical train wreck.” Fresh cut fries covered with cheese curds and gravy. While not quite traditional in that they use beef instead of chicken gravy this incarnation is incredibly tasty. Traditionalists will deduct points for non squeaky curds but I, for one, really don’t care. I actually love to let the dish sit a bit and those curds melt into a gooey mess. While few places in the city do it incredibly well, this is enough tide you over until a trip to the Eastern Townships occurs.

If I were eating at a Greek fast food restaurant I’d have my Souvlaki on a pita. But here I am at a burger joint. As such, I’ll stick with my old favourite, Souvlaki on a Bun. At one time in the late 80’s I worked directly across the street from a place that served this and, again, a trip down memory lane was in order.
This did not disappoint. The pork souvlaki is just as it should be. Well seasoned and garlicky. The tzatziki could’ve been a little bolder but it was still good. I keep it simple with onion and tomato. It all comes on a lightly toasted large sesame seed hot dog bun.

You just can’t do a review of a burger place and not have a burger. It’s just not allowed.
I will caution you up front about one thing. Many places like this sell a homemade burger and a cheaper frozen patty burger. You don’t want that one. Stick with the homemade.
As I said above, the burgers are made fresh daily from meat delivered from a local butcher and triple ground in house. Unlike the new craze, smashed burgers, these are flame grilled and thoroughly spiced. Every purveyor had their own secret blend of spices and Joe is no different. One thing for sure though, they all have garlic in them. I’ve always thought the best measure of these types of burgers is the garlic burps that follow. There are exceptions to every rule however these are among the less garlic infused specimens I’ve had. This is their most popular, the Banquet Burger. Meaning it has cheese and bacon.

The Shack does a nice homemade breakfast as well. There’s nothing “Special” about their morning offerings. Your standard bacon and eggs type stuff. All done to a higher standard than most as you can well imagine.

So there you have it folks. Some good, solid, scratch made food that brings me back to a time when I had no mortgage payments, I was still an NHL prospect and about to start working on my first million. Sadly far too many of these places are now A & W’s, KFC’s or the like.

You can find The Burger Shack at 233 Eglinton Ave. W.

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Well that’s all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.

Smmmokin’

You’ve probably heard this story before. Boy’s father is in the restaurant business, eventually boy opens up his own restaurant. Well, meet Bill Panos. The son of a restaurateur he opened up his own place with his wife. Unfortunately for Bill, being a franchisee meant doing things one way and one way only. The corporate shackles just didn’t work for him.

Armed with a love for and knowledge of food, Bill went into business with Todd Savage. Eyeballing the burgeoning smashed burger market in the GTA they found a spot and set up shop. Freed up from the constraints of a chain restaurant Bill and Todd filled out the menu as they saw fit. The result was Stack Smmmoked. Basically, a slightly upscale sandwich shop, which just happens to have a smoker. Burgers, tacos and BBQ round out the menu as well as donuts and shakes.

What first put this place on my radar was the S’mores Donuts. My friend Abbey raved about them on her blog. So when the Smashed Burger Showdown came about, Stack made the itinerary. We purposely placed it as the anchor so we could finish with the donuts for dessert. What I found when I got there was a really terrific restaurant with a dedicated and enthusiastic owner. 

The uptown restaurant has a bistro meets sports bar look with plenty of seating and some flat screens sprinkled in, in a clean, modern space. The feel though is more laid back. Reflecting the owners. There’s murals on the wall and it even has an upstairs. The two tops beside the window up there look to be great seats. There's also a small patio out front. Downstairs, in front of the kitchen you’ll find the smoker. It has its own room and is vented outside so you don’t get that great smoker/meat aroma that so many great BBQ joints have. Sigh.

In the kitchen they use top quality ingredients from right here in Ontario and craft them into some tasty food. They also tinker. Constantly trying to improve their wares. With dedication like that you can rest assured that what comes out of there is first rate. Not just slapped together, jumping on a craze.

So let’s have a look shall we??

Stack fresh cuts their fries in house every morning. That’s nice but if you don’t do things right, you’re better off with a good frozen fry. Too many places use the wrong potato, don’t cook them long enough or fail in some other way. Not Stack. A good size, nicely crisp and lightly salted. Perfect for those who like ‘em a little less salty. Easily salted for those who love ‘em salty. These fries are simply great. Some of the best. They also can be had with BBQ seasoning on them.

I'm a big fan of the Mac n Cheese. This is not likely to bring about some noodle epiphany, being a typical old school, creamy example but that's perfectly fine. It's served in a small cast iron skillet and topped with bread crumbs. I found it slightly loose (soupy) but that's probably more a preference thing. Typically that would make it watery but not so in this case. It had a good cheese taste that was nicely rounded. The pasta wasn't over cooked either. Al dente the way it should be.

Back in June during the Showdown they produced a good burger but it wasn't without it's flaws. Most notably, the bun. Well that old bun is gone. Replaced with a gorgeous poppy seed burger bun from Ace Bakery. The gind on the burger seems a bit better as well. The result is a fantastic sandwich. Their smashed burger 2.0 can rightfully take it's place with the likes of Burger's Priest, Holy Chuck and Stockyards now. I got the simple Applewood Smoked Bacon Cheeseburger.  I'm a believer that a smashed burger needs American cheese but for those who hate the stuff, this is for you. They use real cheddar on it. The bacon gets a second go ‘round on their smoker so it’s extra good. It's juicy, tasty and as you can see, pretty photogenic with that bun. 

They do a really  nice Pulled Pork. Normally served in a sandwich, this sample shows the nice barque and smoke ring. It’s very piggy, nicely smoked and quite simply, great as is.

The accompanying Lexington Vinegar Sauce was very nice but totally unnecessary. This stuff just didn’t need it.

The Brisket is some of the best I’ve had. Very moist, tender, smoky, beefy and with a magnificent crust. It had just enough fat on it as well. Again, usually in sandwich form but here for photographic and sampling purposes.

The Chipotle/Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce was really good but again, this meat didn’t need it.

An “Airline Breast” is, in the restaurant biz, a breast with a wing (or part there of) still attached. Here we have it smoked and slathered with a Peruvian Pepper Sauce. OMG this is incredible. The meat on its own is very moist, tender and smoky but the sauce just kicks it up another couple levels. Best chicken breast in the city.

I just really can’t say enough about the Smoked Meat Sandwich. Plain and simple, it’s incredible. NOT Montreal Smoked Meat but an homage to it, at Stack they use their own spice blend, brine and then smoke it in the same manner as MSM. This tastes more like a heavily smoked, overly tender, juicy ham. (Yes I know it's cow and not pig but that's what it reminds me of) It comes on rye bread with regular mustard but Bill tells me he’s looking to bring in Keen’s. The ultimate mustard for smoked meat sandwiches in my humble opinion. Hard to believe this could get any better.

There's a donut maker in the kitchen and you can have them in a number of different ways. All served in a cone shaped vessel.
I’ve had the pleasure of trying a few of them plain. (Well, dusted with cinnamon sugar that is). To be honest, they really don’t need any sprucing up other than that. Slightly crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. There's sometimes no better way to enjoy something than au natural.  But if you like all the fixin's......
The "Strawberry" is simply the donuts with strawberry sauce and whipped cream. While I would never in a million years think that these could outdo the Rocky Road donuts, I may be willing to concede it may be a toss up as to which is better.
The "Rocky Road" donuts are incredible. Crumbled graham cracker crumbs, whipped cream, toasted marshmallows and chocolate sauce dress these babies up beautifully. Every bit as good as they look. There's a decadence to them however they're not too "Over the top."

 
The “Oreo” donuts  are certainly the best in my books. Crumbled Oreos, whipped cream and vanilla sauce these babies are just incredible. If you love Oreos, you’ll love these.

You can find Stack Smmmoked at 3265 Yonge St in Toronto.

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You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.


Well that's all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.
Davwud

Pittsburghese

Perhaps the biggest thing that makes up the character of the United States is the many different regional accents or topolects. (regional dialects). One could never confuse a person from rural Louisiana with someone from Brooklyn for instance. As much a part of the fabric of the US it’s also part of the Pop Culture. Go to your local Books-A-Zillion and you can find many, many dictionaries on the subject.
In the American Rust Belt there are a few variances on a certain dialect and one can be found in and around Pittsburgh. The fine folks of Steeltown have a speak that while similar, is different from those of Buffalo or Chicago. Affectionately known as “Pittsburghese.” Of course not all residents speak it and in fact, it’s considered more how people think Pittsburghers speak than how they actually do. But if you find yourself faced to face with some speaking this local tongue, just use this handly little translator.

Playing on this topolect in Pittsburgh is Eggs N’At. The little breakfast and lunch place “with plenty of home made recipes and a jaggin' around (fun) kind of atmosphere.”
Sometimes I think the single best word you can use to describe a breakfast place is “Solid.” Since they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it gives you a solid foundation for your day. Without that, it’s just a house of cards. Couple that with a very friendly staff. You’ll have a happy tummy and mind as you set out for the day. (or continue your day if it’s lunch you’re after) Walking in the door you’ll immediately be confronted with your first Pittsburghese question, “Jeet jet?” If you haven’t, you’re in the right place.


Eggs N’at’s dining room is comfy and cozy. Which is to say not very big. Two dozen or so seats if you don’t  count the ones on the back deck. The place is clean, bright and decorated with framed Classic Rock album covers. For someone of my age, it was a trip down memory lane. There’s also a couple flat screen TV’s for your entertainment pleasure.

So let’s have a look at these solid breakfast items. Or as the say in Steeltown, “a looky at dese solid breffis items.”

Mrs. Sippi's sausage and eggs were straight on good. There's not really much to say about the eggs. Over easy, cooked to perfection they were just as they should be. The link sausage was quite nice. Not overly seasoned but with a hint of country breakfast sausage but tasting mostly of pork. The whole wheat toast was really nice. Fresh made every morning from a local bakery. The best part was the home fries. Chopped up potato griddled on the flat top with some onion and a bit of bacon. Ya, I said that, BACON!!! How could they possibly be bad??

 My Corned Beef Hash was very good. Again, prepared on the flat top for a nice crust it was pretty much a 50/50 mix of potato and meat. I'd like to have seen some onion but I won't complain. The eggs were just as Mrs. Sippi's. My toast however was excellent. Caraway Seed Marble Rye. It was fantastic. Nicely toasted with a nice taste of rye and caraway seed. Just terrific.

You can find Eggs N’at at 8556 University Blvd. in Moon Township, Pa.

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You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.



Woll ats alls fer now folks, see ya next time in da food court

Davwud

 

Eat Drink Cheer

When the five headed monster consisting of Gus Papaioannou, Sam Pasalis, Tony Vlachos, Chris Papadimitriou and John Matheos decided they wanted to open a sports bar they weren’t about to open just any sports bar. Their mission statement pretty much says it all; “Our passion for sports and food is what drives us. Our goal is to create the ultimate venue to eat, drink, cheer and brag about your team.” What they created surely meets expectations. Rally Sports Bar and Smokehouse is, as they say, “All that.”

Opened on (how perfect is this for a sports bar??) Boxing Day 2011 Rally welcomes all but make no mistake, this place is Toronto (and Team Canada) centric. Gus Papaioannou once told a reporter “My father-in-law is a Habs fan, so I have to let him in.” But rest assured, every game night during hockey season you’ll find the Leafs on. When it’s not about hockey there’s plenty of UFC, Euro or World Cup, Olympics or whatever the major sporting event du jour is. It’s a food and sports lovers nirvana.

Rally, from the outside looks very impressive. Set back from the road with parking in front it cuts an imposing profile. The large back painted brick provides a perfect field for the bold name. No doubting what this place is all about. It has a nice patio attached to the side and just plain looks big.

Inside it seems even bigger than the outside would suggest. A large bar area, small dining area to the side and large dining area in the back offer seating for up to 300 people in the over 7,000 square foot dining area. There’s plenty of sports (especially hockey) memorabilia spread throughout as well. The 40 HDTV’s are scattered all over the place to be sure you don’t miss your favourite sporting event. And for the guys, they’re well stocked in the cute waitress department. All of whom are enthusiastic about the place and very friendly.

In the kitchen they’re doing as much as possible in house. Fries and Onion Rings are exceptions but outside of that, everything else I’ve had they made themselves from quality ingredients.

So let’s have a look.

Their house made coleslaw is very creamy. Perhaps even too creamy. It's quite liquidy and has a pretty strong mayo taste. The cabbage almost seems to play second fiddle here. One thing that I really loved though was there was a little hint of horse radish. That played very well. Almost like slaw made with Alabama White Sauce. Which I do at home sometimes.
The beans were quite tasty too. I love that they had their own personality. I couldn't quite place my finger on what spice it is but it had a uniqueness to it. Perhaps clove?? Very enjoyable anyway.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the Pulled Pork Sandwich. Not the traditional southern style on a cheapy hamburger bun but more of this nouveau style, loaded with sauce and served on a soft bun and topped with their creamy coleslaw. All in all it was very good. I would normally write it off as being too saucy (yes I know, I'm always talking about how much I love sauce) but said sauce was very tasty and the whole mess just worked well together. I just wish more places would leave the saucing for the table.

The Brisket Sandwich would probably be enough to piss off a Texan. This is not a Texas Brisket sandwich so if you put that notion out of your mind you should do well with it. Thinly sliced brisket is tossed in their house made sauce and topped with Caramelized Onions and served on a hunk of Baguette. The meat has enough beef flavour to cut through the sauce and there's a hint of smokiness to it as well. All in all it was a very pleasing sandwich.

The Pork Belly Sandwich is fantastic. A good amount of pig tummy smoked, sliced and piled onto grilled Sourdough Bread. It's topped with grainy mustard and sauerkraut. The sharpness of the kraut played nicely with the richness of the pork. The mustard added a bit of kick and countered the pig fat very nicely. Not a whole lot of smoke detected but plenty good though. The sourdough really worked well here.

The Fried Chicken is superb. Three pieces to an order with fries and macaroni salad. The macaroni salad is fine. Nothing special. I’m told their working on it but as is, it’s fairly pedestrian.
The fries were surprisingly good. Nice and crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Better than your average frozen fry.
The chicken is heavily breaded and very crispy. The seasoning is fairly minimal which isn’t my style but the breading more than makes up for that. The chicken was juicy and very flavourful. Just all around great.

Well there you have it folks. A great sports bar cranking out well above par food.

You can find Rally Sports Bar and Smokehouse at 1660 O'Connor Dr. Toronto, On.

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You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.


That’s all for now, see you next time in the food court.

Davwud