Motor Burger (Windsor, On)

Vrrmmmmmmmm

I'm quite certain you've heard this story before. Several times over in fact. A business is no longer viable due to the "Economic Downturn" that occurred late in the last decade. It happened all over the globe but perhaps no where more so than the Detroit/Windsor area. While they are separate cities in separate countries they're more than just cross river neighbours. Their communities are tied together in just about every way imaginable. The parade of cars crisscrossing the Ambassador Bridge (and through the tunnel) on a daily basis for work or play is staggering. Not to mention that north of one quarter of the commerce between the two countries crosses that bridge connecting the two metropolises (or is that metropoli??). Simply put, if one bumps it's knee, the other says ouch.

(Ted Mosby fun fact: The D/W crossing is one of two crossings where you actually head north into the US from Canada.)
 
That down tur......well, lets call it what it was, a full on, dreadful recession, destroyed many businesses. A few were able to weather the storm and survive and others, such as Noi in Windsor's Little Italy, were forced to reinvent themselves. The Italian restaurant that once required you to wait for a table suddenly found itself struggling.  Could they have stuck it out and waited for the up turn?? Maybe. Not wanting to chance it and interested in a new challenge the place underwent a transformation that has spared them the executioner's axe. When Gino Gesuale and Jay Souilliere reopened as Motor Burger, most people didn't see it coming.
 
Motor Burger is the marriage of burgers and cars. The automotive themed restaurant opened in 2009 and has been going strong since. A trendy vibe and functional design is punctuated with chalk, schematic type drawings of cars and that's not the end of the vehicular theme. Menu items are named for automobiles or automotive terms. Heck, even the napkins are actual shop towels. And, much like the auto industry itself, they're in on the green movement. Ditching bottled water and utilizing a reverse osmosis system for their flat and sparkling waters for instance.
 
While they tell you the restaurant is a “present day rendition of a vintage burger joint with a modern twist on design” it may be better to think of it as a Bar and Grill focused on burgers.
They've also dipped their toes into the lubricant business. Creating their own craft brews right on the premises.
 
The success and quality of Motor Burger hasn't gone unnoticed either. Recently Readers Digest recognized their Deux Chevaux Burger as best in Canada. The Huff-Po has it as one of (#16) the Top 24 Brew Pubs in Canada. What brought it to my attention though was the visit paid by the You Gotta Eat Here gang. They were also featured in a National Film Board of Canada documentary series GDP which investigates the financial woes of Canadian businesses such as this one.

But enough of this, let's get a look at these vehicular inspired goodies.
 
The Motor Sauce is incredible. A compound mayonnaise that's full of garlic and chilies that's roots are in the French (and Creole) condiment, remoulade with chipotles added to the party. It comes on burgers or as a dipping sauce and is quite nice. It's not overly hot but does have a bit of jump and some tanginess.
 

We started with an order of Chili Spring Rolls. A really solid opening act here. Not quite blown away but very happy with these. Chorizo chili, lime, black beans, smoked cheese and topped with sour cream. The main taste is the chorizo with the others playing a supporting roll. They come 3 to an order, are deep fried and cut in half lengthwise.

 

The Motor Mac n Cheese is solid and fairly standard. There's not a lot that stands out but it's solid none the less. The use of tortiglioni rigate is a great choice for two reasons. First of all the standard elbow that's used in M&C is nice but the added length and helix shape are both aesthetically pleasing and seems to stand up better to the cheesy sauce. As well, "rigate" means it has those little ridges on the outside of the noodle. That adds surface area and more for the sauce to cling to. The pasta was nicely cooked. Falling somewhere between a perfect al dente and over cooked.

The Shrimp Fuel is, as you can imagine, a shimp burger flavoured with chilies, garlic, fresh tomato, cilantro and topped with avocado and mango salsa. I had probably over hyped this burger a little too much in my mind. I found it to be really good but still just ever so slightly disappointing. There was nothing wrong with it, in fact, it's very well executed. I guess the flavours were a little more subtle than I was expecting. Having seen it on TV I was excited to try it. It happens.
 

The Auto Strada burger is an absolute home run. It took everything in me to forego a beef burger for a sausage burger. I can honestly say it's one of the best burgers I've had and easily the best non beef burger ever. Chipotle rubbed northern Italian sausage, gorgonzola cheese and sliced apple slaw. There's a lot going on here and it's all good. The sausage is very flavourful and has a decent hit of spice. The cheese and slaw are up to the challenge as supporters. I just thought this was crazy good.

So there you have it folks, some truly great burgers in a hip, trendy setting.

You can find Motor Burger at 888 Erie St (Via Italia) in Windsor, On.

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


Well that's that folks. Catch ya next time.

Authentic Mexican

It’s a known fact. The Greater Toronto Area has no good Mexican restaurants. Or is it?? Long the opinion of locals the tide does seem to be turning. Mexican places that are opening in the city these days are getting better and better. There are also some top notch places just outside the city as well. Mostly to the north although I'm given to understand the epicenter of Mexican food in Ontario is Leamington. But that isn't really close to the GTA. In any case in small towns, far enough away from the urbanization of Toronto yet close enough to farms (and the abundantly fertile land of the Holland Marsh), good Mexican is starting to pop up as well. With the Mexican population growing rather generously in these areas due to the need for farm hands, entrepreneurial ex pat Mexicans are opening businesses to serve their fellow countrymen.

One such place can be found on the newly redesignated Main Street in Newmarket. Made in Mexico is quite simply that. Owned and operated by a Mexican family serving authentic Mexican food. While it is a family affair, it can sometimes seem like Fernando is really in charge. You'll see mom or dad hovering around in the back ground, ensuring everything is running smoothly. You'll see Romena in the kitchen toiling away. But walk in and most likely you'll be greeted by Fernando and his effervescent personality.

On the outside MIM looks like it's tucked in to an old furnature store. There's lots of display windows which can make for nice people watching but also has you in a bit of a fish bowl.
The inside is pretty much straight up restaurant. Tables, chairs a bar, you know, a restaurant. Decorating the walls are carachatures of Mexican celebrities as well as Mexican themed posters. The old building lends a certain charm to the place as well.
In the kitchen they're doing everything from old Mexican favourites to Tex-Mex that people enjoy. Having lived on both Mexican coasts the menu is a little more diverse. As is the cuisine in the country as a whole.

So let's have a look at these goodies shall we??
 
Frijoles Charros is the Mexican version of the old soup, bean with bacon. (And chorizo.) A hearty chicken broth filled with bacon, chorizo and pinto beans. It’s just simply awesome. Although the cumin flavour does slightly come through, really, this soup is so well balanced it more or less has one flavour. Comes as an appetizer or a side.  
 
The Flautas, to me, were good but nothing more. Keep in mind that I’m not really a flauta person. I wouldn’t have ordered them but a nice couple were leaving as I went in. They recommended them so I bit. Don’t get me wrong, they really were good. Stuffed with chicken, smothered in mole and topped with a drizzle of crema. Everything about them was top notch. They just aren’t my thing. If you like ‘em, I’m sure you’ll like these.

The Beef Tamales (which aren’t on the menu) are simply great. Very corny and beefy. It was a fairly typical size and came with a traditional salsa which was totally unnecessary.
The Chicken Tamales are even better. Same great corn flavour with great chicken taste. While it was great on its own, the salsa verde made for a nice complement.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Shrimp Tacos but think they could’ve been even better. First off, they were nice and light. A tempura like batter nicely encased plump shrimp. They were stuffed into a tender corn tortilla. Here’s the thing though. They were garnished with a “Mexican slaw.” A very creamy slaw that you’d find in a BBQ joint more likely. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t good either. It was just odd. I’d have liked to see some onion, cabbage, cilantro and lime juice instead. I’d certainly order them again with no problem.

The Queso Fundido topped with Chorizo was phenomenal. Baked cheese topped with a nice oily (home made) chorizo. It came with a half dozen warm, corn tortillas. I just scooped up some of the ooey, gooey goodness, put it in a tortilla, rolled it up and thoroughly enjoyed. Absolutely fabulous.

If you still have room after your meal check out the Chocoflan. Their spin on the Mexican favourite, flan. Here we have a Devilsfood cake married with flan. It’s ridiculous. If you like chocolate cake and flan then this is for you. It has all the best aspects of the two in one convenient package.

So there you have it folks, some really terrific Mexican a short drive from TO.

You can find Made in Mexico at 196 Main St. S, Newmarket, Ontario.

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You can also find them on facebook and Twitter.


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

DAVWUD

Medium is Hot.....

...Medium hot is very hot and hot is very, very hot. That’s the slogan for Duff’s Famous Chicken Wings. They of both Toronto and their origin, Buffalo. Of course, that means we’re talking about Buffalo Style Chicken Wings.
First things first, let’s talk about what a Buffalo Chicken Wing (here on referred to as a wing or chicken wing) actually is. It’s basically a flavour. Ya, the wings are some of the largest wings you’ll find but for the most part, it’s about the sauce. Depending on which recipe (or legend) you care to believe there’s as few as 2 ingredients, butter (or margarine) and Franks Hot Sauce. Or as many as this. The wings are separated at the joints (tips discarded) and deep fried naked. They’re then tossed in sauce and served along side celery sticks and blue cheese dip. These wings are meaty, tangy and spicy. A bit salty as well.

In 1946 Louise Duffney opened a tavern in Amherst, New York,  outside Buffalo. It wasn’t until 1969 however that she started serving Buffalo’s latest food craze, the chicken wing. While credit for the invention of the chicken wing almost undisputedly goes to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, there’s little doubt that Duff’s wings now reign supreme.

Living in Toronto a day trip to Buffalo is a pretty simple jaunt for myself and many other residents. Heck people even make the trip simply for chicken wings. This wasn’t lost on twin brothers,  Hy and Rob Erlich. They approached Duff’s about opening a Toronto location. A deal was hammered out and in 1998 they opened their first location in the Davisville Village neighbourhood. They’ve gone on to open two more. One near the University of Toronto and the other, not too far from my house in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Located in a strip mall about a 10 minutes north of the city the newest Duff’s boasts a nice patio and large glass windows on two sides. Inside it’s really rather basic and functional. Wood tables and chairs in the dining room and a small bar where you can wait for take out or a table when it’s busy. Of course, beer and chicken wings are always made much better with sports and the ample TV’s are always showing games or tournaments. Duff’s boasts a pretty well rounded menu so those not interested in the tasty appendages can be satisfied as well.

So anyway, on with the food.

Poutine is a delicacy in Montreal and the Eastern Townships. Fries covered in cheese curd and smothered in gravy. While most purist will tell you you can’t get good poutine outside Montreal that’s simply not true. Duff’s makes a very respectable version. 

The Buffalo shrimp are breaded, deep fried crustaceans that are tossed in wing sauce. While the subtle flavour of the shrimp is slightly over powered by the  sauce all in all these are very tasty.

The star of the show is of course the chicken wings. As noted in the title and preamble they claim that medium is actually hot. I disagree. I find medium to be medium and hot to be hot. Unlike many places that serve hot wings that barely dampen your nose. These babies will make you sweat and clean out your sinuses all at once. While I love ‘em hot Mrs. Sippi isn’t quite there so we always order medium and then get some hot sauce on the side. This allows me to get my heat fix and satisfy my love of all things saucy. Rather than dipping in hot then blue cheese sauces I mix the two together and then dip the wings in the red and white mess.

The Triple Fudge Chocolate Cake for dessert is a winner too. Not made on site but brought in from a local desert maker. A chocoholic's delight. The ice cream is just of the store bought (whatever is on sale) variety and should probably be upgraded.

So there you have it. What I consider the GTA’s best chicken wings. 

You can find Duff’s at any of 3 GTA locations.
 
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You can also find them on the web.
 

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

Davwud

Secret Society

From the road it’s not much more than a worn out building. It offers very little information as to what goes on inside. For most, it wouldn’t even be noticed. Others would see Spanish merchants and not give it another glance. Within its brown and cream cloak a cabal of sorts meets. Lawyers, hair dressers and cooks, et al, offer videos, hairdos and money transfers right under the collective noses of Torontonians. They don’t advertise to the likes of me. They’re not in business to serve me. They’re there, for the most part, to serve each other.
A look around back reveals a door with basic sign saying “Food Court.” It’s as unassuming as it can be and an understatement if there ever was one. For this is no mere food court. This is an oasis. A portal to another part of the planet. A culinary vacation without ever leaving the city.
Hidden in the north west corner of the city, el Mercado Latino or Plaza Latina is a gem among jewels. Catering to the growing GTA Latin American community it’s anchor shop is Autentica Spanish Food and Empanadas. Of which I wrote earlier.
For the rest of the food court, English is an almost ignored language both written and spoken. It’s somewhat ramshackle in appearance with kiosks looking more like they were built by a local handyman rather than a licensed contractor. It can be intimidating I’ll admit. Even off putting. But muster up your courage and you’ll enjoy some genuine Latin flavour.Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, El Salvador and even Cuba are among the countries represented here. Easily identified by the flags above. If not by a little deductive reasoning. 

First and foremost, don’t let the language barrier worry you. Most vendors have pictures at which you can point and generally speak decent, broken English. In fact the younger, the more likely they are to speak it. Secondly, I’ve noticed that anywhere you go, if you show interest in another peoples food they really open up to you. 

So on with the food.

Most items are cooked to order. Generally you place your order and take a seat. They bring out your goodies when they’re ready.

Being Latin it’s no surprise most vendors have “Real Coke.” That is, Coca-Cola made with cane sugar and not that health political hot potato HFCS. I prefer the diet versions of soft drinks but every once in a while it’s nice for a change. This version from Mexico is far better than that of Canada or the US. It’s smoother, less carbonated and doesn’t have a harsh sweetness associated with HFCS. This is why we fell in love with the drink in the first place.

El Sabroson

Who knew Peruvian food was so good. Other than Peruvians of course. East meets west in Peru where conquest from Spanish and immigration from China have shaped the cuisine. The name of this place says it all; “Delicious.”
Lomo Saltado is another shining example of fusion food. A simple Chinese stir fry mixed with French fries to create this conglomeration. It came nicely presented with a mound of rice at one end but the game plan here is to get the rice to the bottom of the dish and have it soak up the oils and grease. As is pictured below. This dish was stunningly good. It’s always great when one minute you don’t even know a food exists and the next you’re eating one of the tastiest things you’ve ever had. You have to wonder how anyone could keep it a secret. It’s the type of dish that is probably better the more greasy it is. Comfort food, hangover food, fusion food. Call it what you will but ultimately it’s delicious food.
As was the Jalea. Corn meal battered and fried seafood topped with a garnish of Peruvian Creole saladAt first bite, (shrimp with no garnish) it seemed rather boring. What makes this dish is the pickled onions and tomatoes. Contrasted with the heavier fried shrimp, calamari and fish it was excellent. I found the fried yucca side to be somewhat plain. That’s what yucca is though. Like a mild, starchy potato.
A hot sauce was provided that was bordering on deadly. This seemed to be little more than pureed habaneros. I didn’t add any since it didn’t need it.

Comedor Popular Ecuatoriano

Meaning, Popular Ecuadorian Dining room this stall is tucked into the corner and serves up some great soups (sopa) and ceviche. A number of other diners had terrific smelling soup from this vendor. We opted for ceviche though.

Ceviche is seafood “Cooked” in citrus juice. Rather than heat cooking the protein, the acid in the juice cooks it. The result is a fresh tasting, tart dish that’s sweetened slightly by the sugars pulled out of the added vegetables. Most often red onion and tomato. A little cilantro for garnish and colour rounds out the dish. As one can imagine, this ceviche mixto is just terrific. A seafood medeley of shrimp, scallops, mussels and calamari tossed with the vegetation. Keep in mind that a minimum of 15 minutes is required for the citric acid to work it’s magic.

La Fuenta del Puro Sabor

Translated to mean “the source of pure flavour”, more foods hailing from Ecuador are featured in this stall. They specialize in natural fruit juices. This mango shake, more like a smoothie in consistency was fantastic. A velvety texture and sublime mango taste was fabulous.

La Costenita Colombia

Near as I can tell, this translates to “The Colombian Coast.” During a crawl around the city sampling Colombian empanadas we paid a visit. Empanadas are a meat and potato filled pocket pie. Other meats and even veggie filled empanadas are sometimes offered but here it’s the Colombian standard beef and potato.The empanadas are cornmeal breaded and have a potatoey tasting filling similar to that of a samosa. They’re quite good.

Much better are the pupusas though. Especially when paired with the shredded cabbage. The fried tortilla is stuffed with cheese and pork and is just tasty.

For desert a dulce de leche churro from Autentica was the perfect finish.

You can find the el Mercado Latino at 9 Milvan Drive in Toronto, Ontario.

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Well that’s all for now from the Latin food court. Check back in for updates as I work my way through this place.

Davwud

Toronto Style Burritos

As you may recall I decided to start voicing my opinion on the state of the burrito scene in my native Toronto. Often slogged for not having good burritos I was particularly miffed with a piece Iby a San Francisco writer (which I can no longer find). He cut a pretty wide swath of things he didn’t like which just makes me wonder what, if anything, he likes that isn’t from San Fran. The simple fact is, we must be doing something right if people regularly line up at 4am in February in Canada for a burrito.
No, we don’t make Mission style burritos. No, we don’t make California style burritos. We don’t even make traditional Mexican burritos either. Nope, we make Toronto style burritos. 
The grilled burritos we make here really took off in the middle of the last decade. That’s when Burrito Boyz opened its original location in the basement of a Vicotrian home on Peter St. in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment (club) district. When the bars let out people want to eat. BB stayed open ‘til the wee hours of the morning on weekends serving what co founder Joe Vassallo calls “Drunk Food.”
A second store around the corner in the tiny basement unit on Adelaide St would follow.  The new location, still in the entertainment district is close to the financial district and all it’s offices. The Rogers Center and it’s events and a growing number of condos. Location, location, location.
Co founder Ian Angus has since sold his stake in the business and the original Peter St. location was closed.

While larger than it’s original digs the Adelaide shop is still small. Most times the line up extends out the door and onto the street. 20 or so seats inside are constantly in use and the waiting area is full. The kitchen and prep staff work feverishly to keep up and do a fine job at it. They take pick up orders and even have premade chicken or beef burritos with everything (hot sauce on the side) for those in a rush.

Your choices are beef, chicken, bean and cheese, veggie soy, halibut, haddock and shrimp. The usual cast of characters are offered up as condiments (toppings, fillings, whatever you want to call them) and white or whole wheat tortillas in two different sizes wrap the whole thing up. All items are available as quesadillas as well.

So on to the food we go. I had steak and Mrs. Sippi had shrimp. Both burritos held together right up until the very last bite which is a sign of a good burrito. You can have medium or hot sauce if you choose. I sampled the hot and didn’t find it particularly spicy. It does however creep up on you so beware.

My steak burrito with everything (except green pepper) and hot sauce was excellent. The fruity hot sauce was right at the top end of the heat scale for what I’d like to see. Its heat didn’t overpower the other flavours but did pack a bit of a wallop. The steak had a good beef flavour and was very tender and plentiful.

Mrs. Sippi’s shrimp burrito was even better. She didn’t have hot sauce on her’s and it was equally good without it. The shrimp were very tasty, perfectly cooked and they didn’t cheap out on them either.

So all in all, Burrito Boyz is as good a burrito as you’ll get in Toronto. So popular they’ve now reached 9 locations in southern Ontario. Vassallo has been careful to keep as much control as possible. As is usually the case though, the (new) original location is still the best.

You can find Burrito Boyz entertainment district location at 218 Adelaide St. W. or one of their other locations here.


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You can also find them on facebook as well.
 

That’s it for today people. Take care and happy eating.

Davwud

"Real Food, Real People and Real Atmosphere"

These are the main ingredients at Puckett's Grocery, or so says their website. They don't however give you an idea of what an eclectic mix Puckett's really offers. While it may seem like a crisis of identity, it's one part general store, one part country kitchen, one part bar and grill. It has miss matched tables and chairs and a miss matched clientele. While all this diversity seems a bit much there is one unifying theme that ties it all together. Great food.

Located on 4th Avenue in historic Franklin, Tennessee, Puckett's is a place where farmers and business leaders, struggling musicians and country music legends, road weary travelers and locals can share music, fried chicken, BBQ, prime rib and nachos.

Having left Dayton, Ohio in a snow storm 7 hours earlier a good home cooked meal was in order. Unfortunately it was past dinner time and what we would call home for the next week was still 2 hours away. Puckett's would be the perfect substitute. This choice was made even better upon arrival when I noticed the specials board advertising Mac & Cheese as the "Vegetable of the day." My doctor did say I need to eat more veggies.

I ordered the fried chicken and Mrs. Sippi ordered the fried catfish. Both mains came with your choice of two sides and a corn cake or dinner roll. We both opted for the corn cake. I chose the a fore mentioned mac and cheese and the squash casserole with my dinner. Mrs Sippi also chose the squash casserole but went for the collard greens instead.

The mac and cheese was fine. It wasn't the best I'd had but it was a solid side to the fantastic chicken. Lightly seasoned and breaded, the chicken was dribble down your chin juicy. Tender and crispy it is served up golden brown and delicious.

Mrs. Sippi's catfish was also outstanding. The fish its self was milder than the catfish I'm used to in Toronto. This perhaps because it would seem to be a younger fish (it was a smaller fillet) than we get in TO. It too was lightly breaded and crispy, golden brown and delicious. Her greens were also very good with the requite few shots of pepper sauce.

The corn cake or "Johnny cake" as it is sometimes known is a cornbread batter ladled onto a skillet and cooked like a pancake. The first bite revealed a nice surprise. It was studded with chile peppers and tasted great. Especially with a healthy slathering of butter.

Now, I'm not a big squash fan. I've had it in many incarnations with only a good butternut squash soup as something I'd seek out. However the squash casserole is worth the drive from Dayton. I don't know what magic they work in the kitchen on this dish but it is purely, simply, unbelievably delicious.


As if all that wasn't enough, the desert of the day was buttermilk chess pie. "What is chess pie" you may ask much like I did. Well, it's a custard like pie. It's uncertain where the name comes from but some people feel that it came from the pie chest that people had "Back in the day." Others will say that the evolved from the cheese pie in England. The best answer it seems is it's a result of what can only be described as a game of broken telephone. What started out as "Just pie" as in, "What's for desert?" "Just pie" has morphed over the years to "Jus' pie", "Jess pie" and on to become "Chess pie." One thing for certain, it has nothing to do with the game of chess.

This became one of those "Oh my god, how have I never had this before moments." It was caramel-ly, vanilla-y and very sweet. Much like a custard but somehow just slightly cakey. The crust reminded me very much of short bread.

On a more recent trip I decided the shrimp and grits were just too good to pass up. Grits for those who don't know are basically the southern version of polenta. It's just cornmeal. "No self respecting southerner makes instant grits" was the line in My Cousin Vinny and rest assured these weren't instant. They had a great corn taste that would suggest they were probably stone ground. The sauce and shrimp was a perfect counter. Rich, spicy (but not hot) and full of shimp flavour.

 This time I went with chocolate chess pie which was every bit as good as it's regular sibling.

I've had a few of their cobblers in the past and Mrs. Sippi's peach version is just about as good as any of them. It's one of those "You can't go wrong ordering it" deserts.

For you Civil War buffs, the Battle of Franklin was fought in and around the town. The near by Carter house still has shot and cannon fire marks on the exterior and not far away is the beautiful Carnton Plantation and the largest private Confederate cemetery.

You can visit Puckett's at 120 Fourth Avenue South, Franklin, TN.
 

Well that's all from the food court for today. Y'all come back now ya hear!!

Davwud