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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You can also “Like” them on facebook.



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

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 More Pancakes

In 1961 Robert Baldwin founded a Nashville institution when he first opened the doors to the Pancake Pantry. Robert wanted to create a family friendly atmosphere and he succeeded beyond his  wild imagination I suspect. Not only has the Pantry become one of Nashville’s “Go to” places for breakfast or lunch and a favourite of local celebrities (not the least of which is Taylor Swift). In 1988 it become a second generation family run joint and if all goes well, someday a third generation will be at the controls. If all that isn’t enough it’s now on the national radar. If it wasn’t already that is. In June of 2011 Adam Richman and the Man v. Food Nation crew paid the Pantry a visit. Adam was shown how to make the Sweet Potato pancakes which he then sampled. To say he loved them is an understatement. You can see more of his visit and reaction here.

From the outside the 150 year old building sits prominently on a corner. It's not overly dressy looking but has that beautiful old brick look to it. Another feature of the exterior is the long line up. This is common at Pancake Pantry and at first, I was a little disheartened. Experience has shown me thought that this line up moves pretty quickly. About 15 - 20 minutes was all it took to get seated. It seems the smaller your party the better chance you have to jump the cue as well. 

Inside is quite nice with it's high ceiling and large open dining room. This gives the busy restaurant plenty of room for noise to dissipate. So it's often crowded the additional volume means the din of peoples conversation does not intrude. On this particular day the nice summer sun was shining through the windows. The seats are jammed in as tight as they feel they can get them while still allowing for room to maneuver. For both patron and staff alike.

In the kitchen secret recipes foods are prepared fresh daily. The grains are from a mill in east Tennessee so you know they're fresh. So let's have a look at them shall we??

 There are two syrups waiting on the table for you. The obvious one is maple of course. The second is a Cinnamon Cream Syrup. Slightly caramelly with a proud but not over powering cinnamon taste it's absolutely fabulous. The cream pulls it all together to a smooth rich sauce. My only complaint about it is they should serve it warm. Perhaps keep some in a slow cooker and then ladle into a teapot for service. Other than that, I can't say enough great things about it. As you can tell, I love cinnamon. Especially counterbalancing sweet.

The Sweet Potato Pancakes are quite nice. Not overly tasting of sweet potatoes however not void of any notes. They were nice and fluffy yet still dense enough to have some heft. They recommend you use the Cinnamon Cream Syrup on them and it's a perfect fit. Cinnamon is a great match with sweet taters as most people know so they go together perfectly.

Their regular pancakes as just as good as any I've had. Perhaps the ones I make at home are better but as with most things, I prefer mine. These are a great, solid, straight up pancake just itching for the whipped butter and sweet stuff. I started with Maple Syrup on the first one but the cinnamon was drawing me. It was just perfect with these as well. They have some different fruit compotes. We tried Strawberry and Blueberry. The later being far and away superior.


The Cook's Grill Medley is a pile of food. Good thing I was starving. As described, "Mounds of hash browns with onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and ham, all grilled up crisp. Add to that: melted American and Swiss cheeses with two fried eggs on top." Just a nice blend of flavours and textures. The toast on the side was pretty nice too. Nothing special, just good.

They do offer lunch fare but lets face it, this place is built on breakfast.

So there you have it folks. A great start to your day at the favourite haunt  of one of the brightest young stars in pop music.

You can find The Pancake Pantry in the heart of Hillsboro Village at 1796 21st Avenue S. Nashville, Tn.

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Well that's all folks, see y'all next time in the food court.

Davwud

Community Anchor

Perhaps no city can be considered truly great without a vibrant, permanent farmers market. Here in Toronto, fortunately, we have two. Kensington market and St. Lawrence market. To say that these are "Permanent farmers markets" is a bit misleading. What they are is in fact two distinct market neighbourhoods.

To talk about St. Lawrence Market as A market is also somewhat misleading. It's actually 2 markets. As far as farmers markets go anyway. The north, a Saturday only farmers bazaar and the south, a 5 days a week playground nirvana for the food lover.

In November, 1803 the Province of Upper Canada's lieutenant governor Peter Hunter set aside a small parcel of land in what was then known as the Town of York (to be renamed the City of Toronto in 1834) and decreed it would henceforth be set aside as a "Market Block." A wooden building to house the market was subsequently erected and then replaced in 1831 by a larger brick building that would occupy virtually the entire Market Block property. Incorporated into this building was the York Town Hall. In 1849 the first "Great fire" of Toronto resulted in the 1831 brick market building and the original Town Hall that had become de facto the new City Hall being destroyed.

By 1850 the present St. Lawrence Hall began to take shape on the northernmost portion of the ruins of the old brick market building. This magnificent building would quickly become the social center of the young city and home to numerous and varied civic and cultural events. St. Lawrence Hall now sits fully restored and has been designated a National Historic Site. 

In time, a smaller non-descript structure took shape south of the Hall. This latter building has been renovated several times and now there are plans to replaced it with a modern new structure.

A decade after the Town of York was given city status in 1834 the city fathers' who had been meeting in the original Town Hall moved across Front St. into a new City Hall in the "South" Market. A portion of this historic building still stands with the Market Gallery occupying what had been the municipal Council Chambers. 
Over the next 50 years Toronto's first purpose-built City Hall underwent a couple of facelifts. However, by the 1890s a population boom saw the old city offices out grown.  

A move to a new "New" city hall at Queen and Bay in September of 1899 would be the last the St. Lawrence Market would see of city council. Oddly enough that city hall at Bay and Queen streets is now known as "Old" City Hall while it's replacement to the west now bears the title of "New" City Hall.

Back at the historic "South" Market a major renovation in 1904 resulted in only a portion of that original brick building surviving. It can be seen incorporated in the north facade of the "South" Market. A few years later an overhead canopy would be built to connect the north and south markets. It would be removed 50 years later.

One last major renovation took place in 1977 that added two levels of vendors at the south end of the market building plus the addition of meeting rooms, a kitchen and the popular Market Gallery where art work and artifacts related to Toronto's fascinating history are presented.

The south building's busy food court is quite simply a food lovers dream. Seafood, meat, vegetable and cheese vendors (among others) all competing against each other for your food dollar. Below is a sampling of some of my favourite vendors and their wares.

Two things are absolute musts for me, whether or not I'm planning on having a meal, to snack on as I'm wandering. First of all the pepperettes from Upper Cut Meats. These fiery beauties are just the thing to open up the taste buds for the coming onslaught.

Quite often I'll pick up lamb steaks here and do them up on the grill. The marrow from the bone is fantastic.

The other must is a stop at Scheffler's for some anti pasta. Perhaps nothing better from this beautiful bar is the smoked speck and goat cheese. The sharp, rich cheese is a perfect match for the smokey, oily goodness of the speck.
Scheffler's is a grazers paradise too. Sausage, cheese and pates are all available to sample before purchase.

As great as Upper Cut is, Witteveen's is my favourite. The roasted side bacon and pork tenderloins are fabulous. I often grab a hunk and eat it on site. They have a terrific selection which includes one of my favourite pieces of cow. The Tri  Tip. This hunk off the sirloin primal is perfect for fajitas. The super friendly staff are great to just stop and talk meat with as well.

 

For those spaghetti lovers St. Lawrence Pizza and Pasta makes fresh pasta and sauce. Either from their “To go” case or prepared for you at their counter. They also make their own pizza dough and sauce. Both of which can be order at the counter. Their pepperoni pizza is far ahead of what you’d get at a regular food court. While the pepperoni lacked the pizzaz I’d normally like it had a very nice complementary taste to the cheese. The dough is flavourful and chewy but where this slice really gets its personalitly is the sauce. A good tomato flavour is punctuated with a big garlic hit. Enough to scare off the vampires.

Sausage King has a beautiful array of sausage. Both fresh and cured. While you’re there picking up some goodies for home try one of their porchetta sandwiches. Served on a kaiser roll with herbed aioli and optional cracklin’s it’s great. Some people find the strong rosemary flavour to be a bit much. Others find the 17 napkin juiciness of it too much. Not me, I love rosemary and find juice running down my arm as I’m eating to be a good thing.

One of the stars of the show at the market is the peameal bacon on a bun at Carousel Bakery. A debate rages wether it’s the best or the offering at Paddington’s Pub. Well, I’ve had both and will take Carousel every time (as did everyone in a group of 10 I visted with as well). On occasion I’ll hit up one of the other vendors for a couple slices of cheddar. Usually I just eat it plain though. Not even any mustard.

Speaking of mustard, perhaps THE best mustard on the planet can be found at Kozlik's Mustards. Anton Kozlik has a wide array of the yellow/brown goodness for just about any palate. For me, one stands head and shoulders above all. The Triple Crunch is 3 different seeds blended with some whiskey and vinegar. It's pungent with a great texture. It makes a great substitute in recipes that call for mustard seed.

For my money some of the best pastéis de natas (Custard tarts) can be found at Churasco's. The rich custard is nicely nestled in the flaky phylo pastry. They also make a phenomenal bifana sandwich. Sliced pork tenderloin on a bun with everything (Roasted peppers, onions and the best piri piri sauce I've had). It's cooked to order so takes a little longer but well worth the wait. Every bit as tasty as you can imagine and it's not even their specialty. 



So there you have it food lovers. A look at one of the great market and food adventures this planet has to offer. An absolute must for any hungry visitor.


You can find St. Lawrence Market (south) at the corner of Front and Lower Jarvis Streets.
 
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You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.


I would like to thanks Toronto's leading historian, Mike Filey for his help with the historical aspect of this article. Piecing together a time line for the market proved challenging and without Mike I probably wouldn't have got the facts straight.

Well that's all for now. See ya next time in the food court.

Davwud

Old Town Standard

A lesson to all you guys out there. Listen to your wife. Had I not, I’d have never ended up in one of Old Town Alexandria’s favourite breakfast spot. Extra Perks.
All joking aside, it was a Sunday morning and we had a long drive ahead of us. Mrs. Sippi was in church and I was getting us ready for the road. When she emerged she explained, in no uncertain terms mind you, that we were going for breakfast. She pointed at the church bulletin and said “here.”
Perks was opened in 2000 by (seemingly mismatched) husband and wife, Phil (Brit) and Kem (Thai) McCombie just off the main drag. The little coffee shop became an instant success and business thrived. It would become the perfect spot to swing by and pick up a cup of coffee and/or a quick bite. Soon, in order to save time, people would fax in and eventually email orders for pick up.
More good fortune would befall Perks when in 2009 the unit next door became available. They blew out the wall, expanded to 64 tables, a full kitchen and reopened as Extra Perks.
The outside is really just a storefront. Occupying a good portion of the ground level in a low rise office building. Inside it’s Starbucks meets Denny’s. I mean that in a good way. Simple, functional and clean on the one hand but cozy and warm with a sofa and fire place on the other.  There’s also a section full of goodies imported from “Over ‘ome.”

In the kitchen they’re making as much in house as they can. They get fresh bread daily and even have English “Bangers” made by a local butcher. 

While they do breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunches, we were there for one reason. A good solid breakfast with which to hit the road. On that, EP delivered.

So let’s have a look shall we??

I just had to have the corned beef hash. I don’t much get a chance to have it and it’s something I really like. Mrs. Sippi went straight up. The American breakfast with apple wood smoked bacon.
The hash browns were pretty good but the bacon was outstanding. The eggs, once over were as they should be. The accompanying bread was fresh and very tasty.

Two, once over eggs resting atop a fantastic corned beef hash. The eggs were unfortunately slightly over cooked for my taste. I like a nice runny yolk. Egg yolk with black pepper is a great sauce for a breakfast. These yolks could’ve been runnier but at least they weren’t fully cooked. The hash underneath was crispy as it could be and full of ground corned beef. The salt from the meat was enough to season the whole dish. Done on a flat top (aaah, the flat top) it had a fantastic crust on it that gave way to a melt in your mouth middle. The toast, again was great.

EP,  as you can imagine makes a great cup of coffee. For those that are concerned about such things, “Extra Perks proudly uses Chesapeake Bay Coffee, located in nearby Maryland.  Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company is committed to making this world a better place by lowering their carbon footprint nearly 80% compared to today's traditional roasters.  They also pledge 2% of their sales to their H20 Initiative Program.  Click here to read more.”

So there you have it. Simple yet solid food in a friendly, warm environment.

You can find Extra Perks at 822 N. Fairfax Street in Alexandria Virginia.

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You can also find them on the web and facebook.


 
Well that’s all for now folks. The food court is now closed.

Davwud