In the late summer of 2012 a rather interesting mural took shape on the side of a building just outside Toronto’s downtown. It would portend a new hot dog emporium. Dedicated to one of the latest food trends sweeping across the United States. Gourmet hot dogs or Haute Dogs as their known. Better quality dogs topped with a wide array of toppings from the simple to the extravagant.
Local restaurateur, Angelos Economopoulos knew the hot dog craze would thrive in TO. Our hot dog carts are are rather ubiquitous and considered among the best. Simply put, we love ‘em. His plan, take them indoors and dress them up. Angelos would venture south on some scouting missions and craft his own Haute Dog strategy. In October of 2012 he threw open the doors of Fancy Franks and was an overnight sensation. The hype created by the mural had done its job. The city was instantly hooked.
Outside of the mural mentioned above, Fancy Franks is just another in a series of storefronts.
Inside the mix of exposed brick, wood and a collage featuring vintage photos of people eating hot dogs, including a cameo of JFK, dress the place up.
There’s a long communal table in the middle and a ledge around the front windows. Stools numbering about 20 provide seating.
Following another trend these days there are two kitchens. One in the back where the prep work is done and another in front of that where some cooking and final assembly takes place.
I should point out that these types of dogs, weighed down with toppings aren’t really my thing. A chili cheese dog is about the high end for me. That said, I still love this concept and am glad to see this type of place in the city. It’s also great that I can build my own dog from the bun up. So there’s a little something for everyone here.
Let’s have a look shall we??
I got a sample of the dog just plain and lemmie tell ya, it's great. Not as garlicky or spicy as I like, (like Nathan's) but terrific otherwise. They're made by a local butcher to the recipe supplied by FF. I'd like to see it cooked just a bit longer. Maybe get some charring on that baby for added flavour. I think, and this is just me personally, that a more robust dog may stand up to some of the more assertive toppings a bit better. What is likely to have doggie fans excited in the city is these franks have natural casings. For that added snap.You can substitute a a sausage for an extra dollar as well. I have yet to try one so I can not attest to it’s taste.
The Chi-town Fancy (tomato, pickle, mustard, relish, peppers, celery salt) was my first Chicago Dog and it was pretty much what I expected. (Keep in mind it’s not a "True" Chicago dog. The sport peppers and neon green relish are replaced by pepperoncini and Heinz relish). It's good but for my tastes, too much with the vegetation. “Drag it through the garden” as they say. The dog is almost lost in there. If you like Chicago dogs I'm guessing you'll be happy with this incarnation but in future, unless I'm in Chi-town, I’ll pass. It's also quite messy, which I'm sure you know doesn't bother me in the least, which is surprising considering this is basically a street dog in the Windy City.
The Franko Fancy-aano (wrapped prosciutto, arugula, reggiano, balsamic Dijon mayonnaise) is not really a favourite nor was it of my friends Vicky, Nancy or Peter. Not that there was anything wrong with it per se. It just didn’t work for us. Others may love it. As they say in the Twitterverse, YMMV.
A definite favourite is the Franks Got Seoul (beef rib, kimchee, sesame seed, green onion). The kimchee isn’t as assertive as you’d think and the beef rib somewhat steals the show. That said, the dog can still be tasted and all in all, it’s quite good. I think next time I’ll add some hot sauce to kick it up a notch or two.
Frankie Goes to Buffalo (deep fried in panko, carrot, blue cheese, Buffalo wing sauce) is a terrific contrast of tastes and textures. The deep fried, panko crusted crunch is nice though I think a little more of the wing sauce would be good. It smelt a lot more vinegary that it was.
The Frankaphone (smoked gruyere, horseradish cheddar, squeaky curds, honey dijon mayo) was certainly the favourite among the group of us. It was closer to a hot dog in general and as such, was destined to be my favourite. It really let the wiener shine. The toppings nicely added creaminess and tang.
I opted to create my own fries. I thought for sure they'd have Coney Fries on the menu and they didn't. They do have Chili Poutine but the thought of both chili and gravy didn't appeal to me. So I opted to swap smoked gruyere (yes I know it should be cheddar but they don't have plain cheddar) and hold the gravy. I ended up with a pretty reasonable facsimile of Coney Fries and they were great. The fries themselves are fresh cut. Not the best I've had but solid none the less. The chili is really good and a bit unique. It tasted like there was a hint of curry powder in it. (Now, before you go getting upset that there's curry powder in it, should it actually be there) just keep in mind that curry and chili powders are basically cousins. They work very well together. In hindsight I think the addition of chopped onions would have made it even better.Another new trend that is popping up is a donut robot. A machine dedicated to cranking out tiny donuts. Their is right there in the kitchen and spits out warm, soft, delicious dough rings. They come with a variety of toppings. Some of which are as follows.
Chocolate Sauce & Caramel: These babies are just about everything I could’ve hoped for. The sauces, while inherently sweet aren’t too much. I thought, though my dining partners disagreed, that it was missing a little something to put them over the top. Upon reflection, I think whipped cream would’ve done it. That said, the others were happy there wasn’t any more sweetness added.
Lemon Curd or Strawberry and Powdered Sugar: These are a really nice combination. Pretty much like a lemon filled donut. This sampler of the two flavours, in my mind could’ve used a tich more sugar.
So there you have it. A great place to get your hands on some dogs in the city.
You can find Fancy Franks at 326 College St in Toronto, On.
View Larger Map
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
It can be a little bit like winning the lottery. You have an idea for a restaurant, open the doors and are instantly inundated with customers. Or can it? Too much too soon can kill a place. Service, quality and ultimately reputation suffer.
In December of 2011, Banh Mi Boys opened up and were, lets face it, overwhelmed. Far too popular for them to keep up they shut their doors and regrouped. A complete overhaul of service and space occurred. They reopened a couple months later and were off to the races. As popular again they’ve tidied up the store and tightened up their chops.
The brainchild of David, Peter and Phillip Chau, the brothers come by their abilities honestly. Their parents opened the very successful Nguyen Huong Food Co. back in 1986 and now have multiple locations in the GTA as well as their own bakery. The boys plan was to, for all intents and purposes, serve food truck foods out of a store. Popular mobile kitchen goodies like Korean Tacos and nouveau Vietnamese Subs are selling like hot cakes from curbside vendors south of the boarder. They wanted to bring that same food flair to the Big Smoke. From their little sandwich shop on Queen St. W they’re doing banh mi, tacos and bao along with fries and salad. All with their unique spin on things.
The renovation has given the boys a spiffy, east meets west, old meets new interior. Barn board, mixed with Formica meets Oriental lanterns and technology. Splashy paint on some walls, reclaimend wood on others. Menus on flat screens are there too but the best thing they got out of the reno was tables. Once a grab n go place it now has seating for 20 or so. There’s a main kitchen in the back and an open kitchen/prep station at the back of the long, thin dining room.
Those kitchens are where all the magic happens. Everything is made in house. All sauces, breads, condiments and proteins are made on site. Heck they even have their own little smoker. Slightly bigger than a mini fridge it’s perfect for a college dorm room.
So lets get a look at these goodies.
Perhaps my least favourite thing first on menu is the Jicima/Papaya salad. It’s very good but for me, nothing all that mind blowing. I actually think it would be amazing as a sandwich condiment. It has a lot more going on than do chua. It comes with an Asian salad dressing and I think I probably used too much of it. I really kinda drowned it. I’d order it again but as I said, it’s not my favourite thing here.
The Kimchi Fries were simply fantastic. Fries covered in mayo, pulled pork and kimchi. Garnished with green onion. The whole dish was great and really did scream drunk food. Broken down I found that pulled pork to be among the best smoked pork shoulder anywhere. Also, the fries on their own are some of the best I've had in the city. If not anywhere. They held up very well (both in terms of flavour and crispiness) to the components above and had a great potato taste. The kimchi tasted pretty much exactly like what my friend's Korean wife's family makes. I have 2 small complaints though. First off, the kimchi was cold. By the time I got half way through it had warmed to room temp and I much preferred it then. Perhaps that was because I was there right after they opened it was fresh out of the fridge. Also, I'd like to have seen a touch more pulled pork on them. Not a whole lot more would be needed but the smoky, porky flavour could've used just a bit more punch.
The 5 Spice Pork Belly Banh Mi was nicely packed with all the requisite goodies. Cucumber, cilantro, and do chua. They add sliced pickled radish and a nice helping of the pig tummy. I told the girl to make it (spice level) like she'd have it since she likes hot stuff. She gave me "Hot" and it was perfect. I could handle hotter but this was the right heat level. Enough to light up the taste buds without drowning anything out. On it's own the pig tummy was fabulous. Tender, tasty and not overwhelmed with the 5 Spice. Complimented and allowed the porky goodness to shine.
The Squid Taco is worthy of it’s praise. A friend and fellow food nut is totally in love with this and it’s easy to see why. The squid rings are perfectly cooked. Breaded with panko they’re deep fried to the point of golden brown but not so much that the meat turns into tires. Topped with do chua, cabbage and cilantro, then add some minced Thai chilies it’s incredible. Don’t let the picture fool you. There’s squid rings under that there vegetation. Plenty of it too.
The Grilled Chicken Taco is, so far, definitely my favourtie thing on the menu. Grilled and sauced chicken that’s totally tasty. I think the tortilla was flavourful enough but very nicely grilled and somewhat hearty. The meat was saucy (some say too saucy) which, as I've said before, is right in my wheelhouse. The vegetation on it was a good compliment of taste, temps and textures. I could eat a hundred of these.
The Fried Chicken Bao is often cited as a favourite of people and there’s good reason. It’s awesome. While bao isn’t exactly my favourite bread it’s okay but what they stuff inside is what makes this sandwich. It’s dressed much like the banh mi so you know that’s a huge plus. The big thing is, one of the best pieces of fried chicken stars. A thin piece of breast meat in a fabulous breading is deep fried to perfection. The chicken is nice and juicy while the breading gets a golden brown, crunchiness. Simply fantastic.
So there you have it folks. A great little sandwich shop churning out some cool twists on traditional favourites.
You can find Banh Mi Boys Sandwich Shop at 392 Queen St. W. in Toronto.
View Larger Map
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
Local restaurateur, Angelos Economopoulos knew the hot dog craze would thrive in TO. Our hot dog carts are are rather ubiquitous and considered among the best. Simply put, we love ‘em. His plan, take them indoors and dress them up. Angelos would venture south on some scouting missions and craft his own Haute Dog strategy. In October of 2012 he threw open the doors of Fancy Franks and was an overnight sensation. The hype created by the mural had done its job. The city was instantly hooked.
Outside of the mural mentioned above, Fancy Franks is just another in a series of storefronts. 
There’s a long communal table in the middle and a ledge around the front windows. Stools numbering about 20 provide seating.
I got a sample of the dog just plain and lemmie tell ya, it's great. Not as garlicky or spicy as I like, (like Nathan's) but terrific otherwise. They're made by a local butcher to the recipe supplied by FF. I'd like to see it cooked just a bit longer. Maybe get some charring on that baby for added flavour. I think, and this is just me personally, that a more robust dog may stand up to some of the more assertive toppings a bit better. What is likely to have doggie fans excited in the city is these franks have natural casings. For that added snap.You can substitute a a sausage for an extra dollar as well. I have yet to try one so I can not attest to it’s taste.
The Chi-town Fancy (tomato, pickle, mustard, relish, peppers, celery salt) was my first Chicago Dog and it was pretty much what I expected. (Keep in mind it’s not a "True" Chicago dog. The sport peppers and neon green relish are replaced by pepperoncini and Heinz relish). It's good but for my tastes, too much with the vegetation. “Drag it through the garden” as they say. The dog is almost lost in there. If you like Chicago dogs I'm guessing you'll be happy with this incarnation but in future, unless I'm in Chi-town, I’ll pass. It's also quite messy, which I'm sure you know doesn't bother me in the least, which is surprising considering this is basically a street dog in the Windy City.
The Franko Fancy-aano (wrapped prosciutto, arugula, reggiano, balsamic Dijon mayonnaise) is not really a favourite nor was it of my friends Vicky, Nancy or Peter. Not that there was anything wrong with it per se. It just didn’t work for us. Others may love it. As they say in the Twitterverse, YMMV.
A definite favourite is the Franks Got Seoul (beef rib, kimchee, sesame seed, green onion). The kimchee isn’t as assertive as you’d think and the beef rib somewhat steals the show. That said, the dog can still be tasted and all in all, it’s quite good. I think next time I’ll add some hot sauce to kick it up a notch or two.
Frankie Goes to Buffalo (deep fried in panko, carrot, blue cheese, Buffalo wing sauce) is a terrific contrast of tastes and textures. The deep fried, panko crusted crunch is nice though I think a little more of the wing sauce would be good. It smelt a lot more vinegary that it was.
The Frankaphone (smoked gruyere, horseradish cheddar, squeaky curds, honey dijon mayo) was certainly the favourite among the group of us. It was closer to a hot dog in general and as such, was destined to be my favourite. It really let the wiener shine. The toppings nicely added creaminess and tang.
I opted to create my own fries. I thought for sure they'd have Coney Fries on the menu and they didn't. They do have Chili Poutine but the thought of both chili and gravy didn't appeal to me. So I opted to swap smoked gruyere (yes I know it should be cheddar but they don't have plain cheddar) and hold the gravy. I ended up with a pretty reasonable facsimile of Coney Fries and they were great. The fries themselves are fresh cut. Not the best I've had but solid none the less. The chili is really good and a bit unique. It tasted like there was a hint of curry powder in it. (Now, before you go getting upset that there's curry powder in it, should it actually be there) just keep in mind that curry and chili powders are basically cousins. They work very well together. In hindsight I think the addition of chopped onions would have made it even better.Another new trend that is popping up is a donut robot. A machine dedicated to cranking out tiny donuts. Their is right there in the kitchen and spits out warm, soft, delicious dough rings. They come with a variety of toppings. Some of which are as follows.
Chocolate Sauce & Caramel: These babies are just about everything I could’ve hoped for. The sauces, while inherently sweet aren’t too much. I thought, though my dining partners disagreed, that it was missing a little something to put them over the top. Upon reflection, I think whipped cream would’ve done it. That said, the others were happy there wasn’t any more sweetness added.
Lemon Curd or Strawberry and Powdered Sugar: These are a really nice combination. Pretty much like a lemon filled donut. This sampler of the two flavours, in my mind could’ve used a tich more sugar.
