In the Summer of 2006 local restaurant vet and bar be que nut Tom Davis posted his manifesto. Tom turned down job security to take a chance. Passing up a regular paycheque, vacation and sick time he decided to open his own place. The working title of the restaurant would be Davis’s Old-time Grill. People were invited along to watch as he perfected dishes and played around with names. “I will take you through the various stages of: Menu development, start up costs, design concept, curing room design, financing, marketing, location, auctions, construction (More financing!!!), staffing, and finally the opening!" Ultimately a restaurant would take shape that was on the one hand what Tom had envisioned but on the other hand not necessarily what he wrote. The end product: Tom’s take on (for the most part) southern food. BBQ favourites and soul food (and burgers too). A bit of an eclectic menu but what he’s looking to serve is “Slow fast food.” Known in the south as, “Citified Southern.”
Tom’s dream finally became a reality in the spring of 2010 when he opened what he eventually came to call The Stockyards Smokehouse and Larder. The small diner on St. Clair West, just east of the old Toronto stockyards area has a nice rustic feel equally matched inside and out. Exposed brick and unfinished wood give the slender place a certain warmth.
Inside there are no tables but plenty of counter space with about 20 stools. My personal favourite is a seat by the open kitchen. Front row center for the action.
In it’s initial days The stockyards had it’s problems. Or perhaps better said, one problem; it was too popular. It wasn’t only not uncommon to run out of items but seemingly SOP. Two years down the road things are much better. It still happens on occasion but that’s true of all places. Such is the price of fame I suppose. It’s also difficult to keep up sometimes when so much of your menu takes hours to prepare. A recent visit saw them out of pulled pork. The only bright spot is the smell of smoke and pig fat hung in the air as they prepared the next batch.
Well this is all very well and good but it’s the food that counts.
First of all, there are a few things to know. They have a regular menu, a Saturday and Sunday brunch menu and 3 times a week at 5pm you can get your hands on some Q. Tom also does some specialty items periodically.
The biscuits are large and flaky with a nice flavour. When I make ‘em at home they have a nice buttery taste which these seem to lack. Not that I’m saying they should just that it’s not my preference. Mrs. Sippi concurred ranking them “Very good” but not certainly not as good as mine.
The Greens shown here are Kale. Cooked to death with bacon like in the south. The big difference is they add garlic which is not typically southern. Part of the “Citified” thing. The bacon has a great smoky flavour and is quite meaty. The garlic is a bit over the top (can’t believe I’m saying that) but a little pepper sauce we had at home helped to balance things out. Kale is also a bit tougher than Collards, Turnip or Mustard greens and we enjoyed the stronger texture. Honestly, I really didn’t think Mrs. Sippi would like them but surprisingly she very much did. Even ordered more the next visit.
The Fried Chicken and Waffles are amazing. Such an odd combination but this soul food dish dates back centuries.
The Fried Chicken itself is fabulous. More along the lines of the Colonel and his secret recipe with loads of herbs mixed into the batter. Nicely crispy and juicy. The waffles weren’t anything special but I really don’t think they were supposed to be. Simple Belgian waffles done well. The Chili, Maple, Citrus glaze was very nice. Sweet from the maple syrup, tangy from chili and nicely tied together with the citrus. My first taste of this dish and it was an instant hit.
The burger is probably my favourite anywhere. It's a tough call with so many good examples out there but I think three things put this at the top of my list. First of all, it's done on a flat top. I'm sure you’ve read me extol the virtues of this culinary dream machine. Second of all, it's just about exactly what I make at home. It's 6oz (I make 3/lb) with American (aka sliced, aka processed) Cheese and a simple "Wonderbread style" bun. Thirdly, the crust created by the flat top. Most places will give you a patty with a nice crust. Here they play chicken with the griddle. Pushing the limits of how far they can go before making a hockey puck. The burger gets a crust that's far thicker than any other I've had. It provides not only additional flavour but a slight crunch to it that was great. It’s not over cooked either. A slight crust on the flip side ensures it’s still juicy on the inside. Simply excellent.
The Porchetta is fabulous as well. The slow roasted pork roast stuffed with rosemary, garlic and other herbs was simply the best I’ve had. Just the right amount of fattiness and crunch from the skin. It was very rich but the addition of steamed rapini (aka broccoli rabe) was just the perfect way to balance the sandwich and provide additional flavour.
They make their own pastrami from time to time. I had the occasion to try it and let me tell ya, if you can get your hands on some of this stuff, you do it. It's simply the best I've had. Very fatty (which is good for deli meat) and had a great flavour profile. It usually gets snapped up quickly. You'd best phone and find out when they're making some and plan accordingly.
As for drinks they make their own own in house. The Limeade has a nice refreshing mint profile. They round out the liquid menu with an array Boylan products. Some of the best bottled Root Beer you'll find on the market is Boylan.
So there you go. A little taste of the south mixed with some city styling in a quaint setting.
You can visit The Stockyards Smokehouse and Larder in Toronto’s Wychwood neighbourhood at 699 St. Clair Ave. W.
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You can also visit them on the web, facebook and Twitter.
Well that’s all for now. See ya next time in the food court.
Davwud
As I had written before, the Interstate system that now networks the United States wasn’t always the way people moved about the country. People in the Great Lakes region for instance travelled the Dixie Highway between the north and Florida. The eastern Midwest equivalent of the Great River Road or US 101/El Camino Real.
The DH was not a linear thoroughfare per se, but a network of interconnected roads stretching from Canada to Florida. Two main arteries, DH East from Sault St. Marie, Michigan to Miami and DH West from Chicago to Miami had loops and connectors funneling cars to the main lines. The introduction of the interstate meant the dismantling and renaming of portions of the Highway. The Dix was, roughly speaking, replaced largely by I-75 and in part by I – 65 and I – 95. In a north/south direction anyway. You can still see signage for the DH in states like Kentucky and Ohio but more than often you wouldn’t even know you’re on the historical road.
Many of the businesses that thrived along this highway died when the interstate pushed through. Some did manage to survive and you can read about two of them here. One lives on, one does not.
In north Cincinnati the suburb of Sharonville, once on the DH, is a mecca for chain restaurants and hotels. However at least one hold out still exists. Hanging on to it’s pre interstate days. The Rootbeer Stand has been delighting south central Ohioans and visitors for over half a century.
Originally opened under the A & W banner by Mick and Nancy Rideour along with (Nancy’s parents) Jim and Catherine Clark. Mick found a seasonal (summer) business was the perfect counter to his seasonal (fall to spring) job as a teacher. Right on the outskirts it was the first place to grab a bite as you hit town. (Or last depending on which way you were going of course.) In 1982 they’d discontinued their affiliation with A & W and were independent.
By the late 80’s Mick and Nancy were winding down their careers and Nancy’s parents had both passed. It was time to move on. That's where Scott and Jackie Donley stepped in. A deal was struck and the Donley’s opened the 1990 season as the new owners. They immediately changed….nothing. Why would they?? They had a good thing going. The chili and most importantly the root beer recipes developed by Catherine back in the 50’s are still the same today.The root beer is even made with the same equipment they’ve been using since they opened in 1957.
On the outside very little has changed. There’s been some cosmetic alterations and of course all the A & W signage was replaced with The Rootbeer Stand but the place is still in the same spot it was when it opened. Car hops have been gone since the early 70’s as well.
Inside the kitchen and a few other areas have been moved around but the signature feature has remained. The hat hall of fame that adorns the ceiling. In by gone days, truckers were the predominate customer as they travelled up and down the Dixie Highway. They’d leave their ball caps as a form of advertising. The tradition has continued ever since. They get thinned out once in a while and when they took over, the Donley’s had a great number of them cleaned. Another tradition still observed is the hiring of young, high school aged kids for the season. Most often, this is the first job these young boys and girls ever have. A nice way to kick off their working life. Even better for a couple of young girls in the 60’s. Both working as car hops met their husbands at the stand. Today they can be found working in the kitchen.
Well all this tradition is wonderful the food is really what matters. So lets have a look.
The double cheeseburger was good but not great. Mrs. Sippi was far more enthusiastic about it than I. It was very reminiscent of the one at Texas Tavern in Roanoke. Both of those burgers to me just screamed nostalgia.
The foot long chili cheese dog was very good. An ordinary wiener and bun with chili, cheese, mustard and onion. The surprise, being that we’re in Cinci was that the chili was more of a traditional chili. It, on its own was also very good. It had a nice cumin hit and good chili flavour. No real heat which would’ve made it even nicer but you just don’t get that in hot dog chili.
The Big E sandwich is the normal Cheeseburger with warmed Deli Ham and Swiss Cheese. It came dressed with pickle, onion, mustard and mayo. In future I think I’d skip the pickle and add tomato. All in all this is a delicious sandwich. The ham and swiss take this to another level. As I said above, the Cheeseburger was good. This is very good.
The star of the show as you can imagine is the root beer. Made with water from their own well which they claim gives it it’s personality. It has a nice smooth flavour and little carbonation. It’s also not overly sweet. Just enough to take the edge off. They even serve it up in a mug which is a nice touch. Notice the pop corn. They don't serve fries so chips or pop corn are your options.
The root beer float was even better. The vanilla ice cream complimented the root beer perfectly. This is where the less sweetness of the root beer really mattered.
My Grandmother would often make us Ginger Ale and Butter Pecan floats when we were kids. (It's a great combo, give it a try). I never really thought much about them until the last few years when I rediscovered the float. Great memories.
So if you’re in the Cincinnati area and are feeling nostalgic, head on over to The Rootbeer Stand.
You can find The Rootbeer Stand at 11566 Reading Road in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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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
Ask any burrito lover in the GTA who’s been to San Francisco and they’ll tell you, you can’t get a good burrito in Toronto. Save for Mission Burrito at Village by the Grange I guess. Citing the mission style as THE only burrito that’s any good they pooh, pooh everything else. So I guess it’s time I dipped my toe into the great Toronto burrito debate.
For the most part, the burritos served by independent places in the city are grilled not steamed. So for most, this means they’re not good. Rather closed minded in my opinion it’s like blaming chocolate for not being vanilla. I have no idea why people can’t just like something for what it is and not dislike it for what it isn’t. So I will deal with what some in these parts call a "Toronto Style Burrito.” Stuffed, rolled and placed on a flat top until golden brown and delicious on both sides.
I’ve made no secret about my love of the flat top so as you can imagine, I’m a big fan of anything that has a date with it. The result of this flat top grilling is a nice crispy "Skin" and another dimension of flavour not found in a steamed burrito. The wrappers maintain a certain chew that I enjoy. Contrasted that with the more tender and (in my mind) less interesting shell that results from being steamed. I personally have plenty of room in my heart and my stomach for both styles. As I’ve said in the past, taste trumps all and if it’s tasty I’ll enjoy it for what it is.
One of the GTA’s finest examples of this culinary bomb is Big Fat Burrito. Now 3 locations strong, they began life in Toronto’s Kensington Market neighbourhood and where Mrs. Sippi and I paid a lunch visit.
Much like all burritos you choose your flavour and then garnishes. BFB offers steak, chicken, pork and their signature filling, yam. One of the things that make them stand out is the use of refried beans rather than whole pinto or black beans. A substitution that works extremely well as far as I’m concerned. They also have 5 levels of spiciness with a simple 1 – 5 choice that’s right there from which you choose.
Enough with the small talk, let’s get on to the food.
Our lunch consisted of a burrito and a root beer each. We also sampled a taco.
BFB serves Boylan’s products. This family owned company has been in business for almost 125 years and serves up one of the best root beers you can find from their old family recipe.
The taco was pretty simple and tasty. A hard shell with a typical cumin based seasoning for the ground beef. Tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, sour cream and hot sauce round out the filling. The thing that made it was how the sour cream and hot sauce blended to form their own sauce. I’m sure the purists will lament the use of a hard shell but I liked it and that’s all I care about. It's like a better version of the taco kit you buy in the grocery store.
Now the big question, how were the burritos??
Mrs. Sippi’s yam burrito was very good. The sweetness of the yam balanced the hot sauce very nicely. She opted for medium hot (2) and that was hot enough. The filling was rounded out with lettuce, tomato, cheese, burrito sauce and refried beans. There’s a rumour that you can order off menu and get yam and pork that’s incredible.
My steak burrito was fantastic. The marinated cow meat was very tender and the “Regular hot” (3) heat level added a really nice kick without being overbearing. I love the use of refried beans as they give the whole thing a nice earthy tone I don't find from whole beans. I also find that RFB's play nicely with hot stuff.
All in all, having never been to San Fran and tasted one of their Mission style burritos it's somewhat unreasonable to make a fair assessment of which is best. I will however say that having had a burrito at Mission Burrito here in TO and a few of the chain offerings (Chipotle, Moe's, etc.) which are Mission style as well, I think I'll take the Toronto style myself. As I said above, I'll take either way if it's well executed.
So check your burrito prejudice at the door and give Big Fat Burrito a fair shake. You may prefer your burrito Mission style but you can’t disregard this tasty treat. Enjoy it for what it is.
You can find BFB’s original location a 285 Agusta Ave. in Toronto, Ontario.
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They can also be found at 112 Dundas St. W. and 529 Bloor St. W. inside Lee’s Palace.
Well that’s all for now burrito fans. We’ll see you again in the food court.
Davwud
Tom’s dream finally became a reality in the spring of 2010 when he opened what he eventually came to call The Stockyards Smokehouse and Larder. The small diner on St. Clair West, just east of the old Toronto stockyards area has a nice rustic feel equally matched inside and out. Exposed brick and unfinished wood give the slender place a certain warmth. 
Inside there are no tables but plenty of counter space with about 20 stools. My personal favourite is a seat by the open kitchen. Front row center for the action. 
The biscuits are large and flaky with a nice flavour. When I make ‘em at home they have a nice buttery taste which these seem to lack. Not that I’m saying they should just that it’s not my preference. Mrs. Sippi concurred ranking them “Very good” but not certainly not as good as mine.
The Greens shown here are Kale. Cooked to death with bacon like in the south. The big difference is they add garlic which is not typically southern. Part of the “Citified” thing. The bacon has a great smoky flavour and is quite meaty. The garlic is a bit over the top (can’t believe I’m saying that) but a little pepper sauce we had at home helped to balance things out. Kale is also a bit tougher than Collards, Turnip or Mustard greens and we enjoyed the stronger texture. Honestly, I really didn’t think Mrs. Sippi would like them but surprisingly she very much did. Even ordered more the next visit.
The Fried Chicken and Waffles are amazing. Such an odd combination but this soul food dish dates back centuries. 
The burger is probably my favourite anywhere. It's a tough call with so many good examples out there but I think three things put this at the top of my list. First of all, it's done on a flat top. I'm sure you’ve read me extol the virtues of this culinary dream machine. Second of all, it's just about exactly what I make at home. It's 6oz (I make 3/lb) with American (aka sliced, aka processed) Cheese and a simple "Wonderbread style" bun. Thirdly, the crust created by the flat top. Most places will give you a patty with a nice crust. Here they play chicken with the griddle. Pushing the limits of how far they can go before making a hockey puck. The burger gets a crust that's far thicker than any other I've had. It provides not only additional flavour but a slight crunch to it that was great. It’s not over cooked either. A slight crust on the flip side ensures it’s still juicy on the inside. Simply excellent.
They make their own pastrami from time to time. I had the occasion to try it and let me tell ya, if you can get your hands on some of this stuff, you do it. It's simply the best I've had. Very fatty (which is good for deli meat) and had a great flavour profile. It usually gets snapped up quickly. You'd best phone and find out when they're making some and plan accordingly.
As for drinks they make their own own in house. The Limeade has a nice refreshing mint profile. They round out the liquid menu with an array Boylan products. Some of the best bottled Root Beer you'll find on the market is Boylan. 
