Dine-In, Take-Out, Delivery, and Travel: What's Cookin' in April 2009

Been busy, mostly staying in to write. Did manage to go out a few times. Here's a wee round-up of a few Toronto restaurants, one spot in St. Catharines, and a local food delivery programme that can't be beat.

Cafe Diplomatico, 594 College Street, Toronto
The major selling feature of this italian lounge is their patio, but on a rainy April day, inside was the place to be. I probably should have ordered something italian, but as I regularly cook pasta in my own home (sometimes even making my own noodles) I opted for Toronto favourite pulled pork. They were out. My second choice was fish (lemon-grilled sole) with a house salad. I had also ordered their house draught, which I sipped while nibbling on bread buns as I awaited my meal. The room was full, and quite loud. In order to converse with some of my table-mates, I felt I had to yell. When my dinner arrived, the salad was missing its dressing, so I had to flag the server down again and put in another request. The meal in the end was not very satisfying. The portions were small, the fish was unexciting, and the salad was definitely nothing to write home about. My companions equally complained about their meals -- meat portions too small, not very flavourful, all around disappointing. Cafe Diplomatico boasts speedy service, a nice patio, and proximity to the Royal Cinema on College, but I doubt I will ever return, except maybe on a rare sunny day to share a pitcher with a friend if we happen to be in the neighbourhood.

Thai House Restaurant, 506 Queen Street West, Toronto
This place is amazing. Ordering the special dinner for two from home ($27.00 plus tax) was a gourmet treat. The delivery included two spring rolls, chicken coconut soup, mango chicken, rice, and seafood pad thai. Everything was superb. The soup was spicy and wonderful with mushrooms and fresh coriander. The pad thai was delicious with its ground peanuts and a few shrimp. The mango chicken was exciting, mixing sweet and spicy. The spring rolls were okay -- I especially liked the hot sauce that I later put on salads the next day. If I ever order Thai food delivered to my home again, I will not even consider trying another restaurant. Thai House delivery hit home. Though I wonder if it would be possible to order ice cream dessert without it entirely melting en route?

Roti Lady, 269 Dunn Avenue, Toronto
I finally got to try a Roti Lady roti one night, after discovering Bacchus was closed. (It seems Bacchus is often closed.) It took a while to be noticed, standing in front of the counter, but I had heard that this was part of Roti Lady's appeal. She doesn't give a shit about customers, but she makes a mighty fine meal. The smell of the place was, um, lived in, and the television was blaring Little Mosque on the Prairie. I heard scraping and coughing in the back, which went on for a few more minutes after clearing my throat a few times, feebly sounding a "Hello? Your sign says open." Roti Lady came out in a very dirty apron, covering a wooly sweater, and wearing a knitted cap. She looked tired. Like she has been making rotis for as long as I've ever lived. Which could be true. I would believe it if that's what someone were to tell me. I ordered the vegetable roti, while Tasty Tastebuds ordered meat. Goat, I think. The total came to a very reasonable $11.00, wrapped up to go. We didn't really feel like hanging out, staring at a few faded pictures on the wall beside us. We beat it home, and relished our flavourful rotis with delight. I am fairly certain that my vegetarian roti was missing one of the listed ingredients on the menu board -- either squash or eggplant -- and I believe this is why it was also slightly cheaper than advertised. I kind of appreciated the no-excuses offered. Part of the Roti Lady "charm."

Oasis Middle East Cuisine, 174 St. Paul Street, St. Catharines
I had some time to kill before an evening panel discussion at Brock University, so I ventured into this empty eatery downtown St. Catharines, on the street everyone says is "a rough area," where I might "need a gun" or meet "jailbirds." Then of course, I live in "bad" Parkdale, according to Eye Weekly, or "the no man's land between the Wrong Bar and Roncesvalles." So I ordered a lentil soup ($2.99) and beef donair kabob ($4.75), which I hoped would feature real donair sauce from the East Coast. Nope. Tahini. So Ontario. The soup was great, warming and filling from an afternoon walking around in the drizzle, trying to avoid crossing too many sketchbags. The donair sandwich was filling as well, and garlic-intense. I was very worried about my breath after my meal, so much so that I made a return trip to my hotel to brush up before heading off to Brock. It was worth it.

FoodShare, 90 Croatia Street, Toronto, Tel: (416) 363-6441
FoodShare is the best fruit and vegetable delivery/pick-up programme in the city because it's a) not-for-profit, b) privileges local produce, and c) is very affordable. I pay only $12.00 for a small box of food that I pick up once every two weeks down my street. In order to find your nearest delivery/pick-up location, best to e-mail FoodShare directly. In a small food box, I'll get more than enough fruit and vegetables for two people for two weeks. Unless you really can afford to spend all of your time cooking meals from scratch. There is also a more expensive organic option, and a strictly fruit option. In another city, I used to pay $25.00 for a box order, so FoodShare is a half-price dream in comparison. It also means I am eating healthier salads with many more meals at home.

Cheap 'n Good Vs. Cheap 'n Shitty

Cheap food doesn't have to be all quantity, no quality. Here is a list of restaurants that are cheap, filling, and even (gasp!) tasty.

Falafel Queen, at Queen and Bathurst
Late night falafel sandwiches (for two at less than $10.00) made fast and ready to go while waiting for the 24-hour Queen car really hit the spot at 2 a.m. Make sure to get 'em with spicy sauce. And napkins.

Green Fusion, 403 Yonge Street, near Ryerson University
Get a bowl of vegetarian soup (a.k.a. "pho"). It's large, it's cheap ($5.25 for a small), it's spicy, it's filling, and it's amazing. I love this place.

Coconut Grove Roti Shop, 183 Dundas St. West, near OCAD
Before heading to the free admissions night at the Art Gallery of Ontario on a Wednesday, some friends and I hit this spot to avoid overpriced slices of old and crusty "gourmet" pizza at Pizzaiolio. Rotis at Coconut Grove start at $2.99, and they also have special plate dinners advertised for less than $5.00 if you're looking for a more complete meal with rice and salad. The vegetarian options for roti include eggplant, squash, and spinach, which are all very good. Again, spice it up! Go for the hot sauce!

Chinese Food Cart on St. George Street, in front of the Robarts Library at U of T
For less than $10.00 you can get about fifty different chinese dishes. I once had the pad thai, and was amazed at its generous weight and size. It included various types of seafood (unusual, but excitingly filling). This is the place to go if you're looking for what I like to call "lupper" -- a combination of lunch and supper.

Rasoee, 140 Spadina Ave.
Vegetarian lunch specials start at $6.99 (which include naan or basmati rice) while chicken, beef, or lamb lunch specials start at $7.49. Rasoee lunches are not exactly extra-large man-sized servings (only 8 oz.) so if you're really hungry or expect a late supper, then you may want to go for the 12 oz. meal option, which is an extra $2.00 (still bringing your order under $10.00 before taxes).

Gandhi and Island Cuisine: Sometimes I Do Leave Parkdale (to Have a Roti)

The roti -- now a staple of my Toronto diet -- is not exclusive to Parkdale. There's a roti shop further east on Queen Street West, called Gandhi Roti, which, rumour has it, is owned by the same people that own Mother India in Parkdale. The difference is that Gandhi is cheaper, less catered to fine diners, but to taker-outters.

I ordered the mixed vegetable roti, one of the cheapest items on the menu at $6.95 plus tax. Oddly, I had a very hard time communicating my order, due in large part, I believe, to my ignorance of East Indian languages. I think I was being asked how hot I wanted my roti, and I was instead responding that I wanted my roti size "small." Then I requested "medium," which delivered a large roti that was not at all spicy. The confusion was entirely my fault, and the service attendant apologized profusely for my own stupidity, in an attempt to make me feel less stupid than I was obviously behaving. Oh well.

The filling of the roti was quite sweet, consisting of sweet peas, carrots and potatoes in a red sauce. The roti itself (ie. the bread) was very thin compared to Caribbean-style rotis and lacked that crumbly layer in the middle that usually consists of ground chickpeas or other hidden gems. In the Gandhi roti, there was no layer of magic sandwiched in between two thin layers of dough, which made it more like a tortilla than most rotis I've had.

(One year ago, I didn't even know what a roti was, and now I consider myself a critic!)

Island Cuisine, located at 4205 Keele Street, across from York University, has damn fine roti. They know what I mean when I talk about the crumbly layer of goodness in between the thin layers of wrap. (Though if I said it like that, they would probably confuse my request, making yet another awkward encounter in ordering meals.) They make their bread fresh, and their doubles (similar to chickpea sandwiches at $2.00 each) are great for grab 'n go snacks on the run.

Although their vegetarian menu is a little lacking -- herbivores only have a choice of the potato roti -- sometimes, if available, although not on the menu, they offer free sides of fried plantain, which, byt he way, will buy a good review from me anytime.

Island Cuisine is new, and I get the sense that their menu may change depending on customers' tastes. So, vegetarians, keep requesting that veggie food, and they'll likely expand their menu.

My only critique of Island Cuisine is that the line-up takes about five minutes longer than Pita Pit next door, but the roti is definitely worth waiting for. Oh yeah, and their hot sauce is the hottest sauce ever! Get it on the side and share with a pal 'cause it'll knock your socks off!

Parkdale Roti Ranking (to Date)

1. Roti Lady
2. Mother India
3. Bacchus
4. Ali's Roti
5. Chicken Curry Plus Roti

Best Burro Burrito!

Went to see a movie the other night at The Royale Cinema, with forty minutes to spare before the start of the film. Ran across the street to Burro Burrito, located at 615 College Street, attracted by the steamy condensation on the windows. Warmth!

I had my doubts of what Burro Burrito would deliver. Tasty Tastebuds and I make black bean burritos at home quite often, topped with homemade canned salsa. Homemade salsa!

At around $17.00 (tax and pop included) Tasty Tastebuds and I scored a bean burrito and three soft-shelled meat tacos. The tacos were delish! Then the burrito dazzled! Bean paste, rice, corn, fresh tomato, lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo, fresh parsley, and likely other condiments -- the more condiments, the merrier -- comprised the giant wrap.

Very filling, Burro Burrito's burrito put my home cooking experiments to shame. Try it, and you may also be inspired to improve your home-style recipe.

Organic Food Conference Alert

Canadian Organic Growers Presents:
Visionary Farmers and Consumers Annual Conference
Growing and Eating for Nourishment: Nourishing the Future
Saturday, February 21, 2009
89 Chestnut Street, University of Toronto Conference Centre

If you care about the foods you eat, how visionary farmers grow for quality, and the enormous benefits of organic, then this conference is for you.

Panels include: Growing for Nourishment, Living Organically, The First Strawberry, Your Meat, Nourishing Community, Importing DDT, Preserving and Canning, Traditions: Lost and Found, Pregnancy and Organic, Organic Restaurants, and The Canadian Pantry.

Keynote addresses by Margaret Webb, Ann Clark and Carlo Leifert.
For more information contact Tanmayo Krupanszky at tanmayo@idirect.com

PS. An organic conference panel on importing DDT sounds particularly scary. I'd call it: "Panel of Doom."

Stampede Bison Grill

Captain Hunger and I went for a burger, poutine and milkshake at Stampede Bison Grill (located at 5 Brock Avenue) after a long wait at the LCBO. We were not there long before engaging in a chat with one of the owners of the restaurant who was more than pleased to fill us in on where the bison meat comes from for their burgers. The co-owner informed us that it is farmed outside of Peterborough, and comes directly from the source to the restaurant. I have only ever had bison meat once before (in steak form) and was looking forward to trying it again as a burger.

The Stampede Bison Grill burger was the best I have had in years. The bison meat is very lean, the patty was a good thick size and the taste distinct from other burgers I have had. The poutine was made with real cheese curds (a must in all poutines), vegetarian gravy and fresh cut fries. The poutine was also really good, and Captain Hunger especially thought the crispy fresh-cut fries were perfect. It is nice to know that a real poutine can be found in Parkdale. The milkshake was nice 'n thick, served with the straw sticking straight up in the creamy drink.

Overall, there were no complaints about the meal or facilities. Really friendly, really good burger and poutine, and a clean washroom (upstairs). Stampede Bison Grill will be revisited anytime I want a cheap burger in Parkdale.