Winterlicious at bymark.

The idea of winterlicious has mass appeal and its not hard to see why. 3 courses for a fraction of the normal price. Dig a little deeper though and you'll realize that alot of resturants treat the fixed menus as an afterthought and really skimp on you in terms of portion size AND flavor.

Last week i hit up bymark with a friend and I was overall satisfied with the meal and service. Although the main was quite disappointing. First off I'd like to say the ambiance of the place is really good, music isnt distracting, the decor is interesting and unique enough. One of the problems however is that the tables are really close together, which makes it hard to get around the place. Service was prompt and courteous all around, though the bread guy didnt show up till we had our mains.



This appetizer was really good in my opinion. The tuna sashimi was really fresh and the asian inspired garnishes and sauces really added a range of flavors to the dish. It was almost too flavorful.

The main i had was a sapporo braised short rib dish.
Once again the flavor was quite good although a bit on the salty side in my opinion. The meat was tender in some parts but it seemed like it was a little too dry and chewy in others. The risotto was good but nothing too memorable. I find it a little disturbing how so many Toronto restaurants seem to mindlessly follow trends all offering up some sort of squash risotto, short ribs, and some sort of exotic fish dish.

The desert impressed me and despite it being deceptively simple, it was memorable enough. The ice cream ontop of warm moist carrot cake is exactly how it sounded , but id be damned to remember the last time i had carrot cake this good. Also want to commend the pastry chef for ensuring that it wasn't too sweet or overpowering.

All in all i'd say bymark is worth a return visit but perhaps I'll have to order off the much more expensive regular menu next time.

foodies (MTL edition)

First off i'd just like to say i really need a dSLR. That is so i can take nice pictures of my travels and i won't just have to blog about the food i ate while i was there.

I unfortunately didnt have time to research any particularly great restaurants to try, but i did hit up some well known spots (la banquise , la belle province , and the legendary swartz's deli).

I'd just like to say that Montreal poutine is overrated and i think you can better better poutine in Toronto. Just enjoy the pics of the food









Montreal smoked meat that was almost as good as Katz's. I'll at least say it's great value , less than half the price of Katz's.

from


photo credit to my friend Tom

NYC food round-up

Well this is a bit late, but better late than never. In my recent trip to NY we had planned to at least hit up some of the restaurants we had heard so much about.

The first meal there was a random hotel breakfast spot in midtown. The omelet i had was nothing special but damn does that croissant look good. Also never knew fresh apple juice could be worth $3, but damn was it ever.


Enjoy the pictures and my lazy food reviews (complete with spotty memory).





Next up was Joe's Pizza just off of bleeker st at 7 Carmine St.



My friend researched this spot which is known by many as the best pizza in the city. I was too starved to even bother taking a picture of this, but this was definitely well worth the trip. The pizza there was light, served hot with amazing flavorful and cheese. I recommend just the cheese or straight pepperoni so you can just enjoy the texture of the thin crust mixed in with the hot melty cheese with just the right amount of Mariana sauce. Unfortunately this was the only slice of pizza i tried in NY , but I'll be sure to compare next time i'm in town.

We made a stop by the MET on our first day there, and the cafe there while servicable is overpriced and really nothing special. Only took a pic because i was in tourist mode.



One of my favorite meals in NY without a doubt was at the iconic Katz's deli (205 East Houston). Everyone in NY knows this spot and for good reason. While a bit pricey at $15, the pastrami sandwich was hot , juicy, tender and pretty much perfection in a deli sandwich. The vibe of the place is old school NY down to the old servers and diligent deli cutters.


The place is worth visiting for atmosphere alone, but if you want to really have a filling delicious lunch make sure you finish off your Pastrami sandwhich


with one of these

in a word : LEGIT


(not my pic)

We also hit up a southern style BBQ spot called Daisy May's. 623 11th Ave. (corner of 46th St.)

To be honest the food there was abit disappointing. The ribs seemed to be sitting for awhile and weren't as juicy or as tender as one would expect. Word to the wise, the dry rub aren't as good as the saucy ribs. I've had better ribs without a doubt, but at least the sides there somewhat. The mashed sweet potatoes, creamed spinach, mac & cheese, beans were all quite good and made the meal filling despite the relatively high price.

With all the talk about finding the best burger , we trekked to Burger Joint (2175 Broadway). The spot is hidden inside Le Parker Merdien hotel. The spot stays true to it's name and basically is designed to look like a hole in the wall with minimal seating.


(not my pic)

The menu there was simple, cheeseburger or hamburger, fries or no side. The burger was pretty yummy in that in-and-out old school hamburger way, although i didn't find it particuarly memorable or special. Not to mention that for a 6oz cheeseburger the price was quite high $6 (if i remember right). The shoestring fries were quite good , but reminded me alot of McDonald's.


That's basically it for now, but never forget to pass the

Jamaican (me crazy with your) Patties

I had a massive craving for Jamaican patties today but couldn't find a good spot near the office to grab one.. If you're not familiar with these perfect snacks, they're usually filled with spicy beef filling inside a flaky golden brown shell.

The best one's ive had in the city was in my old hood.

Fahmee Bakery & Jamaican Foods
Rosewood Plaza
119 Montezuma Trail (near Brimley & Finch)
(416) 754-2126

Hit em up.. great family run business, great food.

Food Bites

Being in the downtown core always willing to try some new eats. Heard good things about Sandwhich box , so hit that up and was pleasantly surprised by the meal. Fast service, fresh ingredients, and filling enough to be almost worth the markup.




Sandwiches come with exotic ingredients such as portobello mushrooms, grilled salmon, and guac mayo. Of course they're served in a box with a small side salad that was lackluster but a welcome add-on regardless. You can choose your own fillings and sauces or select from one of seven recommended selections.

check out their site : here


or just visit their convenient locations

67 Richmond Street West Toronto Ontario Canada. T. 416 913 4444
37 Eglinton Avenue East Toronto Ontario (now open)
238 Queen Street West Toronto Ontario

and for the record

the boyz always satisfy

Do NOT eat here ( A cautionary burrito tale)

Okay, so im hungry for lunch and have some extra time on my break. I figure a burrito is always satisfying, filling, and good value. Well apparently not at Z-teca.

Z-teca claims to serve "gourmet burritos" and ive been meaning to check them out for awhile as they are a 5min walk from my office @ bay/king.

The service is fast and prompt. But once i get in line I realize there are a limited choice of toppings. Here is the ordering process in pics.

storefront


worker bees



the order




I order the grilled chicken fajita burrito (comes with sauteed veggies), and it's topped with some salsa, sour cream and rice. Unfortunetly upon the first bite, it was nothing but disappointment.



The burrito was warm, but seriously lacking meat content, in other words the meat to carb ratio was atrocious. Not only that , the rice was totally bland and unflavored and they seemed to have jipped me on the veggies. The burrito's texture reminded me of sushi more than anything else (and not in a good way). All around the experience felt cheap and uninspired. There was no hotsauce provided at the place, so I had to resort to leftover packets of Taco Bell hotsauce to get me through the lackluster experience.

Overall the meal was not worth the almost 8 bucks I paid. I didn't expect the world from Z-teca, but seriously this place sucks. I can't imagine the other items on the menu tasting that much better. I already have an issue with the genrification of "cheap" and utilitarian foods turned gourmet, but thats a topic for another day..
I'll judy leave it at this : I definetly would not consider repeating the experience...

Still haven't found a place in Toronto that can beat Burrito Boys.

For more USEFUL food suggestions check out the guys over at The Tastebuds Blog.