Some of my best food experiences in 2008 were simple things that I enjoyed over and over - whatever the season, whatever my mood, these were the go-to items that never failed to please my tastebuds and lift my spirits:
- The pulled pork burrito from Big Fat Burrito: Pulled pork was hands-down my #1 comfort food this year, and these burritos were chock-full of dense, moist, tummy-filling goodness. I was thrown for a loop at one point when Big Fat Burrito changed their hot sauce/spicing system and went from a simple mild/medium/hot scale to a series of sauces numbered 1 to 5, but even the mouth-igniting mistake of ordering Sauce #4 didn't do much to dampen my overall enjoyment.
- Honourable mention for a source of pulled pork comfort goes to the pulled pork BBQ sandwich from the St. Louis Bar & Grill. While not nearly as spicy as the aforementioned burrito, I also found these sandwiches to be pleasingly dense and moist, and even better when washed down with a pint of Keith's Red.
- The Franglaise Toast from The Rebel House: A tip of the hat to Rebel House for elevating your typical fried egg-dipped bread preparation by layering fruit compote between the two slices of French toast and serving it with both Creme Anglaise and real maple syrup on the side. A lot of places try to fancy up French toast in various ways, but this is the best in my books - it's not overly fussy, and the flavours co-mingle nicely without being overpoweringly sweet. Another moist, dense, comfort-food favourite.
- The havarti, jalapeno, and avocado grilled cheese sandwich from Shanghai Cowgirl: Once again, a middle-of-the-road favourite gets taken up a notch. The jalapeno lends a nice slow heat, while the avocado and havarti - both tasty on their own - work well together here. Getting it with sweet potato fries and a side of wasabi mayo makes it complete.
Restaurants included in Jen’s round-up for 2008
- Big Fat Burrito, 285 Augusta Ave, 416.913.7487, CheapEats Toronto pg.41
- St. Louis Bar & Grill, 2050 Yonge St, 416.480.0202
- The Rebel House, 1068 Yonge St, 416.927.0704
- Shanghai Cowgirl, 538 Queen St W, 416 203 6623, CheapEats Toronto pg. 132
Jennifer is a big fan of brunch, scotch and wasabi peas. She has been sharing recommendations and giving feedback on CheapEats since 2002 as part of the CheapEats community. After years of trying we’ve finally roped her in to do a little brunch blogging for CETOblog.com. This is her first post, so please take a second and say “hi”.
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