Mighty Angus Burger

There is a promotion at McDonald's to get the mighty Angus burger combo for $7 (plus tax), but only at the locations on Yonge Street, between Bloor and Front. The promo goes on for unannounced length of time.

The burger itself is big enough, and looks exciting. There is a good half inch in height of meat. The bun holds well, and this might be the best beef I've had from McDonald's. (I'm comparing this to the "100% beef" in the Big Mac.) It works, but my one gripe is that the sauce is a bit too sweet for me. 

All in all, not bad for the promo price, but I wouldn't pay $9-something (pre-tax) for this combo.

Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons breakfast sandwich...

Maybe it was because I was in a foul mood that there is no McDonald's near my work, but this tasted pretty crappy.

Turkey sausage breakfast sandwich on an English muffin

The piece of meat was so thin and sad-looking. And very salty. The cheese was too plastic-tasting... even for me. The egg was fine. The English muffin was dry and might've been better off toasted (more?) with a mound of butter. To add insult to injury, it's priced at $3-something. What is that? Like, the whole price of the #2 sausage egg McMuffin combo at McDonald's? Sadness.

CNE

Canadian National Exhibition

End of August means end of summer and two weeks of the Ex. For me, that means trying out whatever disgusting concoction of food combination they've come up with this year. The big craze this time was bacon, but I wasn't sold. The Bacon Nation offerings didn't seem that exciting to me, or maybe I just couldn't see the full menu. I decided for pulled pork business from Pull'd instead.

 The Jack'd ($13.56 after tax)

Pulled pork in between layers of red velvet pancakes... with a square of salted butter on top. It looked like something I'd make out of leftovers in rez. The pancakes were more orange than red, but surprisingly went okay with the meat. The meat wasn't all pulled apart, and could've used more sauce - Jack Daniel's sauce. The butter was good at moistening things up. It was kind of pricey and alright. 

 This is what it looked like after hacking.

We saw this sign that me and Renée found hilarious, but Jo didn't get it. 

Holy Chuck

Holy Chuck Burgers (1450 Yonge Street, Toronto)
416-962-4825
info@holychuckburgers.com
Hours:
Mon - Sat: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

The Holy Chuck ($9.99)

They ask you not to put any extra condiments on it and that's perfectly fine with me because I don't usually like them. It's a double cheeseburger with bacon and caramelized onions. It wasn't as big as I expected, but it was about average burger size. First thing I noticed when I bit into it was that it was grilled really nicely. The very peripheral edges of mine were just a bit crispy, but the insides of the patties were so so juicy. Think leaking burger. The meat was cooked to about medium - really nice. I was a fan of the meat. The caramelized onions were fine. Unfortunately, on my first bite of the burger, I managed to drag out all the bacon with my teeth. This resulted in a baconless burger for the rest of the time. The bun was soft and nothing fancy. I was impressed with the burger, but Andrew said that it wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. He mentioned that Craft Burger (now Big Smoke Burger) has better tasting burgers and it's cheaper. I haven't been there since the name change, so I'll have to go again and see what he's talking about... but somehow I don't think those burgers would be as moist. 

I like their cow pictures.

If you're feeling underweight and suffering low blood pressure, might I suggest the cowlorie ($11.99). It's a double cheeseburger with bacon and caramelized onions, in between two grilled cheese sandwiches. It sounds very fair food like. I was interested, but I didn't particularly want to die of a heart attack right then.

The Go Chuck Yourself Challenge seems a bit frightening as well.

Would I return? I would. I enjoy the meat, and some of their speciality shakes sound interesting. I'm pretty curious about the Reese's pieces and banana one. They also have poutine with actual cheese curds. The place isn't very difficult to get to, being just south of St. Clair station. It won't be the cheapest burger though.

Total damage: $13.31 for my Holy Chuck burger and can of Sprite.

Village By the Grange Food

Village By the Grange (Dundas Street West and St. Patrick Street, Toronto)

At the corner of Dundas West and St. Patrick to about McCaul, there's a small food court that has a pretty good variety of food. It may look a little old, but it definitely has character and some family run options that you wouldn't find in other food courts.

Monique got this hearty breakfast meal for lunch from Karine's.

There was fruit, there was meat and eggs, there were potatoes, and there was toast. All for about $6. She would've saved $1 if she had eaten there instead of getting take-out. I think they're green or something. They advertise various vegan options as well. 

Amanda got her spinach pie and salad from the Greek place for under $10.

I went to Red Red Noodles where the guy had great customer service. I like this place because they sometimes give you a large chunk of dragon fruit. It seems random though, as they don't always have it.

I got the one with BBQ pork and chicken, and a spring roll. You can get it on noodles too. The optional spicy sauce was no joke. You can see the pepper flakes and seeds in the picture, and I thought my mouth was going to explode. Bianca tried some, thinking I was being a wuss, and she had to cool her tongue with peanut butter and crackers. She looked like she was in pain. The food was decent. I like their chicken and their sauce is on fire!!! The meal was about $7. 

Chicken katsu from Sakura ($6.75)

That sauce is awesome. Always say yes to the sauce. I like their salad dressing, and I also like that I got two large pieces of chicken katsu. 

Would I return? To Village by the Grange? Sure. There's no reason not to. It has many options, from Greek to Chinese to vegan to Japanese, and it also has a McDonald's for familiar fast food convenience. Also, it's just too easy to find a filling meal there for under $10 - great for students. 

Warning: The simply titled Tasty Chinese Food joint at the corner may have cheap food, but it gave two people diarrhoea. 

Anoush Shawarma & Falafel

Anoush Shawarma & Falafel (250 Dundas Street West, Toronto)

416-204-1680

I haven't stopped eating; I've just been too busy to post. So here's a quick wrap!

Chicken shawarma, complete with bright pink, pickled vegetables inside. It was filling, no doubt about that. It would've come with a free drink had I gone with my student card, but I had Monique pick it up for me so I lose. There was a good amount of chicken and sauce in there. Tasted good overall, despite the fact that by the time I got to it, it was cold.

Would I return? Sure! It's cheap, filling, and quick. Tastes alright too. 

Total damage: $5.

Amaya Express @ Urban Eatery

Amaya Express (Urban Eatery, Eaton Centre, 220 Yonge Street, Toronto)

Spicy lamb curry bowl.

This bowl was extremely filling, probably because of the rice and chick peas. The lamb is pretty soft and indeed spicy. 

Butter chicken poutine.

Bianca said that the fries were soggy, but there was a really long time between when the food was received and when we started eating. She also noted that butter chicken poutine was on the menu of the New York Fries Poutinerie next door.

 Would I return? Sure. I think this place had the most aroma surrounding it in the food court, which is what drew me there to begin with. The curry bowls are definitely filling. 

Oh yeah, good luck to those who want a garbage bin in the Urban Eatery. I don't think they exist there. 

Total damage for my curry bowl: $8.

Rare @ Urban Eatery

Rare (Urban Eatery, Eaton Centre, 220 Yonge Street, Toronto)

I was excited to try something at the Eaton Centre's brand new Urban Eatery because many millions of dollars has been put into those renovations. Though the name is a little pretentious, it does seem a little nicer and bigger than the average food court. But I must insist that it is still just a food court, a really huge food court.

There were the food court regulars such as McDonald's and KFC, but there were also some more unique options. I noted a Big Smoke burger joint, Mucho Burrito, Amaya, etc. Among the newer names, Andrew noted Rare, a sandwich joint.

Oh Canada roast beef sandwich and mango salad.

The sandwich came with aged Canadian cheddar, bacon, creamy horseradish, and caramelized onions. I really liked the caramelized onions, and the pressed, toasty ciabatta white bread held everything together quite nicely. There was a good serving of roast beef, but I thought the meat lacked a little flavour. Andrew said that might have been because the other ingredients were really strong and overpowering. Also, I was still a bit sick, so my taste buds might have also been under the weather. A soup or salad of my choice was also included in the $8.95 price tag. The mango salad had bits of noodles and I think there was cilantro in there too. There was a sourness reminiscent of the clear vinegary fish sauce at pho restaurants.

Oh Canada roast beef sandwich and chicken noodle soup.

Andrew didn't seem to have many complaints about his sandwich other than the creamy horseradish sauce being strong. He mentioned that he'd like to try the philly sandwich next time.

Would I return? To the Urban Eatery? Probably. It's now the only food court in the Eaton Centre and it seems convenient when shopping in the area. There are a lot of options, and the area is clean (for now). The other big change that was implemented was the use of reusable dishes and cutlery. Cups and glasses too! It's like Ikea, but fancy. Andrew thinks the glasses will be stolen because they're pretty nice. There are signs on some tables to remind patrons to bring their trays to one of the service stations where staff will clear and sort trays. Andrew said that on Friday, the piles of trays and plates were about two feet off the counter. There were less people and less chaos when I went. Oh, and there are hooks underneath the taller tables to hang your purses, bags, new purchases, etc. 

Would I return to Rare? Sure. It's okay. It seemed like a healthy meal, and overall the food tasted pretty good. My mind wasn't blown, but it's pretty good stuff for food court food. Also, I'm a sucker for caramelized onions.

Total damage: $10.11.

All pics by Andrew's camera.

CNE

Canadian National Exhibition (Food Building, Princes' Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario)

It's almost the end of summer, and that means the Ex is back for another year of rickety rides, rigged games, and all the food you shouldn't eat. 

The first attraction we hit was the Food Building. Andrew had a list of about ten things to eat, and they were all deep-fried except for the donut burger.

Deep-fried cola. It's more expensive than the deep-fried slushie and deep-fried Kool-Aid.

I noted that the pieces sticking out of the cup looked like tentacles. It's basically a broken funnel cake topped with syrup, whipped cream, and cherries. Andrew said that he tasted the cola flavour, but it was like "weird Coke". 

Epic Burgers & Waffles.

There was a bit of a line for this place, as it sold the infamous doughnut burger. There was also the behemoth burger (grilled cheese sandwich as the bun of the burger).

Krispy Kreme burger ($8-something). Approximately 1500 calories.

It's a thick burger with processed cheese, lettuce, and tomato slices sandwiched in between two Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The vegetables were crispy and necessary to cut some of the sweetness away. The icing on the doughnuts were partially melted from the heat of the burger. I thought the actual meat was okay, but I could've done without the Krispy Kremes. They were way too sweet and didn't really do their job in holding the burger together. Andrew seemed to enjoy it though.

There's an option to make it "epic" by adding bacon and an egg, but that seemed like a death wish. 

 Mac & Cheesery. This was the place I was excited for. 

They offered different variations of mac and cheese, but I went there for the deep-fried mac n cheese. They also had deep-fried cheese curds, but they looked a bit dried up and not very exciting. They sort of reminded me of popcorn chicken.

 Deep-fried macaroni and cheese.

Andrew's batch had round chunks, whereas three of mine were shaped like rectangular prisms. They looked like fried tofu. My first bite into the crispy shell revealed a hot, gooey, and cheesy interior. It was good, but it needed salt or more seasoning. I went back to get some of their Frank's RedHot sauce and that made it taste more complete. It was deep-fried kid food, and I liked it.

Deep Fried Mars Bars (and Vachon cakes, and Pop tarts, and Oreos, and Twinkies).

The deep-fried Mars bar isn't a new idea, but deep-fried Vachon cakes sounded interesting. ($5) Got the Jos Louis, but the Ah Caramel! might've been a better order.

It might've been a good idea in theory, but it was a mess to eat. The Jos Louis was too big and soft to be held up by the stick. The batter was thin, but a bit soggy. That might've been because we waited a little while before eating it, though. I think the deep-frying ruined the snack, which was a perfectly fine thing to begin with. The extra chocolate sauce also seemed unnecessary. 

Deep-fried Mars bar.

Andrew said this was much better (and easier to eat).

I think the deep-frying melted the cream in between the two cake layers in the Jos Louis.

Steak & Cheese

Spicy fries and Sprite ($5-something, but it should've been $3.50 + tax.) I got ripped off.

They tasted like McCain fries. Again, I got ripped off, and I was left feeling very displeased.

Would I return? Probably. The deep-fried mac and cheese wasn't bad, I couldn't find the deep-fried butter, and I might try the deep-fried cheese curds and grilled cheese burger. Plus, it's not every day that I get to feast on fair food... just two weeks out of the year.

Admission to the CNE is $5 after 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. General admission is $16 otherwise.

Total damage: 876543456787654 calories.

Related articles:

Toronto Star article about the doughnut cheeseburger

BlogTO piece on how to get fat at the CNE

Toronto Life's summary of deep-fried Ex food

My previous visit to the Ex

Fresh Slice

Fresh Slice Pizza (5223 Yonge Street, North York, Ontario)

647-346-8931

It wasn't "Festive Tuesday", so our slices weren't $1, but I did have a bogo coupon.

Our two slices were cheaper (and probably more satisfying) than a hot dog from the street vendor. Jo and I both liked the garlic flavour coming from it. They heat the slices up for you after you pick them, but I think mine could've been reheated a little longer.

Would I return? Yes. It's fast and convenient. It's also pretty cheap and flavourful. I don't always crave fast food pizza, but this will do when hunger calls.

Total damage for my slice: less than $1 thanks to my coupon.

Fresh Slice

Fresh Slice (2nd floor food court, Pacific Mall, 4300 Steeles Avenue East, Markham, Ontario)

905-604-2791

I don't know what the middle flavour was; I just kind of pointed at it. The pizza isn't bad. Compared to Pizza Pizza, it's gourmet. The crust isn't super thick, but it holds up okay. It also isn't bland. I think the white sauce on the middle slice tasted like ranch dressing. 

Would I return? Yup. It's cheap and fast. It's hard to find a complete meal for $5 these days, but they managed to make it work. 

Total damage: $5 for three slices and a pop. 

Toronto à la Cart

Toronto a la Cart (Yonge and Finch)

Just south of Yonge and Finch, in front of the Shoppers Drug Mart, one can usually find a huddle of people around a Korean food stand at night. This is the only Toronto a la Cart location where I've actually spotted patrons. There are some interesting offerings, including kimchi dumplings, the red bean fish-shaped waffles, squid balls, pork belly bacon, and cup noodles. Since the nearby H Mart no longer sells the fish-shaped red bean waffles, this is a pretty good alternative at a price of 3 for $2. Though I must say that they didn't look as nice as the ones that Galleria used to have. 

Jo tried the fish cake in soup ($1) and squid balls.

Everyone seemed to like the MSG-filled broth that came with the fish cake. The squid balls were kind of like crab cake consistency, and not really exciting. They were also a bit dry inside.

Cup noodles ($3.50)

This actually looked like it came in a coffee cup. Jo said she saw them use a whole pack of noodles and was pleased with what she got. The broth seemed to be the same as the fish cake broth, but pepper was added so it was a bit spicier. 

Would I return? Yes, considering that I didn't get anything from there yet. Those cup noodles also looked pretty cool. This could easily provide a cheap dinner on the go.

McDevil Muffin

This tray was pretty random, what with the filet-o-fish combo and the chocolate muffin.

 Still on the prowl for crunchy top muffins, I decided to try the one at McDonald's.

This was an Oreo double chocolate muffin (or something along those lines). This was the closest thing to crunchy top muffin that I've had in a while. The edges were slightly harder, but I wasn't sure if that was by design or from being left out all day. If anything, the Oreo cookie bits made it crunchy. 

The search for proper muffins continues... 

McDevil

Me: How can it be a rib if it has no bone? 

Andrew: It's all the meat in between mashed up and processed into a patty. 

Me: So it's like a McNugget but in burger form. 

Andrew: Yeah, but pork and with barbecue sauce.

The McRib is back for a limited time. Andrew seems to like it.

I just order the crispy chicken ranch snack wraps.

Crispy! 

New York Fries

New York Fries (Sherway Gardens, 25 The West Mall, Toronto)

Small poutine. 

They were out of the braised beef poutine (booo!). The signs boast real cheese curds from Québec, and they were indeed cheese curds; however, they did not squeak. It was passable, but I would've preferred crispier fries, squeaky cheese curds, and more flavourful gravy. 

Total damage: $7.18.

Chipotle's

Chipotle Mexican Grill (3232 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario)

Chicken burrito.

The sour cream got all melty. The burrito was so packed and filling that I couldn't finish it. I should have ordered a fajita, even though they're no longer on the overhead menus.

Would I return? Sure, but I'd probably skip the sour cream that made everything melty. It's filling, but pales in comparison to the Chipotle's burritos that I've had in the States. The line is monstrous and can extend past the front doors during lunch time on weekdays, but it moves quickly. 

Total damage: $11.26 for my burrito and soft drink.