Michael Eats

Tasty New York Pizza at Prince Street Pizza

Published on November 16, 2023 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 472 Front Street West, Toronto
Website: https://princestreetpizza.ca/

Prince Street Pizza is a New York pizza joint that specializes in square, Sicilian-style slices that recently opened in Toronto with a whole bunch of hype. The lines were reportedly around the block.

Thankfully, things seem to have settled down a bit (there was a short line when I went, but nothing too bad). The place is takeout only, but if you go around the corner to the shopping area at The Well, there are some outdoor tables to be had.

It turns out the excitement over the place is quite warranted; it’s very good.

They have a variety of more traditional slices, along with the square ones they’re known for. I went with the Spicy Spring, which is their signature slice.

This particular pizza is basically just no-frills pepperoni, but every element is right where it should be: the slightly spicy pepperoni is thoroughly tasty (and it’s the type that curls up into little grease goblets — the king of pepperoni), the quality of the sauce and the cheese is top notch, and the crust is great.

The crust here is greasy enough that it essentially fries on the bottom, and yeah. Yeah, that’s the way to do it. It’s crispy, chewy, and has a great flavour.

While I liked that the slice wasn’t too overloaded with cheese, my only real complaint is that this meant that a lot of the pepperoni didn’t have anything to stick to, and fell off as soon as I picked up the slice. But if that’s the biggest complaint about a slice of pizza, you know you’re in good shape.

Quick Bites: Eataly Sherway Gardens, The Daily Dumpling Wonton Co., Roywoods

Published on November 15, 2023November 15, 2023 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Tuna sandwich and almond pastry cream croissant from Eataly in Sherway Gardens

I really hope that Eataly in Sherway gardens is still working out the kinks from their recent opening, because while my first visit was generally okay, I just tried a couple of things, and neither was even remotely worth what they’re charging. The tuna sandwich was basically fine, even if it tasted like something I could make at home and featured bread that didn’t exactly taste fresh. But the croissant (girella crema e mandrla) was so aggressively stale that I actually asked for my money back after a couple of bites. I’ve literally never even considered returning a pastry up to this point — and I’ve had a lot of bad pastries in my life — so make of that what you will.

Dumplings from The Daily Dumpling Wonton Co.

I tried a couple of varieties of dumpling from this place (Classic Shanghai, which is pork and mustard greens, along with shrimp, pork, and chive), and both were quite tasty. Neither variety particularly knocked my socks off, but they both featured perfectly cooked wrappers and satisfying fillings. The highlight might have actually been the very tasty chili oil, which is smoky, mildly spicy, and features a nice balance of flavours; they sell this in jars you can bring home, and yeah, I bought one.

Jerk chicken from Roywoods in Yorkdale

The time I tried the jerk chicken from Roywoods, I had it in a sandwich, so I figured I’d get the plate with rice this time. The boneless dark meat was a bit on the salty side, as was the rice, but it was otherwise quite tasty (and unlike last time, it actually had a pretty good kick). It’s nothing too mind-blowing, but for something from a food court, you could certainly do worse.

Pretty Good Brunch at Death and Taxes Free House

Published on November 11, 2023 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1154 Queen Street West, Toronto
Website: https://www.freehouse.co/locations/death-and-taxes

I’ll admit that I mostly wanted to go to Death and Taxes to sample one of the cask ales they (are supposed to) have on tap. Alas, they had zero cask ales available on the day I visited.

(For the uninitiated, a cask ale is a type of beer that’s naturally carbonated, unfiltered, and fermented in the cask, giving it a more complex flavour and a more subtle level of carbonation than a typical beer. I was recently in London, where this style of beer is served at basically every good pub; sadly, it’s much trickier to find here.)

I tried the breakfast burrito (“crispy bacon, hash, scrambled egg, feta, spicy mayo, flour tortilla”) along with the BLT (“toasted sourdough, butter, bacon, American cheese, curry mayo, garlic mayo, avocado, tomato, iceberg lettuce”). Both were tasty enough, though the BLT was the better of the two. Avocado is a great addition to the BLT formula, adding a nice dose of creaminess and richness. And the curry mayo is a great addition as well, bringing a ton of flavour to a sandwich that otherwise could have felt pretty routine.

And while the potatoes were under-seasoned and under-crispy (they weren’t crispy at all — intentionally?), they were well cooked and satisfying enough (though they definitely needed the provided cup of spicy ketchup).

Tasty Japanese Sandwiches at Imanishi Sando Bar

Published on November 9, 2023November 9, 2023 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 179 Brock Avenue (inside McCormick Park)
Website: https://imanishisandobar.square.site/

Imanishi Sando Bar is a bit of an odd one — located in an unlabeled shipping container next to a community centre, in an area where you’d absolutely never be able to see it if you were driving by, it’s pretty much the dictionary definition of a hidden gem.

They mostly serve a variety of Japanese sandwiches (or “sandos”), though they do have a few other things on the menu.

I tried the pork tenderloin sando, the aji (mackerel) sando, and the fries; everything was quite good.

Both the pork and the fish are freshly fried, with a delightfully crispy exterior and a perfectly cooked interior. They’re served on sweet, fluffy Japanese milk bread, which complements them both perfectly.

The aji, with its tartar sauce and slice of cheese, is basically like an upscale Filet-O-Fish. Both sandwiches are saucy as hell (the pork has what tastes like the same tartar sauce, along with tangy tonkatsu sauce); they’re a bit of a mess to eat, but they’re extremely tasty.

The fries are quite good too — particularly once you dip them in the sweet honey mustard sauce on the side — though they are fairly standard battered fries.

Delicious, Beefy Sandwiches at Marq’s Chicago Beef

Published on November 6, 2023 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 707 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Website: https://www.marqsbeef.ca/

If you’re looking for a tasty, beefy sandwich, look no further: you’ve found it. Go to Marq’s and thank me later.

As the name implies, Marq’s serves Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches, which features a whole bunch of roast beef on a French roll, served with a beefy au jus sauce (which, unlike a French dip, is incorporated right into the sandwich).

The sandwich is served as saucy as you like it: either juiced, dipped, or dunked, with dipped being the default level. You can further customize your sandwich with giardiniera (spicy pickled veggies) or sweet peppers, or if you want to really live it up, both.

I got the sandwich dipped with both, and it was extremely tasty. It’s exactly what you want it to be — the beef has a great flavour, it’s super tender, and the sauce-soaked bread is the perfect vehicle. That’s not to mention the zingy giardiniera, which does a great job of adding some brightness to the very heavy sandwich.

There’s not much else to say about it — it’s a great sandwich. There’s a whole lot I liked about it, and nothing that I didn’t.