GTA – Page 33 – Michael Eats

Stellar Pizza at One Night Only

Published on October 27, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 581 Pape Avenue, Toronto
Website: https://ono.pizza/

I’ve been hearing basically nothing but great things about One Night Only since it opened — it started out as a home-based pandemic-era lark, but quickly became popular enough to justify their own storefront.

They’re way out on the east end and have somewhat unusual hours (they’re closed on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays), so it took me a while to check the place out, but man I’m glad that I did. The pizza here is phenomenal.

I tried the pepperoni, bacon and jalapeno; I typically like a more sparsely-topped pie, particularly when I’m first trying a place, but that was all they had left when I showed up at around 1:30 on a Saturday.

It’s an amazing slice of pizza. The crust has a great balance between exterior crispiness and interior chewiness/fluffiness, with just the right amount of heft and flavour.

The slice is generously topped but still nicely balanced, with a good ratio between the sauce, cheese, and toppings. And while it’s not the pizza I would have picked if I had the choice, it features great quality pepperoni and bacon, and the pops of heat from the jalapeno slices works well.

The buzz about this place meant my expectations were quite high, but this still managed to exceed them. It’s easily on par with top-tier places like Badiali, North of Brooklyn, and Superpoint. It’s so good.

Delicious Jamaican Food at Potluck Caribbean Cuisine

Published on October 23, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1707 Britannia Road East, Mississauga
Website: https://potluckrestaurant.ca/

I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from Potluck Caribbean Cuisine — I mostly checked it out because it’s close to my work, and it kinda blew me away.

It’s popular, that’s for sure. I showed up at around 4:15pm on a weekday and the place was shockingly busy for such a random time. It seemed odd, but then I ate the food and oh, okay, I get it.

I was hoping to order the jerk chicken, but they were out of dark meat, so I went with the BBQ chicken instead. You have your choice of sides; I got rice and peas (which they top with oxtail gravy), and coleslaw.

The chicken comes doused in a ketchupy BBQ sauce, and at first I thought it was too sweet (it’s a bit intense), but it grew on me. It’s especially good when you combine it with the rice and peas, which are nicely seasoned and feature perfectly creamy beans; it’s one of the best versions of the dish that I’ve ever had. The combo of the sweet sauce and the savoury rice is thoroughly delightful.

I got the “small” size, which is a comical designation considering that the overstuffed container is crammed with what has to be a couple of pounds of food. At 13 bucks, it’s a fantastic deal.

Delicious Soft Serve at Butter Baker

Published on October 16, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 140 Amber Street, Markham
Website: https://butter-baker.com/

The last time I tried Butter Baker, I had a croissant that I wasn’t particularly crazy about. I figured I’d try the soft serve this time, and it was thoroughly delicious. So clearly, that’s the thing to order.

I think the flavours rotate, but when I visited, they were serving a swirl consisting of plain frozen yogurt and a sorbet with passionfruit and… some other stuff. The guy described the flavour to me, and I immediately forgot. I know, I know — great blogging, very helpful. You’re welcome.

Whatever it is, it’s quite good, with the slightly tart sorbet balancing quite nicely with the sweet yogurt. That sweetness is maybe a bit too amped up, but that’s a minor complaint.

Tasty Katsu Curry at Cafe Green Tea

Published on October 14, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 3160 Steeles Avenue East, Markham
Website: None

Though the name might make you think it’s a coffee shop of some sort, Cafe Green Tea is actually a delightful little restaurant in the J-Town area of Markham specializing in Japanese comfort food like soba, udon, and katsu curry.

I ordered the katsu curry, which you can either get with pork or chicken (I got pork). It’s a counter service place, and they work quite fast; once I ordered, it only took a few minutes for my number to be called.

It’s a tasty plate of no-frills katsu curry. The pork is slightly on the dry side, but otherwise everything here is right where it should be: the curry is rich and flavourful, and the katsu has a perfect level of exterior crispiness.

Bonus: at 14 bucks for a relatively hefty serving, it’s a solid deal.

Solid Roman-style Pizza at A Pizza

Published on October 13, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 252 Queen Street West, Toronto
Website: None

First off: yes, this place is called “A Pizza,” and yeah, I’m as baffled by the name as you are. I’m not an expert in business, but I think making the name of your restaurant so generic that it’s nearly impossible to find online may not be a great idea? As I noted above, there’s no website — or maybe there is, and I just can’t find it?

The restaurant is also inside a convenience store, which just adds to the oddness factor here.

They have a variety of slices of Roman-style pizza that you can grab and go, along with a few sandwiches and a Nutella-filled doughnut.

I got a slice of the margherita, and it was pretty decent. I don’t exactly foresee Badiali-esque lines around the block anytime soon, but it’s a respectable slice of pizza.

There’s a nice balance of sauce and cheese, and the thick crust is crispy on its exterior and fluffy within. It’s maybe a bit too fluffy, and is a bit lacking in both taste and substance, but it gets the job done.