Betty’s
240 King Street East
416-368-1300
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and pints: $45

Earlier this year, my husband and I embarked on a “no fried foods” rule, which dissolved almost as quickly as we agreed to it. All the same, there are times when I’m not in the mood for french fries, so I was intrigued by the option of having cous cous with cranberry and orange zest alongside my sandwich at Betty’s. Fluffy, light and cool, it’s the perfect side dish during patio weather.

Betty’s is a breezy, relaxed bar on King Street East. It’s frequented by nearby George Brown students, local journalists and comedians. Every inch of available wall space is plastered with a hodge-podge of posters, artwork, photographs, and framed magazine covers, as well as a copy of the cease and desist letter from the Betty Ford Clinic - Betty’s original name. Three rooms on the main floor, a second floor with pool tables and a large, sheltered back patio provide lots of seating. Corktown Comedy performs upstairs on Wednesday nights and they’ve created a Facebook group for fans of the watering hole.

With 20 types of draft beer on tap - including three local; Amsterdam, Mill Street and Steam Whistle, Betty’s has a great mix of premium, imported and a few domestic taps, and 28 types of bottled beer. For those not imbibing, their iced tea is refreshing, not too sweet or tart, and chock full of ice.

The menu has a wide range of pub grub; fish and chips, sandwiches, burgers (both beef and vegetarian options), nachos, burritos, enchiladas, salads and fries. When I’m there with George Brown classmates for pints, someone invariably orders Dennis’ deep six ($7.95) for the table; layered deep fried beans, sautéed onions, salsa, gaucamole, sour cream and cheddar cheese, with tortilla chips for dipping, or chicken wings ($9.95 for 1 lb); tossed in mild, medium, hot, suicide, honey garlic or jerk sauce, with a side of blue cheese dip. Both are excellent examples of their kind, the food always does a disappearing act, even when some demur that they’re not hungry.

When I’m at Betty’s for a meal, I often end up with the Klub Fred club sandwich ($8.95), filled with swiss cheese, ham, bacon, cucumber, tomato and mayo on white. I don’t normally eat white bread, but I like it in this sandwich; the cucumber adds a cooling crunch. The sandwich is a savoury, salty counterpoint to the slight sweetness of the cranberry orange cous cous. I’m always a little sad when my cous cous is finished, one of these days I’ll remember to ask for a larger serving.

On our last visit, my husband had the chicken enchiladas ($9.95); wrapped spicy chicken, red and green peppers, onions, coriander and chili sauce covered with melted cheese. Although the dish was spicy, cheesy and baked to perfection, it was a bit too hearty for a muggy summer day - it would be an excellent choice for chillier weather. The side ceasar salad (all entrées come with a choice of spinach, ceasar, greek, mixed green salad or fries) had fresh, dark green romaine, thick, creamy ceasar dressing, lots of croutons and parmesan cheese.

Service at Betty’s is like everything else about the place - friendly, relaxed and down to earth. As for the fries ($1.25), I may not have an obsession with them like I do about their cous cous, but they are golden, crispy and definitely make it worthwhile to break our fried food ban.