As the weather warms, many choose to celebrate the season of fun in the sun and outdoors by taking their meals outside. Portable and delicious, the sandwich is an excellent food choice for such outings. My search for an ideal balance between a wheat-based shell and its glorious fillings has resulted in many noteworthy finds that would make any man (or woman) swoon. Sample any of the treats below for complete satisfaction.

The tender and moist slow roasted beef brisket ($6.50) takes 5 days to prepare at Black Camel (Rosedale Location: 4 Crescent Road). Choose to pair it with the house made Black Camel BBQ sauce, and/or any additional toppings (i.e. roasted sweet red peppers) for an extra $0.75.

Continue reading Which ‘wich? »

While its origins are still a matter of mild controversy (New York City?Or Omaha?), the basic Reuben is essentially a grilled or toasted sandwich made with rye bread, corned beef or pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and either Russian or Thousand Island dressing. It’s comfortingly uncomplicated, but the combination of its relatively simple ingredients elevates it to the level of sandwich that causes those experienced in Reuben magic to crave one the moment its name is mentioned. That’s what happened to me when a friend shared his recent memory of a wonderful Reuben he had enjoyed during a visit to Montreal. I immediately decided that my next mission in life was to check out a few places in our own fair city to see if I could find the tastiest real deli deal.

Continue reading A Quest for the Reubenesque »

Get Real! Café
135 Ossington Avenue
416 532-4564
Lunch for two including all taxes, tip, and tea: $29

It was a rainy day, and I was cold and hungry; I yearned for a safe haven and comfort food. As I walked hurriedly down Ossington Avenue toward Queen Street West, a cozy refuge presented itself to me. I excitedly entered the world of Get Real! Cafe, a decision I will forever be thankful for making.

Offering gourmet and basic salads, deluxe and open-faced sandwiches, and a Hot Pot option, this weekday menu was a dream come true for me. It can be challenging to find equally delicious vegetarian/vegan and affordable food in an unpretentious environment in Toronto. This is just the type of spot I’d love to visit on a Sunday for brunch (for which they have a separate menu), though I’m sure this tiny space must get packed quickly.

Continue reading Get Real! »

I tried to be a vegetarian back in my early years of university – “tried” being the operative word. I could not turn my taste buds off of pork, as it is a staple ingredient in Cantonese cuisine, which I grew up with. Yes, I am a fan of this “other” white meat, and noticed that many pubs and restaurants in the city now have a slow-cooked drool worthy entrée on their menu – the pulled pork sandwich. What’s not to love about this sandwich? It has super tender meat enrobed in a barbecue sauce and cupped in a bun that soaks up the fat and sauce… yum. I did an overview of a few places to see who makes the meanest pulled pork out there. To slow the process of clogging up my arteries and decrease the risk of chronic stomach-aches, I limited myself to three places offering this “low-fat” handheld snack.

Continue reading Pulled Pork Put to the Test »

Petit Four
187 Bay Street
Commerce Court South, Concourse Level
416-368-1221

Petit Four has the makings of an oxymoron. On one hand, it serves tiny desserts, but on the other it dishes up hefty sandwiches. Its conceptual slogan is “An artisanal approach to everyday living,” meanwhile it lives on the lower level of Bay Street’s Commerce Court, catering to cerebral people whose familiarity with artisan anything probably comes from reading the buzzword in trendy urban magazines. And the bakery is owned not by craftsmen but by a corporate entity made up of more than 40 restaurants, which pulled in $150 million last year.

Still, you have to give credit to anyone who opens an operation with the goal of changing the face of take-out by coddling customers with concierges and emphasizing quality in the Bay streeters’ food court. It’s a jungle down there. Most competitors have developed masterful computerized technology turning food prep into an uber-efficient assembly line. Order a meal for under $10 and it will be in your hands before you can say investment banker.

Continue reading Quality Courting »

When I was little, I was all about the grilled cheese. In particular, my grandma’s grilled cheese. Every visit to her house meant gooey goodness in the form of heavily buttered Wonder Bread and cheddar (the real stuff - not a Kraft Single in sight), paired with Heinz and baby dills. Even though she never makes them for me anymore, my memories of those childhood lunches are warm and fuzzy. So when I noticed some gourmet grilled cheese offerings around town, I was tempted to see if they could become a grown up version of my favourite comfort food. The tasting began!

Continue reading Grilled Cheese Goes Gourmet »

Sandwich Box
67 Richmond Street West
416-913-4444
238 Queen Street West
416-204-9411
Lunch for two with all taxes, tip and juice: $20

Sometimes, a sandwich is a quick bite on the run, eaten rapidly and forgotten moments later. At Sandwich Box, it is a thing of beauty and worth savouring. In the past, in order to eat a sandwich this good, I would have had to stop at a market for the kinds of gourmet, high-end ingredients available at Sandwich Box - artisanal breads, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, pinkish rare roast beef that is almost a carpaccio, chicken grilled on the premises and some real choices in the cheese department.

Continue reading Not Just Any Sandwich - Sandwich Box »

It’s fairly common knowledge that if you want to make money in the restaurant industry, you don’t open some high end joint specializing in truffles and caviar and lobster and champagne. Oh, sure, those places do well, but for most people who have mortgages and kids and car payments, $200 meals are for special occasions only, if at all. The smart restaurateur knows that the real money is in the small bills; coffee, muffins, and of course, sandwiches.

Since 1762, when the 4th Earl of Sandwich had his cook slap together a piece of meat between two slices of bread so he could eat while continuing at his card game, the sandwich has been known as a cheap, easy and filling meal. And in the restaurant biz, a repeat customer who buys an $8 sandwich and salad combo three times every week brings in far more revenue than someone splurging on that $200 meal once a year for a special occasion. Plus, the average sandwich shop, where most customers take their food to go, can serve considerably more diners per meal than a high-end restaurant with only 30 seats and a maximum of one turnover per service.

Continue reading ‘Wich Hunt »

California Sandwiches
244 Claremont Street
416-603-3317
Lunch for two with sodas and tax (no tip): $18.50

California Sandwiches spends nothing on advertising. Less is spent on décor. The World Series Poker pinball machine (which replaced the Sopranos pinball which replaced the Elvis pinball) sits mostly unused. Bright orange walls, a cobwebbed espresso machine, and a photo of Italy’s 2006 soccer team do little to inspire romantic conversation. The storefront sits on a short, one-way side street in little Italy. The light bulb in the basement restroom flickers incessantly like set decoration in one of those new horror movies where teenagers get tortured for two hours. No one just strolls past California and decides to get something to eat. They come looking.

Continue reading The Call of the Sandwich »

Café Bernate
1024 Queen Street West
416-535-2835
lunch for two (including a cookie) with taxes, tip and coffee: $30

Regularly for the past ten or twelve years or so, I’d pass Café Bernate and say to myself, “We’ve really got to go there sometime!” Located on Queen West at Ossington, I’d be reminded of it twice a day as I rode the streetcar back and forth to work, yet somehow I never made it over there. Not for lack of trying through – a couple of times Greg, the husband, and I set out with the express intention to have lunch at the little gem of a café only to find it closed or packed.

So when we were walking along Queen Street a couple of weekends ago and both of us found our stomachs rumbling for lunch, we were surprised, astounded even, to find the place open. Finally, we would get to eat at Café Bernate.

Continue reading Café Bernate - What Was I Missing All These Years? »