Of all the slices I've had in Mississauga, the one (shown above) at the San Francesco's (the one located in a plaza at Britannia and Creditview) is BY FAR my favourite. And I know San Francesco's is a chain, but they're independently run - so you can't just go to any to get this great slice. You have to go to this specific location. It's right near my brother Robbie's work, so he was the one who introduced us (us meaning me and this slice). TRY THIS NOW.
If you care to see a recent list of other top slices in the fine city of Mississauga, you can check out this Insauga piece. I definitely have added the ones listed there on my to-eat list.
We're all aware of my feelings on Shake Shack as well as Big Gay Ice Cream. So I think it's safe to say that I will be ALL OVER THIS CROSSOVER.
These limited-time "layered shakes" cost $6.50 and are on sale from November 21 to 23. The one on the left (above) has got Bryan Petroff and Doug Quint's eggnog-flavored soft-serve at the base, then some Shack signature frozen pumpkin custard, shake-ified, on top, with a layer of La Newyorkina graham-cracker crumble in the middle. That order is flip-flopped on the right — it's eggnog shake atop pumpkin custard — and both are 16 ounces.
I'm not a huge fan of nog, but I'm still extremely pumped about this ludicrous concoction.
This baby consists of rosemary-and-thyme challah stuffing, smoked turkey, cheese curds, chicken gravy and fingerling potatoes. Mile End (the Montreal deli/poutine place in NYC and Brooklyn) will be offering these limited time poutines in honour of American Thanksgiving this month. Though, since they're a Canadian-run restaurant... shouldn't they have done this last month? Anyway, I'm willing to overlook that fact since I want to eat this thing bad.
The next time you're serving a large group of people, cut a circle in the center (place a small bowl on the cake and trace around it). Then cut the outer ring into slices. You'll have nice square pieces that fit on a plate, instead of long wedges that drop off the edge. You can cut the small round middle into pieces too.
Who the hell knew there was a booming food truck industry in the suburbs of Toronto? Over the past few months, I've made a list of some of the trucks that I've heard good things about and will eventually try.
CORNehCOPIA from Mr. Corn - Canada’s first and only gourmet food truck specializing in corn on the cob and various corn dishes. Um, what? I love corn AND I WANT THIS FANCY TRUCK CORN. You can see their menu here.
BeaverTails - I've never had a beavertail! Is that a thing Canadians are supposed to have tried already? I only learned what one is recently, so I'll use that as my excuse. You can see where they'll be next by following their Twitter.
Ish & Chips - a fish & chips truck, basically. I mostly want to go here because of how much my brother Gary uses the word "ish". You can see their menu here.
Curbalicious - whoa. Just woah. Look at their poutine (pictured below). Are we serious here? That looks incredible. You can see the rest of their menu here.
Dirty South - Specializes in southern comfort food with a gourmet twist. "The Dirty Southern Love (picture below) is their signature and most popular sandwich, which includes crispy fried chicken tossed in a mild Louisiana butter sauce and thick sliced candied bacon sandwiched between three layers of homemade buttermilk waffles and topped with baby arugula." You can find their menu here.
The Dirty Southern Love from Dirty South
These are just the ones I especially want to try, but there are obviously way more out there. You can peruse some more that roam the GTA over here.
I will never be a fan of the combination of chicken and peanuts. Ever. I've never thought they tasted good together, I don't know why I feel that way but I'm certain that I can't change. I've been making this recipe a lot recently, though, because a certain someone has told me it's among the best things that have come out of our kitchen.
Ingredients
1/2 of a small red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil (or peanut oil, if you have it)
2 pounds boneless chicken breast, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup water, more if you like less chunky sauces
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch of asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces, ends trimmed
Instructions
In a large skillet, cook the onion and garlic over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until softened.
Add chicken and cook until no longer pink.
In a blender, mix together peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, ginger, lime juice, 1/2 cup water, cumin and red pepper flakes until combined.
Add asparagus to the skillet and stir well. Cook for a few minutes until asparagus turn bright green.
Add the peanut mixture and mix well. Cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes until chicken and vegetables are thoroughly coated. Serve immediately over quinoa, rice, noodles or alongside some corn.
Owner Thomas Cardaccia and chef Antoine Pelhate will soon debut Les Jardins de la Duchesse at 138 Orchard Street in NYC. Who the hell knew there were éclair aficionados? You can see a sample menu they have on their website over here.
Photo: Sylvain Renault
They'll have sweet as well as savory éclairs (like the bacon-wrapped goat cheese one pictured above). Have you ever heard of a savory éclair? Is that a thing? Am I not French enough to have that kind of knowledge? Either way, they look phenomenal. I will definitely give this place a try when they open.
As you already know, my babefriend Jenn recently finished her first book tour. And while she was away, she brought me back some chocolates from a place called Moonstruck Chocolate Co. located in Portland, Oregon. The best (/most memorable) piece of chocolate I've had in a very long time was their Popping Praline that was amongst the Monster Mash Collection.
It was tasty as hell and actually popped in my mouth - yeah, popping chocolate. I don't get it either. Not sure how anyone can make popping chocolate but I'm going to assume it has something to do with science.
If you find yourself in Portland, OR - go check this place out. I'm sure there are other chocolate anomalies existing inside.
Before I begin, let me start by saying that you can't get this sandwich at Murray's Cheese Bar. No, no - this one is only available in their cheese shop next door. And no, that's not a typo - a BBLT is a Burrata Bacon Lettuce Tomato sandwich, you rube! And here it is.
The BBLT at Murray's Cheese Shop
Whenever I find myself in the West Village, it's always a hard decision for me to choose this baby or that baby to feast upon. Also, you have to keep in mind that to encounter any kind of burrata dish under $10 is a FEAT in this city.
Definitely try this if you've ever ordered a BLT anywhere in the history of the planet. The extra B really puts it over the top and makes it crazy delicious.
