A Taste of Victory

Last Friday, on the 19th of November, I attended a Raptors home game against the Houston Rockets. Then, at an abysmal 3-9 record, the Raps were hurting for a win. Fortunately, they came out on top in convincing fashion with a 106-96 win. As the clock ticked down to 0 in the fourth, I screamed at the top of my lungs, "FREE PIZZA!" We all know that when the Raps score more than 100 points in a home game regardless of winning or losing, the fans attending the game at the ACC (Air Canada Centre) receive a free slice of pizza at Pizza Pizza. Winning is just icing on the cake :). So I cashed in on these free pizza slices the next day... and you know what? They tasted like victory!

You know what else tasted like victory? The food that I had the night after the game. When downtown, I can't think of better places to go to than Burrito Boyz and Smoke's Poutinerie for late night munchies. How convenient that they are both located in the same building? I went downstairs first to devour a halibut burrito at Burrito Boyz.


After that, I went upstairs to Smoke's and picked up a large poutine. I opted to go with the classic combination of fries, Quebec cheese curds, and gravy. While extras such as bacon or sausage make poutine that much heartier, often they take away from the simplicity of poutine that makes it so darn good.

I was having a bit of difficulty in finishing my poutine. I wasn't sure if it was because I just demolished a halibut burrito or the fact that I wasn't too fond of the herbal-esque quality of the gravy. Don't get me wrong, I would return to Smoke's in a heartbeat but I'm not entirely sold on this signature gravy. In my opinion, it needs to be meatier. Perhaps, this is why I prefer the gravy at Poutini's House of Poutine at Queen Street West, where the owners pride themselves on traditional gravy made in-house everyday by roasting bones and fresh vegetables. These ingredients are simmered for at least 8 hours, and from that comes a thickened, seasoned gravy.

Regardless, I am just ecstatic that there are pioneer poutine joints popping up in Toronto. Keep them coming!

The Double Down Craze

Hoo-Ray! Great news... 2 weeks in and KFC Canada has sold 350, 000 Double Down's since its inception on the Canadian market on October 18th! You know what this means? I'm not alone in enjoying this bun-less wonder! Who could deny oneself of 2 original recipe boneless chicken breasts, crispy bacon, processed pepper jack cheese, and the Colonel's special sauce? My quest for the elusive double down started even before it's Canadian debut. Having heard of a new sandwich that didn't have room for a bun in America, I knew I had to have it. I had a 6 week window and I was lucky enough to have scheduled a trip to Sin City. The closest KFC I could find near the Strip was in the Fashion Show Mall. My dreams were answered! But, to my dismay, when I ordered a double down, the man didn't have the slightest clue of what I was talking about. My trip was ruined, it was a disaster! How could the state of Nevada not have a double down? Las Vegas is the capital of double downing!!! You mean to say that I couldn't eat a double down whilst doubling down on an 11 at a Blackjack table? Preposterous! Weeks later, back in Toronto, I was down but not defeated. I convinced my future-to-be fiancee to go on a road trip to Buffalo, a 2 hour drive, to get a double down. No exaggeration. I Googled the closest one to the U.S. / Canadian border and went for it. On arrival, the place looked run down... but I didn't care, we had arrived! It was like I found El Dorado! Unfortunately for me, after tasting the double down, I was in denial. It was ... ... dry? It wasn't as moist as I had hoped. The cheese wasn't melted. The bacon was limp. I was in shock. I drove all this way for this??? I blamed it on the location. What kind of KFC runs out of ketchup? I returned back to Toronto in silence. No stories would be told. But, when I heard the double down was coming to Canada, I had to give it a second chance. I casually dropped into a KFC at Vaughn Mills mall a week before its debut and oddly enough it was already on sale. I'm sure you'd know why I didn't question this. Here I was, with my double down. Round 2. I closed my eyes and took a bite... IT WAS MOIST... everything came together. It was magical. Caution: It was hot! One beef: It wasn't as big as I remembered it the first time... So I couldn't resist downing 2 Teen burgers for $5. :P Anyways, if this food adventure does not convince you to try a double down before it's gone for good, I don't know what will... TAKE ONE DOWN!

The McRib: Chalk it up to Good Marketing

Recently, my friend e-mailed me a link to an article at NY Daily News regarding the beloved return of the McRib nationwide in the States. The reason? They quoted Jenny Wu, a fan of the McRib, who apparently sounds a lot like me when I rant about food. In the article, she is quoted, "I'm going to eat as many as I can until I throw up. It's so tasty! We don't know what animals McDonald's killed to make the McRib, but we don't care because it tastes so good. The McRib is so elusive. It comes out sporadically and then it's gone again, like a unicorn." Well said! But I do disagree with the comment about throwing up. While it emphasizes her point about how delicious the McRib is, it does not do the sandwich justice to expel its contents. Instead, it must be kept down. Only in that manner can the McRib become part of your soul!

I would also like to point out that the article wrongly claims that the McRib returns after 16 years. That would place the last McRib release during the summer of 1994 when it was co-released with the Flintstones live action movie. But don't we remember the McRib Farewell tour in 2005? And subsequently, there have been numerous farewell tours. In Canada, I remember picking it up at the Eaton Centre in Toronto during the spring of 2008. Perhaps we can attribute this forgetfulness to good marketing on McDonald’s part.

But alas, I don’t see what the fascination is about the McRib. To me, it doesn’t have that certain “it” factor or the “je ne sais quoi” that I find even with the regular McDonald’s line-up. Or perhaps, I don’t like how it masquerades as a rib sandwich. More like rib shaped pork if you ask me. If I wanted rib shaped pork, I’d nuke up a Hungry-Man Backyard Barbeque.

Now that I have alienated all McRib lovers, I’d like to apologize. Really, my opinion doesn’t count. Rejoice why you still can!!! You have about 6 weeks! GO NOW!

P.S. It seems that this offer only stands nationwide in the States. For my Canadian McRib lovers, you got some driving south of the border to do to get your fix.