THE REAL MCCOY

 REAL MCCOY BURGERS AND PIZZA

LOCATION:

1033 Markham Road

Scarborough, ON

Every once-in-awhile, you need to treat yourself to some good old take-out. We recently found our selves near the Real McCoy, which has been a local favourite since before I was born. This little dive specializes in pizzas and burgers. There is nowhere to sit, so you have to take your order home or eat in the car. Should it be ranked number 27 on the urbanspoon list? Probably not. But the fact that it's been there forever is pretty impressive. 

 The pizza slice was fresh and hot and the crust was thin but not to floppy, however. the best part was how crispy the  pepperoni got.

 The Burger was not the best, frozen and rather regular, to be honest. 

The star of the show was the small poutine Mmm so much gravy and mozzarella cheese, how can you really go wrong with all that goodness?

The Wishper Dog, was pretty tasty toped with crispy bacon and melted Kraft cheese slices. So bad for your body, but so good in your mouth.

Would we go back? Most likely not

OLDE YORKE FISH AND CHIPS

        OLDE YORKE FISH AND CHIPS

LOCATION:

96 Laird Dr 

(416)6969670

RATINGS:

Service: 3 / 4

Ambiance: 2 . 5 / 4

Food: 2 . 75 / 4

Price: $$

After hearing all of the hype I finally made my way to the Old Yorke, for a quick lunch.  This little fish joint can get quite busy and has a large early bird crowd.  Most things on the menu are battered and deep fried so if you are on a diet there wont be a lot of options for you. 

We started off with a plate of DEEP FRIED CLAMS.  The heaping mountain of golden clams were perfectly fried and battered. 

The classic MEAT AND MUSHROOM PIE came hot and fresh.  The crust was flaky and soft, but we all found the filling to be a little bland and dry.  However, the creamy slaw was a nice side added a nice cool light flavour to the otherwise heavy pie.

The fish is what they are know for,  and I ordered the HALIBUT.  The batter was thick and crispy and adhered well to the fish, and it was not at all greasy at all.  The fish was flaky, juicy and tender, but a little under-seasoned.  With all the fried food going around, I opted for a Greek salad rather than fries.  It was fresh and full of crisp veggies.

The FRIED SHRIMP were large and juicy.  The batter however, was a little bit too thick for us and overwhelmed the flavor of the shrimp. Again, we found all of the battered items to be a little bland and under seasoned.  The platter of shrimp came with the creamy slaw and some cocktail sauce for dipping. 

After we saw a few tables order the ONION RINGS we knew we had to have them. The  light, crispy and slightly oily batter surrounded delicious thick cuts of sweet onion. 

Would we go back? Maybe

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:

Onion rings

LIL BACI

 LIL' BACI

LOCATIONS:
892 Queen St E
(416) 465- 4888

2013 Yonge St
(647) 748- 6300

www.lilbaci.com

RATINGS:
Ambiance: 3 / 4
Service: 3 / 4
Food: 2. 75 / 4
Price: $$

If you are looking for tasty, honest, low-key Italian food  then this little Leslieville gem is the place for you.  Lil' Baci  has a rustic, cool, hipster vibe with a spacious interior that you would not expect from the outside.  They  have an amazing back patio that is open in the summer but it fills up very quickly.  The menu is quite simple, providing typical Italian appetizers, salads, four to five pastas and about 10 pizzas.  Everything I have tried so far I have been pleased with.  It's the kind of  casual place that you go to during the week when you don't want to cook or break your budget.

One thing that really bothers me at most restaurants is flagging your waiter down for some water.  Lil' Baci avoids this issue by providing every table with their own water jug.  This gives them bonus points! 

They have a small but thorough wine list but the highlights are their selection of local microbrew beers. 

Their CHARCUTERIE is one of my favourites in the city for they provide you with a selection of cured meats, cheese, olives, fresh hot veggies and warm house-made bread.

The pastas are simple- they don't try to be overly fancy.  The SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS tastes like a dish your grandmother would make. They use just the right amount of sauce, fresh basil and parmesan cheese. The meatballs are made homemade, soft and full of flavour; if you like meatballs you will love these.  The portions are not large enough for left overs, but you wont go home hungry.

The PORK BELLY RAGU is by far my favourite dish.  The rigatoni is always perfectly cooked and  they use just the right amount of garlic, basil, parmigiano and fresh ripened tomatoes for the sauce.  The large grilled pieces of pork belly really kick the pasta sauce up a notch with its rich flavours. The only thing I don't like about this bowl of pasta is the size - I always want more for lunch the next day.

Would we go back? Yes

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:
Pork Belly Ragu

LESLIEVILLE PUMPS

LESLIEVILLE PUMPS

Location:
929 Queen St E
Toronto M4M 1J6
(416) 465 1313

This old-style gas station / general store has  quickly become the talk of the town.  You feel like you are travelling back in time when you enter LESLIEVILLE PUMPS  for you are surrounded by vintage candies and gum-ball machines.  Surprisingly enough it's the food that people are really talking about.  Hanging behind the friendly staff at the counter is a chalkboard with tempting country BBQ favourites.

After pumping the car full of gas I ordered the  PULLED PORK SANDWICH.  Sweet and tangy pulled pork piled high on a toasted bun with fresh cool slaw.  The sandwich was tasty, but a little pricy for what you are getting.

Who can say no to a POUTINE? Not me.  The fries were crispy and hot, and the gravy was thick and flavourful, but there was not enough cheese.   As a result, I was a little disappointed as cheese curds are my favourite part of a poutine. 

Would we go back? If I was hungry and needed some gas, then yes. But I wouldn't make a special trip.

THE COMMISSARY

THE COMMISSARY

LOCATION:
889 Queen Street E
Toronto,  ON M4M 1J6
(416) 477-3393

http://www.TheCommissary.ca

RATINGS:
Service: 3 / 4
Ambiance: 3 / 4
Food: 2.75 / 4
Price: $$

My parents came for a visit on Sunday morning, so we decided to go for a quick local brunch. Upon entering this charming little cafe-bistro, we were greeted by the cheerful, kind owner and staff.  I knew the restaurant was relatively new so we were expecting a few kinks. We were pleasantly surprised and happy to find another delicious brunch spot for which you don't have to wait in a half hour line.

My dad had the PEAMEAL BENEDICT.  The soft poached eggs and thick-cut slices of peameal bacon were served on top of a toasted English muffin.  The eggs were cooked perfectly; he loved every bite.

My mother and I shared the RANCHEROS.  Our eggs were also perfectly cooked to a nice medium-soft poach.  The warm eggs were served with sautéed beans and house-made baked tomato salsa.  It was so tasty we both wished we hadn't shared.

Would we go back? Yes

STANDOUT DISH:

The Rancheros