Taste For Tango

I'm getting addicted to these curbside patios that mushroomed during the pandemic re-opening. Thursday night, I walked along a lively (even with social distancing) College St. between Dovercourt and Shaw. This stretch was usually more staid in normal times with people gathered inside since the patio-friendly spots were further East in Little Italy. Bar Isabel had a small wait list for its fancy tapas, the various regular and gastro-bars had set up seating, and even old-school, valet-parking Chiado had tables outside.

I sat down at Vos Restaurante Argentina. I was surprised when my bill stated that they have been around 24 years. When Vos landed here a couple of years back, they always seemed to struggle with a mostly empty dining room when I walked by. Even tonight, their set-up wasn't as busy. But since the closing of Porta Nova, I thought to give a different steak-house a try.

Their meat came from Argentina so I chose a Entrana de Ternera ($26), a side of Pure de Papas ($8.00) and a glass of Malbec La Linda ($15). The complimentary thick bread, lightly toasted, was accompanied by a pureed eggplant spread. The veal skirt came out as a spiral that I unrolled. It was soft and juicy and was nicely complimented by Chimichurri, an Argentinian parsley dip, and Criolla, a Salsa-esque mix of bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes. My side was creamy mashed potatoes mixed with roasted garlic and parmesan cheese.

As I was enjoying the combination of flavour, I remembered an old co-worker from years ago. They never liked any of the lunch buffet we went to. As an "Argentinian with access to fresh food", they insisted that salt and pepper was all that was required, "Spices were originally needed to disguise spoiled meat". This was a patently false myth. It's ok that some people never develop a taste for food different from that of their upbringing. But I'm glad that I acquired an enjoyment for all kinds of cuisine in my adulthood.

Drunken Noodle

I enjoyed eating lunch at Don Pollo's curbside patio on Sunday. Wednesday evening, I decided to look for another patio for dinner. But the setting sun was blazing down on the ones along Bloor St so I ambled over to Dufferin Grove to wait it out. The park tonight seemed more active than usual. There were still people sitting around chatting including a large birthday group. But most were involved in physical activities: playing ping-pong on the concrete table, working out at an outdoor Yoga/fitness class, practicing Capoeira in a large circle, running soccer drills, or off in their own world in a sort of free movement/contact improv exercise.

Finally, I made my way back up to Bloor and sat down at Idle. This bar started 10 years ago as Drift, part of the influx of trendy/hipster businesses to the Bloorcourt neighbourhood. It was packed early on, but the crowd dropped off after a few years. Then it was usually as empty as the older Portuguese bars. There were likely several owner changes since then, with a new name, and changing food menu.

Perhaps the new proprietors were Vietnamese since the menu was mostly this cuisine including spring rolls, pho, and banh mi. But there were also "Viet tacos", quesadillas, and pasta. Unfortunately the Vietnamese dish I wanted was only available on Friday so I opted for Singapore noodles ($12) and a can of Woodhouse lager ($6).

It was a good dish with a nice balance of flavour between curry powder, fish sauce, and sriracha. You can't go wrong with fried noodles. The only misstep was using chicken instead of tofu per my order. Unless they have some vegan secret that outperforms Beyond Meat.

These curbside tables are great for people-watching whereas normal patios usually cordon you off from pedestrians. The beer buzz was a mellow bonus; like that first visit to Drift, I made the "mistake" of drinking before eating. On my way here, someone complimented my band t-shirt. We had a quick convo about where we saw Tank and The Bangas (me: Danforth and Mod Club; them: Adelaide Hall a year earlier) and Sweet Crude (me: headliner at Drake Underground; them: opener at Adelaide Hall). I was patting myself for still being "with it" when they congratulated me on having great taste in music, "sir".

To Get To The Shady Side

I have been doing some Yoga in the park because being outside was sometimes cooler than inside my place. On Sunday after self-practice, I wandered along College St. looking for a place to eat. Numerous restaurants had patios but I was looking for a less busy one on the South side (where there was some shade) to hide from blazing afternoon sun.

Finally, just past Bathurst, I saw two tables in front of trendy hot-spot Quetzal. Similar to Ballaro and Mission Lasagna, they were offering a simplified chicken-heavy menu under the moniker Don Pollo during the pandemic. I opted for a chicken sandwich ($13.95) and a side of escabeche vegetables ($5.95). The brioche buns were stuffed full of sinaloa-style chicken, slathered in sauce, and piled high with coleslaw. The veggies were a fancy version of pickles. Nevertheless, the variety of carrots, cauliflower, et al went well with the grilled chicken meat. That sandwich was a bit messy because of the size and ingredient; good thing I was given several napkins. It was a nice lunch despite the intense heat.

The Side is Pie

Though I've eaten plenty of cheap but tasty pizza from 241 Pizza and Fresca lately, I had a hankering for better quality ones. I recalled that early on in the pandemic, I was walking through Ossington and saw just off a small side street a pizzeria called Blondies. So on Friday, I placed an order for a small (13") one called A Kissing Tigress ($15) for lunch. On my way to Humbert St., I passed by trendy Dundas St. W. and onto Ossington. They also have had sections of car lanes blocked off so that restaurants can install patios. Though some just put out small tables, others have upped their game complete with wooden fencing or chest-high planters and full-sized picnic tables. With its narrow lanes, Ossington now resembled a quaint European street. There were lots of construction too. A row of houses from 46-54 Ossington has finally succumbed to gentrification. Billboards have gone up advertising retail spaces for rent.

My pizza came in a pink box with white polka dots. The Tigress was essentially Blondies' take on a traditional Margherita. I sat on the grounds of the nearby (and temporary location of) University of Toronto Schools to take a bite. If I had known Osler Playground Park was so close, I would have walked the extra 2 blocks. The slice was tasty with soft dough, fragrant cheese, and some freshness from the basil. It wasn't quite as good as Maker Pizza as far as higher-end pizza went. And as I was eating my second slice, I realized that it wasn't as enjoyable, subjectively, as Fresca either. Though the latter used inferior ingredients including cheap cheese, its Margherita slices were more satisfying to gulp down. I wondered if it came back to the pizza makers. The dour-faced ones at Fresca have years of experience while the baby-faces here looked barely old enough to drive. They probably weren't planning to make a career out of it either.

Edit: The leftover slices were quite good cold from the fridge. The soft dough kept its toothsomeness and the cheese and basil seemed to have better, punchier flavour.