Mickey's Pizza

If you’ve ever doubted the power of word-of-mouth advertising, then I am here to prove you wrong. Case in point: Mickey’s Pizza. I hadn’t heard of it until someone on my Twitter account posted a picture of one of their pies, and my interest was piqued. A little bit of research and asking around the office and a few people mentioned that they heard about Mickey’s and how good they were. My interest piqued some more.

The website is interesting. Mickey’s has a “thing” for dragons and feeding them, and a cute story about the dragon fuelling their oven. There are cute videos on their website under “What’s with the dragon?” that had me hooked. That, and their guarantee that you’ll love their pizza or they’ll give you every penny of your money back, and I *had* to try it. Something that claims to be the “best tasting pizza you’ve ever had” is bold. Because I’ve eaten a lot of pizza.

We pulled up to the plaza one night when there were a group of boys playing hackey sack outside Mickey’s doors – kind of an inconvenience to walk around/through the group when the entire rest of the strip plaza was closed due to the hour, but I guess they liked playing with the smell of pizza wafting by. The store itself isn’t set up for dine in (no tables) and is brightly painted and lit. The walls are covered in quotes printed off from satisfied customers, and a chalkboard on another wall asks a question of the week where patrons can doodle their own answers with the available chalk.

There is a long counter of toppings behind glass (think a Subway or something like that) so you can see your pizza being made – or be like me, and ask for more/less toppings as they make them. A large round oven unlike anything I have seen before takes up a fair size of the space as well. It reminds me of a hair dryer you sit under at the salon, but I liked that it looked futuristic and it was completely open so you could see it. They were really nice at Mickey’s and even let me come behind the counter so I could get a good picture of our pizza while it was spinning around in the oven!

Speaking of really nice, the service here was phenomenal. Everyone was friendly and patient with all of the questions I had, and also with my indecision with what we wanted to eat. Although they have their version of a Chicago-style pizza, called the Killer King, we opted for the traditional crust (I couldn’t handle all that cheese so late at night) and went with their vegetarian pizza, the Green Dragon.

A large Green Dragon ($21) was enough to feed four of us, and was loaded with mushrooms, sautéed spinach, roasted red peppers, green peppers, caramelized onions and olives. We got a mixture of the kalamata olives and the black olives, and topped it off with goat cheese. We had asked for artichokes on it as well, but didn’t notice until we got it home that they forgot it. Regardless, it was still delicious. The dough was the perfect thickness so that it was a little crispy on the outside edges but soft in the middle. Actually, I would have probably preferred that it was cooked a little longer because the dough was so soft that the slices were a little flimsy with all the toppings, and could have stood a little more structure and crunch to it. That being said, the dough tasted fantastic. There’s a slight buttery smell/taste to it that really made it stand out. I know, buttery and pizza dough don’t usually go together, but trust me – it was delicious. The toppings were fresh and plentiful, and I’m glad we went with the goat cheese (feta or mozzarella were also options) because the bite worked perfectly with the subtle vegetables and buttery dough.  Hands down, the best tasting vegetarian pizza I have ever tasted. The boyfriend (I guess I should call him the fiancé now) is normally a meat eater, but he remarked that there was so much flavour and texture happening, he didn’t even miss having meat on it. Now there’s endorsement, for you.

A gem in Clarkson, Mickey’s stands out from the mundane pizza places that sit on every street corner. It’s brought a touch of gourmet excitement to a market that has been saturated with mediocrity. You think you know what pizza is? You have no idea until you try pizza at Mickey’s. They’ve certainly awoken my dragon, and he wants to be fed!

Mickey’s Pizza
1900 Lakeshore Rd. W., Mississauga
www.feedyourdragon.com

New York Fries - Poutinerie

My very first request post (Hi, chilliwacklegend!) and I’m all too happy to oblige! Not sure if you’ve heard the ridiculously crazy/awesome radio ads for NYF’s poutinerie items, but they are pretty awesome. I mean, they got Gordon Pinsent to talk about denim-wearing kittens and unicorns – these poutines must be amazing, right? Besides, I like poutine, I like butter chicken, there really wasn’t much room for error...or was there?

Now, there are two camps of people out there – those who love the fries at NYF, and those who don’t. I fall into the in-between group, where I don’t mind them, but I don’t crave them like I crave fries from other places. I find them too...potato-y (and yes, I realise they are potatoes, but they’re too potato-y, and I’m sticking to it.) That being said, I like the rustic taste of them with the bits of peel still on, and the fact that they’re generally not greasy. Consider me the Switzerland of NYF if you will, neutral on all accounts (except for the gravy. I would bathe in their gravy.)

NYF Poutineries are select locations that have “special” poutine flavours in addition to the regular menu items: Braised Beef and Butter Chicken. The boyfriend and I purchased a small size of each while we were at Burlington Mall one day, and for just under $14 we had them both in our grubby little hands, ready to enjoy.

Butter Chicken (on the left) consists of the butter chicken sauce (chicken, tomato paste, cream, onions) and cheese curds over a bed of crispy, hot fries. The fries on this day were delicious. Crispy, hot and plentiful, they really filled the cup to capacity. There were curds, but they were drowned out by the sauce, so it was almost as though they weren’t there. The butter chicken sauce had potential, but I found it to be lacklustre in seasonings and heavy on the cream. The chicken in the pictures show large chunks that are bigger than the cheese curds, but the chicken was very minimal in our bowl, and was more shredded than cubed. That being said, the meat was tender when we could find it. Overall, it didn’t blow me away as I had hoped, but it wasn’t bad. Just needs a bit more seasoning and chicken.

Braised Beef (on the right) is described as “slow-cooked Angus beef, carrots, onions and mushrooms in a red wine sauce over real Quebec cheese curd and fresh cut fries.” Again, the fries were delicious and the cheese was minimal, but the braised beef and sauce was...interesting. The boyfriend liked this one better of the two, but I likened it to beef stew with a wine aftertaste. The beef was tender and the carrots and mushrooms were soft (not mushy), but the sauce just didn’t do it for me. I think it would have tasted a lot better if there was a stronger beef flavour to the sauce, rather than the sweetness of the wine.

New York Fries has a fantastic idea with the introduction of the poutinerie flavours, but the execution needs a little bit of tweaking to knock it out of the park. Off the top of my head, I would love to see a teriyaki chicken or meatballs in tomato sauce for something different.  Pulled pork with sweet bbq sauce and cheese curds would make my day. For now though, I’m going to stick to the tried and true classic poutine with extra gravy.

www.newyorkfries.com

Fran's Restaurant

Fran’s is a greasy spoon diner that has been around since 1940 (so their menu cover says) and some would consider it an “institution” in the Toronto food scene. I, myself, can look back and fondly recall many late night meals after a concert or play in the comfy booths. So when the boyfriend and I had tickets to see a show close to Fran’s, I was excited to take a bite out of nostalgia. 

It was about seven o’clock when we walked in, and the restaurant seemed fairly empty save a couple tables here and there. The decor is as kitschy as I remember, with mint green and checkered patterns everywhere. We were seated at a small table near the back of the restaurant and were handed our menus. Seeing as it wasn’t overly busy, I asked if we could move to one of the bigger booths along the wall, which seemed to confuse our hostess. She said she would have to check since it was in another server’s section, and came back shortly after to tell us the booths were reserved for groups of three or more. A quick glance at the few occupied booths and I saw that there was two or even one person in each, but I didn’t question it. No word of a lie, about five minutes later, a couple was seated at the booth directly across from us, followed by another couple at a booth behind them. I admit I was annoyed. Extremely annoyed, in fact. I wouldn’t have minded if she came back and said that she didn’t want to move us out of our server’s section to “even” the patrons out among servers, but no, she blatantly lied about it. I can’t stand people who lie. 

Taking my focus off my irritation, I turned my attention to the extensive menu. Being open 24/7/365 means the benefit of all day breakfast, which the boyfriend took full advantage of when he ordered the Corned Beef Hash with whole wheat toast and eggs over hard (his fave). The dish itself was typical breakfast fare. The corned beef had a lot of flavour and wasn’t greasy, and the potatoes were hot and crispy. The toast was dry, but the most disappointing where the eggs because they were undercooked and cold. 

Though my love for breakfast food is strong, I always get excited when I see a Reuben sandwich on a menu. There is something so delicious about grilled rye bread that makes me weak in the knees, and I had to order it when I saw it. I decided to get the tortilla chips and salsa as my side instead of fries, and was pleasantly surprised at the portion that came with the sandwich. The pretty colours of the lightly salted chips and the bright red salsa were aesthetically pleasing when our server placed the plate in front of me. The chips themselves unfortunately, were stale, and rather than being a light crisp, were a little chewy. The salsa tasted no different than the jarred salsa you can buy in the grocery store. However, I do appreciate the option for people who don’t want fries or salad.

The sandwich itself was also disappointing because it was toasted, not grilled like I was expecting. The fact that it was a triple decker seemed unnecessary because the addition of the third piece of bread didn’t do much to enhance the flavour. That being said, my biggest complaint was the amount of sauerkraut on the sandwich, or more accurately, the lack of sauerkraut. If you’re going to put so little on the sandwich, it’s just a tease. Why put it on at all??

Overall, this was a pretty disappointing visit. For the price of the meal (it was over $30 after tax and tip) we could have had much better fare somewhere else. I think Fran’s is one of those places that remain popular because people have been coming for years, and it’s something they are comfortable with. I too, was looking to reminisce of days gone by, but when really examining it, it’s not the Fran’s I remember. Some places are better left in memories past. 

Fran’s Restaurant
200 Victoria St (Victoria & Shuter), Toronto, Ontario
http://www.fransrestaurant.com/

McDonald’s Buttermilk Biscuit with Sausage

When I was younger and woke up ridiculously early on weekends (oh, to have that kind of energy again), sometimes dad would let mom sleep in and he would take me for a drive and we’d end up at McDonald’s for breakfast. I always insisted on getting the Big Breakfast, even though I never finished half of it, and he’d have to help me finish it off. Hrm. Maybe that was his justification for eating a breakfast and a half. I would totally do that if I had children. Then I could eat more without feeling guilty, because I was helping. And I'm super helpful, you know. Anyways, thanks for walking down memory lane with me; I’m glad we had this bonding moment.

It’s no wonder I’ve always had a soft spot for breakfast at McDonald’s since I associate it with my carefree childhood days. The other thing that I like about their breakfast is that the majority of the items are still available – the things I used to eat 20 years ago, are still on the menu today. There are of course, new options, but the main things, and the memories that go with them, are still there. It’s a throwback to nostalgia and in an age where so many companies are constantly trying to change things, I appreciate the sentiment. 

That being said, this review is for one of the new options being offered – the Buttermilk Biscuit with Sausage. We tried this during the initial launch when McDonald’s was giving them away for free, and I reviewed the Buttermilk Biscuit with Bacon here. 

When we ordered this sandwich, we were told we had to wait a few minutes because they were just cooking up a new batch. I love when this happens because it makes such a difference to get a hot, fresh meal vs. a premade sandwich that’s been sitting under the heat lamp. I was more than happy to wait.

Before the wrapper was opened, I did notice that this sandwich was greasier than its bacon counterpart. The wrapper was actually sticking in some parts because of the wetness...just something to note if you’re deciding which one you want to have.

The biscuit is larger than an english muffin, and toasted to a golden brown. If you look closely at the picture, you can see that it looks shiny on the top – whether it is from butter in the biscuit or the grease from the sausage, I couldn’t be sure, but it was an oily texture. The biscuit itself was flaky and tasted rich like butter, and added a nice flavour to the sandwich. Directly under the biscuit top was a thick layer of soft and fluffy eggs, followed by a piping hot sausage patty. The sausage was juicy, but very greasy, and actually dripped off the sandwich when I held it upright and facing down. (Ick.) The cheese melted to the sandwich really well because of the fresh sausage patty sealing it in with the heat, but as I said about the bacon biscuit, it didn’t add much flavour either way, and I wouldn’t notice much if it wasn’t there. 

I liked this sandwich better than the bacon option because it was piping hot and freshly made, and the juiciness of the sausage patty gave the sandwich some good moisture. However, the grease from the sausage patty could have (and should have) been drained better so it wasn’t left on the biscuit. I did like the taste of it, and I would order it again, but next time I’ll order it without the cheese and hope that the sausage isn’t so greasy.

McDonald’s Buttermilk Biscuit with Bacon

Breakfast foods are some of my most favourite foods and I could eat them all day. There have been many nights when I will make breakfast for dinner because I love it so. What’s not to love, really? The simplicity of most breakfast foods makes it so convenient to throw a few ingredients together and before you know it your whole kitchen is filled with comforting, delicious smells. 

Of course I’m horrible at actually eating breakfast when you’re supposed to, because I would much rather hit my snooze button for those extra few minutes of sleep instead of getting up early enough to eat something before I start my day. Weekends are a different story though, and I like to put some effort into making a proper meal to enjoy while leisurely reading the paper. 

For people like me who don’t wake up in time to make breakfast, lots of fast food places are open early with breakfast offerings for a quick pick up. McDonald’s has been serving breakfast for as long as I can remember, and recently added buttermilk biscuits to their menu – which was fully launched through a giveaway campaign earlier this month. For two days, you could walk into a McDonald’s during breakfast hours and you could get a buttermilk biscuit with sausage or bacon for free. As much as I love the idea (because who can resist a deal that good?), just think of how many biscuits they must have given away. 

We thought it would be busy with a huge line of people like us who were looking to grab a cheap breakfast, but the location we went to only had one person in front of us and we were able to get in and out in a flash. We tried both the bacon and the sausage option (which I’ll talk about in a separate post) and were optimistic because they smelled so good.

A certain place in particular that I’m thinking of has been offering biscuits for breakfast for the past while, and I never really liked them, so I was a little wary that these would be disappointing. However, after opening the wrapper and looking at the sandwich, I immediately noticed that this was larger and hotter than any of the breakfast biscuits I’ve had from other places. This was already off to a good start.

Normally, I would order my breakfast sandwiches without the cheese because I never really liked the taste of processed cheese on my food. But for the purpose of this review I ordered it straight off the menu to see what it was like. Upon first inspection, the biscuit was larger than I expected it to be. It was about the size of an english muffin, but thicker. The top was golden brown, and there was a generous layer of eggs, followed by three small strips of bacon (think one bacon strip cut in half) and then a piece of cheese. The biscuit was flaky and buttery, which is a very good thing for a biscuit, but the top was a little crispy from being toasted a little too long. The eggs were soft and fluffy, but the bacon reminded me of the microwave bacon strips you can get at the grocery store, and were a little chewy. The cheese actually didn’t add much flavour or creaminess to the sandwich to be honest, and I don’t think it would have made much difference if it was there or not.   

When finished, I found it to be a lot more filling and satisfying than the english muffin option – I’m thinking because it was slightly bigger, but it was also breadier. It tastes rich from the buttery flavour of the biscuit, and the boyfriend and I both agreed that one was plenty for each of us (whereas he could probably eat two of the english muffin sandwiches). Overall, I liked it enough to say I would order it again. The bacon wasn’t my favourite, but I would generally be more inclined to get a sausage option anyway. The biscuit itself is pretty good – if I could ask them to toast it a little less the next time I ordered it, I think I would like it a lot better. Either way, it still tastes much better than other biscuit breakfast sandwiches currently offered at other establishments.

Teriyaki Experience - Mapleview Mall

Mall food. Mall Asian food to be exact. When I was a kid, that meant going to the only place in the food court that had Asian food and even then, the choices were limited to chicken balls and spring rolls. Nowadays, there are places that are Korean, Japanese, Thai...you name it, and it’s available while you shop! The choices are plentiful, which means that eating at a food court isn’t as boring as it used to be!

On somewhat of a healthy kick, I wanted to look for something that wouldn’t blow my diet out of the water but wasn’t a salad. I chose Teriyaki Experience because I figured steamed rice and stir-fry cooked in water (not oil) was one of the healthier choices available to me (though I won’t lie, the fries and burgers were staring me down pretty hard). 

Teriyaki Experience is a made-to-order establishment that throws whatever you order right on the grill that’s behind the glass, so you get to watch them make your food. I saw a sign for the Spicy Chicken and ordered that with rice (you could order it with noodles if you prefer) and a drink for around $8. Feeling brave, I asked for mine to be extra spicy in hopes that I could also clear my sinuses from this horrible cold I’ve been suffering from.

First they throw the meat on the grill and using two large flat spatulas, they toss it around a bit with some squirts of water. As it’s cooking, my rice was spooned into a plastic bowl and placed next to the grill. Once the meat was cooked, sliced onions, red and green peppers were tossed on the grill to slightly cook. Since I ordered the spicy dish, sauce was automatically ladled over the mixture to cook into the meat (usually they ask if you want sauce or not). Then, it’s all scooped up and over the rice and another generous ladle of sauce goes on top. At the end of the counter there are additional condiments you can add: hot sauce, sesame seeds and soy sauce. I gave it a good squirt of hot sauce and a healthy dose of sesame seeds to make it look pretty (I love sesame seeds).

The benefit of ordering a made-to-order meal such as this is that it comes to you piping hot – exactly how I love to eat my food. The first bite I had was a piece of chicken and vegetables with the sauce. Although hot in temperature, I did not find it to be extra spicy in the least, and I’m glad I added the extra hot sauce. To some, the spice may have been adequate, but I was hoping that extra spicy would have earned me some extra heat. Alas, it was not meant to be since the sauce tasted like a typical teriyaki sauce with extra black pepper thrown in. It was underwhelming to say the least. 

However, my biggest complaint was about the rice and its over-stickiness. Properly cooked rice should be sticky to a certain degree, but not so clumpy that it tastes like a big glob of mush with every forkful. You should still be able to see each individual grain and although it sticks to its fellow rice brothers and sisters, you should be able to distinguish one from the other. Unfortunately, the rice I received was none of this and I got a big bowl of gooey rice-like grains. I was so disappointed in the meal I ended up eating just the chicken pieces and being unable to finish the rest – made even more disappointing when I remembered how much I just paid for a few slices of chicken. 

Teriyaki Experience? More like Teri-yucky Experience. Next time, maybe that burger and fries isn’t such a bad idea after all, since this was an experience I would have rather passed on.

McDonald's Apple Crisp McFlurry

While I was enjoying (and by “enjoying” I mean not sharing) my pie, the boyfriend chose the new Apple Crisp McFlurry as his treat choice. And by “chose” I mean I made him eat it so I could write a review of the new desserts being offered. He loves ice cream and he likes apple crisp...trust me, it really wasn’t much of a hardship! I, on the other hand, am very picky with my apple products because some things make me gag (apple juice, apple sauce) and some things make my heart flutter (apple pie, apple turnovers). Apple crisp is one of those hit or miss items that could go either way for me. It was just in everyone’s best interest if I stuck to the pies and he took over the apple crisp duty.

I’ve always been a fan of Flurries because they’re cheap alternatives to getting a DQ Blizzard, and they’re equally as delicious if you don’t mind less choice in flavours. The only downside is that I have yet to find a seasonal flavour of Flurry that McDonald’s has offered that I actually enjoy. They’re usually epic fails in terms of taste and texture when I try them. So already, the Apple Crisp had a lot of compensating to do for its predecessors. 

When thinking of what goes into an apple crisp, I think of big chunks of apples, a crumble top that isn`t overpowering to the apples, and lots of cinnamon to give it that cozy feel of autumn. The Flurry version had a more liberal interpretation of what makes an apple crisp an apple crisp. Yes, there were chunks of apple but they were small and there weren`t many in the cup. The crisp component was where it got really interesting. There were large chunks of hard, crunchy bits that completely overwhelmed the entire Flurry. It tasted like big pieces of granola, the size of a popped kernel of popcorn, or clumps of hard cereal. It was hard to tell because it was mixed into the ice cream, but the pieces never softened and the texture was so abrasive against the soft serve ice cream, it made it hard to eat. 

From the spoonful I had, the only flavour I could distinguish was the ice cream. There was no taste of apple or cinnamon or anything you would associate with an apple crisp. The bits of crisp were hard but tasteless and I didn’t enjoy the texture in a soft ice cream treat. My boyfriend said that it didn`t get any better as he made his way through the cup, it was the same odd texture combination until the end.

As I said in the beginning of this post – there has yet to be a seasonal flavour of McFlurry that I actually enjoy. Unfortunately, that statement still rings true even after trying the Apple Crisp. My advice if you want apple with your ice cream is to buy one of the apple pies and a small cone (but get it in a cup). Trust me; it`ll taste way better than the Apple Crisp McFlurry (and save you a bit of money).

McDonald's Banana Chocolate Pie

The newest pie offering from McDonald’s is the Banana Chocolate pie, which sounded much too delicious to pass up. I have generally approached banana flavoured items cautiously because the taste can be tricky to master without tasting too artificial and reminiscent of children’s penicillin medication. Although, I was one of those children who loved the taste of the banana medication, so perhaps I’m not the best one to be writing this review here. In my defence however, that stuff was addictively yummy.

Bringing this back to the review and away from my love of children’s medication, I was hesitant that it would taste anything like real bananas dipped in chocolate and enveloped in pastry. The picture also did not help my hesitation because the gooey off-white centre on top of a layer of chocolate didn’t exactly scream “banana” to me. After the debacle that was the Blueberry Maple, I was really starting to wonder why I was looking forward to this, but I was intrigued.

All of the pies from McDonald’s look the same on the outside in the sense that they don’t have any distinctive markings on the pastry that would allow you to identify one from the other if they were lined up in front of you. The one I bought actually came in a box that was for the Apple flavour, but had a sticker to indicate it wasn’t apple. Maybe they haven’t made up new boxes for it yet, or ran out for the day? I just thought it odd.

 Similar to the Blueberry Maple, there was no smell other than the smell of the pastry dough once out of the box. Broken in half, it was very similar to the picture – a thin layer of chocolate topped with a thin layer of off-white banana. I would liken it to the consistency of vanilla pudding if I had to draw a comparison. There was a distinct banana smell once I broke the pie in half, with a hint of chocolate. The first bite was actually impressive. A crisp pastry with a warm inside that tasted exactly like bananas dipped in chocolate. Although the filling was a little on the sweet side, the blandness of the pastry cut the sugar well. The only complaint I had with the pie was that the filling was too runny for my liking. It needed to be thickened so it didn’t ooze after each bite and cause a mess. That said, it wasn’t enough of a deterrent for me to eat every last crumb and wish I had a second one. Overall, I really liked this flavour and would get it again in a heartbeat.

Ruby Thai - Mapleview Mall

Mall food courts have come such a long way over the years. I remember when I was younger, the most exotic thing you could find in a food court were chicken balls with red sauce. No, that is not exotic, by the way.

Mapleview Mall in Burlington completely redid their food court a little while ago as part of the massive renovation of the entire mall. When the food court was re-opened, they had added huge windows along the whole back wall, booths with padded seats and a few new establishments along with their new fancy sitting area. 

I was really excited to see that Ruby Thai was open because Thai food is probably my favourite type of cuisine, and I was curious how it fared in a mall food court. One of the tricks used at the Mapleview location is they offer you samples as you walk by, and I couldn’t help but be drawn in to try the Thai chicken. The chicken was sweet and juicy – very similar to the bourbon chicken from another food court establishment in many malls, Bourbon Street Grill. It didn’t taste very Thai, but I liked it enough that I thought I’d give it a try.

On one side of the counter, there is a hot table set up behind a glass divider with containers of different items available – typical of many food court establishments. On the other end of the counter, there were large pots of boiling water and broth for noodle soups and dumplings. The menu is based on combinations and the prices vary depending on how many items you want plus your choice of rice, Pad Thai or egg noodles. I went with the two item combo with the egg noodles ($7.59). I wanted to taste the Pad Thai but had a feeling I wouldn’t like it very much, so I asked for a sample of it and was graciously given a small portion free of charge.

For my first side, I chose the Thai Chicken because I liked it when I was offered the sample. The meat is very moist, but it is not all white meat. There are distinct pieces of dark meat and I had a piece that was actually quite fatty. That aside, the flavouring of the sauce (very similar to a teriyaki glaze) was sweet and made the meat juicy and tender. If you don’t mind dark meat, it was an option I enjoyed. My second side was the Bang Bang Shrimp, which were large shrimp deep fried with their shells on and pan-tossed in a salt and pepper flake mixture. The shrimp were dry and I had trouble tasting any flavour at all. Growing up, we ate shrimp with the shells on all the time, but most people may be hesitant and peel it off – which would make it even less flavourful than it already was. Not sure if I would get it again with all the other choices available, but I liked saying Bang Bang Shrimp because I’m super mature and it made me giggle. The egg noodles weren’t anything special and fairly standard of food court Chinese egg noodles. Pan fried with a small amount of scrambled egg, shredded carrot and bean sprouts, the only flavour that I could taste was muted soy sauce. The good thing about them was that they weren’t greasy as some places might make them, and the noodles were cooked to perfection. I tossed it with a package of hot sauce and it tasted much better once it had some flavour. As for the Pad Thai that I wanted to sample, I am glad that I went with my gut and knew that I wouldn’t like it very much. They tasted like flat rice noodles tossed in a mixture of ketchup and the red sauce you get from Chinese places to pour over your chicken balls. It was overly sweet with a hint of sour, and had no other flavour to help it out. The noodles were greasy and aside from using rice noodles, I honestly have no idea what made this a Pad Thai. 

When I went to pay I spontaneously ordered a spring roll ($1.89) to round out my order because some part of me obviously felt like there wasn’t enough grease on my plate already. The spring roll itself was piping hot and the wrapper was crispy and light. Unfortunately, it was extremely greasy and seeped into the filling. The filling had bean sprouts and mushroom and I’m not sure what else, but it was pretty forgettable. The dipping sauce was a sweet chilli sauce that aside from being runny, was actually pretty good. It was the only thing that enabled me to finish the spring roll, or else I most likely would have tossed it.

My initial excitement at having a Thai establishment in the food court has quickly deflated after eating at Ruby Thai. From what I tried, there was nothing distinctly Thai in the offerings and it really wasn’t much different than going to any of the original Chinese places that have been around for years. For the price you’re paying, it’s certainly not the cheapest meal at the mall – but I would much rather pay a couple dollars more and get something more authentic and tasty outside the food court.

Artisano Bakery Cafe

The area around my office is filled with every kind of restaurant you can think of, so there is certainly no shortage of places to go for lunch when you wake up late and had to rush out the door before packing something to eat. Not that I would ever do that. I am obviously the responsible one who packed her lunch the night before, always goes to bed early so as not to be rushed in the morning and I would never, ever hit the snooze button 239487342 times.

When I saw that Artisano was open close to the office, I was really excited because there is something magical about having a sandwich made on fresh baked bread. Located in the plaza next to the Mandarin and grocery store, Artisano is a place that promises fresh baked goods, hearty soups and big salads. Needing something quick and relatively healthy, LJ and I decided to try it out.

Walking in, I noticed that it was a mixture between a bakery and a coffee house. You order at the counter and you are given a CD-sized disk that vibrates and flashes once your order is ready. If you are coming at lunch, I suggest you try to come early in order to get a seat – we got there a little after noon and managed to score one of the last tables. The front has a display of fresh baked sweets and treats, and to the left of the cash registers is the pizza oven and the sandwich prep station. If you order a drink, you are given an empty glass to fill up at the fountain machine and refill at your leisure.

LJ and I both went with the combo deal: $8.99 for a half sandwich and soup or salad. The sandwich menu is extensive that ranged from classic sandwiches such as egg salad to gourmet sandwiches such as steak and portobello. The salad menu offered quite a few choices that went beyond a typical garden or Caesar. Finally, the soup offerings were plentiful and change depending on the day. There were at least six choices that I can remember being offered that day, which is a nice treat for those looking for something a little different.

LJ chose the Tomato Bisque for her choice, and it came with a fresh slice of baguette. The portion size was adequate and the soup tasted fresh-made rather than a frozen or canned concoction. Unfortunately, the taste of the soup was nothing special and it tasted similar to a cream of tomato soup that was under-seasoned.  The baguette was fresh and soft and made for a good dipping companion to the bisque. LJ’s sandwich choice was Turkey, Brie and Green Apple on a ciabatta bun, which was fantastic. The bread is spread with a generous layer of cranberry mayonnaise and layered with real turkey breast, slices of brie, green apple and topped with fresh arugula. The bread was slightly crisp on the outside and incredibly soft on the inside, and all of the ingredients worked well together. The cranberry mayonnaise was sweet but worked well with the tartness of the apple. The sandwich is served cold so the cheese was cut in thick slices that were creamy but not melted. 

I decided to try the corn chowder which was full of corn and potato and carrots. It was not a thick chowder, but it was definitely creamy and sweet from the corn. It was served piping hot and was seasoned perfectly. I decided to try the Pulled Pork sandwich upon the recommendation of the customer in front of me and the server at the cash register.  Served on a toasted egg bun with barbeque sauce and coleslaw, the pork is piled high and doused in sauce. The pork was also scooped using what I guess was an ice cream scoop because it was uniformly packed on top of the bun, which to me, did not look overly appetizing. The barbeque sauce is sweet, but the less flavourful coleslaw cut the sweetness a bit. The meat was tender and juicy, but the sauce overpowered the sandwich too much for my palette. I prefer a more muted barbeque sauce so I can taste the other flavours that accompany it.  Probably not something I would order again with the other options available to me, but certainly not the worst pulled pork I have ever had.

Artisano is a great place to go if you are looking for something that is quick, comforting and fresh. The prices aren’t bad for the portion size and the quality of ingredients, and it definitely beats a peanut butter sandwich every day. If you’re looking to spend some time there to unwind, they also have free Wifi! 

Artisano Bakery Cafe
3145 Dundas St. W., Mississauga
www.artisanobakery.com

McDonald's Blueberry Maple Pie

One of my favourite sweets is pie. There’s something comforting about a flaky, buttery pastry combined with sticky fruit that makes me happy. Though I am fairly comfortable in the kitchen, I have never had the urge to bake my own pies, even though I love them so. I think it’s partly because I’m intimidated by the idea of making my own crust, but mainly it’s because I’m pretty lazy. Why bake your own when you can walk into the majority of fast food establishments and have a hot mini pie for a dollar? I know it’s not the same, but it still tastes good!

I have always been a fan of the apple pies at McDonald’s, but when I noticed the sign for blueberry maple pies, I couldn’t help myself. At 99 cents each or two for $1.49, I figured it was cheap enough that if I didn’t like it, at least I wouldn’t feel guilty not eating it all.

For those of you who haven’t had a pie from McDonald’s, they’re fairly decent as far as fast food pies go. McDonald’s takes it a step further than most places and bakes their pies, even though the majority of their competitors still fry them. Each pie comes in its own mini box and is about the length of a stick of butter.

When I first opened the box to see the pie, I was expecting to be hit with the smell of blueberries and maple. I was disappointed that I really didn’t smell anything at all, even though the pie was still warm. Upon breaking it in half to examine the filling, there was a faint smell of blueberries, but again, no maple.

The filling is vibrant purple-blue that is extremely glossy and sticky. The taste has hints of blueberry, but I wasn’t overwhelmed with the blueberry flavour that I was expecting. I could taste no maple in it, but I did find that it was so sweet it was border-line too sweet to enjoy. The crust was flaky and soft, but the filling was too strong and made me dislike the pie. 

If you’re going to have a pie at McDonald’s, I would probably take a pass on this seasonal product and stick to the apple. My favourite way to eat it is with some of their ice cream in a cup, and spooning the pie into it. A cheap and quick pie a la mode, but so very delicious. Sometimes, you have to take the shortcuts but the end result is just as yummy.

Tim Horton's - French Onion Soup

I've been wanting to try Tim Horton's french onion soup for the longest time.  I never understood how some restaurants sleep at night knowing they charge upwards of $10 for a bowl of soup.

I honestly didn't have great expectations when I heard that a fast food style place was going to serve french onion soup.  It doesn't seem right without the crusty baked cheese on top, the bread with the crispy edges but the soupy middle...it makes me miss my mom's when she made them in the little bowls with the thick handles.  *sigh* Food that makes me feel nostalgic always have a soft spot in my heart.

After trying the Timmy's version, I can say that it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for either.  I had to rush back to the office, so I'm not sure if it would taste better had I been in-store.  When you take the lid off, the soup's appearance doesn't scream french onion.  It's a dark brown broth with cubes of bread floating on top.  My initial reaction was "where's the cheese??"  I'm not a huge fan of cheese, but you need it in this soup!  I stirred it around and found a puddle of cheese curds on the bottom of the bowl and a few onions.  The soup itself wasn't very hot - again, not sure if the 4 minute drive back to my office cooled it significantly, but I'm giving Tim's the benefit of the doubt.

Initial impression: it smells like french onion soup and it kind of looks unappetizing because of the odd shade of brown with no cheese on top, but the taste is decent.  It's not as watered down as I've found the majority of their soups, and there's a nice onion flavour.  The only problem with that statement is that there really weren't enough onions in the soup.  So either I got ladled a bowl from the top of the pot and the onions were at the bottom, or there are a lot of different "onion" flavoured seasonings in that broth.  I don't know if I'd classify it as a true french onion soup.  Perhaps a more accurate description would be a french onion-style consumme.

I would buy it again if I really craved the french onion soup taste, but didn't want to pay a lot of money. Or if I didn't feel like a lot of chewing.