About shipwrekkt

The face behind Eat This Town, a Food Tourism blog based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Food quester. Public transit rider. Bean paste enthusiast.

The Brunch Files: Alteregos Cafe

Posted on May 24, 2013 by shipwrekkt

I am helping Local Tasting Tours with the launch of their newsletter, which will feature restaurants, recipes, farmer’s market stalls, bloggers, and Halifax food news, while keeping you up to date on Local Tasting Tours promotions. Everyone who signs up for the newsletter will be entered into a draw for a $150 gift certificate to 2 Doors Down! Just go to localtastingtours.com and sign up!

The June newsletter will feature the newly renovated Alteregos Cafe, so my task last week was to investigate the fare at this casual little spot within the Backpackers Hostel. Let me guess, you haven’t heard of it? Haligonians, despite being the friendly creatures we are, have a strange aversion to hotel/hostel restaurants. It is as if we think these venues are for travellers only, or that the food is an afterthought for unengaged tourists. These perceptions are slowly being whittled away by restaurants like Elements, Harbour City Bar & Grill, Gio, Stories, and Seasons. But what of a no frills cafe in a hostel on Gottingen Street?

Alteregos is a friendly neighbourhood cafe that welcomes the eclectic mix of travellers and Gottingen regulars, who stop in for fresh coffee or a quick lunch. It has aspirations of becoming a community venue for musicians, poetry readings, and post-frisbee nachos & beer. They even have Propeller on tap. I chatted with the new chef, Josh Koile, who has worked in such restaurants as Brooklyn Warehouse, Se7en, and Fleur de Sel. Yes, that’s right. Alteregos has an actual chef. All the soups are vegan, gluten-free, and without MSG-laden stock. I noticed an attractive sandwich board, and tasty looking samosas from Staff of Life. However, when I asked Chef Koile what I should definitely try, he told me about the Big Breakfast which is served between 10am-4pm for Sunday brunch.

Big Breakfast at Alteregos – $14

The Big Breakfast includes 2 poached eggs, bacon, roasted potatoes, grilled tomatoes, home-made beans, toast, and chorizo sausage from Ratinaud French Cuisine. There was a bit of confusion in the kitchen, and our plates arrived with just one lonely egg (as photographed). However, our missing eggs were delivered to our table shortly afterwards with apologies from the kitchen. It was the Bluenose Marathon that weekend and the hostel was unusually busy. I often find that small neighbourhood cafes have their inconsistencies, but Alteregos has friendly staff and delicious food to make up for it. Perfectly cooked eggs, stellar local sausage and the savoury beans were the highlights of this meal, which didn’t leave me feeling heavy and greasy like brunch so often does.

Gluten Free Pancakes at Alteregos – $14

My photographer had recently adopted a gluten-free diet, and as luck would have it, the special of the day was chickpea pancakes with poached eggs, avocado, beans & salsa. I was actually a bit jealous of this pleasing-looking platter, which reportedly tastes as good as it looks. I wish I could have sampled the Hollandaise sauce on the eggs benny ($10-$12), but my pal MGyver wanted some Big Breakfast action himself, so we doubled down on the BB. His girlfriend ordered the smoked salmon bagel, and was a little annoyed that it didn’t come on a bagel. But otherwise it was a tasty and aesthetically pleasing meal. So next time you’re walking by, don’t be shy! Come in and enjoy some wholesome food and a laid back atmosphere.

Smoked salmon “bagel” at Alteregos

Alteregos Cafe
2193 Gottingen Street
Halifax, NS
(902) 431-3170
Backpackers Hostel Web Site
Alteregos Facebook Page

***Photography by Allison Taylor***

Burritos at Dee Dee’s Ice Cream

Posted on May 18, 2013 by shipwrekkt

Last week I lamented the absence of good burritos in Halifax. This was, perhaps, premature. I have not yet tried Chaechie’s Grill or Que Tal, as my feet don’t often carry me to Bayer’s Lake or Portland Hills. I am stuck downtown with the over-hyped Burrito Jaxx, and the Subway-esque Cantina Mexicana, which is always out of guacamole. Sorry downtown burrito fans! I wanted to be impressed, I really did. But there is good news! I have found burrito love in the north end, at Dee Dee’s Ice Cream.

From the outside, it looks like any other grilled Halifax burrito. But inside there is pure love! I could see the tortillas laid flat on the counter, the toppings distributed with such care and symmetry. I didn’t have to hover over my burrito as it was being made, nit-picking over this and that. A classic veggie burrito ($6.60) has rice, fresh salsa, local organic refried beans & lettuce. You can add hot sauce or banana peppers free of charge, or upgrade to the works (+ cheese, sour cream & guacamole) for $8.75. Local organic refried beans FTW! … but lettuce? I have to admit, I don’t think lettuce belongs in a burrito, but it was so crunchy and fresh at Dee Dee’s that I actually enjoyed it.

Veggie burrito with the works at Dee Dee’s

You can get local free-range chicken or grass-fed beef in your burrito for $9.60 ($11.75 with the works). I love the emphasis here on wholesome local ingredients, and I love that I don’t have to interfere with the burrito-making-process. I could just sit back and admire the quaint little kitchen and neighbourhood feel of the place, and contemplate what flavour of ice cream would follow up my meal.

As for the burrito, it was delicious! It was balanced, simple, sturdy, and wholesome. I recommend the addition of hot sauce for that extra kick.

For dessert I tried a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of the Mexican chocolate, which is perked up with cayanne and cinnamon. My burrito buddy tried the mango sorbet and the raspberry passionfruit (I think). We took our ice creams to a picnic table in the commons and watched the roller skaters in the oval. It was a lovely local day!

Dee Dee’s Ice Cream
5668 Cornwallis St.
Halifax, NS
(902) 407-6614

San Francisco Mission-Style Burritos

Posted on May 7, 2013 by shipwrekkt

The American burrito was essentially invented in San Francisco’s Mission district, which is a colourful Mexican/Latino neighbourhood that has a ridiculous amount of taquerias per capita. A burrito is really a whole meal wrapped in a tortilla, and was originally an effective way to sustain farm workers for a long hard day. When the burrito met the American belly, it adapted by becoming humongous! First, 12″ tortillas had to be invented. Next, corn tortillas had to give way to the sturdier flour tortilla, in order to aspire to this bloated glory. Flour tortillas have a high concentration of gluten (i.e. wheat protein). When steamed, the gluten in the flour is activated, giving the tortilla elasticity superpowers. The tortilla is able to stretch around the meat, rice and beans without ripping or tearing. But just in case, the burrito is tightly wrapped in aluminium foil.

American burrito ideology originated in San Fran, and the Mission-style burrito is truly distinctive of this neighbourhood.

Upon my arrival at the San Francisco airport, I immediately hopped on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and unloaded myself in the Mission district to explore while I waited for my Californian friend to get off work. I was delighted as I ascended the escalator to street level and was greeted by the sunshine and colours of a bustling intersection. This warm welcome would quickly give way to cold and fog as I ventured into other neighbourhoods. The Bay Area is composed of insanely steep hills and mini-valleys, producing a variety of micro-climates. The Mission district is one of the sunniest areas of San Francisco, as it is sheltered from much of the dampness that comes off the bay. A word of warning to my fellow travellers: San Francisco is COLD! I’m serious. Bring a sweater.

I love that feeling of being in an entirely new place, with absolutely no idea as to my exact whereabouts. But I was on a mission for Mission Burritos! First stop was El Farolito.

Burrito from El Farolito

So I’ve got a thing for veggie burritos. I don’t know why, but the addition of meat just doesn’t add anything to my delight. I am a bean paste enthusiast, lover of avocado, slurper of salsa, and an unlikely advocate of vegetarian Mexican food. El Farolito is best known for their carne asada burrito, but they had a vegetarian burrito with a roasted poblano pepper, and this simply won my heart. There was a complementary salsa bar, where we stocked up on salsas and hot (read: HOT) peppers.

You eat a Mission burrito by unwrapping the foil as you go and applying the salsa as needed. We ate our burritos at the BART station, despite the finger wagging of concerned citizens who informed us that “In San Francisco, we don’t eat at the BART station”. Who knew? Anyway, this burrito was immensely satisfying. The texture of the steamed tortilla was quite different than the cheap, cold-rolled wraps that pass for burritos here, which we struggle to improve by grilling. The flavours and layers were perfectly balanced, not a haphazard smorgasbord of choose-your-own-adventure.

This is the burrito that ruined me for other burritos.

Veggie burrito from Taqueria Cancun.

On my last day in San Francisco I had a burrito at Taqueria Cancun, and it was decent despite my Napa-valley-induced hangover. I really appreciate just ordering my choice of “meat”, and not having to fuss over this topping or that topping a la Subway. A Mission burrito has any meat, rice, beans, onions, cilantro & salsa. “Any meat” could mean al pastor (marinated pork), carne asada (grilled beef), pollo (chicken), chorizo (Mexican sausage), and even lengua (beef tongue), cabeza (beef head meat), and sesos (beef brain). I felt adventurous on this hungover morning and tried a lengua taco as well.

Beef tongue taco at Taqueria Cancun

While it was refreshing to eat an authentic taco (See ya later cheese, lettuce and sour cream! Hello corn tortilla!), I can’t say I’m a big fan of tongue. Shocking, I know.

While I’m at it, I’ll just mention another fantastic Mexican eating experience I had while in San Francisco. Gracias Madre is a vegan Mexican restaurant with terrific food. I barely missed cheese, and I definitely didn’t miss meat as I enjoyed the ingenuity of the vegan menu. I would totally eat here all the time if I lived in San Fran. What a lovely spread:

A bit of this and that at Gracias Madre

Sigh… I have been spoiled by delicious Mexican food and now stand jaded and critical in humble Halifax. Is anyone else having the same problem? Where do you go for your Mexican fulfilment?

El Farolito
Menu & Locations

Taqueria Cancun
Urbanspoon Page

Gracias Madre
2211 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA
Web Site

Vietnamese Subs

Posted on April 25, 2013 by shipwrekkt

Assorted sub from Sate Sub – Calgary

One of my favourite meals in Calgary was an assorted sub and an avocado bubble tea. Vietnamese sub shops are everywhere in Calgary, and Viet subs are the perfect street food, especially when accompanied by a bubble tea. When I was introduced to this most excellent sandwich, I figured it was to Calgary what donairs are to Halifax, i.e. the omnipresent quintessence of local identity. But Vietnamese subs, or banh mi (pronounced bin-mee), are not unique to Calgary. They are the result of French colonialism in Vietnam, where baguettes, crepes, and pate are now common foods. It was only a matter of time before people started stuffing Vietnamese ingredients, like cilantro and pickled carrots, into personal sized baguette rolls. Popular Calgary varieties include sate beef, pepper chicken, and assorted Vietnamese cold cut. While banh mi are abundantly popular in Calgary, they can be found in any major city.

Except Halifax – Or so I thought. I was preparing myself to move back to a city that had never known the joys of Vietnamese subs. I was all set to settle for shwarma, to fall for falafel, and daringly eat donair – when Lo and Behold! A Vietnamese sub shop opened in Halifax, fully equipped with bubble tea!

Sate chicken sub from Indochine

Indochine is Halifax’s only Viet sub shop, which also serves up fusion tacos and bubble tea smoothies. The food is made from scratch, and local ingredients are emphasized. The baguettes are sourced from Local Source bakery, and the pate is from Ratinaud French Cuisine. In true Haligonian style, there is a multigrain option as well as several vegetarian options like buddha (tofu) and veggie meatball. There is even a vegetarian pate. You won’t find that in Calgary! While I don’t find these subs to be precisely authentic, they do hit the spot with local flare and gourmet pizazz. They are adorned with fresh cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots and daikon radish, and a signature citrus mayo. Make sure to ask for extra chiles!

Pork Meatball Sub at Indochine

My favourite sub from Indochine is the pork meatball, with Ratinaud’s pate. The spiciness of the meatball, the depth of the pate and the crispy tang of the veggies was a flavour explosion. The baguette in the above photo is the organic Local Source baguette that Indochine started using this past January, whereas previously they sourced their bread from 24 Carrots Bakery. The baguettes may not be authentic banh mi, but they still make for a great sandwich. My only complaint is that Indochine doesn’t offer my favourite type of Viet sub: assorted cold cut. Since Indochine takes pride in offering fresh, non-processed product, they do not offer the mystery meat that captured my heart in Calgary.

I got to wondering if there was anywhere else to find banh mi in Halifax…

Assorted sub from Truy Vietnamese Cuisine at the Dartmouth Flea Market

Then one day I got a tip that there was a Vietnamese sub at the Dartmouth flea market, of all places. Truy Vietnamese Cuisine is an unlikely vendor in the shanty town that is the Harbourview Weekend Market. The subs are not freshly toasted, or even fabulously flavoured. But they are authentic, and they are totally full of assorted cold cuts! The friendly Vietnamese couple behind the operation told me that the wife makes the cold cuts from scratch, as she used to do in Vietnam.

Home-made cold cuts, you say?!

I was very pleased to find this sub, so that I can now fill that banh mi craving when it must be authentic and simple. In fact, this sub is so simple it begs of you to add lots of the provided sriracha and soy sauce. It is otherwise topped with butter and pate.

Banh mi lunch special at Gingergrass

I continued my search for local banh mi by scouring the menus of Vietnamese restaurants for the off chance that one of them serves the sandwich of my dreams. I found out that Gingergrass serves a banh mi on their weekday lunch menu (M-F, 11:30am-2pm), with a bowl of wonton soup ($7.95). There is only one variety of sub, which is a basic chicken sub with a tasty citrus hoisin sauce. I ordered it spicy and spicy is what I got! Yum! It was almost challenging to eat my soup with my burning tongue. The soup, by the way, was really nice. The sub itself was a little on the small side, but I left satisfied.

The banh mi at Salt Shaker Deli in Lunenburg

I have heard tell that Brooklyn Warehouse and Fid have served their own renditions of banh mi in the past, but as of now this is only a legend. Just for fun, I’ll talk about the banh mi at the Salt Shaker Deli in Lunenburg, just to show an example of what a gourmet banh mi might look like were one to reappear in Halifax. Salt Shaker Deli has a pork meatball sub with julienne vegetables and sriracha mayo in a split and grilled baguette. As you can see, this is a far cry from the Vietnamese subs I used to enjoy in Calgary. However, it was a very tasty sandwich and gives me hope that Vietnamese subs will one day be more visible in the Halifax sandwich scene. Rumour has it that the chef from Brooklyn Warehouse responsible for their former banh mi menu item is now aboard the Nomad Gourmet food truck… *wink wink, nudge nudge*

In the meantime, I’m a big fan of Indochine and will make occasional trips to the Dartmouth flea market. If anyone out there finds a Viet sub I haven’t discovered, please do bring it to my attention!

My Calgary Vietnamese Sub Recommendations for the Hungry Traveller:

Thi Thi
209 1 St SE, (Chinatown), Calgary, AB
Urbanspoon Page

Saigon Deli
4527 8 Ave SE (Forrest Lawn), Calgary, AB
Urbanspoon Page

Kim Anh
626 17 Avenue SW (Uptown 17th Ave), Calgary, AB
Urbanspoon Page

Halifax Banh Mi:

Indochine Banh Mi
1551 South Park St.
Halifax, NS
(902) 407-1222

Harbourview Weekend Market
42 Canal St.
Dartmouth, NS
(902) 407-3323

Gingergrass Thai & Vietnamese Cuisine
1284 Barrington Street
Halifax, NS
(902) 425-8555

Salt Shaker Deli
124 Montague St
Lunenburg, NS
(902) 640-3434

Halifax Cupcake Quest

Posted on April 6, 2013 by shipwrekkt

This week my friend Mitch prepared a cupcake quest for me! Seriously, this was the easiest food quest I’ve ever done. I got off the ferry in Halifax and he was waiting for me in a car with 4 little boxes of cupcake magic. Truth be told, I’m not really a sweets fiend. I became attuned to the gourmet world of cupcakes, doughnuts and cream puffs when I was in Calgary where shops such as Crave Cupcakes, Bliss & Co. and Jelly Modern Doughnuts were all the hype. In Vancouver I was amazed at the amount of vegan cupcake shops. Then I moved down the street from Susie Shortbreads in Halifax and lived happily ever after... or did I?

Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living”, so what about the unexamined cupcake? Years of facepalming at The Coast’s Best of Food results is what initially called me to foodie duty, and I’m not stopping at hamburgers. We examined cupcakes from Susie Shortbreads, Smith’s Bakery, Sweet Jane’s and Layers.

Sweet Jane’s New York Cupcake

This whole thing got started when Mitch began ranting and raving to me one day about the “New York Cupcakes” at Sweet Jane’s. It’s safe to say he is a fan. Apparently Sweet Jane’s acquired a cupcake recipe from a restaurant in New York, hence the name. This cupcake was larger than the others, and had an off-white icing with playful sprinkles. It reminded me of a birthday cake. This would be a good cupcake for those who are easily disgruntled by the rich mountainous icing that preoccupies gourmet cupcakes. The icing-to-cake ratio here is modest, and doesn’t bombard your palate with sugary fervor.

Smith’s Bakery – Red Velvet

We had the red velvet cupcake from Smith’s Bakery (located on Agricola St). This time playful sprinkles adorned a rich cream cheese icing. The red velvet was spiked with a spunky cherry flavouring. I deliberated for some time about my cherry flavoured sentiments, before deciding I like my red velvet sans cherry. I also noticed that the cake was a tad dry. Overall it wasn’t a bad cupcake.

Layers – Red Velvet

The elegant red velvet cupcake from Layers was divine! This was the smallest cupcake of the contenders but easily the tastiness. The cake was so moist, and the icing was absolutely luscious! I prefer a denser icing, but despite my preferences this was still my favourite cupcake of the bunch.

Susie Shortbreads – Susie’s Classic

Susie Shortbread’s Classic cupcake is my runner up. This is a solid cupcake. Literally. The cake is really quite dense. Out of all of the cupcake contenders, this is the one I would choose to throw at somebody (thud!)… if it wasn’t so delicious. This is a cupcake fit for a long-lasting friendship. The icing proudly towers above its cakey foundation and is perfectly creamy and rich. If this is the Halifax standard, we have it pretty good.

Appendix A

Red velvet cupcake at Little Red Kitsch’n

When I originally published this cupcake quest, I asked you if I missed any cupcakes of merit in this fine city of ours. It was then brought to my attention that I had neglected Little Red Kitsch’n of the Seaport Market. So I decided to re-investigate the cupcake matter and include it in this appendix.

Little Red Kitsch’n is located next to the apple cider guy, right down the stairs from Bramoso Pizza and Java Blend. I went for the red velvet, my standard, which was decorated with sprinkles and pink icing. This cupcake was perfectly moist, and delicious. It is a worthy addition to your weekly market haul. My only disappointment was that I’m an icing fiend and that cute little swirl of icing left me wanting more! Little Red Kitsch’n also offers frozen take-home dinners, like lobster mac’n'cheese and peanut mushroom udon (which I took home). Follow Little Red Kitsch’n on Twitter: @littleredkitsch, or by blog: http://littleredkitschn.blogspot.ca/

Layers Cakes | Gourmet Cupcakes
1276 Barrington St.
Halifax, NS
902-446-2206

Susie Shortbreads
1589 Dresden Row
Halifax, NS
902-406-7075

Sweet Jane’s
5431 Doyle Street
Halifax, NS
902-425-0168

Smith’s Bakery
2525 Agricola St.
Halifax, NS
902-429-1393

Halifax Burger Week 2013!

Posted on March 30, 2013 by shipwrekkt

When The Coast announced “Burger Week” in conjunction with 21 participating restaurants, I couldn’t have been more excited. I love the Halifax burger hype and the idea that we could be a burger destination. Burger Week gave us eight $5 burger selections, as well as 13 burger creations with some proceeds going to FEED Nova Scotia. Participating restaurants varied from burger legend, Darrell’s, to the head scratcher, Jungle Jim’s.

I kicked off Burger Week with a full blown burger crawl. I visited 4 restaurants and split the burger at each place with a hungry pastry chef. (Pastry chefs can EAT!)

The Armview – Classic Burger

Our first stop was The Armview, the coolest little west end diner that doubles as the neighbourhood bar. Their $5 burger promotion was their Classic Burger: A grilled, house-made 6oz patty with sauteed onions, mustard and ketchup on a sesame seed bun. As far as classic burgers go, this one is quite sizeable. The burger is not revolutionary in any way, but is an excellent rendition of a simple diner burger. We left the Armview satisfied, though we were pumped for something a little more mind-blowing.

Ace Burger – Deluxe

My partner in gluttony had never been to Ace Burger, so that was the obvious choice for blowing our minds and palates. Ace’s Deluxe Burger (Getaway Farms grass fed beef, Brothers’ back bacon, PEI cheddar, frizzled onions and dijonnaise on a Kaiser) is usually $7 but was a $5 special for Burger Week. We were told we would have to wait 45 minutes, since everyone else in town obviously had the same idea. Gus’ was so packed that people had to eat their burgers in the VLT room, and some people were sitting on the stage. Halifax loves Ace Burger, and it is clear that Ace Burger loves Halifax!

Bearly’s – Texas Burger

Next up was Bearly’s House of Blues and Ribs (and now Burgers). Our server told us that he had never sold so many hamburgers in his career. I looked around the bar and everyone was eating burgers and analysing their Burger Week Passports. It was clear that Halifax was hyped! The Texas Burger (home-made, locally produced Canadian steer beef, jalapenos, cheddar cheese, onion rings, and salsa) was served with fries and coleslaw for a measly $5. We really enjoyed this burger! The meat was a finer grind and we could taste the grill marks and a touch of heat from the jalapenos.

Harbour City – Dragon’s Breath Blue (Lamb)

I wanted to check out Harbour City Bar & Grill in the Delta Halifax because I totally loved their offerings at Savour Food & Wine. There was a confusing description on the Burger Passport of what turned out to be several choices. Tandoori Chicken, Cashew Peanut Veggie, and Crabby Patty were a few, but we decided to go for the Dragon’s Breath Blue (a lamb burger infused with local blue cheese). The burger came with a 16oz Barking Squirrel Lager for $17. I have to admit, I have never met a lamb burger I have loved and this was no exception. Being blue cheese lovers, we lamented that there was no additional cheese on top of the burger, which was just kind of plain. We were disappointed, which was too bad because the service and ambiance were great. We reluctantly conceded that we were sleepy and bloated, and thus halted the burger crawl.

Cheese Curds – Spinach & Mushroom Burger

Oh, but I’m not done yet! After a weekend spent in the forest doing my Wilderness First Aid certification, I was hungry for more burgers! I went with some classmates to Cheese Curds to check out their Burger Week selection. For $8.75 I got a local home-made 6oz patty topped with sauteed portobello, crimini and button mushrooms, wilted spinach, and Swiss cheese. I wish there was more seating at Cheese Curds and less pressure to choose from an overwhelming list of toppings, but we found a table and I kept my burger simple. The result was a solid burger with big fabulous chunks of perfectly cooked mushrooms. My modest burger allowed the bun to hold its integrity, instead of falling apart (as it has been known to do on the gargantuous CC Porker).

Willy’s Fresh Cut Fries and Burgers

Willy’s is known for its pizza corner poutines, but for Burger Week they had a $10 8oz Oulton’s beef patty with bacon, cheese, beer battered jalapenos and onion rings. This burger definitely brought the beef! However, as a fellow burger quester pointed out: “It’s pretty good, but the lettuce on it is a joke!” True enough. What is the point of a bland flappy iceburg lettuce leaf crowning a deep-fried meat orgy? The deep fried jalapenos were a nice touch on this burger, lending a bit of heat and crunch. Unfortunately, the bacon was undercooked and I ended up pulling a lot of it out. This burger was a bit too monstrous for me, but it had potential. I’ll make a return trip to Willy’s in the future for something a little more manageable.

Rock Bottom Brewery – a standard hamburger.

On the last day of burger week, I hit up Rock Bottom for lunch. I have already praised Rock Bottom for their amazing peanut butter burger, yet I have been less impressed with the rest of their burger menu. For Burger Week, $5 got me a regular hamburger with fries, rice, or roasted potatoes. Rock Bottom uses Nova Scotia beef, flame grilled and topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle and served on a sourdough Kaiser bun. The simplicity of this sandwich enabled the beef and bun to truly shine. Rock Bottom’s choice of quality beef and bread elevates its hamburgers to gourmet status. Plus, the beer is some of the best in the city.

The burger at Tempo

My final Burger Week indulgence was Tempo, which offered their regular menu burger with a 16oz Barking Squirrel Lager for $15. This burger features Oulton’s beef, aged cheddar, iceburg lettuce, smoked tomato ketchup, fried onions, candied bacon, soft bun, tempura pickle, and fries. I’m glad it’s on the regular menu, because it was fantastic (if not difficult to fit in one’s mouth). The tempura pickle was a nice touch, but the beefy goodness and symphony of flavours is what made me love this burger.

I wanted to pick some winners, but I don’t think I can. Ace Burger was exceptional as always, Bearly’s was a surprising winner, Armview is a perfect classic, Rock Bottom elevates the standard pub burger, Willy’s has burger potential, Cheese Curds makes a solid sandwich, and Tempo is a class act! Harbour City was disappointing, but perhaps the cashew peanut veggie was the star? I guess I’ll never know, since the Burger Week specials are not on the regular menu. Either way, it was really nice to see all the hungry Haligonians supporting this promotion and so many restaurants getting involved. So much burger love for a city of 400,000!

Halifax Burger Quest: Crispy Cristy

Posted on March 10, 2013 by shipwrekkt

Crispy Cristy moved into the old Extreme Pita location on Barrington Street last month, officially sending Halifax to its burger saturation point. This restaurant offers gourmet burgers, poutine, chicken, fish, pitas and salads. By “chicken” they mean strips and wings, by “fish” they mean fish and chips, and by “pitas” they mean just about anything, but with a Mediterranean emphasis. Basically this is like your typical Halifax pizza shop, which offers a wide variety of standard gut-busting fare, only instead of pizza they serve hamburgers. I think they even deliver.

Which leads my to the inevitable question:

The Ringer at Crispy Cristy – Is this gourmet?

What makes a burger “gourmet”? There. I just said what you’ve all been thinking. Everyone wants a piece of the gourmet burger trend, and without the solemnity of burger law, there are no regulations which dictate when you can call a burger “gourmet”. At Crispy Cristy, my burger was served on a fancy square plate: +1 gourmet burger point. My burger patty consisted of quality Angus Brand Beef : +1 gourmet burger point. The patty was actually quite nice, if not a little thin for my liking. However the taste and texture reminded me more of a really good diner-style burger, rather than a gourmet burger.

What else makes a burger gourmet? Fancy toppings! Crispy Cristy offers its own takes on nacho and Greek burgers, as well as burgers featuring intriguing ingredients like “grill fried pepperoni”, ancho chipotle sauce and caramelized onions. But what did I do? I ordered The Ringer ($8.49), fully equipped with onion rings and mozza sticks. Yes, mozza sticks. I couldn’t help myself. I’ve never had a mozza stick burger.

The Ringer at Crispy Cristy

This burger was like a fusion of classic greasy diner burger and some atrocity of Epic Meal Time. The fat-faced-hedonist in me was delighted by the presence of mozza sticks on my burger, while my increasingly health-wary conscience grimaced in shame. There were chunks of the dreaded iceburg lettuce, the generic flavours of ketchup and mustard, and of course the whole thing fell apart while I was eating it.

So what makes a burger “gourmet”? We could make a complicated gourmet burger criterion, with check boxes for quality of beef, presentation, and luxury of toppings – but chances are we would keep finding exceptions and contradictions. So I will provide my own definition: A gourmet burger must be sexy, whether elegantly chic or ruggedly handsome.

The Ringer at Crispy Cristy was not really sexy. It was more like a staggering fratboy who thinks he’s crisp and cool, but is actually just drunk on mediocrity and ready to eat a donair and pass out in his dorm room. I’m not saying the burger was bad! If this burger was introduced before the gourmet burger boom, it would have been a leading Halifax hamburger. Maybe the “Chicago Jack” (smoked bacon, caramelized onion, honey mustard and monterey jack – $7.49) is a classier burger bro, but I won’t be rushing back to find out.

The price scale is for stand alone burgers, with fries being an additional $2.50. As you can plainly see, the fries are the packaged frozen variety which I thought Halifax had outgrown, but several online reviewers have strangely applauded. Also, the atmosphere at Crispy Crispy is that of Extreme Pita with a paint job, and the service I received was squarely average, if not a bit timid. I’m curious about the poutines which come in 8 varieties, and the Greek/Lebanese style wraps.

Perhaps there is room for Crispy Cristy at the greasier end of the Halifax burger scene. The common Haligonian may not care about grass-fed beef, hand-cut fries, or house-made sauces. The common Haligonian grew up on roast beef and potatoes and may not desire “peppery arugula” or “creamy chevre” on their burger. This is still the Maritimes after all, and the category of “gourmet” may apply differently to us. I say bring on the grease! I just need a break for a while…. speaking of which:

Halifax Burger Week is happening March 21-27, with participating restaurants offering specials and proceeds to FEED Nova Scotia. Check it out!

*** Currently Crispy Cristy has no online presence: -10 gourmet burger points!!***

Halifax Burger Quest: The Works

Posted on March 2, 2013 by shipwrekkt

Opening night at The Works was crazy! From 5pm-7pm The Works was peddling free food by donation to FEED Nova Scotia. My jaw dropped when I saw people lining up all the way down the block. Many of these folks had tasted the deliciousness of The Works on trips to Ottawa, and others had heard tell of its reputation. Still others had caught a social media whiff of the promise of free food, and lined up in droves. Owner Alan Garner entertained the hungry line-up with “true stories”, free milkshake coupons, and his own brand of sarcasm. Two hours later, my toes were frozen solid and the door was finally opened to us!

Totally worth it.

The Beaverbank: caramelized onions, chipotle ketchup, havarti, and 4 double smoked bacon slices $14.66

I first encountered The Works in Ottawa on my way across Canada in 2009, and again in London on my way back across Canada in 2012. I was ecstatic to find out that Halifax would soon boast of the first Works franchise to exist outside of Ontario, lovingly opened by owners Alan and Jody Garner. I was so excited I prematurely blogged about the Works opening way back in August! Those of you familiar with my preliminary Halifax Burger Quest should be eager to know that The Works now takes the title for best service, best atmosphere, best variety AND best burger.

The Love Goat: peppercorn crusted burger with goats cheese and bacon $14.67

Somebody on Yelp stated that the burgers are under seasoned. Personally, I like my burgers to taste like beef. If I want my beef to taste like spices, I’ll eat a donair, or meatloaf, or kafta. However, I realize there are those of you who like spicy burp invoking burgers, and I’ll re-direct you to Cheese Curds. OR – you can try one of the peppercorn crusted burgers from The Works, which has a slight crispiness and a full on peppercorn attack. Slap on some goats cheese or gouda and bacon, and we’re good to go!

Tidball Baker: die cut chips, sour cream, green onions, bacon $12.35

Yes, there are potatoes on that burger. Don’t be surprised. There are 70 burgers on the menu, with toppings ranging from eggplant to kraft dinner. You want a peanut butter burger? The Works has 3 varieties. Boo-yah! Aside from the overwhelming variety, the best part about The Works is the beef. It is the perfect thickness, nice and beefy, and it is perfectly cooked.

Not Yo’ Burger: fried tortilla, avocado, fire roasted cheese dip, a blend of diced ripe tomatoes & minced garlic. $13.34

If beef is not your thing, The Works also has ground turkey, chicken breast, veggie patties, portobello mushroom cap, and domestic elk (+$3.67). If you don’t like gluten, there is a gluten free bun. For sides you can get several varieties of potato or vegetable (I like the coleslaw), or upgrade to onion rings, poutine, deep fried dill pickles, Kraft Dinner, or chilli. I’m not so sure I can recommend the salad. I can say that I was very impressed with the onion rings and dills (the latter being a hard item to find in Halifax). There is also an impressive milkshake menu, some smoothies, floats, and most importantly, there is beer.

Kamikaze – jalapeno, chipotle & banana peppers, cheddar cheese & hotter than hell sauce $12.94

I’d like to extend a big welcome and thank you to The Works! Rather than eliminating the competition, The Works offers a different hamburger experience and compliments the now legendary trilogy of Relish, Ace, and Cheese Curds of the Halifax burger explosion. #burgerlove!

The Works (Halifax)
5431 Doyle Street
(902) 405-9333
Web Site

Halifax Pizza Shop Poutines

Posted on February 18, 2013 by shipwrekkt

That’s right. I’m dedicating this post to the travesty that is the Halifax “poutine”, found in pizza shops all over the city and delivered, along with regret, right to your door. Until recently, this style of poutine was all Halifax really had. Anyone with a 2011 copy of The Coast’s “Best of Food & Drink” edition can attest to this, as Alexandra’s Pizza has won year after year in the category of “Best Poutine”.

I refer to this embarrassing part of our food culture as the “Pizza Shop” poutine, because that’s exactly where you’ll find it. Pizza shops in Halifax tend to offer everything from pizza and garlic fingers, to fried chicken, fish ‘n’ chips, hamburgers, poutines, donairs, nachos, a variety of deep fried pub appys, and quite commonly, Lebanese food. Your poutine will arrive in a styrofoam container, or a tin container that was fed into the pizza oven. The French fries will be previously frozen, limp, shoe strings. The cheese will be shredded mozzarella from the pizza bar, although Greek poutines (feta cheese) are popular. If executed properly, the poutine will be half submerged in a pool of powdered gravy. Poutine aficionados are now rightly indignant and disgusted.

Xtreme Pizza is known for the “stuffed poutine”, inspired, no doubt, by the Newfie delight of fries, dressing & gravy. Xtreme uses stove top stuffing rather than traditional dressing.

Stuffed Poutine from Xtreme Pizza

Xtreme pizza probably offers the largest variety of poutine styles, including donair, chicken, steak, hamburger, pepperoni, and interesting combinations like spicy chicken & stuffing, pepperoni & donair, and bacon cheeseburger. This “cuisine” is best eaten while intoxicated, so that discerning taste and feelings of shame do not interfere with your palate.

My absurd sense of duty to document all regional food items has led me to soberly consume the legendary poutine from Alexandra’s Pizza. I ordered a donair poutine with added feta cheese. I have no words to express this…

Donair Poutine (+ feta) from Alexandra’s Pizza.

The pizza shop poutine is most always delivered as a drunken late night afterthought, or to be eaten in solitary shame. Or both, sadly. In my sober state I surprisingly found the version from Alexandra’s to be quite tasty. Unevenly carved chunks and slices of donair meat, tasty gravy, gooey mozzarella and salty feta. The French fries are the real deal breaker here (I mean, as a consumable, not as a poutine. The poutine deal was broken long ago). Those floppy freezer fries turn into a dry paste that sluggishly slides down the back of my throat. No amount of gravy seems to help lubricate them. Water is needed. Lots and lots of water. I shudder to think of how much fat and sodium I just consumed.

Alexandra’s Poutine.

I have to give Xtreme and Alexandra’s some credit. Out of all the pizza shops in Halifax they offer some of the best variety and most reliable late-night and all-day service. I know this from my days as a stumbledrunk bar star when I would get home after 4am, desperate for some mindless fat and carb indulgence.

I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say pizza shop poutines are a thing of my past. Not only that, but Halifax now has semi-credible poutineries and providers who pride themselves in their fresh cut fries, real cheese curds, and house-made gravies. The gourmet poutine is the way of the future, and I’ll cover it at length… as soon as I digest this heavy lump of swallowed dignity.

Xtreme Pizza
5970 Spring Garden Rd.
902-404-1600
Menu

Alexandra’s Pizza
1263 Queen St (and other locations)
902-425-1900
Web Site

Vancouver’s Japadog

Posted on February 14, 2013 by shipwrekkt

I don’t know who invented the “Asian fusion dog”, but Vancouver certainly made it famous! According to the history of Japadog, it all started in 2005 when a Japanese couple immigrated to Vancouver with the dream of opening a world famous food stand. For several years, Japadog enjoyed local fame. Then the 2010 Winter Olympics provided international exposure, followed by media hype and a visit from Anthony Bourdain. There are now at least 4 carts located around Vancouver, an airport location and a storefront restaurant on Robson St. In 2012 Japadog opened a location in New York City, bringing this west-coast hot dog style to the east.

I’ve had the opportunity to eat at Japadog on two occasions, and these are some of the best hot dogs I’ve ever had.There are a variety of meats, including kobe beef and kurobuta pig (and veggie dogs) that you can choose to accompany the toasted bun, and they have a nice snappy casing. Most importantly, these hot dogs are topped with Japanese ingredients, like nori seaweed, daikon radish, and wasabi mayo. The signature dog is the Terimayo, which is a beef dog featuring teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, and shredded nori seaweed. Other variations involve korubuta sausage or a spicy cheese infused hot dog instead of the beef.

Terimayo Dog

Every location of Japadog has slightly different offerings, and as you can see, the terimayo dog at the top of this post looks different from the one directly above. Why did I get my second hot dog in a styrofoam container? Why does the first hot dog look so neat and tidy, while the second hot dog looks drunk? These are mysteries that can only be solved by a thorough Japadog tour of Vancouver.

Another hot dog I got to try was the Okonomi, a kurobuta pork sausage topped with Japanese mayo, fried cabbage, dried bonito (tuna) flakes, and okonomi sauce.

Okonomi Dog

This dog was just okay. The bonito flakes did not impart as much flavour as I expected, and I don’t see what the big deal is about korubuta pork. However, that toasted bun and that snappy casing truly outplay most hot dogs you’ll come across. Even regular ballpark toppings on one of these dogs would be a winner. But I’m not one for ketchup and mustard. I can’t wait to try the Avocado Dog, the Kurogoma Kimuchi (topped with kimchi and black sesame), and the Oroshi (grated daikon and soy sauce). Japadog also sells a deep fried hot dog bun filled with ice cream (black sesame anyone?) at its Robson St. location. I have heard that the French fries are relatively mediocre, but vastly improved by seaweed sprinkles or butter and shoyu. Next time I’m in Vancouver (or New York, yay!) I’ll be all over these hot dogs. Strictly for research, of course.

I wish Halifax had a signature style of hot dog. For now, we’ll have to settle with the donair.

Japadog Web Site

Eat This Town

A Halifax-Based Food Tourism Blog

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