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

Halifax Burger Quest: Rock Bottom Brew Pub

Posted on February 2, 2013 by shipwrekkt

I’m going to take a break from smoked meat sandwiches for a bit and return to burger questing! I have had some inquiries and recommendations concerning various hamburgers in Halifax, which I haven’t yet gotten to because I was focusing on “gourmet-style” burgers. Now I am going to shift my focus to pub-style burgers, and I’m also accepting recommendations if you would like to e-mail me (shipwrekkt@gmail.com) or leave a comment below.

When I left Halifax in 2009, Rock Bottom Brewery had just opened. I sampled all the beers, which tasted strikingly mediocre and homogeneous. When I came back in 2012 I kept hearing buzz about this place and quickly figured out that the legendary Maritime brewmaster, Greg Nash, had taken over production for Rock Bottom, which now boasts of some of the best beer in the city! For this reason, I will continue to haunt Rock Bottom Brew Pub… but now I have another reason.

Peanut Butter Burger at Rock Bottom Brew Pub ($11.95)

A couple of months ago, I tried the peanut butter burger at Rock Bottom. Yes, Halifax, there is now competition in the peanut butter burger market! What Rock Bottom does differently is mix the peanut butter with cream cheese. The effect is drastic, perfect, and wonderful. Rock Bottom uses 100% Nova Scotia beef. Rock Bottom has good French fries. Rock Bottom has Greg Nash. Rock Bottom.

This is one of those rare burgers that I continued to reminisce about well after eating it. I began to wonder about the other burgers at Rock Bottom…

Beer, Pork & Bacon Burger at Rock Bottom

Beef, Pork & Bacon Burger at Rock Bottom

The Beef, Pork & Bacon Burger ($12.45) is a “beef & pork patty grilled & topped with smoked applewood cheddar, bacon & onion rings, roasted red pepper mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion & pickle.” It sounds amazing, but I actually wasn’t that impressed. The pork did nothing to elevate the patty, in my opinion. This was a very standard, but decent, pub burger.

HotBottom Burger at Rock Bottom

The HotBottom Burger ($12.75) is a peppercorn crusted burger topped with swiss cheese, banana peppers and hot sauce, plus the usual veggies. I had a peppercorn crusted burger at The Works in Ottawa and fell in love with the concept. However, this element of the burger at Rock Bottom didn’t jump out at me. Perhaps it was overridden by the banana peppers and hot sauce. The beef patty was also not as meaty and luscious as I had once remembered it… once upon a time when I had an intimate moment with a certain peanut butter burger.

I began to think that my first date with Rock Bottom had been a fluke. Had the cook that made my peanut butter burger vanished in the night? Had the restaurant implemented cost-reducing burger-shrinking strategies? Had I experienced an isolated moment of a non-replicable nature?

I returned to find out the truth about the peanut butter burger.

It’s a miracle! This burger was just as good as the first time I had it! I don’t know what it is, but the peanut butter and cream cheese concoction really brings out the beefy goodness. The swiss cheese, smoked bacon, and veggies play along just fine and the sourdough kaiser holds it all together. I confess my love for this burger, and encourage all you Darrell’s fans to check it out.

Rock Bottom also has a Canadian Bison Burger ($15.50), Turkey Avocado Burger ($13.45), Lamb Burger ($13.45), Pesto Rubbed Chicken (breast) Burger ($10.75), and a regular burger at $9.95. AVOID the frozen soy hockey puck ($8.95) unless you’re into that sort of thing. All burgers come with your choice of fries, roasted potatoes or rice. Upgrade to sweet potato fries, salad or cup of soup for $2.25.

Check out the web site for weekly events and specials.

Halifax Smoked Meat Wars: Sully’s Roast Beef & Smoked Meat

Posted on January 21, 2013 by shipwrekkt

As promised, I ventured into Sully’s today. I brought my good friend MGyver, so that we could go splits on the smoked meat and the roast beef. This no frills restaurant is brightly lit and has only counter space for eating. The one man show behind the counter is friendly, conversational, and slices our meat to order. Meanwhile, we sit on the cherished old stools of the late Ginger’s tavern and watch some tennis on the telly. The beef is roasted to a pinky medium at Certainly Cinnamon, and is handed over to Sully’s for sandwich glory. It is toasted in a sub bun, and then topped with tomato, pickle, onions, lettuce and banana peppers: $6 for 6 inches and $11 for a foot long. Props to you if you can eat a foot long! The meat is really tender and plentiful, and the condiments were flavourful. I was happy with this sandwich, until suddenly I heard moans of delight from my pal MGyver. I looked over and he was already into his first bite of his smoked meat sandwich.

Sully’s smoked meat.

Yay! What a sandwich! Oh, and ignore the slice of cheese. I ordered that as an afterthought but it was completely unnecessary. The meat is shipped in from Montreal and is piled high and sliced thin. The rye bread is from the Fancy Lebanese Bakery, and is steamed before performing its sandwich duties. The steaming seems to make the bread more elastic and durable, helping it to hold the sandwich together rather than being spiteful and dry and falling apart under the harassment of several inches of meat. It is served with a modest side of potato chips, and a good brand of pickle spear, all for $7.50.

Sully’s Roast Beef.

Sully’s also serves Nathan’s hot dogs (authentic NYC) and imports pulled pork from the southern states. More importantly, they have a beverage fridge full of the aloe vera drink to which I am hopelessly addicted! There is talk of setting up a beer tap and maybe serving some Granite beer… maybe… hopefully…? There is also talk of renovations to open up more seating and better kitchen/storage. In time we will see the progression of this business, but for now you might as well go try a sandwich. You won’t be disappointed.

Sully’s Roast Beef & Smoked Meat
3548 Novalea Dr.
Halifax, NS
902-493-5141
Facebook Page

Halifax Smoked Meat Wars: Hali Deli

Posted on January 13, 2013 by shipwrekkt

When Halifax claims (or reclaims) a food trend, it is serious business. Recently we’ve seen a boom in Korean food, for example, surging from 1 to 6 Korean restaurants in record time. Gourmet hamburgers are another example. In 2012 alone, 4 gourmet burger restaurants opened, and 2 more are on the way. Now I’m seeing a boom in smoked meat, which apparently used to be commonplace in the 1970s or thereabouts, and is seeing a resurgence now. I’ve dined at Schwartz’s in Montreal, and Katz’s in NYC, so you can imagine my excitement when a Jewish deli opened on Agricola Street, complete with matzo ball soup and half-sour pickles (half pickle, half cucumber and totally delicious!)The smoked meat sandwich ($10.99) is piled high with hand-sliced smoked meat, very little bread to hold it together, and mustard at the table for self-application (deli-style and ballpark yellow). I had to reassemble my sandwich due to disproportionate elements, and questionable bread integrity. The platter comes with fries (or sub salad $1.99), coleslaw and a half-sour spear. The French fries did not impress me, and they are way too heavy an ally to these colossal sandwiches. Fortunately, you can substitute them with items from the side menu, such as potato knish, kasha vamishkes, potato latke, and sweet kugel (descriptions of said items are on the back of the menu). If only they would let you substitute soup…Well it certainly looks good, but how does it taste? It’s good! It is nowhere near as good as Schwartz’s, but it’s satisfying. The meat is more moist, and reminds me of a pre-cooked ham more than a house-smoked brisket. I inquired into the source of the smoked meat and was told that it is shipped from a wholesaler in Montreal. Just because it came from Montreal doesn’t make it awesome… in fact, I think in-house smoking would be a vast improvement.

There is also smoked meat in grilled cheese form! (Grilled Cheese Deluxe $9.99).

I was intrigued by the grilled all-beef salami ($10.99). Not bad, but there was just too much of it. Take out a couple slices, add mustard, and then you have a sandwich.

The mixed grill ($12.99) in an onion bun was pretty awesome. The salami is balanced with smoked meat and corned beef and everything fits snugly in the onion bun. This is a winning sandwich! The pastry is the potato-stuffed potato knish.

The other winner was the Reuban ($12.99): corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, Russian dressing on twin grilled rye bread. I only got to have one bite, but I would recommend it.

Despite the fact that I’m not overly impressed by the smoked meat at Hali Deli, it is a welcome addition to the city. The Reuban and the Mixed Grill are worth a return visit. If you read the menu, you will also notice some very exciting breakfast and dinner options, and a rather intriguing hamburger. More “research” is unavoidable. Next week, I will be checking out Sully’s Roast Beef and Smoked Meat as the sandwich war continues!

@NotThatGirl1981′s lunchtime photo… makes me want to get an iphone.

Hali Deli
2389 Agricola St.
Halifax, NS
902-406-2500
Web Site

Calgary Greek-Style Pizza

Posted on January 6, 2013 by shipwrekkt

I lumbered into Calgary on a Greyhound bus one summer morning in 2009. I would end up living there for 3 years, but my first moments were filled with disorientation and culture shock, as I stumbled through the wasteland of strip malls, box stores, and chain restaurants grasping for something familiar, before discovering and understanding the real Calgary culinary scene. This involved hours of research, moving downtown, and making friends with cars. Calgary is a spread out city, but if you know where to look there are some real gems. I mean, Calgary is the culinary capital of the Canadian Prairies.

Discovering Calgary pizza was an arduous task. When I opened that first delivery box, I shuddered in disappointment. What is this monster?! It was a thick pan-crust pizza throbbing with cheese. Coming from the east coast, I had never seen such a thing. I started asking around at work, and on Chowhound, where can you get a good pizza in Calgary? I kept getting redirected to this “inferior” style of pizza, until finally, the unspeakable happened: I fell in love with it!

Spiros Pizza: one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had.

While there are many other styles of pizza available in Calgary, I believe the “Greek-Style” is the most representative of Calgary’s unique pizza culture. Whereas Halifax is known for its Greek diners, Calgary lays claim to the Greek-run “Pizza & Steak House”, an intriguing phenomenon. A Pizza & Steak House specializes in pizza, budget steaks, breaded veal dishes and pasta. They usually consist of an oldschool 1970s-style dining room with a bar section. Some establishments are branded “Pizza & Sports Bar” instead. They may or may not serve the standard steak house fare, while emphasizing the bar/lounge atmosphere. There are also Greek restaurants that serve pizza, or, to be more accurate, pizza restaurants that serve Greek food. Lastly, there are take-out/delivery restaurants that serve pizza, wings, pasta, and salads. They lack the variety and late hours that Halifax pizza shops offer, but often provide better quality.

Demetris Pizza

The Greek-style pizza has a pan-style crust, whereas here in the Maritimes we typically see hand-tossed crusts. A hand-tossed pizza uses a thin flat pizza pan, whereas a pan-style pizza requires a deeper pan so that the dough can be pressed up the edges, making for a deeper pie and a thicker crust. Pizza Hut’s original crust is a pan-crust but is much greasier. A good Greek-style pizza should have a nice thick crust with golden, baked-on spillover cheese.

Atlas Pizza

Another distinguishing factor of Calgary’s Greek-style is that the pizza is entirely smothered with cheese, with layers and layers of toppings piled underneath.

Usually I prefer vegetarian pizzas, but this is one style of pizza where I definitely recommend loading on the meat. This is the kind of pizza that comes at 14″ at its largest size, will easily cost you $30, and will make you fat in half the time as a New York slice.

4th St. Pizza (Mission)

The sauce is typically spiked with oregano, but some places offer a
meat-sauce pizza which has a slight
(Greek) touch of cinnamon. Shrimp is also a popular topping, which, ironically, is not considered an acceptable pizza topping on the east coast. There is also a strange menu system (pictured right) that seems to predominate. Instead of just listing the toppings and prices per number of toppings, there is a redundant and absurd tendency, especially amongst the oldschool places, to list them in this fashion.

So where is the best Greek-style pizza in Calgary to be found? Most of it is very good. If you ask around, many people will tell you that Manies Pizzeria & Greek Cuisine is best. Others will make a claim for Atlas Pizza & Sports Bar, Nick’s Steak House & Pizza, or Inglewood (take-out) Pizza. These are certainly some upstanding classics.

Manies Pizza

But my favourites, based on my own personal research and experience, are as follows:

1) Spiros Pizza
2) Atlas Pizza & Sports Bar
3) Jeanne’s Pizza Panty (so friendly!)

Jeanne’s Pizza

Honourable mentions go to: Sophie’s Pizza (take-out), Stolo’s Pizza (sports bar), Stavros Pizza (sports bar & steak house), Demetris Pizza (take-out), 4th St. Pizza (take-out), and Ogden Pizza & Pub.

Sophies Pizza

Calgary Greek-style pizza now has a very special place in my heart. I miss this habitual over-indulgence, and ya know what else? Sometimes I miss Calgary too.

The Knot Pub – Lunenburg

Posted on December 26, 2012 by shipwrekkt

It’s the holidays and I am enjoying the quiet rural life of my second home, in the south shore of Nova Scotia, just 10 minutes away from historic Lunenburg and zero minutes away from the ocean. When you think of small town Nova Scotia, you don’t often think of culinary awesomeness – but then again, one is often pleasantly surprised. Lunenburg is particularly blessed with a sizeable restaurant scene, as it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site favoured by tourists. However, much of Lunenburg closes down in the off-season, leaving residents with a limited selection. The Knot Pub is a year-round favourite of Lunenburg locals, as well as any tourists lucky enough to stumble upon this hole in the wall, barely noticeable from the street and a walk away from the waterfront. This is my favourite pub in the world, and a mandatory visit while in the Lunenburg area.

The first time I ate at The Knot was likely in 1995, when my family first moved from Dartmouth to Mahone Bay. I remember the first meal I ate there: The Philly & Fries. This is no ordinary Philly cheese steak sandwich. This is an open faced wonder of Sirloin slices, sauteed onions and green peppers, topped with melted mozzarella cheese. The steak bears no resemblance to the processed thin-sliced beef that you often find in the mediocre world of pub food. No! It is 4oz of perfectly sliced sirloin steak, smothered in cheese and veggies for only $6 ($9 with fries). If there is one thing I can say about The Knot, it’s that the prices can’t be beat for the quality you get.

The cream of mussel soup is a must-try for any lover of seafood, soup, or all things worthy of praise. It is a delicious and affordable appetizer at $4.50. If you try it and just can’t get enough, there is also a large size for $8.

One of our family favourites is the fish cakes and chutney ($10 with fries, $11 with salad). For a Maritimer, fish cakes are acceptable fare at breakfast, lunch, and dinner and are compatible with a range of sides – but I recommend the salad.

Perhaps the picture doesn’t do it justice, but there is just something about the salads at The Knot that makes them a fierce competitor to the French fries. The Greek salad is my favourite, but the Caesar is also quite respectable. Let me reiterate: the salads here are really good.

The Pub Club ($7.50 or $10.50 with fries) is The Knot’s best seller. A 4oz charbroiled chicken breast with tomato, lettuce, bacon, onion, melted mozza and your choice of mustard, the Pub Club is not your ordinary club house sandwich. But like your ordinary club house sandwich, the Pub Club boasts of an immense popularity that has always made me scratch my head in wonder. To each their own!

Over the holidays I personally consumed this lovely platter of pan-fried haddock and Greek salad ($13). I love this Maritime classic, and The Knot’s rendition deserves a nod. There are no frills at The Knot, just damn good food (and poor lighting for food photography – my apologies!)

This is one that I had overlooked for years, and only recently became curious about. The menu lists it simply as “Roast Beef on a Bun $6″, the idea of which reminded me of the Calgary favourite, “BBQ Beef on a Bun”. I figured I’d give it a shot and I’m glad I did. The beef is sauteed in garlic butter before getting smothered with cheddar cheese, tomato and mayo. It is so simple, and yet so satisfying. I would order this again.

Lunenburg, as you may have guessed, has a German heritage which is still recognizable in common family names such as “Rhodenizer” and “Eisenhauer”, as well as the two local sauerkraut plants and delicacies such as Lunenburg (meat) pudding and Lunenburg sausage. The latter is featured in The Knot Burger ($6, or $9 with fries), which is essentially a sausage patty topped with local sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and mustard. If you want a taste of local Lunenburg that isn’t seafood, this is certainly something you ought to try.

The Knotwurst and Kraut ($7) features a Chris Brothers smoked sausage in a bun with your choice of mustard, served with a GIANT HEAP of sauerkraut. I love Lunenburg sauerkraut. It is so chunky and fresh; a regional specialty I didn’t realize I would miss until I found myself on the other side of Canada without any decent sauerkraut. Who could have seen that coming?

Last but not least, I want to talk about the potato skins. The Knot often runs out of these because it actually requires potato skins, to make potato skins. I know, right? You can’t just take a potato and slice it up and produce the same effect. Potato skins, otherwise doomed to careless discardment, are set aside for glory! Spread out like nachos and baked with cheddar cheese and bacon ($7), they are then plucked up out of their oozing cheesy habitat and dunked in sour cream. This is a family favourite that always pleases!

The Knot Pub is a triple threat of atmosphere, quality, and price that can’t be beat. You can get appys like mozza sticks, chicken wings and deep fried pepperoni. Pub classics like hamburgers, fish ‘n’ chips, and even Alberta steak. Besides the local German influenced fare, there are also seafood selections like bacon wrapped scallops, fish chowder, and fresh steamed mussels. My Dad claims the fish ‘n’ chips are some of the best he has had, while my Mom prefers the smoked meat sandwich. I like to alternate my choices because everything is just so damn good. 18oz of Keiths is only $4.65 and $5.53 will get you Knot Pub Ale (made by Propeller), as well as Propeller Bitter. Things get a little more rowdy later into the night as all the young Lunenburgers (they do exist) come out to party. Lunenburg locals have it good, but this is well worth the drive from Halifax.

The Knot Pub
4 Dufferin St.
Lunenburg, NS
(902) 634-3334
Web Site

Eat This Town

A Halifax-Based Food Tourism Blog