Oh Rebel House. My phone changed it to Tebri House.
I think White Lily Diner deserves a Bib more than some of the 2022 Bibs.
I was impressed that Rebel House’s prices have stayed quite low, considering location. The Oxley, while higher end, is charging $44 for some mains, whereas most mains at the Rebel House are under or around $25.
Ah yes, those mobile spell-checks are not to be trusted. I’ve run into many, many reformulated misspellings. And I can’t seem to convince my spell-check that I spell better than it does. It doesn’t seem to know that it’s dealing with the Grade 6 spelling champion at Charles G. Fraser P.S. in Toronto, lo, these many decades ago. No matter. The important thing is that we agree: Rebel House does a good, if somewhat downsized, meat loaf entree. As does White Lily Diner, though logistics make it difficult for me to get there all that much. Only if I’m - rarely - driving by and an unlikely parking spot beckons. It’s clearly a spot mainly for locals.
The Rebel House used to be a favourite of mine.
Then the chef changed - and the food was abysmal, so I stopped going.
Haven’t returned since COVID - are the above reviews current (or just happy memories)?
I’ve been twice since Victoria Day. Cocktails and a basket of their house-made chips in May, club sandwich made with chicken breast & Peameal, and Mac & Cheese in Sept. I’m going to admit I like other Club Sandwiches a little more, and prefer a Club made with streaky bacon or pancetta to Peameal, but it was a tasty sandwich.
I don’t eat bison, and the only burger is made with bison, so I haven’t tried the burger. I haven’t tried the meatloaf.
Yes, the long-ago chef was an imaginative cut or two above, but then she - I think it was a she - left, and the replacement(s) have been at least serviceable, if not particularly imaginative. In short, good enough to execute a basic pub menu. The meat loaf is solid, if somewhat reduced in quantity. The club sandwich is now two, instead of the traditional three pieces of bread, but decent enough. But the vibe remains lively, the back patio in summer is one of the more enjoyable in town, the service is as game as ever, the ruffians at the bar still droll and cheerful. Not as good as it once was, but then, nothing is nowadays.
I was a fan of Rebel House long ago, but then fell out of the habit of going, probably before the chef change. Haven’t been in many years.
Thanks guys.
Seems like a return visit may be worthwhile.
Last time I went, the Burger was dry and the fries were soggy - but it was several years ago. I used to be able to walk there - before I moved away. Also used to visit the Rosedale Diner (which has similarly been up and down - and has a back patio). Plus Boccone deli (for their sandwiches) - which has a VERY QUIET back patio (overlooks a cemetery) but that is unheated so may already be closed for the season (I’m comfortable eating inside).
The Rosedale Diner was mentioning some changes are coming this month. No idea what those changes will be.
I suspect a lot of patios will start closing over the next 2 weeks.
White Lily definitely deserves a bib. The quality there is unbelievably high for “diner food”. I once took some out-of-town foodies there for breakfast and they wondered if I really was taking them to a diner. They understood after their meal.
Cherry Street is the only remaining BBQ place with USDA Prime brisket. They win awards in the US all the time. Decent knowledgable people that get a kick out of what they do. Beach Hill is a dude from Texas. Nice dude, but uses Canadian brisket.
It is Canada. Most beef up here is Canadian.
I don’t go out of my way to eat US beef in Canada. Most Canadians wouldn’t. I’d be more likely to visit the establishments using local beef, whether I’m in the States or Canada, or anywhere else.
As mentioned in another post, I’m not sure I rate US beef way better than Canadian. Maybe I am not that discerning. Aging and preparation probably affect my appreciation more than where the cattle was raised.
Cherry St. was just only OK when we tried it previously (many years ago). Maybe we should try it again, to see if they have improved. We don’t remember anything standing out for a repeat visit. Compared to other places we tried around the same time, Greenwood (now gone) had smokier ribs, Adamson’s (fortunately now gone) had a tastier beef rib.
I passed Cherry St BBQ recently to see the new bridge. Unfortunately there was a lot of dirt and construction dust in the air and the road watering didn’t seem to help much. Personally I’m going to wait awhile before my return visit. If you’re interested, there’s a turn into the back/side of their building for parking as all the street parking near there seems to have been removed. Their patio looks to be still open but… you probably don’t want to be eating outside either unless you want to taste the “terrior”.
We went to Wynona last night, a neighbourhood favourite and now also a Bib recipient. Although the inside was packed, the patio was not and we were able to get a table without a reservation. The food remains delicious, mainly following the seasons, with pastas always being a strong point.
With 5 orange wines to pick from, it was hard to make a choice. We went with the Maurer Oskar Orion from Serbia. It was mainly botrytis affected riesling and some other grape. It was a lovely cloudy coppery orange, with saffron and ginger notes, and a bit gasoline-y at the beginning and then more nutty.
USDA and Canadian beef took a migration starting back in 1977. The best BBQ rib results (and other cuts) come from USDA cuts. Going local sounds fun, but dishes from around the world are better for good reasons, not because they’re local. Your proximity to a dish doesn’t make it any better.
I own a smoker, and have been smoking for 14 years. I studied this difference between USDA and Canadian briskets (tried all Canadian briskets) on a hunch that our beef had changed since I was a child. I was right. Cherry Street staff presented that information without me asking, as they had to move to Canadian brisket due to supply issues. They said it was “night and day”. So that intrigued me even more. Youtube videos have plenty of evidence that they differ. I’d go as far as to say that the brisket cut is the most pronounced difference in breeding/raising beef cattle.
I almost started an importation business of American briskets into Toronto, but then I found a supplier. I’ve accomplished several of these and they are simply over the top, something that I couldn’t find with any Canadian items, even those more expensive.
Adamson’s also used USDA Prime briskets. Those two locations are/were at the top of their game. Cherry Beach wins awards in the US for their fare.
I dislike most American-style BBQ in Toronto, so I don’t seek it out.
I only typically would eat US Beef while visiting the US. The last time I ordered any US beef would have been a bit of brisket at Hill County BBQ in Washington DC in 2019 , because it was a restaurant that happened to be conveniently located near a museum, which had room for our 12 person group at lunch, and before that an ordinary hamburger in Bozeman in 2018.
I think for some people, the idea of importing a product that is also made locally is not something they want to do. I don’t see the point in bringing meat from the States when it’s been raised in southwestern Ontario and across the rest of the province and country.
Do I trust the American system when it comes to standards re: beef? Not really. When Canadian farmers were being honest about Mad Cow disease, some American farmers were less honest about it. They were sweeping it under the rug.
While the Canadian system runs into its own issues, I still trust it more than the American system with respect to beef and other meat.
I go out of my way to support Sanagan’s Meat Locker, which tells me which farms raised the beef, lamb or pork I’m buying. I buy meat from farmers I have gotten to know at the farmers’ market.
Whatever floats your boat.
I’m NOT disagreeing. Just want to know what criteria you are using. I haven’t been knocked out by Canadian beef and have tentatively concluded that it’s the (aging and) cooking method (rather than the origin of the animal) that is important.
I tried both Adamsons and Cherry Street briskets and wasn’t impressed with either!
I can definitely tell the difference between ‘aged’ beef (and ‘lesser-aged’) but am still attempting to figure out whether it’s the ‘feed or the breed’ that’s important. In ‘blind tastings’ I’ve been unable to determine the difference between grass-fed and corn-fed.
But (apart from age) I can identify ‘Australian Wagyu’ and ‘possibly’ difference between breeds (I think Longhorn tastes different, and I was knocked out by Sare beef - which I’d never heard of until I tried it in the French Midi).
I’d appreciate any help in assessing what the ‘real’ differences are.
I researched this for about three years.
1977 saw the introduction of recommended food in the US. Canada followed suit with our lovely Food Pyramid. It’s been exposed as having major corporation pressure and influence, while the misunderstood concept of health (by government) had a war on fat. Beef in Canada was pressured to reduce its fat and become lean. You can’t cook lipids into beef. The top beef cuts from anywhere, include incredible marbling, not turned into venison.
Since then, a double page spread in the Globe told the story of Ruth’s Chris, an American steak chain, and how they use USDA. Their Toronto location had the best sales of all their locations, and it was because of their use of USDA. People started questioning the quality and recent “progress” of Canadian beef under the industry regulations. The government has relaxed its view apparently, but we still have that legacy of pressure on the beef industry.
As to your ‘feed/breed’ concept, even top Canadian offerings can finish with grain, in order to kick up the fat in them. Wagyu is jammed with marbling.
Find a friend with a smoker. Somehow do your Canadian brisket that’s available, and a USDA Prime. Like Cherry Street who wins many awards across the US said to me, “night and day” when they couldn’t get USDA and went with Canadian.
Thank you for your considered response.
I also tried the Toronto Ruth’s Chris - once!
Your recommendation about ‘friend with a smoker’ (which I do have!). Are you suggesting cooking ‘with smoke’? If so, then that would certainly complicate the assessment, according to which absorbed the smoke better. (For the record, I always prefer smoked - but don’t want to divert the discussion into which wood to use).
Incidentally, last week I did have some A5 Wagyu (even saw the certificate). For me it was ‘over-fatty’ - I don’t really enjoy that mouth feel from a ‘meat’ dish - although I find it enjoyable in, say, foie gras which (to me) has a comparable mouth feel.
I may be oversimplifying here, but is the difference particularly related to the ‘percentage of fat’ in the meat, rather than grass/corn, or breed. I’d normally ask my butcher - except it recently changed hands and I haven’t yet determined the ‘reliability’ of the current ownership.
I’ll retry Cherry Street - hoped to last night, but they are closed on Mondays.
Well, smoking is an art and a science. Briskets of all types work the same way. You had A5 Wagyu what? There are various cuts, and smoking something for 12-14 hours renders this, but a steak does little in this way.
Brought up on grass, then finished on grain, is meant to bring in final lipids. Your friend would probably be into testing both Canadian and USDA briskets.
As for feed/breed, all Canadian beef had the same pressure. USDA briskets look like footballs. Canadian briskets look like surfboards. I once did a Canadian brisket on the smoker that was 14 pounds, and absolutely massive. I have to cut it into halves to fit into the two shelves in my smoker.
