The Gabardine - BANNED

View Larger Map

Date visited: May 29, 2013

Time: 5:30 pm

Party Size: 1

Price: $18 plus tax and tips

Website: http://www.thegabardine.com/

Food consumed:
- Sirloin Bacon Cheeseburger - $18
with aioli, tomato, lettuce & fries

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on image to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:

• What did I think of the burger/service/overall?

The service was a train wreck the moment the waitress sat me down. I got in at around 5:30 pm and asked for a table for 1. She told me that the table is reserved at 6:45 pm and if I was able to leave before then. I couldn't hear her the first time so I asked her to repeat herself. She said the same thing but added "You are eating alone, so you should be done by then." From that moment, I knew that I wasn't going to enjoy this place.

It was quite packed for 5:30 pm, noisy and dark. I pumped my ISO to 6400 to take a picture, didn't want to use flash or increase the ISO more than that or else the picture would be distorted. The space between the tables was very tight, I had to squeeze through, mind you, I am your typical skinny Asian, think about the average Canadians trying to get through.

The burger was a bit salty, I think it was from the aioli sauce. Sirloin was good, tender and moist. Fries were so-so, not crispy and not too mushy. Not my kind of fries. Overall, I wouldn't reorder this pricey burger. It didn't appeal to me and because of the next answer. The girl sitting beside me asked how my burger was, I told her that it was good but salty. I think they ordered one. I should have waited and asked for her opinion. Oh well, I wanted to get out of that dark place ASAP.

• How did my sensitive stomach feel?
  

Had a stomach ache after eating this burger. Felt like someone punched my stomach. At home, I lied on my bed in a fetal position while watching Heat. I thought of blogging this right away but the movie was too good and lengthy.

City of Toronto Inspection Report

(Click on image to enlarge)

Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/index.htm?show=detail&id=107876

August 18, 2011 - Two significant infractions
1. Fail  to provide soap or detergent in food preparation area.
2. Fail to store food on pallets

Not as major as other places. Luckily I didn't find any hair in my burger or else I would have flipped.

VERDICT: BANNED due to stomach ache incident and bad service. First non-Asian/Mexican place that I banned.

The Drake Hotel - Not worth the stay

View Larger Map

Date visited: February 22, 2013

Time: 5:30 pm

Party Size: 1

Price: $17.95 plus tax and tips

Website: http://www.thedrakehotel.ca/

Food consumed:
- Drake Burger - $17.95
Cheddar, Perth bacon, Russian dressing, pickle and hand cut french fries

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on image to enlarge)

Pump that ISO (6400). The bar area was so dark.

Review of Restaurant:

• What did I think of the burger/service/overall?

I am writing this entry after 3 months. I honestly cannot recall how it was. This indicates that I didn't enjoy it as much. If I do enjoy it very much, I will salivate at the sight of my photographs. Not in this case.

A note about the service. An Asian lady served me. I placed my camera bag with my camera in it on the bar table to my left. As she was clearing my plate, she almost knocked over my camera bag. Note that there was no one on my right side, there was enough space for her to reach for my plate without obstructing me. This shows that Asians are not good with customer service. We are only good with numbers.

• How did my sensitive stomach feel?
  

Besides feeling full from the burger. I do not recall getting sick from this place. Normal bowel movements in the following few days.

City of Toronto Inspection Report

(Click on image to enlarge)

Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/index.htm?show=detail&id=96620

December 23, 2011 - April 30, 2013 - 9 minor infractions over 4 inspections with 3 of the same category:

1. Operator fail to properly maintain rooms
2. Operator fail to properly maintain equipment (non-food)
3. Operator fail to properly wash equipment

Seems lack of proper training sums up the infractions.

VERDICT: APPROVED, but The Drake Hotel needs to better train their staff in customer service and in public health.

Mildred' Temple Kitchen - Sweet burgers

 

View Larger Map

Date visited: February 21, 2013

Time: 5:30 pm

Party Size: 1

Price: $18 plus tax and tips

Website: http://www.templekitchen.com/

Food consumed:
- MTK Burger - $18
(famous around the world) this handcrafted burger is topped with tomato relish & crispy tobacco onions, served on a pain au lait bun with salad or frites – the choice is yours)

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on image to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:

• What did I think of the burger/service/overall?

I got off work at 5 pm and went to this restaurant, only to find that it opens at 5:30 pm. To kill time, I walked around the shops in the area and took random picture. This stranger (danger) asked me if I was a Russian spy. I thought to myself, "Do I look Russian? Is he still living in the 70s?" I jokingly replied that I was a Chinese spy to which he told me to "F*** off". As a smart, dashing, young lad would do, I smiled and continued snapping pictures. He told a lady walking past him that I was a Chinese spy. As she approached me, I gave her a big smile...

On to the actual food. The burger was filled with crispy tobacco onions. To eat the burger, I had to squeeze both ends of the buns to turn it into a deflated accordion. At one point, the top bun and a few onion pieces fell off onto the table. The burger was very sweet, which is not my type of burger. The onions tasted like caramelized onions, but when you have that much onions, the sweetness is all I tasted. I am actually okay eating this type of onion and I don't want to manipulate the burger from its original creation, at least for the first time.

• How did my sensitive stomach feel?
  

No issues with my stomach. My stomach delights at the sight of burgers.

City of Toronto Inspection Report

(Click on image to enlarge)

Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/index.htm?show=detail&id=102546

December 9, 2011 - One significant infraction
Operate food premise-mechanical equipment not maintained to provide sufficient chemical solution rinse.

April 24, 2012 - One significant infraction
Operator failed to properly maintain equipment

December 18, 2012 - One significant infraction
Operator failed to properly maintain equipment

Vague description from CoT. I wonder why they failed.

VERDICT: APPROVED, but burger was not worth it in my opinion. It was too sweet. I spent some time chatting with the waiter since I was the only diner at that time. He suggested that I try their brunch during the weekend.

The Queen and Beaver - Best Burger Ever!

View Larger Map

Date visited: February 2, 2013

Time: 7:00 pm

Party Size: 10

Price: My dear friends took care of the tab

Website: http://queenandbeaverpub.ca/

Food consumed:
- Hand-Chopped Burger and Chips (I choose mashed potatoes because I was sick) - $17
- Fuller London's Pride - $7.50

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on images to enlarge)

 

 

Review of Restaurant:

• What did I think of the burger/service/overall?

It is located right beside Donatello Restaurant. (IT tip: You can pick up The Queen and Beaver's free Wi-Fi at Donatello's). I did not bring my camera to this place because I knew that I would have more than a couple of beers. I apologize for the crummy cell phone quality, I will definitely revisit this place.

I have to say that this is the best burger joint so far on my quest to collecting all the Burger Badges on becoming the ultimate Burger Master. Many of you know that I despise onions. I did not notice the chopped onions at all until a piece slipped off the patty and fell onto my plate.

I complimented on this burger to the waiter and mentioned about Toronto Life to him. He didn't seem to care and told me the secret ingredient. Wait for it.....wait for it....bone marrow. Simply delicious. My stomach almost blew up because it was that good, not because it was unclean.

• How did my sensitive stomach feel?
  

Burgers, since when does my stomach get sick? It's my heart that is dying. I recently bought a heart rate monitor and will use it at my next burger joint.

City of Toronto Inspection Report

(Click on image to enlarge)

Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/index.htm?show=detail&id=101429

December 19, 2011 - One significant infraction
Operator fail to ensure wrapping will prevent contamination or adulteration

April 24, 2012 - 4 significant infractions
Same as before plus
Rinse water temperature not easily readable
Fail to have reagent available at place of sanitation
Fail to provide thermometer in storage compartment

November 23, 2012 - 2 significant infractions - they took steps to correct two of them, gotta give them some kudos
Fail to have reagent available at place of sanitation
Fail to provide thermometer in storage compartment

April 9, 2013 - 1 significant - improvements, this was inspected after my visit
Store utensils in manner not preventing contaminations

After reading these infractions, I am not too sure about the future of my stomach at this location. My experience was very pleasant and food was awesome.

VERDICT: APPROVED. I will give them the benefit of the doubt, for now...until my next visit. Since I know the secret ingredient, it's not difficult to replicate the recipe. If Thomas Edison did it with the invention of light bulb, nothing is impossible.

Second Documented Trip

Date visited: September 19, 2013

Time: 12:00 pm

Party Size: 5

Price: $18

Food consumed:
- Hand-Chopped Burger and Chips (Price went up by $1 since my Feb trip) - $18

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on image to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:
The quality of the burger was on par with my first visit. Simply amazing. The bone marrow works its magic. Highly recommended for burger lovers.

Update on City of Toronto Inspection Report

Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/index.htm?show=detail&id=101429

Here are just the SIGNIFICANT AND CRUCIAL infractions:

August 19, 2013 - PASS

November 14, 2013 - PASS

1. Operate fail to provide hand washing supplies

2. Operator fail to use proper procedure(s) to ensure food safety
3. Operator fail to use proper utensils to ensure food safety
4. Operator fail to properly maintain mechanical washer

Despite these infractions, it manages to pull through and pass the inspection reports.

VERDICT: Same great taste, same great place. 

Burger Bonanza

The Story
I love burgers. When I go to a restaurant to eat, most of the time, I will order a burger with fries. I stumbled upon a Toronto Life webpage about burgers one day and started an adventure with map and camera in hand.

The Company
Some of you may not be familiar with Toronto Life. I did a research using the most reliable source, Wikipedia. Toronto Life started as a monthly magazine about Toronto's entertainment, politics and life. They launched website called Toronto Life Online in 1996. Google brought me to them and here I am writing about them.

The Link
All-Beef Party: Toronto’s 25 best burgers ranked in order of heart-stopping, messy magnificence

The Goal
My initial stretch goal was to try each place in one month. Due to health concerns, I set a realistic goal of finishing those 25 places by the end of the year.

The Work
The author rated the 25 best burger joints in Toronto (including one in Markham, that's technically York Region). I reorganized the list so it's easier for readers to view each restaurant with one click. It also lists the restaurant name, burger name, price (at date that I ate) and location all on one page.

 

The Joints
(in accordance with Toronto Life's ranking)

1. The Harbord Room
Naturally Raised Beef Burger - $16
89 Harbord St. (Spadina Ave. / Harbord St.)

2. Marben
John's Burger - $18
488 Wellington St W. (Wellington St. W. / Bathurst St.)

3. The Stockyards
Classic Burger - $7
699 St. Clair Ave. W. (St. Clair Ave. W. / Bathurst St.)

4. Nota Bene
Jennifer's Stilton Brisket Burger - $22
180 Queen St. W. (Queen St. W. / University Ave.)

5. Holy Chuck
Cowlorie - $12
1450 Yonge St. (Yonge St. / St. Clair Ave. W.)

6. The Burger Priest
Double Cheeseburger - $8
1636 Queen St. E. (Queen St. E. / Coxwell Ave.) or 3397 Yonge St. (Yonge St. / Lawrence Ave.)

7. Bymark
Grass-Fed Burger - $35!
66 Wellington St. W. (Wellington St. W. / Bay St.)

8. Allen's
Simple Hamburger - $11.25
143 Danforth Ave. (Danforth Ave. / Broadview Ave.)

9. The County General
County Burger - $14
936 Queen St. W. (Queen St. W. / Ossington Ave.)

10. Golden Star
Homemade All-Star - $6.50
7123 Yonge St. (Yonge St. / Meadowview Ave.)

11. E11even
Maple Bacon - $25
15 York St. (York St. / Front St. W.)

12. Union
Elk Slider - $14
72 Ossington Ave. (Ossington Ave. / Queen St. W.)

13. Origin
Origin Burger - $17
107-109 King St. E. (King St. E. / Church St.)

14. Blue Plate
Lamb Burger - $17
392 Roncesvalles Ave. (Roncesvalles Ave. / Dundas St. W.)

15. Parts and Labour
Cheeseburger - $18
1566 Queen St. W. (Queen St. W. / Lansdowne Ave.)

16. The Gabardine
Sirloin Burger - $18
372 Bay St. (Bay St. / Richmond St. W.)

17. Mildred's Temple Kitchen
MTK Burger - $18
85 Hanna Ave. (King St. W. / Dufferin St.)

18. Hrvati
Pljeskavica - $14
690 Euclid Ave. (Bathurst St. / Bloor St. W.)

19. Crush
Strip Loin Burger - $18
455 King St. W. (King St. W. / Spadina Ave.)

20. The Drake
Canadian Burger - $17.95
1150 Queen St. W. (Queen St. W. / Dufferin St.)

21. Bestellen
Dry-Aged Burger - $18
972 College St. (College St. / Ossington Ave.)

22. Apache Burgers
Double Burger - $7.59
5236 Dundas St. W. (Dundas St. W. / Kipling Ave.)

23. The Queen and Beaver
Hand-Chopped Burger - $18
35 Elm St. (Yonge St. / Gerrard St. W.)

24. Drift
Brioche Burger - $10
1063 Bloor St. W. (Bloor St. W. / Dufferin St.)

25. Trevor Kitchen and Bar
Mini Kobe Burgers - $21
38 Wellington St. E (Wellington St. E. / Church St.)