Rare sliced roast beef in TO - where to find

[Bigtigger]

I would bet a number of Chowhounds share my delight in beautiful fat-free slices of rare roast beef...sliced in front of one...no flavour added at the market end except maybe some salt, pepper and dry mustard rubbed on the outside before roasting. Whether for a Sunday evening buffet, a sandwich or grinder, or just munching - it's the best !

Almost any little deli in the USA can provide this - but finding it in Canada is a real problem. Typical is the reaction I get when complaining to the deli manager at the flagship Loblaw's St Clair & Bathurst about the fatty, overcooked, unpleasantly flavoured and textured pre-sliced offerings there- "well, no one else complains." Probably true ! in the same way as my godson complained the other day that the home-made burger I prepared didn't taste "right" (meaning McDonald's-esque !) - our flavour expectations are not surprisingly conditioned, for good and ill, by our usual habits and expectations...

So far my success in finding such beef has been limited. Wonder if readers have any finds ?

My list so far - all good, none really top top top:

a) Bruno's, Yonge/St Clair - consistently rare, made in-house, sliced to order
b) most Sobey's - mine is Yonge/St Clair full btw of very nice employees - not made in house but the Angus beef is medium rare (at least on the inside) about 2/3 of the time, and relatively inexpensive - always sliced to order
c) Whole Foods in Oakville - but of course it costs the earth

Pusateri's (Ave/Lawrence) makes sandwiches with theirs, which are great - but somehow I don't like the way they season it when I buy slices - something funny, and the slices are smallish - and often pre-sliced too.

Any comments and suggestions of where you have found rare roast beef bliss ?

[embee]

I saw medium rare, natural-looking roast beef at Meat on the Beach today. Caveat though - the "Ernesto's handmade pastrami" and "Montreal smoked meat" - note quotes - in the same display case both looked absolutely disgusting.

On a more positive note, the service, from adequate staff, was excellent, which is quite unusual at that store.

[embee]

Nunzio's on Bayview (he's Bruno's nephew) sometimes has decent rare roast beef. They also have rare sliced brisket, which is absolutely weird stuff.

[julesrules]

Pape IGA usually has it as well, I think it is called Angus and probably same supplier or recipe as Sobey's. Some days it is rarer than other days. I totally agree with you about most deli roast beef, although it's not the fat so much as the total over-processing that I can't stand. And I crave the sandwiches piled with real rare roast beef that it seems you can get at any corner store in Manhattan... in general TO does not do sandwiches well.

[millygirl]

Once again folks, Summerhill Market. We'll sometimes will put some on crostini with arugula and add a little shaving of parmesan reggiano....very good indeed!

[embee]

Most of the packaged roast beef in the major supermarkets is injected with as many curing and preserving agents as a corned beef or ham. I'm convinced that some brands with pink slices are showing nitrite rather than rare meat.

[Otonabee]

Second for Schefflers and I believe Whole Foods as well.

[cheesymama]

Might not be rare enough for you (I usually see it around medium), but Scheffler's in the St Lawrence Market has great roast beef that they slice to order.

[rjp123]

Bruno's is the place to go.

[325i]

Get the Strip Loin Roast at Bruno's. They can cut for you in different lengths.

[chocabot]

Last summer i had a rare roast beef sandwich from Atelier Thuet.
It was delicious and cut to order.
i believe it's on the regular lunch menu/board

[TorontoJo]

Bruno's on Avenue as well (and all the other locations, I imagine). Darn tasty stuff.

[duckdown]

I have a local Sobeys -- where do I find this? I agree it sounds delicious