4 day trip to Toronto - suggestions for must-eats?
My girlfriend and I will be visiting Toronto from Australia for 4 days in two weeks time. We will be staying in downtown, near St George station.
I am checking out the older threads here for information and questions similar to mine, but if someone can have some suggestions that would be really helpful for me as a starting point.
Thanks
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p.s. if you're not renting a car (parking costs can add up quickly here), get a TTC day pass and plot out your food journey. All downtown restos are easily accessible. Public transit is great here, except during rush hour. Also, if you're around St. George, you "could" walk to the Park Hyatt, Chinatown, etc., but given that you're only here four days, take transit or cabs to save time.
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Park Hyatt
Toronto, ON, Toronto, ON , CA -
Toronto is about ethnic diversity and other stuff. Some of our best restos (particularly the ethnic ones) are off the beaten track, and often in the burbs, and while the list of MUSTS is pretty extensive, here are some of my favourites.
Drinks/Patio/People watching: Ultra’s patio on Queen West for drinks before dinner. Can’t vouch for the food, but the patio is kind of magical, even if the crowd is a bit plastic. Also LOVE the patio (food’s pretty good too) at The Drake on Queen West –more bohemian style… Hopefully someone else will add more recent hot spots to my suggestion. Torontonians LOVE their patios in the summer.
Burrito Boyz: I LOVE these guys! One of the tastiest and best values in the city. Get the halibut burrito… cheap, deelish, fast. Not licensed though. It would be the absolutely PERFECT meal if you could sneak a beer in with you while you ate it.
Chinatown: Asian Legend, Dundas Street: I’m sure I’ll get some flack for this as Toronto is serious about their Asian food. I LOVE their dim sum – all fresh, hand-made and you can see the kitchen from the dining room. Get the beef pancake and steamed vegetarian (I’m not a vegetarian) dumplings – chock full of fresh greens and actually makes me feel healthier afterward. Clean, fast, decent prices. Great for lunch or for a late breakfast. You can also visit Chinatown and drop by the AGO before or after… By the way, Chowhounders also love Rol San, Kowloon, and LWH (see acronym on CH) in Chinatown.
Kensington Market: If you’re a foodie you HAVE to go to Kensington – beside Chinatown. For food, go to Latin American Emporium on Augusta for their pupusas – made fresh on the spot…. Cheap and deelish… again, a beer on the dirty curb with this would make it a perfect meal. I also like the pulled pork naan wrap at Freshwood Grill in Kensington, but I know there are lots of great places to eat in Kensington, so enjoy and explore!
Foxley, Ossington: There are a bunch of super cool restos on Ossington, also love Libretto – Ossington is the IT street in TO right now, but can’t help but love the food at Foxley for creativity. MUST HAVE the outstanding crispy shrimp (lime leaves, etc…) and sticky ribs. I think about them more often than I should.
Athen’s Pastries, Danforth: NOT on the Michelin list, but for a cheap and DEELISH lunch or travel snack you HAVE to try their spanokopita, tiropita – made hourly (I swear), always hot, fresh, and cheap. You’ll also get a chance to see our Greek neighbourhood. You will dream about these babies long after you’re home - promise.
Pearl, Queen’s Quay: Can’t beat the waterfront view, except maybe in Australia – also an important place for tourists and locals alike to enjoy dim sum. Personally I don’t think the dim sum here is the best, but don’t get CHer’s started on THAT subject. The view is great, and the place is absolutely lovely, little carts tooling around, very good service. Go a sunny day and see our humble waterfront.
Free quality bar snacks: When you need to rest your dogs, go to The Roof Lounge at the Park Hyatt, Avenue Road. Beautiful hotel, beautiful outdoor rooftop patio and beautiful free bar snacks – huge brazil nuts, fancy Asian trail mixes and big spicy olives. Mmmmm…. If Noel is there ask him about the time that… oh, never mind.
I could go on and on, but I’ll stop now. Hope you let us know where you end up going. Hope you have a great visit!
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Foxley
207 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J2Z8, CABurrito Boyz
218 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5H1W7, CARol San
323 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON M5T2E9, CARoof Lounge
4 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5R, CAPark Hyatt
Toronto, ON, Toronto, ON , CAFreshwood Grill
293 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R2M3, CA -
Hey there! Whereabouts in Oz are you from? I recently did a 6 week eating blitz, er I mean trip, around Australia.
The suggestions here are right - your Asian offering blows ours away, particularly for Thai and Malaysian. And Japanese. If you're looking for things that are unique Canadian, I'd opt for a poutine, a peameal bacon sandwich [SLM or O&B Canteen], and perhaps have some good smoked salmon [although we wont really represent the best of Canadian smoked salmon, which you'll find on the coast - Kristapsons, and I heard that Whole Foods has a good offerinng - not sure though. Actually, I really recommend the salmon as I found Ozzie salmon to be very different than ours - I much prefer Cdn]
As for Poutine - I don't find it particularly tasty from here, kind of gross actually, but it's like going to Harry's Cafe for pie. You go at 2AM when everyone is rowdy and obnoxious (yourself included) and chow down on some greasy fries, heavy gravy and cheese, and random toppings. Right below is my preferred nosh, Burrito Boyz for a halibut burrito.I personally recommend:
- Black Hoof
- Canoe (pricey, but the view is great, I'd do this in lieu of the CN Tower)
- Nota Bene's Wagyu Burger (I only say this because I was sorely disappointed by a highly-blogged about one in Sydney. This place does it RIGHT)
- Beer Bistro for mussels
You will have more Mexican options in NYC, but give us a try at Agave y Aguacate and have a wander around Kensington Market.When are you coming? Check online for possible food festival dates.
Good food that won't 'wow' you as there's plenty of it in Oceania (well NSW anyways)
- Guu
- Lai Wah Heen [based on reviews, not personal experience - I've enjoyed Crown Princess Fine DIning for Dim Sum, but recent bleh reports make me hesitant to rec]
- Pizzeria Libretto - great pizza, I personally pref over Queen Marg
- Stockyards [but you come from the land of BBQ...]
SLM is def worth a wander. If you're from Sydney, you'll find our Chinatown very diff from yours - it's more "mainland" I feel relative to, what i felt, your more HK-influenced ChiTown. I am not really in agreement, but a few fellow Canadian travellers whined that they missed our bacon. I didn't actually eat bacon in Australia except a couple times at hostels, and I don't remember them being horrible. But I guess try ours out :PHowever, either way, enjoy your trip!
Erin
http://www.cookiesandtomatoes.com-----
Lai Wah Heen
108 Chestnut St, Toronto, ON M5G 1R3, CABeer Bistro
18 King St. E, Toronto, ON M5C 1C4, CABurrito Boyz
218 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5H1W7, CAKristapsons
1095 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M, CANota Bene
180 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 2A1, CAPizzeria Libretto
221 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J, CAGuu
398 Church Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2A2, CAThe Black Hoof
928 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CACrown Princess
1033 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3A5, CA›2 Replies-
re: ekim256
I was haughtily corrected about my thai comment :P
I haven't tried it, but I heard great things about Khao San Road. I've tried the chef's cooking at her previous restaurant so I can definitely vouch for her :D Just a note. Om nom nom nom-----
Khao San Road
326 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1P7, CA-
re: ekim256
I would not recommend any Asian restaurants here, especially with you guys from Australia. So no Guu, no Lai Wah Heen, no Khao San Road. While these places are decent, you guys are so close to Asia anyway and these places really aren't unique to Toronto dining.
Neither would I recommend anything upscale. It's partly a personal preference but upscale is pretty much the same around the world except for the few exceptional locations. If you're doing NYC then pick a place or two there.
With that being said, I personally believe Toronto does mid-range exceptionally well. Places like Black Hoof, Parts and Labour, Enoteca Sociale, Marben, Local Kitchen, Beast, Ici Bistro, Salt Wine Bar are places that are most interesting, and they don't fall prey to the usual "other cities do it better" trap.
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I'm a huge fan of Adega ( http://www.adegarestaurante.ca/ ). I have never had a bad meal there. Service is excellent. Its easily accessible via Subway. I take any friends from away there an they all love it. Its reasonable priced, Portuguese/Spanish style food. (There specialties is Octopus or the Cataplana (stew.. my fav))
If you like seafood, this is a must in my books.
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Adega
33 Elm Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1H1, CA›2 Replies-
re: Kassi22
I agree - GUU, Black Hoof, St. Lawrence Market and Poutinis!! Dont forget poutinis...more of a late nite snack but oh so unique. For cocktails: Bar Chef.
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St. Lawrence Market
92 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E, CAThe Black Hoof
928 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CAPoutini
1112 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CABar Chef
472 Queen St W, Mount Forest, ON , CA-
re: domesticgodess
I've been a bit disappointed as well with Poutinis. Their flavors have been milder as of late as the gravy is loosing alot of the body. Have they changed the stock they are using to make the gravy? Looking at the menu I can see that they are feeling the pressure from other places like Smoke's. When they first open they just claimed about being authentic Quebecois Poutine with nothing fancy and now they have a pulled pork poutine as well. Don't get me wrong, I think they make a great poutine for late night partying. Nothing better in the middle of the night than a handful of hot goopy, french fried, meaty goodness in your palms!
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Poutini
1112 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA
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Wow! Thank you all for the quick and helpful replies!
Will check all these out and post back with any further questions regarding recommended dishes to order at these restaurants.
For the famous restaurants, our budget would be $100-150 pp, the $30-50 budget pp from my OP was for a normal lunch/brekkie meal.
We are definitely keen to try one or two fine dining places, so will do some reading/research on this also.
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re: ausfoodie
there's a lot of information to absorb here but i'd still strongly suggest sifting through old posts, especially ones directed to tourists, so that you can determine what your location in aus does well vs what we do well and have that is unique to make the most of the few days that you'll be here. we have an amazingly diverse communities, but sometimes not enough of one to support high quality versions of that cuisine.
one item that wasn't mentioned, which i'm a bit surprised by is poutine. while a francophone dish, it is uniquely canadian. i think your best option for it downtown is the great burger kitchen on church street. the burgers aren't anything interesting, but with the portion of poutine you get it can easily make a meal for 1 and a huge snack for two.
if you have the opportunity, not far from there is the st lawrence market (closed sunday). i like wandering markets and find that each country/major city has their own unique way of putting them together.
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re: pinstripeprincess
Completely agree with you pinstripeprincess on that point. Am still reading through older posts directed at tourists. I am determining which cuisines are done well and unique in Toronto that doesn't necessarily excel back in Aust.
Thanks for pointing out St Laweence market, will definitely check it out as we would love to compare and contrast to other markets we've been to.
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re: ausfoodie
st lawrence markety (slm) is best experienced on a saturday morning when the north farmers market is open. it is not open sundays, just so you can plan around it a bit.
i think that in the end, you might find our west inidies, south east asian, and maybe chinese or middle eastern dining experiences the most compelling and accessible downtown. i hestitate on the vietnamese front.
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re: pinstripeprincess
GBK's poutine's are very large for the price. I haven't been to the Church location since I'm closer to Riverdale. To give some perspective on pinstripeprincess' description, the poutine was served in an inverted 9 or 10 inch food plate covers lined with parchment paper and filled with their fries and toppings. They also have a poutine of the day offering something different every day that can be hit or miss.
If you want a variety in poutine then Smoke's Poutine is close to you as well ausfoodie!
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Riverdale Restaurant
360 Springbank Dr, London, ON N6J1G5, CA
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re: ausfoodie
I also noticed that you posted on the Boston and NYC boards. Are you traveling to those cities around the same time? If so finding out what each does well in comparison to the others would help you focus on eating what is best at all times.
For example the recommendation of Mexican above may be a decent one in general for someone traveling from Australia, but while NYC and Boston are hardly hotbeds for Mexican cuisine, they are still far better than Toronto in that respect.
Enjoy your trip, there are some great recommendations on all three boards.
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re: ausfoodie
Beast can be done on the cheap if you go wed-fri from 4-6pm for their small plate menu.
http://thebeastrestaurant.com/?p=311
on the weekend you can get a TTC day pass for $10. Good for unlimited rides for 2 adults.
I would strongly recommend the Cantonese options uptown if you're willing to trek up there. If not, then have dim sum at Lai Wah Heen. Assuming you're not from an Aus city w/ a strong Cantonese population like Sydney/Melbourne. This is def something we do better than Boston or NYC. NYC owns us on northern Chinese cuisine (ie noodles/dumplings etc).
Have a Katz pastrami in nyc then come up and compare it w/ Goldin's at Free Times Cafe. That should be fun.....
Don't bother w/ pizza here if you're going to be in NYC. Make sure you go to Difara's in BK, do not miss it for the world.
Splendido is the closest we got in comparison to the nyc fine dining scene. Still think your money is better spent in NYC than here for that style.
Black Hoof would be cool to check as a companion to DBGB or Cafe Boulud. You can compare the charcuterie from each of the city's best.
Guu will be fun, but again, there are way more izakaya options available in nyc. Just the Totto empire alone can wipe us out.
If you like beer, I suggest you check out Bar Volo, Beer Bistro, C'est What, Smokeless Joe's and Victory Cafe.
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Lai Wah Heen
108 Chestnut St, Toronto, ON M5G 1R3, CASplendido
88 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1G5, CAFree Times Cafe
320 College St, Toronto, ON M5T1S3, CAThe Black Hoof
928 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA-
re: aser
still not sure why people suggest Goldin's at Free Times. i think that's a big mistake, but whatever.
Instead, if Free Times is doing Stella's Sunday Brunch, I'd jump all over that. $15 (I think) for all you can eat Jewish food. excellent vegetarian lunch. plus there's usually a klezmer band playing.Bar Volo is EXCELLENT for Ontario (and world) beer. They have cask and draught ON beer that you cannot find anywhere else. and their food also looks like its pretty good (only gone there for drinkies).
and SLM is worth a peek. after going to Boston's market (I'm sure you'll check it out), SLM may look ugly in comparison. In my opinion, SLM is nice for a 30 minute side trip. but if you're not buying raw meat or fish, its not the best of places to visit. Cooked food options are ok.
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Free Times Cafe
320 College St, Toronto, ON M5T1S3, CA-
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re: atomeyes
Well what can you do, they're tourists. They can't exactly pickup a brisket from Goldin's home and boil it for 3 hrs in their hotel. No doubt taste wise it's far better to deal w/ him directly. I still like Free Time's sandwich more than Caplansky's, which has dipped a lot imo.
As for food at Volo, better to eat at Beer Bistro if you want to combo food/beer.
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Beer Bistro
18 King St. E, Toronto, ON M5C 1C4, CAFree Times Cafe
320 College St, Toronto, ON M5T1S3, CACaplansky's
356 College Street, Toronto, ON M6J, CA
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re: ausfoodie
If you're keen to try some of Toronto's fine dining places, I'd recommend you keep Canoe in mind, as well as Chiado, Lai Wah Heen, Scaramouche and Splendido, which have already been mentioned.
Canoe has quite a uniquely Canadian contemporary/continental menu, as well as a beautiful view.
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Lai Wah Heen
108 Chestnut St, Toronto, ON M5G 1R3, CACanoe
54th Floor TD Bank Tower, 66 Wellington, Toronto, ON M5K 1H6, CAChiado
864 College Street West, Toronto, ON M6H 1A3, CA
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I'd say that if you're from Australia, you would probably want to try some cuisines that the city excels at that may not be as good as in Australia.
Toronto is very multi-cultural so I would take advantage of the different ethnic cuisines available, including Indian, Ethiopian and Mexican. Since Australia is close to East Asia and has lots of Asian immigrants, I don't think you'd be wowed by our Asian cuisine though Asian restaurants in the city are definitely a strong point in Toronto.
I'd recommend going to three casual (and small) ethnic restos for lunch: Gandhi for Indian curries stuffed in house-made rotis, Lalibela for Ethiopian, and Tacos El Asador. These places aren't too far from where you'll be staying. Gandhi is extremely small, mainly take out, but their Queen St. and Bathurst St. location can be accessed by taking the subway east to Bathurst station from St. George, then taking the Bathurst streetcar down to Queen. Lalibela is at Bloor and Ossington, so just take the Bloor line to Ossington. Also, Tacos El Asador is in Korea Town, just east of Christie Station, also on the Bloor Line.
Good luck!
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Lalibela
869 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G, CATacos El Asador
690 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G1L2, CA -
I'd divide your meals into three:
1. dining experiences
2. ethnic food you won't get in Australia
3. cheap lunch/dinner on occasion so you don't break your bank accountFor dining experiences:
Black Hoof (not far from you)
Guu (a 10 min walk from you)
Splendido ($100 a person, i'm afraid. but its close to you)
Marben (nice Ontario take on comfort food)
Beast (not expensive and its higher end food)
Foxley - not far from you (subway and street car away. about 30 min travel time). value for what you spend is excellent. Two can dine quite well and have a glass of wine each for $100Ethnic food:
not sure what floats your boat, but not sure if you can readily find Ethiopian or French food in Australia. I assume that Indian or Asian food is easily foundCheap food: Tacos el Asador (closeish to you), etc.
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Foxley
207 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J2Z8, CASplendido
88 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1G5, CAMarben
488 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 1E5, CAThe Black Hoof
928 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA›1 Reply -
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re: ausfoodie
What does Toronto do best? http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/731162
Uniquely Toronto restaurants: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/721612?tag=post-box-content;5769950#5769950
Results of CH's TO Top 10: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/765205
Chicago coming to Toronto. Foodie needs directions: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/742840
Quick eats I like: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/776937#6444405
famous/renowned luxe Chinese, esp known for dim sum: Lai Wah Heen- would be somewhere between $30 and $50 pp for dim sum at lunch, if you watch what you order, but could cost more if you don't
famous/renowned contemporary Portuguese: Chiado - tends to cost more than $50pp, but if you order off their tapas menu, or just order a main or 2 starters, could theoretically dine there for less than $50 pp.
most other "famous" for TO places such as Canoe, Scaramouche, Splendido, Kaji will cost closer to $100+ pp
current trends/themes in TO :
the "it spot" of April: Agave & Aguacate in Kensington Market - casual, Mexican take-out
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/774761cupcakes -when will this end? I'm so tired of cupcakes, but many Chowhounds love Prairie Girl cupcakes http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/775913
macarons - Bobette et Belle, La Bamboche
small plates (less trendy than it had been, but still popular)- Origin , Lee , Salt , Torito
offal and cuts of meat previously overlooked by the masses, at places like Beast and the Black Hoof
Toronto's own smoked meat at Caplansky's
local ingredients, which currently include ramps, and fiddleheads- Globe Bistro, Globe Earth, Cowbell , Pizzeria Libretto , The Wine Bar, Simple Bistro
upscale Italian restaurants masquerading as cucina rustica - Buca, Enoteca Sociale, Campagnolo
Neapolitan-style pizza at Queen Margherita Pizza-which takes reservations, and Pizzeria Libretto- expect line-ups if you arrive after 5:30 pm, or go at lunch
fancy hamburgers -Harbord Room , Beast , Marben , Burger Bar , etc: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/524993
cheap foods (less than $10 pp) done well in TO:
roti, Jamaican patties, churrasco chicken, pasteis de nata (portuguese custard tarts),
souvlaki at Folia Grill , dosas at Udupi Palace or other places around town, empanadas , pupusas, back bacon on a bun at the Carousel Bakery at St. Lawrence Marketbistros: Simple Bistro , Mogette, Pastis ,
gelato- Il Gelatiere, La Paloma
quality seafood: Starfish, Zee Grill , Rodney's By Bay
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Lai Wah Heen
108 Chestnut St, Toronto, ON M5G 1R3, CASt. Lawrence Market
92 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E, CAChiado
864 College Street West, Toronto, ON M6H 1A3, CAUdupi Palace
1460 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4L2A3, CALee
603 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V1M5, CASimple Bistro
619 Mount Pleasant Rd, Toronto, ON M4S2M5, CALa Bamboche
4 Manor Rd E, Toronto, ON M4S, CACaplansky's
356 College Street, Toronto, ON M6J, CAPizzeria Libretto
221 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J, CACarousel Bakery Ltd
93 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E1C3, CABuca
604 King St. West, Toronto, ON M5V 1M6, CAThe Black Hoof
928 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CAOrigin
109 King St E, Toronto, ON M5C, CAQueen Margherita Pizza
1402 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4L, CABeast
96 Tecumseth St, Toronto, ON M6J, CAEnoteca Sociale
1288 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CAFolia Grill
1031 Pape Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 3V9, CACampagnolo
832 Dundas St. W, Toronto, ON , CASalt Wine Bar
225 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J 2Z7, CAAgave Y Aguacute
214 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON , CAPrairie Girl Bakery
18 King St E #106, Toronto, ON M5H 1A1, CA-
re: prima
while caplansky's has its own location and a full fledged out menu of its own, i'd skip it and go to the free times cafe instead and get the goldin's smoked meat sandwich there. for background info, goldin only really does this smoked meat and so the free times has allowed him a little space to sell it publicly. otherwise i think caplansky's just isn't what it used to be... and i don't mean the monarch days.
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