The Red Wagon Restaurant

This past week Scott and I traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia so I could attend the American Society for Human Genetics Annual Meeting, or ASHG 2016. We ate amazing food around every corner, but I will share just a few with you. Our first morning, I took up the recommendation from an old high school acquaintance to visit Red Wagon. It was very much out of the way, but we had a rental car and were very hungry. I ordered Crispy Pork Belly, in an attempt to make up for the sub-par pork belly we had eaten the night before in Whistler. This was delicious! Each of us at the table ordered pork belly, and we were all very satisfied with the crispy exterior and mouthwatering interior. The potatoes were tossed in some sort of cilantro situation that I don't love and would have preferred to be warned about (remember, cilantro is dish-soap).The coffee was spot on and flowing, the rye was delightful, the hollandaise was creamy, and the eggs were perfectly poached.

Crispy Pork Belly - 2 poached eggs, confit pork belly, grilled tomato, salsa verde, hollandaise, homefries and rye toast

Scott went more down his usual route, ordering the Supertrucker. This was an enormous plate of food that he was excited to finish. The pancakes were light and fluffy (although Mildred's are still the ones to beat). The non-traditional breakfast meats were excellent - pulled pork on pancakes, who knew?

Supertrucker - 2 eggs, 2 buttermilk pancakes, pulled pork, crisp pork belly, homefries, and sourdough toast

This restaurant is far out of the downtown core, so it doesn't feel like a tourist spot at all. It had been there forever, and feels like a really authentic diner experience. The service was great and friendly. We lucked out when we got there with no line, but when we left there were no open tables. The coffee and water were constantly full, which is always nice.

Likes: The tone of the place was great, the pork belly was perfection.
Dislikes: How far we drove to find it, and cilantro.
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Yes! If I am ever back in Vancouver I would insist on going back. Everyone else should, too!

Mildred's Temple Kitchen

On Monday morning, Canadian Thanksgiving, we had to travel back to London from having visited my parents. Of course, that means we could stop for brunch in Toronto! I had seen Mildred's Temple Kitchen on Instagram many times, so I was pretty pleased to see it was open on the holiday. I ordered the Big Brunch Skillet, and as you can see, we shared a side of chorizo sausage. First, I must say that the coffee was the absolute best coffee I've had in a restaurant, so shout out to Reunion Island Coffee. The skillet was very satisfying, but not mind blowing. Lots of spicy, tasty bites that went well with the eggs. I think I would have preferred poached eggs, since I really just don't like the jelly uncooked top of sunny-side up eggs, something I should have remembered. A nice rye toast would have been welcome too, it felt like it needed a toast.

Big Brunch Skillet - spicy pulled pork, roasted onions, black bean and potato hash with sunny eggs and piri piri salsa

Scott went his usual route - pancakes! These pancakes should be winning all the awards, they were so thick, light and fluffy. The Buttermilk was really doing good work, and that blueberry compote was delicious. I am a little jealous I didn't have a plate for myself. In the menu, it mentions that they are cooked low and slow, so I imagine the batter must be crazy thick to get them as high as they are.

Mrs. Biederhof's Legendary Light & Fluffy Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes - served with Lanark County maple syrup & whipped cream.

Many things about this place were absolute wins. Like everywhere else in Toronto for brunch, it was really busy, and they don't take reservations. They do take your phone number, and text you when your table is ready, which is genius. There are so many little shops and things around Liberty Village to look at to entertain yourselves for 45 minutes, that the wait really didn't seem like an inconvenience at all. We actually bought a nice cast iron lasagna pan at a store nearby that we hope to use this week (this one). The dining area is so spacious and light, with enough charm to make it cozy. The kitchen line is completely exposed, so I could see every skillet and stack of pancakes prepared before ours. The music was great, kitchen staff clearly agreed - one chef stirred both a pot of something and his hips to Salt-N-Pepa's Push It. Unfortunately, our actual service wasn't impressive. Our server seemed completely exhausted. We quickly ran out of water and coffee, and were left for way too long with nothing to drink. All of our interactions with him felt really awkward, I didn't like it.

Likes: The atmosphere and pancakes were great!
Dislikes: I loved the coffee, and would have loved more of it - service was not ideal.
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Would I go again?: Maybe. I do want those pancakes, but there's plenty more to try in the area. After such a long wait, I want to be more impressed.

Nacho Soup

Fall is in full effect, and that means it's Soup Season! This is a soup I tried for the first time, and I am completely in love. At first I was afraid it would be too similar to chili, but it is distinct enough to be completely different, and definitely a hearty soup. I first spotted this recipe over here. It is creamy, and spicy, and full of flavour. There are also enough veggies to make it feel like it might not be completely terrible for you (it probably still is). We ate it with some fresh sourdough, but it was also great with smoked Gouda Triscuits, or no crackers at all.

To make it, you will need:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1/2 can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 3 1/2 cups beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
• 1 cup cream
• 4 tbs flour
• green onions for topping

1. Cook & drain the beef.
2. Combine beef, veggies, beans, spices, and broth in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered until beans are cooked (about 2.5 hours).
3. Stir in the cheese,
4. Whisk together flour and cream (make sure there are no lumps).
5. Add cream mixture to the pan, stir to combine. Cover and simmer at medium low for 30 minutes. Enjoy!