Good Grub at the Bungalow Hub

Although Easter weekend isn't traditionally a time for burgers, Pickles embarked on yet another beefy leg of the journey to London, Ontario, where she was joined by her guest, Mad Cow. I had heard tales of the Bungalow Neighbourhood Pub, located on Waterloo near Cheapside. Once again I've strayed slightly from the beefened path, as this isn't a burger 'joint', although burgers are definitely a prominent part of the menu. The Bungalow is located in a mainly residential area, but close to a major hospital and the downtown core. It has the advantage of being a neighbourhood pub, but also a great alternative to the main strip. Upon entering, first impressions are cozy, warm, yet modern and urban, with great standards like Frank Sinatra playing in the background. There is a small seated area, tables in the window, and a separate bar area. We were told there is also an upstairs, and soon to be a patio. Although tables were busy with the lunch time crowd, Mad Cow had no trouble focusing on a couple of nice looking caesars being delivered to a table. Drinks? Decided.
The hostess and our server, Stephanie, were both very friendly and casual, as if welcoming you into their home. Throughout our visit, I noticed that they knew many of the patrons by name, or at least pint order. Lots of chatting and jokes made the atmosphere relaxed and enjoyable.
First I'd like to say the caesar was as good as it looked. Perfectly spiced, with a hot pickled bean (?) inside, I would suffer slightly for this later, but it was worth every spicy slurp.
Mad Cow and I decided to share the Homemade Mac & Cheese, made with smoked gouda. I have learned over the past few tours that Mac & Cheese is a very personal thing. The smoked gouda gave it an almost bacony taste, and it was prepared al dente. The Cow noticed that it seemed as if each elbow were individually coated, rather than swimming in sauce. Was this my favourite M&C? No, I like a crispy top. Was it delicious? Damn straight. And the warmed up leftovers were amazing! Note to readers - take home any leftovers!
One thing I really liked was the choice of 12 different sides with your burger. No limits or extra charges if you don't want fries! I was dying to try the baked beans and habanera potato cheddar bacon soup, but with only a two-some on the tour, it was difficult. Naturally, I had to have the deep fried pickles. Unlike any I've had before, these pickles were sliced not into wedges or long slices, but cross-ways, like pickle chips! These were novel and tasty. The batter was crispy though a bit greasy, and I would recommend making the slices a bit thicker so there's more 'pickle' in the bite. They were served with a wonderful jalapeno cilantro sauce that packed a kick. MC went for the gi-normous fresh made onion rings. The onion was firm but cooked, the rings evenly battered, crispy and huge. Stephanie informed us that different batters are used for different items (the chicken bites are in pancake batter!). Again, I found the rings a bit oily, but overall tasty. We also tried the home-made sweet potato fries. Lately it seems every place has the same frozen fries. These were clearly made fresh on site and the taste difference was astounding. Sweet potatoes are back! They were also accompanies by a fantastic chipotle dipping sauce.
Choosing a burger was daunting task. We went for a couple of their standards, because the option to build your own, with meat choices of beef, turkey, bison, lamb, boar,portabellow or tuna) bun selection, choice of 5 cheeses and a staggering 36 toppings was nothing short of intimidating! We shared the Black & Blue, cajun encrusted blackened beef topped with bleu and an onion ring, and the Wild Boar. The Wild Boar came stuffed with brie and garlic, topped with mushrooms and arugala. This was a rich, decadent burger, and not at all gamey (I can hear your disbelief, Burgermeister!) The boar was a coarser meat, but still juicy and full of flavour. The Black & Blue had a real zing with the cajun flavour, and it was loaded with bleu cheese. Stephanie advised us that the beef is seared quickly and thrown on the grill. It was cooked to near perfection, not at all dry but packed with flavour. Although both were delicious, MC and I preferred the Black and Blue, mainly because we enjoyed the beef more than the boar. Something Small Fry would be interested to hear is that the sesame kaiser was warm, toasted and buttered! A first! This definitely added to the richness of the meal.
Sadly we were too full to indulge in dessert, though Stephanie tempted us with tales of Mae's blueberry crumble, and various cheesecakes. Next time, my friend!
As I mentioned, the Bungalow has a full and interesting menu, with great appetizers, sandwiches, pizza and entrees. Stephanie was not only friendly, but professional and extremely knowledgeable about all ingredients and preparation. The beef, and all the food, is fresh, high quality and everything is made in-house. We also met Scott, the owner, whose low-key and easy going demeanor fit perfectly with the ambiance of the Hub.
A major bonus was the value for money. The Tour has been hitting some pretty pricey spots lately, and this had all the high-end fixins without the additional charges for fancy toppings or meat. We were pleasantly surprised by the extremely reasonable tab. The beer and wine selection is also good and not outrageously priced.
After effects? None, except for the spicy bean heartburn, but I take full responsibility for abusing my delicate constitution. Now is a good time to mention the washrooms. I'm happy to report, they are clean and modern.
To sum up our own customer experience, I would rate this extremely high.
Nice decor,good music and comfortable atmosphere where I could go with friends or sit and read the paper with a pint.
The Bungalow scores a solid 8 from Pickles and Mad Cow. I regret that the rest of my Burger Buddies couldn't join me, but hopefully they will have the opportunity to try it. Either way, I'll be going back to try other menu items as well, as Pickles cannot live on beef alone!

http://bungalowhub.ca/

Reserve your spot in the Cellar

Recently I learned of a new burger joint (though that is not an apt word in this case) in the affluent Yonge and Lawrence area. The Burger Cellar boasts an extensive wine list and is decorated in a very modern, upscale decor. Foolishly, I didn't make a reservation because I thought a 6:30 pm start would be early enough to beat the Saturday night crowd. When I arrived, the place was packed and already had people waiting. I was told it would be about an hour. What surprised me was the number of young children and babies inside. Thinking that these kids would have to go to bed soon, we stuck it out, lured by the incredible smell coming from within. It was much less than an hour wait and the hostesses were both very pleasant, not even flinching when I gave my name as Pickles.
On this tour we were honoured with the presence of another guest tourist. Frau Burgerfresser was in town and joined us for the experience.
Although the noise level upon entry seems overwhelming, once seated, we were comfortable and able to talk amongst ourselves. First and foremost I'd like to say that the decor, ambience and service was all outstanding.
The obvious place to start is with the starters. We simply had to have the Pickle Fries, accompanied by a dill sauce, which can only be described as succulent. Frau Burgerfresser agreed with a hearty 'ja voll'. The batter was crispy and the pickle remained firm and juicy. Fans give these an 8. We also went for the Mac & Cheese, particularly to compare with M:BRGR's. There was a bit of disagreement among the crew here. Pickles and Hamburglar remain enraptured with the potato chip crust at M:BRGR, while the Meister vehemently claimed this to be the best ever. The cheese was almost of fondue consistency, which threw off the Fry a bit, although he loved the taste. We learned from our lovely red-haired server (sorry I didn't get her name) that it's a mixture of swiss, aged cheddar and parmesan. Overall, it scored a 9.5.

The Cellar had a nice selection of beer besides their novel wine list. Bottled and a small but tasty selection of draught, they also had several choices of fresh juice. Small Fry had the lemonade and stated, "All the other lemonades in the world should just call it a day." In fact, he went for seconds. Tart and fresh, no hesitation in a 10 here, and we know how hard it is to please the Fry.

Another unique feature of the Cellar is the choice of beef. You can choose from AAA Black Angus, Natural or Kobe. All come with the choice of a sesame seed white or whole wheat bun, and the basic condiments of lettuce, pickle, red onion and tomato.
Starting with Small Fry, let's get to the meat of the matter.
The always reliable Fry ordered the original classic burger, adding only two-year old cheddar, with Angus beef, on a white bun, accompanied by regular fries. We have seen how particular the Fry can be on these tours, so it is a great compliment that he scored his burger a 9, and the fries an 8.5. The bun was toasted and warm. His one issue was that he found it a bit salty, however this may have been the cheese and he did not fault this.
The over-easy Hamburglar also went for the Classic Angus, but added mozarella and apple cider bacon with a caesar salad. Not surprisingly, he scored both burger and salad a 10.
Burgermeister went for the Hog Town: aged block & Barrel white cheddar and apple cider bacon with Kobe, with side caesar. He also got a side of wasabi-lime aioli which was very nice. What he noted was that although it was full of flavour, it was not dripping in dressing. He scored both burger and side with a 9.5.
Of note, the caesar salad had a kick to it, and our server informed us that it was the owner's recipe since 1980, consisting of worcestershire sauce, tobasco, lemon, garlic, canola and olive oil, soft peppers and a secret ingredient (which I suspect is horse-radish). It was truly delicious.
Our special guest, Frau Burgerfresser had the Alan's Famous Angus burger, covered in crumbled Rosenborg bleu and carmelized balsamic red onion. Frau had the arugula and spinach salad on the side. She declaired the burger to be the best she's ever had! Now, we have to consider that this is her first tour, and has little to compare it with from her small suburban city to the west. She also enjoyed the salad, which I found to be almost as good as Burger Bar, with a light fresh dressing.
As for me, Pickles, I had the BCB 'natural', with two-year-old smoked cheddar, apple cider bacon, sauteed mushrooms, chiptle BBQ sauce and an onion ring, with a side of sweet potato fries. My burger was messy but flamin' tasty! It's as close to a 10 as I can get. I'd have to go 9.8 just because. Seriously, it was how I remember beef tasting as a child, before it was pumped up with steroids. The fries were 'basic'. They're not made in house and we've all had them before. Good, but just an 8.
We were pleased to see that although the stated internal temperature is 160, our burgers had a lovely slightly pink middle. Quality of beef, never frozen, along with being cooked over the flame, we believe this is what made the Cellar stand apart from our other tours.
For the sweet tooth, the menu had a donut burger for dessert, a novelty item that looks like a mini burger. It's a chocolate hazelnut ganache shaped patty, with kiwi, strawberry and mango 'cheese slice', all on a donut bun. Adorable and delicious!

We were royally treated and Mike the Chef came out to talk to us. He said that we need to try the turkey burger with avocado and tomato relish, watercress and Gruyere. Oh boy! I was disappointed to hear that I'd missed out on the house-made ketchup, which Mike described as a tomato jam (remember the Church Key!). Also on the next trip, we need to try to beer-battered onion rings, tuna tacos, and apple crisp. Damn! We're going to need more guest tourists!

The Burger Cellar scored high in every area. This is obviously a place that can cater to families as well as the date crowd, with amazing service, a staff who really knows their stuff and incredible food. Also, the price wasn't outrageous. With the basic Angus burger at $8 to $10, and most sides around $5, you can upgrade to Kobe or stay in the middle. I am truly torn with my obligation to move on to another burger joint, but my desire to return here next week.