The Soul-Sucking Canada Thread - Page 37

niwell · #**721** Posted **May 31, 2020, 3:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Mandarin will survive. It is a haven for pickup truck drivers.

One of the last meals out before COVID was for my friend's bday - 3 couples out to Mandarin. He wanted to go there ironically. The food was actually better than I expected. I felt hungover the next day despite only drinking diet coke. Just so much sodium. It was rough.

Also, as a chain in Ontario they have to include calorie counts on everything. That's not great to see.

Razor · #**722** Posted **May 31, 2020, 4:39 AM**

An Aunt drags me out to the Mandarin for my forever 15 year old cousin's birthday every year. He doesn't leave until he gets the pic with the hat..I head for the roast beef, a salad and a deviled egg or 2 or 3.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

No problemo. the dude died a few years ago. MonctonRad identified him correctly as Paul Rose, of the FLQ (no, I am not a supporter, but the FLQ played a big role in Quebec in the late 60s and had an effect on my family).

Well he fits The Montreal tough guy stereotype. At least in my mind's eye. That or a 70's NHL back up goalie

Acajack · #**723** Posted **May 31, 2020, 11:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by harls

I wonder how Scores buffet will survive after the pandemic. Or any buffet-style restaurant for that matter.

The fact that buffets had sneeze-guards before this shit should be a good enough indicator.

I have an acquaintance who owns a large buffet restaurant (in addition to other table service places) and he told me that most buffets including his may not re-open.

Though places like Scores and Pacini which have partial self serve offerings will simply get staff to fetch whatever people want from the buffet section. They were already doing that in between the first stages of the crisis and the total shutdown.

Acajack · #**724** Posted **May 31, 2020, 11:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razor

re: Scores restaurant.

As soul sucking as chains like these are, I must confess my wife and I have a "go to" from this chain..We've never eaten inside, nor had anything else but the lowly hot chicken gravy sandwich via take out on some winter evenings.It's a good value,and it's all white meat. I forget how we discovered this little menu gem, but it's the only item we ever order from there. They never give you enough peas though.
.

Scores' brownie dessert is actually really, really good. I mean really good.

Acajack · #**725** Posted **May 31, 2020, 11:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Five Guys is trash: very dirty trashy teenaged vibe inside.

.

I hate the Five Guys vibe as well. The food is OK for a burger joint but overpriced as others have said. It's fairly equivalent to Harvey's, Wendy's and A&W for me.

There is no Five Guys in Gatineau but there are a few in Ottawa. Ironically the one on Ste-Catherine in downtown Montreal is the one I've been to more often.

As I said, the vibe leaves me cold. Even in Canada they succeed in replicating the U.S. feel of low-paid service workplaces where no one gives a shit.

stevanford1 · #**726** Posted **May 31, 2020, 11:58 AM**

I hate Mandarin. Stains on the carpet, Deep Fried MSG'd MSG etc....

Razor · #**727** Posted **May 31, 2020, 1:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Scores' brownie dessert is actually really, really good. I mean really good.

Will have to try..Thanks!

Proof Sheet · #**728** Posted **May 31, 2020, 1:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I hate the Five Guys vibe as well. The food is OK for a burger joint but overpriced as others have said. It's fairly equivalent to Harvey's, Wendy's and A&W for me.

There is no Five Guys in Gatineau but there are a few in Ottawa. Ironically the one on Ste-Catherine in downtown Montreal is the one I've been to more often.

As I said, the vibe leaves me cold. Even in Canada they succeed in replicating the U.S. feel of low-paid service workplaces where no one gives a shit.

The burgers at 5 Guys never look like the picture in the store. The french fry servings are way too big and they don't have Dijon as a type of mustard. Plus the music is way too loud. Other than that it's great

stevanford1 · #**729** Posted **May 31, 2020, 2:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

The burgers at 5 Guys never look like the picture in the store. The french fry servings are way too big and they don't have Dijon as a type of mustard. Plus the music is way too loud. Other than that it's great

That's a pro for me

MolsonExport · #**730** Posted **May 31, 2020, 3:12 PM**

It is really hard to find decent poutine outside of Quebec (and the francophone strips of Ontario/New Brunswick).

They always fuck it up: shitty frozen fries, and/or mozz instead of curds, and/or beef "gravy" instead of chicken gravy, and/or some stupid fusion food combination (lets put ground beef with taco seasoning, or shredded chicken, or bacon).

This is what poutine should look like:

wikimedia

Tim Horton's tried doing poutine. Predictably (like everything else they have) it was absolutely terrible:

mtlblog

urbandreamer · #**731** Posted **May 31, 2020, 3:17 PM**

Poutine is easy to make at home. Many Toronto restaurants have good poutine you just gotta find the one you like. The best I've had in Ontario was in a diner on Princess Street Kingston.

(In Montreal I liked those Greek diners' version that could be found along McGill near Wellington 20 years ago: poutine with an "all dressed burger" and Molson Dry was my regular order, probably explaining my GERD issues today.)

MolsonExport · #**732** Posted **May 31, 2020, 3:38 PM**

A&W and Harvey's are my go-to places for inexpensive but decent-tasting burgers.

McDonald's sucks and has suddenly gotten expensive ($12 for a fucking big mac combo? are you fucking kidding me?)

Wendy's burgers are stone cold, always.

Burger King is usually terrible. And there are fewer and fewer BKs...just never caught on in Canada.

White Spot (BC) is good, but since it is (was?) a sit-down restaurant, it was pricier.

I also have a real soft spot for seedy-looking Casse-croutes.

tripadvisor

And Taco-bell is basically refried ersatz Chihuahua turds on a fucking dorito chip.

urbandreamer · #**733** Posted **May 31, 2020, 4:22 PM**

When you've got GERD and CD, fast food is no longer a choice.

My burger cravings now involve lots of planning and shopping for specialty food items:
1) lean ground turkey
2) Foraging Fox smoked beetroot sauce: https://www.foragingfox.com/our-prod...troot-ketchup/
3) lactose free low fat cheese
4) no onions, pickles, garlic or tomato - avocado and fennel are good replacements for these textures
5) a good gluten free bun - Schar makes a decent one; ideally from a specialized bakery like Winnie's in Waterloo
6) baked, not pan fried burger patties
Result: over $40 just to eat a burger, I also have to make the fries from scratch (baked not fried) and obviously pop isn't on the menu
Like pizza, burgers are now a once or twice yearly treat.

hipster duck · #**734** Posted **May 31, 2020, 4:29 PM**

Those rural Poutine shacks in Quebec are amazing. The food is so good, even if it's so bad for you.

As a non-Quebecker, you also have to get used to the idea that food from something that looks the way a Poutine shack does could ever be good.

Everywhere else in North America, if there's a sagging vinyl-sided shack with a fading Pepsi sign on the side of a rural highway with a gravel parking lot, you know that it's going to have the worst food in the world: basically frozen No Frills burgers served with Dempster's bread and a greasy, communal ketchup bottle. You see one of those, and even if you're starving, you just keep driving. You're often better off just eating at McDonald's, where at least you know what to expect.

MolsonExport · #**735** Posted **May 31, 2020, 4:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Those rural Poutine shacks in Quebec are amazing. The food is so good, even if it's so bad for you.

As a non-Quebecker, you also have to get used to the idea that food from something that looks the way a Poutine shack does could ever be good.

Everywhere else in North America, if there's a sagging vinyl-sided shack with a fading Pepsi sign on the side of a rural highway with a gravel parking lot, you know that it's going to have the worst food in the world: basically frozen No Frills burgers served with Dempster's bread and a greasy, communal ketchup bottle. You see one of those, and even if you're starving, you just keep driving. You're often better off just eating at McDonald's, where at least you know what to expect.

Agreed 100%

urbandreamer · #**736** Posted **May 31, 2020, 5:03 PM**

Sometimes I feel like life ain't fair: so many ppl I see out eating fast food, drinking and eating in pubs, loading up on junk food and living happy long lives; meanwhile my family is genetically flawed with celiac disease, colitis etc

Proof Sheet · #**737** Posted **May 31, 2020, 5:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I also have a real soft spot for seedy-looking Casse-croutes.

This place has great fries and a relic of a Sprite sign.

https://goo.gl/maps/qP6Ro2HCBujSrc5p7

Other than the LCBO sign, this town is one of the most Quebecois looking places that is in Ontario.

https://goo.gl/maps/tUDqtddEFAbpmgqT8

MolsonExport · #**738** Posted **May 31, 2020, 7:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

This place has great fries and a relic of a Sprite sign.

https://goo.gl/maps/qP6Ro2HCBujSrc5p7

Other than the LCBO sign, this town is one of the most Quebecois looking places that is in Ontario.

https://goo.gl/maps/tUDqtddEFAbpmgqT8

been there! I used to camp at the nearby campgroupd (Voyageurs, previously known as Carillon) and would stop for some artery-clogging fries and burgers.

Been to that market too. Way back in the day, my dog got skunked and I went into that market to buy their supply of tomato juice. The proprietor didn't speak much English, but I can manage in French. He told me that lemon juice was more effective than tomato juice for deskunking.

Acajack · #**739** Posted **May 31, 2020, 8:12 PM**

During the ice storm of 1998, St-Eugène, ON was one of the last places to get power restored by Ontario Hydro, because the utility's staff mistakenly thought the town was in Quebec.

theman23 · #**740** Posted **May 31, 2020, 8:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

A&W and Harvey's are my go-to places for inexpensive but decent-tasting burgers.

McDonald's sucks and has suddenly gotten expensive ($12 for a fucking big mac combo? are you fucking kidding me?)

Wendy's burgers are stone cold, always.

Burger King is usually terrible. And there are fewer and fewer BKs...just never caught on in Canada.

White Spot (BC) is good, but since it is (was?) a sit-down restaurant, it was pricier.

I also have a real soft spot for seedy-looking Casse-croutes.

tripadvisor

And Taco-bell is basically refried ersatz Chihuahua turds on a fucking dorito chip.

Triple Os is their take out version. Still pricey, and probably not worth the premium over A+W.