A Foodie Spy Mission: Quiznos

This is a bit of a departure for me. It's a review of a brand in general, and not so much about a particular restaurant location. Written for a website that promotes franchising of fast food businesses, I followed their lead but in the end it wasn't their style - too 'bloggy' it turns out. So here you go, guys.

A Foodie Spy Mission - Going Undercover To Scope Out the Quiznos Menu!

Quiznos – mmmmm Toasty! That's the current slogan accompanying their TV commercials these days. I have been on a mission recently to find out exactly how much mmmmm and how much toasty is actually involved in the Quiznos menu items offered by the sub sandwich chain.

Until this week, I have never set foot inside a Quiznos. There is actually a location in close proximity to my home, so why haven't I gone in? The answer – one bad review. That's right one bad review from a family member, possibly 5+ years ago, that led to me never even trying the place for myself. Silly perhaps, but it certainly underlines the value of word of mouth advertising. Give one customer a bad sub and you will potentially lose two or three new customers.

So what was the family member's complaint? He said the sub tasted “off” as in something had gone bad. Ooooh nasty! However, I'm willing to bet that the customer in this case might have been unused to Quiznos particular flavours. Perhaps their usual cheeses are more pungent than the cheeses used at say Subway or Mr. Subarine. If your mouth is expecting one flavour, and you get another, you might experience a bit of palate shock. I'm donning my detective hat now to check it out for myself!
                                                                        ***

So it's been about 5 years since my family member – okay, it's my husband – has been in to have a bite at a Quiznos. Today, we took a willing victim with us, our twenty-something son, and headed off to the nearest Quiznos location just after it opened for business at 11:00 a.m.

Two friendly female counter attendants were busily finishing their lunch set up when we arrived. I bet they could tell we were not regulars! We are used to another submarine sandwich chain restaurant popular in this area, so we were a bit lost and I'm sure we looked it. We were still stumbling over our sandwich preferences when the young ladies asked us if they could help us. They weren't pushy at all, in fact very understanding of our newbie-ness! At our other sub shop, all the fixings are displayed in steel inserts behind a glass window, so we were somewhat at a loss visually since Quiznos keeps their sandwich fillings behind a stainless steel wall. The attendants can see the food items, but the customer cannot. I felt rather blind.

The husband ordered the Beef & Swiss Melt on the rosemary parmesan bread. The other choices were white or whole wheat (brown) bread. The nice thing, not seen at other sub places we frequent, was 3 choices of sub length, not just 2 – 6 inch, 9 inch or  12 inch. The three of us chose 9 inch just because we could! I ordered Tuna Salad on rosemary parmesan and the son ordered Turkey Bacon Guacamole on the same bread.

We were offered a few choices of cheese and if mushrooms were wanted, and such, then we were moved down to another counter area to choose veggie toppings. At first, I thought this was weird and rather unnecessary but then I realized that the sub goes the through the big toaster oven before getting the cold toppings added. Ah - makes sense now.

I got a cup sized (6 oz.) bowl of Broccoli & Cheese soup. There is a bigger 10 oz. size too.

We took our lunch to a table near the window to eat and to analyse. I must say the slogan mmmmm toasty does apply. Our subs were really nice and crispy and they never lost that crunch even as the last bit of crust disappeared.

The boys were thrilled with their lunches. No complaints about off tasting meats from the husband. The son said the meat was really fresh and it reminded him of a deli in the town where he went to college, where they sliced the meat right in front of you and made killer sandwiches. Indeed, you could see state of the art looking meat slicer on the back counter, and between customers, the counter girls sliced meats and cheeses.

And my lunch? Meh. The soup wasn't that great. Okay, I did say that if it wasn't all that hot yet (they had just opened), I would be okay with that, but I didn't mean cold! Still, I could the gist of the flavour, which I would describe as Cheeze Whiz with broccoli in it. It was more or less what I expected, for a fast food place not awful but not spectacular either. I am just daft enough to eat it again. But hot this time!

Well, that was the soup, now the sandwich went from pleasant surprise to let-down. You see, I have been studying the menu on quiznos.ca in preparation for this project, and nowhere does it mention tuna. I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, and I usually get either egg or tuna salad from that other sub place, so I was kind of bummed that I wouldn't be able to have those choices at Quiznos. I was expecting my lone option to be their Veggie Deluxe sub. I was already a bit put off at the thought of paying the same price for a cheese/veggie sub as a cheese/veggie/meat sub while getting ripped off for protein. So seeing Tuna Salad made my spirits lift. Wouldn't you figure anything with the word salad in it would consist of more than one ingredient? The filling seemed to me to be pretty much tuna straight out of the can. Dear Quiznos, if there's any mayo in your tuna salad at all, you need more.

All that being said, I think I would go back again. I really didn't know what I was doing on this visit. Next time, I would ask for more mayo and some salt and pepper to bump up my tuna.

The menu is not complicated, only unfamiliar to my group. The website says there are 23 original subs on the Quiznos menu and that seems about right. All beautifully depicted in glossy photos above the counter, here are your choices ...
Classic Italian capicola, salami, ham, pepperoni, mozzarella, tomato, lettuce, red onion, black olive, red wine vinaigrette
Classic Club turkey, ham, bacon, cheddar, tomato, lettuce, mayo
Honey Bacon Club ham, bacon, turkey, swiss cheese, tomato, lettuce, red onion, honey french dressing Turkey Ranch & Swiss turkey, swiss cheese, tomato, lettuce, red onion, ranch dressing
Beef & Swiss Melt roast beef, swiss cheese, mushroom, parmesan alfredo sauce, on garlic toast
Beef & Swiss Melt roast beef, swiss cheese, mushroom, parmesan alfredo sauce, on garlic toast
Black Angus black angus steak, mozzarella, cheddar, sauteed onion, mushroom, honey bourbon mustard, zesty grille sauce
Prime Rib Peppercorn prime rib, mozzarella, sauteed onion, peppercorn sauce
Steakhouse Beef Dip roast beef, mozzarella, peppercorn sauce, side of au jus
Triple Cheese & Beef roast beef, mozzarella, swiss cheese, cheddar, sauteed onion, mushroom, mayo
The Traditional roast beef, turkey, ham, cheddar, tomato, lettuce, red onion, black olive, ranch dressing Veggie Deluxe mozzarella, cheddar, tomato, lettuce, red onion, mushroom, black olive, red wine vinaigrette, guacamole
Turkey Bacon Guacamole turkey, bacon, mozzarella, tomato, lettuce, red onion, ranch dressing, guacamole Mesquite chicken, bacon, cheddar, tomato, lettuce, red onion, ranch dressing
Carbonara chicken, bacon, mozzarella, mushroom, parmesan alfredo sauce
BBQ Smokehouse chicken, bacon, cheddar, sauteed onion, barbecue sauce
Chipotle chicken, bacon, cheddar, tomato, lettuce, chipotle mayo
Honey Bourbon chicken, tomato, lettuce, red onion, honey bourbon mustard, zesty grille sauce
Ham & Swiss ham, swiss cheese, tomato, lettuce, mayo
Turkey Caesar turkey, tomato, lettuce, peppercorn caesar dressing
Meatball meatballs, mozzarella, marinara
Beef & Cheddar roast beef, cheddar, tomato, lettuce, mayo
Tuna Salad tuna, tomato, lettuce, mayo

And the flatbread selections ...
Chicken Bacon Ranch chicken, bacon, cheddar, tomato, lettuce, ranch dressing
Turkey Caesar turkey, mozzarella, tomato, lettuce, peppercorn caesar dressing
Chipotle Beef roast beef, cheddar, tomato, lettuce, chipotle mayo

I love the names of the sauces! They sound almost chef inspired, don't they? Actually, they are. Back in 1981, the very first Quiznos was opened in Denver, Colorado by Jimmy Lambatos, who was already a skilled chef. He brought his more haute cuisine sort of flavours and sauces to the fast food world along with the idea of using real, freshly sliced sandwich fillings on artisan breads and then toasting the whole thing until bubbly and crispy. It was a near instant hit and franchising was a no-brainer, which began only 2 years later. The Quiznos chain spread like wildfire, hopping all across the U.S.A. and into Canada, Japan, Mexico and the U.K. The money rolled in and they all lived happily ever after ... or did they?

The fairy tale that is Quiznos has had some dark days. The sun is shining again, but the clouds might return yet. The villain that suddenly appeared in Quiznos' story one day, was the same villain that wrecked many a lovely tale – the economic recession of 2008. Quiznos had been been happily skipping through the forest until bam! the big bad monetary downturn attacked without mercy. Suddenly, the story was all about competition for dollars. No longer would consumers be willing to pay more money for toasted subs with a bit more meat, when the other sub place charges less. Simple math.

Let's look at 2 meatball subs, both 12 inches long with what seems to be identical ingredients (to the consumer anyway). At Quiznos it costs $7.49. At the other sub shop,  it's $5.50. Not all of the price gaps are so wide, but I think there's a perception among consumers that Quiznos is a pricier place to buy a sub.

Scrappy Quiznos, unlike many other businesses, survived that challenge but made some missteps a few years later by jumping on the eat healthy bandwagon, which entailed ditching some of its cheaper subs from the menu. Then, their upscaleness (if that's a word!) in the sub sandwich world began to be eaten up (pun intended) by new kids on the block such as Panera. So the other place is cheaper ... and Panera is fancier ... so where does that leave Quiznos?

In June, 2014, Quiznos found itself declaring bankruptcy. That usually spells the beginning of the end, in fact quite often the bankrupt business is never heard from again. However, Quiznos rose like a phoenix from the ashes, out of bankruptcy only 4 months later. Not bad, Quiznos, not bad at all.

Once upon a time, Quiznos had some 5000 locations. They are a much leaner organization today with less than half of that peak 2007 amount. They are taking baby steps into new territories like Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Quiznos also had a nasty battle in the courtrooms with some of its franchisees, who had felt like they were badly treated by the parent company. One of those suits was settled in 2009 by giving the franchisees $95 million (ouch!), but another suit arose in 2013. It must be difficult to concentrate on refreshing, rebuilding and restructuring a business with court cases pending.

The Quiznos restaurant that I visited with my family was nice and bright and clean. The accent wall across from the counter was painted a cheerful tangerine colour and emblazoned with the giant Quiznos 'Q'. You can choose to sit at a regular table, most with 4 chairs, or at a high table with bar stools. There is a hot pepper bar near the front entrance, which I thought was kind of cool, with jalapenos, banana peppers and more – a nod to their southwestern U.S. origins. That certainly makes it different from the other sub places. Near the do-it-yourself soda pop fountain, there was a huge glass bowl of a drink dispenser, filled with swirling pink lemonade a la old fashioned soda shop style I thought.

Quiznos has extras like cookies, chips and bottled drinks just like their competitors do. Yes, they also offer catering. Kids meals? Check. So what might they be missing? A breakfast menu is something to consider. Quiznos already has the ham, cheese, steak and flatbreads in stock, why not invest in some eggs too?

It will be interesting to see where Quiznos and Quiznos' menu goes from here. Fortunately for them, there will always be a market for sandwiches. As the late American composer, Billy Rose, once wrote “ I don't need music, lobster or wine. Whenever your eyes look into mine, the things I long for are simple and few, a cup of coffee, a sandwich and you.”

You Can Call Him Larry ... Or Maybe Neil.

Sometimes you meet the most interesting people in the most unlikely places. A few years ago, I was employed as a cook in a local long term care facility, a job that I very much enjoyed but didn't offer a lot of culinary freedom, and that is one of the reasons that one of my trainee cooks only stayed a handful of days. The other reason was that he was also a very authentic Neil Young tribute artist who had just been given the chance to open his own restaurant.

Lawrence Christopher, (you can call him Larry), was working part time as a chef in a small eatery located at 41 Maple St. and looking for some extra work when I first met him. He was friendly, talented and easy going. Then he was gone. His employer decided to give up their business and asked Larry if he would like to buy it. He jumped at the chance and has never looked back.

It has been 4 years now since Larry opened his dream business, the TLC Bistro. He hasn’t had a single vacation in that time, but Larry is okay with that. The TLC is his baby. I asked him about the meaning behind the name. Is it The Larry Christopher Bistro? Close, but the T is actually for his wife, and business partner and book keeper, Teresa. Or really, it can be anything you want it to be, such as The Little Café, as some have suggested.

I have been meaning to drop in ever since Larry opened the place. Several of my nearly grown kids are self taught musicians and I thought the Thursday open mic nights would be fun, but we simply never got around to it. Then recently, a writer friend asked me if there was any place I would like to try for lunch some day. Aha, the TLC Bistro! Perfect.

I arrived just before 11 on a sunny Thursday morning and popped inside and up the few stairs into the main dining area. Larry was all alone and working on some food preparation at the counter. I reminded him of his brief stint working with me in the nursing home kitchen and then began to quiz him about his new venture at the TLC Bistro. He seems to be in his element here, surrounded by a vast collection of music related memorabilia, obviously years in the gathering. Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn, Gordon Lightfoot, and Ian and Sylvia portraits crowd the walls. Musical instruments sit in a corner waiting to be used. And the menu is of his own making.

At first, I sat along the front counter on one of the tall stools. A great place for people watching. Also a good place to keep an eye out for my lunch date. When Janis arrived, we moved to a central table and took a peek at the menu fare, which was simple, familiar and very bistro-esque. Sandwiches, salads, soups or combinations of the three, omelets, quesadillas and pierogis. Finish with home baking - banana bread, Nanaimo bars and butter tarts. Have an organic coffee or maybe have a beer or glass of wine on the back patio.

"What's the soup today, Larry?" Cream of broccoli. Mmmm that sounds nice. I ordered that along with a salmon salad sandwich on whole wheat. How I love a good sandwich. I always feel somewhat guilty at a funeral because part way through the service I start thinking about those delicious little sandwich corners that they always serve at the reception afterwards. Why are they so good?

Janis ordered the soup too, and a ham and cheese sandwich. Our lunches were divine. Thickly piled fillings on the softest of breads and a bowl of steaming and creamy soup. It felt a lot like having lunch at your best friend's house after school, so homey and comforting. I'm not sure how many places around serve a lunch like this. It was really delightful.

I would have liked to have seen some musical performance, but no one stepped up to the mic that day. Most likely it was a bit too early. Larry said that if he wasn't busy, he would entertain us himself, but other customers came in and Larry never had a free moment to let his inner Neil Young out for us. Actually, Larry has an outer Neil Young too. He keeps his hair and sideburns in character all the time, likely because he performs his tribute show periodically at other venues too.

It must be wonderful to be able to combine two passions and make a successful business out of it. Cooking and Neil Young - who would have imagined? Larry Christopher took a leap and it has paid off for him. Well done, Larry. Long may you run. Long may you run. - Neil Young (1976)

Operation Scratch Burger

This idea was born in the cold of last winter, when we could only dream of backyard barbecues. My burger fan son and I grabbed some great burgers many evenings in Barrie. While seated near the window in places like the Kenzington, The Works or Midway Diner, where excellent hamburgers are served, we watched the snow come down. We wondered aloud - could we make a really great homemade burger? Exactly how homemade should our burger be? This is the story of Operation Scratch Burger.

The very first phase began in late May when we purchased some vegetable seedlings at a local garden centre. What a joy to be buying green things to plant outdoors! We got leaf lettuce, pickling cucumbers, yellow onions and bonny best tomatoes. The garlic was already in, having been planted the previous fall much like a tulip bulb. We got some peppers, cantaloupe and an eggplant just for fun too.

By mid summer, there were some cute little cucumbers ready for the pickle jar. I sliced them lengthwise and packed them into a large mason jar with pickling spices, fresh dill, and some sliced garlic. The garlic was the first to be harvested from our garden. Wow, so fragrant! Much more flavourful than the handy but blander chopped garlic in oil that I usually buy. Over all of that went a simple brine of water, vinegar and coarse salt. One month later, these pickles were burger ready. (Links to all recipes located at the bottom of the page.)

Our tomato plants grew like crazy! While everybody's plants failed to thrive, or died completely, our plants outgrew their tomato cages by twice at least and developed thick healthy stalks. Soon they had tons of tomatoes, all growing bigger by the day and weighing heavily on the branches which reached over 5 feet in height when stretched up. All they needed to ripen was the dry heat and sun typical of late August, but it never came. Rain and cool prevailed. My lawn stayed nice and green ... and so did my tomatoes. They developed late blight disease from the dampness and all rotted away, which was a huge disappointment after such a super start. So in the end, I bought three 3 litre baskets of ripe tomatoes from Bob and Judi Clarke at the Barrie Farmers' Market.

The garlic grew fine, but the onions were pretty tiny. We picked lettuce for sandwiches etc. off and on most of the summer, but by late summer it was finished. I sound like a terrible vegetable gardener! It's a learning process, that's for sure. It's also a good thing I don't live in the 1800s or I might not have survived the winter.

With my local tomatoes standing in for my failed crop, I researched how to make homemade ketchup. Gotta love Google! I found a process that appealed to me and I set to work - messy, messy work. I thought to myself - if Mad Michael (in Wyebridge) can do it, so can the Foodie Girl. So 2 large pots of water were set to boil on the stove and tomatoes were plunged in, scored with an X on both ends, to remove the skin. If that wasn't messy enough, I then had to remove all the seeds from each tomato by hand. I now have new respect for Mr. Henry J. Heinz. The tomatoes were simmered in a pot with onions, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper with apple cider vinegar added in later. All of this went through a food processor and then a sieve, then boiled down to thicken. My kitchen looked like a murder scene in the end.

Some of the ketchup got an addition of molasses and liquid smoke to create a barbecue sauce. Everything got ladled into canning jars and processed in a hot water bath. It is very satisfying, after all that work and mess, to see a neat row of house made products lining the countertop and hearing the occasional pop sound as the lids seal themselves.

Once the first shambles was cleaned up, out came the bread maker. It's a handy item that takes up a lot of space and doesn't get near enough use, but I do appreciate it for times like this. I placed the ingredients for hamburger buns into it and turned it on to a regular pre-set bread program and just let it run until the mixing and kneading process was finished, then unplugged it. I turned out the dough onto my cleaned and floured countertop and rolled it out about a half inch thick. A simple drinking glass cut circular shapes from the dough. In fact, a simple can of pasta sauce became my rolling pin as it is still missing! Where do these things get to anyway? The dough circles went onto greased baking pans, brushed them with melted butter and sat them on top of the stove for 2 hours to double in size. I turned the oven on low to create a little warmth to help with the rising. Once risen, I baked the buns in a 350 F oven for about 15 minutes, when the buns were golden. They actually turned out pretty well.

About this time, I started thinking - I took my weekend off (from my cooking job) to do more cooking? My husband was hovering around saying things like "What else can you preserve? I like peaches."

But I was on the home stretch now. Trying to keep it as local as possible, I bought Orillia based Ledbetter frozen lean ground beef. It occurred to me that the pre packaged raw meats in the butcher section of a typical grocery store never give the place of origin. Why is that?

I picked up some Schomberg Cheese slices while I was at the store. My husband and sons had taken a trip down to the 400 Flea Market in search of some artisan cheese for my project, but sadly found none. I had thought one of the deli operations there would have some, but no such luck. Silani's cheddar from Schomberg looked very nice though.

Finally the grill went on! I had mixed up a dozen 4 oz. hamburger patties and placed them in the freezer to chill, and now the big moment - the barbecuing of the burgers. With no fillers, just onion, garlic, egg and seasonings, they did shrink a bit. Near the end of the cooking time, some of my newly prepared barbecue sauce was brushed on. Aha, it's all coming together now!

And there it is - the culmination of Operation Scratch Burger, some 8 months in the making. A hand made 100% beef burger on a home baked bun, on Holland Marsh onion, lettuce of undetermined origin (ooops!), Epicure Selections burger sauce, topped with tomato from Clarke's Fruit & Veggie Patch (of Minesing) and home pickled dills made from my garden cucumbers. You can't see my slaved over ketchup, but it's on there!

Oh and yes, the hamburger aficionados, one certain son in particular, enjoyed their hamburger very much. He wasn't just being polite either - he ate 3 that I know of!

If you want to try any or all of the steps I took to create this ultimate homemade and local burger, here are the links to the instructions that I used.
http://www.pickyourown.org/ketchup.htm#.VB9-9JRdWSo
http://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-hamburger-buns-bread-machine-80413
http://www.food.com/recipe/the-perfect-burger-92021
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fast-Favorite-Garlic-Dill-Pickles-230707

Eating Pie

As the 5:53 GO Train arrived at the Allandale Waterfront Station, I wondered if my college student son was hungry because I certainly was. In fact, twenty year old six footers are always hungry, so the only real question was where to eat. Heading towards the downtown core, I was considering various burger places, most of which we had been to previously, when I suddenly remembered the lake shore location of Pie, the wood fired pizza restaurant made famous by being featured on the Food Network's show "You Gotta Eat Here".

The location is in the centre of ongoing summer road construction right now, but the parking lot is well signed with Enter and Exit despite a tangle of fencing and piles of gravel, so we found our way in with no problem. We giggled at the 'Caution: Icy Sidewalks' sign near the front door - this must be their northern location!

We passed a huge front patio area. It was completely empty of customers despite the beautiful evening and lovely lake view. Has everyone given up on summer? It was a Tuesday and there were bulldozers and loaders parked nearby, so I'm not surprised. I can imagine this outdoor seating area was jam packed on hot holiday weekends.

I saw a few diners inside as we we were shown to our table by a south facing window. Pink and red and lots of wood - that is how I would describe the interior. Neon signs. Very clean. A pile of fire wood, hinting at the heat source for their ovens, stacked outside on the patio. No menus to pass out - they are printed directly onto the table tops. What a neat idea,

Being newbies here, we didn't know how to order. College boy is a seriously carnivorous , quasi caveman meat lover. I am a vegetarian. Do you think we can share a pizza? Um ... no. At first, I was a little taken aback when our server informed us that we had to order a whole pizza each for ourselves and very seriously added "We don't do halves."  For a split second, I almost considered going somewhere else to eat instead, but decided against. I suppose taking home a half pizza isn't the worst thing in the world?

My son unhesitatingly pointed to his choice - the porky pie. Drawn to the description, tomato, basil, mozzarella, wood fired bacon, spicy sausage and prosciutto, he was hooked. I was leaning in another direction entirely, of course - the olive me thrice. My least favourite part of any pizza is the tomato sauce. I often find it overwhelming, so to find a non tomato based pizza, like this one promised to be, was pretty intriguing.

Our pizzas came out very fast. That must be one hot oven! Both of our pizza crusts were thin and crispy, round but rustic. The pizzas were served simply on a round metal pan with a pizza wheel tucked underneath. Cut your pizza into 2 slices or 20 - it's up to you to decide.

My dining partner hadn't been too concerned about tackling an entire pizza by himself from the beginning and I can see why. He inhaled the whole thing with ease. He did come up for air once and mumbled "This is really good." He also managed to make one observation about my pizza. You have weird stuff on your pizza."

Well, I like weird stuff on my pizza, thank you very much! The crust was brushed with olive oil and topped with a selection of large and tasty olives - not the canned or jarred tiny things that I buy, but gorgeous ones like you see in a food store olive bar (ones that I never buy but would like to!) Thinly sliced red onions, bits of roasted red pepper and artichoke hearts topped with a zig zag of aioli (like a garlic mayo) on top - weird but wonderful. I ordered pineapple as an extra topping. I got big pieces of sweet, seemingly hand cut pineapple that had obviously never seen the inside a factory or can.

I surprised myself. I cut my pizza into about 8 pieces and could manage all but one. College boy suggested I just fold it in half and just finish it off, his theory being something about my stomach will think it's less food? Hmmmm maybe he should enter himself in the next 'Let Em Eat' pizza eating contest held here, with strategies like that. I went with my better judgement and got a to-go box for my slice.

I want to come back again next summer and this time sit out on that open air patio. The construction should be wrapped up by then. I will have a cold Somersby cider and watch the sailboats in the bay. I'm fairly certain I will be ordering the same pizza again. I know it's fairly early on in the game to be stuck in a rut already, but I really liked that pizza!

My pizza slice was only in the fridge at home for a couple of minutes before another family member grabbed it and popped open the box. "Awww this must be Mom's pizza!" was followed by the sound of the box being returned to the fridge. Sometimes it pays to like weird stuff on your pizza.

Photos courtesy of https://twitter.com/OntarioTija Thanks Tija!

Sláinte! The Local Gastropub

Most of my family has been away in our birthplace, Scotland, this summer. I have been home and actually spending quite a bit of time writing travel articles about Argyll, my particular part of that beautiful land, for an about to launch website called Treksavvy. So I was more than due for a wee taste of home when I dropped into the Local Gastropub with my husband and son.

We arrived just before 5:00 pm on a warm summery day, expecting to find a Friday crowd taking up every table, but we were just ahead of the rush it seems and had no trouble finding a cosy booth for three. The windows were flung open to allow the breeze in, and from our booth we could see the more colourful Barrie-ites pass by on the sidewalk. The Gastropub prides itself on its wide selection of local craft beers so my husband ordered a glass of the very light sounding Flying Monkeys Anti Gravity beer. Produced just down the street, you can't get much more local than that!

Me, well I've been on a cider kick for many years now, actually since I was an apprentice chef at an inn in Scotland back in 1984. All the staff were allowed a drink after work, right down to the 15 year old Irish girl washing the pots. I always got a half pint of the sweet cider on tap. Until recently, your choices here in Ontario were few. Strongbow was more or less it and your flavour choices were zero. I was cheered by a recent trip to the local Liquor Store where I found umpteen brands, (Somersby, Molson Canadian, Alexander Keith, Thornbury and Rekorderlig) and some cool flavours like blackberry and wild berry. This Local had a new one for me to try - Waupoos. A product of Picton, Ontario, this cider was light, sweet and delicious! Their website shows a peach one - whoa baby! http://www.countycider.com/

The Local Gastropub has a neat, eclectic menu. It's an offering of all things fresh, local, fun, flavourful with a few tastes of the auld country tossed in and given a Gastropub twist. Where else can you get haggis lollipops with orange marmalade bbq sauce or an ecclefechan butter tart mess? Other more familiar faves with expat Scots are cod and chips with house made spicy ketchup and tartar sauce, or the ploughman's salad (sometimes known as a shepherd's lunch in Scotland). My husband and I ordered the cod and chips. Our son opted for the plainest poutine on the menu.

The poutine arrived in a very hot little cast iron skillet. It was topped with asiago cheese, a neat variation, and piping gravy. The fries were golden and crispy, and the kid enjoyed the unusual poutine with the almost parmesan-y flavour - it all disappeared anyway!

Our fish and chips was presented almost traditionally styled - there was a newspaper below, but perhaps health reasons dictate that a food safe liner be placed on top of that. Too bad. How I love a takeway fish supper from a real chippy wrapped in newspaper! The steam from the hot food gets trapped and everything goes just a little bit mushy. That may sound awful to the uninitiated, but it's a good memory for me.

The Local's cod and chips was very good, I must say. The batter was quite light and crisp. The fish was nice and the tartar sauce was the perfect accompaniment.  The spicy ketchup wasn't overly hot at all, in fact I'm sure I detected a sweetness in it. Molasses? Honey? I should have asked. Great fresh cut fries.

Our server offered us dessert and we almost never order any. But four simple words reeled us in - deep fried Mars Bar. In our most recent travels in Scotland, our son was on a mission to try this legendary confection, but somehow it never happened. What is it about the Scots and deep frying? I recall my first trip back after our immigration to Canada. I was 17 years old and we stopped for lunch in a small west coast fishing village. I was looking for something sort of Canadian to eat and ordered a hamburger. Well, didn't the darn thing come battered and deep fried! It wouldn't have been so bad if the frying oil didn't taste strongly of all the fish they mostly fried there. I am happy to report that the deep fried Mars Bar at the Local Gastropub was nothing like that culinary disappointment of 1981, and was an absolute dream. Inside the (not fishy!) batter was the creamiest melted chocolate bar ever, served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and garnished with a fresh strawberry. Mmmmmm.

We only had an hour there, in early evening, but I think this must be a beehive of fun later on when the locals who frequent this local Local come out and really get going. I can imagine the laughter and live music pouring through the open windows. I can hear the debates - Rangers or Celtic, Leafs or Habs? I must give it a try some night. It looks like a comfortable spot to hoist a pint. Located at 27 Dunlop St. W., Barrie. http://thelocalgastropub.com/

Herb n Sage With Anne

Anne and I were great friends in high school, years ago. I won't specify how many years ago, but let's just say big hair and leg warmers were a thing. Anne and I were so close that we called each other sister-in-laws, as we were dating brothers at the time. She married hers. I did not. Sadly, we lost touch for some 30 years. So you can imagine my joy at reconnecting with my long lost friend, a couple of years ago, through social media! Our first get together was at William's Coffee Pub and we caught up for three hours! We were surprised they didn't kick us out!

Recently, we decided it was time for another lunch and gab fest, so we went looking for a new venue for our chatting and chewing. Herb n Sage had been on my mind recently, having been recommended by an acquaintance, so we made plans to meet there at 2:00 after my shift was done. That late lunch turned out to be an ideal time. When I arrived first, there was only one occupied table inside the restaurant and they soon departed. Mid afternoon, between lunch rush and dinner, is perfect for gabby girls who tend towards marathon lunches!

Anne arrived perhaps 10 minutes after I did and we had our pick of cozy booths, so we picked one near the back and settled in. A very friendly young server brought us menus and explained the specials. Barrielicious was going on and they offered a back bacon on a bun special with app, drink and dessert for $15. I'm mostly vegetarian (other than fish, eggs and dairy) and Anne doesn't each much meat either, so we passed on that offer. We both ordered caesar salad to start, fish and chips and a tall iced tea.

The caesar salad was one of the best I've tasted in a while. It actually had flavour! So many restaurants drizzle on the dressing, while healthier that may be, it doesn't impress me much. I like a caesar that has a bite. That homemade dressing was awesome!

Enter the fish and chips. Nice big, crispy pieces on good fries. The two things that stood out were the house cole slaw and the tartar sauce. The tartar sauce? No, you wouldn't expect a tartar sauce to be a stand-out item on it's own, but it wasn't your from-the-jar diner condiment, but lovingly home made and loaded with flavourful dill. A very nice touch.

The server returned and offered us dessert, as they always do. And I always politely decline. But Anne was looking interested and once the server said those two magic words that combine so well - cheese cake - I was hooked. There's always room for cheesecake ... and every flavour is a good flavour! I was expecting a slice of something dreamy, but Anne and I got our own little personal pan cheesecakes in a round dish, fluffy whipped cream piped around the edges. Anne got cherry. I got mixed summer berry. I don't know what I was anticipating, but it was not the collection of fresh fruit I received. Not canned, not frozen, but straight from the field good. Heaven in a bowl!

How did we eat so much??? I suppose when you drag a meal out for two or three hours in an otherwise empty eatery, it's possible. We felt a little guilty but the meal was absolutely delicious and the company so good, who could blame us? I asked our server if all of this is house made food. Yes, all but the desserts, she replied. Obviously, they have chosen a fabulous dessert supplier then. I wonder who it is?

As two technologically challenged diners struggled to take a selfie or two (don't laugh), our ever helpful server came by and we asked her if she would help us out - end our suffering, really! She snapped a couple of great pics for us. Thank you, young server. I didn't get your name, but you were wonderful. Herb n Sage is wonderful too.

Lazy Tulip Lunch

This food blog was started over a year ago, partly just for fun and partly because I discovered that Barrie was without a food blogger or restaurant reviewer of any kind. It has been a service and a hobby, but never a business. Shawna Bailey, a local virtual assistant, messaged me recently with her ideas about gaining revenue through blogging. She was also interested in my someday dream of perhaps organizing a ghost walk and dinner event in downtown Barrie. Shawna suggested we meet for lunch to talk and the Lazy Tulip, a fave of hers, was chosen.

I have been hoping to try the Lazy Tulip for quite a while. At its 29 Maple St. location, just south of Dunlop St., it is almost next door to my workplace. I quickly tidied myself up from my own cooking shift, changed clothes and skipped over to the Lazy Tulip while hoping I would recognize my lunch date. We only had social media profile pics to go by! No need to worry, I spotted Shawna right away.

We were seated at a small table at the far right wall, near the fireplace. It was the perfect spot for taking in the surroundings and people watching. Oh hello - there's Randy Aywin, owner of the Grilled Cheese Social Eatery! If other local restaurant owners like the LT, it must be good. I love the chalkboard message below the front counter. "A tulip doesn't strive to impress, it doesn't struggle to be different from a rose. It doesn't have to. It is different. There is room in the garden for all flowers." I liked the decor - a mix and match of old and modern, a palette of black, white and splashy tulip red. The white painted stone/brick north wall is especially cool and looks to be the exterior wall of an adjacent building.

Shawna and I chatted a lot right off the bat, and sipped ice cold minted water. Some days, the water jug includes sliced lemon or watermelon instead of fresh herbs, she tells me. I forgot to look at the menu, with all my gabbing, but Shawna already knew what she wanted. She is stuck in a happy rut and looks forward to her meetings at the Tulip so that she can order the free range chicken and brie panini with caramelized onions and cranberry-red pepper jelly. When I finally got my act together, I ordered the Thai tofu wrap with a rustic tomato soup to start.

The soup was very nice. The fresh homemadeness was apparent - flavourful and full of bits of real tomato. The wrap was a work of art on a plate. Beautifully presented and boldly colourful with carrot, tomato, sprouts and organic mixed greens. The tofu is organic too and marinated in soy sauce. (I must try this.) I would also love to know the exact ingredients to that wicked thai peanut sauce that totally made that delightful wrap! The other great thing about the Thai wrap? The crunch! That crunch says fresh to me.

Neat little place with a conciousness about healthy people and a healthy planet. Eat vegetarian, gluten free, organic, free range, fair trade and local at the Lazy Tulip in what their website aptly describes as "a quaint and funky setting". No taste has been sacrificed in the name of healthy living. You will be surprised at how good the good tastes. Thanks for showing me, Shawna!