It's been a while since I've found anything that gave me the urge to post here, but I just came back from yet another lunch at the Continental Deli (next door to Aubrey's meats in the Market)and thought it was time to share. I've eaten there about four times over the last two or three weeks: it is home cooking par excellence, assuming you make your home with a Polish grandmother. Today I had an oven-braised pork chop smothered in mushrooms, with a side of creamy baked sauerkraut full of potato chunks and flecks of carrot. Other days it's been cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and pork, or stuffed red peppers (I love these), roast potatoes with chunks of smoky bacon, or the delicious "Polish BBQ" sausage. There were sauerkraut and mushroom stuffed crepes today, too, which I reluctantly passed up in favour of the pork chop. There's usually a soup, too, but I tend to find these a bit heavy on the fat and/or cream.
The "menu" changes every day, according to what's fresh on hand or what they feel like making. Whatever there is is on display in a hot case near the door, and you make your plate out of whatever you fancy: "I'd like one pork chop and some of that sauerkraut" or "give me a stuffed pepper and a sausage, please." They've got three little tables and six chairs crammed into their front window; or you can get your food to go. A plate of food seems to cost $6.99; I haven't worked it out further than that. Most of the dishes have pork in them--after all, it's a deli--and it's probably not for anyone who demands their food fat-free. I've got a Czech dad, though, and so eastern-European cooking is comfort food for me. And this is good stuff.
The Continental is also a well-stocked and well-priced little deli, with good turnover, and seems to be getting better. I used to rely on trips to Toronto to stock up on Zentis brand jam; now they carry it, for less than I've been paying in TO.
Duckfat
It's been a while since I've found anything that gave me the urge to post here, but I just came back from yet another lunch at the Continental Deli (next door to Aubrey's meats in the Market)and thought it was time to share. I've eaten there about four times over the last two or three weeks: it is home cooking par excellence, assuming you make your home with a Polish grandmother. Today I had an oven-braised pork chop smothered in mushrooms, with a side of creamy baked sauerkraut full of potato chunks and flecks of carrot. Other days it's been cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and pork, or stuffed red peppers (I love these), roast potatoes with chunks of smoky bacon, or the delicious "Polish BBQ" sausage. There were sauerkraut and mushroom stuffed crepes today, too, which I reluctantly passed up in favour of the pork chop. There's usually a soup, too, but I tend to find these a bit heavy on the fat and/or cream.
The "menu" changes every day, according to what's fresh on hand or what they feel like making. Whatever there is is on display in a hot case near the door, and you make your plate out of whatever you fancy: "I'd like one pork chop and some of that sauerkraut" or "give me a stuffed pepper and a sausage, please." They've got three little tables and six chairs crammed into their front window; or you can get your food to go. A plate of food seems to cost $6.99; I haven't worked it out further than that. Most of the dishes have pork in them--after all, it's a deli--and it's probably not for anyone who demands their food fat-free. I've got a Czech dad, though, and so eastern-European cooking is comfort food for me. And this is good stuff.
The Continental is also a well-stocked and well-priced little deli, with good turnover, and seems to be getting better. I used to rely on trips to Toronto to stock up on Zentis brand jam; now they carry it, for less than I've been paying in TO.