Country Style Hungarian Restaurant

We’ve heard a lot about Country Style over the years, (no not the donut chain, the Hungarian restaurant) so we finally decided to check it out last weekend.  We weren’t expecting to be wowed since it was on the list of comfort food spots for many people. I’m writing about it anyway not because it’s trendy or a particularly excellent dining establishment, but because like many mom and pop shops that cater to niche markets or stay low-cost and under the radar, places like this have staying power and are an integral part of their community.

Though my first instinct was to try the Chicken Paprikash with Perogies for an app and perhaps some Goulash on the side, we had limited stomach room and opted for their signature Country Style Wooden Plate for two.

The plate was a combination of a Cabbage Roll, Wiener Schnitzel, Parisian Schnitzel, Fried Sausage, Beets, Rice, and Home Fries. The schnitzels were thinly pounded and incredibly large. We liked the Wiener (sounds like a sausage, but it's not) Schnitzel's breaded crust better than the Parisian's egg coating. We loved the firm and well seasoned fried sausage. The cabbage roll was a complete meal unto itself, not just because it was a huge, but also because you pretty much have your carbs in the form of rice, as well as meat and vegetable in it all together. We also had a side of dumplings, which in this context are plain doughy little things and not the stuffed Asian kind.

That was certainly more than enough food for the two of us, and we ended up taking the rest home.  Because I'm Filipino, I had the leftover schnitzels with steamed rice and a little ketchup, like a Filipino-Spanish torta. It is comfort food after all.




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450 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON M5S 1X8
(416) 536-5966


Posted by: Mark Rodas

Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria

Enjoy an authentic Neapolitan pizza at Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria. Located in the Annex, on bustling Bloor West, Famoso democratizes high calibre pizzas and gelato, serving quick and consistent fare at a reasonable price, in a warm and casual environment.

     

For an authentic Neapolitan Pizza you need to start with the best ingredients. Famoso uses only '00' Caputo flour to make its dough. This low gluten flour is hand stretched and tossed to create a soft and crispy thin crust.

 

The tomatoes used in the red sauce are imported from Southern Italy's Campania region. Their low acidity and natural sweetness make a rich and satisfying base to highlight the flavours of all the other delicious toppings. The pizzas are fired for 90 seconds at 900 degrees Fahrenheit in a special oven imported from Italy, giving that blistered and supple texture that screams Neapolitan. Some purists may take issue that it's a gas and not a wood-fied oven. Though there still is something magical about burning wood, this commercial oven ensures consistency and volume, key factors in scaling up to many locations, making really good pizza within reach of more people who might not otherwise pencil in a special Neapolitan meal.

 
Quattro Formaggi Pizzetta with added Soppressata 

A great lunch option is the Pizzetta. Half the size of the normal pizza, it leaves room for a soup, a salad, or in our case, more pizza. We started with the Margherita, the archetype of Neapolitan pizza, and enjoyed its fresh aromatic basil and creamy fior-di-latte cheese. Next up was the Quattro Formaggi Pizzetta with added Soppressata. We loved all the cheesy goodness cut by the squeeze of lemon. The addition of the crispy and flavourful slices of Soppressata is highly recommended.

 

Incase we were missing out on the whole pizza experience, and with some room to spare, we ordered a full-sized Funghi Tartufo pizza (roasted white mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, white truffle oil, reggiano parmesan), and paired it with an Italian red wine. Mmmmmm...mushrooms!

 

Dessert was light caffeinated Italian, a slice of Tiramisu and some affogatos (a shot of espresso on top of a scoop of gelato). We highly recommend the Salted Caramel Affogato. It certainly gives a Frappuccino a run for its money.

 











Posted by: Mark Rodas