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| - After hearing about The Black Hoof from a friend and lots of hype and five star yelp reviews, I decided to check it out. I have been on a quest to find a great Toronto restaurant that can be my local favorite. I had high hopes that the Hoof could deliver.
Here are my conclusions for those who may want a slightly different take.....
The place merits five stars on a few points.
1. It has a great charcuterie plate
2. It also has highly creative dishes. I mean, how many times have you had horse, beef hearts, or bone marrow at more respectable places in Toronto?
3. The Black Hoof also has a cool, trendy vibe for those who need that.
4. All the food is prepared in a kitchen where four people are cooking and cleaning in a space about half the size of an average condo kitchen. This is most impressive.
Beyond this, there are negatives....
1. The food is good, but not great overall. The Black Hoof offers pork tacos and tuna crudo for those who had beef hearts for lunch. These taste the same as they do anywhere else with a touch of added flair and expense.
2. The portion sizes are small, like tapas or appetizers, but approaching full entree price at similarly styled places. If you are hungry, you will need to spend high end money to fill up here.
3. The cocktails are expensive. They range from $11 for an undersized margarita, to $17. A half-liter of sangria is $23. This would be understandable at a nicer cocktail lounge that makes everything from scratch on the spot, but this is not that. Here you are a maximum of 15 feet from the hot stove when the beef livers are sizzling. My two drinks were good, but nothing special.
4. The service is not very good, though in fairness, everyone seems to be scrambling to navigate the tight quarters and avoid any back up in the tiny kitchen.
In the end, go to say you've been, and maybe go back to impress your friends with your refined taste in bone marrow. That should just about do it.
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