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| - Yeah, yeah, I know. You Torontonians are really quite tired of us transplanted 'Mericans (especially those of us who have the privilege, the honor, the urban distinction, of being New Yorkers) comparing our nations, our cities, our food. And, you know, I totally get and understand that. No, really I do.
Consider Michelle Bachman.
But in this case, and in the words of my mother, "tough."
Because I finally found an Italian sandwich mecca that, yo, takes me right back to da streets backs home in Brooklyn. Like, fuckin 'A.
Located in the lower tier of Toronto's famous St. Lawrence Market, Uno Mustachio is clearly one of the most popular eateries in the entire historic building. Swarming with tourists and sharply dressed business workers during the lunch rush, you might want to grab your il pranzo molto delizioso to go.
Why? Seating is incredibly limited and so tightly packed that this isn't the place to be if you're claustrophobic, especially while you're trying to keep the sauce and mushrooms from slipping onto your shirt.
Sure, they serve a nice variety of pasta and salad dishes, but the cooks here are Italian sandwich specialists. Chicken parmigiano, veal, eggplant, meatball, chicken with eggplant, veal with eggplant, steak and cheese, steak with cheese and eggplant, all served on kaisers with your choice of hot peppers, sweet peppers, onions and/or mushrooms for garnish. My tastebuds were immediately reminded of the corner shops in Bay Ridge and Bensonhoist. (Ok, maybe not the steak and cheese... that's more Philadephia, but you get the point.) For real Brooklyn effect, make sure you ask for double tomato sauce. Beverages include the usual canned or bottled variety, plus Italian favourites like SanPellegrino and Brio.
And if you needed even more good advice about this place, consider what the father of a family of four kids said to his wife as they chowed down next to me: "Hey. It must be good. Nobody's talking."
Fuckin' 'A right it is.
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