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| - This was the one place on the Toronto to-do list I made in California that I refused to miss. So even though I was jet lagged and exhausted, I got up when my 8:00 wake up call rang the hotel room and proceeded to drag my sleepy boyfriend out the door so we could get to the restaurant before 10:00 am in order to beat the crowds I was dreading on this particular Saturday morning.
And boy am I glad I did. Hoof is a very cozy restaurant and several people were already lined up outside by the time we got there, about 10 minutes before the doors opened. Once inside, there is a chalkboard listing the day's offerings. We were so excited, we ended up ordering half the items on the board, all of which were wonderful. Of special note is the pork belly pastrami. My boyfriend says it is the best thing he has ever eaten, which says a lot. Basically, this "pastrami" is bacon meets fatty pork belly fried ever so slightly crispy. Two slices of this heavenly meat sits in a sweet reduction of maple syrup, suckling pig jus, and soy sauce. I am dizzy with delight just thinking about it.
We also tried the bone marrow doughnuts that I had read so much about. These are little doughnut hole sized balls with a texture similar to beignets with centers filled with vanilla, marrow and rhubarb. These were rich but tangy and perfect starters for our brunch.
The toast with goat butter and rhubarb jam was the best toast I have ever had in my life. The butter has a very delicate goat milk flavor which gives an added dimension to the butter which I found quite enjoyable. If you are a good eater, you should also give the suckling pig eggs benedict a whirl. The perfectly poached eggs sit atop succulent tender shredded pork that melts in your mouth. The English muffin is obviously made at the restaurant and has a density that holds up well to the sauce and the egg yolk so you don't end up with the usual soggy mess.
If I lived within an hour of this restaurant, I would be there every weekend. Fortunately for my waist line, Hoof is on the opposite coast, but I will always dream of having the opportunity to eat there again.
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