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| - How do I put this? Toma Burger Addiction will raise your opinion of the French.
Recently opened significantly further West on Queen West than most people want to go for a burger these days, Toma has the misfortune to be situated on a strip that's exploded with burger joints. That's a shame, because of all the new offerings Toma's the most unique, and perhaps the most remarkable.
The words "French" and "burger" have never really gone together in my mind before, but the burgers at Toma are outstanding; the service is attentive, but not overbearing; and the atmosphere's relaxed, clean, inviting, and high-end, all of which defies the comparatively cheap prices. The quality of the ingredients is unparalleled, and the focus is largely on harmony and simplicity instead of the (deliciously) obscene offerings of all-bacon patties and grilled cheese sandwich buns that define my other Toronto favorite, Holy Chuck. Toma's burger subtlety done right; every burger here's a sublime experience on a brioche milk bun.
And oh, that bun. Light, fluffy, but strong enough to stand up to the juicy beef, gooey cheese, and moist compotes, the bun's the first big difference that sets Toma apart from its competitors. While the lack of a gluten free option limits the audience, the bun's just beyond reproach.
The beef's easily the most flavorful I've ever found in a burger in this city. Terms like "angus" and "rib eye" get thrown around a lot in the burger game, but let's be honest: the result's usually a bland burger that, if flavorful, is usually more spice and seasoning than anything else. Not the case here! The angus patties at Toma are cooked to order, but arrive perfectly pink unsolicited, as they should. They're thick, but not inedibly so, and while the meat's juicy they aren't an explosive mess of meat like Priest and Chuck will often serve if you don't specify cooking instructions. The meat's just so flavorful: fire grilled and carrying hints of carbonized deliciousness, but perfectly tender. I could continue babbling about the patties but I'd really just be repeating myself. It's the best beef I've ever had in a burger.
The toppings are killer, too. Permit me to elucidate:
El Diablo - 9.99 - Covered with gooey Swiss cheese that arrives melted and slightly stringy, the El Diablo's adorned with double smoked bacon, caramelized onions, spinach, and chipotle mayo. Yes, chipotle mayo; the bane of the culinary world. Luckily this isn't the orange garbage that was so ubiquitous in 2012! This is a product of love: homemade mayo delicately tempered with the heat of chipotle. The bacon's cut super-thick and cooked firm - not Five Guys crisp, but not fatty or floppy either - it's delightful. The onions are perfectly caramelized and portioned, adding to the flavors without overpowering the taste or texture of the burger. This was the first thing I had at Toma, and it's what made me fall in love with the place.
The Wild Life - 12.99 - Another burger bearing that perfectly melty Swiss cheese and double smoked bacon, the Wild Life comes with arugula, mushroom compote, truffle mayo, and a balsamic glaze. The balsamic plays really nicely with the mayo and the cheese, and if, like me, you find a pile of mushrooms to be a bit much, the mushroom compote on this thing is what you've been waiting for all your life. This burger's stupendous. I'm going to have a hard time picking between this and the El Diablo on future visits.
The Neapolitan - 12.99 - This burger's good, but it's a step behind the other two. The Neapolitan uses a wisely-selected buffalo mozarella, arugula, olive oil, prosciutto, and the house-made San Marzano ketchup. The cheese overpowers everything else a bit, and the texture of the prosciutto doesn't really work since it's chewier than everything else. It's solid, but not great.
That said, the San Marzano ketchup deserves kudos all its own. I'm used to being let down by house-made ketchups, but this one's great. It's subtle, so I feel weird calling out individual flavor notes, but it's got the sweet and salty ketchup flavors you'd expect, underlined with some spicy overtones of something that might be cinnamon? I don't know. But It's awesome on all the burgers, and it's stellar with the fries.
The fries are topnotch, too. Perfectly fried shoestrings seasoned with enough salt and greenery to bring out the potato flavor, they're an excellent accompaniment. Skip the truffle fries and go with the regular ones or the poutine; drowning that taste in truffle oil is wholly unnecessary.
Toma's awesome, and a must-eat for burger fans. As crowded as the burger scene might be in Toronto right now, this place is doing something different and competing on a wholly different level. AND they're doing it with sincere service and no pretension! I really hope Toma's location doesn't put it out of business, because it's an absolute treasure.
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