After two failed meals in Toronto, we had almost given up on finding something good to eat. We decided to give Toronto one more chance to feed us!
The setting was just like it was from a movie. Picture two young beautiful women wandering around a rainy downtown city with insatiable hunger! Totally exasperated, the young beautiful women jump in front of a taxi completely drenched and they plead with the driver to take them anywhere they can get something edible. The driver takes them on a $20 drive away from the city where they briefly think they are being kidnapped but don't care since they are out of the rain! They arrive on a dark unassuming street in Little Italy where they get splashed by water from another cab driving by while they wait in the queue to enter The Black Hoof.
There was an hour wait but the lovely people at The Black Hoof told us we could visit Hoof Cocktail Bar just across the street to dry off and unwind with a cocktail or two or possibly even three! We were pleased with the drinks and service at the bar so we had a really good feeling about the food on the other side of the street. They did not disappoint! Here is what we ate:
N'Duja Ravioli
This was better than delicious or fantastic, we can't think of the right word for it yet. Two days of bad food and we FINALLY found something worth eating. N'duja is a spicy sausage from Calabria, Italy. Think of it like a hot spicy pate inside fresh pasta that is freaking delicious! Walnuts, pecorino and a perfectly spiced citrus sauce are the perfect complements to the nduja.
Bone Marrow
I am glad Dr. J doesn't care for bone marrow because that meant I didn't have to share with her. Quite frankly, I didn't want to share with anyone and I didn't! The chimichurri with a dash of salt is perfect on that toasted bread.
Pork Carnitas Tacos
Delish, and yes that is a pork rind!
Andouille & Prawns
This is also known to us as shrimp and grits. The egg yolk made this a tad bit different from what we are used to but the combination wasn't bad. Our only recommendation is to use actual prawns and not baby shrimp. What can we say, we love our shrimp.
Buttermilk Brown Sugar Cake
This made us forget about all of the bad food we had experienced prior to stepping foot inside The Black Hoof! Nectarine sorbet, crushed peanuts and condensed milk are the proper accouterments.
We are so happy we found The Black Hoof! Although they do not take reservations and they only accept cash or Canadian debit, it is worth the wait--Hoof Cocktail Bar is across the street--and every Canadian dollar. Thank you, thank you, thank you.