As I said in my 2013 recap post, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. However, about a week into this new year I did end up making one: stop spending so much money! I know that sounds detrimental to the blog and all you dear devoted readers, but don’t worry, I visited enough restaurants and markets in 2013 to sustain the blog with ample posts until I finally crack and decide my life can’t go on without a visit to another wonderful restaurant.
During our Thanksgiving trip to Toronto, Kiyo and I grabbed dinner one night at The County General, a trendy little place that was dark and warm and jolly, perfect for the frigid Fall evening. We were famished after a day of walking nonstop, so we immediately ordered some “bites:” Kiyo had the pork bun (pork belly, teriyaki, radish, pickled Serrano) and I had the “Little Big Mac:” pork belly, dressing, lettuce and a slice of American cheese. These look big because of the camera angle but they were slider-size. The super-soft buns and fatty meat were great to instantly quell our hunger. Pork belly is a little too fatty for me though, so I had to cut some off the meat to finish the sandwich.
We also ordered the heirloom beet and radish salad because those are two of my favorite vegetables and I thought we needed to balance out all the sandwiches. It was made with Namprik (spicy Thai chili sauce), ricotta and chives. Although it had maybe just a bit more ricotta than necessary, this was a fantastic salad. The flavor and texture combinations were superb and it was simultaneously light and filling.
To finish it all off, we shared one of their most popular main items: the fried chicken thigh sandwich, with buttermilk chicken, avocado chutney, coriander and pickled red onion on a milk bun. The fries were great and the ketchup was homemade, which I usually like, but this version was too much like pasta sauce for my taste (Kiyo enjoyed it though).
With delicious and unique cocktails (pricey, but when you’re drinking a trendy alcoholic beverage, it always is), a friendly staff, and hearty comfort food with a twist, this is definitely a place I would return. They just underwent some renovations Monday-yesterday, but should be up and running again. I’m not sure what they changed, exactly, so if anyone visits please report back!
The County General
Open: Monday – Friday 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Address: 936 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1G9, Canada Phone:+1 416-531-4447
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