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A R T S & CU LT U RE
of toppings without losing focus on the patties and
backyard BBQ flavour. My Big Chuck, for example, featured a spicier version of Big Mac sauce and
perfectly tender patties between simple buns and
traditional single-sliced cheese. The sides were
less remarkable, though, didn’t you think?
Luke: I will spare our readers my rant about the
irrational distinction between doneness in burgers
versus steaks, but I totally agree. There is no place
for grey puck-like patties at a proper burger establishment and Holy Chuck might just make the best
burgers in Toronto. A
Dan: You’re right on with both points. I regrettably went for the Rambo selection and got these
hot sauce “Raging Bull” fries. They were a bit of
a disaster. Too spicy, in the way that makes you
know you’ll be paying for it later. Harsh. How
were the rings? It seems like the whole sharing
concept went out the window once you took possession of those onion chattels...
Luke: I assumed my deep chesty cough would deter
your desire to share! That, and those fries were
not very tempting. They had the wrong kind of
heat. The rings weren’t much better: thin, thawed
and bland. I’m torn on the sides issue. On the one
hand, the burgers are so sublime (and rich) that
sides seem redundant. On the other hand, when
you’re already neck deep in indulgence, why not
add thick cut rings or proper poutine?
Dan: Come to think of it, maybe we just made poor
choices today on the sides. I was here on Super
Bowl Sunday for Toronto Poutine week, and the
rendition HC put together was a life-changing
event. It had Brie and bone marrow, the equivalent
of a culinary mic drop.
that t- shirt spea k s truth .
S CORE
DA N
LU K E
FOOD
4
4.5
SERVICE
4
4
ATMOSPHERE
3
3.5
Luke: Braggart.
Amenities and service:
Dan: Though we didn’t participate, the “Go Chuck
Yourself ” challenge looms large at HC. The challenge is a six patty, uber-decker burger and milkshake combo - to be consumed in 6 minutes or less
(for free if completed successfully). An entire wall
of photographed heroes (sic) and their times (some
as low as 2.5 minutes!!) graced the wall beside our
table. Don’t even try between 11am and 2:30 pm
though. This place gets too packed.
Luke: When I was 18 I could have pushed that
record without taking years off of my life. At this
point, just eating “The Big Chuck” gave me serious meat sweats. In terms of logistical infrastructure HC’s kitchen is a model of efficiency, and the
bathroom was very clean and modern.
Dan: Bathroom banter. Classic Luke. They weren’t
THAT nice. On the service side, I liked the counter ordering system, and that guests self-help
themselves to a table. Classic eat-what-you-kill
lawyer shit. I also absolutely loved that Holy
Chuck asks if you’re okay with your burger done
medium or if you’d rather it be cooked more. That
is how you know you’re in a real burger shack.
OV E R A L L : 4 / 5
#wellsmashmypattyandcallmesossy
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the end of reading week.
Monday, March 10, 2014