The new Amsterdam Brewery isn’t the only place down by the lake where you can get burgers, tacos and lobster rolls.
At first glance, the three pop-up shipping containers (235 Queens Quay West, at Lower Simcoe, Rating: NNN) on York Quay just west of the Terminal Building might look like the ones found at Scadding Court, but these are no grassroots social initiative. Instead, they appear to be a slick marketing exercise in brand exposure by a Vancouver-based consortium called Blue Goose Pure Foods. They’re calling them “common goods” (note the ‘s’).
Or they could just be hot dog stands, which is exactly what Sully’s is, albeit one flogging the Goose’s “pasture-raised and grass-finished” street meat. Toppings are named for local nabes, the most accurate the Bloor West Village with four fried pierogi, sauerkraut and sour cream ($4.95).
Next door, something called Muvbox Lobster, according to the green pass certificate from the Health Board stapled to it, makes a creditable lobster roll ($9.95) thick with shredded knuckles, with minimal filler other than a bit of celery. A sturdy grilled pita-shaped bun guarantees it all holds together. A buttery clam chowder ($4.50) could use less salt.
And finally, the Goose itself, whose meaty double cheeseburger ($10) sees a good 7 ounces of hand-ground organic beef and the odd bit of gristle on a standard-issue bun. A smaller version of the patty finds its way into a so-so taco ($3/$8 for three) alongside roasted poblano peppers and a smidgen of salsa and sour cream.
We’ll gladly return when the special of the day is TV chef David Chrystian’s, who’s responsible for the recipes at all three stands – superb watermelon and cucumber salad finished with fresh mint and crumbled feta ($5). Roadwork be damned.
