

Posted by

Armen Bedakian ,

March 2, 2011 Email Armen Bedakian Twitter @ArmenBedakian

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED After a decades-long struggle compacted into the span of a few months, the revolution has finally succeeded. We have our new Chip Butty! Over the offseason, I made it my personal mission to reform the way we at BMO Field are served our delicious, (nutritious?) golden Chip Butty sandwiches. Recalling the need for a new Chip Butty in this article, the gears of revolution began to turn, leading up to February 29 – Toronto FC’s Food Tasting Day. The obvious questions came to mind: will the Chip Butty be revolutionized? Will the garlic sauce be in the sandwich? Will we be allowed seconds? The answers were astounding. The tasting event, hosted by MLSE Head Chef Robert Bartley, Air Canada Centre’s Executive Chef Chris Zilinski, and Director of Business Operations Paul Beirne, gave 22 VIPs the opportunity to come taste the newest menu at BMO Field, and provide feedback by rating each dish – luckily, this lone revolutionary found his way inside, along with a good friend of mine, Sharnelle Kan. Talk about a TFC dream job! The menu consisted of several changes, each of them better than the last. There were three main categories of food presented to us: hotdogs, chip buttys, and tacos, with other stadium staples mixed in as well. A total of 14 different meals were served, prompting my stomach to hate my gluttonous brain tremendously. I was warned to pace myself. Ha! I laugh in the face of cautiousness. “Bring it on!” I said, to no one in particular. “I can handle it.” Let’s have a look, shall we? The Hotdogs Each foot-long hotdog is comprised of Nathan’s hotdog and a steamed, toasted bun. The Southern BBQ Dog A good serving of pulled pork and creamy coleslaw made for a great tasting hotdog. It can be a bit messy, but it’s definitely packed with flavour. The layering on this hotdog was, perhaps, better than the rest – each bite provided a good mix of bread, meat and slaw. The Poutine Dog You know, I’ve never actually had a Poutine before, after all these years? Crazy! The hotdog is smothered in gravy, with small cheese curds topped off with Hickory Sticks. Impossible to eat while singing in section 112/113, but a tasty half-time meal, that’s for sure. The Smoked Beef Brisket Dog This one is similar to the first hotdog, but replaces the southern-style pulled pork for smoked beef. The problem is, the beef itself comes in large strips, which are tough to rip apart – it’s like a pizza, in a way; you rip the cheesy, meaty layer off early on and you’re left with little else near the end. The B.L.T. Dog Easily the best hotdog of the night, the B.L.T. dog comes with, Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato, and ranch sauce. The flavouring, layering and crunchiness provided by the lettuce, along with the mix of heat and cold, made this a clear favourite. The Chip Buttys Checklist: Easy to hold? Check.

Preassembled? Check.

Fries-Bun Ratio? Check. Viva La Revolución! The Classic, Garlic and Parsley Chip Butty This is it. The culmination of thousands of years worth of bread and fries technology, come together at last. The perfect Chip Butty. Thank you, Chef Bartley, for this masterstroke in stadium food. This Chip Butty is everything we could have dreamed of, and then some. The garlic sauce is identifiable (finally!); the fries have a very unique flavouring, the parsley being a brilliant addition. It was love at first bite. The Buffalo Chip Butty The train of logic here is profound. Take the already amazing Chip Butty, and make it spicy! For lovers of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, this is for you. For those who just want that extra kick, it’s a great option. The concern amongst the tasters was the fact that Frank’s could be provided to fans by the ketchup/mustard, instead of making it its own menu item. The Poutine Chip Butty This shouldn’t even be legal in some provinces. Though the classic Chip Butty stole my heart, the Poutine Chip Butty is what I craved the morning after. It took some time to grow on me but now I want another one. I hope it makes the final menu. Tacos! Preluding these tacos, the servers brought out glasses of milk. I was sure that we were being served cookies, but they were, in fact, to combat the upcoming arsenal of hot sauces and peppers. Yes, Toronto FC is going hot this year, with a new taco stand serving up three types of tacos with an endless combination of chilies, peppers, and hot sauces like Habanero XXXXspicy. “The Ring of Fire” seems to be a top choice for the name of the stand, but I would recommend “Joao Plata’s Poco Picante Taqueria.” The Black Bean Taco

It’s your traditional black beans served over lettuce and tomato, but what struck me was the authenticity of the flavours. These are not your Taco Bell tacos, no, these are akin to the taco trucks of Los Angeles, the kind of food that only Chivas USA could serve up. In my time at the Home Depot Centre, I’ve had the pleasure of sampling the food during the Superclasico, and Toronto FC has brought that same Latin flair to their menu as well. The Pulled Pork Taco At this point, I decided I would kick things up a notch. They warned us about these little red peppers, which were sliced up. They warned us about the green bottle of habanero. Sure, there were milder options, but hey, when in Rome. To give you an accurate description of this taco would not be fair, as I was battling what must have been the most insane heat I’ve ever had. I’m no stranger to spicy foods, being a longtime regular of Fredericks restaurant, which serves Hakka Chinese cuisine. I was, however, impressed by the level of heat Toronto FC was willing to put up – simply outstanding. The Beef Taco

I apologize for the lack of photo. I can assure you, my thoughts were elsewhere, battling what must have been an internal fire-breathing dragon. The Beef Taco is everything it should be. All three were, really. These are the kind of tacos that you should expect, nothing to be let down about, nor overly fancy, just street food for the hungry Toronto FC supporter. Three tacos in a box, watch Aceval pop one home, and you’ll feel the warm, Latin buzz of Toronto FC. Miscellaneous Pierogis Filled with potato mash and served with sauerkraut, these

vegetarian-friendly Pierogis were made to share. Little bite sized portions of pure delight, dipped in sour cream, they make for the perfect snack. I recommended it to the media room, since they’re both easy to hold, make no mess, and can be eaten while typing…and because I wanted more! Currywurst Not my particular cup of tea, but I guess to some it is what it is. The taste is there, the ketchup/curry was right (though there should be some more on there) but it’s not a dish I would order. Blood Pudding The collective shudder of everyone in the room at the mention of blood was hilarious. Being the adventurous sort, I decided to try it, and I understand the appeal to those who grew up with it, but training your mind to eat blood willingly is an interesting process. It tasted meat-like, didn’t have that iron-y blood taste (ironic?) but seeing the reaction of the group, I wonder if it will make it to BMO Field? Wally’s Donuts MLSE bought themselves a donut machine, but due to some kind of legal issue, could not use it at ACC games, and so, Toronto FC find themselves with a machine pumping out fresh donuts in packs of 12. Everyone loved them, kids will lap them up, and for a day of heavy, meaty, carb-filled foods, this was the perfect ending. Boy was that fun!