Flanks A YUM!!

We were headed to pick up mail today...downtown.  Oy...  This is always an "ordeal".  There is never NOT copious amounts of vehicles, buses and peds to try to maneuver around and get through.  Finally, the police agree...they were also out in full force; car and bike alike, handing out tickets to "jaywalkers".  YES!!!

We were on Murray Street after grabbing the mail and all I could think was...."Murray Street...Murray Street...there is a place on Murray Street that I wanted to eat."  I sifted through my purse and looked at my "To Eat" list for a while.  I had forgotten the place I wanted to eat at on Murray Street was called...Murray Street.

*facepalm*

Yes, I swear I went to university....  *sigh*

I wanted to eat here once before, but the crew I was with couldn't "fall in love" with anything on the menu that evening, so we pressed on.  But today, I was with the easiest person to please on the planet.  My Mister.  He's like me, he will try ANYthing once; sometimes twice if we could tell it had potential but failed in the execution of the concept/idea of the dish. 

It was so comforting to see all of those "Where To Eat In Canada" awards.  I hate wasting money....I hate wasting time and most of all, being a foodie, I hate wasting space in my stomach on things not worthy to pass through my lips!  Four awards!!  Their menu changes daily and lunch choices aren't as numerous as dinner, so this "meet and greet" with the menu board is hit and miss for some.  At any rate, I knew before I saw the lunch menu I wanted meat.  Red, rare cow to be exact.  I was in luck, which doesn't happen often....  There it was in all its glory, listed on the menu, "Flanks A Lot".

Being someone who has a hard time deciding what to eat sometimes, having a menu with only 7 choices made my life...and everyone else's SO much easier!  I went straight for the "Flanks A Lot" and we ordered a "Fat Fries & Spicy Mayo" to share.  I got to work checkin' the place out while we waited for our entrees.

There was one other occupied table when we sent in our order, they were 2 seconds in front of us when we walked in.  I rather like not being smack dab in the middle of mayhem when I am trying to enjoy a meal.  As the waitress brought that table their meal I started to notice the people piling in the front door.  Groups, couples, loaners...  So...noon 30.  That's when all the downtown business folk eat.  Good information to have!  Before I could think about anything else, our food had arrived.

Flanks A Lot

Flanks A Lot is marinated flank steak, sliced and arranged on a bed of greens that has been dressed with bacon ranch dressing (you had to know bacon would be in there somewhere...who loves bacon more than me??) and studded with beautiful chunks of Bleu D'Elizabeth Cheese and some potato salad.  This was food for the eyes AND the belly!  The meat was cooked beautifully and was SO tender.  There isn't much you need to do to a good cut of meat to make it perfect...you just have to cook it right so it can show off its natural flavors.  The marinade complimented the meat and highlighted the earthiness of the beef.  The green salad was a work of art!  The cheese was SO creamy and rich, I loaded up my fork and shoved a bite in my Mister's mouth before he could wave me off.  He had to admit, it was some damn good cheese.  The bacon was crisped perfectly before it was tossed in the dressing and it had retained much of the crispiness and meatiness.  Its always a let down to bite into a chunk of bacon in a dressing and have it taste like a lump of cold, rubbery lard.  This salad dressing was spot on...I'd buy it if Murray's started bottling it.  Yeah...even with my dairy allergy...I'd risk it.  

The only thing on my plate I didn't finish was the potato salad.  I'm a Minnesota girl...I LOVE a good potato salad, but "good" is a relative term.  For me "good" means basic and bare bones...let the 'taters do the talkin'.  I despise crunchy textures in my potato salad that aren't minced, even onion.  It has to be close to pulverized or not be in there at all.  This potato salad had huge, thin slices of radish.  *gag*  It also tasted a little "off" somehow.  By "off" I mean...a tang.  Like...when mayo has gone bad...  But these days, it could just as easily have been that they had used yogurt or sour cream in their salad goop.  People do it quite often to cut the fat content and richness in potato salad, especially in healthier cities. I asked the waitress, but...she wasn't sure.  I didn't want to be annoying, so I let it go.  Having traveled as much as I have and eaten what passes for "potato salad" in so many places, I don't have to spend too much time wondering where they came up with that recipe.  Potato salad changes from region to region, always something being added or replaced so its creator can make a statement about where they are from.  Its common, and I am used to it now.  Moving right along...

Murray Street was overall a great experience.  Comfy, quaint atmosphere with courteous staff that were knowledgeable about their menu and they had perfectly simple, clean lunch fare to offer.  Prices were reasonable for downtown lunch and looking at the dinner menu on our way out, I would go back for most of what they had to offer.  The "Awesome Bucco" sounded like it was right up my alley.  If you're ever down on Murray and looking for some great food and you need it in 30 minutes or less, stop in at Murray Street and give 'em a whirl.  You'll be glad you did!