The Hoof Café Fried Chicken With Rosehall Run Pinot Noir
You've probably read the news by now -- The Hoof Café is shutting down its operation on Feb 28th. It will eventually re-open as Black Hoof & Company, a restaurant that will focus on tasting menus and more emphasis on local wines. I'm not happy about this (and I'm not the only one)..
I've visited the café many times since it opened a little over a year ago. I've probably eaten there over 30 times, and have never had a bad meal. There's something special happening in the kitchen, palpable energy with chef Geoffrey Hopgood (you can see him in the blurry photo above) and his team adding creative flair to classic dishes without going overboard. At the end of the day -- everything tastes amazing -- from the foie gras french toast to the tongue sandwich and everything in between.
I firmly believe that this city needs more places like this. I'm sure BHCO will be incredible, but that's besides the point. Shutting it down, plucks away one of my favourite establishments in the city, a place that's packed nearly every day. But anyway, things change.
Personal feelings aside, I had to head back to the café to have some fried chicken, which is only served on Sundays and Mondays. It's not listed on the chalkboard menu, and sells out every week. Personally, it's the best fried chicken I've had in town, and I think it's even better than Stockyards -- the blogger's standard in the city.
The hoof café has always been a big supporter of microbrews and local wineries. In trying to determine what would best pair with some fried chicken, we ended up going with both a glass of Riesling from Lailey Vineyard (Niagara), and a glass of smooth Pinot Noir from Rosehall Run Vineyards (Prince Edward County). Both ended up pairing very well with chicken and all the accoutrements.
Before the chicken. Must be a fairly dish on the menu because I haven't seen it before. Its Geoff's take on korokke (Japanese for croquettes). Stuffed with salmon, jalapeno bits and cream cheese, covered in soft breading. Tasted like you think a jalapeno popper should taste like.
$25 for an order of half chicken, marinated for days, battered and deep-fried. The skin is crispy, but not oily, and the meat is superbly tender. All accoutrements, from the habit forming hotsauce, to the gravy, biscuits and coleslaw are all made in house. Standard hoof philosophy. You have only two more weeks to try this wonder before it gets retired.
Warning: Chef Geoffrey Hopgood will tell you that the tiny deep fryer in the café's kitchen is the backbone of the restaurant. This means that it generally takes about 20-30 minutes to get your fried chicken. So go hungry, order the chicken as soon as you sit down, drink and order some bites off the menu.
Hoof Café
923 Dundas Street West, Toronto
416-792-7511
http://theblackhoof.com/
