Last week, I got invited into the media tasting for @BareburgerTO by Alexa Clark. Right in the heart of downtown by the intersection of Bay and Dundas, the restaurant closed down for the night to showcase to us bloggers the new addition to Toronto’s foodie scene. I was running late and when I walked in the restaurant, it was already full of familiar faces of food bloggers and social media influencers. The restaurant has ample space than most trendy places but I seem not to be able to find a seat. Ah well, it was my bad, I did not come on time.
Most latecomers would be so repentant to come late as it means not to be able to choose where to sit. But that night, I got lucky though. It seems the only seat left was at the corner of the bar where light was ample and space was prime to become an impromptu photo set. I couldn’t be any happier.
Literally as I sat down, the affair started with pile of sweet potato fries and onion rings with about 8 sauces that we can dip the fried goodies in. It was actually cool to get a platter of the sauces to try with the onion rings and the sweet potato fries. If you ever get the chance, do try to savour the one they call special sauce. There is something about that captures your attention that I cannot articulate. You just have to take my word for it that it works well with the sweet potato fries.
What followed suit was a sampling of the two salad options: The Cali fresh and The Guapo Chop. I must say that the Cali fresh captured my photog eye. I was in love with the pop of colors and the different layers of textures in the bowl. It was so photogenic, I was almost heartbroken to eat it. The Guapo chop was a salad for one who would compromise to eat their veggies together with their fried chicken. Yes indeed, you read that right. Crispy fried chicken in a salad. For that alone, you should try it.
What came next was a big bowl of poutine smothered with beef brisket, beef gravy and Montreal cheese curds. Well what would a Canadian burger joint be without a spin on poutine? That in itself is a meal. Much as I like to keep on eating it, I had to stop myself as I know there are more burgers to follow.
The salads were then followed by the burgers and we got to try the Blue Elk, The Standard, The Farmstead Collard Slider and the El Matador. It was a good sampling of what @Bareburger offers, from elk, to standard beef, to a veggie patty and lastly to bison. I guess I am traditional that I like best the Beef Standard as I tasted that special sauce in there. If I were to recommend a second burger for you to try, it would be the Blue Elk. The medley of the tomato-fig jam with the bleu cheese gave it that earthy tone that was really satisfying.
The night ended with dessert of ice cream sammies and we had every kind on the plate to the sample. Of all the ones I have tasted, I was most in love with the Snickerdoodle one as it had that sweet surprise of torched marshmallows that was rather addicting. If I was not full, I would have eaten two pieces!
Thank you @Bareburger and Alexa Clark for getting me there in the media tasting event. I so enjoyed the sampling. Welcome to Toronto!
Food Trippin' 
Posted on April 26, 2015
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