The Black Hoof

Toronto.  Although I've heard that there are exciting things happening in town that are related to food.  It's not just from TV but also from a cousin who has lived in the Greater Toronto Area is whole life.

Now, when it comes to Canadian food, I have always thought of it as similar to what is available in America with some exceptions.  Toronto, like many major urban areas, is a melting pot of many of cultures and people, which is reflected on the food.  But there are some foods that Canada has and the US doesn't.  Some of these include poutine and horse meat.  Horse meat really piqued my curiosity and I sought this trip as an opportunity.

This restaurant is surprisingly small.  Only a handful of tables and a modest bar with an extremely tiny kitchen.  The kitchen was really unique it that it contained an old, cheap, and white stove that reminds me of the stove that was in the Queens house I lived in during the early 90s.  How they manage to make great food out of it is really miraculous.

Horse Tartare

It's made with shallots, black pepper, herbs, and topped with a chicken egg.  Bread is served on the side.  Even though, I sort of wanted to try horse just for the experience, I found it to be delicious.  It's got a much more bloodier and meatier taste than beef.

Since this is rare moment in my life, I wanted to savor every bit of it.  I wanted to get taste every aspect of this dish.  I started by eating the meat straight up.  After experiencing the meat, I then mixed it with the beautiful farm egg, mellowing the taste.  And lastly, I tasted it with the bread, experiencing the tartare at its mellowest.  Personally, the bread is not needed it.

Bone Marrow

It's roasted and served with grilled bread along with salt and chimichurri for dipping.  Unlike the tartare, a little bit of bread is good for this dish.  The marrow is like intensely flavored fat.  So eating it straight up isn't recommended unless you're the kind of person that gets turned on by a lingering intense and sticky aftertaste.  The salt brings the flavor forward while the chimicurri cuts into the oily intensity.

Even though I technically came here for dinner, this is more like the first course compared to what I'm used to eating. But it was all good.  At least I got to try horse meat and pure bone marrow for the first time.  It was short, sweet, and to the point when it comes to excitement and intensity.

928 Dundas St W
Toronto, ON M4Y 1Z2