Ep 4. Toronto: Horse Heart & Flipper Pie
- November 25, 2013
In Bizarre Foods America season 11 episode 4, host Andrew Zimmern travels to Toronto, Canada to explore some of the city's unique and unusual food offerings. The episode is titled "Toronto: Horse Heart & Flipper Pie".
Zimmern begins his journey in Toronto's historic St. Lawrence Market, where he meets up with Chef Matty Matheson. Matheson takes Zimmern on a tour of the market, pointing out some of the city's signature dishes like peameal bacon sandwiches and butter tarts.
Next, Zimmern meets up with Chef Carl Heinrich at his restaurant, Richmond Station. Heinrich prepares a dish featuring horse heart, which Zimmern samples with trepidation. The dish is served with a side of pickled mushrooms, and Zimmern is pleasantly surprised by how delicious it is.
Zimmern then visits another restaurant called Jonathan's, where he tries another unique dish: flipper pie. This dish is made from the flippers of a seal, mixed with vegetables and baked in a pie crust. Zimmern is impressed by the taste, noting that it has a similar texture to pulled pork.
Later in the episode, Zimmern visits a Russian bathhouse in Toronto's Kensington Market neighborhood. Here, he enjoys a traditional Russian steam bath and then feasts on a variety of Russian dishes, including pickled herring, borscht, and pelmeni (dumplings).
Zimmern ends his trip to Toronto by meeting up with Chef Craig Wong at his restaurant, Patois. Wong serves up a Jamaican-Asian fusion dish called "jerk duck," which combines Jamaican spices with Chinese-style roasted duck. Zimmern proclaims it to be one of the best dishes he's had in a long time.
Throughout the episode, Zimmern also explores some of Toronto's cultural attractions, including the Royal Ontario Museum and the Distillery District. He also visits a Ukrainian church where he witnesses a traditional Easter bread baking ceremony.
Overall, "Toronto: Horse Heart & Flipper Pie" showcases the diverse and eclectic food scene in Toronto, highlighting dishes and culinary traditions from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. Zimmern's adventurous spirit and willingness to try new, unusual foods make for an entertaining and informative episode.
