FOOD TORONTO’S BEST BY LEONARD WISE


Shawarma Enough For You? Here is our spin on this rotating delight


I first fell in love with shawarma in 1967 when, as a law student at the University of Toronto, I discovered this city’s first shawarma shop, Ali Baba, on College Street. I kept the affair going for 30 years, until


the shop closed. As you can imagine, I was devastated, only to discover that it had re- opened in Scarborough last year. And yes, I have resumed my romance. Te Middle East fast-food staple known


as shawarma began life in Damascus, Syria, and eventually spread throughout the globe. In Greece they call it gyros or souvlaki. To Armenians, it’s known as tarna, and in Turkey, you better refer to it as doner kebab. What makes one shawarma stand out


from its rivals is a question that has been wrestled with for decades. Te secret, it turns out, is the sauce. Ali Baba’s owner, Ta- leb Hamodeh, makes his own hot sauce, a spicy blend, he says, “of at least a dozen herbs and spices.” He won’t disclose the recipe, al- though I’m pretty sure it includes cardamon,


cayenne and tumeric. Certainly it’s the best shawarma sauce I


have ever tasted, even better than the one served in Israel at the fabled Pinati Restau- rant in Jerusalem. When you order one, Taleb takes a warm pita and circumsizes it (okay, he cuts off the tip), carves chunks of grilled beef off a spit that’s been rotating perhaps all week, adds tahini, garlic sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, parsley, pickle and lastly pickled turnip. At this point, here’s how the conversation


goes: “You want hot sauce?” Taleb turns and


asks. “Yes,” I reply. “You’re sure?” he asks in a very inquisi-


tive tone. “Yes,” I utter back. He then ladles on the sauce. His ques-


tions are a kind of warning because he knows the sauce will be burning my kishkes for the next three days, but hey, it’s a great


form of weight control. Te word shawarma, incidentally, de-


rives from the Turkish word cevirme meaning “turning.” Of course, this refers to the rotating spit, although if you have Ta- leb’s hot sauce you’ll be forgiven for think- ing that what’s turning is your stomach. Ten he warms the sandwich over a grill and serves it. All for only $4.25. A word about Ali Baba’s ambience. Dingy


The word shawarma derives from the Turkish word for “turning”


Photo courtesy of Orly Restaurant & Grill


doesn’t even begin to describe it. Located in a dismal strip plaza near Lawrence and War- den Avenues, in the heart of Little Lebanon, surrounded by halal butchers and Arab gro- cery stores, its idea of décor is a pop cooler, two bubblegum machines, seven small ta- bles, dirty carpets and two hookahs in the window overlooking a parking lot and the Dan Dan Essential Massage parlour. Honorable mention: Shawarma Empire,


owned by Taleb’s cousin and located across the street, College Falafel, and Orly Res- taurant & Grill on Sheppard Ave. W.


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The Secret to a Good Vodka: Potatoes By Matthew Sullivan century Pol-


One of the first occurrences of the word “vodka” is found in a 16th


ish manuscript about male grooming. Vodka is the word the author uses for aſtershave. Since those heady days, I don’t


think a lot has changed. Tat’s because vodka is usually de- signed to taste like nothing at all – popular vodkas are praised for being clean, fresh and bracing, not so different than a dab of Aqua Velva. Te vacant flavour comes from the fact that 98 per cent of vodkas are made from grains that are distilled to an al- most chemical purity. For a different experience, the


connoisseur can seek out the elite two per cent of vodkas that eschew rye and wheat. Te secret ingredi- ent for gourmet vodka? Potatoes. Here are Friday Night’s top picks for


potato vodka: Photography by credit


Luksusowa Vodka ($23.95, LCBO #253302) Tis Polish vodka proudly proclaims itself to be made from a “luxury po- tato.” Tis bottle provides the classic flavours of potato vodka at a reasonable price. It is thick, round and soſt and lacks the inflammatory edge of grain vodka. It also has unusually complex flavours, including juniper, fennel and a hint of lime-leaf at the end. Grade: 91/100


Prince Edward Artisan Distilled Potato Vodka ($44.95, Vintages #164657) “Tis is a whisky man’s vodka,” Julie Shore told me. Shore moved to Prince Edward Island to start a


bed-and-breakfast, but somehow ended up opening a distillery,


where she uses P.E.I.’s famous potatoes to create this excellent spirit. “We use Rus- set Burbank potatoes, and we don’t peel the skins,” she boasts. Te resulting elixir is creamy and earthy, with hints of oysters and autumn leaves. However, these rich flavours vanish in a neat finish. Grade 94/100


Chopin Potato Vodka ($47.05, LCBO #521963)


Te Chopin from Poland is the most refined potato vodka avail- able in Ontario. Although it’s


thick, it offers a spicy and mel- low flavour with a vegetal un- dertone. Te whole package is smooth and easy to drink. While the other bottles are idiosyncrat- ic spirits that should be appreci- ated in isolation, the Chopin is a team player that will make a par- ticularly savoury martini. Grade 90/100


fn Winter 2011 friday night 39


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