I have a theory and the theory goes something like this: every culture in the world invents its own sandwich. Some of those inventions travel to other places where they undergo mutation and changes based upon the local culture and availability of ingredients. The sandwiches of the mediterranean are some of the most far-flung sandwiches in the world covering most of the western hemisphere in one form or another. They are also among the tastiest.

The eastern canadian donair (a variation of the doner kebab[2]) is one such mutation. It is a brother of the shawarma and distant cousin of the greek gyro. It is believed that this particular concoction originated in Halifax at King of Donair on Quinpool Road[1]. It is a unique twist on an otherwise popular and well-traveled sandwich. What is interesting, is that the east-coast donair is starting to make inroads into Quebec and Ontario, and from there, who knows?

Enjoyed happily at 2 in the morning after a tough night on the town or just for lunch, these are special treat. Order the small. Large is insanity.

Today’s sandwich came from Freddy’s Pizza in Moncton. They make as good a donair as any other place I’ve tried. And I’ve tried many. Here’s what’s on it, as best as I can describe it:

donair meat (spicy beef)
onions
tomatoes
mozzarella cheese (it’s an optional extra)
donair sauce[3]
hot sauce (cholula)
pita

—

[1] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Donair
[2] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doner_kebab
[3] "condensed milk, sugar, and vinegar" see [1] above

1. Little Louis’ Oyster Bar
2. l’Idylle
3. Pink! Sushi (blogged)
4. Blue Olive (lunch) (blogged)
5. The Barnyard
6. The Pump House
7. The Old Triangle (blogged)
8. Taj Mahal
9. Bogart’s
10. Hofer’s German Bakery (lunch)

And there you have it. Not a Montana’s or Keg in sight.

There are still several restaurants we want to try but haven’t yet. They may well find a place on this list. If we left off something that you think deserves to be here, put it in the comments!

• Matt Good will be playing at Oxygen, Thursday, December 3.

• Henry Rollins will be reading from his new book at the Capitol Theatre on March 20, 2010.

Got any interesting upcoming events? Fire a tweet at @robcee and I’ll post it here.

Tempura Vegetables and Shrimp at Pink! Sushi

I’ve been meaning to write this post for about a month now but kept putting it off waiting for a better picture. The intervening time to post has not been squandered however, as we’ve been back to Pink! probably 4 more times since our first visit. This intense research has allowed us to cover a good chunk of the tasty tasty menu.

First, an apology to the owners of Pink!. It took us nearly TWO years to try your restaurant. I take most of the blame for this. For some reason, I had it in my head that you couldn’t get good sushi here. On the east coast of Canada. Next to the Atlantic OCEAN. Which, in better times, was chock full of delicious, yummy fish. Well, there are still fish in there if the menu at Pink! is any indication.

I don’t think I’ve had anything that I didn’t like in the half-dozen or so visits we’ve had there. From the sushi, maki and sashimi (the house rolls are fantastic, and I’ve also had good luck with the spider rolls) to the steaming hot bowls of udon noodles, it’s all very very good. One particularly adventurous dish is the Spicy Seafood Udon. If you’re squeamish about eating some of the more tentacley denizens of the ocean, you might have a hard time with this. If not, and you can manage the spicy, give it a shot on a cold winter day. It’s exciting!

If I had anything negative to say, it would be that the salads have a tad too much sauce on them. The broth in the udon soup is a bit salty. But really, I’m reaching here.

If you haven’t been, give this place a try next time you’re looking for something downtown.

There was a time, not long ago when Moncton was limited to just the Donair for middle eastern sandwich wraps. I don’t fully understand the origin of the Donair and it’s mysterious sauce, but it’s somewhere between a Greek gyro or a Lebanese kebab pita. Little did I know that there was a wide array of pita sandwiches out there in the world to choose from. It could even be said that if there is one unifying theory of humanity, it’s that we want nothing more than to enjoy a delicious sandwich wrapped in a pita with some garlic sauce. They may be universally enjoyed.

The Blue Olive delivers an excellent shawarma. Not too spicy, it’s a savory sandwich in a traditional style. I had mine with fries and a pepsi. Deb had a falafel and tabouleh. At one point, she opined that it may have been the best falafel she had ever had. I remain somewhat more reserved in my praise having enjoyed the Marroush shawarma from Ottawa many times in the past, quite probably the finest example of the species on earth. Nevertheless it was very tasty and the fries were crispy and hot.

We also discovered the small grocery had a bunch of middle eastern and Asian foods. Also a decent spice selection. We picked up some udon and soba noodles for soup on our way out.

So, next time you’re on Paul St. in Dieppe, pass the taco bell and kfc and grab yourself a shawarma.

Happy Halloween!

Now, however, the nice people at Automattic have released a new WordPress iPhone app that makes it extremely easy to post to your blog while you’re out and about, including photos and whatnot. So here we are, on the cusp of a new age, where we’ll be posting all sorts of random junk to this blog all the time. Unless we don’t, which is also possible.

We shall see. I’ve set up a twitterbot as well, for maximal exposure!

On March 28th at 8:30pm local time, people will be switching off their lights for one hour to recognize global warming as a real problem. Turning off your lights signifies your vote that you think we should do something about it. Feel free to participate. Turn out your lights, shut off your tv. Take a few minutes to reflect and enjoy some quiet. Take a picture and upload it to flickr and add it to the group. or send your message through twitter and tag it with #earthhour. See the Earth Hour page for background on how it got started and links to real-time updates from around the globe.

Let’s start with the basics. Where do you go in Moncton to get a decent burger? Pub food, for many is considered “comfort food” and in the long dark winters of New Brunswick, who wouldn’t like a little comfort? I am here to tell you that it’s entirely possible to get a decent burger and fries without resorting to the ignominy of a fast-food chain.

The Old Triangle located on Main St. in downtown Moncton provides very decent food at a reasonable price and a good selection of Irish lagers and ales on tap. The inside has lots of dark wood and a great circular (octagonal?) bar that covers the front and back rooms. The back also has a few “snugs” for quieter outings. The front room frequently has live music on weekends and is pretty spacious.

The burgers are pretty tasty with generous toppings and a nice bun. The beef could be a bit better; I’m guessing the beef patties are premade and frozen. If you don’t feel like a burger, there are other options on the menu ranging from a tasty chicken curry with mushy peas over fries to fish and chips. If you’re looking for more advanced fare, the kitchen has a list of dinner options including lamb stew which I can vouch for.

To be honest, the menu is probably too large by half. I realize you have to have some basic appetizers like chicken wings and nachos on hand to cater to the snacking with pints crowd, but I bet kitchen could cut down on costs and improve on what they offer by making a few judicious cuts. Don’t lose the killeybegs fish and chips though.

Every time I’ve been to the Triangle, service has been good and friendly. The staff is quick to take a drink order and keep things moving at lunchtime when you don’t have time to linger. I can enthusiastically recommend the Old Triangle in Moncton (as well as its sister in Halifax).