New TV show celebrates street food across North America—except Toronto, of course
It’s not exactly news that street food options in Toronto are limited (and the city’s disastrous Toronto a la Cart program sure didn’t help). As a result, we’re pretty jealous of tantalizing fare from the cities featured on Food Network Canada’s newest program, Eat St. The show celebrates North America’s most delicious street food, and while Toronto’s admittedly good street meat didn’t make the cut, various vendors from British Columbia make up the Canadian contingent (it might help that the show is produced by Vancouver’s Paperny Films).
Hosting the program is stand-up comedian James Cunningham, who travels to cities like San Francisco, New York City, Austin, Philadelphia and Vancouver. Some highlights:
- the Redonkadonk from the Brunch Box in Portland, Oregon: a burger dressed with a fried egg, ham, turkey and bacon between two grilled cheese sandwiches. It sounds like something that would probably give us a stomach ache, but we’d keep eating it anyway.
- Tacones from Red Fish Blue Fish in Victoria: taco cones filled with deep-fried oysters, barbecued scallops and battered fish.
- Vancouver’s Japadog: a hit during the Olympics, this chain of hot dog stands serves up sausages with Japanese toppings like wasabi, grated daikon and shreds of nori.
Viewers can eat along with the show via an Eat St. iPhone app (also available on-line) that allows vendors in cities across North America to create profiles for their food carts, as well as post menus, recipes, deals and regularly update their location. It’s enough to make a hungry Toronto diner cry.
Eat St. premieres April 6 at 9:30 on Food Network Canada
Why would they come to Toronto? What have we got to show for it? Hot dogs, hot dogs, and more hot dogs? We can’t even launch a street food program without killing it by micromanaging.
Japadog was featured on both Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and Samantha Brown’s Vancouver travels on Discovery HD. So, nothing new.
This is the second “food truck” concept for the new spring line up is it not? Food Network must be short of new ideas…other than new, cutting edge cupcake shows. I also noticed that they’ve got a new American version of Restaurant Makeover happening. Booooooooooooring.
The A La Cart program was not disatorous the newspapers and write up made it die before it could even start. If a city as big as New York can do this, Why can’t we?? Bc something new scares people…Its a shame.
Food Network best shows are Top Chef(america)which they needed to allow Canadian contestants bc a foodshow sponsored by Loblaws is F**king LAME.
Best Thing I ever ate….
@Culinerd – are you kidding? The complete and utter failure of the A La Cart program had absolutely nothing to do with the press. The whole program was comically mismanaged — everything from bad locations forced onto the vendors, unwieldy, horribly designed carts and overbearing food safety rules.
What should we Montrealers say?
@AH123, you said it! our street food is so lame–why would anyone even think Eat Street should come here? what a dumb thought in itself~
@horizon, I don’t think the idea of the show is necessarily to feature yet-to-be-discovered street food, and this kind of publicity for something that is totally original is something worthy of praise–I’ve heard great things about japadog and it would be nice to spread the japadog love this way. just cos you know about it, doesn’t mean it’s run its course and we should just move on.
@Michael, you hit the nail on the head. what is wrong with TO that something that seems to be a no-brainer for other major cities as to turn out to be such a disaster here? it’s really sad. and now the city councillor wants to house a casino and red-light district using prime property?? something is seriously wrong here and I find this so embarrassing!
I just tried an amazing food truck in Orlando. Just outside downtown in a gas station parking lot is KOREAN BBQ TACO BOX. Horribly unhealthy but very yummy. Why can’t Toronto do this?
Being based in Canada and partnering with The Food Network, we have high hopes for Toronto. Seasonality and the lack of diversity really has proved to be a challenge, but we’re hoping the street food scene can bounce back. Toronto’s got the perfect culture for creative street food. If it grows, we’ll be there with open arms.
YES Toronto is the best place for street food it got every things even Bollywood is here. WE have start now. why are you waiting for go for it COREY. Best butter chicken wrap is at Eastern Twist 505 St.Clair west 416 531 9305
@sadia I think you missed the concept of the article. “EAT STREET” not “Eat RESTAURANT”. Toronto may have okay food restaurants(Not much of them are unique as they seem to believe), but food cart or truck wise. Toronto SUCKS! We have nothing but hot dogs, and those stupid fries trucks in front of city hall. The day I see Korean bbq, or something like Mexican cuisine I wont believe my eyes.