Grant van Gameren — chef-owner of the buzzy new Bar Isabel — tastes the offerings from the city’s top butcher shops and artisanal meat purveyors.
WINNER
Bruno’s Fine Foods, 1560 Yonge St.
Honey garlic, $6.99/lb
This pick ticks all chef’s boxes: salt level, quality of seasoning and moisture level. Immediately taken with the look of the sausage, upon biting into it, van Gameren declares it to be perfectly seasoned. “It’s super juicy and has a unique flavour.” It was love at first bite.
Runner-up
Olliffe, 1097 Yonge St.
Toulouse, $10/LB
“For whatever reason, it really took well to the grill — every ounce of it is golden.” Van Gameren commends the sausage on its juiciness and the seasoning. “I’m really happy with this one.” It was a close second.
Simply divine
Sanagan’s, 206 Baldwin St.
Pork with nutmeg, $6.99/LB
“This one’s got a nice robust flavour for a very simple sausage. Van Gameren notes that texturally it’s well-made, but he points out that it’s a little on the dry side.
Rustic appeal
Whitehouse Meats, 1523 Bayview Ave.
Mild Italian, $5.99/LB
Van Gameren notes that this is the most artisanal-looking one. Although there is too much wine and salt for his liking, he really enjoys the fennel. “It’s inspired by an Italian recipe. It’s definitely got those flavours going on.”
Fantastic fennel
Cumbrae’s, 1636 Bayview Ave.
Italian, $7.99/lb
“This one has a nice fennel aroma to it, which I love,” van Gameren says. Pointing out that he’d prefer a bit more salt, he notes that it grilled up well but lost too many juices due to a lower fat content.
Sweet surprise
The Healthy Butcher, 298 Eglinton Ave. W.
Beef/pork with jalapeno & cheese, $12.99/lb
Van Gameren instantly likes the juiciness of the sausage and comments on the vegetable nuances, which are a great touch. Personally he likes his sausages savoury, but this one is a little bit on the sweeter side. Unfortunately, it was the only sausage that split open while grilling.
A+ technique
Stuart Carroll Quality Meats, 7509 Yonge St.
Tomato basil, $4.99/lb
“There’s good technique to this one and it has a really nice salt level.” Van Gameren would have preferred if fresher spices were used.
