Silver Dragon

Silver Dragon (Chinese, 2827 Robie), visited May 6. Due to COVID restrictions, we had no choice but to get take-out, although we enjoyed our few minutes of ambiance inside this quaint north end staple. You can't really go wrong with their combos, so we went for #9 (Sweet & Sour Chicken, Almond Chicken Ding) and #10 (Chicken Soo Gai, Beef & Broccoli), both also served with Egg Rolls and Chicken Fried Rice. There was more than enough for four meals. Verdict: 3.5/5 (70%) chance of returning.

 

Combos #9 & #10 from Silver Dragon

Motor City Pizza

Motor City Pizza (Pizza, 1515 South Park), visited April 30.  A “virtual restaurant” from which you can apparently only order through certain apps, we discovered that this Detroit-style deep dish pizzeria works out of the kitchen in The Lord Nelson. “Detroit-style” means it’s baked in a thick square steel pan, with thick, crunchy crust. In a way, it’s kind of like Pizza Hut pan pizza, but with caramelized edges. We went for the Original Bad Boy pizza (chorizo sausage, roasted poblano peppers, tomato sauce and cheese, although without the mushrooms), and it held its own against the variation we tried in the Motor City itself. The cheesy garlic sticks were similar in size but much thinner and as a result, kinda dry. The kale Caesar salad was a bit too saucy, but very tasty and big enough to serve four people. The Mozzarella sticks were massive, but a tangy sauce (marinara or ranch) would have made them shine. Overall, it was a plentiful but pricey meal, made even pricier due to the delivery charge (which is why we opted to pick it up ourselves). Still, it’s different than anything else we’ve tried in the city and worth a try. Verdict: 3.5/5 (70%) chance of returning.

Sapori Italian Street Food

Sapori Italian Street Food (Italian, 1741 Lower Water), visited April 10. The sausage pizza caught us off guard, in a good way, in that it was drizzled with honey. Apparently, it’s the only one on the menu to have that special touch, but it was damn tasty! The Orecchiette Bolognese was hefty and really hit the spot. This little gem isn’t trying to be fancy, but it will surely be a hit with the downtown business crowd and tourists alike, once life returns to “normal.” Verdict: 4/5 (80%) chance of returning.

Orecchiette Bolognese & Sausage Pizza from Sapori

Durty Nelly’s

Durty Nelly’s (Pub, 1645 Argyle), visited March 31. We were hoping to try the Dine Around special (fried chicken board), but alas, they were sold out. Instead, we went for the Blarney chips and fried chicken sandwich. The former was basically waffle fry nachos with bacon – what’s not to like? Ranch instead of sour cream was an inspired choice. The fried chicken could have used a bit of a kick, but it was still really good. The service was incredibly quick, too.  Verdict: 4/5 (80%) chance of returning.

 Blarney chips & Fried Chicken Sandwich from Durty Nelly's

Chkn Chop

Chkn Chop (Chicken, 6041 North), visited March 19. Believe it or not, but M has never tried a Big Mac. Nevertheless, we ventured out to try the “Return of the Mac” sandwich (basically a Big Mac with fried chicken instead of beef). It was a bit heavy on the batter and therefore really crunchy, but tasty. The sour cream and onion bacon poutine should have just been called Pierogi Poutine, because that’s essentially what it was. There was a generous fries-to-toppings ratio and the cheese curds were massive. Verdict: 4/5 (80%) chance of returning.

Return of the Mac & Sour Cream and Onion Bacon Poutine from Chkn Chop

Indochine Banh Mi + Habaneros

Indochine Banh Mi (Asian Fusion, 1551 South Park) + Habaneros (Mexican Fusion, 1551 South Park) visited March 12. While grabbing Indochine’s Around The World in 80 Plates special (the Phorrito), we decided to double up and order a Chimichanga at Habaneros next door. The Phorrito was a cool take on Vietnamese and Mexican, with pork, spiced rice, sprouts and more wrapped up into a tortilla. The hoisin and sriracha combo really made it sing. Meanwhile, the chicken chimichanga took quite a while to prepare, but this deep fried burrito doused in Chipotle sour cream was worth the wait. Verdict: 4.5/5 (90%) chance of returning to either.

The Phorrito from Indochine Banh Mi + The Chimichanga from Habaneros

Pickford & Black

Pickford & Black (Casual Dining, 1869 Upper Water), visited March 5. We were enticed by the opportunity to try two specials – the Dine Around “3 for $30” appetizer special (house-made chicken wings, All Dressed Mac n’ Cheese and Fancy Fries), plus their Korean Poutine. We certainly weren’t hurting for carbs that evening! The wings were super fresh, and had likely never seen a freezer. They needed a bit more sauce, but we asked and received more in seconds. The Mac n’ Cheese was quite salty, but had a lovely little potato chip gratin on top. The Fancy Fries were garlicy and cheesy. The Korean Poutine was intended to fuse Canadian and Korean cuisines, and did so quite well – fries, gravy, cheese curds + Bulgogi pork, kimchi, a sunny side up egg, and some other fun stuff. There was a lot going on, but it really worked! We also loved the Lunenburg feel inside the restaurant, though we can’t wait to return and sit outside! Verdict: 5/5 (100%) chance of returning.

All Dressed Mac n' Cheese, Fancy Fries, Wings & Korean Poutine from Pickford & Black