Twist Burger Bar is a good turn for lunch
What better thing to do the day after an ice storm than warm up with some burgers and fries. And soup!
Most burger bars don’t go far beyond the ground beef but Twist adds a touch of gourmet.
We sloshed through the snow after we’d paid at the hour limit parking meters on King near Queen (bring a loonie) and walked in, sitting near the multi-windowed garage door serves as the front wall that, presumably, opens in warmer weather.
Our server, a young man, gave us menus and delivered water bottles and cups. Tall and lanky in a chef’s coat and apron, he turned out to be the brother of the owner, Andrew Hadaddin, working as the chef in the back. Chef isn’t always the title given to the head honcho of a burger bar, but our server mentioned that his brother had studied culinary arts at Niagara College, and worked at Vineland Estate Winery before starting this venture.
I waited for our server to return and when he didn’t, I assumed that we should order at the bar. But when he saw us getting up, he quickly came over to take our order. I was surprised to hear the soup of the day was a chicken consommé so we chose that, along with a salad and some burgers.
Our server was quietly friendly, and patient with our young sons (I’d come with a friend). But he was still developing his skill at anticipating diners’ desires, so I sent the boys to get some drinks from the bar: standard garden variety pops, no alcohol.
We hung out, waiting for the appetizers. The background music was Stevie Wonder belting out “Superstition.” Though it was lunch, the meal had a very leisurely pace. It was a wait for salad and soup, two items I don’t usually associate with taking a lot of time. However, when they came out, we were quite pleased. Served in an angled porcelain bowl, the soup was a clear broth, with a brunoise of carrot at the bottom and a small handful of thick-cut green onions floating over a grilled, sliced chicken breast. The char from the grill lingered in the broth, which was strong enough to stand up to it. A nice start.
Our salad came out in an angled bowl again, but this time larger. Mesclun greens were tossed in a very mild sherry vinaigrette that I thought could have been more present but it did allow for the other little gems in the salad to stand out. There were blood orange segments, fresh raspberries, and candied pecans. And the sweet and sour notes were softened with a creamy chèvre. Much more elaborate than expected.
During the small wait for our burgers, Michael Jackson crooned about the man in the mirror. I had ordered the fried chicken originally but our server told us it had just gone into the marinade and thus, wasn’t ready. I had mixed feelings about this: glad they did the process right and didn’t cut corners, but not happy it wasn’t available.
However, when the burgers came out, I didn’t have the head space to lament the chicken further. They looked like they hailed from the land of legendary American chef Charlie Trotter: vertical, a culinary highrise. I had to taste the bacon on my Twist bacon burger, beckoning to me as it stuck out from beneath the patty. It was basted with maple bourbon jam to add a subtle sweetness to the rich concoction held together with a lengthy toothpick.
A fried green tomato sat on top of the bacon, and a pickle and smoked Gouda made up the top layer, just under the bun. Together, the smokiness of the bacon and cheese, along with the savoury burger and slightly acidic green tomato made this rich treat something special.
The other burger we ordered, Ol’ Buffalo Blue, was no less rich and proved to be another nice marriage of flavour with Buffalo sauce, rapini, Gorgonzola and a big fried onion ring.
Fries on the side, which could have been a little crisper, along with a garlic aioli. And some fantastic coleslaw with a vinegar zip underlying its mayonnaise dressing.
It was a Monday so those fries were free, and there were specials for the other days of the week, including kids (10 and under) eat free on Wednesdays.
The burgers were not cheap but they were certainly gourmet. And they filled us up so much that we weren’t terribly sad that no desserts were offered.