A 7,500-CALORIE MEAL — MUST BE TIME FOR THE EX
How’s this for lunch? A juicy, double, ground bacon burger with bacon-drenched fries and bacon milkshake. For dessert, a deep-fried bacon Mars Bar. CNE preview,
If any meal might just kick off a coronary, this could be it.
The Notorious P.I.G. Combo features three-way oink in the “Canuck Burger” — two ground-bacon patties, a slice of peameal, crispy bacon strips, cheddar — an order of bacon-cheese fries and a peanutbutter-and-bacon milkshake to wash it all down, of course.
For dessert: last year’s carnival hit, the bacon-wrapped, deep fried Mars Bar.
At about 7,500 calories — so its creator estimates — this “meal” not only flies in the face of a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. It just might be the most artery-clogging offering at the CNE this year. The fair opens Friday.
The city’s food truck pilot project hit a speed bump Wednesday, with planners dropping Woodbine Park from the list of trial truck spots in the face of neighbourhood criticism of noise and fumes from the mobile eateries.
“We thought it was a pretty a good spot, but the feedback was quite surprising, because we didn’t expect it from that location,” said Suresh Doss, a representative of the Ontario Food Truck Association tapped by the city to head the project.
“We obviously don’t want to rattle the cages here, because we want people to kind of embrace food truck culture,” Doss said. “So let’s take it off the table for now.”
The pilot project was launched Aug. 1 and consists of 24 food trucks rolling out to city parks to hawk their goods and gauge public reaction, as part of a review of Toronto’s street vending rules. Trucks scheduled to set up at Woodbine Park will now be told to relocate alongside others at Sherbourne Common, said Doss.
However, he added, the pilot project has been given a measure of flexibility from the city’s parks and recreation department, allowing Doss to cast about for other locations to test the presence of food trucks. He expects to add three other parks to the list over the next few weeks.
Kevin McCurley, 40, lives in the building at the corner of Northern Dancer Blvd. and Queen St. E., directly across from where food trucks were grilling sandwiches and selling cupcakes in Woodbine Park. McCurley said he complained repeatedly to several city departments, his councillor and Mayor Rob Ford’s office in an effort to get the trucks moved since they first showed up over the August long weekend.
In a letter to Beaches-East York Coun- cillor Mary-Margaret McMahon, the head of the building’s residents’ association said generators from food trucks were “at times deafening” and that exhaust from trucks was entering the structure’s ventilation system.
McCurley was relieved the pilot program altered its plans, but said he’s dismayed it took nearly two weeks to address his concerns.
“I’m extremely disappointed with the lack of planning that went into this,” he said. “We look forward to our park returning to its peaceful place where people can relax and enjoy nature . . . It’s long overdue.”
Current bylaws prohibit food trucks from setting up on public property, but the industry has pressured the city to make it easier for them to operate. When launching the pilot project earlier this month, McMahon and Councillor Josh Colle (Ward 15, Eglinton-Lawrence) railed against the “red tape” that has held back food trucks in Toronto.
Edward Birnbaum, McMahon’s executive assistant, said organizers of the pilot project are trying to find a balance: parking spots that get good foot traffic, yet don’t result in disturbing residents with noise or smells.
“That’s a real issue, and something that’s not easy to fix,” Birnbaum said. Scott Fraser, owner and operator of the West Coast Poutine food truck, said he decided to stop setting up at Woodbine after he was approached by a resident upset about his rumbling power generator.
“That one spot just seems to be real close” to residential buildings, said Fraser. “It’s not worth us making enemies.”
Food trucks are still setting up shop at Sherbourne Common, Allan Gardens, Canoe Landing and Roundhouse Park. The pilot project runs until the end of September, but may be expanded.