Deli Duel

Nick's parents and us were sampling some smokey goodness this weekend at the Deli Duel which featured Caplansky's, Goldin's, and the Stockyards. We were some of the first people to arrive and lucked out with minimal line up. Overall, the four of us thought Goldin's had the best smoked meat because of its favour, fat to meat ratio, tenderness, and quantity. However, Caplansky's won this grueling battle as they hand sliced the meat for four hours straight. Goldin's had it pre-sliced sitting in a warming tray which could be the reason why they lost votes. We found Caplansky's a little on the leaner side but had good flavour and some great hot mustard to go along with it. Supposedly it was a tight race, and I can definitely taste why. We were also wondering why we have never heard of Goldin's before and that's because they do not have a restaurant. They sell their product online and also at Free Times Cafe. Will definitely order one for our next party. As for the Stockyards, we found their smoke meat surprisingly too sweet, although it was quite fatty.

What a great way to try out some local eats. Toronto definitely needs more of these events that satisfy the locals and also raise money for a good cause.