Toronto vendor project could end street meat's days as top dog
City councillor says new dishes, unlike hotdogs, are 'real food'
Last Updated: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 | 1:41 PM ET
CBC News
Hungry folks, take heart — Toronto's street meat monopoly could soon be under threat from hot morsels of jerk chicken, biryani and bulgogi from city street vendors.
Currently, hotdogs and sausages are the only street-food options in Toronto. (CBC) The City of Toronto announced on Tuesday a pilot project, dubbed Toronto a la Cart, that showcases new street-food vendors and offers a preview of what peckish city wanderers could be tasting in months to come alongside the standard tubular fare.
The eight vendors were selected from 19 applicants after they passed through a competition that included rigorous nutrition, food safety, environmental and legal components, as well as a food tasting judged by local chefs Suman Roy, Brad Long, Joshna Maharaj and Oliver Li. A total of 300 people had initially showed interest in the pilot project.
The food will cost between $5 and $7 at the stands, which are expected to hit the streets for the May 24 long weekend.
Several stands will sell kebabs in Greek, Middle Eastern or Afghan style, while another cart will sell Korean kimchi — a spicy pickled cabbage.
While cities in Europe and Asia are renowned for their signature street food, some Toronto officials have been trying for years to get both healthier and more ethnically diverse cuisine sold from street carts.
Until recently, provincial health rules made it almost impossible for vendors to sell anything other than hotdogs and sausages because they are pre-cooked, which substantially lowers the risk of food-borne illnesses.
'You make it from the heart'
Andnet Zere, whose cart will be just outside the Rogers Centre, currently works as a nurse. But Zere said she's always wanted to cook the way she used to growing up in Eritrea.
"Since I was a little girl I was involved in weddings and big occasions, and then I was involved in restaurants," she told CBC News on Tuesday at City Hall. "I became a nurse, but always it was my dream."
Her stall will serve Eritrean injera, a fluffy pita-like bread eaten with spicy vegetables or meat.
"It's very aromatic," Zere said. "You make it from the heart."
The new vendors will be at the following locations:
- Mel Lastman Square (Thai: pad Thai with fresh rolls).
- Metro Hall (Afghani/Central Asian: chapli kebabs).
- Nathan Phillips Square (Central Asian/Persian: biryani).
- Nathan Philips Square (Greek: souvlaki).
- Queen's Park (Middle Eastern: chicken/beef kebab wraps).
- Roundhouse Park (Eritrean: injera).
- Yonge and Eglinton (Korean: bulgogi with seasonal kimchi).
- Yonge and St. Clair (Carib fusion: jerk chicken).
Jem Wocker, a personal trainer who works downtown, told CBC News she's ready for some new choices, especially since she can't eat bread.
"Things like salads, anything with veggies, chicken, beef, anything," she said. "There's so many options you could have."
Hotdog vendors steamed
But the new flavour isn't going over well with the existing vendors, who say they feel the city is biased against their product.
The heads of the vendors association were also at City Hall on Monday to decry that existing carts weren't allowed to take part in the project. They argue it would have been easy for them to make a few modifications to their carts to allow them to diversify their menus.
Coun. John Filion, who led the project for the city, defended the selection process, but also acknowledged he hasn't eaten a hotdog in more than 20 years because he has a problem with them "from a health point of view."
He also justified the higher prices of the new dishes by saying that they, unlike hotdogs, are "real food."
