Thanksgiving Waffles at the CNE in Toronto! – by Fabulous Faith
Toronto has a food scene most comparable to New York. Our city offers cuisine from every region in the world so much so that traditional Canadian foods are a near thing of the past. I myself definitely have an adventurous pallet, I long for new interesting creations and fusion of exotic flavours. But there is one time of the year that I don’t have to be creative, I just have to visit the Canadian National Exhibition food building where creativity runs rampant and there is no shortage of innovative treats.
I arrived at the CNE food building to a scurry of delivery trucks unloading goodies for that day’s event. Wandering memorized like a child in candy land, I checked out all of the vendor’s menus until I finally stumbled upon Fran’s Restaurant booth. For me growing up, Fran’s restaurant was the place you went to for that family birthday brunch or stopped after that awful doctor’s visit for a special lunch. As an adult, I often pass by there for late night breakfast after a night out on the town.
Being it early on Sunday morning their twists on traditional breakfast treats were fascinating. Giant hollowed out French toast used as a bowl for bacon and eggs, milkshakes with apple pie or brownie cheesecake and my favorite crispy fried chicken and waffles were amongst the delights they presented; but that wasn’t the “show-stopper” or Faith-stopper in this case.
What I stopped for was rather revolutionary, on this hot humid August day what did I see, A THANKSGIVING WAFFLE? OMG! Was that Thanksgiving stuffing being pressed into a waffle iron? Oh yes it was! Imagine a savory, crispy flavourful waffle with a dollop of sweet and tangy cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, topped with succulent turkey breast and the covered in thick creamy gravy. Yes, you read that right, they created holiday dinner for breakfast, the ultimate hangover cure.
As soon as you take a bite, you are transported back to grandma’s dinner table; it may just be the ultimate in comfort food. But fair goers beware if you are heading out on the rides, you should note that 10 minutes after I finished eating I had to have a little break and sit down and rest my head in my arms on picnic bench. I was quite content, leaning over head down smiling at myself as the warm turkey sedated me. This is definitely the treat to pick at the end of your day exploring the rides and festivities the CNE has to offer. But nap or no nap, a Thanksgiving Waffle, oh yes, You Gotta Eat This!
