Weekly Lunch Pick
Black Camel
The popular Rosedale sandwich shop proves that simple needn’t be plain By Andrew Brudz
The snug interior of Black Camel at a slow moment. During
the lunch rush, take-out is best
Image credit: Irwin Schwartz
The place: Steps from the Rosedale subway station, the five-year-old Black Camel café features a pristine interior of sparkling white tiles and marble countertops. Notoriously long lines can snake out the door at noon hour, and seating consists of two tiny tables and a few stools at the window bar. We head over toward the end of the lunch rush, finding no line and speedy service.
The crowd: Neighbourhood locals, employees of nearby shops, office dwellers from Yonge and Bloor, and in-the-know downtowners willing to leave the core for a good lunch.
The deal: Sandwiches ($7) come in such variations as roasted tomato, seared steak or slow-roasted beef brisket (the café proudly announces that its slow-cooked meat takes five days to prepare). Customers are invited to build on their sandwich with fixings like barbecue sauce, charamoula mayo and hummus. Additional toppings—caramelized onions, fontina cheese, arugula—run 90 cents each. Coleslaw, coffee and breakfast sandwiches are also available.
The meal: The Camel’s meaty chili (small $3.25) spices up the crisp October afternoon but proves an unnecessary opening act for our midday headliner: the pulled barbecue pork sandwich. Cooked to an ideal texture, the chunks of meat are served on a gloriously soft and fresh bun. The famous house sauce is more sweet than smoky, but plenty of heat comes from the creamy horseradish. We try to be neat for the first few bites but soon give up on vanity to savour every sloppy, saucy bite.
The time: At 18 minutes, it's one of the quickest sit-down lunches we've experienced.
The cost: $14, including tax and a can of limonata.
Black Camel, 4 Crescent Rd. (at Yonge St.), 416-929-7518, blackcamel.ca.
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