Toronto’s most legendary Caesars
Nothing evokes Canadian pride more than a Caesar – the Canucks’ answer to the American Bloody Mary. In Hogtown, we see some of the country’s most elaborate Caesars, some of which are served amongst a whole Peking duck or topped with fried chicken and waffles. Here, we pay tribute to Toronto’s most legendary Caesars.
Hunters Landing
82 Fort York Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 4A6Hunter’s Landing’s appropriately named Caesar, The Landing Cure, features 2 oz. of Absolut Vodka, a fresh-cooked lobster tail, a cheese pizza wedge, smoked bacon, smoked mozzarella, a pickle and lime. Essentially, it’s a hangover cure, a delightful snack and everything one would ever need during a Sunday brunch. Truthfully though, I wouldn’t relegate this drink to just Sundays.
Harlem Underground
745 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1G1Anyone who’s dined at Harlem knows it’s Toronto’s best spot for Caribbean fare. The Bloody Jerk Caesar gets an added kick from Jamaican jerk bitters and Scotch Bonnet Harlem hot sauce. If that wasn’t enough, it’s also topped with their signature mini fried chicken and waffles, candied plantains and deep-fried okra.
Dundas & Carlaw
1173 Dundas St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1S1The Sleazer is a play on the classic, all-Canadian Caesar. It’s made with the best ingredients possible (including a specialty Caesar mix) and rimmed with a mixture of celery salt, Cool Ranch and Sweet Chili Heat Doritos. The garnish of pickled celery, green bean and hot peppers is also made with love in-house.
Auberge du Pommier
4150 Yonge St, North York, ON M2P 2C6The most refined Caesar in Toronto can be found at O&B’s Auberge Du Pommier. Think: your most chic Saturday outfit and lunch al fresco as a waiter in black and white serves you a glass of Provencal herb-infused vodka and craft Caesar mix. But the best bit? The splash of Bordeaux, which they add, right at the end.
R&D Restaurant
241 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2E2The 510 Caesar is an ode to the 510 Spadina streetcar located right outside the restaurant. But the drink itself isn’t as squeaky as Toronto’s iconic trams: the choice vodka is infused with black truffle, black garlic and Shiitake mushrooms. There’s also house-made chili sauce, hoisin-infused Worcestershire and a lapsang-smoked tea tincture. And, the dreamy cocktail is finished with a sweet seaweed garnish to boot.
Rush Lane & Co.
563 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2B6The most spectacular Caesar and national winner of the best-tasting Caesar ever (note: this is a real competition) is Rush Lane’s Spirit of Canada Caesar. It’s both delectable and outrageous, containing Tito's Handmade Vodka, hoisin, Sriracha, ginger, coriander and lime, and served inside a whole Peking duck. If you want it, be ready to dish out $100, and order a day ahead because it’s that labour intensive—I’d say, it’d be worth it.
