We’ve been to The Good Fork a few times now and I thought it was time to do a Kitchen Inspirations review. The folks at The Good Fork were incredibly generous around the Christmas holidays when Toronto experienced wide-spread blackouts and JT and I were without charging power for our phones for a couple of days — they let us plug in! The Good Fork is located just on the cusp of the Western edge of Bloor West Village and because it’s on the cusp, sadly it’s pretty easy to forget about it; I’m glad that on that cold December day we didn’t!
It’s about 1.6 km from our house which makes a good walk but there is street parking usually close by. I would recommend reservations if you’re going with a group because it does fill up quickly and there isn’t a bar to wait at. If you’re going for brunch, like we did, make sure you arrive before 10am because you’ll have to wait for a table if you arrive later!
The folks are very nice at The Good Fork and we have found the food to be very good quality. I like that their menu is not huge but what they do is very tasty and the prices are not bad. The portions are a good size and if you’re not starving you may even find it enough to share with an extra salad. The Good Fork is fully licensed and serves VQA wines and beers from Canadian micro breweries. The decor is modern and simple and there are many spacious booths. Their second floor can be rented for events.
JT and I visited The Good Fork for brunch; I ordered the Nova Scotia Benny ($13.00) which came with two poached eggs, a generous serve of smoked salmon, cream cheese, preserved lemon and fresh dill on Gordy’s gorgeous house-made bun (it was so good that even I found it difficult to resist eating the top!). I chose a side salad instead of home fries and although the salad was very tasty, it was over dressed for my taste which is a mistake I find many restaurants make (note to self, ask for dressing on the side next time).
JT ordered a slightly more decadent dish: The Pulled Pork Benny ($13.60) topped with crispy fried shallots and a delicious slaw on the same house-made bun. The pulled pork had fantastic flavour and the crispy fried shallots added the much needed textural contrast to the sweet and tangy pulled pork. JT also ordered the salad as the side and it too was over dressed. Overall, I would say that both dishes were winners and we will order them again (perhaps to share next time).
Overall rating of The Good Fork: Decor 2.5/5, service 3/5, food 4/5, Value 3/5, Noise: 5/5 (1 being very noisy, and 5 being very quiet).
Disclaimer: We purchased our meals for full price and my opinions just that, my opinions.
The Good Fork
2432 Bloor St. West
Toronto, ON M6S 1P9
Hours:
Monday and Tuesday 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 9:00 am-10:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am-4:00 pm and 5:30 pm-10:00 pm
Sunday 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Contact
647.352.5955
ALI@goodfork.ca
TOLGA@goodfork.ca
I always look forward to your ratings. You always tell it like it is. I love that pulled pork too.
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Thanks so much Maureen, it’s nice to get a comment like that. I love pulled pork too.
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I want YOUR Benny!!! YUM. And I never thought of pairing preserved lemons with smoked salmon…terrific idea! Bill would have chosen the pulled pork, too 🙂
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I almost always go for the fish Liz, but JT is often nice enough to give me a taste (for professional purposes, of course) so that I could review it realistically. But then again, he refuses sometimes too 🙂
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I can never get enough pulled pork in my life! Love a good restaurant with an appropriately priced menu. Too bad they used too much salad dressing, though. I hate when that happens, although I’m always reluctant to order my dressing on the side (too many salads really need to have the dressing properly blended into the whole thing). Anyway, this looks wonderful — thanks.
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Thanks so much for your words John, I’m the opposite with dressings as a salad overly dressed is ruined for me, just too soppy and wet. But I do understand where you are coming from.
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Time and time again, though your dish always looks mighty tasty, I’d go with JT’s selection. I loved the look of your “Benny” but then I saw the pulled pork. No contest. I think if we ever dine together again, I’ll ask the waitstaff to give me whatever he’s having. It’s a safe bet.
How nice of the place to let you all “plug in.” I bet they made quite a few long-time customers those few days. I surely would never forget their kindness. I like, too, when a restaurant shows restraint and offers relatively few dishes that they cook very well. When I’m seated and a multi-page menu is given me, my expectations for the meal immediately drop. Just like you, whenever I’m served a salad that’s over-dressed, I always regret forgetting to ask for the dressing on the side. I’d be dangerous if I had a good memory. 🙂
I’m on the verge of a pasta fest and I can’t get JT’s pulled pork out of my head!! I need help.
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Thanks so much for your lovely and kind words and JT would be pleased to share his choice with you so you needn’t even look at the menu. And you’re right it would be a pretty safe bet and judging from your gorgeous food shots on Facebook (yes, I’m a little late in responding to the comments on the blog) I bet he (and for that matter, I) would without a doubt love your choices as well.
There were a few places that allowed us to plug in and it was very generous of them to say the least.
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The food looks good! I don’t mind small menus as what they have is done well 🙂
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I totally agree Lorraine, it’s better to do a few things well than a bunch just mediocre.
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As usual, I want what JT had.
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I’m getting a lot of that Sharyn ;-).
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Wow! Wish I could go there. It looks like good hearty and fresh food! Love the pulled pork- that is a staple in our house
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I bet your version is even better Jessica, but in a pinch this one was quite tasty for sure.
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I love the look of the pulled pork and how lovely it is served on a homemade bun. The prices seem very reasonable xx
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Hi Charlie, yes it was rather reasonable and the portion sizes were generous too but not overly. The bun was definitely difficult to resist.
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Pulled pork…. yummo!!
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Thanks Liz.
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Both dishes look like delicious but just as important for me, you got good value for your money, Eva.
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Thanks Maria, I agree on so many levels, it’s not just a waste of money but a total waste of calories if the meal isn’t good.
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It’s so nice of them to let you plug your phones when there were electricity problems.
The pulled pork sandwich looks absolutely gorgeous. I’m not a fan of salmon, but I have heard that Canadian salmons, even farmed, are 1000 x better than the stuff we get here. If we went there with my husband we would order exactly the opposite actually 😉
I also think that often salads are overdressed in restaurants. I like to feel the taste of the green leaves and most of all not add 500 kcal to my meal through a salad which is soaked in oil…
All this reminds me I must make pulled pork!
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Hi Sissi, I think you might enjoy Pacific salmon, it’s not nearly as fatty as Atlantic and they seem to eat more shrimp which makes them much pinker and in my opinion much tastier. Yes, over polluting a salad with too much dressing is very annoying indeed. Some of the fast food restaurants offer salads and if you put the entire content of the dressing they supply, it’s higher in calories than their burger and fries, believe it or not!
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Your dishes look delicious. I would have a hard time picking between the two. And that is so nice they let you plug in this past winter. That’s good service.
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It sure is Kristy, thanks.
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Like Karen I always order my dressing on the side. I would very much enjoy the Nova Scotia Benny, my kind of brunch.
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Hi Norma, it was quite delicious indeed.
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It is always nice to have a good restaurant close by. When I order a salad, I usually order the dressing on the side. That way I can enjoy it just the way I like it.
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Thanks Karen, I do hope I’ll remember next time. Sometimes I’ll look over my previous review to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes!
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