By Wai Chan

It’s been awhile since I’ve written about any of the establishments in town and so today I decided to have lunch at Porky’s Deli.  I’m joined by Mrs C and Mr Jay, both of whom I haven’t seen in a long time.  It’s located right downtown on Second Avenue, in the strip plaza right next to the Bank of Montreal, where delicious food awaits you inside, but only if you can get past the rather intimidating parking lot right out front.

The interior is pretty basic and it’s the type of place that lets the food do the talking for itself.  Unadorned tables surrounded by plastic chairs fill the eating area, and the main attraction is the counter full of food out on display.  As its delicatessen status implies, custom-made sandwiches are available for your eating pleasure, as are an assortment of ready-to-go food items such as quiches and samosas.  Fresh salads are presented in the cooler and you can actually get a combo plate made up with the different varieties.

Today we decided to pick out something from their hot food section, which is made fresh every morning and the menu often changes from day-to-day.  Items are ordered in portions of 4, 8, 10, 16 or 24 ounces.  I decided to get 8 ounces of their lasagna.  Mrs C ordered a 10 ounce dish that was split with half potato romanoff, and half broccoli salad, and Mr Jay had 8 ounces of both the pan-fried potatoes with sausage, and corn chowder.  Other favourites that were available today included their famous chicken curry with chapattis, sweet and sour pork with rice, and cabbage rolls.

You have to walk past the sweet section on your way to the till and how can you resist all those lovely baked goods?  Fruit pies, lemon meringue, chocolate macaroons and a plethora of cookies were just some of the items staring back at us.  I decided to supplement my lunch today with a nice sized sticky cinnamon bun, and Mrs C added a butter tart to hers.

My lasagna was very yummy: tender noodles coated with lots of mozzarella cheese, tangy tomato sauce and seasoned beef.  You can cut the noodles with just your fork; I didn’t even have to bother with my knife!  After scraping my dish clean, I moved onto my dessert which was sweet and sticky.  The dough had a nice yeasty and chewy texture, with crispy bits where the caramel had crystalized.  I was one happy duck when I was done eating.

Mrs C loved the broccoli salad which was made up of broccoli florets, red grapes, celery, green onions, toasted sliced almonds, and sesame seeds that had been tossed in a light, tangy dressing.  The veggies and grapes were crisp and the almonds gave it a little crunch.  It was the perfect texture contrast to the potato romanoff which was smooth, rich and creamy.  For those unfamiliar with the dish, potato romanoff is generally baked or mashed potatoes that have had chopped green onions, sour cream and lots of cheese mixed into it.  It’s like the adult version of the plain Jane mashed potatoes that I make at home.  Mrs C thought that Porky’s version might have also included chopped celery, and a hint of something spicy like paprika or cheyenne.

Mr Jay’s potatoes had a perfectly crispy exterior and the sausage had the right balance of salt and smokiness.  Despite being pan-fried, it actually didn’t look terribly greasy.  His corn chowder had lots of flavour and was nice and creamy, although he felt it probably could’ve used a touch more salt.  All in all, he cleaned off his bowl before sharing the butter tart with Mrs C.  The filling was not too sweet and the pastry was buttery and flaky.  It was a good ending to their meal.

If you’re ever looking for good comfort food and are pressed for time, think about popping in for a bite.  The ladies behind the counter are always friendly and pretty efficient, the food is great, and it’s practically walking distance from anywhere within downtown so you don’t even have to worry about where to park your car!  And of course, let’s not forget about the sticky buns

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