A few days ago, I attended my first ever Tweetup at Caplansky's. For those who do not use Twitter (and I hope that at least you have heard of Twitter), a "Tweetup" is an organized or impromptu gathering of people that use Twitter; so a "tweetup" is a play on words for a "meetup" for people who "tweet" on Twitter. The DeliTweetup wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Jaollore (@clickflickca), Joel (@foodie411), and Zane (@Capalansky) for organizing it, so THANK YOU GUYS! =)
I had great fun seeing some of the fellow foodies again, several of whom I met from my Stratford culinary trip a few weeks ago. I also met a few new people who I already tweet with regularly but haven't had the chance to meet them in real life. Whether or not they were self-described "foodies", I'm sure each person who attended this DeliTweetup embraces food and good conversation.
Here's a picture of us taking up the whole patio at Caplansky's . We originally expected around 12 people, but somehow 20 of us showed up. No matter though, the more the merrier!
Below is Zane Caplansky, owner of Caplanky's Delicatessen. He gave us a brief introduction about himself, his restaurant, as well as what his menu is all about. On the left is Zane in his work attire, and on the right, is also Zane but in his time-to-relax attire =)
Zane gave us a good overview of the menu, which I found to be very informative because I'm absolutely clueless about Jewish food (I think I've come across Jewish food is the challah that my mom made two weeks ago...sad huh?). Zane told us that his menu consists of recipes passed down by from the family, dishes that his grandma used to make for him, and also updated version of old favourites. Each and every item on the menu means something to Zane - if he doesn't think it's delicious, it wouldn't be on the menu.
So here goes... your eyes will be bombarded with pictures soon so get your tissues ready because you will be drooling. By the way, no description for them since I did not get a chance to taste everything (my goodness, how crazy would that be).
How about I start you guys off gentle with a picture of some pickles and peppers lol
Now, let me increase the intensity a bit with some deli classics: Chopped Liver - served with tomato slices, onions, and rye bread.
Potato Knish - Puff pastry served with smoked meat gravy.
Kishka - Derma stuffed with matzoh meal, vegetables, shmaltz and spices. Roasted and served with smoked meat gravy.
Ready for the mains? How about this smoked meat poutine? Oh wait, my bad, this was actually a SIDE, not a MAIN! Look at the size of that...
Alright NOW comes the mains.
This is The Caplansky's Combo - a selection of their deli meats, served with rye.
Below is Joel's creation using all of the above.
Smoked Meat Hash - Sandwich board leftovers griddle fried with onion, potato and and eggs sunny side on top. Served with bagel, rye, or challah toast.
Half of the 8oz Smoked Meat Burger - 20% smoked meat + 80% fresh ground chuck. Served on challah bun.
7 oz Smoked Meat Sandwich, hand-sliced, hot on rye.
The same sandwich opened up and topped with mustard.
A side of coleslaw.
BBQ Braised Beef Brisket - Cooked low and slow (at least 6 hours) covered in onions and tomato. The cooking liquid is reduced and served over beef slices.
BBQ Brisket on a Bun - Glazed with Caplansky's own bbq sauce and served with crispy fried onions on an onion bun.
A side of fries.
Are your eyes full yet? For your information I actually didn't even get to take pictures of some of the other dishes that night (i.e. the Matzah ball soup and the Caplansky salad). Anyway, we were all pleasantly stuffed, obviously.
For dessert, Joel kindly made some rum raisin cookies for everybody. Every time I see Joel he has some yummy baked goods. He is so sweet! These cookies were so tasty and definitely not your average raisin cookie for sure - these raisins were soaked in rum and cinnamon.
What a wonderful gathering! I really can't wait for the next Tweetup! Below is another picture of the gang. Can you see me? =)
Other blog posts written about this DeliTweetup:
