Stop (AKA. Ossington Stop) – 1543 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6K 1T6
Country: Russia  
Seating: Only indoor seating
Must-try dish: Borsch
Dinner guests: Pornstar Sam, Suited Sebastein & Young Matt
The high: The welcoming atmosphere and delicious food. 
The low: There isn’t caviar on the menu, a Russian staple.

Mandrea Bike makes a point of not getting involved in politics, our goal is to enjoy foods from around the world, in Toronto. However, we’re terribly sad and disgusted about what the Russian government is doing to the Ukrainian people, and we stand with Ukraine. We do want to make one separation clear though, often the people living under these tyrannical regimes are silenced, and don’t share the same dark values as the people in power. That being said, the act of vandalism on businesses and abuse towards Russians in Canada is also unacceptable. Many of these immigrants left their homeland for a reason, likely to start a better life. Their livelihoods in Canada shouldn’t be shattered because of a vile government in their country of origin. Two wrongs don’t make a right, so we urge you to treat other humans with respect regardless of where they were born, and be a positive example in your community.

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN TWO WEEKS BEFORE RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE.

It feels fitting going to a Russian restaurant in the middle of one of Toronto’s wildest blizzards of 2022. Despite not having any experience visiting the country itself, word on the street is that it parallels Canadian temperatures during the winter months. Upon walking into Stop, there’s a sense of being at home, a certain cosiness that you don’t often find in this neighbourhood’s restaurants. 

The owner (and chef) Dennis and our server Maria efficiently ran a two-person show between the kitchen and the bar. We never had an empty drink and the food came out at perfect intervals to enjoy it family-style with the group. 

We started with a vodka tasting that was paired with the Cured Salmon and the Salo, which are fatty cured pork pieces commonly found in Eastern Europe. The salty flavour from the fish and the meat accompanied the stronger taste of the vodka. Needless to say, the second-order of salmon was promptly ordered to finish the tasting. Of the three Russian vodkas, the Beluga was the clear winner and became a sipping staple of the evening. Unfortunately, Stop doesn’t serve any cocktails so there was neither the option to have the vodka neither shaken nor stirred. 

The first plate was the Khinkali which is a dumpling stuffed with ground beef and pork hailing from Georgia. It is larger in size by at least two times than a Chinese dumpling or a momo, and they come in individual orders so each person had their own. Unlike Chinese dumplings these are served alongside sour cream and red pepper relish. It was followed by their Cabbage Rolls, which are stuffed with beef and pork and served swimming in a tomato sauce and topped with sour cream and dill. 

The Beet Salad came at an excellent time to act as a palate cleanser for the following dishes. There are chunks of beets and potatoes dressed with a vinaigrette and fresh herbs. It came highly recommended by Maria, and we would have regretted not ordering it. 

Next up were the Crepes with Mushrooms, which are Russian-styled pancakes stuffed with various mushrooms and topped with additional sautéed mushrooms and sour cream. It added a heartier element to the meal at the perfect time. They were accompanied by the Roast Potato Side – perhaps the best potatoes any of us had ever tried. There’s no denying that there was a generous amount of butter, they were also topped with a vinaigrette made with herbs and green onion. 

The final dish of the night was a half bowl of Borsch. The bright pink soup can seem intimidating at first glance, but between the beets, beef, sour cream and dill, it’s difficult to not love the flavour. 

Russian cuisine isn’t something that’s widely discussed, unlike the country’s politics, but our experience at Stop was remarkable. There were debates about the top dish, as everyone seemed to have a couple of favourites. Although the food is on the heavier side, there are a number of dishes that balance in lightness and taste, such as dill that’s used in the majority of dishes. It appears that there are more Russian dinners on the horizon for Eat the World TO and friends. 

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)