Off the Menu: Madhouse
Story and photo by Jack Barten
There are some establishments that emanate classic Thunder Bay comfort and revelry. One such place is Madhouse, which has been serving single malts, good eats, and Kerouac quotes since 2001. But just because you’re entrenched in the local pantheon of restaurants doesn’t mean you can’t keep it interesting and delicious. This brings us to the carne asada tacos, available every Tuesday at Madhouse.
Concisely translating to “grilled meat” in Spanish, carne asada is the perfect all-around taco. Here, Madhouse presents it as dry-rubbed marinated beef, white onion, housemade chimichurri, and pickled onions, all served on a crispy flour tortilla. Let’s begin with the star of the show: the beef. First, the beef is dry-rubbed with a secret blend of savoury spices, then marinated overnight to seal in an exorbitant amount of flavour. Finally, it is sliced thin and grilled with white onions, which caramelize and further enhance the flavour. The result is tender, juicy beef, spiced just enough to have an edge, while also offering a pleasant sweetness courtesy of the caramelized onions
After you get over the initial euphoria from the beef, we have the chimichurri. For the uninitiated, chimichurri is a tangy, herb-based sauce from Argentina, typically made with cilantro, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and spices. Here, the chimichurri (made in-house) provides an earthy freshness that cuts through the more decadent flavors of the beef. Furthermore, the chimichurri has notes of punchy sharpness from the garlic blended into the sauce, translating to a hint of fresh, spicy flavour that is the perfect companion to the other ingredients. Next, we have pickled onions, which add a vinegary sweetness that elevates both the savoury beef and the bright chimichurri. Finally, we arrive at the base of all our taco operations: the flour tortilla. Toasted to slightly charred perfection, the tortilla has just enough texture and flavour to tie everything together.
Overall, there’s something to be said for a Tuesday taco night at your favourite local pub. Here, Madhouse gives you yet another reason to brave the last throes of winter and make the pilgrimage to Bay and Algoma.