Toronto, CA: Sizzler's

Chicken Shishkabob on Pita - 1 star
about $5 Canadian

Close to midnight, lying on the spare bed in Michael P.'s hotel room while he and Daniele figure out the scenarios for the next day's demo, I decided if I didn't eat something I would either pass out from hunger or fall asleep from fatigue. Room service was shut down, but the front desk recommended I try the Wendy's in the same building, and I set out in search of my first-ever Frosty (recommended by Daniele). Unfortunately, Wendy's closed at midnight instead of 1 that night, so I ended up at Sizzler's, a hole in the wall across the street that served burgers and Middle Eastern food to emergency repair crews and random partygoers who had lost their way and ended up there. The staff were so confused that it seemed like a scene from a movie where two guys are robbing a restaurant and then some customers appear, so they have to pretend they know how to run a restaurant, but eventually the food was ready and I paid not very much for it.

The grilled chicken chunks, lettuce, tomato, and sauce were all serviceable, but the pita was great - warm, faintly blackened on the outside, and slightly chewy - which earned Sizzler's its star. I almost took it away for the mediocre, limp, unsalted, greasy fries, but, you know, it's only Canada.

Eventually Michael and Daniele figured out what we wanted to do, so we spent until 3 am getting ready, after which Michael probably spent the rest of the night testing. And I've still never eaten a Frosty.