Best Mashed Potatoes in Toronto, pt 3/3: Final Showdown

This week, in the final installment of the Best Mashed Potatoes in Toronto I compared east end side legends The Senator and The Tulip along with west end hang-outs, Rower's Pub, and Victory Cafe.

Who comes out on top? Can they compare to the smashtastic offerings at Future Bakery or the Lakeview Lunch? The answers, and some creamy photos, comin' right up...

First stop: Lunch at the The Senator (249 Victoria St).

When it comes to Toronto diners, the Senator is a class-act. Too classy for some sloppy mashed potatoes? Certainly not. I order up the hot open-faced turkey sandwich (oh yes, a full Senator review will be coming soon) which, as usual, comes served with mash. They... are... amazing.

Creamy and oh-so golden, these are unlike most other places I've tried out in this search. The Senator mashes the most golden of Yukon golds (as is evident in the image above) and boy does it pay off. These are not to be missed!

Everybody's favourite Leslieville steakhouse, The Tulip (1606 Queen St East), doesn't disappoint either.

The mash here is as simple as you can get, yet unbelievably good for something so plain. I ate my garlicky serving and just be sure I could believe my tastebuds, tried them again as a side for $2.50. Good stuff.

Over at Rower's Pub (150 Harbord St) I sit down to a chicken burger with mashed potatoes. The burger is the driest thing since the Sahara, but thankfully these 'taters are good. Another simple recipe, Rower's chunky mash hits the spot. Now if only I could trade my burger in for a bigger portion of them.

Finally, my last stop is Mirvish Village's Victory Cafe (581 Markham St). Pictured at the top, this is the best looking mash I've seen yet.

The result of Victory's own special Herbed Mashed Potatoes recipe, I'm facing another case of a side that is nearly better than the main. The herb mix really adds something here, making these a nice change from the standard offerings elsewhere. They're not overly creamy yet not too chunky either. Someone took special care of this recipe and it shows. You can get these with most entrees and the helping is a whopping scoopful like mom would have served.

As you can see, there is really no clear winner this week. If anything, Victory Cafe and The Senator tie for a place in my heart (or arteries, frankly). I've had them both again since.

Overall, the best in T.O. after all this eatin':
The Senator, Future's Bakery, Victory Cafe, the Tulip and the Lakeview Lunch.

Update: One more thing I want to mention is that, YES, vegan mashed potatoes exist in town. Various vegetarian places offer them as specials (not on the menu but ask), and every Wednesday you can get take-out tofu-whipped mash at Naturally Yours in First Canadian Place (under the BMO tower). I work far from the area on Wednsdays, so I haven't had a change to sink my teeth in, but try them out and come back to post your thoughts below!

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Read Part I & Part II of the Best Mashed Potatoes in Toronto.