Where Manly Hairy Men Eat - updated with the "After" pic

Ended up at The Musket for dinner this week. Don't ask why. The linked Toronto Life article describes the location and decor pretty aptly:

Tucked away in a nondescript Etobicoke industrial pocket, this bright and cheerful space is one of the few in town that serve sorely under-represented German fare. The interior feels as plain Jane as its setting: hardwood floors, acoustic tile ceilings, vinyl booths and Teutonic bric-a-brac.

But don't be fooled by appearances. The food is - well - something different.

Shimmied up to the bar and unpacked two newspapers to keep myself occupied, expecting to have to entertain myself for an hour or two. Realized we were there early, so El Chaperone suggested we grab something to eat before he had to go do his thang. Sounded good. Test drove a few German beers previously hereto undiscovered to Sheena. Particularly liked the "Weiss" from Hacker-Pschorr, especially with a little lemon twist.

Sheena ordered the veal Cordon Bleu. He ordered the Barbequed Ham Hox. (Yes, that is how it was spelled on the menu).

Meals arrived. Our eyes bugged out of our head when the Ham Hocks was delivered. It was a meal fit for a medieval warrior king. Awe-inspiring. Felt like it deserved to be worshipped, not merely consumed. El Chaperone was a little unsure where to begin, so kicked off this porktacular experience by doing his best Arthur conquers Excalibur imitation and began to cut.

(Those are super yummy panfried potatoes on the side. And allegedly world-famous sauerkraut, but neither of us are really into kapusta, so skipped it).

After removing as much of the top crispy fatty layer as possible, began pulling the fork tender falling-off-the-bone meat, making a giant mess of a full square metre of bar space. Not for the faint of heart. Or the vegan. Or the kosher.

Really worth a try if you're out in that no-where part of town. Especially if you are a single woman. Pretty diverse mix of 30-70 year old males of a wide range of European extraction. And a few gear heads. The gender ratio highly favourable, and the waitress seemed to appreciate a little estrogen company for change of pace.