MOLLY BLOOM'S IRISH PUB ~ Toronto, On

Had a metro pass, and I was off to adventure the city. I really wanted some classic pub-wings but I wanted to try some new place, and Molly Bloom's, across from the UofT campus came to mind. When I was an undergrad, it was a Druxy's Sandwich shop (the first and last time I ever went to one - I couldn't get over the price of simple sandwich!). Then it closed down. After my time at UofT it became a Peel Pub where I used to get cheap cheap wings (they were micro-wings, but you could get a ton for a few bucks). Then all the Peel Pub's in Toronto went out of business. Then in the past couple of years, when I wasn't looking, this Irish pub moved in to compete against O'Grady's and Ein-Stein's.

The decor hasn't really changed since Peel Pub: brick walls, plasma screens with sports etc. Although I had thought about sitting on their nice looking patio, the old men sitting out front and the beckoning air conditioner inside brought me inside. I came inside to find more old people; in fact, it looked like some sort of event of old people gathered - was this a student drinking hole or a seniors centre?

I sat down and my smiley waitress came - saying hello. I said hello back, and she just smiled at me, staring. I looked back. This was getting awkward. "Oh, uh, can I get ah, a Coke, and a menu?" I fumble out. She continues to stair at me, and slides the menu that she had in her hands as if to say - "uh, here's the menu already". Right. She continued to be friendly as she left and brought me back my glass of ice that had some Coke in it. Lets make that a Pepsi (I read the menu later). Some day I will rant about the Coke/Pepsi drink dealy, but not here. I ordered up some wings and some onion chips and I was off.

The NEW SCORE

STYLE: breaded, deep fried
SAUCES: mild/medium/hot/stupid hot/honey garlic
SIZE: medium 0.5 /2
HEAT: 6/10
CRISPINESS: 3/3
WETNAP FACTOR: 3 (before pouring sauce)/5
PRICE: $8.99 for 10 wings, $16.99 for 20 wings
SIDES: veggies and dip 2/7
WETNAP/NAPKINS: yes 8/8
WING NIGHT: officially Tuesday night, $0.34 a wing with beverage purchase,
but some posters said the same deal was available Sundays and Monday's too
OTHER/SPECIAL: patio, Foosball tables upstairs, free refills on watered down Pepsi
TOTAL: 22.5 /35

As soon as the wings came, I dove into them I was so hungry. After eating 2 I realized I forgot to take some photos.(I wasn't willing to have the flash go off in the non-lit bar, so what I did take came out kinda fuzzy). The wings were a good pub wing. Crispy (due to the dusting the wings went through) but not overly big.

As usual, I asked for the hot with a side of 'stupid hot'. The hot had no real flavour - but the sauce had certainly penetrated the gap between the dusting and the skin. I tested out the 'stupid hot' - 3rd Degree! I reserved a few hot to eat on their own, then doused the rest in the suicide sauce. So good, I ended up dunking the reserved wings in anyway.

The spicy onion chips were a nice side dish. Although I could see the chili's inside, they really weren't spicy at all.

There wasn't much more to report on - the wings were ok, the onion chips were tasty, and my Pepsi was very watered down, even if I got free refills (without asking!). Molly's wings were good, but I wouldn't make a special trip back anytime soon. I spent the rest of the day grocery shopping, seeing an excellent movie (The Lives of Others - check it out), riding the College/Carlton street car to the end (through Little India to the Danforth) and then attending the Beach Jazz Festival and enjoying some time on the beach at midnight. What an adventure.

Final Score: 22/35

Molly Bloom's Irish Pub
191 College Street
mollyblooms.ca