NEW EDINBURGH PUB, Ottawa

The time; Lunch. The place; Ottawa. The need; food, preferably wings. I had access to a vehicle this day, driving to see sights I normally would not see on foot or by transit in the nation's capital. However, on my travels I came across a pub I had heard or read about before, I think because of their wing specials. The New Edinburgh Pub is one I have been past before, but never actually tried. Well, today, today would be the day.

The joint was relatively empty. Its relatively small inside, with small tables and not a generous seating arrangement. The atmosphere was local watering whole, and my hopes were high that they could deliver good wings. While the place was actually dead when I arrived, by the time I left it was packed. Solid. With a line up at the door. Clearly a local favourite, however the area doesn't really present a plethora of dining destinations.



My waitress was quick and friendly, telling me the days specials and some new items on the menu. I feigned interest in what the menu had to offer; classic pub fare with some upscale additions. I was there for the wings, and by gosh, that's what I got.

2008 THE SCORE 3.0: New Edinburgh Pub - Ottawa

STYLE:	Deep fried, traditional pub style
PRICE:	$9.49 for 1lb (1/2 order) $15.99 for 2lb (full order)
SAUCES:	mild/medium/hot chef’s challenge honey garlic tandoori	1/1
HEAT:	Tingle for chef’s challenge
SIZE:	Medium sized wing	1/3
WETNAP FACTOR:	Dry – very little sauce. I did have a side of “Chef’s challenge” so I could apply as much as I wanted	1/3
CRISPINESS:	crisp	2/3
FLAVOUR:	Ok – nothing special	1/3
SIDES:	Carrot and dip (sour cream)	2/3
CLEAN UP:	napkin, wetnap, and wing plate	3/3
WING NIGHT:	Tues/Thurs $0.40 each, 3pm-close	1/1
OTHER:	Rooftop patio in nicer weather
TOTAL:	Plain pub wing- nothing special, expensive for what you get	12/20

My first thoughts: this is it? The price of a half order is $10, and I got these insignificant wings? Where's the beef? I mean chicken, where's the chicken? They were small to medium, with some simple seasonings and deep fried. Classic deep fried pub wings. They were well cooked.

The hot sauce was also typical wing sauce. Not hot and not special. I ate it, don't get me wrong, but I sure wasn't dazzled. The 'Chef's Challenge' sauce is their version of suicide. It had a small kick, the way a Hot sauce should, but there was no challenge here. It came out cold, which not only neutralized the flavour of the sauce, but did not go well to my freshly fried wings. The taste was peppery, and I preferred the taste of the hot.

FINAL SCORE: The New Edinburgh Pub is a local watering hole that must have some charm to other food they serve other than the wings. For the price, and the taste - so not worth it. They have a wing night, which might make it worth it, and my server, who was quite busy always had the time to check in on me and make my stay worth while. So the wings aren't worth it, but someone else may want to give this place a whirl. My day was completed with a terrible film (oh 10 000 BC, you had potential, except you ripped off Apocolypto), and seeing some beautiful sights.

PS: Another sour cream dipping sauce. Clearly Ottawaians love their sour cream dip.

12/20




The New Edinburgh Pub
1 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa
newedinburghpub.com