Sunday, 21 February 2021
Thursday, 18 February 2021
PARTI PIZZA - Ottawa ON
This video is another #2020catchup from September.
I don't remember what prompted us to try Parti Pizza, but we gave it a whirl. I have yet to find a local pizza place in Ottawa that makes a pizza I really like, so it was worth a shot. Who doesn't love a part(i) ?
In the past I had read negative posts, but I've also read good ones, so this was going to be interesting. We saw it on the delivery app Skip the Dishes, and found a Family Pack combo we thought we would try: Large 3 topping pizza, 1lb of wings, fried zucchini sticks, and 3 cans of pop. It sounded pretty good and we put in our order. Then there were a few things that went not quite right.
First, we noticed that there was nothing about the zucchini on the confirmation bill after we ordered. I didn't want to call or even use the chat and decided to wait and see if it showed up. More on that later. Second, it took over an hour to get to us. This was on Skip, as after the order was confirmed, we were given a 30 minute delivery time. Then something went wrong, and the delivery driver that was assigned to us, suddenly disappeared, and we had to wait for a new one to be assigned and they had to wait a while to pick it up.
When it finally arrived, the delivery person just put it on our chair outside; didn't ring the doorbell to tell us it was there, but the app let me know anyways. There was a giant pizza box, a bag with pop, and a paper bag with more food.
The pizza box was huge and felt like a ton of bricks to lift up. That meant we weren't getting a tiny little pizza (it was a large, but still, this was big). The box was bright yellow and instead of having Parti Pizza on it, it was an ad for Videotron, a company that does internet and mobile phones. Kinda weird but I guess it's a way to cut some costs for the pizzeria.
When opening the pizza box, I was impressed by the amount of toppings on the pizza; each slice was going to get a lot. But when I looked closer, I realized there was a dessert of cheese from the middle to the edge of the pie. There was a gap of where there was centimeters of no cheese to the crust, exposing a moat of pizza sauce, and in some parts, not even sauce. Was this pizza just made really quick and sloppy, or was this the standard way the pizza came?
The overall make-up of this pizza was not like most Ottawa pizza places, for the most part. The crust was thin, with a nice bit of chew. The sauce was plentiful, thick and very tomatoey ... it was almost too much. The cheese, while plentiful, remained below most of the toppings (aside from the pepperoni). It was a decent pizza. Didn't love it, but certainly didn't hate it.
As for the deep fried zucchini, I wasn't sure if it was coming or not. When I opened up the take-out paper bag, I saw the styrofoam clamshell with the wings. It was so full of wings, the lid couldn't close! I was stoked. But then I noticed the wings were sitting on tinfoil, and when I looked closer, it was really high up in the container. Turns out, under the tinfoil was the zucchini sticks. This kept everything warm I guess.
The sticks themselves were ok. I've never had good delivery zucchini sticks. They don't travel well. They were stubby and soggy and cold. I'm sure they would have been good fresh though. They also came with the garlic dip.
Above is the container with the wings sticking out and the zucchini hiding underneath.
The wings are sold by the pound at Parti Pizza, and the 1 pound order we got came with about 9 wings. There are no sides, but it did come with sour cream. To this day I can't believe someone would order sour cream with wings, but whatever.
I'm going to quickly sum up these wings: inconsistent. Everything was inconsistent. The wings were mostly small, but some verged on being a medium. Some wings were meaty, while others were not. The length varied about too.
The crispiness of the skin varied from wing to wing - actually, because some wings were sauced and others were not, the ones that were not were crispy, and the wet ones were soggy. Some of the wings were tender, while others tough and hard to pull apart.
We went with Hot as the flavour - if it was just me eating them I would have gotten Suicide, but I wasn't the only one. There was lots of sauce, but they didn't toss the wings well, so they were not evenly coated.
The flavour of the Hot was a cayenne based hot sauce, but it didn't taste like plain Frank's Red Hot. Like there was some spice or even pepper added to it. Maybe it was just a different brand? It was good enough, but I just didn't love them.
FINAL SCORE:
While there were some hiccups that had more to do with the delivery service, we just were not crazy about Parti Pizza. The wings were inconsistent in size, quality, sauce, and while they weren't bad, they were not amazing either. The zucchini was ok, the garlic dip was ok, and the pizza was ok. It was a big pizza with lots of toppings, but the flavour didn't evoke a party in my mouth. Also, what's the deal with cheese and sauce not getting to the crust? I'm glad we tried them, but they will not be our go to in the future. 6/14
PARTI PIZZA
267 Greenbank Ave, Ottawa (Nepean) ON
Tuesday, 16 February 2021
Friday, 12 February 2021
Thursday, 11 February 2021
Wednesday, 10 February 2021
JERSEY JOES PIZZA - Smith Falls ON
This is another #2020Catchup review from September.
So it's been months of the pandemic, and while we were healthy and doing well, we had followed most of all the restrictions and suggestions that came along with it. But we really needed to do something and get out, and going to a drive-in movie seemed to be the perfect choice. So we headed off to Port Emsley cinema on a date night, with a plan to stop in Smith Falls first to pick up supper.
The place from the outside looks like a diner/ice cream parlor. Inside, it still kind of does, but with a pizza joint flare. All the dine-in seating had been stacked up and everything was to go. When I walked in, there were 2 or 3 staff working. The friendly older gentleman behind the counter pulled up his mask and came to take my order.
We went with their Medium Pizza and Wings combo. I asked how long it would take as we were headed to the Port Elmsley and he said about 15 minutes, which worked out. He was excited to hear we were down from Ottawa and headed to the movies. 15 minutes later I came back and our food was ready. The pizza box was heavy!
We sped to the theatre, just making it in time to get settled in for the previews. They had some COVID restrictions going on (spaced out cars, no setting up outside, etc) but we found a good space. The movie was Grown-Ups 2, an old movie, and we weren't super keen on watching it, but we wanted to do something fun!
It was a 3 topping pizza, so we went for Bacon, Italian Sausage, and Pepperoni. The pizza was kind of a mix between an Ottawa-style Pizza (thick crust & cheese, toppings under the cheese) and pizza as I knew it else where (toppings on top, classic tomato sauce). At first, I thought the round discs on top were pepperoni, but they were in fact the Italian sausage. It didn't taste like Italian sausage but it was good. The pepperoni was much thinner and hiding under the cheese. The bacon was chopped up and crispy on top of the cheese. I don't know if it was just because I was really hungry or because I hadn't had pizza in a while, but it was just so good. I really enjoyed it.
Of course, there were also wings ...
The wing's at Jersey Joe's are sold by number, not weight, so you know how many wings you are going to get, just not the size. In this case, our special was 10 wings and we got 10 wings. They don't come with any veggies or dip. As for cleanup, at the door they had napkins, cutlery, and upon request some plates for us to eat on.
This was a decently sized take-out wing. Medium all around - in length, height, and meatiness. The skin was nice and crispy, and it held up well tossed in sauce and the ride to the theatre (about 10 km away).
The wings were cooked so that while there was crispy skin, the meat was still tender and it took little effort to pull bones apart.
I had ordered the wings Hot, and they came well sauced in a cayenne-based sauce. I know it was probably just Frank's, but these wings smelled just like American Buffalo wings. There was something about the sauce that was so good, and just slightly different. But it might have been all in my head.
It may have just been the taste of freedom, but this was such a good meal. Eating in the car, watching a movie, spending time with my sweetie. Jersey Joe's really came through for us. Thick, cheesy, topping filled pizza, with crispy, saucy wings. Really good. Grown Ups 2, not so much. 9/14
Jersey Joe's Pizza
8 Union Street, Smith Falls ON (and a location in Perth)
Tuesday, 9 February 2021
Harvey's has a Ghost Pepper Sauce? Harvey's Has a Ghost Pepper Sauce!
I see @harveys has dropped a new Ghost Pepper sauce ... Might have to stop in sometime & see how spicy it is ...#lotwwants2know #lordofthewingsblog #lordofthewings #ghostpepper #ghostpeppersauce #smokinhotghostpepper #harveys #abeautifulthing pic.twitter.com/6GQTfUXdQe
— LORD of the WINGS (@LordoftheWings) February 10, 2021
Monday, 8 February 2021
LOTW Meme Monday: The Weekend Superbowl Wing Memes!
I didn't watch the 2021 Super Bowl, but all I saw after on social media was The Weekend's meme worthy performance - so here are my contributions:
I can't feel my face when I eat you ...
#nonwingsunday = Super Bowl Spread from Hometown Sports Grill
Sometimes my food wants/needs/desires does not always line up with my friends and family; not everyone wants wings all the time ... I guess. So trying to find a Super Bowl special that met my wants for supper and the folks in my household made it a bit tricky. One thing we all were ok with was not actually watching football. I checked a bunch of places out, but one seemed to work for everyone here: Hometown Sports Grill.
Their deal was "Pick Six Touchdown Special" which was pick any 6 for $85 + tax. You could get the Pick Three Field Ball Special for $45 + tax, but there were 3 of us and we wanted a bit of a spread, not to last but for gluttony reasons.
I called on Friday just to check on the rules and it was simple: call on Sunday, order, call when you arrive and they will call you to come in to pick up. I asked if I could order Saturday, which they said for sure, but then we forgot to call Saturday to late.
So we called Sunday right at 4pm when they opened. It took lots of tries to get through but we did, and were told they couldn't provide food until after 6 or 6:30 based on orders. We said great because we wanted a 7:30 pick up. No problem. We went with 2 orders of Ribs, 3 Beef Tacos, 1 large poutine, 3 Desserts (Oreo Hushpuppies is what we chose) and an order of wings (I got suicide with sauce on the side) with fries.
I arrived for pick up a bit early. They were having a few delays so they offered me a free pop (but I declined). When it was ready, they gave me a free order of Vegan Nachos for having to wait! The gesture was super nice, but I had made Trash Can Nachos Saturday and we already had leftovers. Oh well.
Here the food breakdown:
- 1/2 Rack RIBS & FRIES x2: Saucey Meaty ribs - the family thought they were ok, but they are not huge fan of American style bbq sauced ribs, so I didn't put much stock in that opinion. The fries are thin and limp, but I like that style once and a while
- 3 Beef Tacos: Big hit! Softshelled with a mix of meats and some fresh veggies on top with like a ranch-like dressing. Very beefy & flavourfull.
- Poutine: giant delicious mess of fries, gravy and cheese curds. The curds were all melted by the time I got home, but this was exactly what I was looking for in a poutine today!
- Suicide Wings: The container said "Plain" so I was worried they forgot my side of suicide sauce, but it was in there :) But no fries :( Wings were very crispy - a little dried out but it was a long drive home. The homemade suicide was really good - cayenne based with a nice zing to it!
- Oreo Hushpuppies: There were three containers of 5 each. These were AH-MAZING! By a stunning amount of will power I only at 2, but these were just awesome.
Overall, the food was good, service was friendly, and it was good to support a local business!
To see my wing review of Hometown from 2018 go HERE.
Sunday, 7 February 2021
Super Bowl LV 2021 - Just Winging It
Hope you get some good wings today - that's my plan anyway! No football, just wings!
#fryday air "frying"
Happy #fryday everyone!
— LORD of the WINGS (@LordoftheWings) February 6, 2021
Air fry is a type of fried, right? These dry rubbed wings did ok in the airfryer but just can't seem to get them crunchy crispy as I would like.#lordofthewingsblog #lordofthewings#wings #chickenwings #airfryerwings pic.twitter.com/s0AY5TgOKv
Thursday, 4 February 2021
CHILI CRAFT PIZZA - Ottawa ON
This is another #2020catchup from November 2020
So here is my story of Chili Craft Pizza. Well actually 3 stories: 1) A First Taste 2) Wings on Break 3) Pizza for Dinner
1) A First Taste
It was an evening in November, and while at work, my coworker left to get some take-out for supper. When she returned, she had this amazing smelling box. I asked what she got and she said Indian Pizza from Chili Craft Pizza. I had just read about this place the other day myself and she told me one of her favourite Indian restaurants in the city is next door (Little India Cafe). She said the pizza's there were awesome (she herself is from India so that gave the place some credibility) and gave me a slice to try - it was pretty awesome.
2) Wings on Break
The next time I was going to work without a lunch, I decided I would try their wings. I looked them up online and figured out I would get 10 wings. I have 30 minutes for my break, so I called in advance so I could just go and pick it up.
Apparently this place is only a 5 minute drive from work so I showed up early. It's located in a strip mall and is in a former Milano's Pizza take-away. Now because of COVID, everything is a take-out but even if it was non-COVID, this place is just pick up and go. There is a counter and maybe there would be some stools, but now, it's just grab and go. W
hen I got there my wings were not yet ready, and I think because I did show up early they may have rushed the wings a bit. The staff were friendly, and off I went with my wings. But more on that later.
3) Pizza for Dinner
Fast forward a week or so and the wife and I decided to have a Friday night take-out from a local eatery. It didn't take long for us to decide to try Chili Craft's Pizza. I was going to pick it up from work, so I ordered online. We picked two types, the Tandoori Chicken Pizza, and the Desi Tadka - asking for no cilantro on both (as I hate cilantro). Just to change things up, we decided to call Little India Cafe next door for some pakoras and some kebabs to bulk up the meal.
When I called Little India, I could tell they were busy by the noise behind the phone. The girl taking the order said it would be 50 minutes! I hesitated and said no thanks, because the pizza would be ready in 15 minutes and 50 minutes for deep fried balls seemed too long. She asked how long did I want them and I said 10-15 minutes? She checked with the kitchen and said 15-20 minutes. I went, and the line-up for people getting Indian food was big! This place was crazy busy. I finally got inside for the take-out and saw menus for Chili Craft Pizza at the pick-up window. I asked about it and one of the girls working told me the two businesses are connected. I told her I was getting pizza from them and her eyes lit up - what pizza she asked. I told her Tandoori & Desi and she was like "I'm eating the Desi Tadka right now! It's soooo goood!" and she showed me here pizza. After I got my order, I grabbed the pizzas from Chili Craft and headed home.
The pizza's were so good! Unlike anything I have ever had before. They looked like pieces of art. It smelled so good. It's a thin crust pizza that is completely covered in toppings. The topping are diced fine, but you get everything in every bite. The flavours on both pizzas were so fresh and rich. Highly recommend.
When I finally got back to work to eat them, I was stoked. They looked so saucy and smelled so good.
The wings come in orders of 5, 10, or 20 so you know how many wings you are going to get. They don't come with sides (no dip, no veggies) and if you want napkins, you've got to ask.
The wings aren't particularly long, but they are very meaty. Even the flats had some plump to them. I also couldn't tell for sure, but the chicken seemed fresh and not frozen.
The wings were well sauced; not only was each wing really wet (and hard to grab onto!) but there was a nice little lake of extra sauce at the bottom.
They don't have a lot of flavours to choose from, so I went with BBQ Hot, as it sounded the most interesting. After the wings were fried I watched the guy pour a big bottle of BBQ sauce onto the wings, and then another jug of hot sauce. When I tried the sauce on the wings, something else was going on. This wasn't just standard commercial bbq sauce and Frank's. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something else in there, some spice or another sauce (maybe they added something else as I wasn't watching 100%). Either way, it was good - nice sweet BBQ, a flavouring spice, and then a nice hot but nothing killer.
FINAL SCORE:
So the pizza at Chili Craft Pizza is amazing. So unique, full of flavour, and fresh. Indian style pizza, who knew it would be so good. The wings were not too shabby either. Saucy, flavourful, meaty and tender. They weren't the biggest wings, and the lack of crispy was a bit sad, but I'd get them again. I wish they had some more unique flavours, but maybe they will over time. 8.5/14
Chili Craft Pizza
68 Wylie Ave, Ottawa ON
