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.
Back to those wings from the previous visit, they came in a simple cardboard box. The fact that there were grease stains and some sauce on the lip just made them more exciting.
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 skin was not crispy, which was a bummer. I suspect one of two things going on 1) they rushed the wing frying since I showed up so early so it didn't stay in the fryer long enough, 2) They gave a lot of sauce, so the structural integrity just didn't hold up. But I think like 2 minutes longer in the fryer would have been better. That being said, the wing meat was very tender. There was no problem pulling the bones apart.
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
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