Fulton Market Burger Company ~ Ottawa, ON

=Fulton Burger Company in Ottawa is now CLOSED - RIP=

Whoa!!! Where has the blog love that I used to show go? Well it almost died when I almost died with a cold. OK I'm exaggerating a bit. But I'm back, and with lots to fill in for the rest of the week.


Several weeks ago, LJ & I were visiting The Trainyards, a relatively new shopping area in Ottawa, near, you guessed it, the train yards of the city (what is left of them anyway). I won't bore you with the details of the shops or stores (mainly because I hate shopping, and I don't even care, so why would you). But part way through, we got hungry for lunch. The good thing is that the chain restaurants are at a minimum (McD's in Wal-Mart, Wendy's, Starbucks, Subway, Tim Hortons . . . ok maybe not a minimum), and there are a few non-chain options (a deli, a Vietnamese restaurant). There was one more choice, and while it is a chain, it's one I'm sure few have heard of.





Fulton Market Burger Company (of I just referred to it as Fulton Burger) is a small chain of about 6 restaurants in Ontario and one in Alberta. Burgers are the game, and they did a lot of prep work for it:

"We research, experiment and tried every possible way to make a burger that it’s outstanding and far beyond expectations. The burger is made from 100% Prime Rib of Beef and the spices are carefully selected and infused into the meat in order to give it that extra taste. That’s not all. The burgers are cooked on an open-flame broiler to ensure superb quality in a consistent fashion."

Prime Rib burgers with seasoning, flame broiled and some gourmet toppings. Sounds good, but could they deliver?

It's an interesting look inside, kind of industrial/upscale pub/take-out. Lots of wood and exposed brick. Very clean. Mostly tables, a few booths (big fancy ones) and even a bar to sit at (yes they serve alcohol). A few flat screen tv's, and various customers resting from what looked like lots of shopping as well.

There's a process to ordering. When you enter, you pick up a paper bag (no matter whether you are eating in or out. If you eat in, they just put your order on top of the bag on a tray) and a pencil. Once you fill out the info, you hand it in to the cashier, they punch it in, you sit and they bring it to your table. It felt a little needlessly complicated for burgers.

It's here that I have to tell you about a break through moment in my Wing Therapy. Yes, they actually served chicken wings. It's not on the website, it's not on the menu. It is on some advertisements on the tables. I was stuck - burgers from a place that I have never been to, or the wings. I really like wings. But I'm at a burger place and they look good. But I like wings!?!?! What to do? Get both? The burgers are expensive, and the wings were like $9 too - so combining is too expensive.

I went with the burger. I know, progress past my sickness. LJ was proud. I feel . . . mixed about the whole thing.

Above is my bag and my choices. I went with the Fulton Market Signature Burger (1/3lb size, with smoked cheddar cheese, smoked stripped bacon, pickle slaw, and Fulton signature sauce) [$7.45 - check]. I asked the waitress/service rep what the sig. sauce was, and she said something like a Thousand Island dressing. Ok, lets try. I made it into a combo [$1.99 - check], fries and a fountain drink. Finally I made it Dine In [check] and my name.

On the other side of the bag is your 'Design Your Own' options, with, well, lots of options. LJ did this with her custom burger, but she got a side of Sour Cream & Onion Potato Wedges ($3.25).

Of course, everything is customizable/upgradable (get a combo with fries, and upgrade to onion rings or a salad etc).

We waited about 10 mins, and our order came out. Served on round platters, we quickly unloaded our vittles, and I whipped out my camera and did my thing. I gotta say, I like the black and white packaging. The drink has only one size, but boy was it big. The size wasn't labeled, but my guess is around 700ml or 20 oz. And Coke products made this the perfect lunch beverage.

There's the Signature burger in all it's glory. Ya it looked a little underwhelming when I unwrapped it too. But the 'all-dressed' bun did look greasy and tasty (and it was).

Popping it open, the creamy sauce (more mayo-ee than thousand island-ee) was good, very understated though. Crispy bacon was good too. The topping highlight of the burger was the smoked cheddar. Wow, was this a great cheese. In fact, the flavour was so strong and smokey, I wouldn't have needed the bacon (except for its crispy texture).

The burger itself was meaty. I would describe it as a 'steak burger' in its texture. They are pre-formed/from a package patty. But the flavour of the flame broil and the spiced meat really made for a tasty burger. Unlike anything the big chains offer.

LJ's burger: although she normally isn't a fan of thicker patty's, she enjoyed this one. Even the pickle-slaw was a nice addition.

Fries were golden and crisp - the way they should be. Nothing amazing mind you, but decent fast food fries.

The Sour Cream & Onion potato wedges. Also very crispy, but pillow soft potato inside. Deep fried perfectly, but the SC&O flavour was, in my opinion, weak. Super weak.



Overall, Fulton Burgers was a slow, fast food joint. Decent service but the process is 'complex' and just a lot of time wasted. Good 'steak' burgers with lots of toppings, and some good sides, but a hefty price tag. Would I go back? (well, I have to get the wings at some point!) Possibly, but at over $10 for my burger combo, I think I would rather The Works. Trapped between fast food and a sit down eatery, its a unique experience. Just don't expect to get back to shopping soon.

Fulton Market Burger Company
500 Terminal Avenue, Ottawa, On
fultonburgers.com

Click HERE to go to my eventual 2010 review of their wings.

Remembrance Day 2009

Lest We Forget

SANTA FE SOUTHWESTERN GRILL ~ Brockville, On

RIP - SANTA FE is NOW CLOSED

Over the past year there have been several trips for LJ and I from Ottawa back to our respective homes, meaning many road trips lasting between 4-8 hours (depending on whose family/friends we were visiting). Along the 401, there are only a few rest stops, and even fewer now that many have been closed for renovations. To grab a quick bite to eat, there are only 4 choices: McDonalds, Wendy's, KFC, Tim Hortons and Mr Sub. No one eats at Mr Sub (no one), Tim Hortons is just sandwiches really, leaving the other 3, which we were pretty sick and tired of.

On this particular trip, we knew we wanted to stop somewhere different, but where? Around the Brockville mark, we decided to quickly get off the highway into town and pick SOMEWHERE just off the 401. We passed the usual eateries, when LJ spotted Santa Fe Southwestern Grill. It was a sit down joint, but we thought why not. For once, we weren't on a tight schedule to be somewhere or avoid traffic, so we opted to sit and enjoy.






The lunch crowd was made the place pretty busy and it was a very mixed crowd. The place was much smaller than we both thought from the outside, but we were seated in a comfortable booth. The decor inside is simple and matched the colour scheme of the outside (red, blues and pueblo browns).


Before our drink orders were even taken, our waitress Marion brought us nacho chips and I believe, homemade pico de gallo. Chips were warm, the PDG watery but flavourful (the key, I think, was minimal to no cilantro - which I hate). It wasn't long before Marion was bringing our drinks and taking our food orders.

There was lots on the menu that looked interesting, but my sickness took over. I saw the words "Jumbo Roaster Wings" and I was hooked. Then I looked at their lunch menu and found more wings there too. I was set, I was getting wings.

LJ went with the lunch special chicken Chimichunga with a side of Cream of Cauliflower soup. For a lunch sized portion, it was pretty big!

The soup was creamy, rich and thick. The cup was plentifull and even though I didn't have it with my meal, it was perfect accompaniment on this grey and wet day.

The chimichunga (basically a deep fried burrito) was thick. Inside it was filled with beans and rice and lots of chicken. The bite or two I had of the dish, the chicken was tough to chew through. LJ didn't like a spice that was on the chicken, but stated she's had it before on Tex-Mex chicken at other restaurants. On the side was a very generous addition of guacamole, as well as some shredded lettuce and sour cream.

Then I had wings.



The lunch portion comes with 6 wings and your choice of soup, salad or potato. Before the words actually came out to Marion, I was going to have the soup or salad (really I was) but then I ordered fries. The fries were hot and crispy, but battered/dusted fries. Not my favourite type of fries, but they were not bad.

I was really disappointed when my wings came out. LJ said she could see it on my face and asked what was up. It wasn't that the wings looked bad - but I felt duped. The menu had said "Jumbo Roaster Wings" and in my mind, I thought I would be getting, well, jumbo wings.

In fact, the wings were quite small. There is no way you could refer to them as Jumbo. They weren't the smallest wing I had ever eaten, but they were definitely minuscule. Either false advertising, or this shipment was a tiny batch. They weren't even meaty.

The skin was crisp, but just barely. Did I also mention they were not jumbo wings?

The wings were lightly tossed in a hot sauce, which wasn't hot at all. Cayenne based, but it just had no heat. The flavour was simply OK. At least there was ranch dip.

FINAL SCORE: Mediocre wings is giving too much credit. Overall the wings were sub-par, but the tiny wings described as jumbo is a crime (hence me subtracting a point from the score). I should have said something, but confrontation is not my thing. But let us be honest; wings are not their thing. I could have had nachos or burritos or even chili because Southwest is what they do. I just had visions of, well, a jumbo roaster wing.

Oh well. I want to say lesson learned, but I will find myself again one day at a restaurant that has some specialty, and I will get the wings. Its my passion and my curse. 1.5/10

Santa Fe Southwestern Grill

2444 Parkedale Ave, Brockville ON

santafeswgrill.com



Santa Fe Southwestern Grill Menu

"How to Eat Chicken Wings" video spreading fast

Chef John over at foodwishes.com made a video about how to eat chicken wings:






It is a simple technique - I've used it myself - but nothing crazy. But this little video is spreading fast: as I type this, the video has had over 180 000 hits since going up. He even got a video response on trying the technique.


The original article attached, called "Making the World a Better Place, One Wing at a Time" where he wants to help people better eat wings. I agree, I see people out there leaving tons of meat and tasty cartilage all over the wing, wasting so much potential goodness.


There are lots of techniques into eating a wing . . . one day I'll make a WKTV episode outlining how I do it.

Judge accepts Chicken Wings For Community Service

Found over at NBC News Chicago.


"Judge Accepts Chicken Wings For Community Service
A Will County judge is forced to eat his words -- literally -- after offering to accept chicken in lieu of defendant's community service

By BJ LUTZ
Updated 6:23 PM CST, Thu, Oct 29, 2009


We've heard of pay for play. Perhaps we can call this poultry-for-play.

A Will County man told an associate judge in August that he'd completed his sentence of 100 hours of community service by working unpaid hours at a South Side Jamaican restaurant.


Associate Judge Robert Livas told Darrius Logan, who had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and criminal trespass charges, to find another place to do the work or bring some chicken to court.

On Oct. 6, Logan did just that, returning to court with chicken, bread and hot sauce.


A transcript of the electronically recorded Aug. 4 hearing reads like this:
Livas said, "If you walk in with enough chicken to feed everybody, I'll accept these community service hours. If you don't, I'm not taking any of them."
"Does that come with slaw?" the judge later asked, according to the transcript.
"No," Logan replied. "It's just -- it's barbecue chicken, actually."
"That's great stuff," Livas said, later adding, "If you walk around there and feed everybody, it's going to be OK."

Livas claims the incident was simply a joke gone awry.


"A defendant took something I said as a joke literally," Livas said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "It forced me to keep my word and accept his original (community service) letter. I give him credit -- he made me eat my words.


Others, however, aren't taking the incident as lightly as Livas, saying it constitutes a violation of the judicial code of conduct.

The possible poultry-for-play incident has been "referred for review to the appropriate agency," a judicial circuit court judge said.


Copyright Associated Press / NBC Chicago
First Published: Oct 29, 2009 3:00 PM CST"





I have to be honest, this is why I could never be a judge. True justice may never be served, but chicken wings would be.

Chicken Wings . . . There's an App for that.

Chris over at Nibble Me This sent me this 'story' about a new chicken wing application called Kluckr:

"Kluckr, an iPhone App for Wings Lovers
Posted by Robyn Lee, November 4, 2009 at 4:00 PM

If you've ever found yourself aimlessly roaming the streets in search of the best places to get chicken wings, download Kluckr for your iPhone. For $0.99 the app will tell you your city's wings locations and rate them based on Heat, Variety, Service, Atmosphere, and Value—just in time for tonight's World Series game."

Wow - if I had a cell phone, I still don't think I would spend $1 on this info. I mean, I would just go to the Lord of the Wings Blog . . . Chris suggested there should be an LOTW app . . . let see if we can get LOTW Industries on creating such a thing.

HALLOWE'EN 2009

Trick or Treat

Smell my Feet

Give me lots of Wings to Eat!!!

Please?

Happy Hallowe'en!!!

Spreading the Good Word . . .

Hey,

Remember about a month ago when my friend Dude came to visit, bringing with him the technique from China to make Coca-Cola Chicken Wings?


Well the recipe is getting around and Gord over at Booze Reviews & News did his take on them HERE and over on It's All About Me as a guest blogger for Teena (the dynamic duo blogging team!).

He started out rough with some Coke Zero instead of Classic (I too almost used CZ) but he rebounded quick. I like the baking at the end to crisp up the skin because, well, crispy skin is always best. They look good - thanks for posting and mentioning me guys!!!

D&S SOUTHERN COMFORT BBQ ~ Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa Region)

I love the Internet. It is such a fountain of information, and I love to drink that knowledge up. It allows me to be a part of an online food community and find out where to go to get good chow. Being in Ottawa, I'm a part of Ottawa Foodies, where user member Ken V. reviewed a new BBQ joint just outside of Ottawa in Carlsbad Springs called D & S Southern Comfort BBQ. Without Ken's review, I would never have even heard of D&S, so last Friday LJ and I decided to check it out for ourselves.

D&S is at a 5-point intersection in the tiny community of Carlsbad Springs, a town which was founded in the 1800's as a spa/hotel destination, until the 1930's when polluted water ruined the business (thanks wikipedia).

True Southern BBQ is on the rise in Ontario, and D&S owner Dave Harper details his classic "Yours to Discover" province BBQ experience: briquettes & lighter fluid, eventually graduating to propane. But we are slowly learning what real BBQ is here, and Dave says on their website he thinks they might improved what our friends to the South created:

"In recent years I have had the opportunity to eat in a large number of southern BBQ joints where they do BBQ better than almost anyone, I spent a large portion of time studying their methods and equipment. I believe I have not only mastered their methods, but surpassed them to create the best BBQ in the world. "

Well, that's quite the bold statement, but even if he isn't lying, most Ontarians wouldn't know the difference. I have to admit, my experience is mighty limited. So I guess I just have to judge whether I like it or not on my own simple judgment - is it good?

D&S itself is a pretty massive building on its own, but then again, they are both a restaurant and a big catering business - they can cook up to 1000lbs of food at once! LJ & I both felt there was an identity crisis going on. From the outside, the structure looked like a big road house (that had recently had a make-over). Inside, the place is clean, new, and very very open. Tables are metallic, Ikea accessories and paintings on the wall, industrial carpet, and modern looking booths. There is a bar-dining room that seems to have a much more unified design concept that looks pretty nice. I was kind of hoping for the dingy road house, but you can never complain about an orderly/clean establishment.

When we arrived, the place was relatively busy, but the rows of empty tables in the very large room we were in accentuated the vastness and potential for capacity way out in the booneys. But by the time we were done our meal, I don't think there was a table in the house available. Lots of families (some taking up several tables arranged together) and older couples from their 30's to their 60's . Country music was the ambient choice.

Our waitress was Samantha (or Sam as she preferred to be called). She was young, but very friendly in an old-fashioned, classic hospitality way. She took our orders, answered questions, and in a short period of time brought us some complimentary buns. The buns were very hard on the outside, and not so soft in the inside. Luke warm, they were not the best buns I have ever been served, but LJ & I gobbled them up very quickly.

I had scanned the menu long before coming (thanks to the Internet) but even when I got there I still didn't know what I wanted to get. Wings were definitely on my radar (smoked, a unique choice not found much in these parts in a restaurant), but what about the ribs? They have 3 different types of ribs (beef, St. Louis pork, and pork back). Or smoked chicken? Or the chili? Or a burger? Too many things sound soo good! We overheard one woman remarking how the smoked chicken penne Alfredo was to die for.

One menu item I had debated getting was the Armadillo Eggs, and as it turned out, that's what LJ ordered for dinner. You get to choose 2 sides to go along with the 3 eggs.

First off, no this is not a real egg. Armadillo's don't even lay eggs, they are mammals (don't you forget that duck-billed platypus). No this brilliant treat is a hollowed out jalapeno pepper, stuffed with cheddar cheese, wrapped in sausage meat that is smoked and then brushed with BBQ sauce.

Wow. This was insanely good. The jalapeno had a bit of a bite, the sausage was flavourful and smokey and the BBQ sauce was an excellent saucy addition. I think if (and when I do) actually make these, I would use a spiced cream cheese over cheddar for more flavour, but this was good.

Then there was the cream corn bread. It was corn bread in some parchment paper and it was good. I love corn bread and this was light and corny.

The other side dish LJ chose were hush puppies. Another corn variant, these are deep fried balls of cornbread also had some jalapeno, making them just a bit spicy. Crispy outside, soft but dense inside, they went very well with the eggs.

When it came to me finally choosing, I was really torn. I wanted wings. I also wanted ribs. But hey, D&S knows people like to experiment, so they have the Kitchen Sampler: St. Louis Ribs, Pulled Pork sandwich, Onion Rings, and of course wings. They list it under starters, but this combo plate is really for one (one hungry person anyways).

The mini pulled pork sandwich is piled pretty high. The pulled pork was tender - melt in the mouth - with a sauce that was not overpowering allowing the flavour of the pork to come out. The menu says its a vinegar-based sauce, but it wasn't strong enough for my inexperienced palate to taste.

Two ribs came from cooking low and slow, with a slathering of BBQ sauce. The bark was crispy and flavourful and the meat was tender. The hint of hickory smoke, and the sauce (their Sweet and Smoky I believe) were just right. They weren't particularly big or meaty, but it was a nice sampling.

The onion rings were breaded and VERY crunchy. My personal preference is a battered ring, but these were big and tasty. They came with a chipotle mayonnaise dip which was very light on chipotle but went well with the rings.

Before I get to the wings, we finished the evening off with dessert. Everything sounded good, but LJ and I shared the Chocolate Triple Threat: "Chocolate hazelnut pot du creme, orange chocolate tart and a Bailey's truffle". We split the truffle first, which was rich and hinted of Baileys. The tart tasted like a Terry's chocolate orange, and the pot du creme tasted like a mousse (is that what pot du creme is?). Either way, it was a decadent and delicious end to the meal. But I did have wings before desert.


Obviously I didn't get a regular order of wings, and their menu doesn't describe how many actually come in an order (I should have asked Sam). But apparently they do come with veggies and ranch dip (that's right, not sour cream Ottawa).

The chicken wings come whole (wingette, drummette, tip) that are marinated, dusted, then smoked with Hickory and finally drizzeled with BBQ sauce. Two whole wings came in my Kitchen Sampler.

The wings were about a medium-large size (after I tore them apart). The skin was not particularly crispy (but again, I really think only deep-frying gives them a really crispy skin). The chicken tore apart easily, and the flavour of the smoke had permeated the wing, giving the meat a wonderful flavour.

The wings tasted good on their own - what ever their spice rub used was mild but good. But they also had a few drops of BBQ sauce. The menu says your choice of their three homemade sauces, but I think I received Sweet & Smokey as default. Why? Well, it was slightly sweet, slightly smokey. Almost a little too sweet for my liking, and anymore sauce on the wings and I wouldn't have enjoyed it.

FINAL SCORE: What a place. I was fortunate to get a lot of dishes sampled, yet there are many more I would love to try. I liked my wings, smoked is something I rarely get to sample, but it is not my wing-style of choice. The corn bread/hush puppies were tasty, the ribs/pulled pork also good, but my favourite sampling of the night was the armadillo eggs by far. Friendly service, good food, D&S's big crowds are definitely understandable. 6/10.

PS: I asked Sam what the D&S actually stood for. Owners names I had thought, but she said it stood for Down South and had no idea why there was an "&" in there.

D&S Southern Comfort BBQ
6501 Russell Road, Carlsbad Springs (Near Ottawa)
dsbbq.ca

WK's Brine-Dry-Grill Wings

It's that sad time of year again . . . when the air is more frigid than crisp, the leaves are changing colour or are dead, and BBQ season is coming to an end. For many of you lucky soul's out there you can continue to grill through winter; either you're a) crazy dedicated and have cleared snow on your back deck or b) you live in a moderate climate and are not affected by snowfall.


I, on the other hand, are at the mercy of a condo board, who arbitrarily close our building's terrace, thus cutting off my access to a charcoal pit for months and months. Sad, because I'd be out in the snow if I could.


There's no snow yet, and actually, the past few days have been sunny and in the double digits - perfect to get in one last grilling. I search through the freezer to clear it out and find something to grill: miscellaneous sausages. But that's not enough for a final grilling. So I got some wings too.

The key to good chicken wing grilling is a brine. So Monday afternoon I brine up my wings. I'm all excited when bam! Life shows up just before grilling time and I have to go. Now I'm not going to be able to grill after all. But my wings are in the brine - they can't stay there until tomorrow - what do I do? I go to my trusty Chowhound's and ask for their advice. User ChristinaMason is quick to respond that I should be fine just draining the wings. Then powderhound joins in and brings up air-drying the wings in the fridge. That sounds like a good idea. MrsCheese reaffirms that air-drying should be the way to go. OK, that's what I'm going to do and let's see how well it goes in just a few steps.



STEP 1 - THE BRINE
Monday, 3pm

Very simple. Mostly water. Added some vinegar, salt, pepper and the last of a commercial bottle of Buffalo Wing sauce.

The Brine does not look pretty, but it gets the job done.

STEP 2 - AIR DRY

Monday, 7:30pm

Wings have been drained of Brine. They are then placed on a rack, over a pan I have lined with plastic wrap (to reduce washing but increase environmental destruction). Into the fridge to await tomorrow.

STEP 3 - CHARCOAL TIME

Tuesday, 6pm

Arrive at patio. Notice that picnic tables, chairs and all comforts of terrace are no longer available. Charcoal chimney is set up and in no time we have burning coals. Hot hot burning coals.

TUESDAY, 6:15pm

Wings are applied to the grill. I like grilling the wings at high heat, flipping frequently.

Brined chicken wings are coming along nicely. So are the sausages. Ooooh yeah!

STEP 4 - MOPPIN' TIME

Tuesday, 6:38pm

Wings are basically done. Now its time to apply our sauce. I'm using my homemade Husker BBQ Sauce. Don't apply to early or it will burn. Flip after 2-5 minutes, mop other side. Flip again after 2-5 minutes and mop again. Plate it up and consume quickly.

The final product. LJ was wanting them not to saucy, so they are relatively 'dry' when served. Oh the sausage (put on a bun) was good too.

These turned out decently. I didn't find the chicken as moist as when I use a brine and cook immediately after. The skin wasn't as crispy as I thought the air-drying method would produce. The sauce wasn't as strong as I would have liked (again, I prefer saucy, but you gotta go with what the customer wants :p) but the caramelized bits on the skin were good.



FINAL THOUGHTS: I enjoyed the wings, but not immensely so. I mean, they were wings, and the grilling flavour is good. But I just like the skin that deep frying produces over grilling. I still need more practice grilling wings, and thanks to rainy summers like 2009 and a closing balcony, I won't be getting a chance for many many more months. Sigh.



But thanks Chowhounders for your help!


Anyone else got any other ideas of what I could have done?