GRAB n' EAT by H&B - Ottawa ON

This is a #2020catchup & #tbt post!

It was last October, and at work I have 30 minutes for lunch. I usually bring a lunch, but on this day I was going to try and support a local joint during the pandemic. I had recently seen a new place pop up in a spot I've seen a dozen restaurant/pizza places in before, and when I checked the menu, they had wings! Grab 'n Eat it was going to be.

I tried to order online but it didn't seem to work, so I gave a call before my lunch break was on. The dude on the phone was super friendly and answered all my questions about wings, and the fries I also got. The place is like not even 5 minutes a drive, so I was there in no time.

Grab n' Eat is in a building that has a Middle Eastern grocery store, another South Asian/Middle Eastern grocery store, and some apartments over top. It sits on top of a hill on Carling ave and is not easy to get to if you are coming west bound. The parking is limited, but I was able to get a spot and waited a few minutes due to social distancing.

I went in and the second thing I noticed was the place (like most right now) was all cleared of seating and social distancing measures were in full place. Staff wore masks, people were respectful. It was good. The first thing I noticed was that this wasn't the burger/wing/pizza place I thought it was; it was also a little Filipino food oasis.

I didn't know it was Filipino at first (I don't know Filipino cuisine at all), but I did see a hot buffet full of fresh made food. Meats, veggies, pastries, desserts, it all smelled so good! Everyone that came in were ordering from the tray where an "Lola" grandmother was dishing up. When the dude from the phone was processing my pick-up order, I asked what the food was and he told me. There was nothing on their menu about this food!*

*note - their website now reflects this, but it didn't back in October 

The dude from the phone was super friendly and I could see him and others working hard and rushing around to fill orders. My total wait time from my call to picking it up was about 15 minutes. My food was bagged up and off to my car I went to eat.

I pulled out a bunch of good quality napkins, then the next thing was the Flavoured Fries I ordered. I was impressed because they punched holes in the top to let steam escape and stop the fries from getting soggy.

Here was my lunch in all it's glory. Buffalo wings and Flavoured Fries. 

What are flavoured fries? Well they take french fries and toss them in different seasonings. They have Cheese, BBQ, Sweet Corn and Sour Cream and Onion. When on the phone, I had asked the Grab n' Eat dude what he recommended. He said they were all good, but for my first time try the Sour Cream and Onion.

I got the Medium ($5) but there is no small, but this was more than enough for one person. It was a ton of fries. They were crispy but a bit soft, and while they were probably from frozen, were cooked nicely. They were super coated in the Sour Cream and Onion seasoning. I could smell them in the bag well before I opened my whole order. The seasoning was just like chip or popcorn seasoning - creamy, slightly oniony. They were really good! That boded well for the wings.

The wings come in numbered bunches: 6, 12, 24, or 48. The wings don't come with any sides or dips, but the sauce came on the side. I went with 10 wings and I got 10 wings. 

The wings hovered between a medium and a large. They weren't long, but the apex of the wing was quite tall. The wings were fairly meaty for their size. They were deep fried and were super crispy. That perfect level of frying when the skin is brittle and cracks when you bite into it. Awesome. 

The chicken was tender enough and pulled apart without struggle. The wings were most likely from frozen but it didn't taste that way.

They have two sauces at Grab n' Eat, BBQ and Buffalo. I went with Buffalo, and when I ordered it on the phone, the dude asked if I wanted it sauced and baked in the oven, or just naked, but he recommended sauce on the side to preserve the crispiness of the wings; that's someone who cares about their wings! When I picked up the wings, he told me he gave me a second sauce in case one wasn't enough! 

The two sauces tasted slightly differently, despite being the same I'm sure. One tasted like classic cayenne hot sauce like Frank's, but the other one was slightly sweet. It wasn't Buffalo sauce though, just hot sauce, but it was good. I'm curious what the BBQ is like.

FINAL SCORE:

I really like Grab 'n Eat. The staff were all friendly and it's clear they care about their food and their business. The Sour Cream & Onion Flavoured Fries were crispy, fully flavoured, and plentiful. The wings were a good size and were super crispy. Also, I don't know anything about Filipino food, but theirs looks and smells good. Check them out!  9/14

Grab n' Eat by H&B

2916 Carling Ave, Ottawa ON

grabneatbyhb.ca

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?

It was a 3 topping pizza so we went for a meat feast: bacon, Italian Sausage, and pepperoni. The pepperoni is a style I'm not crazy about, which is a giant flat disk, about the size of a slice of bologna. It was also under the cheese so that means it was not crispy. But there was lots of chopped bacon on top and it was crispy. The sausage was a crumble and while not super flavourful. We also got a side of the Garlic Shawarma Sauce, which was a lot runnier than the toum I've had from other places, but it was still slightly sweet and garlicky. 

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

partipizza.ca

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.

I had looked up a few places to do take-out wings, so we drove down town, which was ripped up for construction. After following some detours, we finally got to the joint ... and it was closed! What?!?! So I quickly thought back to where else I was interested in, and Jersey Joes came to mind. I've passed this place almost every time I've been to Smith Falls, but never paid much attention. We were going to have to be quick, because I had timed our dinner pick-up with movie opening, and now we had lost a lot of time. 

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!

We ordered a medium pizza, but the box felt like a few pizzas were in there. The whole drive all I could smell was the pizza and wings and I was really hungry.

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.

FINAL SCORE:

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)

jerseyjoespizza.ca

 

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LORD of the WINGS (@lotw_wingking)

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

chilicraft.ca