dinner

Beer, beer and atmosphere

More than once we looked at each other and said “this place is cool.” We were sitting on the patio of the Mill St. Brewery, surrounded by trees, the nearby river, what seemed like hundreds of people and a curious rabbit. If you like beer, this is the place for you.

Mill St. is housed in the 140-year-old former Mill restaurant out on Wellington Street near the War Museum. I met up with the crew a little bit late and they were already well settled into the palates of beer. Being a brewery, this place is all about the cold ones. They have 14 taps that include Tankhouse Ale and some brews designed especially for their Ottawa patrons. While you’re there, you may want to take a free tour of the brewery or drop by the retail store to take home some beer samples and Mill St. merch. It’s like beer wonderland!

Beer palate

The food is classic pub fare. Sandwiches and burgers, some flat breads, mussels, salads and wings. The food incorporates Mill St. beer into many of the menu items. I had the daily special, the ribs and french fries. While the ribs were a little on the ordinary side the fries were definitely a standout. They were soft which is not the usual texture for fries. They tasted sweet and spicy. And they were addictive. Maybe they were also cooked in beer. I forgot to ask. Next time. The gang sampled the angus burger, fish and chips and the club. No complaints and most everyone cleaned their plates. While the food is good, it’s definitely not the draw. And that’s ok.

The Mill St. Brewery is slick and screams atmosphere. There’s no other place like it in Ottawa and because of that, it’s going to do really well. Expect long lines to get in all summer long. I’l be there for sure.

Beer-B-Que ribs & chips

Angus burger

Fish ‘n’ chips

Restaurant Review: Town.

Go to Town! No, seriously. Go to Town. It’s one of the most “with it” restaurants I’ve frequented of late. It’s got it’s act together for sure. Of note is their service. Attentive yet not overly so. The servers are knowledgeable and serve without hovering. I love that.

The food was quite impressive. Don’t be put off by my poor photography skills. I had their trout ala nonna. Pan seared trout with lentils, bacon, pearl onions, tomatoes, enochi mushrooms with a guanciale (bacon) vinaigrette for $24.

My pal had the half-chicken under a brick. Black garlic jus, mascarpone mash potatoes, butternut squash, Brussel sprouts and chestnuts for $25. I was graciously allowed a sample and found it to be quite delicious. I might order the chicken next time.

You’ll need a reservation. They have 5:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. slots available. When I made the reservation, I was told that we would need to leave before 7:15 (annoying). But we managed to eat, drink and talk plenty before finally leaving at 7:30 pm. There was nary a peep from server. I would definitely recommend Town. I hope to go back soon to sample the chicken and maybe the ricotta stuffed meatballs. It’s supposed to be their signature dish.

Town is located at 296 Elgin in between Browns Cleaners and Money Mart.

I tried the best lobster roll in New England

I’m not an lobster roll aficionado. But Neptune Oyster‘s lobster roll has been touted as the best in New England. So why not try it? It came on a toasted brioche with whole pieces of tail and claw drenched in buttery goodness accompanied by a mound of fries. It was wicked tasty. Next time I’ll try the more traditional cold version mixed with mayo. And I should have sampled the Oysters for Pete’s sake. It’s called Neptune Oyster. Not sure what I was thinking.

Neptune Oyster, 63 Salem Street, North End, Boston, MA

Maine Lobster Roll served hot with butter

Bad Chowdah

It was raining. It was cold. I needed chowder. I just happened to be at the most opportune place to fill my craving: Quincy Market. For those of you who have never been to Boston, Quincy Market is near Faneuil Hall and houses an endless food court filled with pizza, seafood, BBQ, sweets and tons more. I went to Boston Chowdah, a pretty reliable source for authentic New England chowder. Except on this occasion, someone must have dropped a box of cornstarch into the cauldron cause this chowder was barely edible. Thick, floury and kinda gross. I scooped up the seafood chunks and dumped out the rest. On a more positive note, the oyster crackers were pretty delicious.

I made it to Boston

I made it safe and sound. It had been a while since I’d driven to Boston and driving here is probably not something that I will repeat anytime soon. It was a long and dull commute. But enough about how I got here. Lets get to the important stuff. Food!

When I think of Boston. I think of a few things. Red Sox, Harvard and Upper Crust Pizza. UC is a boston based pizzeria with the badest sickest pizza there is. Everyone thinks they know who has the best pizza and let me tell you, if they don’t say Upper Crust, they’re wrong. Fresh ingredients, sweet sauce, thin crust all made to order makes for one tasty pizza. The people at UC work hard and help give the place a great vibe. Whenever I get to Boston, I run to Upper Crust.