The Loyal Oarsman

Being in the west end of town (west of Gardiner's Road on Bath Road), the Loyal Oarsman unofficially became our "new pub" when we moved from downtown. While it took us a little while to discover it (I'm not sure how a pub with a "boating title" eluded me for so long... but alas, it did!), it didn't take us long to love it... and now, we have been there many times.  As a 40-in-40 group, however, we had yet to visit - and it was nice to go with more friends. Sadly, Samer wasn't able to make it this week, but our friend Leslie and I finished a game of ball hockey ahead of dinner, and she decided to tag along, which was great!

As stated by their website, The Loyal Oarsman (find their website here) is a "traditional style English Pub [and] offers a warm atmosphere and hearty menu complete with Traditional English pub fare, to more conventional North American food. Offering 20 beers on tap we have one of the largest ranges of beers in Kingston to choose from along with our award winning Chicken Wings". Now, I don't know about you - but whether a regular or a visitor to our group, in most cases if you can offer good food (especially wings) and beer, you're set... so based on the description alone, we figured the Oarsman would do well with their score.  

The atmosphere of the pub is definitely in keeping with what one would imagine is English Pub style. (Although, I can only assume this since I haven't ever been to England... but I have seen it in movies... and I also watch Coronation Street... so... that has to be accurate, right?... Right?...). It was pretty busy (which, for the record, I understand is the trend) so it was difficult to get pictures without a lot of people; but imagine if you will - tables, chairs and a long bar made of dark wood. A number of booths for more private dining, and raised seating on one side as well as seating in a back room. There are 2 large flat screen televisions as well as a projector and screen that attract sports fans on a regular basis. The front windows are frosted (just like Rover's Pub!!) and there is even a Red Telephone Booth (oh yeah - that deserved to be capitalized!) by the front door. Overall, it's a cozy spot - and while the service is definitely good enough to make it happen, I don't think I've ever rushed in and out. Quite frankly, I've never wanted to.


What did we order while in England? I mean... at the Oarsman? Here's the run-down:

Carrie: While I would have typically ordered deep fried pickles to start, it was really hard to do that now that I've been to the Pilot House and got so many for so low cost... that said, if I was just in for drinks and appy's, I certainly wouldn't be able to resist them. Instead, on this visit, I had a caesar salad to start, and then I ordered something I've never had before: the stuffed and baked focaccia - your choice of chicken or steak (I chose chicken) topped with tomato sauce, mushrooms and mozzarella served with sweet potato fries.

Tonia: Mozzarella sticks to start (cheese in a golden crust with tomato sauce for dipping), and the Pub Wrap - chicken, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo wrapped in a flour tortilla served with sweet potato fries.

Todd: Deep fried pickles to start and the Chicken Greek Wrap - chicken breast sliced julienne style with Greek salad mix, all wrapped up in a flour tortilla, served with fries. 

Leslie: Tortilla Flutes (these are an old menu item that do not exist on the menu anymore - but Leslie is a regular and knows the staff, so she requested them and they obliged. Basically, I think that they are kind of like a chicken quesadilla wrapped up with some kind of special sauce... but with no description to follow, I can't be sure), and a Greek salad.

Drinks and food came quickly. Our server was attentive - which was pretty impressive given how busy it was - and we had a great time in a cozy booth enjoying some drinks, laughs and good food. Just how good? Well, lemme tell ya!

Carrie: 3 forks. This was a shock even to me... If I had stuck with my "usuals", I know I would have given a bigger score for sure... But, I decided to branch out and wasn't really all that happy with my sandwich. Since it said that it was a baked and stuffed focaccia, I imagined just that - a bread that was stuffed and then baked... I thought "tender chicken with ooey gooey cheese and tomato sauce". Sadly, it was a focaccia bun that was cut and then chicken and mushrooms and cheese were inside. Sure - it was full, and the cheese was melted... but there just wasn't much of it. All in all, the sandwich was dry. The saving grace was that I asked for a side of extra marinara sauce to dip each bite in, and that made all the difference. I thought of our friend Kendra as I dipped my sweet potato fries into the garlic-based  mayo stuff provided (she loves dips!) and was impressed with each bite. The caesar salad was great.


Tonia: 4 forks. Tonia said that the mozzarella sticks were good - there could have been fewer if they were bigger, but she wasn't going to complain. She quite enjoyed the pub wrap and she thought the fries were good, although she couldn't decide if she just doesn't like sweet potato fries as much as regular fries since fries are "so dang good" and she ultimately would have preferred having regular fries on this visit.


Todd: 4 forks. Somehow, Todd got the Caesar Wrap by a mistake (even as the server put it down, she said "Greek Wrap", but it was obvious just by looking at it that it wasn't correct), but Todd decided to eat it anyway because he knew he would probably like it too. Based on his score - he obviously did, but it was inconvenient. The server did a fairly good job of rectifying the issue by speaking with a manager and getting Todd's bill adjusted, too. Todd didn't have any comment other than "Even though it wasn't the meal I anticipated, I still ate it".

Leslie: 4.5 forks. Leslie liked the salad - there were lots of veggies and feta, and she loves feta. She didn't have anything to say about the flutes since they were exactly what she expected and she eats them whenever she comes. (Sorry for the readers of the blog since they aren't even on the menu... but I did try them and would suggest people asking for them if they happen to be curious). All in all, Leslie was quite happy with her meal.

Overall score: 3.88 forks. I truly believe that the score would have been higher had it not been for my sandwich, but all things on the menu are fair-game, so to speak... And so, I must be honest. Ultimately, though, the message is simple: go to the Loyal Oarsman. Even if you are a downtown person who "already has a favourite pub". It's definitely worth the drive. 

And Samer - we need to go back for you. I have a feeling you'd love the wings!

Our next stop: Royal Angkor! This will be stop #30!!! I can't believe it... 

The Pilot House

On the corner of King and Johnson Streets, The Pilot House, as they say on their website, "is in the heart of downtown". Perhaps most easily recognized by its blue awnings, The Pilot House is open from 11am to 2am, 7 days a week (pretty nice for those of you like me who always have to check online for store/restaurant hours... what did we do before smartphones?!) and offers indoor seating as well as a seasonal patio. Being popular and smaller on the inside, I have heard that it isn't rare for the restaurant to fill up - and the night of our visit was no exception. We were lucky enough to get a table in the corner, and watched as tables and bar stools emptied and filled in cycles over the duration of our visit.  






The decor in the restaurant is simple (right down to the metal chairs with blue fabric) and nautical in theme - a large ships' wheel hangs on one wall while a chart of the waters from Picton to Presqu'ile Bay hangs on another.  There isn't a formal menu that you are delivered at your table - instead, a chalkboard with all of the kitchen's offerings hangs on yet another wall. There are pros and cons to this style of menu display in my mind. On the good side, it means the kitchen isn't bogging itself down with an excessive menu that can't be delivered, and they truly get to be "known" for what they do. The not so good thing - people like me who are seated with their backs to the menu board have to crank their necks around or turn in their seats in order to decide what to order. All in all, a small "price to pay" for a menu that is done well. 


I have only been to The Pilot House once since moving to Kingston years ago... After a day of sailing with my best friend, she was craving fish and chips and I'd heard that this was the place to go, so we ventured off. Based on the current menu, I'd say fish and chips continues to be a specialty - but other offerings are definitely available (which is nice for those like me who don't really enjoy fish). Beyond fish and chips, The Pilot House offers a small kids menu, featured specials, pub dinners, salads and "nibbles" (otherwise knows as appetizers). All in all, if you are looking for a "fancy" meal - you're not going to get it here. BUT, if you want filling food that tastes good for a decent price - that, you will find. Here's what we chose to fill our tummies with: 

Carrie: I couldn't turn down the deep fried pickles to start (predictable me!) and as a main, I ordered the club sandwich with a side of heart attack... I mean - poutine.

Tonia: The full order of halibut and chips (excitedly, Tonia exclaimed "Give it to me!")

Samer: small garden salad to start, followed by the full order of halibut and chips

Todd: small garden salad to start, followed by the small order of haddock and chips

Food came quickly in spite of how busy the restaurant was, and smiles lined our faces in no time. Things were fresh, and delicious. I'm not even sure I have anything to say without just cutting to the chase, so - here goes!

Carrie: 4.5 forks. THE DEEP FRIED PICKLES WERE AMAZING!!! For $6.95 (cheaper than anywhere), TWELVE - yes, twelve!! - spears were delivered. That is more for less than anywhere else we have been, and they were absolutely delicious and fantastic.  The club sandwich was amazing - lots of chicken and bacon. You know when you order a club and the bacon is gone within one bite? This one had bacon in EVERY bite. Seriously - every bite. Awesome. Sadly, the poutine was a little cold, which resulted in me taking away .5 forks. Not changing my score (but certainly changing how I eat) was the unfortunate reality that comes with the haste with which I eat deep fried pickles. Of course, I ate really quickly; and of course, I burned my mouth. I'm not sure if you have ever tried to eat a club sandwich (or even just toast) with a burnt  mouth, but at the risk of sounding over-dramatic, it is pretty painful... Torture, in this case. Darn me and not taking my time. If only I could promise myself that I won't do it again in the future... if only...

Tonia: 4.2 forks. The fish was excellent, the pickles were good (of course, with 12 available, I was willing to share!), and in Tonia's opinion, the fries were just "okay". Even though Tonia was "stuffed to the gills" (good pun, Tonia!!) at the end of her meal, she stated that she would still eat more fish. Must be pretty darn good fish. 

Samer: 3.75 forks. Samer's fries arrived slightly cold, which was disappointing... and Samer isn't really into batter, so that was ultimately the drawback for him, but the fish was still okay. 

Todd: 4.25 forks. Todd really enjoyed the salad dressing that came with his salad -cucumber wasabi. The deep fried pickles were excellent and very good value, and the fish was excellent with good tartar sauce. Another perk in Todd's eyes - there was no charge for a refill on his pop. Simple, and yet, such a good thing for a customer.

Overall score: 4.18 forks!
A great score for a good little spot with blue awnings. 

Our last quote before the night ended: "I'd come back just for pickles and beer."  And yes, I would.

The next stop on our 40-in-40 adventure: The Loyal Oarsman in the west end. Can't wait. 

V.I.P.

This week's visit to V.I.P. prompted a lot of excitement from our 40-in-40 adventurers. For me, it was a chance to go back to a restaurant I have only been to on one other occasion. For Samer, it was his first visit. And for Tonia - well, she used to be a regular, so she was particularly excited to return. Having lived above V.I.P. in her university years, Tonia had regular V.I.P. nights with her friends (including Todd!), and it was nice listening to her fondly relay her memories of good food and great company. Little did she know back then that the tradition of food and company would continue!

At the corner of Princess and Alfred streets, V.I.P. is a Chinese restaurant that is close to Queen's campus and within walking distance for anyone wandering around downtown. A yellow building with Chinese writing that speaks to its culture on the side is hard to miss... And for those driving down Princess street from uptown, V.I.P. probably benefits from being one of the first restaurants seen before hitting the "strip" that follows. Inside, the restaurant has 2 levels of seating that are somewhat lack-lustre. Don't get me wrong - things are tidy and clean... there are nice wall hangings and accents to the atmosphere that are obviously Asian-influenced... But things are plain. The floor is checkered blue and white, chairs are black metal, tables have been topped with glass. The one true "awe factor" perhaps is the large aquarium filled with huge goldfish that you can see from each side of the restaurant; but I suppose people may have different opinions about even that. Ultimately, I think that V.I.P. has done what I believe a lot of Chinese food restaurants have done: focussed on the food.

Serving "authentic Chinese, Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine" with "prices that are second to none", V.I.P. offers patrons the option of dining in or taking out food from their extensive menu (check it out on their website found here). Whether you are looking for a combo for yourself or dishes to share, there is certainly a lot to choose from - and, to be honest, it can be a little overwhelming getting through the menu unless you have an idea of where you'd like to start. Something I would feel confident placing bets on? No matter what you order from the novel-like menu, you'll be happy. Between Tonia's stories of the past, reports of excitement from friends who heard where we were heading this week, and our happiness with dishes for our adventure this week, I think it's safe to say that happiness is a guarantee. 

What am I basing this judgement on? Here's what we ordered:

Carrie: Special Combo Plate A (chicken balls and chicken fried rice served with wonton soup and an egg roll) and an order of pork chop suet to share at the table.

Todd: Special Combo Plate E (General Taos chicken and steamed rice served with wonton soup and an egg roll).

Tonia: Beef and Broccoli combo plate F served with steamed rice (which Tonia switched out for chicken fried rice), wonton soup and an egg roll.

Samer: The healthy dude in our group ordered the seafood sizzling platter (scallops, shrimp kew, squid with selected vegetables seasoned with oyster sauce). No starters for Samer... he's just too healthy. :)

While it was probably partly because the restaurant wasn't very busy, I was happy with how attentive our server (I think one of the owners?) was. She visited our table regularly and checked in to see if we were happy. Something slightly odd was the timing of food... whether our server couldn't hold more than one plate at a time, or the cooking staff weren't creating more than one plate at a time, things were delivered just like that - one-at-a-time. It remained in my mind because of how odd it was... I haven't ever seen anything quite like it before. Back and forth she went from our table to the kitchen - very brief gaps in between. That said, things were hot and fresh when they landed in front of us. 

And how did those hot and fresh items taste? Overall, we were impressed. The egg rolls were a little greasier than I am used to - someone at the table said that it felt like they had put on hand cream when they finished eating it - but all in all, good feedback. Here it is:

Carrie: 4 forks. The egg roll didn't have as much flavour as others I've had, but it was much easier to bite into. I love egg rolls, but I don't like that when I bite them, all of the stuffing comes out in the first bite... here, that doesn't happen, which is nice. The wonton soup was phenomenal. The fried rice, and chicken balls were great, too - in fact, the chicken balls weren't 90% batter like other places - it was just a perfect amount. Dee-lish. The only really sad part was the pork chop suey. I don't know why, but I had imagined a bbq pork... but instead, it was proof of pork being "the other white meat" and was quite flavourless. I love chop suey, but I didn't love this one.

Todd: 3.5 forks. This time, Todd was slightly uninspired and couldn't find words to make a comment. His comment, in fact, was "No comment". I tried his General Tao chicken and thought it was pretty good. Not too spicy.

Tonia: 4.48 forks. (oh yes - 4.48). A direct quote: "Best Chinese food in town, folks!" Tonia thought that the beef with broccoli was delicious - and she definitely recommends getting it with chicken fried rice rather than steamed rice. 

Samer: 4 forks. Samer really enjoyed the food and thought that it was quite good. His only comment (not affecting the score) referred to cleanliness because he was served water in a dirty glass... I hate to say it, but... it does happen. 

Overall score: 3.995 forks. Not too shabby, V.I.P. In fact, perhaps I could make a really bad joke and say that you are the V.I.P. of Chinese food restaurants. Just perhaps... Maybe I could... But I won't. I swear.

Next week, our adventures are taking us to The Pilot House!

"The Novel"

No Coke for Tonia... Just Pepsi.

 

Urban Spoon's rating is much lower than I would have expected... I'm surprised!

The Iron Duke on Wellington

I have said it before and I will say it again: I must be honest. And so, I will be honest... I have been to "The Duke" many times. I actually used to live down the street from The Duke. In fact, I was at The Duke so often that it was my personal goal in life to walk in and have people yell "Carrie!" the way that they did to Norm on Cheers. Sad, perhaps... But I'm not (entirely) ashamed to share. 

Did that happen? Unfortunately, no - but we were more recognized in due time. And sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came! 

So, why am I blabbering on about my history with The Duke? Well, much like other places along the 40-in-40 adventure, having a history somewhere means that naturally, I have pre-conceived notions about what the restaurant can offer me and how happy I might be at the end of the experience. In this case, my love for The Duke has ebbed and flowed much like the tides - for a long time, I absolutely loved it. Not only was the atmosphere alone something that kept me coming back, but everything I ate and drank also made me completely happy. And then... a time came where the menu changed (not drastically), and the staff changed, and thus, my feelings toward The Duke overall changed. Was I miserable? No; but I didn't necessarily prioritize going the way I had in the past - and then, I moved away from downtown, limiting the ease with which I had visited in the past and ending my dream of becoming Norm.  Over an extended period of time, I visited less than ever before, and while I felt satisfied, I stopped being "blown away" the way I had been in the past.  Heading into this leg of our adventure, therefore, I was keen to go back, but wasn't expecting a whole lot.

(Happily) I was wrong.

I'm not 100% sure why things felt different, but they did. Maybe it was a result of the nostalgia that settles in when you return to a place that holds so many memories... But ultimately, I think that more was going on. The menu has changed again - and again, not drastically - but just enough to make me happier (some items that were removed from the original menu were missed greatly and not replaced by things that I would enjoy - in this case, some nice options had returned or been added). The atmosphere continues to be comfortable and inviting - booths and tables encourage patrons to be social and the exposed limestone walls and wood beams with simple wall hangings add a nice touch. Simply put, I have been for minutes, and I have been for hours, and in all cases - like this visit, I have never felt eager to leave. 

So... what did we sit so happily eating? Here's the low-down:

Carrie: Caesar salad to start, Cheesesteak sandwich (beef, sautéed with onions and mushrooms in an artisan loaf topped with provolone), served with fries.

Samer: Blackened chicken (spice-rubbed chicken breast with guacamole, pico de galo, jack cheese and greens in a grilled flour tortilla) served with house salad.

Tonia: Caesar salad to start, Turkey club wrap (deli-slicd turkey breast, seed to sausage smoked bacon, sage aioli, tomatoes and greens in a grilled flour tortilla) with fries.

Todd: Greek salad to start, Grilled Cheese (maple-chili roasted butternut squash, aged white cheddar, balsamic glazed onions and sage aioli on whole grain bread) with the soup special - tomato and smoked cheddar.

The menu is brief, but certainly offers a good variety of options, and I would consider the items - especially the specials - to be slightly more "upscale" than other pubs (they are known as the "food lover's pub", after all). To me, it's food that says "our chefs know what they are doing in the kitchen" rather than "we know how to slap meat on a bun". That said, there was nothing more disappointing to me than the realization that the deep fried pickles have ceased to exist (huge mistake in my opinion), and there was great sadness to see the falafel wrap leave the menu as well (perhaps another huge mistake). All in all, though - we were quite happy with our food during our visit (not a huge mistake). Here are our scores:

Carrie: 5 forks. My meal was delicious all around. That cheesesteak may clog your arteries, but you'll certainly die happy!! Oh yeah - and the caesar salad was pretty rockin' too.

Samer: 4.5 forks. Samer thought that the garden salad was very good - giving special attention to the "strips of something on top" that were "very delicious" (we weren't sure what they were). He also really loved the sandwich, but sadly was disappointed by the pickle on the side, stating that it "sucked" and he "hates that flavour of pickle". (For the record, as a pickle lover, I have to disagree, but Samer is certainly entitled to his opinion).

Tonia: 4.9 forks. Tonia liked the caesar salad - the homemade dressing was really "yummy" - and she thought that the french fries are "pretty wicked". The aioli on the wrap was quite lovely and flavourful, and Tonia was especially happy because Samer gave her his guacamole. I think he should have also given her his pickle, since Tonia felt hers was too small and he didn't like the flavour anyway... but we won't give him too hard of a time.

Todd: 4 forks. Todd finished his meal and said that not only was everything good, but he also felt very healthy when he finished eating, which is pretty awesome. Todd felt that, relative to other 5's he's given thus far, he wasn't as in love with this meal since he could have made something very similar at home... he did order the grilled cheese after all.

OVERALL SCORE: 4.6 forks. Well done, Duke. Well done. I have no doubt that I will be visiting again some time. Maybe you can convince your fellow patrons to give me a shout out? Cheers.

Oh - and I suppose I should apologize for the lack of good pictures of the Duke - there was a big crowd and between that and the terrible lighting coming in the window, my phone just couldn't get good shots easily. I guess you'll just have to see it for yourself! (Or, check out some pictures on their website, here). 

Tune in next week for an entry on our visit to VIP!

Probably one of my worst photos to date... You need to go and check this place out!