Apartment613

Photo Courtesy of tcp909 on flickr

Post by Kaitlin Wainwright

If you are of a certain age, chances are your summer weekends were, at least in part, spent at weddings and wedding receptions. In the last three summers, I’ve attended no fewer than ten weddings in Ottawa, including my own.

But this isn’t entirely about weddings. It’s also about birthday celebrations, graduation parties, fundraisers, company retreats, family picnics, and any other excuse you can think of to round up the troops to have a good time in the last days of this summer or if you’re already planning for next. On any budget.

While Ottawa is pretty far from the epitome of good architecture, it has a number of galleries, museums, restaurants, heritage spaces, and parks. By no means are you restricted to your local Legion if you’re planning an event (although keep in mind that the legion often comes free for fundraisers).

Photo courtesy of The Lord of the Wings

Post by Jeff B.,  aka the Lord of the Wings - until recently an Ottawa-based food blogger specializing in the favorite food of sports pub patrons world wide. Check out his blog for news, recipes and reviews from Ottawa and beyond. Apartment613 wishes LOTW the best of luck in his new city and job.

I was very honoured when Apt613 asked me to sum up my top five places in Ottawa for Chicken Wings. It came right before a big opportunity, which I’m sad to say will have taken me away from Ottawa by the time this is posted. I first came to Ottawa  excited about the city and its people, but when first arriving I was not impressed with the Capital’s chicken wing scene (I still don’t like getting sour cream instead of the traditional blue cheese dressing or ranch). But as I get ready to leave, I find myself thinking of the great wings at the many pubs and eateries I will miss (except for coming back for visits).

On my blog, The Lord of the Wings, I have an elaborate scoring system for the wings I consume, but what I look for in a good chicken wing - and what I think most people also like - boils down to three main factors: is it a large/ fresh/ tender piece of meat? Does it have a crispy, crackling skin? And is the wing saucy and tasty? It’s very important to recognize that chicken wings, like most food, are a very personal thing. Some people don’t like breaded wings, or spice or even big wings. I love an extremely spicy wing, but flavour is key. I like a large wing, but not if it’s tough and rubbery. And I don’t mind if it’s breaded or not. But that’s me.

The following is a list of some of my favourite places for wings in Ottawa I will miss. They all basically have big, crispy, tasty wings. Of course in my few short years here I didn’t get to sample everywhere, so if you have a favourite, I’d love to know.