For this week's "relatively" Wordless Wednesday', we visit general Manager Jeff O'Reilly's D'Arcy McGee's (44 Sparks Street) at the corner of Elgin and Sparks. There, you will find what the political staff at Parliament Hill have long realized, a great place to unwind with a pint of Irish ale after a long day of work.

It features a pair of normally bustling patios, which were overflowing with people during Canada Day.

Front Patio

Side Patio
Pull up a chair on Friday's and order two pints of Guinness, Smithwick's, Kilkenny, or Harp for $9.99 (+tax). Stay for #OysterFriday

Particulars:
D'Arcy McGee's
44 Sparks Street
(613)230-4433

Fellow Ottawa Food Blogger and part time Line Cook at Chef Michael Blackie's (@michaelblackie) Le Cafe Eric (@ottawabites) correctly identified the picture of the "mystery" poutine from the second "Ottawa, do you know your poutine" opportunity as having come from D'Arcy McGee's (44 Sparks) on Elgin Street.

D'Arcy McGee's
Eric writes the Ottawa Bites blog and recently worked the barbecue pit at Billy Bones during this year's Chicken-Rib Cook-Off. He will be entered into the draw for a pair of tickets for the Give to Live Poutine Crawl.

That said, D'Arcy McGee's, under General Manager Jeff O'Reilly (@pintinhand), had me reconsider my stance about pubs generally producing "ding-ding" food. While I think the batter on its fish and chips is a tad thick, it wasn't greasy and it was made-to-order.

Fish and Chips

There are good eats on this Irish pub's menu. For instance, there are the double-baked "stuffed" Yukon gold potato skins ($6.99) that would likely go well with a dark ale.

Stuffed Potato Skins
They are topped with cheddar cheese, chopped bacon, and diced tomatoes. Accompanying, sour cream.

Then, there are the mini Yorkshire puddings ($8.99), a savoury indulgence. They are stuffed with Guinness-braised boneless short ribs and topped with sharp cheddar cheese.

Yorkshire Puddings
Served with a vinegary coleslaw, there is balance in the flavours.

I also have to commend O'Reilly for trying to introduce oysters on the half shell to young professionals on Fridays (#OysterFriday).

Do I think this Irish pub's food on par with bistro or gastro-pub fare? Not quite, but I don't crave bistro or gastro-pub food when it's a gorgeous sunny late afternoon, I'm out with friends, and I just want a nibble to accompany a pint or two after work.

Speaking of which, D'Arcy McGee's happens to feature a patio with a view of the ByWard Market, the National War Memorial, the Chateau Laurier, and what used to be (and may be again) Ottawa's downtown train station. Pictures will follow in an upcoming "relatively" Wordless Wednesday Patio Post.

Particulars:
D'Arcy McGee's
44 Sparks Street
(613)230-4433

More after the jump...

When Rick Mercer (@rickmercer), famed Canadian comic, tweeted he had a day off and wanted suggestions fro what to do in Ottawa, I immediately suggested he participate in a weekly ritual called #fridayoffice. It is hashtagged, because #fridayoffice is regular Friday tweet-up. Just about anyone is invited. It is always held at Patty Boland's Irish Pub. And, it starts at noon.

This past Friday, Jenn and I walked up and down Clarence Street in the ByWard Market, looking for patio to set down, buy a few drinks, and unwind before we went out to dinner. Having heard quite a bit about #fridayoffice and having been invited to attend it in the past, I suggested we take an empty two-seater table in Patty Boland's street-facing patio, the wait staff approving of course.

Patty Boland's Patio
I had read a tweet the Thursday before that everyone was busy, so #fridayoffice would not occur. A few faithful still gathered together at a open window table, their MacBook's plugged in, their discussing technology, and their having a plush twitter bird on the table. When we sat down, I was not sure they were part of the group that gathers every Friday. None of the Ottawa Twitterati I knew were there.

You see, as it advertises, Patty Boland's is "not your average Irish pub." Like other Irish pubs in Ottawa, it hosts events and live music, mostly in the evenings. Unlike other Irish pubs, it also provides its patrons WiFi access (provided by Bold Street). It encourages groups of technologically-inclined to gather. It hosts Apple User Group meetings. It encourages government "Web 2.0 Practitioners" (W2P'ers), web and social media savvy public servants, to congregate. It even took a twitter handle, @PattyBolands. Between Friday's lunch and dinner service, several prominent Ottawa tweeps "telework" from Patty Boland's, #fridayoffice.

I was off-grid that evening, carrying neither phone nor laptop with me.

Jenn was famished, having skipped lunch, so we ordered somethings snackish with two glasses of iced tea ($3.74).

Menu

Jenn, ordered 1 lb of honey garlic wings (roaster size) ($9.00).

Honey Garlic Wings
Quite frankly, I defer wing judgment to my Ottawa food blogging colleague JB (@lordofthewings) who writes the Lord of the Wings food blog. He has the most definitive critique system for wings I have ever seen. My impressions: Patty Boland's wings were freshly deep fried crisp, then smothered with an almost too sweet a sauce. In other words, standard pub grub.

Me, I ordered the Irish soda bread ($6.00). Though, I was intrigued by the $10 baked brie appetizer on the menu.

Irish Soda Bread, Served Stuck with a Knife

Irish Soda Bread Texture
Soda bread is a barely leavened quick bread. Traditional ingredients, according to Wikipeida, include flour, scant bread soda, salt, and butter milk. The soda bread I was served was dense and smothered in melted shredded cheese that reminded me of Supermarket varieties. Bready and substantial, I felt the soda bread would taste better accompanied with something sharper cheese-wise or something brighter like a pesto and some olive oil. Still, it was satisfying, hot, and made-to-order.

Our host and servers were very friendly and quite attentive. What took us aback was one of them telling me the soda bread had a lighter texture than Patty Boland's garlic bread. Another server corrected her, giving her colleague a quizzical look. Next time, I may order both and bring a scale.

Patty Boland's menu reads like other pubs' in the Byward Market: wings, nachos, beer. It serves pub grub. Its patio permits a great view of a busy street in the ByWard market, perfect for people watching.

We suggest however Patty Boland's consider serving local breweries' offerings like Beau's Lug Tread and Kichesippi Beer Co.'s Natural Blonde. Competitor Irish pub D'Arcy McGee's (44 Sparks) already does.

Total: $18.74 (before taxes or tip)

Particulars:
Patty Boland's Irish Pub
101 Clarence Street
(613)789-7822

More after the jump...

I believe that great food comes in many forms and can from some unusual sources. However, employ some common sense when eating out. Don't order fish when you goto a pizzeria (or pasta house), unless you're visiting a coastal city in Italy (e.g. Naples). Don't order steak at a seafood restaurant. Don't order spaghetti at a dai pai dong (a type of open-air food stall that was once popular in Hong Kong). Similarly don't expect hand garnished plates at a buffet.

When it comes to pubs, pub food needs to be simple to make, quick to plate, easy to manipulate, and it must pair up well with the beverage of choice: beer. Like wine, why not cook the dish with the beer that you serve it with? In this case, the pub in question is the Royal Oak Pub on Wellington Street (1217) in the Wellington Village. The dish is a "Beef and Stilton pot pie." The beer is Guinness. It just works.

Well, the dish works. I'm not fond of darker beers, so I didn't order a Guinness with my meal. However, between the gently stewed beef, the sharpness of the blue cheese, the slight bitter notes from the dark beer, and the generous layer of puff pastry, I must have had a culinary epiphany.

The Oak's Beef and Stilton Pot Pie is listed on the menu as traditional "British Pub Fare." According to its description, like all the pot pies, it is homemade and served with seasonal vegetables and a choice of salad or potato. I substituted lattice fries for the potato. They were crisp and flavorful. The vegetables were a very coarsely chopped side that tasted like they spent some uneven time on the flat top. The pot pie was made with beef, mushrooms, and a Guinness Stout and Stilton gravy.

At $12.99 before taxes and tip, the meal delivered good value.

To my readers who are thinking about visiting Ottawa, the Royal Oak is a chain of pubs specific to the nation's capital. There are a total of 10 locations. I've frequented 3: the Bank Street Oak (318 Bank), the Laurier Oak (161 Laurier), and the Wellington Oak. Every time, I have been served pub food that was above average. If you're wanting for a pint, you can't really go wrong by dropping by an Oak.

Cheers!

Particulars:
The Wellington Oak
1217 Wellington Street
(613) 728-6661
Click here for the Royal Oak Pubs' Website