In this new biweekly feature, Apt613 asks blog contributors and local food lovers about their recent Ottawa-area restaurant highlights to help you find new tasty treats to discover or revisit when someone inevitably asks, “Where do you want to eat?”
Best Bites this week:
- Shawarma Prince (1667 Merivale Road)
- Thr33’s Co. Snack Bar (589 Bank Street)
- Crust & Crate (105-325 Marché Way)
There is plenty of shawarma royalty in Ottawa: Shawarma King, Shawarma Queen, Shawarma Palace, Princess Shawarma, and today’s Best Bites feature, Shawarma Prince.
With a desire to eat less meat, I stumbled upon the most regal offering at their 1667 Merivale Road location — their veggie shawarma. It is now the only veggie thing my meat-loving partner and I order when we visit nearly twice a month; it is just that good. Packed full of roasted eggplant, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, as well as falafel and all the usual shawarma fixings, a small sandwich is the size of a Nerf football. I will guarantee you, though, it is definitely more tasty.
In addition to delicious shawarma, the staff are always very friendly. While a little ways from the hubbub of Ottawa Centre, the location is perfect for thrift enthusiasts; it makes an excellent spot to fuel up for a day of thrift store shopping in the area.
— Amanda Armstrong
Prince Shawarma’s veggie shawarma. Photo: Amanda Armstrong
Thr33’s Co. Snack Bar in the Glebe is already known for its cool ’90s vintage vibes and impressive gin list (over 40 brands from all over the world), but it’s their snacks that keep us coming back.
One item in particular haunts me now every time I have a gin and tonic elsewhere: the Peanut Butter Habanero Chicken Drumsticks. Holy moly! For $11, one order comes with three battered and fried drumsticks, lovingly drenched with a spicy, creamy, crunchy peanut sauce with chopped up nuts and scallions for colour and fun. The heat is perfect, if you tend to like things medium to hot, so don’t let the habanero scare you. The chicken is juicy, and the breading is light and crunchy — just thick enough to hold on to the sauce. It’s a messy snack, but you will be licking your fingers and possibly the plate, I promise.
The menu rotates, and we have never ordered anything that we don’t love (try the Brussels sprouts and the halloumi too). The menu is meant to be shared, but get your own order of the drumsticks. You’ll regret sharing. Trust me.
— Kiersten Vuorimaki
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It’s not hard to find great pizza in Ottawa. Every neighbourhood has their own joint and their signature style. For years now, when we want a thin crust, fast-fired pizza we’ve been heading to Crust & Crate at Lansdowne. Originally just in the Glebe, the franchise has spread to Gloucester, Findlay Creek, and Kanata, and it’s no wonder. The baby brother to Ottawa pizza juggernaut Gabriel Pizza, Crust & Crate is a great blend of comfortable and cool with some awesome original pizzas. Today, though, I am here to preach to you the gospel of the Honey Cups pizza.
Crust & Crates’ Honey Cups pizza. Photo: Kiersten Vuorimaki
Honey Cups is simple, but perfect. The pizza is smothered with tiny pepperoni that curl up into cups in the heat of the oven, creating the ideal vessels for the generous dousing in hot honey that gives the pizza its name. Not too hot, but just right, hot honey is the perfect addition to the classic pepperoni pizza.
One pizza is $22, and it’s great to pair with their Caesar or beet salad for some freshness. Round it off with a local beer, and it’s the perfect pizza night out.
— Kiersten Vuorimaki
We want to hear about something that you ate and loved! Leave comments below and if you’d like to contribute to a future edition of Best Bites, email <editors@apt613.ca>.
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