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Featured Recipe

Quick Chinese Spiced Drumsticks/Wings

Created by FoodMODE

Quick Chinese Spiced Drumsticks/Wings
Makes 4 main course servings
Oriental flavours can be absolutely addictive. These quick spicy drumsticks/wings are no exception! Feel free to adjust the recipe (i.e., ginger, chili paste and peppercorns) to meet your preferred level of “hot and spicy”!

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Best of Quartier Vanier

Last issue, we told you all about what to eat on the New Edinburgh strip of Beechwood Ave. This time, we're heading a little further south to talk about Montreal Rd. and McArthur Ave.
There is a large ethnic contingent in Vanier, and the food reflects that. If flatbreads with tasty fillings are your thing, you can do quite an interesting tour. El Tucan Tex-Mex and Salvadorian Restaurant, has an extensive list of things you won't find at Taco Bell. Their specialty is the pupusa, like a corn tortilla, but quite a bit thicker. You can get them filled with pork or cheese. Groovy's Roti Hut has been around for 14 years, 6 years at the McArthur Ave. location. Even though you may associate the roti with Indian food, they're also popular in the Caribbean which is the cuisine Groovy's specializes in. The roti is a wheat flour flatbread and at Groovy's you can get them filled with a variety of curried meats, including goat, beef, and the favourite, curried chicken. Just a block away, Agop's Bakery is a bit misleading. Specializing in Armenian and Lebanese food, the "baking" is mainly their "pies" which are another type of flatbread topped with meat, cheese or spinach. They're like a little pizza, but lighter-perfect for lunch.
Still on the ethnic theme, a couple of food shops in the area have folks coming from all over to get specialty ingredients. George's Meat Shop in the Eastview Shopping Centre focuses mainly on Lebanese food but people also go for specialty meat cuts used in dishes from Argentina, Lebanon and Haiti, to name a few. Mario's Food Centre on McArthur Ave. is easy to miss, but be sure to look for it, as it carries a fascinating line of Portuguese food and gift items. Salt cod is their best seller, and they often have customers who have returned from a trip to Portugal and are hoping to recreate some of their holiday meals.
Old-school diners are a staple of Vanier. On Montreal Rd. Eddy's Quick Lunch has been around for 37 years (though there has been no Eddy for the past 14). They're known for their club sandwich and their spaghetti and meat sauce. Open 24 hours, breakfast does a brisk business and people even ask for their baked beans recipe. Fontanelle's on the other side of the Vanier Parkway, is another diner style place, run by the Saikely family. They open at 3am and a reasonably-priced breakfast with all the fixings is popular with customers: "You get the whole shebang for five and a quarter," says Saikely son, John.
If it's pizza you're after, you won't have to look far in Vanier. There are too many pizza places to mention here, but Louis' has been an institution for over 40 years. Named for the present owner, Mo Saab's Uncle Louis, the restaurant serves breakfast, sandwiches, pasta and other dishes, but pizza is the main draw. Louis' Special with pepperoni, olives, green peppers, mushrooms and bacon is the favourite.
A couple of favourite watering holes in Vanier are Derringers Eatery and Saloon, on Montreal Rd. near the Parkway, and further down, Finnigan's Pub. If you don't mind the relentless traffic rushing past, Finnigan's has a great patio. Wings, fish and chips and Texas nachos (made with kettle chips instead of tortilla chips) are popular. Surprisingly, some of the best food on the menu is Indian. "We have a couple of Bangladeshi guys in the kitchen and they're just amazing," says bartender, Nadine. She recommends the chicken curry or the butter chicken.
If you're looking for a place for lunch, Maison Baguette has a nice atmosphere, a cute little patio, and lots of yummy baked goods, soups and sandwiches. They also sell family-size frozen entrees to take home including chicken pot pie and tourtière. Everything is baked onsite.
Tucked in behind the Loblaws on McArthur Ave., you'll find Pizarro's Restaurant. Owners Pat Nicastro and Frank Bresolin have been serving up excellent Italian food for 20 years. Nearby government buildings provide the large lunch crowd, and word-of-mouth about their tasty manicotti and other dishes keeps them hopping over the dinner hour too.
Just down the street, Todric's Boutique and Food Emporium wears several hats. The name is a combination of Todd and Eric (for owners Todd Christopher and Chef Eric Patenaude). The business started out with just catering, but expanded into a restaurant and food boutique two years ago. Weekdays, they have counter service and take out or eat in for breakfast and lunch. Weekends, there's a brunch, and the third weekend of every month, they fancy the place up with tablecloths, dim the lights, and offer fine dining for dinner, with three- four- or five-course dinners. The boutique area sells relishes, salsas, chutneys, satay sauces, jams and frozen entrees to take home.
This is just a sampling of what's available in Vanier, so next time you're hurtling down Montreal Rd. or McArthur Ave. take the time to look around at what's cooking.
El Tucan; 85 Montreal Rd; 613 749-2317; www.eltucan.ca
Groovy's Roti Hut; 292 McArthur Ave.; 613 744-1551; www.ottawafood.com/groovys
Agop's Bakery; 304 McArthur Ave.; 613 744-6000
George's Meat Shop;23 Selkirk St.; 613 523-9544
Mario's Food Centre; 381 McArthur Ave.; 613 749-1247; www.mariosfoodcentre.com
Eddy's Quick Lunch; 179 Montreal Rd.; 613 741-2648
Fontanelle Restaurant; 55 Montreal Rd.; 613 749-0332
Louis' Restaurant and Pizzeria; 181 McArthur Ave.; 613 741-0724
Derringer's; 99 Montreal Rd.; 613 745-8188
Finnigan's Pub; 347 Montreal Rd.; 613 747-2578
Maison Baguette; 381 Montreal Rd.
Pizarro's Restaurant; 366 Marguerite Ave.; 613 747-7777
Todric's; 10 McArthur Ave.; 613 321-0252; www.todrics.com

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