Ottawa Foodies

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Pasta lover, I'm glad you enjoyed your meal, but I really hope your server didn't tell you Wednesdays were mussel night, since it is actually on Mondays. :)

They have a few other special nights that are great, and are listed on the weekly special page in the inside cover of the menu.

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Last night I went for dinner at the Clocktower in the Glebe. My group got there right at 6:00 and it's a good thing since the pub filled up very quickly.

I ordered a side caesar to start. The romaine was fresh and nicely coated with dressing. My one quibble with restaurant salads is that they put too much dressing on the greens but The Clocktower did it just right. It would have be nice to have just a little more garlic in the dressing though. The croutons were also nicely seasoned.

I ordered the Thai mussels as a main and absolutely loved them. The mussels were perfectly cooked and they were served in a coconut milk broth with chilis. I ordered them Belgian style (with fries) and asked for a side order of mayo. I didn't like the fries too much since I found them on the soggy side but I will make note not to order them next time. Other than that dinner was delicious and it washed down well with the Kolsch I ordered.

Two members of my group ordered the turkey and brie sandwiches and one member of my group ordered a side salad of greens and some onion rings all of which were pronounced delicious.

We found out, as we were paying for our meals, that Tuesday night was wing night hence the crowds. The waitress also mentioned that, since I liked the mussels so much, Wednesdays are mussel nights. It would have been nice knowing that before so we could have planned our meals accordingly. But that's just a minor quibble and it won't stop me from going back.

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SomeLikeItHot: I am curious to know which location you went to. Our last visit to the Westboro location was very, very poor. Couldn't finish the food. Don't want to go back if things haven't changed. We did write them a letter but never heard anything back.

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Went here on Tuesday night, because it was wing night and my S.O loves their malaysian wings. I ordered the lamb special, which consisted of braised lamb over a rice with almonds and cranberries. We waited quite a while and the server came and apologized, but then when we finally got our food mine was cold. Even though I didn't want to be a pain, I sent it back. The server was very apologetic, but I have to admit, the food was only so-so. And, even with the wait and having to send back the food, I would have thought they would have given us some sort of discount... but nothing. I'll probably go again just for the malaysian wings, but wish they would try harder.

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Flanked by horrible experiences at Spiga and Feleena's I had a nice modest Rocket Salad at the Clocktower on Saturday Afternoon amidst all the post 'racists'; hehe I couldn't resist.

Spicy Arugala, Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and Apple with a nice sweet dressing.

11 ish bucks.

Great salad, see picture, nuff said.

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I was never a huge fan of the Bank St location, but the new market location has treated me well since it opened. It's been a long time since I was on Bank St, though, so I might just be behind the times.

I've had a couple decent late night meals and a solid weekend brunch and was thrilled to discover that they had Waupoos cider on tap.

I recently spent some time on their back patio and discovered that their blended (daiquiri and pina colada) drinks are fantastic.

All around they completely rehabilitated my opinion of the Clocktower. I hope they keep it up.

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I went last week with my parents (Bank Street location), who took me out for a nice birthday supper. The service was great: efficient, charming and not too intrusive.

My parents both had burgers which they deemed tasty, but also that they were a little dry. I wonder if they offer a less well-cooked option with waiver like the Works since it's across the street? We didn't ask but I am curious. Dad is a bit of a French fry freak and he was quite pleased with these.
I had the goat cheese salad and the mussels. The salad was good; great honey-chipotle dressing with a bit of heat in it. The mussels were plump and juicy. My only criticism was the broth was on the salty side.

A nice surprise was their house white wine... can't remember the name but it was really good!
The price is about on par with other places of this nature. I'd return and try other dishes. I've heard from friends that their wings are quite good.

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I've been really critical of their food in the past (and, I maintain, very rightfully so), but it seems like they re-jigged their menu sometime a few months ago (now presented in books rather than laminated sheets, of course). And they've done a really decent job with it, at least options-wise.

I've only eaten one thing off of it, which was their 'Supreme' burger (swiss, cheddar, onions, mushrooms, and bacon). It was standard .. which, to me, is a pretty substantial improvement, and a welcome one at that. The fries were actually really good-- thick cut and well-seasoned.
I certainly don't visit for their food, but it's encouraging to know that they're making a bigger effort in their kitchen should I feel like snacking when I'm there.

Had the seasonal IPA to drink, which was really fantastic. Want to make sure to catch it again before they move on to the next.

This was all at their new Richmond location, somewhat hidden in an indented (that's not the right word..) lot, attached to the new SDM that sits beneath one of the many new condos.

Interesting that they have such a massive space, but they still bring all the brews over from their Bank location (from what I thought I overheard). It's big enough to make me believe they do some brewing at that location, but alas.

They've done a really nice job with it, and I'll be happy to return for a pint or two.

Ate at the Clocktower for the first time in what seems like forever. Market location.

Good: Burger. Had the supreme burger (bacon, mushrooms, onions, cheese etc.). It was quite good -- maybe not as great as suggested below, but a solid burger for sure.

Seasonal IPA. Maybe the best beer I've had at Clocktower. They should make this a permanent fixture. Had a brown and an ESB as well. Both were pretty good.

Service at the restaurant was good. Waitress was attentive and friendly; front of house staff was apologetic... which leads me to the bad.

Bad: Reservation was made for 5 people @7:30 via online reservation. Arrive to find no such reservation on a busy friday night. The host (manager?) asked if I had maybe made a reservation at the wrong location. Since this was a possibility and I couldn't check my email, I didn't want to make a fuss and he tried to find us a table sooner rather than later which was appreciated. We ended up squeezing into a table for 4 about 20 minutes later, rather than wait longer for a bigger table.

This isn't a huge deal to me. However, I checked when I got home and the reservation was indeed for the location in question. This is problematic so I sent them an email to alert them to the reservation problem -- it's been a couple days and I haven't heard back. Lesson: Call for reservations, if you're making them.

Also, while waiting at the bar for the table/rest of party the bartender didn't offer to get us drinks etc. despite my attempts to get her attention. That and the fries that came with my burger were cool -- not ideal for deep fried goods.

All in all, it's a good place in the summer when they have an abundance of seating due to patios and I enjoyed myself. It just seemed to lack a certain customer service that I'd like to see.

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Went with my Dad to the Clocktower tonight to watch the game with him. We delved into the beers there. He had a cask-conditioned red, and a bytown brown, while I had the Kolsch and the Raspberry wheat. Now, more the matter, I love dark beers with full flavour, and don't much like lighter coloured beers. So....yeah, shouldn't have ordered the Kolsch and Raspberry wheat. That being said, if you like lighter beers, I would recommend them, because, even though they were not to my taste, they were still pretty good. My Dad generously let me have a sip of his beers, and they were steller. The Bytown brown was hearty and had a nice coffee pre-taste, which means that the next time I go back, I will order nothing but it. So, to summarize, really really enjoyed the beer.

Just got back from a Brewers' lunch at the Bank Street location. Had the new Organic Wheat, which I think is only a seasonal for the summer. It is fermented with a "normal" yeast, so does not have any of the funky flavours associated with Belgian or Bavarian Wheat beers (and their respective special yeasts). So it classifies as "American Wheat". It was an extremely good beer - very quaffable on a hot summer day. Crystal clear. Kudos to Patrick the brewmaster - very well done. It was so good that I had to have a 2nd :-P

EDIT : Oh, and got to meet Orleansfoodie for the first time (waves)

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Was here for lunch today. The Koelsch (sic) and Wishart's Bitter were both absolutely fantastic! Their beers have really improved since they hired a real brewmaster - go Patrick!

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I have to agree with Zym: The Kölsch here is a deadringer for the yummy Dom Kölsch which you get in Germany...Köln specifically. Might be my favourite beer. Then again, anyone from Köln will tell you that Kölsh stands alone.

Yum!

Went in for a quick beer and burger yesterday while my kids were in an activity nearby. The Koelsch was a dead-ringer for the ones I've had in Cologne - in particular I'd say Dom Koelsch with it's slight sweetness. For those not in the know, this is the same type of beer that Beau's is brewed after, so anyone who likes that, should love the Clocktower Koelsch.

Just last week I had the ESB and the Brown and I enjoyed both. The ESB was especially flavourful. As far as brew pubs go, it's them and the Draught Horse out in Navan, and that's it to the best of my knowledge. But fortunately a lot of places these days are carrying micros. Click "Beer" on this site for some of my recommendations.

It just wasn't good beer. Not flat to style, but flat as in stale. If you can recommend some good brews they make I'm always willing to give them a chance.

Frequenting brew pubs in Montreal Boston and Toronto for the past decade and a half I had high hopes for Ottawa. Are there any other brew pubs in Ottawa I can try? Localish breweries whose products I love are Millhouse, McAuslen, Heritage. From the New England area, Harpoon, Sam Adams, Dogfish. I lean towards complex hopped beers.

Just curious which beer you had Shamus. If it was one of the cask beers that would explain the flatness since cask beer is often flat (by design)

Have I just been unlucky? Some of the worst pub brew I have ever had has been here. I've tried the location in the Glebe and in new Edinborough and both times the beer was almost undrinkable - flat and flavourless. I am a huge supporter of crafted beer and really wanted to like the Clocktowers offerings but sadly I cannot do this.

Been there a few times the last few weeks since my son is in an activity around the corner. Went for lunch today. $3.45 is the regular price for their own brewed beer! Glass is at least 500ml if not a British Pint (even bigger). Wow! And apparantly Tuesday nights are wing night and beer is half priced!

Confession: I haven't eaten a burger in...hmm, probably 8+ years. It's not that I've made a point of avoiding them, we just haven't crossed paths - i.e. maybe I need to get to more barbeques.

Last Thursday, I was here (Bank Street location) with a couple of friends, both burger enthusiasts, for dinner. They often speak of the excellent burgers here. I read the description of the Angry Goat Burger and it also spoke to me: Herbed goat cheese, banana peppers and spicy mayo. I chose the side of salad: a generous amount of mixed greens with grape tomatoes and balsamic & olive oil dressing (on the side) with a bottle of San Pellegrino - they have a nice 500 ml size.
The burger was hugely delicious and perfectly done. So good, I was back Saturday evening with my sister eating the same. Again excellent. Service was friendly, quick and efficient. I really like this place.

Another absolutely perfect burger today! That will be all ...

Absolutely perfect! Served on a scrumptious kaiser bun with pickles, lettuce and onion. Big burger, and very flavourful. Tough to imagine a better burger.

Once again a very wonderful burger!

Had the "Black and Blue" for lunch today, with blue cheese on it. Mmmmmm, stinky cheese! Everything about it was great except I'm not sure if this was the "black" part or not, but the burger was charcoal black on the outside. Luckily it did not taste really burnt so it was still yummy. I'll try it again next time I'm there and hopefully it won't be so charred. Yummy pickle on the side, served with lots of onion and tomato and lettuce.

Once again, perfect french fries.

Another 2 strong thumbs for their fries. Perfectly crisp on the outside, tender on the inside.

Had fries (w/a burger) here on Friday and I'm still thinking about them -- they were very good. Home-cut fries are so rare these days.

The home-cut fries I had yesterday were absolutely perfect!

Was back at lunch today and this time had the fries with my burger instead of salad. They appear to be home-cut and were very yummy. Nice and crisp on the outside and tender inside. Good job clocktower!

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As posted above, the Tuesday wing special is now 6.25 for 10. Very good quality wings.

I paid a visit to The Clocktower Brew Pub (Glebe) last night for their Tuesday night wing night (Reg $9.75, Tuesdays $4.95). The Clocktower has a good range of flavours, all the heats, including Malaysian (suicide), Sweet Chilli, Hot & Honey, Spicy Maple BBQ, Honey Szechuan, Jerk, or Cajun Dusted. I decided to try the Spicy Maple BBQ for something a little different. They're sufficiently saucy and have a hint of sweet maple and BBQ flavour, they are not spicy though. I was a bit surprised that no carrot sticks, celery or sour cream came with the wings (sour cream is extra), but this would only really be an issue with the hot wings for me. In any case, its definitely worth a visit on wing night, and at the Bank St. location at least, go early! We hung out near the bar for about 30mins before finding a seat in the bar area and ate there - a seat in the dining area didn't come up. The Clocktower has a good selection of their own microbrew as well as other beers, so waiting isn't an issue, trying to stay out of the way when there are no seats is.



To note: My friend had the 5 spice chicken - his review was that it was alright, the veggies seemed to be the best part though.



Wing Size: 7.5

Sauce: 6.5-7.5 (6.5 for advertising them as spicy, 7.5 because they're still good)

Recommended Beer: I had a Fenien Red, which is a little sweet and went nicely with the sweet wings, as well as a Wisharts Bitter which had a nice contrast to the sweet...I wouldn't actually recommend alternating though. Pick one and stick with it.

Best wings in the city.
Cheap on Tuesdays...

Today is Tuesday, allllllllright.

Had a very nice side tossed-salad with my burger today, instead of fries. The veggies were all fresh. They had a choice of maybe 5 different dressings, I chose the blue cheese which was delicious.

I'll order it again.

There are 2 types of veggie burgers : those that try to look and taste like a hamburger, and those that don't. In my experience the ones that do try are often pretty terrible, while the ones who do not try are often pretty spectacular. Unfortunately, this was one of the ones that tried to look and taste like a hamburger, and while it was not terrible, it was not very good either. I certainly won't be having another. It tasted like soy sauce. Yuck.

I am excited to announce that the Clocktower (on Mackay) has changed/added to their menu! As a frequent customer to this pub, I pretty much have their menu memorized and stick to the same old, same old.
So, here is the tuna...I don't think I have the name right but it's the only 'tuna' item on the menu. This was the first time I've actually had a tuna steak, so I really have nothing to compare it to but I really, really, enjoyed it. They serve it on pumpernickel bread (grilled, I think) with some nice wasabi mayo. Such a nice treat having unique choices at a pub. They serve it with either fries or salad...I got the salad which is their standard salad that goes with all the dishes...mixed greens, red onions, grated carrots, chunks of tomatoes, and a honkin' pickle. Dressing is usually on the salad, but I get it on the side!

Can't wait to try the other new items! I'll let you all know of course....

Fresh Foodie: Do you think there should be two separate tags for each Clocktower location? I'm pretty sure that zymurgists' reviews are from the location on Bank, while mine are from Mackay.