Food in Canada

Hi again!

After my brief trek to Indy for the gaming convention, I went to visit some family that lives all the way up in Canada. Again, I didn't really have an opportunity to do much cooking, but we did eat at a few cool places, and I felt like sharing them with you. So, without further ado:

Big Rig Brewery
The place: Your basic bar and grill, except for the fact that they do serve only the beer they brew themselves. The place has a kind of dark and modern brewery sort of look, which is totally a thing, I promise. As you might expect from a restaurant like this, you can purchase overpriced merchandise of all sorts in addition to your meal.
What I ate: I chose the Parmesan Crusted Chicken & Gouda Sandwich. It's exactly what it sounds like: a piece of grilled chicken encrusted in Parmesan cheese, with avocado, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and Sriracha mayo served on Swiss panini bread. It also came with hand-cut fries and a vinegary coleslaw, both of which were quite tasty. I also tried their Big Rig Rideau Red beer, which I also enjoyed.

My thoughts: I'm having a hard time coalescing my thoughts on Big Rig, truth to tell. The food was good, and the beer was delicious, but nothing about the place really stands out for me. I guess I was distracted by all the family I was with. It just means I need to go back and try it again next year to get another gauge of the place. For now, I'll give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Lanark Pizzeria
The place: Unfortunately, this was delivery, so I can't really say anything about the location itself. I can say, however, that it's a local pizzeria, named for the county in which it resides.
What I ate: We ordered a basic pepperoni pizza and the Lanark Special, consisting of ham, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms and green peppers. The cool thing is that up there, the pizzerias put all the cheese on top, so it gets extra brown and crispy in the oven. It also seals in all the flavors from the other toppings, steaming them after a fashion. The flavor of it is great.

My thoughts: A local pizzeria as good as any you could hope to find. 4 out of 5 stars.

Harvey's
The place: Ok, so this is basically a fast-food Canadian burger chain, kinda like Burger King. As such, there isn't much to describe here. I mean, it's a burger joint, right? But it's a pretty nifty place nonetheless. They make your burger to order, and then they have a station laid out to add what toppings you want right in front of you. That way, you can customize your burger to your exact taste. Unfortunately, what they have is pretty basic, except for the salad peppers, so the option for a bacon-mushroom-swiss is out of the picture.
What I ate: I opted for the number 2 combo, a Harvey's burger with cheese, topped with lettuce and tomatoes, mayo and ketchup. I also had poutine. What's poutine, you ask? That's when they take your french fries and top them with brown gravy (poutine sauce) and white cheese curds. Yes, it sounds like some crazy Canadian concoction, I know, but trust me, it's actually pretty good. Seriously, don't knock it if you've never had it.

My thoughts: Like I said, it's good ol' fast-food burgers and fries. But, we make sure to eat there every time we go to visit the relatives, so that should tell you something. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars on the (fast) food scale.

Wheeler's Pancake House
The place: Wheeler's is set back in an actual sugar camp, where they drain the sap from maple trees and distill it down into the magical amber brew known as maple syrup. Can you tell I'm a fan of the stuff? In addition to that, the premises hosts a small museum showcasing paraphernalia from the history of the maple industry. The restaurant itself is a big log cabin style hall, decorated with tools of the maple trade and family photos on the walls and fireplace mantle. It is a family business, after all, and the focus is definitely on the food.
What I ate: I ordered the Sugar Bush Special, consisting of two pancakes and three homemade maple sausages, and a side of maple baked beans. Like I said, the focus is on the food, especially the maple syrup, which comes in plentiful amounts. The food is simple, delicious, and thoroughly infused with Canadian maple goodness.

My thoughts: I love this place. Like Harvey's, we're sure to go there every year, but I always look forward to Wheeler's the most. I'm also sure to stock up on maple syrup and maple candy (as in addiction-inducing solid maple sugar) whenever I visit. 4.5/5, easy.

I'm still trying to get a handle on this whole food review thing. I think the pictures definitely help, but I need to take better notes so that I can describe things in better detail. I mean, I have a pretty easy time talking about food that I've made myself, but this is a bit more of a challenge somehow. I promise though that when I start reviewing restaurants in earnest, I'll be able to provide a much more thorough analysis.

As always, thoughts and opinions are appreciated! Thanks for reading!